Paul Morigi/WireImage via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Journalists, government officials and celebrities attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night without President Donald Trump, who spent the evening at a campaign rally in Michigan. "You may have heard I was invited to another event tonight -- the White House Correspondents' dinner," the president told the crowd on Saturday. "But I'd rather be in Washington, Michigan, than in Washington, D.C. right now." The president, who skipped the dinner for the second year in a row, called the event "phony." "Is this better than that phony Washington White House Correspondents' Dinner? Is this more fun?" he asked the crowd. "I could be up there tonight smiling, like I love where they're hitting you, shot after shot. These people, they hate your guts. "And then I'm supposed to ... " he continued, faking an exaggerated smile. "And you know, you've got to smile. And if you don't smile they'll say, 'He was terrible, he couldn't take a joke.' And if you do smile, they'll say 'What was he smiling about?' You know, there's no win." Trump also passed on last year's dinner, instead hosting a rally in Pennsylvania for his supporters. Comedian Michelle Wolf, a contributor to Comedy Central's "Daily Show with Trevor Noah," headlined the event. Margaret Talev, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, in a statement praised Wolf for her diverse background and for supporting the First Amendment and independent journalism. "Her Pennsylvania roots, stints on Wall Street and in science and self-made, feminist edge make her the right voice now," the statement read. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was expected to attend the dinner on Trump's behalf. You know, one of the things we say in the south, if a Girl Scout egged your house, would you buy cookies from her? I think that this is a pretty similar scenario. There's no reason for him to go in and sit and pretend like this is going to be just another Saturday night, Sanders told ABC News before last year's event. The last president not to attend the yearly dinner was President Reagan, who was shot less than a month before the event in 1981. Reagan made an appearance by telephone, however. "Well, I'm happy to be speaking to the White House correspondents' spring prom," Reagan said. "I'm sorry that I can't be there in person." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. news, latest-news Both staff and students at the University of Canberra will be interviewed about aspects of university culture, as part of a campus-wide review into sexual assault and harassment. The interviews are being held as part of a review led by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, set up in the wake of a damning Human Rights Commission survey into sexual assaults on university campuses. As part of the review process, select students have been interviewed in groups of 20 about experiences on campus and how current policies are perceived by students. In an email to students seen by The Sunday Canberra Times, the team leading the review said the interviews would form a critical component of the review. "This review will propose system-wide recommendations for strengthening policies and procedures responding to sexual harassment and sexual assault," the email said. "Recommendations will also propose processes for periodic monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy reforms." The interviews carried out for the review would be conducted in groups either by gender or by type of degree. "The discussion groups will be organised to hear from particular groups in a safe environment, for instance, women only, international students, Indigenous staff, Indigenous students, LGBTIQ and college and university accommodation students residents to name just a few, will be conducted," the email said. "The review will not be investigating the details of any particular incident, but collecting information and insights on the broad themes that are relevant for informing the response to sexual harassment and sexual assault." The Human Rights Commission survey, released last year, found 54 per cent of students surveyed at the University of Canberra had been sexually harassed, with 26 per cent experiencing it at university in 2016. The survey also found that 7.2 per cent of the 460 students surveyed were sexually assaulted in 2015/16, slightly higher than the national average of 6.9 per cent. However, the number of those surveyed that said they were sexually assaulted on campus at the University of Canberra - 1.1 per cent - was lower than the national average, which was 1.6 per cent. The review is expected to run until July, when a report will be presented to those in leadership positions at the university. While the university said it had implemented policies to deal with sexual harassment and assault on campus, the email said the policies would be examined as part of the review. "A further component of the review includes benchmarking university policies, processes, complaints and disciplinary procedures against national and international practice, including emerging research and findings from major university reviews," the email said. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the University of Canberra said the review is expected to be completed by the beginning of semester two this year. "The University of Canberra has a strong culture of tolerance, inclusion and respect, and through training and education, we are promoting social change to prevent inappropriate behaviour in our university," she said. "We have taken a holistic approach to prevent sexual or interpersonal harassment or violence, implementing a range of programs and activities. "The university is also delivering the online course 'Consent Matters' to educate students on the culture of respectful relationships." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/608aab8d-d99f-439a-bd08-ae11e9d5675b/r0_24_320_205_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news University of Canberra students battling dodgy landlords, employment issues or the immigration system will have greater access to legal assistance thanks to a partnership with Legal Aid ACT. Legal Aid lawyers will host clinics at the university's Bruce campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays in an initiative aimed at improving student, staff and the Belconnen community's access to legal assistance. About 25 people have attended clinics since Legal Aid ACT first set up shop at the university in March, with issues raised relating to family law, employment, sexual assault, migration and visa issues, contractual disputes, debt, and rental and tenancy disputes. Legal Aid ACT chief executive John Boersig said while there had long been "quite a demand" from University of Canberra and Australian National University students, greater visibility in Bruce would likely ensure people in need would ask for help or advice. People are often reticent to go and get help, and particularly young people, theyll put the problem in their bottom drawer or back pocket and then forget about it," Dr Boersig said. "Having a service thats readily accessible and increasingly not just a physical presence but an electronic presence is going to be crucial in the provision of services." University of Canberra student life director Scott Pearsall said the partnership would also fit with the institution's latest strategic plan by potentially providing hands-on learning opportunities for law students. Its a fairly bold plan but theres been great leadership shown by Legal Aid and shared by the university to try and provide something that is good in many different ways for various parts of our communities," he said. The free clinics will run during business hours and offer appointments and drop-in services. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/7260cc5e-bb33-4048-a6cd-b1dc4315e13f/r0_162_1999_1291_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Photo: Contributed Vernon Comic Con takes place May 5 at the Village Green Hotel. Peter Kaz wants to bring Comic Con to Vernon. The family friendly, free event will be held at the Village Green Hotel Saturday May 5 and will feature numerous vendors, collectables, cards, toys, clothing, comics and more. Kaz admits the inaugural event will not be on the same level as the massive San Diego Comic Con that attracts tens of thousands of people a day, but it is a gathering for like-minded people. There are more and more people out there who are not afraid to say that they are geeks like us who want to come out and get together. There will also be booths with many private collectors and retailers offering unique items, cosplay clothing, board games, video games - try out a new game before the rest of the world gets it - art, vintage stuff, toys, comics, cards and many other collectable items. Ebenezers will also be on hand giving away free comics while quantities last. It's a free event and you will be able to partake in some really cool, exciting things, said Kaz, adding there will be prizes throughout the day and a few surprises as well. The trade show is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the hotel ballroom, and from 6-8 p.m. there will be a Star Wars trivia event. After the trivia is finished, starting at 9 p.m., a really cool band called Pound Sign, with some members from other popular bands, are going to be playing and getting people dancing and having a great time, said Kaz. We're doing a cos play party, but people can just show up if they don't want to dress up. We are giving out prizes all day. Photo: UBC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip will be given an honorary degree by UBC this spring. An acclaimed winemaker in West Kelowna and a bestowed Indigenous leader in Penticton will both be given honorary degrees from UBC this spring. Anthony von Mandl, the founder of Mission Hill Family Estates, will receive a degree from UBCO during the spring convocation, taking place on June 7 and 8. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, will be honoured with a degree at UBC's convocation which goes from May 23 to 25 and May 28 to 31. The Vancouver-born von Mandl created a wine importing business at age 22 before founding Mission Hill in 1981 a winery that has been awarded Canadian Winery of the Year six times, most recently in 2016. He received the Order of British Columbia in 2006, and in 2016 he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. Phillip is a former chief of the Penticton Indian Band, and now is president of the UBCIC and chair of the Okanagan Nation Alliance. UBC acknowledged Phillip has "taken an active role in the defence of Aboriginal title and rights by supporting First Nations communities in need, and has been involved in numerous protests and lobbying movements at provincial and national levels." In 2006, Phillip was bestowed with the rare title of Grand Chief by the ONA for his efforts to defend First Nations. The full list of those who will be recognized with honorary degrees this spring by UBC and UBCO can be seen here. Missed Delivery? If missed delivery or wet paper please call our office 909-628-5501 ext 110 Leave a detailed message with name, address, and phone number. Readers must call before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Re-deliveries are available for Chino residents until 1 p.m. Saturdays. Click Here Benfica, which has won the league in the last four seasons, lost 3-2 to Tondela at home on Saturday. "It was an easy decision," Firmino told Liverpool's website. "The club have taken me in in an incredible way and I've grown a lot here with my work with the support of the whole team. I am very, very happy here." In it, West makes some of his most coherent, if still highly debatable and naive, arguments about his pro-Trump stance to date: "Make America Great Again had a negative reception/ I took it, wore it, rocked it, gave it a new direction... Y'all been leadin' with hate, see I just approach it different/ Like a gang truce, the first Blood to shake the Crip's hand." The round-bosomed woman assured me, "It's totally worth it." As she reviewed the costs for elaborate nips and tucks I knew I couldn't afford, I realized I was fortunate never to have experienced surgery under duress - no C-section, no episiotomy, no final jerk of the forceps. Who did I think I was now, potentially electing to go under the knife? According to my information packet, I'd have to use something called the Jackson -Pratt drain to pump blood and pus away from the wound post-op. My presence at the center seemed suddenly and blatantly absurd. Sometimes, at the very least, epiphanies are cheap. The girl was wounded when a gunman started shooting at someone around 1:30 p.m. in the 4600 block of North Monticello Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood, police said. The girl was hit as she stood in a gangway, on her way to a park with her family. She taken in a private vehicle to Swedish Covenant Hospital, police said. On March 30, he participated in a protest near Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Daly said he had cycled to the border with friends, who had assured him that the demonstration would be peaceful. At one point, after gunfire had erupted, he rushed to help another wounded demonstrator. That, he said, was when the bullet ripped through his knee. "I think they would all agree that it's in everyone's best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together," Pompeo told reporters as he traveled to Israel. "We've got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognize that. We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them." As a member of three key committees (oversight and government reform, judiciary and intelligence), Gowdy has been at the sometimes he has been the epicenter of controversies. These have included Benghazi (honestly, do you remember what that was about? Didn't think so), the two parties' dueling memos about Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Mueller investigation. When his fellow Republicans on the intelligence committee faulted the FBI, CIA and NSA for concluding "with high confidence" that Russia preferred Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, Gowdy said that the committee's own evidence showed that Russian involvement in the election was "motivated in whole or in part by a desire to harm her candidacy or undermine her presidency had she prevailed." Gowdy has never met Trump and might leave Washington without having done so. "We're small guys," he said. "We're competing with many big gas stations. Some of us have paid more for the business just because it had the liquor license. We rely on this income to pay our employees. ... We have been in compliance, and we have done nothing wrong." Adding that there were no sprinklers in the attic of the structure, Lezi said the building was found to be current with all fire codes, including the smoke detector alarms that at least one resident said he heard Saturday, but ignored at first. The 17th Chinese proficiency competition for college students in Turkey was held on Saturday in Istanbul, in which Betul Akcakaya from Izmir University of Economics beat 24 others to qualify her for the finals in China. The written test produced 25 contestants, who then entered a speech contest and a talent show that were not allowed to last more than two and three minutes respectively. In speeches, the contenders spoke of their feelings about the beauty of the Chinese language, shared their dreams and their contacts with Chinese friends. For Maide Neslisah Akkaya from Erciyes University, it was difficult for her to learn Chinese at the beginning, but she found herself more and more interested in the language and could better experience its beauty as she continued her learning, including its unique tone. She plans to pursue her graduate studies in China. Talent show was performed in a variety of forms, like guitar playing, singing and dancing, martial art, paper-cut, local Chinese drama, drawing and such Chinese folk arts as crosstalk and two-man comic show. Peony drawing by Akcakaya won praise as a talent never shown before by others and she drew well, said Zhang Xiaoyi, a judge and Chinese teacher with the Confucius Institute of Yeditepe University, where the competition was held. In addition, Akcakaya did well in her speech in terms of logic, fluency, pronunciation and manner, making her the best in overall performance although she did not lead in all the three links, said Zhang. Akcakaya voiced her joy at being the No. 1, saying she is aspiring to be a translator of good Chinese film and TV programs into Turkish and hold an expo of her Chinese paintings some day. "People have to learn each other's languages so that they can communicate with each other and so that peace could be possible," Bedrettin Dalan, Yeditepe's founding president, told the audience before the contest kicked off. Cui Wei, the Chinese consul general in Istanbul, laid emphasis on the role of language learning in promoting communications between countries, just as the three Confucius Institutes in Istanbul have been serving as bridges in helping Turkish college students learn Chinese. As friendly countries, the Turkish and Chinese governments are integrating their Belt and Road and Middle Corridor initiatives and set to develop cooperation on more fields and projects, thus offering more platforms and opportunities for Turkish students who speak Chinese, understand China and are ready to help advance bilateral ties, said Shi Ruilin, the cultural counselor with the Chinese Embassy in Turkey. The contest was jointly sponsored by ICBC Turkey, a subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Huawei Turkey. The world-famous Royal ballet of Cambodia was performed in Beijing on Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia. A Cambodian company performed the traditional dance, which is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, at Tianqiao Performing Arts Center. As well as from the dance performance, Cambodian artists also sang classic songs about China and the friendship between the two countries. The performance was part of the ongoing 18th "Meeting in Beijing" Arts Festival, which is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, State Administration of Radio and Television, and the Beijing government. The festival, which runs from Friday until May 31, will include 130 performances by nearly 800 artists from 19 countries and regions, as well as three art exhibitions. Robin Li, founder of search engine Baidu, Saturday announced a donation of 660 million yuan (104 million U.S. dollars) to Peking University (PKU) to promote research on artificial intelligence (AI). The "PKU-Baidu fund" will be used to support frontier research in AI-related subjects such as information science, medicine, economics, communication, psychology, and sociology, which are highly consistent with Baidu's long-term endeavors in the AI sector. Lin Jianhua, president of PKU, said the establishment of the fund, just days before the university's 120th anniversary, will lead the next generation into the future and help them seize new opportunities in the new era. Li said a combination of Baidu's strong technology and experience in the field and PKU's academic research abilities will produce more achievements that are beneficial to the country and society. Chen Xi, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), attended a graduation ceremony of the Party school of the CPC Central Committee (Chinese Academy of Governance) on Saturday. Chen, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and president of the school, presented certificates to the first group of 831 graduates for the 2018 spring semester. Four student representatives made speeches at the ceremony, saying they will remain true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind, devoting themselves to implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC. He Yiting, executive vice president of the school, chaired the event. The Party school of the CPC Central Committee and the Chinese Academy of Governance were recently merged and formed a new institution, as approved by a plan on deepening reform of Party and state institutions released by the CPC Central Committee in March 2018. Top political advisor Wang Yang on Saturday called for joint efforts to advance multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Wang made the statement at a meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of a call made by the CPC Central Committee on April 30, 1948 in which it called on non-communist parties, as well as people without party affiliation, to convene a political consultative conference and found a democratic coalition government. Wang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, noted that the call from the CPC Central Committee received ardent responses and laid the foundation for the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC. He pointed out that 70 years later, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, had called the system "a new type of party system growing from China's soil," which opened a new chapter for the development of multiparty cooperation in the new era. "It's necessary to unwaveringly uphold Party leadership and uphold General Secretary Xi's core status, as well as uphold the authority and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee," said Wang, who also called on non-communist parties to enhance their capabilities to perform duties. Afghan capital Kabul [Photo/Xinhua] In the run up to Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979, the politburo met to discuss whether the time was right to send in troops or whether to simply help the Afghan government with funds and weapons to deal with their problems the way they were supposed to be dealt with. There were realists in the Soviet administration who were skeptical of an invasion, and confident that the Soviets wouldn't be able to come out of Afghanistan that easily. Unfortunately, they didn't prevail and the rest, as they say, is history. The Soviet Union went bankrupt, and lost over 15,000 lives, trying to stabilize Afghanistan. As I read news of ISIS blowing up 50 random people in an election sector in Kabul, I remember this archival history. The war and counter-insurgency in Afghanistan have been going on since 2001, but the writ of the government lies only in Kabul and some other urban centers. The Taliban is growing and is at its strongest since 2004, when major U.S. forces started to be diverted to the Middle East. And the domestic government is as weak as ever. Since 2001, the U.S. has spent over 500 billion dollars annually, trying to stabilize Afghanistan. But the plan was wrong from the start. The regional great powers like India, Pakistan and Iran have their own security interests, which are divergent and often confrontational. The U.S. also relied on the heavy-handed promotion of democracy, trying to establish foreign norms in a society which remains deeply tribal and sectarian. They also disbanded all militias which were based on sectarian loyalties, and which were intrinsic in stabilizing parts of the country; and that, especially, has been a major disaster. These militias and local tribes, which have their own cultures and norms, and are led by people they deeply care about, are loyal to their own. The idea of modern representative democracy is alien in these places, and as such, it is baffling to attempt promote modern norms by external forces. But with these tribes and forces neutered, the only forces which command loyalty are based either on ethnicity, like the Taliban, or on religion, like ISIS. Recent research points to a completely different method, which is unfortunately ignored by the West. The research suggests not to force norms, but rather to encourage local leaders to stabilize and promote order, in whichever means necessary. In simpler words, sometimes external powers should focus on stability, rather than values, and promote order over chaos. That would lead to a stable country, and would in turn naturally help further development. A contrasting example is Chinese investment in Africa, which does not force African governments to adhere to Chinese social culture. The situation in Afghanistan is tricky. It remains a graveyard of empires, having led to overreach by the Persians, the Mughals, the British, the Soviets and now the Americans. It is important to understand that local leaders have a huge stake in the stability of the region. It is also important to understand that the United States won't be there for long. The local actors know that, and in a waiting game, the external power will always lose. American taxpayers cannot afford to continue to fund Afghanistan as a province whose governance is borne solely by the United States. The Indian Prime Minister Modi is about to meet with President Xi. As per Indian strategic circles, PM Modi wants to display that China and India have overlapping interests in South Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific and that there is "an urgency to align our world views through a broader across-the-board dialogue." I cannot think of a better idea than discussing the inevitable prospect of a post-American Afghanistan, which is a factor of immense importance to both India and China, not just for security and terrorism issues, but also economic issues. Stabilizing Afghanistan calls for a new approach, most importantly the cooperation of the regional giants. Sumantra Maitra is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash The Syrian army on Saturday fully secured four neighborhoods in southern Damascus after battles with the Islamic State (IS) militants. The army closed in on a key bastion of the terror-designated group in the area of the capital, state news agency SANA reported. The army fully captured the neighborhoods of al-Qadam, Mazniyeh, Asali, and Jourah, from IS around the Hajar al-Aswad and the Yarmouk Camp areas in south of the capital, said the report. The Syrian army has been on a crushing offensive with huge firepower against IS. Rebels with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front evacuated the al-Qadam area last month and the IS militants in the nearby areas stormed large parts of the neighborhood. Ahead of the battle against IS, the terror group was offered a deal to evacuate to the remote part of the Syrian desert, as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, which controls nearby areas such as Babila and Yalada, will evacuate to rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. But the IS militants thwarted the deal of evacuation, which sparked the war flare again, and it is expected that after the defeat of IS, the al-Qaida-linked militants will be bused outside Babila and Yalda, both entwined with the Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, to Idlib. The entire capital will be free of rebels and the military operation is expected to move towards the southern province of Daraa, which is around 100 km from Damascus. IS has lost its major stronghold late last year, with the Syrian army capturing the Deir al-Zour city in eastern Syria as well as large swathes of the Syrian desert near the Iraqi border. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also stripped IS of its de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria. Flash The world welcomed the two Koreas' joint commitment to denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula at Friday's summit, looking forward to the next key meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). At the end of the summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held on the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom, their Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula pledged joint efforts for national reconciliation, denuclearization and lasting peace. Historic summit expected to lead to peace United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the meeting "truly historic" and offered UN assistance to implement the agreements. "He counts on the parties to build on their first meeting and swiftly implement all agreed actions to further inter-Korean trust-building and reconciliation, sincere dialogue, and progress towards sustainable peace and verifiable denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," Guterres's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. Welcoming the joint declaration as "positive" and "conducive", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said, "We hope that the relevant parties will maintain the momentum for dialogue and work together to promote the denuclearization of the Peninsula and the political settlement of the Peninsula issue." China stands ready to continue to play its positive role to this end, he added. Trump tweeted: "After a furious year of missile launches and nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place." Moscow said, "We regard it as a significant step by Seoul and Pyongyang toward national reconciliation", standing ready to facilitate "the establishment of practical cooperation" between them. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement, "It shows that dialogue and diplomacy are our strongest tools to create peaceful solutions to the most difficult problems, and that they can benefit the region and the whole world." Countries in and beyond Asia including the Philippines, Thailand, Nepal and France hailed the outcome of the summit, hoping it would promote regional peace and stability. Positive sign for planned Trump-Kim meeting "We now look forward to the planned summit meeting between the President of the United States and the leader of the DPRK and further positive outcomes that may stem from it," Mogherini said. Experts in the United States are regarding the success of Friday's summit as a positive sign for the Trump-Kim meeting planned in the coming weeks, while cautioning against excessive optimism. Ian Bremmer, chairman of the New York-headquartered think tank Eurasia Group, called the outcome of the inter-Korean summit "the first significant unreservedly positive geopolitical development of the year." "It's hard to see the United States credibly threatening military preemption when peace is breaking out across the Peninsula, which is precisely the point," he said. "Ultimately it's a win for everybody." Richard Haass, president of the U.S. think tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), described the summit as an "extraordinary development on Korean Peninsula" that will help defuse tensions that might have slided into military confrontation. Former U.S. diplomat Mintaro Oba likened the summit to the opening gambit in chess. "How you play it sets up the other possible moves that come after it," he said. "So the inter-Korean summit's significance lies primarily in what atmosphere it creates and what expectations it reinforces heading into the next move, which is the Trump-Kim summit." Scott A. Snyder, CFR's senior analyzer on the Korean Peninsula, said Seoul recognizes that improvements in inter-Korean relations will be ultimately tied to any progress in U.S.-DPRK relations. A U.S.-DPRK summit will be "high-risk, high-reward" for both Kim and Trump, because failure could entrench their previous opposing stances and lead to further confrontation, he said. Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, predicted that with Pyongyang, Washington will "seek to broaden and deepen the meaning of denuclearization and set a timetable for elimination of the weapons, with benchmarks, in exchange for sanctions relief and diplomatic relations." Ryan Hass, a Brookings Institution scholar on Asia issue, said it would be wise for the White House to manage expectations, rather than inflate them. "It's going to be difficult for Trump to exceed either the hopefulness of the Moon-Kim meeting or the standards on verification set by JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) Iran deal," he said. Flash Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said his country will openly close its main nuclear test site in May, and showed expectations for a summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim told Moon that he will shut down the nuclear test site and show the process to the world. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK for the transparent shutdown. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear tests in the Punggye-ri test site in northeastern DPRK. Moon and Kim held the third-ever inter-Korean summit in the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom. Kim became the first DPRK leader to step onto South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. After the summit, they confirmed a common goal of the complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to have multilateral talks, including China and the United States, to declare an end to the Korean War and alter the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year. The peninsula remains technically at war as the war ended with armistice, not with peace treaty. Kim told Moon that the Punggye-ri test site is in a good shape, rebutting the contention by some media that the DPRK would close the already collapsed nuclear test site. Moon welcomed Kim's decision to openly shut down the nuclear test site, agreeing to discuss when to invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK after the DPRK side completes preparations for the closure. Kim told Moon that the United States will realize, after holding talks with Pyongyang, that the DPRK is not a country to use its nuclear weapons toward South Korea, the Pacific Ocean, or the United States. The DPRK leader said his country has no reason to live with difficulty because of the nuclear program when it meets the United States frequently and build mutual trust to promise the end to the Korean War and non-aggression. The summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is forecast to be held in May or early June. Kim told Moon that there will be no repetition of war on the peninsula, strongly affirming that there will never be any use of force. In a separate press briefing, Moon's spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said the South Korean president had a telephone conversation with Trump for 75 minutes from 9:15 p.m. local time Saturday to exchange views over the result of the inter-Korean summit. Trump congratulated the successful Moon-Kim summit, while Moon expressed gratitude for Trump's strong support that led to the successful inter-Korean summit. Trump said confirming the goal of making a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through the complete denuclearization was very good news to the two Koreas as well as to the entire world. He expressed his support to the agreement by Moon and Kim to declare an end to the Korean War. Moon and Trump exchanged opinions on ways to successfully hold the DPRK-U.S. summit, agreeing to continue close consultations in a bid to reach an agreement on the summit on detailed ways to realize the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Regarding the timing of the DPRK-U.S. summit, Moon and Trump shared a view that it should be held at an earliest possible date to maintain the momentum of the successful inter-Korean summit. They also discussed the possible DPRK-U.S. meeting locations, reducing candidate sites to two to three places. Moon also had a phone dialogue for 45 minutes from 10 a.m. local time Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to explain and share the results of the inter-Korean summit. At the summit, Moon relayed Abe's willingness to talk with Pyongyang and normalize Japan-DPRK relations to the DPRK leader. In response, Kim told Moon that his country was ready to talk with Japan at any time. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that mutual trust is the basis for the stable development of Sino-Indian relations. Xi made the remarks when holding an informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Hailing the sound development of bilateral ties, Xi said that the two countries have forged a closer development partnership and made progress on exchanges and cooperation in various fields. "We have paid reciprocal visits, met on multiple occasions, and reached many important consensuses over the past three years, which acted as a guidance to the positive development momentum of bilateral ties," Xi said. China and India, as the two biggest developing countries and two emerging economies each with a population of over 1 billion, are both important engines of global economic growth, as well as backbone forces for promoting multipolarization and economic globalization, Xi said. The international situation is undergoing a critical period of changes and adjustment, and countries around the world are now more inter-connected and rely on each other, said Xi, noting that "the trend of peace and development is irreversible." "A sound China-India relationship is an important, positive factor for safeguarding world stability, and means a lot to the development and progress of all human beings," Xi said. China and India face similar tasks in their pursuit of development and rejuvenation, as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and the goal of building a "new India" has been proposed, Xi said. He called on the two sides to focus on development and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to achieve national rejuvenation, create an Asia featuring stability, development and prosperity in the 21st century,and make a positive contribution to global peace and development. Xi said that both sides should develop Sino-Indian ties from a strategic perspective, constantly enhance mutual understanding and trust, and promote all sectors and people of the two countries to deepen mutual understanding and cultivate friendly feelings. "China and India should be good neighbors and friends," Xi said. "The two countries should regard each other as a positive factor in the balance of global power and take each other as partners for realizing the dream of development." China and India are getting stronger and stronger, and this represents an irresistible trend and offers important opportunities to each other, Xi said. Both China and India stand for an independent foreign policy, he said, calling on the two sides to correctly analyze and view each other's intentions with a positive, open and inclusive attitude. "China and India have many similar ideas in international affairs," said Xi. He said, in developing relations between major countries, China upholds strategic autonomy as well as non-conflict and non-confrontation, and insists on building a new-type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, which are in line with the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence jointly advocated by China and India in the 1950s. Xi stressed that in the next stage, China and India should jointly plan for all-round cooperation, carry out closer strategic communication, and timely conduct consultation on major issues of common concern, so as to take a firm hold of the general direction of bilateral relations and ensure the effective operation of their dialogue mechanism. He said that the two sides should carry out more in-depth pragmatic cooperation and more extensive cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and handle their differences in a more mature manner. He suggested both sides strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and jointly promote regional economic integration and interconnectivity. "The two sides should uphold the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit to promote the construction of an open world economy, support the multilateral trading system, actively carry out international cooperation and jointly cope with global challenges," Xi said. China is ready to make joint efforts with India to create a stable and prosperous Asia in the 21st century and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction, Xi said. Modi thanked President Xi for his invitation, saying he had a candid and in-depth exchanges with President Xi and learnt about the profound Jing-Chu local culture during his visit. Modi said he felt that President Xi has attached great importance to and has guided the development of India-China relations. India and China are countries with ancient civilizations and important neighbors, he said, calling on the two sides to strengthen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, and maintain peaceful co-existence and ever-lasting friendship. Modi said he paid high attention to the announcement at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that socialism with Chinese characteristics had entered a new era, while India has its own goal of a "new India." He agreed with Xi that as two largest developing countries with a combined population of 2.6 billion and two large emerging economies, India and China are stabilizing factors of the world. He said the development of India and China has important influence on the world, and has positive significance to the vast developing countries. India and China should make joint efforts in making greater contribution to peace, stability and prosperity of Asia and the world in the 21st century, Modi said, agreeing to maintain high-level strategic communication with China. The two countries have common concept, a common resolve and common visions in developing bilateral ties, he said. Modi suggested that the two sides should strengthen contacts and cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and trust, properly handle and control their differences and boost people-to-people friendship, so as to upgrade bilateral relations to a new level. India firmly pursues an independent foreign policy and supports the globalization, multilateral system and democratic international relations, he said. Modi said India was ready to work with China to promote the common interests of all developing countries. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday in Michigan state that his meeting with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un could happen in three or four weeks. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Trump said. The White House added that Trump did not know what will happen concerning the meeting. Earlier on Saturday, the White House announced that Trump discussed in phone calls about the latest developments of the Korean Peninsula with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump and Moon discussed the inter-Korean meeting Friday between Moon and Kim, and emphasized that "a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea (the DPRK) is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." In a separate call with Abe, the two leaders reiterated the need for the DPRK to "abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs." Earlier on Friday, Trump told a press conference that he has a "very good working relationship" with Kim, and that "we're down to two countries, as to a site" to host the meeting with Kim, "and we'll let you know what that site is." You are here: World Flash Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday arrived in Djibouti on his first foreign visit after he was sworn in and assumed office early this month. Local media outlets quoted the Office of Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the prime minister's two-day visit aims at further promoting the long-standing bilateral relations between the two East African countries. The prime minister is expected to discuss with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh on bilateral and regional issues of common interest. Prime Minister Abiy is also expected to deliver a speech at the Djiboutian parliament and visit different institutions, including port Djibouti. Flash Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebel group claimed that a Saudi-led coalition air strike on Saturday hit the national blood bank in the capital Sanaa, said a statement carried by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency. Houthis said the air strike left heavy damage in the blood transfusion bank, but gave no further details. However, there were no comments by the Saudi-led coalition on the Houthi claim. Also, the Houthis reported that other coalition air strikes on Sanaa killed a mourner and injured two others on Saturday morning during a funeral ceremony attended by thousands of supporters of the Houthi group to mourn the the death of the group's second-in-command Saleh al-Sammad killed last week in a coalition air strike. Meanwhile, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite TV channel reported that the coalition air strikes on the rebel-controlled Interior Ministry in Sanaa late on Friday killed at least 35 rebels, including senior commanders. Residents of Sanaa said about seven air strikes targeted the capital overnight, hours ahead of the funeral ceremony. The Houthis said via Saba that the air raids targeted the interior ministry building, north of Sanaa, and Sabeen square where the mourners were gathering in south of Sanaa. The Houthis later said they fired eight ballistic missiles toward military and vital facilities in Saudi border city Jizan in retaliation for the air strikes that targeted the funeral ceremony and the interior ministry in Sanaa. Though, Saudi state media reported that the Saudi air defence forces had intercepted four missiles over Jizan, and said a Saudi citizen was killed from debris fallen from the missiles. The coalition considered al-Sammad as the No. 2 leader after the group chief Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. It killed al-Sammad on April 19 in the rebel-held Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The killing of al-Sammad was considered the most powerful blow so far on the Iranian-backed Houthi movement. The coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to roll back the Iranian-allied Shiite Houthi rebels and support the internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The rebels have seized control over much of the country's north since September 2014, including the capital Sanaa, and forced President Hadi and his government into exile in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced 3 million others, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Flash The crisis in the Swedish Academy deepened Friday as author and translator Sara Stridsberg became the sixth member to resign in just a month, Swedish media reported on Saturday. The Swedish Academy, known around the world as the body that picks the Nobel literature laureates, now has only 10 active members, and eight vacant seats. The crisis has led to speculations that the Nobel Prize in Literature may not be awarded this year. "We really regret Sara Stridsberg's decision to leave the Academy. We are in the middle of a renewal process where her input would have been valuable," Anders Olsson, the Swedish Academy's stand-in permanent secretary, told the TT news agency. Since Academy members are voted in for life, a resignation has up until recently meant that a member who decides no longer to take part in the Academy's work simply leaves a vacant seat behind but cannot be replaced until his or her death. Resignations have also, so far, been extremely rare. However, earlier this month, after a number of members said they no longer intended to stay active, Sweden's King XVI Gustaf stepped in and changed the statutes of the Academy, which was founded in 1786 by King Gustaf III in order to advance the Swedish language and Swedish literature. The changes mean members who are not actively taking part in the Academy's work can also ask to resign and can then be replaced. With just ten active members, rumors are circulating that the Academy may cancel the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature. According to Swedish Radio, there are people within the Nobel Committee and the Swedish Academy who believe the prize cannot and should not be awarded this year. However, that information has not been confirmed. The Swedish Economic Crime Authority has started a preliminary investigation into suspected financial crime within the Academy after an inquiry found it had granted payments to a cultural club formerly run by a man married to an Academy member. The same man was last year accused of sexual harassment by a number of women who spoke to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter at the height of the "MeToo" movement. Stridsberg was an ally of the former permanent secretary, Sara Danius, who left her post earlier this month, as did the wife of the man accused of sexual harassment. Flash A. Evans, a 23-month-old terminally-ill toddler at the heart of a long legal battle, died in the early hours of Saturday. Alfie's father Tom Evans announced the news on his social media, saying: "My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings... absolutely heartbroken." His death comes days after doctors at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital switched off his life support machines after a judge refused a desperate last-minute plea by his parents to allow their son to be flown in an air ambulance to Rome. A statement by the famous children's hospital said staff expressed their "heartfelt sympathy". The Italian government intervened in the tragic case Monday by granting citizenship to Alfie in the hope the hospital would release him to make the journey to Italy. Even the intervention of the Pope was not enough to persuade judges to grant the boy's parents wish to move him to a children's hospital in Rome. Instead they gave doctors permission to switch off the ventilators so that the boy, suffering from an incurable brain disease, could die. In a live interview on British television Tuesday, Alfie's dad told journalists his son had been breathing unaided for nine hours. There were dramatic scenes at the hospital Monday after judges rejected the family's last legal attempt to move the boy. Hundreds of supporters stormed the front of the hospital and were held back by a police line as they tried to gain entry into the building. The protesters also blocked a busy main road outside the hospital, halting traffic. Alfie had been admitted to the hospital a year earlier, suffering from a brain abnormality, so rare the disease doesn't even have a name. Doctors described the condition as relentless and progressive, resulting in signs of a very high water content in the brain and a catastrophic degradation of brain tissue, meaning his brain was mostly water and spinal fluid. The hospital said Alfie remained had unresponsive to every available treatment. The battle between Alfie's parents and the hospital started in February when doctors first said they had given up any hope of the boy being cured and wanted to switch off his life support. Their decision triggered a battle that took the case through every level of courts in Britain, ending up before the highest court in Britain, the Supreme Court. You are here: World Flash An earthquake measuring 5.6-magnitude jolted parts of northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, local Met office said. Pakistan meteorological office said on its website that epicenter of the quake was determined in the Hindu Kush mountains along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The quake's latitude was determined at 36.41 north latitude and 71.22 longitude east and it happened 200 km beneath the earth's crust. No loss of life or property has been immediately reported, but the quake created panic among the people who rushed out of their houses. Local Urdu TV channel Samaa reported that the tremors were felt in Swat, Malakand, Battagram, Dir Bala areas of the country's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan is located in one of the most earthquake prone areas with high vulnerability to earthquakes. Geographically, the country lies in the collision zone of the India tectonic plate to the south and the Eurasian plate to the north. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc was seen off at Changi airport (Photo: VNA) As part of the 4-day trip, the Vietnamese PM paid a courtesy call to President Halimah Yacob and held talks with PM Lee Hsien Loong. He also held meetings with Singaporean groups planning to invest in Vietnam, and with Singaporean scientist and intellectuals on the application of 4.0 technologies in building a constructive government. He spent time attending the Vietnam Singapore Business Forum and talking to lecturers and students at the Singapore Management University, one of the top establishments supporting start-ups in the country. His schedule also included a meeting with staff at the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese expatriate community, and a tour around the Vietnams pavilion at Food & Hotel Asia 2018 in Singapore. During their talks, PM Phuc and his Singaporean counterpart discussed measures to capitalize on opportunities of regional economic links generated by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to which both Vietnam and Singapore are signatories, and the fourth industrial revolution. They agreed to maintain trustful and close political ties through all-level delegation exchanges, boost defence-security cooperation, with attention paid to practical collaboration between naval, aviation and search and rescue forces, and in defence technology. They agreed to coordinate with each other in handling common security challenges such as piracy and terrorism, ensuring navigation security and safety, as well as cyber security. The two PMs concurred that investment and trade cooperation is an important pillar in bilateral ties,and vowed to promote business connectivity, exploit aviation linkage potentials, and stimulating collaboration in finance and stock market management, helping Vietnamese companies list in the Singaporean securities market. PM Lee Hsien Loong pledged that Singapore will continue investing in Vietnam and offering scholarships for Vietnamese students The sides vowed to enhance bilateral ties at international forums, especially within the framework of the ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and the United Nations. They affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region along with freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. They reiterated their support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and early finalisation of an effective and legal binding Code of Conduct (COC) of parties in the waters. On the occasion, the two PMs adopted a joint statement on the visit and witnessed the signing of several cooperation deals. As part of his Singapore trip, PM Phuc attended the Vietnam Singapore Business Forum and witnessed the signing of 16 cooperation pacts between firms of the two countries. He also met and held dialogues with Singaporean leading companies, to whom he stated that Vietnam welcomes Singaporean investors, who would bring to Vietnam the rich experience of the start-up nation of Singapore. Attending the 32nd ASEAN summit, PM Phuc voiced his opinion that promoting innovation will stimulate ASEANs resilience power, particularly economic resilience. He announced that three major cities of Vietnam - Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang - will be part of the ASEAN network of smart cities under Singapores initiative. On the sidelines of the summit, Phuc held bilateral meetings with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Myanmar President Win Myint (Uyn Min), discussing measures and orientations for relations development. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs official visit to Singapore and attendance at the 32nd ASEAN Summit has contributed to fostering Vietnam Singapore cooperation and demonstrated Vietnams support for Singapores ASEAN chairmanship in 2018./. Flash Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), has said during the inter-Korean summit that Pyongyang was ready to hold dialogue with Japan at any time, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said that Moon had a telephone conversation for 45 minutes from 10:00 a.m. local time with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to explain and share the result of the April 27 summit with the DPRK leader. At the summit, Moon relayed Abes willingness to talk with Pyongyang and normalize Japan-DPRK relations to the DPRK leader. In response, Kim told Moon that his country was ready to talk with Japan at any time. At the friendship exchange to mark traditional New Year of India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand (Photo: dangcongsan.vn) The event was jointly organised by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO) and the embassies of the five countries in Vietnam. Delivering new year greetings to the international friends, HAUFO Chairwoman Nguyen Lan Huong said that Vietnamese people always treasure the support from the international community for Vietnams cause of national liberation, construction and global integration. She expressed her hope that the regular friendship activities held by the HAUFO will help enhance mutual understanding and tighten solidarity between the Vietnamese people and peoples of foreign countries. Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Prak Nguon Hong thanked the HAUFO for organising such a meaningful activity, which he said helps bolster ties among regional countries. He expressed the belief that cooperation and solidarity among the nations will be consolidated and reinforced in the future. Participants joined in traditional New Year customs of the Asian countries, such as the Buddha bathing ceremony, threads tying around the wrists and the Festival of Colour (the Holi), and enjoyed stellar art performance./. Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Turkmenistan Ngo Duc Manh (Source: vnembassy-moscow) The Turkmenistans top legislator underscored that the two countries have shared sound friendship, while supporting each other at international arena. For his part, Ambassador Manh, who is on a visit to Turkmenistan from April 25th-29th, thanked the people of Turkmenistan for their support to Vietnam during the countrys struggle for independence in the past. Earlier, the diplomat has a meeting with Turkmenistan Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Hajiyev, during which the two sides discussed a number of issues of shared concern, including preparations for the upcoming visit of the Turkmenistan President to Vietnam. In both meetings, Ambassador Manh highlighted that the two countries have high potential of cooperation. Turkmenistan is rich in natural gas, while Vietnam is strong in industrial products and consumer goods, he said, adding that the two sides should also bolster bilateral cooperation in culture, tourism and sport to enhance mutual understanding. In the coming time, Vietnam will carry out a number of activities to promote bilateral partnership, focusing on connecting businesses of both sides and encouraging Vietnamese firms to invest in Turkmenistan, he said. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy will work hard to increase meetings and visits between representatives of ministries, sectors and agencies of both countries. The diplomat expressed his hope for the signing of more cooperation agreements between the two countries, including those on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders, and simplifying travel regulations between the two countries, thus creating favourable conditions for people and businesses of both sides to meet and exchange. During his stay, Ambassador Manh attended a round-table on the Vietnam-Turkmenistan economic, trade and investment cooperation, during which Vietnamese and Turkmenistan enterprises in various fields introduced their strengths and cooperation potential. Along with natural gas, Turkmenistan is also strong in cotton, fabric and carpet, making it a potential material supplier of Vietnamese garment and textile firms. Meanwhile, Vietnams agricultural products such as tea, coffee and aquaculture products can meet Turkmenistans demand. During the visit, Ambassador Manh also visited a number of local firms operating in fabric, carpet and confectioneries production./. FUZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force on Saturday released a promotional video and commemorative envelopes, recapping its recent flights over China's island of Taiwan. The video was released in multiple languages including English, Japanese and Chinese dialects such as Minnan (southern Fujian) and Cantonese. The background music features several widely known Chinese patriotic songs. The video is to let Chinese people of all ethnic groups, especially compatriots in Taiwan and overseas Chinese, understand that not a single inch of China will ever be separated from the motherland, according to the air force. The photo and footage of the flights used in the video and on the envelopes are aerial shots taken by the PLA pilots during their cruising missions. The inscription on the envelopes reads, "Taiwan, the Treasure Island, is harbored by our motherland. The motherland will always be in our heart. It is the sacred duty of any PLA pilot to safeguard the territory of our motherland." "Every time we flew the H-6K bomber over the island, my comrades and I could clearly see the wonderful landscape of our motherland, before recording the scenes with cameras," said pilot Wu Yuepeng. "They're not only the witness to our efforts for a stronger country and a stronger military, but also witness to us carrying out missions in the new era." "The island patrols of the PLA pilots were also to measure the landscape of China with flying trails," said Shen Jinke, spokesperson of the PLA air force. He noted that the PLA air force had the resolve, faith, and capability to safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since April 18, the air force has conducted a series of island patrols, in order to exercise and enhance its capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. [ Editor: WPY ] Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends a meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of a call made by the CPC Central Committee on April 30, 1948 in which it called on non-communist parties, as well as people without party affiliation, to convene a political consultative conference and found a democratic coalition government, in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2018. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Top political advisor Wang Yang on Saturday called for joint efforts to advance multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Wang made the statement at a meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of a call made by the CPC Central Committee on April 30, 1948 in which it called on non-communist parties, as well as people without party affiliation, to convene a political consultative conference and found a democratic coalition government. Wang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, noted that the call from the CPC Central Committee received ardent responses and laid the foundation for the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC. He pointed out that 70 years later, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, had called the system "a new type of party system growing from China's soil," which opened a new chapter for the development of multiparty cooperation in the new era. "It's necessary to unwaveringly uphold Party leadership and uphold General Secretary Xi's core status, as well as uphold the authority and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee," said Wang, who also called on non-communist parties to enhance their capabilities to perform duties. 2 1 [ Editor: WPY ] We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Meeting Bulgarian Minister of Justice Tsetska Tsacheva, the Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman highlighted important contributions of Tsacheva, who is a former leader of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, to the development of the Vietnam-Bulgaria relations. He proposed that the minister continue helping foster the bilateral partnership, especially in justice. Vietnam is reforming its judicial system, he said, adding that the National Assembly of Vietnam has issued many laws related to the organization and operation of the judicial system. However, Vietnam still needs to learn experience of other countries, including Bulgaria, he stated. For her part, Tsacheva said that Bulgaria has implemented a judicial reform strategy since 2015 with an aim to build a law-governed State. She affirmed that Bulgaria is willing to share its experience with Vietnam in managing the prison system, executing criminal verdicts, providing judicial support and protection, and observing the rights of prisoners. At a meeting with Yordanka Fandakova, Governor of Bulgarias capital city of Sofia, NA Vice ChairmanLuu stressed the high cooperation potential between Sofia and Vietnamese localities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City- the two cities sharing twinned relations with Sofia. The Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman suggested that leaders of Sofia carry out more activities to promote economic, trade and tourism ties between the two countries such as organising workshops, forums and fairs for enterprises of both sides to study each other demands. Also on April 27, Luu had working sessions with Valeri Giablianov, President of the Bulgaria-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group and Simeon Dimchev, President of the Bulgaria-Vietnam Friendship Association. Speaking highly of contributions of Bulgarian parliamentarians and members of the Bulgaria-Vietnam Friendship Association to the relationship between the two countries, Luu expressed his hope that they will continue working hard for the reinforcement of ties between Vietnam and Bulgaria. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. The Turkmenistans top legislator underscored that the two countries have shared sound friendship, while supporting each other at international arena. For his part, Ambassador Manh, who is on a visit to Turkmenistan from April 25-29, thanked the people of Turkmenistan for their support to Vietnam during the countrys struggle for independence in the past. Earlier, the diplomat has a meeting with Turkmenistan Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Hajiyev, during which the two sides discussed a number of issues of shared concern, including preparations for the upcoming visit of the Turkmenistan President to Vietnam. In both meetings, Ambassador Manh highlighted that the two countries have high potential of cooperation. Turkmenistan is rich in natural gas, while Vietnam is strong in industrial products and consumer goods, he said, adding that the two sides should also bolster bilateral cooperation in culture, tourism and sport to enhance mutual understanding. In the coming time, Vietnam will carry out a number of activities to promote bilateral partnership, focusing on connecting businesses of both sides and encouraging Vietnamese firms to invest in Turkmenistan, he said. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy will work hard to increase meetings and visits between representatives of ministries, sectors and agencies of both countries. The diplomat expressed his hope for the signing of more cooperation agreements between the two countries, including those on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders, and simplifying travel regulations between the two countries, thus creating favourable conditions for people and businesses of both sides to meet and exchange. During his stay, Ambassador Manh attended a round-table on the Vietnam-Turkmenistan economic, trade and investment cooperation, during which Vietnamese and Turkmenistan enterprises in various fields introduced their strengths and cooperation potential. Along with natural gas, Turkmenistan is also strong in cotton, fabric and carpet, making it a potential material supplier of Vietnamese garment and textile firms. Meanwhile, Vietnams agricultural products such as tea, coffee and aquaculture products can meet Turkmenistans demand. During the visit, Ambassador Manh also visited a number of local firms operating in fabric, carpet and confectioneries production. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Following "Rosanne", the latest classic sitcom to be rebooted will be The Cosby Show...onto the registered sex offender list and into a federal prison. "America's Dad," Bill Cosby, was found guilty on three charges of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a 30 year-old employee of Temple University at the time of the assault. Cosby's first trial on the charges, last summer, ended in a mistrial. In 2006 Cosby paid Constand $3.38 million after she sued him when prosecutors had initially declined to bring charges. Since 2006 and the 2017 mistrial, the Me Too Movement moved across the United States having an impact on how women accusing high-powered men of sexual misconduct are viewed and treated. In addition to the Me Too Movement, another significant difference in the second trial was that five other women were allowed to testify that Cosby and drugged and assaulted them in a similar fashion. Prosecutors had been unable to bring charges in their cases because the statue of limitations had expired. In the first trial, only one other Cosby accuser had testified for the prosecution. As happened in the first trial, Cosby's defense argued in the second trial that Cosby's encounter with Constand was consensual. The defense tried to slut shame the other accusers, which proved to be an unwise legal strategy in the wake of the Me Too Movement. Constand served as a kind of proxy for all those who have accused Cosby of similar assaults and the trial as a test case for prosecutions that may spring from the Me Too Movement. Prosecutors are said to be considering bringing charges against Harvey Weinstein, for instance. Cosby's attorneys said they will mount a strong appeal. Facing a possible 30 years in prison, Cosby was allowed to remain out on $1 million bail, but confined to his home, pending sentencing, over the objection of prosecutors. When prosecutor Kevin Steele called for Cosby's bail to be revoked citing that he was a flight risk who owned a plane, Cosby shouted "He doesn't have a plane, you asshole!" Cover your ears Huxtable kids and Fat Albert! Cosby's star fall is only topped by O.J. Simpson's, because Simpson was found in civil court to be responsible for two vicious murders. But in one way Cosby's fall is bigger,or stunning, because he was more beloved and seen as a positive role model. This cartoon was first posted in 2015, after Bill Cosby lectured against young men wearing low-riding jeans when at the same time he was being accused of drugging women to sexually assault them. There have been plenty of self-righteous, moralizing preachers and politicians who have been exposed as hypocrites in sexual scandals, but none were as funny, entertaining and admired like Cosby. As a kid, I loved watching Fat Albert on Saturday Mornings. As an adult, I was among the millions of Americans who helped make "The Cosby Show" a ratings hit. Like millions of American's, my family laughed along as Cosby told jokes on these things called records and cassette tapes that were played on something called the "Hi-Fi" or the "Stereo." Turns out Cosby liked Quaaludes and ruffies better than Jello pudding. Turns out Cosby was a wolf in sheep wool sweaters. Turns out Dr. Huxtable and Mr. Cosby were really Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In Ohio, a state hit hard by the heroin and fentanyl overdose epidemic, it should be easy to get the overdose-reversal drug, naloxone, at most pharmacies without a prescription. A 2015 law allows pharmacists across the state to use a standing order signed by a doctor to dispense the lifesaving medication, most commonly known by the brand name of the nasal spray version, Narcan, to customers who do not have their own prescription. A standing order can be signed by a doctor (whether one employed by the pharmacy chain, a local physician or the medical director of a health department, for example) and used for anyone who requests the medication, in the same way that vaccines are dispensed. Almost every U.S. state has a similar law in place today, either allowing doctors to prescribe naloxone to patients they do not have a relationship with, or allowing for standing orders at pharmacies. About 77 percent of the Ohio's pharmacies in 87 of the state's 88 counties now have standing orders in place and have registered with the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy to provide naloxone without a prescription (for a complete list, check here.) But the ease of getting naloxone or Narcan depends on which drug store chain or pharmacy you ask. A Plain Dealer review of 275 pharmacies in three Northeast Ohio counties that have signed up with the state's board of pharmacy to have the drug available found that the majority, 70 percent, had the medication in stock when we contacted them during the second week of April. Less than two-thirds (60 percent) both had the drug in stock and the person answering the call in the pharmacy knew that no prescription was required. When asked about prescription requirements, surveyed pharmacies varied widely in their responses: At about 1 in 5 pharmacies overall, staff who answered the phone said a prescription for Narcan was needed. Only a quarter of Marc's locations in the surveyed area had the drug in stock and available without a prescription. Six of the chain's 17 locations, or 35 percent, said a prescription was required At the 12 Walmart locations we contacted, staff who answered pharmacy phones said a prescription was required at 8 locations, or 67 percent. "We don't want anybody to be turned away for lack of a prescription when it's not required," said Terry Allan, Cuyahoga County health commissioner, when informed of the survey results. "That's an opportunity to save a life." Allan said he's encouraged by the number of pharmacies that stock naloxone, but sees room for improvement in how the different pharmacy chains educate their staff about the standing order. That training is not now required by state law. Only pharmacists and pharmacist interns are required to be trained on how to dispense the drug and counsel patients or customers. The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Monday will consider new draft rules that would mandate this training, said Cameron McNamee, director of policy and communications after learning about the survey findings. "At the time of [the law's] drafting, we assumed that such staff training would be provided as it is a service the pharmacy offers," he said. Training of staff appeared to be uneven across pharmacy chains, however. At 45 Walgreens locations contacted, for example, everyone who answered the phone knew that customers could get naloxone via the state's protocol and did not need their own prescription. Nearly every store, 93 percent, had naloxone or Narcan in stock. But at Rite Aid and Walmart pharmacy locations surveyed, the drug was less often available and staff more often reported the need for a prescription. At eight of 12 Walmart locations Narcan was available, but at only three locations where the drug was in stock did staff who answered the phone know it could be picked up without a prescription. At one Walmart location, a technician refused to ask a pharmacist for clarification on the store's policy for providing Narcan without a prescription, stating "I'm a pharmacy technician so I know what's required." In a statement issued Thursday in response to the survey results, Walmart said that associates answering the phone at pharmacies may not be pharmacists, and that to date, its naloxone and Narcan training has focused solely on pharmacists. "[W]e will expand this training to non-pharmacist associates working in the pharmacy," said spokeswoman Erin Hulliberger in the statement. "This training will also include direction to engage a pharmacist on all naloxone/Narcan inquiries." The chain said it also will reinforce with its locations that pharmacies should have at least one dose of naloxone available to dispense at all times. At Rite Aid's 38 locations listed with the pharmacy board, about half had naloxone or Narcan in stock. But at 15 of the surveyed locations, or 39 percent, staff who answered the phone said a prescription was required to get the medication. About a third of the chain's pharmacies surveyed both had the drug in stock and correctly stated that no prescription was required. "Naloxone can be dispensed without a prescription at all Ohio Rite Aid pharmacies. We are looking into the findings of this report and remain committed to ensuring our customers and communities are able to access naloxone," said Rite Aid spokeswoman Ashley Flower in an emailed statement. Marc's did not respond to a request for comment. Hospital pharmacies also varied in their responses when surveyed. At the Cleveland Clinic's nine pharmacy locations, naloxone was in stock at seven and at all pharmacies staff who answered the phone said it was available without a prescription. At MetroHealth's nine locations, the drug was in stock, but calls to several of the locations were routed through a single switchboard. Staff who answered the phone on three separate occasions said a prescription was required to get naloxone. A MetroHealth spokeswoman said Friday that naloxone is available without a prescription at all its pharmacy locations, and the confusion among staff who answered the central switchboard number is being addressed. When challenged as to whether a prescription was needed, most pharmacy staff members who checked with a pharmacist came back with the right information. At one Drug Mart location, a technician who answered the phone knew the standing order policy better than the pharmacist. "The pharmacist who's here right now says you need one, but I'm pretty sure that there's a standing order and you don't," she said. "I'm not in charge though." Some locations had never filled a request for Narcan, but were happy to research how to do so, and some staff members were surprised to learn that it was so easily available. McNamee, of the board of pharmacy said that all pharmacy staff members need to know how to correctly answer questions about naloxone when customers call, not just pharmacists. "The pharmacies know that technicians will be answering the phones, so their training should incorporate technicians," McNamee said. "For any of them to say you need a prescription is disappointing." McNamee said the pharmacy board "takes the issue very seriously" and on Thursday afternoon sent out an email communication to all pharmacists, pharmacy interns and pharmacies licensed by the board in response to the survey about the standing order protocol and the need to educate staff members. "Unfortunately, the Board continues to receive reports of pharmacies that have either turned away customers, even though the pharmacy notified the Board that they offer this service, or are told a prescription is required to obtain the naloxone," the E-News update said. "It is strongly recommended that a pharmacy that has submitted notification to the Board that they are dispensing naloxone pursuant to a physician protocol train all staff (including pharmacy technicians and other staff that regularly interact with the public) about availability of naloxone without a prescription." McNamee said the board has also contacted individual pharmacy chains. The board on Monday is also considering a change to the language of its naloxone prescribing rules that makes it clearer that pharmacies that have signed on to provide the drug without a prescription must indeed do so. "When we first adopted the rule a couple years ago we didn't think this would be an issue," McNamee said, referring to the need to reinforce the obligation. "It's sad that we've had to come to this, but I think it will also maybe give us a little more leverage as we move forward." Widespread confusion Our survey revealed that there was widespread confusion among pharmacy staff, including pharmacists, about some of the logistics of filling a prescription for Narcan using the state's standing order protocol, especially when it came to re-stocking the medication and whether or not insurance would pay for some or all of the cost. At some locations that did not currently have the drug in stock, staff members, including pharmacists, stated that they could only order it if they had a prescription. In some cases, staff said this prescription had to be for the person the drug would be used on. Neither are true, according to McNamee. "There is nothing that requires them to have a prescription in order to restock their supply. They should have a supply on hand [no matter how minimal] in order to provide this service," he said. There was also confusion about whether or not a prescription was required in order for insurance to pay for Narcan. Ohio's naloxone prescribing law allows pharmacies to create a "prescription form" which can be used to bill insurance, according to McNamee. Coverage varies based on insurer and patient assistance programs, and coupons in use at different pharmacy chains, but the cost can be as low as a prescription copay. Without insurance, prices varied from about $80 to $195. How best to get Narcan Given the variable training of pharmacy staff, The Plain Dealer found that how you ask about naloxone when calling a pharmacy makes a difference. Here are some tips to help find the drug at a pharmacy near you: Ask for Narcan Ask for a pharmacist Report problems Project DAWN For a full map of Ohio pharmacy locations that dispense naloxone without a prescription, check here or see the map below. Plain Dealer reporters Rachel Dissell, Marcia Pledger and Michael Sangiacomo contributed to this report. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The U.S. Coast Guard and Sandusky firefighters are searching for a man in Sandusky Bay after he reportedly fell out of a boat Friday. The Coast Guard was notified shortly before 7 p.m. of an unmanned 12-foot dark green Jon Boat roughly a half mile offshore of Lions Park, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District Great Lakes. A witness said they saw the man fall out of the boat and he was not wearing a lifejacket, the release says. A crew from Station Marblehead responded as well as a helicopter crew from Air Station Detroit. Crews searched throughout the night, but rain impacted the search. Station Marblehead and Air Station Detroit deployed more search assets to relieve those already searching. CLEVELAND, Ohio - A year ago residents of Brady Lake, in Portage County near Kent, voted the tiny village of about 500 residents out of existence. That 106-88 vote to disincorporate the village ended 90 years of history that included a brief role as a lake resort once billed as "Ohio's Most Perfect Playground," and launched an uncertain future. Deteriorating roads, funding cuts and resident complaints about taxes and services prompted a second vote to officially dismantle the village. (The previous 2013 effort failed.) The community -- with its lake named for an 18th-century frontier Indian fighter -- became part of adjoining Franklin Township, and according to some residents, so far the results seem to be working out. Road repairs particularly get a lot of praise. Joe Becker, who supported last year's disincorporation campaign and the earlier failed attempt, said Franklin Township has paved roads around Brady Lake that were once riddled with potholes, a big complaint of residents and visitors in recent years. He also noted that residential property taxes have slightly decreased (by about 4 mills), and former Brady Lake Village residents no longer pay an income tax. He said Franklin Township has contracted with the sheriff's department to provide continued patrols in the area, replacing the former Brady Lake police. So overall, "everything has been great. It's really been a good transition," Becker said. "The roads are always plowed and salted, the police coverage has not lessened, and we're paying less taxes." The sight of the old village hall, now chained shut, does serve as a somewhat "ghostly reminder" of the old days, Becker said. "But that's also a sign of progress," he added. Bob Howard, who has lived in a house overlooking Brady Lake for 40 years, opposed both disincorporation votes, but conceded prior to the 2017 vote that the village may have been too small to cope with mounting problems. He said he was disappointed with the vote, "not because I'm a big fan of tiny government," but because he felt the mayor, council members and other village workers were "very dedicated, worked very hard for almost nothing, and were treated badly [during the disincorporation campaign]. "I'm not unhappy with way it worked out," he added. "It has more to do with the way people were treated than actual outcomes." Howard said conditions in the community have gotten better since the vote. He noted that repairs have changed local roads from "fairly impassable to usable." "Generally speaking, the township has done a good job of clearing the snow, hauling away leaves and doing other routine day-to-day activities of local government," he added. "I think they've treated us pretty well." Linda Rothaermal was pleased with the results of the vote, which she supported. "I think things are great. I'm very, very very happy we did it," she said. "The roads absolutely are wonderful. We can drive on them now," she added. "It's not perfect but we don't have the big craters anymore." The signs once advising motorists that they travel through the area at their own risk have been removed, according to Rothaermal. "I think the majority of people are extremely happy and relieved," she said. The vote was "absolutely" worth it, she added. "I'd do it all over again. They [Franklin Township] really pulled through for us. At this point I have faith in them." The former Brady Lake Village became part of Franklin Township last July 14 as a result of a vote by Portage County commissioners. Franklin Township had no voice or vote on the matter. Ann Hanna, one of three Franklin Township trustees, said in an e-mail that services were provided to former Brady Lake residents starting on that date, and the township is currently working on melding the zoning codes. When asked if the addition benefits the township, Hanna said, "Of course it is a plus. The former Brady Lake Village has a rich history and a strong community base." She added, "We still have many things to take care of and some unanswered questions, which is frustrating to the Township especially if we can not give an answer to the residents." Hanna could not comment on any debts of the former village that may have been assumed by the township. But she did note that the township plans to sell such nonviable assets as the former Brady Lake village hall, fire station, property lots and other miscellaneous items. "To pay for utilities and insurance on them is expensive and not fiscally responsible," she noted. The township also assumed ownership of the lake itself, and Hanna said, "it is a liability. We are encouraging the residents to form a lake association, there are already three in Franklin Township. "I do not believe in the Township being in the business of maintaining lakes," she added. Hanna said she has met with former Brady Lake Village residents who have attended township meetings since the dissolution. "For the most part they are relieved, especially with the services that the Township provides," she said. "As a Township we were very transparent through the process and are happy to convey information to resolve confusion or misinformation thru gossip. 'It is always beneficial to have a stronger community base," she added. "The former Brady Lake Village was, and is still a close community, hopefully they will still carry on their Brady Lake Village traditions." Laurel Archer, a resident of the former Brady Lake Village who also previously lived in Franklin Township, said she's more comfortable attending the township trustee meetings than she was at Brady Lake's official meetings. "The ones I've been to, they actually listen to your concerns and try to act on them, and treat you with respect. You didn't get that here," she said. Archer said the village may have ended as a municipality, but it's neighborhood bonds will remain. "It's always been one big community," she noted. "I think it will stay pretty much the same." Becker similarly remarked, "Nobody says you can't hold on to your community. Nobody says that goes away. Guest columnists Robert and Amanda Fife of Brunswick are among the winners of the ExcelinEd's school choice video contest, in which more than 500 families shared their stories of how educational opportunities have made a difference in their lives. Education is not a one-size-fits-all model. Some students need additional resources or different pathways to reach the goal of a quality education. Our son, Paul, who is in preschool, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. At three years old, his communication skills were extremely limited, but he was aging out of our county's early intervention program. Although our school district offered him a special education classroom and speech therapy, we felt conflicted. We were certain he would benefit from continuing more of the therapy services he had previously received, but our resources were limited when pursuing private options. It was at this time that a friend suggested we look into the Ohio Autism Scholarship. With the scholarship, we could offer Paul a private preschool that specialized in language development, as well as occupational therapy, physical therapy and additional hours of speech therapy in our home. Ohio's Autism Scholarship Program is the nation's only private school choice program designed for students with autism. Unlike other scholarship programs, autism scholarships aren't limited to tuition, and parents are empowered to mix and match services from schools and providers. Scholarships can be used toward educational services or tuition at private or public schools outside of their home district's boundaries. Over the past three years, the change in Paul has been amazing. As he meets each developmental milestone, he becomes increasingly talkative, fun-loving and creative. His teachers call him "a miracle," but what impresses us most is how much happierPaul is now. Just a few years ago, his struggles to communicate resulted in multiple daily meltdowns. Today, he's an insightful, happy kid who can't wait to start kindergarten. Thanks to the scholarship, Paul enjoys a robust schedule of services tailored to his needs. Language development and sensory integration are essential building blocks to a strong educational foundation. Because of the Ohio Autism Scholarship, we are setting up Paul for success in the classroom. This month, throughout the world, individuals will come together highlighting the needs and dreams of people living with autism, including the opportunity to choose a learning environment that best fits their needs, whether that is in their assigned school, a private specialized school or additional therapies. Thanks to the Ohio Autism Scholarship, more than 3,500 students receive opportunities to succeed. We hope that soon, all Ohio families will have the opportunity to find the best educational fit for their unique needs. Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using Notification Settings (in blue) just below. Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting today's topics are also welcome. Marcia Goldberg is co-president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. CLEVELAND -- On May 8, Ohioans will have the chance to vote on Issue 1, a bipartisan proposal to reform the way Ohio draws its U.S. congressional districts. The League of Women Voters urges you to vote yes. As many Ohioans know, our state is one of the most severely gerrymandered in the country. For decades, politicians have drawn political maps that allow them to choose their voters (and have not allowed voters to choose their representatives). Rather than bringing a lawsuit to protest our state's gerrymandered districts, the League of Women Voters of Ohio chose to promote measures for reform. Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that will establish detailed guidelines for bipartisan cooperation to draw congressional district lines after the next census. It includes requirements to promote the following: Compact districts, with limits on splitting communities and counties Protection of racial-minority voting rights Transparency: There must be at least two hearings on any plan and the public can submit proposed maps. These transparency and voter-participation provisions offer particularly strong protection against biased map-making. Susan Murnane is co-president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. While Issue 1 is designed to assure bipartisan consensus on congressional map lines, if the map is drawn without minority party support, additional standards apply. Congressional maps: Cannot unduly favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent Cannot unduly split governmental units (maps must keep large cities in one district, if possible) Majority party must justify how the map complies with these criteria This proposal is the result of a rare bipartisan agreement in the state legislature, negotiated by lawmakers from both parties with the Fair Districts=Fair Elections Coalition, of which the League of Women Voters of Ohio is a founding member. And both the Ohio Republican Party and the Ohio Democratic Party have endorsed Issue 1. Cleveland.com's Rich Exner conducted a detailed analysis of "best maps" and "worst maps" using the Issue 1 standards. He concluded that even the worst-case maps are better than what we have now. We believe that "worst-case" maps will be avoided by two key safeguards in Issue 1: It requires at least two public hearings on any map, and it gives Ohioans the tools to submit their own maps. These transparency requirements offer strong protections for the public. Here are more details about how the plan works: Multitier process for map approval Stage One Stage Two Stage Three: Important additional safeguards Criteria that apply for all plans, no matter which "stage" produces the approved plan: Compact districts, with a limit on splitting communities and counties. Sixty-five counties cannot be split, 18 can be split once, five (including Cuyahoga County) can be split twice, none can be split more than twice. Right now, Cuyahoga County is split three times -- into four different districts that cross county lines. Protect racial-minority voting rights Transparency: There must be at least two hearings on any plan and the public can submit proposed maps. If the map is drawn without minority party support ("Stage 3"), even more standards apply: Cannot unduly favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent Cannot unduly split governmental units (keep large cities in one district, if possible), Majority must explain how it plan complies with these criteria You do not need to declare a political party to vote for Issue 1 in May; you can request a nonpartisan "issues-only" ballot. The League of Women Voters of Ohio and local Leagues across the state, including the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, have been working to reform our broken congressional districting process for more than 30 years. Issue 1 presents our best chance at real reform. Vote yes on Issue 1, to put congressional district reform in the Ohio constitution. Marcia Goldberg and Susan Murnane are co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. ********** Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the "Follow" option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The decision is almost here for five-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson from Austin, Texas. He announced on Twitter on Saturday night that his decision is coming Sunday. Ill be announcing my commitment tomorrow, April 29th at 8PM via Twitter, and Instagram. #TTWFO Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) April 28, 2018 Wilson, who is 6-foot, 185 pounds, is down to just Ohio State and Texas. He made official visits the two schools in consecutive weekends in April. Wilson was originally supposed to make his decision right after the visits, but pushed it back slightly. And based on the 247Sports.com Crystal Ball Predictions, the Buckeyes are a heavy favorite to land the commitment of Wilson. If Ohio State can get a commitment from Wilson, it will be significant in two respects. First, it will cap off a busy month for Ohio State recruiting. The Buckeyes entered April with three commits for 2019. They added four this month alone in four-stars Ronnie Hickman, Noah Potter and Steele Chambers, and flipped three-star safety Bryson Shaw from Wisconsin. Wilson would give Ohio State five and its highest-ranked member of the class. He is the No. 5 wide receiver and No. 29 overall player in the 247Sports.com composite rankings. At the moment, offensive tackle Doug Nester is Ohio State's top-ranked commit. He is No. 55 overall in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, and is the only commit in the top 100. Hickman is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the class, and is No. 120 overall. The other important factor for Ohio State in terms of Wilson is that it fits a significant need for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has been active in recruiting receivers. It has offered 25, including all of the top six receivers. Wilson is the only one of the top six who has yet to commit. The Buckeyes need to add several receivers in this class despite signing four in the 2018 class. Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin are all in their final year of eligibility. There are questions about the position behind the top six receivers. Demario McCall and Jaylen Harris could work their way into bigger roles as early as this fall. But there's not much certainty outside of them. So the pressure is on to add a quality player at the position. And Wilson, who has been one of the top risers in the past few months, could fit that bill and give Ohio State a signature piece of its 2019 recruiting class. Talking with SMU lecturers and students, the PM expressed his impression on a start-up incubator there that fostered 170 well-known firms in the country and region. Lauding Singapore as one of the countries that takes the lead in developing start-up ecosystem, the PM said Vietnam is facilitating the field in which universities take an important role, adding that Vietnam is home to nearly 40 start-up incubators, mostly in universities. He suggested SMU launch a programme to offer Vietnamese students internship in Singapores small and medium-sized start-ups, as well as training to management staff at Vietnams start-up incubators The leader also proposed holding exchanges to share experience and showcase products and services between start-ups from Vietnamese universities and SMU. Extending a message to around 100 Vietnamese students in SMU - one of the top public universities in Singapore, the PM wished that they would acquire the most advanced management skills and develop their ability in the most creative environment. He reiterated the Vietnamese governments policy of creating all favourable conditions for Vietnamese graduates abroad upon their return, and believed that they will be in the vanguard of building start-ups in both nations. Under the witness of the PM, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), SMU and Vina Capital signed a cooperation agreement on the establishment of a start-up and innovation centre in Ho Chi Minh City. The SMU, UEH and the Private Economic Development Board under the Vietnamese Governments Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform signed a cooperation agreement on studying and reporting Vietnams start-up system. SMU President Prof. De Meyer said SMU plans to hold leadership training courses with the Young Businesspeople Association of Ho Chi Minh City. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Facing a rising death toll from drug overdoses, state lawmakers across the country are testing a strategy to boost treatment for opioid addicts: Force drug manufacturers and their distributors to pay for it. Bills introduced in at least 15 states would impose taxes or fees on prescription painkillers. Several of the measures have bipartisan support and would funnel millions of dollars toward treatment and prevention programs. In Montana, state Sen. Roger Webb, a Republican, sees the approach as a way to hold drugmakers accountable for an overdose epidemic that in 2016 claimed 42,000 lives in the U.S., a record. "You're creating the problem," he said. "You're going to fix it." Opioids include prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin as well as illegal drugs such as heroin and illicit versions of fentanyl. Public health experts say the crisis started because of overprescribing and aggressive marketing of the drugs that began in the 1990s. The death toll has continued to rise even as prescribing has started to drop. A Pennsylvania opioid tax bill was introduced in 2015 and a federal version was introduced a year later, but most of the proposals arose during the past year. The majority of them have yet to get very far, with lawmakers facing intense pressure from the pharmaceutical industry to scuttle or soften the legislation. Drugmakers and distributors argue that it would be wrong to tax prescription drugs, that the cost increases would eventually be absorbed by patients or taxpayers, and that there are other ways to pay for addiction treatment and prevention. "We have been engaged with states to help move forward comprehensive solutions to this complex public health crisis and in many cases have seen successes," Priscilla VanderVeer , a spokeswoman for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in a statement. "However, we do not believe levying a tax on prescribed medicines that meet legitimate medical needs is an appropriate funding mechanism for a state's budget." Two drug companies that deployed lobbyists -- Purdue Pharma and Pfizer -- responded to questions with similar statements. A spokesman for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, which represents drug distributors, said a tax would mean that cancer patients and those in end-of-life care might not be able to get the prescriptions they need. The pharmaceutical industry has emphasized that the name-brand drug companies that make up its members already give rebates to states for drugs funded by Medicaid. Those rebates amount to billions of dollars nationwide that states could use to address opioid addiction, the trade group says. State legislation to tax opioids comes as manufacturers and distributors are defending themselves in hundreds of lawsuits filed by state and local governments seeking damages for the toll the overdose epidemic has taken on communities. David Humes, whose son died from a heroin overdose in 2012, has been pushing for an opioid tax in Delaware, which did not increase funding for addiction treatment last year as it struggles to balance its budget. "When you think about the fact that each year more people are dying, if you leave the money the same, you're not keeping up with this public health crisis," he said. Humes, a board member of the advocacy group AtTAck Addiction, supports legislation that would dedicate opioid tax revenue for addiction services. The lead sponsor of an opioids tax bill, state Sen. Stephanie Hansen, said drug companies told her they already were contributing $500,000 to anti-addiction measures in Delaware, where there were 282 fatal overdoses from all drugs in 2016, a 40 percent increase from the year before. "My response is, 'That's wonderful, but we're not stopping there,'" said Hansen, a Democrat. She said if her tax measure had been in place last year, it would have raised more than $9 million. The drug industry's current spending on anti-addiction programs has been a point of contention in the Minnesota Legislature. There, the overdose rate is lower than most states, but opioids still claimed 395 lives in 2016 -- an increase of 18 percent over the year before. State Rep. Dave Baker, a Republican whose son died of a heroin overdose after getting started on prescription painkillers, said opioid manufacturers and distributors should pay for drug programs separately. He said the rebate -- about $250 million in 2016 in Minnesota -- is intended to make up for overcharging for drugs in the first place. Another Republican lawmaker, state Sen. Julie Rosen, said she walked out of a meeting this month with drug industry representatives, saying they were wasting her time. "They know that they're spending way too much money on defending their position instead of being part of the solution," she said. Representatives of the pharmaceutical industry say they have met with Rosen multiple times and are "committed to continue working with her." Drug companies have a history of digging in to defeat measures that are intended to combat the opioid crisis. A 2016 investigation by The Associated Press and the Center for Public Integrity found makers of opioids and their allies spent $880 million on politics and lobbying from 2006 through 2015. The industry so far has succeeded in stalling the Minnesota legislation, which would charge opioid manufacturers by the dosage. With the bill facing resistance, Rosen and a Democratic co-sponsor, state Sen. Chris Eaton, said they are considering changing tactics and amending it. That could include raising the $235 annual licensing fee on opioid manufacturers or requiring drugmakers and distributors to pay $20 million a year based on the proportion of opioids they sell in the state. That approach is based on one adopted earlier this spring as part of the budget in New York -- the only state to implement an opioid tax so far. Eaton, whose daughter died from a heroin overdose in 2007, said her goal is to find a way to create and fund a structure that will ensure addiction treatment is "as routine as treating diabetes or cardiac arrest." --By Geoff Mulvhill and Kyle Potter, Associated Press CLEVELAND, Ohio - It's been nearly 10 years since a commercial passenger airline last flew across the Atlantic Ocean to and from Cleveland. That changes this week, as air travel in Northeast Ohio enters the Iceland age, with two Reykjavik-based airlines set to start service from Cleveland. First up is Wow Air, with its signature bright purple airplanes and super-low fares, due to land in Cleveland for the first time at 11:30 p.m. Thursday. It will turn around and fly its maiden voyage from Cleveland Hopkins an hour later, departing at 12:30 a.m. Friday. Less than two weeks later, on May 16, Icelandair launches service from Cleveland, with five flights per week to Keflavik International Airport, about 30 miles west of Reykjavik. Related: Destination Cleveland hosts European travel agents, writers to promote international tourism The service marks the first time since 2009 that Cleveland has had a nonstop flight to Europe. That year, Continental Airlines canceled nonstop service between Cleveland and London; a year earlier, Continental discontinued service to Paris. Since then, internationally-minded Northeast Ohioans have had to travel through New York City, Chicago, Detroit or another large hub when flying to Europe. Frequent flyer Ingrida Bublys, a board member of Cleveland's International Business Network, is among those who are eager to connect through Reykjavik instead. "I think it will be more enjoyable, more relaxed," she said, noting that going through Cleveland's recently renovated U.S. Customs facility should be far less stressful than the bigger airports. Her organization recently invited executives from Icelandair to make a pitch to local business leaders with European ties, an event that filled the ballroom at the Embassy Suites hotel in Independence last week. Bublys encouraged the crowd: "Everyone in this room should try Icelandair at some point." Both Icelandair and Wow offer connections to dozens of cities in Europe, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin and many others. Both airlines are known for their low fares. Wow has base fares that start at $99 one way to Reykjavik and $149 elsewhere in Europe, but also assesses fees for advanced seat assignments and checked and carry-on luggage. Icelandair's fares are more inclusive, and generally more expensive, starting at about $225 one way to Reykjavik, more to mainland Europe. It is considered the more business-friendly of the two, with premium seating and service in what it calls Saga Class. How both of these airlines - Iceland's only carriers, and fierce competitors - decided to fly from Cleveland in the same month remains a bit of a head-scratcher. Related: How Cleveland Hopkins International Airport scored two routes to Iceland in one week The two carriers revealed their Cleveland plans in back-to-back announcements in late August. Both airlines have been on a growing spree recently. In addition to Cleveland, Wow is adding Cincinnati, Detroit and St. Louis to its U.S. route map this spring, for a total of 12 U.S. destinations. Icelandair is adding Kansas City, Dallas, Baltimore and San Francisco, for a total of 18 U.S. cities. After these additions, the two airlines will go head-to-head in six U.S. cities, including Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Boston and San Francisco. Cleveland is, by far, the smallest airport to host both. Egill Almar Agustsson, the director of network planning for Icelandair, who was in Cleveland last week, said he was looking forward to the competition. "We're excited to take it on," he said. "We're definitely very happy with the performance in Cleveland so far. This summer is looking good." Cleveland has enough traffic to Europe to justify both airlines, said Cleveland Airport Director Robert Kennedy. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation figures, on an average day, 327 passengers traveling from Cleveland Hopkins are headed to Europe (with more in the summer, fewer in the winter). "There are enough people going to Europe through other connecting hubs to support this - to support them both," said Kennedy. In addition, he said, low fares offered by Wow and Icelandair should stimulate the market, increasing Cleveland's passenger count to Europe substantially. (Wow offered $69 one-way fares to Reykjavik last week, which were scooped up within 24 hours.) Icelandair is flying five days per week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday); Wow, four days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Is it too much? Industry consultant Henry Harteveldt thinks it might be. He's doubtful both Wow and Icelandair will be successful in Cleveland. "It's a very risky gamble on both airlines' part," said Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group. Their success may depend on the extent to which other, more familiar airlines - United, Delta, American - are willing to match lower fares to Europe. An analysis conducted in February by travel company Hopper.com showed that fares between Cleveland and Europe were down more than 30 percent for 2018, and that U.S. carriers were likely lowering prices, as well. In addition to price, other factors that may influence the decisions made by Cleveland travelers: ease of connections, flight frequency and flexibility, and loyalty programs. "It's a series of tradeoffs," he said. "What works for one traveler will be different from what pleases another. This is what competition is all about." He said the new airlines should know within six months how well the Cleveland market is responding. In the meantime, he said, it's a good time to travel to Europe from Cleveland. The competition, he said, "is wonderful for the consumer." CLEVELAND, Ohio - Look beyond Cleveland's newest hotels for the latest chapter in the region's hospitality renaissance. Veteran downtown properties, facing competition from new names on the block, are upping their game, with significant renovations and, in the case of one hotel, a new brand. Among the older hotels getting a new look: the Marriott at Key Center, the Renaissance and the Ritz-Carlton. See related: Downtown Cleveland's Marriott at Key Center gets a new owner, new look, restaurant and spa (photos) Some of the biggest changes are happening in the city's theater district, where the former Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square became a Crowne Plaza last fall. To coincide with its new name, the hotel also received a new look, with renovated guestrooms, redesigned public spaces, and a renewed focus on meeting the changing needs of the business traveler. General Manager Brian Moloney said the $6 million investment is already paying off, with increases in occupancy and daily room rate. A recent online check found room rates ranging from $105 to $235 a night. "It's a competitive market," said Laurel Keller, senior vice president with Newmark Knight Frank's valuation and advisory team, noting the opening in 2016 of the 600-room Hilton Cleveland Downtown, plus the Kimpton Schofield and Drury Plaza. "Hotels have to maintain or they'll start to slip from a rate standpoint," she added. "Savvy owners realize that." Playhouse Square Foundation owns the new Crowne Plaza, built in 1995 on the triangle of land at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Huron Road E, across from the city's theater complex. It's where cast and crew for visiting productions stay, a go-to option for business travelers during the week and theatergoers on the weekends. Moloney conceded that the hotel had gotten a bit tired in its final Wyndham years, as the foundation started to shop for a new flag to help reinvigorate the property. "It was a good run," said Moloney. "But it was time to look around." Downtown Cleveland lost its only Crowne Plaza several years ago, when it was reflagged the Westin Downtown Cleveland, on St. Clair Avenue. Among the benefits of the Crowne Plaza name: Access to the world's largest hotel loyalty program, the IHG Rewards Club, with 100 million members. InterContinental Hotels Group is parent company of the Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, Holiday Inn and other chains. At about the same time that Playhouse Square was shopping for a new brand, IHG was in the early stages of launching a major effort to revitalize Crowne Plaza. Meredith Marsh Latham, a regional vice president for Crowne Plaza Hotels, conceded that the brand had some catching up to do. "We weren't evolving as quickly as the guests were," she said. Cleveland is among the first hotels to fully embrace what Crowne Plaza calls its Accelerate program, designed to appeal to the changing business traveler. Key to the concept: flexible space for both work and fun. Among the highlights of the Cleveland remodel: * Free, easy access to high-quality wi-fi, no password required. * Clean, uncluttered rooms, with lots of light and electrical outlets. Each of the 205 guestrooms at the Cleveland Crowne Plaza has 14 outlets, according to Moloney. * 36 Chandelier Suites, inside the building's cylindrical eastern end, with views of the Playhouse Square chandelier. * Lightweight, movable desks; wall-mounted lights and adjustable TVs, with no cords to get in the way; curving, "cocooning" headboards; Keurig coffee machines and more. There's also a new fitness center, with top Matrix equipment, yoga mats and running maps, for visitors who prefer to sweat outside. A new sundry shop off the lobby offers snacks and toiletries. The hotel's restaurant and bar area has been updated as well. Formerly known as the Encore Restaurant and Blue Bar, the two areas have been combined into one large dining and drinking area, on the first floor of the building's iconic circular structure. The Ghost Light, open for breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner, offers a relaxed atmosphere with couch seating for cocktails and shared plates. The restaurant's name is a reference to the theater tradition of keeping a lamp on stage all night to keep ghosts away. Historic photos of Playhouse Square decorate the walls -- an homage to the past as the hotel adapts for the future. WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Robbery, Clemens Road: A BP gas station attendant called police about 5:15 a.m. April 25 to report that she had been robbed by two men. The men did not show her a gun, but one said, "We're robbing you, give me all of your money." One of the men also showed the clerk what she believed was a weapon, possibly a hammer, in his pocket. The clerk was not injured, just scared. The robbers took a small amount of cash and merchandise and left on foot. Night shift officers soon located the two men leaving the scene on foot. With the help of Bay Village police, both men soon were in custody near the Red Roof Inn on Clemens. Officers also captured their suspected getaway driver, who had been waiting for the suspected robbers. The three suspects, one from Westlake, one from Cleveland, and one homeless, were all 18 years old. Officers charged the two who went into the store with aggravated robbery and the driver with felony complicity to robbery. Police continue to investigate whether the three may be connected with the recent overnight break-in at Zoup, a nearby restaurant. Car fire, Interstate 90: Police received a call shortly after 11:30 p.m. April 20 about a car fire on the interstate east of Columbia Road. Witnesses said four occupants of the vehicle got into another car and left the area. The Westlake and Rocky River fire departments extinguished the fire, which had fully engulfed the vehicle by the time they arrived. Police called the registered owner of the car, who said they had not given anyone permission to drive their vehicle and that it still should be in their driveway in Lorain. Police advised the owner to file a stolen auto report with their local police department. Marijuana and a gun, Sperry Road: A Westlake police officer stopped a car about 10:30 a.m. April 21 for a traffic violation. It pulled into the Super 8 Motel on Sperry Road, where the operator, who said he was visiting a friend at the motel, was contacted by the officer. When the officer spoke with the 50-year-old Newburgh Heights driver, the officer detected an odor of marijuana in the vehicle. Upon running the man's name through police databases, the officer discovered that the driver had a conceal and carry permit for a firearm. The driver admitted that he had a firearm in the vehicle, as well as marijuana. The officer confiscated a loaded 9mm handgun, as well as less than 1 gram of marijuana from the car. The officer arrested the man and charged him with misdemeanor improper handling of a firearm and possession of marijuana. Drug possession, Detroit Avenue: An apartment resident called police about 3:40 a.m. April 24 to report that a man and woman were loudly arguing in front of the building. Officers found a man walking away from a woman in a minivan in the lot. They denied that they were arguing, but explained that they were "loud talkers." Officers learned that the 33-year-old Cleveland woman who was driving the van had a suspended driver's license. The van's plates also were expired. The 31-year-old Westlake man had a felony warrant from the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office. After officers arrested him on the warrant, they found the man also had several unprescribed pills, including hydrocodone. Police charged him with felony possession of dangerous drugs. Police cited the woman for driving under suspension and expired plates. Police let her go after towing her van. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section. The Vietnamese PM and President Joko Widodo shared the joy over the mutual trust and close ties between the two countries in the framework of their strategic partnership. They welcomed the outcomes of the third session of the Vietnam - Indonesia Bilateral Cooperation Committee at foreign ministerial level in Hanoi on April 17, which outlined the major directions for bilateral cooperation across the fields, including pushing for the completion by the end of this year of a plan of action for the bilateral strategic partnership in 2019-2023, so that it can be implemented at the beginning of 2019. The two leaders stressed the need to work for the target of US$10 billion in bilateral trade and assigned relevant agencies to conduct negotiations and sign agreements necessary for achieving the target as early as possible. President Widodo welcomed measures suggested by PM Phuc to bolster bilateral cooperation, including the signing of agreements on trade, agro-fisheries, defence-security and anti-crime. PM Phuc expressed his sincere thanks to Indonesia for its active cooperation with Vietnam in returning Vietnamese fishermen, and asked Indonesia to continue handling the issue in line with the ASEAN spirit of friendship, humanitarianism and solidarity as well as the Vietnam-ASEAN strategic partnership. The Indonesian President thanked Vietnam for its support of Indonesias initiative on organising a meeting of ASEAN leaders on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings 2018 of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank slated for October 11 this year in Bali, Indonesia. He repeated an invitation to PM Phuc to attend the Meetings. The two leaders also discussed several international and regional issues of mutual concern, including mutual support regarding matters related to the regional architecture, non-conventional security issues, cooperation and security on the East Sea and regional waters, the fight against pirate and crime, and illegal fishing. They agreed to continue coordinating stance at regional and international forums, especially in the ASEAN. In the meeting with the Myanmar President, PM Phuc affirmed that Vietnam supports the Myanmar Government in the process of national reconciliation and harmony. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Myanmar President Win Myint meet on April 28 on the sidelines of the 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore. (Photo: VGP) The two leaders expressed satisfaction about the traditional friendship between the two countries during the past over 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975. They agreed that the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the State visit to Myanmar by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong had turned a new page in their cooperation. They shared the view that bilateral political ties had grown closer through maintaining high-level exchanges and contact, while economic, trade and investment ties have deepened with Vietnam having become the 7th biggest foreign investment in Myanmar and the 11th biggest trade partner of Myanmar. Bilateral cooperation in security-defence has been strengthened, meeting the needs of both sides, and the expansion of cultural, sport, educational linkages and people-to-people exchange has contributed to enhancing mutual understanding and the traditional friendship between the two countries. PM Phuc said the two sides should act to implement the outcomes achieved during the recent official visit to Vietnam by Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. He also asked the Myanmar Government to create favourable conditions for businesses of both countries to expand links and for Vietnamese firms to invest in Myanmar. President Win Myint pledged that the Myanmar Government would adopt open policies to attract foreign investment, including investment from Vietnam, and urged more Vietnamese companies to invest and do business in Myanmar. Regarding regional and international issues, the two sides affirmed their intention to coordinate closely within ASEAN to consolidate intra-bloc solidarity and promote ASEANs central role. They agreed to continue cooperating closely with each other and with other countries in the framework of the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam mechanism and the Ayeyarwady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy. They shared the common stance of ASEAN on effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and striving for the early completion of an effective and legally-binding Code of Conduct. Later the same day, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage left Singapore, concluding his trip for an official visit to the country and to attend the 32nd ASEAN Summit at the invitation of Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong. At the meeting, Vice Chairman Le Thanh Liem briefed the guests about the socio-economic development of Ho Chi Minh City over the past years, affirming that the city always welcomes and creates favourable conditions for foreign investors, including Sakai investors. He also pledged to pay due attention to and promptly address any difficulties arising for Sakai and Japanese investors when operating businesses in Ho Chi Minh City. Liem also expressed his admiration for the socio-economic achievements of Sakai and hoped that Sakai will continue to promote their relations with Ho Chi Minh City. He also showed his gratitude to Sakai Mayor Osami Takeyama for facilitating Vietnamese students and citizens who are living, working, and studying in Sakai. Mayor Osami Takeyama thanked the Ho Chi Minh City leader for the warm reception and invited Ho Chi Minh City to attend the Vietnam Festival set to be held in Sakai in November this year. He noted that the number of Vietnamese people in Sakai has doubled over the past two years, with many skilled workers and interns from Ho Chi Minh City arriving in the city. The Sakai Mayor added that Sakai wishes to build a close relationship with Ho Chi Minh City and is willing to receive workers and interns from Ho Chi Minh City to Sakai to work for local enterprises. It wasn't only his family. They were in a circle of friends who all believed. Powell's mother had one particularly zealous friend who owned T-shirts and bumper stickers proclaiming the rapture message. She'd go around to colleges, spreading the good(?) news. She even hijacked one of Powell's Cub Scout meetings, explaining to the kids how she was burdened with the task of telling people of the approaching end times. While it made for a better lecture than how to make 28 types of knots, it wasn't the stuff that normal, healthy childhoods are made of. Especially considering that the rest of the time, little Devin had to be that zealot to his friends ... 5 Mockery From Other Students Planted Seeds Of Doubt Unlike other kids around 2009-2011, who were into things like Phineas And Ferb and Scumbag Steve memes, all Powell would talk about was the world ending. But like any Nutralife salesperson, he had trouble getting anyone to be receptive except those that were already part of it. "Except for the son of my mom's friends, no one else in school believed ... at school, it was open season. I was made fun for believing in it, but I always brushed it off ... I figured I'd take these lumps now, and then I'd go to Heaven and they wouldn't." Continue Reading Below Advertisement He listened to hours of Camping's preaching, including his vivid description of what ascending would be like (basically, everything crumbling around you as you flew into the sky). It brought him peace. For a while, that is. In about March of 2011, two months before the great human die-off was to begin, Powell's class did an exercise in which each student would play one of their classmates. Supposedly this was to teach respect for each other and in no way make kids feel terrible about all of their flaws and mannerisms being comically imitated by their peers. To Powell's surprise, every kid wanted to play him -- in this class, he was the impression everyone could do. He was their Tommy Wiseau. "I asked why, and a kid next to me said, 'Because all you do is say that the world's ending. You're so easy.' It was hurtful, but I'd endured worse. For some reason, though, it stuck with me." The Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) in collaboration with the global education services company GES Vietnam organised the event. Participants exchanged information on cooperation between Vietnamese and Chinese universities, and experience in building university branches overseas. They also proposed orientations to design joint training programmes and boost connectivity between universities of the two countries. USSH Vice Rector Nguyen Van Kim said Chinese universities are special and biggest partners of the USSH. Kim noted a large number of USSH lecturers have received education in China, while the university itself has trained many Chinese students, some of them holding important positions in China. To date, the USSH has signed cooperation pacts with 45 Chinese universities. It established a centre for Vietnamese studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. From 2007 to 2018, the USSH trained 4,146 Chinese students of different levels. Kim suggested the USSH continue fostering collaboration with traditional Chinese partners in areas such as Yunnan, Guangxi, Beijing, and Shanghai, and seeking new partnerships. He pointed to a range of measures to boost training cooperation, including organising seminars, conducting joint researches, and exchanging students. In opening the event, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, ASEAN Chair in 2018, said the bloc is entering a new phase of development in the context of rapid changes in the regional and international situation, prompting a need to continue strengthening the unity of ASEAN and upholding its central role. He announced that ASEAN leaders had adopted the ASEAN Leaders Vision for a Resilient and Innovative ASEAN, the ASEAN Leaders Statement on Cybersecurity Cooperation, and the Concept Note of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network. During the retreat meeting, leaders of the ASEAN member states reiterated the importance of solidarity and unity to the bloc, asserting that a resilient ASEAN is key to ensuring the association maintains its central role in the region and developing balanced,mutually beneficial relations with its partners towards success in building an open, transparent and rule-based regional architecture. On the occasion, the leaders lauded the success of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in January and the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in March. They reached consensus on a plan for activities to mark the 15th anniversary of ASEAN-China strategic ties and 45 years of ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations this year. Furthermore, they welcomed the positive developments on the Korean peninsula, and appreciated the timely release of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers statement on developments in the Korean peninsula, saying that they are looking forwards to peaceful and sustainable solutions for the denuclearisation on the peninsula. The leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the East Sea, along with the need to exercise self-restraint and avoid unilateral actions that may further complicate the situation, and to pursue the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of respect for international law and for diplomatic and legal processes. They called for the serious implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and efforts to draft a Code of Conduct (COC), holding that an effective and binding COC will play an important role in ensuring a transparent and rule-based regional architecture and a peaceful and stable East Sea. Addressing the summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc shared the view that ASEAN needs to maintain its central role in the region through strengthening the blocs collective resilience, solidarity, and unity. The bloc should bring into play its role as the locomotive in bolstering economic linkage in the region, he said. He joined ASEAN leaders in welcoming the positive outcomes of the inter-Korea summit on April 27, hailing it as a new and important step forward in the process of denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. Regarding the East Sea issue, the Vietnamese Government leader said that the bloc must continue to uphold the basic principles and maintain its agreed stance, while making efforts to push the building of an effective and legally-binding COC for sustainable peace and stability in the East Sea. Singapore is the Chair of ASEAN in 2018. The bloc of 10 Southeast Asian nations, comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The news was as tragic as it was inevitable. Alfie Evans, the 23-month-old boy whose rare degenerative brain condition sparked a long legal battle over whether his life support should be withdrawn, lost his fight for life yesterday. Alfies parents, who fought so hard for their son, should be allowed to grieve in peace. Alfie Evans, the 23-month-old boy whose rare degenerative brain condition sparked a long legal battle over whether his life support should be withdrawn Nobody can blame them for refusing to accept the inevitability of his death. But their grief and despair have been hijacked by mob sentiment, provoked by extremists acting as provocateurs to stir up hatred against the very people who had done so much to help him. As a senior neurosurgeon, I am not only familiar with matters of life, death and the terrible burden of deciding where the boundary between the two might lie. I know, too, about the vast kindness, endless dedication and humanity of my colleagues in the Health Service who must be protected from the sort of vilification and even death threats we have seen in recent days. Who can forget the grotesque sight of the baying mob, who last week attempted to storm Alder Hey Childrens Hospital, where Alfie was cared for until the end by a skilled and committed team of doctors and nurses? Police were called to guard staff and other patients from the protesters. Alfies father, Tom Evans, threatened to take out private prosecutions for murder against three doctors who had so diligently cared for his son. Those who have distastefully sought to make political capital from this tragic episode include pro-life campaigners, libertarians who think the State has no place in deciding when treatment should be withdrawn, advocates of quack medicines and even the rabble-rousing former American congressman Joe Walsh, who tweeted last week: Why does an American need an AR-15 [a type of gun]? To make sure whats happening to Alfie Evans never happens here. Does he seriously suggest that Alfies doctors and nurses should be murdered with assault rifles? Alfie's parents outside court during their emotional legal battle to keep their son on life support The mob shouted Save Alfie Evans while attacking those who spent nearly two years trying to do precisely that. FOR all their efforts, Alfie could not be saved. All that could be done was to arrange the best palliative care so his young life could end with dignity and without undue discomfort. I watched the Alfie Evans case with great personal interest. My own son came close to dying from a brain tumour when he was only a few months old but was saved by surgery. I later became a paediatric brain surgeon myself and cared for many children, some with terrible brain damage or fatal, malignant tumours. I loved my patients and I learned of the overwhelming force of the love we have as parents. But I also learned that children sometimes die, however hard we struggle to keep them alive, and that some childrens brains can be so damaged that they are not capable of a meaningful existence. The question of what constitutes a meaningful existence is dreadfully difficult, especially if a child with severe brain damage can only survive by being kept on life support, as was the case with Alfie. It is probably the hardest question in medicine, and best dealt with by agreement between doctors and parents. And if the relationship between the parents and doctors breaks down a rare but deeply tragic occurrence the decision must be made in a court of law. How else is the problem to be resolved? With assault rifles? By a howling mob? Some of the tributes which have been laid to remember the youngster, who passed away on April 28 Those who rail against the supposed injustice of Alfies treatment would do well to read the lengthy judgment of Mr Justice Hayden, who presided over the High Court application for the hospital to be allowed to take Alfie off a life-support machine, a decision that ultimately brought his short life to a close. The 23-page document describes in painstaking detail how the hospital and its doctors bent over backwards to accommodate the wishes of Alfies parents. Some of the details are distressing. Alfie was first diagnosed with encephalopathy a condition in which the brain is steadily destroyed when he was just six months old. His condition grew inexorably worse until he became unresponsive and his only physical reactions were spasms. A brain scan carried out on February 2 confirmed the progressive destruction of the white matter of Alfies brain which, doctors said, appeared almost identical to water and cerebrospinal fluid. The diagnosis of specialists from Alder Hey which the judge acknowledged as world-class was reviewed by specialists from Great Ormond Street, Munich and Rome. They agreed Alfies condition was incurable and that he was in a semi-vegetative state. Every care, in other words, was taken at every stage. With all the specialists agreeing that treatment was futile, the only dispute was over how long he should be artificially kept alive a decision in which the court weighed Alfies needs and his quality of life. Last week, the judge refused the familys request to take their son for treatment in Rome and criticised an adviser of theirs law student Pavel Stroilov, who is linked to the pro-life Christian Legal Centre as a fanatical and deluded young man whose legal advice had come close to contempt of court. Such is the nature of the people deriding our medical profession in such destructive terms. Those in the screaming mob accusing doctors and nurses of murder had no idea as to how Alfies condition could be treated. They had no understanding of the nature of catastrophic brain damage and what it can mean. This is not an argument about the medical profession playing God. Instead we are talking about long hours of dedicated labour and expertise which must take precedence over mob sentiment. By all means campaign for your beliefs, but you have no right to terrorise the doctors and nurses who are doing their best to help their patients work which is difficult enough as it is. And why frighten the other sick children in the hospital? How can you possibly justify that? Yes, the case of Alfie Evans was horribly difficult, but the rule of the mob has no part to play. The people who took part in the demonstrations outside Alder Hey should be ashamed of themselves. Pictured: Former Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green One of the greatest political delusions of our age was the idea that holding a referendum on our EU membership would settle the argument once and for all. Instead it has left us with a long drawn-out negotiation process, and a national argument that is becoming more heated, unreasonable and borderline abusive on both sides. I have never sat on the fence about this. I was on the board of the Stronger In campaign, and I fought as hard as anyone for Britain to stay in. If the referendum was held next month I would argue the same case. However we are not (thank God) going to have another referendum. If we did, and the result changed, what next? Best of three? We cant ask the world to stop while we dither for a decade or so. My side lost, and what depresses me is that some of my former campaign colleagues have become stuck at the stage of grief which involves denial. I think the way to serve the country is to make the best of the verdict. This means forming a friendly partnership with the other European countries, while becoming an even more outward-looking country with positive relations around the world. In particular we need the ability to trade freely. Thats how we will be a rich country in the future, as in the past. What is not constructive is trying to reverse the referendum result by means of picking new fights. Personalities such as Sir Nick Clegg and even Tony Blair could be using their high-level contacts in other EU capitals to make sure the eventual deal is good for both sides. Using their talents to try to reverse the referendum result is both futile and damaging. The negotiations were always going to be difficult, and we can now observe a regular pattern. Between negotiating sessions Michel Barnier and the European Commissions team issue blood-curdling threats about how the British ideas are impractical, and how the whole process is under threat. Here, politicians and journalists who want the process to fail announce this means we are all doomed. David Davis and Theresa May stay patient, and when the crunch point is reached a deal is done, and negotiations move on. This happened throughout last year, and there is no reason to believe this year will be different. The key phrase here is a deal is done. Doing a deal involves neither party getting their own way completely. We wanted a transition period after March 2019. We suggested two years, but the Commission wanted it to end in December 2020, because thats when their new budget period starts. Thats a sensible compromise. Originally Mr Barnier said we would owe up to 100 billion euros. Some said we shouldnt pay a penny. We have ended up at around 40 billion euros. Again, a sensible compromise. So now we move on to this months crisis: whether we should stay in the Customs Union or not. I hate to remind my fellow Conservatives of the Election Manifesto we were all fighting on this time last year, because it did not prove an unalloyed success. But it is pretty clear on this point. It says: As we leave the European Union we will no longer be members of the single market or Customs Union but we will seek a deep and special partnership including a comprehensive free trade and customs agreement. What should this mean in practice? Of course I have not become a hard-line Brexiteer in the last two years and I want as close a relationship as possible with our neighbours. I want Britain to stay closely aligned to the EU on tariff rates, recognition of health and environment standards and the levels of border checks, because it is in Britains interest to do so. Like everyone, I am concerned about the Irish border and the Good Friday Agreement, but as a Kent MP I am also concerned to keep lorries flowing freely through the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel. If they dont, Kent becomes a lorry park and life for those of us who live there becomes very unpleasant. It wont be the Customs Union, but it will be a mutually beneficial customs arrangement. It will be another sensible compromise which will contribute to the success of the negotiations. I would urge those who share my broad views on Britain and the EU to start contributing to the debate in more practical terms. Britain can thrive in the post-Brexit era, but maintaining close links with our neighbours will make a significant contribution to national success. What would undoubtedly be a national disaster would be any political action which made it more likely that a hard-Left Corbyn Government came to power. That would not just wreck our economy, but, looking at the way dissident Labour MPs are being hounded and abused, damage our whole democracy. What will the next James Bond watch be? What will the next James... After a delay of almost 18 months, 007 is back on the big screen (at least in Switzerland). But what watch will we see on James Bonds... After a delay of almost 18 months, 007... It has successfully mastered the art of catwalk-inspired clothing and high street prices, winning over legions of fans in the process. And Zara's latest copycat piece bears such an uncanny resemblance to its designer counterpart, it is expected to ignite another shopping frenzy. The Spanish chain has released a high fashion high-top sneaker inspired by luxury label Balenciaga - and they're so similar, shoppers will struggle to tell them apart. The high street giant's laceless, sock-style sneakers, which are available in both men's and women's sizes, first hit stores earlier this year but their latest reincarnation are almost indistinguishable from Balenciaga's. Scroll down for video The high street giant's laceless, sock-style sneakers (pictured) are available in both men's and women's sizes, and come at a purse-friendly 49.99 - around 10 per cent of the price Designer dupe! Zara's latest copycat piece bears such an uncanny resemblance to its catwalk counterpart from Balenciaga (495, pictured), it is expected to spark a shopping frenzy What's more, they come at a purse-friendly 49.99 - around 10 per cent of the price of the designer offering. The pricey designer version, however, costs considerably more at 495. Balenciaga - coincidentally, also a Spanish brand - are made from a trendy knit material and feature a white texture sole and memory sole technology. It comes just days after Zara's owner, Inditex, confirmed it would be removing socks from their stores following copyright claims from South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo. Catwalk copycat: In 2017, fashion fans rushed to snap up a pair of 29.99 feather sandals (pictured) which were strikingly similar to a pair of Prada shoes Zara has previously near-identical versions of high-end Manolo Blahnik heels costing 49.99 (pictured), which is 14 times cheaper than the originals The high street giant have form when it comes to releasing runway-worthy pieces at a fraction of the price; in 2017, fashion fans rushed to snap up a pair of 29.99 feather sandals which were strikingly similar to a pair of Prada shoes. First spotted at Milan Fashion Week SS17, Prada's trendy Forma sandals have now sold out on many online stores but are still available from the designer's website for 650 (550). That same month, they rolled out near-identical versions of high-end Manolo Blahnik heels costing 49.99, which fashion fans noted was 14 times cheaper than the originals. Advertisement Aussie Home Loans boss John Symond's daughter has tied the knot with her long-time beau hiring out an entire Whitsunday's resort, but the original wedding had been planned somewhere a little more exotic. Wearing a $200,000 wedding dress, Deborah Symond walked down the aisle with her Sydney society fiance Ned O'Neil on Friday surrounded by 120 esteemed guests and the couple's very famous fathers. But sources from the wedding have told Daily Mail Australia their original invitations were addressed for St Barts, a small luxury island in the Caribbean popular among the rich and famous. The couple changed their plans after Cyclone Irma hit the tropical island in September, wiping out much of the township and resorts and causing severe shortages in electricity and water. Determined to exchange their vows in a tropical island venue, the wealthy family hired out Hamilton Island's entire exclusive Qualia resort for the three-day long celebration. Scroll down for video Aussie Home Loans boss John Symond's daughter (right) has tied the knot with her long-time beau Ned O'Neil (left) hiring out an entire Whitsunday's resort, but the original wedding was planned for somewhere a little more exotic Sources from the wedding have told Daily Mail Australia the couples' original invitations were addressed for St Barts, a small luxury island in the Caribbean popular among the rich and famous The couple changed their plans after Cyclone Irma hit the tropical island in September, wiping out much of the township and resorts. The luxury Eden Rock hotel (pictured) may have been one of the hotels shortlisted for the original wedding venue The hotel pictured after it was ravaged by Hurricane Irma when the storm swept over St Barts. It was only last month that the island's airport was handling daily flights and many hotels are still not yet open Deborah Symond (pictured) walked down the aisle with her Sydney society fiance Ned O'Neil (right) on Friday surrounded by 120 esteemed guests It was only last month that the island's airport was handling daily flights and a ferry service between St. Martin and St. Barts. Many hotels are still not yet open and are expected to be operation by the end of the year. With the new location set and perfect weather for the occasion, the couple exchanged vows in front of Mr Symond and Ned's father Denis O'Neil, a superyacht broker and owner of Rose Bay Marina. Deborah, who has launched her own successful fashion retailer to rival the likes of Net-A-Porter, wore a custom-made Christian Dior haute couture gown she had especially curated in Paris over the last year. Diverting from the usual white wedding trend, the striking 30-year-old radiated in a blush pink ensemble with an applique bustier and flowing hemline. According to the Sydney Morning Herald she had been fitted in Dior's Paris headquarters since early last year and had organised several stays at the Paris Ritz in between alterations before yesterday's reveal. St Bart's hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, pictured after the hurricane hit. One witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock' Diverting from the usual white wedding trend, the striking 30-year-old radiated in a blush pink ensemble with an applique bustier and flowing hemline (pictured) According to the Sydney Morning Herald she had been fitted in Dior's Paris headquarters since early last year and had organised several stays at the Paris Ritz in between alterations before yesterday's reveal The couple flew 120 guests, including the ten men and women in their wedding party, to North Queensland where they used the hashtag #Neborah on Instagram to show off the day's festivities. Stunning cream-coloured floral displays adorned the podium where they were married and a crisp white piano played tunes for the loved-up couple to dance to. Speaking to Private Sydney the newly-married Mr O'Neil said: 'It's wonderful to have family and friends with us to enjoy what is the happiest day of my life. I am marrying the love of my life and I am the happiest man on earth to be able to share the rest of it with Deb.' He met his wife over a decade ago through family friends before realising their fathers were old associates. Ned (right with Deborah) met his wife over a decade ago through family friends before realising their fathers were old associates They spend much of their time soaking up the sights of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs but also recently returned from a trip to Bora Bora and Deborah's hens night in Hong Kong It's a jet-setting life the couple share with Deborah's father John and step mother Amber McDonald, who split their time between the couple's waterfront Sydney mansion, $75 million superyacht and new London penthouse they purchased last year They spend much of their time soaking up the sights of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs but also recently returned from a trip to Bora Bora and Deborah's hens night in Hong Kong. It's a jet-setting life the couple share with Deborah's father John and step mother Amber McDonald, who split their time between the couple's waterfront Sydney mansion, $75 million superyacht and new London penthouse they purchased last year. Despite placing his $100 million Potts Point up for sale in 2016, the 70-year-old decided to pull the 2700-square-metre property off the market, Daily Mail Australia was told. Deborah and Ned sashayed around the dance floor to the sound of a live band (pictured) Deborah's bridesmaids wore gorgeous pastel dresses in various styles to match with the brides alternate approach (pictured) It would appear as though many of the couple's guests wore white for the wedding (pictured) Mr Symond instead decided to add to his property portfolio, snapping up a home in Knightsbridge, an affluent London area where the iconic Harrods is located. He also treated himself to a 10-metre superyacht for his 70th birthday in September, 2017, and promptly threw himself a three-day, $7 million celebration. The couple were rumoured to be looking at moving to London full-time, but Daily Mail learned Mr Symond and Ms McDonald, 45, who he wed in 2016, will travel across the globe throughout the year. TV presenter Holly Willoughby has set her sights on stealing Gwyneth Paltrows crown as an online lifestyle guru. The popular This Morning host is hoping her own digital empire, centred on a blog called Truly, can replicate the success of Paltrows Goop website. Ms Willoughby, 37, has already asked her 3.5 million Instagram followers she has a daily fashion post and many of the clothes she wears sell out within minutes to sign up to the blog. TV presenter Holly Willoughby, who has set her sights on stealing Gwyneth Paltrows crown as an online lifestyle guru It will incorporate six lifestyle areas home, fashion, baby, wellness, living and travel. The website is expected to promote a new clothing range, as well as a homeware line similar to one she set up with Dragons Den businessman Peter Jones. The lucrative project, launching in the autumn, is tipped to double Ms Willoughbys fortune, which already stands at 10 million. The new project closely mimics Goop, the website set up by Ms Paltrow in 2008. Goop also has six lifestyle pillars wellness, travel, food, beauty, style and work. Gwyneth Paltrow, whose website Goop - which she set up in 2008 - has been enormously successful In addition, the Oscar-winning Hollywood actress sells her own skincare products alongside fragrances, vitamins and a fashion range. A friend of mother-of-three Holly said: This is a big deal for Holly. She is creating a lifestyle site a one-stop shop for all you need to lead a good life. Ms Willoughby, 37, is one of ITVs most popular stars, appearing on Dancing On Ice, ITV2s Celebrity Juice and presenting This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. A 21-year-old stay-at-home mother has revealed how her family managed to save money after following five easy steps. Thrifty woman Laura Thoms, from Victoria's Gippsland, said she's determined the family will have a home deposit within the next five months. She has a two-year-old daughter Alayna with her husband Charlie Thoms, 21. The young family-of-three recently moved back into Laura's parents' home so they could speed up their savings process to get a mortgage. But before moving back in with the rents, the couple managed to fund their own family holidays and put aside money for a deposit while living out of home. Here, she revealed the five key things that helped her save money. Laura Thoms, 21, from Victoria and has a two-year-old daughter, Alayna, with her husband Charlie, 21 'We moved back to my parents eight weeks ago, a week after we got married. We never once struggled or couldn't pay our bills, we only moved back so we could save up for a house deposit faster than we were,' she told FEMAIL. 'I got a few comments from my blog saying that of course I find it easy to save and go on holidays when I live at home but that's not that case. 'We paid for all these holidays while renting our home and paying bills and have taken Alayna overseas to Bali and New Zealand. 'We've also taken her to Sydney four times, one time we stayed for a month. We take her camping at least once a month which we all love too. We are off to the Gold Coast on Tuesday for 10 days too. We paid for these holiday when we lived out of home.' Astonishingly, the couple have been saving everything they can so they could make a deposit on their first home in a few months time. 'We will be trying to purchase our first home within five months,' she told FEMAIL. Laura shared the nifty tricks she uses that helps her save money, such as limiting how much you spend on eating out and doing activities that are free. Although the young family recently moved back into Laura's parents' home, this was to speed up their saving process FREE ACTIVITIES - Driving somewhere for a picnic - Camping at a free campground on the weekend with food from home - Going for hikes - Heading to the beach for the day - Building a fort and watching movies - Having a BBQ down by the park Advertisement 1. ACTIVITIES 'It's easy to think you need to spend money to have a good weekend, but you don't,' she wrote on her blog Tiny Thoms. 'We are always doing free or cheap things on the weekend, and we make the most it, it's become the norm to us. 'We've found by doing this, we really do appreciate when we have a big weekend splurging, because it doesn't happen often!' 2. MEAL PLAN Of course you can't avoid grocery shopping but there are ways of doing it that are cheaper than others. 'We use to spend a fortune on groceries but when I realised it was our biggest weekly expense I knew something had to change,' she said. 'Meal planning is a game changer. Plan all your meals for the week, set a budget, write your shopping list and stick to your list.' 'It's easy to think you need to spend money to have a good weekend, but you don't,' she wrote on her blog Tiny Thoms 'We are always doing free or cheap things on the weekend, and we make the most it, it's become the norm to us,' Laura said Another way to reduce your spending is by assessing how much you spend on eating out. 'We went out for breakfast almost every weekend and loved our take-out too! I mean, I live for that smashed avo and runny eggs, but is it really worth it?' Laura said. 'It costs us roughly $60 to eat out, for something my husband makes better at home. Now we leave eating out for special occasions.' So that she has the best of both worlds Laura will feed her and her daughter at home but then take her out for a drink and muffin. Another way to reduce your spending is by assessing how much you spend on eating out 'We went out for breakfast almost every weekend and loved our take-out too! I mean, I live for that smashed avo and runny eggs, but is it really worth it?' Laura said 3. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT A big motivator of saving money is having something to look forward to, which is why it's important to figure out what you want. 'For us it's always been holidays, we only recently decided that we should buy a house,' she wrote. 'Holidays have always been a huge priority for us and it's what we always wanted for Alayna. While we have always put money away to buy a house, we put double away for our holidays. 'Sounds strange, but we loved our little rental, it was all we needed. We crave regular holidays, they are everything to us.' A big motivator of saving money is having something to look forward to, which is why it's important to figure out what you want 'For us it's always been holidays, we only recently decided that we should buy a house,' she wrote 4. FIGURE OUT YOUR WANTS VS YOUR NEEDS 'This is so simple, but it will change your life. It's nice to treat yourself every now and again, but try avoiding indulging in material 'things',' Laura wrote. 'Whenever you're about to buy something you already have, or that isn't a necessity, ask yourself 'do I actually need this? 'Then walk away and chuck that money you were going to spend in your savings account, and watch it grow.' 5. SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Laura said that it is important you have a different bank accounts - her and her husband have eight all up. They have a holiday account, which they both put money in each week for the next holiday, a baby account which is for Alayna and they we made it when Laura was pregnant. 'This will be useful when Alayna is older for things such as braces, sports, schooling and her first car,' she said. They have a savings account where they squirrel money away for their first home and a bills account. Laura said that it is important that you have a savings account - her and her husband have eight all up 'This is for ALL bills. We made this when we moved out and it saved us from stressing over them,' Laura wrote. 'We got all our bills direct debited out of here so we never had to worry about it. Then we just got money out for the other expenses when we needed it. 'We put money in for all utilities, groceries, petrol, phone bills, gym memberships, Netflix, Alayna's activities, expensive outings etc. So we never have to worry about not having enough money to pay anything.' The couple have separate emergency accounts for when unknown expenses pop up and their own every day accounts as well. 'We put the same amount of money in ALL accounts each week! So it's not something we have to work out each time, it's always the same,' she said. 'At the start it was hard to get used to, you just get paid then watch all your money disappear and you're left with nothing. But we just make sure we do it as soon as we get paid so we never spend the money on anything else. 'Of course it's going to be so much easier/better when we do have more money and don't have to live this way. But like I've said, we make it work.' If you would like to find out more about Ms Thoms' journey, you can follow her on Instagram @mama.alayna or via her website. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been flooded with messages congratulating them on their seventh wedding anniversary. As royal wedding fever mounts once more ahead of Prince Harry's marriage to Meghan Markle on May 19th, the Duke and Duchess' nuptials were being fondly remembered by royal fans on social media. The couple, who have named their six-day-old son Prince Louis Arthur Charles, tied the knot on April 29th 2011 at Westminster Abbey. Scroll down for video Double celebration! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child Prince Louis on Monday...and today celebrate seven years since they were wed at Westminster Abbey on April 29th 2011 Two become five! Royal fans have been sharing their memories of the royal wedding...as the country prepares for Prince Harry's nuptials with Meghan Markle next month Kensington Palace acknowledged the outpouring of messages, which has seen many people reminiscing about how they spent the day, with a cute photo of the couple from the day. The Palace chose the famous shot of the couple driving down the Mall in William's blue Aston Martin Volante with the roof down and the car festooned with balloons. One royal fan, @puredakotaa, wrote: 'OMG, how time flies. Iremember that day well, I was at home so Icould watch everything.' Another, @Princesnr316, praised the impact the couple had had on the country, saying: 'I'm proud of the effects and changes youve brought to the UK. Stay blessed.' @merinsdelacruz added: 'Wishing the Duke and Duchess a very happy 7th wedding anniversary! I was 13 and I stayed at home all day watching the wedding!' How will the couple celebrate their seventh anniversary? With a six-day-old son and two children under five, Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two, the couple are unlikely to find much time for romance. The traditional gifts granted to one's partner on the seventh anniversary of marriage in the UK is copper or wool, so perhaps a nice jumper is in the offing or an on-trend copper kettle. William and Kate posing with their third child outside the Lindo Wing, the couple announced on Friday the new prince would be called Louis Arthur Charles An anniversary gift of sleep? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child on Monday...and William looked exhausted already by Wednesday Prince William was seen struggling to keep his eyes open as he joined Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at an Anzac Day service on Wednesday More likely the couple might find some time to sleep. The Duke of Cambridge performed his first royal engagement since Louis' birth on Wednesday as he attended the Anzac Day service alongside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, it seems that William had been a victim of sleepless nights as he battled heavy eyelids at Westminster Abbey - something than many parents identified with. A touching photo of an A&E doctor cuddling a sleeping baby to his chest has gone viral - after it was revealed he ran a hospital department with the newborn on his shoulder. Dr Muir Wallace was called a 'legend' after settling the 'little guy' when his sick mother was brought into the emergency room on her own and needed to have tests. The photo, taken in Waikato Hospital in New Zealand by one of Dr Wallace's colleagues, clinical nurse specialist Mike Haden-Jones, was posted on Facebook where it's had more than 3,000 reactions. The post, titled 'Sometimes all you need is a hug', shows Dr Wallace holding the baby on his shoulder while working on two computers in the A&E department. The photo, taken in Waikato Hospital in New Zealand by one of Dr Wallace's colleagues, clinical nurse specialist Mike Haden-Jones, was posted on Facebook where it's had more than 3,000 reactions Apparently, Dr Wallace was the only person able to settle the baby after several other people tried, so he cuddled the newborn for an hour while the mother underwent tests. The post on the hospital's Facebook page said: 'This is a bit different to my usual posts but felt I had to share. 'The older of the two featured in this picture is Muir - one of our ED consultants. The little guy was here with his mum and badly needed a snooze. Sadly his mum was unwell and needed some tests. 'I believe several people tried but Muir was the only one able to settle him. 'So for about an hour the other day our consultant in charge (of the entire ED) was most definitely multi-tasking. 'Just an example of the small kindnesses that happen everyday that often go unnoticed.' The photo, taken in Waikato Hospital in New Zealand by one of Dr Wallace's colleagues, clinical nurse specialist Mike Haden-Jones, was posted on Facebook where it's had more than 3,000 reactions The post, which has gone viral, has attracted hundreds of comments. And it seems Dr Wallace has form. Commenting on the photo, Cherie Smillie wrote: 'This Dr is amazing. He looked after my son last night in kids place as he had a burnt face and needed anisthetic to make sure his eye was ok. 'Such a funny Dr and keep me as ease with step by step of what was happening. Thank you Dr for all the kind work you and your team do. 'You really all are so over worked and under appreciated. So from me and my son we thankyou.' The post, which has gone viral, has attracted hundreds of comments And the doctor won a lot of praise. Heather Pont wrote: 'You can tell he's an awesome man from that one act! Thank you Muir for caring for 2 people that day above and beyond what you would have to do.' Lauren Reedy added: 'Thats so cool how you guys go above and beyond for your guys patients and families thats awesome keep up the fantastic work guys.' Dr Muir Wallace was called a 'legend' after settling the 'little guy' when his sick mother was brought into the emergency room on her own and needed to have tests Taki Paul added: 'Nice to see and hugs do go a long way. Multi tasking seems too be our way of life these days. Good one Mike.' Aleena Yates posted: 'LOVE! Im currently up in Kaitaia Health centre. My one year old has a nurse appt at 10.15 and my dad had a doctor appt at 9.30 and so we decided to come in together HAHA! Stupid move! 'But the admin, nurses and doctors are being soooooo amazing, entertaining her and everything. 'She would have a melt down every time her poppa would leave (for his appt) and goodness everyone was just amazing! It makes the situation soooo much easier and stressfree for me, also 35 weeks pregnant! Life is so much easier with amazing people like Muir and the amazing team here in Kaitaia Health Centre!' While Sew Chek added: 'This is such a touching, heart warming and adorable photo and post. We often dont give enough credit to doctors and nurses for the work they do.' Barry Ibell said: 'Absolute legend Muir nice to see.' Years ago, before Sienna Miller was a Vogue cover star, I once found myself standing next to her in a yoga class. All civilian women will know this is a position in which you hope never to find yourself. Sienna Miller is one of lifes fit fairy women and, naturally, she was wearing body-con yoga gear, looking lithe and prepared. (I was wearing washed-out sweat pants and a baggy T-shirt, looking a bit like Bridget Jones at the start of a half-hearted health kick.) This is relevant because 15 minutes into the class, we were asked to team up for a stretching exercise (imagine) and as we linked arms, I would have paid any money to have been wearing the Sweaty Betty three-quarter-length stretch leggings and racing-back vests pictured here. In that moment, suddenly I got it: I might have been a beginner, I might not have been a fairy woman, but in the proper yoga gear I could have felt and looked the part. Style expert Shane Watson revealed how to embrace the latest trend for yoga wear. Pictured: Vest, 20, underarmour.co.uk; Leggings, 24.99, H&M (in store only) So the second the class was over, I bolted to the nearest sportswear shop and paid for some top-of-the-range yoga wear, and Ive never looked back. The moral of the story? Yoga kit matters. It changes everything. In spring 2018, weve reached a point where there are as many yoga and Pilates classes as there are artisan coffee shops, and what was once a niche activity has become the midlife exercise of choice. You might never have taken an exercise class in your life, but now, pushing 60, you think nothing of buying a purple yoga mat and an Under Armour two piece and heading off to your local church hall or gym to practise Ashtanga or Hatha or Iyengar yoga. What the boho Siennas were into back in the Nineties has become the accessible, entry-level exercise of choice for anyone over 40. We like the idea of gently stretching, often lying down. We like the soothing, slow-paced discipline of it, the fact that its as far removed from a spinning or a step class as you can get. No need to sweat and go purple in the face in the name of getting fit. No Billy Idol blaring at full volume. No machines to work when you havent got your glasses. And we really like striking those poses while wearing mysteriously flattering, body-contouring yoga wear. Would yoga have taken off like prosecco (at the last count there were an estimated 10,000 yoga teachers in the UK) if it involved wearing high-visibility salopettes and souwesters? No, it would not. Yoga (and matwork Pilates) have hit the sweet spot because they make us toned and fit and clear-headed and we can look good in the process. Vest, 24.95, gap.co.uk; Sports bra, 47.95, and leggings, 87.95, both Alo Yoga at thesports edit.com It definitely helps that every Jennifer Aniston and Beyonce owes their figure to yoga and Pilates, that Nigella attributes her weight loss to yoga and that Meghan Markle, of the perfect lean-but-not-too-defined arm, owes it all to her daily practice. But what puts this exercise craze in a league of its own is the gear, the kit that keeps on giving. The state-of-the-art, sweat-wicking, fast-drying, hold-you-in exercise wear on these pages is designed specially with yoga or Pilates in mind. You will feel better about yourself saluting the sun when wearing them, thats for sure. But then you may glance in the mirror and think: Well, my bum looks better in this . . . no point in changing. Ill just throw on a Puffa coat or a gilet and meet the girls for coffee, then Ill walk the dog and nip to the supermarket. You dont want to keep these clothes only for classes and, as of now, youre not expected to. Pictured left: Crop top, 55, and leggings, 95, both sweatybetty.com Pictured right: Striped tank top, 24, and striped leggings, 21, both South Beach at asos.com Its officially cool to take your yoga-bunny look on to the street. The figure-enhancing properties of yoga wear in 2018 are almost magical, that is a fact. All the firming, supporting and lifting technology, plus the trompe-loeil tricks with various coloured panels and mesh inserts can make you look like youve dropped a dress size. Not all of it works for the practising midlife yogi, though exercise bras, for example, while giving support, are best worn under a T-shirt unless youre a pro. But a loose-fitting vest with cutaway shoulders (such as the GapFit Breathe Banded Hem Tank Top, 24.95, gap.co.uk) can be super flattering. Who knew a trawl around Sweaty Betty, now all over the country, would be our idea of shopping heaven? Or that a Stella McCartney for Adidas Yoga Tank Top (62.95) and Yoga Seamless Space-Dye Tights (79.95, both adidas.co.uk) would be top of our birthday wish lists? But thats where we are. Had you told Eileen Pullen and Gwen Davis 50 years ago that theyd spend their retirement walking red carpets and accepting awards to standing ovations, theyd have told you to pull the other one. Back then, they were machinists at the Dagenham Ford Motor Plant, working from 7.30am to 5pm sewing the upholstery for Cortinas and Zephyrs in an old hangar with a tin roof. After the whistle sounded, theyd catch trains and buses home and start work all over again, cleaning and washing and cooking for their families. Red carpets were for other women. Men didnt do anything in the home back then, says Eileen, an active 89-year-old despite two new hips. My husband didnt know how to boil a kettle. You had so much to do, you never went to bed until midnight, says Gwen, whos 85 but looks two decades younger. And then you were up again at 5.30 in the morning. I had to get my three children ready for my mum to take to school, and then catch two buses to work. Inspirational: Gwen Davis, 85, and Eileen Pullen, 89, recall balancing working at Dagenham Ford Motor with childcare. They are the last two women willing to talk about the strike in 1968 And yet today, the last two women willing and able to talk about the 1968 Dagenham Ford Motor strike which saw 187 machinists bring the motoring behemoth to its knees over equal grading and pay for women, Gwen and Eileen are feted the world over. Since the 2010 film Made In Dagenham, a dramatisation that reminded us how their action provided the impetus to the 1970 Equal Pay Act theyve frequently found themselves at the centre of applause and flashing cameras. This year they were at the Bafta Awards (the second time for Eileen) on the arm of actress Gemma Arterton who played the lead in the West End musical of the film. And two years ago at the Dorchester Hotel, Gwen and Eileen were given a standing ovation by Britains top businesswomen at the NatWest everywoman Awards in recognition of their determination, commitment and pioneering spirit, which changed the landscape for women and paved the way for others. As the everywoman awards season opens again, sponsored in part by the Daily Mail and in this year of gender pay gap revelations there seems no better way to launch the call for nominations than to look back at Gwen and Eileens story to see how far weve come. It wasnt all noses to the grindstone at Dagenham. You didnt want to be afraid of hard work, says Eileen, but we were a happy crowd. There was bingo and keep fit at lunchtime, and day trips to France on the ferry. Yet, by todays standards, conditions were shocking. It was so hot in the summer the supervisors would bring round lime juice and salt tablets, says Eileen. And then in the winter, if you werent right under a heater, you had to sit with woollies on to keep warm. Lunch hour was actually three quarters of an hour, and in the Seventies, the women gave up their afternoon break so they could leave at 4.30pm instead of 5pm, and get back earlier for their children. Gwen (pictured with two of her children) trained as a tailor before working at Ford. She recalls making clothes at home to fit work around the children We all of us relied on our own mums such a lot for the children, says Eileen, who has one son now aged 63, three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. There was no paid maternity leave so the women tended to stay at home for a few years when the kids were little and take in work at home. Thats what I did, says Gwen, who before Ford, trained and worked as a tailor, and had three children in very quick succession, now aged 58, 59 and 60. Until my eldest was five, I used to make clothes at home, dresses and pyjamas whatever was sent to me. They called it outdoor work. Someone from London would come with the order and, when the week was over, collect it and pay you for what youd done. Women were treated as second class - Gwen Davi s But the pay was truly terrible. A really pretty dress with lots of frills would take four hours, and Id get half a crown [about 10 in todays money] for three or four of those. A lot of women did that kind of work at night. Youd try to do it during the day when the children were quiet, but it wasnt often possible. Its still this act of juggling small children and work that occupies many of the women who each year enter the Daily Mails Aphrodite Mumpreneur Award for women whove started small businesses when theyve had children. Time and again, women tell us the motivation for starting their own venture is the flexible hours that come with being your own boss, and the chance to be with children when theyre small. Even today, theres an awful lot of work being done at kitchen tables in the small hours, albeit on business plans and prototypes rather than piecework pyjamas. Eileen (pictured with her son) recalls their work at Ford being rated as 'unskilled' despite taking two-years of training and tests And yet its undeniable that in many ways family life has changed and the double burden of work and home has lessened for women. Though statutory maternity leave wasnt introduced in the UK until 1999, all women can now get up to a years paid leave with their newborns, or can share it with the father. Men are a common sight at the schoolgate in a way that Eileen and Gwen could barely have dreamt of. Back in 1968, of course, few women became entrepreneurs (now 126,000 businesses are started by women every year), and Gwen and Eileen, who both left school at 14, were always expected to return to one of the local factories once their children were past babyhood. At Ford the women were paid about 7 a week (120 in todays money), considered a decent wage back then, but not as much as men were getting for the same sort of work. Ironically it was this lack of recognition that led to a place in the history books. It was all about the grading really, explains Eileen. Despite the two-year training required of machinists and the rigorous testing of women before they were given a job at Ford, the women at Dagenham were told their work was B Grade, the same as that of a floor sweeper and technically rated as unskilled. Eileen revealed her mother didn't believe that women should strike. Pictured: The Ford Strike Every year theyd ask to be re-graded to the semi-skilled C that men got for equivalent work elsewhere on the production line, and every year they were turned down. There was a big difference in pay and pension rights between the two grades, says Gwen but it was a matter of respect, too. To add insult to injury, they were only paid 85 per cent of the male B Grade rate. There was no reason for it other than that they were women. Women were treated as second class, says Gwen, grimacing. It was how it was. Wed have all these meetings and get nowhere, says Eileen. Year after year, it happened. In the end we said enough is enough, lets go on strike. The strike lasted three weeks and when the seat covers ran out, the men had to stop work, too. My mum was very against it, says Eileen. She said women dont strike. But my husband told me to stick up for my rights. He was a great support. Gwen and Eileen were lucky their husbands were both engineers, but neither worked at Ford, so they had a wage coming in throughout the strike. Eileen recalls a struggle to put up the banner up during the protest (Ford strike pictured) outside Parliament Eventually a delegation of Dagenham women went to protest outside Parliament and to meet the secretary of state for employment Barbara Castle, herself a pioneer for women at Westminster. Eileen looks back on that day with delight. We had such a laugh, she says. A famous scene in the film Made in Dagenham shows the women struggling and failing to fully unfurl a banner, so as they march past Westminster it reads We Want Sex instead of We Want Sexual Equality. Eileen giggles. Thats absolutely true, it really happened. It was very funny. We got all the taxi drivers hooting and men shouting at us. Weve met a few politicians since, she says. We met Theresa May once, after the film came out, when she was Home Secretary, adds Gwen. We were allowed to ask her one question each. It was quite formal. I think we asked whether she got equal pay with the men in the cabinet and why women had to keep on fighting for the same thing. She couldnt tell us, but I did like her. She seemed very straight. Back in 68, Barbara Castle promised the women a pay rise bringing them up to 92 per cent of the mens B Grade wage, and another examination of the C Grade issue. Eileen believes everyone has to stand up for themselves and doing the right thing eventually leads to a reward (Pictured: women voting to return to work after the strike) It was enough, just, to get the women back to work, though it would take another strike in 1984 to finally win the disputed C Grade. Most importantly, the Dagenham dispute was a trigger for wider action that led to the Equal Pay Act in 1970, which for the first time enshrined in law the right of women to equal pay for equal work. Today Eileen and Gwen have both been retired longer than they worked and yet theyre still spreading the message. Theyve been on TV talk shows, given speeches on trips abroad and been guests of honour at commemorative dinners. It does make you feel proud, says Eileen. Everyone has to stand up for themselves, and if you do the right thing, you get the reward eventually. We have come far the hundreds of leading women in business and government who attend the NatWest everywoman Awards every year proves that. And yet the warmth of the reception given to Eileen and Gwen when they won their award shows what their courage means to women now. Gwen (pictured right with Eileen) says work was so busy, you didn't have time to worry They stood up and showed Britains bosses that women could be just as tough as men in pursuit of fair treatment, and their actions still reverberate today. If it seems crass to draw a direct line between the Dagenham strikers and the often glamorous, sometimes super-wealthy entrepreneurs of everywoman, such a line does exist. Both modern-day businesswoman and Sixties machinist are utterly inspirational in their dedication and pioneering spirit, and though the cause is far from won the UK gender pay gap still stands at a shocking 18.4 per cent its once again at the centre of a vigorous national campaign. The work was boring, but you were so busy, you never had time to worry, says Gwen. We all wanted to work hard because if you produced so many [seat covers] an hour, after six or seven months, youd get an extra penny an hour. She laughs at how ludicrous an incentive it sounds now. But the spirited machinists did get the last laugh. Exploited by their male bosses, they are the ones we now remember and applaud, the equal-pay pioneers who truly deserve that red carpet. Priyanka Chopra is swiftly becoming one of the most famous faces the globe over. But despite being one of the best known South Asian celebrities, the former Miss World is hoping that her ethnicity doesn't become the way she is defined to the rest of the world. The 35-year-old recently sat down for an interview with Teen Vogue, who asked her how she felt about being known as a 'woman of color.' Famous face: Priyanka Chopra, 35, has opened up about being labelled a 'woman of color,' saying that while she is proud to be one, she doesn't want to be limited by the term Taking her stand: The stunning actress had previous said she didn't like the term because she feels it 'puts women in a box' The magazine referred to a 2016 interview Priyanka did with Refinery29, where she had declared: 'I dont like the phrase "woman of color."' She added back then: 'I feel like that puts women in a box. Im a woman, whether Im white, Black, brown, green, blue, or pink whatever. I think we need to start looking beyond that. It would be a big win for women, period.' Asking if she still maintained the same position - despite the fact that many women define themselves as such - Priyanka said that she believes that the term is 'a very culturally different thing with America and outside of America.' She continued: I take tremendous pride in being a woman of color. I just don't want to be limited. I want, as a woman of color, to have my choice of opportunities. New heights: Priyanka stars as lead character Alex Parrish in the hit ABC series Quantico Background: Priyanka became Miss World in 2000 at age 18 (pictured) 'I don't want to be limited because of it, and that happens so often. I'm a proud woman of color, but that's not the only thing that defines me.' Priyanka shared similar sentiments in another recent chat with Esquire, telling the magazine that she 'wants the world.' The star, who was born in Jamshedpur, India, noted: 'I'm very clear about it. As long as people want to watch me, I want to entertain.' She said: 'I'm an actor and an artist, and I want to go where my work takes me. I don't want to settle for one or two countries, I want the world.' Taking over: The star also said in a recent interview with Esquire that she 'wants the world' International traveler: The actress lived in the US for three years during her teens before moving back to India Priyanka moved to the US at the age of 13 for her studies; she moved back to India three years later to finish high school. She became a household name after landing the starring role as Alex Parrish in the hit ABC series Quantico. Priyanka said that for the show's revamp, they changed from 22 episodes a season to just 13. Adding that the show has 'really gone global,' explaining that 'the show goes to about 64 countries around the globe.' The beautiful actress says: 'It's great for us to be able to cater to all of that. We start off in Tuscany, we end in Dublin, and within this season, there are countries that liaise with America.' Forgive my bragging, but when it comes to hair Ive always been blessed. Long, thick, pre-Raphaelite waves that obediently hold their style. It was the moment on a windy moor in the Lake District when I threw myself and my auburn hair down on a grassy verge, that my husband still recalls, thats when I knew you were the one! And aside from one minor brush with henna at the bathroom sink, aged 17, where I made my parents house smell like a barnyard, I have never dyed it. With colourists telling me my auburn was a hard colour to match, and a fear that conventional dyes would aggravate the itchy stress scalp condition Ive had since sixth form, Ive steered clear. Until now, that is. At 53, with my baby-greys escalating, I finally found myself ready to join the 21 million women in the UK who regularly colour their hair. Jo Glanville Blackburn, 53, (pictured after) dyed her hair using the latest henna powder The solution lies in my first dyeing disaster. Eco-friendly and virtually allergy-free, henna powder a reddish dye made from the leaves of a Middle Eastern shrub is making a comeback. Knightsbridge hairdresser Paul Edmonds, a lifelong advocate of natural colour, says: Natural colour is expected to work just as well as conventional colour think high shine, great condition and reduced damage to hair and scalp. Indeed, many salons say theyre seeing a shift to vegetable colour as clients worry where their colour comes from. Ive seen a 62 per cent increase year-on-year for natural colour, confirms Paul. My clients have more holistic concerns about how they live, what ingredients they use and the environmental impact. Brands are taking notice. LOreal is launching a 100 per cent herbal colour, LOreal Professionnel Botanea, in salons nationwide, made up of three herbal powders henna, indigo and cassia. The shift reflects growing concern over the chemicals in synthetic dyes. Exposure to ammonia is linked to breathing problems, while PPD (paraphenylene- diamine, a common ingredient) is linked to skin irritation and even cancer. The European Commission estimates one in 75 people who use hair colourants have an allergic reaction, while Allergy UK figures show reactions have tripled in the past 20 years. Karine Jackson, president of the Fellowship for British Hairdresssing, has been using herbal hair colour since 2005. I started investigating alternatives when a client with cancer asked me to find a colour with fewer chemicals for her to use. I thought theyd have poor performance, but I was wrong. Within months, 97 per cent of our colour clients had switched to organic. Jo (pictured before) believes dying her hair with henna reduced the signs of ageing There were unforeseen benefits for Karine, too. Id had a nagging cough for years, which I put down to London living and pollution. Once I switched to organic colour, my cough disappeared within a week. I think about the chemicals I was exposing myself to without even realising the effect they were having on my breathing. Its not just allergies that women need to be wary of. According to a study by Professor Kefah Mokbel, a breast cancer surgeon at the Princess Grace Hospital in London, women who chemically colour their hair have an 18 per cent higher risk of breast cancer. Some chemicals could increase the risk of hormone-sensitive breast cancer We do not know precisely which chemicals increase the risk, says Professor Mokbel. Some chemicals could increase the risk of hormone-sensitive breast cancer. PPD is a candidate, particularly in high concentrations; the darker and more permanent the colour, and the higher the frequency of use, the greater the risk. He recommends colouring less and reducing contact with the scalp. If you dye every two months rather than every month, the potential increase in risk may be halved. I believe the safer option is to use natural products where possible. Celebrity hairdresser Hari Salem helped introduce henna into the UK in the Sixties, and has offered herbal colour in his salons for the past 40 years. Like anything in fashion, colour goes through cycles. It was trendy to have henna in the Seventies. Now its making a comeback, especially with the trend in organic lifestyle choices. Hari is launching Haris Herbal Hair Salon, an oasis offering hand-blended, non-toxic plants including henna, hibiscus, turmeric, saffron, beetroot and coffee in powder form. The increased popularity in henna hair dyes has been linked to the trend in organic lifestyles I watch Clare Drawbridge, top colourist at Haris, mix henna with two shades of coffee. Theres a lovely cappuccino aroma definitely no ammonia. Shes convinced that allergies to conventional hair dye are on the up, especially over 40. Older women appear to be increasingly prone to an allergic reaction to conventional colour around the menopause. After shampooing, a Vaseline-like balm is put on to prevent colour from staining my skin, then an auburn vegetable colour is first applied to the front of my hair, where its lightest, to give an even base before adding the henna mix. This helps prevent the colour from becoming too bright, or more red than the rest of my hair. Its like undercoat before you paint, explains Clare. Section-by-section, my hair is coated. A shower cap sits over my head while heat is applied to speed up absorption. Once the henna is rinsed off, Clare checks my colour and decides my once-white hairs need to be a little redder, so adds a little more henna on these sections for five more minutes. Rinsed, shampooed, blow-dried, and 95 lighter, Im done. I meet my family for dinner. My husband Jim looks me over and says: Gosh theyve matched it well. Its brighter, but still looks like your hair! As for me? I think I look younger joy! The greys have been replaced by coppery auburn hairs, the way my hair looked on my wedding day. And as its chemical-free, Im pretty sure I can still claim to be a natural redhead. At an event to mark International Workers Day on 1 May, the Egyptian president acknowledged the sacrifices of low-income households and thanked workers for their contribution to the economy Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi hailed on Sunday the Egyptian people for bearing the brunt of the economic reform program, while stressing that more work is needed to keep the economy on track. "All the thanks and gratitude goes to the Egyptians for their extraordinary efforts," El-Sisi said at a labor day event, which was hosted by the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) to mark the 1 May International Workers Day celebrations. "Ordinary people withstood the tough impacts of the economic reform program, making sincere sacrifices," the President said. The event was attended by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan, as well as the Head of the ETUF Gibali Al-Meraghi. The president also highlighted "the great achievements of Egypt's workers over the past four years," adding that more hard work is needed. "Your efforts are greatly valued and you will bear the fruits of your achievements very soon, although you will have to bear more with me," said El-Sisi. "The new Suez Canal, which was built in one year, the tunnels which were dug in one year, the electric power plants built in two years, all the road networks and many other projects, were implemented by you," El-Sisi said. El-Sisi went on to explain that despite the impact on low-income familes across Egypt, the economic reforms were necessary. "We could not turn a blind eye to the reform program, otherwise the challenges would have been vast," he said. He explained that the reform program had succeeded in achieving its aims. In addition, he said, the reforms had shown the world the strong will of the Egyptians and their understanding of the problems their country is currently facing. In his speech, Minister of Manpower Saafan highlighted the ministry's recent efforts to create more job opportunities for Egyptians. He said 285,282 jobs had been created in Egypt in the past year, while 475,00 new jobs had been secured outside Egypt in 16 different countries during the same period. He added that trade union elections are expected to be held in May, the first such elections since 2016. Speaking about the new labor law proposals, which are being discussed by parliament, Safaan said his ministry is working to establish a fair and balanced relationship between employers and workers. "We have worked on new bylaws that aim to achieve balance between the rights of the employer and the worker, avoiding all the issues that were in the old law," said Safaan. The Head of the ETUF El-Maraghi praised president Sisi's attention to implementing social insurance policies to protect temporary and seasonal workers. "The Egyptian Trade Union movement has witnessed defining moments in its history since last year's Workers' Day celebration, represented by the modernization of labor legislation systems, which paves the way for the main production forces, the government, workers and employers to achieve prospects of decent life and secure jobs, El-Maraghi said in comments at the event. President El-Sisi asked trade union workers to choose their representatives in the elections carefully. Egypt celebrates Workers' Day on 1 May, marking the event with a national holiday. Search Keywords: Short link: HAGGLE FOR HOTELS Remember when we made a reservation by talking to a human? That old trick could now secure you a bargain. Use a comparison site to find the cheapest online rate for your preferred hotel, then call it and ask them to beat it. Hotels pay fees to booking sites, so most will offer a discount. NAB A CHEAP FLIGHT Sign up to the newsletters on jacksflightclub.co.uk, skyscanner.net and airlines own websites to be the first to know when sales start. Or if you know where you want to go and when, set up a price alert on flight-comparison sites like kayak.co.uk to get an email if the fare drops. Jill Starley-Grainger reveals the secrets to finding a luxurious get away for a reduced cost BE ADVENTROUS Dont mind where you fly as long as its cheap? Go to skyscanner.net, and type your home city into the From (departure) box. Then for To (destination), write in Everywhere, and it will show you the cheapest flights across the globe. If you want a specific destination but dont care when, put the city as the destination, but change the dates to Cheapest month. PAY THE RIGHT WAY For currency and spending abroad, youll save up to 5 per cent on every transaction if you pay with the right plastic. Unlike most debit and credit cards, and foreign exchange desks, these free bank accounts or credit cards dont charge for withdrawals and purchases abroad, and offer the best-value exchange rates. Try: Starling Bank (starlingbank.com; you must download and apply using their free phone app), Creation Everyday Mastercard (creation.co.uk) and Barclaycard Platinum Travel Card (barclaycard.co.uk). Advertisement How is British cuisine viewed around the world? That's the question that a photograph of a produce aisle in a Danish supermarket answers. A Reddit user shared the snap of the world food aisle containing products Danes associate with British culture. It shows the shelves stacked with Bovril, OXO cubes, Branston Pickle, Tyrrell's crisps, Bird's Custard powder, Yorkshire and Ty-phoo tea bags and McVities Hobnobs and Digestive biscuits. A Reddit user shared a snap of the British section in the world foods aisle of a supermarket in Denmark They said the aisle included Bovril, Branston Pickle and Bird's Custard advertised as typical British food The food was placed in the 'United Kingdom' section in the supermarket, with a sign adorned with photos of a full English breakfasts and the Union Flag. It was shared by British Reddit user octopus_dance_party who is currently visiting Denmark. They wrote: 'When browsing the world food aisle, have you ever wondered what a UK aisle would look like? 'Well here you go... Bovril, Branston Pickle, Birds Custard, Hob Nobs, stuff I have never seen in my life. No Marmite though because that isn't allowed in Denmark.' Reddit users were divided by the section, with one person saying they were 'happy' to see Yorkshire Tea on display Marmite wasn't able to be sold in Denmark as it contained added vitamins, however a supplier was granted access to market it back in 2014. Also on the shelves was Bisto gravy granules, Fray Bentos pies, Hobgoblin beer, Mrs Bridges jams, Joseph's popcorn, Beet It beetroot juice, and Walkers biscuits. The photo caused a stir on the Casual UK message board, with users expressing both pride and shame in Britain's culinary exports. One person said: 'When i see pictures of uk aisle in foreign supermarkets i understand why people judge our cuisine [sic].' 'Happy to see Yorkshire tea there and fray bentos! Typical sat night in!' another wrote. Others questioned why other classic foods weren't for sale, including HP Sauce and Baked Beans A third ranted: '80% biscuits, 10% tea, and 10% Fray Bentos? Really? Is that what other countries think we consume?' Others lamented that other classic British staples weren't for sale, including Ribena, HP Sauce and Strongbow cider. But many were particularly shocked to find out that the country has banned Marmite. The quintessentially British product was originally banned alonsgide other foods fortified with added vitamins, including Horlicks, Ovaltine and Farley's Rusks. Zelda reads all your letters but regrets that she cannot answer them all personally He is blackmailing me to have an abortion When I met my husband ten years ago, I had a three-year-old daughter and I made it clear that I wanted more children. He already had children from a previous relationship. He had his vasectomy reversed, but we still needed two rounds of IVF treatment before we eventually had a daughter, who is now two. At first he was uninterested in her, but after six months he became a doting father. To my shock, I have now discovered that I am seven weeks pregnant. My husband is furious and threatened to divorce me if I keep the baby. He says that I am trapping him, our marriage was a mistake and he doesnt love me any more. He is 51 and told me that he does not want to work until he is 70. He keeps saying that I must have slept with another man, but I have always been faithful. I cant contemplate an abortion. I had one at university and it took me years to come to terms with it. It is awful that your husband is trying to blackmail you into an abortion and hurtful of him to say that he doesnt love you any more and the marriage was a mistake. I wonder if he is angry because he finds it impossible to believe that the baby could be his, especially in light of all the problems that you had conceiving before. Tell him that you will have a DNA test as soon as the baby is born, but that you are incredibly hurt that he does not believe you. Or perhaps he is saying that he no longer loves you in order to pressure you into having an abortion, which would be selfish. Yes, it is a huge shock and a daunting prospect to become a father again at his age, but you are in shock, too. You need his support now more than ever. He might come to accept that you are going to have another child and end up loving it, just like your daughter. However, if he really does not love you any more, it would be better to end the marriage. Try couples counselling at Relate (relate.co.uk, 0300 100 1234) and if he wont come with you, go on your own. What does my wife want from me? My wife and I separated last May. Recently she came to my house because she had had a horrible week and needed to talk to someone who understood her. I listened to her for about an hour, praised her and gave her a hug. I told her how much I cared for her. Then she kissed me. I am still in love with her and thought that maybe we could sort things out. But the next day she called me and said that she cannot be with me as I cant do the things that she wants to do. I have an illness that has partially disabled my left leg and my wife seemed to stop being my partner and became my nurse instead, which was not what I wanted. I was in a lot of pain and admit I was difficult on occasion. She tends to talk to me only when she needs something. What should I do? Sadly, I think that your wife is simply using you when she needs someone to talk to. She knows that you still care and is exploiting your kindness. This is unfair, selfish and unkind of her. It sounds as though she decided to end the marriage because you are ill, forgetting her wedding vows to stay in sickness and in health. It does not say much for her, Im afraid. If you keep hoping that you might get back together, it will be much more difficult for you to move on and rebuild your life, and stop you from meeting someone else. In your longer letter, you say that you are having counselling. This is important and I hope it will help you to be tougher towards her and let her sort out her own problems rather than turning to you, which only leaves you hurt and confused. She is trapped in an abusive marriage My daughter married an Australian man, moved out there and had a baby girl almost immediately. I went to visit them after she was born to help out. He was difficult, alarmingly rude and hostile I felt I was treading on eggshells. They now have a second child. My daughter hates her life. He bullies her constantly, calls her names, tells her that she is bipolar and stops her from contacting her friends. When he drinks he turns into even more of a monster. My daughter feels she is in a nightmare she wants to leave him and return to the UK. How can I help her to get out of this awful situation? This is such a distressing situation for you, your daughter and your grandchildren. It is good that she wants to leave, as women can often be so intimidated by controlling and abusive men that it is difficult for them to find the courage. She will need help. Her husband sounds frightening when he drinks and if she feels as though she is in immediate danger, she should call the emergency service (000). She can also access 24-hour counselling with the Australian counselling organisation 1800RESPECT (1800respect.org.au, 1800 737732). The Department of Human Services (humanservices.gov.au) can provide support and help her find the legal advice that she needs. If she takes the children back to the UK without the fathers permission, he can apply to have them returned and the case would be settled in the family court of Australia. If you can afford it, fly out and help her with the legal problems. She will need your support if she is to come back home with the children. Whether hes facing inappropriate questions from strangers or retrieving toys from U-bends, Simon Hoopers posts on life as an outnumbered man in a chaotic household of six have made him a one-man Insta-brand with 827,000 followers On being a father of four Ill be honest when I found out at 24 that I was going to be a dad I was bricking it. What made it worse was that none of my friends had embarked on the good ship fatherhood yet, so I was the first one pushed out to sea in a tiny boat with no sail or rudder and forced to explore the choppy ocean, otherwise known as parenting, that lay before me. Ten years on, Im husband to Clemmie and a father to our four girls these amazing people have made me who I am today and I owe them everything. I did react very differently, though, each time I was told that we were going to have a baby or in the most recent case, babies. Im husband to Clemmie and a father to our four girls these amazing people have made me who I am today and I owe them everything Ill be honest when I found out at 24 that I was going to be a dad I was bricking it Daughter number one a surprise My reaction: Oh. My. God. Why the hell is this happening? Im going to sue the condom company for this. Daughter number two planned My reaction: Oh. My. God. This is brilliant I cant wait to tell everyone that Anyas going to have a little sister! Daughters numbers three and four planned and a surprise My reaction: Twins! I bl**** knew this would happen if we went for a third. It took Clemmie ages to talk me into this, and now I mean, how are we going to cope? Of course, I wouldnt change any of it, except for perhaps having a mute button grafted on to them at birth, but we cant have everything we want, can we? On the importance of vetting visitors After Anya, my eldest daughter, was born, I was a complete novice when it came to visitors. I was like a trainee bouncer whod lost the guest list and just let everyone in to make my life easier. Much as with the release of a new iPhone, the crowds were deep at our door, all wanting to get their hands on our shiny new gizmo. Within two days, the house looked like a florist had dumped all their old stock in our living room. Clemmie loved the flowers, but getting to the bathroom involved taking a machete and a days supply of water should we not be able to find our way back through the foliage. Having people round can be enjoyable, but it can also mean you suddenly find yourself tidying up to convince them that youve got your act together, and doling out the nice biscuits that you were saving for yourselves as all the previous well-wishers have polished off the digestives. After the twins were born, I opened the door to find a pleasant lady who had brought round some smoothies. I didnt quite catch her name but, being polite, I invited her in nonetheless, assuming she knew Clemmie, and sent her upstairs to say hi to my wife, who was busy being a mobile restaurant tandem-feeding the twins. It was only when the lady left some ten minutes later that I heard Clemmie yelling: Who the hell was that? Wasnt she one of your friends? No! Ive never seen her before in my life. And you sent her up while I had my t*** out. On reflection, I should have asked the random woman a bit more about herself So how do you know Clemmie? would have sufficed. Oh well, you live and learn. My years of erecting wobbly flat-pack furniture in my student digs finally paid dividends when it came to assembling a cot. It was only midway through my second G&T that I realised Id built the sodding thing around me like a scaled-down Alcatraz. Did I read the instructions properly? Did I hell! Ten years on and my collection of Allen keys would rival that of an Ikea distribution centre I like being popular, but dividing my time between all five women in my life leaves me feeling more thinly spread than the last scrapings of a jam jar. If I could be everywhere at once, then I would Yes, this makeshift cot was completely against manufacturers guidelines, but when your wife has had an evening out for the first time in a year and needs child-free special sleep thanks to all the cocktails, its important to have easy access for those night feeds On strangers who talk to you just because you have children As a guy, Im not likely to go up to a stranger carrying a baby and start chatting. And if I did, theyd probably think, What the hell does this weirdo want? Women, however, seem to be totally OK about striking up a conversation with me when Im out with the girls. Im not against it but they do sometimes catch me off guard, usually when Im trying to corral the older girls on scooters away from the road, wrestle one twin who has performed a Houdini and broken free from the buggy while also trying to find the other ones dummy, which was dropped somewhere between the house and where we currently are. On the words I never want to hear again Out on your own wheres Mum? Are you giving her a break? Patronising words that assume that men are either incapable of looking after babies without the supervision of wives/girlfriends, or struggling in some way that mothers dont. So here are some of the responses to flummox my interrogators: Shes actually left me. She told me that she didnt want to be a mum any more and moved to Ibiza to be a yoga instructor. Shes behind you. (Then run away when they turn round.) Well done you for getting out and about. Do I look like a geriatric? Do you see me with a Zimmer frame? Ah, hes lovely. Whats his name? To me, making an assumption about a childs gender is almost as bad as making eye contact with a large woman while on public transport, guessing shes pregnant and then offering her your seat only to discover that shes just large. Surely the rule should be that unless youre 100 per cent sure dont mention it. Are they all yours? No, Ive just been to the park and scooped up a collection of random children. Thats a lot of girls are you going to try for a boy next? Are you insane? Four is enough for me. Also, why is there an assumption that because I have girls, Im somehow not fulfilled? My girls are my life. Getting down the street can be a slow process with babies. Before I became a father I was just another unapproachable guy you thought might mug you but now with four children in tow, Im an upstanding member of society who often gets interrogated by total strangers One of the many pleasurable jobs I have as a father is fishing items out of the loo. Im sure Im destined to die on a cold, wet bathroom floor with my hand trapped in a U-bend trying to retrieve a soiled toy I have no idea why, but irrespective of how big your house is, everyone congregates in one place like a game of sardines that no one wanted to play. If I were claustrophobic, Id be permanently hyperventilating as I have no space any more On solo parenting Secretly Ive grown to love days when Im in charge, as the strict regime of Clemmies OCD-level cleanliness can make way (albeit temporarily) for a new father-led revolution, in which the rules are relaxed and the house can settle. I know that Clemmie trusts me to look after the kids but looking after the house is a completely different matter and Ive had a number of what well call learning experiences The time I was cooking with one of my daughters safely secured in the bouncer watching TV. My nose was suddenly hit by a familiar smell. I discovered my beautiful offspring had escaped the clutches of her harness, removed her full nappy and was rolling around the floor, spreading its contents. Learning point: babies are escapologists in training and seemingly have vertebrae made from jelly, enabling them to wriggle out of the tightest of straps. The time I forgot to close the stair gate. Noticing it was quiet, I ran upstairs to find both twins at Clemmies dressing table. They had removed all her lipsticks from their plastic sheaths and snapped them in two. On closer inspection I discovered that they were creating a masterpiece with said lipsticks on the carpet wed just had laid. Just so you know, lipstick doesnt come off carpets and if you wipe it, it just smudges, resulting in something that is reminiscent of a murder scene minus the chalk-body outline. Its still there today. Learning point: children gravitate towards things they know they are not supposed to touch. I also do hair modelling. Youll never know real pain until youve had a hair clip driven into your scalp by a child who then laughs as blood rolls down your temple. Its fun. Sort of Me with my girl gang, completely outnumbered and outgunned in every way. Who knew that my male-chromosomes-carrying sperm would go on strike during my procreation years? A decade ago I was worrying about being a father to one child; now Im literally knee-deep in them but I wouldnt have it any other way The time I decided to sand the kitchen table while Clemmie was away for the weekend. I thought I could clear up the mess by the time she got home. I was wrong. Looking back, I probably should have taken the table outside to do it. The kids had sawdust in their hair and up their noses for days. Learning point: if you have to do woodwork, do it in a well-ventilated area. Or make sure that your wife is away for longer than two days to allow yourself sufficient time to clear up. This article is an edited extract from Forever Outnumbered by Simon Hooper The list of mishaps could go on for ever. However, looking at this handful of examples does make me sympathise with Clemmie when she says that having me around is just like having a fifth child in the house. No wonder she rarely gets excited about coming home when she has been away for more than a day. Its not because she hasnt missed us of course she has, she cant wait to see us its just the five minutes after she comes through the door and starts to assess the state of the house that she hates. This is an edited extract from Forever Outnumbered by Simon Hooper, to be published by Coronet, price 16.99. To pre-order a copy for 12.74 (a 25 per cent discount) until 13 May, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15 Follow Simon on Instagram: @father_of_daughters For information about book events with Simon visit: foreveroutnumbered.com Introducing Nargisse Benkabbou, rising food star of the year. Traditional meets the way we cook today Rose & almond cookies Smoky aubergine salad; Orange zest & turmeric lamb chops Follow Nargisse on Instagram @mymoroccanfood and at mymoroccanfood.com NARGISSES NEW BOOK Casablanca: My Moroccan Food will be published by Mitchell Beazley on Thursday, price 20. Its the delicious, inspiring debut from Nargisse Benkabbou, named a rising food star for 2018. Rooted in traditional Moroccan cuisine, the recipes celebrate Nargisses heritage and authentic Moroccan spirit while being accessible for modern home cooks. As well as loads of pantry wisdom and easy, essential Moroccan basics, chapters cover starters to share, vegetarian dishes, meat, poultry, seafood, breads and sweets. To order a copy for 15 (a 25 per cent discount) until 13 May visit mailshop.co.uk/books, or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15. How to get the Sunday morning effect every day of the week Spotlight Brightening Mask (4.60, cultbeauty.co.uk) A growing belief in the saying that health is wealth is driving a whole new beauty movement: Biohacking is the process of making changes to your lifestyle in order to hack your bodys biology and feel your best, says Alexia Inge, co-founder of Cult Beauty. In Korea, research into the bodys golden phase the optimum time when cells divide and skin is renewed led to the development of the brand Saturday Skin. Products such as its Spotlight Brightening Mask (4.60, cultbeauty.co.uk) are designed to capitalise on this and give you a weekend lie-in complexion every day. Or hack your energy levels by drinking BumbleZests electrolyte-balancing natural booster shots instead. Free from gluten, dairy and lactose, they come in super-ingredient combinations such as reviving Ginger Turmeric Collagen or calming Chamomile Lavender Spirulina (48 for 20 bottles, yumbles.com). Left: BumbleZest Ginger Turmeric Collagen drink. Right: BumbleZest Chamomile Lavender Spirulina drink (48 for 20 bottles, both available at yumbles.com). The Power of Crystal Healing by Emma Lucy Knowles (12.99, Penguin) Emma Lucy Knowless new book The Power of Crystal Healing* (12.99, Penguin) has become my go-to for a simple, alternative means of dealing with the daily churn of emotions that comes with modern life. I can see why Kate Hudson, Adele and the Beckhams have turned to crystals to keep them on an even keel. VB is even creating pockets in her clothing collections, designed specially to hold crystals close to the skin. Now thats what I call a life hack. Love Stories April Morning (70, lovestoriesintimates.com) Until a few weeks ago, the idea of pairing my pants with my perfume had never occurred to me. Then came April Morning (70, lovestoriesintimates.com) by Dutch lingerie brand Love Stories, which has been creating the most gorgeous underwear for the past four years. Its first musk, incense and lily of the valley fragrance is blended to behave like a second skin. Combine the two and the effect is both decadent and empowering. As if we ever needed an excuse to buy a new lipstick or balm, well have a really good reason next month. The Eve Appeal the charity that raises awareness and funds for research into gynaecological cancers is teaming up with our favourite beauty retailers for its celebrity-backed Get Lippy campaign. Take your pick from a list of products, including Vaseline Lip Therapy Tins in Original, Aloe Vera (1.95, tesco.com) and limited-edition Mirror Mirror (3, tesco.com) or choose a shade from Lipstick Queens Dating Game range (22, spacenk.co.uk). Vaseline Lip Therapy Tins in Original, Aloe Vera (1.95, boots.com) and limited-edition Mirror Mirror (3, sainsburys.com) Lipstick Queens Dating Game range (22, spacenk.co.uk) Each brand has pledged to put a percentage of the sale price towards gynae cancer research. Share a snap of you and your new lip product @eveappeal, #GetLippy and make sure that you, your mother, your sister, daughter and friends really do start to speak up about symptoms sooner. To find out more about the campaign, turn to page 61 or visit eveappeal.org.uk. *To pre-order a copy for 9.74 (a 25 per cent discount) until 13 May, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; P&P is free on orders over 15. Beauty assistant: Alice Robertson Food writer Skye McAlpines unique family home is a rich mix of heirloom chic and traditional Italian craftsmanship Skye looks out from her downstairs guest bedroom on to the outdoor terrace THE FAMILY Skye McAlpine, a cook and food writer, lives in a three-storey 1820s detached house perched on the edge of a canal in the heart of Venice with her husband Anthony, who works in finance, their son Aeneas, five, and their rescue dog Martino. Food should do more than taste good it should make you feel good, too, says Skye McAlpine. When you take the time to bake a chocolate cake, you reap the rewards of enjoying it afterwards. Skye often hosts dinner parties in the summer months: Somehow food always tastes better alfresco. Her crockery collection is mostly vintage and purchased from antique markets. For similar plates try Wedgwood (wedgwood.co.uk) The same can be said of Skyes approach to interiors: every item in the entrance hallway through to the outdoor patio area has been carefully considered and selected over time from the vintage Murano glass chandeliers bought for a snip during a trip to Brussels, to the bespoke furniture and artwork dotted throughout. Venice doesnt follow the trends it is about embracing the higgledy-piggledy in life and the cracks that come naturally with time, says Skye. Skyes dog Martino in the living room. The cabinets are by Oriel Harwood (orielharwood.co.uk) and inspired by Venice. The mirror is a unique piece by Porte Italia (porteitalia.com). The cushion is from Anthropologie (anthropologie.com) The house was bought by Skyes parents in 1990 and bears all the trademark charm of Venice. Furniture throughout is upholstered in crisp white linens offset by faded blush pinks and hits of bold purple and lime green. Bespoke ornate detailing is perfected in the living-room cabinets and marble-topped table designed by Oriel Harwood, which were gifts for Skyes parents. They are filled with hand-painted glassware including colourful Murano stem glasses and ceramics bearing the McAlpine family crest. I love surrounding myself with things that tell a story or have a sense of integrity, says Skye. Her father, the late Conservative peer Alistair McAlpine, made the decision to move to Venice in 1990, when Skye was six. The house was bought from a friend of a friend and originally consisted of three adjacent dwellings that were knocked through to give more space for the family. We lived out of suitcases and hotels during the renovation, says Skye. It kept life exciting! Above left: the bespoke bed was commissioned from Tony Little (of Osborne & Little) by Skyes father. It was the ultimate climbing frame when I was growing up, she laughs. The bedside table and table lamp are by Gio Ponti. Above right: there is a mix of modern and traditional elements throughout the house. The artwork is by a close family friend. Despite the bright colours, I find it peaceful, says Skye Despite dividing her time between Venice and London, the former feels more like home to Skye. Life in Venice has become synonymous with a calm and measured feeling, ideal for cooking and taking the time to write. In contrast, the London way of life is fast-paced and filled with business meetings, says Skye. This division of the serene and vibrant is echoed in her choice of natural materials that show the hand of the maker, such as hand-poured terrazzo floors and traditional wooden beams, combined with striking abstract artwork. I grew up surrounded by crumbling plaster, vivid colour and antiques, she says. It has definitely rubbed off on me. Emerald green cabinets in the kitchen enhance the cosy feel. For a similar paint shade try Buckingham by Dulux (dulux.co.uk). The glass blocks are from the Venetian island of Murano and reflect the natural light The kitchen, where Skye learned to cook as a teenager, holds a unique place in her heart. I love cooking for friends its more intimate and relaxed than going to a bar or restaurant. The kitchens dark wooden beams and stone floors have become cracked and warped from flood water at high tide. Its all part of the charm, she says. Read Skyes blog at frommydiningtable.com. Her first cookbook, A Table In Venice: Recipes From My Home, is published by Bloomsbury, price 26. To order a copy for 19.50 (a 25 per cent discount) until 13 May, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15 In 20 years of nursing, Christie Watson has seen it all. She gives a candid account of life behind the scenes at an NHS hospital, where miracles are an everyday occurrence Christie has worked in NHS hospitals for two decades The landscape of operating theatres must be terrifying for patients, but its becoming normal for me. Its amazing what you can get used to. The first operation that I watch is a heart-lung transplant at a large childrens teaching hospital. I am 19 years old and still a student nurse. The operation takes more than 12 hours. It requires a team of surgeons to behave like a relay team but, instead of a baton, they pass between them a human heart and lungs. Ive been looking after the patient, a 14-year-old boy named Aaron suffering from cystic fibrosis, who is confined to bed, oxygen inserted into his nose, with a tired, wet cough and sallow, grey skin. I help him get ready for the operation. I rub cocoa butter on to his dry knees and take away his Game Boy, swearing to guard it with my life. I wet his lips with a small salmon-pink sponge soaked in sterile water, not wanting to risk the tiniest possibility of him being exposed to any germs. There is a small cork board next to his bed covered in a mosaic of photographs of Aaron and his friends. It is common for a childs hospital room to be personalised. Apart from the oxygen piped through the wall and the suction canister, it could be a typical teenage boys bedroom. We chat almost as if nothing is happening, but when the porters come to help me transfer Aaron to the anaesthetic room he grabs his mum. Dont go before Im asleep, he says. He looks at me. And youll be there the whole time? Ill be there. Im anxious but have learnt the face that nurses know best. I focus on showing a soft smile His mum holds his hand, walking beside the bed. I have one eye on the monitor which measures the oxygen in Aarons blood. I will it not to drop. Not now, I say in my head, steady, steady. Ive heard stories of children getting worse in broken-down lifts, oxygen running out and full cardiac arrests being badly managed until a lift engineer is found. I am anxious but have already learnt the face that nurses know best. I slow my breathing and focus on showing an easy-going body language and a soft smile. One of our lecturers told us that if a patient ever sees an experienced nurse look worried, it means they are likely dead already. Most of us pass through the operating theatre largely without memory. We go to sleep and wake up without examining too closely what happened in between. But theatre is a place where life and death are literally in someone elses hands. Most of the time everything goes right but when it goes wrong its a disaster. The organised, calm, sterile environment can look like a war zone when a patient suddenly deteriorates. I am waiting, with my teeth pressed together, for the awful moment between a child being anaesthetised and a parent having to kiss them goodbye. I stand near enough to reach out and pull Aarons mum away, if necessary, in the seconds after Aaron has fallen asleep. We do not want her to witness the next stage: eyes taped shut, head tipped back as far as possible and a tube pushed into his trachea, needles into his veins, remaining clothing removed. 'The surgeons behave like a relay team but, instead of a baton, they pass a human heart and lungs' (picture posed by models) I walk with Aarons mum for a few minutes outside theatre, hug her, wish I could say something to help. Nurses can be found in the theatre corridors of all hospitals with their arms around a relative, reassuring them that the operation is going well. I walk with her back to the ward where she begins to cry. I sit with her a while without speaking. I do not tell her what she wants to hear. I have learnt that already. The previous week one of the first babies I had looked after was having a fairly straightforward operation to fix a hole in his heart. Hell be fine, I said. But he was not fine. He did not come back to his parents. He died on the operating table and his parents were distraught and confused. So I dont tell Aarons mum that he will be fine because none of us really knows. Try to keep busy, I say to her. Time will move very slowly. The operating theatre is full of people, yet you could hear a pin drop. I am standing on a viewing tower with a clutch of medical students and junior doctors. I focus on a strand of Aarons hair. It reminds me that he is not a body being cut apart, but a boy obsessed with astronomy, whose battered Game Boy I have locked away safely. The surgeons body is completely still above Aaron, his arms and hands the only part of him moving. The other surgeons (I count four) are facing him; one has a suction catheter, hoovering up blood around the surgeons hands so that he gets a better view. It isnt the surgeon, though, that I am here to watch. A wide-shouldered woman standing next to him has her hands in front of her. Below is a long table of metal instruments, which shine diamonds on to the stark white ceiling. Every so often one of the surgeons will say something without lifting their eyes and then she picks up an instrument and passes it to them, placing the handle in their hands. She is the scrub nurse. When the instrument is finished with, the scrub nurse turns her head and flicks her eyes to the nurse standing behind her, armed with a plastic tray, who then places that on a table. Nothing is removed from the room. Everything is counted and counted again, in case the surgeon accidentally leaves a swab inside a cavity, she tells me the following day. And if things are not going well, my instruments can get thrown and then lost. 'I stand until I can no longer feel my toes, and the teams have changed three times' Thrown? By the surgeon, occasionally even at the nurses. She looks at me and smiles. Its a stressful job. I have no idea if she is telling the truth, or even if she means the surgeons job or hers is stressful, but I am too terrified to ask. Theatre nursing has moved on, with nurses working across different areas, including admissions, recovery and day surgery, but when I started 20 years ago, scrub nurses remained scrub nurses for their whole career. Im not particularly organised or good at standing for hours, and the heat of the operating theatre is almost too much to bear, but I watch the heavy hands of that scrub nurse for hours during the operation. They are perfectly still, then suddenly purposeful, almost aggressive, moving completely differently from the delicate hands of the surgeon. I watch the nurses eyes; imagine all she has seen. Her gaze rests occasionally on the surgery but then flies around the room, landing on the monitors, where her eyes record the vital signs. She turns her head and glances at the assistant nurses by the door, at the organ-donation coordinator nurse holding the box containing another persons heart and lungs. Its a plain square white box with the words human tissue written on it. Then she looks up at the eyes of the organ-donation nurse. Something passes between them, something that at the time I do not quite understand. But I appreciate the importance of what is happening. The room is alive with miracles: of technology, surgical technique, science and luck, alongside the sadness and loss, recognised by the nurses. The organ-donation coordinator nurse is the person standing between life and death, talking to families about donating the organs of a recently deceased loved one so that another Aaron can live. The heart can beat for 72 hours after a person is pronounced brain-dead. Three people die in the UK every day waiting for an organ. Donation should be compulsory unless a person refuses. Opt out, not opt in as in other countries. Nobody should die waiting for a kidney that is buried in the ground. I stand until I can no longer feel my toes, and the teams including the scrub nurse have changed three times. Despite being the most tired Ive ever been, I have never felt more awake. * * * * * It is a few weeks since the operation and Aaron looks like a different child. His skin is brighter, the oxygen tubes have vanished and the wet, hacking cough is gone. His room is a mess of books and games and cards. I love strawberry ice cream, he says. I never liked it before but now I could eat it all day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. And snacks. Aaron looks at me meaningfully. He is convinced that somehow he has taken on personality characteristics and emotions from his donor. It is the new heart that he thinks about most. Author and nurse Christie Watson: 'Sometimes nursing is doing up the ties on the surgeons gown. And at other times it is recognising the sadness and loss, and helping a teenage boy to write a difficult letter' Medics are sceptical about most things, including the idea that the heart houses memory, and the evidence supports this: the heart is simply a bunch of nerves, muscles and chemicals. But art, literature and philosophy have been searching for greater meaning about the heart for thousands of years. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart symbolised truth and if it weighed heavier than a feather on Judgment Day it was eaten by a demon, leaving the persons soul restless for eternity. In this world I wonder what will happen to our souls. We have nothing to weigh our hearts against. Nurses do not explicitly search for meaning, but meaning is part and parcel of their daily job. Nurses certainly use the language of the heart. They understand and describe patients as broken-hearted. And the best nursing comes from the heart, not the head. Aaron gets me to help him write a letter to the mother of the boy who died and gave him his heart. The letter must not go directly but the organ-donation nurse is going to find out if the mother wants to read such a letter and, if so, will facilitate the anonymous handover at an appropriate time. Twenty years have passed since I helped Aaron write that letter, but I still remember the lines he wrote, which made me laugh (Did your son like strawberry ice cream?) and cry (Its not fair your son died so I can live. I absolutely promise I will never forget him). I think back to the look that I noticed passing between the scrub nurse and the organ-donation nurse. I think about how nursing is sometimes scrubbing in, passing the surgeon instruments and counting the swabs. Sometimes nursing is doing up the ties on the surgeons gown. And at other times it is recognising the sadness and loss, and helping a teenage boy to write a difficult letter. At the end of my shift Aarons mum tells me that he has always liked strawberry ice cream, but they had avoided giving him dairy food as it increased his symptoms of mucus production. His mum smiles a thousand smiles. Aaron can have all the strawberry ice cream he wants now. These days glasses aren't just for seeing with. Miranda Thompson checks out the look du jour London Fashion Week in February, supermodel Yasmin Le Bon was photographed on the front row wearing heavy aviator frames, while models Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner were spotted out and about in trendy wire frames. Lupita Nyongo wore cat-eye glasses to present this years Oscars to such acclaim that her eyewear now has its own dedicated Twitter account. And on the catwalks, glasses were a hot look: clear perspex frames at Dior; oversized and round at Fendi, and thick and rectangular at APC. Now more than ever, geek is chic. Gucci is the reason were all going gaga for glasses, explains YOUs acting fashion editor (and spectacle wearer) Emily Dawes. This year, more models than not wore them for the brands A/W show, and aviators are the current must-have style. Specs symbols Bella Hadid (left), Kendall Jenner (right) Lupita Nyong'o (left); Helen McCrory (right) Meghan Markle (left); Lady Gaga (right) Julia Roberts (left); Jennifer Anniston (right) Yasmin Le Bon (left); Alexa Chung (right) Blessed (cursed?) with 20/20 vision? Fret not, for you can still jump on the trend just like model Helena Christensen, who once admitted to wearing non-prescription lenses because they make you look smarter and more interesting. Fashion analytics site Lyst reported the number of clear-lens glasses on the market has increased by 35 per cent since this time last year. Unlike 70 years ago, when NHS specs were available in a limited number of styles, those looking to upgrade their optical wardrobe today have thousands of options at their fingertips, with non-prescription frames on sale at Matches and Asos, among other retailers. Gucci (left) and Fendi (right) APC (left) and Dior (right) Hipster opticians who display their fashion-forward, inexpensive merchandise on carefully curated Instagram accounts have also proliferated in recent years. They include Dutch brand Ace & Tate, which is aimed at providing millennial audiences with their personal fashion accessory, and Finlay & Co, which shot to fame after Meghan Markle wore a pair of its sunglasses to last years Invictus Games. We wanted to design beautiful frames that enabled people to express more of their character, says co-founder Dane Butler. After all, glasses are arguably the most prominent accessory that people wear. Nowadays we find people are disappointed if they dont need to wear them. Last year, online eyewear brand Kite launched a concept store in Londons Shoreditch, where customers could browse glasses with an espresso martini in hand, while this year New York brand Moscot is all about customisation opportunities, offering personalised lens tints and colours. Keeping an eye out for the next cult brand? Emily tips Parisian eyewear chain Jimmy Fairly, which will open its first UK store in London in June. And the next specs trend? Thin wire, as seen on Alexa Chung, seems to be the style du jour, says Emily. But you cant go wrong with a classic tortoiseshell its Gucci-approved. Australia's Hitler youth are growing in numbers. Around the nation a secretive group of white supremacists who salute Hitler and call for a white revolution are plastering hate speech across cities and universities. The Antipodean Resistance are a group of radicalised neo-Nazis who describe themselves as 'the Hitlers you've been waiting for'. To join the men's chapter, you have to be white, straight, young, monogamous and only interested in dating other white people. 'Racial treason is not tolerated,' members told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video The Antipodean Resistance (pictured) are a neo-Nazi group operating in Australia Here they are pictured in Melbourne holding a banner that reads 'white revolution is the only solution' The group, which began in Melbourne in 2016, is spreading to cities and towns across the country. They recently opened a women's chapter to give women 'a choice to live their lives in accordance to their natural roles'. Over email an anonymous representative for the group told Daily Mail Australia that their 'activists come from all walks of life'. 'Our ranks are made up by men and women from every corner of the workforce. Our members have families. Some have wives and children that they seek to protect,' they said. 'We are telling you that we are all around you. We build your houses, we cook your meals, and we keep your shelves stocked.' The groups main targets are Jewish people, homosexuals and non-white immigrants. 'Being white is not enough,' the group's website states. In March the group did a banner drop over the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne In photos and videos of the group, members' heads are covered with the Death's Head SS mask and an Akubra hat 'We oppose substance abuse, homosexuality, and all other rotten, irresponsible distractions laid before us by Jews and globalist elites.' They accuse homosexuals of being 'defined by their own hedonism, and by virtue of their own perversions deprived of the natural capacity to reproduce'. They also refer to Jewish people as 'social parasites'. 'We recognise that there is a fundamental truth to all of reality and that reality is governed by this natural law, whether human beings acknowledge it or not,' the representative says. The group, which claims to have 300 members, first emerged in 2016 when they put up posters in Melbourne showing the shooting of a gay man, and the text 'Get the Sodomite filth off our streets'. 'Stop the hordes, N*****s, Ch***s, Dunec***s,'this poster reads Since then they've carried out over 40 'hits' as they call them, with their propaganda appearing across the country. Usually conducted in the dead of night they'll plaster streets and universities with hate speech. 'Stop the hordes, N*****s, Ch***s, Dunec***s,' one poster reads. Others call for the murder of Jewish people. Last year they put up flyers at Melbourne university which were written in simplified Chinese characters. They said Chinese people were not allowed into the building, otherwise they would be deported. Posters bearing the name of a notorious neo-Nazi group which claim to be 'the Hitlers you've been waiting for' were plastered over the walls of Sydney University in 2017 Members of Antipodean Resistance previously plastered posters around Melbourne claiming same-sex marriage 'enables paedophilia' 'The policy of anonymity within the organisation is a pragmatic choice, as it is the most effective way to establish a political movement in the current climate,' their representative says. 'We also have no need to stroke our egos by putting our identities out on record for the world to see. We stand by our principles regardless of whether our identity is known or unknown.' Not much is known about the group but researchers and left activists have been monitoring their actions. Julie Nathan, a researcher at the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, has been investigating the group since they first emerged. 'The typical profile of a member is male, of white European background, aged from late teens to late twenties,' she tells Daily Mail Australia. 'Members are secretive about their identities, concealing both names and face' The group proudly carry Nazi flags in their videos but won't show their faces The stickers (pictured) feature the Nazi swastika, as well as the groups name and their slogan '21st century Hitler Youth' and were found in Canberra this week 'Some of them are stereotypical Hitler-saluting neo-Nazi thick-heads. But a small number of them appear to be tertiary-educated and the dominant figures.' The neo-Nazi's have also been monitored by ASIO, out of fear the extremist group could turn violent. 'Members of these groups are diverse and have different agendas, including extreme right-wing and extreme left-wing ideologies,' ASIO said to a parliamentary review into the expenditure of security agencies. 'A few small subsets of these groups are willing to use violence to further their own interests.' When asked if the group was was willing to use violence the group denied it. 'Antipodean Resistance does not believe that violence is the correct path to achieving victory,' they said. But authorities aren't convinced. Ms Nathan says her research has shown the group has a connection to overseas terrorists organisations. The group first made headlines in 2016 when they put up homophobic posters in Melbourne Video produced by the Antipodean Resistance shows small groups of men, dressed in camouflage gear, walking through bushland carrying swastika flags. These trips are part of their radicalisation process 'Antipodean Resistance was one of several neo-Nazi groups which were incubated via the Iron March website (a notorious far right website shut down in 2017). The groups have maintained contact with each other.' She says they are inspired by National Action in the UK, a white supremacists group, which was listed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016. The group denied any affiliation with terrorists. They say their fight is about creating a society based on 'natural law.' 'When we preach our ideal future, we speak not of some Utopian post-scarcity society. We strive for something far purer, and far more realistic.' Members of the antipodean resistance (pictured) put an emphasis on traditional male values The neo-Nazi youth group have previously targeted several university campuses across Australia with posters and stickers showcasing the swastika 'We strive not for an equal society, but for a one that exists in harmony with natural law, rather than in conflict.' Ms Nathan says their end game is total domination and their membership is growing. 'The group has been able to distribute its hate propaganda across cities and towns across Australia, and organise martial arts training in remote regional areas,' she said. 'The groups leaders have no illusions about AR becoming a popular mass-based organisation. Their dream is to impose their own Nazi dictatorship on Australia. 'Even a small group of brainwashed fanatics who co-ordinate their actions and have no moral compass whatsoever can cause immense harm.' The accident was due to excessive speed, according to sources A passenger bus fell off a bridge in Giza to crash into an ice cream parlor on Sunday, according to Al-Ahram Arabic website. Al-Ahram reported that the bus was travelling at excessive speed on Saft Al-Laban highway when the incident happened. Security sources said that the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals to receive treatment. No deaths were reported. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that about 12,000 people are killed due to road traffic crashes every year in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: A male nurse provided a suicidal teenager with a drug they had previously used in an attempted overdose before begging them 'not to tell', fearing he may 'lose his job'. Kevin Lloyd Picones was this week banned from practising by a tribunal for a number of serious offences at a regional New South Wales hospital, dating back to June 2015. Picones, a qualified mental health nurse, was found to have raided supply cupboards for Phenergan - a powerful antihistamine - which he then passed on to patients some of who were drug addicts. The 27-year-old also allowed patients access to Snapchat on his mobile phone and made a series of sexual comments after witnessing two patients having intercourse. A hearing earlier this month was told that Picones had supplied Phenergan to three patients under his care at the regional mental health facility. Among them was a 16-year-old who had attempted suicide with the same drug prior to being admitted to the facility. The tribunal heard Picones would tape tablets to the bottom of tables so as not to be caught by his colleagues. Kevin Lloyd Picones was this week banned from practising by a tribunal for a number of serious offences at a regional New South Wales hospital, dating back to June 2015 Picones moved to Nepean Hospital (pictured) in April 2016, but did not mention restrictions that had placed on him when previously working at a mental health facility in regional NSW After giving drugs to a suicidal 15-year-old girl, he told her: 'Don't tell anyone about this, I could lose my job'. Other allegations later emerged against the nurse from patients, including that he'd 'supplied cigarettes' and told a teenager of the 'best time' to have sex on the ward. In September 2015 one of the patients to who Picones had supplied Phenergan told a different staff member of the incidents. A Local District Health investigation was then conducted into the registered nurse which found the risk posed by Picones would be 'managed appropriately' by putting workplace restrictions in place upon his return to the mental health unit. Just months after coming under investigation Picones left his job, moving to Nepean Hospital in Sydney's far west. But upon starting at the suburban hospital in April 2016 he did not inform them that he was under investigation or had been practising restricted, the tribunal heard. They eventually found out in June 2016 at which time the hospital suspended him for four months before he returned to work on restricted duties. It wasn't until January 2017 that the Nursing and Midwifery Council was made aware that Picones had moved to Nepean Hospital. Later that year a complaint was made by the Health Care Complaints Commission to the NCAT. In handing down their decision, the tribunal described Picones as an 'unimpressive witness' who did not tell the 'truth'. Picones was found to have provided three patients with Phenergan (above), including one who had previously attempted suicide using the drug The NSW Civil and Administration Tribunal described Picones as an 'unimpressive witness' and slammed him for putting 'the health of patients in danger' 'On multiple occasions Mr Picones swore to a version of events which, when contradicted by objective evidence, he then altered,' the tribunal's findings stated. 'While purporting to be contrite and remorseful, Mr Picones repeatedly tailored his account of events to minimise their seriousness and his own responsibility.' The disgraced nurse was also slammed by the tribunal for putting patients at risk. 'Such conduct was both improper and unethical... an abuse of professional position and placed the physical and psychological health of the patients in danger,' the judgement said. His registration was cancelled and he was banned from reapplying for 12 months. For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 Advertisement With snake charmers, jumping tigers, and dwarf clowns, Ashton circus in the 1980s was truly a sight to behold. Photographer Craig Holmes captured these images while spending a week with Australia's largest touring circus in Brisbane. They show a trainer whose baby son was mauled by a tiger, a killer elephant standing on two legs and an audience transfixed on the show. Photographer Craig Holmes captured various images of what happens at Australia's largest and oldest circus Ashton Circus exhibits various characters such as dwarf clowns who entertain the crowd with their humour (pictured left and right) Mr Holmes' work will be displayed in galleries across Sydney as part of the Head On photo festival from May 5-20. He explained the story behind his picture set on the festival's website. 'Stepping back in time, news and stories were carried by nomadic entertainers travelling from town to town performing their theatres,' he wrote. 'These touring groups became the modern circus. Sighting a poster advertising the Ashton Circus, childhood memories flooded back of the days as children we would run down to the local park to witness the circus carnival. 'The unloading of the trucks, putting up the tents, walking and feeding the elephants, so exciting to a child! Mr Holmes' work (pictured) will be displayed in galleries across Sydney as part of the Head On photo festival from May 5-20 Mr Holmes captured images of camels which are used in the circus. The camels are used for various performances to wow the crowd 'I was so fascinated by these people in my romantic memories of those days. As an adult I was determined to explore these nomadic people and their show. 'Attending the Ashton Circus daily for about a week, I asked the owners for permission to photograph the performers and members of the crew. 'The owners welcomed me and gave me almost free access to their entire camp. The performers were equally personal and agreeable to participating in my series. 'Ashton Circus is Australia's oldest circus. In the Ashton series I set out to capture the human face of the circus, I wanted to investigate the individuals within and explore their environment. 'To go beyond the curtains and the arena, to share their passion and capture portraits of them immersed in the light of their canvas theatre.' A woman in a sparkly, beady bra and dreadlocks is captured charming a snake close to her face (left) and the audience (right) watches the show in awe Advertisement The unseen side of Australia's raw beauty will be taken to New York to showcase the country to America. Hulia Boz, an aerial landscape photographer from Sydney, is taking a collection of 32 pictures to the heart of the Big Apple in a bid to show the US there's more to Australia than Bondi Beach and Uluru. The 37-year-old who gave up her job as paparazzi and celebrity photographer now spends her time capturing a bird's eye view of the country. Hulia Boz, a photographer from Sydney, is showing off Australia's unseen beauty at an exhibition in New York (pictured is her work titled Yawuru Country near Broome in Western Australia) The unseen side of Australia's raw beauty is the subject of the exhibition at the Australian Consulate-General on 42nd Street from June 6 (pictured is the photograph called 'Above and Beyond') Boz, an aerial landscape photographer from Sydney, is taking a collection of 32 pictures to the heart of the Big Apple (this work is called 'Melodrama') The 37-year-old who gave up her job as paparazzi and celebrity photographer and now focuses her time on going into the skies (pictured is 'Pink Lagoon' at Port Gregory in Western Australia) She was invited to display the work in the Australian Consulate-General building on the illustrious 42nd Street by Australia's Consulate General to New York, Alastair Walton. Works from the exhibition, called 'Postcards From Australia', are not the standard snapshots of Bondi Beach, Sydney Harbour or the Great Barrier Reef. 'I've been waiting a long time for this and it's always been a dream,' Boz said speaking to Daily Mail Australia. 'New York to me is the Mecca of the creative world and I feel I'm about to make an artist's pilgrimage. Boz (pictured above) is using the Australian landscape as her canvas and spoke of her excitement at taking the exhibition to New York She was invited to display the work in the Australian Consulate-General building in the illustrious 42nd Street Gallery by Australia's Consulate General to New York, Alastair Walton (pictured is 'Our Home Town') 'I feel excited and fearful at the same time - kind of like when you'd perform on stage as a child in front of the school. 'I am so honoured and hope to make Australia proud and I've got beautiful shots and to represent our backyard in the creative hub of the world is incredible.' She has taken inspiration from Australian artist John Olson who Boz says has been her key influence since she was at high school in Strathfield in western Sydney. Boz said: 'I wanted to capture raw. I wanted to work without filters or editing. 'Using Google, I found some amazing colours in Australia to find the perfect combination of colour and light.' You won't see any standard snapshots of Bondi Beach, Sydney Harbour or the Great Barrier Reef in Hoz' 'Postcards From Australia' exhibition (pictured is 'Lil Ripper') 'I've been waiting a long time for this and it's always been a dream,' Boz said speaking to Daily Mail Australia about taking her work to New York (pictured is the work 'Sandy Tracks') She picked out one photograph called Poetry To The Eye (pictured) which she explained came about after a blind man asked her to describe the ocean She has taken inspiration from Australian artist John Olson who Boz says has been an inspiration since she was at high school in Strathfield in western Sydney (pictured is 'Where The Branches Break the Sun') 'To get an aerial view of Australia when I was up there, it was like looking down on my magical carpet, to see those colours,' Boz said Boz now travels across Australia and goes up around twice a month to capture new and stunning images from the air She travels across Australia and goes up around twice a month to capture new and stunning images from the air. Not all of the pictures in the exhibition reveal their location with Boz giving names to her works. 'To get an aerial view of Australia when I was up there, it was like looking down on my magical carpet, to see those colours. 'You never really have full control up in the air, it's always new. 'The canvas is below your feet and the wind blowing in your hair. You can never really plan for that and that's the beauty. 'The canvas is below your feet and the wind blowing in your hair. You can never really plan for that and that's the beauty' Boz says she hopes the work showcases the lesser known areas of Australia such as Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania She explained she wanted the work to be raw, unedited and without any filters which she hopes will show off another side of Australia than Bondi Beach 'I think Australia is known very well for its beautiful beaches. 'But an aerial shot over Pink Lagoon and people say 'why have you changed the colour' and I saw it's raw and they say 'are you sure?' 'I hope the viewer can appreciate the beauty. 'And I hope the Yankees see another side of Australia other than Bondi Beach. Boz said: 'An aerial shot over Pink Lagoon and people say 'why have you changed the colour' and I saw it's raw and they say 'are you sure?' (pictured is a work titled 'Pink Salt' Describing her photographic style as fine art and travel Boz said she wanted the American audience to 'see a side of Australia that's not advertised as much' (pictured is 'Where the Wild Things Are') After leaving her career as a paparazzi photographer, Boz says she had to learn and adapt a new range of skills to the helicopter photography (pictured is her work titled 'Eruption') 'My photographic style is from fine art and travel and what I hope to achieve is the Americans can see a side that's not advertised as much.' Boz says she hopes the work showcases the lesser known areas of Australia such as Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. 'There's much more to it than just coastal lands.' After leaving her career as a paparazzi photographer, Boz says she had to learn and adapt a new range of skills. But at $60-$80 per minute depending on the aircraft, it can become a costly business when it does not quite go to plan The transition to aerial photography was an expensive one and was something she had to learn on the job which led to some costly mistakes 'It was a whole new world. Doing a concert snap, red carpet is a whole different world than a helicopter with constant shake to shutter speed,' she said 'It was a whole new world. Doing a concert snap, red carpet is a whole different world than a helicopter with constant shake to shutter speed.' But at $60-$80 per minute depending on the aircraft, it can become a costly business when it does not quite go to plan. 'It was a costly transition and I made many mistakes,' Boz said. 'I spent $10,000 before I got the hang of it and there's no book to learn from. It's trial and error. 'I am so honoured and hope to make Australia proud and I've got beautiful shots and to represent our back yard in the creative hub of the world is incredible,' she said Poetry To The Eye was one of the first aerial pictures she took and she was amazed when it fetched $14,000 with the proceeds going to charity 'It did leave a hole in my pocket but it was worth the risk. 'They're all like my babies so it's like asking a parent to pick a favourite child. But they all have stories behind them.' She picked out one photograph called Poetry To The Eye which she explained came about after a blind man asked her to describe the ocean to him. It was one of the first pictures she took and she was amazed when it fetched $14,000 with the proceeds going to charity. The charity was The Fred Hollows Foundation which helps more than 500 children with sight difficulties in Nepal regain their vision Follow Hulia on her journey in New York via her Instagram page 'Postcard From Australia'. The exhibition runs from June 6 to September 10 at the Monash Room at the Australian Consulate-General in New York The charity was The Fred Hollows Foundation which helps more than 500 children with sight difficulties in Nepal regain their vision allowing them to go to normal school and their mothers to go to work. 'I can't explain the feeling helping people with their vision back,' Boz added. Follow Hulia on her journey in New York via her Instagram page 'Postcard From Australia'. The exhibition runs from June 6 to September 10 at the Monash Room at the Australian Consulate-General, 150 East 42nd Street, New York City, New York. UK police could use the same genealogy DNA techniques used in California to track down the 'Golden State Killer' according to one of Britain's top forensic experts. Professor Denise Syndercombe Court, who is Professor of Forensic Genetics at Kings College in London said there are certainly ethical and privacy issues, but if it decided that their use is 'proportionate and likely to help', officers would get a green light. Detectives in California managed to catch Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, after they uploaded crime scene DNA onto a public genetic genealogical database, GEDmatch, and found a match to one of his relatives. DeAngelo, who is a former police officer, is suspected of killing 13 people and raping almost 50 women during the 1970s and 1980s. Professor of Forensic Genetics Denise Syndercombe Court of Kings College in London, pictured, said UK police would seek advice from ethics experts before using a database Joseph DeAngelo (left), the man suspected of being the Golden State Killer (sketch, right), was arrested on Tuesday, after investigators used a DNA ancestry website to identify him DeAngelo was arrested at his home in Citrus Heights (above) on Tuesday after DNA linked him to crimes attributed to the Golden State Killer from the 1970s and 80s According to Professor Sydercombe Court, this would produce an ethical dilemma as the family member would not have explicitly consented for their DNA to be used in such a way. Officers in California did not need a court order to access the GEDmatch database because it is publicly available. The database has around one million members. Detectives used the information to narrow down the list of suspects and secured a 'clandestine DNA sample' from DeAngelo from a disposable cup - which provided a match to the original crime scene. In Britain, more than 200 police investigations have used familial DNA searches of the UK's National DNA database which contains more than 5.8 profiles. Between 2002 and 2011, such searches in the UK were able to identify 41 perpetrators or suspects. Professor Sydercombe Court told MailOnline: 'I would think the Chief Constable would talk to the Forensic Regulator, or the Biometrics Commissioner if they were going to do something like that. 'The decision may be made then and there, but if either of them think that it is something that will need a policy decision in the future then they may put it before the ethics group [Forensics Regulations or the Biometrics Commissioner] to look at further. 'There are things that are initiated by police - for example using photographs of interesting parties to see if they can be found at an event - that the public might question - and the government may seek some guidance on its proportional use. 'I think the purpose would be about advising ministers on the issues and then it would be up to the minister to determine the policy - they could completely ignore the group's suggestions.' Lorry driver Michael Little, left, died after a brick was thrown through his cab from a motorway bridge on the M3 by Craig Harman, right. In 2004, Harman was the first person in the world to be convicted using familial DNA after police found a relative's profile on the national database Police found Harman's DNA on a brick he hurled at Mr Little's truck smashing its windscreen. Officers matched that DNA to one of Harman's relatives who was on the National DNA database and used the evidence to convict him of Mr Little's manslaughter According to Professor Sydercombe Court, the police would likely want to know the number of UK profiles on the database they are searching to determine how useful it would be to an investigation. She said: One of the main ethical considerations is whether conducting a familial search is proportionate and likely to help with the investigation. People will have uploaded their DNA to these databases in the hope of finding a distant relative. They will not have explicitly consented for their data to be used for other purposes. If someone is looking for a relative, do they look at the terms and conditions of the website or service and how this private information is stored and kept. In the UK, we try and avoid revealing the private information of people without peoples consent. If you take a piece of DNA it is possible to determine whether someone is more predisposed to developing a certain disease. That is private information. People may be happy if their DNA is shared to be used for a good reason, such as helping medical research. But they will be less inclined to share if it will be used by an insurance company who identifies them and hits them with a bigger premium. In the UK, there is a very secure DNA database and a small number of people have access to it. If a crime scene DNA sample is taken, there is currently a 60 per cent chance of a hit. The crime scene DNA material is held by a scientist and the police do not have a copy of it. There is a closer link between scientists and police in the US. According to Professor Syndercombe Court, police are able to use familial DNA in the UK and have had great success. James Lloyd, known as the 'Shoe Rapist' was jailed for 15 years in 2006 after his sister had DNA taken following her arrest on suspicion of drink driving. Her arrest and DNA sample narrowed down the search for the suspect The main problem is about narrowing down the number of potential matches. If you have a match to a third or a fourth cousin you could be talking about hundreds or thousands of people. You still have to find the correct person from that list. In the Golden State Killer case, the police narrowed down the number of suspects by age. They managed to get a clandestine saliva sample from the suspect and this matched the original crime scene sample. Then it is a case of arresting the suspect and getting a sample from them and see if that matches with the original and clandestine evidence. A familial DNA match helps narrow down the list of potential suspects. Before DNA, police would have to rule out hundreds of people by other means. Now many are ruled out without even knowing.' UK police and forensic scientists were the first in the world to use familial DNA to catch a criminal suspect. Craig Harman of Frimley, Surrey, was the first ever person convicted after being tracked down using a relative's DNA in 2004. Harman threw a brick from a motorway bridge which smashed through the windscreen of a lorry. The driver, Michael Little, suffered a heart attack and later died. Harman was tracked down after a close relative's profile was on the National DNA Database NDAD. He was sentenced to six years at the Old Bailey for manslaughter. Lloyd was known as 'The Shoe Rapist' after he kept trophies from each of his victims. He was jailed for the rapes of four women in the early 1980s and the attempted rapes of two others Between 2002 and 2011, 188 police investigations used familial DNA searches, identifying 41 perpetrators or suspects. A further 17 cases were added to the list in 2015/16, according to the most recent figures. There are currently 5.8 million DNA profiles on the National Database, with almost 300,000 new profiles added and a further 206,000 deleted in 2015/16. Last month, the Metropolitan Police's cold case squad added the case of Debbie Linsley, who was murdered on March 23, 1988 to the list of familial DNA searches. Ms Linsley was stabbed to death on the 14.16 train from Orpington to London Victoria on March 23, 1988. Detectives investigating the case have taken more than 1,200 statements and eliminated more than 650 potential suspects. Ms Linsley fought with her attacker, who was using a five-and-a-half inch knife, and detectives have a full DNA profile of the suspect. They are now going to see if a relative of the attacker is one of the five million people on the national DNA database. The Metropolitan Police's cold case squad is currently seeking to use a familial DNA search to track down the suspect who murdered Debbie Linsley, pictured, who was stabbed to death in March 1988 on a train from Orpington to London. Ms Linsley fought with her killer who left behind a full DNA profile. Officers hope a member of the killer's family is on the National DNA Database to help them dramatically narrow down the list of suspects Acting Detective Inspector Susan Stansfield of the Met's Special Casework Investigation Team said: 'It has been 30 years since Debbie was tragically murdered, but our efforts to trace the perpetrator continue. We will do everything in our power to identify the killer and bring them to justice. 'We have a DNA profile of the suspect and this remains a key piece of evidence that we are following up on. As well as the physical evidence at our disposal, we would be keen to hear from anyone who has information that might assist the inquiry. Have you had an unusual, out-of-the-blue conversation with someone about the murder in the intervening years? Has someone confided in you with information only the killer would know? 'Although this happened 30 years ago, you may recall being on that train or at a station on the route and seeing something which at the time you thought nothing of but in light of what happened was out of place and suspicious, and might be significant.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The Government recognises the vital importance of DNA and fingerprints in solving crime.' Familial DNA was also used to capture the 'Shoe Rapist' James Lloyd who was jailed for 15 years in 2006. Joseph James DeAngelo, pictured, appeared in court in Sacramento, California on Friday following his arrest earlier in the week Detectives failed to find Lloyd's DNA on the database. His sister, who had been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving had a sample taken which was on the database. Through that sample, officers were able to connect Lloyd to four rapes. It was also used in 2005 to capture the 'White Van Man' James Davies who sexually assaulted women across three counties. His relative's DNA produced a 'familial hit' on the database leading to his capture. Also, Paul Hutchinson was jailed for the rape and murder of trainee hairdresser Colette Aram in 1983. He was caught after his son was arrested for a driving offence in June 2008. The sample alerted detectives of the link to the married father-of-four. Fewer than 30 people have direct access to the National DNA Database which is run by the Home Office. According to Home Office guidelines: 'One half of an individual's DNA profile is inherited from their father and the other half from their mother. As a result, the DNA profile records of a parent and child, or two siblings, will share a significant proportion of the 16 pairs of numbers. 'This means that, in cases where the police have found the perpetrator's DNA at the crime scene, but they do not have a profile on NDNAD, a search of the database, known as a 'familial search', can be carried out to look for possible close relatives of the perpetrator. 'Such a search may produce a list of possible relatives of the offender. The police use other intelligence, such as age and geography, to narrow down the list before investigating further. 'The search is computerised and involves only the DNA profile records on NDNAD. Due to the cost and staffing needed to carry out familial searches, they are used only for the most serious of crimes.' In the US, Florida-based GEDmatch complained that Californian police never approached them before searching their database. Curtis Rogers of GEDmatch said: 'This was done without our knowledge, and it's been overwhelming.' The case has raised concern in the US among defence lawyers. Maryland public defender Steve Mercer complained privacy laws were not strong enough to protect people's rights. He said: 'People who submit DNA for ancestors testing are unwittingly becoming genetic informants on their innocent family.' Advertisement Donald Trump used a campaign-style rally in Michigan on Saturday to lash out at Jon Tester for his criticism of 'Great American Doctor' Ronny Jackson. The President branded the Democratic senator 'disgraceful' for derailing Jackson's Veterans Affairs nomination and said he 'knows things' about him that that could scupper his bid for re-election. 'What Jon Tester said about this man is a disgrace. I have things I could say about Tester... and if I said them he wouldn't be elected again,' Trump told the rowdy rally at the Total Sports Park in Washington Township. The rally was deliberately coincided with the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which Trump had publicly snubbed after explaining he would prefer to spend the evening with 'deplorables' rather than the 'liberal fake news media'. As he has done so at similar events, the President used the two-hour speech to promote top agenda items that energize grassroots conservatives. These included appointing conservative judges, protecting tax cuts approved by the Republican-led Congress, and reforming US immigration laws, which he branded 'the dumbest in the world'. Trump also took credit for having 'everything to do' with improved relations between North and South Korea, which were epitomized by a friendly summit between Kim Jong-un and President Moon on Friday. His own meeting with Kim will take place in three weeks, the President added, to chants of 'Nobel, Nobel'. Speaking before an adoring audience, which he insisted would be far larger had organizers found a bigger venue, Trump also took the chance to lash out at familiar targets. These included FBI director James Comey, with Trump saying he had done 'everyone a favor' by sacking him. Trump branded Tester 'disgraceful' for derailing Jackson's Veterans Affairs nomination and claimed to 'know things' about the senator that would stop him from being re-elected during the rowdy speech at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan Trump used the rally in Washington Township, Michigan, to criticize a host of familiar opponents and herald the positive impact of tax cuts As he has at similar events, Trump used the two-hour speech to promote top agenda items that energize grassroots conservatives Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife, was also at the event and received an enthusiastic reception from fans of the US President These included appointing conservative judges, building a wall on the US-Mexico border, ending 'sanctuary cities' and protecting tax cuts approved by the Republican-led Congress: issues that went down well with the audience (pictured) Trump praised his supporters for coming out in their droves to the event, but quipped that organizers should have been able to find him a bigger auditorium Supporters of Donald Trump wearing Make America Great Again hats packed out the hall and cheered for much of the President's speech A supporter of President Trump wears a shirt with the work 'deplorable' - a reference to the word used to describe Trump supporters by Hillary Clinton A group of children with t-shirt's spelling out Trump's name watch the President at the rally inside the sports arena in Washington, Michigan President Trump's speech was lapped up by the fiercely partisan crowd, which included Eric Trump's wife, Lara. Although the speech went ahead without any interruptions from protesters who often target Trump rallies, the President had to pause once when an audience member called for medical assistance. There were also reports of pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators clashing outside. Here are the main subjects the President discussed during the rally: 'DEPLORABLES V LIBERAL FAKE NEWS' Trump chose a friendly venue for his rally, which not coincidentally came the same night as the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner - which he also skipped last year. Ahead of the rally Trump said he would rather spend the evening with 'my favorite deplorables' than 'a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.' It was a reference to During the 2016 campaign, when Clinton drew laughs when she told supporters at a private fundraiser that half of Trump supporters could be lumped into a 'basket of deplorables' denouncing them as 'racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it.' He later added: 'By the way, isn't this better than that phony Washington White House correspondents' dinner. I could be there tonight smiling like I love it when they're hitting you. Shot after shot, these people they hate your guts.' We have to have borders, and we have to have them fast, and we need security, we need the wall we're going to have it all...and if we don't get border security, we'll have no choice: We'll close down the country.' Trump threatens severe action is officials fail to reduce the number of migrants crossing from Mexico Trump appeared to be looking back at the 2011 event, when the then business mogul was roasted by Barack Obama for claiming he did not have a legitimate birth certificate. KOREA DIPLOMACY Shouts of 'Nobel, Nobel' - a reference to the Nobel Peace Prize - met Trump's claim to have engineered Friday's historic summit between Kim Jong-un and President Moon Jae-in. 'I had one of the fake news groups this morning. They were saying, 'what do you think President Trump had to do with it?' Trump said. 'I'll tell you what. Like, how about everything?' Trump revealed that his planned meeting with Kim would take place within 'three or four weeks', and added that he would secure a better result than 'John Kerry's horrible Iran deal'. The President also said his South Korean counterpart had thanked him for making the summit possible in a phone call on Saturday. It came as Seoul revealed the Kim regime plans to shut its nuclear testing site in May and reveal the process to outside experts and reoprts. Revealing the pledge, South Korea announced Kim Jong Un said Donald Trump will get to know the North Korean leader is 'not a person' to aim missiles at US. Seoul's presidential spokesman, Yoon Young-chan, said Mr Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean president Moon Jae-In on Friday. COMEY AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION Trump also used the rally to take aim at familiar political targets. This included 'disgusting' Jon Tester, who derailed White House doctor Ronny Jackson's Veterans Affairs nomination by revealing claims about his professional conduct. Tester said Jackson was known as 'the candy man' for handing out controlled substances on presidential trips. This resulted in the doctor withdrawing his nomination, which Trump said five people still wanted to run for. Trump also took aim at former FBI director James Comey. 'I did you a great favor when I fired this guy', he said. In his recent book, A Higher Loyalty, Comey claimed Trump asked him to investigate the so-called Steele dossier, which included the claim that the President once cavorted with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel. 'How about this guy Comey?' Trump said. 'He said the other night, the fake dirty dossier,' Trump continued. 'He said on Fox ... very strongly, I didn't know it was paid for by the Democrats and Hillary Clinton!' Trump also referred to the ongoing investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia led by the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller. In particular, he mentioned Donald Trump Jr's 2016 meeting with a group of Russians in the hope of receiving damaging information about Hillary Clinton. One of those present, Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, has since admitted she was an informant for the Kremelin. But Trump dismissed the idea Veselnitskaya was an informant at the time of the meeting, and said she was only claiming that now because Putin was worried about how hard his administration was being on Russia. Trump also used his speech to discuss a host of other issues including immigration laws, tax cuts, the military and North Korea Trump claimed to have done 'everything' to secure better relations and said Moon had acknowledge that in a phone call on Saturday morning Ronna Romney McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee, waves at President Donald Trump campaign rally in Washington Township Donald Trump walks on stage during a rally at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan, which was packed out with screaming supporters The President's speech was punctuated by shouts of 'USA USA' and choruses of boos when he attacked familiar targets The theatrical rally was intended to take focus away from the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which was taking place at the same time Trump also used the rally to mock familiar political targets, including former FBI director James Comey. 'I did you a great favor when I fired this guy', he said Advisor Corey Lewandowski stands with US President Donald Trump during the Make America Great Again Rally in Michigan IMMIGRATION The issue of immigration featured heavily in the speech, with Trump threatening to shut down the federal government in September if Congress did not provide more funding to build a wall on the border with Mexico. 'That wall has started, we have 1.6 billion (dollars),' Trump said. 'We have to have borders, and we have to have them fast, and we need security, we need the wall we're going to have it all...and if we don't get border security, we'll have no choice: We'll close down the country.' Trump made a similar threat in March to push for changes in immigration law that he says would prevent criminals from entering the country. The government briefly shut down in January over immigration. A $1.3 trillion spending bill, which Trump signed last month, will keep the government funded through the end of September. I did a great favor when I fired this guy. Trump discussing his dismissal of former FBI director James Comey A government shutdown ahead of the November mid-elections is unlikely to be supported by his fellow Republicans who are keen to keep control of the U.S. Congress. Trump cited the hundreds of Central American migrants traveling in a 'caravan' as one of the reasons for strong border security. 'Watch the caravan, watch how sad and terrible it is, including for those people and the crime that they inflict on themselves and that others inflict on them,' said Trump. 'It's a horrible dangerous journey for them and they come up because they know once they can get here they can walk right into our country.' Migrants, who include women and children, have said they fled their homes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras because of death threats from gangs, the murder of family members or political persecution. Trump applauds the crowd during his rally in Michigan, where the stage was decked with a series of giant Stars and Stripes Trump was keen to point out how pleased he was to be speaking to a rally of supporters rather than being among the 'liberal fake news media' in Washington Although the speech went ahead without any interruptions from protesters who often target Trump rallies, the President had to pause once when an audience member called for medical assistance Trump chose a friendly venue for his rally, which not coincidentally came the same night as the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner Ahead of the rally Trump said in a fundraising pitch that he had come up with something better than being stuck in a room 'with a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.' He said he would rather spend the evening 'with my favorite deplorables.' Pictured: Trump supporters outside Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan During the 2016 campaign, Clinton drew laughs when she told supporters at a private fundraiser that half of Trump supporters could be lumped into a 'basket of deplorables' A supporter holds up a 'Drain the Swamp' sign before President Trump arrived to speak at the Make America Great Again Rally in Michigan Trump also used concerns about immigration to issue a rallying cry ahead of the midterm elections, saying a vote for the Democrats would be a vote for 'open borders and crime' Ahead of the rally Trump said he would rather spend the evening with 'my favorite deplorables' than 'a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.' Pictured: A protester holds up an anti-CNN sign DEFEATING DEMOCRATS IN THE MIDTERMS Trump also used concerns about immigration to issue a rallying cry ahead of the midterm elections, saying a vote for the Democrats would be a vote for 'open borders and crime'. He repeatedly pointed to Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan as one of the Democrats who needed to be voted out. After saying Stabenow was standing in the way of protecting U.S. borders and had voted against tax cuts, Trump said: 'And you people just keep putting her back again and again and again. It's your fault.' However, he claimed to be confident about the GOP's prospects for Congress, adding: 'We gotta win the House. And you know what? We're going to win anyway. We're going to win the House.' Macomb County, the site of Trump's rally, is among the predominantly white counties known as a base for 'Reagan Democrats' blue-collar voters who abandoned the Democratic Party for Ronald Reagan, but who can be intriguingly movable. Democrat Barack Obama won the county twice in his White House runs, then Trump carried it by more than 11 percentage points. The President was keen to remind the crowd of his achievement, telling them: 'I'd much rather be in Washington, Michigan, than in Washington DC right now, that I can tell you. Great people, thank you for that incredible support.' He was also full of praise for one high-profile supporter, discussing his recent Twitter bromance with Kanye West, which saw the pair exchange adoring messages. Trump said the rapper 'gets it' and heralded reduced unemployment rates among African-Americans. He proceeded this comment by asking 'any Hispanics in the room', before adding when he was met with relative silence, 'No, not so many? That's ok.' Trump earlier called for Tester (left) to resign after he alleged the president's pick for Secretary of Veterans Affairs (right) had a dubious record of prescribing and drunk driving The President, dressed in his signature dark suit and long red tie, was seen walking down the steps of Air Force One at Selfridge Air National Guard Base before fist-pumping the air The President was competing for airtime with the White House correspondents' dinner in Washington, which Scion Kelly is seen attending alongside Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg Former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman arrives in style at the White House Correspondents' dinner Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer looked dapper in tux and tie as he arrived on the red carpet at the dinner Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday gave a warm boost of support to Israel in its standoff against Iran, saying 'the United States is with Israel in this fight' and could bail on a 2015 agreement that is supposed to keep Tehran's nuclear agreement in check. President Donald Trump is to decide by May 12 whether to remain in the nuclear deal. In Tel Aviv, Pompeo repeated the Trump position that 'if we can't fix it, he is going to withdraw.' Pompeo has been using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. The tough line was welcomed in Israel, which considers Iran its greatest threat and has been leading calls for the international community to revise its 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. He arrived after visiting Saudi Arabia, another fierce rival of Iran. 'We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains,' Pompeo said after a nearly two-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'The United States is with Israel in this fight.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) heard U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) pledge America's support on Sunday in the midst of a decision-making process that could see President Donald Trump withdrawing from a 2015 Iran nuclear bargain Pompeo told Netanyahu that if it's not fixed, Trump is 'going to withdraw' entirely from the deal that's supposed to keep Iran's nuclear ambitions in check. Pictured is a military complex in Iran that was at one time thought to be a location for weapons of mass destruction President Barack Obama introduced the Iran deal in 2015, saying it would limit the Middle East nation's nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions Israel has called for tough international action against Iran, citing its hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. It also has complained the 2015 nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability, and expressed growing concerns about Iran's involvement in the civil war in neighboring Syria. It says it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, fearing the Iranians will launch attacks. Appearing on 'Fox News Sunday,' National Security Advisor John Bolton said that while Trump is considering a compromise position sketched out last week by French President Emmanuel Macron,' it's unclear which way the result will lean. 'In terms specifically of the nuclear deal, there's no decision on that yet,'Bolton declared. In Tel Aviv, Netanyahu welcomed the tough U.S. line. 'Iran must be stopped, its quest for a nuclear bomb must be stopped, its aggression must be stopped and we're committed to stopping it together,' he said. Netanyahu also welcomed the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and the scheduled move of its embassy from Tel Aviv on May 14. Pompeo said the U.S. is 'incredibly proud' of the embassy move. The Palestinians, who claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, have harshly criticized the U.S. move and all but cut off ties with the White House. Earlier in Saudi Arabia, Pompeo also took aim at Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has expressed pleasure with the deal partially because it unfroze $150 billion in Tehran's assets Conservatives rallied against the deal in Washington a few months after it was struck, gathering on the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to insist that the nuclear deal would give Iran a guaranteed long-term path to nuclear weapons that could annihilate Israel Then-candidate Donald Trump spoke at the September 9, 2015 rally, along with Sarah Palin and Sen. Ted Cruz (pictured) 'Iran destabilizes this entire region,' Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. He also urged the Saudis and their neighbors to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar that U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo on Sunday met with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. 'I think they would all agree that it's in everyone's best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together,' Pompeo told reporters as he traveled to Israel. 'We've got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognize that. We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them.' The ex-CIA chief arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior U.S. officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. Then-Secretary of State John Kerry defended the nuclear deal in a September 2, 2015 speech at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Al-Jubeir said the kingdom 'supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran.' Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to be followed by discussions in Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said that she discussed the deal with her French and German counterparts. It said they agreed that the deal should remain intact, even while addressing shortcomings. Pompeo preceded his stint in Israel with a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to meet King Salman, calling for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs The countries 'agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address - including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran's destabilizing regional activity,' the statement said. On May 14 comes the U.S. Embassy move, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The next day the Palestinians will mark the anniversary of what they term the 'catastrophe,' when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that surrounded Israel's creation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent protests along border between Israel and Gaza. Those protests, spearheaded by the Islamic militant Hamas movement, are expected to peak on May 15. Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trump's policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. Pompeo also is taking a leading role in Trump's preparations for an expected summit in May or early June with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pompeo, while en route to Israel, was asked whether a U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal would complicate negotiations 'I don't think Kim Jung Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, 'Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I won't talk to the Americans anymore. There are higher priorities, things he is more concerned about than whether the Americans stay' in the accord, Pompeo said. The remains of Andy Peralta (pictured) were discovered on Tuesday by a hiker in Queens Police in New York said on Friday that a 17-year-old homicide victim found earlier this week in Queens was tortured and strangled to death. The remains of Andy Peralta of Flushing were discovered on Tuesday by a hiker as he strolled through a marshy area of Kissena Park near 161st Street, according to The New York Post. Investigators believe that Perlata died of asphyxiation but refrained from releasing any more details. Local media reported that Peralta also suffered suffered severe head trauma at the time of his death but that has yet to be confirmed. The victim's father, 47-year-old Edgar Peralta, said that he believes his son was the victim of gang-related murder. Edgar Peralta said that weeks before his son's death, a parent at Andy's high school warned him that someone wanted to harm his son. 'My son was fine but he didn't want to go out because it seemed he was afraid of something,' Edgar told NBC affiliate New York 4 in Spanish. 'But he never told me.' The distraught father said that he believes Andy had become entangled with a dangerous element at Newtown High School in Queens where the teenager attended classes during his sophomore year. Scroll down for video The victim's father, 47-year-old Edgar Peralta (pictured), said that he believes his son was the victim of gang-related murder Investigators believe that Perlata died of asphyxiation after finding his at Kissena Park (pictured) but refrained from releasing any more details 'The professor said he's a good kid, but when he gets together with these kids...I wanted to take him out of the school but [administrators] didn't allow me,' Paralta told the Post. Rosa Jaramillo, Andy's mother, said that she begged she son to stay home the night before his body was discovered. 'He said, 'I'll be right back' and I said 'Don't leave, I don't like when you go out at night,'' Jaramillo said. 'He said, 'I am going right here and will be back soon.' I said, 'Don't go. If you're not back quickly, I'll start worrying.' He left happy and said, 'Ma, I'll be right back.'' After returning back from the morgue to identify his son's body, Edgar told the Post that he hopes the police will capture the perpetrators and exact justice for his son. 'I really hope they catch them,' he said. 'I am not God but they should get punished.' The distraught father said that he believes Andy had become entangled with a dangerous element at Newtown High School (pictured) in Queens Advertisement White House aides, reporters and other famous-for-Washington types are gathered without President Donald Trump to toast press freedom on Saturday night. The second White House Correspondents' Association dinner took place at the Washington Hilton, while Trump held a rally in Michigan. Ex-White House staffers were in abundance at the event, including former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman, ousted Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn, ex-chief of staff Reince Priebus and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The DC journalism elite was also out in force, of course, including CNN personalities Jake Tapper and Don Lemon. Comedian Kathy Griffin, who created uproar last year by posing with a fake severed Trump head, also made an appearance on the red carpet, as did outspoken anti-gun activist David Hogg. Unlike last year's event, some of the top current White House staff were in attendance this year, signalling a possible thaw in Trump's often contentious relationship with the press. Scroll down for video Former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman arrives in style at the White House Correspondents' dinner Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer looked dapper in tux and tie as he arrived on the red carpet Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus (left) and Trump's former chief economic advisor Gary Cohn (right) both attended the White House Correspondents' dinner with their wives Sally and Lisa respectively Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (left) and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (right with husband Bryan) were among the current White House staffers in attendance - a major shift from last year when none attended Comedian Kathy Griffin attends the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton Anti-gun rights activist David Hogg (right) appeared on the red carpet with his companion Scion Kelly (left) Invitees included Parkland shooting survivors turned activists Charlie Mirsky (left) and David Hogg (right with companion) Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti (far right) photobombed Kellyane Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders on CNN Michael Avenatti (left) made an appearance, as did CNN host Don Lemon, seen right with his boyfriend Tim Malone 'The president encouraged his staff to attend and so we did, we felt like it was important,' said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a red carpet interview with CNN. 'It's gonna be a great night both here and in Michigan.' As Sanders spoke next to Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti photobombed the pair, lurking over Conway's shoulder with a grin. Moments later Avenatti spoke to the network, blasting Trump for failing to attend. 'I think it's entirely disrespectful, I think it's disrespectful to the First Amendment,' said Avenatti, who is representing Daniels in her suit against Trump attempting to invalidate a hush agreement, in which the porn star says she was paid $130,000 to remain silent about a 2006 one-night-stand with Trump. 'If you can't laugh at yourself you have no business being in the position,' Avenatti said of Trump. Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus (left) and former chief economic advisor Gary Cohn (right) were both in attendance and gave impromptu interviews to CNN, a frequent target of their former boss' 'fake news' accusations Reverend Al Sharpton poses with Virginia ex-Governor Terry McAuliffe and his wife Dorothy McAuliffe on the red carpet White House press assistant Caroline Sunshine (left) and MSNBC personalities Stephanie Ruhle and Chris Matthews (right) NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell (left) and Olympic gymnast Jordyn Wieber arrive CNN host Jake Tapper and Inside Edition special correspondent Rita Cosby arrive at the dinner on Saturday night CNN legal analyst Laura Coates (left) is seen, as is CNN correspondent Jim Sciutto and wife Gloria Riviera of ABC (right) CNN Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Michelle Kosinski (left) and CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash (right) Journalist April Ryan (left) and Republican Senator Susan Collins (right) pose on the red carpet before the WHCA dinner Trump's former chief of staff Reince Priebus gave his own CNN interview on the red carpet, predicting the president might even attend next year's dinner. 'I think there might be a little bit of a thaw occurring in the West Wing and maybe next year the President's going to be here,' said Priebus. The Washington dinner known as 'nerd prom', which once attracted Oscar winners and buzzed-about stars, comes as Trump routinely slams reporters as dishonest and their work as 'fake news.' Comedian Michelle Wolf, best known from her work on the Daily Show, is on tap to deliver the keynote speech that is usually a roast of the president and the press. 'I like making fun of people to their face ... more than behind their backs, so it would have been more fun' if Trump were in the audience, Wolf told CBS' 'This Morning Saturday.' 'None of my jokes changed. It's just nicer to make fun of them when they're there. I think it's cowardly not to go.' On Saturday night, Trump was in an different Washington from the Correspondents' dinner - Washington Township, Michigan. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on Saturday night headed for a rally in Michigan. It is the second year in a row he has declined to attend the WHCA dinner Trump speaks during a rally at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan on Saturday night, instead of attending the dinner Trump posted on Facebook this past week that he would hold a Saturday evening rally in Michigan with his 'favorite deplorables' - a term that Democrat Hillary Clinton used in 2016 to describe some of Trump's campaign supporters. Trump's aides skipped last year's dinner, when some accompanied Trump to a rally in Pennsylvania where he celebrated his 100th day in office. In 2017, Trump became the first president to skip the event since Ronald Reagan in 1981; Reagan was recovering from an assassination attempt. He spoke to a large crowd in Total Sports Park in a campaign style rally. 'Is this better than that phony White House Correspondents Dinner,' Trump asked the roaring crowed during his speech, adding that he wouldn't want to be 'up there smiling' with people who 'hate your guts'. A couple who lent their daughter 90,000 have been left horrified by a court ruling that they cannot have it back because they failed to draw up a contract. David and Glenda Joys daughter Lucy insisted the life-changing sum, which helped her secure a home, was a gift, and a judge has ruled in her favour. Now the parents say their lives have been left in ruins by her manipulative behaviour. David and Glenda Joy lent their daughter 90,000 but now can't get it back because a contract was not drawn up Speaking following the ruling, the couple, both retired British Airways workers, said they mortgaged their home to lend Lucy the money because they believed it would help heal a long-running family rift over an inheritance. Instead it has ripped the family even further apart. It wasnt meant to go this way, said Mr Joy, who suffered a nervous breakdown in the course of the dispute. You trust your children, dont you? Why would you get them to write an IOU? But its cost us everything. I havent got a daughter any more. I constantly think about the phone ringing and being told, Lucys been run over, are you going to the funeral? Thats something I cant answer. The couple thought carefully before agreeing to make the loan in 2009, after Davids mother left Lucy a 200,000, three-bedroom house in Slough. Davids two siblings challenged the will, claiming Lucy had unfairly influenced her grandmother, who had dementia. Unable to settle the matter, David agreed to help Lucy in a legal battle which eventually cost the couple 73,650 in legal fees. The couple's daughter Lucy insisted the life-changing sum, which helped her secure a home, was a gift, and a judge has ruled in her favour David was at one point so fearful of receiving another bill he would hide from the postman in the downstairs cloakroom. He was like a haunted man, said Glenda, who is Lucys stepmother. An out-of-court settlement was reached that required Lucy to pay 90,000, which she asked for her parents help in paying. The couple covered the settlement and say Lucy suggested she could repay them by signing her grandmothers house over to Glenda, then paying rent until the loan was repaid and the house returned to her something she denied in court. The couple insist they took out a mortgage on their three-bedroom home in Bude, Cornwall, only after making a verbal agreement. But a month after the money was paid, they asked Lucy when she would sign the house over. She turned, said Glenda. She said, Youre trying to steal my babys inheritance, screw the pair of you, loaded up her car and drove off. They remortgaged their three-bedroom home in Bude, Cornwall, to make the payment They havent spoken since. Lucys whole attitude throughout was, Dad can afford it, David continued. She had no qualms about letting me pay the lawyers fees. Yet Lucy, David says bitterly, thought nothing of privately funding IVF to have her son as a single parent while he and Glenda were drowning in legal bills. Glenda could see that Lucy was manipulating me, he adds. I cant get my head around it. When you love your children you cant envisage things would turn sour. Last year the couple decided to take Lucy to court. But just over a week ago they lost their case. Glenda said: I still have bad nights over the injustice of it all and our stupidity. I should have said, sign something. David added: Lucy has got what she deserved. But she didnt deserve to do it at our expense. Fighting over a 200,000 house has cost us everything. Lucy did not respond to a request for comment. Since arriving in London, Meghan Markle has made some influential friends. And when it comes to fashion, the woman who will soon become the Royal Familys newest Princess has gone appropriately... Posh. Who designed the stylish white short-sleeved cashmere jumper she wore for one of her official engagement photographs? Why Spice Girl-turned-designer Victoria Beckham, of course. Pretty in cream: Meghan's high-neck sweater she wore on a visit to Birmingham this year was very similar to the one Victoria Beckham wore out and about in New York in 2016 City chic: The hat Meghan wore on a trip to London struck a similar chord as the one Posh wore in the capital in 2014 Strutting their stuff: Meghan and Posh both wore a flared pair of high-waisted trousers this year, with Posh working the look during New York Fashion Week and Meghan showcasing the ensemble on a trip to Edinburgh Regal white: Meghan opted for a similar look to Posh when she took a trip to Westminster Abbey this year, showcasing a high collar coat very similar to the Spice Girl's ensemble as she strutted through JFK Airport in New York And no guessing whose style pointers Meghan has followed since landing on our shores. The two women have been friends for a few years, since Meghan first started visiting Britain. Victoria has introduced Meghan to British brands and even her favourite facialist, Chelsea-based Sarah Chapman. The Mail on Sunday understands Victoria and husband David have even been invited to the royal wedding. So what is VB style, and why does it work? Its all about looking casual, while in fact being very precise. Meghan brought a touch of the New York fashion showcased by Posh to the streets of Edinburgh this year, wrapping up in a three-quarter-length winter coat which grazed her knees Did Meghan get there first with this one? The future royal bride wore a high-waisted lime-coloured skirt and black turtle neck in Nottingham last year, while Posh stepped out in a strikingly similar ensemble in Paris this year Meghan worked a Posh staple - the black flared trouser - with a khaki coat slung on top during a visit to Bath this year, while the designer stepped out in an almost identical combination in New York just weeks earlier Green skirt and loose-fitting light top: While Posh worked this look in New York last year, Meghan stepped out in a similar ensemble months later in Northern Ireland Last year Posh teamed a fitted black blazer with cropped black trousers during an evening out in London, and Meghan followed suit this year in the capital Victoria has never felt she had the perfect body or skin, so her designs reflect that: cropped pants make your legs look longer; the roll-neck sweater hides your neck; a blouse or sweater tucked into a high- waisted skirt is feminine but controlled; a cream coat is luxurious it screams that you will never, ever be near a puddle or a crayon. And the fedora? Indispensable for those days when you cant get to that facialist in Chelsea. It seems whatever style Victoria pioneers, eagle-eyed Meghan is sure to follow suit. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed in a Cairo meeting on Sunday with Yemeni counterpart Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi the need for a political solution to the crisis in Yemen, according to a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry. "The talks focused on assessing the political situation and the balance of power in Yemen," the statement said. Shoukry stressed that no military solution to the Yemeni crisis should be considered, expressing Egypt's readiness to provide political support for efforts to achieve peace and a political solution to the seven-year-old conflict. Shoukry also stressed the importance of Egyptian-Yemeni relations while affirming Egypt's keenness to support the security and stability of Yemen, evidenced by Egypts provision of medical supplies sent to Yemen. The Egyptian FM also highlighted Egypt's commitment to working on restoring the stability of Yemen, which can only be achieved by respecting the unity and sovereignty of the country. Al-Mekhlafi apprised Shoukry of the security situation in all Yemeni cities, as well as efforts and communications by the newly appointed UN envoy to Yemen with international and regional parties. Search Keywords: Short link: When he first heard the question, Omar Austin of Jacksonville, Florida thought it was a joke. His daughter, a junior at Westside High School, shared the question on her anatomy homework. The question reads: 'Ursula was devastated when her boyfriend broke up with her after having sex. 'To get revenge, she had sex with his best friend the next day. Ursula had a beautiful baby girl 9 months later. 'Ursula has type O blood, her ex-boyfriend is type AB blood, and his best friend is type A blood. If her baby daddy is her ex-boyfriend, what could her baby's possible blood type(s) NOT be?' Scroll down for video The question, which Austin posted on his Facebook page, was designed to help high schoolers learn anatomy Austin posted a video of himself reading the question on Facebook on Wednesday with the caption 'This needs to be seen. WTH is going on in our schools'. The video has been viewed 20,000 times. 'Those type of questions should be left for reality TV and soap operas, not an eleventh grader's anatomy class,' Austin told First Coast News. He was concerned about the morality of the question. Of the idea of 'Ursula' having sex 'to get revenge', he says the principal of Westside High School told him that it was a computer generated question. Austin says that he was told that a teacher just printed it and handed it out. But Austin says that that's not good enough, 'I want it to be acknowledged. I want it to be reviewed. And I want it to be changed. I think that we can do better.' When he posted the video on his Facebook page, he just wanted the school to notice, but 20,000 people have viewed it. Omar Austin, seen here in a Facebook photo, was furious when he say the question about 'baby daddy' on his teen daughter's homework At first, the school system, Duval County Public Schools issued a statement that read, 'The question was highly inappropriate and was not part of a district assessment. We are thankful to the parent who contacted the school directly to share his concerns. Immediately upon being made aware of this matter, school and district leaders began conducting a review of the situation.' But upon further review, it came to light that the question had been written by another teacher in the school system, and shared on a 'digital platform that is used by our teachers'. Westside High School in Jacksonville Florida will not be using that particular question again They said in a statement, 'while this was not a district created item, we recognize that this falls well short of our standard of providing instructional excellence for every student, every day and we would like to apologize to the students and their families.' Austin said the question was 'sad and a disgrace to our educational system, I think that we can do better.' Former jockey Walter Swinburn who famously rode Shergar to one of his three Derby victories left an estate worth more than 3.8 million. But the rider failed to leave a will before he died, aged 55, after a fall at his luxury London maisonette in Belgravia in 2016. A probate document released last week passed his fortune to his daughters Claudia, 17, and 14-year-old Millie. Swinburn had separated from wife Alison in 2012 after ten years marriage. Swinburn, pictured on racehorse Lammtarra after winning the Epsom Derby, died in 2016 Walter Swinburn on Shergar in the 1981 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes Known as the Choirboy for his youthful looks, Swinburn shot to fame aged 19 when he won the Epsom Derby on Shergar by a record ten lengths in 1981. He spent four days in a coma after a fall in 1996, which was thought to have caused him to develop epilepsy, and retired from racing in 2000. A coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death last year after hearing he was prone to fits and falls. Former NASCAR driver James Hylton, the 1966 Rookie of the Year, has been killed in a car crash. He was 83. Hylton and his son, 61-year-old James 'Tweety' Hylton Jr, both died at the scene of the crash on Interstate 85 in Carnesville, Georgia, just after 6am on Saturday. The father and son were returning from Friday's ARCA Series event at Talladega Superspeedway when their GMC truck veered off the road and hit and embankment, according to authorities. The driver of the vehicle survived the crashed and sustained serious injuries. NASCAR and ARCA released a statement saying that the two-time premier series winner's 'dedication, passion and longevity in motorsports is virtually unmatched.' Former NASCAR driver James Hylton, the 1966 Rookie of the Year, was killed in a car crash on Saturday at age 83 Hylton was the 1966 Rookie of the Year and two-time NASCAR premier series winner whose 'dedication, passion and longevity is virtually unmatched' There were three men in the vehicle, two of whom were killed and the driver who was left severely injured. The driver's name has not been released. Franklin County Deputy Coroner Clayton Bryant said the three men had to be extricated from the GMC truck, which was pulling a trailer carrying a race car and other equipment. Bryant said the driver was transported to a hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, for treatment of injuries including several broken bones. Franklin County borders South Carolina. No other vehicles were involved in the wreck and State Patrol said it was still investigating and had not determined whether to cite the driver. Both Hylton and his son, 61-year-old James 'Tweety' Hylton Jr, died at the scene of the crash on Interstate 85 in Georgia The elder Hylton started 602 races in the Cup Series and won two races in a career that began in 1964. He finished second in the points standings three times. NASCAR and the ARCA Racing Series issued a joint statement saying Hylton's 'dedication, passion and longevity in motorsports is virtually unmatched. 'We have lost a truly special member of the racing family and a beloved figure among generations of competitors and race fans alike,' the statement said. Born on his family's farm in Virginia in 1934, Hylton started driving in his father's Ford Model T. His brother taught him how to work the pedals. Hylton worked on the farm to help his family make ends meet during the Depression. From that humble beginning, Hylton embarked on a winning career in motor sports. He served as a mechanic for Rex White and then as crew chief for Ned Jarrett in the early days of NASCAR, then got back behind the wheel and placed second in the Cup standings in 1966. Hylton also finished second in points to Richard Petty in 1967 and 1971. His victories came at Richmond in 1970 and Talladega in 1972. In all, the good-natured Hylton racked up 140 top-five finishes and 301 top-10s in the Cup series. Hylton also attempted 21 Daytona 500s between 1966 and 2007, finishing as high as third in 1967. He raced full time in the ARCA Series between 2009 and 2013. He started 175 ARCA races as a driver, making his final start at the age of 78 in 2013. As an owner, he fielded a car in 638 Cup and 413 ARCA events with Kirk Shelmerdine earning the team its lone ARCA win in 2003. While Sainsburys shoppers were busy pushing their trolleys round the aisles this weekend, the man upstairs was busy plotting the biggest gamble of his life. A 15 billion merger with Asda is undoubtedly a bold and unexpected move by Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe, whose reputation has previously been for steady hands rather than grand gestures. It is a huge deal, with serious implications for staff, for hundreds of small suppliers and, of course for shoppers, who have, since the financial crisis, been suffering the worst crunch on living standards for generations. The last thing they want is any increase in the cost of a weekly shop. Mike Cut-price Coupe and his team will argue that the opposite will happen, when they unveil more details of the proposed deal tomorrow morning. Costs, he will say, are set to reduce as a combination of Sainsburys and Asda will leapfrog Tesco to become Britains biggest grocer. Sainsbury's confirmed last night that it is in 'advanced discussions' with Asda, owned by American giant Walmart Coupes view is that enormous savings can be achieved as a result of the formidable muscle and buying power of the gigantic new supermarket chain, and that these will be passed on to consumers. Thats the theory. Sceptics, though, will fret that there is no guarantee this will happen in reality. The mega-merger will also prompt suppliers to fear they will be squeezed even further in the relentless battle to drive down prices. The two chains are very different and will retain their own identities so as not to alienate their core customers. Sainsburys has traditionally had a genteel image and is strong in the South of England. Asda has a more cheap and cheerful approach and is a powerhouse in the North. The real rationale for the tie-up, though, is that both are feeling the chill of competition from German discounters Aldi and Lidl, which have been seizing larger and larger shares of the nations shopping basket. Online operators are also a growing threat. The pressure on wholesale prices following the Brexit referendum, with the fall in the pound ramping up the cost of imported goods, squeezed margins yet further. A 15 billion merger with Asda is undoubtedly a bold and unexpected move by Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe Uncertainty over the future of EU workers, who the stores rely on to stock shelves and pick their fruit and vegetables added to the worries. But is a merger the best solution for the two firms and their consumers? Those of us with long memories will recall that this is the biggest deal in the grocery sector since Wm Morrison took over Safeway in 2004. Thats not a happy precedent. Coupe, whose modest demeanour belies a steely streak, could point to his successful takeover of Argos in 2016 as a counter-example, though at 1.4 billion it was a much smaller deal. Argos stores, already inside branches of Sainsburys, are likely to sprout up in Asda shops in future. Thats assuming the deal is waved through. City analysts reckon the Competition and Markets Authority will not block the tie-up, though regulators are likely to order some disposals. One reason mergers often come adrift is executive ego, as bosses clash over precedence. Here there is cause for hope. The relationship between Coupe and his counterpart at Asda, Roger Burnley, is a close one. The two grocers are former long-standing colleagues who get on well. They worked side-by-side at Sainsburys for years before Burnley moved to Asda last year, where Coupe also worked earlier in his career. After the merger, Coupe will be overall top dog while Burnley will keep his role as the supremo at Asda. Many questions remain, including how many stores might be closed. One thing is for certain, though: knitting together two large store chains is a task that will test even the most brilliant executives. Asda stores set to become Sainsbury's if huge 15BILLION merger is approved that would give giant new supermarket group a THIRD of the UK market Sainsbury's and Asda are in talks over an astonishing 15billion mega-merger to create Britain's biggest supermarket chain. Sainsbury's confirmed last night that it is in 'advanced discussions' with Asda, owned by American giant Walmart. Sainsbury's and Asda have combined sales of 50billion a year and a merger is likely to mean lower prices for shoppers. The tie-up is seen as a response to the relentless rise of German discounters Aldi and Lidl, which have been chipping away at the big supermarkets over the past few years, as well as online operations such as Ocado. Lidl and Aldi now have a combined market share of 12.6 per cent more than fourth-largest grocer Morrisons. Tesco is currently the country's largest food retailer. But the combination of Asda and Sainsbury's, which together employ more than 350,000 staff, will leapfrog into the number one slot. However, shoppers would initially see little change, with stores still operating under their present names. But, according to Sky News City editor Mark Kleinman, who broke the story, Wal-Mart could 'reverse' Asda into Sainsbury's - raising the prospect of Asda stores becoming Sainsbury's. Some analysts also believe that hundreds of stores could close. The news of the merger has shocked the City and has been greeted with alarm by trade unions, which fear stores will be closed and thousands of jobs lost. There are also concerns over pensions. The first Asda store is pictured in West Yorkshire. After running under the name of 'Queens', the Asquith family merged with Associated Dairies to form Asda (Asquith and Dairies) in 1965 John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann opened the first ever Sainsbury's store (pictured) in 1869 in London's Drury Lane (pictured in 1920) Shopworkers' union Usdaw is seeking 'urgent talks'. John Sainsbury's (pictured) opened his first store in Drury Lane, London National officer Joanne McGuinness said: 'Our priorities will be to protect our members and ensure any deal between the retailers does not impact on their jobs or incomes.' Sainsbury's and Asda declined to comment but sources say that there are no plans for large-scale redundancies or shop closures. One source familiar with the situation said: 'We all know what Aldi and Lidl have done to the grocery market and everyone is trying to work out what an online future is going to look like. 'This deal is about creating a long-term, competitive business one that would ultimately lead to lower prices.' The combined group would control about a third of the grocery market. Both have also made significant efforts to add to their food ranges by selling more clothing, electrical and home goods, including Sainsbury's Tu clothing and Asda's George. Asda then & now After running under the name of 'Queens', the Asquith family merged with Associated Dairies Asda's turnover (including food, clothing, toys etc) is 21.7bn The average basket of shopping costs 80.05 Corporate giant Walmart's 6.7billion takeover made Asda a subsidiary of the US firm in 1999 It was Britain's second-largest supermarket chain from 2003-2014 by market share, but has now slipped to third The chain uses the EE network to run its own mobile phone company Advertisement Sainsbury's then & now John James Sainsbury opened the first store with his wife Mary Ann with the ethos: 'Quality perfect, prices lower.' Its turnover is currently at 28.4bn The average cost of a shopping basket is 81.80 Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, is currently the supermarket's largest shareholder Sainsbury's is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the UK, with Tesco in first place Its holding company also owns Argos Advertisement All you need to know about Asda's CEO Roger Burnley has been the chief executive of Asda since January 2018 Mr Burnley returned to Asda last year, after a decade-long spell at J Sainsbury Between 1996 and 2002 he was part of the team responsible for integrating Asda into Walmart, after the American group bought the UK business in 1999 Walmart replaced the chief executive of its UK division for the second time in 18 months Predecessor Sean Clarke, has taken on a new role with Asda's sister company Walmart Asda's CEO Roger Burnley Advertisement All you need to know about Sainsbury's CEO Mike Coupe has been the Chief Executive of Sainsbury's since July 2014 He served as an Executive Director since August 2007 Previously Mr Coupe was based at ASDA and Tesco, where he served in a variety of senior management roles Other positions include the Big Food Group where he was a board director of Big Food Group plc and Managing Director of Iceland Food Stores Coupe has been credited with the chain's success in and creating the company's 'Brand Match' campaign Sainsbury's CEO Mike Coupe Advertisement It is understood Walmart may keep a minority stake in the British business. That means a combined operation could benefit from the Americans' vast buying power, helping slash prices for electronics, clothes and toys. Walmart declined to comment. The proposed deal will come under intense scrutiny from the Competition and Markets Authority to make sure the combined business does not monopolise the sector. However, most analysts expect the merger to go through, although Sainsbury's and Asda could be told to sell or close stores in areas where they are too dominant. Retail expert Nick Bubb said: 'This has come like a bolt from the blue. Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe is looking to defend the chain from competition from Tesco, discount retailers such as Aldi and Lidl, and online retailers such as Amazon and Ocado. The deal is a worry for smaller players such as Waitrose and Morrisons.' The merger would have to be approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), because the two entities are the second and third largest grocery retailers in the UK. That's ASDA price: Some shoppers were concerned about their shopping costs SASDA? A creative new name for the supermarket Some say that they would be tempted to shop elsewhere if the merge went ahead There was support for rival supermarkets such as Tesco What about the Nectar points? There is concern that hard saved points will be no more There is promise, however, that a deal could be approved after the CMA's decision to allow Tesco to take over Booker, the UK's largest grocery retailer in a deal worth 3.7billion. Mike Coupe, the chief executive of Sainsbury's which is particularly strong in southern England - is said to have been a driving force behind the proposed merger. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: 'The grocery market - and the British shopper - already suffers from the mid-market being dominated by just a handful of big players. 'What the merger of the second- and third-biggest supermarkets threatens is the creation of even more concentrated local monopolies, so it is obvious that there must be an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority, starting immediately.' Q&A on Sainsbury's and Asda Q How big would the combined Sainsbury's and Asda be? A The two put together would have sales of around 50 billion a year and almost 2,000 stores. If you include Argos, which Sainsbury's bought two years ago, the total is nearer 3,000 shops. Q Why do the two giant chains need to merge at all? A Two simple answers: Aldi and Lidl. From virtually nowhere, the German usurpers have taken a 12.6 per cent share of the grocery market in the past decade with their discount prices and that hurts. The cut-price challengers continue to grow at a rapid rate. Despite a fightback by traditional grocers, estimates suggest the Germans are still 10 per cent cheaper on average. Q Are they any other factors at play behind the scenes? A Quite a few factors, actually. Supermarkets have been hit by what Tesco boss Dave Lewis describes as a 'lethal cocktail' of costs and taxes, from the minimum wage to business rates. But they have been the architects of their own problems too, by opening too many stores in a race for space. They are now paying the price. Q Will the price of my shopping basket go up? A In theory, no. Sainsbury's and Asda will argue that they will have more buying power together and therefore will be able to pass on price cuts to consumers. But this may not lay to rest concerns that fewer retailers equals less competition, which can lead to higher prices. Q Will either Asda or Sainsbury's disappear? A No. The plan is for each chain to keep its own name and brand, at least at first. Q Will my local store close? And will there be job losses? A Not in the short term, but job losses are probable in the longer run. And it is unlikely that every store will survive, particularly in towns where Sainsbury's and Asda have outlets close to one another. Q Who will run the new business if the merger goes ahead? A Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe is tipped for the top job. Current Asda boss Roger Burnley will continue to run the Asda stores, sources suggest. Q What is Walmart and what part will it play? A Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world. With $500 billion (362 billion) of revenue, it dwarfs Britain's store chains many times over. It is expected to keep a substantial stake in Asda, meaning that the new British firm would have the backing of a powerful American ally. Q Could the Competition and Markets Authority block it? A The CMA's job is to prevent companies becoming too dominant and harming consumers, rivals, suppliers and the economy as a whole. It could block the deal totally, but City observers believe it is more likely to order the two grocers to dispose of stores in certain local areas where there are a cluster of them close together, crowding out competitors. Q How much is the proposed megadeal actually worth? A Some analysts put it at more than 10bn. But the 'enterprise value', which the City often uses when assessing deals, is closer to 15bn including the pair's debts, bank loans and pension liabilities. Imagine the Nectar points you'd get for that! Advertisement 'Keep the shops well lit': Last words of the man who founded Sainsbury's in 1869 are revealed as the chain plans for a possible merger with Asda One has a Victorian legacy, the other was founded in the 1960s, but both chains at the centre of this supermarket mega-merger had humble beginnings. It was in 1869 that John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann opened a dairy shop on Drury Lane in London. Legend has it that the couple first opened its doors on April 20, the day they got married. The man who gave the company its official name, J Sainsbury, died in 1928, when there were 128 shops. 'Keep the shops well lit,' were said to be his last words. The company pioneered self-service in the 1950s and 1960s. This may even have been an inspiration to two Yorkshire butcher's sons who created Asda in 1965 when they merged their Queen's supermarket chain with a local dairy farming enterprise called Associated Dairies. The name Asda is a combination of the first two letters of the brothers' surname, Asquith, and the first two letters of Dairies. Asda grew rapidly across the North in the 1970s, with the slogan 'That's Asda Price'. Times got harder in the 1980s, as the Leeds-based group had spread itself too thinly after buying Allied Carpets and furniture business MFI, both of which were subsequently sold. Archie Norman, who is now chairman of Marks & Spencer, took over as chief executive of Asda in the early 1990s and restored it as a major force in retailing, boosted by the popularity of the best-selling George clothing brand. Asda was also a management training ground for Justin King and Mike Coupe, who both went on to run Sainsbury's. Asda was bought by US giant Walmart in 1999 for 6.7 billion. Sainsbury's had floated on the stock market in 1973. But it struggled in the 1990s, under the leadership of David Sainsbury. Its turnaround was led by Justin King, who was in charge for ten years until 2014. The family has retained a stake but is not involved in management. Qatari investors are now the biggest shareholders, owning just under a quarter of the business. Jeremy Corbyn's official Facebook page is littered with vile slurs against Jews Jeremy Corbyn was plunged into a new anti-Semitism row last night after The Mail on Sunday discovered that his official Facebook page is littered with vile slurs against Jews. Among more than a dozen shocking posts were claims that supremacist Jews have taken over Labour and are playing victims by talking about being massacred by Hitler. Others accused Jews of being the biggest problem facing the world for centuries and said the Zionist lobby controlled British politics. Last night Jewish leaders reacted with horror to the poisonous posts and said Mr Corbyns failure to remove them exposed his claims to be tackling the problem as hot air. A spokesman for the Community Security Trust a charity which campaigns against anti-Semitism said: Some of these comments contain shocking anti-Semitism. 'Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to drive anti-Semitism out of the Labour Party. 'We welcome this commitment, and a fitting place to start would be on his own Facebook page. The comments were left below a message Mr Corbyn posted about meeting Jewish leaders last Tuesday following months of accusations that he had failed to tackle anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Some of the anti-Semitic messages posted to the Labour leader's official Facebook page In recent weeks he has been exposed as being a member of Facebook groups where a large number of anti-Semitic comments have been left. And in the Commons, Labour MPs Ruth Smeeth and Luciana Berger who are both Jewish tearfully revealed that they had received death threats as well as vile anti-Semitic abuse. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council branded Tuesdays meeting disappointing. Mr Corbyn posted on Tuesday evening: I am grateful for a positive and constructive meeting. I am absolutely committed to rooting out anti-Semitism from our party and our society. Hundreds of comments were left, more than a dozen of which were anti-Semitic. They remained on the Facebook page throughout the week without being deleted by Mr Corbyn or his office, even though such action takes only a moment. Mr Corbyn is pictured canvassing in Grimsby yesterday ahead of the local elections One message, from a Frank Dodd, read: What this is really is a Jewish supremacist takeover of the Labour Party. Anti-Semitism is a Jewish hoax. 'This was to purge all people who are concerned about the huge concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a very small number of racial supremacist Jews. Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, said: The fact that so many poisonous comments still remain under Corbyns Facebook post show his claims to be tackling anti-Semitism seriously are so much hot air. The CST added: We call on the Labour leader to not only delete all anti-Semitic comments, but to investigate whether any of them were made by Labour members, and, if so, to expel those responsible. Labour MP Louise Ellman said: These are appalling and should have been removed immediately. If it turns out that these comments were made by Labour Party members, they should be disciplined. A Labour spokesman said: Jeremy Corbyn is a militant opponent of anti-Semitism. Those who express anti-Semitic views or attitudes do not do so in his name. If these anti-Semitic commenters are found to be Labour members, they will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken. A teenager hit by a train has miraculously attended his school ball less than 24-hours later because he had a 'date to keep'. Aung Su was seriously injured when he was hit by a train in Kenwick, Perth while on his way to get a hair-cut for the ball. The 17-year-old was pictured lying on the tracks with blood on his face before paramedics rushed him to the Royal Perth Hospital at 4pm Thursday. Scroll down for video Teenager Aung Su (pictured left), who was hit by a train, miraculously attended his school ball less than 24-hours later. He had a 'date to keep' with Catie, pictured right. The Lynwood Senior High School student amazingly was able to leave the hospital less than 24-hours later to attend the school ball, according to 7 News. Mr Su miraculously escaped with just cuts to his face and a broken collar-bone, and was pictured at the ball with date Catie - wearing a stunning red dress - and his teacher. 'I didn't want to leave my ball date hanging,' he said. Mr Su, 17, is pictured lying on the tracks with blood on his face before paramedics rushed him to the Royal Perth Hospital at 4pm Thursday 'She (had) brought her dress.' The teenager had been running to catch a train on the other side of the tracks, but was hit by a train travelling in the opposite direction. 'I thought I would be dead,' he said. Mr Su warned others to keep and eye on where they are going and avoid using a mobile while crossing the tracks. Sometimes we lose sight of what is important while we concentrate on things that are merely interesting or exciting. In any other week the murder of Sami Sidhom in an East London street would rightly have been major news. As it is, it has swiftly become background noise. A much-loved young man, Sami was stabbed in the back in the dark in a part of our capital which, until recently, had been peaceful and safe for a century or more. He is one of 62 killed in London already this year. Unlike most other crime statistics, violent death figures cannot be massaged or twisted. They cannot be exaggerated when the police are demanding more money, or minimised when the Government is claiming it has got on top of crime. Sami Sidhom was stabbed in the back in the dark in a part of our capital which, until recently, had been peaceful and safe for a century or more So we should think seriously about them. But we never do. They cant really have much to do with police numbers. The forces with the biggest falls in numbers have not experienced the biggest rises in serious violence. At the start of this century, knife crime rose in spite of increased police numbers. After 2008, though police numbers fell, recorded knife crime fell too. Id be amazed if police numbers had any effect on anything myself, as the police are almost entirely absent from the streets and, at many times and in many places, there is very little evidence that they exist at all. You might as well blame social changes in this country on falls and rises in the number of schoolteachers in Japan. Sami is one of 62 killed in London already this year. Unlike most other crime statistics, violent death figures cannot be massaged or twisted I doubt claims that nasty material on social media has encouraged violence. But two very important things have changed. One is that the violent person has no fear of serious punishment if he kills. He will probably not be caught, and if he is he will suffer nothing worse than a few years in a prison run by people like him, where the drugs he likes are readily available. The other is that he is in some way out of his mind because of those drugs. Anyone can pick up a knife, as they are everywhere and could not possibly be banned. But hardly anyone is unhinged enough to drive a sharpened steel blade into the body of another human being. Everything we know and feel cries out at us not to do such a thing. That is why soldiers have to be turned into virtual automatons by endless drill, to make them use bayonets. So we should think seriously about them. But we never do. They cant really have much to do with police numbers. The forces with the biggest falls in numbers have not experienced the biggest rises in serious violence And what is the biggest single change in our society in recent years, very noticeable in London but evident elsewhere as well? It is the spread of the use of various mind-altering drugs, which lower the inhibitions of those who use them. Cannabis is now virtually legal, thanks to boastfully liberal police chiefs and lying governments who retain strong paper laws against drugs, but allow the courts and the police not to enforce them. A recent Freedom of Information request by Matthew Dresch of the Worcester News revealed that this lenient treatment is now spreading to users of Class A drugs, such as cocaine, who are being let off with cautions in large numbers. This is how the semi-official legalisation of cannabis began as shown in the recent events in Londons Hyde Park where police arrested precisely nobody for possession of cannabis even though it was being openly smoked in their sight. What is the biggest single change in our society in recent years, very noticeable in London but evident elsewhere as well? It is the spread of the use of various mind-altering drugs I suspect that, if the drug use of convicted violent offenders was systematically recorded, the correlation between drug abuse and violence would be too strong to ignore. But the authorities are not interested, because our new ruling class are in many cases past or present drug abusers themselves, and a smooth billionaire lobby hopes to make mountains of money from full, irreversible legalisation soon. Only strong and ceaseless popular pressure will change this. And once people realise that knife crime is linked to drugs, perhaps that pressure will come. CREEPY PALS - BUT NOT FOR LONG What are we to make of the peculiar, almost creepy encounters between President Donald Trump and Frances almost equally odd head of state, Emmanuel Macron? I suspect President Macrons excellent English probably doesnt extend to understanding the word dandruff or he might have been a little less compliant when the Leader of the Free World rudely plucked a speck from his suit. And the two couples looked like characters from a sinister and satirical French thriller movie as they stood about, overdressed and ill at ease. The two couples looked like characters from a sinister and satirical French thriller movie I dont myself understand why medium-sized countries try so hard to be friendly to the USA. President Macrons new special relationship with Washington will last only until they have a serious conflict of interest. It doesnt mean anything lasting. Frances greatest leader in modern times, Charles de Gaulle, was often loftily scornful towards the USA and as a result they treated him with extra deference. They didnt like him, but they wouldnt have had the nerve to suggest he had a scalp disorder and I dont think theyd ever have dared to treat him as they treated us over the Falklands, Grenada or Northern Ireland. AN ODD TAKE ON A REAL FEMINIST HEROINE... There's something odd about the new statute of Millicent Fawcett, the true heroine of the struggle for Votes for Women, an interesting choice for a monument in Parliament Square. She is not much loved by modern leftists, because she refused to support the cruel, counter-productive terrorism of the militant suffragettes. She disapproved of the hugely wealthy Pankhurst movement, whose arson and bombing campaigns often endangered lives (usually of poor working men who had no votes themselves at the time). They may even have killed two people in a mysterious fire at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1914. But the sculptor has made poor Dame Millicent look as if she is taking part in Are You Being Served?, holding up a tea towel for a customers approval. This is a device to feature her words about the militant Emily Davison: Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere. But she did not say them at the time Emily Davison died (possibly deliberately when she was struck by the Kings horse at the Derby in 1913). Dame Millicents peaceful movement very pointedly did not join in the vast funeral the fanatics laid on for Miss Davison. The words were said seven years later, after the battle had been won by peaceful moderation. Interesting to hear the Blairite former Home Secretary David Blunkett defending his Tory successor Amber Rudd on BBC Radio on Friday. Official Labour is calling for her to go. But the Blairites secretly love Mrs Mays Tories, who have kept alive Tonys causes war abroad, political correctness at home and a deep, deep love for Brussels. I am going to keep saying it. North Korea is desperate, and wants to escape from its Cold War prison. It is bankrupt and once again close to famine. But if we are to settle things peacefully, it is going to cost the West a lot of money. Reunifying Germany worked because we recognised this. We have messed up our relationship with Russia, possibly fatally, because we failed to see the need for a modern equivalent of Marshall Aid. Generally, Im against banning things that have been made legal, because it usually wont work. But I think fixed odds betting terminals are a cruel exploitation of the hopeless, and morally no better than mugging pensioners, and nobody will really miss them. Lets make them illegal now. If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here. MPs from every political party are lining up to support The Mail on Sundays campaign to vaccinate teenage boys against the cancer-causing virus HPV MPs from every political party are lining up to support The Mail on Sundays campaign to vaccinate teenage boys against the cancer-causing virus HPV. Parliament will this week debate the issue for the first time, heaping pressure on Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to change NHS policy. At the moment only girls get the jab to protect against the human papilloma virus, the main cause of cervical cancer. But it also causes thousands of cases of other cancers every year among men, affecting areas including the head and throat, and often decades after they were infected. Incidents of HPV-related cancers are rising rapidly. The virus is spread by sexual contact and kissing, while treatment requires weeks of expensive chemo and radiotherapy, with life-changing side effects. The Commons debate, set to be held at Westminster Hall on Wednesday, has been triggered by an urgent request to the Speaker by senior Tory backbencher Sir Roger Gale. The case for boys to be vaccinated is every bit as strong as it is for girls, he said yesterday. If we dont do something now, there will be an exponential growth in these diseases. It costs a huge amount to treat them, and their social costs are vast. Vaccinating boys is a crucial investment in the nations future health, and if we dont do it, the long-term cost will be a hell of a lot greater. Ending the vaccine apartheid would cost about 22 million a year. But until now, the NHSs Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has argued this would not be cost-effective, claiming it is cheaper to treat the horrifying cancers caused by HPV. It will discuss the issue again at its next meeting in June, and Sir Roger said he hoped the debate will influence the committees stance. Senior figures from every party now back this newspapers call for the policy change. Labour Shadow Health Minister Sharon Hodgson, who will close the debate, said: HPV is not a gender-specific virus, so the immunisation programme should not be gender-specific either. At the moment only girls get the jab to protect against the human papilloma virus, the main cause of cervical cancer Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb (left) said the case was 'compelling' while Green Party leader Caroline Lucas (right) agreed vaccinations should be extended to boys Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb added: The case is compelling, and the dramatic rise in HPV-related cancers makes this very urgent. It is impossible to justify vaccinating girls but not boys, and I very much welcome The Mail on Sundays campaign. Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said: We are fighting HPV-related cancers with one hand tied behind our backs. Lets be led by the evidence and extend vaccination to boys. Scottish Nationalists, Democratic Unionists and Plaid Cymru also support the change. SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes said the Government must listen to the evidence of clinicians on the front line. John Baron, Tory chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer, said: Given the benefits to public health, and the cost savings to the NHS, I hope the JCVI will now make the right decision. His Labour vice-chairman Nic Dakin added: HPV doesnt care which gender you are, so our vaccination programme shouldnt either. Prevention is better than cure. A woman who was the first on the scene of a fatal accident that killed a three-month-old boy has penned an emotional letter to his parents. A car was travelling south along the Kwinana Freeway last week when it crashed north of the Safety Bay Road exit in Baldivis in Perth's southern outskirts. A woman, only known as Jo, was driving home from work when she came across the tragedy. A woman, only known as Jo, was driving home from work when she came across the tragedy A woman who was the first on the scene of a fatal accident that killed a three-month-old boy has penned an emotional letter to his parents 'Hi, my name is Jo and last Friday night I was driving home from work and I was one of the first on the scene of your horrific car accident on the Kwinana Freeway,' she wrote on Facebook. 'I was privileged to care for your precious baby son in the moments that followed, up until the emergency crews took over. 'My motivation for writing this letter is to let you know that your son was never alone during this time.' The woman said she cared for the dying boy the best she could in such difficult circumstances. 'He was loved. I wrapped him in my jacket and held him tight whist I found a safe place to commence first aid. 'During my efforts at CPR, with the help of others, I kissed his forehead and stroked his cheeks. I told him it was OK, although I didn't know what OK was going to be.' Police will investigate whether speed was a factor in a horrific car crash. 'The maroon Holden Commodore sedan was travelling south along the Kwinana. 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 later died. The man and woman were taken to Royal Perth Hospital and are understood to be the baby's parents, the ABC reports. 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. Russia's propaganda machine is spreading fake news on a YouTube channel cunningly disguised to target young people. The reports on ICYMI In Case You Missed It feature bright, colourful graphics and are presented by attractive English-speaking stars. But what unsuspecting viewers will not know is that the videos are made by Russia Today (RT), the Kremlin-funded broadcaster that is currently under investigation by Ofcom. The reports on ICYMI In Case You Missed It feature bright, colourful graphics and are presented by attractive English-speaking stars In one recent ICYMI video fronted by London-based RT presenter Polina Boiko, who speaks with a cut-glass British accent claims that Russia was behind the Salisbury attack are mocked. Boiko says the real victims were Sergei Skripals dead guinea pigs. In another video, after Britain joined air strikes in Syria following the gas attack in Douma, Boiko says: Missiles from France, Britain and the US are like no other because they combine high-tech killing power with good intentions. And a third clip is simply called Whatever goes wrong, you can always blame a Russian! The ICYMI videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, which is owned by Google, and on Facebook. The ICYMI videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube Earlier this year, YouTube announced it would label videos created by the Russian government, such as the ones pushed by RT, with a disclaimer to US viewers stating the channel is funded in whole or in part by the Russian government. But ICYMI does not have that disclaimer on its channel. RT said: ICYMI is an editorially independent production and it is its own brand. 'However we are hardly trying to hide it as a show we broadcast it is the first show featured on the RT.com website and is helmed by a well-known RT reporter. YouTube did not respond to requests to comment. Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail headed a cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the governments plan to prepare for a wave of unstable weather, including heavy rains, expected to hit the country on Monday and Tuesday. The meeting was attended by the ministers of irrigation and local development, as well as the head of Egypt's Metrological Authority, who presented a comprehensive report on the weather forecast for the country over the next few days. The prime minister has instructed the heads of all governorates to stay on maximum alert and react rapidly to any emergency situation caused by the expected rain fall. After heavy rains and flooding hit Cairo last week, many people complained that municipal officials and emergency departments failed to provide them with adequate assistance. On Saturday, the Administrative Control Authority (ACA), which is responsible for enforcing laws and regulations in state bodies, suspended a number of New Cairo officials for failing to properly handle situation following the heavy rains. Last Thursday, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said he "completely understands the suffering that was felt by some Egyptians as a result of the rains that fell in an unexpected and unusual way over the past two days, the president said in a post on his official Facebook page. Over the next few days, high temperatures, dust and rain are expected across Egypt, Egyptian Meteorological Authority head Ahmed Abdel-Aal told Ahram Online on Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Jeremy Corbyns biggest Labour MP critic faces the threat of the sack over claims that he sent inappropriate text messages to a former female employee. Blairite MP John Woodcock, who enraged Mr Corbyns allies by saying he is unfit to be Prime Minister, has been ordered to appear before Labour disciplinary chiefs. If found guilty, the 39-year-old Barrow MP a former No.10 aide to Gordon Brown could be stripped of the Labour Whip. Scroll down for video Blairite MP John Woodcock (pictured) has been ordered to appear before Labour disciplinary chiefs The complaint was made in November to Labours anti-harassment panel, which was set up after the so-called Pestminster furore to make it easier for MPs staff to report alleged misbehaviour. However, it is understood he is strongly contesting the claims. Expenses-scandal peer must repay 15,000 The Labour peer forced to quit as Jeremy Corbyns enforcer in the Lords over an expenses scandal has been ordered to repay thousands of pounds. Lord Bassam was last week instructed to hand back more than 15,000 of wrongly claimed travel costs after a Mail on Sunday investigation. Standards watchdogs also required the peer to apologise for breaking House of Lords rules. Lord Bassam quit as Labours Chief Whip in the Lords last December after it was revealed that since 2010 he had claimed 41,000 to commute from Brighton to Westminster while at the same time getting 260,000 from an allowance for senior peers whose main home is not in London. Now the Lords standards watchdog, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, has ruled that 15,737 of his travel costs were invalid. The peer was spared a worse penalty, however, after she decided that he had acted mistakenly, but not dishonestly because the rules over Lords allowances were not clear. A review into how Lords travel expenses are paid is under way. Lord Bassam, known as Lord Swampy because of his background as a squatters rights leader, said: I have begun paying back the over-claimed travel costs. Advertisement Mr Woodcock has clashed with Mr Corbyns supporters after launching a series of trenchant attacks on him. He said that he would rather starve than sing the Oh, Jeremy Corbyn chant made popular at last years Glastonbury Festival. He also survived an attempt by his Labour enemies to ban him standing in last years General Election after he said that Mr Corbyn was unfit for No 10. And he accused the Labour leader of lying over the Skripals poisoning in Salisbury after Mr Corbyn claimed he had always been a robust critic of Russia. Last week he was accused by union boss Len McCluskey of trying to undermine Mr Corbyn by whipping up a row over anti-Semitism. The allegations are expected to be considered in the next few weeks by Labours National Constitutional Committee, which last week expelled a party activist for heckling a Jewish Labour MP. Mr Woodcock is accused of sending inappropriate messages to a former female member of his staff, said a Westminster source. The complaint came via Labours new anti-harassment hotline. Mr Woodcock declined to comment. A Labour spokesman last night said: The party takes all complaints of harassment very seriously. 'All allegations received are fully investigated. The two Korean leaders clasped hands, then faced each other, so close I could almost smell the pickled cabbage on their breath. The historic man-date on the fortified border, the hugs, the birdsong, the pledges it was all designed to convey the two countries amazing re-connection. After 65 years, two were becoming one. Peace on the peninsular in our time would be nice, of course. But, despite Trumps predictive tweet KOREAN WAR TO END!, I want to see it in triplicate. All of it. The rule of thumb for most things is deeds not words. Now it appears that the lingua franca of diplomacy is body language. Scroll down for video North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) pose for photos in front of Bukhansan Peace House for the Inter-Korean Summit Their greeting rituals were tailored for the world stage to send strong intentional messages, one body language expert said, and performed so everyone could understand what they were trying to say. Okaaaay. The traditional Korean greeting, however, is the bow, followed by the formal and all-important exchange of business cards. According to a guide to protocol Ive consulted in my anxiety, Koreans consider it a personal violation to be touched by someone who is not a relative or close friend. Avoid touching, patting or back slapping a Korean. You see? Beware the supreme leader bearing the famous Pyongyang cold noodles of peace! These lingering embraces, these literally touching scenes, are the new Esperanto of international relations, ie designed to be comprehensible to audiences across the globe. But something about these choreographed charades both in Korea and the US last week makes me break out in a cold sweat. Its OK for world leaders to kiss, especially three rapid ones, mwah, mwah, mwah, accompanied by smacking sounds, Continental-style. Caught in a tidal wave of 'whitewash' insanity A white actress, Sierra Boggess, has had to pull out of West Side Story after a row over the whitewashing of the female lead. Shes had to apologise after being cast as Maria, who is Puerto Rican in the original, even though a white actress, Natalie Wood, played her in the 1961 film version. Is the world going mad? Ive just seen Sir Nicholas Hytners Julius Caesar. Casca, a bearded Roman tribune and one of the assassins, is played by a black woman (in fact many male parts are taken by women). Fairs fair gender and colour-blind casting must cut both ways, darlings. Sierra Boggess (pictured), has had to pull out of West Side Story after a row over the whitewashing of the female lead Advertisement I also liked it when silverfox Eurocrat Michel Barnier kissed Theresa Mays hand the other day. Man-hugs and back-slapping bro-outs at summits are also fine. Prolonged handholding now almost compulsory is too intimate and exhibitionist at once. It is for lovers. It is NSFS (not suitable for statecraft). I cant stop worrying how long they are going to pump away while gazing into each others eyes. Does one of them have to say, gently, to the other, OK, Im unclasping now before he disengages? These touches are supposed to convey sincerity, but theyre fake. They make me think of Trumps hand-grab of Mrs May in the White House. We thought he was showing us the depth of our special relationship, but it turned out to be only further evidence of his indiscrimination. He moved on to someone younger, hotter, fresher. Yes, hes over here in the summer, but he didnt love her tomorrow, did he? It was his perfect petit ami Emmanuel Macron that Donald couldnt keep his hands off last week. Melania wouldnt let her husband near her (not after Stormy Daniels, and his revelation he was too busy to buy her a 48th birthday pressie), so he only had eyes for the dinky French President, whom he treated with careless possession, at one point dragging him around the White House like Christopher Robin with Winnie the Pooh. Snap! Was it careful co-ordination, or coincidence, when both First Ladies wore white? I think the latter. Persil white is an unforgiving shade and blotting paper for spills and make-up. Still, Brigitte and Melania looked a million dollars, but their looks did invite the comparisons that are inevitable when one famous woman appears in public alongside another. So heres the fashion part: Madame Macrons zippy two-piece was ooh, matron while the FLOTUS tighty-whitey number was very sexy nurse indeed. Va va voom! Contrast the constructed body language of the politicians, I suggest, with that of the Cambridges as they emerged from the Lindo Wing on St Georges Day to show the world their gorgeous newborn son, Prince Louis Arthur Charles. The only physical contact between the couple was this. At one point, Prince William placed a guiding hand on his wifes lower back, and this one simple gesture was far more real and natural than the entire staged Korean showmance (until they actually sign the peace treaty proper, anyhow) or the cringey bromance between Trump and Macron. So, polite notice to world leaders: enough of the gesture politics. For all our sakes, keep your eyes on the driving and your hands on the wheel and not on each other. Very surprised to read that the average person has 17,000 living relations. My own family seem to be ubiquitous, as very many people complain to me all the time. My response to this shock finding is therefore: 17,000 rellies can that really be all? Terrible confession. I cannot get excited by the fact that Abba are returning after 35 years with two new songs. Im afraid that Ive become hooked on the Mamma Mia! soundtrack yes, the one with Pierce Brosnan croaking and now cant listen to Abba at all. Vladimir Putin was accused of a shameful cover-up last night over the demolition of a chemical weapons base where Russian scientists allegedly made the nerve agent used in the Salisbury spy attack. The destruction of the secretive Shikhany facility comes ahead of a visit by international inspectors investigating the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia last month. The military research base in southern Russia was named by British intelligence chief Sir Mark Sedwill as the source of the Novichok nerve agent used in the assassination attempt by Russia. The chemical weapons base in Shikhany, southern Russia, which has now been destroyed But last night it emerged it was being torn down before investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) could visit the area. Leading British chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told The Mail on Sunday: It is most unfortunate the Russians have decided to flatten the Shikhany labs where they have developed and made Novichok in the last ten years, presumably to prevent the OPCW investigation into the Salisbury nerve agent attack getting evidence of these activities. The timing seems especially cynical as it is likely that now the OPCW have confirmed Porton Down results that Novichok was used in the botched Skripal assassination, the OPCW would want to visit Shikhany, as the Chemical Weapons Convention would have them do, to see where these things were made, or not. The destruction of the labs in this case seems like an admission of guilt. The shock move to destroy the site was revealed by state-run media in Russia. Shikhany mayor Andrei Tatarinov told reporters: The buildings are currently being demolished, and all construction waste is passed through high-temperature furnaces. Burnt rubbish is stored at a special landfill site. 'All this is carried out in order to clean the institutes territory, which can later be set up for some new production facilities. The base in the Cold War-era town of Shikhany, 600 miles south of Moscow, is a branch of the State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology. It employs 200 people. Mr Tatarinov said the base is in the process of destroying itself after Russia claimed it had finally eradicated the last of its stockpile of chemical weapons last year. The gates of the chemical weapons base in Shikhany, southern Russia Salisbury MP and Treasury Minister John Glen last night said: I hope the OPCW will be challenging Russia on why this facility has so suddenly been demolished before it has been examined. 'Many in Salisbury will believe it is more than a coincidence. The closure of this facility seems at odds with Russias professed willingness to co-operate. The nerve agent was smeared on the front door of Sergei Skripals home to poison him and his daughter on March 4. Vladimir Uglev, a Soviet-era scientist who was the first to synthesise Novichok, said it was developed by him and other scientists at Shikhany in the 1980s. Mr Uglev said: If youre asking who made the substances that poisoned the Skripals, his name and his country, it is possible it was made by my hands. The base was cited as the source of the nerve agent used in the Salisbury attack in a British intelligence briefing for its allies last month. It was used to persuade world leaders that Moscow was behind the poisoning. The briefing led to the expulsion of more than 150 Russian diplomats from 28 countries, and sparked a tit-for-tat response by Mr Putin. Former Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green (pictured) has warned fellow pro-EU Tories they risk putting Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 unless they back Theresa May in the partys latest Brexit crisis Former Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green has warned fellow pro-EU Tories they risk putting Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 unless they back Theresa May in the partys latest Brexit crisis. Mr Green, a leading Remain supporter in the EU referendum, spoke out amid claims by Brexiteers that the Prime Minister wants to water down plans to quit the EU Customs Union to protect UK trade. Writing in todays Mail on Sunday, Mr Green backs Mrs May and says he is confident she will achieve a compromise which satisfies both pro- and anti-Brexit Conservatives. He says Britain will leave the Customs Union as Mrs May has promised, but that she will win a customs arrangement. This would allow Britain and the EU to carry on trading freely and smoothly and avoid fears of the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Mr Green slaps down leading Remain supporters such as Tony Blair and Nick Clegg for futile and damaging attempts to reverse Brexit and tells them to switch their efforts on winning a good deal for both sides. Mr Green says this didnt mean that he had suddenly become a hard-line Brexiteer. He says: I want Britain to stay closely aligned to the EU on tariff rates, recognition of health and environment standards and the levels of border checks, because it is in Britains interest to do so. As a Kent MP I am also concerned to keep lorries flowing freely through the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel. If they dont, Kent becomes a lorry park, and life for those of us who live there becomes very unpleasant. There were bound to be more blood-curdling threats from the EU as negotiations over the Customs Union continued, he says. But both sides would find common ground when the crunch point came just as they had in earlier stages of the talks on Britains Brexit divorce bill and the transition period. This happened throughout last year, and there is no reason to believe this year will be different. Doing a deal involves neither party getting their own way completely. Mr Green spoke out amid claims by Brexiteers that the Prime Minister (pictured on Wednesday) wants to water down plans to quit the EU Customs Union to protect UK trade Mr Green says that Mrs Mays 2017 Election manifesto promised the UK would no longer be members of the Single Market or Customs Union but seek a comprehensive free trade and customs agreement instead and he says she will deliver it. It wont be the Customs Union, but it will be a mutually beneficial customs arrangement another sensible compromise which will contribute to the success of the negotiations, he says. Mr Green also issues a thinly veiled warning to hard-line Brexiteers who want to quit the Customs Union and turn the UKs back on Brussels completely. A post-Brexit Britain could thrive he argues, but maintaining close links with our neighbours will make a significant contribution to national success. Any Tory turbulence that undermined Mrs May would make the national disaster of hard-Left Corbyn government more likely. That would not just wreck our economy, but damage our whole democracy, says Mr Green. A speedway driver is in a critical condition in hospital after a terrifying crash in which he flipped off the race track. Reid Mackay, 25, is fighting for his life in Westmead Hospital. He suffered serious injuries in the crash at Sydney Speedway in the city's west on Saturday night, Nine News reported. He is in a critical condition after losing control of his vehicle while travelling about 150km/h. Reid Mackay, 25, is fighting for his life in Westmead Hospital. He suffered serious injuries in the crash at Sydney Speedway He is in a critical condition after losing control of his vehicle while travelling about 150km/h The Queensland driver's car flipped into the air and rolled several times before coming to a stop off the track. The crash took place during heat nine of the Sydney City Speedcar 50 Lap Classic. The race came to a stop as paramedics scrambled to treat Mr Mackay before he was taken to hospital. The Speedcar Association of New South Wales posted a message on Facebook saying Mr Mackay was being treated on the track on Saturday night. 'We would like to send our well wishes to Reid,' the post read. Other people posted their messages of support to the young driver. The Queensland driver's car flipped into the air and rolled several times before coming to a stop off the track 'So scary to watch. Speedy recovery Reid, thoughts are with you,' one person said. 'Certainly hope he will be okay, our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.' 'That was huge, hope for a speedy recovery,' another posted. Mr Mackay is in a serious but stable condition in Westmead Hospital. Its time for the crocodile tears over the Windrush generation to stop. Along with the hypocrisy. And the faux national outrage. Ignore the increasingly tortuous paper trail. The leaks, and counter leaks, and counter-counter leaks. The demands for an explanation of what Amber Rudd knew, what she didnt know, and when she did or didnt know it. Let us also drop the fashionable conceit that Theresa May is using her Home Secretary as a human shield. Its not just the Prime Minister hiding behind Amber Rudd. An entire nation is hiding behind Amber Rudd. Windrush is the outrage we demanded. Another day, another shocking revelation, Diane Abbott claimed in the House of Commons last week. But there is nothing shocking about it quite the opposite. Windrush was as inevitable as night following day. Scroll down for video Its time for the crocodile tears over the Windrush generation to stop. Along with the hypocrisy. Pictured: The Empire Windrush docked in Southampton Yes, it is a crisis with several components. Ministerial incompetence being one. Both Mrs May and her Home Secretary were incomprehensibly slow to wake up to the scale of the problems. The growing list of cancelled operations, refused benefit claims and last-minute deportation reprieves should have woken the Government from its slumber. Another is the continuing dysfunctionality within the major departments of state. It is seen as poor form for a Minister to blame their officials, and Rudd has learnt to her cost what happens to those who do. But having spoken to government insiders, it is clear vital information on the full implication of policy changes requiring employers, NHS staff, landlords and other bodies to demand evidence of peoples citizenship or immigration status was not effectively communicated by civil servants. Until two weeks ago we honestly thought this affected about ten people, one adviser told me. And as ever, there is Brexit. You have to understand its all-consuming, one Minister told me. Its a black hole sucking the heart out of government. Its all anyone can focus on. Let us also drop the fashionable conceit that Theresa May is using her Home Secretary as a human shield'. Pictured: The PM speaking during questions this week BUT ultimately, these are side issues. Windrush has a single, dark heart. The decision by successive administrations to create a hostile environment for illegal immigrants entering, or planning to enter, the United Kingdom. Contrary to liberal perception, the Windrush generation have not been the targets of a racist drive to evict them from their country of citizenship. Quite the opposite. They were supposed to be excluded from this dragnet of undesirables. That they were ensnared was a product of incompetence, rather than prejudice. Yet it was inevitable incompetence. The idea you can create an environment of hostility, without contamination of the surrounding area, is a fantasy. Doubly fantastical, when the department supposedly leading the policy was once dubbed not fit for purpose by its own Secretary of State, and has shown precious little sign of shunning that unwanted moniker. But again, to lay the blame at the door of the ill-named Home Department is a fallacy. The hostile environment policy is not a Frankensteins monster that has somehow burst free from a secret lab in the bowels of 2 Marsham Street to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting populace. It is the product of a national consensus. One that includes politicians of all political persuasions, the media, think-tanks and crucially the vast majority of the British people. Its not just the Prime Minister hiding behind Amber Rudd. An entire nation is hiding behind Amber Rudd. Pictured: Amber Rudd speaking during Prime Minsiter's questions earlier this week Do we again need to be reminded of the slow, steady march of public opinion on immigration? The 900,000 votes the BNP secured in the 2009 European elections. The nearly four million votes won by Ukip at the 2015 General Election. The 17 million votes Leave harvested in the EU referendum two years ago. Its clear some people do. Do not try to hide behind me or the Labour Party, Yvette Cooper raged at the Prime Minister on Wednesday. She was warned repeatedly that the damage her obsession with her net migration target was doing. Thats the same Yvette Cooper who castigated Mrs May in 2013 with the words: The backlog in finding failed asylum seekers has gone up. The number of illegal immigrants deported has gone down this is a growing catalogue of failure. Yet illegal immigration is deeply damaging. But while Ms Coopers opportunism is glaring, it is ultimately irrelevant. Yes, she has contributed in her own small way to the hostile environment that underpins Windrush. But in doing so she was simply acting under instruction from the British people. I still remember a meeting I had with David Cameron when he was Prime Minister. If I never had to mention immigration again Id be happy, he told me. Which is the private view of almost every mainstream politician I have ever met. But they have all faced up to an unpalatable but inviolate truth. The public will on immigration cannot be defied without opening a vacuum that is rapidly filled by the street-hawkers of political hate. They are about to be forced to face that truth again. Over the past week there has been a liberal feeding frenzy over Windrush. It has seen us go from righteous rage at the treatment of British citizens, to a misguided attempt to dismantle an effective removals regime, to a stark-staring-bonkers call by Boris Johnson for a blanket amnesty for existing illegal migrants. Now a backlash is looming. A majority of Britons think the Windrush generation has been treated unfairly. But that sense of unfairness does not trump their belief that immigration never mind illegal immigration must be curbed. And they have decided if the way of doing that is a hostile environment for illegal migrants, so be it. WE CANT do this again. We cannot let compassion blind us to reality. The political class and the public are dangerously out of step once more. You cannot feed voters a narrative of crisis in the NHS, housing and schools, and low-wage employment, then expect them to pivot and rage against injustice towards illegal immigrants. Out in the country, Windrush has changed nothing. When the faces of those caught up in the scandal drift from the front pages, the status quo will reassert itself. And it demands harsh medicine for the perceived problem of illegal migration. This is not who we are, a newspaper editorial sombrely intoned this week. But it is. Esther... and her really close ally As the embattled Amber Rudd fights off calls for her resignation, Cabinet colleagues have been rallying to her defence. Well, some Cabinet colleagues. The Home Secretary has managed to get herself embroiled in a legislative tug-of-war with Welfare Secretary Esther McVey over the introduction of a new Immigration Bill. In the wake of Windrush, Rudd wants the Bill kicked into the long grass. McVey is desperate for its introduction, because it clarifies the work and benefit status of EU citizens in the UK. So it was interesting to see Tory backbencher Philip Davies rise at Home Office questions last week to innocently ask: Can the Home Secretary tell us what has happened to the long-awaited and much-needed Immigration Bill and when it might appear before the House? Davies just happens to be the partner of one Esther McVey. A coincidence, Im sure. Former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb has been seen hobbling around Westminster after fracturing his ankle playing rugby against a team of Irish parliamentarians. It was an unfortunate accident, he tells me, although come to think of it, I do think I heard someone saying thats for Brexit just before I hit the ground. I think they call that a hard border. Brexit Secretary David Davis was at the centre of a new row with Downing Street last night over claims that he had demanded the resignation of a key aide to Theresa May. Sources told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Davis had rung No 10 Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell to call for the dismissal of Brexit adviser Olly Robbins, who is trying to drive through plans for a controversial new customs partnership with Brussels. Friends of Mr Davis say that he is growing increasingly frustrated at being squeezed out of crunch Brexit discussions by Mr Robbins, with Mrs May increasingly dismissing Mr Daviss advice on how to handle the EU negotiations in favour of suggestions from her adviser. Mr Davis had rung No 10 Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell to call for the dismissal of Brexit adviser Olly Robbins, a source claimed Last night a source close to Mr Davis confirmed that he had made the call to Mr Barwell but denied that he had demanded that Mr Robbins should be sacked. This newspaper revealed last week that Mr Davis was leading a Cabinet revolt over plans hatched by Mr Robbins to stay in a customs partnership with the EU that would allow the UK to strike trade deals around the world, but required us to collect import tariffs on behalf of Brussels. Mr Davis told No 10 that the idea was unworkable, would be greeted with fury by Brexiteer Tories and wasnt even liked by the EU. Pro-Brexit Tory MPs argue that the customs partnership is a Byzantine scheme designed first to slow down Brexit and then to strangle it. On the morning our story appeared, Mr Davis rang Mr Barwell. A source said: DD told him that there was growing anger in the party over the power which Robbins wields and suggested he be moved. Mrs May will chair a crunch meeting of her Brexit inner Cabinet on Wednesday to thrash out the UKs policy on the customs union. Face to face: David Davis in a meeting with Olly Robbins, left, Britain's EU representative Sir Tim Barrow and an aide An ally of Mr Davis said last night: Despite everything that has been said, it still looks as if the customs partnership is on the table. May needs to be careful because the Brexiteers will simply not tolerate it. No 10 fears that the customs partnership is the only compromise option which will be supported by a majority of MPs and avoids the need for a hard border in Northern Ireland. Mrs May has been warned by party managers that she could lose a crunch vote on her decision to leave the customs union. The vote, which is expected in June, could potentially trigger the collapse of her Government if it binds her to stay in the union. It came as Mr Davis used an interview yesterday to poke fun at Mrs May. Asked if he would run for PM if she fell under a bus, Mr Davis replied: The bus wouldnt dare. The source close to Mr Davis said: No part of the conversation between Mr Barwell and Mr Davis was about Mr Robbins being sacked. Amber Rudd feels hung out to dry by Theresa May over the immigration storm threatening to destroy her career, her allies have told The Mail on Sunday. The Home Secretary is fighting for her political life this weekend after a series of damaging leaks over her handling of the Windrush saga, which has seen post-war Commonwealth citizens who came to Britain singled out for deportation. Ms Rudd will be forced to explain to the Commons tomorrow why she denied knowing about her department setting migrant removal targets only for a memo to then emerge showing that she had been copied in to the details of just such a policy. Scroll down for video Battle for survival: Amber Rudd is fighting for her political life this weekend after a series of damaging leaks over her handling of the Windrush saga It has led to Labour calls for her resignation and growing disquiet among her colleagues. But allies of Ms Rudd complain that she has been left isolated by No 10 and let down by her officials at the Home Office. One said: Amber has been caught in a s*** sandwich. There has been no support from Downing Street, either politically or in terms of communications. The whole purpose seems to have been to circle the tanks around the Prime Minister to make sure that she doesnt take any collateral damage from the affair. She has also been let down by her officials. When she has gone to them for information she has been given duff steers on figures and targets. Another sympathetic colleague of Ms Rudd said that her job had been made almost impossible by the attitude of Downing Street. She hasnt been allowed to do the job in her own way, the colleague said. While [Defence Secretary] Gavin Williamson does his own thing, briefing the press without telling No 10 and arranging his own trips, Amber doesnt get the same leeway. The people around the PM are engaged in an operation to keep her in place until the next Election. They are driven by the desire to keep their jobs as long as possible and see Amber as a threat to that. Ms Rudd told the Commons on Thursday that she had never agreed to specific targets for removing migrants. But a day later a memo emerged which set a a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18 Ms Rudds friends also point the finger at Brexit-supporting Cabinet Ministers such as Michael Gove, claiming that they have seized the chance to destabilise her behind the scenes because of her support for a soft Brexit, including membership of a customs union. Ms Rudd was urged to hit back by counter-briefing against the Brexiteers, but she has told colleagues she didnt want to play that game. One friend said: In many ways she is too nice for her own good. We had noticed a spate of critical articles appearing which were written by friends of Gove. But she didnt want to go down that route. Mr Gove denies any agenda against Ms Rudd. Yesterday he defended her by pointing to the large number of memos and emails that Ministers receive and describing her as a highly talented and highly effective Minister. Ms Rudd told the Commons on Thursday that she had never agreed to specific targets for removing migrants. But a day later a memo emerged which had been sent to the Home Secretary saying that officials had set a a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18. It also revealed that we have exceeded our target of assisted returns and that progress had been made on achieving the ten per cent increase in deportations promised to Ms Rudd. She responded by saying: I will be making a statement in the House of Commons on Monday in response to legitimate questions that have arisen on targets and illegal migration. I wasnt aware of specific removal targets. I accept I should have been and Im sorry that I wasnt. I didnt see the leaked document, although it was copied to my office as many documents are. Ms Rudd will be recalled to give evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee over the leaked memo. Committee chairman, Labour MP Yvette Cooper, said: We have been given inaccurate information twice. This is a serious concern and I am calling Amber Rudd to come back and give further evidence. A No 10 source said: The Prime Minister has made clear that the Home Secretary has her complete confidence. Roads across Scotland are set to become the slowest in Europe under a 5 million plan to impose lower speed limits in areas where 30mph currently applies. A draft law setting 20mph as the nations default speed limit in every village, town and city is to be launched in the Scottish Parliament within weeks. Councils across Britain have already set 20mph limits in certain areas, but those behind the latest plan want Scotland to become a world leader by introducing the slowdown nationwide. The Bill, to be unveiled by Greens MSP Mark Ruskell, is expected to have enough cross-party support, including from the SNP, to be passed at Holyrood. A draft law setting 20mph as the nations default speed limit in every village, town and city is to be launched in the Scottish Parliament within weeks The Scottish Government is keeping an open mind about a nationwide approach. However, Scots Tories warned a blanket limit is unnecessary, while hauliers fear it will damage business, hitting the economy. If the Bill passes, local authorities are likely to be given 18 months to erect signs, before bringing the legislation into force. The campaign group 20s Plenty for Us estimates new signs and a Scotland-wide publicity campaign would cost taxpayers 5 million. However, they insist this cost would be dwarfed by the amount saved from the reduction in casualties. Mr Ruskell said last night: The case for 20mph has been won. The consultation last year had an overwhelming response. The benefits of speed reduction are well understood and supported by the World Health Organization and OECD. It may sound like a suicide mission, but the latest attraction for adrenaline junkies is swimming with crocodiles. Tourists pay more than 5,000 to dive into a river in Botswana to swim alongside 12ft-long Nile crocodiles. The creatures, which weigh up to half a ton and can kill a man with one snap of their massive jaws, are responsible for killing hundreds people every year. The experience is organised by tour operator Big Animals, which assures thrill-seekers that the cold waters of the Okavango Delta, where the trips take place, make the crocodiles lethargic and slow. Tourists pay more than 5,000 to dive into a river in Botswana to swim alongside 12ft-long Nile crocodiles. The creatures can kill a man with one snap of their massive jaws Divers are urged to descend quickly below the surface the crocodiles kill zone and ensure they are not seen as a silhouette against the sun Divers are urged to descend quickly below the surface the crocodiles kill zone and ensure they are not seen as a silhouette against the sun, which will make them likely to be seen as a potential meal. Wearing scuba gear, the group follow an expedition leader behind a crocodile, and when the time is right, one by one they will swim forward to be alongside it. British holidaymaker Tony Rowlands, 62, braved the dive and emerged not only intact but ecstatic. He said: It was wonderful. You can swim up close to this massive prehistoric animal, knowing he could tear you to shreds in seconds but he doesnt, and its wonderful. Wearing scuba gear, the group follow an expedition leader behind a crocodile, and when the time is right, one by one they will swim forward to be alongside it In a small team accompanied by crocodile spotters and experienced divers familiar with the territory, he went out each morning at daybreak in a flat-bottomed boat. Mr Rowlands, who owns property companies in Liverpool, said: We were quiet, looking all the time for a big croc warming himself on a riverbank. The big old ones are the best they can be around 50 years old and they are scared of nothing and have no reason to be skittish. Theyre the last of the dinosaurs for a reason. Theyre survivors and theyre clever. Remembering the moment he swam alongside a crocodile, the former Royal Navy sailor said: I thought to myself, I should be more worried than I am this is completely insane. Amos Nachoum, of California-based Big Animals, said: This is for people who want the ultimate experience but who are also experienced divers. Before the dive, tourists have to sign a document waiving the Botswanan government and Big Animals of responsibility should anything go wrong. The complexity of the situation in the Middle East calls for continued coordination between Egypt and France, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told France's Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency. El-Sisi apprised Le Drian about the efforts being exerted by Egypt to combat terrorism, which El-Sisi described as "humanity's number one enemy," the statement read. The meeting was attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, acting Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and the French envoy to Cairo. The Egyptian president stressed the importance of continued work to upgrade cooperation between the two countries, as well as the exchange of visits by senior officials to strengthen bilateral relations, especially in the field of combating terrorism. Le Drian conveyed to El-Sisi greetings from Macron, and expressed his country's appreciation for the special relations it shares with Egypt, saying Paris considers Cairo one of its most important partners in the region. El-Sisi and Le Drian discussed the ongoing crises in a number of countries in the region, including developments in Libya and Syria. The Egyptian president and the French FM agreed that there has been relative progress in Libya, and stressed the need to hold elections in the country before the end of the year, especially given that the situation in Libya affects the security and stability of the Mediterranean region, according to the statement. On Syria, El-Sisi reiterated Egypt's stance that the Syrian crisis should be solved through a political settlement to ensure the unity of Syrian territory and meet the wishes of the Syrian people while alleviating human suffering. Last week, El-Sisi expressed to French president Macron his concern about military escalation in Syria, referring to the recent strikes by the US, the UK, and France against Syrian government targets. Macron told El-Sisi that the strikes came within the framework of international legitimacy and were a response to the use of banned chemical weapons in Syria. Search Keywords: Short link: Sir Vince Cable mocks anti-immigration fanatics by saying that if they had their way, Prince Harry would not be marrying Meghan Markle. Many Meghans werent lucky enough to fall in love with a Prince, says the Liberal Democrat leader. They are denied visas and split from their partners because it is said they are bogus. Many Meghans werent lucky enough to fall in love with a Prince, says the Liberal Democrat leader Tory toff Jacob Rees-Mogg loped up to fellow anti-Brussels MP Mike Penning to ask him why he hadnt joined the European Research Group Jacobs mob of hard Brexiteer Conservatives. Penning, a tough nut ex-squaddie educated at an Essex comprehensive, told the Old Etonian: Because you are the leader, Jacob. Gent JRM replied: Not at all, Michael. I quite understand... North Korean leader Kim Jong Un A handy reason for a summit with Kim One of Boris Johnsons Foreign Office aides has a mischievous new explanation as to why Donald Trump is so keen to be seen gladhanding the new peace loving North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their forthcoming summit. Kim is the only world leader with even titchier hands and feet than Trump, said Boriss bag carrier. No one can accuse embattled Home Secretary Amber Rudd of losing her sense of humour. The ex-Cheltenham Ladies College girl was teased over her relaxed dress code at school when she bumped into a fellow ex-pupil. She looked me and up and down and said, I see youre still a real mess, recalled Amber. Not as big as the immigration mess she is in. Ken's corking payday Producing Election broadcasts for Jeremy Corbyn last year was clearly not just a labour of love for arch-Leftie film director Ken Loach. Campaign receipts reveal that Loach charged Labour 132,000 for his films, including a glowing profile of Jezza dubbed Corbyn: The Movie by adoring fans. That buys a lot of fizz for champagne socialists like Ken. Margaret Thatcher made a bizarre last-gasp bid to ditch her ill-fated Poll Tax Margaret Thatcher made a bizarre last-gasp bid to ditch her ill-fated Poll Tax, according to a new book by former aide Caroline Slocock. It says she changed her mind after an elderly couple, Mr and Mrs Jones from Great Snoring in Norfolk, wrote to her calling her a Poll Tax dictator. Maggie told Chancellor John Major to help conscientious people like the Joneses. The Snoring wake-up call was too late. Alastair Campbell denies lying as Tony Blairs spin doctor. A timely new book by campaigning journalist Miles Goslett reminds us of his disgusting role in events leading up to the death of MoD weapons expert Dr David Kelly in Blairs Iraq War WMDs scandal. Bully boy Campbell had to quit No 10 as a result. He can deny he lied. But not that a man died. The RAFs legendary Dambuster squadron has reformed to take possession of Britains 9billion stealth fighter fleet after the jets finally completed its ten-year test flight programme. The 617 Squadron, set up in 1943 to destroy German dams, returned to active service after a ceremony in the United States where the F-35 Lightning jet, below, has been developed. The RAFs legendary Dambuster squadron has reformed with a 9billion stealth fighter fleet after the jets finally completed its ten-year test flight programme. Beset by cost overruns and technical issues, the F-35 is the UKs most costliest weapons project. Britain is expected to buy at least 48 from US firm Lockheed Martin by 2025 for 9.1 billion and fly them from the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The first nine jets will arrive from August. Group Captain James Beck, of the test team, said: Its capabilities are incredible, particularly its radar. I can see targets from further ahead than I ever thought possible. Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the new US embassy in Nine Elms, London, saying it is in a 'lousy' and 'horrible' location and cost too much. The US president, who is visiting the UK on July 13, lashed out again at the move from Grosvenor Square in the centre of the capital to a new location south of the Thames. Speaking at a rally in Michigan, he said: 'In the UK, in London, we had the best site in all of London. The best site. President Donald Trump walks towards the podium to speak at a rally at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan, yesterday 'Well, some genius said, we're gonna sell the site and then we're going to take the money and build a new embassy... 'They go out and they buy a horrible location. And they build a new embassy. That's the good news. The bad news is it cost over a billion dollars.' Mr Trump, a billionaire who made his fortune as a property magnate, cancelled a planned trip to London to open the embassy earlier this year, complaining the move to an 'off location' south of the Thames had been a 'bad deal'. It is thought his decision may have been driven by a fear of protests in the capital. However he repeated his assertion that it was down to dissatisfaction with the embassy project. He told the rally: 'By the way, they wanted me to cut the ribbon on the embassy and I said I'm not going. I don't wanna do it. I said, 'I'm not cutting that ribbon'. I said 'I'm not going'.' Blaming his predecessors for the embassy move, Mr Trump called it a 'Bush-Obama special', that 'could have been stopped by Obama'. But in an emollient last comment he said: 'Hey, hopefully we'll have many years of success with that embassy.' Mr Trump blamed his predecessors for the project, calling it a 'Bush-Obama special', adding later: 'Hopefully we'll have many years of success with that embassy.' The US president is angry at the embassy being moved to Nine Elms, south of the River Thames Mr Trump also attacked the European Union, China and other nations over trade, threatening to 'take on' the bloc and superpower. Addressing a rally in Michigan, the US president said the EU 'sounds so nice' but it was 'formed to take advantage of the US'. Mr Trump said he does 'not blame them (the EU). I blame past presidents'. He told supporters: 'Long-term you're going to be so happy... or we are not doing business with these guys.' The US president lashed out again at the move from Grosvenor Square (pictured) Mr Trump attacked familiar enemies and added fresh targets for his scorn during the campaign-style speech in Michigan. He criticised Democratic Senator Jon Tester for announcing allegations of unprofessional conduct by Mr Trump's now-withdrawn nominee to Veterans Affairs, White House doctor Ronny Jackson. The president says he 'knows things' about Mr Tester that could lead to the Montana senator losing his bid for re-election, but Mr Trump didn't elaborate. Mr Trump also pointed to Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow as an impediment, telling his audience that Michigan voters are at fault because they keep re-electing her. Mr Trump appeared in Washington Township, Michigan, on the same night as the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, telling his audience he would rather be with them than in Washington DC. Michigan is one of the states in the Upper Midwest that Hillary Clinton counted on in 2016 but saw slip away. In fact, Mr Trump was the first Republican presidential nominee to capture Michigan since George HW Bush in 1988. The lawyer representing adult-film star Stormy Daniels photobombed two top Trump administration officials on Saturday as they were being interviewed on the red carpet at the White House Correspondents dinner. While speaking with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and senior adviser Kellyanne Conway appeared blissfully unaware that just behind them, attorney Michael Avenatti was stealing their air-time. Peering coyly into the camera for nearly 20 seconds, the 47-year-old Los Angeles lawyer can be seen smiling in the background nearly the whole time Conway answers questions on why Trump had failed to make an appearance. Scroll down for video Press Secretary Sarah Hucakbee Sanders (in blue) and senior adviser Kellyanne Conway (white) appeared blissfully unaware that Michael Avenatti (R) was stealing their air-time Peering coyly into the camera for nearly 20 seconds, the 47-year-old Los Angeles lawyer immediately grabbed the Internet's attention Avenatti can be seen smiling in the background nearly the whole time Conway answers one question posed by CNN Watch Michael Avenatti photobomb Kellyanne Conway on #WHCD red carpet pic.twitter.com/NTurecd6M6 The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 29, 2018 '[Trump] obviously appreciates this type of format... at the same time I predict confidently, Kaitlan, that next year he'll have more economic and security news to tell - so he'll probably be out there among the folks who want the President to visit their community,' Conway said. The cheeky stunt almost immediately caught the attention of the internet, with social media users heaping praise on the attorney's 'top notch trolling.' Avenatti, who has been a constant thorn in the side of the administration since allegations of an illicit affair between Daniels and President Donald Trump surfaced earlier this year, attended the dinner as a guest of the Associated Press. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, declined numerous invitations to the star-studded gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway (L) and attorney Michael Avenatti (R) attend the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 28, 2018 Avenatti, who has been a constant thorn in the side of the administration, attended the dinner as a guest of the Associated Press While declining to appear himself, Sanders said that the President encouraged White House officials and senior staffers to attend the correspondents dinner, The cheeky stunt almost immediately caught the attention of the internet, with social media users heaping praise on the attorney's 'top notch trolling' It remains unclear which media outlets extended invitations to the porn-starlet. Trump chose not to attend this year's White House Correspondent's dinner, electing instead to hold a campaign rally in Michigan. The president, who has a famously adversarial relationship with the press, also skipped last year's White House Correspondence event. While declining to appear himself, Sanders said that the President encouraged White House officials and senior staffers to attend the correspondents dinner, saying that he thought 'it was important for all of us to be here.' Moments after speaking with senior White House officials, Avenatti was asked to appear in front of the CNN camera and share his thoughts concerning the President's absence. 'I think it's entirely disrespectful,' Avenatti said. 'I think its disrespectful to the first amendment. I think it's disrespectful to the constitution. I think its disrespectful to one of the founding principles this nation was founded on.' Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels speaks outside US Federal Court with her lawyer Avenatti (R) in Lower Manhattan, New York April 16, 2018 Trump, who has a famously adversarial relationship with the press, also skipped last year's White House Correspondence event Avenatti continued his blistering rebuke of Trump by stating: 'if you can't laugh at yourself, you have no business of being in the position [of President] quite honestly.' 'I don't know why he's hiding tonight, the only excuse that's good enough for me... is if he's getting ready for his next Fox and Friends appearance,' he added. Aventatti is representing Daniels in a matter related to an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006 and suing to dissolve a confidentiality agreement that prevents her from discussing it. She's also suing the President's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, alleging defamation. Daniels is also suing the President's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen (pictured), alleging defamation Cohen said in court records submitted recently that FBI agents had seized his electronic devices and documents that contain information about a $130,000 payment Daniels received as as part of an agreement signed just weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Agents also seized communications with his lawyer, Brent Blakely, about the civil case, Cohen said. Daniels has offered to return the $130,000 and argues the agreement is legally invalid because it was only signed by her and Cohen, not by Trump. Cohen, who has denied there was ever an affair between Daniels and Trump, said he paid the money out of his pocket using a home equity loan. He has said neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Daniels and he was not reimbursed for the payment. Trump answered questions about Daniels for the first time earlier this month and said he had no knowledge of the payment made by Cohen and didn't know where Cohen had gotten the money. The White House has repeatedly said Trump denies the affair. Trump said Thursday that Cohen handles very little of his legal work, but did represent him in the 'crazy Stormy Daniels deal.' Cohen's attorneys have accused Daniels of violating the confidentiality clauses more than 20 times and said she could be liable for $1 million in damages for each violation. A grandfather who weighs 400lbs has pleaded guilty to smothering his 11-year-old autistic step-grandson to death while trying to calm him Donald Martin Jr, 58, of Mt Orab, Ohio, faces three years behind bars after he was convicted on Friday of causing the death of step-grandson Dylan Davis-Martin. Martin was at home with his wife and Dylan on November 17 last year. The boy, who was mildly autistic, started to have a tantrum, and hit his grandmother. That is when Martin pinned the boy to the couch, holding him down. In a call to 911, Melinda Davis said of her grandson, ''He came home and he threw a fit. The police... they come here all the time for him. He threw a fit. My husband was holding him down. He got sick... and then I think he just passed out.' Donald Martin, 58, in court on Thursday pleaded guilty to killing his step-grandson Dylan Davis Dylan Davis, in a family photo, was mildly autistic and prone to tantrums, according to his dad Dylan was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis called the death a 'family tragedy' and told WKRC My understanding was he was actually holding the juvenile down over the couch, the couch arm, restraining him and it appears that during the act of holding him down over a period of time there was a positional or compression asphyxiation.' Shortly after the boy died, Donald Martin was charged with reckless homicide. And he plead guilty on Thursday. Donald Miller, 58, in his mug shot, faces up to three years behind bars when he is sentenced on May 8. Sam Davis, left said that Dylan, right was a great kid and everybody loved him. Dylan's father, Sam Davis said that he fears that Donald Martin will get probation, and he doesn't think that is enough saying, 'maybe some jail time. At least some jail time would have been appropriate but that's just my opinion.' The maximum sentence is three years in prison, but Sam has reportedly been told not to expect Martin to be jailed. Prosecutor Zac Corbin told the outlet that it is up to the judge, but points out that Martin has no criminal record. 'So, the judge will look at that when he imposes a sentence and then do what he feels is justice.' Sam Davis says no matter what happens, nothing will bring back his son, 'he was a real good kid. He was a pleasure to be around. Everybody loved him,' Martin's sentencing is scheduled for May 8. Seoul says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to shut down the country's nuclear test site in May and reveal the process to experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea. Seoul's presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said Sunday Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday. Yoon says Kim also said President Donald Trump will learn he's 'not a person' to fire missiles toward the United States. The Kim-Trump meeting is anticipated in May or June. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) pose for photos in front of Bukhansan Peace House on Friday. On Saturday Kim announced he would be shutting down his nuclear testing site Kim and President Moon Jae-in embrace after signing the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula Yoon says North Korea also plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the South's. The North in 2015 created its own 'Pyongyang Time' by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. The announcement came just hours after Trump took credit for the progression in the peace talks during a summit in Michigan. Shouts of 'Nobel, Nobel' - a reference to the Nobel Peace Prize - met his claim to have engineered Friday's historic summit between Kim and President Moon Jae-in. 'I had one of the fake news groups this morning. They were saying, 'what do you think President Trump had to do with it?' Trump said. 'I'll tell you what. Like, how about everything?' The President added that his South Korean counterpart had thanked him for making the summit possible in a phone call on Saturday. The announcement came just hours after Trump took credit for the progression in the peace talks during a summit in Michigan (above) North Korea's nuclear testing site is seen in an aerial photograph Earlier on Saturday, Trump said he had 'a long and very good talk' with the South Korean president, who's just had a historic meeting with North Korea's leader. He also tweeted that 'things are going very well, time and location' of meeting with Kim are being set. Trump says that besides talking with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, he's updated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about 'the ongoing negotiations.' Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War by year's end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he's looking forward to the meeting with Kim and that it 'should be quite something.' It is tentatively scheduled for May or early June. Shouts of 'Nobel, Nobel' during the rally - a reference to the Nobel Peace Prize - met his claim to have engineered Friday's historic summit between Kim and President Moon Jae-in Earlier on Saturday, Trump said he had 'a long and very good talk' with the South Korean president, who's just had a historic meeting with North Korea's leader On Friday, Trump celebrated from afar as the two Korean leaders met and said that the US should be 'very proud' of it South Korean President Moon Jae-in toasts North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju at the truce village of Panmunjom during a dinner event Fond farewell: The first ladies of North and South Korea embrace as their husbands watch on at the end of the historic summit Trump visited Seoul in November 2017 and formed a good relationship with Jae-In CBS's Major Garrett cites sources who say Mongolia and Singapore are the favorites to host the Trump and Kim meeting. Trump would not be drawn on the details of where the meeting will take place or when but told reporters on Friday that it would happen in the next few weeks. 'We're down to two countries as to a site, and we'll let you know what that site is,' he said, during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Moon vowed earlier this week 'there will be no more war' and the pair agreed to 'complete denuclearisation', a stunning victory after months of frightening threats and missile tests. A rental property has sustained thousands of dollars in damage and four police vehicles have been smashed after officers arrived to shut down an out-of-control party in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning. The party, held at a property in North Melbourne, was an online rental booked under a false name and bears striking similarities to a spate of recent wild parties throughout the city. Police arrived at the 17 Shands Lane address at about 2am in response to noise complaints and were pelted with rubbish and other objects, including damage to four police cars at the scene. Four police cars and a rental property have been smashed and damaged after police arrived at an out-of-control party in North Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning No arrests have been made and witnesses are continuing to be questioned by police. Police are speaking to the owners of the property and investigating the details of the person who made the rental booking 'It's outrageous. It's criminal behaviour and we won't tolerate it,' Senior Sergeant Adam Tanner told the media on Sunday. The partygoers allegedly shouted 'you can't come in ... get a warrant' when police knocked on the door, a witness told 7 News. The party guests have been described as being of African appearance, Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia. Around 50 youths were found at the party and were asked to leave but police discovered 'significant damage' had been made to the property. Numerous items were recorded as stolen such as a TV and microwave and walls that had been 'punched or kicked in', Sergeant Tanner explained. Around 50 youths were found at the party and were asked to leave but police discovered 'significant damage' had been made to the property including stolen items such as TV and microwave Numerous items were recorded as stolen such as a TV and microwave and walls that had been 'punched or kicked in', (pictured) Sergeant Tanner explained 'The group dispersed but then began throwing objects at police from a nearby laneway,' leading Senior Constable Lee Thomson said. Police took cover for safety and later found their patrol cars had been significantly damaged with smashed windscreens, some side mirrors kicked off and panels dented. Neighbours described waking to the sounds of banging and shouting, abusive language and youths jumping and running across police cars. 'They were running down the street and jumping on the cars,' a father of two and resident of the area told the Herald Sun. Another resident Meg Moorhouse said the party-goers became violent quickly, loitering in the alleyway and using 'abusive language' toward police. 'It was aggressive,' she told the Herald Sun. Neighbours described waking to the sounds of banging and shouting, abusive language and youths jumping and running across police cars. 'They were running down the street and jumping on the cars,' a father of two and resident of the area told the Herald Sun Neighbours described waking to the sounds of banging and shouting, abusive language and youths jumping and running across police cars before police discovered 'significant damage' had been made to the property (pictured) 'They were drinking in the alley. They left broken bottles and were yelling.' 'I think they [party attendees] need to party in normal places ... whether it's in pubs or in public areas that are enforceable by law, or in their own homes,' another neighbour told 7 News. The youths reportedly did not leave the street until about 8am, and it's the second out-of-control party to have been hosted at the property over the past fortnight, according to neighbours. The $460 per night four-star North Melbourne rental home was listed on multiple rental sites but the 'strict house rules' include 'no parties' and noise levels needing to 'be kept at an appropriate level at all times'. The party, held at a property in North Melbourne, was an online rental booked under a false name and bears striking similarities to a spate of recent wild parties throughout Melbourne The $460 per night four-star North Melbourne rental home was listed on multiple rental sites but the 'strict house rules' include 'no parties' Police arrived at the 17 Shands Lane address at about 2am in response to noise complaints and were pelted with rubbish and other objects, including damage to four police cars at the scene No arrests have been made and witnesses are continuing to be questioned by police. Police are speaking to the owners of the property and investigating the details of the person who made the rental booking. The police vehicles are also being processed by crime scene services and distinctive footprints have been recorded from the scene. Piles of rubbish and broken glass can still be seen outside the property and a locksmith was seen changing the locks. Piles of rubbish and broken glass can still be seen outside the property and a locksmith was seen changing the lock The police vehicles are also being processed by crime scene services and distinctive footprints (pictured) have been recorded from the scene Donald Trump claimed at a rally on Saturday he had 'everything to do' with Friday's peace summit between North and South Korea, prompting chants of 'Nobel, Nobel' from supporters. Addressing a rowdy crowd in Washington Township, Michigan, the President said the 'very good meeting' between the leaders of both countries had come about because of his own diplomatic skill. 'I had one of the fake news groups this morning. They were saying, "what do you think President Trump had to do with it?" Trump said. 'I'll tell you what. Like, how about everything?' Addressing a rowdy crowd in Washington Township, Michigan, the President said the 'very good meeting' between the leaders of both countries had come about because of his own diplomatic skill Friday's summit saw Kim Jong-un shake hands with President Moon Jae-in and then step into the south - the first time a North Korean leader has crossed the border since the Korean War. The pair then held a series of talks. Trump told the rally Moon had phoned him on Saturday and thanked him for making the meeting possible, prompting crowd members to call for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. However, Trump did not go into any details about his contribution. He also revealed that his planned meeting with Kim would take place within 'three or four weeks', and added that he was intent on securing a deal that would lead to the dictator giving up his missiles. At Friday's summit, the North and South agreed to a common goal of 'complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean peninsula' - although many experts are wary about what Kim will demand in return for giving up his arsenal. Friday's summit saw Kim Jong-un shake hands with President Moon Jae-in and then step into the south This was the first time a North Korean leader has crossed the border since the Korean War. The pair then held a series of talks Trump insisted the progress made at the summit at vindicated his approach to the region. Referring to his critics, Trump told Saturday's rally: 'He's going to lead us into a nuclear war, they said. No, strength will save us from a nuclear war.' The rally, which was deliberately timed to coincide with the White House Correspondents Dinner, saw the President discuss a number of other key grassroots conservative issues. These included appointing conservative judges, protecting tax cuts approved by the Republican-led Congress, and reforming US immigration laws, which Trump branded 'the dumbest in the world'. Trump also revealed that his planned meeting with Kim would take place within 'three or four weeks', and added that he was intent on securing a deal that would lead to the dictator giving up his missiles It came as Seoul revealed the Kim regime plans to shut its nuclear testing site in May and reveal the process to outside experts and reporters. Revealing the pledge, South Korea announced Kim Jong Un said Donald Trump will get to know the North Korean leader is 'not a person' to aim missiles at US. Seoul's presidential spokesman, Yoon Young-chan, said Mr Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean president Moon Jae-In on Friday. Where did it go? The tree that President Trump planted with French President Emmanuel Macron is no longer on the South Lawn of the White House, instead there is a patch of discolored grass. The sapling, a European Sessile Oak, was a gift during the State visit of the French president and his wife. In making the gift the French president tweeted, 'this Oak Tree, (my gift to @realDonaldTrump) will be a reminder at the White House of these ties that bind us.' Macron was referring to the World War I Battle of Belleau which was 100 years ago this June. 9000 US Marines were killed in the battle. On Monday, Presidents Trump and Macron, and First Ladies Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron strode across the South Lawn for a photo op planting the tree. President Emmanuel Macron tweeted about the significance of his gift as he and President Trump 'planted' the tree. Presidents Trump (l) and Macron (r) shovel dirt onto the sapling as their wives look on From left, President Trump, Brigitte Macron, Melania Trump and President Macron pose with the freshly planted tree In a photo from Saturday a patch of yellowing grass is all there is where the sapling stood on Monday With the small tree already in the ground, Presidents Trump and Macron took turn pouring dirt over the tree's roots. It was the photo op that launched a thousand memes, as people noticed everything from the first ladies' poses, to the fact that the gift might have been a not-so-subtle reminder that Trump backed out of the Paris Climate Accord. And many many comments on wearing stilettos in grass! Some tweeters thought the tree was a not-so-subtle message about climate change Twitter had fun with the photo, and everything from the wives' stilletos to Melania's hand But now the tree is gone. Reuters, on Saturday posted a picture of a patch of uneven, yellowed grass where the planting photo was taken. The White House has not commented on where the tree is now. Puppies have been stolen from a pet store in Melbourne as police launch a manhunt to track down the gutless thieves. The manager of the Rainbow Jungle Pet Superstore in Camberwell in the city's east found the shop broken into late on Saturday night. She was alerted to the break-in but found four cavoodles were gone and immediately notified police after the theft at around 11.20pm triggered the store alarm. Puppies have been stolen from a pet store in Melbourne as police launch a manhunt to track down the gutless thieves The four cavoodle puppies aged between seven weeks and nine weeks old had only been at the store for a week before they were taken. Cavoodles are a cross breed between Cavalier King Charles spaniels and poodles. Two male dogs had been on sale by the store for $3,000. The value of the other two missing dogs has not been revealed. Victoria Police is now urging members of the public in the area around Toorak Road who may have seen anything to come forward. The four cavoodle puppies aged between seven weeks and nine weeks old had been taken from the shop on Saturday night People are also asked to report anything they hear about or if they see the missing dogs. Footage from CCTV cameras is set to be reviewed by detectives on Monday, a spokesman for Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia. Initial inquiries has detected a door at the back of the business had been forced open from an alley. The spokesman said: 'We are appealing to the person or people responsible for the theft to get the puppies to an animal shelter as they are quite young and need the right care and attention.' The manager of the Rainbow Jungle Pet Superstore in Camberwell in the city's east found the shop broken into late on Saturday night They added residents should stay aware about 'a new addition or additions regarding Cavoodle pups in their neighbourhood'. In an earlier statement, Victoria Police said: 'Police are investigating after four Cavoodle puppies were stolen from a Camberwell pet store last night. 'The manager of the Toorak Road shop was notified that the store alarm had been triggered about 11.20pm. 'She attended the store and notified police after realising it had been broken into.' Anyone with information is asked to contact police via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au France did not request that Egypt send troops to Syria, Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry said during a presser with his French counterpart Le Drian after holding talks in Cairo Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian held a press conference in Cairo Sunday on regional issues including Syria, Libya and Palestine, as well as political and economic bilateral relations after holding talks. During the press conference, Shoukry said that Egypt appreciates its strong relationship with France. "There are solid historical relations between the two countries," Shoukry said, adding that there is mutual interest to develop relations politically, economically, and culturally. Shoukry added that France has an interest and passion for ancient Egyptian heritage, as well as modern Egypt and its road to the future. Shoukry explained that he and Le Drian discussed during their meeting the situations in Syria and Libya and the Palestinian issue, as well as the efforts to combat terrorism, adding that there is a "correspondence in viewpoints between the two countries on all issues." Le Drian said "I am happy to be back here. This is my 10th visit to Egypt as a minister, as I was first a minister of defense and later a foreign minister." The French FM said he appreciates the clarity in the relationship between his country and Egypt, as well as the mutual trust and conformity of vision regarding different issues. "This shows that Egypt is a friend and partner country to us, especially amid what the region is facing in terms of conflicts," Le Drian said. Earlier today, Le Drian met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to discuss bilateral relations and a number of regional issues. Le Drian highlighted during the presser major issues he discussed with President El-Sisi, which he said included Syria and the importance of consolidating international efforts for a solution to the crisis there. "We spoke about a political solution which would lead to a roadmap for the Syrian crisis," he said, adding that France supports the territorial integrity of Syria. Le Drian said that he also discussed with President El-Sisi the crisis in Libya, stressing the importance of abiding with the political roadmap set by UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salama, which stipulates that elections should be held before the end of the year. He also said that "there is a matching of viewpoints" between Cairo and Paris on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Syria crisis In an answer to a reporters question, Shoukry said that France did not request that Egypt send military forces to Syria, in reference to a circulating US proposal to send a multinational force to the war-stricken country. On the recent US-Britain-France airstrikes against the government of Bashar Al-Assad, Le Drian said "I have to stress that if France decided to launch a direct and specific strike on targets in Syria linked with chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, that this is a matter of principle to us to object to the proliferation of chemical weapons." "We have to cooperate with the countries of significant weight to end the Syrian crisis," Le Drian added. Last week, President El-Sisi expressed to French President Macron his concern about a military escalation in Syria following the western airstrikes. Egypt has maintained a position of support to the territorial integrity of Syria and the need for a political solution to end the crisis in the country. A question on the dam The Egyptian foreign minister was asked by a journalist during the press conference about updates on the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam negotiations. "Egypt is keen on dealing with the dam issue within the framework of the agreement between the leaders of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia during their meeting on the sidelines of the African summit last January," Shoukry said. In January, the leaders of the three countries set a one-month deadline from 5 April to 5 May to hold a trilateral technical meeting to end a stand-off in negotiations over the construction of the dam. Shoukry revealed that Egypt has agreed to recent proposals from Ethiopia to hold the trilateral technical committee meetings on 4 May, with another meeting related to further talks to be held on 15 May. "Despite our preference that the meetings be held within the timeframe [set in January], we have demonstrated our acceptance of the upcoming dates since Egypt is keen on communication and interaction to reach a point of connection to preserve the interests of the three countries," he said. Economic cooperation Le Drian concluded that France will continue to help Egypt in mega projects, as well as projects in the energy field, through supporting French companies operating in the country. According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, trade between Egypt and France reached 2.5 billion euros by the end of 2017, rising from 2.1 billion euros in 2016. Egypt is currently the first destination for French exports in the MENA region at 1.9 billion euros. France occupies the 6th place in the list of foreign investors in Egypt, and the third largest European investor in the Egyptian market with investments worth 4.4 billion Euro. Egypt is the third largest destination for direct French investments in the MENA region with 140 French companies operating in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: David Hogg, 18, was the Daily Beast's guest for the White House Correspondent's Dinner in Washington D.C. on Saturday Parkland survivor David Hogg made an appearance at the White House Correspondent's Dinner on Saturday. The 18-year-old gun control activist was a guest of liberal news site the Daily Beast and attended the event with fellow gun violence survivor Zion Kelly. Kelly's twin brother was shot dead last year by a robber who had tried assaulting Kelly just hours before near their Washington D.C. home. Hogg has become one of the leading voices for gun control and a constant media presence since a shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in February. Personalities such as Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan and former Obama Ethics czar and CNN commentator Norm Eisen posed for pictures with the young activist. 'We are counting on the next generation to lead us alllike David Hogg,' Eisen wrote on Twitter. Hogg has said he wants to be a journalist, and the Daily Beast's editor in chief John Avlon said he was 'delighted' to have him as the publication's guest at the event. The gun control activist attended the event with fellow gun violence survivor Zion Kelly Personalities such as Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (right) and former Obama Ethics czar and CNN commentator Norm Eisen (left) posed for pictures with the young activist. Earlier on Saturday he tweeted: 'I don't think I've had more of a productive day in my life.' The teen said he was working with Kelly and got six congressmen to sign the NoNRAmoney pledge- a national campaign demanding that political candidates reject funding from the powerful gun lobby group. Fellow Parkland survivor and activist Charlie Mirsky also attended the event. The White House Correspondents' Association dinner was the second in a row without the president and was held at the Washington Hilton while Trump went to a campaign-style rally in Michigan. Kelly's twin brother was shot dead last year by a robber who had tried assaulting Kelly just hours before near their Washington D.C. home Fellow Parkland survivor and activist Charlie Mirsky also attended the yearly event Unlike last year's event, some of the top current White House staff are in attendance this year, signalling a possible thaw in Trump's often contentious relationship with the press. They included press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway. Ex-White House staffers were also in abundance at the event, including former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman, ousted Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn, ex-chief of staff Reince Priebus and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The DC journalism elite was also out in force, of course, including CNN personalities Jake Tapper and Don Lemon. Comedian Kathy Griffin, who created uproar last year by posing with a fake severed Trump head, also made an appearance on the red carpet. A 33-year-old woman has been reported missing from Bondi in Sydney amid serious concerns for her welfare. Lucy Liang was last seen on Roscoe Street, less than a kilometre from Bondi Beach, about 8pm on Saturday. The woman is described as being of Asian appearance, approximately 175cm tall, with a slim build, shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. Lucy Liang (pictured) a 33-year-old woman has been reported missing from Bondi in Sydney. She is described as being of Asian appearance, approximately 175cm tall, with a slim build, shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes It is believed she was wearing a grey hooded top, grey tracksuit pants and ugg boots. Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command are conducting searches of the area for the woman and are appealing for public assistance. Anyone who sees her is urged to contact Crime Stoppers or Waverley Police Station on 9369 9899. Michelle Wolf's routine for the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton was raunchy and controversial at times. It including one joke about abortion that visibly unsettled the crowd, and personal attacks on White House staffers present, including a visibly uncomfortable Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary. But Wolf also drew laughs with her wide-ranging attacks on politicians and the media, and especially President Donald Trump. Here are some of the highlights: ON PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 'Like a porn star says when she's about to have sex with a Trump, let's get it over with,' Wolf said to open the act. 'You know he's not any good.' Michelle Wolf's routine for the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton was raunchy and controversial at times 'It's 2018 and I am a woman so you cannot shut me up. Unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000,' said Wolf, referencing the Stormy Daniels controversy. 'You can find me on Venmo under my porn star name: Reince Priebus.' Wolf also addressed Trump's absence head on: 'I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one p***y you're not allowed to grab.' On Trump pulling out of the Paris climate accord, she said: 'He said he was going to pull out and he did, and that's a refreshing quality in a guy.' 'You might be rich in Idaho but in New York you're just doing fine,' she said. Using call and response from the audience, Wolf shouted 'Trump is so broke', to which the audience responded 'how broke is he?' Among her responses were: 'He has to fly failed business class'; 'He looked for foreign oil in Don Jr's hair'; 'Southwest used him as one of their engines'; and 'He had to borrow money from the Russians and now he's compromised.' 'Trump is racist. He loves white nationalists, which is a funny term for a Nazi, it's like calling a pedophile a kid-friend or Harvey Weinstein a lady's man.' And finally: 'He grabs p**sies because he thinks there might be loose change in them.' ON VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE 'Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isn't gay. Mike Pence is the kind of guy who brushes his teeth and then drinks orange juice and thinks, Mmm,' said Wolf. 'He thinks abortion is murder. Which first of all don't knock it til you try it. And when you do try it, really knock it, you gotta get that baby out of there.' Sarah Huckabee Sanders attends the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday ON SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS AND KELLYANNE CONWAY The room grew quiet and groans were heard as Wolf directed harsh jokes at White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was sitting just feet away, including attacks on her appearance. 'I have to say I'm a little starstruck, I loved you as Aunt Lydia in A Handmaid's Tale. Mike Pence, if you haven't seen it you would love it,' said Wolf, turning to Sanders. 'Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited because I'm not really sure what we're gonna get. A press briefing, a bunch of lies, or divided into softball teams. [in deep voice] "It's shirts and skins and this time don't be such a little b***h Jim Acosta."' 'I like Sarah, I think she's really resourceful. She burns facts and uses the ash to create a perfect smokey eye,' the comedian added. 'Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies. It's probably lies.' 'I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Aunt Huckabee Sanders?' Wolf said, continuing, 'What's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Ah I Know, Aunt Coulter.' Wolf also took shots at counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway. 'Man, she has the perfect name for what she does. Conway. It's like if my last name was tells-jokes-frizzy-hair-small-t*ts.' Ivanka Trump also came under fire: 'Ivanka, she was supposed to be an advocate for women but she is about as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons.' Wolf also compared the president's daughter to a 'diaper genie', saying she 'Looks sleek on the outside, but inside is full of s**t.' A view of the venue during the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington DC ON CONGRESS 'I'm here to make jokes. I have no agenda, I'm not trying to get anything accomplished. So everyone who's here from Congress, we should get right get along.' 'Mitch McConnell isn't here tonight, he had a prior engagement. He's finally getting his neck circumcised.' 'Paul Ryan couldn't make it, of course he's already been circumcised. Unfortunately while they were down there they also took his balls.' ON THE MEDIA 'I known there's a lot of people who want me to talk about Russia, and Putin, and collusion, but I'm not gonna do that because there's also a lot of liberal media here, and I've never really wanted to know what any of you look like when you orgasm. Except maybe for you, Jake Tapper. I bet it's something like this [blank face] "Ok, that's all the time we have."' 'CNN, you guys love breaking news. And you did it, you broke it.' 'Fox News is here so you know what that means, ladies: cover your drinks.' 'We've got MSNBC here. MSNBC's new slogan is 'This Is Who We Are', guys that is not a good slogan.' 'We cannot forget about Rachel Maddow, she's the Peter Pan of MSNBC. But instead of never growing up she never gets to the point. Watching Rachel Maddow is like going to Target. You went in for milk but you left with shampoo, candles and the entire history of the Byzantine Empire.' 'What would I do without Megyn Kelly? Probably be more proud of women.' 'I watch Morning Joe every morning. Now we know Mika and Joe are engaged, it's like when a MeToo works out.' A young woman who was shot and killed during an attack at a Tennessee Waffle House died singing a gospel song, the restaurant's CEO said on Saturday. Walt Ehmer recounted during the funeral service for 21-year-old DeEbony Groves what one survivor told him happened during the morning of the attack. 'We went and visited with the survivors, and they talked about the people who were in that restaurant before what happened happened, and specifically remembered your daughter,' Ehmer told mourners. The CEO of Waffle House Walt Ehmer pauses as he speaks during the funeral of DeEbony Groves, who was killed in Sunday's Antioch Waffle House shooting Saturday, April 28, 2018 DiAngelo Groves sings during the funeral of his sister DeEbony Groves, who was killed in Sunday's Antioch Waffle House shooting Saturday, April 28, 2018 Shirl Baker reacts as her son DiAngelo Groves sings during the funeral of her daughter DeEbony Groves, who was killed in Sunday's Antioch Waffle House shooting Shirl Baker receives hugs from well wishers before the funeral of her daughter DeEbony Groves, who was killed in Sunday's Antioch Waffle House shooting 'And (they) spoke of your daughter and her friend, and said they were singing gospel songs. And everybody was singing and enjoying each other and she said, "The last thing I remember her saying was, singing Jesus Loves Me.''' According to CNN, Ehmer's speech was met with applause and cheering and was embraced by friends and family at the funeral who took comfort in his words. Groves, along with three others, were killed after suspected gunman Travis Reinking (pictured), 29, opened fire outside the Tennessee Waffle House 'You will get through this because I know by watching this is a very strong, faith-filled community," he told them. Hundreds of people thronged the First Baptist Church in Gallatin, Tennessee on Friday, some hugging and crying, as they paid their respects to Groves, a senior at Belmont University. Groves had been at the Waffle House with her Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters after a night out on the town. Groves, along with three others, were killed after suspected gunman Travis Reinking, 29, opened fire outside premises with an AR-15 rifle and then stormed the restaurant. Also killed was Akilah DaSilva, a 23-year-old rap artist from Antioch, Joe Perez, a 20-year-old who lived in Nashville and Taurean Sanderlin, a 29-year-old employee at the restaurant. Four people were injured. 'All I can tell you is that our Waffle House family is hurting for you, and with you,' Ehmer added. The line of mourners waiting to give their condolences to members of the Groves family was so long that it snaked outside the Gallatin church. Hundreds of people thronged the First Baptist Church in Gallatin, Tennessee on Friday, some hugging and crying, as they paid their respects to DeEbony Groves (pictured) Akilah DaSilva (L), a 23-year-old rap artist from Antioch, Joe Perez (M), a 20-year-old who lived in Nashville and Taurean Sanderlin (R), 29, were also killed Her parents and other stood in the front of the church beside her open casket. People cried, hugged and told stories of the woman who went by the nickname of Shae (SHAY). Those who loved her wore buttons bearing her picture. Groves was a senior at Nashville's Belmont University majoring in social work. She was remembered by family members Firday as a vivacious and outgoing woman. A beaming smile was on display in so many of the pictures shown that were taken throughout her life, including one where she is holding a fish that looks like she caught. Groves was very determined and was a perfectionist, her cousin, Juanesha Rodriguez, said. 'She did, I think, what she could do in the time she had,' she said. She also loved children and hated to see them hurting, said her aunt, Carol Bibbs. Reinking has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting. He is facing multiple charges, including four counts of criminal homicide. A public defender listed as his attorney has not returned a message seeking comment. Police have yet to establish a motive. Friends and family release balloons during a candlelight vigil for Antioch Waffle House shooting victim Akilah DaSilva in Centennial Park in Nashville A man has faced court after he was charged with allegedly murdering his father and attempting to kill his mother. Nigel Chaytor, 42, appeared in Northbridge Magistrates Court on Sunday with one arm heavily bandaged after he allegedly stabbed his elderly parents at their home in Perth's south on Friday morning. Police were called to the Perth property just after 7am after reports a man and a woman had been seriously injured. Scroll down for video Keith Chaytor, 72, was allegedly murdered at his Kelmscott home on Friday morning. His wife was injured and remains in hospital in serious but stable condition The couple's son Nigel, 42, has been charged with murder and attempted murder Keith Chaytor, 72, died at the scene while his wife Estelle, also 72, was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition and required emergency surgery. A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia she is now in a serious but stable condition. Police arrested their son in a nearby park, who was taken to hospital under police guard and was charged on Saturday. Mr Chaytor did not apply for bail and will be sent to maximum-security psychiatric ward the Frankland Centre at Graylands Hospital for assessment before his next court appearance in May. His lawyer told the court she had not been instructed to make a bail application and magistrate Geoff Lawrence replied he would not be getting bail, Perth Now reports. The victims' family has released a statement through WA Police. 'The family of Keith and Estelle would like to thank everyone for the love and support they have received,' it read. 'We ask that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time.' Witnesses told 9 News the man had been a regular visitor to his parents' home. 'There was no screaming, no trying to avoid arrest or anything,' neighbour Sharon Boulding said. 'He was quite cool, calm and collected really.' The family has issued a statement thanking everyone for the love and support but have asked for privacy Fears are growing for missing camper Sebastian Orefors, as police continue to search for him in Victoria. The 23-year-old was last seen camping with friends on Friday night in Wonyip, near Gippsland. Police have grave concerns for the Melbourne man, given the time he has been missing. Fears are growing for missing camper Sebastian Orefors (pictured) last seen camping with friends on Friday night in Wonyip, near Gippsland in Victoria Police have grave concerns for the Melbourne man (pictured), given the time he has been missing Local police, Search and Rescue and the State Emergency Services searched the Wonyip area on Saturday with no luck finding him. He was last seen walking south near Randalls Track, and police were continuing to search for him on Sunday. Sebastian is 178cm tall with medium build, fair complexion and nose ring. Local police, Search and Rescue and the State Emergency Services searched the Wonyip area yesterday with no luck finding him When last seen, he was wearing black boots, black jeans, a black t-shirt and black hoodie. Sebastian is known to frequent the Rye and Sorrento areas on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Anyone with information about Sebastian is asked to contact the Sale Police Station on 5142 2200. Sadiq Khan today called for Amber Rudd to resign over the Windrush scandal as he tore into the Government's 'inhumane' treatment of immigrants. The Labour London Mayor accused the Home Secretary of being 'completely unaware' of what is going on in her own department. And he said that rather than 'hiding behind civil servant' the time has come for her to quit. And he accused Theresa May of 'fueling division and mistrust' by introducing the 'hostile environment' policy for illegal immigrants. His outspoken intervention piles further pressure on Ms Rudd, who is battling to cling on to her job. She has faced a growing clamour to resign after it was revealed the home Office uses deportation targets - contradicting evidence she gave to MPs last week. The Labour London Mayor (pictured last week at the Stephen Lawrence memorial service in London) accused the Home Secretary of being 'completely unaware' of what is going on in her own department Ms Rudd said she had not idea the targets existed when she was hauled back to the commons to explain herself - but a day later it emerged a memo sent to her last June detailed them. Labour has called for a full inquiry into the deportation targets and an investigation into whether Ms Rudd flouted the ministerial code in her evidence to MPs. What is the Windrush scandal and how did the fiasco develop? June 22, 1948 - The Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica. The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK. Many arrived on their parents' passports and were not formally naturalised as British citizens. 1973 - A new immigration Act comes into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been resident in the UK. 2010 - The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants arrival dates in the UK. 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 2014 - A protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time. Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants are obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973. July 2016 - Mrs May becomes Prime Minister. April 2018 - Allegations that Windrush immigrants are being threatened with deportation break. Theresa May issued a grovelling apology to Caribbean leaders after major backlash April 29 - Amber Rudd resigns after inadvertently misleading Parliament by wrongly claiming there were no deportation targets Advertisement While 200 MPs have written to the Government to demand that the assurances given to Windrush immigrants that they can stay in the UK and will be compensated are enshrined in law. In a strongly-worded intervention in The Guardian today, Mr Khan said it is time for Ms Rudd to go. He wrote: 'What the Home Secretary and Prime Minister don't appear to understand is that the Windrush scandal is the direct consequence of their policies and not just another example of the administrative chaos at the Home Office. 'It is about a generation who have lived here all their lives suddenly feeling they are not wanted here. 'Rather than hiding behind process or blaming civil servants yet again, the time has now surely come for the home secretary to resign.' He said that Mrs May introduced legal changes which turned the immigration system into an 'inhumane' process where people who lived in the UK for years were treated with hostility and suspicion. And he said Ms Rudd appears to have no grip on her own department. He wrote: 'Thousands of British people have been subject to inhumane treatment at the hands of the immigration system designed by May a system that has turned lay people into unofficial immigration officers, requiring landlords to check the nationality of tenants, and forcing NHS staff to check the nationality of patients. 'May is also responsible for vans saying 'go home' that were driven around the most ethnically diverse parts of our country. 'The 'hostile environment' of which she is the architect has played a role in fuelling division and mistrust. 'This weekend's revelations have exposed Amber Rudd even further as someone who appears completely unaware about what is going on in her own department. 'It frankly beggars belief.' Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has written to the PM calling for an investigation into whether Ms Rudd. Amber Rudd is battling to cling on to her job as Home Secretary amid the growing Windrush scandal and confusion about whether she should have known about the Home Office's deportation targets In the letter, copied to the Cabinet Secretary and the Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team, she highlights the apparent contradiction between the Home Secretary's claims she was not aware of any enforced removal targets at the Home Office and a leaked memo that was sent to her in June 2017. Ms Abbott said: 'The Windrush scandal has exposed something rotten at the heart of Theresa May's Government and serious questions remain over what the Home Secretary was told about targets for removals. 'The Prime Minister must launch a full inquiry to get to the bottom of who knew what and when, including whether Amber Rudd breached the ministerial code. 'The Home Secretary has clearly lost control of her department and lost the trust of the public and must either resign or be removed by the Prime Minister. 'A change of Home Secretary demands a change in this Government's pernicious immigration policy, or it will be meaningless.' Battle of the bulge: Jamie Oliver has revealed he is a stone heavier than he should be He's used to throwing his weight behind campaigns to improve the nation's eating habits. But it seems that weight has become heftier than TV chef Jamie Oliver would like, after revealing he has hired a celebrity trainer to help him shift the excess pounds. The Naked Chef's close friend Jamie Sawyer has been enlisted in his own personal battle against the bulge. Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, he said: 'I am four kilos... six kilos... heavier than I should be. 'I will get rid of it in the next couple of months. I was always active as a kid and in pretty good nick until maybe the beginning of my 30s. 'And then I started to get just a little bit too chunky.' The father-of-five's new health kick is in line with a wider ambition to pressure the Government into delivering a proper strategy to beat childhood obesity. He recently unveiled a manifesto covering everything from food labelling to GP training, better catering for hospital workers and properly banning the sale of energy drinks to under-16s. Jamie, who is said to be worth an estimated 240million, is also campaigning for a ban on advertising junk food prior to the 9pm watershed. Slide me Jamie pictured aged 25 in 2001, and right, looking a little heftier in 2013, aged 37 In a post on his website, the 42-year-old chef wrote: 'Its time we put child health first. Im calling for the government to introduce a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising on TV, and for proper controls on what ads kids see online, in the street and on public transport. 'Crucially, this campaign isnt about stopping big brands from advertising full stop; its about making sure kids arent being targeted with unhealthy products. 'Its about controlling the time and place.' Jamie Oliver has long promoted healthy food in a bid to tackle rising childhood obesity And earlier this week, the restaurant entrepreneur backed a joint letter written to the Prime Minister urging her to do more to tackle the nation's obesity crisis. The cross-party letter, signed by Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon, Sir Vince Cable, Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley urge Theresa May to 'take bold action to tackle one of the greatest health challenges of our time'. They call for 13 measures, including an end to buy-one-get-one free junk food deals. Paula, 37, married Bronson in prison in November, 2017, but six months later their marriage is in trouble Britain's most notorious prisoner is having marriage troubles just months after his prison nuptials, it has been revealed. Charles Bronson married his soap star wife Paula in November 2017, but the newlyweds are having some teething issues. Paula, 37, has admitted their relationship has been rocked by Bronson's bad behaviour and bizarre demands. The actress, formerly known as Paula Williamson, has reportedly been ordered by Bronson to stay slim by doing 400 sit ups a day as he tells her 'don't get fat'. Adding to his wife's misery, Bronson, 65, may have scuppered his chances of getting parole after 40 years behind bars after he stripped off, covered himself in butter and challenged guards to a fight. A source close to the pair last night told The Mirror: 'Paula loves him dearly but this year has been a string of disasters for them as a couple. 'She was upset when she learnt he had been moved to a prison hundreds of miles away because he went for the deputy governor. They were hoping for a successful parole hearing and he'd start to move towards release but by losing his head he's put their future in jeopardy.' Charles Bronson, 65, and his bride, 37, have endured a rocky start to their relationship over strange demands from Charles, it is claimed Paula married Bronson in HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire in November 2017. After a row over his wedding pictures he was moved to Frankland prison in County Durham, hundreds of miles away from his wife. In another blow to the Bronson marriage, Paula has reportedly learned her new husband is still in contact with Lorraine Etherington his ex. Bronson is reportedly writing to her upsetting his third wife. Paula told The Mirror: 'I love Charlie but I can't deny that things have become very difficult.' The couple were married in front of an audience of four, and came down the aisle to the Death March after Bronson switched the music. Paula's wedding ring bears the date of the big day as well as Bronson's old jail number, 1314. The prisoner wore a trilby and Union Jack shoes and socks with moustache pictures on them. Months after the ceremony, the inmate's supporters are complaining about his treatment in prison. After staff shortages at HMP Frankland - dubbed Monster Mansion as it houses some of the UK's most dangerous prisoners the prisoner had to meet visitors in a 'secure room'. Separated by a bullet proof window he could not be handed two apple pies, his favourite food, some bananas and a milkshake. Pal Rod Harrison, who was best man at Salvador's wedding to Paula Williamson in November last year, said during a visit last week he took in the treats in for Salvador. He said, however, he was not allowed to hand them over to the prisoner - who has been in jail since 1974 - after prison chiefs said there were 'staffing issues'. Writing last week, Mr Harrison - known as Rod the Mod to pals - said that 'due to staffing issues', Salvador was not even allowed his 'legal visits' from lawyers in the normal visiting room. Charles Bronson, who changed his name to Charles Salvador while behind bars was jailed in 1974 but has been unable to get parole because of his violent behaviour He added: 'His other visits are closed behind glass, not as a punishment, but because they say they have not got enough officers to oversee the visit. 'After purchasing food on my last visit for us both, when I got on the visit I was told there was no staff to take Charlie's canteen to him. 'So we sat there for over a hour and a half with Charlie looking at his canteen through the glass - he was not even allowed a drink.' In a poem written on the day of the visit from Mr Harrison - on April 19 this year - Salvador wrote how he was left 'dribbling' looking at two apple pies Mr Harrison had brought in for him. Salvador wrote: 'Two apple pies and bananas looking at me - with a bottle of (milk)shake behind bullet proof glass*just looking - eat me, drink me, here I am. 'Cruel and nasty, just looking at me, I'm dribbling. Hungry. 'What a joke, what a farce, life's so unfare (sic) - a plate full of goodies, a dream like vision, bloody looking at me - I'm going to bed, goodnight.' Bronson, who is now called Charles Salvador after changing his name by deed poll in tribute to artist Salvador Dali, is serving a life sentence for robbery and kidnap in Wakefield prison. Bronson was jailed for armed robbery in 1974 but has seen time added on to his sentence for multiple violent outbursts inside. Paula appeared as a stripper in Emmerdale and on Coronation Street in 2008, 2011 and 2012 as an unnamed Nurse at Weatherfield General. Thousands of Russian Twitter accounts tried to influence last years general election by rallying support for Labour while denigrating the Conservatives, an investigation found. It revealed most of the 6,500 accounts were internet robots known as bots programmed to bombard voters with orchestrated political messages. They often showed obvious signs they were bogus, with official account names generated from random strings of numbers and letters but labelled with English womens names. The research established that 80 per cent of the automated accounts were created in the weeks leading up to polling day on June 8 and were particularly active at key points in the campaign. Around 6,500 automated accounts sent messages praising Jeremy Corbyn (pictured yesterday in Grimsby) and his policies in the closing stages of last year's election, the study found The Russian bots overwhelmingly supported Labour and its leader Jeremy Corbyn, with nine out of ten posts about the party in favour of its campaign. In contrast, nine out of ten tweets that mentioned the Conservatives were negative. The report echoes claims of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election in support of Donald Trump. It comes at a time when critics have attacked Mr Corbyn over what they say is his unwillingness to criticise Russia over the Salisbury nerve agent attack and the use of chemical weapons in Syria. What are Twitter bots? Bots are fake, automated or semi-automated accounts that tweet or retweet content. They can be programmed to bombard voters with political messages. Who runs the fake accounts? Western analysts have identified a shadowy St Petersburg-based firm, the Internet Research Agency, as the source of many accounts. Said to be financed by a Putin ally, insiders say they employ hundreds of people to falsify social media content. How does Krelin use them? More than 45,000 posts by Russian bots spread false stories on the Syria gassing this month. Up to 2,800 bots are thought to have tried to spread false information after last month's nerve agent attack in Salisbury. In January, Twitter admitted 50,000 Russia-linked accounts posted automated content about the 2016 US election. What is No 10's response? In November; Theresa May accused Russia of meddling in elections and planting fake stories to 'weaponize information'. Advertisement Last night Tory MP Nadine Dorries said the research by Swansea University and The Sunday Times raises fears that similar tactics could influence this weeks local elections. What we now see is the real reason why Corbyn refused to condemn the Russians over the Salisbury poisoning, she added. Corbyn has also refused to condemn [Russian president] Vladimir Putin for standing shoulder to shoulder with the Syrian tyrant [Bashar] Assad. It seems the evidence is unequivocal: the Putin regime is supporting their friend Corbyn to get him into No 10 and are probably also interfering in the local elections. Labour dismissed the report, saying it was not aware of any support from automated bots. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell added that the claims were farcical and a classic smear. Researchers from Swansea University collected millions of tweets posted about last years general election. They narrowed them down to a sample of 20,000 from accounts which listed their language or location as Russian and which were posted in the four weeks leading up to the election. They found most of the 6,500 Russian accounts supporting Labour were bots. They were often identifiable through their names. For example, the Twitter user @NR2AtERXvfDy0N displayed the name Gabrielle Wilson, while @3udLH4vNxhmDksX appeared as Jessica Ferguson. Most of the accounts were later suspended by Twitter or disappeared. Professor Oleksandr Talavera, who collected the data, said: The samples provide evidence that Russian language bots were used to try to influence the election in favour of Labour and against the Conservatives. Jeremy Corbyn, pictured addressing a crowd on a drizzly day in the general election. The Labour leader managed to attract huge crowds to his rallies across the country, but research out today says that Twitter bots may have played a part inf fuelling his popularity The data represents a small random sample and the Russian-language automated bot behaviour we have observed is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg. Culture Secretary Matt Hancock told The Sunday Times: It is absolutely unacceptable for any nation to attempt to interfere in the democratic elections of another country. However Labour said: The Russian government made clear its support for the Conservative Party in the election, with the Russian embassy in London promoting their ideological convergence and Theresa Mays strong and stable slogan on Twitter. Twitter said: We continue to improve our systems to detect and prevent new forms of spam and malicious automation. New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored the need for unity in the Gulf during a brief visit to the Saudi capital on Sunday as Washington aims to muster support among allies for new sanctions against Iran. Pompeo reassured Saudi Arabia that the United States would abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reached under President Donald Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, unless there is an agreement in talks with European partners to improve it to make sure the Islamic Republic never possesses a nuclear weapons. "Iran destabilises this entire region," Pompeo said in a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. "It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It supports the murderous Assad regime (in Syria) as well." Pompeo also addressed the rift between some Gulf countries and Qatar: "Gulf unity is necessary and we need to achieve it." Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and arch-rival Iran on the other side of the Gulf. Doha has denied the accusations and has said its three fellow Gulf countries aim to curtail its sovereignty. For its part, Iran denies supporting terrorism or having sought to develop nuclear weapons. Pompeo met briefly with Saudi King Salman on Sunday before heading directly to Jerusalem for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Iran's arch-enemy. Iranian Behavior In Focus The 15-minute encounter with the king took place at Irqah Palace, one of his residences. The 82-year-old monarch stood as Pompeo entered the room and shook hands with his delegation. Senior State Department officials had said Pompeo would discuss Iran's behaviour in the region and call for sanctions to curb the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile programme during his discussions with Saudi leaders. During Sunday's press conference, Jubeir said, "Iran should be dealt with by imposing further sanctions for its violations of international laws relating to ballistic missiles." Yemen's Houthi movement has fired over 100 missiles into Saudi Arabia, the latest salvo killing a man in the southern Saudi province of Jizan on Saturday. The attacks have fuelled accusations by the United States and the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 that Iran is providing the missiles to its Houthi allies. The Islamic Republic denies this. Senior State Department officials also said Pompeo would urge Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies to resolve their nearly year-long dispute with Qatar. The United States, which has military bases in both Qatar and some of the countries lined up against it, is trying to mediate the feud. Trump publicly sided with the Saudis and Emiratis early in the crisis but is now pushing for a resolution to restore Gulf unity and maintain a united front against Iran. One US official said Washington feared the rift risked undermining efforts to contain Iranian influence and crush Islamist militants. "Look, if we are going to be serious about mitigating and containing the threat that Iran poses with a greater degree of unity of effort, unity of purpose, (that is all) the better ... That is a message that isn't new but it has increased vigour." Just hours after being confirmed as Trump's top diplomat, Pompeo set off on a whirlwind trip to NATO in Brussels and Middle East allies. The trip comes as Trump considers whether or not to abandon by a self-imposed May 12 deadline the Iran nuclear deal he sees as deeply flawed. He has called on Gulf allies to contribute funding and troops to stabilise areas in Iraq and Syria where a US-led coalition has largely defeated Islamic State jihadists. On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani poured scorn on US and European discussions over changes to the nuclear accord and dismissed Trump as a "tradesman" who lacked the qualifications to deal with a complex international pact. The 2015 agreement limited Iran's enrichment of uranium for nuclear fuel to help ensure it could not be turned to developing bomb material, and Tehran secured a removal of most international sanctions in return. Iran has repeatedly said its ballistic missile programme has nothing to do with its nuclear work and is non-negotiable. Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, the other signatories to the 2015 nuclear pact, see it as the best way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear bomb capability. Trump sees three defects in the deal: a failure to address Iranian ballistic missiles; the terms under which UN inspectors can visit allegedly suspect Iranian nuclear sites; and "sunset" clauses under which key limits on the Iranian nuclear programme start to expire after 10 years. Search Keywords: Short link: Australia's oldest scientist plans to fly business class to Switzerland next week to end his life. Dr David Goodall, a former university lecturer from Western Australia, doesn't have a terminal illness but says he regrets having reached the age of 104 as his quality of life continues to deteriorate. 'I greatly regret having reached that age,' he told the ABC. 'I'm not happy. I want to die. It's not sad particularly. What is sad is if one is prevented. 'If one chooses to kill oneself, then that should be fair enough. I don't think anyone else should interfere.' Australia's oldest scientist , Dr David Goodall (pictured), wants to fly to Switzerland to end his life Dr Goodall (pictured middle) does not have a terminal illness but greatly regrets having lived to 104 Dr Goodall was born in London in 1914, and is an eminent botanist and ecologist. He came to Australia to in 1948, taking up a lecturing position at the University of Melbourne. Dr Goodall celebrated his 104th birthday in early April and has since decided it is time to access voluntarily euthanasia in Switzerland. West Australia is still in the process of introducing voluntary euthanasia laws which would be restricted to people with a terminal illness. Premier Mark McGowan said the government would not assist Dr Goodall due to the fact he is not suffering from a terminal illness. Dr Goodall was born in London in 1914, and is an eminent botanist and ecologist He came to Australia to in 1948 taking up a lecturing position at the University of Melbourne. 'My feeling is that an old person like myself should have full citizenship rights including the right of assisted suicide,' Dr Goodall told Seven News. Taking matters into his own hands, Dr Goodall sought the help of Exit International, who created a GoFundMe page to help upgrade Dr Goodall's ticket from economy to business class. Dr Goodall is expected to leave Perth in early May accompanied by his long-time friend and Exit's West Australian Coordinator, Carol O'Neil. The number of young families owning their own homes since 1984 has taken a shocking hit, according to a new inquiry. Families with a 25 to 34-year-olds owning their own home in outer London have taken one of the worst hits - with numbers dropping from 53 per cent in 1984 to 16 per cent last year. However the problem is not isolated to London's housing market, as young families in Greater Manchester see a decline in buying their own home, with the number falling from 53 per cent to 26 per cent. The figures have emerged from an investigation overseen by think tank Resolution Foundation and chaired by former universities minister David Willetts, reports The Guardian. Analysis completed as part of the inquiry uncovered the fact that young people have no choice but to fork out their wages on housing which is both overcrowded and far from work - forcing them into long commutes. Shockingly, millennials are only expected to have reached the same level of home ownership as the previous generation by the time they are 45 - and that's with good economic conditions. Although some lucky young people will be at the receiving end of fast-growing inheritances from family members, close to a half of millennials who do not own homes do not have parents with their own property either. Analysis completed as part of the inquiry uncovered the fact that young people have no choice but to fork out their wages on housing which is both overcrowded and far from work - forcing them into long commutes (file photo) Another aspect damaging young people's ability to buy is that they are unable to save - the report found on average a quarter of their net income is spent on rent. This is triple what those aged 70 and above spent on housing. The director of the Resolution Foundation, Torsten Bell, said: 'The need to renew our intergenerational contract is clear and urgent, but doing so is far from easy. It requires new thinking and tough trade-offs from how we deal with the fiscal pressures of an ageing society in a way that is generationally fair, to how we deliver the housing young people need while respecting the communities everyone values. 'We need our political leaders to rise to this challenge with an appeal to all generations. We can deliver the health and care older generations deserve without simply asking younger workers to bear all the costs. We can do more to promote education and skills, especially for those who are not on the university route. 'We can provide more security for young people, from the jobs they do to the homes they rent. And we can show younger generations that owning a home is a reality, not a distant prospect in 21st-century Britain.' Sajid Javid has revealed his horror at the Windrush scandal - and that his immediate thought was 'it could have been me, my mum or dad'. The Local Government Secretary, whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, said he was 'really concerned' when he heard the accounts of those caught up in the fiasco emerge. But he pleaded with voters not to punish the Tories in local elections this week for the scandal - insisting the Government is cleaning up the mess. His intervention comes as Amber Rudd is battling to cling on to her position as Home Secretary amid accusations she has lost her 'grip' on her department. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has today called for her to go and Labour is urging the PM to launch a formal investigation into whether she misled MPs over deportation targets. The Local Government Secretary (pictured in Downing Street last week) whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, said he was 'really concerned' when he heard the accounts of those caught up in the fiasco emerge Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, he said: 'I was really concerned when I first started hearing and reading about some of the issues. 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation. 'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver. Another leaked memo shows Amber Rudd did know about 10% deportation target Another leaked memo shows Amber Rudd did know about deportation targets. Amber Rudd wrote to Theresa May setting out plans to increase the number of illegal immigrants booted out of the country by 10 per cent. The letter, revealed in The Guardian, was sent in January last year. Ms Rudd has said she does not know about specific deportation targets - but has not denied knowing about the 10 per cent figure. However, her backers have argued the 10 per cent number was an 'ambition' not a target. The distinction has been dismissed as desperate 'spin' by her critics. Advertisement 'When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' The Windrush scandal has seen immigrants who came from the Caribbean to Britain to hep rebuild the country in the wake of the Second world War threatened with deportation. They have told how they lost their homes, jobs, were locked up in deportation centres and stripped of vital NHS treatment in the fiasco. Critics have pointed the finger at Theresa May - saying that she was responsible for the scandal by introducing tighter laws which required the immigrants to provide documents to prove their right to stay here. And she introduced the 'hostile environment' immigration policy - which was supposed to make life far tougher for illegal immigrants. And Ms Rudd is barely clinging on to her job after it emerged the Home Office does use deportation targets - contradicting evidence she gave to MPs. Ms Rudd hs insisted that she had no idea the targets were in pace, but a memo sent to her las June included details of the targets. Mr Javid admitted that the scandal could harm his party's chances at the ballot box on Thursday when much of the country goes to the polls in local elections. Amber Rudd (pictured centre) is clinging n to her job as Home Secretray amid calls for her to go over the scdnal But he urged voters to back the Tories to sort out the debacle. Spelling out his message to voters, he said: 'Please look at the response to Windrush, and the apology, in terms of trying to put things right. 'And, secondly, the bigger picture about how this Government has been committed to trying to deal with the injustices in society, some of which matter more to people from ethnic minorities. 'It felt very personal to me as well and that's why I'm pleased that as soon as it came to light, that the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary in particular acted so decisively.' Thomas Birks, 25, made contact with the fake profile - known as Lauren - and despite being told several times she was 13, he encouraged her to perform sex acts on herself A pervert snared by a paedophile hunter after trying to persuade a '13-year-old girl' to perform sex acts on herself has avoided jail. Thomas Birks, 25, made contact with the fake profile - known as Lauren - and despite being told several times she was just 13, he encouraged her to perform sex acts on herself for his own sexual gratification. When the paedophile hunter posted a picture of the pervert online, Birks took an overdose. But he was arrested a day after he was released from hospital. Now Birks has been handed a two-year community order after a judge passed a sentence aimed at stopping him re-offending and assisting his rehabilitation. Prosecutor Paul Spratt told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court that the fake profile of the 13-year-old girl was set up and posted online. Birks made contact at 11.30pm on February 12 and engaged in a 26-minute conversation. Mr Spratt said: 'The defendant engaged in sexual communication almost immediately. He was told on a number of occasions she was only 13. 'He was persistent. He encouraged the individual to commit sexual acts on herself for his gratification.' The court heard Birks took an overdose after his picture was posted on the internet. When the paedophile hunter posted a picture of the pervert online, Birks took an overdose Birks made contact at 11.30pm on February 12 and engaged in a 26-minute conversation He was arrested a day after being released from hospital. Birks, of London Road in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite or cause a child to engage in sexual activity. Heather Drew, mitigating, said the defendant is a vulnerable individual. Ms Drew said: 'The defendant has done all he possibly can to co-operate with the agencies. He has an appointment with alcohol services on May 2.' As part of the community order Birks must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 25 days. Birks has been handed a two-year community order after a judge passed a sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court (pictured) aimed at stopping him re-offending He was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period. Judge Paul Glenn told Birks: 'You engaged in communication with someone you believed was a 13-year-old girl. It was in fact an adult man, a self-styled paedophile hunter. 'You were aware at an early stage the person was 13 - and that did not put you off. 'The mitigation is sufficient that I can pass a sentence designed to stop you re-offending and assist your rehabilitation.' Birks was ordered to pay 500 costs. Dramatic police helicopter footage has captured the moment a driver allegedly sped the wrong way down a highway before catching fire after running over road spikes. Vision released by Queensland police shows the red Holden Commodore narrowly avoiding a large truck while zipping in and out of oncoming traffic. The man, 33, was finally arrested after a terrifying police chase through the Gold Coast and charged over three alleged dangerous driving incidents. Shockingly, the entire ordeal took place while the man was handcuffed to the wheel of the Commodore - after he allegedly assaulted a police officer during a RBT. Police have charged a man over three alleged dangerous driving incidents which ended in a police pursuit Police allege the man was a passenger when his friend allegedly tested positive for drug driving. The driver allegedly managed to hop into the driver seat and speed away, not before an officer managed to lock one hand to the car. After a dangerous stretch down the wrong way of the highway, the footage captures the man getting out of his vehicle and demanding another driver to hand over his keys. The man who handed over his keys told 9NEWS the only reason he gave his keys over were that the man in the Commodore pulled up beeping the horn of his car. The Commodore driver allegedly claimed he had been in an accident and told the man he would bring his Mazda ute right back. However, the driver allegedly had no plans of returning the car - speeding off in the ute with police hot on his tail. Police threw tire spikes on Algester Road at Algester, which the ute then ran over. The driver lost the rubber from the tire but proceeded to drive, leaving a trail of sparks behind him. The man drove away from an RBT at the beginning of the pursuit, according to police. Eventually the driver skidded to a stop and officers from at least seven vehicles followed a man and commenced the arrest The Bundaberg man was charged with three counts of dangerous driving, two counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and failing to stop a motor vehicle Eventually the driver skidded to a stop and officers from at least seven vehicles followed him, arresting him at around 7pm at a busy intersection. In a statement police said: 'It will be alleged at 5.25pm police have stopped a red Holden Commodore on the Bruce Highway at Glass House Mountains before the driver has driven off, headed south on the Bruce Highway.' The 33-year-old Bundaberg man was charged with three counts of dangerous driving, two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and failing to stop a car. He was also charged with driving an unlicensed car, stealing, and three counts of seriously assaulting police. He will appear at the Richlands Magistrates Court April 30. Jayne Mansfield courted gossip and wacky scandal to such an extent that even 50 years later it's difficult to tell fact from rumour. That's why a new documentary about the years before her gruesome death can get away with embracing the craziest theory of all - that she was kill by a satanic course. Mansfield 66/67, by P David Ebersole and Todd Hughe, goes so far as to play on its title in the opening credits to make it resemble a 666 while demonic rock plays. Jayne Mansfield courted gossip and wacky scandal to such an extent that even 50 years later it's difficult to tell fact from rumour Mansfield 66/67, by P David Ebersole and Todd Hughe, examines the last two years of her life before her death in a horrific car crash The original Hollywood 'blonde bombshell', Mansfield was hired by studios like Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox to be the next Marilyn Monroe. She most famously starred in The Girl Can't Help It in her late 1950s heyday and later in Promises! Promises! as the fist major U.S. actress to appear nude. The 34-year-old was a sought-after celebrity even as her film bankability waned in the 1960s and she sometimes had to sing in cheap nightclubs. Mansfield was also a magnet for trashy gossip magazines, which she exploited to heighten her profile despite the outlandish rumours. Mansfield was hired by studios like Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox to be the next Marilyn Monroe (pictured in Will Success Spoil the Rock Hunter? in 1957) She most famously starred in The Girl Can't Help It in her late 1950s heyday and later in Promises! Promises! as the fist major U.S. actress to appear nude Mansfield on the set of film Sheriff of Fractured Jaw in 1957 The film also brings in many other alleged Mansfield facts, such as her having an IQ of more than 160 and being able to speak five languages. Scenes from her movies are also shown to prove the natural comic timing she was widely believed to have. The documentary has other odd touches befitting its subjects wild life, such as breaking into bizarre interpretive dance scenes without warning. Mansfield was famous for low-cut dresses and Playboy centrefolds as much as her acting, but also an extremely complicated personal life. The 34-year-old was a sought-after celebrity everywhere she went ever since she mad it big Mansfield was also a magnet for trashy gossip magazines, which she exploited to heighten her profile despite the outlandish rumours Her film bankability waned in the 1960s and she sometimes had to sing in cheap nightclubs Over her short life she married and divorced three husbands and had five children (pictured with ex-husband and former Mr Universe Mickey Hargitay) Over her short life she married and divorced three husbands and had five children and by the events of Mansfield 66/67 was dating her married lawyer Sam Brody. As if a dalliance with a married man while fighting for custody of her fifth child wasn't scandalous enough, she added another love interest. Mansfield met Anton Szandor LaVey, real name Howard Levey, the self-styled head of the Church of Satan during a drug-fuelled trip to San Francisco. 'The Black Pope' painted his row house jet black and always wore demonic costumes, and had a pet lion and a home full of topless women. By the events of Mansfield 66/67 was dating her married lawyer Sam Brody (right) Brody (left) was killed alongside her in the 1967 car crash when they hit the back of a trailer Mansfield met Anton Szandor LaVey, real name Howard Levey, the self-styled head of the Church of Satan during a drug-fuelled trip to San Francisco The pair were not shy about letting the tabloids know they were lovers and Brody was soon so displeased he challenged LaVey, leading to LaVey putting a curse on him The pair were not shy about letting the tabloids know they were lovers and Brody was soon so displeased he challenged LaVey. In response, LaVey was said to have put a curse on Brody, saying he would die in a car crash. Brody and Mansfield survived no less than six car accidents before the fateful night of June 28, 1967, as they drove down I-90 from New Orleans. Their Buick smashed into the back of a trailer that was obscured by a cloud of insecticide dust from the truck hauling it. Brody and Mansfield survived no less than six car accidents before the fateful night of June 28, 1967, as they drove down I-90 from New Orleans Their Buick smashed into the back of a trailer that was obscured by a cloud of insecticide dust from the truck hauling it The car went under the trailer, sheering the roof clean off and killing Mansfield, Brody, and their driver Ronnie Harrison instantly There were rumours that Mansfield was decapitated in the crash after police photos showed blonde hair on the ground The car went under the trailer, sheering the roof clean off and killing Mansfield, Brody, and their driver Ronnie Harrison instantly. There were rumours that Mansfield was decapitated in the crash after police photos showed blonde hair on the ground. However, this was later disproved, though her skull was badly crushed and some of her scalp and hair possibly torn off and thrown from the car. Three of her children, Miklos, Zoltan and Mariska, were relatively unhurt in the back seat, Mariska Hargitay later going on to star in Law and Order: SVU. Hargitay was the most prominent and long-lasting of her three husbands The wife of a man who went missing over two weeks ago in Melbourne has put out a desperate plea to her missing husband. 'Please come back. If you are in danger, please try your best to leave us a message. We will find you, we will never give up,' Emma Wang told The Age. Yiwei Chu, who also goes by Carl, was last seen at a fast food outlet in Notting Hill about 12pm on April 11. His wife, police and family members hold grave fears for the 28-year-old and say it is extremely out of character for him to be missing. Emma Wang (left) has put out a desperate plea to her husband Yiwei Chu (right) since he went missing Yiwei Chu (pictured), who also goes by Carl, was last seen at a food outlet in Notting Hill Police hold fears for Mr Chu (pictured) and family say it's out of character for him to be missing On Friday, Ms Wang was informed Mr Chu's car was found in a car park on Friday. Ms Wang was hoping her husband would be in the car. The search continues for Mr Chu with help from the Search and Rescue squad, local police, SES, and air teams. Ms Wang first noticed Mr Chu was missing when he failed to show up to pick her up from work. She thought his phone had died and did not think much of it. When he did not come home, Ms Wang grew worried and contacted friends, family, work colleagues, and hospitals to see if someone had seen him. The family of Melbourne man Mr Chu (pictured), who hasn't been seen in two weeks, are extremely concerned Mr Chu was last seen wearing black rimmed glasses, a cream and brown camouflage jacket over a black top with a picture of Snoopy on the front (pictured) Ms Wang can't stop thinking about what may have happened to her husband. 'He may be robbed, he may be dead,' Ms Wang said. Mr Chu was wearing black rimmed glasses, a cream and brown camouflage jacket over a black top with a picture of Snoopy on the front. In the footage he is wearing dark blue jeans and black sneakers with white soles. Police have released an image and CCTV footage of Mr Chu hoping that someone who recognises him can provide information on his whereabouts. Anyone who sights Mr Chu or has information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A furious mother is demanding answers after her young son was left behind on a school holiday program excursion to a public pool. Stephanie Pita's son Shane, 5, was stranded at the Parakai Springs pool near Auckland for more than an hour after staff from a school holiday program didn't realised he was missing and left without him. Shane was having fun on a bouncing castle when he saw the bus leave without him. No one realised Shane was missing until his grandmother went to pick him up. Auckland youngster Shane Pita was left stranded at the Parakai Springs pool (pictured) after school holiday program didn't realised he wasn't on the bus Stephanie Pita was at her father's hospital bedside more than 600 kilometres away in Wellington when she got the call her only child was missing 'My son got left behind at Parakai pools today with the school holiday program he attended,' Ms Pita posted on Facebook on Friday. 'They did not notice him missing till my mother in-law went to pick the mokos up and notice my son wasn't there. They did not know my son wasn't on the bus. They did not do a number check. My son was terrified.' She was at her father's hospital bedside more than 600 kilometres away in Wellington when she got the call her little boy was missing. While program organisers have since apologised, it's not enough for Ms Pita. 'We shouldn't have to go through this,' she wrote to an organiser on Facebook 'It's the worst call you can get, being told 'we can't find your child',' Ms Pita told Stuff. 'It really makes my blood boil that they had no idea he was missing at all. He was near water, anything could have happened.' While program organisers have since apologised, it's not enough for Ms Pita. 'We shouldn't have to go through this,' she wrote to an organiser on Facebook. 'Nor do we want any other child/family to experience something so scary.' She said the ordeal would have been avoided if there had been a roll call and will meet with the West Auckland Maori community trust to ensure it never happens again. A Parakai Springs (pictured) employee found Shane wandering around the carpark unsupervised 'We had to register him, and I don't see the point in registering him if they don't even do a roll check,' Ms Pita told the New Zealand Herald. 'No one should have to go through that.I trusted them with my son and thought he was going to be safe, so for them to let me down like that is really sad.' Parakai Springs manager Dion Tilson told Stuff that a member of staff found a child wandering around the carpark unsupervised. While 'initially upset', the child appeared 'cheerful' while being entertained by pool staff, before holiday program organisers picked him up. Te Whanau O Waipareira declined to comment to both Stuff and New Zealand Herald. A teenage girl who tried to commit suicide 14 times has penned a touching letter to the officer who saved her life. In an emotional post, Jazz Thornton, 23, from Auckland in New Zealand, spoke openly about the night she tried to commit suicide by hanging herself from a tree when she was 19-years-old. 'In July 2015, I believed that life was not worth living. I had run out of my house down to the local park and begun to start the process of taking my life,' Jazz began. Jazz Thornton, who tried to commit suicide 14 times, has penned a touching letter to the officer who cut her down from a tree and gave her the strength to reach her 21st birthday 'It was late, dark and cold as I thought back on my life and everything that had happened and how much I had messed up. 'With tears streaming down my face, I text out my final goodbye.' The 23-year-old said she told the Auckland police she was on her way to the park to commit suicide because she didn't want a stranger to have to discover her dead body. Jazz said she was moments away from suicide when she saw flashing lights coming towards her. 'Afraid that they would come across me before I was dead, I took a step out and jumped,' she said. 'My jacket caught on a branch making a sound and suddenly I felt hands holding me up against the trunk of the tree. 'Those hands were yours. You held me there while I resisted, you called for backup and attempted to calm me down.' When the officer eventually had to leave Jazz' side, she promised she would visit her again to make sure she was okay It was in the back of the police car Jazz (left) said Constable Campbell, who she credits with saving her life, sat with her and gave her the strength she needed to go on Jazz said she was cut from the tree and carried to the back of the police car 'kicking and crying'. It was in the back of the police car Jazz said Constable Campbell, who she credits with saving her life, sat with her and gave her the strength she needed to go on. 'You came around the other side and sat with me, putting your arms around me while I cried my heart out,' she said. 'I eventually looked up and saw tears streaming down your face as you told me of the future I could have.' When the ambulance arrived to take her to hospital, Jazz said the constable refused to leave her side. 'I eventually looked up and saw tears streaming down your face as you told me of the future I could have,' Jazz said When she arrived at hospital, Jazz said the officer stayed with her as she suffered crippling grief. 'I was scared, I hated myself and couldn't express the emotions I was feeling,' she said. When the officer eventually left Jazz' side, she promised she would visit her again to make sure she was okay. Jazz recalled the officer telling her 'you need to make it to your 21st birthday and if you can do that for me, I will come and find you on that day to say happy birthday'. Jazz kept in touch with Constable Campbell, who continued to message her and encourage her in life. Jazz (left) recalled the officer telling her 'you need to make it to your 21st birthday and if you can do that for me, I will come and find you on that day to say happy birthday' Jazz (pictured) said the policewoman went 'over and beyond' her job requirements 'Some time passed and I had hit my 21st birthday. By this stage, I had forgotten of your promise. But you hadn't,' she said. 'You came to my house and knocked on my door just to say happy birthday. To celebrate the fact I was still alive and fighting.' Jazz said the policewoman went 'over and beyond' her job requirements. 'Thank you Constable Campbell for not only physically saving my life that night, but for speaking hope, for sitting with me, crying with me and seeing a future for me that at that point, I couldn't see,' she said. Jazz, who is now the co-founder of not-for-profit mental health organisation Voices of Hope, credited Constable Campbell for everything she achieved since that night in July 2015. 'Everything I now get to do, every video I create, talk I give or mental health campaign I organise would not have happened had you not stepped in that night,' Jazz (centre) said 'Everything I now get to do, every video I create, talk I give or mental health campaign I organise would not have happened had you not stepped in that night,' she said. 'Thank you for putting your life on the line for our country and while doing so, saving mine.' For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 Labour have 'not done nearly enough, quickly enough' in tackling anti-Semitism within the party,a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn today admitted. Andrew Gwynne scrambled to insist the party is finally taking the scandal seriously, amid warnings it threatens to harm the party's chances ahead of local elections this week. The shadow communities minister, who is masterminded the party's election campaign, said he is determined to 'root out' anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, John McDonnell suggested the Labour anti-Semitism scandal could in the long run be a good thing as it has highlighted the issue of the abuse in the community at large. And as he dismissed suggestions made by other key allies of Mr Corbyn - including union baron Len McCluskey - they are being used to 'smear' the leader. Scroll down for video Andrew Gwynne (pictured today on the Andrew Marr Show) scrambled to insist the party is finally taking the scandal seriously as it threatens to harm the party's chances ahead of local elections this week Jeremy Corbyn (pictured outside his home yesterday) has faced criticism for failing to do enough to root out the abuse spouted by some of his supporters He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: 'Let's be clear: we have to make progress on this. What are the anti-Semitic incidents in Labour that have reached a crisis under Corbyn's watch? Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural in 2012, questioning why the offensive art should be removed He was a member of a Facebook group which was awash with anti-Semitic rhetoric, and he has described anti-Semitic groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as 'our friends' The Labour leader stood by when a speaker disrupted the launch of his party's anti-Semitism policy by accusing a Jewish MP of colluding with the press Labour has still failed to expel former London mayor Ken Livingstone, two years after he claimed Hitler supported Zionism. He has still not apologised Delegates at last year's Labour conference complained of a 'witch hunt' against anti-Semitism and heard from a speaker who said it was legitimate to question the Holocaust The problem is so rife in the party the Jewish Labour Movement has had to hold training sessions for party members on how not to be anti-Semitic Labour members and councillors have shared disgusting messages and images on Facebook describing Jewish people of controlling world capitalism and being to blame for the policies of the Israeli government The party is failing to deal with a huge backlog of complaints and has failed to expel people even though they have committed offences such as referring to Jewish people as Yids Corbyn ally Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, has dismissed anti-Semitism claims as 'mood music' spread by Blairites. Labour's new general secretary Jennie Formby was accused of recruiting a party member suspended for saying Hitler was a Zionist god. Advertisement 'We've not done nearly enough quickly enough, and that is recognised across the Labour Party, its recognised by our new general secretary Jennie Formby. 'We are determined not just to call out anti-Semitism, but to root out anti-Semitism. It has no place in the Labour Party.' Labour has been dogged by claims of anti-Semitism since Mr Corbyn became leader in 2015, and MPs who have spoken out have received death and rape threats and threatened with deselection. And there was fresh anger last week after a meeting between Mr Corbyn and Jewish leaders ended in disappointment as the Labour leader 'shrugged' when confronted over his inaction and refused to take up their demands. Mr McCluskey's - the boss of Unite and dubbed 'red Ledn because of his left-wing views - claim Labour MPs were 'polluting' the leader's efforts to tackle the problem. But Mr Gwynne slapped down the union leader's remark, saying: 'It is perfectly acceptable for Labour MPs to call out anti-Semitism in our party and in our movement and it is incumbent on our party and on our movement to act and root it out.' He said people needed to 'acknowledge that there is an issue of anti-Semitism on the left of British politics'. 'It's not just something that affects the right of British politics - there is an element in the left. It is a small element.' Mr McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and one of Mr Corbyn's closest ally, suggested the anti-Semitism scandal has a silver lining - as it shines a light on the abuse more widely in society. He told Sky News' Paterson on Sunday: 'I think as a community we might come out strengthened from this because it has highlighted the issue of anti-Semitism... If any good is going to come out of this, and certainly it's about cleaning up the act of the Labour Party, but more wider than that, tackling it in society as a whole.' Last week female Jewish Labour MPs rounded on Mr Corbyn in the Commons as they told movingly of the abuse they have suffered after speaking out about anti-Semitism. John McDonnell (pictured on Sky News today) suggested the Labour anti-Semitism scandal could in the long run be a good thing as it has highlighted the issue of the abuse in the community at large Ruth Smeeth moved some of her fellow MPs to tears after she told of the torrent of abuse s he suffered - prompting her fellow MPs to flout parliamentary rules to give her a rare standing ovation. And in a remarkable show of solidarity, around 50 Labour politicians escorted her across Westminster to give evidence to a disciplinary hearing on anti-Semitism last week. The MPs walked side by side with her so that she would not have to run the gauntlet of protesters outside who were chanting and branding her allegations a 'witch hunt'. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran's "growing aggression" when he meets visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran's "growing aggression" when he meets visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later Sunday. Pompeo, sworn in only on Thursday, met Saudi leaders on Sunday as part of his first trip since taking office. He was due in Israel and Jordan later in the day. "I think that it is important that he is coming to Israel as part of his first visit outside the US as secretary of state," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "I will discuss with him developments in the region, Iran's growing aggression and -- of course -- the nuclear agreement with Iran, about which there will be a decision soon." US President Donald Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 accord over Iran's nuclear programme. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the deal with Israel's main enemy to be altered or scrapped, though most world powers see it as key to preventing Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons. On Friday, after talks with NATO allies in Brussels, Pompeo appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the nuclear deal. Netanyahu has also warned that his country will not accept Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad's regime. On April 9, seven Iranian personnel were among 14 people killed in a strike on the T-4 airbase in Syria. Regime allies Iran and Russia blamed Israel for the attack. Trump's recent promise to withdraw troops from Syria led to concern in Israel, which wants Washington to help limit Iran's influence there. Pompeo's visit also comes ahead of the deeply controversial move of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, planned for May 14. Palestinian leaders have frozen contact with the White House over the move, and Pompeo is not due to meet with any of them during his trip. Search Keywords: Short link: Dutch Police have arrested three men, seized data from two others and shut down an infamous 'revenge porn' site following a year long cyber-crime investigation. Police announced on Thursday that they discovered that hundreds of women, including Australians, were targeted by hackers on the Anon-IB website when they seized the server. The investigation began in March last year after a woman discovered her private images were posted online and reported it to Dutch police. The forum is now shut down and police are continuing their investigation. Dutch Police have shut down the Anon-IB website and are continuing its investigation Dutch Police said the site featured nude pictures and videos of girls and young women that had been stolen by hackers (stock image) Three men from the Netherlands, aged 35, 28, and 31 have been arrested are charged with computer intrusion and spreading nude photos. Police also confiscated data from two other suspects, aged 19 and 26, linked to the forum but are yet to be arrested. 'With the seizure of a server, the police have taken a forum for hackers offline,' Dutch Police posted on its official Facebook page Politie Nederland. 'The visitors were particularly interested in nude pictures and videos of girls and young women, which they stole from the clouds of their victims and shared with each other in other, more hidden places on the internet. If your data is found in a police investigation, the police will contact you.' Anon-IB hosted an infamous image board called AussieSl**s, which was dedicated to posting images of Australian women without their consent, the ABC reports. Among the Australian victims was Heather Winter, who had photos stolen from her Facebook page and used on the site. Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said many sites featuring image-based abuse of Australian women were based overseas (stock image) Anon-IB hosted an infamous image board called AussieSl**s, which was dedicated to posting images of Australian women without their consent 'To think that sharing a photo that was going to a singular person, and eventually it's gone to the internet and it's gone to millions of people and god knows what they're doing it's unnerving,' Ms Winter told the ABC. 'It was a huge sense of relief to hear that it had been taken down, you did feel like justice has been served.' Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that Anon-IB had hosted child pornography in many instances. She added that sites featuring image-based abuse of Australian women were based overseas, which made it hard to get taken down. 'It's a bit of a game of whack-a-mole you can take a site down in one country and it can pop up somewhere else, and with the use of VPNs and other technologies this can be challenging,' she told the ABC. 'But I don't think it should stop our resolve to go after these sites that are harming our citizens, specifically our young girls.' Victims have taken to social media to commend Dutch Police on the breakthrough (stock image) Dutch police have arrested three men and seized data from two others in the Netherlands Meanwhile, victims have taken to social media to commend Dutch Police on the breakthrough. 'Thank you to the @Politie #DutchPoliceCyberCrimeUnit for taking down anonib,' one woman tweeted. 'It doesn't change what happened to me, but I'll sleep better at night. Thank you for unknowingly saving my life.' An SAS officer and his wife stood in for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as Special Forces rehearsed security measures ahead of next month's royal wedding. The couple will marry in a ceremony attended by 600 guests in St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 19. With just under three weeks to go before the big day, more than 40 SAS soldiers along with police officers from the Counter Terror Command and Royal Protection Squad gathered at the regiment's headquarters in Hereford to prepare, the Express reports. Scroll down for video An SAS officer and his wife stood in for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured) as Special Forces rehearsed security measures ahead of next month's royal wedding The rehearsal included transforming the Credenhill barracks into a replica of Windsor High Street and practising for threats including suicide bombers as well vehicle, chemical and knife attacks. An Iraq veteran and his wife, who is thought to work at the SAS base, were asked to play the role of the bride and groom as various drills were carried out. One involved the pair behind swept into a ballistic blanket and ushered to safety as part of a dry run for a grenade attack. Police officers from the Counter Terror Command are in charge of the security operation on May 19, but Special Forces are set to take over in the event of a major incident. Police officers from the Counter Terror Command are in charge of the security operation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding on May 19 Preparations for the security operation began with a visit to Windsor where officers walked the route of the royal procession to assess possible access points for would-be attackers. In Hereford, a large map of the area was used to plan reactions to incident. Sources say a secondary escape route has been planned to ensure officers can whisk the bride and groom to safety, according to the Express. Officers and soldiers are also set to mingle with crowds in plain clothes in order to identify threats throughout the day. The couple will marry in a ceremony attended by 600 guests in St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 19 Prince Harry and Ms Markle have invited 600 guests to their wedding and a lunchtime reception afterwards at Windsor Another 200 will attend a private evening event at nearby Frogmore House. No political leaders are among the invitees. Instead, the guests will be people who have an existing direct relationship with the bride or the groom. However, the couple have invited 1,200 members of the public into the grounds of Windsor Castle as part of the celebrations. The University of Buckingham will become the first UK to launch a 'drug-free' policy The University of Buckingham will become the first UK university to launch a 'drug-free' policy, where students will have to sign a contract promising not to take drugs on campus. The move has been introduced in the wake of findings by The Sunday Times that reveal a 42% rise in the number of those being disciplined for drug use compared to 2015, among 116 universities. Writing in the same paper, Sir Anthony Seldon, the University's vice-chancellor, said that if students persisted in taking drugs, they would be expelled. Universities are 'failing their students on drugs and mental health' and needed to take more responsibility for students in their care, he said. 'A completely new approach is needed. Student lives are needlessly being lost and imperilled. 'Universities need to shake themselves up and take more responsibility for students in their care. 'Information about the harm that drugs could do should be everywhere - as ubiquitous as the warnings on cigarette packets. 'The University of Buckingham is working towards becoming Britain's first 'drug free' university,' he added. 'We plan to ask our students to sign a contract that makes it clear that they will not take drugs on university property, nor be under their influence when on university business. 'Drug-taking has no place at all in our vision of what a university is about. If students persist in taking drugs, they will be asked to leave. 'The focus with our students at Buckingham is to help them lead a fulfilling and meaningful life using natural and healthy approaches. 'Our aim is not to be punitive or repressive but to be compassionate and enlightened, helping our students learn how to be fully adult and responsible to themselves and to others. In this, drug-taking has no place.' Students at the University of Buckingham will be asked to sign a 'no-drugs' contract - or risk being asked to leave, according to a new policy being introduced at the private university The figures obtained by the Sunday Times show more than 1,300 students were disciplined for drugs by British universities in the 2016-17 academic year - a 42% rise on 2014-15. The highest discipline figures came from Kingston, where 331 students faced sanctions, and Nottingham, where 283 students were disciplined. Essex and Sussex Universities have each punished at least 200 students for drug offences since 2014-15. Sanctions often include fines, but can result in suspension from the university. At Leicester University, and City, University of London, not a single sanction was given for drug use. Buckingham University is the oldest of the UK's five private universities, and alongside Regent's University London, is a non-profit institution. They join the profit-making University of Law, BPP University and Arden University. The vast majority of all other universities in the UK are financed by the government. A new policy being introduced at the University of Buckingham will ban drugs on campus Buckingham University was first founded in 1973 as a college and admitted its first students in 1976. It was granted university status by royal charter in 1983. Margaret Thatcher, as education secretary, oversaw the creation of the university college in 1973 and was instrumental in elevating it to a university ten years later. When she retired from politics in 1992, she became the university's second chancellor and held that post until 1998. Sadiq Khan has reignited his long-running feud with Donald Trump - branding him an architect of a 'hostile environment'. The London Mayor said he expected protests to erupt in the capital when the US president visits on July 13 to meet with Theresa May. And he tore into the Prime Minister for extending a state visit to the President o quickly, and said he is relieved the looming trip will be a tone down affair. Mr Khan and Mr Trump have locked horns repeatedly on Twitter over the past year - with both leaders taking angry swipes at the other. Speaking on ITV's Peston on Sunday, Mr Khan also backed Londoners who want to join demonstrations against the visit. Scroll down for video Sadiq Khan (pictured on ITV's Peston on Sunday today) has reignited his long-running feud with Donald Trump - branding him an architect of a 'hostile environment' The London Mayor said he expected protests to erupt in the capital when the US president (pictured yesterday) visits on July 13 to meet with Theresa May. He said: 'I think there will be protests, I speak to Londoners every day of the week and I think they will use the rights they have to express their freedom of speech. 'But they must be peaceful, they must be lawful. 'As the Mayor of London it's probably inappropriate for me to join a protest when foreign leaders come into the UK. It's important though for me not to be scared to express my views about some of the things he's said. 'It's ironic that the architect of the hostile environment policy in this country has invited the architect of the hostile environment policy in the USA to London.' The row between the pair began last June when the US President accused Mr Khan of having a 'pathetic' response to the London Bridge terror attack. He tweeted: 'At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack,' the president wrote on his personal Twitter account, 'and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!' Theresa May (pictured going to church in her Maidenhead constituency today with her husband Philip) has faced criticism for extending a state visit invite to Donald Trump so soon after he took up office at the White House But critics pointed out that the London Mayor was saying residents should not be alarmed at the increased police presence - not at the terrorists. Since then the pair have repeatedly taken angry swipes at each other, with the London Mayor taking aim at the President when he retweeted the far right group Britain First. Mr Khan said he is pleased the planned state visit, which would have seen the President hosted by the royals and given much pomp and ceremony, appears to have been kicked into the long grass. And he called on Mr Trump to apologise for retweeting the fake video posted by Britain First. He told the show: 'It's not about apologising to me - I think he should apologise for retweeting the tweets of a far-right group which has been set up intentionally to sow the seeds of division, Britain First. 'I've been quite clear I thought our Prime Minister was wrong in the speed with which she invited the President to a state visit to our country. 'So I welcome there's no state visit happening, the red carpet won't be rolled out.' Two more men in their 20s have apparently been stabbed in separate attacks in London. A young man was attacked in a street fight outside a McDonald's on Old Kent Road, south-east London, early this morning, after another man suffered knife wounds in Wapping, East London, last night. Paramedics were called to the fight near McDonalds at about 5.15am on Sunday where the man in his 20s was stabbed. He was rushed to hospital where his condition was not thought to be serious, police said. A young man has been stabbed in a street fight outside a McDonald's in southeast London A forensic police officer gathers evidence at the cordon in Green Bank, Wapping, today In Wapping forensic officers were seen gathering evidence at a cordoned-off area in Green Bank, where police were called at 11.15pm on Saturday night. A man in his mid twenties was discovered with knife wounds and was taken to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, by the London Ambulance Service. The stabbing follows more than 60 people being killed across London this year in an escalating wave of violence. London knife crime rose 20 per cent in 2017 on the previous year with 44 per cent more deaths across the city, police stats showed last week. A man in his mid twenties was discovered with knife wounds and was taken to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, after the stabbing in Wapping Theresa May is facing fresh pressure over the Windrush scandal after 200 MPs signed a letter urging her to enshrine promises made to the immigrants in law. The letter also tears into Amber Rudd accusing her of making up immigration policy 'on the hoof' in a bid to overcome the scandal. The Government has promised that the Windrush generation and their families can stay in the UK - despite earlier threats to deport them. And ministers have said that those caught up in the scandal be given compensation. The pledges came after both the PM and her successor as Home Secretary, Ms Rudd, faced a barrage of criticism for the fiasco. Ms Rudd is trying to cling on to her job as a row rages over what she knew about illegal immigration targets used by the Home Office - and whether she has misled MPs about them. Today's letter, spearheaded by Tottenham MP David Lammy (pictured in the Commons) but backed by politicians from the SNP, Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru too, says the promised must be put down in law 'without delay' Today's letter, spearheaded by Tottenham MP David Lammy but backed by politicians from the SNP, Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru too, says the promised must be put down in law 'without delay'. Cabinet minister reveals his horror at the Windrush scandal The Local Government Secretary (pictured in Downing Street last week) whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, said he was 'really concerned' when he heard the accounts of those caught up in the fiasco emerge Sajid Javid has revealed his horror at the Windrush scandal - and that his immediate thought was 'it could have been me, my mum or dad'. The Local Government Secretary, whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, said he was 'really concerned' when he heard the accounts of those caught up in the fiasco emerge. But he pleaded with voters not to punish the Tories in local elections this week for the scandal - insisting the Government is cleaning up the mess. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, he said: 'I was really concerned when I first started hearing and reading about some of the issues. 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation. 'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver. 'When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' Advertisement The BBC reported that one unnamed Conservative MP has also signed the letter. It states: 'We are concerned that immigration policy made on the hoof, as has been the case over the last two weeks in the wake of the Windrush crisis, risks creating further problems and is not a suitable manner in which to make significant changes to our immigration policy. 'Proper legislative means are the only acceptable manner in which to protect and uphold the rights of Commonwealth citizens. 'Pronouncements from Ministers with no statutory or legal backing are simply not good enough' 'Following what so many have endured, there is an understandable lack of trust within the Windrush and wider Commonwealth community. 'Verbal promises that individuals will not be subject to immigration enforcement without backing from legislation, formal guidance and changes to immigration rules represent a rewriting of immigration policy from the despatch box, not the statute book.' They demand to know if compensation will be paid to all Windrush immigrants for the pain and trauma they have suffered. And they warned ministers that the high threshold of documentation being demanded of the immigrants is simply not possible to provide in some cases. Mr Lammy said: 'Government ministers cannot simply make up immigration policy as they go along. 'The Home Office is in absolute chaos and the Windrush children simply don't trust Home Office officials. 'After all that they have been put through nobody can blame them. 'The Home Office still can't tell us how many Windrush citizens have been deported, detained and stripped of their rights. Frankly, why should the Windrush children believe what the Home Office says?' Theresa May (pictured today on her way to church in Maidenhead) has faced stinging criticism over the Windrush scandal He added: 'Warm words don't cut it the rights of Commonwealth citizens must be enshrined and protected in law without delay. 'We need details about the compensation package, we need clarification of the evidence that the Home Office is now demanding and we need guarantees that no Windrush children will face enforcement action.' Another leaked memo shows Amber Rudd did know about 10% deportation target Another leaked memo shows Amber Rudd did know about deportation targets. Amber Rudd wrote to Theresa May setting out plans to increase the number of illegal immigrants booted out of the country by 10 per cent. The letter, revealed in The Guardian, was sent in January last year. Ms Rudd has said she does not know about specific deportation targets - but has not denied knowing about the 10 per cent figure. However, her backers have argued the 10 per cent number was an 'ambition' not a target. The distinction has been dismissed as desperate 'spin' by her critics. Advertisement The letter comes as Sajid Javid has revealed his horror at the Windrush scandal - and that his immediate thought was 'it could have been me, my mum or dad'. The Local Government Secretary, whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, said he was 'really concerned' when he heard the accounts of those caught up in the fiasco emerge. But he pleaded with voters not to punish the Tories in local elections this week for the scandal - insisting the Government is cleaning up the mess. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, he said: 'I was really concerned when I first started hearing and reading about some of the issues. 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation. 'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver. 'When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' Astonished police have advised people not to throw dead cats at police cars after a bizarre incident in Northern Ireland. Londonderry Police recounted how the animal carcass was hurled at them as they drove along the street late on Saturday night. 'If you want to avoid police attention do not throw a dead cat at a passing police car,' the hilarious post on the Foyle station's Facebook began. 'What is wrong with some people that I just had to write that?' One of the officers posed for a photo next to the police car while holding four of the half-dozen beer bottles they confiscated, writing 'cheers for the Coors' The clearly exasperated officer shared his dismay at the young men in the car seeming 'shocked and surprised' when police immediately stopped. 'One fella ran off and when we caught him he had six bottles of Coors hidden in all his pockets,' they continued, sarcastically calling him a 'criminal mastermind'. 'We see some strange and disturbing things as police but I never expected to find myself having a dead cat thrown at me.' One of the officers posed for a photo next to the police car while holding the half-dozen beer bottles they confiscated, writing 'cheers for the Coors'. Londonderry Police recounted how the animal carcass was hurled at them as they drove along the street late on Saturday night Police later clarified that the cat throwers didn't kill the unfortunate feline themselves as it was already hit by a car earlier. 'Probably someones pet and they throw it around without a thought of anyone else,' they wrote. Police said they did not discover which of the actually group threw the cat and it was not clear if anyone was issued with an infringement. It was the moment that shocked Australia - an angry step-father violently choking a teenage boy who had been bullying his stepdaughter. But the Brisbane skate park assault did not follow random schoolyard taunts, the girl's mother told Daily Mail Australia. Jen Bladen has revealed the incident was more domestic than previously known. The teenagers had dated months before the assault, she said. 'My daughter went out with this young man for a short period of time then it all started from there with the bullying,' she said. Infamous attack: Mark Bladen, 53, said he was giving the boy a 'good old fashioned talking to' when he said the 15-year-old smiled at him, causing him to 'snap' and choke the boy Mr Bladen - who said he 'snapped' - was fined $1000 for the skate park assault The couple were 'on and off' for a couple of months, Ms Bladen said, about four or five months before husband Mark Bladen's infamous intervention. The couple's daughter had said the boy called her 'Gorilla' and 'King Kong' and 'would buy me shaving cream for Christmas so that I would shave'. Speaking to 60 Minutes on Sunday, Mr Bladen told reporter Liz Hayes he was only planning to give the boy a 'good old fashioned talking to'. 'I wanted to belittle him in front of his friends the same as he did [my daughter],' he said. Mr Bladen said he was 'not proud' of his actions but he got the 'job done', because his step daughter was no longer being bullied. When asked what triggered the attack, the Brisbane step father said his daughter called him in tears. 'She was crying, she was upset. 'She said he was at the skate park, and I said 'that's it, I'm going to talk to him'. I walked with purpose, had an aggressive demeanor,' Mr Bladen said. After he spoke to the boy, Mr Bladen said he was 'very very close to leaving, but then he smiled at me'. 'I snapped, and the next thing I knew my hands were around his neck,' he said. His 15-year-old victim suffered bruising to the throat and scratches to his limbs in the fight. The teenager told a court he was the victim of bullying himself and suffered nightmares following the attack. Mr Bladen said he was 'not proud' of his actions but he got the 'job done', because his step daughter was no longer bullied relentlessly When asked what triggered the attack, the Brisbane step father said his daughter called him in tears claiming she had been tormented yet again by the bully When asked what was going through his mind after the brawl, Mr Bladen said 'job done'. While his daughter was no longer bullied, Mr Bladen said he wouldn't do it again. He said he regretted his actions. 'If I could go back in time I wouldn't have been in that situation to start with. 'It was a stupid thing to do, stupid.' Mr Bladen walking with his wife and step daughter following the Brisbane attack Mr Bladen warned other parents not to make the same mistake he did. His wife Jen defended him, saying: 'he did what I think any parent would'. 'His initial intention was to go down there and speak to him and I was okay with that. 'But looking back, what he did was not right,' she said. Mr Bladen's daughter claimed the boy relentlessly bullied her about her physical appearance. Mr Bladen pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm in a Brisbane court on March 20. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $500 in compensation. No conviction was recorded. While the Queensland father regretted his actions, his wife defended him, saying: 'he did what I think any parent would' At least 12 people have been injured in an early morning blaze in Manhattan. New York firefighters were battling the fire on the 29th floor of a building located at 1295 Fifth Avenue in East Harlem. Authorities said one adult and two children who were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The fire was reported around 6.45am and it was under control by 7.52am. At least 12 people have been injured in an early morning blaze in Manhattan. New York firefighters were battling the fire on the 29th floor of a building located at 1295 Fifth Avenue (pictured) in East Harlem Authorities said one adult and two children who were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The fire was reported around 6.45am and it was under control by 7.52am The early morning fire on Sunday broke out at 1295 Fifth Avenue (pictured) According the FDNY, two people were found in a hallway, while others were found inside an apartment on the same floor. One New Yorker posted a video of the fire on Twitter. 'Fire in the building across the street. FDNY on site quickly, with massive response. Couple of people have been carried out on stretchers,' the user tweeted. The video shows thick smoke coming from one of the building's windows as firefighters sprayed water on the blaze from inside the complex. Authorities are investigating the fire to determine what caused it. The fire in Harlem comes just hours after three people were killed and eight others injured in a house fire in Queens. The fire in Harlem comes just hours after three people were killed and eight others injured in a house fire in Queens (pictured) Authorities said the blaze broke out late Saturday night at a two-story home. An 82-year-old woman, an 87-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were all killed in the fire Eight other people were taken to area hospitals. Three, including an eight-year-old girl, have been listed in critical condition Authorities said the blaze broke out late Saturday night at a two-story home. An 82-year-old woman, an 87-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were all killed in the fire. Eight other people were taken to area hospitals. Three, including an eight-year-old girl, have been listed in critical condition. The other five are hospitalized in stable condition with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. It took 138 firefighters nearly 90 minutes to get the three-alarm blaze under control. The cause of the Queens fire remains under investigation. Dreadful weather awaits on Monday morning as the country faces gale force winds, snow and heavy rain with temperatures struggling to rise above a chilly 5C (41F). The bleak weather will begin on Sunday night, as the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain and wind across much of southern and central England. And the chilly temperatures could turn heavy rain into snow in some parts of the country, particularly in central southern England, on Monday, and flooding could be expected. The gloomy forecast comes days after the country was basked in sunshine for a short spell, with temperatures as warm as 26C (82F) . Scroll down for video Dreadful weather awaits on Monday morning as the country faces gale force winds, snow and heavy rain with temperatures struggling to rise above a chilly 41F (5C).Pictured: Beach-goers bundled up at Bournemouth Beach Dark grey clouds form over the sea at Branksome Chine in Dorset on a cold Sunday afternoon The gloomy forecast comes days after the country was basked in sunshine for a short spell, with temperatures as warm as 82F. Pictured: Couple in their hats and jackets in Bournemouth on Sunday after a spell of warm weather throughout the country The bleak weather will begin on Sunday night, as the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain and wind across much of southern and central England And the chilly temperatures could turn heavy rain into snow in some parts of the country, particularly in central southern England, and some flooding can be expected Temperatures aren't expected to rise above 41F (5C) and some parts of the country can expect up to 70mm of rain. Bearing the brunt of most of the bad weather is south and central England, while Scotland and Northern Ireland miss out on most of the rain. Trains and buses could be affected as the Met Office warned of possible delays or cancellations, saying there could be a 'small chance' that homes and businesses could be flooded due to the rain. The Met Office said: 'The heavy rain will be accompanied by strong to gale force northerly winds and it may be cold enough to produce some snow on high ground although this seems unlikely to settle.' And some warned that flights could also be disrupted due to the inclement weather. Although Sunday began dry and bright at first, a further low pressure area is due to arrive from northern Europe in the South East by Sunday night. Trains and buses could be affected as the Met Office warned of possible delays or cancellations, saying there could be a 'small chance' that homes and businesses could be flooded due to the rain. Pictured: Bournemouth Beach on Sunday People walk their dogs on Barry Island beach, Wales, as across the UK it is the last weekend to walk dogs freely on beaches as the summer season begins Cloudy weather is seen throughout much of Southern England on Sunday. Pictured: A family enjoy the spectacular spring colours Temperatures aren't expected to rise above 41F (5C) and some parts of the country can expect up to 70mm of rain Some warned that flights could also be disrupted due to the inclement weather. Pictured: A couple in raincoats at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey The Met Office's warning for Sunday evening extended through the whole of Monday for more than two-and-a-half inches of rain. Snow is also possible for a time on the North and South Downs - although it is unlikely to settle - along with winds of up to 50mph in exposed coastal areas. More than an inch of rain fell in parts of the West Country in the 24 hours to yesterday lunchtime, and there was almost an inch in South Wales, while most areas of England and Wales were grey and wet yesterday. The warning for Sunday and Monday, first issued on Thursday for the South East and East Anglia, was expanded to cover the East Midlands and Lincolnshire up to the Humber Estuary. Flooding and disruption to travel is predicted. Heavy rain from the low pressure system crossing the country yesterday and today led to flood alerts being issued by the Environment Agency. Officials warned people to be 'prepared' for the possibility of flooding on the River Kennet, in Wiltshire, and the Lower Avon, in Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire. The warning for Sunday and Monday, first issued on Thursday for the South East and East Anglia, was expanded to cover the East Midlands and Lincolnshire up to the Humber Estuary. Pictured: Friends at Bournemouth Beach on Sunday A catamaran sails across the sea at Branksome Chine in Dorset on Sunday The seasonal average is 55-57F (13-14C). It is a sharp drop in temperature since just over a week ago Dogs play with each other on the beach at Barry Island, Wales Here is a closer look at the heavy #rain and strong #winds across southeast England tonight and tomorrow. Some disruption is possible. Stay #weatheraware pic.twitter.com/TBADhXgRSl Met Office (@metoffice) April 29, 2018 Met Office forecaster John West said: 'The conditions are likely to hang around in East Anglia, the South East and Central areas throughout Monday although further north and into Northern Ireland and Scotland it will be a dry day.' A ridge of high pressure on Tuesday is due to bring just a 'brief respite' before another area of low pressure arrives on Wednesday, Mr West said. He added: 'There's some uncertainty about Wednesday's weather but we are likely to be hit by another area of low pressure, this time from Iceland. 'It doesn't look like it will lead to anywhere near as much rain as the low pressure system on Sunday and Monday but it will be cool with wet and windy weather mixed in. 'Changeable spring time weather is going to be the flow for the time being.' The wet and windy conditions on Monday could result in maximum temperatures of just 46-48F (8-9C), while over the weekend, 54-55F (12-13C) possible in many areas. The seasonal average is 55-57F (13-14C). It is a sharp drop in temperature since just over a week ago. A woman shelters from the rain under an umbrella on Saturday during a visit to the War Memorial Park in Coventry A woman holds an umbrella during rain in Westminster, central London, amid renewed wet weather in the UK on Saturday A tourist holds an umbrella decorated with Paris landmarks as she stands in Trafalgar Square, London, on Saturday A family walk their dogs through the blossom trees in the War Memorial Park in Coventry on another wet and miserable day on Saturday Last Thursday, 84.3F (29.1C) was recorded amid warm sunshine in St James's Park, Central London, making it the hottest April day since 1949. The Met Office forecast for the next week predicts 'changeable weather with brisk winds and spells of rain at times'. But there is an improved picture towards the bank holiday weekend. It adds: 'There will be a few drier and sunnier spells too, particularly in the south from next weekend onwards, although showers are still possible here. 'Temperatures will start off fairly cool, although they will tend to recover gradually to near-normal or even a little above normal in the south. It will stay rather cool in the north throughout, so overnight frost remains possible here.' Syrian troops on Sunday tightened the noose around a major Palestinian refugee camp held by Islamic State militants in southern Damascus where hundreds of civilians face an uncertain future, state media, witnesses and residents said. Nearly two weeks into a campaign to capture the last area near the capital outside government control that has left many parts of the once teeming Yarmouk camp in ruins, state media announced al Qadm neighbourhood next to the camp was retaken. Opposition sources said the army was now engaged in fierce fighting with militants on the outskirts of Yarmouk camp where an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 militants are now encircled. The militants who are besieged in an ever shrinking area have repelled successive raids to enter their heavily defended stronghold. The Yarmouk campaign is part of a wider-Russian backed offensive to regain the last pocket in opposition hands around the capital after retaking eastern Ghouta this month. It has shown no sign of letting up since Western countries launched air strikes on April 14 to punish the government for a suspected poison gas attack. The fate of hundreds of Palestinians, mostly sick and elderly women and children still in the camp that was once the largest in Syria is uncertain. UNRWA, the U.N body responsible for Palestinian refugees has called on warring parties to spare civilians. "There are some families that have been buried under the rubble and no one is able to retrieve their bodies," said Abu Osama, a resident who fled the camp two days ago to nearby Yalda, joining thousands of others seeking relative safety there since the start of the latest offensive. "The regime is just burning and destroying ... and then trying to advance on several fronts," Rami al Sayed, a former resident of Yarmouk who is now on its outskirts, said. The camp, which has been under siege by the army since rebels captured it in 2012, was home to some 160,000 Palestinians before the Syrian conflict began in 2011, refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and their descendents. Amaq, a news agency affiliated to Islamic State, said its fighters had repelled the latest attacks on their positions in al Qadam and Hay al Tadamon, killing at least 17 army fighters killed in sniper attacks. The ultra-hardline Sunni militants also pushed overnight into some positions in the southern Damascus pocket where mainly mainstream rebels operating under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are in control, opposition sources said. A deal was reached overnight under Russian auspices to evacuate those FSA rebels who are based in the towns of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem that adjoin Islamic State-held areas to opposition held areas in northern Syria, a rebel source said confirming leaks in state media. Those rebels who have in the past fought both the militants and the Syrian army have also been targeted by the army in an attempt to force them to capitulate. Search Keywords: Short link: Mamun Rashid, 30, of Tower Hamlets, was jailed for 18 years for raping three women A spurned landlord, who raped three women after they turned down his offer of rent-free lodgings in return for sex, has been jailed for 18 years. Mamun Rashid, 30, of Jodrell Road, Tower Hamlets, met his victims after purposefully advertising his spare bedroom to women aged between 18 and 45-years-old on SpareRoom, a house-share website. He was sentenced to a total of 18 years at Wood Green Crown Court after admitting five counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, one count of assault by penetration, one count of sexual assault, one count of actual bodily harm (ABH) and one count of threatening to kill at a previous hearing. His victims, aged 19 to 29-years-old, were attacked them from his home between August 2016 and May 2017. They had all made contact with Rashid via SpareRoom and once they were living in his flat, were offered the option of not paying rent in return for sex. When they refused, Rashid seriously sexually assaulted them. His youngest victim was raped the same evening she moved in, on 6 May 2017. She screamed throughout the ordeal, during which Rashid threatened to kill her if she tried to escape or call police. But he eventually let her go and fled to a friend's house. Rashid was arrested the following day and police then contacted 3,000 women who had been in contact with him via SpareRoom. Two further victims, aged 22 and 29, came forward. He denied all charges, but was convicted following a two-week trial where all three gave evidence at court. Rashid advertised a room for rent in his flat through SpareRoom.com, a house share website Detective Constable Stav Georgiou-Moran, of the Met's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: 'Rashid's vicious sexual assaults of these three women were appalling and left them with not only physical injuries, but also psychological trauma. 'The women have shown great courage and bravery in giving evidence against Rashid, ensuring that he is made to answer for his actions. 'I want to encourage any person who has been the victim of sexual assault to tell those close to you and inform the police.' Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom's communications director, said: 'We're appalled by these incidents, and our thoughts go out to the victims. 'The safety of our users is SpareRoom's top priority, and we've done everything we can to co-operate fully with the police, to help them bring this case to trial and ensure a conviction.' Rashid will remain on the sex offenders' register for life. A man wearing a balaclava and armed with a firearm, hammer and meat cleaver terrorised shoppers while committing a brazen robbery in broad daylight. The man began a smash and grab on a jewellery store in Arndale shopping centre, Adelaide, at 12.45pm on Sunday afternoon. Video footage shows the man in a balaclava, grey clothing, socks and thongs smashing the shop window with a hammer. Footage shows the terrifying moment a man dressed in a balaclava and armed with a firearm, meat cleaver and hammer robs a jewellery store in daylight He then puts the stolen items in a large red bag - and in just seconds it is all over. Two female staff members were treated for shock, but no one was injured in the ordeal. Tracey Fullerton told 7 News: 'I felt really sorry for the people that were in the jewellery store, because they were actually stuck inside behind the counter there.' The brazen thief escaped the scene in a dark grey Ford Territory. The car had South Australian registration S044BBR, however police believe these number plates are not registered to the suspect vehicle and are stolen. Police seized the hammer and meat cleaver as evidence and the store was closed for the rest of the day. Inspector David Paparella spoke to media about the crime. He said: 'This robbery is a very brazen one, occurring on a Sunday afternoon with lots of families and other shoppers in and around the stores. 'It is very unusual for a crime of this kind.' The car had South Australian registration S044BBR, however police believe these number plates are not registered to the suspect vehicle and are stolen He was also asked whether there was a connection to a home invasion in Prospect earlier in the day. Inspector Paparella said: 'That is something we are looking at at the moment and it is yet to be determined if there is a linkage between the two. 'If the two are connected there is significant concern about that sort of behaviour - but the concern is there in any case.' He said that if the two aren't connected it me here are two people causing the community distress. Two female staff members were treated for shock, but no one was injured in the ordeal Police have released a computer-generated image (pictured) of someone who may be able to help in their investigation of the home invasion in Prospect The Prospect home invasion saw a man force his way into a home and threatening the person inside. He then allegedly stole an iPad, jewellery, cash and other items before running away. The car in the Prospect case is described as a 'grey/silver four-wheel-drive'. The assailant is described as a '40 to 50 year old man of Mediterranean appearance. He is unshaven with dark-colour facial hair and is about 170 to 183 centremetres tall. The man spoke with an Australian accent and was wearing a grey hooded jumper, a bag and sunglasses. Police have released a computer-generated image of someone who may be able to help in their investigation of the Prospect home invasion. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or make an online report here. People are urged not to interact with the man from the Arndale robbery as police are concerned he is dangerous. Iraq on Sunday sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of heavy verdicts against foreign women linked to the jihadists. The head of Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, said the women were found guilty of 'joining and supporting IS', according to an AFP journalist at the hearing. Six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also condemned to life in prison Sunday on the same charge. A picture taken on Sunday in Baghdad's Central Criminal Court shows Russian women who have been sentenced to life in prison on the grounds of joining the Islamic State group The women, who have the right to appeal against the sentences, entered the court one-by-one dressed in black headscarves and pink blouses, most of them accompanied by their children. They addressed the court through a translator, a Russian-language professor at Baghdad University hired by their embassy for the trial. 'We will contact the parents to inform them of the verdict,' a Russian diplomat at the hearing told AFP. IS took over nearly one third of Iraq in a blistering 2014 offensive, seizing control of the country's second largest city, Mosul, among others. The president of Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, said the women were found guilty of 'joining and supporting ISIS' The Russian women who have been sentenced to life in prison wait to speak to diplomats with children in a hallway Baghdad declared military victory over the jihadists in December, after expelling them from all urban centres. It has detained at least 560 women and 600 children identified as jihadists or relatives of suspected IS fighters, and is wasting no time in putting them on trial. Most of the women on trial Sunday claimed they were tricked into going to Iraq. 'I did not know we were in Iraq,' said one of the accused. 'I went with my husband and my children to Turkey to live there, and then I suddenly discovered that I was actually in Iraq.' The Russian women were all accompanied by small children to the hearing on Sunday One of the Russian women sentenced to life in prison is seen speaking with a Russian diplomat Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected ISIS membership. There is no official figure. Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS, judicial sources said earlier this month. Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. They are being rushed through counterterrorism courts in trials that raise questions over whether justice is being done. At the same time, families are often left in the dark about where their loved ones are being detained or what their fates are. Keeping Faith, starring Eve Myles as Faith Howells (pictured) has been viewed by 8million people since it appeared on iPlayer in February Brits are by this point used to the Scandinavian crossover hit. What they might be less accustomed to are binge-worthy box sets from closer afield. The latest dual language drama keeping families huddled around the telly comes from just across the Welsh border. Featuring Broadchurch actress Eve Myles, a tense plot and awesome Carmarthenshire scenery, Keeping Faith has elements to rival any Scandi-noir. The thriller-cum-kitchen sink drama, set in small-town Wales, has broken iPlayer records with more than eight million tuning in since it launched exclusively on the service in February - becoming the most watched non-network BBC show. Available in eight parts, Myles plays Faith Howells, a lawyer forced to cut short her maternity leave after her husband suddenly disappears, told The Times. The show was filmed in both Welsh and English and originally aired on S4C - the Welsh language channel - in Autumn last year. After auditioning for the part in Un Bore Merche, as the series is called in Welsh, Myles decided she would learn the language because she would 'do anything to get the part'. Keeping Faith premiered on BBC Wales earlier this year becoming the broadcaster's most-watched local series in more than 25 years. The eight-part series' popularity has grown to Broadchurch-like levels in Wales where it premiered and across the UK But breaking into the British viewers sitting room to longer. On the face of it the show lacked the troubled female detective, muted pallet and abundant gore of any good Scandinavian thriller. Would this not put off British drama lovers? Apparently not. Like Broadchurch, the programme proves breathtaking scenery can be found closer to home than one might think. And Faith's hooded yellow anorak has itself gained a fervent following (and its own Twitter account). But it might be the show's central depiction of a mother struggling to keep a family's life on track despite heartbreak that has captured viewers. 'Women in the midst of motherhood aren't seen as sexy or interesting enough to play lead roles,' said Pip Broughton, the show's director. 'Faith has bust that myth.' Keeping Faith is available for just a week longer on iPlayer. Palanisami, 42, lives in Tamil Nadu, India, where doctors cannot diagnose his illness A poor villager who is riddled with tumours weighing up to 40lb on his neck and arms after being hit with a mystery illness has been told he cannot be operated on in India over fears it would be fatal. Shocking images from a remote village in India have shown the staggering physical impact of the man's rare and jaw-dropping condition. Five gigantic tumours grew on the man's body over 30 years, leaving 42-year-old K Palanisami, with problems moving and speaking. Poor Palanisami lives in the hilltop village of Podarankadu, Tamil Nadu, India, miles from any medical help. He had grown up fit and healthy until the age of 12 when the growths formed. One grew on his neck, four on his arms, and five much smaller ones have emerged elsewhere on his body. Palanisami was eventually admitted to hospital in Dharmapuri but confused doctors cannot explain the tumours following x-rays and blood tests. The tumours now prevent the man from leaving his home. The man has four large tumours along his arms and one huge one on his neck. He has a further five smaller growths K Sivasami, his older brother, said: 'Everything was normal till he was 12 years of age. Then small tumours started appearing on his body. The 42-year-old has been told he should not be operated on in India because of surgery could be fatal. Doctors have not been able to diagnose his illness The largest tumour on Palanisami's body weighs a shocking 40lbs. His head movement is impacted by the growth Palanisami lives in a remote village and is cared for by his siblings 'My father Kailas took him to doctors in Dharmapuri and Chennai, but they said that the tumours are harmless and will not affect him. 'The doctors also said that if any surgical procedure was to be carried out to remove the tumours, it could prove to be fatal for him. 'As our village is located in the hills and as we didn't have that much finance to travel to far off cities to seek medical help, we didn't pay much attention to his condition. But, now the tumours have grown to massive sizes affecting his daily life.' Palanisami has three brothers and one sister - but no other family member suffers with the condition. His brother added: 'Following the death of my father, we two brothers and our wives are taking care of him.' A stunning superyacht belonging to one of the world's richest couples has been spotted in Britain. The sleek Elfje, a 172ft eco-friendly luxury yacht built in the Netherlands by Royal Huisman, is docked in Plymouth, Devon. The boat was custom-made for one of the world's wealthiest women - American philanthropist and environmental campaigner Wendy Schmidt. Elfje is one of the very few superyachts to be designed for a woman owner. Sailing enthusiast Mrs Schmidt is the wife of Eric Schmidt, the former executive chairman of Google, who has amassed an estimated fortune of 9.7billion. Scroll down for video A stunning superyacht belonging to Wendy and Eric Schmidt has been spotted docked in Plymouth, Devon. Mr Schmidt is the former executive chairman of Google, who has amassed an estimated fortune of 9.7billion The boat was custom-made for Wendy - an American philanthropist and environmental campaigner. Elfje is one of the very few superyachts to be designed for a woman owner. Pictured: Billionaire couple Wendy and Eric Schmidt in 2016 Mr Schmidt is ranked among the top 150 richest people in the world. Elfje has been seen by people at Plymouth Yacht Haven this weekend and has been turning plenty of heads. But the Antiguan-based ketch, which has been dazzling people looking out over Plymouth Sound, is more than just a plaything for a billionaire. Built to use as little fuel as possible, the yacht was designed by Hoek Design Naval Architects, with the interior design created by RWD. Though the cost of building Elfje is unknown, Boat International put together a list of top eco-friendly yachts, which ranged in price between 4.2million and 30million. Mrs Schmidt, who helms her own boats and wants to see the oceans kept as clean as possible, explained in an interview with Boat International her motivation behind the yacht. She told the publication: 'A friend from California who also spends summers on Nantucket convinced me to buy a boat with the promise of match racing his boat one day.' The sleek Elfje, is a 172ft eco-friendly luxury yacht built in the Netherlands by Royal Huisman She continued: 'So I agreed to purchase a 46ft (14 metre) W Class wooden sloop that Eric and I travelled to the Caribbean to check out in the spring of 2007. 'The children were grown, and I thought, why not? I didn't know how to race, or even how to sail but I knew I liked to be a passenger on a boat. 'As a condition of the purchase, my friend solved all the logistical problems, arranging for the boat to travel from Antigua to Nantucket, hiring me a captain, and getting the boat a mooring. 'That was the beginning. Her captain taught me how to sail and I was surprised to discover, looking back, that we had sailed every day that summer, all the way into September.' Elfje took years to build and was delivered in 2014 - while Mrs Schmidt also launched 11th Hour Racing. Though the cost of building Elfje is unknown, Boat International put together a list of top eco-friendly yachts, which ranged in price between 4.2million and 30million That in turn is part of the 11th Hour Project, part of the Schmidt Family Foundation, which works to educate sailors and the maritime industry about how and why the ocean should be protected. 'We've been extremely lucky in our lives,' Mrs Schmidt said in the same interview with Boat International. 'You have to make a decision about what you're going to do with that. Wealth is a responsibility, one way or another. Elfje can reach a top speed of 12 knots and has a cruising range of 3,690 nautical miles. She can host up to eight people and comes with five crew members, according to information on various sailing websites. In February 2016 it was reported that the billionaire couple paid a whopping $4.75million for a 140-foot boat slip on Nantucket Island the same place she has tried to protect from rich residents. This is the same island that Wendy admitted in 2008 was going through a 'scary' transformation thanks to an influx of billionaires, including her and her husband. The older sister of a schoolboy who killed himself after years of bullying has revealed how her beloved sibling's suicide note inspired her to try and save student's lives. Kodi Pearson, 14, took his own life in 2016 following sustained personal and online attacks from students at St Thomas Moore College in Sunnybank, Brisbane. Devastated at the loss of her younger brother, Kodi's model sister Tayla, 19, and parents have now made it their personal mission to step up the fight. 'If I can save one kid it will be worth it,' Ms Pearson told 60 Minutes. Scroll down for video Tayla Pearson is starting an anti-bullying campaign to honour the life of her younger brother Ms Pearson (pictured middle) speaks out at schools around Brisbane about the effects of bullying Ms Pearson has now made it her personal mission to step up the fight in honour of her brother Kodi Pearson, 14, took his own life in mid-2016 following sustained personal and online attacks from students at St Thomas Moore College in Sunnybank, Brisbane 'We were like best friends, we were always together. 'The experience has changed me, it has made me think about all the little things people do to others. If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all.' Ms Pearson said while on the outside her brother always seemed bubbly, it wasn't always a true reflection of how he felt. After being constantly harassed on the playground and in the classroom, Kodi began faking sickness in order to be able to stay home. But in the age of modern technology the bullies were able to follow him home and continue to torment him online. 'Not only was he receiving grief in school, he wasnt able to escape from it at home either,' Ms Pearson said. Ms Pearson said while on the outside her brother always seemed bubbly, it wasn't always a true reflection of how he felt The Pearson's are still tortured over Kodi's suicide, thinking about what they could have done Before taking his life, Kodi wrote a final letter (pictured) to his family wanting them to tell everybody how bad bullying is While she remembers her brother with a large smiling photo of him in his school uniform, Ms Pearson hopes his legacy will last even longer. The Pearson's are still tortured over Kodi's suicide, thinking about what they could have done. 'I didnt think a 14-year old could think like that,' Mr Pearson said. Before taking his life, Kodi wrote a final letter to his family wanting them to tell everybody how bad bullying is. Ms Pearson continues to spread her brother's message throughout schools, ensuring children know how bullying can end lives and how there should be consequences. A Facebook page, Kodi's Message, was created in Kodi's honour to help spread the word around about the devastating and deadly impact bullying can have. For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 Ms Pearson continues to spread her brother's message throughout schools, ensuring children know how bullying can end lives A Facebook page, Kodi's Message , was created in Kodi's honour to help spread the word around about how bad bullying is A female doctor has been charged after allegedly threatening to slit her employees' throats at her Georgia medical practice. Authorities were called to Dr Marian Antoinette Patterson's practice in Valdosta in February following reports of a disturbance. The 50-year-old, who turned herself in to Lowdnes County Jail on Thursday, allegedly yelled expletives at her employees and said she would 'slit their throats'. Dr Marian Antoinette Patterson (left in her mugshot) is charged with making terroristic threats after she allegedly threatened to slit her employees throats at her practice in Valdosta, Georgia She is accused of telling one employee she would cut her from her 'throat to private parts'. Patterson also allegedly threatened to cut another employee's head off and roll it down a hallway before saying she would called the person's children so they could see it. The doctor is accused of throwing multiple items in the office, including prescription bottles and a reflex hammer. She allegedly tried to hurl a large potted plant. Police also said she grabbed her diploma off the wall and stomped on it and also threw water on two employees. Authorities were called to Dr Marian Antoinette Patterson's practice (pictured above) in Valdosta in February following reports of a disturbance One worker told police Patterson grabbed their arm and refused to let them leave. The Georgia Composite Medical Board suspended Patterson's license on March 5. The board said it had received complaints that Patterson was under the influence on multiple occasions at her practice. Warrants were issued for her arrest following a police investigation and she has been released from prison on bond. She has been charged with three counts of terroristic threats and one count of false imprisonment. The big four banks have been busted paying customers up to 75 per cent less than the market rate with superannuation funds Superannuation funds owned by the big four banks are reportedly boosting their own revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars by paying out cash returns to elderly customers at less than a quarter of the market rates. Industry data obtained by The Australian shows that people with the Westpac-owned BT Business Super Fund who chose cash options were receiving a return of just 0.05 per cent a year. The appalling returns come despite the average cash rate and bond yield in the last two years being 2.03% and 2.48% respectively. Industry experts told The Australian that a systemic culture of price gouging by the big four banks and their superannuation companies were to blame for the poor performance of the funds. Figures released by the Prudential Regulation Authority has shown that 95% of retail super funds had not delivered returns above the median for the past 10 years. The big four banks have been accused of price gouging in the past and denied the claims, saying that comparing their super funds with others was akin to comparing 'apples and oranges'. Scroll down for video Internal superannuation industry data has shown that superannuation funds owned by the big four banks are boosting their own revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars by paying out cash returns at less than a quarter of the market rates Data from SuperRatings which has shown that people with the Westpac owned BT Business Super Fund who chose cash options were receiving a return of just 0.05% a year However analysts have argued that it is a 'like for like' comparisons which takes out the variables. For contrast, ANZ's One Path subscribers who invested in their cash scheme received only 0.59% a year on their cash investments while funds owned by NAB returned averages of just 0.05%. However analysts have spoken out and said that returns on cash should be much higher than what is being paid out by the big four's superannuation funds, mainly because those banks had the capital to invest and get better rates. Figures from the Australian Association of Superannuation Funds of showed that superannuation funds owned by the big four banks managed a total of $309 billion worth of funds. Advertisement Donning top hats and dreadlocks, helmets with horns, waistcoats and skull-topped walking canes, thousands of goths dug out their most outlandish outfits - and took to a quintessentially English town on the coast. Whitby Goth Weekend, a twice-yearly alternative music festival, has been attracting fans of Steampunk, Cybergoth, Romanticism and Victoriana since 1994. The North Yorkshire town became an attractive prospect to host the event, given its close connections to Bram Stoker's timeless Gothic thriller, Dracula. In 1890, the Irish writer decided to holiday in Whitby and was immediately inspired by its windswept headland, dramatic abbey ruins, a church surrounded by swooping bats, and long associations with jet a semi-precious stone used in mourning jewellery. During his stay, he also visited Whitby's public library, where he found a book published in 1820, recording the experiences of a British consul in Bucharest, William Wilkinson, in Wallachia and Moldavia (now in Romania), who makes mention of a 15th-century prince called Vlad Tepes, known as Dracula, who was said to have impaled his enemies on wooden stakes. It is here that Stoker would also have heard about the shipwreck five years previously of a Russian ship called the Dmitry, from Narva - which in his famous novel becomes the Demeter, from Varna - the very vessel that first brings Dracula to the shores of England at Whitby. Scroll down for video Birds of a feather: This crow-masked reveller and his companion, wearing a top hat with feathers, were among the thousands of goths and steampunks who descended on Whitby this weekend to enjoy the twice-yearly Whitby Goth Festival Olivia Fairless was among those visiting Whitby, Yorkshire, where Bram Stoker found inspiration for his novel, Dracula Ahoy there! Revellers don their best pirate outfits for the Whitby Goth Weekend, which first started in 1994 Golly goth: One festivalgoer dons a skull mask and horned helmet, complete with black bullet vest waistcoat, while another shows off his dreadlocks beneath a classic top hat Village of the Damed: This reveller styles out his look with a black-and-white outfit, fishnets and black platform heeled boots Uptown punk: This elegantly dressed couple rock the steampunk look by combining top hats with brass goggles and guns If the hat fits: These ladies give Ascot a run for its money with their elaborate costumes and steampunk-inspired headwear Dead good: Skulls are all the rage for these festivalgoers, appearing on bags, walking canes, jackets and masks Thousands walked through the streets of Whitby, which provided Bram Stoker with the inspiration for his novel, Dracula Good mourning: Funeral hats, dark clothing and floral dresses are all the rage at this year's Whitby Goth Weekend Victorian gentleman: This dapper gentleman pulls off the steampunk look in his blue velvet coat as he ascends a steep hill Black Goth-ee: Visitors take a break from the festivities, while donning their superb outfits complete with horned hats Related Syrian army tightens noose around Palestinian camp A deal has been reached for the evacuation of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk where Islamic State group fighters have been holed up in southern Damascus, state media reported Sunday. The transfer of "terrorist groups" to rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria would begin on Monday, said the official SANA news agency, which did not name IS jihadists. It comes hours after the Syrian government and rebels agreed to evacuate opposition fighters from the areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, also in southern Damascus, according to SANA. Search Keywords: Short link: A Labour MP who is an arch Corbyn critic today hit back at claims he sent inappropriate texts to a female former aide. Blairite MP John Woodcock, who enraged Mr Corbyns allies by saying he is unfit to be Prime Minister, faces being sacked from Labour if he is found guilty. The Barrow MP, 39, a former aide to Gordon Brown, has been ordered to appear before Labour disciplinary chiefs. In an open letter today, he said: 'In the light of newspaper stories today, I want to make the following clear to my constituents. 'I was made aware in December last year that a complaint made against me was being referred to Labour's national constitutional committee as a potential breach of the party's policy on sexual harassment. 'I do not accept this but know the complaint must be thoroughly and fairly investigated. Blairite MP John Woodcock (pictured) who enraged Mr Corbyns allies by saying he is unfit to be Prime Minister, faces being sacked from Labour if he is found guilty. 'I have not yet been notified of any date for a hearing and was following the party's guidance that the process should remain confidential to reassure potential victims that they could make complaints without being exposed to unwelcome publicity. 'Therefore I do not intend to discuss details of the issue ahead of any hearing.' Westminster has been rocked by sexual harassment scandals over the past six months. Tory MPs Sir Michael Fallon and Damian Green both had to resign from the Cabinet after allegedly making unwanted sexual passes at women. Expenses-scandal peer must repay 15,000 The Labour peer forced to quit as Jeremy Corbyn's 'enforcer' in the Lords over an expenses scandal has been ordered to repay thousands of pounds. Lord Bassam was last week instructed to hand back more than 15,000 of wrongly claimed travel costs after a Mail on Sunday investigation. Standards watchdogs also required the peer to apologise for breaking House of Lords rules. Lord Bassam quit as Labour's Chief Whip in the Lords last December after it was revealed that since 2010 he had claimed 41,000 to commute from Brighton to Westminster while at the same time getting 260,000 from an allowance for senior peers whose main home is not in London. Now the Lords' standards watchdog, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, has ruled that 15,737 of his travel costs were invalid. The peer was spared a worse penalty, however, after she decided that he had acted 'mistakenly, but not dishonestly' because the rules over Lords' allowances were not clear. A review into how Lords' travel expenses are paid is under way. Lord Bassam, known as Lord Swampy because of his background as a squatters' rights leader, said: 'I have begun paying back the over-claimed travel costs.' Advertisement The complaint was made to Labour's National Executive Committee in November last year - when the so-called Pestminster scandal was at its height. MPs from across the political divide have been accused of sexually harassing and sexually assaulting aides working in Parliament. Mr Woodcock is one of the Labour leader's fiercest critics - frequently speaking out against him in Parliament. He has condemned Mr Corbyn's failure to tackle anti-Semitism among his supporters. And he recently tore into Mr Corbyn in the Commons over his failure to condemn Vladimir Putin's Russia. The complaint was made in November to Labour's anti-harassment panel, which was set up after the so-called 'Pestminster' furore to make it easier for MPs' staff to report alleged misbehaviour. However, it is understood he is strongly contesting the claims. Mr Woodcock has clashed with Mr Corbyn's supporters after launching a series of trenchant attacks on him. He said that he would rather starve than sing the 'Oh, Jeremy Corbyn' chant made popular at last year's Glastonbury Festival. He also survived an attempt by his Labour enemies to ban him standing in last year's General Election after he said that Mr Corbyn was 'unfit for No 10'. And he accused the Labour leader of lying over the Skripals' poisoning in Salisbury after Mr Corbyn claimed he had always 'been a robust critic of Russia'. Last week he was accused by union boss Len McCluskey of trying to undermine Mr Corbyn by whipping up a row over anti-Semitism. The allegations are expected to be considered in the next few weeks by Labour's National Constitutional Committee, which last week expelled a party activist for heckling a Jewish Labour MP. 'Mr Woodcock is accused of sending inappropriate messages to a former female member of his staff,' said a Westminster source. 'The complaint came via Labour's new anti-harassment hotline.' Mr Woodcock declined to comment. A Labour spokesman last night said: 'The party takes all complaints of harassment very seriously. 'All allegations received are fully investigated.' Police in Texas are hunting for a man who attempted to kidnap two women on Saturday. Luz Baena, 55, told Houston police that she was riding her bicycle when the man pulled up beside her, grabbed her arm and forced her into his car. 'He threw the bicycle and I said, "what do you want from me" and I panicked,' Baena told KPRC. 'I said, "what do you want? You can have the bicycle" and he said, "No, I want you."' Scroll down for video Houston police are searching for a man in his early 20s who tried to kidnap two women on Saturday. Luz Baena (pictured), 55, managed to escape from the man by jumping out of his car Baena, 55, told Houston police that she was riding her bicycle (pictured) when the man pulled up beside her, grabbed her arm and forced her into his car Baena said the man drove two blocks before she knew she had to escape. She suffered broken bones in her face, a black eye, and bruises on her arms and legs Baena said the man drove two blocks before she knew she had to escape somehow. 'I'm thinking he's going to kill me. No, no, no. I need to do something. I don't want to die now,' Baena said. She told the station that as the culprit drove close to a group of people, she jumped out of the accelerating car. Baena suffered broken bones in her face, a black eye, and bruises on her arms and legs. Officers released surveillance video of the incident. In the video, Baena is seen opening the car door moments before she jumped out of the suspect's car. Police released the video in hopes someone will recognize the man's vehicle. Officers released surveillance video of the moment Baena is seen jumping out of the car in hopes someone will recognize the suspect's vehicle The video shows the moment Baena jumped from the moving vehicle. Police said a second victim was attacked by the man before Baena was nearly kidnapped His vehicle is described as a dark gray four-door Camry with front right damage and varying rims, police said Police said the man, believed to be in his early 20s, had tried to kidnap another woman before Baena. The other victim, who has not been identified, was attacked in the 900 block of North Vista Drive and the other in the 16200 block of Bend Drive, according to KPRC. A witness said they heard the woman screaming as they were going to a store. 'We were going to the store when we saw a young lady run out in front of a garbage truck,' witness Larry Whitfield told KPRC. 'She was screaming and hollering, "Help me! help me! help me!"' She was able to break free, but was badly injured, investigators said. The suspect has been described as a black man with a thin build, between 5'6 and 5'8, bald and clean-shaven. His vehicle is described as a dark gray four-door Camry with front right damage and varying rims, police said, according to investigators. Anyone with information is urged to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-221-6000. Michael Avenatti, the attorney for a adult film actress who claims she slept with Donald Trump, predicted on Sunday that the president's longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen will soon 'flip' on him. Cohen faces the possibility of federal charges for bank fraud and campaign finance violations in a case stemming from a $130,000 hush-money payment he made in 2016 to Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose 15 minutes of fame have now lasted several months. Both Trump and Cohen have said the president was unaware of the payment at the time. The money could be seen as an illegal campaign contribution and if Cohen lied to the bank that advanced him the cash, he could be on the hook for a felony. On Friday the National Enquirer, a publication run by Trump friend David Pecker, blasted Cohen on its cover with the headline: 'TRUMP FIXER'S SECRETS AND LIES.' 'What's going on here,' Avenatti said on CNN's 'State of the Union' program, 'is that Mr. Trump and the administration have concluded what I've been saying for weeks: that Michael Cohen's in a lot of trouble and he's going to flip on the president.' Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for a porn star who claims to have bedded a married Donald said on CNN that a vicious National Enquirer cover targeting Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is a sign that the president and his friends are laying the groundwork to call Cohen a liar when he inevitably 'flips' on the president Adult-film star Stormy Daniels' lawsuit against Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is an attempt to be released from a nondisclosure agreement she signed just before the 2016 election, forbidding her from discussing her claims of a Trump affair in exchange for $130,000 President Trump, pictured Saturday night at a campaign rally in Washington Township, Michigan, insists he never slept with the porn star Daniels, and Cohen says he never told Trump about his cash payment to Daniels The National Enquirer cover, Avenatti claimed, 'is the first effort on their part to undermine Mr. Cohen's credibility so that they can claim when he does flip that he's a liar, that he has no credibility, etc.' The president acknowledged for the first time Thursday during a 'Fox 7 Friends' interview that Cohen had represented him in the 'crazy Stormy Daniels deal.' Barely a week ago, he tweeted full-throated support for Cohen, blasting a New York Times reporter for suggesting that he might turn state's evidence. The National Enquirer is a supermarket tabloid run by longtime Trump friend David Pecker, making the attack on Trump's lawyer Cohen difficult to explain unless it's a warning shot 'Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories,' the president wrote on April 21. 'Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!' 'Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected,' he added. Avenatti suggested that Trump has now changed his strategy. 'It's pretty transparent what's going on here,' he said on CNN. 'Mr. Trump realizes he's in a lot of trouble and he's in panic mode.' In a string of tweets last weekend, Trump defended Cohen and said he did not think he would 'flip' on him, but now that assurance is in doubt Cohen told a California judge on Thursday that he would assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in Stormy Daniels' civil case against him and the president while the FBI continued its digging into the materials it seized from Cohen's home and office earlier this month. The civil lawsuit focuses on Daniels' demand to be freed from a nondisclosure agreement she signed just days before the 2016 election, in exchange for the $130,000 payment. U.S. District Court Judge James Otero agreed Thursday that 'factual overlap' between the civil case and Cohen's potential criminal jeopardy left him no option but to delay the lawsuit's proceedings for 90 days to see if a federal prosecutor in New York would indict Cohen. Trump has consistently denied having an affair with Daniels. Donald Trump today tore into the European Union for trying to 'take advantage of the United States' over trade. The US President accused the bloc of not being fair on trade and hinted that he could try to slap it with trade tariffs. His angry tirade comes just weeks after he exempted the bloc from tariffs which he put on Chinese goods - but the exemption is due to expire in days. His remarks will arm Theresa May, who today held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel about their 'concern' over possible American tariffs. Scroll down for video Donald Trump (pictured in the US yesterday) today tore into the European Union for trying to 'take advantage of the United States' over trade Addressing a rally in Michigan, the US president said the EU 'sounds so nice' but it was 'formed to take advantage of the United States'. Trump wants to cement special relationship with trade deal, ambassador says Robert Woody Johnson argued no one would be more enthusiastic about striking a post-Brexit trade agreement than the U.S. President (file pic) Donald Trump wants to take the special relationship to another level by signing a trade deal with Britain, the U.S. ambassador said last night. Robert Woody Johnson argued no one would be more enthusiastic about striking a post-Brexit trade agreement than the U.S. President. Mr Johnson yesterday claimed Mr Trump is the closest friend and ally Britain could ever hope to have in the Oval Office In an article for The Sun on Sunday, he wrote: The UK has always been special to President Trump. When he appointed me his Ambassador, he was clear: Our goal is to bring America and Britain closer than ever before The President is right to want to take our special relationship to another level. Mr Johnson called on firms based in the UK to boost transatlantic trade so they can take advantage of the growing American economy, which he said was booming in a way I've never seen before. He added: Now is the time for British companies to break into America's huge market and grow their businesses like never before. The future is full of opportunity for trade. When the UK cuts loose from the EU, you will have the option to sign trade deals with countries around the world. Of course, this will be dependent on the final agreement the UK strikes with the EU. But if there is room to negotiate a trade deal, no one would be more enthusiastic than the President. President Trump has supported Brexit from the outset. He has made it clear he would love to sign a deal. And he would never let America's best ally wait at the back of the line. Advertisement Pledging to support US farmers, Mr Trump accused Brussels of putting up barriers and called for markets to be opened up. he said: 'When we take on China or the European Union, which has tremendous blocks, it's very hard for us to sell stuff into the European Union. It was put there to take advantage of the United States, OK.' Responding to a member of the crowd shouting 'not anymore', he replied: 'You're right. Not anymore. We told them that yesterday actually, we said the same words 'not anymore'. Those days are over. 'But we've got to open up these markets. It's not fair.' The US and China have been locked in a bitter dispute over tariffs on metals and other products, raising fears of a trade war between the world's two largest economies. Mr Macron and Mserkel have both urged Mr Trump to extend the EU's exemption from punishing tariffs on aluminium and steel during recent visits to Washington. Bemoaning the US's deficit in international trade, Mr Trump told the rally: 'Long-term you're going to be so happy... we're going to get it opened up or we're not doing business with these countries. 'With the European Union last year... that sounds so nice, doesn't it? I don't know why, they literally... formed to take advantage of the United States. 'And I don't blame them. You know what? I don't blame them, I don't blame (Chinese) president Xi (Jingping). 'I don't blame prime minister (Shinzo) Abe of Japan, I don't blame the heads of these countries for taking advantage of us. 'I blame past presidents and past leaders of our country.' His words will fuel fears of a global grade war which free marketeers warn will push up prices for consumers in the long run. Europe is alarmed at the prospect that Mr Trump will lead the world into a protectionist arms race - and are leaning on him to abandon his threats. Mrs May's spokesman today delivered a read out of her call with Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel. He said: 'They also noted the vital importance of our steel and aluminium industries and their concern about the impact of US tariffs. 'The leaders pledged to continue to work closely with the rest of the EU and the US Administration with the aim of a permanent exemption from US tariffs. 'Finally, they all agreed on the value of continued engagement in the E3 format (Britain, France and Germany) to advance our shared interests and our security.' From behind the wheel of his new Mercedes, a Polish entrepreneur eyes the bus in front of him. It features an ad from an employment agency boasting 'Builders, welders: workers from Ukraine and Bangladesh'. Speaking of the Warsaw logistics company he manages, the entrepreneur tells AFP: 'Right now we mostly take on Ukrainians and some Belarussians.' 'We practically no longer have Poles. They're all working in Germany or Britain,' he said on condition of anonymity. Demographers believe the situation will only get worse, posing a threat to Poland's continuous streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989. A company that helps foreigners with paperwork advertises on a poster in front of the regional department of foreigners' affairs where foreigners can get work and residency permits in central Warsaw The current child-rearing generation is having only half the number of children than those born in the post-WWII baby boom. Combined with the exodus of skilled workers to Western Europe, where salaries are higher, the result is that a labour shortage looms. According to official forecasts, by 2030 one in five jobs will be vacant. Poland's economy will need 20 million workers at a time when the working age population will be down to 16 million people. The agricultural sector, at least, is not short on workers, who work on millions of small farms and are more numerous than their French or German counterparts. But shifting some of those workers away to other sectors will not be enough to solve the manpower problem elsewhere. Demographers believe the situation will only get worse, posing a threat to Poland's continuous streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989 Nor can the hole be plugged by hiring the jobless - the unemployment rate was 6.6 percent last month. And encouraging older workers to stay on past retirement age won't be a solution for all jobs. In the construction sector, the deficit is already at 100,000 people, according to the deputy president of Poland's union of construction employers, Rafal Baldys Rembowski. The country's biggest construction firm Budimex, which is controlled by Spain's Ferrovial, is on the hunt for 1,000 extra workers, according to spokesman Krzysztof Koziol. 'We're seeing a labour shortage in our company, but the same goes for our subcontractors, who are also complaining,' he told AFP. 'Sometimes they offer to provide us with construction equipment but then add that they don't have anyone to drive it,' he added. 'We're short on practically all workers: masons, carpenters, concrete mixers, plasterers, pavers, drivers, machine operators. Too few foremen and engineers too.' Combined with the exodus of skilled workers to Western Europe, where salaries are higher, the result is that a labour shortage looms. Pictured, a man leaves the regional department of foreigners' affairs People wait in front of the regional department of foreigners' affairs in Warsaw, Poland Despite recent legislation requiring shops to close on Sundays, large supermarket chains like French giants Auchan and Carrefour have not had to fire staff. 'We actually have a hard time recruiting people,' said one supermarket official who preferred to remain anonymous. Poland, which closed its doors to refugees for security reasons, must rethink its immigration policy, according to Development Minister Jerzy Kwiecinski. 'Our economy already needs foreign workers and in the future we'll need more and more,' he told reporters last month. He spoke after the government announced plans to adapt Poland's migration policy to job market needs by favouring the entry of workers in sectors where there are vacancies. The plan is also to dissuade Poles from moving abroad for work, and encouraging those already gone to return home - and bring their businesses along with them. The government also wants to make it easier for foreigners to come to Poland to study subjects crucial to the economy. Other government plans include expanding Polish language instruction for foreigners and simplifying formalities. Even without the planned incentives, Poland has been attracting workers from abroad for years. Mainly Ukrainians, they often come without work permits or visas which, given the laws in place, makes it necessary for them to return home every three months before crossing back into Poland three months later. Those who work off the books also risk a fine. The central bank estimates that one million Ukrainians currently work in Poland, and expects that figure could rise by nearly a third in the coming years. That dwarfs the 235,000 foreigners who received official work permits last year. 'We Ukrainians come to Poland to make money. That's the only reason,' said Maria Andreikiv, a pensioner who cleans houses in Warsaw. 'My monthly pension in Ukraine is 1,370 hryvnias (43 euros, $52). Here, I'll make that in a day. And prices in Ukraine aren't that much different from those in Poland,' she told AFP. A controversial sociologist has claimed Australia's pay gap is 'unsolvable' because it doesn't make economic sense. Professor Jordan Peterson said woman on average are paid less than men because they are 'more agreeable' and not 'natural negotiators.' 'More agreeable people get paid less. Why? Because they're not as assertive,' Professor Peterson said on 60 Minutes. Professor Jordan Peterson, said woman on average are paid less than men because they are 'more agreeable' and not 'natural negotiators' Under Australian discrimination law, it is illegal to pay men and women differently for doing the same work. Professor Peterson also denies that the pay gap issue is not a problem of sex discrimination. He said that paying men and women equally would be 'absolutely deadly.' Journalist Tara Brown revealed the worst offenders are male-dominated sectors in real estate and finance where the gender pay gap is over 30 per cent in favour of men. It was also revealed the gender pay gap has hovered at 15-20% for the last 20 or so years. Journalist Tara Brown, revealed the worst offenders are male dominated sectors in real estate and finance Brown travelled to Iceland where gender pay equality is legal. Iceland's new law came into effect on January after it was announced on International Women's Day last year. Under the new law, businesses have to receive official govrnment certification to prove their equal-pay policies if they have more than 25 employees, news.com.au reported. The companies risk being fined if they cannot prove they are providing equal pay. Icelands former Minister of Social Affairs and Equality Thorsteinn Viglundsson said equal pay is not a threat to men it's just a fair balance to society which men should be getting involved in. The hotly-anticipated Intercity Express Trains have come under fire after passengers were forced to squeeze into crowded carriages - while some were left locked and empty. On some trains from London to south Wales and southwest England, five carriages were shut off to passengers because Great Western Railway did not have enough staff on board. The trains, which were purchased in a 5.7billion rail revamp, saw their maiden voyage in October of last year begin with age-old complaints - including delays, no available seats, broken aircon and tickets costing 200. During its first outing, the Hitachi 800 was due to leave Bristol Temple Meads for London Paddington at 6am sharp, but didn't depart until 6.25am for unspecified 'technical issues' - meaning it arrived 41 minutes late. The hotly-anticipated Intercity Express Trains have come under fire after passengers were forced to squeeze into crowded carriages - while some where left locked and empty Great Western Railway described the closed carriages as 'isolated incidents', but The Sunday Times report four trains were run in this way during an eight-day period in April. One passenger, Rachael Claridge, was travelling with her family from London Paddington, to be told they should board one of the front five carriages on the train, because the other five were not open. The 39-year-old said: 'It was horrendous. My toddler sat on the floor and we sat by the toilets.' A spokesperson for Great Western Railway said: 'We do everything we can to run our services with the correct number of carriages. However, sometimes it is not always possible.' 'The new trains offer more flexibility, enabling us to operate them with just five carriages if absolutely necessary where we would previously have had to cancel a service.' They also said that they run 100 more trains per day now than they did in 2016. Britain, France and Germany reaffirmed their backing for the Iran nuclear deal, despite Donald Trump's threat to walk away. Downing Street said Theresa May spoke by telephone with President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel after their visits last week to Washington. The two leaders returned home apparently having made little headway in their efforts to persuade the U.S. President not to abandon the agreement. Theresa May, along with her counterparts in France and Germany, are committed to the Iran nuclear deal and are trying to get U.S. President Donald Trump stay in it Mr Trump must decide next month whether to re-certify it the deal, or to dump it and reinstate sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation. He has long made clear his opposition to the deal, signed under former president Barack Obama, arguing it is time-limited and does not cover Iran's ballistic missile programme. Number 10 said the three European leaders discussed the importance of the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. German Chancellor Angela Merkel returned home apparently having made little headway in their efforts to persuade the U.S. President not to abandon the agreement U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently called for the 'terrible deal' to be 'fixed' with a new agreement, and French President Emmanuel Macron worked on him while in Washington They all agreed it was the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. 'They agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address - including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran's destabilising regional activity,' it said . 'Acknowledging the importance of retaining the JCPoA, they committed to continue working closely together and with the U.S. on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses - including those issues that a new deal might cover.' Britain could be set to legalise cannabis in the next five years, say experts in the industry. Investors are already setting their sights on the UK as a potential new market with business owners meeting to talk over plans. Leading companies of the industry held a conference in Mayfair, London, on Thursday to discuss Britains likelihood of following Canada, Australia and numerous US states in relaxing their regulations. Scroll down for video Investors are already setting their sights on the UK as a potential new market with experts meeting to talk over plans Many of those presenting were from Canada with the country set to make recreational use of the drug fully legal by September this year, report Metro.co.uk. Max Zavet, founder of Canadian cannabis company Emblem, said: We are very, very eager to get into the UK market. Emblem is one of 14 companies who were at the Cannabis Invest conference at the May Fair Hotel. Mr Zavet believes there is a global shift of opinion happening towards the drug and that the UK government will soon have to catch up. He believes it will be legalised medically at first. Leading companies of the industry held a conference (pictured) in Mayfair on Thursday to discuss Britains likelihood of following Canada, Australia and numerous US states in relaxing their regulations Max Zavet (right), who was at the event (left), and is founder of Canadian cannabis company Emblem, said: We are very, very eager to get into the UK market The tycoon added: Once that starts happening, people arent as afraid about pot anymore and the stigma reduces. You may see a recreational regime here in the next five years as well. Yet the Home Office insists it has no plans to loosen the laws in Britain, describing cannabis as a harmful drug. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has warned of the risk of serious consequences for people, such as the development of an enduring psychotic illness, particularly in those who are genetically vulnerable. Cannabis under UK law cannot be supplied to the public, and can only be used for research under a Home Office licence. Emblem is one of 14 companies who were at the Cannabis Invest conference (pictured) at the May Fair Hotel Despite this, Britain is one of the largest exporters and producers of legal cannabis to other countries. GW Pharmaceuticals which creates brands Sativex and Epidiolex, used to treat MS and epilepsy, has a licence to grow the drug for medical use. A Home Office spokesman said the government has no plans to legalise cannabis, medicinally or otherwise. They added: Cannabis is a controlled Class B drug, as there is clear scientific and medical evidence that it is a harmful drug, which can damage peoples mental and physical health, as well as harming individuals and communities. A screengrab from the Ben Geppert's Instagram video in which he appeared to brandish a gun A bikie enforcer turned Instagram star has taunted police who raided his home after he brandished what appeared to be a gun in a brazen social media post. Ben 'notorious' Geppert last week uploaded a video to Instagram which appeared to show him holding a black gun marked 'self loading pistol US Army Model'. Police raided his Gold Coast home on Sunday with a warrant to find a black 45 calibre revolver. The bikie taunted officers after they found nothing, saying on Instagram: 'Thanks for coming and ruining my Sunday and not finding anything. You dogs will never get me.' Weapons experts told The Courier-Mail the gun was fake. Bond University criminologist Terry Goldsworthy told the publication social media is a very useful tool for police investigating bikies. He said: '[Bikies] are leaving a digital footprint that big that law enforcement would be blind to miss it. I'm sure they're looking at it and collating intelligence.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Police for comment. It comes after the criminologist claimed that traditional bikies would be 'highly embarrassed' by Geppert's public social media feud with Brett 'Kaos' Pechey, ex-Bandidos West End president. Scroll down for video Bikie enforcer Ben Geppert (pictured with his model girlfriend) has taunted police who raided his home after he brandished what appeared to be a gun in a brazen social media post Geppert (left) has been in a public social media feud with Brett 'Kaos' Pechey (right), ex-Bandidos West End president In February, former Hells Angels' enforcer Geppert - who made headlines after being booted off Hamilton Island by police while on holiday - attacked Pechey in a lengthy Instagram post. The 26-year-old bikie called Pechey, 31, a 'dog' and accused him of 'talking to the task force' (the police), just weeks after the pair met through their Instagram-famous girlfriends, who are cousins. In a post to his online story, Geppert showed an image of Pechey's Instagram account with the words 'weak dog' written across it. He later wrote: 'Kaos you weak boneyard dog... don't hide behind me for protection. Ya know where I live so come be a man.' Glamorous: Geppert's girlfriend Allaina Vader (right) boasts a total of 158,000 followers US President Donald Trump was pleased that the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearisation during their summit, Seoul officials said on Sunday, as the allies gear up for Trump's own unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump had a phone call with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in late Saturday, one day after Kim and Moon vowed "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula at the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade. Moon and Trump agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and Kim, and explored two to three potential locations, the Blue House said. A senior US official has said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim summit. "Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realising a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearisation," South Korea's presidential Blue House said. "Trump was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result." Trump, who called the 75-minute chat "a long and very good talk" on Twitter, said his summit with Kim would take place sometime in the next three to four weeks. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," he said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, on Saturday. The White House said Trump and Moon during the call "emphasized that a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation." Trump had also informed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he would urge North Korea to promptly resolve its abductions of Japanese citizens, the White House said. On Saturday, North Korea's state media lauded Friday's summit a turning point for the peninsula, releasing the joint statement signed by Kim and Moon as part of a multi-page spread with more than 60 photos from the visit. "At the talks both sides had a candid and open-hearted exchange of views on the matters of mutual concern including the issues of improving the North-South relations, ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearisation of the peninsula," KCNA said. It added that the night wrapped up with a dinner that had an "amicable atmosphere overflowing with feelings of blood relatives." Two days after the historic meeting produced dramatic images and a sweeping declaration of goodwill, South Korean media were replaying striking scenes of the two leaders, while North Korean state TV broadcast its first footage of the summit on Saturday afternoon. Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration focused on inter-Korean relations and did not clear up the question of whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In their coverage of the summit, North Korean state media made rare mentions of the denuclearisation discussion, but did not go into specifics, instead highlighting the broad themes of peace, prosperity, and Korean unity. The declaration earned guarded but optimistic praise from world leaders, including Trump, who said on Friday that only time would tell, but that he did not think Kim was "playing." "It's never gone this far. This enthusiasm for them wanting to make a deal ... We are going to hopefully make a deal." Still, Trump said he would maintain pressure on North Korea and "not repeat the mistakes of past administrations." In Sydney on Saturday, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull praised Trump's negotiations on North Korea and said he helped bring the two Korean leaders together. "I have given him that credit because Donald Trump has taken a very, very strong, hard line on the denuclearisation issue and he has been able to bring in the support of the global community and, in particular, China," Turnbull told a televised news conference, referring to "overwhelming" economic ties between China and North Korea. "What we've now got to do is not relent on the economic pressure until that goal is achieved," he said. Australia will send a military aircraft to monitor North Korean vessels suspected of transferring illicit goods in defiance of UN sanctions, he said. Iran, facing a possible US exit from its nuclear deal with world powers, welcomed the inter-Korean summit, but said Washington was not a "qualified" partner in the negotiations. "Iran sees (the summit) as an important step in the right direction that can contribute to lasting regional and global peace and security," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state media. "The US government is not a credible actor, doesn't comply with its international obligations and doesn't qualify to take part in arrangements between countries," Qasemi added. An editorial in the official China Daily on Saturday said denuclearisation could end hostilities between the two sides and "usher in a new era of development" on the peninsula, but noted Friday's declaration lacked a plan for achieving the goal. "The denuclearisation of the peninsula, written into the Panmunjom Declaration, is only a prospect with no specific plan. That is because such specifics can be reached only between the US and North Korea, and South Korea has only limited authority to bargain," it said. Search Keywords: Short link: Two of Theresa May's top aides have backed her top Brexit adviser following reports David Davis wants him sacked. Sources said the Brexit Secretary rang No10 chief of staff Gavin Barwell to demand Ollie Robbins is sacked. Mr Davis is said to be furious with the civil servant over his plans to create a controversial new customs 'partnership' with the EU after Brexit. Friends of Mr Davis say that he is growing increasingly frustrated at being 'squeezed out' of crunch Brexit discussions by Mr Robbins. Mrs May increasingly dismissing Mr Davis's advice on how to handle the EU negotiations in favour of suggestions from her adviser. But today Mr Barwell and chief whip Julian Smith both spoke out on Twitter to back Mr Robbins after details of the feud spilled into the press. Mr Smith wrote on Twitter: 'UK Civil Service is helping to deliver Brexit. The quality of support/advice is world class. Attacking ind civil servants is deeply unfair.' And Mr Barwell - an MP who joined the PM's top team after losing his seat in the Tory election disaster - backed the comments on Twitter. No10 Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell spoke out on Twitter to back Ollie Robbins after claims David Davis wants him sacked over controversial custom partnership proposal Theresa May's chief whip Julian Smith also gave his backing to the civil servant on Twitter Last night a source close to Mr Davis confirmed that he had made the call to Mr Barwell but denied that he had demanded that Mr Robbins should be sacked. The Mail on Sunday revealed last week that Mr Davis was leading a Cabinet revolt over plans hatched by Mr Robbins to stay in a customs 'partnership' with the EU. The plan would allow the UK to strike trade deals around the world, but required us to collect import tariffs on behalf of Brussels. Mr Davis told No 10 that the idea was unworkable, would be greeted with fury by Brexiteer Tories and wasn't even liked by the EU. Pro-Brexit Tory MPs argue that the customs partnership is 'a Byzantine scheme designed first to slow down Brexit and then to strangle it'. What is a customs partnership with the EU? A customs partnership is less formal than the current EU customs union the UK is a member of. Under the proposals, Britain would stay in a customs union with the EU for some sectors, while leaving it for others. This would mean it would impose the same tariffs as the Brussels bloc on some goods, but set its own on others. Backers of the plan say his would facilitate free trade in areas where Britain does a lot of its business with the EU, while freeing the country to sign new free trade deals with other countries. One possibility could be keeping the UK and EU in a customs union for trade in goods, but allowing divergence for the services sector. Under the so-called 'hybrid model', the UK would collect EU import tariffs on behalf of Brussels and then pay it to the EU. But Brexiteers are critical of the plan. which they think is unworkable and cumbersome. They fear it will effectively stop the UK from being able to negotiate free trade deals around the world after Brexit. Advertisement On the morning the story appeared, Mr Davis rang Mr Barwell. A source said: 'DD told him that there was growing anger in the party over the power which Robbins wields and suggested he be moved.' Mrs May will chair a crunch meeting of her Brexit inner Cabinet on Wednesday to thrash out the UK's policy on the customs union. An ally of Mr Davis said last night: 'Despite everything that has been said, it still looks as if the customs partnership is on the table. May needs to be careful because the Brexiteers will simply not tolerate it'. No 10 fears that the 'customs partnership' is the only compromise option which will be supported by a majority of MPs and avoids the need for a hard border in Northern Ireland. Mrs May has been warned by party managers that she could lose a crunch vote on her decision to leave the customs union. The vote, which is expected in June, could potentially trigger the collapse of her Government if it binds her to stay in the union. It came as Mr Davis used an interview yesterday to poke fun at Mrs May. Asked if he would run for PM if she fell under a bus, Mr Davis replied: 'The bus wouldn't dare.' The source close to Mr Davis said: 'No part of the conversation between Mr Barwell and Mr Davis was about Mr Robbins being sacked.' Bit today backbenchers warned Mrs May that proposals for a 'customs partnership' with the EU after Britain leaves the bloc are 'not acceptable'. Face to face: David Davis in a meeting with Olly Robbins, left, Britain's EU representative Sir Tim Barrow and an aide. The Brexit Secretary is said to be pushing for Mr Robbins to be fired after clashing with him over post Brexit Bplans Senior Tory backbencher Bernard Jenkin said the plan would mean the UK acting as a 'tax collector' for the EU and would fail the Prime Minister's key tests for a deal with Brussels. His warning came amid renewed tensions among senior ministers as members of Mrs May's Brexit 'war cabinet' prepare for a crunch meeting on Wednesday to settle their position on the UK's future customs relations with EU. The customs partnership will be one option on the table along with the so-called 'max fac' - or maximum facilitation - solution, using technology to minimise the need for border checks. Mr Jenkin made clear the partnership option was a non-starter as far as Brexiteers were concerned. 'It doesn't pass any of the key tests that the Prime Minister has outlined in her statements,' he told BBC1's Sunday Politics programme. 'It doesn't give us full regulatory autonomy so we wouldn't be able to do free trade deals with other countries. 'Even if we did a free trade deal with another country it would be very unattractive because we would be asking them to eliminate their tariffs but we would still be charging the EU tariff when the goods came into this country. 'We would still be substantial net contributors to the EU budget which the Prime Minister has said should end. We would still be the tax collector for the European Union and that's not acceptable.' The body of a Minnesota woman who was missing for six months has been found encased in a 500lb block of ice. Elizabeth Perrault, 41, disappeared on November 1. The mother-of-three's body was found five miles from her apartment in Burnsville. A passerby spotted a body in 6ft of water in a small pond near the Minnesota River last Sunday. The body of Elizabeth Perrault, 41, was found encased in a 500lb block of ice. The mother-of-three had been missing since November A passerby spotted Perrault's body in 6ft of water in a small pond near the Minnesota River last Sunday. The ice is being defrosted slowly in an attempt to preserve evidence 'We had to cut her out. That chunk was about 500 pounds,' Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie told the Star Tribune. 'It was quite the recovery operation.' The ice is being defrosted slowly in an attempt to preserve evidence and prevent decomposition. A cause of death has not yet been released but police described Perrault's death as 'highly suspicious'. Investigators found a large 'significant stain' on a carpet in her apartment that had soaked into the floor and tested positive for blood. Perrault lived with her boyfriend, who told police that he last saw her in November when she left with two women to go to a treatment facility. A cause of death has not yet been released but police described Perrault's disappearance as 'unexplained and highly suspicious' Perrault lived with her boyfriend, who told police that he last saw her in November when she left with two women to go to a treatment facility Investigators found a large 'significant stain' on a carpet in her apartment that had soaked into the floor and tested positive for blood Authorities said Perrault's body had been in the ice for a long time and that she likely died in November or December Friends and family members revealed that Perrault had struggled with alcoholism over the years. But authorities said that Perrault's boyfriend's story changed as the weeks went by, according to KSTP. Authorities began investigating Perrault's disappearance on February 22 after two friends reported that she was missing. Her apartment manager said that the last time he saw Perrault she looked 'sick'. He guessed that she must have weighed '85 pounds'. Perrault's last picture on Facebook, posted in June, shows that she was receiving chemotherapy at the time. Authorities said Perrault's body had been in the ice for a long time and that she likely died in November or December. Perrault's apartment manager said she looked 'sick' and guessed that she must have weighed '85 pounds' during the last time he saw her Friends have since launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Perrault's children, who live with their father. It describes Perrault as 'one of the most giving and down to earth people you will ever meet'. 'She had an infectious laugh and a sense of humor like no other. Her huge passion for life allowed her to experience so many different things.' 'Elizabeth left a path of human kindness wherever she went and with whomever she met. Her children are so much like her in so many ways, they will definitely be her legacy.' 'Elizabeth loved deeply and without conditions. She will be sadly missed.' The is the heartbreaking moment an engaged couple said their goodbyes after being torn apart in an immigration mix-up. For most people, heading to Birmingham Airport marks the start of a break away from reality or a sunny trip abroad. But yesterday it was the backdrop for a devastating goodbye as Richard Brown and Christy Manganti were forced apart. Saddening footage, taken outside the airport, shows the couple staring into each others eyes as they said their farewells before Ms Manganti was deported to the Philippines. Mr Brown, 54, said: 'It was so upsetting seeing her taken away by security, who had to give her back her passport to get through. Richard Brown, 54, and Christy Manganti, 39, were forced to say farewell to each other at Birmingham Airport 'We were just full of hope of just being able to live together and get married. But now all that's changed, and it's cost a lot of money and we're just heartbroken really. 'She's got family in Birmingham, including two young nieces she had to say goodbye at the weekend. It was very emotional, lots of tears, little girls clinging onto her. It was dreadful.' Ms Manganti moved to England last August to live with family in Birmingham. She met her fiance and moved into his Derby home in November The happy couple had met on online dating app Badoo just weeks after the Filipino made the huge move to England. Mr Richard said: 'We met and started this relationship, we didn't really decide we'd make a go of it until November, since then we've been in regular contact and she moved into my house in Derby.' The 39-year-old had come over from the Philippines with her sister, brother-in-law and two nieces last August to work as a nanny for her sister. She'd entered the country on a domestic worker's visa, which lasts six months and therefore expired in February. The engaged couple had tried to make arrangements to keep Christy in the country, but there was a detrimental mix-up at the local law firm. Mr Brown, who works as an IT contractor, told how they had applied for what they thought would be a two-and-a-half-year extension to his fiancee's visa. They applied for a two-and-a-half year extension to Ms Manganti's visa, the couple claim, but a local law firm sent the wrong papers to the Home Office Mr Brown said: 'However, there is no route whatsoever to extend a domestic worker's visa. The only possibility is to apply for a fiance visa, but she has to go back to the Philippines for that.' The IT worker claims the Home Office took a total of 1,493, despite the fact the law firm had submitted the wrong form. The couple were charged an extra 2,500 from the law firm. He added: 'Somebody should have told us from the beginning that the only way of doing it was to go back to the Philippines, that will cost another 1,500.' Nottingham Registry Office will wed the couple on October 31 later this year and Ms Manganti is expected to return in August once the fiance visa is in place. A statement from the Home Office read: 'We did not enforce Miss Maganti's depature. We do not routinely comment on individual cases. 'Any individual whose application to remain in the UK has been refused is expected to make arrangements to depart voluntarily.' A former Scotland Yard detective has called for a new inquiry into the death of GCHQ codebreaker Gareth Williams in the wake of the Skripal poisoning case. Colin Sutton, a onetime detective chief inspector with the force, was the most senior officer on the scene when he arrived at Williams' flat in Pimlico, London on August 23, 2010. Williams, 31, from Anglesey in Wales, was found in a padlocked red holdall in his bath - with the Met concluding that it was most likely he had locked himself inside and been unable to get out. Williams (right), 31, from Anglesey in Wales, was found in a padlocked red holdall in his bath - with the Met concluding that it was most likely he had locked himself inside and been unable to get out. Left: Sergei Skripal During Mr Williams' inquest, a yoga expert failed to lock himself inside an identical bag without any outside assistance Colin Sutton (pictured), a onetime detective chief inspector with the force, was the most senior officer on the scene when he arrived at Williams' flat in Pimlico, London on August 23, 2010 Speaking about the case in 2014, Sutton said he thought the flat (pictured with Williams' body being removed) was unusually warm when he arrived, claiming the heating was turned up to its maximum setting, possibly to assist with the decomposition of the spy's body But Sutton has told The Sunday Times he suspects there may have been 'third-party involvement' in the death, which has previously been linked to Williams' work tracing Russian mafia cash. He said: 'I think in light of the recent Russian activity in the UK it might be appropriate to take another look at the Williams case.' The poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month, blamed on Russia by the West, prompted Sutton's call. He also once again raised questions about the behaviour of British intelligence agencies in the wake of Williams' death, accusing them of making the police investigation 'extremely difficult'. Speaking about the case in 2014, Sutton said he thought the flat was unusually warm when he arrived, claiming the heating was turned up to its maximum setting, possibly to assist with the decomposition of the spy's body. He said: 'If he had been poisoned, then the chemical compounds might have vanished by the time toxicology results were conducted.' During an inquest into Williams' death, Coroner Fiona Wilcox ruled that the spy would not have been able to lock himself in the bag and was therefore likely to have died at somebody else's hands. Pictured: The spy cycling a year before his death Sutton said: 'If he had been poisoned, then the chemical compounds might have vanished by the time toxicology results were conducted.' Pictured left: Williams at Holland Park Tube station on August 14, 2010. Right: His flat after his death Sutton also said: 'I remain convinced the flat was tidied up after his death. that may have been to protect national security or it might have been something more sinister. If that's the case, then it could have been the perfect murder.' The former detective explained that, after Williams' sister told GCHQ her brother was missing, police were not notified for five hours. He said: 'Five hours. Why did it take so long? We know the property itself was owned by the spy agencies. I think it is reasonable to believe they would have had access to it.' During an inquest into Williams' death, Coroner Fiona Wilcox ruled that the spy would not have been able to lock himself in the bag and was therefore likely to have died at somebody else's hands. An 18-year-old Marine who went AWOL killed his grandmother after she tried to convince him to return to the military, it has been alleged. Halifax County Sheriffs deputies in North Carolina took 18-year-old Isaiah Kahleal Evans Caeser into custody after his grandmother, Sally Copeland Evans, 74, was found in Roanoke Rapids, authorities said on Friday. Caeser was the last person to see Evans alive, according to the sheriffs office. She was reported missing on Thursday after family members said they hadnt seen her for several days, according to ABC News. Halifax County Sheriffs deputies in North Carolina took 18-year-old Isaiah Kahleal Evans Caeser into custody after his grandmother, Sally Copeland Evans, 74, was found in Roanoke Rapids Caeser is a US Marine who was stationed at a base in Fort Benning, Georgia On April 1, he left the base without permission. He has since been wanted for desertion, according to authorities A search of the hotel room where he stayed after he allegedly killed his grandmother revealed explosive material, though no bomb was found, according to sheriffs deputies Caeser is a US Marine who was stationed at a base in Fort Benning, Georgia. On April 1, he left the base without permission. He has since been wanted for desertion, according to authorities. Family members say that Evans tried to convince her grandson to go back to the military. After killing her, Caeser used his grandmothers credit card to pay for a hotel room in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, authorities allege. Family members say that Evans tried to convince her grandson to go back to the military She was reported missing on Thursday after family members said they hadnt seen her for several days It was there that he was found and arrested by sheriffs deputies. Rocky Mount is about 45 miles away from Roanoke Rapids, where Evans body was discovered. A search of his room revealed explosive material, though no bomb was found, according to sheriffs deputies. Caeser has been charged with murdering his grandmother. He was also served with a fugitive warrant for desertion. Anyone with information is asked to call the Rocky Mount Police Department at 252-972-1411. Sir Richard Branson is teaming up with Dubai port operator DP world to enter the hyperloop business and move cargo at a top speed of 760mph. The cargo system, which is being designed alongside a possible passenger service by Virgin Hyperloop One, will be called the DP World Cargospeed. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the port operator's CEO and chairman revealed the at a glitzy announcement alongside billionaire Mr Branson today on the floating hotel Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai. A hyperloop involves levitating pods, powered by electricity and magnetism, hurtling through low-friction pipes at a top speed of 1,220 kph (760 mph). Tesla co-founder Elon Musk first proposed the idea in 2013. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, sits with Sir Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin group, in Dubai today Richard Branson talks next to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem during the Hyperloop One presentation aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai Virgin unveiled a prototype of its pods earlier this year (pictured). Dubai's Road Transport Authority (RTA) unveiled the hyperloop design at a ceremony in the city It remains unclear what, exactly, the branding means. At the least, it shows how much money DP World has poured into the company over different funding rounds. When the hyperloop will become operational is an open question as Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One has faced shake-ups in recent months on its board of directors as well. 'Today things are changing. Today our role is not in the port,' bin Sulayem said. 'Our role is from the time the cargo leaves the factory before it reaches the consumer's door. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the Emirates' vice president and prime minister, also made an unannounced appearance at Sunday's event, showing the importance his government puts in the new technology. 'Dubai is on the cutting edge of everything,' Mr Branson said. Models in white jumpsuits and capes stood at every winding turn on the way to board the Queen Elizabeth 2, which recently became a floating hotel after nearly a decade-long dockside wait. Sir Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin group, looks on during the unveiling of the DP World CargoSpeed, a partnership to build a hyperloop system for cargo in the UAE This level of speed is achieved by reducing air pressure inside the tube to an equivalent measure experienced at 200,000 feet above sea level Sir Richard Branson speaks to CNBC reporter Hadley Gamble at the hyperloop event in Dubai Slick graphics bearing an April 29, 2025 date showed pods coming in from a series of tubes and racing past a Dubai skyline featuring a solar panel farm. However, no-one offered a date for such a service to begin in Dubai. Officials said they hoped to start construction on a test site in India next year. Hyperloop One officials suggested in 2016 the travel time by hyperloop between Dubai and Abu Dhabi would be only 12 minutes - significantly down from the hour-plus journey it now takes by car between the two cities. Hyperloop TT, another firm based in Los Angeles, announced plans earlier this month to build a test track within a 6.2-mile property near Abu Dhabi's border with Dubai. Its partner is the largely state-owned developer Aldar Properties. But Dubai's Roads and Transportation Authority recently issued a statement denying any plans to build a hyperloop track between the emirate's new Al Maktoum International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport. Branson, who Forbes Magazine estimates has a net worth of $4.9 billion, became Virgin Hyperloop One's chairman in December. The cargo system, which being designed alongside possible passenger service by Virgin Hyperloop One will be called the DP World Cargospeed The passenger pods boast deluxe interiors, leather seats and high definition screens for displaying information and entertainment. Each pod can accommodate up to ten passengers Hyperloop One's former chairman and co-founder, the venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, took a leave of absence after facing a series of sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied. Russian billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov, a board member and early investor, also left after facing unrelated charges accusing him of embezzling money from Russian government infrastructure contracts. Asked about the boardroom challenges, Branson only said that 'the previous chairman has left and I stepped in.' 'I'm ready for a new challenge and it's a very exciting new challenge,' he said. As one of the world's largest port operators, DP World has looked at the potential of using hyperloop technology to speed cargo from its Jebel Ali port operation in Dubai to storage areas further out into the surrounding desert to free up space. Bin Sulayem refused to say how much DP World has spent across three different funding rounds with Virgin Hyperloop One. However, he did describe the port operator as 'the largest investor in hyperloop.' Virgin Hyperloop One in total has raised some $276 million in funding rounds, according to the business information website crunchbase.com. Sean Hannity has raised the rent for the tenants of his Georgia duplex property by nearly 50 per cent in just five years. It has been revealed that the Fox News host bought 112 duplex units for $3.15million in 2013 after it foreclosed due to the housing market crash. His tenants claim he raised rent from $650 to as much as $1,000 per month in the predominately blue collar, African American neighborhood of Lithia Springs. He said in a statement defending his investment: 'It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money.' Sean Hannity bought 112 duplex units outside Atlanta in 2013 and has hiked up the rent by nearly 50 per cent in just five years A map shows the units Hannity owns which are in a predominately blue collar neighborhood Another one of his properties, the Hampton Place Apartments in Perry, Georgia, has seen a 400 per cent rise in eviction notices since Hannity's bought the complex. Records show 61 residents have been evicted from their homes since it was purchased in 2014. Speaking to the New York Daily News, Hannity's tenants in Lithia Springs, Georgia, expressed their financial difficulties due to the rise in rent that continues to go up. Olander Ragan, a 29-year-old warehouse forklift truck driver, said he is taking on extra jobs cutting grass and fixing cars to make rent each month. He pays $850 per month for his two-bedroom apartment that he shares with his wife and daughter. He said that next month's payment is set to jump to $950. 'They wanted to raise it to $1,000, but I told them I'm not going to pay that much,' Ragan said. The duplex units at the Meadows in Lithia Springs were bought by a limited liability company named SPMK XII Meadows. Records show that Hannity is the owner if multiple LLCs named SPMX followed by roman numerals. Hannity has bought properties in Georgia and Alabama worth millions of dollars under his limited-liability companies which have concealed his identity as the famous TV host until now. He said in his statement: 'The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support.' Though the cost of rent is increasing nationally, a 50 per cent increase in five years is high and double the rate in the Lithia Springs area For at least two of his properties, the host accepted taxpayer dollars from the Department of Housing and Urban Development - something the conservative host has been critical of. The units were previously owned by Paul Robinson Jr, a local small business who built the duplexes in the 1980s. Robinson told the New York Daily News that he had not raised the rent too much because he knew many of his tenants who were elderly and had lived there for nearly 20 years. After the financial crisis of 2012, Robinson lost the complex as well as his own home. Since Hannity's company took over, the apartments have been renovated by replacing carpets with hardwood floors, updated kitchens appliances, as well exterior upgrades. Though rents are rising across the US, a 50 per cent increase in five years is high and double the rate in the area. Dan Immergluck, a professor at Georgia State University's Urban Studies Institute, told the New York Daily News: 'That's a lot, and it's fast.' Adding that in terms of profit, 'he [Hannity] is probably doing quite well.' This is the moment two on-the-run paedophiles are arrested when an angry crowd tie them to a bench and cover them in paint and cement. The footage shows convicted paedophiles James White, 48, and Jason Lydiard, 26, who is also known as Alexis Guesto, with their hands tied behind their backs. The pair, who had been on the run from authorities and were wanted for several offences including breach of licence, were held by police after the arrest. The two men had to be taken to hopsital after the incident in Mullaghbawn in south Armagh, Northern Ireland, Armagh I reports. This is the moment two on-the-run paedophiles are arrested when an angry crowd tie them to a bench and cover them in paint and cement The footage shows convicted paedophiles James White, 48, and Jason Lydiard, 26, who is also known as Alexis Guesto, with their hands tied behind their backs A PSNI statement said: 'Police were alerted to reports of an assault in the area and upon arrival discovered the two men. 'Both had sustained injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment.' Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie of the PSNI's Public Protection Branch said: 'I understand that feelings in the area have been running high over the search for these men, however, there can never be an excuse for violence or people taking the law into their own hands. 'We will be investigating the assault and working to identify anyone involved.' Alexis Guesto (left) and James White (right), who were wanted by police for a range of offences, including breach of licence and warrants, who were discovered covered in paint A blue Peugeot 206 in which the pair had been travelling was seen near a church in Mullaghbawn, with all four of its tyres slashed, it is reported. White, from south Armagh,n was jailed in 1998 for five counts of sexual assault on a teenage boy, and was released in 2003. Lydiard, from Bessbrook, has nine convictions including for sexual assault and was freed earlier this year. Ben Needham (pictured) went missing from his grandparents' farmhouse on Kos in 1991 The mother of missing toddler Ben Needham is still waiting for DNA test results on two items found where the child vanished, 18 months after they were dug up. Kerry Needham, 44, revealed last year that blood had been found on both a toy car and a sandal by British police during a fresh search for the missing youngster in 2016. South Yorkshire police investigators flew to the Greek island of Kos to try find out what happened to Ben when he disappeared almost 27 years ago. But officers formally ended their search on after failing to find the toddler's remains. The DNA tests are being done by an independent group who are doing it for free, rather than by police, according to the Sun Online. A new message on the official Help Find Ben Needham Facebook page read: 'We are still waiting for an update re the items found on the latest dig. Police believe Ben was killed in accident close to the farmhouse where he was last seen, then buried nearby. Mother Kerry Needham (right) believes the body was dug up and moved a second time before officers returned to search the site in 2016 'As the items have been underground so long it could take sometime to extract DNA if there is any there. 'We ask you to please keep sharing Ben's story. Somebody out there knows exactly what happened to Ben.' Police believe Ben was crushed to death by digger driver Konstantinos 'Dino' Barkasin in a tragic accident close to the farmhouse where he was last seen in 1991 and where the sandal was found in 2012. Investigators took around 60 samples from the farmhouse where Ben disappeared (pictured) and a second site where the toy car was uncovered Investigators think the toddler's body was buried half-a-mile away, where the toy car was discovered during fresh searches by British police last year. Ms Needham now believes her son's body was dug up and moved a second time before the British police search in a bid to cover-up his death. Officers formally ended their search on the Greek island in October last year, after failing to find the toddler's remains. A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing $20,000 worth of Victoria's Secret panties and reselling them online and on the street with the help of his fiancee. Coby Richardson, 48, allegedly stole the underwear from the private logistics company where he worked with his 29-year-old fiancee Quinessia Jackson in Tallahassee, Florida. The couple are accused of stealing the $20,000 worth of panties, which was about 400 packages, between November and March. Coby Richardson, 48, allegedly stole the underwear from the private logistics company where he worked with his 29-year-old fiancee Quinessia Jackson in Tallahassee, Florida A manager at the logistics company, which is headquartered in Atlanta, started investigating in January after noticing that Victoria's Secret packages were going missing from the Tallahassee warehouse, WTXL reports. When Victoria's Secret customers make online purchases, the products are shipped to the logistics company in Atlanta before a company based in Tallahassee picks them up and hands them over to the US Postal Service for customer delivery. The manager said the packages that went missing before they could delivered to customers had been assigned to both Jackson and Richardson. The total cost of the lost products was $21,912.69. Another woman, Jaresa Frye, 25, allegedly worked with the engaged couple and was caught trying to sell bags of the Victoria's Secret underwear on Facebook. The couple are accused of stealing the $20,000 worth of Victoria's Secret panties, which was about 400 packages, between November and March (stock image) During her investigation, the manager said she found a Facebook post from Frye with photos of the panties in large bags that had codes on them. She said the codes were the same ones used by the logistics company. The manager then found that Frye was Facebook friends with Jackson and further investigation revealed that Jackson was engaged to Richardson. One of the managers at the logistics company then flew to Tallahassee to interview Richardson at the warehouse and he allegedly confessed to stealing the items. He is also alleged to have named Jackson and Frye as the two people helping him. Richardson, Jackson and Frye have all been charged with dealing in stolen property. Richardson was also charged with grand theft over $20,000. Supporters of Armenia's protest leader Nikol Pashinyan rallied in the capital on Sunday, hoping that a massive show of force two days ahead of a key election will help propel the opposition leader to power. Pashinyan, who needs a handful of votes to become the country's next prime minister, saw his chances boosted Sunday when a senior lawmaker said the ruling Republican Party would not stand in the way of his candidacy. In the streets of Yerevan, flag-draped demonstrators blocked intersections, sang songs, played music and chanted slogans accusing the ruling party of clinging to power against the people's will. Serzh Sarkisian, who became prime minister on April 17 after serving a decade as president in what was seen by opponents as a power grab, resigned on Monday after 10 days of protests. Protester Vigen Arabyan said the Republicans had no choice but to throw in the towel and back the hugely popular Pashinyan, 42. "We simply cannot continue on this path," the 51-year-old engineer told AFP. "The country is going towards complete destruction if we keep going this way." Arut Khachatryan, a 17-year-old high school student, added: "We are witnessing a decisive moment" at the culmination of two weeks of severe political crisis in the country of 2.9 million. Pashinyan, who heads the small Civil Contract party, is the only candidate in the running for the premiership so far and insists that only he can rid Armenia of corruption, poverty and nepotism. On Friday and Saturday, Pashinyan received a hero's welcome in a number of towns and villages outside the capital as he drove around the landlocked ex-Soviet country with his supporters in a convoy. He needs the backing of at least six lawmakers from the ruling Republican Party, which has 58 seats in parliament, to clinch victory on Tuesday. The party has said it would announce its position on Monday, but Pashinyan said he had already received an assurance from the head of its parliamentary group, Vahram Baghdasaryan, that it would not sabotage his bid. "Lawmakers of the ruling party are inclined not to stand in the way of my candidacy," Pashinyan said. On Saturday, after days of frantic negotiations, two major parties said they would back Pashinyan, but he was still six votes short of the 53 he needs from the 105-seat legislature. The Prosperous Armenia Party, which holds 31 seats, threw its weight behind Pashinyan on Saturday. A smaller party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, quit the ruling coalition and said it would also back the opposition leader. Pashinyan urged his supporters to turn out in force on Sunday evening, saying in a video address: "Our fantastic rallies and meetings across the country have affected the situation in a powerful way." Some analysts said they expected a number of Republicans to defect and give their votes to Pashinyan, sealing his victory. "I am sure that at least six people from the Republican Party -- like rats from a sinking ship -- would vote for Pashinyan," said analyst Ervand Bozoyan. Observers have expressed fears that the turmoil could destabilise the Moscow-allied nation which has been locked in a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan for decades. Pashinyan met Sunday with Russian lawmakers, telling them his premiership would not threaten the South Caucasus country's close ties with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week spoke by phone with the interim head of government. One of the Kremlin's closest allies, Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is dependent on investments and aid from Moscow. Russian border guards patrol Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran. The United States on Saturday urged "good faith" in negotiations, with a State Department statement calling for "a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians." Search Keywords: Short link: An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle en route to Honolulu made an emergency landing Friday night. Alarm was raised on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft after one of the engine's warning indicator lights turned on about 45 minutes before landing. The pilot of flight 145 announced to passengers that the engine was overheating and he placed it on idle mode. He added the aircraft would make an emergency landing to let it cool off. An Alaska Airlines plane flying from Seattle to Hawaii emergency landed in Honolulu Friday (stock image) There were no injuries reported as the plane of 157 passengers and eight crew members landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu at 9.50pm. At first the flight was going to make an emergency landing in Maui but later it was deemed safe to land at its destination of Honolulu instead, according to The Star Advertiser. Rescue and emergency crews were on standby during the landing. Alaska Airlines said the pilot saw that an oil filter bypass light was illuminated for one of the engines in the plane, leading him to follow protocol and idle the engine mid-flight. 'The flight crew, following procedures, idled the engine and continued for Honolulu. The other engine and all other systems were operating normally. While an emergency landing was declared, the flight landed safely,' the airline said. 'The captain came on the overhead speaker and just said that they were having overheating of one of the engines so they needed to idle a little bit to try to let it cool off but that were going to have to make a quicker landing than usual. And we were going to have a fire crew ready when we landed just in case. That's about all he said and then he got off quickly,' passenger Carrie Mingle said to KHON. The flight landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, pictured above, at 9.50pm Passenger Carrie Mingle, pictured above, said the flight captain explained that the engine was overheated and needed to stop to cool off Passenger Eaneath Rao described the pilot's confidence in the emergency landing and said: 'We had no problem at all. Excellent landing' 'A lot of people on the plane had written emails or texts to their loved ones because they weren't sure what was going to happen,' Mingle recalled. 'Our families called us after we landed because they heard about something was going on on the news. So they were very worried,' she added. 'The pilot very coolly said what had happened and he kept us posted. He said he alerted the fire rescue and we had no problem at all. Excellent landing,' passenger Eaneanth Rao said. 'We landed very safely thanks to the pilot. He brought the plane really safely and we really enjoyed the flight,' Rao said. Passengers praised the crew members for making the landing as calm and smooth as possible. An Ohio woman has been arrested after she was caught on surveillance footage stealing an exotic butterfly from a conservatory, police have revealed. Jamie Revis, 36, has been charged with theft after she allegedly stole the Blue Morpho African Butterfly from the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati on April 15. Revis was arrested at her home on Friday. Jamie Revis, 36, has been charged with theft after she allegedly stole a Blue Morpho African Butterfly (pictured right in file photo) from the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati on April 15 Surveillance footage shows Revis, who has pleaded not guilty, walking into the conservatory She pleaded not guilty during a hearing on Saturday morning, according to WCPO. Surveillance footage shows Revis walking into the conservatory and stepping into the exhibit multiple times. The video also shows an employee confronting Revis and unsuccessfully trying to stop her from leaving the conservatory. The footage then shows Revis walking into the exhibit, seemingly to reach the butterflies The video also shows an employee confronting Revis and unsuccessfully trying to stop her from leaving the conservatory While multiple butterflies were found in her home, the Blue Morpho African Butterfly was not recovered. It is likely the butterfly - which thrives in tropical climates - is dead, according to University of Cincinnati biology professors Stephen Matter and Patrick Guerra. It remains unknown why Revis allegedly stole the butterfly, authorities said. Court documents say police used information from an Instagram account to arrest Revis. Pharmacists acting like 'street drug dealers' are flooding the black market with potentially dangerous prescription drugs such as Xanax. A Daily Mail investigation has uncovered evidence of chemists illegally selling highly addictive medication for cash without asking for prescriptions. The drugs can then be swiftly sold on through social media to young people in schools and universities where they are increasingly being abused with devastating consequences. Suited, bespectacled and looking a little older than his 53 years, Anatolijus Kostiukevicius exudes the air of respectability you expect from a central London pharmacist He is approached by a stranger in his 20s asking for Xanax, the Class C controlled drug blighting the lives of teenagers across Britain. Immediately, it is apparent Mr Kostiukevicius is not as respectable as his appearance would suggest. 'Sixty tablets, 150,' he replies, without missing a beat Pharmacists are exploiting a growing trend among young people for prescription-only drugs such as the strong benzodiazepines Xanax and diazepam and the opioid tramadol. Drug dealers sell the Xanax tablets which are used to treat anxiety on social media for between 1 and 3 each. One pharmacist in London sold hundreds of dangerous Class C controlled prescription drugs to an undercover Mail reporter for prices higher than those on the 'street'. Another told a reporter in Manchester to buy the drugs with side effects including hallucinations and heart failure from the internet. He said they wouldn't be fake because 'people get them from the NHS and sell them on eBay.' The balding Lithuanian stands at the back of Al Razi Pharmacy in Edgware Road, surrounded by colourful medicine boxes stacked high on shelves. A large sign reads: 'Prescriptions' Despite breaking the law in supplying a controlled substance and breaching one of the fundamental tenets of pharmaceutical practice in supplying prescription-only drugs without a prescription, the pharmacist maintains a confusing professionalism, asking: 'Would you like a bag?' When confronted with the allegations, Mr Kostiukevicius admitted that selling the medication was illegal but said he 'did not know about the situation' Two pharmacists have been struck off the pharmaceutical register this year for selling thousands of tablets to dealers. It can also be revealed: Student hanged herself after suffering withdrawal from Xanax Student Raven Hunt hanged herself after suffering withdrawal symptoms from Xanax. Miss Hunt, 21, had been using the medication for six weeks after it was given to her by a fellow student to help cope with anxiety ahead of her final exams. But two weeks before her death, she decided to stop taking the drug and immediately struggled. Student Raven Hunt hanged herself after suffering withdrawal symptoms from Xanax In extreme cases, coming off Xanax following lengthy spells of abuse can lead to psychosis, depression and suicidal thoughts. Miss Hunt was told by her GP that any treatment could only start after a few weeks without the drug. On April 13 last year, the body of the sociology student at the University of the West of England was found in Leigh Woods, Bristol. She had been just weeks from graduating. Following an inquest which found traces of Xanax in Miss Hunt's blood, her family have called on the police to do more to combat the sale of the prescription drug in the area. They said: 'As a family, we will only be able to really come to terms with what has happened if the suppliers of Xanax are stopped as this will provide us with a sense of purpose and some closure.' Miss Hunt, one of four children brought up by their mother Emmy in Southampton, planned to become a social worker. She had broken up with a boyfriend and was drinking excessive amounts of alcohol while taking Xanax at the time of her death. Her mother, 42, added: 'She enjoyed her time in Bristol, and wanted to stay there after university and work with children. She was very passionate about it. I don't know why she would throw it away. I will never get over it or accept it. It's still so raw she meant the world to me.' It came as head teachers warned of the dangers of Xanax and other prescription drugs after a series of terrifying incidents involving youngsters. Earlier this month, teenagers at the prestigious Lord Williams's School in Oxfordshire passed out after taking Xanax and one was admitted to hospital. It came just days after a coroner warned of the 'pernicious influence' of Xanax after Georgia Jackson, 21, hanged herself two days after taking the drug in December. Last month, Andrew Halls, head of the independent King's College School in Wimbledon, South West London, wrote an open letter to parents warning of the dangers of Xanax, describing how several pupils had asked teachers how to break the 'dangerous habit.' He described a 'rising tide' of drug abuse in schools as he told how Xanax is becoming easier and cheaper to get hold of than alcohol. After a meeting of London headteachers, he said: 'Every single head around the table felt that drug abuse by young people was a central concern for schools and parents.' In February, six girls from Wandsworth, South London, were taken to hospital after suffering adverse side-effects to Xanax. Three ambulances were sent to Burntwood School after one witness said the students were 'all high and could not walk.' Police Scotland recorded at least 27 Xanax-related deaths last year. In January, Labour MP Bambos Charalambous warned the Commons about the growing danger of Xanax and other prescription medication. He described how in May last year, 20 children aged 15 and 16 required medical treatment in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after taking Xanax. Last week Barnaby Lenon, the former head of Harrow school, said parents should beware giving teenagers too much pocket money in case they spent it on drugs. For confidential support, log on to samaritans.org or call the Samaritans on 116123. Advertisement Twenty-three pharmacists of whom six are suspended are being investigated by the General Pharmaceutical Council for diverting prescription medication to the black market; Eight pharmacists have been arrested, and at least 50 pharmacies have been investigated as part of an ongoing operation; One drug dealer said he could obtain 280,000 diazepam tablets a week from the legitimate supply chain to sell to an undercover government investigator; Three websites selling drugs stolen from pharmacies made 55 million in just 15 months. After selling 60 Xanax tablets for 2.50 each and 100 tramadol capsules for 250 to a reporter at the Al Razi Pharmacy in London last month, a pharmacist acknowledged the prices were high 'because you need a prescription'. Anatolijus Kostiukevicius then handed over a business card including a mobile phone number and bragged: 'If you need any medicines call me any time.' Selling Xanax and tramadol without a prescription is illegal, as both are Class C controlled drugs. Supplying Xanax carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail. Young people who have become hooked on the pills for supposed feelings of relaxation describe horrific withdrawal symptoms when they try to come clean, including insomnia, tremors, vomiting and suicidal thoughts. Xanax is often mixed with alcohol and cough syrup in a cocktail known as 'lean', which can cause heart failure and memory loss. Julie Cooper, Labour's community health spokesman and a former pharmacy owner, said: 'These figures really are shocking. Obviously any pharmacists caught selling drugs in this way should be struck off. When these drugs find their way into the wrong hands they are very dangerous. Every step needs to be taken at every level to make sure this doesn't happen. 'Every decent pharmacist will want to get to the bottom of this issue because it could bring the whole profession into disrepute.' The Government's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority [MHRA] is working with the police to crack down on the diversion of drugs from the legitimate supply chain. Some 41 people, including eight pharmacists have been arrested. Between 2013 and 2016, up to 200million of medication was diverted from pharmacies and other legitimate supply routes and released on to the criminal market. UK Addiction Treatment Centres say admissions to their treatment facilities for Xanax addiction have doubled in the past year. Half of those seeking treatment are under the age of 25. Eytan Alexander, the centre's founder, said: 'The results of this investigation are absolutely appalling and those involved should be deeply ashamed of themselves. 'Pharmacists have a duty of care to ensure the safe and effective provision of medicine, but instead, they're abusing their position of power and mirroring the behaviour of street drug dealers. 'We help and treat the fallout of prescription drug street crime and if the actions of some pharmacists continues, this number will unfortunately continue to rise.' Ash Soni, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said the body was 'deeply concerned' over the findings. 'People are put at serious risk when supplied unlawfully with prescription-only medicines and the scale of these allegations is shocking. 'Any deliberate practice that could cause patient harm must be dealt with robustly and we would like to see this matter investigated as swiftly as possible by the relevant authorities.' Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the General Pharmaceutical Council, said: 'We are working closely with the MHRA on a major ongoing investigation into the diversion of prescription medicines away from the normal supply chain. 'We would like to thank the Daily Mail for raising with us the concerns identified through their undercover investigation; this is particularly useful as we do not have legal powers to carry out our own undercover investigations. We will investigate these new concerns as a matter of urgency.' Alastair Jeffrey, of the MHRA, said: 'The criminals involved are exploiting people when they are at their most vulnerable; their only interest is making money. Prescription-only medicines are potent and should only be taken under medical supervision.' No prescription but he sold us 60 tablets for 150... without batting an eyelid Suited, bespectacled and looking a little older than his 53 years, Anatolijus Kostiukevicius exudes the air of respectability you expect from a central London pharmacist. The balding Lithuanian stands at the back of Al Razi Pharmacy in Edgware Road, surrounded by colourful medicine boxes stacked high on shelves. A large sign reads: 'Prescriptions.' He is approached by a stranger in his 20s asking for Xanax, the Class C controlled drug blighting the lives of teenagers across Britain. Immediately, it is apparent Mr Kostiukevicius is not as respectable as his appearance would suggest. Mr Kostiukevicius has been registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council in Britain since 2005. The council said it would 'urgently investigate' the Mail's evidence 'Sixty tablets, 150,' he replies, without missing a beat. Alarmingly, the pharmacist has no interest in finding out whether the man an undercover Daily Mail reporter has a prescription. He doesn't even ask why he requires the medication. The reporter leaves to visit a cash machine and returns, counting out 150 in notes into Mr Kostiukevicius's hand. The pharmacist immediately hands over 60 Xanax pills the brand name for the anti-anxiety medication, alprazolam in a small white box branded with the logo of pharmaceutical firm Pfizer. The whole transaction takes 130 seconds. Despite breaking the law in supplying a controlled substance and breaching one of the fundamental tenets of pharmaceutical practice in supplying prescription-only drugs without a prescription, the pharmacist maintains a confusing professionalism, asking: 'Would you like a bag?' Before leaving, the reporter requests tramadol, another Class C controlled drug which is similar, but slightly less potent, than heroin. This time, Mr Kostiukevicius asks for 250 for 100 'capsules'. In an attempt to justify the price when told it is 'expensive', he makes an admission that proves the sale was something more sinister than a moment of naivety. 'These are controlled drugs that need a red prescription,' he says. 'Before two years ago it was like antibiotic, but then two years ago you need special prescription.' He does not ask to see one. 'Red' is thought to refer to the NHS 'traffic light' prescribing system, categorising drugs in order of potential harm. The reporter returns 40 minutes later and hands over 250. Mr Kostiukevicius has been registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council in Britain since 2005. The council said it would 'urgently investigate' the Mail's evidence. Al Razi Pharmacy failed to respond to requests for comment. Al Razi Pharmacy failed to respond to requests for comment. Pictured: Mr Kostiukevicius receiving the cash for the pills When confronted with the allegations, Mr Kostiukevicius admitted that selling the medication was illegal but said he 'did not know about the situation'. It comes after a pharmacy manager stole more than 20,000 prescription tablets, including Xanax and diazepam, to sell to a builder peddling drugs online. Pratik Buhecha, 32, ordered vast quantities of drugs to his pharmacy in Hove, Sussex, and sold them to a mysterious character called 'Cyrus'. Buhecha received a caution for the theft of medication, but only relating to drugs worth 579. He has been struck off the pharmaceutical register. Another rogue pharmacist, Niren Patel, was jailed for 12 months after stealing almost 5,000 of prescription drugs to sell on the street. The 39-year-old, who worked at pharmacies in Hornchurch and Dagenham, Essex, was also struck off the register. Patel was arrested when colleagues became suspicious of medicine and invoices going missing from the pharmacies. Have you been affected by the black market in prescription drugs? Contact the Mail Investigations Unit at: drugs@dailymail.co.uk Student Raven Hunt, 21, hanged herself after suffering withdrawal symptoms from Xanax Student Raven Hunt hanged herself after suffering withdrawal symptoms from Xanax. Miss Hunt, 21, had been using the medication for six weeks after it was given to her by a fellow student to help cope with anxiety ahead of her final exams. But two weeks before her death, she decided to stop taking the drug and immediately struggled. In extreme cases, coming off Xanax following lengthy spells of abuse can lead to psychosis, depression and suicidal thoughts. Miss Hunt was told by her GP that any treatment could only start after a few weeks without the drug. On April 13 last year, the body of the sociology student at the University of the West of England was found in Leigh Woods, Bristol. She had been just weeks from graduating. Following an inquest which found traces of Xanax in Miss Hunts blood, her family have called on the police to do more to combat the sale of the prescription drug in the area. They said: As a family, we will only be able to really come to terms with what has happened if the suppliers of Xanax are stopped as this will provide us with a sense of purpose and some closure. Miss Hunt, one of four children brought up by their mother Emmy in Southampton, planned to become a social worker. She had broken up with a boyfriend and was drinking excessive amounts of alcohol while taking Xanax at the time of her death. Her mother, 42, added: She enjoyed her time in Bristol, and wanted to stay there after university and work with children. She was very passionate about it. I dont know why she would throw it away. I will never get over it or accept it. Its still so raw she meant the world to me. It came as head teachers warned of the dangers of Xanax and other prescription drugs after a series of terrifying incidents involving youngsters. Earlier this month, teenagers at the prestigious Lord Williamss School in Oxfordshire passed out after taking Xanax and one was admitted to hospital. It came just days after a coroner warned of the pernicious influence of Xanax after Georgia Jackson, 21, hanged herself two days after taking the drug in December. Last month, Andrew Halls, head of the independent Kings College School in Wimbledon, South West London, wrote an open letter to parents warning of the dangers of Xanax, describing how several pupils had asked teachers how to break the dangerous habit. He described a rising tide of drug abuse in schools as he told how Xanax is becoming easier and cheaper to get hold of than alcohol. It comes as a Daily Mail investigation has uncovered evidence of chemists illegally selling highly addictive medication for cash without asking for prescriptions After a meeting of London headteachers, he said: Every single head around the table felt that drug abuse by young people was a central concern for schools and parents. In February, six girls from Wandsworth, South London, were taken to hospital after suffering adverse side-effects to Xanax. Three ambulances were sent to Burntwood School after one witness said the students were all high and could not walk. Police Scotland recorded at least 27 Xanax-related deaths last year. In January, Labour MP Bambos Charalambous warned the Commons about the growing danger of Xanax and other prescription medication. He described how in May last year, 20 children aged 15 and 16 required medical treatment in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after taking Xanax. Last week Barnaby Lenon, the former head of Harrow school, said parents should beware giving teenagers too much pocket money in case they spent it on drugs. A Seattle man who gave money to Hillary Clintons nonprofit organization went through weeks of hassle before he was finally able to cancel his $10.48 monthly donation. Corey Koscielnak says he needed to file a complaint with the Washington state Attorney Generals Office after weeks in which the website for Onward Together did not allow him to cancel his donation. Koscielnak says that he first tried to resolve the issue by phone, to no avail. I dont expect it from anyone, corporation or not, Koscielniak told The Seattle Times. But what surprised me is, the Democratic Party is supposed to stand for other people and not be part of this larger industrial complex. A spokesperson for Clinton, Nick Merrill, said that Onward Together has now added a feature on its web site that allows donors to cancel their donations. Corey Koscielnak says he needed to file a complaint with the Washington state Attorney Generals Office after weeks in which the website for Onward Together did not allow him to cancel his donation Onward Together is a nonprofit social-welfare organization founded by Clinton that is tax-exempt We have rectified it, but we will make sure this doesnt happen again, with anybody, in the future, Merrill said. Merrill said that Clintons organization plans to reach out to Koscielnak. Despite the unpleasant experience, Koscielnak says he does not blame Clinton personally. Koscielnak voted for Clinton in the 2016 elections. In total, 87 per cent of Seattle residents who voted in the election cast their ballots for the Democrat. The election of Donald Trump motivated Koscielnak to be more engaged politically. In the last year, he has made donations to Democratic candidates and causes, including the organization Act Blue. One of the groups that he donated to was Onward Together, a nonprofit social-welfare organization that is tax-exempt. Onward Together, like many other nonprofits, is listed as 501(c)(4) in the federal tax code. This means they have tax-exempt status so long as their primary operations are not political in nature. But nonprofits also do not have to disclose their donors, who can give large sums to 501(c)(4) organizations, who then give to political action committees that spend money on elections. According to Merrill, Onward Together helps progressive groups and does not shift its donations to campaign ads. In 2017, Onward Together gave $1million to various progressive causes, according to Merrill. Onward Together backs organizations that have proven success in organizing around our shared progressive values, mobilizing voters, or running candidates for office, according to its website. Koscielnak said he decided to cancel his donation because Onward Together provided little information about how the money was spent. Hillary Clinton is seen above in New York on Friday These groups include Color of Change, Emerge America, Indivisible, Swing Left, and Run for Something. Koscielnak said he decided to cancel his donation because Onward Together provided little information about how the money was spent. He then looked through the groups website for a cancel donation button but couldnt find one. Onward Together (OT) accepts payment information, but provides no ability to alter or cancel donations once the initial donation is received, he wrote in his complaint to the Attorney Generals Office. I started contributing in May 2017, but have never received a receipt for my monthly contributions. He then dialed a phone number that was listed on the site. The person who answered my call (Kelly) said that she can cancel payment for me, and that theyve received several callers expressing frustration with their process, Koscielniak wrote in the complaint. She told me they will not put a contact # or address on their website due to security reasons. This feels both deceptive and unethical. While Merrill says Koscielnak's donation has been canceled, Koscielnak says he won't know for sure until he gets next month's bank statement. A man who grew up as a practicing Jehovah's Witness is now running an exclusive New York sex club for 'hot' millennials. Daniel Saynt, 35, is the founder of the NSFW (New Society for Wellness) sex club - a members-only group that hosts parties and events at a townhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The average age of a NSFW member is 28 years old and they each go through a careful selection process that takes into account how attractive they are, their social media presence and any fantasies they might have. Among the 700 people that currently have memberships to the private club are models, actors, celebrities and entrepreneurs. Daniel Saynt, 35, is the founder of the NSFW (New Society for Wellness) sex club - a members-only group that hosts parties and events at a townhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Members pay a fee of $96 to join the club and then each exclusive sex party they attend can cost up to $150. There are currently about 300 people on the waitlist to become members and a whopping 9,000 have already been rejected. 'It's like the Soho House of sex,' Saynt told the New York Post. 'We look for people with a story to share. If you can't share a conversation with someone, you can't share a bed. 'If a guy applies and says, 'I just want to have sex with as many girls as possible,' that's not someone we want here.' Saynt, who is bisexual and lives with his boyfriend in West Village, started the club back in 2015 while he was still working as the head of a digital marketing agency he started with his now ex-wife. He has a career background in luxury fashion. The average age of a NSFW member is 28 years old and they each go through a careful selection process that takes into account their appearance and social media presence The parties and events are held weekly at a townhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Members pay a fee of $96 to join the club and then each exclusive sex party they attend can cost up to $150 There are currently about 300 people on the waitlist to become members and a whopping 9,000 have already been rejected Saynt, of the Bronx, was raised in a Jehovah's Witness household and his parents had no idea about his sex club business until reading an article about him earlier this year. He said he went to church every Sunday, went to Bible study for 10 hours a week and would door-knock every morning before school. Saynt said he had his first sexual experience with a boy when he was 13 and remembers feeling scared that the religion he was raised in thought out homosexuality as a sin. He stopped attending church in his later high school years and then moved away from home in 2001 to attend Berkeley College in Manhattan - against his parent's wishes. Saynt went on to work as a nightlife consultant and fashion blogger before launching his digital marketing agency. Saynt, who is bisexual and lives with his boyfriend in West Village, described his sex club as like the 'Soho House of sex' Since launching his club, Saynt said he has been trolled online by those who say his parties are elitist, too selective, anti-feminist and racist He said membership for NSFW was highly controlled so the group could 'curate the most exciting crowd for our members' Since launching his club, Saynt said he has been trolled online by those who say his parties are elitist, too selective, anti-feminist and racist. 'NSFW is as much a private club as it is an experiment designed to challenge the norm. We embodying ideas inspired by love, freedom, new states of happiness and self-awareness. We aim to create an environment where playfulness is encouraged, free from judgement and societal restrictions,' Saynt says in the code of conduct for his members. 'Everyone is treated equally. 'We believe being loving, sexy and fun is more important than your gender identity or sexual orientation. We welcome all gender identities and sexual orientations, and will continue to become more inclusive through our expansion. 'Membership to NSFW is highly controlled so that we can curate the most exciting crowd for our members. 'Our crowd is made up of young, adventurous, influential and generally attractive men and women. We take pride in our membership selection process.' Sajid Javid vowed to do 'whatever it takes' to put the Windrush scandal right today after being installed as the first ever ethnic minority Home Secretary. In his first significant move, Mr Javid publicly axed the term 'hostile environment' from policy on illegal immigration in a departure from Theresa May's plans. Mr Javid's decision to distance himself from the PM's legacy will be seen as a signal he plans to tackle the Home Office very differently to his predecessor. Mr Javid delivered the pledge as he made his first Commons appearance just hours after being promoted by Theresa May to replace Amber Rudd - who finally bowed to massive pressure by quitting for misleading parliament over deportation targets. He was installed as the first ethnic minority holder of one of the great offices of state this morning after Amber Rudd dramatically quit late last night. Ms Rudd finally bowed to massive pressure by quitting for misleading parliament over deportation targets amid the Windrush scandal. Answering an urgent question in the Commons Mr Javid said: 'I don't like the phrase ''hostile''. It is ''compliant''.' Mr Javid pledged to tackle the WIndrush scandal as he made his first Commons appearance just hours after being promoted to replace Amber Rudd Mr Javid was cheered by Tory MPs as he stepped up to the despatch box in the House of Commons this afternoon On his debut in the new job, Mr Javid told MPs: 'I want to start by making a pledge I pledge to those from the Windrush generation who have been in this country for decades and have struggled to navigate through the immigration system. 'This should never have been the case and I will do whatever it takes to put it right.' Mr Javid becomes the first ethnic minority minister to hold the Great Office of State. James Brokenshire - who quit the Cabinet for health reasons earlier this year - is returning to take Mr Javid's old job. The new Home Secretary cited his own background to demonstrate his motivation to tackle the Windrush crisis. 'Learning about the difficulties Windrush migrants have faced has impacted me greatly, particularly because I myself am a second generation migrant (whose family) came to this country from the Commonwealth in the 1960s, came to help rebuild this country,' he said. Mr Javid said he thought those who have been caught up in the illegal immigration crackdown 'could be my mother, father or me'. He added: 'That's why I am so personally committed to tackling the difficulties people of the Windrush generation face. 'I know that my predecessor felt strongly about this I will build on the decisive action she has already taken.' He added: 'I want to end by making one thing clear we will do right by the Windrush generation.' Mr Javid was seen as having made a pitch for the Home Office job over the weekend when he used a newspaper interview to voice his horror at the Windrush failings. Home Secretary Amber Rudd shocked Westminster last night by resigning over the raging Windrush scandal The dramatic departure was a huge blow for the Prime Minister (pictured on a visit to Manchester today) and potentially leaves her personally vulnerable James Brokenshire - who quit the Cabinet for health reasons earlier this year - is returning to take Mr Javid's old job at Communities. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt (left) will add the equalities brief to her duties After his appointment this morning, Mr Javid said he wanted those affected by the controversy to be treated with 'decency and fairness'. 'The most urgent task I have is to help those British citizens who came from the Caribbean, the so-called Windrush generation, and make sure they are all treated with the decency and the fairness they deserve,' he said. As a Remainer in the referendum, Mr Javid's promotion maintains the delicate balance between Eurosceptics and Europhiles in Mrs May's Brexit war Cabinet. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt will assume Ms Rudd's duties as equalities minister. But there could be friction between Mr Javid's approach and that of Mrs May - as he is known to be sceptical about the target for bringing net annual immigration below 100,000. He also insisted today that he would not describe government policy on illegal immigrants as a 'hostile environment' - despite Mrs May championing the stance. 'I don't like the phrase 'hostile'. It is 'compliant',' he said. With no sign of the scandal blowing over and potentially more damning evidence to come out, Ms Rudd last night decided to take 'responsibility' and fall on her sword rather than face more humiliation. 'I feel it is necessary to do so because I inadvertently misled the Home Affairs Select Committee,' she said - admitting she 'should have been aware' the targets existed. The dramatic departure was a huge blow for the Prime Minister - and potentially leaves her personally vulnerable. Sajid Javid, pictured at the Home Office today, becomes the first ethnic minority minister to hold the Great Office of State Mrs May chatted with pupils at Brooklands Primary School in Sale, Manchester, on a visit today ahead of local elections Amber Rudd's resignation letter to the Prime Minister, saying she had 'inadvertently misled' MPs over targets for removal of illegal immigrants Mrs May was offered flowers by local children during her visit to Manchester today Ms Rudd has acted as an lightning rod for her predecessor in the Home Office amid the outcry over Windrush. It appears that Ms Rudd took the decision to quit herself, despite Downing Street previously trying to prop her up. She telephoned the PM to inform her of the move late on Sunday. In her response to Ms Rudd, Mrs May said she was 'very sorry' to receive the resignation. The premier said she still believed Ms Rudd had answered questions from MPs in 'good faith'. Why Amber Rudd finally opted to fall on her sword Amber Rudd quit after realising the row over misleading MPs about illegal immigration targets was not going to abate. The Home Secretary was already under pressure when she came to the Home Affairs committee to be grilled on Windrush. But it was a question on goals for evicting illegal immigrants that sparked her crisis. And it was her bungled reply, rather than any policy failures, that sealed her fate. Asked whether the Home Office had numerical targets, Ms Rudd seemed confused - and said no, it did not. Although she also referred to an 'ambition' for increasing deportation of illegal immigrants by 10 per cent, it soon became clear the denial was implausible. Dragged to the Commons the next day, Ms Rudd admitted there were in fact numerical targets at local level. Her claim to have been unaware of the targets suffered another blow when a memo referring to them emerged, which was copied to her office. Ms Rudd appeared on the brink of resignation on Friday night, before vowing to fight on. But with another gruelling turn scheduled at the hands of MPs today, and fears further documents might surface, Ms Rudd opted to fall on her sword. Advertisement Tories expressed sadness at the departure - while opposition parties wasted no time in turning their fire on Mrs May. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said Ms Rudd was 'carrying the can' Mrs May, while shadow home secretary Diane Abbott insisted she must answer questions in the Commons about her own knowledge of migrant removal targets. 'The change in home secretary will mean nothing unless Theresa May's 'hostile environment' policy is finally brought to an end,' Ms Abbott said. 'Sajid Javid's first priority must be ending this 'hostile environment' policy. As the Windrush scandal has proven, and as some of us warned the government four years ago, this policy has ripped lives apart, including the lives of British nationals and others who have the right to be here. 'The new home secretary cannot form another human shield for Theresa May.' Speaking this morning, Mr Javid said he would be calling his mother to let her know the news and she would be 'proud'. 'My parents came to our great country in the 60s,' he said. 'They came from Pakistan to help build this country. 'I think for them to see one of their sons rise to this great office of state, I'm sure they will be very proud. 'But I haven't called my mum yet but I will do later.' The timing of the resignation took Westminster by surprise. There was intense speculation that Ms Rudd might go on Friday night after the emergence of a leaked Home Office memo that had been copied to the minister. It spelled out that there were both national and regional targets for deportations of illegal immigrants - seemingly contradicting the evidence Ms Rudd gave to the Home Affairs select committee a day earlier. She had referred to a wider 'ambition' of increasing deportations of illegal immigrants by 10 per cent, but denied there were specific numerical goals. In her resignation letter, Ms Rudd admitted she 'should have been aware' the targets existed. Mrs May said she was 'sorry' to accept the resignation Mrs May said Ms Rudd should 'take great pride' in the way she had led the Home Office Tories expressed sorrow at the departure - while opposition parties wasted no time in turning their fire on Mrs May. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said Mrs May was 'responsible' Mrs May was in Manchester today campaigning ahead of this week's local elections (pictured right). Meanwhile flowers were delivered to Ms Rudd's London home Tory MP Anna Soubry suggested that Ms Rudd could join Remainer rebels on the backbenches However, after hours of ominous silence from the Home Office, Ms Rudd broke cover to insist she would stay on. She vowed she genuinely did not know about the targets when she gave evidence to MPs - and said she would make her case to the Commons in a statement tomorrow. Rudd becomes the fifth Cabinet minister to quit Five cabinet members have left their positions in the 10 months since June's snap general election where the Conservatives lost their majority in the House of Commons. The first to leave was Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who resigned his post after being caught up in Westminster sleaze allegations. He admitted his standards had 'fallen below the high standards required' after he admitted putting his hand on the knee of radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer some years ago when he resigned on November 1. A week later, Priti Patel quit as international development secretary over secret meetings in Israel, including with Benjamin Netanyahu. In her letter, she echoed the words of Mr Fallon, saying her actions 'fell below the high standards' expected. Theresa May suffered a third cabinet loss in seven weeks when Damian Green left as First Secretary of State in December. While serving as Mrs May's de facto deputy, Mr Green made 'misleading' statements about allegations that police found pornography on computers in his parliamentary office in 2008 which breached the ministerial code. Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire left the cabinet in January after standing down on health grounds, and Mrs Rudd became the fifth cabinet member to leave amid claims she misled Parliament over targets for removing illegal migrants. Advertisement However, having seen mounting evidence in the paperwork about the extent of the knowledge within the Home Office about the targets she decided that she should take responsibility and go. According to the Prime Minister's official spokesman, she was at home in her Maidenhead constituency when Ms Rudd rang to tell her of her decision. Ms Rudd had not explictly offered to resign previously, the spokesman said. The spokesman stressed that, while Mrs May was aware of targets for illegal immigrant removals during her time as home secretary, she ceased receiving this operational information when she left the Home Office. A 2017 letter to the PM in which Ms Rudd spoke of her plans to increase removals 'by more than 10% over the next few years' did not relate to a target but to an 'aim over a non-specific period', he said. The crisis span out of control after another private letter which included 'ambitious and deliverable' migrant deportation targets emerged, after Rudd claimed she knew nothing about them. Ms Rudd appeared to have signed the correspondence, which said her department aimed to 'increase the number of enforced removals by more than ten per cent', in January last year. The Home Secretary had already claimed that she had never seen a previous memo referencing immigration targets - and the letter appears to have been the final straw. In her letter of resignation, Ms Rudd said she was resigning because she had 'inadvertently' misled the Commons Home Affairs Committee. 'Since appearing before the select committee, I have reviewed the advice I was given on this issue and become aware of information provided to my office which makes mention of targets. I should have been aware of this and I take full responsibility for the fact that I was not,' she wrote. She went on: 'The Windrush scandal has rightly shone a light on an important issue for our country. Civil servant who wrote the deportation targets memo later told Rudd there weren't any The civil servant who wrote the 'smoking gun' email detailing deportation targets later told Amber Rudd there were none, it has been reported. Ms Rudd resigned after 'unintentionally misleading' MPs by telling them the Home Office did not use targets. It later emerged Hugh Ind, director general of Immigration Enforcement, had emailed her office detailing the immigration targets. But Mr Ind texted Ms Rudd's team during and after her ill-fated appearance in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee to say deportation targets are not used. During the same session, Mr Ind also sent an email saying that he didn't recognise the 'description' of targets, the source said. And he wrote another email saying 'there are no removal targets for immigration enforcement officers, regional or national', the report said. The claims will fuel criticisms by Ms Rudd's backers that she has been the victim of confusing information from civil servants. Mail Online has contacted the Home Office for comment. Advertisement 'As so often, the instincts of the British people are right. They want people who have a right to live here to be treated fairly and humanely, which has sometimes not been the case. 'But they also want the Government to remove those who don't have the right to be here. 'I had hoped in coming months to devise a policy that would allow the Government to meet both these vital objectives - including bringing forward urgent legislation to ensure the right of the Windrush generation are protected.' In her reply, Mrs May said she was 'very sorry' Ms Rudd had decided to stand down but that she understood her reasons for doing so. 'When you addressed the House of Commons and the Home Affairs Select Committee last week on the issue of illegal immigration, you answered the questions put to you in good faith,' she wrote. The blunder by Ms Rudd - amid the raging Windrush row - led to Labour calls for her resignation and growing disquiet among her colleagues. The former Home Office Secretary was already said to be feeling isolated by No10 and let down by her officials. One ally said: 'Amber has been caught in a s*** sandwich. There has been no support from Downing Street, either politically or in terms of communications. The six-page page memo from January last year, prepared by Hugh Ind, the director general of Immigration Enforcement in the Home Office, spelled out policy ideas outlined by Rudd in her private letter. Included in the document, leaked to the Guardian, were targets such as 'achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017/18'. It has emerged that Ms Rudd referred to an 'ambition' of increasing deportations of illegal immigrants by 10 per cent in a letter to Theresa May in January last year (pictured) The note was also addressed to Marc Owen, senior director of national and international operations in Immigration Enforcement, Mark Thomson, the director general of the Passport Office and Tony Eastaugh, UK director of operations at Immigration Enforcement. Ms Rudd's departure risked upsetting the delicate balance within the Cabinet between Leavers and Remainers ahead of a crucial meeting of the Brexit 'war cabinet' on Wednesday to discuss Britain's future customs relationship with the EU. What is the Windrush scandal and how did the fiasco develop? June 22, 1948 - The Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica. The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK. Many arrived on their parents' passports and were not formally naturalised as British citizens. 1973 - A new immigration Act comes into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been resident in the UK. 2010 - The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants arrival dates in the UK. 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 2014 - A protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time. Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants are obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973. July 2016 - Mrs May becomes Prime Minister. April 2018 - Allegations that Windrush immigrants are being threatened with deportation break. Theresa May issued a grovelling apology to Caribbean leaders after major backlash April 29 - Amber Rudd resigns after inadvertently misleading Parliament by wrongly claiming there were no deportation targets Advertisement But Mr Javid's background as a Remainer during the referendum should reassure Europhile MPs. He was not previously a member of the crucial sub-committee. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: 'Amber has done the right thing. 'The Windrush generation could not have had faith in her. She made promises she brushed under the carpet. It is a Home Office scandal.' Ms Abbott told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: 'Politics is very hard and the only sympathy goes to the generation of people who have been let down by this Government. We need justice.' Labour MP David Lammy, a leading campaigner on Windrush, tweeted: 'Amber Rudd resigned because she didn't know what was going on in her own department and she had clearly lost the confidence of her own civil servants. 'The real issue is the hostile environment policy that caused this crisis in the first place. 'The resignation of the Home Secretary must not detract from the fact that this crisis was a direct result of the hostile environment policy. 'That policy must now be reviewed, and the Home Office must move quickly to compensate and grant citizenship to the Windrush generation.' In a sign that Ms Rudd could join Remainer rebels on the Tory backbenches, former minister Anna Soubry said: 'V sorry that @AmberRuddHR has resigned. She is a woman of great courage & immense ability. 'Amber will be missed in many ways. We'll give her a huge welcome on to our back benches. If there is any justice she will soon return to the highest of office. Proud to call her my friend.' Lucy Frazer, Tory MP for South East Cambridgeshire, added: 'I'm very disappointed she felt she had to resign. Amber was an excellent Minister. 'We were expecting her statement in the Commons tomorrow. She's put a number of measures in place for the Windrush generation.' Ms Rudd ended up in trouble after her evidence to the Home Affairs committee last week, and was forced to come to the Commons to explain herself. She was due to run the gauntlet of another Commons appearance tomorrow Brandon Lewis attempted to defend Ms Rudd earlier today but she finally decided that she could not hang on WHO'S IN BREXIT WAR CABINET AND WHERE DO THEY STAND? Prime Minister Theresa May Backed Remain, has since insisted she will push through Brexit, leaving the single market and customs union. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington A strong Remainer during the referendum campaign, recently made clear he has not changed his mind about it being better if the country had chosen to stay in the bloc. Chancellor Philip Hammond Seen as one of the main advocates of 'soft' Brexit in the Cabinet. Has been accused of trying to keep the UK tied to key parts of the customs union for years after the transition ends. Home Secretary Sajid Javid Brought in to replace Amber Rudd after she resigned amid the Windrush scandal, Mr Javid was seen as a reluctant Remainer in the referendum. Many thought the former high-flying banker would plump for the Leave campaign, but he eventually claimed to have been won over by the economic case. He is likely to focus be guided by evidence about trade calculations in discussions over how closely aligned the UK should be with the EU. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson The Brexit champion in the Cabinet, has been agitating for a more robust approach and previously played down the problems of leaving with no deal. He is unhappy with plans for a tight customs arrangement with Brussels - warning that it could effectively mean being lashed to the EU indefinitely. Environment Secretary Michael Gove Has buried the hatchet with Mr Johnson after brutally ending his Tory leadership campaign in the wake of David Cameron's resignation. Thought to be less concerned with short term concessions that Mr Johnson, but focused on ensuring the UK is free from Brussels rules in the longer term. Brexit Secretary David Davis A long-time Eurosceptic and veteran of the 1990s Maastricht battles, brought back by Mrs May in 2016 to oversee the day-to-day negotiations. He has said the government will be seeking a 'Canada plus plus plus' deal from the EU. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox Another Brexiteer, his red lines are about the UK's ability to strike trade deals with the rest of the world, and escaping Brussels red tape. Business Secretary Greg Clark On the softer Brexit side of the Cabinet, Mr Clark has supported Mr Hammond's efforts to maintain close links with the customs union. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson A close ally of the Prime Minister and viewed by some as her anointed successor. He is believed to be siding with the Brexiteers on customs arrangements and the need for Britain to be able to diverge from EU rules. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley Supported Remain but a relatively unknown quantity on the shape of a deal. Replaced James Brokenshire, another May loyalist, after he resigned on health grounds last month. Advertisement New Home Secretary son of a bus driver who wants to call 'proud' mum about his job Sajid Javid's (pictured leaving No 10 today) meteoric rise through British politics propelled him to the Home Office today as the first member of an ethnic minority to hold a Great Office of State Sajid Javid's meteoric rise from the son of an immigrant bus driver to the top of politics continued today as he became the first member of an ethnic minority to hold a Great Office of State. The new Home Secretary, 48, admitted he had not yet phoned his mum to tell her about his new job. But arriving at Marsham Street for the first time he told waiting reporters his family would be 'very proud' of his achievements. Mr Javid, whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, had appeared to audition for his new post yesterday. And after getting the post, the multi-millionaire former banker, a married father of four, said: 'My parents came to our great country in the 60s,' he said. 'They came from Pakistan to help build this country. 'I think for them to see one of their sons rise to this great office of state, I'm sure they will be very proud. 'But I haven't called my mum yet but I will do later.' The new Home Secretary first entered politics in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove, leaving a lucrative career in banking. He lives with his wife Laura and their four children in Fulham. Despite his rapid rise through the political ranks, Mr Javid has fiercely guarded time with his three daughters and one son. The new Home Secretary first entered politics in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove. He lives with his wife Laura (pictured together last year) and their four children in Fulham A son of a bus driver, the new Home Secretary (pictured left at Tory conference last year and right as a school boy) has said he is from Muslim heritage but that he does not practice any faith Aides told BuzzFeed in 2015 how he often arrived on Monday morning bursting with stories from the weekend - memorably recalling a heroic rescue of the family hamster by placing foil strips around the house and staying up all night listening for rustling. In what many saw as an ambition for the new post, he admitted at the weekend his family background made him 'really concerned' about the Windrush scandal. He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation. 'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver. 'When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' Amber Rudd: Ex-banker who went from 'aristocracy coordinator' to contender for prime minister Amber Rudd enjoyed a rapid rise through the ministerial ranks Amber Rudd is a former investment banker, venture capitalist and financial journalist, who decided to enter politics in her 40s in order to get 'a grip on her life'. David Cameron put Ms Rudd, 54, on his controversial A-list of candidates and she took Hastings and Rye back from Labour in 2010. She enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks, serving as parliamentary private secretary to then chancellor George Osborne two years later. She was promoted to junior minister at the Energy and Climate Change department in 2014, entering Cabinet as secretary of state for the same brief in 2015. Ms Rudd's time at the Climate Change department was stormy. When she piloted fracking legislation through the Commons as its junior minister, she was accused by the opposition of reneging on pledges not to let the controversial gas extraction process occur in national parks. She announced that drilling would be allowed underneath such protected areas, if it began outside their surface boundaries. After becoming secretary of state at the department, her attitude to renewable energy was strongly criticised by environmentalists. Ms Rudd was a committed Remain campaigner, who raised eyebrows with the highly personalised attacks she launched on her now Cabinet colleague Boris Johnson. During a live TV clash she declared: 'Boris is the life and soul of the party, but he is not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening.' She then came to Theresa May's aid in the short-lived, but bruising, run-off campaign with Andrea Leadsom as she slapped down her own junior minister at the Energy Department by questioning Ms Leadsom's experience. The ex-Cheltenham Ladies' College pupil, and Edinburgh University history graduate, has a son and a daughter from the five years she was married to the late columnist AA Gill, who used to refer to her as 'the silver spoon' in his restaurant reviews. Four Weddings And A Funeral director Richard Curtis said he gave Ms Rudd, who is believed to briefly appear in a church scene in the film, the job of casting extras for the movie, because: 'She knew a lot of dukes and earls.' Ms Rudd was appointed Home Secretary on July 13 2016. During her time in the role, which included having overall responsibility for security and terrorism, she dealt with the UK falling victim to a number of terror attacks such as the Westminster Bridge and Manchester Arena attacks, and the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury. In January this year she became Minister for Women and Equalities. Advertisement AMBER RUDD: THE FALL OF A HOME SECRETARY Amber Rudd has resigned as Home Secretary in the wake of the Windrush scandal. Here is a look at some of the events that led to her downfall: - April 16: The Home Secretary offers an apology in the House of Commons to members of the Windrush generation after it emerges some immigrants who arrived between the late 1940s and early 1970s are facing deportation and being denied access to healthcare due to UK paperwork issues. - April 17: Officials are forced to defend a decision to destroy thousands of landing card slips recording the arrival of Windrush generation immigrants into the UK as Labour blame the 'fiasco' on the Home Office. - April 18: The Opposition call on Amber Rudd to consider her position as the crisis deepens. - April 20: A leaked memo suggests Ms Rudd privately pledged to give the Home Office 'teeth' in efforts to remove illegal migrants from the UK, while Theresa May announces compensation payments to those affected by the scandal. - April 22: The shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry joins calls for Ms Rudd to quit. - April 23: Ms Rudd attempts to draw a line under the crisis with an emergency package of measures, including a fast-track offer of UK citizenship for people who arrived from the Commonwealth in the decades following the Second World War and a promise of a compensation scheme. - April 24: Pressure continues to mount as fresh cases emerge. Labour MP David Lammy, a prominent figure in exposing the fiasco, reports that his office has received six further cases before midday. - April 25: Ms Rudd tells of her 'bitter regret' at failing to grasp the scale of the Windrush scandal sooner as she is grilled by MPs before the Commons Home Affairs Committee. - April 26: The Home Secretary is facing repeated calls to resign, but claims she never agreed to use removal targets for migrants. To add to her woes, the prominent Remain supporter sparks Brexit controversy by suggesting that the question of UK membership of the Customs Union remains open when pressed on the issue at a Westminster lunch. - April 27: Ms Rudd clings on claiming she had not seen a leaked internal memo referring to Home Office targets for removing illegal immigrants. She apologises and admits she should have known about official targets for removing illegal immigrants. - April 28: Senior ministers rally around the beleaguered Home Secretary. - April 29: Rudd resigns the night before she was due to explain herself in the Commons after another leaked letter casts fresh doubt on her knowledge of the deportation targets. Advertisement . Shamed film producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, believes he will eventually be forgiven by Hollywood, says TV presenter Piers Morgan. In an interview for the May edition of GQ magazine, Morgan, 53, said he had spoken to Weinstein, 66, at the Arizona clinic where he sought treatment. Good Morning Britain host Morgan said that Hollywood had been a moral cesspit since the 20s, and the idea that Harvey Weinstein is the only villain? According to Piers Morgan, Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, believes he will eventually be forgiven by Hollywood Do me a favour. Look at Mel Gibson: ultimately Harvey believes he will be forgiven. Gibson hit the headlines in 2006 after unleashing an anti-Semitic tirade during his 2006 arrest for drink-driving. But he bagged a best-director nomination for his film Hacksaw Ridge in 2017. In a statement, Weinstein admitted speaking with Morgan last year, but insisted: I did not talk about business or Hollywood. My priority is my family. Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that he told Kim Jong Un the North Korea leader would have to agree to take 'irreversible' steps toward shutting its nuclear weapons program in any deal with President Donald Trump. 'We use the word "irreversible" with great intention,' Pompeo told ABC News. 'We are going to require those steps that demonstrate that denuclearization is going to be achieved.' Kim expressed his readiness to discuss Trump's demand 'and to lay out a map that will help us achieve that objective,' Pompeo added. Pompeo, the former CIA director who was sworn in as the top U.S. diplomat on Thursday, said his meeting with Kim was 'a productive one' and that he left Pyongyang convinced there is 'a real opportunity' for the North Korean leader and Trump to strike a deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday he told Kim Jung Un the North Korea leader would have to agree to take 'irreversible' steps towards denuclearization in any deal with President Donald Trump Pompeo's comments come as it's emerged that Kim told his South Korean counterpart at their historic summit on Friday that his country would be willing to give up its nuclear weapons if the U.S. commits to a formal end to the Korean War and a pledge not to attack the North His comments were the most extensive yet regarding his Easter weekend talks in Pyongyang with Kim in preparation for a summit next month between the North Korean leader and Trump. They come as it's emerged that Kim told his South Korean counterpart at their historic summit on Friday that his country would be willing to give up its nuclear weapons if the U.S. commits to a formal end to the Korean War and a pledge not to attack the North, Seoul officials said on Sunday. Kim also vowed during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to shut down the North's nuclear test site in May and disclose the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul's presidential office said. Kim also expressed optimism about his meeting with Trump, Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. Kim also vowed during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to shut down the North's nuclear test site in May This satellite image released and notated by Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North on April 12, 2017, shows the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea 'Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States,' Kim said, according to Yoon. Yoon said Kim also revealed plans to sync its time zone with South Korea's. The Koreas had used the same time zone for decades before the North created its own "Pyongyang Time" in 2015 by setting the clock 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. While Pyongyang says it will close its nuclear test site next month, Kim and Moon did not outline concrete measures to be taken to achieve that goal of denuclearization. Trump's new national security adviser John Bolton said in an interview with CBS News, also aired Sunday, that Kim may have 'concrete and tangible' ideas about giving up his nuclear arms program 'and we should hear him out.' But he and Pompeo cautioned that North Korea has a history of reneging on its commitments. Bolton said that a recent absence of weapons and missile tests by North Korea 'could be a very positive sign' or a sign that the programs have reached advanced stages and testing is no longer needed. While Pyongyang says it will close its nuclear test site next month, Kim and Moon did not outline concrete measures to be taken to achieve that goal of denuclearization Trump's new national security adviser John Bolton said that a recent absence of weapons and missile tests by North Korea 'could be a very positive sign' or a sign that the programs have reached advanced stages and testing is no longer needed Pompeo said that the United States also will have to match North Korea's actions, although he provided no details. 'Both countries will have to do more than words,' said Pompeo. He repeated that Trump will maintain a 'pressure campaign' of harsh sanctions on impoverished North Korea until Kim shutters his nuclear weapons program. North Korea has invited the outside world to witness the dismantling of its nuclear facilities before. In June 2008, international broadcasters were allowed to air the demolition of a cooling tower at the Nyongbyon reactor site, a year after the North reached an agreement with the U.S. and four other nations to disable its nuclear facilities in return for an aid package worth about $400 million. But the deal eventually collapsed after North Korea refused to accept U.S.-proposed verification methods, and the country went on to conduct its second nuclear test detonation in May 2009. Pompeo also said that at Trump's direction, he spoke with Kim about the release of three U.S. citizens detained by North Korea. He did not elaborate on the outcome of that discussion. North Korea invited the outside world to witness the dismantling of its nuclear facilities in June 2008. But the deal eventually collapsed after North Korea refused to accept U.S.-proposed verification methods North Korea 'should look at this very seriously,' Bolton said about releasing the trio before the Trump-Kim meeting. They are 'very much on the president's mind' and freeing them would be a 'demonstration of their (North Korea's) sincerity,' he said. Pyongyang is holding two Korean-American academics and a Christian missionary, as well as a Canadian pastor and three South Korean nationals who were doing missionary work. Japan says at least several dozen of its nationals are being held in the country. Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American student, died in June 2017, days after he was released, in a coma, after 17 months of captivity. Republican and Democratic lawmakers credited Trump's strategy for Kim's readiness to negotiate. But they also cautioned that the initiative could collapse, and the United States find itself in a conflict with North Korea. 'We're very close to historic peace, but we also are very close to war,' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Fox News Sunday. 'Because if they play Trump, if Kim Jong Un meets with President Trump and goes back to his old way of doing business, we're on a path to war.' Republican Senator James Lankford, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized Trump for calling Kim 'very honorable' on Twitter last week. 'I would never use the word honorable to describe Kim Jong Un,' Lankford said on CNN. Kim 'is a ruthless dictator that does public executions of anyone who . . . disagrees with him. He has literally starved his own people to help the elite,' said Lankford. Thousands of German's wearing Kippas rallied in support of Jews after a recent spate of hate crimes. Some 2,000 demonstrators came together at the Berlin Wears Kippa event where Jews and non-Jews wore the traditional skullcap in a shared show of defiance. Recent scandals - including a rap duo making light of Nazi death camps - have raised questions about the country's ability to protect its burgeoning Jewish community seven decades after the Holocaust. A demonstrator wears a kippa in the Mauerpark public park during the Berlin Wears Kippa event Some 2,000 Germans came together in support of Jews after a recent spate of hate crimes In the latest ugly incident, a tiny Berlin rally against anti-Semitism with just three demonstrators was marred Wednesday when angry counter-protesters shouted 'terrorists', spat at them and snatched their Israeli flag, organisers said. Police said the event in Neukoelln district, the heart of the capital's Muslim immigrant community, ended early after the trio were shouted down by 'loud and emotional' opponents and feared for their safety. Speaking at the Berlin Wears Kippa rally, Berlin's Jewish community chairman Gideon Joffe warned that the growing threat meant 'it's five minutes to midnight', adding 'we have to be careful'. The head of the country's Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, demanded '100 per cent respect' for Jews as well as for Muslims, homosexuals and people of 'all skin colours'. Recent scandals - including a rap duo making light of Nazi death camps - have raised questions about the country's ability to protect its burgeoning Jewish community seven decades after the Holocaust A family get a picture wearing the traditional caps as they rally in support of the Jewish community The previous day, Mr Schuster warned Jews who wear the kippa or the Star of David could be courting danger on German streets. The remarks sparked outrage, with the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre accusing authorities of disappointing Jews' faith in German democracy. Chancellor Angela Merkel denounced the emergence of 'another form of anti-Semitism', beyond that of right-wing extremist groups, from Muslim refugees, in an interview with Israeli television. The head of the country's Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster warned Jews who wear the kippa or the Star of David could be courting danger on German streets Mr Schuster's comments sparked outrage, with some accusing him of disappointing Jews' faith in German democracy She reaffirmed the security of Jews and of the state of Israel was a central concern for Germany because of its 'eternal responsibility' for the Holocaust. Last week Germans were stunned after a 19-year-old Syrian refugee attacked two young men wearing kippas with his belt in a trendy district of the capital, shouting 'yahudi' - Jew in Arabic - and lashing out at his victim with a belt. A video of the assault, filmed by one of the Israeli victims, went viral on social media and sparked widespread revulsion. The traditional skullcaps were handed out by volunteers in the park in Berlin Ahead of the Berlin rally, the chairman of the Turkish community in Germany, Gokay Sofuoglu, also called for the kippa to be worn, telling the Berliner Zeitung 'if you want to stop Islamophobia, then you also can't tolerate anti-Semitism'. Yair Lapid, the leader of the centrist Israeli political party Yesh Atid, said Jews from Germany should go out 'with a kippa and a big baton in their hands and protect themselves'. 'We thought the days of anxiety for the Jews in Germany were over. That is clearly not the case,' he told German news agency DPA in Berlin. Demonstrations in support of Jews with hundreds of people were also held in the cities of Cologne, Potsdam, Magdeburg and Erfurt, where politicians, Christian and Jewish leaders wore kippas and marched to the main local synagogue. High-profile incidents in recent months have stoked fears of a possible resurgence of anti-Semitism Newspapers offered paper cutouts of skullcaps for readers to wear. The issue of anti-Semitism is particularly fraught in Germany, which has gone to great lengths to atone for its Nazi past and whose political class takes deep pride in the growth of the now 200,000-strong Jewish community. However, the high-profile incidents in recent months have stoked fears of a possible resurgence of anti-Semitism. Speaking at the Berlin Wears Kippa rally, Berlin's Jewish community chairman Gideon Joffe warned that the growing threat meant 'it's five minutes to midnight', adding 'we have to be careful' In March, the Central Council of Jews urged schools to keep track of religious bullying following reports that a young Jewish girl was allegedly harassed and threatened by Muslim fellow pupils at a Berlin primary school. The far-right Alternative for Germany party, which captured nearly 13 per cent of the vote in September's general election, has also not shied away from questioning Germany's cherished 'remembrance culture'. Party member Bjoern Hoecke last year called Berlin's Holocaust memorial a 'monument of shame' and said Germany should take a '180 degree' turn away from its guilt over World War II crimes. The governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Tarek Amer said on Sunday that Kuwait has provisionally agreed to extend a $4 billion deposit maturity for Egypt. Amer affirmed that Egypt is committed to paying its foreign debts and financial commitments on time and without any delay. Speaking at the Arab Banking Conference in Cairo, Amer stressed that the state of chaos that had been witnessed in the country's foreign currency market ended in November 2016 with Egypt's decision to float its currency. Amer also said that deposits in the country's banks amount to EGP 5 trillion. Egypt is expected to pay about $13 billion in foreign liabilities by the end of 2018. The CBE said in February that Egypts total foreign debt reached $80.8 billion by the end of December 2017, an increase of $1.8 billion since the end of June 2017. Foreign debts rose by 2.3 percent by the end of 2017, compared to the end of 2016, when debts amounted to $67 billion, the CBE revealed. Egypt has embarked on a bold economic reform programme that has included cutting energy subsidies and imposing new taxes. It also floated its currency in November 2016, before it clinched a $12 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund. Later this year, Egypt is expected to receive the fourth tranche of the IMF loan, which amounts to $2 billion. Egypts foreign reserves rose to $42.524 billion at the end of February from $38.209 billion at the end of January, the CBE said last month. Cairos foreign reserves have been climbing since the country secured the $12 billion three-year IMF loan programme in 2016, as part of efforts to boost foreign investment and revive its economy. Search Keywords: Short link: Advertisement Samaritans slaughtered goats and sheep as hundreds gathered on the West Bank to mark the eve of Passover with ritualistic sacrifice. The ancient community gathered on Mount Gerizim near the city of Nablus as young boys carried animals to partake in the ceremony. Descended from the ancient Israelite tribes of Menashe and Efraim, Samaritans split from mainstream Judaism 2,800 years ago. Today there are about 720 left in the city and in Israel's seaside town of Holon, south of tourist hot spot Tel Aviv. A ceremonial blade was pictured dripping with blood, which also stained the white garments worn at the ceremony. The Israeli Samaritans practise a religion based on four principles of faith - that the only God is the one of Israel, that his prophet was Moses Ben Amram, adherence to the first five books of the Bible (the Torah) and that Mount Gerizim is holy land. Members of the ancient Samaritan community take part in the ritual of Passover Sacrifice on Mt. Gerizim, overlooking the West Bank town of Nablus, where the remaining 720 left of the ancient community live by four rules - God, Moses, Torah and the veneration of the holy mountain on which they today gathered A Samaritan carries a dead goat on a spit as his ancient community gathered to for the Passover Sacrifice on Mount Gerizim to keep alive the traditions of their sect, which broke away from mainstream Judaism 2,800 years ago and today numbers in the hundreds Followers of the faith dressed in white and gathered to slaughter goats and sheep as they adhered to the ancient Passover tradition of their community, which descends from the Israelite tribes of Menashe and Efraim but is today a sect that is distinct from mainstream Judaism The Samaritans on the West Bank gathered around huge fires on which the livestock were roasted following the ritualistic sacrifice, which took place on a mountain the Jewish group considers so holy that it forms one of the four tenants of the community's faith Members of the Samaritan sect take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony on Mount Gerizim, near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank today, as one follower is shown carrying a dead goat past the fire pits used to roast the animals once they have died in the ritual sacrifice Samaritan Jews read from texts in celebration of Passover. Today the faithful marked the penultimate day of the festival with ritualistic sacrifice near Nablus on the West Bank The Samaritans gathered in prayer as they prepared to slaughter goats and sheep as they near the end of the Passover festival. The sect - which split from mainstream Judaism almost 3,000 years ago - numbers just 720 now and the faithful are concentrated on the West Bank Passover marks the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian oppression in the Bible, making it the holiest portion of the Judaic calendar. In the occupied territory, these Samaritans marked the festival by slaughtering livestock and roasting them over fire pits Youngsters were pictured marking the celebration too as the goats and sheep were led to be ritualistically sacrificed on what the Samaritans consider holy land. The minority is just hundreds strong today and the followers are concentrated on the West Bank in and around Nablus Samaritan Jews celebrate the eve of Passover, with the festival being marked on 30 April, by roasting goats that they sacrificed near Nablus on the West Bank as the celebrations are set to draw to a close tomorrow evening The ancient Jewish sect gathers in prayer near Nablus as followers of the minority group celebrate the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian servitude by sacrificing animals The Samaritans roasted sacrificed livestock over fire pits on the West Bank as the Passover celebrations are set to draw to a close tomorrow. The group split from mainstream Judaism more than 2,000 years ago and today there are just 720 of them in the occupied territory Samaritan Jews celebrate Passover as they guide goats to the slaughter in line with the festival's tradition of ritualistic sacrifice near Nablus Adherents of the Samaritan sect - which is an offshoot of mainstream Judaism - gathered on the holy mountain in order to mark Passover Animals are roasted over fire pits as the Samaritans gathered on their most holy piece of land to mark the festival, which celebrates the Biblical tale in which God spared the Hebrew sons while killing Egyptian first-born boys in order to free his followers from slavery Members of the ancient Samaritan community take part in the ritual of Passover Sacrifice on Mt. Gerizim, overlooking the West Bank town of Nablus. The remaining 720 Samaritans live in the city and the Israeli seaside town of Holon, south of Tel Aviv A man passes on a knife to another as Samaritans take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony, where sheep and goats are slaughtered, at Mount Gerizim Samaritans descended from the ancient Israelite tribes of Menashe and Efraim but broke away from mainstream Judaism 2,800 years ago. Today, the remaining 700 Samaritans live in the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank and the Israeli seaside town of Holon A man holds a goat as Samaritans take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony, where sheep and goats are slaughtered, at Mount Gerizim Samaritans pray as they take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony. The Israeli Samaritan community which numbers about 720 people practices a religion that is based on four principles of faith, one God - the God of Israel; one Prophet - Moses Ben Amram; the belief in the Torah - the first five books of the Bible and one holy place - Mount Gerizim Samaritans take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony, where sheep and goats are slaughtered, at Mount Gerizim near the northern West Bank city of Nablus today A man holds a knife as Samaritans take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony, slaughtering sheep and goats as part of the ritualistic ceremonies Boys hold goats as Samaritans take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony today, in which the animals are led to the slaughter to mark the religious festival Followers of the faith are pictured hugging and holding hands as they celebrate the Biblical tale in which Hebrews lived to escape from servitude in Egypt A boy sits on a rock as Samaritans take part in the traditional Passover sacrifice ceremony, where sheep and goats are slaughtered, at Mount Gerizim near the northern West Bank The Israeli Samaritan community - which numbers about 720 people - practices a religion that is based on four principles of faith and split from the mainstream Jewish religion thousands of years ago Disgraced casino magnate Steve Wynn has filed a defamation suit against a former salon director at the Wynn Las Vegas who accused him of widespread sexual misconduct. Wynn's claim against Jorgen Nielsen alleges the stylist spread false accusations that the former CEO sexually harassed his female employees. Nielsen was directly quoted in two Wall Street Journal articles, the first of which was published on January 26, detailing sexual misconduct allegations lodged against Wynn, 76, spanning over decades. Wynn, himself, stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer of Wynn Resorts on February 6, following the reporting of the allegations, while simultaneously denying them. Wynn noted in the lawsuit that his ex-wife, Elaine Wynn, is still using Nielsen as he stylist, and has done for years. He alluded that Nielsen may have come forward with these allegations to benefit his ex, because she has shares in Wynn Resorts. Former casino magnate Steve Wynn, 76, has filed a defamation lawsuit against one-time Wynn Resorts salon director Jorgen Nielsen on Thursday in Nevada District Court Nielsen was described in the lawsuit as being a 'disgruntled former employee' who 'harbors a personal animus, dislike, and anger toward Mr. Wynn.' Born in Copenhagen, he worked at several of Wynns resorts, including Bellagio, Encore and Wynn Las Vegas up until 2013, according to the Wall Street Journal. Nielsen was one of two sources that went on the record for the WSJ in January, in two articles reporting on Wynn being accused of a range of inappropriate workplace conduct, including requiring employees to be naked while massaging him and demanding that women masturbate in front of him. Nielsen was quoted as saying that 'everyone [in the salon] was petrified' of Wynn, who would often receive services at the salons on his properties. He added that reports were made to company executives, but 'nobody was there to help us.' Several of Wynn's former employers have since sued him for sexual harassment, and police reports have been filed that include allegations of rape and coercion. Wynn's claim against former Wynn Las Vegas salon director Jorgen Nielsen alleges the stylist spread false accusations that Wynn sexually harassed his female employees WSJ said that in the course of its reporting leading up the story that quoted Nielsen, the paper reached out to 150 current and former employees of Wynn Resorts. One account by a manicurist described an incident in 2005 where she allegedly went to Wynn's room for an appointment, was pressured into undressing, lying on his massage table and having sex with him. That reportedly resulted in a human resources report and ultimately led to a $7.5 million settlement, according to the Journal. Nielsen provided a comment to the WSJ about another account, which Wynn specifically called out in his lawsuit as being false. Nielsen said Wynn chased one of the managers around the salon, not relenting until she locked herself in a bathroom. The lawsuit stated that particular claim could not be accurate because Wynn is legally blind, often having difficulty executing a handshake during an introduction due to his poor sight. The implication there is that Wynn could have chased a woman around the salon because he couldn't see well enough to maneuver the space, even though he was presumably familiar with the space due to his frequent visits. When Wynn stepped down in early February, he said at the time that he was doing so due to 'an avalanche of negative publicity' that had created an environment 'in which a rush to judgment takes precedence over everything else, including the facts.' Nielsen was described in the lawsuit as being a 'disgruntled former employee' who 'harbors a personal animus, dislike, and anger toward Mr. Wynn' Wynn is one of many men in power recently called out publicly for allegations of inappropriate behavior. The Time's Up movement, and a legal defense fund by the same name, was created in response to the public outing of men, specifically in media, for their alleged acts of sexual harassment, assault, abuse of power and unequal treatment of women in the workplace. The founders of the Time's Up movement have made it clear that although their cause was inspired by allegations against the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Louis CK, Charlie Rose, Mark Halperin and William Morris Endeavor's Adam Venit, and even before them, Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly, the fund exists for the benefit of all people, across all industries, who have experience lack of parity in their places of business. It was accusations against Weinstein, however, that broke in October, that preceded a social media campaign using the hashtag #MeToo, which due to its widespread adoption gave people courage to share their own stories of sexual harassment and assault. Before that, the 'Me Too' movement was initiated offline by Tarana Burke a New York City-based civil rights activist who first used the term in 2006 in her work to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society. Wynn's lawsuit filed this week against Nielsen stated: In falsely accusing Mr. Wynn of sexual misconduct in the #MeToo era, Defendant Nielsen acted with the unlawful purpose of smearing Mr. Wynn and creating workplace issues for Mr. Wynn at a time when he was embroiled in highly contentious and public litigation with his ex- wife, Elaine Wynn.' Wynn is seen here in New York City in September 2008 with his ex-wife, Elaine Wynn, who he claims currently employs Nielsen as her personal hair stylist Wynn sold his entire stake in the casino company on March 21 for $2.1 billion, after a judge agreed to declare a previously entered into shareholder agreement between Wynn and his ex-wife, Elaine, 75, that restricted their abilities to sell their combined 21 percent stake in the company. He had first filed a motion to invalidate his shareholder agreement with his ex on March 2, which was initially denied by a judge in Nevada. Wynn's argument, then, was that his departure from the company invalidated the agreement. After that, both of the Wynns told the court they consider the agreement to be invalid. The two entered a joint stipulation to that effect, which was accepted and signed into an order by a judge on March 14. The stipulation and order read that their shareholder's agreement is 'now invalid and unenforceable as a matter of law and that neither party shall have any further rights or obligations thereunder,' according to an SEC filing. Wynn's ex-wife initially sought to invalidate the agreement so she could sell her shares, but given these new developments, it's now unclear whether she'll divest herself of her 9 percent stake in Wynn Resorts. Wynn Resorts owns two casinos in Nevada and Macau, China and is scheduled to open one in Massachusetts next year. Sajid Javid's (pictured leaving No 10 today) meteoric rise through British politics propelled him to the Home Office today as the first member of an ethnic minority to hold a Great Office of State Sajid Javid's meteoric rise from the son of an immigrant bus driver to the top of politics continued today as he became the first member of an ethnic minority to hold a Great Office of State. The new Home Secretary, 48, admitted he had not yet phoned his mum to tell her about his new job. But arriving at Marsham Street for the first time he told waiting reporters his family would be 'very proud' of his achievements. Hours before he took the job Mr Javid, whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, had appeared to audition for his new post yesterday. He said he had been 'impacted' by the scandal, insisting as the child of immigrants he felt 'that could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' And after getting the post, the multi-millionaire former banker, a married father of four, said today: 'My parents came to our great country in the 60s,' he said. 'They came from Pakistan to help build this country. 'I think for them to see one of their sons rise to this great office of state, I'm sure they will be very proud. 'But I haven't called my mum yet but I will do later.' The new Home Secretary first entered politics in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove, leaving a lucrative career in banking. He lives with his wife Laura and their four children in Fulham. Despite his rapid rise through the political ranks, Mr Javid has fiercely guarded time with his three daughters and one son. Aides told BuzzFeed in 2015 how he often arrived on Monday morning bursting with stories from the weekend - memorably recalling a heroic rescue of the family hamster by placing foil strips around the house and staying up all night listening for rustling. Mr Javid will also have even more to discuss with his brothers at the next family gathering. Bas Javid is a Chief Superintendent in West Midlands Police and the commander of the Solihull police division. Atif Javid has more interest in Mr Javid's old brief: he is a property investor and developer in Bristol. The new Home Secretary first entered politics in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove. He lives with his wife Laura (pictured together last year) and their four children in Fulham A son of a bus driver, the new Home Secretary (pictured left at Tory conference last year and right as a school boy) has said he is from Muslim heritage but that he does not practice any faith Mr Javid (pictured arriving at the Home Office today) faces a packed in-tray of dealing with the Windrush debacle and drawing up a post-Brexit immigration policy In what many saw as an ambition for the new post, he admitted at the weekend his family background made him 'really concerned' about the Windrush scandal. He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation. 'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver. 'When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' Ahead of his first election to Parliament, he told a hustings his family's heritage was Muslim but that he did not practice any faith - adding 'we should recognise that Christianity is the religion of our country'. He was installed in David Cameron's Government in just over two years as junior Treasury minister, enjoying a rapid promotion to City Minister in October 2013. Mr Javid was promoted to the Cabinet in April 2014 when Mr Cameron made him Culture Secretary. He rose again to Business Secretary after the 2015 election. After his promotion to the Cabinet, Mr Javid struck a tough tone on immigration. He told the Telegraph in 2014: 'People want Britain to have more control over its borders, and I think they are right. 'People also say, when immigrants do come to Britain, that they should come to work, and make a contribution and that they should also respect our way of life, and I agree with all of that. 'It means things like trying to learn English.' Mr Javid is said to guard time with his family including wife Laura (pictured together at a Tory fundraising ball in February) closely since first joining the Cabinet The Javids have been regularly spotted during the new Home Secretary's rapid rise (including at Tory conference in October 2016, left, and a fundraiser in February 2016, right) Mr Javid (pictured meeting the Queen in 2015) has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks, becoming the first of new MPs elected in 2010 to reach the Cabinet As Business Secretary, Mr Javid was a major player in the Cameron Government's push to build ties with China (he is pictured in 2015 signing an agreement with his counterpart and President Xi) A reluctant Remainer, Mr Javid toed Mr Cameron's line at the EU referendum - warning a Brexit vote would mean a lost decade for British business. After the vote was declared, he embraced the result and has been a strong supporter of Theresa May's Brexit strategy - despite the pair clashing in the past. The arrival of Mrs May in Downing Street saw Mr Javid tasked with overhauling Britain's housing sector as Communities Secretary. A post-election reshuffle saw his post expanded into a Housing Ministry. Before entering politics, Mr Javid worked in banking in London, New York and Singapore. He rose to join Deutsche Bank's board after running the bank's credit trading, equity convertibles, commodities and private equity businesses in Asia - earning an estimated 3million a year. Mr Javid (pictured campaigning with Zac Goldsmith in 2016), whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s, had appeared to audition for his new post yesterday The minister (pictured with Patrick McLoughlin, left, and Andrew Feldman, right, in 2015) a married father of four, said was 'really concerned' when he heard the accounts of those caught up in the fiasco emerge. Speaking to yesterday's Sunday Telegraph, Mr Javid appeared to audition for his new job with an emotional plea to his own party on the Windrush scandal. He said: 'I was really concerned when I first started hearing and reading about some of the issues. 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation. 'They came to this country after the Second World War to help rebuild it, they came from Commonwealth countries, they were asked to come in to [do] work that some people would describe as unattractive my dad worked in a cotton mill, he worked as a bus driver. 'When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, That could be my mum ... it could be my dad ... it could be my uncle ... it could be me.' Michelle Wolf's routine for the White House Correspondents Association dinner on April at the Washington Hilton was raunchy and controversial at times. It including one joke about abortion that visibly unsettled the crowd, and uncomfortable personal attacks on White House staffers present. Here are some of the highlights: ON PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 'Like a porn star says when she's about to have sex with a Trump, let's get it over with,' Wolf said to open the act. 'You know he's not any good.' 'It's 2018 and I am a woman so you cannot shut me up. Unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000,' said Wolf, referencing the Stormy Daniels controversy. 'You can find me on Venmo under my porn star name: Reince Priebus.' Wolf also addressed Trump's absence head on: 'I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one p***y you're not allowed to grab.' On Trump pulling out of the Paris climate accord, she said: 'He said he was going to pull out and he did, and that's a refreshing quality in a guy.' 'You might be rich in Idaho but in New York you're just doing fine,' she said. Using call and response from the audience, Wolf shouted 'Trump is so broke', to which the audience responded 'how broke is he?' Among her responses were: 'He has to fly failed business class'; 'He looked for foreign oil in Don Jr's hair'; 'Southwest used him as one of their engines'; and 'He had to borrow money from the Russians and now he's compromised.' 'Trump is racist. He loves white nationalists, which is a funny term for a Nazi, it's like calling a pedophile a kid-friend or Harvey Weinstein a lady's man.' And finally: 'He grabs p**sies because he thinks there might be loose change in them.' ON VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE 'Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isn't gay. Mike Pence is the kind of guy who brushes his teeth and then drinks orange juice and thinks, Mmm,' said Wolf. 'He thinks abortion is murder. Which first of all don't knock it til you try it. And when you do try it, really knock it, you gotta get that baby out of there.' ON SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS AND KELLYANNE CONWAY The room grew quiet and groans were heard as Wolf directed harsh jokes at White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was sitting just feet away, including attacks on her appearance. 'I have to say I'm a little starstruck, I loved you as Aunt Lydia in A Handmaid's Tale. Mike Pence, if you haven't seen it you would love it,' said Wolf, turning to Sanders. 'Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited because I'm not really sure what we're gonna get. A press briefing, a bunch of lies, or divided into softball teams. [in deep voice] "It's shirts and skins and this time don't be such a little b***h Jim Acosta."' 'I like Sarah, I think she's really resourceful. She burns facts and uses the ash to create a perfect smokey eye,' the comedian added. 'Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies. It's probably lies.' 'I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Aunt Huckabee Sanders?' Wolf said, continuing, 'What's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Ah I Know, Aunt Coulter.' Wolf also took shots at counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway. 'Man, she has the perfect name for what she does. Conway. It's like if my last name was tells-jokes-frizzy-hair-small-t*ts.' Ivanka Trump also came under fire: 'Ivanka, she was supposed to be an advocate for women but she is about as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons.' Wolf also compared the president's daughter to a 'diaper genie', saying she 'Looks sleek on the outside, but inside is full of s**t.' ON CONGRESS 'I'm here to make jokes. I have no agenda, I'm not trying to get anything accomplished. So everyone who's here from Congress, we should get right get along.' 'Mitch McConnell isn't here tonight, he had a prior engagement. He's finally getting his neck circumcised.' 'Paul Ryan couldn't make it, of course he's already been circumcised. Unfortunately while they were down there they also took his balls.' ON THE MEDIA 'I known there's a lot of people who want me to talk about Russia, and Putin, and collusion, but I'm not gonna do that because there's also a lot of liberal media here, and I've never really wanted to know what any of you look like when you orgasm. Except maybe for you, Jake Tapper. I bet it's something like this [blank face] "Ok, that's all the time we have."' 'CNN, you guys love breaking news. And you did it, you broke it.' 'Fox News is here so you know what that means, ladies: cover your drinks.' 'We've got MSNBC here. MSNBC's new slogan is 'This Is Who We Are', guys that is not a good slogan.' 'We cannot forget about Rachel Maddow, she's the Peter Pan of MSNBC. But instead of never growing up she never gets to the point. Watching Rachel Maddow is like going to Target. You went in for milk but you left with shampoo, candles and the entire history of the Byzantine Empire.' 'What would I do without Megyn Kelly? Probably be more proud of women.' 'I watch Morning Joe every morning. Now we know Mika and Joe are engaged, it's like when a MeToo works out.' According to her The Sullivans co-stars, Susan Hannaford, 65, has dramatically changed in appearance - but her lifestyle remains the same. After watching her recent interview on Channel Seven's Sunday Night, they were 'confused and upset' over the 'ghoulish' transformation of the girl they knew as little Kitty Sullivan. Speaking to The Herald Sun on Saturday, co-stars including Lorraine Bayly (Grace Sullivan) and Steven Tandy (Tom Sullivan) voiced their concerns. Scroll down for video 'I couldn't believe it': The Sullivans cast members are 'confused and upset' after seeing co-star Susan Hannaford, 65, is now a 'ghoulish, peroxide-haired granny'... as they share stories of her unpredictable behaviour Many of her former colleagues had less than fond memories of the once beloved pig-tailed 23-year-old, who played a teenager on the show. During her interview with Sunday Night presenter Matt Doran, she appeared unrecognisable, sporting peroxide-blonde hair and tiny hot pants. After watching the tense conversation, Lorraine told News Corp she was 'confused and upset' after seeing the woman Susan had become. Same, but different: According to her The Sullivans co-stars, Susan Hannaford, 65, has dramatically changed in appearance - but her lifestyle remains the same Cast members told stories of Susan arriving on set after nights of partying and occasionally boasting about how she was a 'movie star' - despite The Sullivans being the only role she ever played. Lorraine described her behaviour as a typical case of fame going to someone's head, comprising of small fibs such as claiming to have nabbed lucrative film and TV roles. Steven added that he'd been in conversation with Lorraine after the Sunday Night interview aired, with the pair describing both her looks and lifestyle as 'ghoulish'. Is that you, Kitty? During her recent interview with Sunday Night presenter Matt Doran, she appeared unrecognisable, sporting peroxide-blonde hair and tiny hot pants Concerns: After watching the tense TV conversation, Lorraine Bayly (Grace Sullivan) told News Corp she was 'confused and upset' after seeing the woman Susan had become 'I don't want to denigrate her for the way she looks but I just couldn't believe it was the same person,' Steven admitted. He had last seen Susan two decades ago over dinner - and the actor's comments regarding her looks imply she has changed drastically since then. It has previously been reported that the former actress left Australia in 2013 when her abandoned Sydney home was sold by the Commonwealth Bank. Disbelief: 'I don't want to denigrate her for the way she looks but I just couldn't believe it was the same person,' added Steven Tandy (pictured right as 'Tom Sullivan', next to Susan's 'Kitty') Going through changes: Steven had last seen Susan two decades ago over dinner - and the actor's comments regarding her looks imply she has changed drastically since then Troubles: It has previously been reported that the former actress left Australia in 2013 when her abandoned Sydney home was sold by the Commonwealth Bank Somehow, Susan managed to find herself living in one of California's most well-heeled neighbourhoods, filled with Hollywood stars. After several odd replies during Sunday Night's bizarre interview, Matt asked: 'Do you have difficulty Susan, with telling the truth?' Susan snapped back: 'Do you have difficulty with your IQ?' Lost and found: Somehow, Susan managed to find herself living in one of California's most well-heeled neighbourhoods, filled with Hollywood stars While Lorraine and Steven were shocked, Michael Caton (Uncle Harry on The Sullivans, Darryl Kerrigan on The Castle), appeared less surprised. 'I always found Susan to be a very sad person and she's even sadder now,' he said. Sad: While Lorraine and Steven were shocked at the new Susan, Michael Caton (Uncle Harry on The Sullivans, Darryl Kerrigan on The Castle), appeared less surprised British 'homestyle consultant' Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has boasted about his royal connections. The 53-year-old House Rules star spoke to The Daily Telegraph and joked that his neighbours, Prince Charles and Camilla, 'are forever popping over wanting to borrow more gin.' The quirky personality added that he's previously designed floors at Buckingham Palace and joked that while Prince Philip isn't much a fan of him, that the Queen 'fancies me furiously'. Scroll down for video 'They're forever popping over wanting to borrow more gin!' Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured) jokes about his neighbours Prince Charles and Camilla...and claims the Queen 'fancies him furiously' He claimed the Queen was a fan of his show, Changing Rooms. On Prince Philip, he said: 'I did some flooring [at Buckingham Palace], years and years ago, before I was famous and Prince Philip hated it,' Laurence said. He said that Prince Philip told him he disliked the floors at a design consultation. Neighbours: Laurence jokingly said that Prince Charles and Camilla, 'are forever popping over wanting to borrow more gin' Mixed opinions: Laurence said that Prince Philip was not a fan of his work at Buckingham Palace, but the Queen is a fan of him 'So I just say, 'you probably don't know this, but years ago, I designed these floors.' And he looked down and went 'hmm, never liked them.' That sort of killed the conversation, really.' Laurence added that he bumps into Prince Harry on the regular, and his daughters went to the same school - Marlborough - as Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. Laurence meanwhile, also owns a 1.6million manor house in Gloucestershire, a barn conversion he bought from Prince Charles and a holiday home in Cornwall. Connections: Laurence meanwhile, also owns a 1.6million manor house in Gloucestershire, a barn conversion he bought from Prince Charles and a holiday home in Cornwall Laurence is set to return to Australian TV screens next month, appearing on Channel Seven's makeover show, House Rules. Earlier this month, the network unveiled a new format for the show, with it teasing a 'mystery house' and an auction. Traditionally, House Rules contestants have renovated each other's homes, with each couple taking on different sections of the house. Laurence returns to the show, after hinting last year he may not come back. Laurence is known for his charismatic-style and tell-it-like-it-is attitude towards the renovation's reality star couples. Bachelor In Paradise hunk Thomas Perras has admitted he is an actor, after being accused of 'reading from a script' when he brutally dumped Rachael Gouvignon on the show. Speaking to Yahoo Be, the long-haired lothario, 32, admitted he worked in showbusiness for several years prior to his stint on on the controversial reality dating show. 'I have worked as an actor and model since 2010,' he told the publication, before insisting that he came on the Channel 10 show solely to 'find love'. Scroll down for video Setting things straight: Bachelor In Paradise hunk Thomas Perras has admitted he's an actor - after Rachael Gouvignon accused him of 'reading from a script' while dumping her He also explained that if he really was acting, he would have 'stayed to the very end' of the dating series. Discussing why he rejected Rachael, Thomas said she was'really great' but felt like she changed from 'playful and fun to very, very serious very quickly'. It comes after Rachael claimed Thomas' speech while dumping her seemed oddly rehearsed. Unconvinced: Rachael, who was left in floods of tears after Thomas rejected her, claimed his dumping speech felt oddly rehearsed Setting the record straight: Thomas insisted that while he has worked as a model and actor since 2010 (pictured), he came on the Channel 10 show solely to 'find love' 'Do you know when I felt like he was acting? When we had to sit down on that step and he was talking to me and he actually to me, 'Oh you've changed since our date',' she told the publication. 'It was like he was reading a script to come off looking like he was the good guy,' she said. Her Bachelor In Paradise co-star Sasha Zhuravlyova agreed that it seemed like Thomas was an actor. Thomas left Rachael in tears in Monday's episode when he admitted to having 'zero romantic feelings' for her - adding that he doesn't 'see a future after Paradise' with her. 'I don't look at finding love as a game': Rachael broke down in tears when she was spurned Rachael, who has been single for over four years after failing to find love on Richie Strahan's season on The Bachelor, said she felt crushed that she didn't have a significant other. Getting worked up over the realisation that she was being sent home without the man she had hoped for, Rachael sought comfort in a producer of the show. 'I don't look at finding love as a game, you know?' She said to the producer while in tears. Tissue needed: Thomas admitted to having 'zero romantic feelings' for Rachael - adding that he doesn't 'see a future after Paradise' with her 'It's very important for me to find someone. I don't know why it hasn't happened for me yet,' she added. She added: 'I know it'll happen when I least expect it, but I'm tired of hearing that, I've heard it like, hundreds of times and I'm sick of hearing it! 'I don't know if I've ever really met a guy that really wants me.' She had her first child at 49. And with Mother's Day just around the corner, Sonia Kruger, 52, has revealed that she actually forgot about the annual celebration the first time round after welcoming her daughter Maggie. Speaking to Stellar Magazine on Sunday, the sassy host of Today Extra recalled the celebratory day with her daughter, who is now three. 'I forgot about it!': Today Extra host Sonia Kruger, 52, has revealed the hilarious story behind her first Mother's Day with daughter, Maggie. The TV personality was interviewed with her sister Debra (left) and mother Margaret (right) for the publication 'My very first one, Craig [her partner] carried our daughter Maggie in, and she was too little to hold anything but he had flowers and a present,' she said. The stunning blonde then confessed that Mother's Day had slipped her mind thanks to her duties juggling a baby with her career. 'It was really cute and a complete bonus - because I'd forgotten.' 'She was too little to hold anything but he had flowers and a present': The ageless morning show host said the special day had slipped her mind The morning show host, who also appears on The Voice, said it was lovely that her daughter is more aware of the milestone day and the importance of giving. She also reflected on her own role as a daughter in the interview. In the interview, she said her parents taught her the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect. 'It was really cute and a complete bonus - because I'd forgotten': The sassy mother-of-one laughing off the incident It comes after multi-talented Sonia shared a throwback from her time working on the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom, posing alongside co-star, John Hannan. Sonia captioned the photo: '#throwbackthursday to my favourite costume from #strictlyballroom by Oscar winning designer @catherinemartindesigns'. She was also a ballroom adviser in the movie and taught her fellow cast members how to dance. She sparkles! It comes as stunning Sonia shared a snap of herself from the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom, in which she played Tina Sparkle After banking heiress Kate Rothschild and Ben Goldsmith divorced six years ago, they engaged in a very bitter and public war of words. But now relations between the pair have improved much it seems After banking heiress Kate Rothschild and Ben Goldsmith divorced six years ago, they engaged in a very bitter and public war of words. But now relations between the pair have improved so much that Ben is offering a substantial reward for the safe return of treasures worth 500,000 that were snatched from his ex-wifes home earlier this month. Kate, 35, has also spoken for the first time since the burglary, telling me: While Im really sad to have lost so many things that are precious to me, mostly Im just so grateful that nobody was hurt. Who knows, some of these things might show up. Raiders broke into Kates 4 million home in South-West London while her children and their babysitter slept and escaped with her wedding and engagement rings from her relationship with financier Ben. Other precious and sentimental items, including a unique dragonfly brooch and a locket containing her childrens hair, were also taken and I can reveal none of them was insured. But far from blaming his ex-wife over the insurance blunder, Ben tells me he is putting up a reward likely to be in six figures for the return of the gems. Last week the 37-year-old, who is now married to lingerie model turned food writer Jemima Jones, described the stolen Thomas Goode jewellery box as containing every single thing of value Kate has. The gang struck on April 19. At the time Kate and her entrepreneur boyfriend Paul Forkan were at a party at 5 Hertford Street in Mayfair to support Jemima as she launched her book, A Love Of Eating: Recipes From Tart London. Kate returned home to find her bedroom door locked from the inside. Paul managed to climb through an open bedroom window, only to discover the jewellery box was missing. Ben and Kate, who have three children together, split in 2012 after it emerged she had been seeing US rapper Jay Electronica. Despite their acrimonious divorce, they have settled their differences and Kate even babysits Ben and Jemimas two children. Ben has said of Kate and Jemimas relationship: They are friends, which is a great joy and blessing for me. Meanwhile, Ben was pushing for his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith to marry Sir Tom Jones last week. Sharing this picture of her with Sir Tom, 77, at the bash at 5 Hertford Street, Ben wrote: Meet my new stepfather folks. His sister Jemima Khan chimed in: Find someone who looks at you like Tom Jones looks at my mum. She also asked: Who has the deeper tan? Id say mahogany-brown Lady Annabel, and perma-bronzed Sir Tom are a perfect match on a colour chart! Meanwhile, Ben was pushing for his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith to marry Sir Tom Jones last week He may have left his wild days behind him, but the Duke of Marlborough who we revealed last week is the saviour of the nations hedgehogs has still got a prickly relationship with the owner of Browns restaurant in Oxford. The 62-year-old was barred more than 25 years ago when he was known as Jamie Blandford, a party-mad tearaway with little hope of inheriting his family pile, Blenheim Palace. Even though he has long since cleaned up his act, it doesnt appear to be enough for Browns founder Jeremy Mogford. Its a lifelong ban and Im not going to remove it just because hes become a Duke and got the keys to the Palace after all, Jeremy, 71, told me. A friend of the Duke responds: Im not sure he wants to go to Browns these days! She's never been afraid to flaunt herself. Yet Jess Shears accidentally exposed too much as she attended Paddy and Christine McGuinness' Twinkle Balll in Manchester on Saturday. Heading into The Hilton Hotel with her fiance Dom Lever in tow, the Love Island stunner, 24, suffered an awkward wardrobe malfunction as she flashed her knickers in a gown with very high splits. Oops: Jess Shears accidentally exposed too much as she attended Paddy and Christine McGuinness' Twinkle Balll in Manchester on Saturday with fiance Dom Lever Struggling to keep her modesty intact, the navy blue dress featured two groin high splits on the skirt that shifted as she posed and accidentally flashed her nude lingerie. Seemingly unaware of the mishap, the brunette beauty beamed for the cameras, also showcasing her cleavage in the dress which featured a plunging neckline. Jess - who met her fiance on ITV2's Love Island - finished off the look with a pair of towering nude heels and a small black clutch bag. The couple were joined by the likes of The Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley at the Twinkle Ball, which was in aid of the National Autistic Society. Baring all: Struggling to keep her modesty intact, the navy blue dress featured two groin high splits on the skirt that shifted as she posed and accidentally flashed her nude lingerie Leggy lady! The couple were joined by the likes of The Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley at the Twinkle Ball, which was in aid of the National Autistic Society The event was hosted by Paddy and Christine McGuiness, who have had first hand experience with the condition as their four-year-old twins were recently diagnosed. Ahead of the glitzy gala Christine McGuinness was seeing getting glammed up as she headed to Tanya's beauty salon in Wilmslow, Cheshire. The model, 30, stepped out in a cobalt blue wrap power suit for the outing to get her make-up done. Dazzling: The event was hosted by Paddy and Christine McGuiness (pictured) who have had first hand experience with the condition as their four-year-old twins were recently diagnosed Christine teamed the ensemble and showed off her ample assets with a white vest top underneath. The mother-of-three accessorised her look with a pair of black strappy heels, silver watch and a coral pink handbag. Christine's make-up looked flawless after her salon visit, which included bronzer, smoky eyeshadow and a nude lipstick. Blue-tiful! Ahead of the glitzy gala Christine McGuinness was seeing getting glammed up as she headed to Tanya's beauty salon in Wilmslow, Cheshire Stylish: The mother-of-three accessorised her look with a pair of black strappy heels, silver watch and a coral pink handbag Cheeky: Christine teamed the ensemble and showed off her very ample assets with a white vest top underneath The reality star's blonde locks were styled into a tightly curled blow-dried hairdo. Christine and her husband Paddy's charity ball will take place at Manchesters Hilton Hotel on Saturday evening as part of Autism Awareness Month. Meanwhile, the blonde beauty's The Real Housewives of Cheshire co-stars were doing their own fundraising over the weekend. Admirable: She's set to host her own charity event, Twinkle Ball, in aid of the National Autistic Society after her four-year-old twins with husband Paddy McGuinness were diagnosed Charity: Meanwhile, the blonde beauty's The Real Housewives of Cheshire co-stars were doing their own fundraising over the weekend with a 125ft abseil in Manchester for Macmillan Scared?: Tanya Bardsley appeared to find the activity a bit daunting as she started yelling as she made her plunging descent Stacey Forsey, Rachel Lugo, Ester Dee, Tanya Bardsley and Dawn Ward went abseiling down a 125ft wall in Manchester to raise money for the charity Macmillan Cancer Support. Tanya appeared to find the activity a bit daunting as she started yelling as she made her plunging descent. The 36-year-old wore leggings, climbing boots and a white helmet for her abseil activity. Whoops!: She even strapped a camera to her ensemble to catch the plunging descent as she landed on her bottom Having fun?: And she wasn't alone as Dawn Ward appeared terrified as she screamed and stayed firmly next to the wall behind her Stylish: The 44-year-old wore leggings, climbing boots and a white helmet for her abseil activity She even strapped a camera to her ensemble to catch the plunging descent as she landed on her bottom. And she wasn't alone as Dawn appeared terrified as she screamed and stayed firmly next to the wall behind her. Meanwhile, Rachel took the fun activity in her stride as she gracefully abseiled down and waved to her co-stars underneath. The Real Housewives of Cheshire continues on Mondays at 10pm on ITVBe. Egypt together with another 44 African countries recently signed the African Continental Free-Trade Area Agreement (AFCFTA), which is a crucial step towards creating an African common market. African economic integration is expected to contribute to promoting sustainable development and increasing economic growth rates for all African economies in accordance with the Africa Vision 2063 programme endorsed by the African Union (AU). The signing came during the African Union Summit that was held in the Rwandan capital Kigali in March. The decision to establish the AFCFTA was taken during the 18th African Summit held in Addis Ababa in 2012. The agreement, which should be ratified by the parliaments of the 44 countries within 120 days, is expected to be activated in 2019. Egypt played an important role in the success of the negotiations relating to the agreement, including through constructive cooperation with the African countries concerned as well as providing the needed expertise to finalise the agreement. AFCFTA will eventually bring together 55 African countries with a combined population of more than one billion people and a combined GDP of more than $4 trillion. It aims at increasing intra-African trade flows to $22 billion by 2022, almost 52 per cent higher than their level in 2012, in addition to boosting investment opportunities. AFCFTA aims at establishing a single continental market for commodities and services, with free movement of businessmen, technicians and specialists to facilitate the transfer of technical knowledge and trade-related services in a number of areas. This will contribute to achieving the goals of sustainable development and enhance industrial and infrastructure development in the African countries. AFCFTA also paves the way for the creation of the African Continental Customs Union and greater economic integration. This will encourage coordination between the African countries in removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in goods and services as well as capital. It is expected that such integration will take place in five phases, including the Free Trade Area (FTA), the Customs Union (CU), the Common Market, the Monetary Union, and eventually full economic integration in which all the countries act as a single country with unified economic policies. AFCFTA is also one of the main priorities for boosting the Egyptian economy due to the positive economic consequences that should be attained through a continental market for goods and services in Africa and the free movement of capital widening opportunities for investment. Among the positive economic consequences are expanding intra-African trade through the better coordination of trade liberalisation and economic policies, enhancing the competitiveness of exporting industries, increasing productive capacity, and consolidating the efficiency of supply chains through enlarging production scales and the reallocation of resources. The establishment of the FTA among the African countries will also improve their positions in the international market by taking advantage of economies of scale, helping them to access continental and international markets and widening investment opportunities that will assist in diminishing rates of unemployment. The writer is a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University. *This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: He was recently fined a record 86,000 and banned from the road for one year and eight months after pleading guilty to drink-driving. And Ant McPartlin has been seen outside of rehab following a month of intensive treatment after he admitted himself to a private clinic to battle his drink and painkiller addiction. In pictures obtained by The Sun, the television presenter, 42, looked fresh-faced as he took his beloved Labrador, Hurley for a walk in a London park earlier this week. Out: Ant McPartlin has left rehab after a month of intensive treatment after he admitted himself to a private clinic to battle his drink and painkiller addiction (pictured at Wimbledon Magistrates Court earlier this month) Ant appeared in high spirits as he strolled through the park, with both his appearance and demeanour looking remarkably different from when he attended his sentencing at Wimbledon Magistrates Court earlier this month. The TV star was clean shaven and was spotted smiling as he walked Hurley with a female pal. And while it is not known if Ant has left rehab for good or was taking time out to enjoy a walk with his pooch, one onlooker told the publication, the I'm A Celeb host looked 'much more upbeat'. Fresh-faced: Ant appeared in high spirits as he strolled through the park, looking remarkably different from his last public appearance at Wimbledon Magistrates Court earlier this month (pictured January) They said: 'It was great to see him looking so well, and much more upbeat. 'In pictures taken after his accident Ant looked haunted. He hadn't shaved and looked like he hadn't slept much but the Ant we saw this week could have been a different person.' A spokesperson for Ant told MailOnline: 'Ant remains in treatment'. It comes after Stephen Mulhern said Ant won't be coming back to the box this year. His words will surely dash the hopes of Ant And Dec fans who had hoped for an I'm A Celebrity return, though he says he will hopefully come back next year. Speaking to Best, the 41-year-old said: 'Fingers crossed, Ant will get the treatment he needs and be back to his old self for next year. Taking time out: It comes after Stephen Mulhern said Ant won't be coming back to the box this year 'He does need the rest and to be left alone, and given the time to recover.' But a spokesperson for Ant told MailOnline: 'No-one knows how long Ant will be in treatment for, or how long he will be off work. 'He'll be off for as long as it takes him to get better. Work is not even being discussed with him. The only priority is him getting better.' Whether or not Declan Donnelly, 42, his TV partner of 30 years, will present alone or not, is anyone's guess. But a spokesperson for Ant (left) told MailOnline: 'No-one knows how long Ant will be in treatment for, or how long he will be off work.' The Mirror previously reported that Ant's mother, Christine Woodhall, 61, has vowed to help her son 'sort himself out', as he continues his stint in rehab to battle drink and painkiller addiction. Ant was fined 86,000 and banned from the road for 20 months earlier this month, after he was caught more than twice the legal limit following a crash in Richmond the month before - with his mother in the car. While she was 'shocked' by the court case's result, sources claim Christine is hoping it will help Ant overcome his demons - and is ready to support him every step of the way, despite his guilty plea. An insider told the paper: 'She hopes to be able to see him or speak to him. She was very shocked by the court case. The presenter pleaded guilty to driving with 75 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, after his involvement in a three-car collision. The legal limit is 35 micrograms McPartlin was arrested after losing control of his black Mini and smashing into two other cars, a Mini and a BMW, while driving in Richmond, west London on March 18. She rose to fame as a sex symbol in the 1992 film, Basic Instinct. And over 25 years later, Sharon Stone's striking looks are still unmistakable thanks to the actress's strict health and beauty regimen. The 60-year-old spoke with Stellar magazine on Sunday and revealed how she maintains her stunning physique. Flawless: At 60 years old, actress Sharon Stone's striking looks are still unmistakable thanks to her strict health and beauty regimen The Hollywood star described how she 'rarely drinks' alcohol and instead has 'probably 20 cups of herbal tea a day'. She stays active with consistent dance, yoga, swimming and Pilates sessions, in addition to, until recently, using a rowing machine in her home. 'I'm not a sedentary individual. I don't like fat on my body. I'm a physical performer - I like to be able to use my body in my work,' she explained. 'I'm not a sedentary individual. I don't like fat on my body. I'm a physical performer - I like to be able to use my body in my work,' she explained Cementing her sex symbol status in movies like Sliver, Casino and Diabolique, the Pennsylvania-born ingenue became 'proud' of how 'competent' she was at her job. 'Because the parts were shiny, people wanted to assume this was who I was - not just how my work was. It's difficult [for people] to see your work as your work,' she said. Being deemed a sex symbol throughout her four-decade career was something that 'always eluded' her, the actress claimed. 'Because the parts were shiny, people wanted to assume this was who I was - not just how my work was. It's difficult [for people] to see your work as your work,' she said 'I think it's funny, given my life in these last 20 years has been more like rights activist, philanthropist, mother and part-time actress,' she offered. She was originally pitched for the mother role in her latest film A Little Something For Your Birthday by director Susan Walter, but Sharon shared she had other ideas. She told Susan she had a 'vision I could play the lead' of a Los Angeles fashion designer in the romantic comedy and the character was eventually re-written for her. She tied the knot with director Mark Webber in Mexico in 2013 after meeting on Twitter and shares two young sons with him. And Teresa Palmer has now expressed her admiration for her beloved partner, hailing him as one of the 'biggest feminists' she has ever met in an interview with Herald Sun this Sunday. The 32-year-old Hacksaw Ridge actress added that it was important to celebrate 'the beautiful men of the world who are supporting women'. Sweet: Teresa Palmer has hailed her director husband Mark Webber 'one of the biggest feminists' she has ever met 'My husband is one of the biggest feminists I know. It's lovely to have events to showcase these incredible men,' she told the publication. The Choice actress added: 'It's equally important to embrace and celebrate the beautiful men of the world who are supporting women and jumping on board this movement of women's rights and equality'. Teresa shares two children - sons Forest Sage, one, and Bodhi Rain, four - with actor and filmmaker Mark. Mark is also father to a son from a previous relationship, Isaac, eight. Complimentary: Teresa heaped praise on Mark while discussing the #HeforShe movement - an initiative promoting gender equality - at GQ's Gentlemens Ball on Saturday. And while the pair are busy looking after their brood, Palmer previously revealed the importance of maintaining a sex life in a post on her site Your Zen Mama. The blonde model wrote: 'Slow down your love making, turn it in to a sensual event, spent (sic) the night dedicated to it. 'Don't have a just-get-it-down mentality. Practice more Yin ways of making love, relax, slow down and be present. Tantric sex is highlighted.' The couple have previously admitted to meeting on Twitter, when Teresa got in touch about a movie Mark had directed. Supportive: The Hacksaw Ridge actress added that it was important to celebrate 'the beautiful men of the world who are supporting women' Cute family: Teresa shares two children - sons Forest Sage, one, and Bodhi Rain, four - with actor and filmmaker Mark She tweeted in 2012: 'So I just happened to stumble upon @likemark film trailer for @endoflovemovie I was so moved! This will be a must see- check it out guys!' Mark responded directly to the star soon after: '@tez_palmer you're super awesome! Thanks for the support, made my day!' The pair soon began writing letters to each other over email, while on opposite sides of the US, after the initial Twitter interaction, with Teresa claiming: 'Thank god I saw that trailer.' The Lights Out actress welcomed her second son Forest in 2016 and has hinted she's ready for a third child in 2018. Unlikely beginnings: The couple have previously admitted to meeting on Twitter, when Teresa got in touch about a movie Mark had directed Old-fashioned: The pair soon began writing letters to each other over email, while on opposite sides of the US, after the initial Twitter interaction, with Teresa claiming: 'Thank god I saw that trailer' 'I've been fantasizing about baby number three (insert massive eye roll from Mark here!),' she said in September. Earlier this month, Teresa took to Instagram to reveal she was raising her children as 'gender neutral'. 'My wild tribe. I love their love #brothers #hellyeahtheywearpink #genderneutralforthewin,' she captioned. Gender neutrality is the concept that suggests language and social institutions should not distinguish roles based on sex or gender. She became a first time mother at 41 on Tuesday. And Kym Johnson proved a proud parent immediately as she posted an adorable snap of her newborn twins Haven Mae and Hudson Robert on Saturday. The Dancing With The Stars alum shared a sweet snap of her babies napping in a stroller via Instagram with the caption: 'Twinning.' Newborn love: Kym Johnson proved a proud parent immediately as she posted an adorable snap of her newborn twins Haven Mae and Hudson Robert on Saturday One of the babies wore a black and white polka dot pajama set as the other rocked a similar pink set. Both held their arms above their heads as they kept their eyes closed. Kym had also recently shared a photo holding one of the babies as her husband Robert Herjavec hugged the both of them. She captioned the picture: 'Just after their arrival into the the world! Hudson weighed 7.3 lbs and Haven was 6.3 lbs. Kym Johnson 'can't believe how lucky I am' as she cuddles twins Haven Mae and Hudson Robert shortly after birth 'I loved carrying them for the 38 weeks and now I'm loving every minute of kissing, cuddling and loving them! Can't believe how lucky I am to be their Mom.' Robert previously took to Instagram to reveal Haven Mae and Hudson Robert to fans and followers.'Welcome to the world Hudson Robert Herjavec & Haven Mae Herjavec - its great out here,' he captioned the black-and-white image. 'May you always know love, peace, and grace in your lives. May your dreams have no bounds and your spirit be strong.' The Australian-born beauty also posted a snap to her Instagram account on Monday night showing her husband with two bundles of joy in his arms. Beautiful: Dancing With the Stars pro Kym Johnson made sure to give her newborn twins the perfect names just hours after delivering a boy and a girl on Monday night 'I never thought my heart could feel so full,' she wrote alongside the black and white photo. 'We're so in love with our little angels. Born at 7.44am and 7.45am 4/23/18.' The dancer married the Canadian businessman in 2016 after they fell in love while partnering on the ABC reality competition in 2015. Kym recently told People that she's more excited than nervous about giving birth to her first children. 'Theyre getting pretty big now. I feel them moving around a lot. Theyre fighting for room!' she said in an interview with the magazine. They're here: Kym Johnson shared this black and white snap to her Instagram Monday night showing husband Robert Herjavec holding their newborn twins Proud new parents: The boy and girl are the first children for the Australian Dancing With The Stars pro who fell in love with Shark Tank star Robert on the ABC show in 2015 Expectant mom: Kym has been sharing her pregnancy journey with fans via social media and stayed active up until the birth. She's pictured walking her dog in LA earlier this month 'Im so excited to see Robert with the babies,' she added. 'Hes already talking to them and singing songs at night so Im sure theyll recognize his voice. We cant wait. Its such an amazing blessing.' Robert already has three children - two daughters and a son - from his first marriage to Diane Plese. He and Kym were able to start a family after turning to IVF. 'Ive always wanted to be a mom and I wasnt sure it was going to happen. It really is a miracle,' she told People just weeks before her birth. 'Its such an amazing blessing,' she added. This year, MasterChef Australia is celebrating a decade on air. And this week, judge Matt Preston has revealed why the Channel Ten show has stood the test of time, and why it's different from other cooking shows. The 54-year-old British food critic and personality said MasterChef is all about 'happy tears,' rather than 'sad tears,' and all about the cooking. Scroll down for video 'The tears are happy not sad': Matt Preston reveals why MasterChef is different from other cooking shows...after THAT My Kitchen Rules 'bullying' scandal 'From beginning to end, our first episode [this year] is why the show matters: the food has to be delicious and we find wonderful ways to celebrate people and their achievements,' Matt told The Herald Sun. He added: 'It's great that the tears are happy not sad.' Matt spoke about the why the show always gets high-profile guests and said that they - and the contestants - like the fact the show is about food, and not the drama. The judges: Matt is pictured with co-stars Gary Mehigan (L) and George Calombaris (R) 'They like the fact contestants aren't there to be targets for barbs,' he said. MasterChef is returning to screens next month, with guests including Prince Charles this season. Viewers can also expect to see Australian favourites Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone and Adriano Zumbo make cameos. Rival cooking show My Kitchen Rules meanwhile, has made headlines in recent weeks thanks to the 'bullying' scandal. Competition: Rival cooking show My Kitchen Rules meanwhile, has made headlines in recent weeks thanks to the 'bullying' scandal (pictured are judges Manu Feildel, L, and Pete Evans, R) Drama: Contestants Sonya (L) and Hadil (R) were booted off the show for 'bullying' their fellow contestants Contestants Sonya and Hadil were booted off the show for 'bullying' their fellow contestants. The pair were asked to leave the show by judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel, after they hurled a string of profanity-laced insults and threats at rivals Jess and Emma. The two women made repeated remarks about Jess and Emma's appearance, before screaming at the other contestants and calling them 'disrespectful a**holes.' Manu then stepped in, saying: 'Enough! Things have got too out of hand, this is a cooking competition, and this behaviour is unacceptable. Sonya and Hadil, you are excused from the table!' Georgia May Foote has fiercely denied claims she was axed from Coronation Street after refusing to have her character convert to Islam. Her former co-star Marc Anwar told The Sun On Sunday that following Georgia's decision not to go through with the story line, her character Katie Armstrong was written out in 2014. However the actress, 27, has blasted the actor's comments as completely 'fake' on Twitter, and revealed she would have 'jumped' at the chance to play such a challenging plot twist. Not true: Georgia May Foote has fiercely denied claims she was axed from Coronation Street after refusing to have her character convert to Islam She wrote angrily to her 333,000 followers: 'Again. Fake s*** stories. As an actress I would have jumped at the chance to play such a diverse storyline.' Before adding firmly: 'This was not the reason behind me leaving the show I loved and cherished for 5 years.' A spokesperson for Coronation Street also told MailOnline: 'Georgia May Foote did not refuse to do any storylines during her time on the show.' Furious: She wrote angrily to her 333,000 followers: 'Again. Fake s*** stories. As an actress I would have jumped at the chance to play such a diverse storyline' The claims were made by Marc Anwar, who was axed from the the ITV soap in 2016 after he was revealed to have posted racially offensive tweets - meaning his character Sharif Nazir abruptly left Weatherfield in the thick of a dramatic affair. Marc told the publication that Georgia was approached by producers with a storyline which would see her fall in love with Sharif's grandson Zeedan (played by Qasim Akhtar), and would eventually convert to Islam so they could be together. He said: 'The storyline was that he would then ask her to become a Muslim. But when that was put to her she declined. I don't know what her reasons were. 'But she was adamant she didn't want to do that storyline. And so the response was, ''OK, see you later.'' Gone: Georgia departed Coronation Street in 2015, and her character killed off-screen two years later Dramatic: The storyline entailed that Georgia's character Katie would have fallen for Zeedan Nazir (played by Qasim Akhtar) Georgia was written out of Corrie in 2014 after five years, and the star told OK! magazine at the time: 'I was a bit gutted that leaving Corrie wasn't my decision it's like a boyfriend dumping you first.' To add insult to injury two years after her character left the Street - with the door left open for a possible return - Katie was killed off-screen in a car accident. Meanwhile Marc was sacked from the soap in 2016 after he posted a slew of racially offensive tweets, just days after 17 soldiers killed at a Kashmir airbase sparked a clash between India and Pakistan. During his rant in which he inserted asterisks in the most offensive words Anwar said: 'Ban #india movies in #PakistanisLeaveIndia. B******s p**s drinking c***s.' Explosive: Marc, 62, told The Sun On Sunday Georgia was approached by producers with the conversion storyline, but refused and was soon written out of the soap Despite posting an apology video and deleting the tweets, Marc was swiftly axed from Corrie, with his character Sharif leaving under a cloud of mystery just as his seven-year affair with Sonia Rahman (Sonia Rahman) was discovered by wife Yasmeen (Shelley King). In a statement a spokesman for ITV said at the time: 'We are deeply shocked by the entirely unacceptable, racially offensive comments made on Twitter by Marc Anwar. 'We have talked to Marc and, as a consequence of his comments, he will not be returning to Coronation Street with immediate effect.' Speaking to The Sun Marc also said that he immediately regretted posting the offensive tweets, adding they were sent 'in the heat of the moment' after he heard that a male relative had been killed in the Kashmir conflict. She branded him a 'cheating pathological liar' and booted him off their romantic holiday to Orlando. But Scarlett Moffatt's ex-boyfriend Lee Wilkinson has insisted his innocence, claiming she 'over-reacted' on social media and hopes to rekindle his romance with the 27-year-old television personality. The scorned fitness enthusiast told The Mirror their explosive break-up emerged after he tried to 'be the good person' and reply to his troubled ex-girlfriend, whom he broke up with in December. Split: Scarlett Moffatt's ex-boyfriend Lee Wilkinson has insisted his innocence, claiming she 'over-reacted' on social media and hopes to rekindle his romance He told the publication: 'I'm not a cheating pathological liar, I have not actually cheated. 'I think what she said on social media was a bit of reaction, a bit of temper. All I did was message my ex.' Lee went on to explain his ex-girlfriend was going through a difficult time and had bombarded him with messages over the course of three months, until his 'conscience got the better of him' and he got in touch. Single: She branded her recent boyfriend a 'cheating pathological liar' and booted him off their romantic holiday to Orlando, replacing him with her best friend instead However, the star's act of 'goodwill' backfired on him when his ex-girlfriend screenshot their conversation and sent it to Scarlett. It comes after The Sun reported Lee had been messaging her non-stop, pleading with her to give their relationship another chance.' The brunette beauty has been having the time of her life in Orlando, booting Lee of the trip and taking her pal Liam instead. MailOnline has contacted Scarlett's representative for comment. Holiday blues: Shortly before flying home, the I'm A Celebrity winner admitted she didn't want her sun-soaked getaway to end as she shared another snap with her friend on Wednesday Scarlett jetted back from her heartbreak holiday on Friday, as she was spotted at Manchester Airport with her pal Liam. Shortly before flying home, the I'm A Celebrity winner admitted she didn't want her sun-soaked getaway to end as she shared another snap with her friend on Wednesday, which showed the pair topping up their tans while sipping on an iced cold beverage. 'Loving life!! Can't believe we go home tomorrow!! Florida you are unreal ,' she captioned the shot. Gorgeous: Despite her recent split from boyfriend Lee, Scarlett has proved that she isn't one to mope around and has shared a number of fun snaps from her action-packed break Despite her recent split from boyfriend Lee, the Geordie star proved that she isn't one to mope around and has shared a number of fun snaps from her action-packed break. Scarlett's holiday comes after she lashed out at Lee last Thursday when she wrote: 'Just always seem to choose cheating pathological liars... I just choose lying cheats it's a skill.' The I'm a Celebrity champ only recently took her relationship with Lee public, when he joined her in Orlando as she prepared to shoot the final episode of Saturday Night Takeaway. Scarlett had planned to whisk her now-ex away on a romantic break to Florida, just shortly after their most recent getaway, but took her pal Liam instead. And despite their extremely loved-up displays, she first hinted at trouble when she posted a cryptic message referencing Henry VIII - who had six wives. She said in the video: 'For anyone that needs this right now, I just want to say if somebody feels you're not enough for them then that isn't a reflection on you, that's a reflection on them... Unless you're Henry VIII, then one girl's normally enough.' Scarlett later shared a message reading: 'She wasn't afraid to be herself. So when everybody said 'Be a lamb'. She showed her fangs, and became a Wolf.' Explosive claims: Scarlett's holiday comes after she lashed out at Lee last Thursday when she wrote: 'Just always seem to choose cheating pathological liars...' After her various mysterious messages were soon clarified when she made her explosive accusation to her boyfriend. A representative for Scarlett declined to comment when approached by MailOnline at the time. Revealing he got the boot from her holiday, a source told The Sun Online: 'Scarlett is no mug as soon as she gave Lee the boot she told her pals there was no way she would let him ruin her holiday. 'She's been so excited about this break with him. But she won't let it hang over her now he's gone. 'Scarlett got straight on the phone to a mate and now they're going together instead.' Zoe Ball has reportedly moved her boyfriend Michael Reed into her plush cottage in East Sussex. The television host, who moved from Brighton earlier this year, was spotted helping her businessman beau move some of his belongings in - after five months of dating, according to The Mirror. The 47-year-old, who attended Billy Yates inquest this week, is said to be 'smiling again' thanks to Michael, following the tragic suicide of the 'love of her life' last May. Smitten: Zoe Ball has reportedly moved her boyfriend Michael Reed into her plush cottage in East Sussex A source told the publication: 'Zoe has really fallen for Michael, they're inseparable. He's moved in and she lets him drive her car. 'They're very committed to one another. Everyone's really happy to see Zoe smiling again.' MailOnline has contacted Zoe's representatives for comment. Romance: The 47-year-old, who attended Billy Yates inquest this week, is said to be 'smiling again' thanks to Michael, following the tragic suicide of the 'love of her life' last May Earlier this week, Zoe put on a brave face as she stepped out in Brighton just a day after an inquest was held into her cameraman boyfriend Billy Yates' tragic death. The television presenter spent the day with her son, Woody Cook, 17, as she no doubt tried to keep busy amid a very difficult time. During the inquest, the extent of Billy's personal suffering was revealed as his friends and family heard how he had battled depression for years. Moreover, it emerged Zoe had tried in vain to help her boyfriend after two suicide attempts in the months before his death. Sad: Earlier this week, Zoe put on a brave face as she stepped out in Brighton just a day after an inquest was held into her cameraman boyfriend Billy Yates' tragic death The inquest revealed troubled Billy, 40, rammed his car into a motorway barrier and tried to commit suicide by inhaling toxic fumes before his death last May. He had concerns over a large tax bill but his relationship with Zoe was going well when he was found dead at his London home, Westminster Coroner's Court heard. Zoe and Mr Yates had a 'beautiful relationship' and were the 'love of each others' life' after meeting through their TV work, the inquest was told by his family. But a coroner returned an open verdict into the death of the former Royal Marine, who had been drinking on the day he was found dead, as she couldn't be satisfied that he had intended to take his own life. After his first suicide attempt in November 2016, Zoe paid for a two-week stay in the Priory hospital where his mental health began to improve. Mr Yates was prescribed a cocktail of anti-depressants by his GP and private therapists throughout his life, the inquest heard. Zoe, the first female host of The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, had been dating Billy for several months before his sudden death. A friend of 15 years discovered his body on May 4 last year at his apartment in Putney, south west London, after he hanged himself at home, the inquest heard. She often speaks fondly of her childhood growing up in the Snowy Mountains. And Samantha Armytage has paid tribute to the 'country women' in her family, as she promtoes a charitable Mother's Day campaign with sleepwear brand Peter Alexander. The 41-year-old and her mother Elizabeth, 66, spoke with Stellar on Sunday about how special the day is for them and where their shared resilience comes from. Scroll down for video Strong values: Samantha Armytage paid tribute to the 'country women' in her family for a charitable Mother's Day campaign with sleepwear brand Peter Alexander on Sunday Elizabeth reflected on her daughter being 'a very studious little girl' who would make her 'lovely handmade cards' for Mother's Day every year. 'When youre country kids, living far out of town, youve got to amuse yourselves,' Samamantha explained. The television personality said she has held onto the 'country values [of] honesty, loyalty, hard work, a good sense of humour' that she learned from her mother. Integrity: The television personality said she has held onto the 'country values [of] honesty, loyalty, hard work, a good sense of humour' that she learned from her mother 'Theres a strength in country women I see in my grandmothers, in my mother, in my sister and me. Its been bred into us and thats an absolute blessing,' she offered. 'Theres not a propensity to wallow, or feel sorry for yourself, or be told you cant do something,' she continued. Also featured in the campaign is Today Extra and The Voice host Sonia Kruger, 52, alongside her mother Margaret and sister Debra. 'Theres a strength in country women I see in my grandmothers, in my mother, in my sister and me. Its been bred into us and thats an absolute blessing,' she offered Sonia recalled witnessing her father's work at a women's shelter in Queensland taught her 'the most important thing is to treat everyone equally and with respect'. She added 'every human has the right to feel safe', which followed provocative comments she made in 2016 regarding immigration to Australia. During an episode of Today Extra, Sonia claimed 'as a mother' she believed the country should 'stop' immigration of Muslims because she wanted 'to feel safe'. Ambassador: Also featured in the campaign is Today Extra and The Voice host Sonia Kruger (pictured middle) 52, alongside her mother Margaret and sister Debra He enjoyed a blissful holiday with Chris Hemsworth and their families in Byron Bay last week. And it seems Matt Damon has been missing his best friend, as he jetted into Sydney on Sunday - just five days after leaving Down Under. Clearly relishing their reunion, Thor actor Chris, 34, beamed as he greeted Matt, 47, at the airport and carried his suitcase out of the arrivals lounge. Scroll down for video He just can't stay away! Chris Hemsworth beamed as he welcomed his BFF Matt Damon back to Sydney... just five days after the actor left Down Under Chris cut a typically hunky figure, showing off his muscled physique in a grey T-shirt and brown chinos which he teamed with tan leather hi-top trainers. Shielding his eyes behind gold aviator sunglasses, the Avengers star beamed as he strolled out of the airport. Matt, meanwhile, dressed for comfort for his long flight and wore a simple navy T-shirt teamed with indigo jeans. The Good Will Hunting actor was greeted by a throng of fans and happily signed autographs for them outside the airport. Looking good: Chris cut a typically hunky figure, showing off his muscled physique in a grey T-shirt and brown chinos which he teamed with tan leather hi-top trainers Laid-back look: Matt, meanwhile, dressed for comfort for his long flight and wore a simple navy T-shirt teamed with indigo jeans The Oscar-winner had been in Australia for several weeks with his wife Luciana Barroso and their children Isabella, Gia, and Stella earlier this month. They had spent time with Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky in Byron Bay, a coastal town in New South Wales. During their holiday Down Under, Matt and Luciana attended the laid-back Byron Bay Bluesfest with the Hemsworths and their friends. Good guy: The Good Will Hunting actor was greeted by a throng of fans and happily signed autographs for them outside the airport Idyllic trip: Matt and his family spent time with Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky in Byron Bay, a coastal town in New South Wales for several weeks earlier this month Chris, 34, himself recently returned from America, where he was promoting the release of Avengers: Infinity War, while Elsa is busy filming a new Australian Netflix series. It comes after a source told Page Six that Matt was 'telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year.' But despite whispers of a move Down Under, Matt has denied he is leaving the US. 'Matt has visited Australia several times recently, but he has not bought a house there nor is he moving there,' his representative said. In related news, after Ellen DeGeneres gushed over Hemsworth's physique with a montage of beefcake shots during his recent appearance on her show, she complimented his 'talent and brains, kindness' and parenting abilities in an Instagram post earlier this week. Pataky commented and confirmed his talent, smarts, kindness and parenting abilities, adding, 'But let's be honest, it's nice to come home to that body.' Festival vibes: During their holiday Down Under, Matt and Luciana attended the laid-back Byron Bay Bluesfest with the Hemsworths and their friends Back to work! Matt is likely returning to the US for work commitments as he is listed as a producer and executive producer for several projects this year No one was harmed and no artefacts were damaged in the fire that engulfed part of the scaffolding outside the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) overlooking the Giza Plateau earlier on Sunday, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities told Ahram Online. One hour after the fire broke out, the museums fire station, with aid from Civilian Security fire trucks, succeeded in extinguishing the flames, Waziri said. The Minister of Antiquities, the Governor of Cairo and the Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority have visited the site to inspect the scene. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the blaze. The GEM is currently under construction, with scaffolding positioned outside several buildings. The museum is being built to house antiquities from ancient Egypt, including many items currently held at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square. A partial opening is planned for later this year. Search Keywords: Short link: George Calombaris has revealed he was 'humbled' when he watched Lion, after star Dev Patel modelled his Australian accent for the film, off his. The MasterChef Australia judge said he was shocked when he first found out that British star Dev had used his accent as inspiration. Speaking to The Herald Sun, George, 39, said: 'I don't really go to the movies, but it forced me to go along and I have to admit, I had a tear in my eye when I watched it.' Scroll down for video 'I had a tear in my eye when I watched it': MasterChef's George Calombaris (pictured) reveals he was 'humbled' when he found out Dev Patel modelled his Australian accent off his for the critically acclaimed film Lion He added: 'I couldn't believe that, actually.' 'I definitely blushed and was very humbled by those comments.' Dev had reportedly binge-watched episodes of MasterChef for the role. That's different! Dev (pictured) had reportedly binge-watched episodes of MasterChef for the role Familiar faces: MasterChef is returning to screens next month, with guests including Prince Charles this season (pictured is George with co-stars Gary Mehigan (L) and Matt Preston (C)) Lion was released in 2016, and also stars Nicole Kidman. It follows a story of a boy who was adopted by Australian parents, who goes back to his native India to find his biological family. The film scored four Golden Globe nominations at the time, and other accolades. In 2016, Dev told The Daily Telegraph he spent eight months working on his accent with a language specialist, and by watching George, his favourite judge. Box office success: Lion was released in 2016, and also stars Nicole Kidman (pictured is a still from the film) He's a fan! In 2016, Dev told The Daily Telegraph he spent eight months working on his accent with a language specialist, and by watching George, his favourite judge 'I did watch a lot of [episodes] for my audition. I love it...I like the little short one with the shaved, shiny head,' Dev said. He added: 'I like George because he's really emotional. He's really in it with the contestants.' MasterChef is returning to screens next month, with guests including Prince Charles this season. Viewers can also expect to see Australian favourites Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone and Adriano Zumbo make cameos. She recently slammed her 'ex-husband' Telv Williams, claiming she 'threw him out' when their split turned nasty. But Sarah Roza seemed completely untroubled by her romantic woes on Sunday, as she made a glamorous appearance at the Uni Hill Factory Outlet in Bundoora, Melbourne. The 39-year-old Married At First Sight star ensured all eyes were on her as she slipped her slimmed-down physique into a skintight dress and posed playfully with raunchy red lingerie. Showing Telv what he's missing? Married At First Sight star Sarah Roza posed with red lingerie as she flaunted her slimmed-down figure in a skintight dress at the Uni Hill Factory Outlet in Bundoora, Melbourne The beauty therapist - who recently lost eight kilograms - certainly took centre-stage in her dress, which featured a plunging neckline and a checked print. Letting the statement garment do all the talking, the red-haired beauty added height with a chic pair of metallic barely-there heels. She styled her auburn-hued tresses in her trademark tumbling waves and framed her features with plenty of mascara and taupe lipstick. Clearly in a playful mood, Sarah broke into a fit of giggles as she held up a red lacy bra and suspenders against her outfit while browsing the underwear section of one shop. Looking good: The beauty therapist - who recently lost eight kilograms - certainly took centre-stage in her dress, which featured a plunging neckline and a checked print Sarah's outing comes just three days after she slammed her Married At First Sight ex Telv in a social media rant. In an Instagram comment which has since been deleted, the 39-year-old beauty specialist claimed Telv had been living with her until she 'threw him out' 'Telv actually lived with me in my home for a few months after the show stopped filming until I threw him out,' Sarah's comment read. Daily Mail Australia contacted Telv for comment at the time. Towards the end of their time on Married At First Sight, the couple argued over when Telv would be moving from Perth to Melbourne to live with Sarah. Tension: Sarah's outing comes just three days after she slammed her Married At First Sight ex Telv Williams, claiming she 'threw him out' when their split turned nasty Telv is now actually based in Melbourne - but he is no longer with Sarah and is now dating 27-year-old blonde bombshell Maddie Carolan. It's not the first time Sarah has lashed out at Telv, as the feisty redhead previously fired off a savage comment after a follower had asked if she was still single. 'Thank you lovely lady, but I'm not in a rush unlike other people to just hook up with countless fame hungry insignificant randoms,' Sarah wrote last month. 'Real love is truly important to me so I'm happy to ease slowly back into the dating life eventually when the time is right.' She is preparing the release of her first parenting book, The Baby Bible. And Bec Judd, a mother of four young children, flaunted her astonishingly svelte physique in a series of photos posted to Instagram on Sunday. The 35-year-old promoted her activewear line, Jaggad, as her one-year-old twins Darcy and Tom relaxed on her and husband Chris Judd's bed in the background. Scroll down for video Tip top shape! Bec Judd, a mother of four young children, flaunted her astonishingly svelte physique in a series of photos posted to Instagram on Sunday The statuesque former model struck a variety of poses in the monochrome crop top and leggings while her adorable boys looked on, happily drinking from their bottles. 'I think this is my fave @TeamJaggad collection ever. You can't go wrong with neutrals. P.S. Hi Darcy, hi Tom!' she captioned the snaps. 'You are seriously so gorgeous how you love your boys! They are so cute, beautiful and spunky! Lucky mama,' fawned one of her 675,000 followers. Professional: The statuesque former model struck a variety of poses in the monochrome crop top and leggings while her adorable boys looked on, happily drinking from their bottles On Friday Bec shared a photo of The Baby Bible's cover highlighting herself, Tom and Darcy, with her older children - Oscar, six, and Billie, four - not featured. Earlier in the year the television host surprised her legions of fans by announcing her first foray into the literary world with the parenting book. The Perth-born entrepreneur explained her soon-to-be released tome will cover all the ups and downs from pregnancy to baby's first year. Baby Bible! The Perth-born entrepreneur explained her soon-to-be released tome will cover all the ups and downs from pregnancy to baby's first year The book is broken up into nine chapters of each month of a pregnancy, along with five additional chapters about postnatal care for mum and bub. After giving birth to her twins in September 2016, Bec revealed in an interview with NW that her husband Chris could not tell the difference between their boys. Unlike her husband, she instantly developed the knack for telling them apart. 'I can totes tell them apart. Different shaped heads, different hairlines, a stork bite on opposite eyelids, Darcy's nose is slightly more turned up,' she described. There is a whopping $250,000 prize on the line for the winner of My Kitchen Rules. And on Sunday's episode, the pressure got to 'cocktail couple' Alex and Emily while the pair competed in a cooking challenge. Emily, 27, exploded at her boyfriend following the first challenge, after they left plating to the last minute. Feeling overwhelmed by emotion, stressed-out Emily eventually broke down in tears over the situation. Scroll down for video 'My anxiety is going through the f**king roof!' My Kitchen Rules' Emily (pictured) EXPLODES at her boyfriend Alex during the cooking challenge... before breaking down in tears 'You cannot leave this to the last minute,' Emily began. 'My anxiety is going through the f**king roof! I'm being serious okay, please!' Despite getting their dish on the plate, Emily cried from the stress, which prompted Alex to tell her to 'take a deep breath' and 'keep it together'. Under fire! 'You cannot leave this to the last minute,' Emily said. Pictured: Alex She added: 'If we want to succeed, we need to compromise, I don't want to keep doing that... It's f**king stupid!' The couple made a salmon dish for the first challenge of the night, the Cheap Eats Challenge, which saw the contestants serving up budget-friendly dishes. The pair impressed the judges, rivals alongside Jazzey and Stella. Showdown! The pair impressed the judges in the Cheap Eats Challenge alongside Jazzey (right) and Stella (left). The teams were then sent to the next round, a luxury dish cook-off The teams were then sent to the next round, a luxury dish cook-off using only the finest ingredients. They battled it out to see who would make the semi-finals. Jazzey and Stella made a tuna dish, and Alex and Emily made wagyu steak with truffle. In the final minutes before plating up, Emily kept asking Alex about finishing the dish and putting the truffle on the plate in time. When Colin Fassnidge, Pete Evans and Manu Feildel provided feedback, Emily started crying again despite being praised by the judges. Yum! The girls made a tuna dish, while Alex and Emily made wagyu steak with truffle (pictured) The judges, however, did remark that the truffle was 'barely existent' in their dish. Colin asked Emily why she was crying, and she replied that she felt 'Alex and I can't get there.' Colin assured her that they would be picking apart every dish as the semi-finals approach. Fortunately, the stress was worth it for the couple as they made it to the semi-finals. My Kitchen Rules continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel Seven He's best known for his role as the twelfth incarnation of The Doctor. But Peter Capaldi has revealed its his role as expletive-loving Malcolm Tucker on political satire series The Thick Of It, that has fans wanting strange requests. Speaking to the Gold Coast Bulletin on Sunday, the BAFTA Award-winning actor said people who enjoy the show often want him to swear at them. 'Fans want me to swear at them': Dr Who and The Thick of It star Peter Capaldi has revealed the strange requests he gets from fans. The UK actor is visiting the Gold Coast with co-star Pearl Mackie (pictured) with the pair attending Supanova Pop Culture Expo The show follows the inner sanctions of parliament and the expletive-ridden Tucker as a high-powered political spin doctor. 'Fans usually ask me to swear at them or write obscene things,' he said, with the show sometimes billed as a modern twist of classic, Yes, Minister. The Academy Award winner then adding he had to be careful to distinguish between his two signature roles. 'I have to be very careful because some people want the rude things written all over their photographs': The actor said he has to be careful with fans of his two shows Star power! The Glasgow-born actor was all smiles as he rode through the beach-side city in a vintage canary yellow car He said: 'I have to be very careful because some people want the rude things written all over their photographs. 'So I have to make sure (The Thick Of It's swearing) doesn't spin off into (Doctor Who).' The Glasgow born actor was on the Gold Coast this weekend for the Supanova Pop Culture Expo, appearing alongside co-star Pearl Mackie. Meet and greet! The actor, who is the twelfth incarnation of Dr Who, dressed in a coll casual style for the Gold Coast event The 60-year-old Scottish actor waved to fans as he rode the streets in a vintage canary yellow car alongside his co-star, Pearl Mackie. The BAFTA Award-winning actor was the star attraction at the event, which was held at the convention and exhibition centre in Broadbeach. At times, the actor spoke with fans who lined the streets to see and his co-star. For the town parade, the veteran actor kept it nice and cool wearing a white printed T-shirt along with a dark blue two-button blazer and matching trousers. Meanwhile, Pearl opted for a plunging red top and striped pants. The actress completed her look with a pair of circular Ray Ban sunglasses. They use an oldschool pager to stay in touch... so it comes as no surprise Nick Fury and Carol Danvers go WAY back. Samuel L. Jackson has been spotted for the first time alongside Brie Larson on the set of Captain Marvel. The duo were seen filming scenes in North Hollywood for the upcoming continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Saturday. Paging Captain Marvel: Samuel L Jackson has been spotted for the first time alongside Brie Larson on the set of Captain Marvel Most notable about the scene was Fury's full head of hair, and complete set of eyes. The SHIELD director is as famous for his bald head and eye-patch as he is for his no-nonsense attitude and impressive Rolodex. But the much younger-looking Jackson added further proof the film will be set in the past, namely in the 1990s. Gone too were his long leather trench coat, replaced by a much more formal suit. Eye eye, Captain! Most notable about the scene was Fury's full head of hair, and complete set of eyes In uniform: Brie meanwhile was once again rocking her navy and green flight suit, bearing on the chest the starburst insignia many more people have recently become more familiar with Doubling down: She was seen chatting with a stunt double Throwback: But the much younger-looking Jackson added further proof the film will be set in the past, namely in the 1990s Brie meanwhile was once again rocking her navy and green flight suit, bearing on the chest the starburst insignia many more people have recently become more familiar with. Speaking previously about the film, Jackson told AV Club: 'We're going back now, and I meet Captain Marvel in more of an origin story. 'You'll see Nick Fury with another guy's face, somebody that's got two eyes, so that's a whole big deal. You'll see. It's prior to the eye injury, no eye patch.' Heads up: The film is set before Fury gets his trademark eye patch, this scene showed Danvers trying to push him out of the way, possibly the incident that costs him his eye Boss man: The SHIELD director is as famous for his bald head and eye-patch as he is for his no-nonsense attitude and impressive Rolodex Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige also previously confirmed that Captain Marvel is the first superhero Nick Fury ever meets, well ahead of his Avengers days. In the film Brie plays US Air Force Pilot Danvers, whose DNA becomes fused with an alien during an accident, making her one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, with the powers of flight superhuman strength and energy projection. Captain Marvel is scheduled to be released on March 8, 2019. Super hero: In the film Brie plays US Air Force Pilot Danvers, whose DNA becomes fused with an alien during an accident, making her one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, with the powers of flight superhuman strength and energy projection She's the Adelaide actress who struck it big in Hollywood. And Teresa Palmer, 31, brought plenty of star power as she attended the GQ Gentleman's Ball in Melbourne alongside her husband Mark Webber on Saturday. Teresa, who has been married to director Mark since 2013, looking ravishing in an ornate green dress which featured a plunging neckline. Goddess in green! Teresa Palmer stunned on the red carpet in an ornate dress while attending the GQ Gentleman's Ball in Melbourne on Saturday alongside her husband Mark Webber Striking a pose for the cameras, Teresa looked simply dazzling. The star, who is best known for her role in Warm Bodies and Hacksaw Ridge, styled her hair in an elegant updo and opted for a less-is-more makeup palette. Meanwhile, Mark looked dapper in a tuxedo and a pair of patent leather shoes. Star power! Teresa and Mark were guests of honour at the event, participating in a Q&A afterwards. The couple are pictured with GQ editorial director, Edwina McCann The couple, who also participated in a panel for the HeForShe movement, discussed the role men can play in creating a more gender-equal society. The Project's Hamish MacDonald, who was emcee at the event, also took to the red carpet in a dapper tuxedo ensemble. The Network Ten star, 36, struck a dashing pose while smiling on the red carpet with his hands clasped. Black to basics! The Project's Hamish Macdonald also cut a dapper figure on the red carpet Also in attendance was former Real Housewives of Melbourne star Chyka Keebaugh, 49, who looked radiant in a red satin gown. The former TV reality star, who is focusing on her homewares business, opted to pair her upscale look with statement drop earrings. The glamorous socialite also accessorised with a red clutch and a silver watch Radiant in red! Also in attendance was former Real Housewives of Melbourne star Chyka Keebaugh, 49, who looked radiant in a red satin gown Bucking the trend! Sullivan Stapleton, who is known for his role on Animal Kingdom and 300: Rise of the Empire, bucked the bow-tie trend Sullivan Stapleton, who is known for his role on Animal Kingdom and 300: Rise of the Empire, bucked the bow-tie trend. The 40-year-old instead opting to wear a tie with his two suit, completing his look with tailored trousers and a blazer. Socialite Rozalia Russian added a pop of colour to the red carpet, flaunting her figure in a plunging rainbow mini-dress. She frequently slips her svelte frame into daring ensembles at high-profile events. So it's no wonder Jameela Jamil showcased her bold fashion sense as she attended the Girlboss Rally at Los Angeles' Magic Box venue on Saturday afternoon. The actress, 32, nailed androgynous chic as she donned a bright red pantsuit, which featured a longline blazer and matching straight-leg trousers. Style savvy: Jameela Jamil showcased her bold fashion sense as she attended the Girlboss Rally at Los Angeles' Magic Box venue on Saturday afternoon Looking every inch the style maven, the former T4 presenter teamed her ensemble with a crisp white shirt and box-fresh canvas trainers. The Playing It Straight star injected a hint of glamour into her look as she sported her signature red lipstick, and styled her raven tresses into voluminous curls. The event was hosted by businesswoman and Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso, in support of the Girlboss platform, which aims to redefine success through content and community. Striking display: The actress, 32, nailed androgynous chic as she donned a bright red pantsuit, which featured a longline blazer and matching straight-leg trousers Jameela - who was a panelist at the star-studded rally - was joined by a range of ground-breaking female mentors, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Lizzie Velasquez, and Michelle Phan. Jameela's stylish display comes after she hit back at a Twitter follower after he accused her of being a 'bad Muslim' last month. The Hampstead native initially took to the popular social media platform to preach the message of body confidence and self love with a picture of her in a pretty sundress a few years back - when the troll stuck. All in the details: The Playing It Straight star injected a hint of glamour into her look as she sported her signature red lipstick, and styled her raven tresses into voluminous curls 'Do you think this is a proper dress for a Muslim woman?' the angry follower asked Jameela before also revealing his desires for her to 'get on the right path' - an opinion which didn't sit well with the star, who is of Indian and Pakistani descent. The social media user continued: 'According to your name .. I guess u r a Muslim lady ....Hope you get to the right path and respect ALLAH if you really believe in him ... Sorry for my comments. Good Luck.' The eagle-eyed presenter-turned-Netflix star swiftly responded: 'Actually, Im not a Muslim, I wasnt raised as Muslim. My mother was a model and my father ate pork and drank alcohol. Star-studded: Jameela appeared in high spirits as she was joined by Girlboss' editor-in-chief Neha Gandhi, actress Amanda Brugel and producer Marti Noxon 'My uncle was a catholic priest. I was raised in the West. I have no religion i follow so Im on a fine path and all women should be allowed to dress how we like!' she defiantly responded on her Twitter platform, which boasts 215,000 followers. Jameela rose to fame as a host on T4's Freshly Squeezed in 2009, before landing a leading role on NBC's The Good Place. Speaking of her current profession, she told BBC: 'It's been really cool to watch it unravel...Because the UK only got the show [last] year, everyone probably thought I was dead. But I got very lucky.' She is set to star in the anticipated reboot of the 1975 film Picnic At Hanging Rock. But Natalie Dormer has revealed she initially baulked at the role because it required her to wear a corset. Speaking to News.com.au, the 36-year-old claimed that after five seasons on Game Of Thrones, she never wanted to be 'corseted' again - but a FaceTime conversation with director Larysa Kondracki convinced her otherwise. 'I'm not doing a corset job again': Game Of Thrones' Natalie Dormer has revealed she resisted her upcoming role on Picnic At Hanging Rock because she didn't want to be typecast 'I expected it to be a 20 minute conversion with Larysa because I wanted to reconcile in my head: "I am not going to do a corset job again,"' she said. Natalie explained that she did not want to be typecast, however she was swayed by Larysa's vision for the project. 'I thought maybe I could get put in a bit of a pigeon hole,' she added. 'I expected it to be a 20 minute conversion with Larysa (Kondracki, director) because I wanted to reconcile in my head: "I am not going to do a corset job again,"' Natalie told News.com.au Natalie explained: 'What happened was a 90-minute conversation. I said, "This woman has vision, she is incredibly talented and now I'm going to Australia". Then I found myself spending half an hour getting into corsets again.' Natalie played Margaery Tyrell in the hit HBO fantasy drama Game Of Thrones for five seasons, leaving the role in 2016. She is set to play Hester Appleyard in Picnic at Hanging Rock, the stern headmistress of a girls' boarding school. Natalie explained: 'What happened was a 90-minute conversation. I said, "This woman has vision, she is incredibly talented and now I'm going to Australia". Then I found myself spending half an hour getting into corsets again' Based on a novel by Joan Lindsay, the 1975 Picnic at Hanging Rock film was directed by Peter Weir and tells the eerie story of a group of students and their teacher who vanish without a trace while on a school excursion to Hanging Rock, Victoria in 1900. It won Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay at the 1976 Australian Film Institute awards. The reboot will premiere on Showcase on May 8th. She's the veteran TV presenter who shares three children with Peter FitzSimons. And Lisa Wilkinson proved on Sunday that her genes are as strong as her hosting abilities. The 58-year-old took to Instagram to share a throwback photo of herself aged 15 looking remarkably similar to her daughter Billi, 20. Scroll down for video Good genes! Lisa Wilkinson took to Instagram on Sunday to share a throwback photo of herself aged 15 (left) looking remarkably similar to her 20- year-old daughter Billi (right) The family resemblance between Lisa and Billi was evident in the photo - in particular their similar eyes, smiles and jawlines. In Lisa's throwback snap, she sits at a dining table in puffy sleeved peasant blouse. 'Fifteen years old and my first visit to an RSL club at Tweed Heads with my girlfriend Sharon and her parents,' she wrote in the caption. They could be sisters! The family resemblance between Lisa and Billi was evident in the throwback photo - in particular their similar eyes, smiles and jawlines Lisa continued: 'And no, that's not a rum and coke... it would have been pure unadulterated 100 per cent proof Tab Cola. Which was the drink of the day back then. 'With a slice of lemon to take away the bitter metallic taste... I know, lemon to take AWAY the bitter taste. How good were the 70s?' She concluded: 'PS. And how good was the fashion uniform of the day: peasant blouses? And thin eyebrows.' 'You sure that's not Billi?' Lisa's Instagram followers were quick to comment on the vintage photo, with many making reference to her similarities to her daughter Lisa's Instagram followers were quick to comment on the vintage photo, with many making reference to her similarities to her daughter. 'You sure that's not Billi?' one fan commented. Another wrote: 'Your daughter looks so like you in this pic.' The Western media has been continuing its infatuation with the Arab Gulf state of Qatar despite its financing of terrorism Following what is said and written about the Gulf state of Qatar in the news is a learning experience. Reports often reflect either hatred of this tiny and wealthy-by-luck state, or infatuation with the unprecedented success of this small-but-mighty nation. There seems to be nothing in between. Even unbiased Western journalists and researchers well-known for their professional coverage and study of the Middle East sometimes find themselves, or rather are to be found, in an awkward situation and producing a strange type of journalism. Bias is a sin in journalism, as is mixing personal interests with reporting. Objectivity is the goal. This is what university departments of Mass Communication have been teaching for decades. Even though journalism in the Arab world is far from being at its best, we might have expected more professionalism on the other side of the planet. In 2011, the Western media, and more specifically the American, fell in love with the ambitious good-will policies of the small Gulf state of Qatar, which, it said, aimed to modernise the Middle East and give it a helping hand to pull it out of its decades-long stalemate and into a brighter future of modernity, peace and prosperity. Among the strongest prosperity attempts made by Qatar, strongly applauded by many voices in the West, was this Gulf states intervention in Libya. When The New York Times wrote admiringly of Qatars intervention in Libya as a turning point in early April 2011, the situation in that country was not yet clear. Some could see storm clouds on the horizon, even if others only felt the breezes of the Arab Spring. Others still were already starting to realise that what appeared to be a bright future was in fact a fiasco. In an article entitled For Qatar, Libyan Intervention May be a Turning Point, the New York Times did not hide its fascination for Qatar as the first Arab country to grant political recognition to the Libyan rebels. Its six Mirage fighter jets flying with western Coalition partners are giving the United States and European allies political cover in a region long suspicious of outside intervention, it said. The paper said that Qatari officials were discussing ways to market Libyan oil in order to give the rebels against the then Libyan regime crucial financial support. Qatar was looking for ways to support them with food and medical supplies, it said, as well as with the extremely powerful tool of media support, with Qatar helping the Libyan opposition create a TV channel using a French satellite to offset the state-controlled Libyan media. Western political and military leaders sang the praises of how this small but powerful and ambitious state was bringing about a turning point in the region through its courageous intervention. French defence minister Gerard Longuet said that this was the first time that there had been such a level of understanding between Europe and the Arab world. This level of understanding, among other actions and interventions, played a vital role in bringing about what the region has turned into. Any discussion of the disasters that have hit the region, including the black hole of Syria where Qatar has also played a role, cannot avoid discussion of Qatari actions. In June 2013, the New York Times reported on what it called the outsize role played by Qatar in Syria, where, according to American and Middle Eastern officials with knowledge of intelligence reports on weapons transmitted to the Syrian rebels, Qatar used a shadowy arms network to move at least two shipments of shoulder-fired missiles to Syrian rebels who have used them against [Syrian President Bashar Al-]Assads Air Force. The reason why the shipments came under the spotlight was not an inquiry into why Qatar was supporting fighters in another country, but instead was because the then US administration of president Barack Obama had repeatedly implored its Arab allies to keep one type of deadly weapons out of rebel hands, and that was shoulder-fired missiles. Obamas reason was fears that one day a terrorist group, especially one related to Al-Qaeda, could use them to shoot down civilian planes. Only a few months later, fighters belonging to the Al-Nusra Front were pictured flying Islamist flags in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo while heading to the frontlines of jihad. According to the US magazine Foreign Policy in an article published in March 2017, Al-Qaedas Syrian representative, the Fateh Al-Sham (JFS) group later renamed Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), was eagerly pursuing the long-term objective of a merger of the armed Syrian opposition groups under a broad transnational Islamist umbrella. Al-Qaeda has called this goal a uniting of the ranks. However, the ranks of terrorism have never been as variable and at times paradoxical as they are today. In June 2017, US President Donald Trump supported Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrains blockade of Qatar because of the latters support for terrorism in the region. Trump accused Qatar directly of sponsoring terrorism at the highest levels. He said that he had decided that the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding of terrorists and its adherence to extremist ideology. Despite the fact that neither that funding of terrorism stopped, nor the adherence to extremism came to an end, Trump described his guest the Qatari emir Tamim Bin Hamid al-Thani as a partner in the fight against extremists just a few days ago. He even told him that youve now become an ally in the fight against terrorism and referred to him as a great friend. However, this great friends prime minister was the guest of honour at the wedding of the son of one of the worlds most prolific terrorism financiers, according to the UK Sunday Telegraph newspaper last week. Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani was photographed with Abdel-Rahman bin Umayr Al-Nuaymi, designated a few weeks ago by his own government as a financier of terrorism following similar designations made by Britain, the US and the UN Security Council, at this wedding. Experience tells us that there is no such thing as a great, a slight or a forever friend when it comes to politics, arms, and money. While the future of the Middle East might not lie entirely in the hands of its own nations for well-known reasons, it is worth thinking about adhering to the second-best alternative: getting hold of the facts since the future depends on the present. The writer is a journalist at the Al-Hayat newspaper. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: George Calombaris made headlines last year after it was revealed his restaurants had underpaid staff a whopping $2.6million in wages And now the MasterChef judge is fighting another bout of bad publicity amid reports he is embroiled in a bitter dispute with his 71-year-old neighbour. Speaking with the Herald Sun on Monday, Helen Elsworth claimed the celebrity chef has erected a self-contained gym in the backyard of his Melbourne mansion, robbing her of privacy. 'He's the worst neighbour I've ever had': MasterChef's George Calombaris is embroiled in a bitter dispute with his elderly neighbour after erecting a 'hideous' structure in his backyard Helen told the newspaper she wants the gym torn down because she believes that it breaches regulations. 'He's the worst neighbour I've had in my life,' she said. 'He should be living in Central Australia somewhere, where he can't bother people, not in the suburbs.' Melbourne mansion: George snapped up the stunning residence in upmarket Toorak back in 2014 for the sum of $4.75million George snapped up the stunning residence in upmarket Toorak back in 2014 for the sum of $4.75million. But only recently has the 'hideous black box' - which houses a private gym - appeared in the backyard of his home. Despite living in her residence for 33 years, Helen claims she was not informed by George of the addition to his home. She did say that George's wife Natalie Tricarico had spoken to her once about the building and that she invited her to paint the new fence if she wanted to brighten up the view from her window. Dispute between neighbours: Helen Elsworth told the Herald Sun she was not informed by George (pictured in September 2017) of the addition to his home Natalie clarified to the Herald Sun that the building was legal, adding: 'We have also continued to ensure our neighbours who share a land boundary with us were kept informed of the progress of the construction works - as we were required to do - and those neighbours have expressed no issue with the construction or the process that took place.' Meanwhile, Helen - who describes the structure as an 'eyesore' - has lodged a complaint with the Victorian Building Authority. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment. George will return for his 10th season of MasterChef Australia next week. He's the fashion 'bad boy' enjoying a lifestyle of A-list parties, beautiful companions and exotic destinations. But Gold Coast-born model Jordan Barrett insists that he's just a normal '21-year-old kid' at the end of the day. He told The Daily Telegraph on Monday: 'I am just working hard and making the most of the opportunities that come my way - but I am still the same kid.' Scroll down for video 'I am a 21-year-old kid at the end of the day': Jordan Barrett has shrugged off his 'bad boy' reputation, insisting on Monday he's just 'making the most of opportunities that come my way' According to the publication, Jordan recently enjoyed a sun-drenched sojourn on the Gold Coast with his family. 'I come home twice a year usually,' he said. 'Anything which will bring me home I take the opportunity if I can. But this time has been the first time in ages when I have been able to come home for a holiday, which has been nice.' Speaking of his career, Jordan added: 'It all started happening very fast, and it has been pretty unreal. I never planned on being a model, it just all started happening.' 'I never planned on being a model': Earlier this month, Jordan waved goodbye to the world's biggest modelling agency, IMG, to sign with Sydney's KULT Earlier this year, Jordan shared details about his extravagant lifestyle with Yahoo Be, admitting: 'I definitely do work hard, and I definitely do play hard'. However, he insisted that his jet-setting lifestyle is often misunderstood. 'I think everyone sees these nice trips, but that will be me shooting on location,' he said. Jet-setter! He's the fashion 'bad boy' enjoying a lifestyle of A-list parties, beautiful companions and exotic destinations Earlier this month, Jordan waved goodbye to the world's biggest modelling agency, IMG, to sign with Sydney's KULT. His career began when he was discovered aged 13 by a modelling scout. At the time, young Jordan was skipping class and trying to steal matches from a local supermarket. Ant McPartlin's estranged wife Lisa Armstrong has 'liked' a motivational tweet by TV therapists The Speakmans days after Ant left rehab following a month-long intensive treatment. The make-up artist, 41, hasn't publicly broken her silence on Ant's release from a private clinic last week, but did seek out the insightful post from the resident This Morning contributors. Lisa showed her appreciation of the tweet, which encouraged followers to 'welcome change' and to 'get out of your comfort zone'. Seeking change: Ant McPartlin's estranged wife Lisa Armstrong (pictured Jan 2018) 'likes' tweet about 'welcoming change' days after TV star leaves rehab The rest of the tweet explained: 'In the midst of transformations, you may feel like everything is falling apart when in reality everything can be coming together. 'Life will push you to evolve & get out of your comfort zone so you can live & experience your true greatness. Welcome change.' Ant, who has not appeared on live TV since entering rehab, confirmed the couple's separation after 11 years of marriage in January, weeks after his return from Australia with I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! MailOnline have reached out to Lisa's representatives for comment. Close: Lisa's social media activity comes days after estranged husband Ant was seen outside of rehab for the first time following a month of intensive treatment 'Life will push you': Lisa showed her appreciation of the tweet by The Speakmans, which encouraged followers to 'welcome change' and to 'get out of your comfort zone' Lisa's social media activity comes days after estranged husband Ant was seen outside of rehab for the first time following a month of intensive treatment after he admitted himself to a private clinic to battle his drink and painkiller addiction. In pictures obtained by The Sun, the television presenter, 42, looked fresh-faced as he took his beloved Labrador, Hurley for a walk in a London park earlier this week. And while it is not known if Ant has left rehab for good or was taking time out to enjoy a walk with his pooch, one onlooker told the publication, the I'm A Celeb host looked 'much more upbeat'. Quiet: The make-up artist, 41, hasn't publicly broken her silence on Ant's release from a private clinic last week, but did seek out the insightful post from the resident TV contributors The Mirror previously reported that Ant's mother, Christine Woodhall, 61, has vowed to help her son 'sort himself out', as he continues his stint in rehab to battle drink and painkiller addiction. Ant was fined 86,000 and banned from the road for 20 months earlier this month, after he was caught more than twice the legal limit following a crash in Richmond the month before - with his mother in the car. While she was 'shocked' by the court case's result, sources claim Christine is hoping it will help Ant overcome his demons - and is ready to support him every step of the way, despite his guilty plea. Former couple: Ant confirmed the couple's separation after 11 years of marriage in January, weeks after his return from Australia with I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! An insider told the paper: 'She hopes to be able to see him or speak to him. She was very shocked by the court case. The presenter pleaded guilty to driving with 75 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, after his involvement in a three-car collision. The legal limit is 35 micrograms McPartlin was arrested after losing control of his black Mini and smashing into two other cars, a Mini and a BMW, while driving in Richmond, west London on March 18. It was recently reported that her new beau had moved into her plush cottage in East Sussex. And now Zoe Ball showcased her off duty style as she stepped out with other half Michael Reed to run a number of errands. The 47-year-old broadcaster, who moved from Brighton earlier this year, cut a casual figure in a simple white T-shirt and dark wash denim jeans. Stepping out: Zoe Ball showcased her off duty style as she stepped out with other half Michael Reed The It Takes Two presenter strolled along the pavement in her adidas trainers while she draped a black leather cross body bag over her shoulder. Keeping to her low-key appearance, she went make-up free while her blonde chin-length locks were left in a tousled style while her love followed behind carrying a number of objects. The TV star sported a pair of specs while she carried a beverage in her one hand and her keys in the other. Michael matched Zoe's laidback style and donned a pair of beige cargo shorts and grey tee for their afternoon out. Denim days: The 47-year-old broadcaster, who moved from Brighton earlier this year, cut a casual figure in a simple white T-shirt and dark wash denim jeans Walk this way: The It Takes Two presenter strolled along the pavement in her adidas trainers while she draped a black leather cross body bag over her shoulder Their appearance comes after it was reported that she had moved her boyfriend into her cottage in East Sussex. The television host was spotted helping her businessman beau move some of his belongings in - after five months of dating, according to The Mirror. Zoe, who attended Billy Yates inquest this week, is said to be 'smiling again' thanks to Michael, following the tragic suicide of the 'love of her life' last May. A source told the publication: 'Zoe has really fallen for Michael, they're inseparable. He's moved in and she lets him drive her car. Low-key: Keeping to her low-key appearance, she went make-up free while her blonde chin-length locks were left in a tousled style while her love followed behind carrying a number of objects Chilled: The TV star sported a pair of specs while she carried a beverage in her one hand and her keys in the other Relaxed: Michael matched Zoe's laidback style and donned a pair of beige cargo shorts and grey tee for their afternoon out 'They're very committed to one another. Everyone's really happy to see Zoe smiling again.' MailOnline contacted Zoe's representatives for comment at the time. Earlier this week, Zoe put on a brave face as she stepped out in Brighton just a day after an inquest was held into her cameraman boyfriend Billy Yates' tragic death. The television presenter spent the day with her son, Woody Cook, 17, as she no doubt tried to keep busy amid a very difficult time. During the inquest, the extent of Billy's personal suffering was revealed as his friends and family heard how he had battled depression for years. Next step: Their appearance comes after it was reported that she had moved her boyfriend into her cottage in East Sussex Spotted: The television host was spotted helping her businessman beau move some of his belongings in - after five months of dating, according to The Mirror 'Smiling again': Zoe, who attended Billy Yates inquest this week, is said to be 'smiling again' thanks to Michael, following the tragic suicide of the 'love of her life' last May Going well: A source told the publication: 'Zoe has really fallen for Michael, they're inseparable. He's moved in and she lets him drive her car' 'Smiling': The insider added: 'They're very committed to one another. Everyone's really happy to see Zoe smiling again' Moreover, it emerged Zoe had tried in vain to help her boyfriend after two suicide attempts in the months before his death. The inquest revealed troubled Billy, 40, rammed his car into a motorway barrier and tried to commit suicide by inhaling toxic fumes before his death last May. He had concerns over a large tax bill but his relationship with Zoe was going well when he was found dead at his London home, Westminster Coroner's Court heard. Zoe and Mr Yates had a 'beautiful relationship' and were the 'love of each others' life' after meeting through their TV work, the inquest was told by his family. Helping hand: Meanwhile, Zoe and Michael were pictured later in the day unpacking items the back of his car Tough: Earlier this week, Zoe put on a brave face as she stepped out in Brighton just a day after an inquest was held into her cameraman boyfriend Billy Yates' tragic death Difficult: The television presenter spent the day with her son, Woody Cook, 17, as she no doubt tried to keep busy amid a very difficult time Battle: During the inquest, the extent of Billy's personal suffering was revealed as his friends and family heard how he had battled depression for years But a coroner returned an open verdict into the death of the former Royal Marine, who had been drinking on the day he was found dead, as she couldn't be satisfied that he had intended to take his own life. After his first suicide attempt in November 2016, Zoe paid for a two-week stay in the Priory hospital where his mental health began to improve. Mr Yates was prescribed a cocktail of anti-depressants by his GP and private therapists throughout his life, the inquest heard. Zoe, the first female host of The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, had been dating Billy for several months before his sudden death. A friend of 15 years discovered his body on May 4 last year at his apartment in Putney, south west London, after he hanged himself at home, the inquest heard. Previous: Moreover, it emerged Zoe had tried in vain to help her boyfriend after two suicide attempts in the months before his death Lindy Klim has revealed she cannot wait to take the surname of her fiance, British property developer Adam Ellis. The 39-year-old currently goes by her ex-husband Michael Klim's last name, despite splitting with the Olympic swimmer two years ago. Speaking with The Daily Telegraph on Monday, the Balinese fashion designer claimed that her children encouraged her to keep the sportsman's famous surname. 'I hate having my ex-husband's name': Lindy Klim (pictured) has revealed she cannot wait to take her fiance Adam Ellis' surname after they get married 'I would love to get rid of Klim, I really hate having that as a last name but for my children at the moment, that is what it is,' Lindy told Sydney Confidential. Lindy and Michael share three children together - daughters Stella, 12, and Frankie, six, and son Rocco, nine. Lindy's maiden name is Rama, but she took Michael's surname when they married in April 2006. The Klims: Exes Lindy and Michael Klim share three children together - daughters Stella, 12, and Frankie, six, and son Rocco, nine. Pictured in 2014 before their separation However, Lindy confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that she will be known as Lindy Ellis once she marries Adam. 'My kids all want me to keep the name Klim and it has been a big issue with them and they have been concerned about it,' she said. '(But) they understand that once I marry Adam it will change.' Lindy announced her engagement to Adam Ellis in late 2016 following a whirlwind romance. Taking his name: Lindy announced her engagement to British property developer Adam Ellis (right) in late 2016 following a whirlwind romance The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Goldie, last December. Working mum Lindy is now employing her maiden name in her new fashion business, Rama Voyage. The designer proudly told Confidential that Rama means 'king' in Balinese, which is appropriate considering she is the niece of the King of Denpasar. She's famed for her effortlessly chic appearance at the fashion industry's high-profile events. And Lily-Rose Depp commanded attention on her home turf as she enjoyed a casual stroll with a male companion in Paris, France on Sunday afternoon. The Tusk actress, 18, maintained her style savvy ways as she slipped into a beige crew neck jumper, tied in with trendy straight-leg jeans. Effortlessly chic: Lily-Rose Depp commanded attention on her home turf as she enjoyed a casual stroll with a male companion in Paris, France on Sunday afternoon The model ensured all eyes were on her as she added height to her statuesque frame in a pair of dark navy mini heels. Upping the ante in the accessory department, the blonde beauty accessorised with a quilted pouch by Chanel, teamed with animal print skinny glasses. The fresh-faced star showcased her radiant complexion as she went make-up free, and swept her golden tresses into a low ponytail. Hi there! The Tusk actress, 18, was spotted giving her the French 'la bise' greeting as they embarked on their low-key walk Stylish: Lily maintained her style savvy ways as she slipped into a beige crew neck jumper, tied in with trendy straight-leg jeans Working it! The model ensured all eyes were on her as she added height to her statuesque frame in a pair of dark navy mini heels Lily's pal also cut a trendy figure as he was clad in a denim borg jacket and light wash jeans. The pair finished their walk with a trip to the florist as Lily's friend was spotted carrying a fresh bouquet of flowers. The actress made her film debut with a cameo role in Tusk in 2014 alongside her friend Harley Quinn Smith, her father Johnny Depp, and the film's director Kevin Smith. Trendy: Upping the ante in the accessory department, the blonde beauty accessorised with a quilted pouch by Chanel, teamed with animal print skinny glasses Smooth visage: The fresh-faced star showcased her radiant complexion as she went make-up free, and swept her golden tresses into a low ponytail Casual: Lily's pal also cut a trendy figure as he was clad in a denim borg jacket and light wash jeans It is no surprise Lily-Rose used her bilingual skills for her latest movie role in French film Les Fauves. The film follows the story of a campsite where young people start to vanish without a trace. The blonde teen takes on the starring role of Laura alongside French actors Laurent Lafitte and Camille Cottin. Blossoms: The pair finished their walk with a trip to the florist as Lily's friend was spotted carrying a fresh bouquet of flowers Impressive: The actress made her film debut with a cameo role in Tusk in 2014 alongside her friend Harley Quinn Smith, her father Johnny Depp, and the film's director Kevin Smith Her parents Johnny and Vanessa first met while the Hollywood star was filming mystery thriller The Ninth Gate in France in 1998. The couple, who also share son Jack, 15, were going strong for 14 years together before they went their separate ways for good in 2012. In an interview with Vogue, the star spoke out about her mature persona, stating: 'Ive always felt older than my age. Ive spent a lot of time around adults, and I relate more to them.' Talented: It is no surprise Lily-Rose used her bilingual skills for her latest movie role in French film Les Fauves She's grown! In an interview with Vogue, the star spoke out about her mature persona, stating: 'Ive always felt older than my age. Ive spent a lot of time around adults, and I relate more to them' 'My parents werent very strict...theyve always trusted me to be independent and make my own decisions. There wasnt really anything to rebel against.' Lily - who is a Chanel brand ambassador - also opened up about her affiliation with the luxury band. 'My mom has worked with them since she was 18 and Ive gone to the store with her since I was little. There are pictures of me literally in diapers wearing her Chanel pumps. I met Karl [Lagerfeld] when I was eight and I had horrible side bangs like a Donald Trump comb-over. Independent: The star - who is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis - revealed that her parents aren't strict as they are 'trust her' Nipsey Hussle made a stance against Kanye West and Donald Trump on Saturday. The 32-year-old rapper performed his anti-Trump anthem F*ck Donald Trump at the Broccoli City Festival in the nation's capital of Washington D.C. And Nipsey belted out the song with a picture of Kanye West wearing a Make America Great Again hat in the background. Disenchanted: Nipsey Hussle made a stance against Kanye West and Donald Trump on Saturday at the Broccoli City Festival in Washington D.C. He later posted a picture from the venue with the caption: 'Performed #FDT in Washington D.C. Picture Speaking A thousand Words.' YG - who collaborated on the song - added to the drama by writing: 'KANYE WE LOVE YOU. BUT F*CK TRUMP.' The 2016 single features the lyrics: 'We the youth, we the people of this country, and we got a voice too. 'We will be seen, and we will be heard. I thought all that Donald Trump bullsh*t was a joke.' Getting loud: The 32-year-old rapper performed his anti-Trump anthem F*ck Donald Trump Got served: And Nipsey belted out the song with a picture of Kanye West wearing a Make America Great Again hat in the background Around the same time as the single was release, Kanye said he would have voted for Trump at one of his concerts. He also met with the commander-in-chief at Trump Towers in New York shortly after. And on Wednesday Kanye voiced his support for Donald Trump and even shared a selfie while wearing a Making America Great Again hat. Lyrics: The 2016 single features the lyrics: 'We the youth, we the people of this country, and we got a voice too. 'We will be seen, and we will be heard. I thought all that Donald Trump bullsh*t was a joke.' Pen is mightier: He later posted a picture from the venue with the caption: 'Performed #FDT in Washington D.C. Picture Speaking A thousand Words' However, he later tweeted that his wife, Kim Kardashian, wanted him to make clarifications as he posted: 'my wife just called me and she wanted me to make this clear to everyone. 'I don't agree with everything Trump does. I don't agree 100% with anyone but myself.' Before that Kanye wrote: 'You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.' Bold moves: On Wednesday, Kanye voiced his support for Donald Trump and even shared a selfie while wearing a Making America Great Again hat. Recall: However, he later tweeted that his wife, Kim Kardashian, wanted him to make clarifications as he posted: 'my wife just called me and she wanted me to make this clear to everyone. 'I don't agree with everything Trump does. I don't agree 100% with anyone but myself.' The Through The Wire hitmaker did make sure to urge fans to not follow what everyone else does and that regardless of his Trump support, he is also a fan of Hillary. He explained: 'If your friend jumps off the bridge you don't have to do the same. Ye being Ye is a fight for you to be you. For people In my life the idea of Trump is pretty much a 50 50 split but I don't tell a Hillary supporter not to support Hillary I love Hillary too.' Joining Nipsey in his disenchantment with the Gold Digger rapper are other musicians including John Legend, Janelle Monae, and Macy Gray. He's been wearing his heart on his sleeve during the latest pre-recorded ITV series, after entering rehab and stepping down from his TV commitments. And Ant McPartlin, who has shed many a tear on the current episodes, appeared to be left emotional again on Saturday's Britain's Got Talent after a father-son singing duo got the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell. Tim Goodacre, 43, and his son Jack, 12, sported matching guitars to perform their self-written acoustic song The Lucky Ones, leaving the judges and presenters visibly moved. Talented: Ant McPartlin appeared to be left emotional again on Saturday's Britain's Got Talent after a father-son singing duo got the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell The father-son duo told the audience their song was based around the losses they had suffered in the family, with Tim confessing he had never known a feeling like the moment he heard he was going to have a son. Pressing the coveted button that would send them through to the live semi-finals, Simon told the duo: 'What a great song, it reminded me of me and my boy. You two you're just fantastic, that was just so fantastic, so pure, so great, well done you two.' And when the camera panned on to Ant and his presenting sidekick, Declan Donnelly, he appeared to be wiping his face as he kept his back to the camera. Emotional: And when the camera panned on to Ant and his presenting sidekick, Declan Donnelly, he appeared to be wiping his face as he kept his back to the camera Touched: While Dec clutched his heart and leaned back into the wall looking into the filming crew - while Ant remained with his back turned While Dec clutched his heart and leaned back into the wall looking into the filming crew. However, it wasn't just Ant who 'held back the tears' and judge Amanda Holden, who cried over the audition, said: 'I was a mess throughout the whole thing it was an amazing Golden Buzzer.' Throughout the current series, the troubled presenter has been fighting back tears over several of the heartbreaking auditions. Incredible: Tim Goodacre, 43, and his son Jack, 12, sported matching guitars to perform their self-written acoustic song The Lucky Ones, leaving the judges and presenters visibly moved Sweet: Pressing the coveted button that would send them through to the live semi-finals, Simon told the duo: 'What a great song, it reminded me of me and my boy.' Teary: However, it wasn't just Ant who 'held back the tears' and judge Amanda Holden, who cried over the audition, said: 'I was a mess throughout the whole thing.' In the first episode, Ant was left teary over magician, Marc Spelmann, who opened up about his wife's breast cancer battle while she was pregnant with their longed for baby after years of failed IVF. During his performance, the talented act used his family's past heartache as an example of 'real magic' after Tessa managed to beat the deadly disease and welcome their precious daughter Isabella two years ago. In fact, Ant and his presenting partner Dec were so moved by the audition that they hit the Golden Buzzer for Marc, securing him a place in the semi-finals. Emotional series: Ant was left teary over magician, Marc Spelmann, who opened up about his wife's breast cancer battle while she was pregnant with their baby after years of failed IVF While on last week's second episode, the Geordie presenter was left in tears over Hollie Booth, 13, who returned to Manchester to dance in her wheelchair after surviving the city's terror attack after watching Ariana Grande perform. As the girls performed, Dec admitted: 'Oh God, it gets you. Doesn't it?' While Ant started crying as he wiped away tears and added: 'It does, doesn't it. Yeah, I know.' The presenter has had a difficult 12 months after he was recently fined a record 86,000 and banned from the road for one year and eight months after pleading guilty to drink-driving. Since crashing his Mini into two cars in March, Ant has entered rehab and stepped down from all his TV commitments - leaving Dec to present the live BGT shows alone. Britain's Got Talent continues on Saturdays at 8pm on ITV. She's usually impeccably dressed for every occasion. And Tilda Swinton was putting on a stylish display when she attended the 33rd International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyeres, France on Sunday. The Hollywood star, 57, looked impossibly cool in a ruffled cream blouse with quirky bow detailing. Chic: Tilda Swinton was putting on a stylish display when she attended the 33rd International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyeres, France on Sunday She styled the statement garment to perfection with a pair of silk trousers and coordinating stilettos. Tilda matched her coral coloured blusher to her outfit and wore her platinum crop slicked back from her face. The award-winning actress is a member of the Fashion Jury at the festival, which runs from 26 to 30 April. Leggy lady: She styled the statement garment to perfection with a pair of silk trousers and coordinating stilettos Fashion-savvy: The award-winning actress is a member of the Fashion Jury at the festival, which runs from 26 to 30 April Earlier this month, Tilda commanded attention as she flaunted her unconventional style in a contemporary tweed suit at the Berlinale press conference in Germany. The Scottish screen star was promoting her latest film Isle Of Dogs. The award-winning actress stunned onlookers as she was dressed in the stylish two piece, which included a double breasted blazer coat, paired with eccentric flared trousers. Attracting attention to her unique number, Tilda opted for minimal makeup as she enhanced her striking features with a light-coverage foundation and rose blush on the ample of her cheeks. Bold: Earlier this month, Tilda commanded attention as she flaunted her unconventional style in a contemporary tweed suit at the Berlinale press conference in Germany The mother-of-two's blonde tresses were styled into a slick comb over as she attended the conference for her latest movie with co-stars Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston and Jeff Goldblum. Tilda is behind one of the voices in the animated film Isle for Dogs which charts a boy's journey to find his dog after pooches have been banished to an island. Well recognised for her quirky sense of style, The Last of England star discussed how she shunned fashion trends as they never really caught her eye. Wow-factor: The award-winning actress stunned onlookers as she was dressed in the stylish two piece, which included a double breasted blazer coat, paired with eccentric flared trousers She told W Magazine in September 2017: 'What somebody might think of as unusual is what somebody else thinks of as super comfortable and inspiring and interesting and natural, and I've never truly been that aware of fashion as such. 'I'm really interested in style. Most of the things that I love to see other people rocking or rock myself are things that, you know, aren't for sale this year so it's not really about I'm not that into trends.' Tilda also revealed she hard to frighten: 'I'm not easily scared. I'm wary of being bored. I'm not easily bored, but I think It's funny you talk about risk taking, 'cause I think risk taking is such a subjective thing.' 'You know, one man's risk is another man's comfort zone... I'm too lazy to get easily scared, I think.' The Vampire Diaries came to a dramatic conclusion last year. But some of the supernatural drama's best loved stars were ensuring its memory stayed alive when they attended a fan event in Paris, enjoying a rare reunion on Sunday. Ian Somerhalder and Candice Accola King were spotted stepping out in the French capital ahead of their appearance at the Blood Lust Convention. Vampire Diaries reunion: Ian Somerhalder and Candice Accola King were spotted stepping out in Paris on Sunday ahead of their appearance at the Blood Lust Convention The handsome actor flashed a devillish grin and a cheeky peace sign as he headed out for the evening. Candice was looking lovely in a floaty patterned skirt and a black blazer. The blonde - who played control freak Caroline in the popular series - accessorised with simple leather boots and a black handbag. She later changed into an all-black ensemble, including a leather jacket and a studded clutch bag. Stepping out: Candice was looking lovely in a floaty patterned skirt and a black blazer Enjoying a night out: The blonde - who played control freak Caroline in the popular series - kept a low profile Edgy: She later changed into an all-black ensemble, including a leather jacket and a studded clutch bag Ian has been keeping a low profile since welcoming Bodhi Soleil into the world in July 2017 with his wife Nikki Reed. The happy couple were recently seen on a romantic date at West Hollywood eatery Craig's. Ian also publicly gushed over his partner via his Instagram page, praising her for her dedication to yoga. He wrote: 'So impressed with this woman getting up before the sun comes up to work on her favorite sport even with our little one keeping you up all night in our bed. Date night: Ian has been keeping a low profile since welcoming Bodhi Soleil into the world in July 2017 with his wife Nikki Reed - but the pair were recently seen on a date in West Hollywood 'I've never seen anything like it. The strength and endurance you have goes beyond what any man could ever understand. You amaze me my beautiful wife. 'Ps thanks for teaching me a few moves;). Ill be good enough to fly you soon... love, your husband.' The couple tied the knot in April 2015 in Malibu, California, after one year of dating, and welcomed baby Bodhi on July 25 2017. Controversy arose after the two appeared on a podcast in September and told the story of their decision to have a baby. On Dr Berlin's Informed Pregnancy Podcast Nikki told a story about how the couple had been on vacation in Barcelona, Spain, when Ian went through her bag and threw out her birth control pills as she watched on. Loved up: The couple tied the knot in April 2015 in Malibu, California, after one year of dating, and welcomed baby Bodhi on July 25 2017 'It was the beginning of the pack, so I had to pop all those suckers out,' he said, confessing he flushed them down the toilet. 'Actually, now thinking about it, I guess I kind of decided [to start a family].' The 'goofy' story was picked up by Cosmopolitan magazine, sparking a heated debate about reproductive coercion. The couple issued a joint apology assuring it was a mutual decision to start a family. Nikki was previously married to American Idol star Paul McDonald, 33, from October 2011 to March 2014, with the couple splitting shortly before she met Ian. Ian dated his Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev, 29, for three years from 2010 to 2013. Jessica Rowe and Ita Buttrose shocked viewers after they both quit Studio 10 in recent weeks. And a new report suggests another female reporter's job on the Channel Ten breakfast program could be under threat. According to Woman's Day, Sarah Harris' five-year position on the show's panel could be nearing its end in the coming weeks. Scroll down for video 'Not a great time to be on Studio 10': Journalist Sarah Harris' job is under threat as executives hope to win back audiences by axing reporters for 'more entertainers' following Jessica Rowe and Ita Buttrose's resignations An unknown inside source suggested to the publication that Sarah could be asked to step down from her role as executives aim to win back audiences with 'more entertainers and less journalists.' Sarah's co-hosts Jessica and Ita both resigned in recent weeks, with Jess leaving in March and Ita making an emotional exit this month. While Ita left the show one day after announcing her resignation on-air, she dropped the bombshell that she'd actually given her notice before co-host Jessica. 'I resigned two days before Jessica did,' the 76-year-old revealed to audible gasps from the studio audience. 'But given her announcement, I let mine run until it was more convenient because I didn't think you wanted two of us to go. Or together!' she said. Gone: Sarah's co-hosts Jessica Rowe and Ita Buttrose have both resigned in recent weeks, with Jess leaving in March and Ita making an emotional exit this month 'I resigned two days before Jessica did': The mystery insider claimed to Woman's Day that Jess and Ita were aware of the show's decline before choosing to resign within weeks of each other The mystery insider claim to the Woman's Day that Jess was aware of the show's decline before choosing to resign. They also noted former executive producer Rob Knight is due to appear in court this week as he sues Channel Ten for what he claims are unpaid entitlements. 'It's not a great time to be on Studio 10, and I think the survivors are wondering just what the future holds,' the source said. While Sarah is a co-host on Studio 10, she has also been a fill-in panellist on The Project and hosted TV series, Shark Tank. Daily Mail Australia reached out to Sarah Harris and Channel Ten for comment. Keeping busy: While Sarah is a co-host on Studio 10, she has also been a fill-in panelist on The Project and hosted TV series, Shark Tank Sarah, who was on maternity leave at the time, appeared saddened when she learnt of Jessica's departure from the show and pleaded for her to stay. Following Jess and Ita's resignations, Studio 10 announced a new permanent line-up last week, which includes: Joe Hildebrand, Sarah Harris, Denise Drysdale, Angela Bishop and Denise Scott. However, the source also suggested that Denise is considering quitting her role on Studio 10, following the announcement that she and good pal Jessica are planning to launch their own podcast series: One Fat Lady and One Thin Lady. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should be "absolutely ashamed" over Germany building the first 25 tanks under a $5 billion defence contract awarded to Queensland, says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Victoria lost the Land 400 contract to Queensland, but the first tanks won't be built in the northern state because the German company does not have a factory there yet to build them. "We were ready to go and we would have with that BAE bid we would have been underway using Australian defence funding and Australian taxpayers' dollar to create Australian jobs," Mr Andrews told reporters on Sunday. "The federal government went a different way, it seems they're more interested in economic development and job creation in Germany than economic development and job creation in Australia." Australia's oldest scientist plans to fly to Switzerland next week to end his life through voluntary euthanasia. David Goodall, who is 104, doesn't have a terminal illness but his quality of life has deteriorated in recent months. Exit International, founded by controversial euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke, has started a GoFundMe campaign to upgrade Dr Goodall's ticket from economy to business class and is sending nurse Carol O'Neal to accompany the Perth resident. Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467. A man has been charged after allegedly shooting at a pair of teenagers who were staying on his property in rural NSW. Police say the 28-year-old got involved in an argument with the 19-year-old couple at Whiteman Creek, near Grafton, on Saturday morning. He fired a gun at them as they packed their belongings after telling them to leave, police said. He fired a second shot into the air as the pair quickly drove off. Officers later arrested and charged the man with using an unauthorised firearm. They also seized five guns, bullets and a small amount of cannabis. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Grafton Local Court on May 7. An alarming 40 per cent of all family violence victims admitted to hospital in Victoria over the past decade had suffered a brain injury, a new report reveals. The report by Brain Injury Australia also found that nearly one third of the 16,000 victims hospitalised in Victoria in that time were children. It also confirmed a strong link between perpetrators of family violence and disability, as those with a disability may struggle to control their emotions and regulate behaviour. Researchers, who studied hospitalisations, believe the figures don't reveal the full extent of brain injuries inflicted by perpetrators of family violence. "Unfortunately, we know from our review of the international research that hospitalisations are bound to be the tip of a very large iceberg," Brain Injury Australia's executive officer Nick Rushworth said. "Most women don't seek medical attention. Many brain injuries in children go undetected." Researchers also found the cost of family violence-related brain injury in Victoria was $5.3 billion in 2015-2016 alone. Looking at both victims and perpetrators, the report is the first major Australian study of family violence and brain injury. It calls for an integrated brain injury and family violence service to support diagnosis, rehabilitation and harm reduction. "Research, like talk, is cheap," Mr Rushworth said. "Australian governments need to develop services and supports for women and children, many of whom would be living with the disabling consequences of brain injuries." The full report will be launched in Melbourne on Tuesday by 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty. It was funded by the Victorian government in response to its Royal Commission into Family Violence, and produced with the help of Domestic Violence Victoria and Monash University. National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero. Today's Birthday, April 30: Gal Gadot, Israeli actor, model (1985 - ). From Miss Israel to combat trainer for the national Army, it's no wonder Gal Gadot's stunning looks coupled with her physical prowess led to her role as one of the most iconic female figures to date; Wonder Woman. The film - with a female director and a female-dominated cast - was an unprecedented success for Warner Brothers and became one of the highest grossing films of 2017. Born and raised in Israel, Gadot's maternal grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust. Growing up she spent years learning many forms of dance but early aspirations of a career as a choreographer were replaced when was won the coveted crown of Miss Israel, aged 18. After a talent scout convinced Gadot to participate in the 2004 Miss Israel competition, she signed up for the invaluable experience. Shocked by her win, she later confessed she never wanted the title. Following this, she served the mandatory two years in the Israeli army as a combat trainer. She believes the insight into weapons and military training led to her breakout Hollywood role, and ability to perform some of her own stunts in Fast & Furious - the fourth instalment in The Fast and Furious franchise (2009). She has worked on multiple Israeli television series including Bubot (2007), Asfur (2011), and Kathmandu (2012). Gadot had small roles in Hollywood films including Date Night (2010), Triple 9 (2016), as well as playing Ryan Reynolds' wife in Criminal (2016). But it was her depiction of superhero Wonder Woman alongside an all-star ensemble cast for Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), that won her significant praise. While the film underperformed, her own solo Wonder Woman film (2017) was a roaring success. For the role, Gadot learned horse riding, sword-fighting, Kung Fu, and gained 7 kilograms of muscle over six months - through gruelling six-hour daily gym sessions. She reprised the role for Justice League released in the same year. Gadot welcomed her second daughter to businessman husband Yaron Versano in March 2017. Rugby league great Darren Lockyer has urged Queenslanders to come off the sidelines and get involved to stop the scourge of domestic and family violence. The former Bronco launched the Do Something campaign alongside the state government and media companies on Sunday. Advertisements will appear on television, online, in cinemas and public spaces from May 1 in a bid to encourage people to take action if they see or suspect someone is being subjected to domestic violence. Mr Lockyer said the phrase he learned during his sporting career, the standard you walk past is the standard you set, also applied to this issue. "If we want to change domestic violence in our society then we all have a part to play," he said. Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Minister Di Farmer said often victims didn't even know that what was happening to them was not okay. "Domestic violence is everywhere. It knows no boundaries, it doesn't take notice of income, race, gender, age, level of education," she said. "It is often happening to the person you least expect." Griffith University's Mate Program looks at the importance of the bystander in helping to change attitudes and behaviours. Director Shaan Ross-Smith said it could be as simple as asking a neighbour if they were okay or defusing an argument between a couple on public transport by asking the time. Chinese officials are set to offer some insight into how the country is preparing to reduce its reliance on coal and oil. The Chinese government will be represented at an emissions reduction summit in Melbourne this week to explain what China's new scheme will mean for Australia. Jiang Kechun of China's National Development and Reform Commission is expected to address the policy to decarbonise its economy, reduce reliance on coal and cut air pollution. "China is increasingly more important because it's a big Australian partner internationally and what they do will have ramifications for companies that are within the supply chain of Chinese companies affected by carbon pricing," Carbon Market Institute managing director Brad Kerin told AAP ahead of the summit. Coal is Australia's second largest export to China and is worth about $8 billion a year. Up to 550 people are expected to attend the two-day summit, starting on Tuesday and hosted by the institute, with almost two thirds representing the business community. Mr Kerin said business leaders are increasingly aware of the 2030 emissions reduction target and are considering themselves how to reduce emissions, change business operating practices and investment strategies. "They're looking ahead of the curve and not necessarily waiting for finalised policy to make decisions," he said. Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is a keynote speaker at the event and is expected to provide an update on energy policy, including the National Energy Guarantee. His state counterparts have agreed more work should be done to develop the NEG plan which would implement a 26 per cent emissions reduction target for the electricity sector and introduce reliability guarantees for the National Energy Market. Other speakers include Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong, head of the US California Air Resources Board Richard Corey and leading Australian economist Ross Garnaut. A WA parliamentary inquiry into end-of-life choices resumes this week as the nation's oldest scientist prepares to die overseas through voluntary euthanasia. Edith Cowan University honorary research associate David Goodall doesn't have a terminal illness but at age 104, his quality of life has deteriorated. According to Exit International, founded by controversial euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke, Professor Goodall plans to travel to an assisted suicide organisation in Switzerland on Wednesday. Dr Nitschke set up a GoFundMe campaign to upgrade Prof Goodall's ticket to business class a week ago and the $15,000 target has been exceeded. Dr Nitschke recently told the inquiry about the ecologist's plans, saying WA's current laws on voluntary assisted dying left him with no choice but to travel to Switzerland. The Joint Select Committee hearing the inquiry will report to parliament by August 23. Premier Mark McGowan has already said any voluntary euthanasia laws proposed by his government would be restricted to people with a terminal illness. Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467. An alarming 40 per cent of all family violence victims admitted to hospital in Victoria over the past decade had suffered a brain injury, a new study reveals. The report by Brain Injury Australia also found that nearly one third of the 16,000 victims hospitalised in Victoria in that time were children. Researchers, who studied hospitalisations, believe the figures don't reveal the full extent of brain injuries inflicted by family violence offenders. "Unfortunately, we know from our review of the international research that hospitalisations are bound to be the tip of a very large iceberg," Brain Injury Australia's executive officer Nick Rushworth said. "Most women don't seek medical attention. Many brain injuries in children go undetected." The report also confirmed a strong link between perpetrators of family violence and disability, as those with a disability may struggle to control their emotions and regulate behaviour. Looking at both victims and perpetrators, the study was funded by the Victorian government in response to its Royal Commission into Family Violence. The full report will be launched by 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty in Melbourne on Tuesday. National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero. Sheep and cattle are being loaded onto Emanuel Exports' latest Middle East-bound shipment, and animal welfare advocates are keeping a keen eye on it. There were calls to end the live export trade earlier this month after footage was broadcast of an Emanuel Exports-chartered voyage to the Middle East on which 2400 sheep died in filth and extreme heat. The vessel, the Awassi Express, was held up in Fremantle Port for about three weeks because the Australian Maritime Safety Authority ordered the operator to improve its ventilation system. AMSA gave the Awassi the all-clear on Tuesday but Emanuel is instead using the Al Messilah, which began loading about 70,000 sheep and around 12,000 cattle on Sunday morning. Stop Live Exports held a snap rally at the port, attended by about 200 people, within hours. The group's WA convenor Katrina Love vows she'll return to monitor the loading which continues on Monday. She said the Al Messilah was older than the Awassi and had its own history of animal suffering. More than 3000 sheep died from extreme heat onboard the Al Messilah in 2016, when it had also been chartered by Emanuel Exports. "What is the purpose of having regulations in place when exporters like this are just ignoring them?" Ms Love told AAP. Meanwhile, another controversial livestock ship, the Bader III, is expected to arrive in Fremantle late on Friday, bound for the Middle east. Ms Love said protesters would "welcome" the Livestock Shipping Services-chartered vessel, which drew protesters in Adelaide before it left port. Kayakers yesterday found a young woman's body in a river but it was so deformed that police couldn't identify her. The corpse was found in Lane Cove River in Woolwich, Sydney in the morning. Police trying to identify the body say the woman's death is not suspicious. The corpse was found in Lane Cove River (pictured) in Woolwich, Sydney in the morning. She is described as Caucasian in appearance, aged in her 20s or early 30s, approximately 168cm tall, with a slim build, long brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a navy/green long sleeve jumper, khaki cargo pants and silver bracelets on both wrists. She has a tattoo on her right shoulder blade, and a birth mark on her left shin. Australia's John Millman has fallen short in his maiden ATP final, going down to Italian lucky loser Marco Cecchinato in the Hungarian Open. Millman, who had to complete his semi-final just two hours before playing in the decider, lost 7-5 6-4 to the qualifier. The world No.92 converted four out of eight break points to win in an hour 47 minutes to become the first lucky loser to win a title since Leonardo Mayer triumphed in Hamburg last July. "I lost Sunday (in qualifying) and now I won the tournament. It's amazing for me," Cecchinato said. "Maybe it's a dream, I don't know." Cecchinato broke Millman early in the first set to race into a 4-2 lead, but the 28-year-old from Brisbane dragged himself back into the match by winning the next three games. Cecchinato saved a set point on his serve while trailing 5-4 before regaining his composure to take the first set. Millman took a 4-1 lead in the second but Cecchinato fought back in style to claim victory. "Today is a special day because I won the first title of my career," he said. "I'm very happy." Despite the setback, the Queenslander has enjoyed a superb week in Budapest, beating world No.14 and defending champion Lucas Pouille in the second round - his biggest win over a ranked opponent Millman, who's ranked 94th in the world, overcame Aljaz Bedene in a gruelling semi-final that had been carried over from the night before when play was suspended after two sets because of bad light. Millman saved three match points against the Slovenian world No.57 before prevailing 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5). He had served for the match at 5-4, with a match point at 40-30, before saving three match points at 5-6. The Australian took control in the tie-break to open up a 5-1 lead before Bedene reeled him back to 6-5. But he kept his composure, securing his spot in the final on his fifth match point. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas' rhetoric has become more agitated as relations with the US have worsened since Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital The parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organisation convenes for the first time in decades Monday, as ageing President Mahmud Abbas seeks to strengthen his hand ahead of the US embassy move to Jerusalem. Analysts said the three-day meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in the West Bank city of Ramallah is unlikely to produce major policy shifts, but it will elect the 18 members of the PLO's executive committee that effectively forms Abbas's cabinet. More than 100 of the 740-member body will be absent, including dozens allied to Islamists Hamas -- the largest Palestinian party behind Abbas's Fatah -- who have signed a letter opposing the meeting. On Saturday Hamas called on Abbas to postpone the assembly until unity was reached between rival factions. The meeting comes as relations between Abbas and US President Donald Trump's administration have broken down ahead of the controversial relocation of the US embassy, which is set to open in the divided holy city of Jerusalem on May 14. In Hamas-run Gaza, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30. The PNC has not held a regular session since 1996, and last held an special session in 2009. - 'Consolidation of power' - The session is expected to begin Monday night with a lengthy speech from Abbas in which the 82-year-old is likely to address the embassy move, among other topics. His rhetoric has become more agitated as relations with the US have worsened since Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. That move broke with a decades-old international consensus that the holy city's status should only be determined in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestinians see annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. In March, Abbas called US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, a Trump appointee and long-time supporter of Israeli settlements, a "son of a dog". His position is weakened by the ongoing split with Hamas, which rules Gaza, after a reconciliation deal collapsed. Analysts say Abbas, elected to a four-year term in 2005, is seeking to further centralise power within the institutions he controls. Hugh Lovatt, a regional expert at the European Council for Foreign Relations, said he expected the meeting to "mark a further milestone in Abbas's consolidation of power and marginalisation of political rivals". The names selected for the executive committee will be seen as a key indicator of who is in favour in moderate Palestinian politics, Lovatt added, and even "provide an indicator of frontrunners in the race to succeed Abbas". Abbas will be one of three representatives of Fatah, along with long-time chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Azzam al-Ahmed, negotiator of the failed reconciliation agreement with Hamas. Seven smaller parties, excluding Hamas, will each nominate a candidate, while eight independents will also be selected. At least 10 of the current 18 committee members are expected to be replaced. "The mere fact that he is looking to an institution that has not met for 20 years just shows how illegitimate he is," said Diana Buttu, a former Abbas employee and now fierce critic. The split with Hamas has made elections impossible, so he has remained in power without a mandate. She said she was not expecting any serious challenges to his rule, though candidates are seemingly jostling behind the scenes for the post Abbas era. "They know in this environment not to indicate in any way they want to run against Abbas or seek to position themselves as successor as that is enough to provoke his wrath," she said. Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was once a major crossroads for caravans transporting Arabian incense, Indian spices and Chinese silks With its rock-hewn ancient city of Petra, lunar-like landscape of Wadi Rum and a medical tourism drive, Jordan is luring back foreign visitors scared off by regional upheaval and jihadist attacks. Abundant natural wonders and ancient treasures have long attracted tourists to the kingdom, traditionally seen as a haven of peace in a war-ravaged region. But after the Arab Spring uprisings convulsed the Middle East in 2011 and the Islamic State group (IS) later rampaged across neighbouring Syria and Iraq, visitor numbers slumped. Jordan welcomed seven million tourists in 2010, but arrivals plunged to around three million in each of the following two years, according to tourism board head Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat. Efforts to reverse the slide suffered a major setback in 2016 with a string of attacks in the kingdom, a member of the US-led alliance against IS. A Canadian tourist was among 10 people killed in a shooting rampage claimed by the jihadists in Karak, home to one of the region's biggest Crusader castles. But the spillover from the Syrian conflict has since abated and in 2017 tourist arrivals rebounded to more than four million, officials say. Abundant natural wonders and ancient treasures have long attracted tourists to the kingdom, traditionally seen as a haven of peace in a war-ravaged region "Jordan has proved to be a safe haven in a region which is witnessing turmoil," Tourism Minister Lina Mazhar Annab told AFP in an interview. "Jordan is a very safe country. We are proving to be safer than a lot of European countries. It is a matter of perception." The country's goal is to bring annual tourist arrivals back up to 7 million by 2020, she said, guiding a group of visitors through the steep paths of the ancient Nabataean city of Petra with its rose-pink cliffs. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, which featured in the Hollywood film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", was once a major crossroads for caravans transporting Arabian incense, Indian spices and Chinese silks. - 'Huge cultural wealth' - Today Jordan's historical jewels are a major draw. "I came here because it's a country with huge cultural wealth," said French tourist Emmanuel Reneaume, visiting the Amman Citadel perched at the top of a hill in the capital. "Just behind us there are ruins, a Roman temple, a Byzantine church and an Umayyad mosque. It's exciting," he said. Jordan boasts 21,000 archaeological and historical sites that span millennia, according to the tourism board. Jordan welcomed seven million tourists in 2010, but arrivals plunged to around three million in each of the following two years They include the Roman ruins of Jerash, the Dead Sea and Wadi al-Kharrar, or Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where some biblical historians believe Jesus was baptised. Such sites are helping to attract a growing number of tourists from Asian countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, China and India, according to the authorities. "People are coming back from all over the world," said the tourism minister. "This year, so far, it's looking great. The first quarter has been amazing. We also have seen growth of 15 percent in the number of visitors as well as tourism receipts." Lacking in natural resources, the country of nearly 10 million depends on tourism for around 12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In an attempt to diversify, the kingdom has sought to become a regional hub of medical tourism. "Between 250,000 and 300,000 foreign patients are admitted in Jordan each year, bringing in up to $1.5 billion," said the president of the country's Private Hospitals Association, Fawzi al-Hammouri. In March the government adopted a measure facilitating the entry of patients from Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, allowing them to obtain a visa within 48 hours. Samer Mostafa, a 50-year-old Iraqi who underwent open-heart surgery in a private hospital in the capital, said he was attracted by Jordan's "stable security situation, the cleanliness of its hospitals and the absence of power cuts in such facilities". Medical tourism now directly employs 35,000 people in Jordan, according to Hammouri. The majority of patients come from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and the Palestinian territories. Jordan is also a stop for Muslim pilgrims visiting holy sites in the region. And now the kingdom hopes to woo more European visitors thanks to an agreement struck in February with low-cost airline Ryanair for 14 new routes between Europe and Jordan. All of which gives tourism agency owner Salama Khatar reason for optimism. "Business is good. Since August we are starting to return to the situation of 2010," Khatar said. Observers fear the high stakes mean that cheating by the ruling coalition will be more rampant than ever before "Phantom" voters, electoral roll tampering, mysterious power blackouts during recounts -- Malaysian activists are gearing up to battle widespread cheating at what they fear will be the dirtiest election in the country's history. Prime Minister Najib Razak is facing a tough test at the May 9 poll due to a corruption scandal surrounding state fund 1MDB, discontent over rising living costs, and a challenge from veteran ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad. While vote-rigging has plagued previous Malaysian elections, observers fear the high stakes mean that cheating by the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will be more rampant than ever before. In response, opposition and civil society groups are training poll monitors to prevent fraud, while leading electoral reform group Bersih has set up an online platform to report instances of alleged rigging. "This election is not just dirty, it is filthy," Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert from John Cabot University, told AFP. "Najib's insecurity is delegitimising the electoral process." Even before a single ballot has been cast, Bersih lamented the poll had descended into an "open auction with votes for sale" due to local leaders -- mainly from BN but also the opposition -- giving out cash and gifts such as TVs and food hampers. Concerns have been raised about the electoral roll, with Bersih saying that it had so far received over 80 complaints from the public. These include reports of so-called "phantom" voters, such as people who have died but still appear on the list, or people whose names have appeared without them registering. At the last election in 2013, when BN lost the popular vote for the first time since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957, there were numerous allegations of cheating. There were reports of "dubious" voters including foreigners being flown into key constituencies in Malaysia to vote for BN. Supposedly indelible ink, used in a Malaysian general election for the first time and touted by the government as a guarantee against multiple voting, was found to wash easily off people's fingers. Sudden electricity blackouts at polling centres were also experienced during vote recounts, fuelling suspicions of ballot tampering -- something the ruling coalition denied. - No contest, but a beating - In the hope of stemming what they expect to be a tsunami of cheating, Bersih and other groups are training volunteers to monitor voting on polling day. At a recent session in a Kuala Lumpur hall, about 100 volunteers were being given pointers by Invoke, a think-tank linked to opposition group the People's Justice Party. They gathered around trainers who were pretending to be polling agents and teaching them how to check for suspicious activity. "We're doing this to ensure nothing funny happens on polling day," Invoke official Matthew Lai told AFP. "There are too many avenues to cheat." Despite their efforts, Bersih -- which led massive protests against Najib at the height of the 1MDB scandal -- is not confident that reports of alleged violations will be taken seriously, and says complaints made at the last election were not. There are some instances of alleged poll rigging that it is already too late to fight. In March the government pushed a redrawing of electoral boundaries through parliament, in a move that critics say unfairly favours the ruling coalition by creating constituencies dominated by their Muslim Malay supporters. - 'Even the opposition can win' - BN however insists that Malaysian elections are conducted fairly. "There's no such thing as cheating here... In our system, even the opposition can win," Information Minister Salleh Said Keruak told AFP. Najib is tipped to retain power at the election. Critics say this will be partly due to vote rigging but admit other factors such as a robust domestic economy will help him. Still the presence of 92-year-old Mahathir, who is heading the opposition, has made life more difficult for him. Mahathir came out of retirement to take on Najib, his former protege, in response to the 1MDB scandal, which allegedly saw billions looted from the state fund in a campaign of fraud and money-laundering. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. While Mahathir has predicted enormous cheating, critics say this is rich coming from a man who faced numerous accusations of fraud at polls during his own time in office. However, Welsh from John Cabot University said that vote-rigging has become more serious under Najib: "Elections are supposed to be a contest -- Najib wants it to be a beating." Scientists have said the reef suffered a 'catastrophic die-off' of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016 Australia pledged half a billion dollars to restore and protect the Great Barrier Reef Sunday in what it said would be a game-changer for the embattled natural wonder, but conservationists were not convinced. The World Heritage-listed site, which attracts millions of tourists, is reeling from significant bouts of coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. It is also under threat from the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which has proliferated due to pollution and agricultural runoff. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more than Aus$500 million ($400 million) would go towards improving water quality, tackling predators, and expanding restoration efforts. Turnbull said it was the "largest ever single investment -- to protect the reef, secure its viability and the 64,000 jobs that rely on the reef". "We want to ensure the reef's future for the benefit of all Australians, particularly those whose livelihood depends on the reef," he added. The reef is a critical national asset, contributing Aus$6.4 billion a year to the Australian economy. Canberra has previously committed more than Aus$2.0 billion to protect the site over the next decade, but has been criticised for backing a huge coal project by Indian mining giant Adani nearby. With its heavy use of coal-fired power and relatively small population, Australia is considered one of the world's worst per-capita greenhouse gas polluters. Canberra insists it is taking strong action to address the global threat of climate change, having set an ambitious target to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Turnbull said part of the money will be used to mitigate the impacts of climate change, but gave no details. Conservationists said while the funding was "an important step", the biggest threat to the reef was global warming and not enough was being done to combat it by embracing clean energy. "Science is well aware of what's killing the coral. It's the excess heat from burning fossil fuels," said Bill McKibben, founder of the global grassroots climate movement 350.org. "To simultaneously promote the world's biggest coal mine (Adani) while pretending to care about the world's largest reef is an acrobatic feat only a cynical politician would attempt." Australian Conservation Foundation chief Kelly O'Shanassy agreed. "Our elected representatives can't have it both ways," she said. "Climate change is the number one threat to the Great Barrier Reef and only concerted action to cut pollution will fully protect it." - Resilient reef - The bulk of the new funding -- just over Aus$200 million -- was earmarked to improve water quality by changing farming practices and adopting new technologies and land management. "The money will go towards improving water quality, working with farmers to prevent sediment, nitrogen and pesticide runoff into the reef," said Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg. "It will ensure that we tackle the crown-of-thorns... and use the best available science to ensure our coral is resilient to heat and light stress." He said the government would work with traditional Aboriginal owners, the tourist industry, farmers and scientists, to save the reef, calling the commitment "a game-changer". Earlier this month, scientists said the site suffered a "catastrophic die-off" of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016, threatening a broader range of reef life than previously feared. A study in the journal Nature said some 30 percent of the reef's coral perished, the first of an unprecedented two successive years of coral bleaching along the 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) reef. A new law now allows Lebanese living abroad to vote for the first time since independence in 1943 Voting in Lebanon's first parliamentary polls in almost a decade kicked off in Australia Sunday with thousands of people casting their ballots in the historic election. Some 12,000 members of Australia's Lebanese community are registered to vote, Lebanon's embassy in Canberra said, a week before the May 6 election that will carve out the country's political and economic trajectory. "It's a special day today, it's democracy day. As you can see everyone is happy here," Nazih Keir, a 44-year-old member of the Lebanese Muslim community in Sydney, told AFP at a polling station next to the huge Lakemba Mosque. The Middle Eastern country has not held a parliamentary poll since 2009 "We've been now from 2009 with no election -- nine years and a bit more -- and it is the first time in Australia, that is why we are so happy to get involved in the election in Lebanon and we hope that everyone gets what he wants." The Middle Eastern country has not held a parliamentary poll since 2009 and a new law now allows Lebanese living abroad to vote for the first time since independence in 1943. With an estimated community of 230,000 -- which includes Lebanon-born migrants and their families -- Australia is among the largest diaspora groups outside of the Americas. "It is a good feeling for us to feel like we are involved in making a decision in Lebanon and we feel that we can make changes," said Danny Gea Gea, 48, a Christian member of the Lebanese community. Some 12,000 members of Australia's Lebanese community are registered to vote But he also complained about the voting process. "Lots of people coming here, they can't find their name (on the register) and they are upset and angry," he said. People were casting their vote for one list of candidates running in their Lebanese district of origin, under a proportional list-based system. They were also choosing one candidate on a list of parliamentary hopefuls representing each religious community in that district under a strict quota system. Half of the seats in Lebanon's parliament are reserved for Christians and the other half for Muslims. After successive waves of emigration from the 19th century to the 1975-1990 civil war, some estimates say Lebanon's extended diaspora has bloated to a whopping 12 million, but most no longer have citizenship. Some 116 polling stations in Lebanese embassies and consulates in 39 countries are set up to vote, but only an estimated 82,900 people have registered to take part. Fifty years after Pakistan bought its first Mirages, many planes in the venerable fleet are still being patched up The sprawling complex at Kamra, west of Islamabad, reverbates at the thundering take-off of a Mirage Rose-1, the latest ageing fighter jet to have been gutted and reassembled by the Pakistani Air Force. Fifty years after Pakistan bought its first Mirages, many planes in the venerable fleet are still being patched up, overhauled and upgraded for use in combat, years after conventional wisdom dictates they should be grounded. That includes one of the first two planes originally purchased from France's Dassault in 1967, which was in a hangar at Kamra after its record fifth overhaul when AFP visited recently. The techniques they have developed are reminiscent of -- but far more high-tech and lethal than -- the improvised methods used to keep classic American cars running on the streets of Havana. Pakistan bought its first Mirages to diversify its fleet "We have achieved such a capability that our experts can integrate any latest system with the ageing Mirages," says Air Commodore Salman M. Farooqi, deputy managing director of the Mirage Rebuild Factory (MRF) at the Kamra complex. Pakistan bought its first Mirages to diversify its fleet, which in the late 1960s largely consisted of US-built planes: F-104 Starfighters, T-37 Tweety Birds and F-86 Sabres. The Mirage became a popular choice, with the Air Force buying 17 different variants in later years, eventually owning the second-highest number of the fighter jets after France. They performed bombing missions during Pakistan's failed war with India in 1971 -- one of the shortest conflicts in history, lasting just 13 days and leading to the creation of Bangladesh. Usually the jet has two or three life cycles, each spanning around 12 years But Mirages flew on, also carrying out reconnaissance missions in India, and intercepting and shooting down Soviet and Afghan planes that violated Pakistani airspace during the Soviet war. Usually the jet has two or three life cycles, each spanning around 12 years. But overhauling them abroad was expensive for Pakistan, a developing country whose budget is already disproportionately tilted towards its military and which has historically received billions in military assistance from countries such as the US. So, with the help of experts from Dassault, the air force decided if you want something done for the right price, you've got to do it yourself. - Makeover - The Mirage Rebuild Factory was established at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in 1978, and in the years since has saved "billions" of dollars for Pakistan, according to Group Captain Muhammad Farooq, in charge of one of the maintenance hangars -- though he said the exact figure was difficult to pin down. Mirages performed bombing missions during Pakistan's failed war with India in 1971 The planes take some seven weeks to be overhauled and repainted, he said, adding that usually the MRF has the capacity for more than a dozen planes a year. Its calendar for the next decade or so is already booked up. At least eight different Mirage variants, including the Mirage 5-EF, Mirage III-DP and Mirage-III Rose-I, were in one of the maintenance hangers when AFP visited. Engineers and technicians were dismantling cockpit instrument panels and landing gear while undertaking a "non-destructive inspection", essentially an X-ray to detect faults in the wings and airframe. Dozens of engines awaiting overhaul were piled in one hangar. Even planes that had suffered accidents such as fires breaking out have been patched back together at the facility. Dozens of engines awaiting overhaul were piled in one hangar Pakistan has also been buying up discarded Mirages from other countries to bring through the facility, said retired Air Marshal Shahid Lateef. The most important technological improvement, developed with the help of South Africa, is the ability to integrate air-to-air refuelling, Farooqi said. The "identification of friend and foe" (IFF) system, which detects when a Mirage has been locked on to by the system of another plane, was also a key development, he said. - Grand dames - But even with the improvements and cost-saving measures, the ageing planes are becoming more difficult to maintain. "They have outlived their lives... after their overhauls (they) have become highly unreliable, we even met with lots of accidents," Lateef said. The ageing planes are becoming more difficult to maintain The best option to replace them would be the Rafale, as neighbour and arch-rival India -- which has also flown and maintained Mirages for decades -- is doing, signing a deal with Dassault in 2016. The price tag is too much for Pakistan, however, retired Air Commodore Tariq Yazdani said. Instead Pakistan plans to replace them with the JF-17 Thunder aircraft that it co-developed and co-produced with China, the original manufacturer. Even as it becomes more urgent to phase them out, Mirages' status as the grand dames of Pakistani military aviation cannot be dismissed, Yazdani, who has logged 1,500 hours flying them, told AFP. It is a 'very agile aircraft capable of penetrating deep into the enemy's territory' It is a "very agile aircraft capable of penetrating deep into the enemy's territory without being detected by radar, which makes its sole mission -- to drop bombs on the enemy's position -- quite easy," he said. "It is an old aircraft," said aviation writer Alan Warnes, author of two books on the Pakistani air force. "But Pakistani pilots have been flying this plane with the utmost accuracy and expertise." The Burning Man Festival moved in the 1990s to Nevada's Black Rock desert Larry Harvey, the man who founded the popular Burning Man countercultural festival, died Saturday after suffering a massive stroke in early April, event organizers said. He was 70. Harvey died surrounded by family members at his San Francisco home, the official online Burning Man Journal said. "Larry was a visionary, a mentor, a philosopher, and a passionate advocate for Burning Man's culture and principles," a statement on the website said. "The world has lost a great human being." Harvey began the Burning Man tradition in 1986 when he and a group of friends set fire to an oversized wooden man on a beach near San Francisco. It soon became a summer solstice ritual, and as the wooden effigy grew and the event attracted more people it moved in the 1990s to Nevada's Black Rock desert. Today the multi-day annual Burning Man event, held in late August and early September, attracts tens of thousands of people and features interactive art exhibits as well as big-name music performers. Participants create a city in the middle of the desert that is "a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance," and end their weeklong gathering by burning a giant wooden statue of a man. Harvey is survived by his son Tristan, his brother Stewart, "and a global community of devoted Burning Man participants inspired by his vision to build a more creative, cooperative, and generous world," the website said. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is to meet President Donald Trump on Monday, the first African leader to be received by Trump's administration in the White House Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is to meet President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, the first African leader to be received by Trump's White House administration. All eyes will be on Trump after he earlier called African nations "shithole" countries, a damaging remark he has since denied. Trump's relationship with the continent suffered a further setback in March when former secretary of state Rex Tillerson was fired while in Nigeria on his first trip to the continent. As a result, the visit revealed little about Trump's Africa policy. Buhari's visit comes after Trump met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday and French President Emmanuel Macron last week to discuss the contentious Iran nuclear deal and biting trade sanctions. According to a White House statement, the talks will focus on fighting terrorism and insecurity, economic growth and democratic development in Nigeria, set to hold presidential polls in February next year. Nigeria is entering its ninth year fighting Boko Haram extremists, who have devastated the northeast of the country and killed over 20,000 people in a bloody quest to establish an Islamist state. Buhari is also battling a so-called herdsmen crisis, a sectarian conflict hardening along religious lines that has claimed scores of lives this year in escalating violence. "I think both sides have a clear agenda in this meeting and it's security and economic issues. They both have something to gain," J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center at the Washington-based Atlantic Council, told AFP. "On President Trump's side, it's definitely putting that controversy behind him," Pham said. "On President Buhari's side, it's having the prominence of being the first African leader received at the White House in this administration." - Improved relations - In spite of Trump's remarks, Nigeria's relationship with the United States has improved since he came into office, according to Lauren Blanchard, African affairs specialist with the Congressional Research Service. "(The visit) is intended to signal that the United States continues to see Nigeria as one of its most important partners on the continent," Blanchard said. "Cooperation has improved over the course of President Buhari's tenure but not as fast as both sides would like," she added. Buhari, who like Trump has a tendency to make gaffes, had lambasted former President Barack Obama shortly after coming into office for refusing to sell Nigeria weapons to fight Boko Haram. "Unwittingly, and I dare say unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the United States government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorists," Buhari said during a visit to Washington. Under the legislation, the US is prevented from offering weapons or training to countries where there is credible information of human rights abuses by authorities. In contrast, Trump's administration has gone ahead with the reported $496 million sale of up to a dozen Super Tucano aircraft, a plane with surveillance and attack capabilities, set to be delivered in 2020. The deal has recently come under scrutiny in Nigeria, a country with endemic corruption, where lawmakers are accusing the president of illegally withdrawing funds to purchase the planes. - Re-election momentum - While no major trade announcements are expected, Trump and Buhari will also be talking about ways to deepen economic cooperation. "There is the security element and the economic element that dovetails with Trump's agenda to push American business," said Pham. Buhari, who is seeking re-election in 2019, is likely to play up his administration's agriculture reforms and underline his commitment to democracy. This trip will also be used by his government to underscore that Buhari is fit for office after a series of health scares during his tenure. "It undercuts the 'Baba go slow' narrative," said Pham, referring to a nickname given to Buhari for his slow pace in office. "It's a build-up to his re-election campaign." The 75-year-old former military ruler was Nigeria's first opposition challenger to defeat an incumbent in a largely fair poll. His election as president triggered a wave of optimism for oil-rich Nigeria, which has Africa's biggest population but wrestles with rampant corruption and poor governance. Mozambique's cashew industry is one of the biggest in the world Mozambique is going nuts about cashews, and they're boosting the economy's health. The country's cashew nut industry, one of the world's biggest, was dealt a body blow first by the 1977-1992 civil war and then by a controversial World Bank assistance package. Now, the government is looking to help the curved, nutrient-packed nut to recover its past glory. In Nampula, in the country's north, the end of cashew nut season sees a processing factory burst into activity. Dozens of workers labour under a scorching hot roof, baked by the sweltering heat as they separate nut from shell with a stamp of the foot. Condor Nuts, where they work, is one business that has seized on the support offered by the government having opened a plant in a suburb of Nampula in the heart of cashew country 10 years ago. Condor boss Americo Matos told AFP that he was just getting started. "At the moment, we process 8,000 tonnes of nuts every year," he said. Mozambique is reviving its past cashew glory "Our goal is to quickly grow that to 10,000 tonnes a year and then, with our second factory, the company targets an overall capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year." In Condor's warehouses, sacks brimming with nuts are piled several feet high. Hundreds of workers -- as many as 1,000 at peak times -- are on hand to cut, open and peel the harvest, often by hand. For working five or six hour days in noisy conditions, the workers are paid 45 euros ($55) a month, barely more than the minimum wage. "Demand is very strong. We manage to sell everything we produce, the future is bright," Matos said. - Europe's hungry for cashews - Business is also booming for Armendo Joaquim Balanca, whose 140 cashew trees produced two tonnes of nuts last year. "That brought in 140,000 meticals (1,850 euros, $2,288)," he said. "I invested half and used the rest to pay medical costs and the children's school fees." Buoyed by his success, he now plans to plant 500 new trees. Almost three million tonnes of cashews are harvested every year around the world Since 2010, cashew consumption has surged in Europe, where the nuts have gained in popularity primarily because of their health benefits. Almost three million tonnes are harvested worldwide every year with Ivory Coast's crop leading the way with an annual production of 725,000 tonnes, followed by India and Vietnam. With output of just 140,000 tonnes every year, Mozambique lags behind the top three producers but is closing the gap -- and has big ambitions. "The productivity of the cashew trees is increasing and our plans are, in the near future, to reach the historic level of 200,000 tonnes of nuts a year," said Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario. That symbolic figure was reached in the 1970s -- the golden age of cashew farming -- but the civil war brought the sector to its knees. When peace returned, the World Bank imposed a neoliberal economic recovery strategy that shook the sector. Experts forced the government to end a tax which had funded development of the industry locally, convinced that the export of raw nuts would be more profitable for producers. - 'A good opportunity' - They're tasty, crunchy and very good for you The impact was devastating: 10,000 factory jobs were lost while the income of more than a million farmers went into freefall. "The goal of the World Bank was to ensure that the prices were at a level high enough to be sustainable," said the current head of the World Bank's Mozambique office Mark Lundell. "There were difficulties in implementing the project," he admitted. "Our focus has always been on trying to support the industry." Cashew nuts are now one of the crops fuelling growth in the agricultural sector. Today, almost half of the raw products are now processed locally. "Without local industry, the producers would not have been unleashed," said the government's cashew industry promoter Jaime Chissico. "We process far more locally than our African rivals and, with the increasing demand for processed products, we are in a good position." Cashew farmer Armendo Joaquim Balanca reaps the fruit of Mozambique's cashew revival And while competition is fierce with India and Vietnam, Mozambique is holding its own and attracting international investors. Jan Le Grange, the South African owner of 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) near Namialo to the east of Nampula, initially grew soya. But an overly dry year followed by a season of excessive rain forced him to rethink his plans. "I decided to go for cashew trees," he said, citing stable global demand and resilient prices. Le Grange just planted 30,000 cashew trees, a number he soon hopes to triple. "It is a good opportunity. I'm very optimistic," he said. Show me the money: African countries are perceived as among the most corruption-prone in the world, according to Transparency International A spectacular probe into French tycoon Vincent Bollore over suspected graft in Africa marks a rare exception among corporate titans doing business south of the Sahara. Bollore -- charged on Wednesday over contracts to operate ports in Guinea and Togo -- is by far the most prominent business leader to be investigated in France for suspicious activities in Africa. Campaigners have hailed the development as a break from decades of judicial indifference or nods and winks from the government over dubious deals in the former French colonies. The investigation stems largely from laws that are less than 18 months old. The so-called Sapin II Law, passed in December 2016, compels French firms to take preventive steps against graft. It also beefs up measures dating back to 2000 that enable punishment of corrupt practices used to win public contracts abroad. Under Sapin II, "corruption is punishable in all circumstances and in any place, even it is a crime committed abroad", said Thierry Dal Farra, director of the public business law department in UGGC Avocats, a large Paris-based firm of attorneys. The tougher legislation came after years of criticism by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and specialised NGOs which accused France of turning a blind eye to corporate corruption abroad. The Bollore probe breaks new ground in France -- but the United States already goes much further. Its prosecutors are empowered to pursue non-American companies for economic crimes committed outside US soil -- such cases often culminate in hefty fines. - Competition without ethics - If France is a European example of tighter regulation, ferocious competition from China -- the main trading partner of the African continent -- is deemed a hurdle to abolishing bad practices. One of the wealthiest men in France, Bollore is being probed over suspicious contracts to manage ports in Guinea and Togo "Emerging nations that will take decades to incorporate ethical concerns into their search for market share" are a major obstacle, said William Bourbon, head of an anti-corruption association called Sherpa. "The most stereotypical are the Chinese, who intimidate the entire world and who, when it comes to corruption in Africa, act with complete impunity," he told AFP. Already losing ground, French companies in Africa face seeing their share of contracts threatened by potentially unfair competition. "We would really like everybody to play by the same ground rules. We need competitors who are subject to the same requirements, shared regulations and reciprocity," said a spokesman for MEDEF, France's principal employers' organisation. - Whistleblowers wanted - Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the adoption of new guidelines providing for more systematic assessment of corruption in its 189 members, stressing that bad practice undermines growth, investment and tax revenue. Many African countries are only too well adapted to underhand deals. Most of them languish among the bottom ranks of the annual Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International. "What matters most is for African governments to adopt a practice of zero tolerance concerning corruption. If this is done, wherever investors come from, they will have to abide by the laws," said Samuel Kaninda, African regional advisor for Transparency International. "The problem is not a lack of legal instruments (in Africa)," he added. "It is that the institutions that fight against corruption suffer from a lack of independence at the political level." Setting a rare example, South Africa recently reopened legal proceedings against a subsidiary of French arms manufacturer Thales in an old case of alleged corruption. Former president Jacob Zuma has been charged with 16 counts of graft. Beyond legislative measures, activists argue that whistleblowers remain key to efforts to clamp down on corruption. "Whistleblowers are the worst enemies of a particular kind of financial elite," said Bourdon. "They are the ones who smash the locks, giving access to secrets." Last year, Bourdon became part of an international team that established a Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa, based in Senegal's capital Dakar. With lawyers listed in almost a score of African countries, the association offers legal and technical assistance to whistleblowers at risk and an online archive of cases in French and English. Hundreds of Rohingya staged a protest demanding justice for atrocities against their community as UN envoys visited refugee camps Hundreds of Rohingya staged a demonstration Sunday as UN Security Council envoys visited refugee camps in Bangladesh where about 700,000 people who have fled Myanmar in the past year have sought sanctuary. Some of the Muslim refugees broke down in tears as they told the ambassadors harrowing stories of murder and rape in Myanmar. The demonstrators waved placards demanding justice for atrocities against the refugees until they were dispersed by police. Senior diplomats from the 15-member Security Council -- including permanent members the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday for a four-day visit to the camps. They will go on to Myanmar where they are to meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar has faced intense international pressure over the military clampdown against the Rohingya launched last August that the United Nations has called "ethnic cleansing". The Security Council has called for the safe return of the Rohingya and an end to the discrimination against them. However, deputy Russian ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy, whose country has supported Myanmar, warned that the council did not have a "magic stick" to resolve what is now one of the world's worst refugee crises. "We are not looking away from this crisis, we are not closing our eyes," the Russian diplomat told reporters. Britain's UN ambassador Karen Pierce said the Rohingya "must be allowed to go home in conditions of safety". "It may take some time but we'd like to hear from the government of Myanmar how they wish to work with the international community," she said. - Safety needed - The UN envoys first visited Konarpara camp, a no man's land between Bangladesh and Myanmar where some 6,000 Rohingya have been trapped on bleak scrubland since the bloodshed began last year. The UN Security Council delegation will travel to Myanmar to meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi after meeting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh The camp's Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad said council envoys spoke with some women victims of the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, as well as community elders. "We told them that we're staying here to save our lives. We're very much eager to go back to our land, provided our security is ensured by the UN," Mohammad told AFP. Later, the diplomats went to the giant Kutupalong camp where hundreds of Rohingya staged the protest that was dispersed by police before the envoys arrived. A second was later held in the camp. "We want restoration of our citizenship under Rohingya ethnicity. We want security and return of our confiscated land and properties," said Rohingya leader Mohibullah. The council members were "shocked" by the accounts of rapes, murders and torture endured by the Rohingya in Rakhine, according to Mohibullah. Myanmar has said the military operation in Rakhine was to root out extremists and has rejected nearly all allegations that its security forces committed atrocities. The Security Council delegation is to meet with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday before leaving for Myanmar. They are to go on a helicopter flight over Rakhine to see the remains of villages torched during the violence. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the visit was not about "naming and shaming" Myanmar, but that "the message will be very clear for them: the international community is following the situation and has great interest in resolving it." On Friday, Human Rights Watch called for the Rohingya crisis to be referred to the International Criminal Court. "The lack of a UN Security Council resolution has left the Myanmar government convinced that it has literally gotten away with mass murder," HRW executive director Kenneth Roth told reporters in Yangon. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the South's President Moon Jae-in during a historic summit that he is ready for talks with Japan "any time" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is ready for dialogue with Japan "any time", Seoul's presidential office said Sunday, as concerns grow in Tokyo that it is being sidelined from the reconciliation drive with Pyongyang. Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a historic summit on Friday at the border truce village of Panmunjom -- becoming the first leader from the North to set foot in the South after the 1950-53 Korean War. The summit -- only the third-ever between the leaders of the two neighbours -- came ahead of Kim's planned meeting with US President Donald Trump after months of tensions sparked by North Korea's nuclear and long-range missile tests last year. Japan -- a key US ally in Asia -- has long maintained a hardline position on negotiations with Pyongyang, but has found itself left on the sidelines of the recent whirlwind diplomatic activity. Hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had earlier informed Seoul of his intention for talks with the North -- a message Moon relayed at Friday's summit with Kim, the South Korean president's spokesman said. "President Moon told Kim that Prime Minister Abe had an intention talk to the North and... normalise diplomatic ties between the North and Japan," Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters. "And Kim said that the North was willing to talk to Japan any time," he said, adding that Moon told Abe about the North Korean leader's response in a phone conversation Sunday morning. Abe said Tokyo would seek to create "an opportunity to talk to the North", with Moon's help if necessary, and the South's leader said he would be "happy to build a bridge" between the two nations, according to the spokesman Kim. The Japanese premier had cautiously welcomed the inter-Korea summit but urged Pyongyang to take "concrete action" toward nuclear disarmament. Tokyo had also earlier called for Seoul to address at the inter-Korea summit the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the North -- a major domestic issue in Japan -- but Moon's office did not mention the topic on Sunday. Japan has demanded that Pyongyang provide information about its abducted citizens, believed to have been taken to provide language training to North Korean spies. The two Koreas share resentment toward Tokyo's brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the peninsula, and the North has regularly threatened to attack Japan, which is well within the range of Pyongyang's missiles. Bollore sits at the head of a sprawling business empire French industrialist Vincent Bollore went on the offensive Sunday over the corruption charges brought against him over his business dealings in Africa, claiming the case was rooted in prejudice about the continent. In an opinion article in French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche the head of the Bollore Group, who was charged in connection with the awarding of two lucrative port concessions in West Africa, said the continent was wrongfully portrayed in France as a "land of misrule, even corruption". "People imagine heads of state deciding by themselves to award huge contracts to unscrupulous investors." Investigating magistrates on Thursday charged the 66-year-old over allegations that his group's communications arm undercharged the presidents of Guinea and Togo for work on their election campaigns as sweeteners for contracts to operate Conakry port and Lome port. Defending himself against the claims, Bollore wrote: "Who could imagine that a few hundred thousand euros in spending on communications, which were accounted for in a transparent manner... determined hundreds of millions of euros in investment in port operations that require significant technical know-how, obtained through international tenders?" Bollore, one of France's most powerful businessmen, sits at the head of a sprawling business empire with revenues of 18.3 billion euros ($22.4 billion) in 2017 and interests in everything from construction and logistics to media, advertising and agriculture. Africa accounts for about 20 percent of its turnover, excluding the Vivendi media group which is controlled by the family-run Bollore Group. - France 'will need Africa' - In the letter titled "Should we get out of Africa?", Vincent Bollore said the French investigation had made him question whether he should pursue his activities on the continent, where he had invested 4 billion euros ($4.8 billion). "I have realised over the past few days that what we have been doing in good faith for a long time, seen through the prism of those who consider the continent to be run by lawless people, is fertile ground for legitimate suspicion," he wrote. Slamming the "inaccurate and condescending treatment of Africans" he warned that "soon, France will need Africa more than the other way round." The nearly 200-year-old Bollore Group operates a dozen container ports in Africa and has stakes in several others, along with three railway concessions and interests in palm oil production. Its communications arm Havas worked on Guinean President Alpha Conde's winning 2010 election campaign. Months after taking office, Conde terminated the contract of Conakry's existing port operator and gave it to rival Bollore. Havas also worked on the communications strategy of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe. After Gnassingbe's re-election to a second term in 2010, the Bollore Group won the 35-year Lome port contract. Both decisions were challenged by other bidders. Smoke rises from buildings in Yarmuk, a Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of Damascus, during regime shelling targeting Islamic State group positions in the southern district of the capital on April 28, 2018 A deal has been reached for the evacuation of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk where Islamic State group fighters have been holed up in southern Damascus, state media reported Sunday. The transfer of "terrorist groups" to rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria would begin on Monday, said the official SANA news agency, which did not name IS jihadists. It came hours after the Syrian government and rebels agreed to evacuate opposition fighters from the areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, also in southern Damascus, according to SANA. The announcements followed a more than one week-old regime assault to oust IS fighters from the capital's southern suburbs. Earlier on Sunday, SANA said opposition fighters and members of their families would be evacuated from the three rebel-held areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, east of Yarmuk. The deal gave fighters the choice between leaving the area with their families or handing over their weapons and staying, SANA said. The reported deal is the latest in a string of such agreements that have seen the regime retake areas near the capital after rebel withdrawals. Over the past two days, regime forces have retaken large parts of the district of Qadam on Yarmuk's western flank, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Earlier, behind the frontlines, an AFP correspondent on an army tour of the area west of Yarmuk heard sniper fire, as well as heavy regime air strikes and shelling. At the devastated Qadam train station, soldiers took a break inside one of the train's carriages, one peering out from a broken window. - 'Narrow alleys'- A picture taken during a government guided tour in Damascus' southern Qadam neighbourhood shows smoke rising from buildings in Yarmuk, a Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of the capital, and the surrounding areas, during regime shelling Another lit some firewood to boil some water for tea, as a thick column of black smoke billowed up into the sky not far off. On Sunday, regime warplanes pounded Yarmuk and the neighbouring district of Hajar al-Aswad, the Observatory said. SANA said regime forces continued advancing in Hajar al-Aswad. Yarmuk and its surroundings have been the jihadist group's largest urban redoubt in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, after IS lost most of the swathes of territory it once held in both countries. The jihadists have held parts of Yarmuk and Hajar al-Aswad since 2015, and overran Qadam in a surprise assault last month. On Saturday, IS seized a hospital and surrounding buildings on the eastern edges of Yarmuk as it tried to push towards Yalda, the Observatory said. The announcement of a deal for Yalda and nearby areas comes after the regime reconquered what was once a key rebel bastion east of Damascus this month. Eastern Ghouta fell after a brutal military operation and a series of similar evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Russia that saw tens of thousands of residents bussed to northern Syria. A military source told AFP the battle against IS in southern Damascus was very different to the operation to retake the former rebel enclave. In southern Damascus, "the buildings are close together and alleys narrow" so tanks and heavy weaponry can not operate, he said. At least 85 regime fighters and 74 IS jihadists have been killed in 10 days of fighting in southern Damascus, the Observatory says. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011 with a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Saudi Arabia's King Salman shakes hands with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the capital Riyadh on April 29, 2018 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at Iran during a rapid tour of Middle East allies on Sunday ahead of a crucial White House decision on whether to quit the nuclear deal with Tehran. After setting off on his first diplomatic trip only hours after being sworn in, Pompeo met with Saudi and Israeli leaders, two countries with especially close strategic bonds with the United States. Both also have a common enemy in Iran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the nuclear deal to either be altered or scrapped, though most world powers see it as key to preventing Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons. "Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said while standing next to Netanyahu after their two-hour meeting in Tel Aviv. He reiterated that US President Donald Trump will withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran "if we can't fix it". Netanyahu said "Iran is trying to gobble up one country after the other." "Iran must be stopped," the premier said. "Its quest for nuclear bombs must be stopped. Its aggression must be stopped." Both Netanyahu and Saudi leaders appeared delighted that Pompeo, like Trump, included their countries on his first foreign trip since taking office. The former CIA chief and congressman showed similar affection, saying when meeting Netanyahu that he and his country were an "incredibly important partner, occupy a special place in my heart too." - 'Made no decision' - Pompeo met earlier on Sunday with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, after dinner on Saturday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He later flew to Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. Pompeo accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, including through its support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and for Shiite rebels in Yemen. "(Iran) supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Huthi rebels in Yemen and Iran conducts cyber-hacking campaigns. And it supports the murderous Assad regime," he said at a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. "Unlike the prior administration we will not neglect the vast scope of Iran's terrorism." Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the nuclear deal was "not negotiable". "The nuclear deal or any other subject under its pretext is not negotiable in any way," he told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a phone call, quoted by the presidency website. "Iran will not accept any restrictions beyond its commitments." Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril a landmark 2015 nuclear accord. Britain, France and Germany all remain committed to the deal, saying it is the best way to keep Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile programme. Jubeir said Riyadh supports "efforts aimed at improving the nuclear deal" and called for further sanctions against Iran for its "violations of international decisions on ballistic missiles, its support for terrorism and its interference in the affairs of countries in the region." Pompeo said the nuclear deal "in its current form" does not do enough to make sure Iran never possesses atomic weapons. Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany left Washington this week after talks with Trump which failed to secure any promise to keep the deal alive. In Washington, National Security Advisor John Bolton also said Trump was still considering his options. "He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," Bolton told Fox News. - 'Hopeful' on Qatar crisis - Absent from Pompeo's agenda were any meetings with the Palestinian leadership, which is boycotting the White House over its decision to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, expected to occur on May 14. Pompeo said in Tel Aviv that "we are incredibly proud" of the decision. Senior Palestinian official Ahmed Majdalani told AFP the policy of boycotting Trump's administration would continue. Pompeo made mention after meeting Netanyahu of the White House wanting a "lasting and comprehensive peace" between Israel and the Palestinians, but other issues took centre stage. Speaking to reporters on the flight to Tel Aviv, Pompeo said he discussed calls from Trump for Saudi Arabia and other Middle East allies to contribute more to regional stability, including in Syria where the United States has more than 2,000 troops. He also said he was "hopeful" of an end to the Gulf crisis that has seen Saudi Arabia and regional allies impose a diplomatic and trade embargo on fellow US ally Qatar. Pompeo will conclude his first diplomatic trip on Monday after talks with senior Jordanian officials, then fly back to Washington to move into his office in the State Department. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office on April 29, 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran's "growing aggression" when he meets visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later Sunday. Pompeo, sworn in only on Thursday, met Saudi leaders on Sunday as part of his first trip since taking office. He was due in Israel and Jordan later in the day. "I think that it is important that he is coming to Israel as part of his first visit outside the US as secretary of state," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "I will discuss with him developments in the region, Iran's growing aggression and -- of course -- the nuclear agreement with Iran, about which there will be a decision soon." US President Donald Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 accord over Iran's nuclear programme. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the deal with Israel's main enemy to be altered or scrapped, though most world powers see it as key to preventing Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons. On Friday, after talks with NATO allies in Brussels, Pompeo appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the nuclear deal. Netanyahu has also warned that his country will not accept Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad's regime. On April 9, seven Iranian personnel were among 14 people killed in a strike on the T-4 airbase in Syria. Regime allies Iran and Russia blamed Israel for the attack. Trump's recent promise to withdraw troops from Syria led to concern in Israel, which wants Washington to help limit Iran's influence there. Pompeo's visit also comes ahead of the deeply controversial move of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, planned for May 14. Palestinian leaders have frozen contact with the White House over the move, and Pompeo is not due to meet with any of them during his trip. French national Romain Franck (R), a worker at the French consulate, and Palestinians Moufak al-Ajluni (L) and Mohamed Katout (C) appear in court in the Israeli city of Beersheba on March 19, 2018, to face charges of smuggling guns from Gaza A French consulate worker charged with smuggling arms from Gaza to the West Bank will remain in custody throughout his trial, an Israeli court ruled Sunday. Romain Franck, a French citizen, was charged last month along with several Palestinian suspects with belonging to a gun-running network that sold the weapons to arms dealers between November and February. According to prosecutors, Franck took advantage of reduced security checks for consular vehicles to transport the weapons out of the Palestinian enclave. Israel's Shin Bet internal security service said Franck was motivated by money, with the indictment alleging he was paid a total of around $5,500. At the Beersheba district court on Sunday, judge Nasir Abu Taha ordered that Franck remain in custody for the duration of his trial, after his attorney Abed Abu Amir agreed there was "alleged evidence" against his client, court documents read. Speaking with reporters after the hearing, Abu Amir said Franck was being kept in custody because he could not meet the conditions for house arrest: two guarantors staying with him around the clock. "We have one person and he can't stay with him all the time," he said. "We hope soon to find another guarantor and we can bail him out." Abu Amir said prosecutors had yet to share all their material with the defence but so far had produced no physical evidence. Their case, he said, was "based on a confession given by him and the Palestinian guys who were arrested." "They didn't recover even one single bullet," Abu Amir said. "There is no gun, no nothing." Those entering and exiting the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing with Israel undergo strict security checks by Israeli authorities, but these measures are eased for diplomatic visitors. The Palestinian enclave, home to some two million people, is sealed off from Israel by a wall and fencing. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008. Israeli authorities carry out regular operations to seize weapons in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. A Saudi Aramco gas and oil production plant is seen in the Shaybah field of Saudi Arabia's remote Empty Quarter on May 10, 2016 Saudi national oil giant Aramco said Sunday that five new members had been appointed to its board of directors, including the first woman in the firm's history. Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, 60, is the former head of US oil company Sunoco Inc. and has been director of oil services company Baker Hughes since July last year. She has served on the boards of several major oil firms. Forbes ranked her 10th on its list of the world's 100 most powerful women in 2009. Other newly-appointed Aramco board members include Minister of Finance Mohammed al-Jadaan, while Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh was retained as the company's chairman, state-owned Aramco said in a statement. The new appointments come as the oil-dependent kingdom, faced with persistent budget deficits due to low crude prices, prepares to sell up to five percent of Aramco in an initial public offering either this year or in 2019. The kingdom hopes to raise around $100 billion from the IPO, based on a $2 trillion (1.6 trillion euro) valuation of the company, which controls massive oil and natural gas deposits. Afghans mourn a victim of the Kabul bomb blast which claimed 57 lives. A series of attacks on voter registration centres across the war-torn country has deterred many Afghans from signing up to participate in the October 20 ballot Afghanistan is airdropping leaflets as it steps up efforts to boost the low number of voter registrations for upcoming legislative elections, amid concerns that a poor turnout will undermine the credibility of the poll. A series of attacks on voter registration centres across the war-torn country, including a suicide bomb in Kabul a week ago, has deterred many Afghans from signing up to participate in the October 20 ballot. Just over 650,000 adults had registered by Saturday, a fortnight after the two-month long process began, data compiled by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) showed. The IEC, which is overseeing preparations for the long-delayed parliamentary and district council vote, hopes to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres. But if the current trend were to continue, fewer than three million people would be registered by the mid-June deadline. "We are concerned about the low turnout," IEC spokesman Shafi Jalali told AFP on Sunday, adding the process may be extended to lift numbers. Authorities have deployed planes to drop leaflets in a number of provinces raising awareness about the elections, which are seen as a test run for next year's presidential poll. A radio and television campaign is also under way and civil servants have been granted a day off to sign up. - Schools at risk - The IEC has placed many of the voter registration centres inside schools and mosques, triggering concerns that students and worshippers could be at risk. Last Sunday's suicide attack outside a voter registration centre in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood of Kabul killed 60 people and wounded 129. It was very close to several schools. Since then, thousands of parents in mainly Shiite areas of the city have pulled their children out of schools with registration centres, several principals told AFP on the condition of anonymity. "Hundreds" had dropped out of classes at one high school of 7,000 students after the attack, the principal said. "The parents are coming every day to demand that we remove the registration site. We have submitted their request to the education department and are waiting for a reply," she said. An education ministry spokesman told AFP they were concerned about security of voter registration centres in schools, but had not received any complaints from parents or reports of falling attendance. "If there is any real threat facing our students or the continuation of lessons... we will no doubt take action," spokesman Kabir Haqmal said. In the eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday an explosion about 100 metres (330 feet) from a mosque being used to register voters wounded five civilians, provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani told AFP. Another hurdle to voter registration is a sticker placed on national identification certificates showing the holder has signed up for the poll. There are concerns that the stickers could put voters in restive districts at risk of being targeted by Taliban or Islamic State militants who have signalled they intend to disrupt the elections. str-mam-us-emh/amj/fa The removal of a Manila memorial to WWII sex slaves has sparked outrage in the Philippines Advocacy groups voiced outrage Sunday after a memorial to women forced to work as sex slaves to Japanese soldiers during World War II was taken down in Manila. City authorities said the bronze sculpture of a blindfolded woman, which was on a bayside promenade in the Philippine capital, was removed Friday to make way for a drainage and footbridge project. However, advocacy groups for the memory of so-called "comfort women" wondered whether the Philippine government had yielded to Japanese displeasure over the memorial. While Japan occupied the Philippines during the war, it is now one of the Philippines' top investors, trading partners and aid donors. After the statue was installed in January, some two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Japanese embassy, Tokyo said the move was "very unfortunate". "The Japanese government is working hard... they also wanted to get rid of a similar statue in New Jersey," said Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina, an organisation of comfort women survivors and advocates. "This is a desecration of Filipino women's dignity as it casts a foul insult on hundreds of Filipina sex slaves victimised under the Japanese occupation," women's group Gabriela said. Manila's public works department could not be reached for comment and the Japanese embassy in the Philippines did not immediately respond to an email. Historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including the Philippines and China, were forced to work in wartime military brothels for Japanese invasion troops. The number of Philippine women involved is believed to number in the hundreds. Activists have in recent years set up dozens of statues in public venues around the world, many of them in South Korea, in honour of the victims. The statues have drawn the ire of Tokyo, which has apologised to Seoul over the issue and has since pressed for the removal of one of the statues outside its embassy there. Philippine officials had approved the statue in Manila, which was funded by a Filipino-Chinese philanthropist to highlight the suffering of comfort women. Asked about the statue's removal, President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday conceded he knew little about it but urged Filipinos not to "insult" Japan. "It is not the policy of (the) government to antagonise other nations," he said. Lebanese nationals in Ivory Coast voted for the first time Sunday in parliamentary elections back home Hundreds of Lebanese expats in Ivory Coast voted Sunday in their country's first parliamentary election in almost a decade, though turnout was low in the home of Africa's largest Lebanese diaspora. The Middle Eastern country has not held a parliamentary poll since 2009 and a new law now allows Lebanese living abroad to vote for the first time since independence in 1943. "We're hoping for change in Lebanon, we want more jobs and freedom," Ghassan Ghossein, a Lebanese who arrived in Ivory Coast seven years ago, told AFP as he voted in the capital Abidjan. Voters queued outside the school hall polling station, sheltering from the sun under orange and white beach umbrellas. Inside, a camera filmed ballot boxes, providing a live video feed to election monitors back in Beirut. One woman voter, who didn't want to give her name, said it was important for Lebanese expats to still have a say in the governing of their homeland. "They've given us this chance, so of course we're going to vote," said the woman, who emigrated to West Africa 24 years ago and whose daughter was born in Ivory Coast. But although around 100,000 people of Lebanese descent live there today, only 2,300 people registered to vote Sunday. Many Lebanese jumped at the chance to cast their votes on Sunday "It's the first time, so many people didn't know how to do it," Lebanon's ambassador to Abidjan Mohammed Khalil explained. "But next time the number will increase." Half of the seats in Lebanon's parliament are reserved for Christians and the other half for Muslims. After successive waves of emigration from the 19th century to the 1975-1990 civil war, some estimates say Lebanon's extended diaspora has bloated to a whopping 12 million, but most no longer have citizenship. Some 116 polling stations in Lebanese embassies and consulates in 39 countries are set up to vote, but only an estimated 82,900 people have registered to take part. "I'm from Saida," said Mirvat Kadoura Al-Mallah, an Abidjan-based voter who hails from the Lebanese port city. Some 116 polling stations in Lebanese embassies and consulates in 39 countries are set up to vote "It's so important that our voice is heard (back home)." Fiji won a dramatic and tightly-fought final against Australia to clinch the 2018 Singapore Sevens title Olympic champions Fiji stormed to victory in a dramatic final at the Singapore Sevens on Sunday, narrowly edging out a captainless Australia 28-22 to go top of the circuit table. With the clock ticking in the second half, it appeared Australia -- leading by one point -- had the title in the bag, but they scuppered in the very last minute by the spirited Fijians. The tightly-fought match was won in the final play of extra time, with Alasio Naduvawho sprinting 95 metres across the field to score the final try. "I'm speechless. Australia are a very good side and took us to the wire. We gave everything for this final," Fiji captain Jerry Tuwai said in a post-match interview. "Thank you very much (everyone back home) for all your prayers support and belief in this young team." The Fijians may lack the high-end training facilities of their wealthier opponents, but the world-beaters are set apart by fierce team spirit and guided by their deep faith. Fiji had arrived in Singapore looking for a third consecutive Sevens victory after winning the Vancouver and Hong Kong legs of the challenge. This is their fourth victory on the circuit. After dispatching New Zealand in a blistering quarter-final -- a repeat of this year's Commonwealth Games final -- the Fijians narrowly edged out South Africa 12-10 at the semifinals. Sunday's win has also helped them displace the Blitzboks at top spot. Australian captain Jesse Parahi sat out the final after he picked up an injury during the semi-final match against England earlier in the day and had to be stretchered off the field. Second seed South Africa were dispatched by England in the bronze medal match 24-26, which saw a last-minute try by Michael Ellery. Earlier in the day, 2017 champions Canada faced the US team in a repeat of last year's final, but were demolished this time by the Americans who were in top form. Often referred to as the "surprise Sevens", the Singapore leg of the tournament has seen three different winners in as many editions. Usually held a week after the marquee Hong Kong Sevens, the Singapore stop has often suffered from lacklustre attendance with fans preferring Hong Kong's party atmosphere. A car drives past a damaged mosque in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor in this November 5, 2017 file photo Rare clashes broke out Sunday between Syrian regime forces and a US-backed alliance in the east of the country, killing six alliance fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. State news agency SANA said the army seized control of four villages from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Deir Ezzor province, where the Kurdish-led alliance has been fighting the Islamic State jihadist group. The SDF and Russian-backed Syrian government forces are conducting parallel but separate offensives against IS in the oil-rich province. But both sides have largely avoided running into each other and a deconfliction line exists to avoid such incidents. The Kurdish-led alliance is present on the eastern side of the Euphrates River that cuts across Deir Ezzor province, while regime forces hold territory on the river's western bank, including the provincial capital of the same name. "The regime's aim is to protect Deir Ezzor city by pushing back SDF fighters from the eastern bank" of the Euphrates, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Incidents between both sides have occurred in the past. In February, the US-led coalition backing the SDF carried out air strikes in Deir Ezzor that killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters. Washington said the strikes were in retaliation for an attack on its own personnel and SDF forces. In September last year, the SDF accused Russia of killing one of its fighters in strikes on a gas facility newly retaken from IS. Russian women sentenced to life in prison for joining IS jihadists stand with their children at a court in Baghdad on April 29, 2018 Iraq on Sunday sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of heavy verdicts against foreign women linked to the jihadists. The head of Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, said the women were found guilty of "joining and supporting IS", according to an AFP journalist at the hearing. Six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also condemned to life in prison Sunday on the same charge. The women, who have the right to appeal against the sentences, entered the court one-by-one dressed in black headscarves and pink blouses, most of them accompanied by their children. They addressed the court through a translator, a Russian-language professor at Baghdad University hired by their embassy for the trial. "We will contact the parents to inform them of the verdict," a Russian diplomat at the hearing told AFP. IS took over nearly one third of Iraq in a blistering 2014 offensive, seizing control of the country's second largest city, Mosul, among others. Baghdad declared military victory over the jihadists in December, after expelling them from all urban centres. It has detained at least 560 women and 600 children identified as jihadists or relatives of suspected IS fighters, and is wasting no time in putting them on trial. Most of the women on trial Sunday claimed they were tricked into going to Iraq. "I did not know we were in Iraq," said one of the accused. "I went with my husband and my children to Turkey to live there, and then I suddenly discovered that I was actually in Iraq." Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership. There is no official figure. Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS, judicial sources said earlier this month. Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held in-depth talks about a denuclearization "mechanism" The US has an "obligation" to pursue a diplomatic solution with North Korea, and there is a "real opportunity" for progress, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview broadcast Sunday. "We have an obligation to engage in diplomatic discourse to try and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by Kim Jong Un and his nuclear arsenal," Pompeo told ABC's "This Week." America's top diplomat also said he and North Korean leader Kim held in-depth talks about a denuclearization "mechanism" when they met over Easter weekend. "We talked a great deal about what it might look like, what this complete, verifiable, irreversible mechanism might look like," Pompeo said, according to a transcript released by ABC. Pompeo told journalists on Sunday that he believes Kim is looking for "concrete" actions. "I'm confident that Kim Jong Un is looking for more than a piece of paper," Pompeo said during a Middle East trip. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Libya's decision to give up its nuclear program through diplomacy was a "model" for efforts to get North Korea to do likewise. "We have very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004," Bolton told Fox News Sunday when asked if North Korea would have to fully give up its nuclear weapons, fuel and missiles before the US makes concessions. "There are obviously differences, the Libyan program was much smaller. But that was basically the agreement that we made," Bolton said. - Fears over 'Libya model' - Libya announced in late 2003 that it was giving up any ambitions to acquire weapons of mass destruction and would allow UN inspections of its nuclear sites, following months of secret talks with London and Washington. But Libya's move to scrap its nuclear program also serves as a model of what North Korea fears will happen: its government was later overthrown by rebel forces supported by Western air strikes in 2011. Pyongyang regularly cites the fates of Saddam Hussein in Iraq -- whose government was toppled by a US-led invasion -- and Libya's Moamer Kadhafi, who was killed after his fall from power, as evidence of the need for nuclear arms. South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Kim in an historic summit, agreeing on Friday to pursue a permanent peace and the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. An armistice brought the fighting on the Korean peninsula to an end in 1953 but, 65 years later, a final peace agreement has still not been reached. The Moon-Kim meeting has raised expectations for US President Donald Trump's own planned summit with the North Korean leader, the date and location of which have not yet been finalized. Last year, Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test, by far its most powerful to date, and launched missiles theoretically capable of reaching the US mainland. Its actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war. Trump has demanded the North give up its weapons, and Washington is pressing for it to do so in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way. Pyongyang is demanding as yet unspecified security guarantees to discuss its arsenal. Critics have accused the Indian government of privatising historic monuments such as the Taj Mahal after it launched a controversial scheme allowing companies to "adopt" dozens of sites Heritage activists Sunday accused the Indian government of trying to privatise historic relics such as the Taj Mahal after it launched a controversial scheme allowing companies to "adopt" dozens of monuments. Opposition politicians accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of "leasing out" monuments under the "Adopt a Heritage" plan that will see 95 historic sites taken over by private entities. India's tourism ministry on Saturday announced a five-year contract worth 250 million rupees ($3.7 million) with the Dalmia Bharat conglomerate for the iconic 17th-century Red Fort in Delhi and another fort in the southern Andhra Pradesh state. Other monuments on the list include the Taj Mahal -- which two conglomerates are competing for -- and the 12th-century UNESCO-listed Qutub Minar complex in Delhi. The Red Fort -- built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1639 and also on the UNESCO list -- is where India's prime minister makes an annual independence day speech. The government says contracts awarded under the programme will only cover development, operations and maintenance of amenities around the Red Fort. Dalmia Bharat will be allowed to put up some advertising, set ticket prices and earn money from their sales, under government supervision. All proceeds must go into improvements of the monument, according to government officials who insist companies will not be allowed to profit from the scheme. Critics said, however, the auctions were a virtual privatisation of the relics. The opposition Congress Party slammed the programme and called for more government funds to run the facilities instead. "Why should it be leased out? Sad and dark day in our history," Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal state and a vocal Modi critic, said on Twitter. Delhi-based historian and heritage activist Rana Safvi said it remained unclear how corporate management of these sites will be monitored. "There is no clarity on how much money corporates will spend on the facilities but they are certainly going to generate more funds from tickets than the contract amount," she told AFP. Under the scheme, the companies that will manage the sites will also produce historical guides. Many monuments on the list are from the era of Muslim rulers, and their history has been a source of controversy for some right-wing Hindu nationalists, including from Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They have claimed, for example, that the Taj Mahal was built on a Hindu temple. "We are not sure which historic sources (the companies) will use in audio-video guides. That remains an area of concern," Safvi said. India has nearly 3,700 historic monuments, including 31 UNESCO world heritage sites. Major historic "monuments are a nation's crown jewels. They should not be played around with," historian William Dalrymple said on Twitter. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (L) speaks during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in the capital Cairo on April 29, 2018 French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on a visit Sunday to discuss regional issues, including developments in Libya, and to strengthen ties. "The two sides agreed that relative progress has been made in Libya, which requires elections be held before the end of the year," Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement following their talks. In a joint news conference held with his counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Le Drian said "the electoral process, which is indispensable, must be completed by the end of the year." Libya has been gripped by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations and multiple militias vying for control of the oil-rich country. Le Drian, who arrived in Cairo on Saturday night, said his meetings also included discussions over Syria and Palestinian issues, as well as human rights in Egypt. The top French diplomat also met Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit. On Egypt, Le Drian linked human rights with terrorism in his meeting with Sisi, whose government has been regularly accused by international and domestic rights groups of committing serious violations to silence dissent. "The vitality of civil society and guaranteeing civil liberties is the best defence against terrorism," Le Drian said, adding Sisi himself initiated talks on the issue during their meeting. Militants with the Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians, mainly in North Sinai, where the group is based, but also elsewhere in Egypt. Commenting on the on France's joint air strikes with the United States and Britain last month against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Le Drian said that "we did not declare war on anyone, we declared war on chemical proliferation." Like other reformist newspapers, Shargh returned to the newsstands in late 2012 after being banned for several years The head of Iran's reformist newspaper Shargh was freed Sunday, a day after being arrested over a report on "prostitution" in a northeastern city that angered residents, Iranian media said. Mehdi Rahmanian, the director of the newspaper, was released in the afternoon after paying bail of 500 million rials ($9,000 dollars), the ILNA news agency reported. The courts had summoned him "after a complaint by a group of residents of the Shahid Rajai neighbourhood of Mashhad," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, quoting the city's deputy prosecutor Hassan Heydari. "The newspaper had described some of the district's women as prostitutes." Mashhad's Khorassan newspaper said Rahmanian had been detained after initially failing to pay the bail. Shargh on April 8 published a report on the murder of a six-year-old Afghan girl in the impoverished Shahid Rajai district of Mashhad, the second-largest city in Iran. The article quoted an official from an association for children and poor people who said the district was home to several brothels and that drugs were sold there. Khorassan said the article had provoked an angry protest by residents in front of the local mosque three days later. Heydari said the prosecution had asked Rahmanian to "take action" against the journalist who wrote the article and "repair" the damage caused but measures were not taken. Like other reformist newspapers, Shargh returned to the newsstands in late 2012 after being banned for several years. It is one of the main reformist newspapers and a key supporter of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative elected to a second term in 2017. Since taking office, Rouhani has been the target of intense criticism by ultra-conservatives, who dominate the judiciary and the security services. No caption Dubai's giant port operator DP World on Sunday joined hands with Virgin Hyperloop One to create a global firm that will build high-speed cargo delivery systems. The new company, DP World Cargospeed, will create futuristic transport systems using Hyperloop's tube-based technology to deliver goods and link existing road, rail and air transport infrastructure. And while it will require tens of billions of dollars in investments, it already has potential projects in India, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, officials said. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, head of state-owned DP World, said the partnership with Hyperloop, backed by British tycoon Richard Branson, would help "shape the future of global logistics". The launch was attended by the UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum. "With this system you can move any cargo around the world in less than 14 hours, whether you are in China or in the North Pole, it will not take more than 14 hours," Sulayem said. Branson, who was appointed chairman of the new company, said the project would "enable ultra-fast, on-demand deliveries of high-priority goods". "On-demand deliveries are a novelty today. Tomorrow it will be the expectation." In February, Virgin Hyperloop One announced plans for a super-fast rail network linking India's financial capital Mumbai to the city of Pune about 142 kilometres (88 miles) away. Hyperloop CEO Rob Lloyd said a 10-15 kilometre(six to nine mile) demo track would be built first before construction began along the full route. The partnership is currently looking at projects in India and the Middle East, but Lloyd they may also look to work in Canada and the United States. "By the end of the year, I believe we could actually have three government-funded and supported projects underway, two of which could begin construction in 2019 and one in 2020," he told AFP. "We will have an international group certifying this technology for safety and regulatory approvals for 2022," he said. The first phase of each project will cost between $300 and $500 million, while a full network carrying millions of passengers a year will require investments ranging between $3 billion and $15 billion, Lloyd said. The first full super-fast rail network is expected to be in commercial use by 2025, he said. Migrant caravan demonstrators climb the US-Mexico border fence during a rally, on April 29, 2018, in San Ysidro, California At least 150 Central American migrants reached the border between Mexico and the United States on Sunday, determined to seek asylum from the US. The group arrived in the Mexican border town of Tijuana, part of a caravan of more than 1,000 people who set out from Mexico's southern border on March 25. "We still need to ask for asylum and we hope the US government will open the doors," Reyna Isabel Rodriguez, 52, told AFP after travelling from El Salvador with her two grandchildren. "What worries me most are my grandchildren. I don't want to be separated from them," she said. Some of the group sang the Honduran national anthem, and about 30 of them climbed the border fence and shouted slogans about the migrant struggle. "We want to tell the president of the United States that we are not criminals, we are not terrorists, that he gives us the opportunity to live without fear. I know that God will touch his heart," said Irineo Mujica of the migrant rights group Pueblo Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders) that organized the procession. Border patrol agents could be seen observing the migrants from the US side on Sunday. - US warning - Pro-migrant caravan demonstrators stage a rally in on April 29, 2018 atthe US-Mexico Border in San Ysidro, California; the caravan is a tradition dating back to 2010 and is designed to draw attention to the plight of destitute Central Americans Washington has threatened to arrest the migrants if they try to sneak in from the border. The Department of Homeland Security issued a stark warning Wednesday to the first 120 who arrived, including some 50 minors. "If you enter our country illegally, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution," DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said. The caravan is a tradition dating back to 2010 and is designed to draw attention to the plight of destitute Central Americans crossing through Mexico to try to reach the US and the promise of a better life. This time, it set out with 1,000 people, but they have since dispersed, with some now travelling on their own. Media coverage of the US-bound caravan triggered a flurry of furious tweets from US President Donald Trump, who ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the border and called on Mexico to stop the migrants. Mexico rejected the pressure from Trump. Instead, it gave the migrants a one-month transit pass to decide if they want to seek refuge in Mexico, go back home or keep trudging toward the United States. MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A statue honoring women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II has been quietly removed from a busy seaside promenade in the Philippine capital, angering women's groups. Manila City Hall said in a statement that the bronze statue of a blindfolded Filipina, unveiled alongside Manila Bay in December, will be returned once drainage work is completed. It gave no time frame for the project, alarming activists who suspect that the Japanese government pressured the Philippines to take the monument down. "What happened is that we kneeled down to the Japanese. ... That's why it's shameful, so shameful," said Teresita Ang See, co-founding president of a Chinese Filipino group. Michael Charleston "Xiao" Chua, a professor at De La Salle University in Manila, called on the public to fight to get back the statue as a symbol of national dignity. The monument was removed Friday night. Japan's minister for internal affairs and communications, Seiko Noda, had expressed regret over the construction of the monument in January. Japan's Kyodo News agency cited the Japanese Embassy in Manila as saying the Philippine government had notified the embassy of its intention to remove the statue. The emotional issue of "comfort women" has provided a dilemma for the Philippines' relations with Tokyo, a major provider of aid and financing to Manila. A National Historical Commission marker says the monument memorializes Filipinas who suffered abuses during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. It was built with donations from Chinese-Filipino groups and individuals. Historians say 20,000 to 200,000 women from across Asia, many of them Koreans, were forced to provide sex to Japan's front-line soldiers. Japanese nationalists contend that the so-called "comfort women" in wartime brothels were voluntary prostitutes, not sex slaves, and that Japan has been unfairly criticized for a practice they say is common in any country at war. In 1995, Japan provided through a private fund 2 million yen ($18,000) each to about 280 women in the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea. However, many women in South Korea and the Philippines have demanded a full apology accompanied by official government compensation. Last year, Osaka terminated its 60-year sister-city ties with San Francisco to protest a statue commemorating Asian sex slaves that was erected by California's Korean, Chinese and Filipino communities. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Ibson Barreto da Silva and Darwin Quintero each scored to help Minnesota United beat the Houston Dynamo 2-1 on Saturday night and end a four-game skid. Ibson redirected a cross by Miguel Ibarra to give Minnesota (3-5-0) a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute. Ibarra tapped it to Martin on the right side, who led Ibarra toward the goal line where he fed Ibson for the finish just inside the far post. Houston's Alberth Elis opened the scoring in the 10th when Romell Quioto played a cross to Elis for a sliding goal into a wide-open net. Minnesota United midfielder Alexi Gomez (32) reacts after his team's victory over the Houston Dynamo in an MLS soccer game Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Quintero converted from the spot to make it 1-1 in the 40th minute after Alejandro Fuenmayor was called for a hand ball in the area. The Dynamo (2-3-2) outshot Minnesota 19-6. Minnesota has allowed a goal in 20 consecutive matches, the longest active streak of its kind in MLS. Minnesota United forward Christian Ramirez reacts after suffering an apparent injury, during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Minnesota United midfielder Ibson, right, scores a goal past Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis, on ground, during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Minnesota United goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth (33) made a save off a corner kick in the first half of an MLS soccer game against the Houston Dynamo, Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Houston Dynamo midfielder Oscar Garcia (27) and Minnesota United midfielder Sam Nicholson (12) collide while jumping for a header during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) Minnesota United head coach Adrian Heath celebrates his team's victory over the Houston Dynamo in an MLS soccer game Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) NEW YORK (AP) - Daniel Jacobs smiled in his corner after an action-packed third round, looking pleased to be in a tough fight. It wasn't clear he would win it until he knocked Maciej Sulecki down with the kind of punch he wants to throw at the middleweight division's biggest names. The 12th-round knockdown helped Jacobs win a unanimous decision Saturday night, strengthening his hopes of getting another title shot. Daniel Jacobs walks away from Poland's Maciej Sulecki after knocking him down during the 12th round of a middleweight boxing match early Sunday, April 29, 2018, in New York. Jacobs won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Jacobs pulled out a competitive fight, winning by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 and handing the Polish fighter his first loss. "Going into the late rounds, the championship rounds, I mean ultimately what I was thinking was just to give these fans a great show," Jacobs said. The Associated Press scored it 116-111 for Jacobs. Jacobs (34-2-0) became the mandatory challenger for the WBA 160-pound title, giving the popular Brooklyn fighter and cancer survivor hopes of a chance to avenge his unanimous decision loss to Gennady Golovkin from last year. Golovkin is fighting next week and afterward may want to turn his attention back to Canelo Alvarez after their planned May 5 rematch was scrapped when Alvarez was suspended for six months by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing two drug tests. So Jacobs also mentioned a fight with Jermall Charlo, who became the WBC's interim middleweight champ with a second-round knockout of Hugo Centeno Jr. in this same ring last week. "My plan is to fight any of the champions with the belts, any of the top guys at middleweight," Jacobs said. "If Brooklyn wants Charlo, then Charlo it will be." Jacobs had a much tougher time with Sulecki (26-1), who seemed to gain confidence as the fight went on and was getting the better of some of the action in the late rounds until Jacobs caught him with a quick right to the head early in the 12th, sending Sulecki to the canvas as Brooklyn fans roared for the hometown fighter. There had been chants of "Brook-lyn, Brook-lyn" earlier in the bout from the local fans that made up the announced crowd of 7,892 at Barclays Center. But the vocal section of Polish fans grew louder in the later rounds as their fighter rallied. They had traded hard shots across the final seconds of the third, Jacobs smiling in his corner afterward as if pleased the action was picking up. Disappointed that Luis Arias went defensive and he had to settle for a decision in his last bout, Jacobs seemed to enjoy being in a real fight Saturday. He won it by finding a way to be just a bit quicker than Sulecki in their exchanges. But promoter Eddie Hearn has been calling Jacobs the best middleweight in the world, and at times Saturday he was barely the best middleweight in the ring. But Hearn things Jacobs' performance will rise with his next opponent. "Now he must have a marquee fight next because he will rise and box even better against the better fighters," Hearn said. Earlier, Jarrell Miller remained unbeaten and made his case for a potential shot at heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua by winning a unanimous decision against Johann Duhaupas. The 304-pound "Big Baby" won 119-109 on two judges' cards and 117-111 on the other. Also a Brooklyn native, he improved to 21-0-1 in just his fourth fight that didn't end in a stoppage. He sure tried, though, pounding away with power shots throughout the fight that had swelling all around Duhaupas' eyes in the final rounds. "He was a tough, durable fighter," Miller said. "I thought I could get him out of there earlier but he ate all my punches, even the ones I threw with bad intentions." Hearn discussed the possibility of having Joshua, holder of three heavyweight title belts, face Miller next, rather than a unification bout against Deontay Wilder, in what would be his first fight outside of his native Britain. "I'm ready for Anthony Joshua," Miller said. "Let's bring him to Brooklyn and show him how we do it." The pressure was on Miller to fight and entertain well to look worthy of the matchup, and he was up to the task. He came to the ring in a "Black Panther" mask and promptly began pounding Duhaupas (37-5) with an array of punches, trapping his nearly 60-pounds-lighter opponent against the ropes and crouching low to go to the body or get good leverage to fire uppercuts. The brash big man said he wants the Joshua fight but made it clear he will have other options. "I'm not going to sit here and sit on my knees and beg," he said. ___ Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/briancmahoney Daniel Jacobs, left, punches Poland's Maciej Sulecki during the 10th round of a middleweight boxing match Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. Jacobs won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Jarrell Miller, right, punches Johann Duhaupas, of France, during the fifth round a heavyweight boxing match Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. Miller won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh (AP) - A U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in neighboring Myanmar. The diplomats, who visited the sprawling camps and border points where about 700,000 Rohingya have taken shelter, said their visit was an opportunity to see the situation firsthand. Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, said he and his fellow team members would not look away from the crisis after their visit, though he warned that there are no simple solutions. Members of the U.N. Security Council team walk at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. The diplomats, promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) "It's very necessary to come and see everything at place here in Bangladesh and Myanmar. But there is no magic solution, there is no magic stick to solve all these issues," he said at a news conference at the Kutupalong refugee camp in the coastal town of Cox's Bazar. The diplomats will conclude their three-day visit to Bangladesh on Monday, when they leave for Myanmar. The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on Aug. 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by U.N. and U.S. officials as "ethnic cleansing," Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed. The diplomats, comprising representatives from the five permanent Security Council members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - and 10 non-permanent member states, talked to some 120 refugees, including rape victims. Peru's ambassador to the U.N., Gustavo Adolfo Meza Cuadra Velasqez, said he and his fellow team members were ready to "work hard" and were "very concerned" about the crisis. "I think we have witnessed the magnitude of the refugee crisis and very tragic situation of some of the families," he said. The refugees are seeking U.N. protection to return home. The U.N. refugee agency and Bangladesh recently finalized a memorandum of understanding that said the repatriation process must be "safe, voluntary and dignified ... in line with international standards." Karen Pierce, the U.K.'s ambassador to the United Nations, said the Security Council would continue to work on enabling the refugees to return to Myanmar, but that the Rohingya must be allowed to return under safe conditions. "The problem there lies in their expulsion, treatment and the fact that they had to flee to Bangladesh," she said. Rohingya are denied citizenship in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar, where they've faced persecution for decades. They're derided as "Bengalis," and many in Myanmar believe they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Most of them live in poverty in Myanmar's Rakhine state, next to Bangladesh. Thousands of refugees gathered amid scorching heat at the Kutupalong camp to welcome the visiting delegation. They carried placards, some of which read "We want justice." "We are not Bengali, we are Rohingya. They have killed my family members, they tortured us, they will kill us again," said one of the refugees, 29-year-old Mohammed Tayab, standing in front of a tent where he was waiting to meet the U.N. team. Tayab, who was using crutches, said he was shot by Myanmar troops in his right leg. He said he lost a brother, an uncle and a nephew after Myanmar soldiers shot them dead. "I am here to talk to them, we want justice from them," he said of the diplomats. "I will tell them my stories. They should listen to us." ___ This story has been corrected to show Polyansky's title is Russia's deputy ambassador to U.N., not ambassador. Wounded Rohingya refugees walk with the help of crutches as they await the arrival of a U.N. Security Council team at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. A U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) Rohingya refugees holing placards, await the arrival of a U.N. Security Council team at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. A U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) Members of the U.N. Security Council team walk at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. The diplomats, promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) A member of the U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh speaks during a press conference at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. The diplomats, promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) Rohingya refugees holing placards, await the arrival of a U.N. Security Council team at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. A U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) Rohingya refugees holing placards, await the arrival of a U.N. Security Council team at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. A U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. NVC in the placard refers to Myanmar's proposed ID cards, called the national verification cards. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) Members of the U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh raise their hands during a press conference at the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 29, 2018. The diplomats, were responding to a question from a journalist who asked how many of them believed that the people in the camps are Rohingyas. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - After more than a year in office, President Donald Trump for the first time is hosting an African president at the White House. The meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday comes after an uncomfortable start to the Trump administration's approach to the world's second most populous continent. Security and economic issues top the agenda for the bilateral meeting and working lunch. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with almost 200 million people, is the largest economy on the continent and the leading crude oil exporter. Buhari was one of the first two African leaders Trump called after he took power, along with South Africa's president. Nigeria is also one of Africa's most troubled when it comes to extremism. Extremist group Boko Haram launched a violent insurgency in the northeast nine years ago with the aim of creating an Islamic state, and tens of thousands of people have been killed. Mass abductions of schoolgirls brought Boko Haram international notoriety and one faction has declared allegiance to the Islamic State group. FILE - In this Friday, May 29, 2015 file photo, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari arrives for his Inauguration at the eagle square in Abuja, Nigeria. After more than a year in office, President Donald Trump for the first time is hosting an African president at the White House. The meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, April 30, 2018 comes after an uncomfortable start to the Trump administration's approach to the world's second most populous continent. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File) Boko Haram is now active in neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad and poses one of the most severe security threats to West Africa's vast Sahel region. With Nigeria nowhere close to fully defeating Boko Haram despite government claims of having "crushed" the extremists, Buhari is expected to seek further U.S. military assistance. Already the Trump administration has made a $600 million deal to supply military planes and security equipment, one that was stalled under the Obama administration because of allegations that Nigeria's military has been involved in human rights including rape and extrajudicial killings. "Absent clear evidence of a systematically abusive regime, moral preening is of little utility in dealing with situations like this," J. Peter Pham, director of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center, said in a blog post on Thursday, saying Buhari's administration has taken a "much more decisive approach" to Boko Haram. Buhari, facing elections early next year, is under pressure to deliver on promises to defeat Boko Haram that helped him win office in 2015 in a rare democratic transfer of power in Nigeria. In addition to seeking greater security collaboration, Buhari and Trump also will "discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as promoting economic growth," the Nigerian presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said in a statement. Nigerian newspapers report that a team of government officials that travelled to the U.S. ahead of Buhari have signed an agreement to provide four companies led by General Electric the opportunity to invest an estimated $2 billion to modernize key railways between Nigeria's commercial hub, Lagos, and the northern city of Kano and between Port Harcourt in the oil-rich Niger Delta and the northern city of Maiduguri - the birthplace of Boko Haram. China, the top investor in Nigeria, already is deep into similar infrastructure work in the country. Officials in Buhari's delegation also will try to strike a deal with U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing for a new state-owned airline project that Nigeria's junior aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, has said will be the largest in Africa. Nigerian officials are also expected to explore financing arrangements with the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation. While Nigeria seeks closer military and security ties with the U.S., it can't overlook the difficult moments since Trump came to power - not least Trump's firing of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson just hours after Tillerson came to Nigeria on the highest-level U.S. visit to Africa since Trump took office. In December, Nigeria and several other African countries that are traditionally friendly with the U.S. at the U.N. General Assembly voted to condemn Trump's controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In January, Nigeria was one of a number of outraged African countries to summon the U.S. ambassador to explain Trump's reported vulgar remarks likening the continent to a filthy toilet. The U.S. president already had caused anger in Nigeria in June when he reportedly said Nigerians wouldn't want to return to their "huts" if allowed to visit the U.S. Such utterances have left Trump with a low rating among many Nigerians, though some in the country with a sometimes tense Muslim-Christian divide have said they support the U.S. president's wary stance on Muslim immigrants, notably his administration's travel ban. The stricter immigration policies, however, also make it more difficult for many Nigerians to travel to the U.S., doing nothing to give Trump a positive perception in a country where many youths want to escape economic hardship at home. In light of the Trump administration's perceived neglect of Africa, with key posts including assistant secretary of state for Africa and several ambassadorships remaining unfilled, "the administration may see the Buhari visit as an opportunity to make some amends, though they are unlikely to say as much," a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, wrote Friday for the Council on Foreign Relations. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis has decried an attack on a church in Nigeria that killed 15 people, including two priests. In remarks Sunday to the public in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff prayed that Nigeria's Christian community can find harmony and peace. The massacre last week occurred in Benue state in central Nigeria, which has recently seen a series of attacks, many linked to an ongoing dispute between farmers and herdsmen. Pope Francis attends an audience for the participants in the "United to Cure" international conference on the cure for cancer in the Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Saturday, April 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has described the attacks on churches as an attempt to stoke religious conflict. BOSTON (AP) - Sneaking a cigarette in the school bathroom? How quaint. Today's teens have taken to vaping, an alternative to smoking that's so discreet they can do it without even leaving the classroom. Health and education officials across the country are raising alarms over wide underage use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. The devices heat liquid into an inhalable vapor that's sold in sugary flavors like mango and mint - and often with the addictive drug nicotine. They're marketed to smokers as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, but officials say they're making their way to teens with surprising ease. In this Wednesday, April 11, 2018 photo, an unidentified 15-year-old high school student uses a vaping device near the school's campus in Cambridge, Mass. Health and education officials across the country are raising alarms over wide underage use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. The devices heat liquid into an inhalable vapor that's sold in sugary flavors like mango and mint - and often with the addictive drug nicotine. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) A new wave of smaller vapes has swept through schools in recent months, officials say, replacing bulkier e-cigarettes from the past. It's now common in some schools to find students crowded into bathrooms to vape, or performing vape tricks in class. "We've seen significant increases across the student body," said Robert Keuther, principal at Marshfield High School on the south shore of Massachusetts. "This is not something specific to one group of kids. It's across all of my grades, nine to 12. It's all students." Vaping devices are notoriously difficult to detect for schools, often leaving behind only a quick puff of vapor and a light fruity scent. Students get away with it in bathrooms, halls and even classrooms, where some say they exhale the vapor into their shirts. Although buying e-cigarettes is illegal under age 18 - and some states have bumped the minimum age to 21 - students say they can buy them online or from older friends. Some say there are dozens available for sale in school hallways at any given time. The rise of teen vaping has sparked concern among parents, politicians and federal health authorities, who on Tuesday announced a nationwide crackdown on underage sales of e-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to retail stores as part of its new operation against illegal sales. It also requested marketing and design documents from the maker of the Juul, a popular vape product that is shaped like a flash drive. The agency says it's looking into whether certain features are specifically appealing to young people. Some schools have been inundated by the Juul, which dispenses a flavored vapor containing higher concentrations of nicotine than tobacco cigarettes. The device's maker says it's intended only for adults trying to quit smoking. Its website aims to block underage customers, and the company says it supports legislation to raise the minimum age for vaping products to 21 nationwide. But critics say the Juul's sweet flavors and stealthy design seem to be aimed at kids. In an April 18 letter to the FDA, a coalition of medical and health groups called for a suspension of online sales until authorities create stronger rules against underage sales. Similar measures have been backed by school leaders including Keuther, who oversees 1,300 students south of Boston. "There's a reason why it's marketed that way," he said, referring to the Juul's concealable design. "We wish there was a way to curb that, because the industry is clearly targeting younger kids." Many schools are pushing back with education campaigns against vaping. Health and gym classes feature new lessons on potential risks. Teachers are being trained on what to look for. Schools are producing online videos on the dangers of e-cigarettes. At some schools, vaping penalties have been raised to an automatic suspension. Several in New Jersey now require drug tests for offenders, partly because vapes can dispense marijuana. New York's Plainedge High School was among the first to install new bathroom sensors that can detect e-cigarette vapor and immediately alert administrators. Few students have been caught so far, but officials say that isn't a sign of failure. "The truth of the matter is the kids see it, they know what it is - and it in itself is a deterrent," said Edward Salina, superintendent of Plainedge Public Schools. Whether schools' efforts are making a broader difference has yet to be seen, though. Teen vaping decreased for the first time in 2016 after rapidly rising for years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated numbers are expected in June. Medical experts are still trying to understand the potential risks tied to vaping. Most agree that it's safer than smoking traditional cigarettes, but little is known about long-term effects. And while research has found trace amounts of chemicals like formaldehyde in many e-cigarettes, it's unclear whether they exist at levels that can cause health problems. Some students say that it's better to be vaping than using cigarettes or other drugs. Cameron Uldricks says he vapes almost every day but has never smoked tobacco. And even though it landed him a suspension from his high school near Columbus, Ohio, the 17-year-old said he has no plans to cut back or quit. "Honestly they treat it like frigging cocaine," said Uldricks, a sophomore at Worthington Kilbourne High School. "What would they rather have me do, smoke cigarettes or vape?" While high schools have typically faced the widest problems, some districts say it's now spreading to middle schools. At Chickamauga City Schools in rural Georgia, officials instituted a three-day suspension for vaping this year after catching several students doing it at the middle school. Superintendent Melody Day said it's still unclear whether the crackdown has worked. North of New York City, officials at South Orangetown Middle School hosted a forum for parents last month after starting to see some cases. Students caught vaping go through counseling on risky behaviors, which officials hope will halt any escalation to further drug use down the line. "They'll do that after taking the risk here," said Karen Tesik, principal at the middle school. "This is the age group that is the most at risk for taking that first step." ___ Binkley can be reached on Twitter at @cbinkley In this Wednesday, April 11, 2018 photo, an unidentified 15-year-old high school student displays a vaping device near the school's campus in Cambridge, Mass. Schools and health officials across the U.S. are struggling to curb what they say is an epidemic of underage vaping. Officials say teens and children are getting easy access to e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, which heat liquid into an inhalable vapor that often contains nicotine. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) In this Tuesday, April 10, 2018 photo Marshfield High School Principal Robert Keuther displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at the school in Marshfield, Mass. Health and education officials across the country are raising alarms over wide underage use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. The devices heat liquid into an inhalable vapor that's sold in sugary flavors like mango and mint, and often with the addictive drug nicotine. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian government forces on Sunday briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, then lost the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides that had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State extremist group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. Hours later, Syrian state television reported airstrikes it described as a "new aggression," with missiles targeting a number of military outposts in northern Syria. Syrian TV reported early Monday that the missiles targeted outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through activists on the ground, reported loud explosions in the Hama countryside and Aleppo province resulting from missiles targeting a base of the 47th Brigade in Hama that houses Syrian government and allied Iranian forces. It also reported missiles hitting positions near the Nairab air base and Aleppo airport. It said the source of the missiles was not immediately known, and had no information on casualties. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base in the central Homs province. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel, which has frequently targeted what it says are weapons shipments to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Syria, did not confirm or deny it. The U.S., Britain and France also carried out joint airstrikes on Syrian government facilities April 13, in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus they blamed on President Bashar Assad's government. There was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States. State news agency SANA said the villages briefly captured by government forces Sunday were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. Much of Deir el-Zour province was held by the Islamic State group but over the past year Syrian government forces captured most areas west of the Euphrates while SDF fighters took areas east of the river. On Feb. 7, pro-Syrian government fighters attacked SDF positions east of the river and faced a ferocious U.S. counterattack that left dozens, including Russians, dead. SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel said in a statement earlier Sunday that the Syrian army attack coincided with "our forces' preparations to complete the Island Storm campaign" to liberate the remaining areas east of the river from IS. Gabriel said the Syrian army and pro-government fighters began targeting SDF fighters to impede "the launching of our campaign against terrorism. Our forces are responding in self-defense." "We affirm that we are determined to eradicate terrorism from its roots and to assert our right to self-defense," Gabriel said about IS. "We consider this aggression by regime forces to be a support for terrorism and falls within the attempts to impede the war on terrorism." The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said Sunday's offensive left six SDF fighters dead and 22 wounded adding that there were also casualties on the government side. Gabriel issued another statement later saying all the area lost earlier was regained by SDF fighters. He said Syrian troops were backed by Russian fighters adding that after the SDF's counteroffensive, government forces "are now far away." The Observatory's chief Rami Abdurrahman said SDF fighters took back most of the area except for one village. The fighting in eastern Syria came as Syrian state media and the Observatory reported that an agreement was reached between the Syrian government and several rebel factions to evacuate the last three rebel-held suburbs of the capital Damascus. SANA said the deal will let opposition fighters who want to evacuate the area head to rebel-held regions while those who decide to stay can hand over their weapons and benefit from an amnesty. The Observatory said rebels who will leave will head to the northwestern province of Idlib, the northern town of Jarablus, and the southern province of Daraa that borders Jordan. The three suburbs of Babila, Beit Sahem and Yalda have been held by rebels for years and their capture would bring all suburbs of the capital under government control. The agreement came as government forces captured more areas from the IS in the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk and the neighborhood of Hajar al-Aswad. SANA said troops captured most of the Qadam neighborhood as well as the Assali and Joura quarters in Hajar Aswad. ___ Associated Press writers Zeina Karam in Beirut and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's judiciary has confirmed the arrest of a British-Iranian university professor on security charges. Abbas Edalat, a computer scientist and mathematician at Imperial College London, was reportedly arrested earlier this month by the Revolutionary Guard, which has detained several dual-nationals in recent years. Iran's official IRNA news agency on Sunday quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi as saying Edalat had been detained on "security charges," without elaborating. It was the first official confirmation of his arrest. On Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency said Edalat was one of several people arrested by the Guard over accusations of being part of a "network affiliated with Britain." Edalat had actively campaigned against Western military action targeting Iran. NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine (AP) - A man accused of killing a sheriff's deputy was held in the state's maximum-security prison on Sunday pending his initial court appearance. John Williams was transferred to the Maine State Prison in Warren after his arrest on Saturday, the fourth day of a massive manhunt in the central part of the state. Williams, who's expected in court on Monday or Tuesday, is accused of killing Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole, 61, early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened road in Norridgewock. This photo released by the Maine State Police shows an officer holding John Williams for an identification photo as he was being apprehended Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Norridgewock, Maine. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting of Somerset County Sheriff's Deputy Eugene Cole early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened road in Norridgewock. Officials said the 29-year-old Madison man also stole Cole's cruiser and robbed a convenience store. (Maine State Police via AP) Helicopters, tactical vehicles and rifle-toting law enforcement officers poured into the region, putting residents on edge, but that gave way to relief when Williams was taken into custody outside a remote cabin. Shirtless and shoeless when captured, Williams, 29, appeared to be exhausted when he was led out of the woods. Cole's brother, Tom Cole, said that people were honking their car horns as they drove by his house on Saturday. "The whole town was celebrating with me," he told WMTW-TV. During the manhunt, area residents were discouraged from holding any sort of public memorial because law enforcement didn't want any mass gatherings. Tom Cole said the grieving for his brother can start now that Williams is in custody. Eugene Cole's funeral will be May 7 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Williams couldn't be reached for comment while in custody, and it was unknown if he had a lawyer who could comment for him. A lawyer likely will be appointed for him at his initial court appearance. Williams' family members also couldn't be reached for comment. ___ This story has been corrected to show Cpl. Eugene Cole was 61, not 62. Maine State Police detectives lead John Williams toward a police cruiser Saturday, April 28, 2018, on Norridgewock Road in Fairfield, Maine, following a four-day manhunt. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting of Somerset County Deputy Sheriff Eugene Cole early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened roadside in Norridgewock. Officials said the 29-year-old Madison man also stole Cole's cruiser and robbed a convenience store. (David Leaming/Waterville Morning Sentinel via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Maine State Police detectives lead John Williams to a police cruiser Saturday, April 28, 2018, on Norridgewock Road in Fairfield, Maine, following a four-day manhunt. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting of Somerset County Deputy Sheriff Eugene Cole early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened roadside in Norridgewock. Officials said the 29-year-old Madison man also stole Cole's cruiser and robbed a convenience store. (David Leaming/Waterville Morning Sentinel via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Police walk down railroad tracks during a search for suspect John Williams off the Martin Stream Road Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Norridgewock, Maine. The Maine Department of Public Safety reported that 29-year-old John Williams was in custody Saturday but provided no details of the arrest. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting of Somerset County Deputy Sheriff Eugene Cole early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened roadside in Norridgewock. Officials say the 29-year-old Madison man also stole Cole's cruiser and robbed a convenience store. (David Leaming/Waterville Morning Sentinel via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - The Latest on U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo's trip to the Middle East (all times local): 6:15 p.m. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has offered a strong boost of support for Israel against Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waits for the start of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday, April 27, 2018. NATO is set on Friday to hold its last major meeting in its old headquarters, with talks focused on strained ties with Russia, a fresh peace effort in Afghanistan and a new training mission for Iraq. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) On his first official trip abroad, Pompeo met with Israeli Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to in Tel Aviv on Sunday to discuss both countries' concerns about Iran. Both men described the talks as successful. "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said. "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Pompeo also said the U.S. will withdraw from the international nuclear agreement with Iran if it is not renegotiated. Netanyahu has long urged the international community to revise the deal or scrap it. ___ 5 p.m. The new U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first official trip abroad to punish Iran for its missile programs. Ahead of Pompeo's arrival, Netanyahu said the talks would focus on "Iran's growing aggression" in the region and the upcoming U.S. decision on the international nuclear agreement with Iran. He called Pompeo, who advocates a hard line against Iran, a "true friend" of Israel. Pompeo arrived Sunday afternoon after talks in Saudi Arabia. ___ U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia, kicking off the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat. His visit on Saturday comes just weeks ahead of several key dates that have potential to further roil the already volatile region. President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal - something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. After Saudi Arabia, Pompeo goes to Israel and Jordan. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The leaders of Germany, France and Britain are ready to push back if the Trump administration does not permanently exempt the European Union from new import taxes on aluminum and steel imports, German Chancellor said Sunday. Merkel said in a statement that she has spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May since returning from her Friday talks in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump. The three European leaders "agreed that the U.S. ought not to take any trade measures against the European Union," which is "resolved to defend its interests within the multilateral trade framework." The chancellor's statement did not outline specific steps the 28-nation EU might take. A bird flies past as President Donald Trump greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Friday April 27, 2018, at the White House in Washington. Donald Trump and Emmanual Macron? Judging from the body language, mon ami! The president and Germany's Angela Merkel? Ach, not so chummy. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) The EU's temporary exemption from the tariffs expires Tuesday. The tariffs are aimed primarily at overcapacity among state-backed firms in China that have flooded global markets with cheap steel. European leaders have argued that their countries shouldn't be held responsible for China's practices. Visits to the White House by Macron and Merkel last week produced no immediate change in the expiration date. May's office said in a statement after the prime minister's Sunday call with Merkel that they and Macron "pledged to continue to work closely with the rest of the EU and the U.S. administration with the aim of a permanent exemption from U.S. tariffs. In March, Trump imposed duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. The step drew retaliation from China and has led to fears of a wider trade war that could hold back the growth of the global economy. FILE - In this July 7, 2017 file photo German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front, looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump, center, pads the shoulder of France's President Emmanuel Macron prior to the first working session on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany. Trump and Macron? Judging from the body language, mon ami! The president and Germany's Angela Merkel? Ach, not so chummy. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File) President Donald Trump shakes hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the end of their news conference in the East Room of the White House, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Washington. Donald Trump and Emmanual Macron? Judging from the body language, mon ami! The president and Germany's Angela Merkel? Ach, not so chummy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) - Former FBI Director James Comey is dismissing a House Intelligence Committee report that found no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Comey said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he considers the report, issued Friday by Republicans, to be a "political document." He says the most important investigation is being done by special counsel Robert Mueller. He says his understanding of the facts at the time of his firing last May don't support President Donald Trump's assertion that there's zero evidence of collusion and that the Russia investigation is a hoax. Comey says that though he had a "fine and professional" relationship with the committee's chairman, GOP Rep. Devin Nunes, the panel's work had become too politicized. Nunes was criticized for being too close to the White House. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's national security adviser says the release by North Korea of three Americans detained there would be a "demonstration of their sincerity" in the run-up to a historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has said the U.S. is working hard to win freedom for the Americans. National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that a decision by North Korea to release the Americans "would be a demonstration of their sincerity" ahead of the still-unscheduled meeting. He says the administration is waiting to see what North Korea decides to do. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim discussed the Americans earlier this month when Pompeo visited North Korea in his role as CIA director. LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - Former Bolivian military dictator Luis Garcia Meza, who was serving a 30-year prison sentence, has died. He was 88. Garcia Meza was admitted to a military hospital in La Paz after suffering a heart attack and could not be resuscitated. A medical report said he died "from possible respiratory failure." The Cossmil military hospital told The Associated Press that the death occurred at 3 a.m. Sunday. The former army general was imprisoned for murders carried out during his 13 months in office from 1980-1981, but he completed much of his sentence at the hospital where he died. FILE - In this Jan 17 1997 file photo, Bolivia's jailed, ex-dictator Luis Garcia Meza is surrounded by police as he leaves the Copacabana clinic in La Paz, Bolivia after being hospitalized 72 hours for cardiac problems. The former military dictator, who was serving a 30-year prison sentence for a dozen murders carried out during his thirteen months in office from 1980-1981, died on Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Sandra Boulanger, File) The military leader led a bloody coup in July 1980 that deposed President Lidia Gueiler as Bolivia was trying to return to democracy after 16 years of dictatorship. NEW YORK (AP) - Self-driving delivery vehicles that are polite to pedestrians? Faster and more precise robotic arms? JD.com, the largest challenger to Alibaba's e-commerce empire in China, is investing in technology to speed up warehouse operations and delivery to shoppers who want service quickly. In China, it's testing drone delivery, has opened an automated warehouse that's improved on manual sorting, and it's testing deliveries using unmanned vehicles at universities in Beijing. It also uses these self-driving vehicles that look like rolling ice cream carts to move goods inside its warehouses. Though it does not sell in the United States, the Beijing-based online retailer is also leaning on its 2-year-old research and development lab in Silicon Valley to recruit top talent and get access to tech startups. The goal: Bring that expertise back to China. This undated image provided by JD.com shows an autonomous delivery vehicle. Dr. Hui Cheng, the head of robotics research at JD.'s Silicon Valley Research Center, recently spoke with The Associated Press about the priorities of the lab, the "spoiled" Chinese consumer and the prospect of talking robots. Under Cheng, who previously worked on Amazon Go's cashier-less store project, JD is working on areas like artificial intelligence. (JD.com via AP) Dr. Hui Cheng, the head of robotics research at JD.'s Silicon Valley Research Center, recently spoke with The Associated Press about the priorities of the lab, the "spoiled" Chinese consumer and the prospect of talking robots. Under Cheng, who previously worked on Amazon Go's cashier-less store project, JD is working on areas like artificial intelligence. Cheng says the center's main goal is to serve people in China and Southeast Asia. He says he's not planning to use the center as a foothold to launch in the U.S. and directly challenge Amazon. The following interview was edited for length and clarity. Q. How is the Chinese consumer different from the American consumer? A. (Chinese consumers) are a bit spoiled. It's all about free service. Also, they're expecting high-quality products. We can directly deliver to people's doors, a bit different from the U.S. where they just drop it off. Our delivery employees are in charge of certain geographical areas and are very familiar with the customers in those areas. They know when they'll be home. They call when they get there. They're very accommodating. Q. What are your main priorities at the Silicon Valley center? A. We've been testing indoor and outdoor autonomous deliveries. Robotic arms. We're developing state-of-the-art technologies in many areas like artificial intelligence and natural-language processing. Q. What about the autonomous cars? A. We are emphasizing social robots. How are they going to be part of the social environment? How are they going to interact with pedestrians? How will they be polite? We don't want them to be considered threatening or dangerous. Q. Will they be able to talk? A. We are developing a lot of natural-dialogue capabilities so they will know how to speak in the future. Q. Has the Uber pedestrian crash slowed research into autonomous vehicles? A. Our vehicles operate on sidewalks at about five or six miles per hour and they're much smaller than passenger cars. They're extremely safe. Q. Are you testing drone work in Silicon Valley? A. There's some cutting-edge technology (in Silicon Valley), but we are not actively testing or developing software in drones. ___ Follow Anne D'Innocenzio http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio ASBURY PARK, N.J. (AP) - Danny DeVito has gotten his own day in his native New Jersey. The Asbury Park Press reports the Asbury Park City Council honored the actor Saturday night by declaring his birthday, Nov. 17, as "Danny DeVito Day" in his hometown. The honor was announced as DeVito appeared at the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival. FILE - In this May 3, 2017 file photo, Danny DeVito participates in the 2017 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press day in New York. The Asbury Park Press reports that the Asbury Park City Council honored Devito on Saturday, April 29, 2018, by declaring his birthday, Nov. 17, as "Danny DeVito Day" in his hometown. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) DeVito starred in the classic TV series "Taxi" and films including "Twins" and "Batman Returns." He starred in the hit comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." The 73-year-old was born in Neptune Township and raised in Asbury Park. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also spoke at the festival, saying: "Danny has never forgotten where he came from." PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine's Independent Sen. Angus King has never taken a photography class, but his eye for detail is winning followers on Instagram. His photos offer a personal look at his dual existence in busy Washington and rural Maine. He says the "whole idea is to convey the world as I see it." This Jan. 20, 2018, image provided by Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, shows a Washington D.C. during a government shutdown. King has never taken a photography class, but his eye for detail is winning Instagram followers and praise from professional photographers. (Angus King via AP) Photos range from a behind-the-scenes Capitol Hill moments like a state dinner in honor of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Maine ski weekends with his family. Islandport Press is going to publish some his best photos and essays for a coffee table book this summer with proceeds going to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. The photography editor for Maine's Downeast magazine says King is "trying to tell a story" with his photos and "that's what great photographers do." In this May 23, 2016 selfie photo taken by Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, the senator poses with a group of students from Biddeford, Maine at the Capitol in Washington D.C. King's photos offer a personal look at the senator's dual existence in busy Washington and rural Maine. (Angus King via AP) This Nov. 11, 2017 photo provided by Sen. Angus King, shows a model of Saturn, part of a solar system display stretching 40 miles along U.S. Route 1 in Aroostook County, Maine. (Angus King via AP) INDEPENDENCE, Ore. (AP) - Unfazed by signs banning soliciting and dogs that barked at her in almost every home she visited, a political newbie knocked on doors, handed out campaign flyers and asked voters to elect her to the Oregon Senate. Deb Patterson, who canvassed in the riverside town of Independence on a recent Saturday, hopes to win the May 15 primary and unseat four-term Republican Sen. Jackie Winters in November. A win could propel Democrats into a "supermajority" in the Legislature, with the ability to increase state revenue without Republican support. Democrats buoyed by anti-Trump political activism want to wrest control of legislatures from Republicans, but they're also striving to tighten their hold in states where they have an edge - or where control is split - in order to pass legislation ranging from gun control to health care and from taxation to campaign finance reform. In this April 14, 2018, photo, Deb Patterson prepares to canvass in Independence, Ore.. hoping to win the Oregon May 15 primary and unseat four-term Republican Sen. Jackie Winters in November. A win could propel Democrats into a "supermajority" in the Oregon Legislature, with the ability to increase state revenue without Republican support. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky) Republicans also consider these states battlegrounds. In Oregon, a political action committee called No Supermajorities has received a $5,000 contribution from Koch Industries, the Kansas-based energy conglomerate of billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch who advocate for conservative causes. "If even one Republican loses re-election in November 2018, there is no telling what kind of new taxes Democratic leaders might push through," the PAC's website proclaims. A supermajority is a level that exceeds the threshold to produce a majority. In Oregon, Democrats need just one more seat in the Senate and one in the House to reach a three-fifths supermajority in both chambers. That would give them a better shot at increasing corporate taxes in a state where corporations pay one of the lowest rates in the nation. "We continue to have a pattern where families pay more into the tax system to support state services than do corporations and businesses," said Jeanne Atkins, chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon. "With a supermajority maybe there's a better chance, but of course the devil is always in the details." Atkins called Patterson "a serious candidate" who's among those who might take seats from Republicans. Patterson is a pastor at a rural church who has worked as a health care advocate and never held elected office. But after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 and threatened the Affordable Care Act, Patterson was so upset that she decided to enter politics. "I'm running for office because the last election took me by surprise, and I realized that people had to get active and get involved," Patterson said after spending a morning knocking on doors. "We have to stand up at the state level to push back against the changes that are coming at the federal level." Heading into the 2018 elections, Republicans control 32 state legislatures, Democrats 13, and four are split between the parties, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nebraska, unique among U.S. states, is unicameral and officially nonpartisan. For their part, Republicans hope to snatch seats away from Democrats in November. "Republicans have proven with the right candidate and right policies they can win in historically adverse areas," said David James of the Republican State Leadership Committee. In New York, Democrats dominate the state Assembly. On Tuesday, they won two Senate seats in special elections, leaving them one short of controlling that chamber. In theory they have a one-seat advantage, but a Democrat consistently sides with Republicans. If Democrats gain another Senate seat in November, they can more easily push liberal priorities like gun control, advance voting and campaign finance reform. Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, leader of the Senate Democrats, said of Tuesday's elections: "These electoral wins are part of the 'blue wave' sweeping our state and nation which will help even more Senate Democratic candidates win in the upcoming general election." In Colorado, Democrats control the House and are one seat away from flipping the Senate. If they succeed, and hang onto the governorship, health care would be a priority, with single-payer or Medicaid for all at the top of the agenda. They would also try to strengthen gun control legislation and undo several constitutional amendments that severely restrict spending. The national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is also targeting other key chambers like the Maine Senate. Democrats in Maine need only one seat to establish a majority in both chambers - if they maintain control of the House. "We are harnessing the incredible momentum we've seen from volunteers and activists all over the country and we're mobilizing record numbers of door knockers, volunteers making phone calls, and doing everything we can to elect more Democrats," said Mara Sloan of the campaign committee. Having a supermajority doesn't always translate into unity, though, as both Democrats and Republicans discovered in Illinois and Kansas. Illinois Democrats want at least four more House seats to reach the 71 needed to overturn vetoes by the governor. They've had a supermajority in the Senate since 2015. But from 2015-2017, they also had that magic number of 71 in the House, yet had little to show for it because three party members refused to get in lockstep with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. It wasn't until July 2017, when the Democrats' control slipped to 67 seats, that they managed to break a two-year budget stalemate with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner by persuading five House Republicans to join them in overriding his veto of an income-tax increase. Illinois Democrats also diverged on social issues. For instance, some Democratic senators voted against a plan to set up a state licensing system for firearms dealers. In Kansas, a Republican split emerged last year as the GOP-controlled Legislature sought to roll back income tax cuts enacted by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback in 2012 and 2013. The cuts resulted in the state not having enough money because tax revenues fell and promised economic gains didn't make up the difference. Conservative Republicans blasted the proposed rollback as a tax hike. Still, it passed, Brownback vetoed it, and lawmakers overrode the veto. In many legislatures, Republicans have used their clout to cut taxes, limit union powers and expand school-choice initiatives. It's a blueprint that shows Democrats can push their own agenda if they consolidate power in these states. "I am feeling good about progressives' chances on the ballot this fall," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. ___ AP journalists James Anderson in Denver, Colorado, David Klepper in Albany, New York, John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois contributed to this report. ___ Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky FILE--In this May 10, 2017, the Colorado Senate is shown during the body's closing session in Denver. Democrats buoyed by a wave of anti-Trump political activism are not only trying to wrest control of some legislatures from Republicans in the 2018 election, they're also striving to tighten their hold in states where they already have an edge, or where control is split, to pass legislation ranging from gun control, to taxation to health care. In Colorado and New York, Democrats hope to win one more seat in each state senate to gain control of both legislatures. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) In this April 14, 2018, photo, Deb Patterson canvasses in Independence, Ore.. hoping to win the Oregon May 15 primary and unseat four-term Republican Sen. Jackie Winters in November. A win could propel Democrats into a "supermajority" in the Oregon Legislature, with the ability to increase state revenue without Republican support. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky) FILE--In this April 4, 2018, file photo, New York Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, speaks during a news conference in New York. Democrats buoyed by a wave of anti-Trump political activism are not only trying to wrest control of some legislatures from Republicans in the 2018 election, they're also striving to tighten their hold in states where they already have an edge, or where control is split, to pass legislation ranging from gun control, to taxation to health care. In Colorado and New York, Democrats hope to win one more seat in each state senate to gain control of both legislatures. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2015, file photo, the gold-covered dome on the state Capitol shines in the late afternoon sun in downtown Denver. Democrats buoyed by a wave of anti-Trump political activism are not only trying to wrest control of some legislatures from Republicans in the 2018 election, they're also striving to tighten their hold in states where they already have an edge, or where control is split, to pass legislation ranging from gun control, to taxation to health care. In Colorado and New York, Democrats hope to win one more seat in each state senate to gain control of both legislatures. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday at the start of a trip across the Mideast, meeting first with a crucial oil supplier for his energy-hungry nation. Abe flew into Abu Dhabi, the country's oil-rich capital, with plans to meet powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other officials. Abe was greeted at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Sunday night by Emirati Minister of State Sultan al-Jaber, according to the UAE's state-run WAM news agency. Al-Jaber also leads Abu Dhabi's state-run oil company. Jordan's Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury, left, shakes hands with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono before a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) About a quarter of all oil imports for Japan come from the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A third comes from Saudi Arabia, while a fifth of all its natural gas imports come from Qatar and the UAE, making peace across the Gulf Arab nations crucial to Japanese energy supplies. In February, Japan's INPEX Corp. received a 10-percent stake in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum oilfield for 40 years after paying a fee of $600 million. It separately paid $250 million to extend its interests in two other oilfields. The Lower Zakum produces some 450,000 barrels of oil per day. Abe made previous visits to the UAE in 2007 and in 2013. After Abu Dhabi, Abe will travel onto Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Before leaving Japan, Abe told journalists Middle East peace was a priority on his trip. "I intend to work for the Middle East peace process by engaging with both Israel and Palestine in a constructive manner," Abe said, according to the Kyodo news agency. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz Israeli Economy Minister Eli Cohen, left, shakes hands with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono before a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono attends a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Jordan's Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury, left, shakes hands with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono before a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Israeli Economy Minister Eli Cohen, left, shakes hands with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono before a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, left, shakes hands with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono before a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Israeli Economy Minister Eli Cohen, left, listens as Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono speaks before beginning a meeting on the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," at Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday ratcheted up the Trump administration's rhetoric against Iran and gave warm boosts of support to Israel and Saudi Arabia in their standoffs with Tehran. Pompeo's comments in Riyadh and then Tel Aviv came as he neared the end of the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat. He has called for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs and other actions that he said destabilize the region. The tough line was welcomed by his hosts, particularly in Israel, which considers Iran its greatest threat and has led calls for the West to revise or reject the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. left. is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of a press conference at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Sunday, April 29, 2018. (Thomas Coex, AFP via AP) "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said after a nearly two-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Israel has cited Iran's hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. It also has complained the nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability, and expressed concerns about Iran's involvement in the civil war in neighboring Syria. Israel says it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, fearing the Iranians use it to launch attacks. "Iran must be stopped, its quest for a nuclear bomb must be stopped, its aggression must be stopped and we're committed to stopping it together," Netanyahu said. President Donald Trump is to decide by May 12 whether to keep the U.S. in the nuclear deal. Pompeo repeated the Trump position that "if we can't fix it, he is going to withdraw." Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Netanyahu also welcomed the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the scheduled move of its embassy from Tel Aviv on May 14. Pompeo said the U.S. is "incredibly proud" of that upcoming move. The Palestinians claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital. They have criticized the U.S. move and all but cut off ties with the White House. Pompeo had no meetings planned with any Palestinian official and it was not immediately clear whether there had been any outreach to the Palestinians about his trip, which was to end in Jordan on Monday. In Riyadh, Pompeo said Iran "destabilizes this entire region" and he also urged the Saudis and their neighbors to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar. U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting it to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had undermined Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. "I think they would all agree that it's in everyone's best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together," Pompeo told reporters as he traveled to Israel. "We've got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognize that. We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them." The ex-CIA chief had arrived in the kingdom a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to be followed by discussions in Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump is facing heavy pressure from European and other parties to stick to the Iran nuclear deal. British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said she discussed the agreement with her French and German counterparts and they believe it should remain intact, even while addressing shortcomings. Trump's new national security adviser John Bolton, a hard-liner like Pompeo on Iran, suggested Trump was unlikely to stay in. "He certainly said very negative things about the deal, which implied that these other steps wouldn't really address that concern, but, look, it's possible in the discussions with our European allies that we'll be able to see some possibility there," Bolton told "Fox News Sunday." Also hanging over the trip is the uncertainty about Trump's policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. ___ Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. In this photo released by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, is welcomed by Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 29, 2018. Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. (Saudi Press Agency via AP) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaks during a press conference with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, at the Royal Terminal of King Khaled airport, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 29, 2018. Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Horizon Air plane bound for New Mexico made an emergency landing back in Oregon after the smell of smoke was discovered. Alaska Airlines, which oversees Horizon, said Flight 2794 was headed for Albuquerque, New Mexico, when it departed Portland, Oregon at 9:25 a.m. Saturday. The plane returned shortly after at 10 a.m. No smoke was seen but officials said the captain piloting the plane made the landing out of an abundance of caution. The airline also said workers inspected the plane as a precaution and booked new flights for its passengers. JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli troops fatally shot two Palestinians who infiltrated the country from Gaza and attacked soldiers with explosives Sunday night, and in a separate incident killed another Palestinian who tried to breach the border, the military said. Another Palestinian was detained in the latter incident, and two more were caught trying to cross the border in a third case, the military said. The Gaza border has been tense in recent weeks, with the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza urging mass Palestinian protests there every Friday as part of a weeks-long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The protests have turned violent and 39 Palestinians have been killed during the unrest, which began March 30. RETRANSMISSION OF AH116 WHICH WAS CORRUPTED - Palestinian protesters run to cover from teargas fired by Israeli troops after they burn tires near the fence during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Khan Younis, Friday, April 27, 2018. Palestinians converged on the Gaza border with Israel for a fifth round of weekly protests Friday, some throwing stones and burning tires, as a top U.N. official urged Israel to refrain from using excessive force against them. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Israel says that it is defending its sovereign border, including nearby communities, and that its troops target only instigators. Israel accuses Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of the mass protests. The military said that "two terrorists who infiltrated into Israel hurled explosive devices" at soldiers Sunday night. The soldiers returned fire, killing them. About a half hour earlier, two Palestinians damaged the security fence and tried to cross into Israel. Troops opened fire, killing one, the military said. The other was detained for questioning, it said. In a third incident, soldiers spotted two Palestinians trying to breach the border. They were arrested and found to have knives and wire cutters on their persons, the military said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas in Gaza. Also Sunday, the Israeli army said most of the deaths of Palestinians during the Gaza unrest have been unintentional. An unidentified senior officer in Israel's southern command told the newspaper Haaretz that snipers have been aiming at protesters' legs, but people have been killed after bending down, when struck by a ricocheting bullet or when a sniper misses the target. A second senior officer confirmed the report, saying that while there is no exact breakdown, the "overwhelming majority" of deaths were unintentional, including a teenage boy and two Palestinian journalists who apparently were caught in crossfire. He said an exception was Friday, when soldiers opened fire at a large crowd that attempted to break through the border fence, killing three people. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines. Israel has been accused by the United Nations, European Union and rights groups of using excessive force against unarmed protesters. Israel says it is aiming only at instigators, and accuses Hamas of using civilians for cover to carry out attacks. Israel says some of those protesting have tried to damage the border fence or plant explosives along it. Others have hurled improvised explosives and firebombs at soldiers while others have flown kites with burning rags attached to set Israeli fields on fire. There is considerable fear among Israelis of a mass breach in which Gazans stream across, militants mixed in, wreaking havoc. Israel has warned that anyone approaching the border fence is risking their lives and accused Hamas of cynically exploiting civilians for its agenda. Hamas has attacked Israelis with suicide bombings, shootings and rockets over the years. For more than a decade the group has tightly controlled Gaza, quashing dissent. 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 Gaza in 2007. The blockade has devastated Gaza's economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory, and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day. Tap water is undrinkable and its Mediterranean coast has been polluted with untreated waste. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment and grinding poverty. Other blockade-busting tactics by Hamas have failed over the years, including three cross-border wars with Israel and repeated rounds of unsuccessful power-sharing talks with the West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The last round collapsed, in part because Hamas refused to disarm. The protests also press for a "return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were displaced in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. The protests are to culminate May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding. Palestinians mark the date as their "nakba," or catastrophe. BEIRUT (AP) - The latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): 1:40 a.m. Syrian TV is reporting a "new aggression," with missiles targeting military outposts in northern Syria. The state-run television reported early Monday that the missiles targeted military outposts in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. It did not say who fired the missiles or whether there were any casualties or damage. The news comes less than two weeks after a similar report of airstrikes on government military installations in the central Homs region and the suburbs of Damascus. But the military later said a false alarm had set off air defense systems. Earlier this month, seven Iranian military personnel were killed in an airstrike on Syria's T4 air base, also in Homs. Syria, Iran and Russia blamed Israel for that attack. Israel did not confirm or deny it. ___ 6 p.m. Syrian government forces briefly captured four villages east of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour on Sunday after rare clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, before losing the area in a counteroffensive by the Kurdish-led force. The area close to the border with Iraq has been the site of recent clashes between the two sides who had been focusing on fighting the Islamic State group. The IS had declared its caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Crossings into the east bank of the Euphrates in eastern Syria by government forces have been rare. State news agency SANA said the villages were held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, adding that they are close to the provincial capital, also called Deir el-Zour. The SDF said in a statement later that it regained control of the whole area it earlier lost. The Windrush row intensifies and fears are raised of alleged Russian meddling in the general election in Sundays papers. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has issued a call for Home Secretary Amber Rudd to resign over the Windrush scandal on the front page of The Observer. OBSERVER: Sadiq Khan tells Rudd to quit as crisis threatens Tory poll hopes #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/A0oeZIMW7e Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 28, 2018 Meanwhile Sajid Javid, a son of Pakistani migrants, has told the Sunday Telegraph of his anger over the treatment of Windrush generation migrants, but urged ethnic minority voters not to abandon the party. What the papers say - April 29 The front page of the Sunday Telegraph: 'Sajid Javid's Windrush fury: "It could have been me, my mum or my dad"' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/n13hsmYxGj The Telegraph (@Telegraph) April 28, 2018 The Sunday Times says it has seen evidence of Russian attempts to swing the 2017 election for Jeremy Corbyn, after analysing fake Twitter accounts with Swansea University researchers. Tomorrow's front page: Russians tried to swing election for Corbyn #tomorrowspapertoday pic.twitter.com/zNR76jL99k The Sunday Times (@thesundaytimes) April 28, 2018 In other news, The Independent says Theresa May is set to make an offer to the EU on immigration that would see very similar laws in place after Brexit, risking the anger of hardline Brexiteers. The Government has been accused of trying to cover up sexual misconduct allegations about an MP, the Mail on Sunday says. MAIL ON SUNDAY: Tory whip destroyed file on sex probe MP #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/t6dtUQgpWh Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 28, 2018 A member of the SAS and his wife played Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a security rehearsal for the royal wedding, the Sunday Express says. SUNDAY EXPRESS: SAS soldiers act out Harrys wedding #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/3y37B7MEFm Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 28, 2018 The Sunday Mirror has a report about Karen Matthews, who staged the kidnap of her daughter. And the Sunday People says medics are boycotting a prison after NHS nurses were poisoned after inhaling the drug spice on a visit. The nephew of Elizabeth Hurley has said he felt like he had a guardian angel that kept him alive after he was stabbed following a car crash. Miles Hurley, 21, was left with a large stab wound on his lower back after he was attacked in London while driving home from an art exhibition with a friend. He told the Mail On Sunday: I had a guardian angel that night. I lost six pints of blood. The doctors thought Id perforated my liver and clipped one of my major arteries. Elizabeth Hurleys nephew was stabbed in March (Ian West/PA) Thanking God today that my nephew Miles is with us for Easter today. His wound is still oozing blood but hes alive & were thankful. The knifemen who stabbed him are still roaming around London. Perhaps around your loved ones. Happy Easter xx pic.twitter.com/uIF7sZ2KyW Elizabeth Hurley (@ElizabethHurley) April 1, 2018 But everything they feared could have happened, didnt. They said I was stabbed twice, in the same place. That the knife didnt hit my spinal cord or arteries all came down to angles and millimetres. Hurley told the newspaper he was behind the wheel of his mothers Fiat 500 when he indicated to merge into another lane and a black car sped up behind him and caused a minor collision. The model said he tried to exchange details when the person in the passenger seat of the other car threw a punch at his head through the open window. He added that he sped off, trying to lose them down back streets, when they chased him and pulled up alongside them. He said: They got out and the driver, the aggressor, circled us. I tried to talk my way out of it and said something like, So are we going to exchange insurance details?. He said: Nah, actually. You can give me your car keys and get in the f****** boot. Hurley said the assailant tried to grab his car keys and pushed him up against the vehicle with his back to the men when he felt an aggressive shove and heard the men saying poke him, poke him. He said: I didnt feel anything, there was no pain. I had no idea Id been stabbed. Finally, some information on the knifemen who stabbed my nephew last week. Please RT. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/A4fncIThGK Elizabeth Hurley (@ElizabethHurley) March 20, 2018 He and friend Romell, who had also been stabbed, ran and hid under a parked van until a passer-by gave him a jumper to put pressure on the wound. He said: I wasnt thinking how I was going to die. I knew people didnt die instantly from stab wounds because the adrenaline keeps you alive. So I just kept wiggling my toes, kept calm and tried to keep my heart rate low. In hospital he called his aunt, who told his mother and flew from New York to be with him. He said: Liz has cancelled loads of things to be with us and has seemed the most free shes been in years. Shes been incredible, calling and texting every day, reminding me not to do too much and to let mum do everything for me. Scotland Yard previously released a CCTV clip of the black hatchback, which had blacked-out windows, that they are trying to trace. Detectives are appealing for anyone who saw either the beige Fiat 500 or black hatchback on Wandsworth Road and in the Patmore Estate at about 8.45pm on March 8 to contact them. Labour have not done nearly enough, quickly enough in tackling anti-Semitism within the party, the shadow communities secretary has said. Andrew Gwynne said Jeremy Corbyns party was determined to root out anti-Semitism as he dismissed suggestions that the issue was being used by Labour MPs to attack the partys leader. Lets be clear: we have to make progress on this weve not done nearly enough quickly enough, and that is recognised across the Labour Party, its recognised by our new general secretary Jennie Formby, he told BBC Ones Andrew Marr Show. Andrew Gwynne (Gareth Fuller/PA) "You should not, as a Labour Party member, share a platform with anybody who is expelled from the Labour Party" warns @GwynneMP He tells #marr anti-semitism has no place in Labour pic.twitter.com/4AHoTssUIp The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 29, 2018 We are determined not just to call out anti-Semitism, but to root out anti-Semitism. It has no place in the Labour Party. Following trade union boss Len McCluskeys claim that some Labour MPs were polluting the leaders efforts to tackle the problem, Mr Gwynne was asked whether anti-Semitism was being used to attack Mr Corbyn. He replied: No, and Jeremy has made that very clear that the notion that these are smears against the Labour Party he does not accept that. Mr Gwynne added: It is perfectly acceptable for Labour MPs to call out anti-Semitism in our party and in our movement and it is incumbent on our party and on our movement to act and root it out. He said people needed to acknowledge that there is an issue of anti-Semitism on the left of British politics. Its not just something that affects the right of British politics there is an element in the left. It is a small element. Mr Gwynne also said he would not share a platform with anyone who had been expelled from the Labour Party for anti-Semitism. He added: Its been made very clear by Jeremy Corbyn that nobody should be sharing a platform with anybody who has been found guilty of anti-Semitism. That is absolutely clear: anybody who is expelled from the Labour Party, we should not be sharing platforms with these people. Mr Gwynne also sought to lower expectations ahead of the local elections on Thursday. He said: Were predicting that because these were high watermark years when these seats were last fought in 2014, that its probably going to be difficult to get anything like that. Weve never ever held the City of Westminster, we last held Wandsworth in 1978. If we took those it would be a spectacular night. I am confident that we will have a good night I dont think it will be anything like some of the opinion polls would suggest because we are already defending about 80% of the seats in some of those metropolitan boroughs and London boroughs were already at a high watermark. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes. He also urged Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to resolve a dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Mr Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had affected Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is greeted by Saudi King Salman in Riyadh (Saudi Press Agency via AP) Secretary Pompeo: A political solution is the only way to advance a long term stability in #Yemen and end the suffering. pic.twitter.com/PJTtSNmhFA Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior US officials travelling with Mr Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administrations push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Iran destabilises this entire region, Mr Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Mr Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was essential. Mr Al-Jubeir said the kingdom supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran. Secretary Pompeo: Saudi Arabia's vision for 2030 & reform agenda are inspiring initiatives - they promote tolerance, respect & econ development & inspire women. We support this important work & the leadership the Crown Prince has shown to advance our shared econ interests. pic.twitter.com/lhxELuTiAj Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 Mediation efforts on the Qatar issue led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran room to play and hampers co-operation on a wide array of other issues, including combating violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, officials said. A British-Iranian university professor on security charges, justice officials in Tehran have confirmed. Abbas Edalat, a computer scientist and mathematician at Imperial College London, was reportedly arrested earlier this month by the Revolutionary Guard, which has detained several dual-nationals in recent years. Irans official IRNA news agency on Sunday quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi as saying Mr Edalat had been detained on security charges, without elaborating. (PA) Fars News, IRGC media, says detained British-Iranian math professor Abbas #Edalat was part of an "infiltrating spy network" connected to opposition & #UK.#_ Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) April 26, 2018 It was the first official confirmation of his arrest. On Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency said Mr Edalat was one of several people arrested by the Guard over accusations of being part of a network affiliated with Britain. Mr Edalat had actively campaigned against Western military action targeting Iran. TV star Scarlett Moffatt has branded rumours of a fling between her and Ant McPartlin as ludicrous in an interview this weekend. The 27-year-old Geordie said that McPartlin, who has recently been back in rehab for alcohol abuse problems, is like her big brother. Speaking to the Mails You Magazine, Moffatt said: This came about from a few tweets from random people with, like, two followers, and then some journalists turned those tweets into a story. Thats not a story. Ant is like my big brother. Its so ludicrous it didnt even warrant a response. Everyone who knows us knows how silly it is. I can laugh about it. McPartlin has had a very high-profile battle with alcohol, which came to a head last month when he crashed his mini while over twice the drink-drive limit. Anthony McPartlin outside The Court House in Wimbledon after being fined 86,000 at Wimbledon Magistrates Court for drink-driving (Jonathan Brady/PA) He was banned from driving for 20 months and handed an 86,000 fine, and checked into a private rehab clinic soon after. When asked how her fellow TV presenter was doing, Moffatt said: Ant and Dec have been so good to me. Theyre my mentors. I feel I owe it to them to try not to talk about them. Out of respect. They are such genuinely nice people. I wish I could tell everyone how amazing they are, though. Stephen Mulhern and I were there to lend a hand to Dec, he did most of the work, she said. We were excited we could fulfil the promise to all the people who won the chance to go to Florida for the final show. The Takeaway team is like a big family. Everyone who works on the show loves Ant and Dec so we pulled together to make it the best we could. Moffatt also opened up about the abuse she received over her fitness DVD, which was released in 2016. Much of the controversy revolved around rumours that the exercise plan promoted in the fitness video was not the plan she followed to go from a size 18 to a size 8. The report claimed that Moffatt had actually gone to a Swiss fitness boot-camp and reduced her calorie intake to 700 a day, rather than the 1,200 claimed in the DVD. The critics piled in, calling her regime a sham, and the abuse left Moffatt in tears. Oh my God, Ive cried so much, she said. I get why I was on the front of every newspaper. In a way, Im almost relieved and hope we can turn it into a positive, start a conversation about the way we criticise and talk about women. All the news articles focus on how I look. They certainly dont do that to men. Why arent we celebrating womens achievements more? Women arent just an aesthetic shell. You only have to look at mens magazine coverlines, such as How To Get Rich Quick, or Top Tips To Do This or That. Whereas for women, its often, Look Whos Got Fat Again. Its frustrating. I wish we could set up a Troll Club so they could all get together and chat. Because thats whats missing from their lives someone to talk to. It makes me sad. Can you imagine how rubbish your life must be if what you look forward to is getting home from work to slag people off? US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. Mr Pompeo arrived in Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, after a stop in Saudi Arabia. Both countries are fierce rivals of Iran, and have welcomed the Trump administrations hard line toward the Tehran government. Mike Pompeo during a press conference with Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Amr Nabil/AP) Iran destabilises this entire region, Mr Pompeo said before he flew to Tel Aviv. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Prime Minister @Netanyahu before their meeting @IsraeliPM office. pic.twitter.com/Vd5HAQTjM6 U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) April 29, 2018 Ahead of their meeting, Mr Netanyahu called the US Secretary of State a true friend of Israel and said their talks would focus on Irans growing aggression in the region and the international nuclear deal with Iran. President Donald Trump is set to decide by May 12 whether to remain in the deal. Israel considers Iran to be its greatest threat and has been an outspoken critic of the 2015 nuclear deal. In Saudi Arabia, Mr Pompeo urged the Saudis and their neighbours to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Mr Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that has hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. Watch Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's full remarks with Saudi Foreign Minister @AdelAljubeir in #Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/zXKQk1Bhon Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 I think they would all agree that its in everyones best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together, Mr Pompeo told reporters. Weve got a common challenge in Iran, I think they all recognise that. Were hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them. The ex-CIA chiefs meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to be followed by discussions in Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the US plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the nakba, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that attended Israels creation. Mr Pompeo also is taking a leading role in President Trumps preparations for an expected summit in May or early June with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He told reporters he did not think a US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal would complicate negotiations. I dont think Kim Jung Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I wont talk to the Americans any more. There are higher priorities, things he is more concerned about than whether the Americans stay (in the accord), he said. Police are searching for six French bulldog puppies after they were stolen from a house in Rochdale. On Saturday night, five people broke into a house on Partington Street and made demands for mobile phones, but after searching part of the property, they dognapped the puppies. Detective Sergeant Richard Shelton of Greater Manchester Polices Rochdale Borough, said: Although no-one was hurt during the incident, we need to make sure the puppies are safe and returned to their home as soon as possible. From left to right: Don, Django, Scarface and Brutus. Police do not have any further photographs at this time. Dogs can very much be members of our families and I cant imagine the pain of not knowing where they are or when they will be seen again. Take time to study the photos weve released of the dogs they are pure pedigree and all under one-year-old. I need people to be on alert and call us if they either noticed something unusual last night or if they have been offered one of the puppies. The six puppies are Don , a lilac/tan and is eight-months-old, Django, who is chocolate/tan and is eight-months-old, Brutus, who is chocolate with green eyes and is seven-months-old, Scarface , who has a white/grey merle coat and is six months-old, Savage who is lilac/tan and is two-months-old and Queenie who is grey with short legs and is seven-months-old. Pure pedigree French bulldogs are known to sell for over 1,500 in the UK. According to the Kennel Club, French bulldogs are set to overtake Labrador retrievers as the UKs most popular dog breed by the end of 2018 the first time the Labrador will have been knocked off the top spot in 27 years. The incident took place at around 9.40pm on Saturday 28 April 2018, and anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 4810 quoting reference number 2351. Arsene Wengers final trip to Old Trafford as Arsenal manager ended in disappointment after substitute Marouane Fellainis stoppage-time header secured Manchester United a 2-1 victory. Nine days after it was announced the Frenchman would be leaving the north Londoners after 22 years, the outgoing Gunners boss was given a warm welcome at a ground that has witnessed some of his most unforgettable moments. But what could prove Wengers final duel with old foe Jose Mourinho ended like so many before it as substitute Fellaini headed home to secure the Portugueses side victory after former United playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan had cancelled out Paul Pogbas opener. Marouane Fellaini scored the winner for Manchester United (Martin Rickett/PA) It was a memorable end to a forgettable match at Old Trafford, where the Gunners hopes of a first point away from the Emirates Stadium in 2018 were scotched at the death. Arsenal came closer to ending that run than many had expected when the team sheets were handed in, given Wenger made eight changes with an eye on Thursdays crucial Europa League semi-final second leg at Atletico Madrid. Yet Pogbas 16th-minute opener did not open the floodgates as the visitors produced a performance that belied their many alterations and inexperienced starters. Mkhitaryan signed and then sold by Mourinho in January levelled impressively to become the first player to score for and against United in the same Premier League campaign, only for Fellaini to snatch the hosts a late win that ensures Champions League qualification. It was a galling way to lose for Wenger on an afternoon that had, at times, felt like his testimonial. Applauded down the touchline, he was met in the technical area by a warm embrace from Mourinho before Sir Alex Ferguson presented him with a commemorative silver vase. It was a touching start to a match that started cagily, with neither side managing to muster a shot of note until the 16th minute. Pogba drove forwards and played the ball wide to Romelu Lukaku. Alexis Sanchez met the strikers cross and saw a close-range header superbly blocked by former team-mate Hector Bellerin, only for the ball to rebound off the post for Pogba to tuck in. But Arsenal, a side synonymous with a soft underbelly, were not thrown off kilter. Mkhitaryan hit a low shot just wide of the far post and fellow January acquisition Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw a header denied as Arsenal enjoyed a spell in the ascendancy. Reiss Nelson missed the target as half-time approached a period United were close to going into further ahead after Ashley Youngs cross hit the post after Lukaku was blocked out. That proved the Belgium strikers last contribution of note as, five minutes after the restart, he was forced off following a kick from Arsenal debutant Konstantinos Mavropanos. Things quickly got worse for Mourinhos Reds. Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka capitalised on midfield hesitation to win possession and played across to Mkhitaryan, who darted forward and sent a low drive through Victor Lindelofs legs and into the far corner. Mourinho was understandably frustrated on the touchline and made changes just as Wenger did, with another former United man proving a threat as Danny Welbeck took aim from distance after coming off the bench. Substitute Fellaini sent an attempt over as the hosts stuttered in their bid to find a winner that looked to be beyond them as substitute Marcus Rashford was rightly adjudged offside when bundling in after the Belgians effort had come off the post. But what United lack in fluidity they have made up for in spirit this season. As the match entered stoppage-time, Young floated in a cross and Fellaini directed a header past David Ospina to send Old Trafford wild. Rafael Nadal continued to grind opponents into the clay as he eased to an 11th title at the Barcelona Open with victory over teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas. The young Greek had enjoyed the best week of his fledgling career to reach his first ATP Tour final but he was unable to trouble the clay-court master and went down 6-2 6-1 in just 78 minutes. After winning an 11th Monte-Carlo Masters crown last week, Nadal extended his record to 19 consecutive victories on clay dating back to last years French Open, all without dropping a set. Can't stop, won't stop @RafaelNadal! The Spaniard grabs his 11th (!) in Barcelona, defeating Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-1 #bcnopenbs pic.twitter.com/uozIFZBxA1 ATP Tour (@atptour) April 29, 2018 The Spaniard said on atpworldtour.com: Im very happy for the victory against a very difficult opponent. Tsitsipas has an amazing future. It was a great final for me and the 11th title here means a lot. Its very difficult to describe how to win 11 titles at one tournament. To win 11 Monte-Carlos and 11 Barcelonas is something I couldnt imagine doing. Im just enjoying every week and the fact Im playing in a tournament that I enjoy so much means a lot to me. With Novak Djokovic still well short of his best and Nadals other big rivals either absent or not on top form, it is no surprise he is the odds-on favourite to win the French Open for an 11th time in June. Rafael Nadal celebrates an 11th title in Barcelona (Manu Fernandez/AP) Tsitsipas, the second youngest player in the top 100 behind Canadian Denis Shapovalov, found success with a few of the flashy shots that have marked him out as one to watch in more than one sense. But he could not find the consistency to offer more than a fleeting challenge to Nadal, whose next goal will be the Madrid Masters, where the fact he has only won five titles might give his beleaguered opponents some hope. Tsitsipas was the youngest finalist in Barcelona since Nadal in 2005, and he learned the same lesson as all the Spaniards previous foes having a game plan is one thing, executing it quite another. Stefanos Tsitsipas found the going tough against Nadal (Manu Fernandez/AP) The 19-year-old said: I knew the chances to win were small, but my confidence was rising in every match and, while I was expecting a little better today, congratulations to Rafa. It was a first experience and tougher than I thought. Ive watched him millions of times on TV, but its tougher to face him in reality. You need to be patient and do everything right, but I was in a rush and had a mess in my head. He didnt give me any air to breathe out there. Its something to learn from for sure and I hope to do better against him in the future. Marco Cecchinato wins his 1st career ATP World Tour singles title at #Gazprom #HungarianOpen. He is the 3rd lucky loser to win a singles title in the last 2 years; Andrey Rublev (at Umag) and Leonardo Mayer (at Hamburg) pulled off the feat in back-to-back weeks in July 2017. ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) April 29, 2018 Marco Cecchinato won his maiden ATP Tour title at the Hungarian Open despite losing in the final round of qualifying a week ago. The Italian was given a lucky loser place and took full advantage, finishing off a dream week with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Australian John Millman, who had earlier had to complete his semi-final against Aljaz Bedene. Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda Maha Thera Most Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda Maha Thera passed away in the early hours of this February 22 at the National Hospital Colombo. The prelate and his teachings particularly his ground-breaking monograph, Concept and Reality, and the series of Nivane Nivima and Pahan Kanuva Dharma Desana hardly need any introduction. Having lived a life of study, meditation, and generous mentorship of generations of disciples in seclusion, shunning publicity, officialism and any private or public ceremonialism, it is challenging a task to talk and write about his life and passing away. As if words of commemoration and expressions of respect would intrude on the peace of death, paling away before the silence of cessation, Nirvana, the venerable was relentlessly pointing at papanca (prapanca) or proliferation, to borrow from one of the venerables favourite subjects of textual and contemplative scrutiny. Yet, on the occasion of Vesak, the observance of the Birth, Awakening and Parinirvana of the Buddha, it feels apt to rejoice in the practice of one of his modern-day eminent disciples, the Bhikkhu Katukurunde Nanananda. Bhikkhu Katukurunde Nanananda is well-known for having broken new ground in the Sri Lankan intellectual and meditative landscape of the second half of the twentieth century into the early twenty-first century. He challenged the authoritative Ceylonese Theravada exegesis, stepping out of commentarial orthodoxy. Beyond that, although he never left the Island except for visiting India, his work has been very influential in Western Buddhist academia and among practitioners. Two eminent monks have accepted the invitation to recollect their Dhamma encounters with the late Maha Thera. The first voice to be heard is Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva, the abbot and Chief Preceptor of Meetirigala Nissarana Vanaya and the second is that of a German-born bhikkhu and scholar, Ven. Analayo. Both monks have been disciples of the late Maha Thera, and have also known each other for over two decades. While today we are publishing the interview with Ven. Dhammajiva we will continue tomorrow with the one of Ven. Analayo. Ven.Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva is a deeply practised meditator and meditation teacher. He ordained as a Buddhist monk thirty years ago (1998), receiving his higher ordination at the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, also known as the Galduwa Forest Tradition. Ven.Dhammajiva underwent training under the close guidance of Ven.Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera at Meetirigala Nissarana Vanaya Forest Monastery. It was this place that saw the original delivery of the late Katukurunde Nanananda Maha Theras sermons on Nibbana expounded to an audience of meditating monks intent on the attainment of awakening, in this life itself. Between 1988 and 1992 Ven. Dhammajivas mentor was none other than Ven.Katukurunde Nanananda Maha Thera himself. Ven. Dhammajiva serves as the current abbot of Nissarana Vanaya and has maintained a close relationship with the late Maha Thera up until the time of the latters passing away. Following are the excerpts of the interview with Ven.Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva:- Q When and how did you first come into contact with the late Mahathera? In 1987, maybe in August, soon after resigning from my job, while I was meditating in Nilambe, I came across two books, namely The Seven Stages of Purification and Freed Freedom (still unpublished at that time). Both bore the name of the most Ven. Matara Nanarama Maha Thera from Meetirigala, Nissarana Vanaya. Inspired by the pragmatic and practical way of presentation, it occurred to me to go and meet the venerable. So, together with Dr. Parakrama Fernando and Weerakoon, I visited Nissarana Vanaya without a prior appointment. Dr. Fernando knew Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda well. In this first meeting we had a long discussion and I came to know that both the above mentioned books are but his writings. Q How would Ven. Katukurunde Nandana relate to and teach his disciples and the younger monks at Nissarana Vanaya? Would you perceive him mostly as a scholar-monk, as a meditating-monk, or as a monastic teacher? In which ways would the MahaaThera pass on his knowledge of Dhamma, Vinaya, meditation? One year after I entered Nissarana Vanaya as a lay meditator, I informed the Sangha that I felt ready for ordination and taking up a full-time meditation life. Ven. Matara Nanarama sent me to Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda as one among other candidates. He was not ready to impart teachings in a formal way. Instead, he asked that we candidates read the recommended books and allowed us to visit him for discussion once a week. We had to learn by heart some parts of the texts and he would make some occasional clarifications during these weekly discussions. The venerable Matara Nanarama closely observed this process. He was serious about the monastic code pertaining to the novice as well as on Pali, the canonical language of the Suttas. He was my elder brother in my spiritual life. He readily took responsibilities regarding my life issues too. I used to tell him everything as he instructed without any reservation One year and nine months later I took higher ordination and, basically, he was my mentor throughout. The procedure was rather informal as it had been earlier with my novice ordination and daily life in the monastery. Clarifications on the Vinaya the code of rules for fully ordained monastics were somewhat more of an intrinsic process, more aimed at examining it for the purpose of living the life of a meditating forest monk. The lived forest tradition was often emphasized as opposed to mere book knowledge. Q How has the late Mahaa Theras mentorship influenced your spiritual life? It was all about the monk-hood and the Dhamma-Vinaya. That appeared as the only way, without an alternative, for a forest monk inclined to meditation. No one in the monastery would interfere in our relationship, and everyone instead appreciated having such a teacher. Occasionally Godwin Samararatne and others from Nilambe would pay a visit to the Maha Thera, and they would always visit me too. They expressed full appreciation of the way things were happening there. Likewise, I too took this mentorship as a blessing. Nissarana Vanaya QCould you say something about the overall impact of the late MahaaTheras presence and teachings during the years he spent at Nissarana Vanaya and afterwards? What was his relationship to the monastic institution? He was my elder brother in my spiritual life. He readily took responsibilities regarding my life issues too. I used to tell him everything as he instructed without any reservation. My brother-in-law passed away and I immediately went to his kuti and informed him. He asked me not to start getting into the habit of visiting relatives, even in such a situation, for example. Totally agreed! He asked me to not to make myself exposed unnecessarily to worldly matters. I had no objection to his opinions. Then my mother passed away. Ven. Matara Nanarama Maha Thera recommended I take part in the funeral accompanied by my mentor, Ven. Nanananda. He conditioned me, so to say, before visiting my village and covered me over as if guarding me all the way through till the end of the funeral, then took me back and reported the situation to Ven. Matara Nanarama Maha Thera as my elder brother. Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda considered the monastic life as precious. If you adhere to it there wont be any unwanted relational or social problem. Life will be simple as a monk. Q In a nutshell, what do you see as the core legacy of the late MahaaThera for present and future generations of monastic and lay practitioners? My understanding of the spiritual life took place and sank in quite gradually with the following key aspects: 1) meditation; 2) strict observance of the monastic rules; 3) least possible amount of worldly activities and avoidance of ceremonies and public events as much as possible; 4) the value of a simple life; 5) an immediate relationship with spiritual friends or teachers. During my period of association with the venerable Maha Thera, I could also see his development and improvements due to our interactions and sharing in the monastery. That can be seen when comparing the series of Pahan Kanuva Desana with the Nivane Nivima Desana. When delivering the sermons on Nivane Nivima, he used to give me the gist of the upcoming sermon just before teaching, and my mind, accordingly, was already prepared for the sermon. Later, having the recordings of the talks and typing them with a typewriter gave me the opportunity of a closer relationship to him. It was a rare thing to have in a monks life like mine. All of these good things were received in actions in the field rather than in classroom lessons of theory. The prelates large array of skills were being transmitted to us in every possible way, and he considered it as a duty to the Sasana. The books, sermons and his own translations of the Pali Suttas offered abundant wide openings for the future generations, and the untiring way in which he did it was phenomenal. In addition to Pali, Sinhala and English, he was also fluent in Sanskrit and familiar with Madhyama works and Mahayana texts and doctrines elaborating on the key themes of emptiness (sunyata) and proliferation (prapanca) among others. I was lucky enough to witness all closely, even after he left Nissarana Vanaya. Ven. Analayo and I sometimes joined in sharing the Maha Theras teachings deeply with the help of other available literature as Ven. Analayo was also doing his PhD. To conclude, the late Maha Theras leaving Polgasduwa Island Hermitage in 1972 opened a new chapter in the contemporary history of the Theravada tradition, and the Maha Theras departing from Nissarana Vanaya in 1994 opened the accessibility of his service to the society at large, though it affected his health somewhat badly. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today assured further reforms to the United National Party (UNP) as recommended by the Ruwan Wijewardene Committee. The party leader said in a statement that Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa would be given more powers while Subject Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries would also be appointed and the Constitution of the party would also be amended. We intend to allocate new responsibilities to the Deputy Leader in order to further strengthen our journey towards victory so as to drive the process of organizing the party towards success, Mr Wickremesinghe said in its statement. The party intends creating new posts by appointing Subject Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries to further strengthen and organize the party. We hope to give more opportuniies to young Members of Parliament to help drive forward the Partys mission. We are aiming to gives specific responsibilities to each of the Members of Parliament and with this in mind we are developing an initial procedure to do this. Our process of reform and reorganization does not end with this. We have taken a policy decision to implement the suggestions mentioned in Ruwan Wijewardene Committee Report. We will take action to bring relevant constitutional amendments as well, he said. He said many of the younger members of the team had involved in driving the process of organizing the UNP forward to enhance the Party. As such, a number of appointments have been made. Among those who have come forward to take on responsibilities is Navin Dissanayake who has been appointed as the National Organizer of the Party, the new general secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Harin Fernando has been appointed as head of mass-communication, Dr Harsha de Silva the Treasurer and. Ajith P. Perera appointed as Trade Union Secretary. (Yohan Perera) A library in Melbourne was evacuated after a rotting piece of fruit sparked fears of a gas leak. Up to 600 people were evacuated from RMIT university after peculiar smell was detected on Saturday afternoon. The unpleasant smell was found to be a rotting fruit in a cupboard and was being circulated by the air-con at the library. Firefighters eventually found the source of the stench, a rotting durian, in a cupboard building. Students were rushed out of the building as firefighters, kitted-out with oxygen marks combed the area to find the source of the gas-like smell. Emergency services were called to the campus library in LeTrobe street just after 3pm. Extra precaution was taken as the building is known to store potentially dangerous chemicals. Fresh durian's are known for their distinctly unpleasant smell and likened to rotting meat or gym socks. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade released in a statement that 'the off-gassing from this waste had permeated the air-handling system, alarming the students and staff'. The statement also read rotting durian will be dealt with by Environment Protection Authority officers. The area was declared as safe by 6pm and firefighters returned back to their station. (Daily Mail) Investors had expressed interest to start the second canned fish factory in Hambantota, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera said. The major part of the fish products imported to the country is canned fish representing 28 percent of the total import of fish products. During 2016, 26,845 metric tons of canned fish valued at Rs.7,196 million had been imported while it was Rs.7,130 million worth 30,638 metric tons in 2017, Minister said. Linna fish is to be used for canning locally since Herrings, Haddock and Mackerel mostly used for canning in other countries, are not found in the seas around the island. The Minister also predicted good revenue from the canned fish industry leading to a reduction of foreign exchange drain. (Dayaseeli Liyanage) The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) headed by Yasmin Sooka has prepared a list of names of 56 Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) personnel whom it said should be barred from serving in UN peacekeeping missions. Sooka was one of the three-members of the panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on the alleged human rights violations during the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka. The report compiled by the panel is known as the Darusman Report. In a statement, the ITJP said the individuals named in the list are either alleged perpetrators or were involved in frontline combat in the final stages of the war when the UN says systemic crimes were committed by security force units, including the STF. (Lahiru Pothmulla) SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said his country will openly close its main nuclear test site in May, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim has told Moon that he will implement the shutdown of the nuclear test site, which will be transparently made open to the international society. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK for the transparent implementation. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear detonations in the Punggye-ri test site in the northeast of the DPRK. MOGADISHU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has condemned Saturday's suicide bombing in the city of Galkayo, which killed seven people including government security officers and civilians. Michael Keating, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia and head of UNSOM, said increased terror attacks by al-Shabab are clear attempts to derail reconciliation process. "This attack occurred because extremists feel threatened by the progress that is being made with reconciliation efforts in Galkayo," Keating said in a statement issued on Saturday night. The blast occurred after a man with suicide vest detonated explosives strapped in his waist as he approached the soldiers at a busy restaurant in northern Galkayo on Saturday. The al-Shabab has reportedly claimed responsibility for the latest attack in the Horn of African nation. Keating said Somalia has suffered enough violence and bloodshed, noting that it is time for reconciliation. "The people and authorities in Galkayo are courageously finding a way forward; they should not be derailed by this assault on their chances of a peaceful future," said the UN envoy. The irresponsible practices of the Group of Seven (G7) have revealed its hypocrisy and double standards, an article published by Peoples Daily stated on April 26, a few days after the group issued a joint communique that contained untrue and irresponsible content related to China. Masquerading under the name of international law, the joint communique points the finger at the South China Sea and East China Sea issues, as well as China's human rights situation. China firmly opposes the China-related content, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. If the G7 countries had any respect for the facts and abandoned ideological prejudices, they would not have made such irresponsible remarks, said Peoples Daily. The newspaper noted that China has a clear and consistent position when it comes to maritime issues. China has been committed to properly handling disputes, cementing cooperation, and safeguarding peace and stability of the East and South China Seas through talks and consultation directly with related parties. These countries have made groundless accusations against China, ignoring the fact that Japan made a unilateral declaration to buy Diaoyu Island and in doing so has escalated the tension. In addition, certain countries outside of the region have frequently shown military muscle in the South China Sea, conducting so-called freedom of navigation activities. Such practices severely undermine the hard-won regional peace and stability. Seemingly promoting de-militarization, the G7 foreign ministers are indeed ignoring the militarization, and have even made unjustified accusations against China. Such practices are contemptible. Chinese government has always attached high importance to the development of human rights, and achieved remarkable progress. However, China still receives unjust treatment from these countries that pretend to be human rights guards and make improper comments. In fact, these countries are the ones that are faced with human rights issues, such as a violation of citizens rights, severe racial discrimination, income disparity and gross violations of human rights in other countries. These countries are in no position to blame China in the name of international law. In mid April, a number of these countries even launched a military attack against Syria without the permission of the UN Security Council. Such a unilateral military act didnt only go against the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, but it also further deteriorated the situation in Syria. It needs to be pointed out that the G7 was founded to facilitate shared macroeconomic initiatives. However, some of the G7 countries have shifted their focus to non-economic issues in recent years. In regards to the East and South China Sea issue, six out of the seven countries lie outside of the region, so the issue isnt relevant to them. It is hoped that these countries will respect the facts and the efforts made by regional countries to promote peace and stability, and cease making irresponsible remarks. Butwal, April 29 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli says he raised the issue of aerial routes with his India counterpart during their meeting in New Delhi few weeks ago. Oli, who was addressing lawmakers from Province 5 in Butwal, assured his audience that his government will secure a deal with India to allow international flights to and from the soon-to-be ready Gautam Buddha International Airport. India has only given us one aerial route. The only option we have for international flights is to use the Birgunj-Simara route, said Oli adding,India must give us additional routes. I raised the issue during my recent visit to India. We will claim the new route to Bhairahawa and the airport will come into operation, the Prime Minister said. His statement comes as construction work gathers pace at Pokhara and Bhairahawa where two new regional international airports are being built. According to aviation experts, new aerial routes must be opened for land-locked Nepal to make the operation of the airports viable. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe #lawmaker Lawmaker accused of using 'comfort women' group's money 217 times A lawmaker, who formerly headed a major civic group supporting women forced into wartime sexual slavery by Japan, has been accused of embezzling the organization's funds 217 times,... #Oscar 'Escape from Mogadishu' selected as S. Korea's Oscar entry The South Korean action film based on a true story of the life-and-death escape by South and North Korean diplomats during the Somali civil war in the 1990s will represent South Ko... After revelations came to light that animals used for laboratory testing were abandoned when his testing lab was repossessed by the bank, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar told anyone who would listen that he tried to save those poor tortured animals but that it was the bank that left them there to suffer without food and water. Turns out, that is a lie: A top Democratic contender in the Michigan governors race fought to sell off more than 100 animals at a shuttered pharmaceutical testing facility he owned, court records show, contradicting his account of events that culminated in the neglected animals rescue. Businessman Shri Thanedar has been weathering accusations of animal neglect after HuffPost reported Wednesday that animal welfare groups had to rescue over 170 dogs and monkeys months after the Oxford, New Jersey, facility shut down in 2010. On Thursday, the candidate tried to pin the animals neglect on Bank of America, which repossessed the property in April of that year. He said the bank sought to sell the animals against his advice. But court records show that the court-appointed receiver, charged with managing the disputed property, actually tried to place the animals in sanctuaries against Thanedars wishes. In fact, it was Thanedars attorneys who unsuccessfully sought to have the animals assessed and sold. [] The Receiver has investigated the various options available with respect to the Animals and has determined that it is in the best interests of the Receivership Estate for the Animals to be placed with the various animal sanctuaries, [the Receiver] Morris-Andersons motion said. An attorney for Thanedars companies objected to the proposal, arguing instead that Morris-Anderson should have tried to sell the animals. The proceeds from the sale, Thanedars attorney maintained, could have benefited the creditors and thus reduced Thanedars debts to them. In other words, the animals could have been placed in sanctuaries right away but Thanedar was so keen to reduce how much money he owed the bank that he left them to suffer while he filed legal arguments against it. One other thing: Thanedars claim that the beagles and monkeys were all happy as clams in their tiny cages in his animal testing laboratory is also BS: According to USDA documents, the lab received several citations for cages that were too small and for expired medication used in their veterinary treatment. Add all of this to the very long list of reasons that I not only will not be voting for Shri Thanedar but I will work tirelessly to ensure he comes nowhere near getting the Democratic Partys nomination to run in the General Election for governor. [Photo by Anne C. 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Christopher Steele, a former British spy, was hired by Fusion GPS to conduct oppo research on Donald Trump. Steele then compiled a 35-page dossier from a series of memos he penned alleging Trump commissioned help from Russia in order to win the presidential election. Read More: Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com Follow Larry Elder on Follow Larry Elder on Twitter "Like" Larry Elder on Facebook By CNN , April 27, 2018 Washington (CNN) US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew a training mission over the South China Sea on Tuesday, according to the US military. The bombers took off from Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam according to a statement from US Pacific Air Forces, which oversees air operations in the region. The flight also involved additional training with F-15 Strike Eagle jets in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan. The training mission was part of the US Air Force's routine "Continuous Bomber Presence" in the region. 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when he asked him to be his best man for his highly anticipated wedding to American actress Meghan Markle. Brothers, Best Men It's a little surprise that William, 35, was chosen to stand next to the soon-to-be groom as he ties the knot. After all, the pair grew up close and the Duke of Cambridge also picked Harry, 33, to be his best man when he married Kate Middleton in 2011. When asked how he broke the news to his older brother, People reports that Harry had a cheeky answer for the press during an official visit at the Greenhouse Center in London on Thursday, April 26. "How did I ask? Got down on one knee," Harry responds good-naturedly to a query about telling his brother about his choice of best man. "He's known for months." It's an honor that William does not take lightly. "It feels great," he says about being best man at the upcoming royal wedding. "Thrilled and delighted, obviously." William is also looking forward to his wedding toast, often a chance for the best man to tell a few sweet and potentially embarrassing anecdotes about the groom. "Revenge is sweet," the duke teased, implying his younger brother made a memorable toast during his wedding. Kensington Palace announced that William is going to be Harry's best man, posting a series of adorable photos of the two brothers on Twitter from playing with lightsabers to chuckling merrily together. Prince Harry has asked his brother The Duke of Cambridge to be his Best Man at his wedding to Ms. Meghan Markle. pic.twitter.com/7TvZ2VlEk2 Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 26, 2018 William, The New Father The royal wedding is drawing close, but William has a lot on his plate beyond his best man duties. The Duke of Cambridge welcomed his third child with his wife, Kate, just last Monday, April 23. Like any new dad, William is seemingly in need of a full night's sleep after the arrival of an infant at home. During the annual Anzac Day memorial service on Wednesday, April 25, the duke found himself nodding off mid-service for a few moments. William and Kate have yet to introduce their baby boy to the world, keeping their choice of name to themselves for now. During his appearance alongside Harry, the duke explains that he is "working on that," implying the couple has not decided on a name yet. However, Hello Magazine reveals that the parents-of-three may simply be waiting to introduce their new son to Prince Charles before debuting him to the public. Prince Charles was in Scotland when his grandson was born, then flew to France for Anzac Day afterward. The prince is reportedly back in United Kingdom, which means he will soon meet the newest family member and possibly help William finally choose a name. Hugh Jackman's attempt to create a heartfelt birthday greeting became futile when Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool interrupted the Wolverine actor. In another series of their faux feud, Jackman and Deadpool again won everybody's heart as they share an inside look on their "friendship." The 49-year-old actor posted a video showing him in robe filming what seemed like a birthday greeting. But not long enough before the red-costumed superhero started singing "Tomorrow" from the film "Annie." The camera then pans to the hotel bed, revealing Deadpool lounging. Trying not to ruin his fourth wall, Jackman tries to continue sending his message for the unidentified birthday celebrant. But of course, knowing the comical and unconventional hero, the singing grew louder, which prompted the Australian actor to encourage viewers to ignore the interrupter. "When you're trying to record a heartfelt birthday message .... but are interrupted by the least greatest showman," Jackman captioned the clip, referring to Deadpool. As much as the caption pokes fun at Reynolds, how their friendship works was seen in the clip. Deadpool started singing "Who Let The Dogs Out," to which Jackman answered "woof, woof, woof." "Who let them out? No one ever solved that mystery," Deadpool wondered. Of course, observers found delight and approved of the now viral clip. @KarenTreend said the clip was hilarious but that she found more eye-catching Jackman's being in a robe while Deadpool remained in bed. Banter Fans of the two who have carefully been following the so-called feud between them well know that this isn't the first time that they have trolled each other. Last year, Reynolds interviewed Jackman and threw some hard but funny questions at Jackman. At one point, Reynolds laid down some of Jackman's awards. But one question ultimately broke everyone. "How much of Hugh Jackman's immense success is raw talent and how much is just advantageous bone structure?" Reynolds asked. Just last March, Jackman posed with a crowd of fans in Beijing. However, Reynolds was immediately there to show his, er, support, and pertained to the crowd as "protesters." Supporters of the 41-year-old Green Lantern actor would know that he is one of the best roasters out there. Even his wife, Blake Lively, is not safe from her husband's trolling. The same was the case for Jackman and his wife, who fell victim to Reynolds' joke. The Greatest Showman star earlier this month uploaded sweet a photo of him and his wife, and his caption revealed they had been together for 22 years already. But Reynolds jokingly admitted in his comment that he was wrong and that he gave their relationship "3 months. Tops." sohupk said: Hi friends, My wife is doctor having 3 years experience. I am primary applicant for australian PR. She wants to contribute 5 points for her education. Kindly send me detailed process and guide me. Attaullah Click to expand... I am in same boat. As per my information from this forum, Internet and my friends in Australia. Only after you have certification to work as doctor in Australia by the Medical Board of Australia, you can get a positive skills assessment for MBBS.In short,Refer Beldyev said: You've made a correct choice. Yet you could come to this conclusion much earlier without spending so much money. It sounds like your "PR consultant" (whatever it means) was completely unqualified or intended to suck your money. Maybe it makes sense to consider Canada. Anyway, have a good life, fellow user. Click to expand... From my PR try so far, what matters most than all is the English score, may it Canada or Australia. Its not the number of attempts that matters, its the pratice needed to get it right, people tend to think English will just get 10 points my exp and education will do, but it is entirely opposite. You cant crack the English test it will be long wait time. So go back to basics, learn the sentence structure, watch tones of English channels and read papers aloud, watch the news channels, practice they intonation. Its seems crazy but that is the only way to get through English. It needs loads of plain practice. People tend to overlook it. Think oh its just English test, I can understand other can understand will clear it, but its not just that simple, if you dont have neutral accent and sentence structure and vocabulary. Also even for Canada a upper 7.5 fetch you whole lot points as just 7. So Aus or Canada get your English right.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk THE CBH Group has broken its own record for the longest and largest grain train in Australia, after a train the length of 155 trucks passed through the eastern Wheatbelt last week, carrying 9000 tonnes of wheat. The wheat was loaded at Doodlakine, Burracoppin and Bodallin before the 120-wagon train was made up at Merredin, from where it travelled to the CBH Groups Kwinana Grain Terminal last Wednesday. The 1.8 kilometre train surpassed the previously held grain industry record set in July 2016, which transported 6500t of wheat in 88 wagons, and measured 1.3km. CBH Groups general manager of operations David Capper said the record grain movement was part of a trial exploring transport efficiencies, in the hope of further reducing paddock to port costs. When we made the rail investment back in 2010-11 and partnered with our rail operator Watco, the overwhelming driver was to take control of above rail operations and deliver our growers the most efficient transport service possible, Mr Capper said. In that first year, we were able to reduce freight rates by seven per cent and while these reductions have continued rail freight rates are about 20pc lower now than in 2010-11 there is so much more we want to achieve, Mr Capper said. Mr Capper said the success of the trial would enable CBH to provide more options to utilise wagons more effectively, and drive further efficiencies. He said the trial was carried out in consultation with Arc Infrastructure to ensure the train met safe operating standards. While operating longer and larger trains creates economies of scale, we have to balance these efficiencies against other logistics considerations including the allocation of our rolling stock resources throughout the rest of network, Mr Capper said. We learnt a lot when running the previous 88 wagon-train in 2016, and through this trial, well build on those learnings to make sure we get growers grain to market in the most efficient and cost effective way possible. Its certainly not about setting a record, but it is nice to see Western Australia out in front. CBH Group logistics manager Ben Raisbeck said while the bigger train provided economies of scale in transport and upcountry operations, there were still some challenges. He said further analysis would need to be undertaken following the trial before decisions were made regarding the long term utilisation of the 120-wagon train. CBH is continuing to assess and analyse data from the trial, including information collected from the network tests and the ability to load and unload without disrupting operations, Mr Raisbeck said. CBH will review all data collected on that day and assess the feasibility of the trains performance, and how this balances with other logistical considerations including scheduling and rolling stock resource allocation. Pending the outcome of the trial, CBH plans to use the 120-wagon train in future to drive more efficiencies and give the co-operative more options to utilise its wagons most effectively. In the meantime, CBH will continue to drive efficiencies through a number of transport options including the 88-wagon train on standard gauge. Gillian Jacobs takes on the role of single thirty-something New Yorker Harper in upcoming Netflix original comedy Ibiza; a woman whos got some awesome friends, but a not-so-awesome job. When shes sent off on a business trip by her nightmarish boss, Harper jumps at the chance to board the plane to Barcelona along with her two best friends Nikki and Leah, played by Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson respectively. You can see all three of the leading stars in the brilliant poster for the film below: Richard Madden also stars in the film as famous DJ Leo; a man wholl have a chance encounter with Harper thanks to some surprising body graffiti, which could leave to the two changing their lives forever. Alex Richanbach serves as director on the film, working on a script from fellow Funny or Die veteran Lauryn Kahn, who here makes her feature screenwriting debut. Gary Sanchez Productions Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Kevin Messick serve as producers, alongside Nathan Kahane and Erin Westerman of Good Universe. Kelli Konop and Kahn from Good Universe also executive produce. Ibiza premieres on Netflix across the globe on May 25, 2018. by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category . . . (). , , . ... Former NASCAR driver James Hylton and his son were killed in a truck accident early Saturday on an interstate in northern Georgia, officials said. The Georgia State Patrol told WSPA the crash happened just after 6 a.m. on Interstate 85 in Carnesville, located 85 miles northwest of Atlanta. The truck ran off the roadway and hit an embankment, killing two passengers and leaving the driver seriously injured. Authorities identified the two victims as 83-year-old James Harvey Hylton and 61-year-old James Harvey Hylton, Jr. Franklin County Deputy Coroner Clayton Bryant told the Associated Press the three men had to be extricated from the GMC truck, which was pulling a trailer carrying a race car and other equipment. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to police. Bryant said the driver, whose name was not released, was transported to a hospital in Greenville, S.C., for treatment of injuries including several broken bones. The Georgia State Patrol said it was still investigating and had not determined whether to cite the driver. Hylton and his son were both from Inman, S.C., according to FOX Carolina. VERMONT GOV. PHIL SCOTT MAY GIVE UP STOCK CAR RACING AFTER SIGNING GUN CONTROL LAWS Hylton was the 1966 Rookie of the Year, and started 602 races in the Cup Series and won two races in a career that began in 1964. He finished second in the points standings three times. NASCAR and the ARCA Racing Series said in a joint statement that "dedication, passion and longevity in motorsports is virtually unmatched." "We have lost a truly special member of the racing family and a beloved figure among generations of competitors and race fans alike," the statement said. Born on his family's farm in Virginia in 1934, Hylton started driving in his father's Ford Model T. His brother taught him how to work the pedals. Hylton worked on the farm to help his family make ends meet during the Depression. MATT KENSETH RETURNING TO NASCAR WITH ROUSH FENWAY RACING He then embarked on a winding career in motor sports, starting out as a mechanic for Rex White and then as crew chief for Ned Jarrett in the early days of NASCAR, then got back behind the wheel and placed second in the Cup standings in 1966. Hylton also finished second in points to Richard Petty in 1967 and 1971. His victories came at Richmond in 1970 and Talladega in 1972. In all, the good-natured Hylton racked up 140 top-five finishes and 301 top-10s in the Cup series. He also attempted 21 Daytona 500s between 1966 and 2007, finishing as high as third in 1967. Hylton raced full time in the ARCA Series between 2009 and 2013. He started 175 ARCA races as a driver, making his final start at the age of 78 in 2013. As an owner, he fielded a car in 638 Cup and 413 ARCA events with Kirk Shelmerdine earning the team its lone ARCA win in 2003. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kanye West has made headlines again, after he released a new song on Friday which looked to double down on comments he made this week on Twitter in support of Donald Trumps presidency. Ye vs. the People was first played Friday night on a Los Angeles hip-hop radio station, The Washington Post reported. The lyrics seemed to obviously depict the ongoing twitter battle West, aka "Ye," has engaged in with his fans and Hollywood, most likely the People, since first enthusiastically voicing his support for Trump. The song illustrates a back-and-forth between the rapper and fellow artist T.I., who attempts to criticize West for his comments that go against the teachings that he initially taught. But aint goin against the grain everything I fought for, he rebukes. TRUMP CHEERS KANYE FOR GREAT SERIVCE TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY, THANKS CHANCE THE RAPPER Wests opening verse starts with a Trump-Obama comparison: I know Obama was heaven-sent but ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be president. The song also refers to the signed MAGA hat the rapper showed on Twitter. I never ever stopped fightin for the people. Actually wearin the hatll show people that we equal, he says. Make America Great Again had a negative reception. I took it, wore it, rocked it, gave it a new direction. He also addressed arguments that his race alone should be enough to make him anti-Trump. See thats the problem with this damn nation, all blacks gotta be Democrats, the verse reads. OPINION: KANYE GETS. JUST BECAUSE IM BLACK DONT ASSUME IM A DEMOCRAT West points out in his song that a lot of people agree with me but are too afraid to speak up. Chance the Rapper also tweeted earlier this week, saying black people dont have to be Democrats, supporting Wests stance. The song comes after a weeklong frenzy where West tweeted out pictures of himself in a MAGA hat, criticizing former President Obamas record in Chicago and offering support for Trump. He called Trump his brother and said they both share dragon energy. West added that he doesnt agree with everything anyone does. Trump also took to Twitter to express his appreciation. Fox News Adam Shaw contributed to this report. Following his lengthy Twitter rant about Donald Trump, Kanye West got a bit of shade while trying to pivot and honor one of the key figures behind the recent #MarchForOurLives movement, Emma Gonzalez. Kanye expressed his support for Donald Trump in a series of tweets last week, but over the weekend he took a different tone by posting a photo of Parkland shooting survivor. West posted a photo of Gonzalez with the caption my hero Emma Gonzalez. Soon after, he posted another photo of himself with a shaved head saying that he was inspired by Emma. Just a half hour later, Gonzalez responded in the same format, but didnt acknowledge Wests shoutout. Instead, the teenage activist posted a photo of James Shaw Jr., the 29-year-old man who has been heralded as a hero for tackling and disarming a gunman who opened fire at a Waffle House near Nashville. As previously reported, witnesses say that Shaw is responsible for saving lives in the tragedy that claimed the lives of 4 people. Gonzalez, who rose to prominence along with other Parkland students to become vocal voices in the anti-gun movement, highlighted Shaw rather than directly respond to the rapper. At the moment, Kanyes politics are in the conversation after a brief Twitter exchange with Trump in which he showed his support for the president, prompting a positive reaction from Trump himself. Gonzalez, who has been a vocal advocate of gun control against the current White House administration, didnt comment further on the situation. She has, however, continued to post about Shaw. Kanye West said his new album cover will include a photo of the plastic surgeon who operated on the rappers mother before her sudden death. West announced the album artwork on Twitter through screenshots of a text conversation with a friend. "This is my album cover. This is plastic surgeon Jan Adams. The person who performed my moms final surgery...Do you have any title ideas? I want to forgive and stop hating, the rapper texted to his friend, who responded, LOVE EVERYONE. "I love that," West said. West also told TMZ he's open to meeting and speaking with Adams. The rappers late mother, Donda West, died in 2007 at age 53 after she underwent a tummy tuck, liposuction and a breast reduction procedures done by Adams. She died the next day. KANYE WEST RELEASES NEW SONG, DOUBLING DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR TRUMP The coroners report in 2008 said Adams was not at fault for Wests death and said she died from some preexisting coronary artery disease and multiple postoperative factors following surgery, the Los Angeles Times reported. The pain-control medication that West took after the surgery and the tight bandaging around her chest also contributed to her death, the report stated. The preliminary autopsy initially said West died as a result of surgery or anesthesia, which Adams was scrutinized for. Adams gave up his medical license in 2009 for alcohol-related offenses that were not related to Wests death. Kanye West has been making headlines for his controversial tweets. He released a new song on Friday titled Ye vs. the People featuring fellow artist T.I. West appeared to be doubling down on his comments supporting President Trump. West also tweeted on Saturday after announcing the album artwork: "I've got a new challenge for everyone today. Pick somebody that you had an argument with that you think you hate, maybe even someone you haven't spoken to in years and contact that person and tell them I love you." Kanye Wests unexpected declaration of support for President Donald Trump this week set social media ablaze. Many Trump critics were quick to doubt the sincerity of West, having in mind a history Wests public antics. West, for instance, once famously blurted out on live television, George Bush doesnt care about black people. He also famously interrupted Taylor Swift at an awards event. And less than two weeks after the 2016 presidential election, West told a live audience at a show in San Jose, Calif., If I wouldve voted, I would have voted on Trump. If I wouldve voted, I would have voted on Trump. Kanye West, after the 2016 presidential election The response was meet with audible boos. But a connection between the West and Trump had been formed even earlier: Both men had been publicly insulted by President Barack Obama. In West's case, it happened after that awards event, the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. West ran up onstage, snatched the mic from Swift and said, Yo Taylor, Im really happy for you but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! When asked about West's behavior before a TV interview, Obama, famed for his measured rhetoric, said: I thought that was really inappropriate. ... Hes a jackass. I thought that was really inappropriate. ... Hes a jackass. President Barack Obama, speaking about Kanye West in 2009 In Trumps case, Obama devoted a segment of his speech at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011 to insulting Trump for exacerbating the rumor that Obama was not born in the U.S. Trump was seated in the audience. I know thats hes taken some flak lately no one is prouder to put this birth-certificate matter to rest than the Donald. And thats because he can finally get back to the issues that matter, like: Did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac? On Friday, West released a song titled Ye vs. the People, in which he doubled-down on his support for Trump. I know Obama was Heaven-sent, West raps, But ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be president. Roseanne Barr said Sunday that she thanked President Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during a phone call with the president. "I said, 'Mr. President, on behalf of my mother, I want to thank you ... for moving the embassy to Jerusalem. Thank you so much,'" Barr said at The Jerusalem Post's annual conference in New York. "And he said, 'Well, you know a lot of presidents have promised it, but I wanted to get it done.'" "I think it's the first step to peace in the world, I really do," added Barr. Trump announced late last year that the U.S. would formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The relocated embassy is scheduled to open next month. 'ROSEANNE' STAR EMMA KENNEY FIRES BACK AT CRITICS SLAMMING THE SHOW'S POLITICAL PLOTS Trump had originally called Barr to congratulate her on the surprise smash ratings for the revival of her 1980s sitcom, "Roseanne," in which Barr's eponymous main character is an unapologetic Trump supporter. "I didnt have Roseanne the character become a Trump supporter because I am," Barr told Israeli TV reporter Dana Weiss in conversation. "I had her become a Trump supporter because shes a working class person and it is the working class that elected Donald Trump. So, in being true to that little demographic, I had to do it. "Besides, I just wanted someone to do it and none of the other actors they were like, 'No way,'" Barr added. Barr, who was raised Jewish, also told Weiss that she wanted to move to Israel, an act known among Jews as "making Aliyah." She also claimed she wanted to run for Prime Minister of Israel should she make the move. "I'm 65 years old and I'm running out of time to do what I always dreamed of doing [which] was to be living there and be able to study the things that excite me," she said. "I still have the fantasy of being an old Jewish lady living in the Jewish homeland, so someday I will do it." The actress continued to share her political views on Monday morning when she caused a flurry of supportive tweets from fans after tweeting, "@GenFlynn thank you for what you have done for us! We love U, sir!" A North Carolina Chick-fil-A worker had quite a shock while she was working at the fast food chain last week. WHY CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEES DON'T SAY 'YOU'RE WELCOME' Jacqueline Murphy was working the drive-thru last Thursday at a Chick-fil-A in Charlotte when the restaurant operator and company leaders rolled up with a giant check for $25,000 made out to the young employee. Murphys friends and family were waiting nearby to surprise her after the company presented the award. The generous check is part of Chick-fil-As scholarship program called Remarkable Futures. The program awards $14.5 million to worthy team members nationwide each year. According to WSOC, Murphy, a seasonal manager at the fast food chain, took the job to overcome her shyness. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS While she has been employed at the chicken restaurant, Murphy has reportedly gone above and beyond by coming to work on her days off to shadow team members and learn how to become more engage with guests. Murphy attends Wingate Universitys School of Pharmacy. About 600 people were evacuated from an Australian universitys library after students and faculty mistook the smell of a rotten durian fruit for a gas leak. Students and staff inside the campus library at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology became worried when they got a whiff of a distinct smell on Saturday. A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said the smell filled the air-conditioning system. Specialist crews wearing masks searched the library for the gas leak, but only found the rotting durian in the cupboard. After an earlier evacuation that turned out to be a false alarm, New Academic Street and the library are now open. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to those on campus today, the university tweeted. Durian is a tropical fruit known for its strong smell. It is commonly banned from hotel rooms and public transport across Southeast Asia. The Smithsonian magazine compared the smell to turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. Despite the pungent smell, many people rave about the fruits taste and say the stink is a small thing to get past. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! After spending the past two years bashing Melania Trump, the media caught up with the rest of the country this past week and acknowledged her as a capable and talented first lady finally giving her the respect she deserves. Mrs. Trump keeps a low profile, closely guarding her privacy and always carrying herself with grace and dignity. Even so, she has often been the target of unprovoked, aggressive attacks from news organizations that have complete and utter contempt for her husband. That tide seemed to shift in the past week. As she celebrated her birthday, even some of Melania Trumps toughest critics couldnt help but finally celebrate her. Mrs. Trump spent months planning the administrations first state dinner welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Instead of using an outside event planner, as most first ladies do, she chose to take charge of the planning herself. According to the White House social secretary, every detail for the dinner was picked out by Mrs. Trump. This was the perfect venue for Mrs. Trump to let her talents shine, given her background in design, her experience entertaining in New Yorks social scene, and her impeccable taste. This is where her extraordinary style and the natural class took center stage. All eyes were on the first lady and the role she played in making the entire event a success. To say she exceeded expectations is an understatement. Melania Trump is a first lady who is full of grace, dignity and class a more than worthy successor to her predecessors. Those are qualities that speak to her character and go well beyond just one dinner party. Even CNN.com lauded Mrs. Trump. In a piece headlined Melania Trump masters the moment, Betsy Klein and Kate Bennett wrote: Without speaking a word, dressed in a white Michael Kors Collection asymmetrical blazer and skirt and an eye-catching, custom-made Herve Pierre hat Melania Trump spoke volumes. This was her house, her dinner and her terms. Mrs. Trumps striking, white, broad-brimmed hat proved to be her biggest fashion statement and the centerpiece of her look that attracted the most attention. One that, in a surprising turn of events, found her once again being praised by CNN. This time it was Brooke Baldwin, who said Mrs. Trumps hat was stealing the show and that she was stunning. Her comments came during an interview with Naeem Khan, a fashion designer who dressed Michelle Obama. Both agreed they loved the hat. Online, ABC News headlined an Associated Press story: Melania Trump takes her moment to sparkle in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the website for NBCs Today show praised the first lady, saying her ensemble was striking, but it was her hat that stole the show. Applauding her fashion statement the website reported: One thing is for certain: The former model still has a flair for style! Following the visit, The Guardian reported that Brigitte Macron extolled praise on Mrs. Trump, saying she was actually really fun. We have the same sense of humour. We laugh a lot together. Mrs. Macron called Melania Trump kind, charming, intelligent and very open. The first state dinner of the Trump administration was a huge success in large part thanks to the first lady. The dinner highlighted Mrs. Trump and forced the media to take notice of her style, flair for fashion, and her talent for throwing an elegant, successful dinner party under a worldwide microscope with no detail left unchecked. Melania Trump is a first lady who is full of grace, dignity and class a more than worthy successor to her predecessors. Those are qualities that speak to her character and go well beyond just one dinner party. Hopefully the media will continue to pay attention to who she is, because Americas first lady could be the presidents greatest asset. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Recently, I visited Del Rio, Texas, marking my fourth visit to the southwest border. My previous trips have taken me to El Paso and Laredo in Texas, and San Diego in California. Del Rio offered a unique perspective to border security because of its rural character, allowing me to continue to build on my understanding of the strategic challenges we face and what the House can do to deliver on our promise to better secure our borders. Each sector along the southwest border has its own unique geography, economy, and traditions, which determines what that locations border security should look like and how it should be specifically designed. While in the Del Rio Sector, I learned that, at any given time, only roughly 45 percent of our Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents are patrolling the border with the other 55 percent engaged in administrative activity such as transporting prisoners, doing administrative work, or on leave. I also learned that the agents are not able to fully utilize all of the resources available to them. For example, the Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez reported that he has $96,000 in high-tech cameras sitting in storage because the county doesn't have the manpower to monitor the feeds once the cameras are installed. This is unacceptable. Taxpayers expect more from the funds we are sending to border, and there are ways to better equip those on the front lines - keeping Americans safe and secure. While I was there, we also discussed President Trumps recent decision to deploy National Guard troops to the border. Working carefully with state and local officials, I believe that guardsmen could be beneficial to supplement inadequate manpower by way of aerial surveillance, ground observation, or some appropriate administrative tasks. Clearly, we need more cooperation and coordination to maximize our border security. However, the Guards ability to engage in actual interdiction activities is limited. This is a band-aid, not a solution. One of the key findings from my trips is that a barrier in place whether a wall, fence, or something altogether different shapes the response of cartels and illegal immigrants and is a useful tool in helping our agents better patrol the border. The House is doing our part. The FY18 spending bill that was recently passed by the House and signed into law by President Trump includes important provisions to help secure our nations southern border. In addition, the House is currently working on a significant immigration reform bill, the Securing Americas Future Act, that would increase not only physical and technological border security, but would ensure that high-skilled laborers are able to enter the United State to benefit our nations economy, all while finding an equitable solution for dreamers. I had four important and key takeaways from my recent trip. First, we need to make sure that we have enough manpower patrolling the Southwest Border. The FY18 spending bill funds the CBP at $14 billion, an increase of $1.8 billion from the previous year. Also, the Securing Americas Future Act adds 5,000 Border Patrol Agents and 5,000 CBP officers, while authorizing $8.5 billion for recruitment and retention for the CBP. Second, we need the proper technology and implementation of it to ensure safety along the border. The FY18 spending bill includes $196 million for border security technology, and the Securing Americas Future Act authorizes an additional $5.8 billion for technology over a period of five years. Much of the technology in the Del Rio Sector is outdated, but as mentioned above, tens of thousands of dollars of high-tech equipment isnt being utilized, thus becoming obsolete as it sits collecting dust. It is important that we are not dumping money into a bottomless pit and that we ensure the technology purchased on the taxpayers dime match the capabilities. Third, we need the proper resources to resolve the 600,000 backlogged immigration cases to enable swift processing of the numerous individuals in detention centers along the border. The FY18 spending bill funds100 new federal judges, bringing the total nationwide to more than 400. We also need to be sure that we are empowering the Department of Homeland Security to detain dangerous illegal immigrants who currently cannot be removed, enhance the criminal penalties for deported criminals who illegally return multiple times, and tighten our laws to do away with frivolous asylum claims. These are all gaps in our current law that the Securing Americas Future Act can help improve or fix. Fourth, and finally, we must design a coordinated, effective set of barriers including, where key, a wall, fencing, sophisticated technology, and other means, to protect the citizens of our country. Del Rio Sector has 210 miles of border with nine stations, out of which the CBP does important work, but only four miles of this border has of any type of barrier. One of the key findings from my trips is that a barrier in place whether a wall, fence, or something altogether different shapes the response of cartels and illegal immigrants and is a useful tool in helping our agents better patrol the border. However, while a wall may do its job well in densely populated places like San Diego and El Paso, it may not be nearly as effective in more rural areas like Del Rio. Like in any difficult endeavor, "one-size-fits-all" approaches are not effective. Border security strategy requires customization to meet the needs of the local sectors terrain and access, as well as the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement of that locality. As such, decisions about how to allocate resources for physical and technological barriers must be done in conjunction with local CBP agents, local law enforcement, and community leaders on what border security needs fit their area of operation. My brief but informative trips to our southwest border have given me a first-hand look at the diversity of the challenges presented along our important border with Mexico. They have helped me focus on our border debate and argue for alternative plans to keep us safe from the intense criminal efforts to smuggle people and drugs into our country and guns and money out. The FY18 spending bill we passed in the House was a step in the right direction, and we have a president that has pledged to secure our border. We must now pass the Securing Americas Future Act in order to continue moving forward to give Americans confidence that our border will finally be secured. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The White House Correspondents Dinner was supposed to be a celebration of the First Amendment but it quickly devolved into an X-rated, anti-Trump smut fest. The nation watched as preening journalists - decked out in tuxedos and sparkly gowns - guzzled copious amounts of wine and guffawed as a second-rate comedian spewed p-words and f-bombs and all sorts of vulgarities. Michelle Wolf had a mouth that would make a rapper blush a distinction she would no doubt consider a compliment. The Fake News crowd could barely control themselves. They giggled when she cracked an abortion joke (Dont knock it til youve tried it) and they chuckled when she called President Trump the p-word. Wolf saved her most venomous attacks for Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who was seated just a few feet away from her insulter. Im never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Sarah Sanders, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Cousin Huckabee? Is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? Like, whats Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? The White House Correspondents Association owes Ms. Sanders a public apology, but based on their behavior I doubt that will happen. Then, came the body shaming. I actually really like Sarah. I think shes very resourceful. She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Maybe shes born with it, maybe its lies. Its probably lies. Ms. Sanders was the epitome of grace under fire. She had every right to walk out of the room, but instead, she stayed seated and endured the ugly verbal assault. She demonstrated class and grace. I kept waiting for a member of the White House Correspondents Association to stand up and denounce the comedian and put a stop to the viciousness. I was hoping that someone on the platform would muster the courage and decency to say enough. But no one rose to defend Ms. Sanders defense. There was no one to be found with honor or courage or decency. And thats why the American people hold American journalism with such little regard. The White House Correspondents Association owes Ms. Sanders a public apology, but based on their behavior I doubt that will happen. So I believe its time for some punitive measures. Its time for President Trump to give the White House Press Corps the heave-ho. Let them find some other place to spew their vulgar lies and half-truths and slander. The Trump administration had briefly considered moving White House press conferences to the Executive Office Building but those plans were scuttled after journalists pitched a hissy fit. Well, I say the president should make good on those plans. The first order of business Monday morning should be to padlock the press briefing rooms doors quickly followed by fumigators. Throw the bums out, Mr. President. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The media got to celebrate itself, as the media loves to do, at Saturdays White House Correspondents Dinner, but this past week was the kind of nightmare journalists have been having since Nov. 8, 2016. The president they despise was having a huge week filled with his massive political victories and PR success. Then he got a full dose of dragon energy from rap star Kanye West. Meanwhile, liberal icon Joy Reid was under attack from other liberals for reported homophobic statements made in years past, which she then lamely claimed were part of a hacking plot. Over at her sister network NBC, famous former anchor and current Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw became the latest #MeToo target when he was accused of sexual misconduct by former NBC journalist Linda Vester. Brokaw emphatically denied Vesters claims, writing to NBC colleagues: I was ambushed and then perp walked across the pages of The Washington Post and Variety as an avatar of male misogyny, taken to the guillotine and stripped of any honor and achievement I had earned in more than a half century of journalism and citizenship. In addition, more than 60 women who worked with Brokaw at NBC signed a letter of support backing the 78-year-old, saying that he has treated each of us with fairness and respect. He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers. The political events were even more incredible. North and South Korea agreed to a common goal of denuclearization. CNN led with North and South Korea vow to formally end Korean War. This follows President Trumps aggressive carrot-and-stick diplomacy with North Korea. Unlike his predecessor, it appears Trump may actually deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. There was more good news. Mike Pompeo was approved as new secretary of state by a sizable 57-42 vote, despite opposition. Easy to see why the Daily Caller reported: Fifty-one percent of Republican voters agree that media outlets are the enemy of the people, according to a new poll. And President Trump looks primed to win a Supreme Court case on his immigration ban, based on questions posed by the justices. USA Today said the court shows support for Trumps plan. And President Trump pushed through his new ambassador to Germany Twitter warrior Richard Grenell to win Senate confirmation. As The Washington Post put it: Grenell becomes the most senior openly gay person to join the Trump administration. All of the good news overshadowed the withdrawal of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who Washington insiders helped destroy, despite years of service with President Barack Obama as the White House physician. Then there was the Kanye West storyline, which has quickly become one of the most bizarre narrative changes in the entire Trump presidency. West, who initially tweeted support for an African-American conservative, ended the week trolling Twitter like his friend President Trump. He was even photographed sporting a Make America Great Again hat. West set the ball rolling with support for Turning Point USA Communications Director Candace Owens. He tweeted: I love the way Candace Owens thinks, on April 21. The Internet nearly collapsed under the weight of tweets and think pieces, most of them negative. The Washington Post ran 29 separate Kanye West stories and opinion pieces in one week, including saying he was an alt-right darling, discussing his bizarre political evolution, and saying how he fell for the worst black Republican sales pitch there is. The Twitter mob quickly descended on the rapper. Celebrities who unfollowed Kanye read like a Whos Who of music: Rihanna, Katy Perry, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber all disconnected. Late-night TV hosts piled on and then something else crazy happened. Chance the Rapper gave Kanye his support. What followed terrified media types and the left even more. Chance tweeted: Black people dont have to be democrats. Those were like the modern version of George Carlins Seven Dirty Words. If President Trumps sudden rapper influx could actually impact voters, it might alter elections for years. The anti-Kanye West hate fest was fueled by anti-dragon power. The Hollywood Reporter asked: Did Kanye West Just Kill His Brand? CNN Tonight anchor Don Lemon wondered about West, asking if he cares about black people. Rolling Stone even warned that Wests Pro-Trump Tweets Are a Real Threat. The comments from journalists were almost indistinguishable from equally panicked liberals. In a well-timed piece, liberal New York University Journalism Professor Jay Rosen wrote a story headlined: Why Trump Is Winning and the Press Is Losing. The New York Review of Books article was adapted from a Rosen speech and warned: There is an obvious risk that the press will lose touch with the country. He concluded: I think our top journalists are correct that if they become the political opposition to Trump, they will lose. This week involved a lot of losing on their part. 2. Will There Be Joy at MSNBC? If you picked liberal MSNBC host Joy Reid in the pool as the next mob target for wrong thought, you are a winner. Reid, on the other hand, not so much. Back in December, Mediaite reported that Reids former blog had included homophobic conspiracies and anti-gay jokes from 2007 to 2009. She apologized and said her comments had been insensitive, tone deaf and dumb. But she denied a new release of alleged comments and said she had been the victim of hackers, according to The New York Times. One comment referred to chubbed-out shrew Rosie ODonnell. The reaction was strong. LGBT activist group PFLAG rescinded a media award that went to Reid. The Daily Beast suspended her column and The Atlantic called her claims implausible and summed up the issue: The Evidence Is Not With Joy Reid. MSNBC is keeping her on the air for now (she opened her Saturday show with an apology while insisting I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things). But a Daily Beast investigation into the hacking claims just determined they failed to withstand scrutiny. It was only late March when Essence magazine described Reids work at MSNBC as Black Girl Brilliance. Oops. 3. A Kiss Is Just A Kiss: The media complain Trump isnt diplomatic. The leader of long-time American ally France arrives and what do they criticize Trump for? Getting along well with him. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Washington for a state visit and the media freaked out about the awkward kiss the two shared. The Guardian called it an awkward handshake and a kiss. And The Independent went even farther: Watch Trump and Macron awkwardly touch each other in series of excruciating exchanges during US visit. The media who couldnt criticize Trumps willingness to work well with an ally simply became 13-year-olds intent on mockery. Vanity Fair referred to the relationship as LAMOUR. And bromance was a common theme. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace described the visit as a minefield of bizarre interactions and added, I've not seen him touch Melania that many times. Late-night comics had a field day. ABC host Jimmy Kimmel joked: Have you ever seen him touch anyone like that? He gave him the full Stormy Daniels there. 4. This Is Journalism: It wasnt just journalists who had a bad week. It was journalism itself. Here are just a few highlights and lowlights. ? Disgraced CBS News anchor Charlie Rose is being slated to star in a show where hell interview other high-profile men who have also been toppled by #MeToo scandals, reported Page Six. ? Then-ABC reporter Lisa Howard went all the way to build a relationship with the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Literally. Politico revealed: An ABC Journalists Secret Liaison With Fidel Castro. Given journalisms love for left-wing dictators, its surprising shes the only one. ? Former CBS anchor Katie Courics career is on the downslide. She interviewed a sex robot for ABCs Nightline. The robots take? I also love making love to you. Yes, this is news. ? Numerous media outlets were taken in by a fictional character. The Washington Post, Fortune and CNBC.com all cited a fictional student loan expert created by a student loan refinancing company. ? Media outlets completely misread a new Lancet alcohol study, downplaying the positive effects of moderate drinking. In reality, the media-hyped study moved the results of teetotalers into the appendix, confusing journalists. ? The New York Times had to correct claims that Facebook has "been flooded with far-right conspiracy programming." The Times falsely stated that Palestinians didnt pay $400 million in pensions to the families of terrorists. Yeah, they do. Easy to see why the Daily Caller reported: Fifty-one percent of Republican voters agree that media outlets are the enemy of the people, according to a new poll. However, among all voters only 22 percent say the media is the enemy of the people the poll by Quinnipiac University found. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Iron Man, the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is just 10 minutes old when Tony Starkarms dealer and self-proclaimed genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropistmakes a sales presentation to America's military brass. They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire, he tells the assembled generals. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it, that's how America does it, and it's worked out pretty well so far. You might not think it, but that little speech contains one incredibly revealing word: a word that informs who Tony Stark was and will become, a word that infuses the Marvel Cinematic Universe with much of its meaning. The word: Dad. Over the course of three Iron Man movies, two Avengers flicks and an extended role in Captain America: Civil War, Tony (played by Robert Downey Jr.) tells us, in word and deed, about his father, Howard: How much he loved him, fought with him, idolized him and rebelled against him. Tony's story reminds us that, for good, ill and often both, dads matter. "One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters," 17th century priest and poet George Herbert once said, and it's true. Even as the role of fathers have been culturally downplayedand as men themselves increasingly forget or abandon their roles as fathersstudies show that fewer things impact the lives of children more than their dads. That influence can manifest in any number of ways, of course: Loving, engaged fathers tend to raise loving, caring kids. Overly demanding, angry dads can unintentionally teach their children to be timid or encourage rebellion. When our kids grow up, many of us dads are thrilled with the intentional lessons they embracedand dismayed, even shocked, by what else we might've passed on. No father is perfect, and our relationships with our own fathers, and with our own sons and daughters, can be complex. We see that complexity play out in Disney's Marvel movies again and again. Fathers, it seems, are way more important than those pesky old Infinity Stones. Marvel's Cinematic Universe reminds us just how important fathers are, and those reminders can be poignant and powerful. Consider Thor: When we first meet him in his titular movie, he's a hot-headed, hammer-wielding galoot who never thinks much past the next battle or feast. Odin, Thor's powerful father, shows some tough love and casts him out of the very kingdom he's supposed to inherit. Through this period of discipline, Thor learns humility, respect and compassion, and he becomes a more worthy heir and son. Guardian of the Galaxy's Peter Quill has his own daddy issues. He never knew his birth father until meeting him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and discovers his biological pops (Ego) is a god-like living planet bent on cosmic ill will. During the film Peter realizes, to his shock, that the guy who raised him, a blue-skinned pirate named Yondu, actually loved him like a son. "He may have been your father, boy," Yondu says of Ego. "But he wasn't your daddy." In this year's Black Panther, King T'Challa grew up idolizing his father, T'Chakauntil he learns that T'Chaka made a decision that threatens the future of T'Challa's kingdom. As much as he loves and honors T'Chaka, T'Challa realizes he must forge his own path and right his father's wrongs. Those themes of fatherhood extend powerfully even into Avengers: Infinity War. There, the movie's main villain, Thanos must face his adopted daughter, Gamora, who's now fighting against him. Those familial bonds prove more powerful than either expect. Tony Stark's back in Infinity War, too, but he's no longer so much the conflicted son as he is a father-figure himselfmentoring a young Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. Their relationship was one of the best parts of last year's Spider-Man: Homecoming: Like T'Chaka, Tony's far from perfect. Like Yondu, he struggles to express his feelings for the boy. Like Odin, he shows the wayward Spidey a little tough love in Homecoming, taking away Peter's suit. "I was just trying to be like you," Peter says. "I wanted you to be better," Tony tells him. Doesnt every son, at some point, want to be like his father? Doesn't every father want his kids to be better? Marvel's Cinematic Universe reminds us just how important fathers are, and those reminders can be poignant and powerful. But they don't tell us anything we don't already know. We don't need a superhero movie to tell us who our first hero should be. A Seattle man who recently sought to end his monthly donation to a Hillary Clinton nonprofit group ran into a small roadblock: There was no way to cancel his contribution, according to a report. Corey Koscielniak, 29, wanted to stop his $10.48 recurring tithe to Onward Together, the politican action organization Clinton formed after her 2016 election defeat, because the group disclosed little information on how it spent the money, he told the Seattle Times. Onward Together (OT) accepts payment information, but provides no ability to alter or cancel donations once the initial donation is received, Koscielniak wrote in his complaint to the Washington state Attorney Generals Office. Political groups have employed aggressive tactics in the past when asking for contributions, many times using email blasts to persuade would-be donors. According to the Seattle PI, one such email sent to a potential Clinton backer 11 months after the 2016 presidential election read: Heather -- It's an old joke by now that I took a few long walks in the woods after Election Day. But I did, and I came out ready to fight for our vision of a fairer, more inclusive country by supporting the incredible groups and leaders who are encouraging people to organize and run for office. "I hope you're ready, too. Because I'd like for you to become a Founding Donor to Onward Together by starting a monthly donation of just $10." Koscielniak, who began contributing in May 2017, has spent weeks on a mission to keep that $10 and change in his bank account, the Seattle Times reported. Hillary Clinton founded Onward Together in 2017 to help progressive groups with fundraising, training and introductions to advisors and donors, its website said. The Seattle Times noted that the organization was whats known as a 501(c)(4) in the federal tax code, making it a tax-exempt social-welfare group with no requirements to reveal its donors. Nick Merrill, communications director for Clinton, told the paper that the organization gave upwards of $1 million to various groups and it plans to exceed that in 2018. Koscielniak, with help from state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, was able to use a newly implemented cancel button on the groups website. But when the next month came, another $10.48 was withdrawn from his account, the Seattle Times said. Merrill told the paper that Koscielniaks situation has since been rectified and they will make sure this doesnt happen again, with anybody, in the future. Koscielniak wouldnt find out if his donation was canceled until next months bank statement, the paper reported. While he didnt take issue with Clinton personally, he told the paper that what surprised me is, the Democratic Party is supposed to stand for other people and not be part of this larger industrial complex. President Donald Trumps hesitance to quickly back a nearly $30 billion rail-tunnel project to connect New York City to New Jersey was derided by Hillary Clinton on Friday night as an effort to settle petty political scores. Clinton was speaking to members of the real estate industry at a gathering of the Regional Plan Association (RPA) in New York. The so-called Gateway plan, estimated at $13.5 billion in 2011, is now projected to cost $29.5 billion, according to a letter this month from a group of House members to Mick Mulvaney, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. In March, President Trump threatened to veto an omnibus spending bill that included funding for the state-federal project, saying he was concerned that the federal government would be saddled with the full cost -- as New York and New Jersey sought to pay their shares with money borrowed from Washington. In March, journalist Josh Barro defended the president's cautious approach in an opinion article at BusinessInsider.com. "Like most underground rail projects in New York, it's going to cost about five times as much as it should," Barro wrote. "Like most underground rail projects in New York, it's going to cost about five times as much as it should." Josh Barro, BusinessInsider.com The presidents critics, however, charged that Trump was simply looking to cause problems for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., one of Trumps most vocal detractors. It was that view that Clinton appeared to be seizing on Friday night. Its time for the Trump administration to stop using this vital project to settle petty political scores, Clinton told the RPA gathering, Politico reported. Its time for the Trump administration to stop using this vital project to settle petty political scores. Hillary Clinton Earlier Friday, a group of mostly Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey voiced support for the project, with one saying that federal funding for the plan is being blocked by moocher states that oppose subsidies for New Jersey while accepting federal dollars for their own needs. New Jersey, considered the nations third wealthiest state, ranks among a handful of states that pay Washington more tax dollars than they get back in services. "They're picking on states like ours that have historically sent resources over to them," U.S. Rep. Gottheimer, D-N.J., said, according to NJ.com. "You want to keep score? We'll keep score. We're going to come after them every single time they're going to play this." The existing rail tunnel connecting New York City and New Jersey below the Hudson River is decades old and suffered significant damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. As a result, rail lines that use the tunnel including Amtrak and NJ Transit experience frequent service interruptions in part because of ongoing repair work. Comedian Michelle Wolf performed at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington -- but not all members of the audience stayed for the entire act. Apparently offended by many of the comedian's jabs at President Donald Trump and members of his administration, many attendees sat in silence, or simply got up and walked out, Politico reported. "President Trump isn't here, if you haven't noticed," Wolf, 32, a writer for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," told the gathering. "I would drag him here myself, but it turns out the president of the United States is the one p---- you're not allowed to grab." Wolf's reference to the notorious "Access Hollywood" tape from 2005, which went public prior to the 2016 presidential election, was just one wisecrack that many in attendance did not appreciate. The annual fundraiser brought together its usual mix of politicians, celebrities and reporters, in recognition of journalists for their achievements of the preceding 12 months. Trump opted to skip Saturday night's event -- choosing instead to hold his own campaign-style rally in Michigan, one of the states that were key to Trump's 2016 election victory. Is this better than that phony Washington White House Correspondents dinner? Trump asked Saturday night, drawing cheers from the crowd in Washington, Mich., about 39 miles north of Detroit. It marked the second year in a row that Trump declined to attend the event where politicians have long hobnobbed with members of the media, as the president continues to blast fake news and dishonest reporters. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, however, attended as a representative of the Trump administration -- and suffered through Wolf's blistering critiques of her job performance, her appearance and even her Southern roots. Wolf took to Twitter to defend her jokes against Sanders. New York Times' Maggie Haberman commended the White House press secretary for remaining at the Correspondents' Dinner despite absorbing "intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth." "Hey mags! All these jokes were about her despicable behavior. Sounds like you have some thoughts about her looks though?" Wolf tweeted. Among Wolf's less offensive one-liners: -- "Just a reminder to everyone, I'm here to make jokes, I have no agenda, I'm not trying to get anything accomplished, so everyone that's here from Congress you should feel right at home." -- "It is kinda crazy that the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia when the Hillary campaign wasn't even in contact with Michigan." -- "He wants to give teachers guns, and I support that because then they can sell them for things they need like supplies." Unlike last year, when Trump aides declined to attend, the Trump White House had its contingent, including counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Trump tweeted Sunday the Correspondents' Dinner was a "very big, boring bust." "While Washington, Michigan, was a big success, Washington, D.C., just didnt work. Everyone is talking about the fact that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a very big, boring bust...the so-called comedian really 'bombed.' @greggutfeld should host next year!" the president tweeted. Former administration officials were on hand, such as onetime press secretary Sean Spicer, ex-chief of staff Reince Priebus, former chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and political aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman. Fox News' Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday offered strong support for long-time U.S. ally Israel during his first official international trip as the countrys top diplomat, saying the two countries relationship has never been stronger. Pompeo spoke in Tel Aviv after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss critical issues like the threat of Iran. We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said while standing next to Netanyahu. "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Pompeo also said the U.S. will withdraw from the international nuclear agreement with Iran if it is not renegotiated. Netanyahu has long urged the international community to revise the deal or scrap it. Pompeo said President Trump has made clear that the deal is deeply flawed and that hes going to withdraw if he cannot fix it. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal -- something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay from European and other parties. Pompeo also said Sunday that the United States still intends to open its new embassy on May 14 in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. Trump has tried during his adminstartion -- even during the presidential campaign -- to strenghten U.S. relations with Israel, after what was considered a strained relation under former President Barack Obama. And he called upon Israel and the Palestinians to continue to work together to try to achieve lasting peace. Pompeo was in Israel as part of a multi-nation trip that also included stops in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Netanyahu did not speak in front of reporters while with Pompeo, but his office issued a statement saying he congratulated Pompeo on his new post, after serving as CIA director, and welcomed his visit. We are very proud of the fact that this is your first visit as secretary of state," Netanyahu said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. At least two deer were discovered wandering around Friday with arrows sticking through their bodies, prompting authorities in Oregon to offer a reward for information that could lead to an arrest. Oregon State Police said in a news release that authorities were called to the Shady Cove area, located about 50 miles from the California border, to investigate a live deer that was shot with an arrow still stuck in the animal. Troopers learned the deer was able to feed and still walk around, but they were unable to locate the animal. WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS BELOW Hours later, a trooper that evening found two deer that had arrows protruding from them, with one going through the animal's head. "The injuries to the deer did not appear to be life threatening," police said. "Additional information was received that there might actually be a third deer with an arrow stuck in it." A reward is being offered by the Oregon Hunters Association for any information leading to an arrest in this or any other wildlife case. Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous tip line at 1-800-452-7888 or by calling Oregon State Police dispatch at 541-776-6111. The worlds oldest spider has died at the age of 43 after being subdued by a parasitic wasp in the Australian outback, according to the Independent. Number 16, as researchers knew the female Giaus Villosus trapdoor spider, outlived the previous Guiness world record holdera pet tarantula in Mexicoby 15 years, thanks in large part to living her life in a single burrow, the paper reported Saturday. Researchers said the sedentary spider died in October after the wasp attack in Western Australia. The death was reported this month in the scientific journal, Pacific Conservation Biology. MASSIVE, 6-INCH HAIRY SPIDER SAVED FROM MIND-BLOWING AUSTRALIAN FlOOD Were really miserable about it, Leanda Mason, a doctoral student at Curtin University in Australia and the lead author of the study on the eight-legged creature, told the Telegraph. We were hoping she could have made it to 50 years old. Trapdoor spiders are ambush predators, and burst from their burrows to snatch smaller prey that walk past, the Independent reported. Researchers monitored Number 16 in her home in the outback since she was born in 1974. To our knowledge this is the oldest spider ever recorded, and her significant life has allowed us to further investigate the trapdoor spiders behavior and population dynamics, Mason was quoted as saying in a Curtin University news release Friday. This is a rush transcript from "Justice with Judge Jeanine," April 28, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. JEANINE PIRRO, HOST: Breaking tonight, President Trump does what he does best. Firing up the base at a raucous rally in Michigan. Hello and welcome to "Justice." I'm Jeanine Pirro. Thanks for being with us tonight and a special thanks to all of you once again for making "Justice" number one again last Saturday. You know, you saw it here live, the president of the United States ignoring his critics at the White House Correspondents Dinner and instead taking his message directly to the people. Mark Steyn, Governor Mike Huckabee and Michelle Malkin among my guests tonight, plus my Opening Statement is straight ahead, but first a few highlights from the president's big night in Michigan. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to elect more Republicans so we can protect our cities, defend our borders, grow our economy and continue to make America great again. The Democrats don't care about our military. They don't. They don't care and they don't care about our borders. And I don't think they care much about crime because if you look at it, MS-13, they pour through. Everybody pours through, and they want it. They want it. And by the way, we are getting rid of MS-13 in record numbers. Okay? Record numbers. How about this guy Comey? He said the other night, the fake dirty dossier, he said the other night on Fox, he said very strongly, "No, I didn't know that it was paid for by the Democrats and Hillary Clinton." He didn't know. He didn't know that. How about that? They start something based on a document that was paid for by the DNC and Hillary Clinton. Honestly, folks, let me tell you. Let me tell you. It's a disgrace. We have got to get back down to business. If we would have said where we were today from three or four months ago, remember, they were saying, "He's going to get us into nuclear war," they said. Nuclear -- no, no, no. Strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not to get us in. And they go in, they don't work out. I leave. I am not going to be a John Kerry who makes that horrible Iran deal. Horrible. One of the worst deals. I mean, how do you make a deal like that? A hundred and fifty billion dollars, $1.8 billion in cash. You know what that is? And you know what they got? They got nothing. They got nothing. So, we're going to have hopefully a very successful negotiation over the next three or four weeks, and we'll be doing the world a big favor. We'll be doing the world a big favor. Let's see how it goes. I think we'll do fine. I think we're going to do just fine. I had one of the fake news groups this morning -- they were saying, "What do you think President Trump had to do with it?" I'll tell you what. Like, how about everything? (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: Much more from President Trump's rally throughout this hour with all of my guests, but first my Opening Statement. He's a liar. He's a leaker, and he's a leftist liberal. If anyone was not convinced the former FBI Director Jim Comey's involvement in the attempted coup from within our own government of the duly elected winner of the 2016 Presidential election, I have just one question for you. Are you stupid? Look, you don't have to buy his book or argue with your liberal friends, assuming you still have any left. Just listen up. Comey's book tour was supposed to convince us that he was an honorable, likeable, decent man doing his darnedest to protect the American people and the Constitution. That tour would put to rest any issues that might need further explanation beyond those limited answers inside those rigid Congressional hearing rooms. Comey would hit the trail, the bookstores and the TV studios making clear that when he was the toughest bird at the FBI, he did everything right. Unfortunately for Jim, it didn't quite work out as planned. In fact, the man is in real legal jeopardy with his leaks being investigated by the Justice Department, not that I have any faith in Sessions and company that they will ever do anything of consequence regarding this fiasco. But last week, you remember I told you there was nothing, zilch, zero, nada in Comey's two-page memo of his meeting with the President that in any way, shape or form incriminated President Trump. Just the opposite. The President denied everything involving Russia, wanted the investigation vigorously pursued and he wanted leakers prosecuted. So what does Mr. Big do? He walks out and leaks to his liberal pal, Columbia law school, Professor Dan Richmond, but he's not a leaker. Check this one out. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: But you did leak -- you did leak memos? I mean, is it okay for somebody at the FBI to leak something, an internal document even if it's not classified. Isn't that leaking? JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: There was a whole lot wrong with your question, Anderson. First, I didn't leak memos. I asked a friend to communicate the substance of one unclassified memo. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: Jim, you are not a leaker. Come on. Jim, you say you asked the President if you could meet with him privately to discuss a dossier because it's private and you don't want others to hear and you don't want CNN to know, but almost immediately after you do, CNN and the world has it, and you actually want us to believe you didn't leak the dossier when you say in the memo itself that Clapper told to you tell the President about the dossier and tell him it won't be leaked? (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) BRET BAIER, ANCHOR, FOX NEWS: Did you or our subordinates leak that? COMEY: No. BAIER: Did James Clapper? COMEY: No, not to my knowledge, no. BAIER: John Brennan? COMEY: I don't know who leaked it. BAIER: Did you ever try to find out? COMEY: Who leaked an unclassified public document? No. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: So, you give a memo sent to the deputy director of the FBI, the chief of staff for the FBI and the FBI's legal counsel, that memo to your pal, Dan and it's not a leak? And you say, Jim, it wasn't classified, but it was marked "secret," which is classified. And then you say, "Well, as the head of the FBI, I could declassify." Here's the problem, Jim, you took a document that was written contemporaneous to a meeting with the president-elect of the United States advising him of an intelligence investigation. Jim, that's a crime. 18-USC-641 makes it a crime to convey any record of the United States or of any Department or agency to another person. And your FBI employment agreement bars the unauthorized disclosure of information contained in their files -- electronic or paper. And remember when Barack Obama hired you? You signed you will, "Not reveal by any means any information acquired by virtue of my official employment to any unauthorized recipient." So now, Mr. Slick, you tell us your friend, Dan Richmond is a special government employee. Pray tell, who made him that. Who did his background check? But like McCabe and Lynch, you just throw him under the bus. Federal regulations require that an employee, even he, shall not allow the improper use of non-public information to further his own private interests, sans to be a special government employee, he had to be trained and then agreed to this. He had to recognize his responsibilities regarding unauthorized documents. You know, Jim, you got some set. You say it's not a leak and we should believe it because you said it and you are so brazen, you think you can change the rules as we go along and we'll follow like fools. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jim Comey has a definition of the word leak that no one else has. What he says is a leak is what the rest of us call a felony. Leaking is disclosing a confidential conversation which is exactly what he did. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: And Jim, you leaked the memo because you were an anti-Trumper who wanted to begin an intelligence investigation and you wanted to embarrass the President by making it public and you didn't get the required permission from the FBI or DOJ to do it, and Jim you and I both know that since it was part of an investigation, it becomes a 302 which memos cannot be released. You know, Jim, my favorite part is when you say you woke up in the middle of the night and you realized that this memo would be sufficient to get a Special Counsel assigned. And you say, it really was a personal diary. As if anyone at the FBI routinely -- if ever, sends his or her diary as you did to the deputy director of the FBI, the chief of staff and the FBI's legal counsel. And Jim, you say the guy you admire most in government is good old James Clapper, the guy who doesn't leak or surveil us wittingly. He's another liar and a leaker who like you, hates Donald Trump. This bozo like you flatly denied leak the dossier. He even released a statement to the public that he assured the incoming president that neither he nor anyone in the Intel community was responsible for the leak and he expressed his profoundest may of such and described the corrosive effects that leaks have on our national security. Meanwhile, this weasel told you to tell the President about the dossier at the same time that he appears before a Congressional committee flatly denying he leaked the dossier to the Committee and he has the chutzpah to criticize President Trump? Saying the Intel community was under assault by the President. But lo and behold, according to the House Intel Committee, he later had to admit, he told Jake Tapper, CNN, other journalists about the dossier himself before Trump's inauguration, and now he's on CNN's payroll. And tonight, isn't this sweet? As we speak, Jake Tapper and Clapper are getting an award at the White House Correspondents Dinner for the report about the dossier which Clapper lied to Congress about and said he never leaked, but which we know he leaked to CNN for which everybody is getting an award. Jim, you are part of an anti-Trump conspiracy violating the fundamental rules of your own agency. And don't think because you were a big shot at the FBI that you can dispel the rules to suit your own and your family's own political agenda. Power, Jim, don't ever forget it, power is rented. And you my friend have been evicted. That's my open. Tell me what you think on my Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram, #judgejeanine. And joining me now with reaction to my Opening Statement, as well as reactions to the President's massive rally in Michigan, the one, they only conservative commentator, Mark Steyn. All right, good evening, Mark. MARK STEYN, CONSERVATIVE CANADIAN AUTHOR, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hey, good to see you, Jeanine. That was a cracking open and helps explain exactly why you are number one every weekend. That was terrific stuff. PIRRO: Thank you, Mark. You know, I think the thing that is so frustrating to me as someone who was in law enforcement for over three decades is that you know, we live in a world of television where the answers are a few seconds long and then you have to move to the next question. I just want my viewers to understand, this is such hogwash and it's so frustrating, and my worry and maybe it's yours, is that there will be no consequences. What do you think? STEYN: Oh, I think there will be consequences. You know, whatever it was a week ago, the deputy director, the Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein told President Trump, you are not a target of the investigation. If I had been the president, I would have replied to him, "No, you got that right, you guys are." It's actually the Department of Justice and the FBI and the tight little coterie including other key figures in the intelligence agencies like Clapper and Brennan who are at issue here, and they are all in severe legal peril and Comey in particular, has a credibility issue. He organizes a meeting with the president-elect for the purpose of telling him a lot of hooey about hookers in Moscow and then he claims to Bret Baier that he has no idea about the provenance of this dossier. He doesn't know who paid for it or anything like that. He is the head of the most lavishly funded investigative agency on the planet, but he knows nothing. He is a Boy Scout. He hasn't a clue about any of it. PIRRO: And you know, Mark? STEYN: You know as well as I do, if he was on the witness stand in a courtroom before you, what a jury would make of that guy's credibility. PIRRO: And you know, to say he didn't know who paid for it when he basically affirmed it four times, every time it went to the FISA court and he says he doesn't know from whence it came and he won't admit as his Deputy did that it was a main piece of application of a FISA -- the main piece of the request for the FISA warrant that he says, it was part of a mosaic. You know, I felt like I was in la-la land, but listen, I want to talk now for a moment about the President and there is a sound I want to you hear. Take a listen. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: You watch Comey, and you watch the way he lies, and then he's got the memos. I wonder when he wrote the memos, right? And then he has got the memos, and he puts them up. Watch the way he lies. It's the most of incredible thing. Do you remember Jon Lovetz? Do you remember? The liar? Well, Comey is worse. Comey is a liar and a leaker. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: A liar and leaker. Remember Jon Lovetz, the guy from "Saturday Night Live," and it was called I think, "The Liar." STEYN: Right, that's right. That's right. It was a terrific segment. You know, this is the President in his element though and this is why, tone is important. And this is what a lot of Trump critics both the left and right, Republicans and Democrats miss, is that the base has been longing for years about somebody who punches back. George W. Bush in the early part of this century took the high road. Democrats trashed him. You had Democratic senators comparing what he was doing in Iraq to the behavior of Nazis, and George W. Bush took the high road and said nothing, and the Republican base has wanted for years a spokesman who smashes back. And that is important and for that very reason, the base will stick with him because he doesn't play on the left's terms. PIRRO: Well, you know, Mark, very well said. Mark Steyn, thanks so much for being with us tonight. STEYN: Hey, always a pleasure, Judge. PIRRO: All right, and more from the President's rally ahead with Governor Mike Huckabee and Joe Concha. And next, CRTV Host, Michelle Malkin on that Trump rally, James Comey and more. Stay with us as "Justice" rolls on. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: We've got to go out and we've got to fight like hell and we've got to win the House and we've got to win the Senate and I think we're going to do great in the Senate, and I think we're going to do great in the House because the economy is so good. The economy is so good. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: Wow. Talk about firing up the base. President Trump wrapping up a major rally speech a short time ago in Michigan, a state that was key to his presidential victory. CRTV host, Michelle Malkin joins me live here in New York. It's good to have you over, Michelle. MICHELLE MALKIN, HOST, CRTV: Thanks for having me, Judge. PIRRO: Your reaction to the President tonight? MALKIN: I thought this was fantastic. It was brilliant staging. You've got the President in Washington township, Michigan, a state that had been lost by Republicans for so many years. He smashed all the records. More people cast their votes for President Trump in that election in 2016 than any other Presidential candidate in history, and there, you have him talking directly to the people, talking directly about what they care about, not what these poo-bahs in the fourth estate who are now all patting each other on the back in their narcissism fest, the Annual White House Correspondents Dinner getting awards for propagating more propaganda and fake news. PIRRO: Well, you know, if you heard my open, you know, Clapper lies to Congress. He leaks the dossier to Tapper. Now, they're all getting awards for it and slapping each other on the back. MALKIN: Clapper, Tapper, in the Crapper. PIRRO: Well said, Michelle. You are quick. Let's talk about James Comey just for a second. MALKIN: Yes. You are right, absolutely in your open, Comey is a liar, a leaker and a left-wing weasel, not just a weasel, a crap weasel. Comey is a liar. Clapper is a liar. Brennan is a liar. This is a triumvirate of treachery. They have been completely exposed. They are going to keep spinning. They are going to keep digging in their heels and doubling down on that hole, and what more do they need? The House Intel Committee came out with a conclusion that we all know was more confirmation than revelation. There is no collusion other than the collusion between this revolving door between the deep state and the liberal media that puts these people as pundits after they leak all of this information. PIRRO: It is amazing. It really is. But I want you to take a listen to some sound that we have about the border -- the President talking about the border. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: The open border policies of the Democratic Party are not just wrong, they are dangerous and they are in fact, deadly. They are deadly. They make no sense. They are deadly. Their policies let gangs, some of the most of vicious gangs in the world pour into our country. They pour into our country. Do you know on Long Island, you have gang members that are so tough that we send in these incredible ICE agents, but you know what? The ICE agents are much tougher. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: You know, he's obviously referring to MS-13 and all of the very violent crime we have been witness to. I mean, what does the President have to do? You know, right now he's not able to build a wall, although he says he's building the wall. They got $1.6 billion, but he needs a lot more than that. MALKIN: Yes, I think we've reached the tipping point. I started my career in Los Angeles in the newspaper industry in the early 1990s where the first grassroots immigration enforcement movement really began because it was Californians who were the bell weather, who were the canary in the coal mine, and look at -- the state has gone into the toilet. Jerry Brown and the radical Attorney General Xavier Becerra, they might as well secede, okay, because these people have betrayed every last principle of our Constitutional republic. That's why people are fleeing California. Everybody's eyes have been opened now and there has been no candidate in the history of this country who has been more vocal than President Trump was, left or right. PIRRO: What can we do? MALKIN: Well, there has got to be a groundswell and he is doing everything that he can in Washington DC, but this has to be a nationwide movement. People have to take control in their own states and localities and that's why we have now this counter revolution within California. You've got a scattering of these counties that are saying, "We are not a sanctuary outlaw state." And they are trying to reclaim it. We need to have people who believe the same thing that President Trump believes elected in local and state offices. PIRRO: I think we may be seeing more of that, Michelle Malkin. Thanks so much for being with us. Good to have you hear in New York. So, did the President hit the mark tonight? Governor Mike Huckabee's takes, still ahead. And next, two people who likely won't agree on the President Trump's performance on stage in Michigan. Fox News contributors, Sarah Carter and radio talk show host, Chris Hahn. The panel that does battle best, next. MARIANNE RAFFERTY, CORRESPONDENT, FOX NEWS: Live from "America's News Headquarters," I am Marianne Rafferty. A suspected cop killer in Maine arrested Saturday after four days on the run. The accused killer, John Williams has a criminal record spanning three states. He was due in court this week for firearms charges and has a history of drug offenses. The slain officer, Somerset County Sheriff's Corporal, Eugene Cole is the 25th police officer to die in the line of duty in the US this year, and the first officer killed in Maine since 1989. And more than 60 women who currently or formerly worked at NBC news have come out in support of Veteran NBC news anchor, Tom Brokaw two days after being accused of sexual misconduct. The accuser, Linda Vester says he sexually harassed her on the job in the 90s. Vester was also an anchor here at Fox News Channel. Brokaw denies the allegations. I am Marianne Rafferty, now back to "Justice With Judge Jeanine." (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: Come is worse. Comey is a liar and a leaker. You know, I did you a great favor when I fired this guy. I tell you, I did you a great favor because when you look at what was going on at the top of the FBI, it is a disgrace and everybody in this room understands it. The lovers, the two lovers, right? Lisa and Strzok. Lisa and Peter. The two lovers. What they said, what was going on, look at how many of those top officials were fired or removed? And they should be out of here. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: Welcome back to "Justice." President Trump firing up the crowd in Michigan and firing up my panel for tonight. Let's get right to it. Fox's contributors Sarah Carter and former aide to Chuck Schumer, radio show host, Chris Hahn. All right, Chris, you have to admit the President is right. Comey is gone. McCabe is gone. Rybicki is gone. Baker is gone. Strzok and Page are only still there because they are cooperating according to a well-placed source that Sarah Carter has. So, does it sound to you like thing it's a bit of a dirty upper echelon in the FBI? CHRIS HAHN, RADIO SHOW HOST: You know, all this talk about lying and leaking, look, I think we have far too much classified information in this country, I said it during the Obama administration, during the Bush administration. So what Comey put out there didn't seem to violate any national security. It might have embarrassed the President politically, but it was hardly a leak. In fact, the FBI Director can put out whatever memo he wants. He could declassify anything. There was nothing classified in there. SARAH CARTER, CONTRIBUTOR, FOX NEWS: Not so. PIRRO: Go ahead, Sarah. CARTER: Not so, Chris. Chris, that is not so. That was property of the FBI. He leaked it. Why didn't he just come out himself and say it. Why all the runaround, Chris? Why did he have to give to it Richmond, then have Richmond gift to the "New York Times." He leaked it and he knows he leaked it and he knows he violated the law, and now he knows he's going to have to pay for it. Let me tell you something else... HAHN: But it's only a violation of the law if there was something classified in that memo. PIRRO: You are wrong, Chris. (CROSSTALK) HAHN: What was classified in that memo? PIRRO: It doesn't have to be classified to be illegal to remove something that is FBI material. (CROSSTALK) HAHN: The American people have the right to every piece of paper... PIRRO: Baloney. Sarah... HAHN: In the FBI that is not classified. CARTER: Look, Chris, he could have talked about it all he wanted with Congress. He chose not to. He could have talked about it in his book, about his conversation. He did not need to leak those memos. And don't know a lot about Richmond. We don't know what his role was at the FBI and believe me, if he was a special government employee of the FBI, he was under the FBI. He was not Comey's personal little puppet to leak everything he wanted to as well to him. And another point, and I want to bring this up, Judge because this is very important. He lied about that dossier, and about knowing who paid for it because -- or he was just inept. Because he signed the FISA warrant. He signed one of the FISA warrants on Carter Page. And we know that the dossier was the bulk on some of those FISA warrants. (CROSSTALK) HAHN: But who paid for it? How come Sarah, we never talk about the Washington "Free Beacon" and Republican candidates? CARTER: Yes, of course, they used up... HAHN: We never talk about that part of it. PIRRO: Chris, stop a minute. Sarah, Sarah, wait. Chris, stop trying to change the topic. The issue is whether or not Jim Comey leaked and whether it's classified or unclassified is not the issue. If you listened to my open, it is a violation of the Federal Records Act and the reason that people have to get approval from the court to get a 302. This guy isn't god. He can't change the rules as he goes along because he wants to sell a book. HAHN: I would love to see a prosecutor bring that case. (CROSSTALK) PIRRO: Okay, speaking of that, let's take a listen to the president. Listen. Listen. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: If our Justice Department was doing the right thing, they would be a lot tougher right now on those people because there is tremendous crime and corruption on the other side. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: All right, so is the Justice Department going to do anything, Sarah? CARTER: I believe, yes, Judge Jeanine, I do believe they will. They are right now. Remember, this just started since last year, in the fall of last year, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions put John Huber in charge of this. They are collecting information. I've heard they have impaneled a grand jury. They are going to be looking at Clapper and the leaks. This is about weaponizing the intelligence community. This is about disinformation on the White House, on the administration, on a sitting President of the United States of America. These are people that are willing to spread lies and disinformation based on a salacious dossier that they have never proved anything in that dossier. PIRRO: Go ahead, Chris. Chris, go ahead. HAHN: Well, Cohen was probably in Prague and that was one of the things they are were hanging their hat on, so let's see what happens with that. PIRRO: Stay with the issue. HAHN: Hold on, Sarah, hold on, Sarah. The President of the United States should not be calling for anybody to be prosecuted. That is completely inappropriate. (CROSSTALK) CARTER: Is it appropriate for Brennan, for Clapper, for Comey to go out there and spread lies and disinformation? In fact, they are aiding and abetting the Russians in the Russian's disinformation campaign. HAHN: I have not seen anything proven to be a lie here. In fact, Comey talked about his own conversations and his impressions from there, and in fact, those memos basically back up what he said to Congress and back up what he wrote in his book. Now, I am no fan of Jim Comey. You know that. I think he gave Trump the election and I think he's intervened in politics far too much for an FBI director, but that memo doesn't seem to disprove it or call him a liar. CARTER: And he's likely partisan -- and he's highly partisan and leaked memos that belonged to the FBI. He could have talked about it. He didn't need to do the runaround. (CROSSTALK) PIRRO: Okay. Chris Hahn, Sarah Carter, we are running out of time. We are going save you for next time. All right, the governor is on deck, Mike Huckabee joins me next to talk about tonight's rally and much more. So, don't go away. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: Sources. They never say who are the sources. They don't have sources. The sources don't exist in many cases. They don't have sources and the sources in many cases don't exist. These are very dishonest people, many of them. They are very, very dishonest people. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: President Trump not holding back tonight on any topic, giving a rip-roaring speech in a rally in Michigan. Here with reaction, former Arkansas governor and Fox News contributor. Now, I have to tell you, Governor Mike Huckabee, I thought it was interesting that last sound that we just heard. He said, these people -- I mean, these are not -- these people are not fair people. They give you fake news. He went on his rip for a while. Now, tonight ironically is the White House Correspondents Dinner where the media gets together and they slap each other on the back. What say you about that? MICHAEL DALE HUCKABEE, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS: You know, it's a roomful of people who are hugging themselves so tightly, it's a miracle they can breathe. It's got to be one of the most phony things that ever happened. There is more authenticity at a wax museum than there is at one of these dinners. I hate these things because it's just such a self-congratulatory orgy of emotion, of feeling like "We are the world." And what I think the President did by going to Washington, Michigan tonight was to say, "You guys in the press corps, you are not my people. These are my people." And it was a beautiful juxtaposition of why Donald Trump is President and why his approval ratings are actually climbing, and I know that's driving some of those people in that dinner absolutely nuts. PIRRO: You know, I love when the President talked about it, he said, "You know, they said there was going to be a nuclear holocaust. There is going to be nuclear war." And yet, there he is, and you know, and the audience got it, but you know, I'd like to talk to you about Maxine Waters. All right, so the the President talks about Maxine. I don't know if we have that sound, okay, let's hit it. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: If you listen to Maxine Waters -- she goes around saying, "We will impeach him. We will impeach him." Then people said, "But he hasn't done anything wrong." "Oh, that doesn't matter. We will impeach the president." (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: Your take? HUCKABEE: Well, I just think it's amazing that the Democrats continue to talk about impeaching a President that has no impeachable reasons and crimes. I mean, this is insane. I hope they keep that message up because they are exposing themselves for trying to -- or trying to somehow forget that the way you get rid of a political figure you don't like is to elect somebody else. You don't weaponize everything that a person does, and that's what they are trying to do and it makes them look utterly foolish when they do it. PIRRO: But you know what's interesting though, that you know, the more they talk like this, I mean, the crazier they sound, honestly. I mean, especially when the Intel Committee from the House came out and said there is absolutely, yes, there is no Russian collusion and Adam Schiff was still, you know, he's got his tin foil hat on. He's waiting for the Russians to communicate with him and tell him for sure the President was colluding, but you know, you have to look at this president. The guy works 24/7. He works nonstop. He is doing all of these stuff that he talked about tonight, and they are still talking about impeaching him. You wonder where does he get the get up and go to get up and go? HUCKABEE: You know, it's one thing though for Maxine Waters to say this, but earlier today, I was listening to some commentator, a Democrat operative and a person was interviewing her on one of the other networks and here is what I found interesting. They kept saying, there is a good chance Donald Trump won't even be in office a year from now and when called out about it, they continue to try to defend these ridiculous statements. Now, that may be wishful thinking on their part, but it's dangerous thinking to try to put in the heads of the American people that this is a President that won't fulfill his entire term and probably a second one. And that's what concerns me. You know, in all the years that Obama was President, I didn't agree with a lot of his policies, but I never thought that the way that President Obama should end his term is somehow to have a bunch of lies told about him, so that then we would just get rid of them not because he was unelected or had done a crime, but because we just didn't like him. That's just not the way the system works. That's what you do in banana republics. It's not what you do in the United States of America. PIRRO: But you know, Governor, sometimes, when I look at the FBI and how they were acting and the Intel Community, you know, I think that there are some people out there who are actually buying that lunacy, but hopefully, that will all come to an end. And one quick question, did you see the Grassley Committee? They let out that bill so that the President or the Judiciary -- the President can't fire Mueller? What did you think of that? HUCKABEE: Well, it's absurd. Of course, he can fire Mueller. I don't think he should because it would be politically disastrous. PIRRO: Yes, but why would a Republican let that out of a committee. HUCKABEE: Of course, he can. Mueller works for the executive branch. PIRRO: Yes. HUCKABEE: Well, you know, the thing that -- some of these Republicans I think are more interested in protecting Mueller than they are in protecting the president of the United States. That is disgusting. PIRRO: Governor Mike Huckabee, thanks so much for being with us. HUCKABEE: Always a pleasure. PIRRO: And more from the president... HUCKABEE: Thanks. PIRRO: Thank you. And more from the President. Next, Joe Concha is standing by live, don't go away. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: Is this better than that phony Washington White House Correspondents Dinner? Is this more fun? I could be up there smiling like I love when they are hitting you shot after shot. These people that hate your guts. Shot. And then I am supposed to -- and you know, you've got to smile. And if you don't smile, they will say, "He was terrible. He couldn't take it. And if you do smile, they will say, "What was he smiling about? You know, there is no win. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: The president holds a rally in Michigan and opts to once again skip the White House Correspondents Dinner. Joe Concha, media reporter for "The Hill" joins me now. All right, Joe, the President -- I mean, he is right. If he sit there, he can laugh, he doesn't laugh, he's going to be criticized, but he said, "Look, I'd rather be with the people," as he is there in Michigan. Your take? JOE CONCHA, MEDIA REPORTER, THE HILL: I think, Judge, yes, that some people would say, many people would say that he is at his best when he's at rallies like that. That sort of campaigning. He seems like he's at his most comfortable, most happy place when he's doing those sort of rallies. Look, Roger Ailes used to say, and obviously, he is the former CEO and Chairman of Fox News that television is a visual medium. And many times tonight, if you watched your televisions, there was a split screen. On one side, you had the president in Washington -- not Washington DC, but Washington, Michigan talking to working class people at a rally in a state that he had no business winning in terms of the blue wall coming down and that was Michigan obviously, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania coming down with that as well. On the other side, you have -- and I was at the Washington White House Correspondents Dinner last year, you know, I was in my tuxedo. I was drinking my champagne. I was with other journalists, but the way that looks, if you compare the two on television, is only good for President Trump because so many people distrust the media right now and see them as out of touch in the swamp and most importantly, people that are elite and can't relate to working class people in places like Michigan. So, this was again, a very good move by the president. He did it last year in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and what can you say? I mean, that was a smart move. He certainly wouldn't be well-served going to the White House Correspondents Dinner where he'd probably be mocked the entire evening. That we've seen before and that would probably happen again. PIRRO: Yes, you know, I want to move on to something else and that has to do with the little spat this week, Kanye West saying good things about the President and that they both have what was it -- dragon energy? I forget what the energy was. CONCHA: It wasn't tiger blood. It was definitely dragon energy. Tiger blood is Charlie Sheen. (CROSSTALK) PIRRO: Right, dragon energy. All right, and then that's going ballistic. It was almost like McCarthyism. You cannot say anything that is against our group think or we're going to throw you out of the club. I think we may have some sound on that. CONCHA: Okay. (VIDEO CLIP STARTS) TRUMP: And by the way, in all fairness, Kanye West gets it. He got it. He gets it. And he saw that. When he sees that African-American unemployment is the lowest in history, you know, people are watching. That's a very important thing he's done for his legacy. It's a very important thing. (VIDEO CLIP ENDS) PIRRO: And you know what? No matter how they pushed back at Kanye, he didn't care. He doubled down. I here he has a song today, "You Versus the People" or something where he doubles down. CONCHA: Well, good for him because Kanye West was called crazy. People actually questioning his mental health as a result of saying that he supported President Trump. Steven Colbert did it. if that's the case, Judge, if everybody is crazy if you support President Trump, that means and I counted it up, 62,979,879 people who voted for him in 2016 are also crazy. And we have seen this argument used against the president himself on many occasions. And look, remember last year over the summer about this time, where the president was talking about Kim Jong-un and how there was going to be fire and fury bestowed upon him like never before, and people said, "That's crazy, you're going to start World War III." Well, where are we now? We have North Korea and South Korea talking at a summit just this week... PIRRO: Amazing. CONCHA: And that peninsula could be denuclearized as a result, so is he crazy? Or what? So, yes, the criticized Kanye West, to your point, is absolutely ridiculous to say he's crazy when he's just simply being on principle. I know you've got to go. Sorry about that. I've got to go myself. Have a good Saturday. PIRRO: Joe Concha. Love having you on. We'll be right back. Friend me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter and on Instagram @judgejeanine. Don't forget, my new book, "Liars, Leakers and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy" comes out in June. You can preorder it now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Thanks for watching. I am Jeanine advocating for truth, justice and the American way. Greg is next. END Content and Programming Copyright 2018 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2018 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. This is a rush transcript from "Fox News Sunday," April 29, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS HOST: I'm Chris Wallace. The leaders of North and South Korea pledge to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Now, can President Trump seal the deal? (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's going to be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula of North Korea. The de-nuke! De-nuke! WALLACE: We'll discuss what comes next for Kim Jong-un and President Trump. TRUMP: I'll look forward to our meeting. It should be quite something. WALLACE: With John Bolton, in his first Sunday show appearance as White House national security adviser. Then, the president's new lawyer meets with Robert Mueller as a Senate panel moves to protect special counsel. We'll ask Democrat Chris Coons about this bipartisan bill and whether it will make it to the full Senate for a vote. Plus, trouble for the Trump cabinet. His nominee to lead the V.A. withdraws while his EPA chief gets grilled over ethics. SCOTT PRUITT, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: Facts are facts, and fiction is fiction. The lie doesn't become truth just because it appears on the front page of a the newspaper. WALLACE: We'll ask our Sunday panel about the president's promise to drain the swamp. And our Power Player of the Week, we meet a leader of the arms race for ideas in Washington. KAY COLES JAMES, PRESIDENT, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: The guiding mission of this institution is to be that true north for the conservative movement. WALLACE: All right now on "Fox News Sunday". (END VIDEOTAPE) WALLACE: And hello again from Fox News in Washington. This week's historic summit between the leaders of North and South Korea has set the stage for a face-to-face meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un. It will be the first time the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea have ever met. And central to the agenda, trying to get Kim to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Joining us now, John Bolton in his first Sunday show interview as the president's national security advisor. Ambassador, welcome back to "Fox News Sunday." JOHN BOLTON, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Glad to be here. WALLACE: Let's start with the Trump-Kim summit. Is it going to happen, when, and where? BOLTON: Well, I think it is going to happen. The dates and the places are still under discussion. I think the president is eager to do it as soon as possible, but we still need to work out the precise parameters. WALLACE: Well, you say he's going to do it as soon as possible. Is the U.S. side ready to sit down and talk? BOLTON: We will be when we do sit down. I think it's something that the president has thought a good deal about already and I think people around the world have already given him credit for establishing the preconditions for this to happen in the first place. President Moon of South Korea for example has been very clear that but for the pressure, the economic pressure, the political military pressure that President Trump has put on North Korea, we would not be where we are today. WALLACE: Given how apparently while the meeting between Kim and the South Korean president went on Friday, what could stop a Trump-Kim summit from happening? BOLTON: Well, we need to agree on a place and that remains an issue, but if, in fact, Kim has made a strategic decision to give up his entire nuclear weapons program, then I think deciding on the place and the date should be fairly easy. WALLACE: OK. So, let's talk about your position, the U.S. position going in, what the U.S. wants from Kim. Will President Trump insist that Kim give up, ship out, all of his nuclear weapons, all of his nuclear fuel, all of his ballistic missiles, before the U.S. makes any concessions? BOLTON: Yes, I think that's what denuclearization means. We have very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004. There are obviously differences. The Libyan program was much smaller, but that was basically the agreement that we made. And so, we want to test North Korea in this first meeting for evidence that they have made that strategic decision, and we have -- we have history to give us some assistance on it. And at 1992, the joint North-South denuclearization agreement had North Korea pledging to give up any aspect of nuclear weapons and to give up uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing. Now, we got other things to talk about as well -- ballistic missiles, chemical and biological weapons, the American hostages, the Japanese abductees. But starting on the nuclear side with what North Korea agreed to more than a quarter of a century ago was a pretty good place to start. WALLACE: But just to pin this down, North Korea has to give up basically it's a whole program before the U.S. begins to relieve economic sanctions? BOLTON: Yes. I think that the maximum pressure campaign that the Trump administration has put on North Korea has, along with the political military pressure, has brought us to this point. I mentioned President Moon before. Just this past week, President Macron of France, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Abe of Japan, the week before that, this morning, the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, have all acknowledged we are at this point because of American pressure. Relieving that pressure isn't going to make negotiation easier, it could make it harder. WALLACE: What kind of time frame for North Korea to give up its weapons? How quickly what they have to do it? And is there any possibility that the U.S. would accept North Korea as a nuclear power and allow them to keep some of their infrastructure? BOLTON: I don't see how that's possible. Again, the North Koreans have already agreed to this. They agreed to it in 1992 with South Korea and they have pledged similar things since then. Now, it's also the case that they've lied about it and broken their commitments, just one reason there's nobody in the Trump administration starry-eyed about what may happen here. But by demonstrating they've made a strategic decision to give up nuclear weapons, it would be possible to move quickly. Again, the Libya case demonstrates this. WALLACE: Well, when you say quickly, we are talking by the end of the year? BOLTON: Well, it's a matter first finding out just how much there is to dismantle. I mean, it's not possible to go to this meeting with a set of screwdrivers and think we are going to take it apart beginning the day after the meeting. And therefore, the full, complete, total disclosure of everything related to their nuclear weapons program with full international verification, and I think following Libya, verification by American and other inspectors is -- could be very important here. WALLACE: Now, the joint statement from the two Koreas on Friday called for -- and I want to put it up on the screen -- a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and some people have suggested the North Koreans will give up everything they've got. But in return, the U.S. would agree that we are not going to allow any nuclear-armed airplanes or nuclear-armed ships on the Korean peninsula. Is that acceptable? BOLTON: Well, we certainly haven't made that commitment. And again, I'm looking at the Panmunjom declaration as they call it in the context of a series of earlier North-South Korean agreements. And again, looking at the 1992 joint declaration, when they said nuclear-free, they meant with respect to the two Koreas. WALLACE: So, you don't view this as involving any kind of commitment from the U.S.? BOLTON: I don't think it binds the United States, no. WALLACE: After the summit on Friday, President Trump tweeted this: Korean War to end. The United States and all of its great people should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea. I don't have to remind you, Mr. Ambassador, that up to this point, Kim has said some stuff, but he has given up precisely nothing. Any concern that President Trump is getting carried away? BOLTON: Not at all. As I said, there's nobody starry eyed around here. And we've all been called a number of things, naive is not usually one of them. I think the president sees the is a potential here for a historic agreement -- a breakthrough that nobody could have imagined even a few months ago. That potential is there. But as he says repeatedly, the potential for no deal at all is also there. And we're not going to know until we actually have the meeting and see what Kim Jong-un is prepared to do. It certainly the case that the mere words aren't going to sway anybody. WALLACE: Now, it certainly the case that you have never had any illusions about the Kim regime. I suspect you expected me to do what I'm about to do. Here are some of your greatest hits. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BOLTON: I think the only diplomatic option left is to end the regime in North Korea by effectively having the South take it over. Here's an all-purpose insult that you can use, I'll apply it to the North Koreans. Question: how do you know when the North Korean regime is lying? Answer: when their lips are moving. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Now, I've got to tell folks that when we were playing those, Ambassador Bolton had a smile on your face. Who should we believe, that John Bolton or this one? BOLTON: Well, you know, I'll give you the same answer I gave to Martha MacCallum the day the president tweeted my nomination when I didn't even know I had been relieved of my duties at Fox News. You know, I have said and written a lot of things over the years. I stand by every one of them. But I was a freelancer back then. I had the luxury of voicing my own opinion. That's not my job now. I'm simply an advisor. The decision-maker here is the president and I don't think really there's anything to be served by going back to those golden oldies and comparing them to what the president's position is now. My advice to him, you know, I give in private. He makes the decisions. That's how it works. WALLACE: Now, Kim told the South Koreans Friday that South Koreans are now saying is that he would give all his weapons up if the U.S. promises not to invade. Is that the kind of a guarantee that we would be willing to make? BOLTON: Look, this is part of a discussion that remains to be had. We've heard similar things from North Korea before. That's why I think that while we should be optimistic in pursuing the opportunity, we should be skeptical of rhetoric until we see some concrete evidence. WALLACE: Well, I'm not going to pull one of your old bytes now, I'm going to pull one of President Trump's from this week. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Kim Jong-un was -- he really has been very open and I think very honorable from everything we're seeing. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Kim Jong-un, open and honorable? BOLTON: I think the president is focused on doing everything he can to make this meeting a success. It's somewhat different than what he said before but I think he's saying, look, if you are going to come with a real strategic determination to give up nuclear weapons, we're going to have a very serious conversation. WALLACE: OK. Let's turn to Iran were President Trump has a May 12th deadline to decide whether or not to re-impose sanctions on the regime in Tehran and to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. The administration is talking with our European allies about a plan to stay in the deal, but to add agreements that would limit Iran's ballistic missiles, sanction regional aggression and end the sunset clause when Iran can start to break out and restart its nuclear program in 2025. Would President Trump accept that? Stay in the deal if you have those kinds of strengthening add-ons? BOLTON: Well, let me start by underlying he has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out. He is certainly considering the framework, the four pillars that President Macron laid out in their meeting last week -- the Iran nuclear situation now, the situation in the future, Iran's ballistic missiles and regional peace and security. And that, I think, is something that's of interest to the president and worth pursuing. But in terms specifically of a nuclear deal, there's no decision on that yet. WALLACE: But I guess what I'm asking is: does he feel that the deal itself is fatally flawed, or does he think that if you address some of the other concerns like ballistic missiles, like the sunset clause, like their regional actions as a bad actor around the world, that he -- you could fix the deal? BOLTON: Well, the question -- WALLACE: Is it fixable is really a question? BOLTON: He certainly said very negative things about the deal, which -- which implied that these other steps wouldn't really address that concern, but, look, it's possible in the discussions with our European allies that we'll be able to see some possibility there. He'll make the decision when it's appropriate to make a decision, and that will be up until May 12th. WALLACE: Finally, and we have been colleagues and always gotten along, but you know, I don't have to tell you, you're a controversial figure here in Washington and I want to talk briefly about that. Former Secretary of State Powell's chief of staff said of you, publicly: he's an absolutely brutal manager, treats people like dirt. Since you came in three weeks ago, at least four top officials in the National Security Council have either been pushed out or left. How do you plead to the charge, doesn't play well with others? And in your new role, as you say, you're not a free actor now, you're a member of staff, are you changing your ways, either softening your views, or softening the way you conduct business? BOLTON: Well, it's also possible that the news media have that wrong and that people who disagreed with me in the past have a certain view of my conduct that I don't agree with. I'll let others speak to it. I have my views, I expressed my views, I try and manage fairly. I have made some changes in the staff of the National Security Council. I think that's perfectly appropriate, change and continuity are two key elements in any organization and we'll try going forward to get the right people there. But I think much of this mischaracterization was addressed back in my confirmation process for U.N. ambassador in 2005. I invite all of those interested to read the report of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. WALLACE: Do you think you get a bad rap? BOLTON: I think that's almost inherent in Washington today. We've seen even last night at the White House correspondents, which I was happy not to attend, just reprehensible behavior by somebody addressing the gathering, and sadly, it's par for the course in Washington today. WALLACE: I have to say I'm glad I didn't attend either. (LAUGHTER) WALLACE: Ambassador Bolton, thank you. Thanks for sharing your time with us. Please come back, sir. BOLTON: Will do. WALLACE: Up next, Democratic Senator Chris Coons on the president's dramatic foreign policy moves. And the senator's effort to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from potentially being fired. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WALLACE: As President Trump prepares for a summit with Kim Jong-un and negotiates with European leaders about the future of the Iran nuclear deal, we want to get a different perspective. Joining us now Democratic Senator Chris Coons, one of the leading voices on the Foreign Relations Committee. And, Senator, welcome back to "Fox News Sunday." SEN. CHRIS COONS, D-DEL., FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Thanks, Chris. Great to be here. WALLACE: You have been very critical of President Trump for some of his threatening of North Korea over the last year or so. Here you were last summer when the president talked about raining fire and fury on the Kim regime. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) COONS: I don't frankly think blustery rhetoric is what's called for at this time. We shouldn't as a superpower make threats we are not fully prepared to follow through on immediately. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Looking back now, was President Trump right and were you wrong? And did his unconventional style of threats and insults and especially the maximum pressure of his economic sanctions, did that get us to the place we are right now where Kim is at the table? COONS: Well, we've been here three times before, as you know, under previous administrations of both parties. Kim Jong-un, his father, his grandfather, the regime that rolls North Korea has done a "two steps forward, one step back" strategy where they make progress in their nuclear weapons program or missile program and then agree to come to the table and negotiate denuclearization, which doesn't come true. I'll give President Trump credit for having helped create this opening through the sanctions regime he's helped put together and put in place. And I was encouraged by what I heard from Ambassador Bolton, a determination to not lighten up on North Korea until there are verifiable and irreversible changes to their nuclear weapons program. There's going to be a lot of hard work ahead. A summit isn't a strategy, but having an upcoming summit with an opening where the supreme leader of North Korea has already made a number of encouraging offers. I think it's a terrific opportunity. WALLACE: So, I want to pick up on the quite hard line that Ambassador Bolton just took, which in effect was, you've got to give up everything before we give up anything. Do you think that's practical? And do you think that's the way to go? COONS: My hunch is we're going to have to take several confidence-building steps on both sides, but for us to back off the sanctions against North Korea without a process in place for a verifiable and irreversible change to the nuclear weapons program would be a mistake. WALLACE: And what about when Kim talks about a denuclearization of the entire peninsula and the possibility that that means that we would keep nukes in the form of either planes or ships off the peninsula, is that something you can live with? COONS: That's not something that I would embrace, but I think there's a lot of players here that need to be included and consulted -- the South Korean government, the Japanese government. These are countries that are vital allies of ours in the regions that have been directly threatened by Kim Jong-un as well as the United States. But to be clear, one of the things Kim Jong-un has been saying recently is that I've developed this nuclear weapons capability to defend my country, my regime, from an aggressive United States. I do think we can and should repeat our commitment to not seek regime change as long as they are also making positive steps towards finding an end to the Korean conflict, restoring relations with South Korea and making progress and negotiations with the United States. WALLACE: I want to turn to Iran because you've also criticized President Trump for threatening to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, but the cause of this threat, President Macron this week, Chancellor Merkel came to Washington to plead with him to make what I was just discussing with John Bolton, these kinds of side deals on issues, the nuclear deal doesn't cover, again, is Mr. Trump's hard-line and in the case of Iran. Is that also working? COONS: I think this is a terrific opportunity for President Trump, who made his reputation as a builder, to build on the Iran nuclear deal and to deal with, as you just said, the areas that were not fully resolved through the Iran nuclear deal -- the ballistic missile program, their support for terrorism in the region, their terrible human rights record. The Iranian regime is a dangerous threatening regime and if President Trump can successfully lead an effort with our European allies to rein in order or to end their ballistic missiles program, to put -- to change the outcome of the current Iranian deal so that there isn't a sunset clause, I think these will be positive things that I would support. WALLACE: The president fired back Friday at Iran's threat to pull out of the nuclear deal if these added sanctions, these added threats, are put on the deal. Here was President Trump's response. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They restart their nuclear program. They will have bigger problems than they have ever had before. They will not be doing nuclear weapons that I can tell you. OK? They're not going to be doing nuclear weapons. You can bank on it. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Given how successful President Trump seems to have been with his threats, at least so far. COONS: So far. WALLACE: So far. COONS: So far. WALLACE: Do you have any problems with that? COONS: I think making it clear to Iran that it continues to be our position that we will not allow them to develop nuclear weapons is completely appropriate. Iran has threatened both our vital ally Israel and our European allies and the United States -- as has Kim Jong-un of North Korea -- and drawing a clear line that we will not tolerate a nuclear-capable Iran I think is completely appropriate. But it's my hope that the president will pursue the wiser path of continuing to get the advantages we are certain currently getting out of the Iran nuclear deal. Don't take my word for it. His own secretary of defense, Jim Mattis, has said the same thing. The Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee has said the same. Even folks who oppose the Iran nuclear deal today see that we get more benefits by staying in it than by tearing it out. WALLACE: I'm just curious because this must be an interesting time for you and a lot of other Democrats who've been very critical of this president when it comes to foreign policy and at least for now, and it's a preliminary stage, nothing has been decided with Kim, nothing has happened specifically with Iran, but it does seem to be working. COONS: If it works, I will be the first to cheer on the president because, frankly, although we are political opponents, we have different values and we come out politics and public service in different ways, I want the United States to succeed. So, if President Trump's strategy succeeds with North Korea, succeeds with Iran, that's in our country's best interest. WALLACE: Let's turn to the special counsel's Russia investigation. You were one of four senators, two Democrats, two Republicans, who sponsored a bill the Senate Judiciary Committee passed this week by a wide margin to protect the special counsel if President Trump were to move to fire him. Why do you think that's necessary? COONS: Well, I think it's necessary because President Trump himself keeps tweeting or saying things that suggest he hasn't fully given up the idea of possibly firing Robert Mueller. He called in to "Fox & Friends" just last Thursday. He's issued a whole series of tweets saying this is a witch hunt, that it's an attack on him and on democracy, it shouldn't be allowed to go on. And so, as long as he is making these threatening statements, and as long as it's not clear why the Republican leadership in both the House and Senate who say Robert Mueller should be left alone, should be unmolested, should be able to complete his investigation, they said they have confidence that President Trump won't fire Robert Mueller. I have no confidence, and obviously my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, on the Judiciary Committee looked at this bill, which is an ounce of prevention, as my mom used to say, will worth a pound of cure, they looked at it and said, this is a modest and reasonable step to make it just a little bit harder for the president to abruptly and without cause fire Robert Mueller. This would be of the best interest of the country and of the president frankly. WALLACE: I want to pick up on that because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as you point out, has said flatly he's not going to let the full Senate vote on this bill, which was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Let's take a look at the senator. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, R-KY, MAJORITY LEADER: I'm the one who decides what we -- what we take to the floor. That's my responsibility as the majority leader. We'll not be having this on the floor of the Senate. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: One, why do you think McConnell is refusing to bring up the bill, and two, is there anything you can do about it? COONS: Well, folks at this bill would never get a hearing, it got a hearing. They said they'd never get a market, it got a market. They said they'd never get through the Judiciary Committee, it got through by a bipartisan 14-7 vote. As long as President Trump continues to say and do things that I'm sure his attorneys would prefer he didn't, to threaten -- to take action against the Department of Justice or Robert Mueller, I think the pressure to bring this to the floor will build. If it were put on the floor this coming week, I think we'd get 60 votes for it. So, frankly, it's my hope that the majority leader will change his mind. WALLACE: And why do you think his mind at this point is no bill, no vote? COONS: I think as the majority leader, he continues to say, it would be disastrous for the president to interfere with the investigation, but I have confidence he won't. I don't know what that confidence is based on. This bill would be a responsible, small measure to prevent some constitutional crisis. Frankly, I'll say to the Mr. President -- if you're, Mr. President, saying that you would sign this bill is the single boldest thing you could do to shut up the critics who say there is a risk you might fire Robert Mueller. WALLACE: Senator Coons, thank you. Thanks for coming in today, always good to talk with you, sir. COONS: Thank you. WALLACE: Up next, we'll bring in our Sunday group to discuss James Comey, the Mueller investigation and another bumpy week for the Trump team. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WALLACE: Coming up, the world awaits a summit between President Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: It's taken a long time, many, many decades, to get here. Let's see what happens. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: We'll ask our Sunday panel if President Trump can get Kim to give up his nuclear weapons, next on "Fox News Sunday". (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I don't consider what I did with Mr. Richman a leak. I told him about an unclassified conversation with the president. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Do you remember Jon Lovitz (ph)? Do you remember? The liar. Well, Comey's worse. Comey's a liar and a leaker. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Former FBI Director James Comey and President Trump at a campaign-style rally last night, continuing their war of words over who's telling the American people the truth. And it's time now for our Sunday group. Former Trump campaign senior advisor Jason Miller, Mo Elleithee of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, Fox News analyst Marie Harf, and Rich Lowry of The National Review. Rich, as the Comey book tour rolls on, who do you think is winning the battle for public opinion, the former FBI director or President Trump? RICH LOWRY, NATIONAL REVIEW: Well, I think Comey's obviously winning the battle for book sales. But I view this a little bit like the Michael Wolf phenomenon where he sold books hand over fist, but in the course of his book tour, his reputation took a dent. And I think that's true of Comey. It's clear he's a wiley (ph), a manipulative operative and careerist. Not the worst thing to be in Washington, and there are a lot of them, but it makes the sanctimony really hard to take. And this kind of private definition he has of what constitutes leaking, that clearly is tailored to explicate him from his own leaking, I also really hard to take. WALLACE: Mo, let me pick up. Your sense of how James Comey is doing. There were -- there were two things he said in the interview with Bret Baier this week. One, it, frankly, almost Clintonian, what's a leak, and the other is that he claims he didn't know the Democrats had paid for the -- for the dossier, even when he was -- into 2017. MO ELLEITHEE, GEORGETOWN INSTITUTE OF POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE: Yes, I mean, I -- I agree with Rich on this. I think if he -- CUOMO: You agree about? ELLEITHEE: Well, I agree that his -- that it's raising a lot of questions about him, the more this book tour goes on. But at the end of the day, to your question about public opinion, at the -- if you love Donald Trump, you're -- he's going to be winning the -- the war of public opinion here. If you hate Donald Trump, Comey is probably winning the war in here. CUOMO: So no minds are changed? ELLEITHEE: So I don't think anyone's mind is getting change. And, more importantly, Bob Mueller's investigation goes on undeterred. WALLACE: Well, I want to pick up on that with you because the president once again made it clear this week that his patients with the Mueller investigation is running out. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm very disappointed in my Justice Department. But because of the fact that it's going on, and I think you'll understand this, I have decided that I won't be involved. I may change my mind at some point because what's going on is a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: At this point do you think the president may still pull the plug on the Mueller investigation, or do you think that the real likelihood of that is receding? ELLEITHEE: I don't know, all right, and that's the problem here is that we don't know. He's given no real indication that everyone should just feel confident that it's going to continue. But, you know, I -- I would hope that he takes the advice of the Democrats and the Republicans on The Hill that he should keep his hands off and just let this thing play out. And if he -- if he has nothing to worry about, he should want it to play out. WALLACE: Jason, it certainly isn't helpful for the president to say, well, I may change my mind. JASON MILLER, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Well, I think this investigation is imploding under the weight of there being absolutely nothing there. I mean the fact that we're a year and a half -- WALLACE: Well, well, wait, we don't know that. MILLER: Well, there -- nothing has been proven. We're over a year and a half into this thing and there's absolutely nothing -- WALLACE: We don't -- we don't know. MILLER: But nothing in Washington. WALLACE: Jason -- MILLER: Chris, in Washington. WALLACE: We don't -- MILLER: Where everything is -- WALLACE: I'm talking about the Mueller investigation. MILLER: Right. WALLACE: We have no idea what he's finding. MILLER: But there is -- if -- WALLACE: I'm not saying that he's finding anything, but we don't know the -- MILLER: If there would have been something on collusion, that would have leaked out. That would have gotten out so long ago. There is nothing to (INAUDIBLE) -- WALLACE: So, wait, wait. So you're now saying, because there isn't a leak -- I mean I thought you condemned leaks? MILLER: No, a leak is terrible. WALLACE: Which is it, are leaks good or bad? MILLER: No, leaks are terrible, but you know that the -- if there was a way to hurt President Trump, it would have leaked out and that would have been out there. There's been no evidence, after a year and a half plus of searching, of any collusion. There's been nothing that's been proven to that point. Comey has gone from the quintessential g-man (ph) to basically just another political hack. I mean this is very clearly a politically driven operation. WALLACE: I'm talk about Mueller now, not Comey. MILLER: Right. And so far there's been nothing untoward about the president or his activity or anything that has been put forward. So I think that most of the people around the country are taking a look at this and saying, you know what, the president's probably right, this is a witch hunt and it needs to get wrapped up. WALLACE: So if there's nothing that's been found, why not let Mueller finish his investigation? MILLER: Well, and I think ultimately that's what will happen. I think that the legal team that the president has now assembled with Rudy Giuliani and also with Marty and Jane Raskin, I think is a very good team. And I think the advice that they're going to give him is smart and I that he should listen to them. And I think hopefully this will be wrapped up soon. WALLACE: All right. I want to continue with you because we had a troubling case this week of Admiral Ronny Jackson, the president's personal doctor, who dropped out as the nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs after a volley of allegations from Democratic Senator Jon Tester. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JON TESTER, D-MONTANA SENATOR: Getting to the bottom of these accusations is critically important. And there should be no -- there should be no stone unturned. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tester started throwing out things that he's heard. Well, I know things about Tester that I could say too. And if I said them, he'd never be elected again. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Jason, not only were none of the allegations verified, but perhaps the most explosive one that Tester raised that Jackson had gotten drunk at a Secret Service going away party and had crashed his car was specifically denied. Will Republicans now go after Tester, who's up for re-election this year? MILLER: Absolutely. And I think a lot of Republican strategist that you talked to a week or so ago probably would have said that Tester is one of the strongest of the so-called vulnerable Democrats that are up. But I think there's going to be a newfound focus put on him. But what Senator Tester did with making those personal attacks against Ronny Jackson, who, by all accounts, is a very honorable person, I think really was very despicable. I think that Senator Tester will be in the crosshairs now for this election. And really this is what happens in the swamp. If it can't be on the merits, they go to the personal attacks. WALLACE: Marie, what struck me about this case is that there was plenty of -- of smoke about Admiral Jackson, a lot of it supplied by Jon Tester, but no fire at all. There were -- there was not a single verified allegation and yet he still was forced out. MARIE HARF, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Here's the challenge. Over 20 current and former service members came to Jon Tester as a senator and said, these are our concerns. You're right, Jon Tester had not verified them, but these weren't his allegations. These were people who served with Ronny Jackson. He, Senator Tester, worked with the Republican Committee chair to postpone the hearing because the Republicans were so concerned about the severity of these. And I take it back to the way Ronny Jackson was announced. If the White House had gone through a vetting process, like most White Houses do, some of these, if not all, would have surfaced, they would have been able to run them down if, in fact, they're not true and they would have been able to head off these allegations instead of pulling the nomination back at a time when they really need a head of the VA. So Tester was put in a tough position. These weren't his allegations. People came to him with them. And as a senator, it's his duty to bring them forward. He has voted for every one of Trump's VA nominees. The president has signed eight bills that Jon Tester has put forward on the VA. This is a guy who's fought for veterans. LOWRY: But you don't -- you don't bring them forward without doing any real due diligence on them. Sure, check them out. HARF: So what should he have done? LOWRY: He shouldn't have aired unverified allegations. He should have done some investigation. He should have checked in with the Secret Service, that's now batted down some of these more lurid allegations. And, look, I -- think Jackson should have been duty-bound to defend himself if these allegations were untrue, and a number of them seem to be. But I think the problem with the nomination, it was on such tenuous ground to begin with -- HARF: Right. LOWRY: Just the slightest little additional weight on the scale -- HARF: Right. LOWRY: Made it indefensible. WALLACE: All right, panel, I'm glad we settled that. We have to take a break here. Up next, more on the president's moves this week on North Korea and Iran. Plus, what would you like to ask the panel about the risks and rewards of a Trump-Kim summit? Just go to Facebook or Twitter, @foxnewssunday, and we may use your question on the air. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIM JONG-UN, NORTH KOREA LEADER: We will make sure that the agreement we have reached, which the people of the Korean peninsula and the world are watching, does not fulfill the unfortunate history of unfulfilled promises. TRUMP: One of the fake news groups this morning, they were saying, what do you think President Trump had to do with it? I'll tell you what, like how about everything. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: I think he was probably funnier than the comedian at the White House Correspondents Dinner. North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un pledging this time agreements he makes with South Korean leaders won't fall apart and President Trump taking credit for bringing Kim to the table. And we're back now with the panel. Well, we asked you for questions for the panel and ever since we got this one, I have been excited about asking Marie Harf -- HARF: I know. WALLACE: Spokeswoman for the John Kerry State Department, the question we got on Facebook from Mark Bellman who asks, will Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully negotiates the denuclearization of North Korea? If not, why not? I should point out, at that rally last night, people were chanting "Nobel, Nobel." Marie, how do you answer Mark? HARF: I have no idea. But this isn't about Donald Trump, at the end of the day. The U.S. plays a key role. But this is really about North and South Korea. And you've seen, with a new South Korean president, the South Koreans really step up and take the initiative. You know, this isn't about taking victory laps. And I know that at a campaign rally it can seem like the thing to chant, although I've never heard that at a campaign rally before in my -- or campaign-style rally in my life. But we'll see what happens here. This is not all about the U.S. And we need to remain tempered in our expectations about what will come out of this. WALLACE: I understand all of that, but you're -- you're really not going to give Donald Trump credit for the fact that Kim, under pressure, under military pressure, under economic pressure, has come to the table? HARF: I will -- yes, I will absolutely give the administration credit for ramping up the pressure and for getting us to where we are today, and for being willing to sit down and talk and invest in diplomacy. Absolutely. But we also have to remember, the North Koreans have before agreed to denuclearize. They have agreed to end the Korean War. And every time those things have been agreed to, they have fallen apart. So we have to be very prudent as we go into these talks about not giving up too much, not letting the pressure up because we've heard this game before and it's never ended the way we want it. WALLACE: Jason, I understand that there is some warranted I told you so's from Trump supporters like yourself as Kim comes to the negotiating table. But is there a danger -- and I -- I pointed out to Ambassador Bolton, the Korean War is ended, is there a danger of Trump getting swept up in summit hype? MILLER: Well, I think the comments that you've seen from the president have been pretty clear eyed about this, about recognizing that we still have a long ways to go. But to answer the question that Marie danced around a little bit, I would go to give President Trump a Nobel Peace Prize. I'm sure that comes as a total shock to everybody. WALLACE: I was going to say, you're on the Nobel Peace Prize committee. HARF: Yes. MILLER: Well, it -- someone's got to start the ball rolling and so I'll go -- HARF: And you're going to take that this morning. MILLER: Get -- yes, I'll help the president out here this morning. But I think, based on what we've already seen so far with the steps that they've taken towards ending the war, I mean even moving into the same time zone. These might seem like small things to us, but these are pretty big. And also, as we saw this morning from Ambassador Bolton, with his comments, that the U.S. isn't going to just, you know, listen to the lip service, that we are going to make sure that concrete steps are taken. So I think the administration is taking a very strong approach on this. But let's be clear about the bigger thing going that's going on here, is what President Trump has done is he has proven wrong all of the foreign policy so-called experts who wanted Hillary Clinton to win, who -- they have basically have gotten us into all these foreign policy messes. If we had taken these strong approaches with regards to economic sanctions, with regards to military threats and being tough, and we started doing that back during Clinton, we wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place. WALLACE: All right, let's turn to Iran, because, again, you have to say that President Trump seems to be bending the world to his will here. Here is French President Macron this week addressing Congress on the need to toughen the Iran nuclear deal. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: It is true to say that this agreement may not address all concerns and very important concerns. This is true. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Mo, that's what President Trump has been saying all along. And this week both Macron and Merkel seem to agree with him that, yes, the -- standing by itself, the Iran deal is not enough and that you need some strengthening provisions. ELLEITHEE: I don't -- and Marie can correct me if I'm wrong, I can't remember anyone every saying that the Iran deal was perfect. I think a lot of people, even in the Obama administration, said, yes, this thing isn't exactly where it needs to be. But this is an important step forward. And that anyone would be open to it being strengthened. What you see now are American allies like French -- WALLACE: Then why didn't the -- excuse me, why didn't the U.S., Kerry and Obama, strengthen it in their remaining time in office? ELLEITHEE: Well, I think they went about as far as they could go at the time. And -- and now you see our allies, like France and Germany, really worried that the United States is going to pull out, begging for us to try to, you know, stay in it. And if it -- if we don't, talking about trying to figure out some -- some new deal without us. And this is what worries me about the Trump administration's foreign policy, is that time and time again, whether we're talking about trade or whether we're talking about the Iran deal, we are leaving our allies out there to have to figure out how to move forward in the world without us. And that -- that worries me. LOWRY: I think Trump has moved very usefully beyond the Obama legacy. So the Obama position, basically, oh, we can't enforce the red line, it's too complicated, it's too hard. Well, it wasn't. We need a policy of strategic patients, which was Obama's policy with North Korea, which basically means waiting around for the North Koreans to develop a nuclear tipped ICBM that can threaten the continental United States. And Trump's like, no, I'm not going to accept that. I'm going to try to shake something loose. And now, with Iran, this deal was a boon to the Iranians. It gave them enormous economic benefits. They've spread their influence even further in the Middle East to the -- the border of Israel, where you have ongoing conflict now. And a lot of the nuclear provisions will expire in ten years. That's a wonderful deal for the Iranians. It's not a good deal for us. And I think he's right to try to shake something else loose there as well. WALLACE: Marie, as someone who was involved in the negotiations under Secretary Kerry, with Iran, I mean, the president is pointing out a lot of things that he says were wrong -- was wrong with the deal that your secretary negotiated, that we gave them all the benefits upfront, that -- that we didn't control their bad acting in the world, we didn't control their ballistic missile program, there was this sunset clause. He's basically saying, you made a bad deal and he's fixing it. HARF: Well, he's not fixing it. He's threatening to blow it up without something to replace it with. And so -- WALLACE: No, that's not -- well, that's not -- HARF: Well -- WALLACE: Well, wait a minute, that's not true. HARF: He has some principles -- WALLACE: He's -- he's at least talking about adding these provisions. We're not sure what he's going to do by May 12th. HARF: Exactly. He has some principles. But, look, on the nuclear side, we did not give them all the benefits upfront. With their nuclear program today, under the transparency, monitoring and verification, with what they have, they cannot make a nuclear weapon. If you're concerned about sunset, if you're concerned about 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, fine, I'll take that as a -- as a -- as a criticism. Work to make it longer. Don't make it shorter by pulling out of it now. So I actually think Macron was very smart this week in saying the nuclear deal was very good in a lot of ways. Let's not just throw that out. Let's work to strengthen the other pieces of it. LOWRY: But the point is -- the point is, he would not be as motivated to try to do that if Trump wasn't pressuring and threatening to pull out of the deal. HARF: Sure. But there's a fine line between pressure and being irresponsible. And if -- we'll see what happens on May 12th because if Donald Trump walks away from this deal and we lose all of the transparency and monitoring and verification, if the Iranians go back to enriching uranium, that will be on President Trump. And I think, if you're going -- WALLACE: All right, but let me -- all right -- but -- HARF: If you're going to pull out of something, you have to replace it with something better. WALLACE: But you -- HARF: And we don't have that. WALLACE: You presented one possibility, which is that he pulls out of the deal. What if he agrees with the Europeans and they do add these toughening sanctions, solving what a lot of people think were holes in the original deal that John Kerry negotiated? What then? HARF: Great. Great. I would absolutely support it. If we can get the Iranians to agree to longer timelines from the 10, 15, 20, 25 -- WALLACE: Well, well, wait, no, no, they're not talking about asking the Iranians to agree to it. We're saying -- at least that's what -- no, that's what the Europeans -- HARF: Right. WALLACE: And -- and President Trump are saying, this isn't a treaty and that the Europeans and the U.S. can unilaterally say, you do this, we'll impose sanctions. You do this, we'll impose sanctions. HARF: So that's not how diplomacy works. When you're negotiating, both sides have to agree to a tough decision. And -- and, look, the Europeans rightly agree with us that we want to address ballistic missiles. Let's do that in a separate agreement. The -- the joint comprehensive plan of action that addressed the nuclear programs has a lot of stuff in it that nonproliferation experts agree is good. It's not perfect, but why would discard all of that? LOWRY: But it constrains -- WALLACE: Go ahead -- go ahead, Rich. LOWRY: But it constrains our ability to sanction Iranians for other behavior. And part -- HARF: Not true. That's not true, Rich. LOWRY: And part of the strategic point of this -- HARF: That's not true. LOWRY: And the salesmanship was that it would moderate Iranian behavior. HARF: Also not true. LOWRY: If anything, Iran behavior has become more extreme. MILLER: Right, they're -- HARF: That's not -- that's not true. That was never our argument. Our argument was actually, this deal is more necessary if the Iranian regime doesn't change. LOWRY: Iran is funding Hezbollah. Iran is funding Hamas. HARF: Yes. MILLER: This is doing absolutely nothing to stop them from developing their nuclear weapons program. It's slowing them down a little bit. But their -- Iran's goal is the full destruction of Israel. That is -- that is the full goal here. And I think that if we -- if -- the only thing that we're trying to do is slow them down a little bit on their nuclear capabilities. And I think we're completely shortsighted here. You have to look at this from what's been done (ph). WALLACE: All right, I -- I -- I know you're dying to answer. We will have this conversation during the commercial. Thank you, panel. See you next Sunday. Up next, our "Power Player of the Week." What's behind the thinking at one of Washington's most powerful think tanks? (COMMERCIAL BREAK) WALLACE: As Republicans and Democrats clash over ideas, both sides are supported by private organizations that supply data and research. In this intellectual arms race, there is no bigger figure than our "Power Player of the Week." (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KAY COLES JAMES, PRESIDENT, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Operating in this town, it's more about people and people's lives and it's not simply about policy and babbles (ph) and fighting ideological wars. WALLACE (voice over): Kay Coles James is talking about the real-life consequences of policy struggles in Washington and her role since January as president of the Heritage Foundation, one of D.C.'s top think tanks. JAMES: The guiding mission of this institution is to be that true north for the conservative movement. WALLACE: Founded in 1973, Heritage has been on the cutting edge of conservative thought and Republican policy. WALLACE: (on camera): Has Heritage struggled to find a role in Donald Trump's Washington? JAMES: Absolutely not. There is no struggle. One of the things that I love about being the president of The Heritage Foundation is, I don't have to navigate, I just have to stand. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Great for the American people. Thank you well. WALLACE (voice over): Heritage played a big role in the tax cut bill the president signed last year, but they don't always get their way. WALLACE (on camera): President Trump has been embracing tariffs. That's hardly a conservative idea. JAMES: I would agree. WALLACE (voice over): James grew up in public housing in southern Virginia. Her mom was on welfare. JAMES: My definition of a conservative is someone who has the audacity to believe what their grandmother taught them. WALLACE (on camera): Such as? JAMES: Not relying on government, or anyone else by the way, to clear the path for you. WALLACE (voice over): She was in junior high in the early '60s when she was chosen to help integrate her school. JAMES: We had to walk past dogs and angry parents and shouting people and it was a very traumatic period. And I've been a fighter all my life. WALLACE: James served in Republican administrations from Reagan to Bush father and son. She was on the Trump transition team but says she was blocked from working for him. JAMES: I don't like keeping the Omarosa story alive, but I am told that she and, you know, the chief of staff, Priebus at the time, just didn't think it was a good idea. WALLACE: But James has done just fine, running a think tank with almost 300 staffers and a budget of $70 million. Besides policy, she says her role now is to grow the conservative movement. JAMES: You don't have to be painted with an angry white male image. WALLACE: But does she think it's just image that has led African-Americans to give Republicans between 4 percent and 8 percent of their votes in the last three presidential elections? JAMES: The first thing you do with any Republican candidate, any candidate, is find whatever evidence you can, big or small, and paint them as a racist. WALLACE: And James intends to change people's perceptions. JAMES: It's important to reach out to women. It's important to reach out to minority groups with our message. I'm not talking conservative light, I'm talking about true north conservative values that all of us can relate to. (END VIDEOTAPE) WALLACE: James says her target audience is, wait for it, Bernie Sanders voters. They want the same things conservative wants, she says, but without the unintended consequences of misguided compassion. And that's it for today. Have a great week and we'll see you next "Fox News Sunday." END Content and Programming Copyright 2018 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2018 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. A 28-year-old woman says she believes she was racially profiled by American Airlines during a recent short journey from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. The woman, Amber Phillips, who co-hosts a podcast called Black Joy Mixtape, claims a white fellow traveler was uncomfortable sitting next to someone who was fat and black, Vice News reported. She told Vice that there was immediate tension as the black woman sat down beside the white woman. She kept being very aggressive and finally goes, Can you move over? Phillips said. But Phillips claims there was no space left to move to, and felt embarrassed by the confrontation. Phillips said she took a photo of how they were sitting to illustrate the small space available to them but believes the white woman interpreted the photo-taking as harassment and alerted a flight attendant. Because of the intersections of my identity, a black woman who takes up space, this is what my life could look like just because I dare to exist, Phillips told the news outlet. Once they landed, Phillips said she got off the plane and onto a shuttle bus to the airport, but a flight attendant ordered her off the bus to meet with police who had been called to the scene. Phillips said an officer requested her ID and said she was being investigated for an assault charge. She said the officer never asked her for a statement. Washington, D.C., police told Vice that both passengers were removed from the bus so the situation could be handled while protecting the passengers privacy. They said that neither passenger was arrested by Airports Authority police or charged, and both went their separate ways. But Phillips said she feels mistreated by American Airlines and wants her money and miles refunded. American Airlines said, We take claims of discrimination very seriously and are continuing to investigate the details of this situation. We have reached out directly to the customers for more information. According to BuzzFeed, the NAACP warned black travelers in October about American Airlines, citing numerous "disturbing incidents." The civil rights organization plans a "national travel advisory" regarding American Airlines, to take effect Tuesday. Vice said it was unable to contact the white passenger. An Alaska Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Honolulu, Hawaii, after pilots throttled down one of the plane's engines. Flight 145 was headed to Hawaii from Seattle when an oil filter bypass light came on in the cockpit. The flight crew idled the engine and declared an emergency, but continued to Honolulu where the flight was originally scheduled to land. FAMILY SUING AMERICAN AIRLINES OVER DEATH OF 25-YEAR-OLD WOMAN "The captain came on the overhead speaker and just said that they were having overheating of one of the engines so they needed to idle a little bit to try to let it cool off but that were going to have to make a quicker landing than usual. And we were going to have a fire crew ready when we landed just in case. That's about all he said and then he got off quickly," passenger Carrie Mingle said, KHON reported. The airline said in a statement, "the other engine and all other systems onboard were operating normally." Originally the emergency landing was going to be in Maui, but since the plane was continuing to travel safely, the pilot continued on to Honolulu. "Our families called us after we landed because they heard about something was going on on the news. So they were very worried," Mingle said to KHON. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The plane landed safely at 10 pm Friday night. No injuries were reported for the 157 passenger and 8 crewmembers onboard. A marine who went AWOL was charged with murder on Saturday after his missing grandmother was found dead in North Carolina, police said. The body of Sallie Copeland Evans, 74, was discovered Friday night off a highway in Roanoke Rapids, WTVD reported. Family members reportedly became worried they didn't hear from the 74-year-old woman for several days. Her body was discovered near her home. Isaiah Kahleal Evans Caesar, 18, was arrested in connection with his grandmothers death. Caesar is stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where there's a Marine Corps detachment, but has been absent without leave since April 2. Family members told WTVD that Evans was attempting to convince Caesar to return to the military before her death. Willie Patterson, Evans neighbor, told WTVD the concerned grandmother was talking about driving to Camp Lejeune, the closest military base, to convince Caesar to rejoin the military. "It's weird because if she was going to leave like that, she'd call me. She'd ask me to take the three little dogs she's got, she'd let me know where the keys at and I'd keep the keys till she get back," Patterson recalled. Authorities located Caesar at the Homewood Suites in Rocky Mount on Friday after he used his grandmothers credit card to purchase the hotel room. Officials evacuated the hotel after they found explosives inside the room. Caesar, who also had his grandmothers car, was taken into custody. Caesar was also served with a fugitive warrant for desertion. He is being held without bond and is expected to appear in court on May 16. A doctor in Georgia has been charged with making terroristic threats after she allegedly threatened to "slit" her employees' throats. Marian Antoinette Patterson, a family practice doctor who's worked in the Valdosta area for almost 30 years, allegedly shouted a slew of threats at her employees, WCTV reported. TODDLER DIES COPS SHOOT CHILD'S KNIFE-WIELDING MOM IN NEW YORK Authorities reportedly responded to Patterson's South Georgia practice on Feb. 21 after reports of a disturbance. Patterson, according to authorities, told employees she would "slit their throats." She allegedly even told one worker she was going to "cut her head off and roll it down the hallway" and then call the employee's children to show them. The doctor allegedly grabbed at least one employee and threw a catalog, reflex hammer and prescription bottles, along with trying to throw a large potted plant. Patterson also tossed water on two employees, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Ashley Paulk called Patterson's situation "unfortunate," and blamed issues happening in her life for her actions. "It's unfortunate, there's some factors in her life that brought about some emotional problems I feel like," Paulk told WALB. "I hope this is something she can put behind her, because she has a lot of patients, a lot of people that trust her as their doctor, and it's just one of those things that I hope she can work through." AWOL MARINE CHARGED IN GRANDMOTHER'S MURDER, POLICE SAY Patterson's medical license was temporarily suspended in March, according to Georgia Composite Medical Board records. WCTV reported the board mentioned the Feb. 21 incident in the suspension order and reportedly said it had received allegations that Patterson had been under the influence at the office several times. Patterson has been charged with three counts of terroristic threats and false imprisonment, according to reports. She turned herself in last week and has since been released on bail. Her office did not respond to Fox News' request for comment. Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo is being looked at in the 1978 deaths of 24-year-old Rhonda Wicht and her 4-year-old son Donald, CBS Los Angeles reports. Weve made a request for a DNA comparison to find out if the DNA they recovered from Mr. DeAngelo is consistent with the DNA that we have in our case, Simi Valley Deputy Chief Joseph May told the TV station. DeAngelo, now 72, was arrested last week on suspicion of being the serial killer and rapist who terrorized California in the 1970s and 80s. 'GOLDEN STATE KILLER' DNA SEARCH LED TO WRONG MAN LAST YEAR Its within the realm of possibility that he could be a suspect in our case, May said. Wicht was raped and strangled and her son was smothered in his sleep, NBC San Diego reports. Even if the DNA is not a match, the Golden State Killer case is one that gives us hope that if we keep working it, we will one day solve our case, Simi Valley Police Chief David Livingstone told the station. Craig Coley, now 70, described in reports as Wicht's ex-boyfriend, was convicted in the killings but released from prison last fall after DNA evidence cleared him. The Associated Press contributed to this report. As the homeless population continues to grow in Los Angeles, the agency that operates public transportation in the county is considering putting showers in or near some of its train stations in an effort to promote hygiene. Metro's Board of Directors unanimously approved a motion on Thursday following a four-month study to examine a pilot hygiene and mobile shower program, which would also examine incorporating public restrooms at all new rail stations on the system. "I hope that when we look at this, it's a first start, it's about a humanitarian issue in my opinion because we do have a very diverse population that uses our rail and bus services and our hubs," Metro Director and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis told board members. Solis, who spearheaded the study for the pilot program, said the program would be collaborated with the Los Angeles Countys Office of Homeless Initiative, Department of Public Health, Department of Public Works, and other relevant departments. The pilot program, if adopted, would first roll out at the Westlake/MacArthur Park and North Hollywood stations. The program would be similar to one the county rolled out earlier this year in East Pasadena and South El Monte, according to CurbedLA, which first reported on Metro's proposal. Solis' office said that hygiene and mobile shower stations provide "effective solutions: to promote hygiene, in addition to preventing the spread of infectious diseases." HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS INCREASINGLY AFFECTING CALIFORNIA TRAIN TRAFFIC The only board member to speak against the proposal, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, cautioned that what may sound like a compassionate idea may have "unintended consequences." "Im concerned that, without careful thought, well impact the main business that were in, and the main business that were in is to increase ridership," he said Thursday. "I think the showers should be where the people are that will use them, as opposed to having the expectation that people are going to come to a Metro station and use a shower before they ride the trains. I don't think that's realistic." Solis countered that the homeless population is already riding the system and already stay in spots near the stations. "Im not merely saying that everyone deserves a shower. I mean, you can't force someone to do that, but I think once service is provide, sanitation services, that actually provides more safety and dignity not just for the person that's impacted, but also for, potentially, people who pass them and walk onto our rail system and our buses," she said. COMMUNITY FIGHTS BACK AS CALIFORNIA OVERRUN BY HOMELESSNESS, HUMAN WASTE, NEEDLES Butts added that while the program is just a concept at this point, he questioned using funds for facilities that are not connected to the mission for transit. Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin said the program could be "fundamentally transformative" and "restore dignity" for the homeless population to be able to take a shower to use a bathroom "other than an alleyway or behind a bush." "What I have seen is the opportunity to take a shower, to feel better about yourself and feel cleaner, is a great opportunity for first contact with case management and the continuum of care," he said. The proposal comes as expanding homeless encampments across California have affected train traffic and caused a public health crisis. In neighboring Orange County, officials cleared out a camp earlier this year along the Santa Ana River and hauled away tons of hazardous trash and waste. A 12-year-old girl missing from Grand Junction, Colorado since Wednesday afternoon was found safe in Rifle late Thursday night, the Grand Junction Police Department said. Raeanna Rosencrans was found at the Walmart store shortly before 10 p.m. Police said she appeared to be physically unharmed, but she was taken to a hospital as a precaution. Rifle is on Interstate 70 about 60 miles east of Grand Junction. The suspect in her alleged abduction, 47-year-old Jody Haskin, has not been found. Police in western Colorado were searching for him late Thursday. The Amber Alert issued in Rosencrans disappearance has been canceled. Haskin is Rosencrans stepfather. Police said they have obtained an arrest warrant for Haskin. He faces one count of second-degree kidnapping in the disappearance of Rosencrans. Hes described as being about 6-foot and 215 pounds, balding with brown eyes and glasses. According to court records, Haskin has been wanted on a warrant in Grand Junction stemming from a sex assault on a child since Feb. 1. Click for more from Fox Denver 31. Did it want to take a walk on the wild side? A mountain lion was caught Thursday in Fillmore City, Utah, according to a Facebook post from the Millard County Sheriffs Office, which included a picture of the cat baring its teeth. The young lion was removed from 200 South just east of Main Street, it said. The city is about 2 hours southwest of Salt Lake City. No injuries were reported, according to Fox 13. The sheriff's office said deputies, the Division of Wildlife Services and Fillmore City Animal Control were among those who worked to nab the animal. The creature, it said, was relocated and released. Click for more from Fox 13. An Arkansas police officer was shot and killed inside his own home Saturday, officials said. Forrest City Police Officer Oliver Johnson, Jr. was inside his home just before 2 p.m. in West Memphis, Ark., when an unidentified person unleashed a spray of bullets at his home, FOX13 Memphis reported. Neighbors said there were children inside the home, including Johnsons daughter. "They hit the apartment. They hit the car. They hit the whole place up," one resident who witnessed the shooting told FOX13. Johnson died after being struck by a bullet. A family member inside the house attempted to perform CPR on the off-duty police officer, WREG reported. Portia Weatherspoon, Johnsons relative, said she heard about 40 gunshots. Authorities are still investigating the incident, including identifying the suspects. They believe Johnson was not targeted in the shooting. "It was an encounter between the suspects and another group outside of the apartment," West Memphis Police Capt. Joe Baker told WREG. "This hits everyone a little close to home in law enforcement. He was a police officer, some of my officers did, in fact, know him." Johnson was a father of two daughters. He and his fiancee were planning a birthday party for their youngest daughter, according to the news site. Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin said he was "heartbroken" to hear about Johnson's death. "Heartbroken to hear about the senseless killing of Forrest City Police Officer Oliver Johnson Jr. in eastern AR. May Gods grace and comfort be with his family & loved ones," he tweeted. Forrest City Police Department did not mention Johnson's death on its Facebook page, but stated it had to cancel all of Saturday events "with a heavy heart...due to unforseen circumstances." The ex-fiancee of suspected Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo, reportedly a target of his anger, has been identified as 67-year-old travel blogger Bonnie Ueltzen, The Daily Mail reported Saturday. Ueltzen then Bonnie Jean Colwell was engaged to DeAngelo in the early 1970s but she broke it off and both went on to marry other people, the report said. They met during their time as Sierra College students, the Mail reported. The ex-couple's wedding announcement was published in a California newspaper in May 1970. The Mercury News had explained that the Golden State Killer yelled numerous times, I hate you Bonnie, during at least one sexual assault -- and an investigator said this clue helped direct police to DeAngelo. Most certainly if hes making the statement, I hate you, Bonnie, while hes attacking another female, he is what we call an anger retaliatory rapist, retired Contra Costa County investigator Paul Holes told the newspaper. Instead of directing his anger at whats making him angry, hes directing it sideways onto someone else to be able to satisfy that anger. He went on, I do believe thats what happened here. I dont know what made him that way, but youve got to think Bonnie dumped him, hes not happy about that, he still had feelings for her, who knows? But something along those lines must have happened. DeAngelo appeared in court Friday to face murder charges. Police said he was linked to a dozen killings and 50 rapes from 1976 to 1986. Handcuffed to a wheelchair in orange jail scrubs, the 72-year-old looked dazed and spoke in a faint voice to acknowledge he was represented by a public defender. He did not enter a plea. GOLDEN STATE KILLER EYED IN 1978 MURDERS OF WOMAN AND HER 4-YEAR-OLD SON: POLICE The newspaper said it was unable to reach Ueltzen, who has written online about living in Italy. With this particular guy, I believe theres a significant event that made him angry and stayed inside him, Holes said. That anger would manifest itself over and over, whether a Bonnie situation or a couple of situations. Different things are making him upset. South Korea's government says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to shut down his country's nuclear test site in May and make the process transparent to officials and journalists from the U.S. and South Korea. Kim also commented that President Donald Trump will learn he's "not a person" to fire missiles toward the United States, said Yoon Young-chan, a spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would we need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?," Kim reportedly said. The disclosures followed last week's historic meeting between Moon and Kim, who became the first North Korean leader since 1953 to step foot in the South. North Koreas state media said before the summit that Pyongyang would focus on economic growth and peace in lieu of conducting nuclear weapons tests. Yoon said North Korea also plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the South's. The North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. President Trump reportedly spoke with Moon on Saturday about the prospect of a planned summit with Kim to take place in the next three to four weeks. Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations, Trump tweeted Saturday. During a campaign rally in Washington, Mich., on Saturday, Trump said, Its going to be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Trump insisted, however, that he would maintain pressure on North Korea and not repeat the mistakes of past administrations. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Latest on U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo's trip to the Middle East (all times local): 5 p.m. The new U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first official trip abroad to punish Iran for its missile programs. Ahead of Pompeo's arrival, Netanyahu said the talks would focus on "Iran's growing aggression" in the region and the upcoming U.S. decision on the international nuclear agreement with Iran. He called Pompeo, who advocates a hard line against Iran, a "true friend" of Israel. Pompeo arrived Sunday afternoon after talks in Saudi Arabia. ___ U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia, kicking off the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat. His visit on Saturday comes just weeks ahead of several key dates that have potential to further roil the already volatile region. President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. After Saudi Arabia, Pompeo goes to Israel and Jordan. The Latest on North Korea's diplomatic overtures (all times local): 2:20 p.m. South Korea says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss normalizing relations with Japan. President Moon Jae-in's office says Moon has briefed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday's summit with Kim. Moon told Abe that he conveyed Japan's desire to normalize ties with North Korea after resolving issues of "past history." Moon's office says Kim replied that he's willing to negotiate with Japan. The office didn't provide specific details but Abe reportedly said that Moon addressed the North's abduction of Japanese citizens during his meeting with Kim. Japan says North Korea abducted at least 17 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to train its agents in Japanese language and culture in order to spy on South Korea. North Korea has acknowledged abducting 13 Japanese in the 1970s. It allowed five of them to visit Japan in 2002 and they stayed. North Korea says eight others have died, but their families say the North's statement cannot be trusted. ___ 11:30 a.m. Seoul says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to shut down the country's nuclear test site in May and reveal the process to experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea. Seoul's presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said Sunday Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday. Yoon says Kim also said President Donald Trump will learn he's "not a person" to fire missiles toward the United States. The Kim-Trump meeting is anticipated in May or June. Yoon says North Korea also plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the South's. The North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. The top-tier leadership group of the PLO average age 70 is up for election for the first time in over two decades, when hundreds of delegates attend a West Bank convention this week. It should be a chance to revitalize the Palestinian national movement at a historic low point and start talking about potential successors to 83-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas. Instead, some critics even within the Palestine Liberation Organization say Abbas is presiding over a staged event to give his increasingly authoritarian rule a veneer of legitimacy. Others challenge the timing, saying the rift with powerful non-PLO member Hamas, which rules Gaza, must be resolved first. Pope Francis has decried an attack on a church in Nigeria that killed 15 people, including two priests. In remarks Sunday to the public in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff prayed that Nigeria's Christian community can find harmony and peace. The massacre last week occurred in Benue state in central Nigeria, which has recently seen a series of attacks, many linked to an ongoing dispute between farmers and herdsmen. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has described the attacks on churches as an attempt to stoke religious conflict. Britain's interior minister resigned Sunday amid a scandal over authorities' mistreatment of long-term U.K. residents wrongly caught up in a government drive to reduce illegal immigration. Prime Minister Theresa May's office said late Sunday that May had accepted the resignation of Home Secretary Amber Rudd. The scandal has dominated headlines in Britain for days and has sparked intense criticism of the Conservative government's tough immigration policies. Rudd had been due to make a statement to Parliament on Monday over what has become known as the Windrush scandal. The furor has grown since the Guardian newspaper reported that some people who came to the U.K. from the Caribbean in the decades after World War II had recently been refused medical care in Britain or threatened with deportation because they could not produce paperwork proving their right to reside in the country. Those affected belong to the "Windrush generation," named for the ship Empire Windrush, which in 1948 brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to Britain, which was seeking nurses, railway workers and others to help it rebuild after the devastation of World War II. They and subsequent Caribbean migrants came from British colonies or ex-colonies and had an automatic right to settle in the U.K. But some have been ensnared by tough new rules introduced since 2012 that are designed to make Britain a "hostile environment" for illegal immigrants. Legal migrants have been denied housing, jobs or medical treatment in Britain because of requirements that landlords, employers and doctors check people's immigration status. Others have been told by the government that they are in Britain illegally and must leave. "What has happened to the Windrush generation isn't an anomaly. It's not due to an administrative error. It's a consequence of the hostile environment created by this (Conservative) government," London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party, said Sunday. The policy was introduced at a time when May, now the prime minister, was home secretary. The opposition Liberal Democrat party's home affairs spokesman, Ed Davey, said Rudd had become "the fall guy to protect the prime minister." In recent weeks Rudd and May have apologized repeatedly to the Windrush generation, saying all pre-1973 Commonwealth immigrants who don't already have British citizenship will get it, and those affected will get compensation. Rudd's position worsened after she told lawmakers last week that the government did not have targets for deporting people -- only for a 2017 memo to emerge that mentioned specific targets for "enforced removals." Rudd said she didn't see the memo, but The Guardian later published a leaked letter she wrote to the prime minister discussing an aim of increasing removals by 10 percent. In a resignation letter to the prime minister, Rudd said she had "inadvertently" misled lawmakers. May said she accepted that Rudd had spoken "in good faith" and was sorry to see her resign. Immigration is a divisive issue in Britain, with cutting the inflow of migrants a major factor for many voters who backed leaving the European Union. The government has an oft-stated but long-unmet goal of reducing net immigration below 100,000 people a year, less than half the current level. Opponents say the government should drop that target in the wake of the Windrush debacle. The scandal is also causing anxiety for the 3 million European Union citizens living in Britain who are concerned about their immigration status after the country leaves the EU next March. The British government says they will be allowed to stay and has promised to set up a simple no-fuss registration process. But Labour lawmaker David Lammy, a strong critic of the government's immigration policies, said the scandal would cause EU citizens to think, "My God, if this can happen to Windrush, of course it can happen to us." Tourists visiting the iconic canals of Venice this weekend may instead find themselves being herded like cattle as the lagoon city copes with being a popular vacation destination. The Italian city installed temporary gates on Friday at the ends of two bridges to keep tourists out if their numbers become overwhelming for a four-day holiday weekend that ends on May 1. "People who want to come to Venezia are always important guests for us," Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Twitter. "My duty is to ensure the safety to visitors and locals, managing pedestrian traffic and water and, if needed, sorting flows of people." By early Saturday afternoon, municipal police officers monitoring the flow of arrivals judged the crowds were manageable enough that the gates didn't need to be shut. Venice has been a victim of its own popularity, with an onslaught of tourism that has clogged the city's narrow waterways and seen many of its residents depart, according to Sky News. Crowds get especially heavy when cruise ships disembark thousands of passengers at once for day trips. VENICE MAYOR: ANYONE WHO SHOUTS 'ALLAHU AKBAR' WILL BE SHOT In November, a deal was reached between Venice officials and the Italian government to re-route tourist ships to a nearby industrial port. The action came after large cruise ships were sailing on the Giudecca canal, one of the main waterways through Venice that empties into St. Mark's basin. The iconic Italian city has faced criticism before from tourists who felt they have gotten ripped-off while visiting. Last fall, a British tourist wrote an open letter to the mayor that he felt appalled after he and his parents were presented with a $638 bill for lunch near St. Mark's Square. VENICE SAYS CRUISE SHIPS NO LONGER WELCOME IN CITY CENTER Luke Tang, a university lecturer, accused the waiters in the restaurant of taking advantage of the fact that neither he nor his parents spoke any Italian, the Telegraph reported at the time. Brugnaro responded harshly to the complaint, saying they group were "cheapskates." "Someone eats and drinks in a restaurant, then says they cannot understand the language?" he said at the time. "If you come to Italy you need to learn Italian, maybe even a few words of Venetian would be good too." The Associated Press contributed to this report. SOFIA: Germany and France on Saturday pledged to deliver a joint proposal to reform the eurozone in time for a leaders summit in June, despite their big differences on the future of the bloc. We strongly believe that we should be able to find a compromise between France and Germany for the next council of June, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Olaf Scholz. It is absolutely important that France and Germany agree on questions, said Scholz as he confirmed the joint plan for reforms despite widespread talk that divisions between the EU powerhouses were too great. Le Maire will visit me in Berlin and this will be a very hard working meeting, the former mayor of Hamburg said after talks in the Bulgarian capital. He added: If you look at the schedule you see that (the meeting) is desperately needed to get this success in the end. Under the impetus of French President Emmanuel Macron, EU leaders have pledged to table a set of reforms at the summit in June that France says are necessary to reboot Europe after the setbacks of Brexit. The renewed promise of a Franco-German plan comes despite resistance by Germany to follow through on Macrons ideas amid resistance by political allies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Eurozone finance ministers have for months discussed the proposals, but discussions have gone nowhere. Macrons grand ambitions for the single currency bloc have already been significantly watered down, with ideas for the creation of a eurozone finance minister or joint borrowing by member states dropped. Instead officials are mainly focused on deepening the blocs banking union, with hopes to formally launch a European-wide deposit-insurance scheme that would be implemented over the long-term. Negotiators are also trying to draw up a plan for an EU rainy day fund as well as aid to help countries adopt economic reforms. The truth is, we are starting to run out of time, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said on Saturday, urging for compromise. MUHAMMAD SALEEM LAHORE: Expressing concern over weakening of the Pak rupee, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that the countrys issues would be resolved when the GDP growth rate will cross the mark of 7 percent. When the PML-N came into power, the growth was at 3.9 per cent, but we worked devotedly and took it to 5.8 per cent, he said. As per IMF forecast, the projections for the next years are lower at 4.9 per cent. While addressing the PML-N leaders from Gujranwala and Faisalabad divisions at Model Town, Nawaz said: A country that was on the path to progress is going to backwards now. This should not have happened because future of coming generations is linked with the country, he said. He also commented on the Indian PMs visit to China and its meeting with Chinese leaders. He said that mutual ties with India and China are improving. Nawaz said when the PML-N government came into power, the Pak rupee was stable but now, he added, the currencies of even Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal are strong versus the local currency and one dollar is available at Rs 120. He said there is no writ of the government today. What is use of contesting elections if we cannot serve the masses? I ask Shahbaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that where is the writ of government? he questioned. Criticizing his political opponent Imran Khan, the PML-N supreme leader said that the PTI chief speaks of change but takes orders from above. Does the order from above refer to Bani Gala? Nawaz questioned. He also shared the game played to change the PML-N government in Balochistan. We should not engage in politics if we want to take orders from above, he said. Such behaviour is that of a hypocrite as Imran used to call PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari a disease yet he voted for the arrow (the electoral symbol of PPP). Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. author: Michael Cheng Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations are set to change the way UAVs are used in commercial and industrial markets. Regulations for BVLOS operations vary from country to country, with some governments heavily restricting such practices. In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governs the testing and regulatory aspects of BVLOS drone operations. The organization is in the process of extending and opening such guidelines to various companies in the industrial sector. One of these businesses is Xcel Energy Colorado's largest utility company. Xcel plans to leverage powerful UAVs to monitor more than 320,000 miles of infrastructure, such as transmission lines and natural gas structures. Servicing 1.4 Million Local Residents The company intends to deploy drones in and around Denver, Colorado. Applications for the company's quadcopters include surveying, inspections, maintenance and monitoring. Xcel will start BVLOS drone operations in the coming months. Operations will commence roughly 20 miles from the Denver National Airport. For flight support, the business has tapped Harris, Northern Plains UAS Test Site, Phoenix Air UNMANNED, and Altus Intelligence. Licensed pilots will navigate the 55-pound quadcopter remotely. Xcel is the first utility establishment in the US to be authorized by the FAA for BVLOS operations. "Xcel Energy is honored to be the first utility to conduct flights that will enhance grid reliability and safety for our employees and the public," said Ben Fowke, Xcel Energy chairman, president, and CEO. "With this groundbreaking decision, we are advancing the use of technology that improves our efficiency and provides cost savings for our customers." Xcel is also working closely with the FAA under a unique safety program, which expands drone operations outside of Colorado. The company will help local utility companies in other states improve BVLOS protocols. Traditional transmission line inspections are conducted using a helicopter and human workers. This is often time consuming and costly to support on a continuous basis. Xcel clarified it will not be replacing human operators with drones in the near future. Instead, it plans to explore safe and cost-effective solutions for power line inspections. Last year, the business acquired approval from the FAA to deploy drones (within line of sight) for industrial plant inspections. The UAVs allowed Xcel to provide reliable maintenance services during rough weather conditions. Revolutionizing Industrial Safety and Efficiency Drones have a myriad of useful applications in industrial sectors. Most uses for UAVs are designed to boost safety and efficiency by replacing human operators. For example, monitoring and maintaining large-scale wind farms is extremely dangerous. Workers must climb up hundreds of feet using a ladder and harness. Moreover, such tasks take time to complete and requires two individuals for safety. Drones can revolutionize this painstakingly slow and hazardous process, while reducing cost and time spent on inspections. "Proper maintenance and repair of infrastructure enables the company to provide 24x7 services amid difficult climatic conditions," explained Zacks Equity Research. "Drones ensure early detection of faults and damages of the electric transmission and distribution lines, which lower chances of outages and increase reliability of services." Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. News In League City, residents adapt to I-45 construction kelseywalling / KELSEY WALLING/The Daily News Cars fly past a sign on northbound Interstate 45 on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Exit 23, which allows drivers to access FM 518 in League City, is closed as part of a widening project. LEAGUE CITY Stacey Ellis missed her exit on Interstate 45 three different times after the Texas Department of Transportation closed Exit 23 to FM 518 on April 20. Im pretty sure I wont forget now, Ellis said. But her school-age daughter texted her a reminder Thursday just in case. State contractors on April 20 closed the exit ramp until the end of the year as part of a construction project that will widen I-45 from NASA Road 1 to the Galveston causeway. The transportation department posted advance message signs on the interstate seven days before the closure, spokesman Danny Perez said. League City Police reported a smooth transition to the closure with only a slight increase in accidents around the FM 518 and Interstate 45 intersection, spokesman Kelly Williamson said. As with any other road closure or traffic disruption situation, as long as drivers pay attention to the signs and information boards, we expect no major problems due to closures, Williamson said. Many League City residents understand the I-45 construction work is needed, but remain frustrated with the process. When they opened up I-45 South, it shaved at least 15 minutes off my commute from Houston, which is great, Tuscan Lakes resident Melinda Quijas said. The part that sucks is dealing with road closures, more congestion, timid drivers that dont understand the zipper method of merging and the additional minutes that this adds to the commute until its completed. Transportation department officials estimate the I-45 widening project will be complete by 2021. In 2019, crews will demolish the FM 646 overpass and build an I-45 overpass so freeway traffic flows on top and FM 646 flows under. That project should begin in spring 2019 if everything goes according to schedule, officials said. Having fewer overpasses spanning the interstate will help in hurricane evacuation and also will improve traffic flow at other times, Perez said. The department is reconstructing Interstate 45 to eight lanes of traffic, up from six lanes, in Galveston County. The planned work will be done in six projects, the department said. The work would not necessarily happen at the same time, department engineers said. Reconstruction of the interstates southbound main lanes will happen in the summer of 2019 according to tentative schedules, officials said. The final phase consists of completing the drainage, median center barrier, landscaping, striping, signing and lighting and should begin in the spring of 2019 and end in the spring of 2021. Some residents are concerned about damage to their vehicles from construction-related debris at several different points along the interstate. The transportation department has a form for that. Motorists can submit concerns about damage on the departments website, Perez said. Despite the complaints and frustrations, many motorists are thankful for the improvements. I remember all the I-45 complaints when they were expanding, but I am beyond grateful for the traffic issues it fixed once completed, Seabrook resident Nichole Forward said. Its never a perfect situation, and they cant make it one because someone is always going to find a complaint. Reporter Before coming to work for The Daily News as a staff reporter, Connor worked for us as a freelance correspondent throughout 2017. He has written for other publications such as the Washington Post. Inquisitive youngsters, and adults, traveled to the Muir Library in Winnebago on April 24, the Elmore Public Library on April 25 and the Blue Earth Community Library on April 26 to welcome guest speaker Steve Bensen. As part of the BEA Reads program, Bensen, who also visited Blue Earth Elementary School, led a group discussion at area libraries regarding Treacher Collins Syndrome, an hereditary birth defect which he was diagnosed with. Although Bensens mother and father were not inflicted with the illness, the gene which causes Treacher Collins was passed onto him. Bensen shared the story of how he and his family have been impacted by the disease. The book Wonder, featured in the BEA Reads program, has a main character, Auggie Pullman, who also lives with Treacher Collins Syndrome. The medical condition, also referred to as mandibulofacial dysostosis, creates underdeveloped cheek and jawbones. Notching or stretched lower eyelids, as well as abnormalities to the outer ear are also symptoms of the disease. Bensen revealed he experienced a host of medical complications associated with his condition. For example, deformities to his external ears led to Bensen electing to be fitted for prosthetic ones. He estimates there has been at least 10 surgeries throughout the course of his life. The South Dakota native also had to be hospitalized an entire year after he was born. Because of his frequent hospital visits, Bensen says he is extremely grateful for the quality medical care he has received. I wish it was possible to say thank you to all the nurses that have taken care of me over the years, Bensen says. I have a great deal of respect for the work they do on a regular basis. Not only did Bensen have various medical issues because of Treacher Collins, but his outward appearance also created difficult social situations at school. Bensen credits his older brother Kevin for protecting him when children would act cruel towards him. He was always there for me, I had such a great support team around me, Bensen says. Mom and Dad as well, they would go to bat for me any day of the week. Despite the struggles of his condition, Bensens self-deprecating humor allows him to keep a positive state of mind. He shared the antidote of an embarrassing office situation involving his prosthetic ears. I sneezed so hard my ears popped off, Bensen laughed. Then they were rolling around on the floor and I had to go find them. Dont you hate it when that happens? By openly sharing his life experiences with Treacher Collins Syndrome, Bensen stresses the importance of being kind to others who may be struggling with a disability. If you see somebody that may look a little different, dont just stare, say hi to them. Something as simple as that can make a world of difference, Bensen says. Now 38 years old, Bensen is a quality assurance analyst for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Minneapolis and has worked for the company for the past 10 years. Bensens connection to the area is through his wife, Casey, who happens to be a 2002 graduate of Blue Earth Area High School. Bensen also revealed he and his wife were exploring the possibility of having children of their own. However, after having genetic testing done, it was discovered there is a 50 percent chance of Bensen passing Treacher Collins onto his child. As a result, the couple decided foster care would be a better alternative. Thats not a chance Im willing to take, 50 percent is like a coin flip, Bensen explains. I had awesome parents and an awesome childhood, but I know how daunting it can be living with this condition, so why not give somebody else a good home. A new synthetic turf field is open and ready to be used at El Dorado Park. Blue Earth resident Jim Hagedorn was endorsed by the Republican Party as their choice for candidate for the First Congressional District seat currently held by Democrat Tim Walz. Hagedorn won the endorsement on the first ballot at the endorsing convention held in Mankato on Saturday, April 21. He received 76 percent of the vote, compared to challenger state Sen. Carla Nelson of Rochester. Nelson said she plans to still challenge Hagedorn in the primary election in August. Hagedorn has twice run for the congressional seat against Walz, narrowly losing to him in 2016 by less than half a percentage point. Walz is not running for another term in Congress, and instead is running for the governorship of Minnesota. Its an honor to be endorsed by the Republican activists who form the backbone of our part, and I look forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with them over the next 199 days to ensure our common sense conservative message is delivered to every home, farm, business and campus across the First District, Hagedorn said after receiving the endorsement. Meanwhile, at the Democratic First District convention held in Le Sueur, also on April 21, North Mankato resident Dan Feehan won the DFL endorsement, defeating three other candidates also seeking the party backing. Feehan received the 60 percent needed in the second round of balloting, after having 53 percent in the first round. The other candidates were Joe Sullivan of Mankato, Rich Wright of Rochester Township and former state Sen. Vicki Jenson of Owatonna. All have said they will not challenge Feehan in the August primary. The DFL congratulates Dan Feehan on his well-deserved endorsement in Minnesotas First Congressional District, said Minnesota DFL Party chairman Ken Martin. As a soldier, teacher, and Pentagon official, Dan Feehan has dedicated his life to public service. Dan would bring this spirit of service with him to Washington and fight to improve the lives of families across Southern Minnesota. Hagedorn also received some words of congratulations from the Republican Party. First District Republicans overwhelmingly gave Jim Hagedorn their first ballot endorsement quite simply because he earned it, Minnesota First District Republican chair Carol Stevenson said. This strong demonstration of unity and support proves delegates believe Jim best reflects the views and values of southern Minnesotans and that his strong campaign committee and tireless work ethic provides our party with the best opportunity to win the November election. Minnesotas First Congressional District is considered an important contest nationally. After having been held by Republicans for many years, Walz kept it Democratic for the past 12 years. City banks on e-buses : Seven new electric buses for Bonn BONN Despite some setbacks, local transportation authorities want to stick to their plan to implement the use of electric buses. The supervisory board, chaired by Mayor Ashok Sridharan, has decided to purchase or lease four regular sized electric buses, and three articulated ones. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken It is a logical step for the climate capital says the mayor. Funding applications at both federal and state level will be submitted. Anja Wenmakers is managing director of SWB, the public utilities company responsible for public transportation, and she believes the seven battery-powered buses will be available by the beginning of 2019 at the latest. A European wide tender is being prepared. The SWB has been testing six buses from the German company Sileo since 2016. But the EU-funded project ZeEUS ((Zero Emission Urban Bus System) expires at the end of April. Of the six Sileo buses, five had to be taken back to the manufacturer for some work, because the operating times of the buses fell short of expectations. But the SWB still wants to continue using one of those buses after the project period ends. Wenmakers said the SWB wanted to continue to rely on electric buses, and not other technologies such as biogas or hydrogen. The sister company, SWB Energy and Water produces electricity. Wenmakers was optimistic that the approximate 200 buses could be replaced by electric ones before 2030. To help reduce the exhaust now, the service provider wants to retrofit a hundred old diesel buses. Meanwhile, the planning committee decided on the request of the SPD party that the SWB should change the tender for the purchase of new trams. As reported, there was a council decision that 24 old trams should be replaced by 26 new ones from 2020 to 2022. This could be increased by nine or even up to twelve more if the committee wishes, providing it does not cost more money. Wenmakers said that faster delivery was not possible. The call for tenders is being prepared. nametalkam at 29-04-2018 08:41 AM (3 years ago) (m) Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that visiting the United States of America is not a prerequisite for becoming president of Nigeria. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that visiting the United States of America is not a prerequisite for becoming president of Nigeria. He made this statement in reaction to a question of how he intended to emerge Nigerias president without visiting the US on a BBC Hausa Service programme on Saturday. Atiku said the last time he checked, visiting America was not enshrined in the Nigerian constitution as a precondition to become the nations number one citizen. The Waziri Adamawa said, I can be president without going to America. Atiku affirmed that the US government denied him a visa over administrative process but debunked allegations that the US government auctioned off a house belonging to him in the country. He stressed that the house belonged to one of his wives, who has since sold it herself. He equally said he does not lose sleep over a statement by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo that he (Atiku) will never emerge president as long as he (Obasanjo) is alive. He said Obasanjo was merely trying to play God, while forgetting that he is not God. Atiku said if God intends to make him president, no one, even Obasanjo, could alter Gods plans. In the same vein, Atiku explained the cause of the rift between him and President Muhammadu Buhari that pushed him out of the All Progressives Congress (APC). After 2015 general elections , I met the President . I told him that activities of the party have been crippled and there is a need to restructure . Also , I advised the President on issues concerning his administration . I said to him, If things continue like this , I will quit , but Mr . Buhari turned a deaf ear and remained mum, Atiku said. He made this statement in reaction to a question of how he intended to emerge Nigerias president without visiting the US on a BBC Hausa Service programme on Saturday.Atiku said the last time he checked, visiting America was not enshrined in the Nigerian constitution as a precondition to become the nations number one citizen.The Waziri Adamawa said, I can be president without going to America.Atiku affirmed that the US government denied him a visa over administrative process but debunked allegations that the US government auctioned off a house belonging to him in the country.He stressed that the house belonged to one of his wives, who has since sold it herself.He equally said he does not lose sleep over a statement by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo that he (Atiku) will never emerge president as long as he (Obasanjo) is alive.He said Obasanjo was merely trying to play God, while forgetting that he is not God.Atiku said if God intends to make him president, no one, even Obasanjo, could alter Gods plans.In the same vein, Atiku explained the cause of the rift between him and President Muhammadu Buhari that pushed him out of the All Progressives Congress (APC).After 2015 general elections , I met the President . I told him that activities of the party have been crippled and there is a need to restructure .Also , I advised the President on issues concerning his administration . I said to him, If things continue like this , I will quit , but Mr . Buhari turned a deaf ear and remained mum, Atiku said. Post Reply I specialize in investigative reportage across several subject matter and sectors but mainly focus on metro events and investigation. Do leave your thoughts and opinion on my reports to let me know what you think about them. Thank you Posted: at 29-04-2018 08:41 AM (3 years ago) | Hero This week I am going to do something in this column I have never done before. Reveal a secret. You may recall that a month ago the Register ran its rather infamous April Fools Day story exactly 50 years after the first one ran in the Blue Earth Post. In homage to that first story back in 1968, I created a similar story about an odd crop coming to Faribault County. That story was not the original one planned. And now I am going to reveal that secret first story idea. Deer vasectomies. The idea for the story was that a veterinarian or two was going to be hired by the City of Blue Earth to find the buck deer and shoot them with a tranquilizer dart, and then give them a vasectomy while they were out cold. Instead of hunting them and killing them, giving them a vasectomy would be much more humane, and eventually, with all the male deer shooting blanks (pardon the pun), the herd numbers would drop dramatically. Or, so the theory goes, according to a presentation that was made to the City Council. Only, not really. There was no presentation. There was no vasectomy plan. It would have been the typical made up story that we run every April 1 to try and fool our readers. You are probably thinking to yourself right now that you would have spotted a deer vasectomies going to happen in Blue Earth as a fake news story a mile away. Well, now as it turns out, that story would not have been so fake. While the city of Blue Earth has no plans at the moment to conduct a deer vasectomy, another city has actually done it. And, I dare you to try and guess which city. Wrong, it is actually New York City. I kid you not. Specifically it is Staten Island in New York. It seems the whitetail deer population on the island has exploded in the past nine years, increasing by 9,000 percent. So three years ago the New York City borough started the deer vasectomy program, which now is $300,000 over budget. And, they have no idea if it is actually working or not. In 2016, the first year of the contract, $2.3 million was spent on the project, which had a total budget of $3.3 million. They maxed out in the second year of the contract, so this year everything that is being spent is all over budget. So far, the figures are that 1,154 deer have been given a vasectomy out of the estimated 1,918 to 2,188 deer that make up the current Staten Island deer population. What impact on the deer population this has had is still not determined. But a spokesperson for the boroughs says they knew from the beginning that it would take a while for it to have an effect. Interestingly enough, Staten Island, just like Blue Earth did, discussed having an urban deer cull, which would have involved New York City Police Department sharpshooters, or hunters, but they didnt move forward with the idea. It seems they felt since hunting is illegal in all five boroughs of New York City it would be both a costly and illegal liability to the city. So now here is the issue. Maybe this deal of giving deer vasectomies is not such a dumb idea after all. I mean, if it is good enough for New York City, then it is certainly good enough for us out here in small town Minnesota. Perhaps the Blue Earth City Council needs to rethink this deer issue, since this possible new solution might have merit. Besides, I would certainly think that our costs for deer vasectomies must be way, way cheaper that New York City prices. I mean, I have heard you cant rent a tiny one bedroom apartment for under $5,000 a month. Or get a beer for under $10. So, let us at least think about this before we just dismiss it out of hand as the dumbest thing we have ever heard. Something really needs to be done. After all the snow finally left my yard on Main Street in Blue Earth, there were enough small round brown pellets left by the deer who munched all my bushes, that you can hardly walk around anywhere in my yard. The good news, I suppose, might be that I probably dont have to fertilize my lawn this year, since the deer herd did it for me. So, here is to another April Fools Day story idea that cannot be written, because it is not fake, but actually real. Like Preparation-H coming to little Kiester, Minnesota to film a hemorrhoid TV commercial. The greatest fake April Fools Day story of all time except it wasnt, it was all totally true. 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First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Last week, Gov. Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health outlined the state's enforcement strategy for requiring healthcare workers to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. As of this Friday, all healthcare workers, including EMTs, are required to have received a vaccination, a move the Rhode Island State Association of Firefighters have already expressed a desire to fight in court. Do you believe first responders and healthcare workers should be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19? Why or why not? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit When you see the teeth of a lion, Dont think that the lion is smiling at you. I was reminded of this lion while clambering through the ruins on the side of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in the Damascus suburb of Barzeh last week. This was the centre now famous from so many satellite pictures destroyed by Donald Trumps missiles when they struck at the heart of Syrias chemical weapons programme. Did they? Anything with a Strangelove name like the Department of Pharmaceutical and Civilian Chemical Research the bit of the complex hit by at least 13 missiles deserves to have its contents studied closely. Id been refused permission to visit this Syrian institution for three days. If it was all in ruins which it assuredly is, and on a scale much larger than the photographs suggest why the delay? Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter And does it matter? Well, yes. I am reminded of the much more famous Iraqi baby milk factory bombed by the Americans in 1991 which General Colin Powell called a biological weapons factory, of that we are sure. My colleague Patrick Cockburn wrote of this last week, recalling his visit to the factory only hours after the bombing. After the war, it turned out that the building probably had been an infant formula factory after all although what cant you do with a glass of milk? The problem is that while we believe all Arab dictators regularly lie, we Western folk are supposed to hold our own leaders to account and ensure that they tell the truth when they claim to act on our behalf. Thats why the Douma attack must be fully explained, and thats why I wanted to know if this wreckage in Barzeh (the direct response to Douma, although of course no one was killed in Barzeh) was what we said it was, or whether it was what the Syrians claimed it to be a medical research facility. Was the lion smiling at me? Or was I misinterpreting the meaning of its face? Certainly Dr Said al-Said, head of the centres polymers department, was all smiles, and for what its worth, he doesnt look like Dr Strangelove. And the rubble of his bombed research centre when I met him, without minders or guards, yielded to me little proof of the chemical warfare research centre its American destroyers claimed it to be. It looked, indeed, very much like a site where, according to the 192-nation Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, during its most recent visit last November, there was no evidence of chemical or biological weapons being developed, tested or produced. The OPCW is the same institute currently investigating the presumed gas attack on Douma. If this was a chemical weapons centre, he says, jabbing me in the chest with his finger, Youd be dead just standing here today. Hardly conclusive given the time that had elapsed, and of course it may have been used merely for research, rather than storage of chemical weapons, which formed one part of the Americans claim. Same old question. What cant you do with a glass of milk? I scrambled through the ruins on my own for more than an hour and found five buildings in this research campus utterly blown apart. I was free to roam around in the sun, much to 64-year old Al-Saids amusement. But it had been four days since the American-Anglo-French air strikes. Western politicians routinely accuse their enemies of hoovering up incriminating evidence before opening bomb sites to any journalists. And Id been kept waiting for three days. Yet when I eventually drove through the gates of the campus, documents and files were still wedged into the flattened concrete and flapping in the breeze. The most intriguing papers I could find related to a desalination project in rural Syria and a published dissertation in English by Kuwaiti scientists on the use of rubber in sealing concrete road bridges. While I was there, mechanical diggers began to haul away vast hunks of masonry some with yet more papers trapped in the wreckage and dumping them in commercial lorries for disposal. Could this really have been the site of an elaborate cover-up? Could the Syrians remove the evidence in four days? And while Im no chemical weapons expert, the OPCW definitely is, and visited Barzeh several times in 2013. But what happened since then? They said it was free of any chemical warfare research, Al-Said said. The published reports confirm this but no visit has taken place since last November. Yet questions multiply here, rather like they probably do in a research centre is it conceivable that the OPCW would not have made some reference to a change in the Barzeh complexs purpose if they suspected this in the past five months? There was still a strong smell of burning plastic which he attributed to the smouldering remains of computers and plastic desks in the ruins. I walked deep inside the wreckage and neither the workmen nor the centres portly boss grew nervous or asked me to stop usually a tell-tale sign that someone is getting nervous. It happened to me in Serbia when I discovered military slit-trenches behind a Nato-bombed hospital the civilian patients, it turned out, were dead, the Yugoslav soldiers hiding there against all the laws of war were unharmed and long departed. Among the undamaged buildings on the Syrian campus were student lecture rooms and a childrens school with paintings of animals which had clearly given the fading paint been decorated on the walls many summers ago. Dr Al-Said himself trained as an applied chemist, first in Dresden (when it was still part of eastern Germany) and then at Dusseldorf. He had worked here for 15 years, he said, but was at home ten miles away when the missiles struck in the early hours. Did he expect to be the target, I asked? I am not an expert in politics, he replied. But with the Americans and British and French, you can expect anything. His students and lecturers, he insisted, were researching the production of medicinal chemicals and especially the DNA of scorpions and snakes, and leukemias and cancers. We have been producing the research for medicines for local use but which are sold all over the Middle East. We were developing rubber particles [sic] for the oil industry and researching the use of rubber for bridge construction. When Al-Said told me this, he was unaware that I had already found papers on the subject amid the rubble a point in his favour. The OPCW had given us certificates twice, he added. I also noted that this large campus lay less than a mile from the scene of fierce battles 18 months ago between the government army and Nusrah (as well as some Free Syrian Army rebels). I witnessed some of this fighting at the time. Would the Syrian regime have maintained a chemical weapons research centre which could so easily have fallen into the hands of its enemies then or later? If the Americans were correct when they said at the weekend that the Barzeh centre is used for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weaponry, then the regime was certainly taking some grave risks before or after the battles. For the American claims to be correct, then, an awful lot of work must have gone on to change the nature of this complex in the past five months since the OPCW inspectors were last there. The infamous Baghdad baby milk factory is now generally accepted to have been genuine although the Iraqi regime put a fake sign in English on the wrecked gates for television cameras after the bombing. The only sign beside the wrecked Syrian complex is a large portrait of Bashar al-Assad with the legend All for you written upon it. In Arabic. But back to the lion. Poor old Muttanabi was eventually killed by a man whom he had insulted in a poem. His name wait for it was Dabbah al-Assadi. No relation, of course. Sergey Lavrov: The US is Trying to Divide Syria April 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the US of trying to divide Syria while ignoring international law by launching missiles into the country. Lavrov made the accusations on Saturday while meeting with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Moscow following their talks on the seven-year Syrian war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people. The meeting was meant to prepare the groundwork for the ninth round of Astana talks to be held next month in Kazakhstan, which will focus on political and humanitarian issues. Russia, Iran and Turkey see themselves as guarantor states in negotiations between the Syrian opposition and government. They say the Astana process, aimed at ending the violence in Syria, is the only way of reducing tensions. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter 'Reformatting Middle East' At the meeting, all three ministers agreed Syria must remain a sovereign and whole entity. American statements about supporting the territorial integrity of Syria "are only words that, apparently, cover plans for reformatting the Middle East and plans for dividing Syria into parts", Lavrov said, adding Russia, Iran and Turkey will work together to ensure that won't happen. "While we are building options for peace, some of our other colleagues are trying to destroy the results of our joint constructive efforts, not even following the international law like in the recent operation of the US, UK and France against Syria," Lavrov said. The joint attack on April 14 targeted suspected chemical weapons infrastructure following an alleged gas attack by government forces on the formerly rebel-held town of Douma, outside Damascus. Lavrov said the US-led missile strikes on Syria "seriously aggravated the situation". 'Destructive to peace' Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted it's important to work with the UN to ensure the legitimacy of a political solution in Syria, as any military solution would be illegal and unsustainable. However, differences have emerged over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and whether he should stay in power. The opposition in Syria - backed by the US, UK and France - have been adamant any political solution cannot include Assad, a view Turkey holds as well. "Turkey has always felt that Assad should not really be a part of Syria's constitutional future," reported Al Jazeera's Rory Challands from Moscow. "The Russians have always said that the opposition needs to get rid of these preconditions because they are destructive to Syria's peace prospects." Talks between Russia, Iran and Turkey have regularly taken place since 2017 in the Kazakh capital, Astana, and are meant to complement the UN-led peace process. Home Search ICH Probable Western Responsibility for Skripal Poisoning By Craig Murray UPDATE: Stupidly I had forgotten this vital confirmation from Channel 4 News (serial rebel Alex Thomson) of the D Notice in place on mention of Pablo Miller. Back then I did not realise what I now know, that the person being protected was Pablo Miller, colleague in both MI6 then Orbis Intelligence of Christopher Steele, author of the fabrications of the Trump/Russia golden shower dossier. That the governments very first act on the poisoning was to ban all media mention of Pablo Miller makes it extremely probable that this whole incident is related to the Trump dossier and that Skripal had worked on it, as I immediately suspected. The most probable cause is that Skripal who you should remember had traded the names of Russian agents to Britain for cash had worked on the dossier with Miller but was threatening to expose its lies for cash. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter ORIGINAL POST: This comment from Clive Ponting, doyen of British whistleblowers, appeared on my website and he has now given me permission to republish it under his full name: I have been reading the blogs for some time but this is my first post. Like Craig I was a senior civil servant but in the ministry of defence not the fco. I had plenty of dealings with all three intelligence agencies. It seems to me that the reason none of the MSM are doing any investigating/reporting of the Salisbury affair, apart from official handouts, is that the government have slapped a D-Notice over the whole incident and it is not possible to report that a notice has been issued. Here is another theory as to what happened. The Russians pardoned Skripal and allowed him to leave (spy agencies have an understanding that agents will always be swapped after an interval its the only protection they have and helps recruitment). In the UK Skripal would have been thoroughly debriefed by MI6 and MI5 (his ex-handler lives near Salisbury). If at some point they discovered that Skripal was giving them false information, perhaps he was told to do so by the FSB as a condition of his release, lives may have been endangered/lost. If he also was also involved in the golden showers dossier then elements in the US would have a reason to act as well. The whole incident was an inside job not to kill him, hence the use of BZ, but to give him a warning and a punishment. The whole thing is being treated as though the authorities know exactly what went on but have to cover it up. Addendum I meant to add that the policeman who just happened to be around was almost certainly the special branch minder who was keeping Yulia under surveillance. The media are not allowed to mention the existence of a D notice. Those of us who have been in the belly of the beast and have worked closely with the intelligence services, really do know what they and the British government are capable of. They are not white knights. I would add it has been very plain from day one that there is a D notice on Pablo Miller. Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and Rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010. https://www.craigmurray.org ===== 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. By Moon Of Alabama April 28, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - There has been no recent reporting on the Skripal case in which a British-Russian double agent and his daughter were poisoned in Salisbury, England. There even seem to be attempts to change the public record of the case. The British government alleged that the Skripals were poisoned by Novichok, a deadly nerve agent, and blamed Russia for it. There are stiill many open questions to ask but the British media, otherwise not afraid of 'door stepping', are curiously uninterested. We already noted in early April that the British press was throwing Novi-Fog onto the public. It was repeating outrageous and illogical claims from "security services" but did no genuine reporting on the Skripal case. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Some photo editor made sense of what the "security services" said and introduced an April 5 London Times piece with a picture of a likely source of the alleged Novichok posion: Now the former British ambassador Craig Murray quotes Clive Ponting, another former senior civil servant, who suspects that the British government issued a D-Notice. Such a notice forbids British media to report on an issue. Murray also points to a tweet by Channel 4 correspondent Alex Thomson from March 12 in which Thomsen mentions a D-Notice specifically related to Mr. Skripal's MI6 handler: The D-Notice attempt Thomsen mentioned was too late as some media had already reported the name of the Skripal's MI6 handler. We spelled it out on March 8. One Pablo Miller, a British MI6 agent, had recruited Sergej Skripal. The former MI6 agent Christopher Steele was also involved in the case. Skripal was caught by the Russian security services and ewent to jail. Pablo Miller, the MI6 recruiter, was also the handler of Sergej Skripal after he was released by Russia in a spy swap. He reportedly also lives in Salisbury. Both Christopher Steele and Pablo Miller work for Orbis Business Intelligence which created the "Dirty Dossier" about Donald Trump. We early on suspected a relation between the "Dirty Dossier" and the Skripal affair: Here are some question: Did Skripal help Steele to make up the "dossier" about Trump? Were Skripal's old connections used to contact other people in Russia to ask about Trump dirt? Did Skripal threaten to talk about this? If there is a connection between the dossier and Skripal, which seems very likely to me, then there are a number of people and organizations with potential motives to kill him. Lots of shady folks and officials on both sides of the Atlantic were involved in creating and running the anti-Trump/anti-Russia campaign. There are several investigations and some very dirty laundry might one day come to light. Removing Skripal while putting the blame on Russia looks like a convenient way to get rid of a potential witness. Whistleblower Clive Ponting, quoted by Murray, now also suspects that the Skripal case was an 'inside' job that followed from the 'dirty dossier' fakery: If [Sergej Skripal] was also involved in the golden showers dossier then elements in the US would have a reason to act as well. The whole incident was an inside job not to kill him, hence the use of BZ, but to give him a warning and a punishment. The whole thing is being treated as though the authorities know exactly what went on but have to cover it up. ... I meant to add that the policeman who just happened to be around was almost certainly the special branch minder who was keeping Yulia under surveillance. The media are not allowed to mention the existence of a D notice. There is not only a very curious silence in British media about the Skripal case, but there seem to be active attempts to remove certain material about the case from the public. In 2017 investigative journalist Dilyana Gaytandzhiev reported about massive air transports of weapons to Syrian 'rebels' under diplomatic cover and got fired over it. On April 26 she made another interesting find: Dilyana Gaytandzhiev @dgaytandzhieva - 21:24 UTC - 26 Apr 2018 The #Skripals were allegedly exposed to the drug #Fentanyl, not the #Novichok nerve agent, according to information obtained from the UK Clinical Services Journal https://www.clinicalservicesjournal.com/story/25262/... The Clinical Services Journal piece Gaytandzhiev had found is from March 5 2018, the day after the Skripal incident in Salisbury. In its original version it read: Salisbury District Hospital declared a major incident on Monday 5 March, after two patients were exposed to an opioid. ... It followed an incident hours earlier in which a man and a woman were exposed to the drug Fentanyl in the city centre. The opioid is 10,000 times stronger than heroin. On April 27, a day after the above tweet: Dilyana Gaytandzhiev @dgaytandzhieva - 12:12 UTC - 27 Apr 2018 The #Skripals were exposed to #Fentanyl, not #Novichok. After I published this information yesterday (26.04.) the Clinical Services Journal redacted it today https://www.clinicalservicesjournal.com/story/25262/... I personally read the CSJ story after Gaytandzhiev's first tweeted it on the 26th. I can confirm that it has been changed. The top line in the CSJ quote above now reads: Salisbury District Hospital declared a major incident on Monday 5 March, after two patients were exposed to what is believed to be an opioid. The second line has been changed to: It followed an incident hours earlier in which a man and a woman were exposed to a substance in the city centre. All reference to Fentanyl as cause of the Skripal illness in a March 5 article has been removed between April 26 and April 27. Archive.org has the original version as collected on April 26: The changed version as now available at the Clinical Services Journal site: One wonders why such a tiny magazine would bother to change an old story after some journalist tweeted about it. The CSJ was not the only outlet which mentioned Fentanyl. The local Salisbury Journal reported it on March 5 and the piece is still up: Police declared a major incident after a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s were found unconscious on a bench in the shopping centre on Sunday. Emergency services at the scene suspected the substance may have been a powerful drug called fentanyl, but nothing has yet been confirmed. They were taken to Salisbury District Hospital where they are in a critical condition in intensive care. In November 2017 the Salisbury Journal had reported about an unrelated fenatanyl overdose case. In 2016 Salisbury had a spike in Fentanyl OD cases. The local emergency services were surely aware of the symptoms and effects of such a substance. Another local news site, Devon Live, headlined on March 5: Major chemical incident declared after 10 people vomited fentanyl and two are critically ill It is understood that police suspect fentanyl, a synthetic opiate many times stronger than heroin, may have been involved. A man and a woman are in a critical condition and up to 10 other people are involved. Officers and paramedics were called to The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury after the man and a woman fell ill. The woman, who was unconscious, was airlifted to Salisbury district hospital at about 4.15pm, while the man was taken by ambulance. ... It was recently reported that fentanyl has claimed the lives of at least 60 people in the UK over the last eight months. The Devon Live report is still in its original form. It links to the first Wiltshire Police statement on the case and quotes from it. Curiously the link is dead. The first official police statement on the Skripal case is "currently unavailable". The British press is now totally silent on the Skripal case. Craig Murray and another former senior civil servant suspect that the government gave order to not report on the issue. They also suspect, as we did early on, that the case is related to the fake "Dirty Dossier" which the Clinton campaign ordered up to use it against Donald Trump. It is not understandable why the British government would give a silencing order if, as the government alleges, Russia caused the incident. Why is no public investigation by the media allowed? Where is Yulia Skripal and what is the health status of Sergej Skripal? Why have they been silenced? George Carlin - Advertising And Bull*hit Watch George Carlin - pretty much explains it all. -Warning- Adult Language Posted April 28, 2018 Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter ===== The End Of Our Empire Approaches - History is clear on where we're headed Join the Discussion The Commandant of 72 Battalion in Makurdi, Benue State, Lt.-Col. Suleiman Mohammed, on Saturday, paraded three herdsmen captured by troops in the state. The herdsmen were said to have been captured by soldiers on patrol last Thursday while planning another deadly attack on the Guma Local Government Area of the state. Mohammed said the herdsmen had engaged the troops in a fierce battle before three of them were captured. One of them was said to have been wounded. The herdsmen were identified as Abubakar Umaru, Yusuf Yaro and Adam Likita. the whereabouts of the Boko Haram kingpin, Aminu Yaminu, alias Tashaku, arrested on Friday, the commandant said the suspect was in military custody, adding that investigation was ongoing. He said, The three (members of) militia paraded were arrested in the Guma area, where they were planning another attack. Immediately they sighted the troops, they engaged them in gunfire, but the troops were able to arrest these suspects. Paraded along with the herdsmen were AK-47 rifles, charms, handsets and ammunition. Two of the suspects, Umaru and Yusuf, told journalists that their meeting point was near a river under a mango tree in the Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. They denied any involvement in the killings in Benue State, claiming that their colleagues, who ran away when they sighted soldiers, handed them guns. Our correspondent, however, reliably gathered from one of the troops that engaged the herdsmen in the bush that Umaru, the injured herdsman, who claimed to be 20 years old, was shot several times. Source Ebiwalisgossip A female worker at a parish on the mainland, has taken to Twitter to share how she was disgraced and sent out of the Church over the dress she wore to church today. Identified as Adeola, she says the reason she was sent away from the church was because the dress is short and figure Hugging. Apparently, she says she worked till 11:00 pm yesterday, Saturday, got home and just slept off without preparing what shed wear the next day, which is today Sunday. I worked till 11pm yesterday, got home and just slept. Woke up 6:00am and theres no light to iron and I have to be in church by 6:45 so I dont get punished. This experience just made me hate my body in general. I feel like my body has failed me. I am back home to change Looking for one of my mums clothes. Leave a Comment comments This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. MEDFORD, Ore.- Almost a dozen people protested against Planned Parenthood near Rogue Community College Saturday morning. The group called Oregon Life United aimed to collect signatures that would change current laws that allow taxpayer money to fund abortions. Pro-life supporters held signs calling for Planned Parenthood to get defunded. Demonstrators say they're speaking up for millions of unborn babies. Oliva Herrera, the Pro-Life Supporter says, "We're just trying to bring attention to the world. I too was someone who ignore this issue for many years and once it hit me, it changed my life completely and just like all these other people here nobody's going to stop until this issue is addressed." Oregon Life United got honks of support and a few people disagreeing with them out of their car windows. The group says they will continue to fight for what they believe is right. NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine (AP) - The Latest on the search for a suspect in the slaying of a Maine deputy sheriff (all times local): 4:30 p.m. A Maine sheriff says officers used the handcuffs of a slain deputy to take his accused killer into custody. Sheriff Dale Lancaster says a law enforcement team arrested fugitive John Williams on Saturday after locating him outside a cabin. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting this week of Cpl. Eugene Cole in the town of Norridgewock. Officials say the 29-year-old Madison man also stole Cole's cruiser and robbed a convenience store. The killing set off an intense manhunt that was in its fourth day. State Police Lt. Col. John Cote said Williams offered "limited resistance" and was transported to the Waterville Police Department after being checked out by emergency medical technicians. Williams will be detained during the weekend and will make his initial court appearance early in the week. ___ 1:30 p.m. Law enforcement officials say the search for man accused of killing a deputy in Maine is over. The Maine Department of Public Safety reported Saturday that 29-year-old John Williams is in custody. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting early Wednesday of Cpl. Eugene Cole in the town of Norridgewock in central Maine. Police declined to say whether he'd been apprehended, or had turned himself in. Saturday was the fourth day of an intense manhunt. Officials say the 29-year-old Madison man also stole Cole's cruiser and robbed a convenience store. Cole was 62 and a 13-year veteran of the department. Sheriff Dale Lancaster calls him an "outstanding employee, one of the finest deputies." ___ 12:50 p.m. The wife of a slain deputy in Maine is imploring his killer to turn himself in, or at least reach out to police. Sheryl Cole assured the gunman in a statement Saturday that "this is all that we're asking of you. Please, please talk to us." She promised to 29-year-old John Williams that he'd be treated with "dignity and respect." Williams is wanted in the fatal shooting of Cpl. Eugene Cole. Law enforcement is on the fourth day of a manhunt. Searchers are using ground patrols and aircraft Saturday in certain section of woods where they believe Williams might be hiding. A friend said Williams was acting paranoid and had body armor with him before Cole was killed in an encounter early Wednesday on a darkened roadside. A vendor displays marijuana for sale during the 4-20 annual marijuana celebration, in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday April 20, 2018. Chinese officials have expressed concern to Canada about illicit marijuana flowing into their country, and Ottawa has agreed to work with them on the issue, an internal federal memo reveals. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck This Aug. 30, 2011 photo shows Larry Harvey, co-founder of the Burning Man festival, during a party at Media Mecca, the communications center during the festival in the Black Rock Desert in Northern Nevada. Burning Man Project CEO Marian Goodell says Harvey died Saturday, April 28, 2018 at a hospital in San Francisco. He was 70. (John Curley via AP) EUGENE, Ore. - Nearly 300 community members got together today to pack more than 10,000 meals for their neighbors in Eugene and Springfield. With the help of Generosity Feeds, people of all different backgrounds and views got together to help feed hungry children in Lane County by packing meals that contain black beans and rice. Organizers said the most unique and important part of this event was the way community members came together. They said from cannabis growers to conservative business owners, everyone put their views aside and worked to help those in need. "Community is knowing one another, caring for one another, meeting needs together, said Aaron Box, an event organizer. When we come together in the context of service, we're not coming together because we are the same, we're coming together because we can be engaged together. Box said the food would primarily be going to students who use the free and reduced lunch programs. Theyll be distributed through programs at four local schools. He said very often those children are wondering on weekends and evenings where their next meal will come from, and this gives them an option. CRESCO, Iowa A third defendant is pleading not guilty in a Howard County drug bust. Cresco police say an investigation led them to search 411 North Elm Street, Apartment 1 on December 8, 2017. Officers say they found methamphetamine, marijuana, and the prescription drug Alprazolam. Steven Geerts Steven Geerts Lisa Ragon Lisa Ragon Charges of gathering where drugs are used, maintaining premises for drug use, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of prescription drugs were filed against the three people who lived at the apartment: Lisa Rae Ragon, Steven Lane Geerts, and Peggy Sue Schneider. Ragon and Geerts previously pleaded not guilty and Schneider joined them on Monday. Geerts and Schneider are due to stand trial on July 18 while Ragons trial is scheduled for August 8. FOREST CITY, Iowa A Kansas teen is pleading not guilty to sex abuse in Winnebago County. Sean Patrick Perkins, 18 of Olathe, KS, is charged with 3rd degree sexual abuse. Hes accused of entering a womans dorm room on November 12, 2017, and having sex with her against her will. Waldorf University confirms that Perkins was a student there in the fall of 2017. As part of his not guilty plea, Perkins is also demanding a speedy trial but a date has not yet been set. KIMT NEWS 3 - Lois Riess made her first court appearance before a Florida judge who ordered her to remain behind bars without bond. The state argued to hold Riess without bond, saying she's a danger to the community and killed an innocent woman specifically to steal her identity. "Someone in Texas decided, or made the finding, that this defendant is having some psychosis," Hamid Hunter, a Florida assistant state attorney, said, "and is refusing to take her medication." The judge granted Riess a pretrial detention hearing, which will be held within the next week. PREVIOUS STORY: KIMT NEWS 3 - Lois Riess arrived back in Florida Saturday, April 28 to face murder charges. She's currently being held at the Lee County Jail to await trial. Related: More on the Lois Riess case. According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Riess was extradited to Florida from Texas after waiving her rights to an extradition hearing. I know that I speak on behalf of Sheriff Scott when I say that we are relieved to have Lois Riess in our custody, Undersheriff Carmine Marceno, with the Lee County Sheriff Office, said. Her arrest is the result of excellent teamwork between state and federal law enforcement agencies, our media partners and the entire community. Riess is facing a murder charge in Florida and authorities said she will be facing charges in Minnesota as well. She is accused of killing a woman who she looked like in Florida after she killed her husband, David, near Blooming Prairie. DECORAH, Iowa A man who got a fractured skull in a fight has now been sentenced to probation and a fine. Authorities say Jacob Donald Pambin, 31 of Le Roy, MN, and Jordan Hunter Nelson, 26 of West Union, got into a confrontation in March 2017 at Lake Meyer, south of Calmar. Pambin wound up with a small skull fracture after Nelson hit him in the head with a bat. Jordan Nelson Jordan Nelson Authorities say Pambin threatened Nelson with a steel pipe before getting hit with the bat and he pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. He has been ordered to spend two years on probation and pay a $625 fine. Nelson pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury and carrying a weapon. He was sentenced to two years of probation. MASON CITY, Iowa Breaking into storage unit results in probation for a Mason City man. Brandon Wayne Hufstedler, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of 3rd degree burglary. Authorities say he broke into storage units at 1620 Highway 18 in Clear Lake between October 31 and November 3, 2017. One of those thefts involved more than $10,000 in construction tools and personal possessions. Hufstedler has been sentenced to five years of supervised probation. DAKOTA CITY, Iowa A Webster County woman is pleading not guilty in a fatal crash. Trisha Dawn Luthro of Badger is charged in Humboldt County District Court with homicide by vehicle-OWI and serious injury by vehicle. Authorities say Luthro was seen driving erratically eastbound on Highway 3 in Humboldt on September 24, 2017. Shes accused of crossing the centerline around 7:50 pm and colliding head on with the westbound vehicle driven by Kevin Paul Ahlstrom of Dakota City. The crash happened about mile east of the junction of Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 169. Authorities say Ahlstrom was returning home from a family function in Clarion. The collision seriously injured Luthro and Kevin Ahlstrom and killed Ahlstroms son, 12-year-old Brady James Ahlstrom. According to court documents, Luthros blood alcohol content was over the legal limit of .08 at the time of the crash. Criminal charges were filed against Luthro on February 20. She pleaded not guilty on March 26. A trial date has not been set. UPDATE: The Freeborn County Sheriff's Office says a red flag burning ban is in effect until 5 am Monday. National Weather Service 326 AM CDT Sun Apr 29 2018 ...Extreme Fire Weather Danger This Afternoon... .Increasing southerly winds combined with mild temperatures, low relative humidity, and dry fuels will lead to extreme fire danger conditions this afternoon. Gusty winds will continue into the early evening, then diminish with sunset as relative humidity increases. Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-Humboldt-Wright- Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk- Boone-Story- ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM UNTIL 7 PM TODAY FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS... The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening. * WIND...Southeast to South at 20 to 25 mph, gusting to near 40 mph at times. * HUMIDITY...Falling to 20 to 25 percent. * FUEL...Very dry grasses, nearly 100 percent cured. * IMPACTS...Open burning is discouraged and any fires that develop will spread rapidly and grow out of control due to the extreme fire conditions. The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening. * AFFECTED AREA...In Iowa...Mitchell...Howard...Winneshiek... Floyd...Chickasaw...and Fayette Counties. In Minnesota... Wabasha...Dodge...Olmsted...Winona...Mower...Fillmore...and Houston Counties. * TIMING...1 pm through 7 pm today. * WIND...South at 15 to 20 mph, gusting to near 30 mph. * HUMIDITY...18 to 25 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop today may spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures will contribute to extreme fire behavior. The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Minnesota and far western Wisconsin. * WIND...South 15 to 20 mph with gusts near 30 mph. * HUMIDITY...Minimum RH of 18 to 25 percent. * IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago- Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-Carver-Scott-Dakota- Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Waseca-Steele-Freeborn-Polk-St. Croix- Pierce-Dunn-Pepin- 342 AM CDT Sun Apr 29 2018 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY... CLARKS GROVE, Minn. An investigation is underway into a Sunday house fire in Freeborn County. Sheriffs deputies were called to 73950 275 Street in Clarks Grove around 12:17 pm. They arrived to see heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof. The only person in the house, James Hanson, got out safely. Hanson told authorities he started a fire in the fireplace and shortly noticed a haze just before smoke detectors went off. Hanson says he went outside and saw smoke coming from the roof. Investigators say it appears the fire started in the chimney near the roof and the State Fire Marshal has been contacted to help determine the cause. The Clarks Grove Fire Department was assisted by fire departments from Geneva, Manchester, Hartland, and Albert Lea. Gold Cross Ambulance also assisted at the scene. There are no reports of any injuries connect to this fire. DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has developed an experimental local cryptocurrency, a government minister said on Saturday, days after the countrys central bank banned trading in digital currencies including bitcoin. Irans central bank last week prohibited local banks from dealing in cryptocurrencies due to concerns about money-laundering as the country tries to halt a currency crisis ahead of a possible return of crippling sanctions. But Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said the local project would not be affected. The central banks (ban) does not mean the prohibition or restriction of the use of the digital currency in domestic development, he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Last week, at a joint meeting to review the progress of the (local cryptocurrency) project, it was announced that the experimental model was ready, Azari-Jahromi added. Azari-Jahromi, Irans youngest minister and known as an innovator, said in a tweet in February that his ministrys Post Bank had been working with local experts on an experimental cryptocurrency model that would be presented to the countrys banks for review and possible approval. Several countries central banks have called for regulations to control cryptocurrencies while others are considering whether to introduce their own digital currency. Iran moved this month to formally unify its 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 about a possible return of sanctions if the United States exits a multilateral nuclear accord. U.S. 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. He has pressured European allies to work with Washington to fix the deal. Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Helen Popper St Laurence O'Toole's heart found six years after theft Anatomy of a Crime From St Laurence O'Toole's heart to the desiccated and decapitated head of St Oliver Plunkett, saintly remnants are a common feature of many Irish churches. The One True Cross relic was an object of veneration at Holycross Abbey for more than 900 years However, St Laurence is not the only saint to have been targeted in an unusual relic raid - in fact, that theft was one of three in quick succession in 2011 and 2012. A month before the theft of the heart, an ornate container usually holding a fragment of St Brigid's skull was stolen from St Brigid's Church in Killester, slightly north of Dublin. The relic was not inside having been removed so the container could be renovated. Just a few months previously, in October 2011, a relic said to be from the cross on which Christ was crucified was taken from an abbey in County Tipperary. It was returned three months later. From St Laurence O'Toole's heart to the desiccated and decapitated head of St Oliver Plunkett, saintly remnants are a common feature of many Irish churches.However, St Laurence is not the only saint to have been targeted in an unusual relic raid - in fact, that theft was one of three in quick succession in 2011 and 2012.A month before the theft of the heart, an ornate container usually holding a fragment of St Brigid's skull was stolen from St Brigid's Church in Killester, slightly north of Dublin.The relic was not inside having been removed so the container could be renovated.Just a few months previously, in October 2011, a relic said to be from the cross on which Christ was crucified was taken from an abbey in County Tipperary.It was returned three months later. 26 April 2018BBC NewsThe 800-year-old heart of an Irish saint has been recovered six years after it was stolen from a Dublin cathedral.The heart of St Laurence O'Toole was found undamaged in the city's Phoenix Park by Irish police following "an intelligence-led investigation".The bizarre theft happened at Christ Church Cathedral in 2012.It is believed the thief hid overnight in the cathedral before carrying out the heart heist.The heart-taker is believed to have used cutters to prise open the iron bars protecting the wooden box holding the saint's heart.The individual then lit two peace candles on the Trinity altar in the cathedral before leaving.Speaking at the time, the dean of Christ Church, the Very Reverend Dermot Dunne, described the relic as having "no economic value" but that it was a "priceless treasure that links our present foundation with its founding father".The newly-recovered relic will be handed over to the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Dr Michael Jackson by Asst Garda Commissioner Pat Leahy on Thursday evening.Gardai (Irish police) officers made the critical breakthrough in the case in the last few weeks.Officers, including one who had been involved in the search for the heart from the beginning, received credible evidence in relation to the relic.It was then discovered following a surveillance and search operation in Phoenix Park.Police have conducted fingerprint and forensic tests but no arrests have been made.St Laurence O'Toole was appointed Archbishop of Dublin in 1162 and died in Normandy in 1180. He was canonised in 1225 because of miracles said to have happened at his tomb.His heart was returned to Ireland and had been on display in Christ Church's Chapel of St Laud. Iowans who interfere with oil or natural gas pipelines now face some of the harshest penalties in the nation. (climatemarch.org) By Yoon Ja-young The peaceful mood between South Korea and North Korea has pulled up prices of stocks that are expected to benefit from bilateral economic cooperation. Analysts, however, advise that investors had better confirm visible increases in corporate profits first. Construction related stocks, including material, cement and paint companies, have soared steeply since early this year amid expectation on economic cooperation as the two Koreas head toward peace. Hyundai Engineering and Construction's shares, for instance, have risen more than 25 percent since January. The company has experience in North Korea, building gyms and cultural centers as well as leading in the construction of a light water reactor. Analysts point out that Germany also witnessed a surge of construction stocks when there was reunification of East and West Germany. Construction shares rose 380 percent between 1988 and 1990. Song Yu-rim, an analyst at Hanwha Securities, said that the opening of North Korean market will be meaningful for local construction companies which have suffered a lack of growth potential due to sluggish orders abroad and a peak in domestic housing business. "It would be like rain in drought," she said. Moreover, the market is likely to be huge. According to Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, joint development projects could cost as much as 93.5 trillion won. Investment into infrastructure such as roads and railways will be given biggest priorities, as reflected in a remark by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. At the summit, he invited President Moon Jae-in to visit North Korea via air, admitting that its roads were not in good condition. President Moon also introduced Land Minister Kim Hyun-mee to the North Korean leader as the person who will be in charge of linking the railways between the two countries. In the joint declaration, the two leaders agreed to link cross-border roads and railways as well as pushing forward SOC projects agreed upon during former Roh Moo-hyun administration. Local companies are expecting to win orders from state-run SOC companies such as Korail, the Korea Expressway Corp. and Korea Rail Network Authority. While economic cooperation will open up new markets, Ted Oh, a strategist at NH Investment and Securities, advised investors to recognize the gap between expectation and reality since the share prices reflect only expectations. "We can think about long-term benefits of each industry at this time, but we need second thought on issues like long-term investment perspective, concrete realization of economic cooperation and corporate profits. They may expand investment after confirming the effects of corporate profit expansion." He also said that North Korea's economic policy matters. "Investors should focus on the pace of North Korea's opening. What matters most is whether corporate value of Korean businesses can really improve through cooperation with North Korea." He said that stocks related with Gaeseong Industrial Complex can benefit, however, "the expectation was reflected too quickly in stock prices." "Their valuation and fluctuation are little different from those of politics-themed stocks," he said. Politics themed stocks refer to the stocks whose prices fluctuate due to political issues instead of fundamental ones. By Kim Yoo-chul Maintaining flexibility and a work-life balance is truly an integral part of society and how companies and organizations should operate. There's no debate about that. But the Korean Financial Industry Union (KFIU) representing bank employees is advised to bear in mind that no matter how complex demands are, Koreans consider banking services as one of the most important of "public" services. The KFIU is an umbrella group representing unions at over 30 financial institutions, including major private and provincial banks. As the services, which provide extra value to the everyday lives of everyone in society, have been demonstrated as vital, the six demands by the KFIU _ closing between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. for a lunch break, a maximum work week of 52 hours including overtime, a five-day workweek of 40 hours, introducing "indefinite contracts" with more benefits, extending retirement to 65 from 60, and introducing a peak wage system after 60 _ are unlikely to win backing from the public. The union is also asking management to limit the wider use of performance-based pay systems. These are the key demands out of 53 the KFIU submitted to the Financial Industry User Committee in collective bargaining. The committee's key members include presidents of the country's leading banks and representatives of state-owned financial institutions. "The union wants too much. I won't simply blame them for their requests, but it's a well-known fact that employees at banks are paid better than other workers, although it's questionable whether there is a direct link between measurable talent and its impact on wages," said an official at the Korea Federation of Banks. As data provided by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) show, a full-time employee at KEB-Hana bank working there for 14 years receives an annual salary of 92 million won. Out of the "big four" banks including Shinhan, Woori and KB Kookmin, Woori Bank paid the least; 87 million won for a full-time employe who had worked there for 16 years and three months. The main controversy is the union's demand to close all banks for lunch. In Korea, standard business hours at banks are from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the workweek, banks are open during lunch, which typically is from noon to 1 p.m. Banks are open from Monday through Friday. "Generally speaking there has to be someone at the counter to attend to customers. Lots of office workers prefer to visit bank branches to take care of their finances. A flexible working hour system is already operating at all major banks. But the union demands more flexibility, which is going too far," said a KB Kookmin Bank official at a branch in Bundang. Huh Kwon, the union representative, said the "one hour closing" demand is aimed at protecting the "right for lunch" as employees at Korean banks work in shifts during the lunch hour. Banking requires a certain degree of adaptation as finance often requires longer working hours with tight deadlines to meet, therefore, this needs to be taken into consideration he said. "When it comes to other internal tasks such as audits, the nature of the work does not always fit into the regular nine to four routine, therefore, having one-hour guaranteed for lunch time makes sense," he said. Local banks are facing numerous challenges amid the rise of Web-only banking services. Major lenders have been busy implementing plans to improve management efficiency by restructuring branches and expanding early retirement programs. By Park Si-soo North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has promised to dismantle a "northern" nuclear test site in May in full view of experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. Kim made the promise during talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, the president's top press secretary Yoon Young-chan said. Kim said the site is still "usable" and "there are two more shafts that are bigger than the one (to be dismantled) which are sturdy," according to Yoon. Kim did not specify the location of the site to be dismantled, but given the North's past announcement, it is believed to be in Gilju, North Hamgyong Province. On April 21, Kim declared the shutdown of the Gilju site, along with a freeze on missile and nuclear tests. Many experts have claimed that the Gilju site collapsed under the stress of nuclear explosions. But Kim denied this. "Some say that we are terminating facilities that are not functioning, but you will see that they are in good condition," Yoon quoted Kim as saying. "The United States has a deep-seated distrust of North Korea. But if it talks with us, it would soon realize that I'm not the kind of person who would fire a nuke toward the Pacific Ocean or South Korea." Kim added: "North Korea won't need nuclear weapons if trust with the U.S. is built and the end of the war and non-aggression are promised." The North Korean leader said he will not repeat the "painful history of the Korean War," adding, "Concrete measures are necessary to stop any accidental military confrontation from happening." Time zone unified Kim also agreed to unify the time zones used in South and North Korea, where Seoul is 30 minutes ahead of Pyongyang. "I feel sad to see that there are two clocks hung on the wall of the Peace House, one for Seoul time and the other for Pyongyang time," he said. "Since it is us who changed the time standard, we will return to the original one. You can make it public." Until 2015, Pyongyang used the same time as Seoul but adopted its own standard time which was thirty minutes behind KST. The press secretary said this indicates Kim's willingness to actively coordinate with the international community. By Park Si-soo South Korean President Moon Jae-in relayed Japan's hopes of normalizing ties with North Korea during his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. Kim's reaction was unknown. On top of this, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his gratitude to President Moon for addressing at last week's inter-Korean summit the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the North, the presidential office said. Moon and Abe had telephone talks earlier in the day to discuss the result of Friday's summit. By Lee Kyung-min Elementary and secondary school students will have increased numbers of field study programs for unification and a consultative body will be formed by a group of experts on unification studies, the government said Sunday. The Ministry of Education said the measures are part of continued efforts to strengthen education on unification, the importance of which has been highlighted by the inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Friday. "About 40 teachers, each from middle and high schools nationwide, will have a joint academic exchange with up to five German counterparts scheduled to visit Korea in August," a ministry official said. The teachers, she added, will have discussions on history of Germany's unification to learn about the social and economic changes that followed to prepare for that of the two Koreas, the prospect of which is rapidly increasing following Friday's summit. "The priority remains the democratic civic education on peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula. We will provide historical context in which all students are able to reach their own conclusion about the positive aspect of the unification. More specifics will be outlined mid-May," she said. The consultative body the ministry said, will be comprised of experts on unification including officials from civic groups with opinions on the policy making and the successful implementation. More discussions will be organized on topics including benefits of unification as well as art and theatrical performances with similar themes. More students will go on a field trip to Baengmagoji Station in Cherwon, near the demilitarized zone in Gangwon Province, to learn about decades-long conflict and ideological rift. Cherwon is symbolic county as it became divided following the Korean War (1950-53). The ministry will distribute teaching guidelines reflecting the geopolitical changes surrounding the Korean Peninsula. The measures came amid a sweeping momentum towards the need for policy changes advocated by top educators ahead of the inter-Korean summit during which the North Korean leader first set foot on South Korean soil. Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon issued a statement, Saturday, welcoming the "historic stepping stone for the peaceful future." "I will come up with future-oriented, community-based unification education policies, for the country to achieve peace and reconciliation," he said. "The country's education is under obligation to prepare for the unification and help it materialize sooner. We should take a new approach with courage, ridding ourselves of the old ideology that downplayed and undervalued the meaning of unification." The candidate running for the second term in the June 13 local election is among many top educators of the country's cities and provinces nationwide. The deliberative body, led by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Superintendent Lee Jae-jung, a former unification minister, said they would continue efforts for the country to achieve peaceful unification and denuclearization. By Lee Kyung-min Police will question Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-min, the second daughter of Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho, Tuesday, over allegations she splashed water in the face of an advertising agency official because she was "enraged" by his work performance, in what later was dubbed "water rage." The Seoul Gangseo Police Station said it asked Cho to appear for questioning at 10 a.m. for alleged assault and obstruction of business. The questioning comes amid intensified police investigation of the business group, the women "owners" of which have been embroiled in a controversy over "anger management issues." Cho's mother, Ilwoo Foundation Director Lee Myung-hee, allegedly assaulted construction workers remodeling her home in Seoul in 2013. The alleged victims said Lee forced them to kneel, slapped them on the face and kicked them in the shins. Police will question Cho over suspected evidence-tampering in the "water rage" case. Officers earlier searched offices belonging to Cho and the marketing department to confiscate four cellphones used by her and two company executives who attended the meeting at which the alleged abuse occurred. Police are looking into whether she tried to talk witnesses out of making statements against her by threatening or bribing them. Some witnesses said she threw an empty glass at the ad agency employee, in which case she could be prosecuted for aggravated assault. Cho has denied the allegation, claiming she did not throw the glass. This latest incident has reignited nationwide outrage over the rich and powerful abusing their positions. Cho Hyun-min's sister Cho Hyun-ah was embroiled in the so-called "nut rage" incident four years ago. In 2014, Cho Hyun-ah, who was a Korean Air executive, ordered a plane she was on to return to the terminal after she became annoyed at an attendant who served her nuts in a bag and not on a plate. Meanwhile, the questioning comes about a week after the company chairman removed his two daughters from management, in a move to limit fallout on the company over the controversy. He said Cho Hyun-ah and Cho Hyun-min would resign as KAL Hotel president and Korean Air senior executive, respectively, adding he would overhaul management by strengthening the decision-making structure to prevent similar incidents. The questioning also comes amid mounting criticism that government agencies under the former Park Geun-hye administration failed to oversee the business affairs of the group. An internal investigation is ongoing at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport over why it failed to disqualify Cho Hyun-min, a U.S. citizen who identifies herself as Emily Lee Cho, from a board of directors post at Jin Air, the group's low-cost carrier, for six years. Under the law, a foreign national cannot hold a post on the board of a domestic or international logistics company. The Korea Customs Service also launched an investigation into allegations the sisters used the airline to smuggle luxury goods, furniture and other personal items by bypassing customs clearance protocols. Korea is seeking to implement a semipublic bus system to aid struggling bus companies. / Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin The Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport will implement a semipublic bus system to help bus companies fully cope with new working conditions following revised labor laws. The ministry is seeking to use state funds to provide medium- to long-term financial aid to bus companies that are struggling to make ends meet. The rise in the minimum wage and the reduction of working hours have taken a toll on some companies, especially small ones. Many analysts predict a "bus crisis" if the government does not jump in with support. Last year, the ministry extended bus driver's break hours from eight to 11 hours. Earlier this year, the government increased the minimum wage by 16.4 percent. The Moon Jae-in administration seeks to raise the minimum wage to 10,000 won per hour in four years, up 15.7 percent, the highest increase among all governments dating back to former President Kim Dae-jung. Starting next July, the weekly working hours will be reduced from 68 to 52 hours. All these factors have become a burden on local bus businesses. "The public is about to face inconvenience following an expected increase in bus fares, longer bus intervals and closing down unprofitable bus routes," said the transport ministry. "There needs to be an evaluation of how much the government needs to use its funds to implement the semipublic bus system nationwide." The ministry plans to aid local governments for the implementation of the system in their areas. The plan is expected to include training bus drivers, increasing bus fares and establishing state-run intra-city bus agencies. "The local governments that have already implemented the semipublic bus system will not have that much trouble. But some provinces may face problems when adopting the system," said an official from the transport ministry. "Currently, regional administrations are handling all costs. But the central government will have to look into using state funds in the long run." Six regional governments have implemented the system, including Seoul, Incheon and Busan. Some parts of Gyeonggi Province will implement it by launching intra-city buses starting May 20. Traffic crisis Bus companies have been calling on the government to set a grace period before the reduced working hours, which is scheduled to be enforced in July. To prevent a traffic catastrophe, a meeting was held with 200 people including officials from Gyeonggi Province, 31 Seoul district traffic chiefs, 71 bus company heads and officials from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. At least 12,000 additional bus drivers will be needed when the reduced working hours commence. This would also incur additional costs of about 336 billion won for bus companies. "We will have to fill in 12,000 bus drivers. We need state support to reduce our labor costs. The government needs to give us a grace period before the law takes effect," said an official from the National Bus Union Alliance. By Lee Min-hyung China is apparently discontent with North Korea's failure to demand a U.S. troop pullout from South Korea as a condition to the latter's upcoming denuclearization talks with the United States, according to Japanese media reports. The Asahi Shimbun, citing sources, reported Beijing has expressed its concerns to North Korea after the North failed to take issue with the presence of American troops in South Korea when North Korean leader met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang last month. Pompeo visited the North as President Donald Trump's special envoy. The North's apparently changing perception toward the U.S. Forces Korea could be a seed of conflict between Pyongyang and Beijing, which views the USFK as a potential military threat. Xi initially sought to visit Pyongyang ahead of the North Korea-U.S. summit, but he might have changed the plan out of discontent over the North's failure to make a demand for the troop pullout, the newspaper reported. The withdrawal of some 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South has for decades been a headache for China. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Kim Dong-yeon, left, shakes hands with Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun in front of a hydrogen powered electric car during a visit to the firm's environment technology lab in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 17. / Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo The stakes owned by foreign investors in Hyundai Motor Company are continuing to rise, casting concerns over U.S. activist fund Elliott influencing other foreign funds to oppose Hyundai Motor Group's (HMG) proposed plan to restructure its shareholding structure. According to the Korea Exchange, the country's bourse operator, shares held by foreign investors in Hyundai Motor Company stood at 46.57 percent on Friday. The number has been increasing from 46.17 percent on April 3, when Elliott first revealed that it has stakes worth $1 billion in HMG companies. The rise came at an odd moment, as Hyundai Motor Company saw a slight decline in earnings during the first quarter. The company said last week it recorded 22.44 trillion won in sales and 681.3 billion won in operating profit in the first quarter this year. Sales have declined by 4 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit has dropped 45.5 percent during the same period. The foreign investors' move is interpreted as a sign of Elliott influencing foreign funds possibly influencing other funds to oppose HMG's restructuring plan, according to sources. Elliott on April 23 demanded HMG merger Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Mobis, increase dividend payout ratio and cancel all existing and future treasury shares. In its request, Elliott said it owns shares worth $1 billion in Hyundai Motor Company, Mobis and Kia Motors, and it wants the group to set up a holding firm through the merger, instead of HMG's own plan of making Mobis a "controlling firm" after a spin-off merger with HMG logistics unit Hyundai Glovis. For Elliott, which has a stake in Mobis, the plan is not a favorable one because Mobis will hand over its key revenue sources divisions to Glovis in part of the spin-off and the fund does not have a stake in Glovis. For HMG, Elliott's request for a holding firm is not acceptable, because it has to separate its financial units and suffer legal restrictions in merger & acquisition deals if there is a holding firm on top of its shareholding structure. Though Elliott's stakes in those companies are expected to remain at 1.5 percent each, watchers have been expressing concerns that it may join forces with other foreign funds to oppose HMG's plan at a Mobis shareholder meeting next month. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Company announced Friday that it decided to cancel 4.41 million common and 1.28 million preferred shares which it currently has and purchase an additional 2.85 million shares to cancel them too. With the plan, the company will write down shares worth 960 billion won _ 560 billion won for existing shares and 400 billion won for future purchases. The volume accounts for 3 percent of the total Hyundai Motor Company stocks. The automaker said of the decision "the latest extent of its continued efforts to improve shareholder value" and added "it will continue striving to come up with various shareholder-friendly policies." Hana Financial Investment analyst Song Sun-jae expected a 3 percent hike in Hyundai Motor Company shares after the cancellation. "Also, it gives an additional hike to the stake owned by the HMG owners (Chairman Chung Mong-koo and Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun), as well as raising expectations on further improvements in its shareholder policy," Song said. As Hyundai said, canceling a company's treasury shares is one of the most efficient ways of uplifting the company's stock price and shareholder returns because the company buys its own shares from the market with its profit and cancels them. This will decrease the entire volume of its stocks and raise the value of the remainder. However, it doesn't help the company's fundamental growth because the company could have betted the profits into investments, which could provide opportunities for the company to enhance its profitability. As Hyundai Motor Company decided to cancel its own shares, observers say the company accepted the cancellation as a bargaining chip for Elliott. Another concern over Elliott's move is that it can be seen as an example of foreign capitals to sway domestic firms' decision with their stakes. Along with Hyundai Motor Company, Samsung Electronics, KT&G, POSCO, Naver and a slew of giant financial firms here have foreign stakes higher than 50 percent. SK hynix, E-mart and LG Household & Healthcare are also domestic titans with nearly 50 percent foreign stake. By Yi Whan-woo The families of North Korean political prisoners are hoping that the inter-Korean summit on April 27 may ease the repressive state's discrimination against them, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang. They said the families of defectors to South Korea are also optimistic following the summit after being monitored by agents from the North's State Security Department. "We've been told that a man whose family member is imprisoned at a gulag was so optimistic about the summit that he had an engagement ceremony on April 27 with his fiance from a defector's family," a source said. The soon-to-be-groom's future uncle-in-law and his cousins from the mother's side have been in political prison camps for over a decade. The summit "brought hope that they may be released if cross-border relations continue to improve," the source said. A different source said villagers in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, are positive that the State Security Department's surveillance of them may be eased. The county borders China and many residents escaped to the South after crossing into China. "The remaining villagers are encouraged by the summit and they even joke that they should prepare for what would happen if the defectors return home en masse," the source said. Between 80,000 and 130,000 North Korean political prisoners are thought to be in gulag-like facilities in the country. They have been systematically tortured, raped and some executed for transgressions as minor as digging for edible plants, according to an International Bar Association report in December 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over 10 of the 11 crimes against humanity, such as murder, extermination, enslavement, torture and sexual violence, it said. North Korea has been beefing up its crackdown on defectors. Data released from the South's Ministry of Unification in January showed that 1,127 people defected from North Korea in 2017, down 21 percent from a year ago. Of them, 83 percent were women. Global experts show mixed responses to summit By Kim Jae-kyoung Sean King SINGAPORE Hopes for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula are greater than ever following Friday's historic inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Some Koreans say they were highly impressed by Kim's sincere attitude. Others are already talking about unification. However, international experts have given a mixed response to the first inter-Korean summit in a decade, saying it is too early to let guards down just because of the amicable atmosphere the talks created. They said it was a good start but South Korea and the international community still need to maintain cautious optimism because the agreements made failed to give details about denuclearization. Liang Tuang Nah "The summit was better than expected because it actually occurred and progressed without obvious glitches," Katharine Moon, a professor of political science and the Wasserman Chair of Asian Studies at Wellesley College, told The Korea Times. "Both leaders brought political and personal gravitas to the summit, and it is no small feat that Kim Jong-un walked over to the South Korean side." Noting summits in 2000 and 2007 were in North Korea, she said: "This is completely different because Kim placed his feet on capitalist soil and enemy territory." Moon is also a senior research fellow at the Brookings Institution. Liang Tuang Nah, a Singapore-based specialist on nuclear weapons politics and North Korean affairs, said what was significant was Kim's willingness to meet Moon on the South's soil. Tara O "Given the strong nationalist self-image of the North's leadership, I had assumed that it was more likely that Kim would have wanted Moon to travel to Pyongyang for their first meeting as an acknowledgement of the former's status," he said. "That the summit was actually held at Panmunjeom could have been Kim's attempt to signal that he is willing to set aside North Korean hubris and project the image of a respectable national leader." Nah, a research fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at RSIS in Singapore, said the spirit of national reconciliation evident in the declaration is arguably the same as the sentiments shared by Seoul and Pyongyang during earlier summits. "However, some parts stand out due to deeper implications, such as a sub-statement where 'both sides agreed to ... fully implement all existing agreements and declarations adopted between the two sides thus far,'" he said. Katharine Moon President Moon Jae-in talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the phone about the summit he had with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Friday, at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. / Yonhap Moon, Kim agree to unify time zones By Yi Whan-woo Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised to close down the country's main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri in May before the eyes of security experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States. During his summit with President Moon Jae-in, Friday, Kim even disclosed that two of the four underground tunnels at the test site were still "usable" but that they would be sealed off as well. Kim abruptly made the offer and President Moon accepted it, Moon's top press secretary Yoon Young-chan said. "The two leaders reached an agreement after Mr. Kim made the proposal during the summit," Yoon said during a follow-up briefing. "Some say we are terminating facilities that are not functioning, but you will see that we have two more tunnels that are bigger than the existing ones and they are in good condition," Kim said according to Yoon. A Cheong Wa Dae official said Kim's offer was impromptu, and not coordinated in advance when the Seoul and Pyongyang officials discussed issues to be included on the summit agenda. His promise is seen as bid to clear doubts on North Korea's plan to scrap its nuclear program ahead of Kim's planned summit with President Donald Trump in May or June. Skeptics claim Kim would not abandon his nuclear ambitions and may try to deceive the U.S. and the rest of the world as his country has done in the past. "Although I am inherently resistant toward America, people will see that I am not the kind of person who fires nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or America," Kim said. "Why would we keep nuclear weapons and live in difficult conditions if we often meet with Americans to build trust and they promise us to end the war and not to invade us?" Kim said he will not repeat the "painful history of the Korean War," adding, "Concrete measures are necessary to stop any accidental military confrontation from happening." North Korea carried out six nuclear tests in Tunnels 1 and 2 at the Punggye-ri test site from 2006 to 2017. They are believed to have either collapsed or being on the verge of collapsing. Moon and Kim also agreed to unify the time zones used in South and North Korea. Good start but short on details Inter-Korean accord gets wide support from international community N. Korean leader shifts gear to economy Investors bet on construction and railway shares North Korea turned back the clock 30 minutes and created its own time zone in August 2015 to mark the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese rule "I feel sad to see that there are two clocks hung on the wall of the Peace House, one for Seoul time and the other for Pyongyang time," Kim said. "Since it is us who changed the time standard, we will return to the original one. You can make it public." Market watchers and security experts said unifying the time zone is a part of efforts to better prepare for economic cooperation with the South and also to restore ties with Japan. The inter-Korean summit was seen as critical in setting the tone for Kim's upcoming talks with Trump. Trump has repeatedly hinted at the U.S. walking away from the table if North Korea is believed to be insincere about denuclearization. During his telephone conversation with Moon, Saturday, Trump hailed the historic summit and Moon's and Kim's reaffirmation of a shared goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Moon and Trump have agreed to closely coordinate to ensure the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit adds to an agreement on concrete measures to denuclearize the North. "The two leaders agreed that South Korea and the United States should continue to closely coordinate so that the planned U.S.-North Korea summit could generate an agreement on concrete measures to realize complete denuclearization," Cheong Wa Dae said. Trump also expressed his consent to inter-Korean agreements to push for a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War by the end of this year. In a separate announcement, the White House said Moon and Trump stressed the need for complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea. It said the two leaders "agreed that the unprecedented pressure applied by the United States, the Republic of Korea and the international community through the global Maximum Pressure Campaign has led to this significant moment." On Sunday, Moon had a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cheong Wa Dae said Moon offered to help in resuming dialogue between North Korea and Japan. A Korea Times staff member tries Pyongyang naengmyeon at a restaurant in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Sunday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon By Lee Suh-yoon North and South Koreans have been separated for the past 65 years, but their taste buds still betray their common heritage. Kim Jong-un offered to treat Moon Jae-in to proper Pyongyang naengmyeon a Northern delicacy comprised of cold buckwheat noodles in an icy broth for dinner, during the morning session of Friday's leaders' summit. Two hours later, people formed long lines outside Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurants in Seoul hoping to share in the historic moment by enjoying the summit menu for lunch. "I wanted to better identify with the positive energy and emotions that came out of the summit," said Yoo Soo-kyeong, 46, who visited a Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, for lunch on Sunday. Restaurant owners had trouble accommodating the sudden influx of customers. "We were unprepared for the sudden crowd and almost unable to serve all customers on Friday," the owner of Kangseo Myun Oak, a restaurant that serves Pyongyang naengmyeon in Jung-gu, central Seoul, said. A tweet from Friday that reads: "Remember Brother (Moon) Jae-in, your number one goal for this summit is opening a Seoul branch of Okryugwan. Don't you come back without it." #PyongyangNaengmyeon climbed to Twitter's top trending keyword on Friday as thousands tweeted about their past and coming encounters with the dish. A tweet asking for a Seoul branch of Okryugwan, a famed North Korean restaurant whose head chef prepared the Pyongyang naengmyeon for the summit, went viral with over 2000 re-tweets. "Remember Brother (Moon) Jae-in, your number one goal for this summit is opening a Seoul branch of Okryugwan. Don't you come back without it," the user tweeted. Pyongyang naengmyeon, however, is not the only thing that has caught the attention of South Koreans. Numerous tweets asked for North Korea's Taedonggang beer which is known to be less bland than South Korean brands to be made available at convenience stores. A scene from a Taedonggang beer advertisement. By Shlomo Ben-Ami TEL AVIV U.S. President Donald Trump lauded the missile strikes by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom on Syrian military installations carried out in retaliation for a chemical-weapon attack allegedly perpetrated by Bashar al-Assad's regime as a great success. But no amount of triumphant rhetoric can obscure the West's betrayal of the Syrian people, nor disguise its lack of any actual strategy for resolving the Syria conflict. In the last seven years, nearly a half-million Syrian citizens have been killed and seven million have been made refugees. Meanwhile, an unholy alliance has formed among Shia zealots, represented by Iran and Hezbollah, and a Russian government committed to unraveling the post-Cold War order and radically changing the strategic game in the Middle East. The West has utterly failed to rise to this challenge. On the contrary, Trump is about to withdraw the remaining U.S. troops from Syria, arguing that their main objective defeating the Islamic State (ISIS) has been achieved. Yet, while ISIS had to be stopped, it was never the West's most formidable enemy in Syria; that title goes to the axis of Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime an axis against which ISIS was actually a counterbalancing force. Now, all the West has to offer is what Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis called "a one-time shot" of overly cautious strikes that targeted none of the conventional capabilities of Assad's regime and its allies. Like the limited U.S. missile strikes last year, the recent attack will not deter the future use of chemical weapons, much less threaten the survival of Assad's regime. Even if the strikes did send the message that chemical weapons would not be tolerated an ostensibly reasonable red line, given the experience with chemical weapons in the 20th century's two world wars they could also be interpreted as a signal that other means of slaughter are fair game. And chemical weapons have been responsible for less than 1 percent of the deaths in the Syrian war so far; the vast majority having been caused by conventional weapons. In fact, the focus on chemical weapons could end up helping to increase the body count. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the recent U.S.-led strike could serve as a pretext for further strengthening the Assad regime's conventional capabilities by supplying it with Russia's advanced S-300 air-defense system. The strikes are already having another unintended effect: boosting Assad's popularity. He can now be portrayed as the victim of the same colonial powers that collude with Saudi Arabia as it massacres Yemenis, and with Israel as it oppresses Palestinians. America's withdrawal from the strategic equation in Syria may even hurt its own allies. In particular, it leaves Israel alone to confront the threat posed by Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Russia. Instead of pushing Trump to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should have been securing a U.S. presence on the Syria-Lebanon front, which Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, seem determined to turn into a hot one. The attack on Israel by an armed Iranian drone a few weeks ago, and Israel's strikes against Iranian military installations in Syria in response, are unprecedented, with a high potential for escalation. Without a strong U.S. presence in the region, not even the unlikely scenario of a confrontation between Israel and Russia can be fully discounted. So what should a U.S. strategy look like? For starters, an American force should help to stabilize those parts of the country that ISIS has vacated, but Assad does not control. Moreover, the U.S. should use its clout with Turkey and the Syrian Kurds to broker an agreement that enables the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region in Northern Syria. A permanent Turkish-controlled buffer zone could mitigate that country's fears that fighters and weapons would flow to Kurds inside Turkey. An American initiative to bring peace to Syria might even be a blessing in disguise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as it would enable him to escape a trap of his own making. Despite having declared "mission accomplished" on at least three occasions, Putin is incapable of reaching a political settlement among the many stakeholders in Syria. Putin's dilemma is that he is both unwilling to sustain the conflict until Assad controls the entire country (the only version of "peace" that Assad is prepared to accept) and unwilling to risk the regime's collapse by pulling out altogether. In this sense, Russia is both a master of Syria (along with Iran) and a hostage of the Assad regime one who can be freed only by the U.S. Complicating matters further for Russia, as well as for Iran, is that any economic returns Syria yields through contracts for oil, military supplies, and telecoms, and control of phosphate mines cannot cover the costs of reconstructing the Syrian state and repatriating millions of refugees. Only the U.S. and the Gulf states (all sworn enemies of Assad) could do that. But there is no way they will foot the estimated $100-300 billion bill without having a say in the political outcome. The last time a U.S. president boastfully proclaimed "mission accomplished" was in 2003, when George W. Bush, just six weeks after invading Iraq, declared that major combat operations there had ended. Instead, those operations lasted eight more years, and U.S. troops remain in Iraq to this day. Trump failed to heed that historical lesson, which suggests that, like Bush, he doesn't know what the mission is. Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli foreign minister, is vice president of the Toledo International Center for Peace. He is the author of "Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy." Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate ( Pyongyang should be faithful to the Panmunjeom declaration All eyes are now on the U.S.-North Korea dialogue set to happen in a few weeks after a successful inter-Korean summit on April 27 between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. One of the most important outcomes of the third inter-Korean summit, which took place for the first time at the truce village of Panmunjeom, was that the two Koreas affirmed the common goal for realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearization. The joint "Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and the Unification of the Korean Peninsula," has a special significance in that it contains the two Koreas' resolution to end the 1950-53 Korean War this year, the year that marks the 65th anniversary of the armistice. Although the summit received mostly favorable reviews within and outside Korea, there are still criticisms that the joint declaration was not sufficiently specific about how North Korea will proceed toward denuclearization. Some of the measures that were revealed belatedly by Cheong Wa Dae Sunday were useful in addressing such criticism. First, Pyongyang is preparing to dismantle nuclear test sites in May in full view of experts and the press from South Korea and the U.S., according to President Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan. This is taken as a sign that North Korea is willing to show the U.S. that it can be a trustworthy negotiating partner ahead of the historic meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim reportedly denied speculations that Pyongyang is merely closing sites that are already dysfunctional, saying that they were in good condition. It is also noteworthy that Kim pledged to discontinue its own standard time, which North Korea adopted in 2015 and is 30 minutes behind Korean Standard Time. During talks with Moon, Kim reportedly mentioned the need to first unify the time zones between the two Koreas, saying that he was saddened to see two different clocks at the meeting venue indicating Seoul time and Pyongyang time. Pyongyang's return to the single time zone with South Korea reflects North Korea's willingness to become a normal country by complying with international standards. Ahead of the Kim-Trump meeting, it is a good sign that the North Korean leader is trying to gain the trust of the U.S. President. Yoon quoted Kim as saying "The U.S. does not trust us, but after talking with us, it will realize that I am not one to fire nuclear weapons at the South and the Pacific Ocean or aim at the U.S." He said that there was no reason for North Korea to live with nuclear weapons if "the U.S. promises to end the war and aggression." President Trump seems fairly pleased with the Moon-Kim dialogue and has shown that he is eager to talk with Kim. Trump tweeted Saturday, "Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations." Seoul should engage in active diplomacy with the U.S., Japan and China as international cooperation is crucial in resolving North Korea's nuclear issue. North Korea should fully do its part for a peaceful Korean Peninsula by honoring the Panmunjeom declaration with concrete measures for denuclearization. Major companies are competitively starting blockchain-related businesses, which have been mostly operated by startups, raising expectation that development of technology and launch of new services will be accelerated. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won By Jun Ji-hye Major companies here such as SK Telecom and Samsung SDS are rushing to enter businesses related to blockchain technology as part of efforts to find growth engines in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. So far, blockchain-related businesses have been mostly operated by startups. With large companies that have funding power and talented workers getting into such businesses, the development of relevant technology is expected to accelerate. More and more new services are also expected to emerge. SK Telecom, the nation's top mobile carrier, recently announced a plan to launch a new asset management platform powered by blockchain technology, saying it will increase customer convenience. With the service, users can manage their bank accounts, credit cards and mileage points as well as virtual currency at the same time. During the New ICT Forum held at the firm's head office in central Seoul, April 24, Oh Se-hyeon, executive vice president at SK Telecom's blockchain business unit, said the service will change transaction and payment methods for users. She said the mobile carrier will launch a digital real-name authentication program utilizing blockchain technology to simplify subscription and verification processes, which have been criticized by some for too being complicated. The firm also plans to launch a "Token Exchange Hub" project designed to support blockchain startups. "The use of blockchain technology is not limited to virtual currency," she said. "It can be the medium that can change the entire structure of the transaction system." During a policy forum organized by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and held at the National Assembly, April 18, Oh called for national-level support, not regulation, for blockchain technology, saying it can be used in various areas of industry including manufacturing and logistics as well as finance. She said the technology can be also applied to work in the public sector. Samsung SDS, an IT arm of the nation's top conglomerate Samsung Group, has been targeting the blockchain-related industry with its "Nexledger," a blockchain platform developed for corporations. The Nexledger allows users of mobile devices to gain access to various financial services safely through encryption of biometric certification information, the firm said. With the platform, users can deal with a large quantity of transactions in real time and utilize a "smart contract" function that bolsters security and convenience, the firm said. Samsung SDS added that the platform can be used not only by financial companies but other industries as well. The firm noted that it will continue to develop its blockchian technology by combining it with other future technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, big data and internet of things in a bid to lead IT innovation. "Blockchain technology is being spotlighted not only in Korea but also overseas as it can be utilized in a variety of ways," said Kim Young-kwon, who leads Samsung SDS's digital finance strategy team, during the AWS Summit Seoul 2018 held at COEX in Seoul, April 19. "Blockchain technology is not an omnipotent provider yet. It continues to be developed even now." Hanwha Life Insurance has formed an organization dedicated to studying ways of applying blockchain technology to the insurance business. The firm said its fintech start-up incubator Dream Plus Gangnam in southern Seoul will be turned into a hub for blockchain startups. The company noted Dream Plus is pursuing open innovation in accordance with Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon's willingness to share knowledge and information between large companies and startups to grow together. The nation's top portal Naver and the top mobile messenger operator Kakao are also trying to develop blockchain technology. Naver's subsidiary LINE, based in Japan, earlier launched Unblock, a subsidiary specializing in blockchain technology, tasked with making investments in blockchain-related companies and developing the firm's own platform. Kakao has also established Ground X, a subsidiary in Japan, dedicated to exploring blockchain technology with the goal of taking the technological leadership in Asia. Joh Su-yong, co-CEO of the firm, said during a press conference held in central Seoul, March 27 that Kakao will develop a truly open blockchain platform, in which people around the world can participate and communicate with each other. The firm will offer new blockchain-based services combined with Kakao's existing ones, he said, adding that it will also actively set up networks with global IT firms. Blockchain refers to a peer-to-peer network where many people participate to provide computing power for the security of the decentralized system. It has a built-in payment system _ well-known examples are those involving bitcoin and Ethereum. Unlike conventional systems, blockchain does not need third-party intermediaries. It therefore has no single failure point, which is why blockchain is safer than middle-men-backed old institutions like banks, brokerages and governments. It is practically impossible to hack the system because of its unique structure and great computing power offered by distributed users. Even the combined computing power of the world's 500 most powerful supercomputers cannot match the bitcoin blockchain. By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are being sued over allegations that they deliberately fixed prices for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. "The alleged co-conspirators are Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron Technology. The defendants combined and contracted to fix, raise, maintain or stabilize the prices at which DRAM was sold in the United States from at least June 1, 2016 to February 2018," law firm Hagens Berman stated in a class action lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, last week. The law firm alleged that the leading market players "artificially inflated" prices for DRAM throughout the supply chain causing customers to pay more. DRAM is a memory chip used in all digital devices from smartphones to televisions, and is also a vital component for all things in cloud computing, virtual reality and crypto-based items. The law firm said that the combined share of the industry's top three players in the segment was 96 percent as of 2017, and the prices of DRAM soared as much as 130 percent during the period detailed in the lawsuit. "What we've uncovered in the DRAM market is a classic antitrust, price-fixing scheme in which a small number of kingpin corporations hold the lion's share of the market," said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman in the filing. "Instead of playing by the rules, Samsung, Micron and Hynix chose to put consumers in a chokehold, wringing the market for more profit." The suit alleged that the manufacturers made "supply decisions in unison" to restrict the supply of DRAM, thus inflating prices in 2016 and 2017, eventually causing the critical memory product's price to soar over the time period. The filing stated that Samsung and SK hynix were "asked" to join the price-fixing scheme by Micron Technology, meaning the U.S.-based chipmaker had a "bigger role" in the unfair market practice. "Beginning no later than early 2016, through statements to investors and the industry, Micron called on Samsung and SK hynix to engage in supply discipline. Micron told its competitors that it would cease trying to take market?share from Samsung and (SK) hynix.?On April 28, 2016 Samsung responded to Micron's invitation to cut supply by?publicly announcing that its DRAM supply growth had turned negative.?After these communications, by June 1, 2016, DRAM prices reversed course, started shooting upwards, and continued to?do so," said the court document. The class action suit is aimed at representing any consumer in the United States, who bought a device having DRAM memory from the period of July 1, 2016 through the Feb. 1, 2018, said the law firm. A Samsung spokesman in Seoul declined to comment; while a spokesman for SK hynix also said the company had no official comments on this issue. It's unknown whether the recent filings are in sync with the growing trade protectionism pursued by Washington as market analysts say the continued rise in DRAM chip prices was because of the demand for chip-embedded systems and customer preferences for digital products using Samsung and SK hynix chips. Samsung is one of the largest foreign investors in the United States operating massive semiconductor plants in Austin, Texas. SK hynix runs advanced technology research centers in San Jose, Calif. This undated photo shows John DiScala, better known as the air travel expert Johnny Jet, at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. DiScala offered tips and strategies for booking flights and getting the best deals for summer travel in an interview with the AP Travel podcast "Get Outta Here!" airing Wednesday, April 25. (Natalie DiScala via AP) Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. If you follow the happenings within the Alaska State Legislature, you've likely used its official website before, searching for bills, legislators contact information, or meeting schedules. Someone else, though, has been using it too, but not for the same purpose. Instead, impersonators have exploited the trusted authority of the akleg.gov URL to legitimize much less trusted websites across the internet, including pornography, pharmaceutical websites, and online gambling hubs. "Have a high authority site - such as government, military, education, anything like that - pointed at your site," said information security consultant Matt Peters of Threat Informant. "They're now using that as a reference." "They" are what Peters calls vendors of the three P's: pills, porn and poker. By being tied to the Alaska legislature's website - and its .gov suffix - online advertisers can increase the trust of unregulated pharmaceutical outposts, porn sites and online gambling hubs, generating revenue from clicks to links that would otherwise be filtered out by search engines. "Smaller companies, this happens to a lot," Peters said. But for state government and other institutional websites, he said, not so much. "Something coming from your lawyer's site or accountant's site isn't a big deal, because they don't have a lot of authority, (but) the AKleg.gov site does." The site is one of many that have fallen victim to a scheme in which someone was using its URL - the suffix of which is widely trusted by the general public - to legitimize trashy websites. "In general, it's just a way to get the site to have more legitimacy," Peters said. "Also takes it off a blacklist, because, why would you need to blacklist a site if the Alaska legislature website is linking to it?" In short, someone or some group was using the AKleg.gov URL to slip past search engine filters for websites of their choice. They also used a redirect command in a written script - part of a web pages code - to forward people after about 10 seconds or so to their selected sites. "(They're) doing what the script is intended to do," Peters said, just not the way the legislative affairs agency meant. Had the webmaster put in the authorized list of domains allowed, though, the redirect would have only been possible for authorized websites. Notably, the redirects are no longer present in the script since the web staff has removed them. "Nothing, no content or scripts were ever on our site that we didn't put there," said Shay Wilson, Networking Programming Supervisor for the State of Alaska Leguskative Affairs Agency. "It is not a security problem. Its just redirecting though, which obviously makes us look bad, he said. The imposters, as Wilson called them, did all of this to get bumps on search engines. If you typed that web address into Google, for example, youd primarily see legislative sites on the first few pages. Most of the initial links will lead you to the actual legislative website. Continue a bit further into the search results, though, and you may find links that on the surface would appear to be legitimate, but in reality have no connection whatsoever to the legislative website outside of the URL. The copycats might send you to those unrelated sites, which often carry malware that could potentially infect your computer. That being said, the average user need not be worried about having visited the AKleg.gov site in recent months, since the links weren't visible on the site itself. You wouldn't click a photo of a representative, for example, and be redirected to pornography. "We're not handing out those links," Wilson said. "We're not hosting that content. It is not a security threat." ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he and North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un had a "good conversation" during his recent surprise visit to Pyongyang, and Kim is "prepared to ... lay out a map that would help us achieve" denuclearization. In an exclusive interview with ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Pompeo told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl that Kim was "very well-prepared. I hope I matched that." "We had an extensive conversation on the hardest issues that face our two countries," Pompeo added. "I had a clear mission statement from President Trump. When I left Kim Jong Un understood the mission exactly as I described it today." Pompeo noted that the administration's objective is "complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization" with North Korea. Pompeo, who was confirmed Thursday at Trump's second secretary of state, met with Kim over Easter weekend to lay the groundwork for Trump's planned summit with Kim in May or early June. The U.S. is demanding that North Korea relinquish its nuclear weapons program, and it has built an international sanctions regime to pressure the regime into doing that. "Only time will tell if we can get that done," Pompeo told Karl. The former CIA director and North Korean leader have a "good relationship," and their meeting "went very smoothly," Trump said in an April 18 tweet. Pompeo is in the Middle East on his first trip as the nation's top diplomat, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Jordan. See Jonathan Karl's full interview with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on "This Week" Sunday, April 29. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Were in the dark, just like everybody else, said an executive of a West Coast steel importer. This administration has been supposedly pro-business, but business doesnt like uncertainty, groused a distributor of stainless steel, who, like others, requested anonymity to avoid antagonizing officials. These should be good times for American manufacturers, construction firms, canners and others that use industrial metals for their business. The U.S. economy is perking along, and tax cuts and global growth are helping boost demand. But since President Trump abruptly slapped hefty tariffs on billions of dollars worth of imported steel and aluminum on March 23, the outlook has turned hazy for many downright bleak for some. Advertisement The tariffs have brought higher prices for many manufacturers and construction firms and considerable uncertainty for both importers and domestic manufacturers of steel and aluminum. When Trump issued the tariff orders, he gave temporary exemptions to a handful of the biggest steel and aluminum exporters to the United States, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the European Union. But those exemptions are set to expire on Tuesday. At the same time, the Commerce Department is supposed to rule on hundreds of requests for exemptions from U.S. manufacturers who say that domestic firms cant supply the particular types of metals they need. As of the weekend, the Commerce Department had posted tariff-exclusion requests for about 650 steel importers, but roughly 5,000 more hadnt been publicly listed on its website, including some that were submitted more than a month ago. Commerce officials havent explained whats causing the delays, but they could be costly for businesses. Thats because if a user of imported steel gets a tariff exclusion, it would be retroactive to the date on which its request was posted. The latest from Washington California Steel Industries, which buys slabs from Brazil, Mexico and Japan, submitted a waiver request on March 26. Its still waiting for its submission to be posted, said Brett Guge, executive vice president of the Fontana-based company. He wont comment on how the tariffs have affected business so far, but he made clear that the uncertainty is a problem. If we could get out from this cloud over our heads, well have a good year, he said. Advertisement The Commerce Department says it would take 90 days to review an application, but the agency will be hard pressed to meet that time frame given the thousands of requests in the pipeline. An extension or permanent exemption of the tariffs for Canada, Mexico and others would ease Commerces workload and help end users in the U.S., but no one knows which countries will get relief or on what basis that decision is being made. Youll know when the president makes his announcement, was about all that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross would say Friday when asked about the tariff exemptions at a business journalists conference in Washington. Additional temporary exemptions will keep companies in limbo. Some are scrambling to find alternative sources for the steel and aluminum they import. Others say they may have little choice but to stick with the same supplier and eat the tariffs. Advertisement Domestic substitutes are not readily available for businesses like Mapes Piano String Co. in Tennessee, which buys premium-quality wire rod from Japan. ARC Automotive says no steel producer in the U.S. has the equipment to make the high-performance tensile-strength tubing it uses to manufacture its air-bag inflator. It is our desire to support strong domestic tinplate production, Seneca Foods Corp., the largest U.S. vegetable canner, said in its letter seeking an exclusion from tariffs for its imports of metal from China. After meeting with its two domestic suppliers, Seneca said, it was unclear whether they have the ability or the willingness to expand tinplate production. Trumps metal tariffs, 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, are meant to protect domestic producers from foreign competition. The president issued them in the name of national security. But while the penalties may bring more business to U.S. mills, the companies which buy metals to manufacture products and construct projects have started to feel the sting of higher prices and supply disruptions. Advertisement For commercial builders, the cost of rebar and other metals already have gone up 15% to 20% from early this year. On fixed projects, thats the difference between making a profit or losing money, said Brian Turmail, a spokesman for Associated General Contractors. U.S. steelmakers say fears of supply shortages are unfounded, but theres widespread uncertainty and confusion about what lies ahead. Mexico and Canada could well get an extension as they work toward a deal with the United States to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement. Others may not be so lucky. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in visits last week to Washington, tried to persuade Trump to lift the tariffs, but apparently to little avail. That means the EU could soon fire back with counter-tariffs on a range of U.S. exports. Advertisement If history is a guide, they will target iconic American products such as Kentucky whiskey, denim jeans and Florida orange juice, to put maximum political pressure on U.S. lawmakers. The EU accounts for about one-fifth of all U.S. steel imports, which were about $29 billion in 2016. Canada is the largest individual supplier of steel to the United States. Total imports of aluminum were about $13.6 billion in 2016, of which more than 40% came from Canada. If the tariffs are made permanent, the effect on prices and supplies will ripple through many industries, some of which will be passed on to consumers. Given the size of the American economy steel and aluminum account for only about 2% of total imports the overall impact to the national economy figures to be relatively modest. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimated a long-term hit of a quarter of a percentage point to U.S. gross domestic product. Advertisement A full-fledged trade war, however, would have a much larger effect. Depending how reactions unfold, there could be potent implications for economic activity, said the Dallas Feds Michael Sposi and Kelvinder Virdi. And this doesnt include the administrations looming, potentially far more costly trade conflict with China. Domestic metal producers have urged Trump not to let up on the pressure. Tariffs should be imposed for any country that does not agree to negotiate quotas, said Mike Bless, chief executive of Century Aluminum, in a statement over the weekend. Century is banking on the tariffs to help it restart idled lines at its Kentucky smelter and bring back 300 jobs. Even for domestic producers, however, uncertainty about the status of the tariffs has created problems. Advertisement There needs to be no more delays, no more extensions on this, said John J. Ferriola, chairman and chief executive of the Nucor Corp., a major steelmaker in the U.S. In a conference call April 19 with analysts, he said it was hard to predict what would happen. Either way, he said, I can assure you, theres going to be no shortage. Theres a tightness in the marketplace certainly. Thats a result of demand improvement. The economy is better. Demand is up. If steel needs to come into the country, it will come in, he said. People will pay the tariff, and theyll bring the product in, and theyll bring it in a fair price. More stories from Don Lee Advertisement don.lee@latimes.com Follow me at @dleelatimes The blow-up mattress takes up nearly half the guestroom in Blair Overstreets 1940s-era apartment in University Heights. The 36-year-old San Diego resident and her husband, Matt Dunn, still needed to empty out a chest of drawers. A wooden desk crammed against the wall would likely need to go. Still, the couple said they felt prepared to accommodate a guest possibly one of about two hundred Central Americans who formed a caravan on their way to the U.S.-Mexico border in San Ysidro, hoping to find refuge in America and drawing the ire of President Trump and other immigration hardliners. They planned to apply for political asylum on Sunday. The idea of opening up their two-bedroom, one bath abode to a stranger from another country just made sense to the couple both 36 years old. Its a humanitarian issue, Dunn said. Advertisement Its also political. The couple and others like them are taking a stand at a time when the nation seems starkly divided on who should be allowed to reside in United States and what it means to be American. The Central American caravan is just the latest lightning rod issue in an increasingly divisive immigration debate. Even in progressive California, where state leaders approved sanctuary laws to protect people who are in the country illegally, an anti-sanctuary movement quickly followed and appears to be gaining momentum. The willingness of these people to house these immigrants reflects that there is a division in the United States and in California over the appropriate course of immigration policy, said Louis DeSipio, a professor of political science at UC Irvine. 1 / 15 Vice President Mike Pence, center, meets with Border Patrol officials in Calexico on April 30. (John Gibbons / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 15 La instalacion fronteriza en San Ysidro, que divide San Diego y Tijuana, tiene una capacidad para unas 300 personas, lo cual quiere decir que el cuello de botella tal vez dure poco... (Alejandro Tamayo / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 15 Groups on both sides of the border rally Sunday before immigrants from the caravan across Mexico were to seek asylum at the border with the U.S. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 15 People climb a section of border fence to look into the U.S. as members of a caravan of Central American asylum seekers arrive to a rally in Tijuana, Mexico. (David McNew / Getty Images) 5 / 15 La Oficina de Aduanas y Proteccion Fronteriza proceso unos 8,000 casos de asilo de octubre a febrero en ese cruce, o sea unos 50 por dia. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 15 Central American asylum seekers walk from Mexico to the U.S. side of the border to ask authorities for asylum in Tijuana, Mexico on Sunday. (David McNew / Getty Images) 7 / 15 Central American asylum seekers walk from Mexico to the U.S. side of the border to ask authorities for asylum in Tijuana, Mexico. (David McNew / Getty Images) 8 / 15 Central American asylum seekers walk towards the U.S. border in Tijuana, Mexico to request asylum. (Hans-Maximo Musielik / AP) 9 / 15 Central American immigrants who traveled in a caravan from Mexicos southern border rally demonstrate at the U.S. border in Tijuana. (Guillermo Arias / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 15 Central American asylum seekers walk to their legal-counsel meetings in Tijuana on Saturday. (Guillermo Arias / AFP/Getty Images) 11 / 15 Central American children who have traveled for weeks with a caravan of immigrants, peer out at the border wall from a bus in Tijuana, Mexico. (Hans-Maximo Musielik / Associated Press) 12 / 15 A child looks out from a bus carrying asylum seekers to the border in Tijuana, Mexico. (Hans-Maximo Musielik / Associated Press) 13 / 15 A member of the Central American migrant caravan, cradling a child, looks to the U.S. through the border wall at Tijuana. (Hans-Maximo Musielik / Associated Press) 14 / 15 Immigrants fleeing Central American register for legal counseling in Tijuana. Lawyers have volunteered to help people seeking asylum. (Guillermo Arias / AFP/Getty Images) 15 / 15 Five couples are married on the beach during a rally with members of a caravan of Central American asylum seekers and supporters at the border in Tijuana, Mexico. (David McNew / Getty Images) Many of the asylum seekers, who launched their journey weeks ago from Southern Mexico toward the U.S., are scheduled to make their claims to the U.S. Sunday at the border crossing in Tijuana. The Central American caravan is just the latest line being drawn in the sand, said Heather Cronk, co-director of Showing Up for Racial justice, a national anti-racist organization that is coordinating volunteer sponsors for those in the caravan seeking asylum. An estimated 75 people have expressed interest in housing at least one asylum seeker, Cronk said. Some are from major metropolitan areas in California and New York. Others are from remote and rural areas in Montana and North Dakota. I think this is 100% about who we want to be as a nation, she said. Not only are we providing material support, supporting those who are need of a place to go. We offer a counter message. We want to make very clear to the folks who are in the caravan and those across the country that Trumps voice is not the only voice in this country. Where Trump closes doors, we open them. Advertisement The potential hosts are still undergoing a vetting process and its unclear who exactly they will be paired with in the caravan or if it will ever even happen. It may turn out to be more of a symbolic gesture. Erika Pinheiro, an immigration attorney who is helping coordinate efforts to help those in the caravan, said many in the immigrant group will seek asylum but will unlikely be allowed to parole out immediately into the U.S. after asking for help at the port of entry. Women with small children and those with medical conditions, wed hope immigration officials would use discretion and parole them out of custody but given the attention made about the caravan, it does seem like that will be extremely unlikely, Pinheiro said. Many of the asylum seekers will likely be placed in detention after a what is called a credible fear interview with an asylum officer who determines whether the applicant has a legitimate fear of persecution or torture and is eligible to stay in the country and have a full asylum hearing or be sent home. Advertisement The majority of claims are found to be credible but increasingly applicants are placed in detention, denied parole or given high bond amounts while they await a full court hearing. Some people with medical conditions or women with small children may eventually parole out of detention. Single adults traveling by themselves will likely be in detention without a chance at parole throughout court proceedings, Pinheiro said. Some of the asylum seekers who are released will want to stay with family members who live in the U.S. Still, Pinheiro said, its important to have people open up their homes. Some asylum seekers will have no place to stay, she said, and many released from detention arent part of the caravan but still need refuge. Blair Overstreet and her husband Matt Dunn stand in their spare bedroom that they hope to be able to offer to a family that is part of the Central American caravan seeking asylum in the U.S. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Advertisement Overstreet, a high school history teacher, and Dunn, an artist and computer programmer, said they are happy to provide a safe space for someone needing it, but they know it may take a while and could possibly not happen. Im not tied to the results. Its more that the people in the caravan know that people have volunteered to give them beds, Overstreet said. Whether or not they get to that bed, the hope is that even if they are in detention center, there is a hope that they will understand that not all Americans want them to be there in detention. They want them in their own homes with us, starting their lives here. Though the caravan is relatively small compared with prior waves of immigration some as recent as the tens of thousands of Haitians who petitioned for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry two years ago this caravan has been amplified by the Trump administrations stern response, DeSipio said. President Trump has sort of raised this group beyond probably the level they really merit in the broader scheme of things. Its become symbolically important, DeSipio said. The caravan was on Fox and Friends and that got the presidents attention and that made it, in his mind, representative of a larger phenomenon. By talking about this particular group he was able to take on a bigger phenomenon. People are now traveling in groups for their safety, but that somehow makes it seem more ominous. Advertisement Migrants have the right to request asylum in the U.S. under immigration and international law, but Trump has angrily denounced the caravan, promising to stop its members from entering the country. Department of Homeland Security officials and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions have used the caravan as a way to reaffirm their allegations that the asylum process is vulnerable to fraudulence. Individuals of the caravan seeking asylum or other similar claims should seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Wednesday as the caravan approached Tijuana. At about the same time, Alex Desautels made the decision to open up her home. Desautels, who lives in Oakland with her two children and husband, said she saw it as an opportunity to finally do something for people who are at risk. Advertisement Ive been feeling like Ive just been standing witness to people all over the world being displaced, she said. I think this is a time when we can all experiment with taking bold risks but also stepping in and taking responsibility for our countrys part in a situation across the globe. Weve been engaged in creating this situation. We have to part of the solution. Its our problem not their problem. Desautels, the mother of a 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, said she has a detached house with two beds that she could easily offer to a family of four. This is our time to actually show up and really share not just talk about sharing but really share, she said. We can share. There is plenty to go around. Desautels said shes held off explaining the situation to her children until she gets final word that shell be hosting. Her children will likely understand, she said. Advertisement Not too long ago, her daughter asked her about a sign she saw someone holding at a rally that was on television. Those are people who dont want to see new people coming to this country, her mother told her. And we are not those people. We welcome those who are in need. cindy.carcamo@latimes.com Follow Cindy Carcamo on Twitter @thecindycarcamo A drunk driving suspect was arrested Sunday in connection with a fiery two-vehicle crash in South Los Angeles that killed two young children and their father and sent the rest of their family to the hospital, police said. Jose Garcia, 30, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter and was jailed, said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez. Garcia was speeding north on Hoover Street in South Los Angeles around 7:30 p.m. Saturday when he ran a red light at West 76th Street and crashed into a Dodge Caravan with a family of five inside, including three children, Lopez said. The two cars then erupted into flames, drawing ambulances and frantic residents of the Vermont Knolls neighborhood from their homes. Advertisement A witness told KTLA5 she saw a child being walked to an ambulance: His body was charred and his clothes had literally melted onto him. Three people who were in the van the father, a young girl and a baby boy died at the scene, Lopez said. The mother, who is in her 30s, and another boy were taken to the hospital in severe condition, he said. None of the victims names have been released. Garcia, the sole occupant of a Nissan Xterra, was also taken to a hospital, then released and handed over to officers, Lopez said. It was determined he had been driving under the influence, he said. Garcia is being held on $330,000 bail, according to L.A. County Sheriffs Department records. soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday will play host to the 29th annual Fiesta Broadway, a street festival billed as the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the country. The festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., is expected to draw thousands of visitors with its food booths, carnival-style games and Latin American musical artists. Though Cinco de Mayo is a week away, the festival has been held on the last weekend in April since it began in 1990. The festival will take over 10 blocks in the heart of downtown. Broadway will be closed between Temple and Hill streets, and 1st through 4th street will all be closed at Broadway until 5 a.m. Monday. Sarahi Mendez, age 6, with Gary Ferrer & St Johns Angels Folkloric performs during Fiesta Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times ) Advertisement soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla A 15-year-old girl was fatally shot in South Los Angeles on Friday, officials said. The shooting occurred about 9 p.m. near the intersection of 78th Street and Western Avenue. The girl was shot in the torso and taken to a hospital, where she eventually died, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. An LAPD lieutenant said the victims mother held onto her daughter as they rode to the hospital. The lieutenant said the mother was distraught but it is unclear whether she witnessed the shooting. Advertisement Events leading up to the shooting are unknown. It apparently occurred near a burger stand. Several people gathered near the scene after the shooting, video shows, but police had a hard time finding any witnesses. Police returned to the scene Saturday morning to see if they could recover surveillance video from the burger stand. Preliminary reports indicated that a male in a hooded sweatshirt was seen running south on Western Avenue after the shooting. Authorities released no further details, including the victims identity. Family members at the scene Saturday, however, said the victim was Hannah Bell. A woman who identified herself as the victims aunt told KTLA that her niece was innocent. I cant see her get married, I cannot see her go to college ... because some person took her life away, Karen Winzer said. Other members of the victims family said she was waiting in line to order at the restaurant when she was shot. Advertisement She just came here to get a hamburger, Teresa Arnold, who identified herself as a friend of the family, told KTLA. And her mother is stricken with grief right now because shes blaming herself for bringing her here to get a hamburger. A caravan of asylum seekers from Central America made it to the California border Sunday. Heres a look at whats ahead for them: What do we know about this caravan? At its largest, the caravan reportedly numbered about 1,200 people, mostly from Central American countries such as Honduras, where many have fled violence that activists attribute, at least in part, to U.S. involvement. After the Mexican government issued temporary travel documents to members of the caravan, some journeyed ahead of the group to the U.S.-Mexico border to ask for asylum. Others planned to resettle in Mexico. Those who remained in the group now about 345 people arrived by bus this week in Tijuana. Both the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have pledged to send additional staff to the border to process those claiming asylum as quickly as possible. Advertisement What is the general process for asylum seekers? Generally, when asylum seekers come to the U.S. border, they begin a process that can take months or even years to resolve. Many spend most, if not all, of that time in detention facilities run by private prison companies contracted with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are interviewed and screened by multiple federal agencies, and at the end, they have to prove to judges that their stories meet the requirements under asylum law to be granted protection. They can expect to be put through a very confusing process, said Bardis Vakili, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union who conducts legal orientations at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility. They can expect to have things not explained to them very well in a language they dont understand for weeks or months. They can expect to find great difficulty in getting legal help to make their case. The Trump administration has called on Congress to end loopholes in the asylum process, calling out court rulings and laws that dictate how children and families who arrived together move through the system. Trump also tweeted last week that hed told Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen not to allow large caravans to enter the U.S. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL, he wrote. Under U.S. law and international treaties that came after the Holocaust, border officials must allow people who say theyre afraid to return home to submit their claims in the asylum process. What is the processing like? Migrants can ask for asylum at any port of entry along the U.S. border. If they come through the new El Chaparral crossing to the PedWest side of the port at San Ysidro, they are stopped by security guards who make sure travelers have documentation before walking through the gate into the U.S. side. Customs and Border Protection officers take asylum seekers to a processing area for what they call inadmissibles, or people who dont have permission to enter the U.S., where theyre held in temporary cells. Advertisement California ports of entry have received 17,610 inadmissibles so far in fiscal 2018, according to data from CBP. At the same point last year, 21,180 inadmissibles had arrived. The agency does not specify how many of them sought asylum. In the processing area, officers interview the migrants. During the interview, officers are required to ask if they are afraid of going home. If people express fear of returning to their countries, border officials notify ICE officers, who look for detention bed space to house the arrivals. People who present at the border in San Diego often go to Otay Mesa Detention Center, but if there is no room, they also go to Adelanto Detention Facility, Imperial Regional Detention Facility or farther away. Asylum seekers wait in detention for interviews with officers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services who are specially trained in evaluating cases under asylum law. Those interviews last about two hours and are usually conducted by phone. Advertisement Some detention facilities have asylum officers stationed in them, particularly those that house families, because children are not allowed to be detained beyond 20 days. Unaccompanied children go through a slightly different process. Asylum officers interview them in person and make the first determination of whether they get asylum. If the officer does not grant asylum, then the child tries again in immigration court. What does the law say? Under asylum law, an individual must have suffered persecution or fear suffering persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The because of is important even if the person faces legitimate death threats at home, that person might not win an asylum case if he or she cannot show it is for one of these reasons. (There are other types of protections that have different requirements, such as the United Nations Convention against Torture, that people can ask for as well.) Advertisement How this part of the law applies to Central Americans fleeing gang violence, in particular, is still up for legal debate and has evolved over time. Asylum officers look for whether applicants stories are consistent, detailed and plausible based on country conditions, and they run security checks in a variety of government databases. They check for histories that could bar an applicant from asylum, such as war crimes, persecuting others or other particularly violent or serious crimes. Supervisors review every credible-fear decision before its sent to the asylum seeker. Advertisement For asylum officers, its a high-pressure situation, said Michael Knowles, president of the local immigration officers union. The outcome of an officers decision is very consequential. For the person granted asylum, it is a new lease on life, a chance to recover after having lost everything. For the failed asylum seeker, its not just, Oh darn, I didnt get my visa, but, Oh darn, Im going to have to go back to the place I ran away from, Knowles said. Theres also the high stakes of national security, he said. By carefully adjudicating these cases, we ensure the integrity of the program. The union would like to see more resources and more officers hired, especially with pressure to clear the backlog while adding more security checks. The union has also been critical of reports that some asylum seekers are turned back at the border. Advertisement If theyre coming to seek asylum, they need to be given due process, Knowles said. We shouldnt be impeded from doing our job, and those applicants should not be impeded from having their cases heard. People who are not found to have credible fear can have that decision reviewed by an immigration judge. After someone gets a positive credible-fear finding, he or she receives a Notice to Appear, a document that schedules that person for immigration court. The person at this point can request to be released from detention. Those who are released may be required to pay a bond or wear an ankle monitor. Under the Trump administration, most remain in custody, and even under the Obama administration, many asylum seekers spent the entire process locked up. Advertisement At the first hearing with an immigration judge, the asylum seeker receives an asylum application as well as a list of free and low-cost attorneys. kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. As they prepared to present themselves at the San Ysidro Port of Entry today, a group of asylum seekers from Central America gathered at the border fence in Playas de Tijuana early Sunday cheered on by supporters on both sides of the border. The boisterous gathering grew to hundreds, with some waving Honduran flags, calling out chants, waving bouquets of yellow flowers, and some of the younger members climbing to the top of the tall metal bollards. Others sat quietly, clutching infants, wondering what awaited them in U.S. custody. It wasnt until 4:30 p.m. when the first group of 50 members of the Pueblo Sin Fronteras Caravan, mostly women and children, walked into the San Ysidro Port of Entry, accompanied by attorneys and activists. But their fate was far from certain: U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced just two hours earlier that staff would be unable to process anyone without appropriate entry documentation, which includes all caravan members. Advertisement Depending upon port circumstances at the time of arrival, those individuals may need to wait in Mexico as CBP officials work to process those already in our facilities, according to the statement issued by Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As sufficient space and resources become available, CPB officers will be able to take additional individuals into the port for processing. The Central Americans would not be the first group to be forced to wait in Mexico. When thousands of Haitians sought entry at San Ysidro in 2016, CBP worked with Mexican officials to accept limited numbers each day so as not to overwhelm the ports processing capacity. By foot, bus and train, the caravan participants have been journeying through Mexico since leaving the southern border city of Tapachula on March 25 with the aim of reaching the Tijuana-San Diego border. Most are from Honduras, and tell of gang violence and extortion back home. On Saturday, as they lingered near the U.S. border at Plaza Viva Tijuana, many appeared weary and ready to move on. Reina Isabel Rodriguez, 52, had traveled from El Salvador with her two grandchildren. I fear that they will separate me from them, she said. She is among dozens of the Pueblo Sin Fronteras Caravan seeking asylum from the U.S. government undeterred by fierce criticism from President Trump. But some members may have to remain in Tijuana for a while longer before they can be processed by U.S. authorities at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Pete Flores, director of field operations in San Diego for the agency, said on Saturday that depending on port circumstances at the time of arrival, individuals may need to wait in Mexico as CBP officers work to process those already within our facilities. Advertisement Those expected to ask for asylum are a small percentage of a traveling group that at one point swelled to more than 1,700 members, according to organizers. They said that about 400 caravan participants, many of them women and children, had completed the journey to Tijuana, and some small groups already began surrendering at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in recent days. David Lopez was among dozens pondering their next move on Saturday afternoon. Lopez, 25, who until recently worked on the staff of an elementary school, said organized crime and our countrys government had prompted him to flee the Copan area of Honduras with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter. Mother and child had presented themselves at San Ysidro Port of Entry 10 days ago, but Lopez remained behind. He said his wife and their daughter have been released from custody while their asylum claim is under review and are staying with family in South Carolina. Todays group is expected to be the largest and most public of this caravan to approach U.S. border officials, though exactly how many will seek asylum was not known. Advertisement On Friday and Saturday, the caravan members met at different locations near the border with volunteer attorneys who listened to their claims and offered counseling, so that people really know what theyre getting into, said Nicole Ramos, who has worked closely with asylum applicants. Similar caravans for years have been taking place as a way of keeping Central Americans safe from criminal gangs and corrupt officials as they travel through Mexico hoping to make it to the U.S. border. But this caravan is one of the largest and by far the most visible, following a series of tweets by Trump complaining that Mexico is doing little to stop them from reaching the U.S. border. This is not ideal for us to have this many people, this much publicity, said Irineo Mujica, leader of the advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, which coordinated the caravan. But its been really really good that we are able to see what is the problem, the violence that is causing so many to abandon their homes and come to the U.S. border. Advertisement Still, some migrant advocates have questioned the benefits brought by the caravan. We dont think its a really good move, said the Rev. Patrick Murphy, who heads the Catholic-run Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, a 120-bed shelter that overlooks the city. What happens to those people who have made this journey for quite a few weeks now, and they get rejected, or worse yet, they dont even get their asylum cases heard? In a statement last week, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, said that the department has been closely monitoring the remnants of the caravan. She said the department encourages persons with asylum or other similar claims to seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico. But Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights advocacy group, said that its naive to think that most of the Central Americans will want to request asylum in Mexico. Although Mexico has increased its capacity to process and screen potential asylum seekers, it still has a long way to go, she said. With widespread kidnappings, theft, sexual assaults and other crimes against migrants in Mexico, it is hard to think that Central Americans will view Mexico as a place they want to settle. Advertisement Early Sunday there were about 80 caravan supporters just north of the border at Friendship Park, but an anti-caravan group, called San Diegans for Secure Borders, was expected to protest. Dibble writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com Advertisement UPDATES: 6:05 p.m.: This article was updated with more comments from a U.S. Customs and Border official. 1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with new comments from members of the caravan. This article was originally posted at 12:20 p.m. The National Guard is heading to the California-Mexico border next week in what marks the first deployment under Gov. Jerry Browns deal with the Trump administration to beef up border security. About 200 Guard members were expected to arrive at Camp Roberts in Central California Saturday for training before deploying to El Centro and San Diego in the middle of next week, Lt. Col. Thomas W. Keegan said in a statement. This mission will focus on combating transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers, Keegan said, adding that personnel will provide counter-drug surveillance, gather intelligence, monitor cameras and install and operate equipment. Guard members will not enforce immigration laws, nor will they help construct a border wall during the deployment, which will run through September. Brown and federal officials agreed to those terms this month after Trump requested that the nations border governors increase security along the border. Advertisement This will not be a mission to build a new wall, Brown wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws. About 55 Guard members are already helping fight illegal drug trafficking, manufacturing and distribution along the border in California. Trump is the third consecutive president to ask for National Guard assistance along the U.S.-Mexico border. President George W. Bush used assistance from the states to deploy 6,400 troops for a two-year period beginning in 2006, and President Obama authorized 1,200 troops in 2010. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved the use of Guard troops in both instances, though he rejected one request from Bush in 2006, citing the need to keep service members available for potential wildfires or earthquakes. Times staff writer John Myers contributed to this report. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek Mountain lions that roam two Southern California mountain ranges separated by a freeway are the impetus for a recent land purchase the first step toward creating a wildlife crossing to enable the pumas to mingle and breed. The Nature Conservancy has purchased a 73-acre property adjacent to the eastern side of Interstate 15 just north of the Riverside County line. On the other side of the freeway is an ecological preserve. The goal is to build a tunnel beneath or a bridge across the heavily traveled freeway to connect the Santa Ana and Palomar mountains. The wildlife crossing would be built primarily for the benefit of the fewer than 30 lions that live in the Santa Ana range, which extends for 61 miles along the border of Orange and Riverside counties. Without it, the mountain lion population in the Santa Ana Mountains, which is already severely inbred, could disappear in the next 50 years, said Cara Lacey, associate program director at the Nature Conservancy. Advertisement Lions from the Palomar range, which experts believe may number in the hundreds and are healthier than those in the Santa Anas, would be able to interact and mate with the Santa Ana lions on both sides of the freeway after the crossing is constructed. The Nature Conservancy paid $1.69 million for the land, which it bought from several investors. There are plans to buy other land in the area to widen the wildlife linkage. On the west side of the freeway is the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, which is managed by San Diego State. There are preserves on both sides now, Lacey said. Thats why it was such a key property. In 2015, the Nature Conservancy convened wildlife connectivity experts from across the United States to evaluate 11 potential wildlife crossing points along I-15 south of Temecula. The Rainbow Canyon property ranked as the highest-priority location for a crossing because of its potential to house the most functional crossing for the widest array of wildlife and plant species, according to a study the group released. A genetic analysis of 146 sampled pumas, the study said, indicates that just seven pumas managed to cross I-15 over the last 15 years, including four males from west to east and three males from east to west. Urban and rural development remain a threat to what remains of the linkage, and I-15 and associated development, as well as secondary roads, have formed an apparent partial or complete barrier to east/west movement for wildlife and plants, the study concluded. Though mountain lions are the primary reason that conservationists seek a crossing, a wildlife bridge or tunnel would allow a variety of animal species to cross the freeway. Advertisement From mountain lions all the way down to frogs, Lacey said, raccoons, deer and also plants. The conservancy will work with multiple partners to determine whether a tunnel, a bridge or perhaps even both will work best for the site. Funding for the crossing, which will cost many millions of dollars, is yet to be found. Lacey said it will probably be years before a crossing is a reality. Public workshops will be held next year as part of the process. This purchase opens the possibility of a future wildlife crossing above or below the highway to enable a future system of crossings and allow safe passage for wildlife, Lacey said, removing the need for them to make the dangerous scramble across traffic, while also improving safety for people. Advertisement jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com Jones writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Some people associated with the Central American migrant caravan, which arrived in Tijuana this week, have crossed into the United States illegally in the last 24 hours, federal officials said Saturday. A pregnant woman and some children as young as 4 were detected entering the U.S. through a canyon that authorities described in a statement as dark, treacherous and notorious for human and drug smuggling. They were said to have climbed over a dilapidated scrap metal border fence on either side of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The statement was issued Saturday afternoon by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Advertisement No information was given on the number of people caught entering the U.S. illegally or what became of them. It also was not clear if the statements phrase people associated with the caravan meant people who actually had taken part in the bus trek from Central America, through Mexico, to seek political asylum in the U.S. Members of the caravan are expected to ask for asylum Sunday. Caravan members interested in requesting asylum spent Friday and Saturday at legal orientations to understand their rights and what to expect when they enter the U.S. port of entry. Individuals of the caravan seeking asylum or other similar claims should seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico, Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said in the Customs and Border Protection statement. To anyone that is associated with this caravan, think before you act, Scott continued. If anyone has encouraged you to illegally enter the United States, or make any false statements to U.S. government officials, they are giving you bad advice and they are placing you and your family at risk. Pete Flores, the Customs and Border Protection director of field operations in San Diego, said in the statement that pedestrians at the San Ysidro Port of Entry will be divided into two lines those with, and without, travel documents for legal entry. If the facility becomes overcrowded with those who have no entry documents, they may need to wait in Mexico, Flores said. All travelers will be processed in accordance with appropriate detention and removal enforcement protocols, he said. Advertisement While the odds of getting into the U.S. might be long, there are some Americans like Blair Overstreet and her husband Matt Dunn who said they would welcome some of those migrants who gained asylum into their homes in order to help them get a new start. The idea of opening up their two-bedroom, one-bath apartment to a stranger just made sense to the San Diego couple both 36 years old. Its a humanitarian issue, Dunn said. Its also political. The couple and others like them are taking a stand at a time when the nation seems starkly divided on who should be allowed to reside in United States and what it means to be American. Advertisement The Central American caravan is just the latest lightning rod issue in an increasingly divisive immigration debate. Even in progressive California, where state leaders approved sanctuary laws to protect people who are in the country without legal status, an anti-sanctuary movement quickly followed and appears to be gaining momentum. The willingness of these people to house these immigrants reflects that there is a division in the United States and in California over the appropriate course of immigration policy, said Louis DeSipio, a professor of political science at UC Irvine. The asylum seekers, who launched their journey weeks ago from southern Mexico toward the U.S., are scheduled to officially register their asylum claims Sunday in Tijuana. The Central American caravan is just the latest line being drawn in the sand, said Heather Cronk, co-director of Showing Up for Racial Justice, a national anti-racism organization that is coordinating volunteer sponsors for those seeking political asylum. Advertisement An estimated 75 people have expressed interest in housing at least one asylum seeker, Cronk said. Some are from major metropolitan areas in California and New York. Others are from remote and rural areas in Montana and North Dakota. I think this is 100% about who we want to be as a nation, she said. Not only are we providing material support, supporting those who are in need of a place to go We offer a counter message. We want to make very clear to the folks who are in the caravan and those across the country that Trumps voice is not the only voice in this country. Where Trump closes doors, we open them. Though the caravan is relatively small compared to prior waves of immigrationsome as most recent as the tens of thousands of Haitians who petitioned for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry two years ago, the media attention on the caravan has been amplified by the Trump presidency. President Trump has sort of raised this group beyond probably the level they really merit in the broader scheme of things. Its become symbolically important, DeSipio said. The caravan was on Fox and Friends and that got the presidents attention and that made it, in his mind, representative of a larger phenomenon. By talking about this particular group he was able to take on a bigger phenomenon. People are now traveling in groups for their safety but that somehow makes it seem more ominous. Advertisement Migrants have the right to request asylum in the U.S. under immigration and international law, but Trump has angrily denounced the caravan, promising to stop them from entering the country. Department of Homeland Security officials and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions have used the caravan as a way to reaffirm their allegations that the asylum process is vulnerable to fraud. Individuals of the caravan seeking asylum or other similar claims should seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said. pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com Repard writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Advertisement UPDATES: 7:50 a.m.: This post was updated with stories of Americans interested in taking in migrants. This post was originally published at 9:20 p.m. April 28. In the 1970s, when the Golden State Killer claimed his first known victim, it was relatively easy for a serial murderer to escape undetected and strike again. DNA analysis was the stuff of science fiction. Fingerprint and hair analysis were rudimentary. There were no national databases to plumb for matches. It was a grim heyday for serial killers, who terrorized Californians from South Los Angeles alleys to gilded Orange County suburbs. Last week, the suspect in the Golden State Killer case joined the dark club of serial killers from that era who have been arrested with the help of sophisticated DNA technology. Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., 72, was living quietly in a suburb of Sacramento when he was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with eight counts of murder. Authorities say he may be responsible for 12 killings and at least 46 rapes from 1976 to 1986 in Northern and Southern California. Advertisement In his mugshot, the one-time police officer has wispy white hair and skin mottled with age a far cry from the fair-haired young man in FBI sketches from decades ago. Crime sprees on the scale of the Golden State Killers are more difficult to pull off nowadays, some experts say: The same technology that helps solve such cold cases can thwart a modern-day criminal before he accumulates enough victims to earn a nickname. In recent years, serial killers who make headlines are more likely to be long retired than actively on the hunt. Its a lot harder to be a serial killer or rapist now than it used to be they get IDd sooner, said former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. The Zodiac Killer, who operated in Northern California, is perhaps the most famous serial killer who has not been caught. In Los Angeles, there are no big-name serial cases on investigators radar. Depending upon what DNA or other forensics there are, we can link them together sooner than in the past because of the technology, said Capt. Billy Hayes of the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division. The past has caught up to retired killers as they engage in the most mundane activities. The Grim Sleeper was done in by a partially eaten slice of pizza with his DNA on it. Investigators were tailing DeAngelo and retrieved samples of his DNA, though they have not said where and how they found the genetic material. Sometimes, cold case detectives already have a suspect in mind and use DNA to confirm their suspicions. Other times, they look for a match in national DNA databases, which include genetic material from criminal offenders. A partial DNA match can indicate that a relative committed the crime. This technique, known as familial DNA, has been controversial because of privacy concerns but has been used to solve prominent cases such as the Grim Sleeper as well as cases that barely make the news. The Golden State Killer investigators expanded their search in a novel way, incorporating DNA submitted to genealogical websites by people researching family histories a move that has raised further privacy concerns. Advertisement ** The Night Stalker. The Hillside Strangler. The Westside Rapist. They were terrifying because they seemed to kill for the pleasure of it, and because they often struck people at home at night. Suburbanites purchased guns and guard dogs. Children crept into their parents beds, afraid to sleep alone. Advertisement And these were only the killers that the public knew about in the 1970s and 1980s. Others were not publicized by law enforcement or had not yet been identified as serial killers. The Grim Sleeper Lonnie David Franklin Jr. preyed on black women who were drug addicts or prostitutes, and the LAPD kept the slayings quiet, sparking accusations of police indifference. Chester Dewayne Turner never got a nickname because police did not realize that the slayings of 11 black women, many of them prostitutes or homeless, in South Los Angeles were connected. In those days, cases had to be cracked the old-fashioned way. The Night Stalker struck with shocking frequency in the spring and summer of 1985 until a fingerprint from a stolen car matched with the rap sheet of a 25-year-old drifter from Texas named Richard Ramirez. The Night Stalker got away with a lot, Cooley said. He could have been identified through DNA if they had the same capacity, because he was a convicted felon. Advertisement When Hayes, the LAPD captain, was a young cop in the late 1970s, forensic science consisted mainly of blood typing and fingerprints. Hair comparisons were just starting to be used. Analysts painstakingly eyeballed a suspects fingerprints against sample cards until they found a match, Hayes said work that is now done by a computer in seconds. Even if there was not much they could do with it, investigators carefully stored DNA evidence in dry, cool conditions. In other cases, the evidence was destroyed, either deliberately or because it had degraded over time. In 1986, DNA analysis was used for the first time to solve a crime. Semen samples tied a baker named Colin Pitchfork to two murders in a small English village while exonerating another man who had been implicated. In addition to high-profile serial killer cases such as the Grim Sleeper, LAPD cold case investigators have used DNA to solve individual homicides that have long faded from public view. Sometimes, the suspect is dead or already behind bars for another crime. Advertisement In the last few decades, they have combed through every old file looking for ways to apply DNA technology, Hayes said. There is no longer a backlog, though they still reexamine some of the unsolved cases as technology continues to evolve. Traces of DNA from a soda can or a pizza slice are enough to make a match. Even the tiny flakes of skin that shed wherever a person goes can be harvested for DNA. Fingerprint technology has also advanced rapidly. Last year, investigators identified a victim of the 1992 Los Angeles riots whose body had been burned beyond recognition, using a partial print from his left middle finger. DNA technology has also been used to exonerate people. A mentally disabled janitor spent nine years in prison before DNA tests cleared him of three South L.A. murders, instead implicating Turner. Advertisement ** The Golden State Killer broke into homes at night, tying the residents up and snacking from their refrigerators while they trembled. He led female victims to another room to rape them, sometimes putting plates or cups on the backs of male victims to forestall getaway attempts. At first, he left the victims behind, alive. Then, he progressed to murder. Advertisement Bruce Harrington, whose brother and sister-in-law were bludgeoned to death by the killer in 1980, threw his weight behind a state ballot initiative, passed in 2004, that requires many criminal offenders to submit their DNA to a state database. Harringtons brother, Keith Harrington, was a medical student at UC Irvine who had been married for three months to Patrice, a pediatric nurse. The newlyweds were in bed when an intruder entered their Dana Point home through an unlocked door and killed them. By 2000, Harrington had given up hope that the murders would ever be solved. Then, Orange County sheriffs investigators linked the Harringtons deaths to four other unsolved murders, also using DNA to connect the perpetrator to dozens of sexual assaults. That inspired Harrington to push for the DNA database, which has been used to solve many crimes. Franklin, the Grim Sleeper, was sentenced to death in 2016. Advertisement But year after year, the Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker, remained free. The victims loved ones began to think he was probably dead. Recently, investigators turned to a creative strategy using genealogical databases to broaden the DNA pool. They finally believed they had their man, following his every move until they got the last bit of DNA they needed. The DNA is the answer. Collecting the sample from the guy is the ultimate. Thats the proof, said Rockne Harmon, a former Alameda County prosecutor who specializes in DNA evidence. cindy.chang@latimes.com Advertisement For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLA A trucker missing for four days in a snow-covered part of Oregon after his GPS sent him up the wrong road walked 36 miles and emerged safely Saturday from a remote and rugged area. Jacob Cartwright, 22, showed up near the town of La Grande, where an intensive search involving aircraft had been underway since he was reported missing Tuesday. Cartwright was being evaluated in an emergency room but appeared OK, said nursing supervisor Danita Thamert at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. He looks to be pretty good, she said. Hes a big boy. He kept moving and stayed warm enough. So it doesnt look like hes going to have too many injuries. Advertisement Cartwrights boss, Roy Henry of Little Trees Transportation, said Cartwright was driving a truckload of potato chips but the tractor-trailer got stuck after he took the wrong turn in an area with limited cellphone coverage. The trucker started walking without any food or water just after midnight Wednesday, wading through snow at some points. He didnt stop until Saturday morning when he neared La Grande, where he lives, Henry said. From there, the trucker got a ride from a passing motorist to his home. Cartwrights wife returned home from meeting with local officials about the search for her husband only to find him in their house. He took his cowboy boots off and put on flip flops, Henry said. Cartwright told his wife he was hurting real bad and was real cold. So she packed him up and took him to the hospital. Temperatures in the region have been dropping into the 30s at night. Henry asked Cartwright why he didnt take some potato chips with him for his journey and the trucker responded, Thats worth money. Cartwright added: Thats the load I was hauling and I didnt want to damage the property. Henry said Cartwrights troubles started when he put the wrong address in his GPS at the start of his trip. Henry said Cartwright eventually realized he was on the wrong road and put in the correct address. The GPS then directed him to take a U.S. Forest Service road that started out paved but eventually became impassable. Advertisement He made the proper effort to correct his mistake, Henry said. From that point on it was out of his control. He had no reason to believe the GPS was wrong. There was some cellphone coverage, but the battery on Cartwrights phone eventually went dead. At the hospital, Cartwright told Henry that he hoped he would not lose his job and Henry assured the father of two, ages 4 and 2, that he wouldnt. It was pretty much just sheer will and determination that got him out, Henry said. Children looking at the Statue of Liberty, on June 4, 1939. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum A ruthless dictator unleashes terror on his own citizens. Those fleeing elicit sympathy but encounter obstacles to entering the United States. Americans learn of mass killings, but their moral revulsion doesnt easily turn into policy or military intervention. One thing remains consistent: America doesnt want refugees, at least not of this ilk; those people arent welcome here. Historians like me are wary of the adage that history repeats itself. But comparisons and analogies help us learn from the past, showing us how context matters and conventional wisdom deceives. To most Americans in 1945, those people meant European Jews. Today, they are Syrians, Congolese, Hondurans. No visitor to the new exhibition Americans and the Holocaust at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., will walk away with conventional wisdom about World War II intact. In the 1930s, anti-Semitism rested comfortably within American ideologies of race, but this context, not widely acknowledged at the time, has now virtually disappeared from mainstream collective memory. Instead, Americas pre-Pearl Harbor isolationism is viewed as a mistaken but understandable disinclination to intervene in another European war, further tempered by the suggestion that Americans had only slight knowledge of Nazi depravity. Museum visitors enter the new exhibits galleries in 1933 and walk through 12 years without the benefit of 80 years of hindsight. They see what Americans knew about events in Nazi Germany as they learned it. Public opinion (as documented by polls) and U.S. policy are revealed within that context. America kept its doors closed to the people for whom they professed sympathy. It is a sobering journey. Americans knew that something was dreadfully wrong in Germany. As early as 1932, and even more in 1933, popular magazines including Cosmopolitan, Time and Newsweek included major stories on the persecution of Jews in Germany and on Nazi governance. Hitler and Goebbels appeared on covers of Time in 1933, with Goebbels accompanied by a clear message: Say it in your dreams THE JEWS ARE TO BLAME. An imaginative crowdsourcing effort carried out by the museum uncovered no fewer than 15,000 U.S. newspaper articles documenting persecution published between 1933 and 1945. Newsreels told the same story. Commentators who have the benefit of hindsight have criticized President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his refusal to intervene. In 1933, the U.S. ambassador to Germany recorded in his diary Roosevelts instructions: The German authorities are treating the Jews shamefully and the Jews in this country are greatly excited. But this is also not a governmental affair. It comes across as cold-hearted in retrospect, but Roosevelt understood his fellow Americans; they would not march to war or even expend substantial public resources to save Jews. If this feels in any way familiar, consider what comes next. Even when 94% of polled Americans claimed to disapprove of the Nazi treatment of Jews in Germany, 71% of them opposed permitting any more than a trickle of German Jews to enter the United States two weeks after Kristallnacht. Two-thirds of Americans opposed admitting refugee children in 1939. America kept its doors closed to the people for whom they professed sympathy. This sentiment, shaped by racism, was nothing new, nor was it confined to immigrants. One need only cross the Mall to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to be reminded that in the 1850s white Northerners were as repulsed by the suggestion that emancipation would result in black migration northward as they were by the cruelty of slavery. Anti-Semitism would remain central to American foreign policy even as the nation stared down Nazi Germany. The United States entered the war in Europe, of course, but Roosevelt was shrewd enough to cast the move as fighting fascism on behalf of democracy. The war was about preserving American values, not saving European Jews. At wars end, Americans encountered graphic, overwhelming evidence of what they had been hearing about regularly since the first news reports about the death camps in 1942. Films, photographs, articles and official documents laid out the horrific details of ghettos, concentration camps and gas chambers. Aside from the Jewish media, however, few of these accounts named the victims as Jews. Terrible people those Nazis, those fascists. The survivors of their terror, however, the displaced persons, still could not be trusted to be our neighbors even if there was an orderly bureaucracy of refugee screening, documented here by a wall of letters and official forms. The ring of familiarity impels us to ask chilling questions about our current moment. James Grossman is the executive director of the American Historical Association. Twitter: @JimGrossmanAHA Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Last fall, as the first #MeToo scandals scrolled across the cable news chyron, I happened to be reading Sticky Fingers, Joe Hagans biography of Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner. As Hagan describes the magazines early years in the 1960s, just about everyone on the staff was having sex with everyone else. Did the women of Rolling Stone consent to the goings-on at what today would be regarded as an illegal den of harassment? It seems they did. In the ladies room, they scribbled graffiti ranking male staffers for their sexual performance not, as girls do on college campuses today, the names of rapists in their midst. Jane Wenner, Janns wife, was known to judge job seekers by whether a candidate was attracted to her and, in some cases, to test the depth of their ardor personally. Photographer Annie Leibovitz, who made her name at Rolling Stone, routinely slept with her subjects. Different as those days seem, theres a direct line between then and now. Todays clear-cut protest against workplace harassment is mutating into a far-reaching counterrevolution against the combustible contradictions set in motion 50-odd years ago. But as in the 1960s, this sexual rebellion is utopian and deeply naive about the tangled knot of human motivation. Dont expect the young women who are building the #MeToo barricades to succeed. Its fair to say 60s-style liberation endorsed the value of female sexual desire, autonomy and consent. This was a genuine moral achievement, and we can be thankful it is a settled part of modern life. But the sexual revolution also helped midwife the soaring number of single-parent families and the related ills of inequality, poverty, achievement gaps, and men MIA from family life. And all these many years later, younger feminists are exposing new flaws in the sexual deregulation bequeathed to them by their elders. Advertisement First and foremost is the revolutions blindness to la difference. In every human society, powerful men take advantage of their positions to procure sex partners the more nubile the better. The radically laissez-faire sexual attitudes set in motion five decades ago didnt give permission to predators to have their way, but it surely convinced a lot them that they werent monsters.(See Bill Cosby.) And more modest sinners stealth kissers, gropers and flashers got to think hey, Im just pursuing shared feelings TV host Charlie Roses explanation for strutting around wearing only an open bathrobe while his female assistants were in the room. Inflammatory exaggeration and self-dramatization wont help the young womens counterrevolution to succeed. The sexual revolution also ignored the truth that females across cultures and species are choosier than males about sexual partners. By proclaiming sexual self-expression as the primo value for all enlightened people, it weakened social support for those women who werent in the mood. Sex is feminist. And empowered women are supposed to enjoy the hell out of it, as New York magazines Rebecca Traister described the mind-set. Except they dont always, and especially not now. The problem is that this powerfully seductive ideal confuses personal choice and consent, especially for a young person still struggling to figure out an adult identity. As #MeToo crowded the headlines, Jessica Bennett, the gender editor of the New York Times, wrote a piece with the striking title When Saying Yes Is Easier than Saying No. Young women, she argued, arent always sure what their real desires are. Bennett failed to note that men often dont suffer the same uncertainty. When women acquiesce to their partners agenda, one that happens to align with the ideal of female empowerment, should we be surprised that anger and confusion and contentious accusations of assault sometimes follow? #MeToo began as a defrocking of exploitative, powerful men like Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Rose and many others. At first, Second Wave feminists and middle-aged Gen-X-ers were as outraged as their younger Third Wave counterparts by the exposure of so many brutes. But the younger set wasnt willing to end the conversation with the demons in the workplace. In January, a 23-year-old pseudonymously called Grace described a bad date with comedian Aziz Ansari. Despite her nonverbal attempts to communicate discomfort, he pressured her to have sex. Older women were appalled at the idea that Graces predicament had any connection to workplace harassment. You have chiseled away at a movement that I along with all of my sisters in the workplace have been dreaming of for decades, HLN anchor Ashleigh Banfield, 50, hectored. Banfield, and her sisters, saw Grace as a party to her own misery. Ansari took off her clothes and performed oral sex on her, but Grace never said no. She reciprocated. Young women evidently dont know how to call a cab, Caitlin Flanagan wrote in the Atlantic. The younger set blasted them back. Normal sexual encounters are not working for us, tweeted Guardian columnist Jessica Valenti. Common patterns of gendered behavior, wrote Anna North on Vox.com, are deeply in need of change. Her sisters, North said, should not be placed in the role of sexual gatekeeper. Advertisement Like every generation, Second Wavers view the present through the lens of their own experience. They successfully navigated a world of sexual freedom and autonomy, why couldnt these younger women? What they didnt factor in is how much earlier generations benefited from the lingering cultural capital of more mannerly times long-established courtship norms dont disappear overnight, after all. There has never been a time when women didnt have to fend off gropers and assaulters, but most of us of a certain age werent limited to a dating pool heavily populated by males in the throes of porn- and hookup-infected post-adolescence. Still, neither their falling out with Second Wavers nor their catalog of bad dates has made a dent in young womens feminist certainty that differences in male-female sexual behavior can be chalked up to the toxic social messaging of patriarchal culture. Dismantle it, and they will find affection, mutuality and orgasms with any stranger they find tempting, just as the original revolutionaries promised. Dismantle it, and they no longer will be so strongly socialized to put others comfort ahead of their own, as Jill Filipovic wrote in the Guardian, that they cant fend off an Aziz Ansari. I feel confident in saying that this is unsorted rubbish. Patriarchal culture provides young women with plenty of bad-ass un-paralyzed role models, from Mulan to Lara Croft, Buffy to Sarah Connor. Educators, marketers and parents pay homage to girl power, and over the past months of #MeToo revelations, young women have wielded it aggressively, even viciously. Was I worried about the possibility of a man being falsely accused? Not in the least, wrote Leah Finnegan in a hipster zine. Nice. Inflammatory exaggeration and self-dramatization wont help the young womens counterrevolution to succeed. Above all, #MeToo lacks a realistic appraisal of men and women. As the choosier sex, females will always be gatekeepers. The biological mechanics of sex and the facts of reproduction demand it. As writer Nora Ephron once said, a lot of men would have sex with a Venetian blind. Advertisement The original sexual revolution stripped young women of the social support they need to successfully play gatekeeper, just as it deprived men of a positive vision, or even a reason, for self-restraint. Recognizing the legacy of those losses is where any reformation has to start. Kay S. Hymowitz, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is the author of Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys. A longer version of this essay appears in the spring issue of the institutes City Journal. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Advertisement UPDATES: A previous version of this article misspelled the author Joe Hagans name. To the editor: I am delighted that Bill Cosby has been found guilty in a court of law of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand after, according to his accusers, decades of similar behavior towards dozens of other women. What I find most interesting is that no one is examining the drugging part of this equation. We all know that rich, famous men can easily find women who will willingly have sex with them but that was not Cosbys M.O. Did he have a paraphilic compulsion that caused him to be excited by a comatose sexual partner, or did he believe that drugging a woman before assaulting her made her an unconvincing plaintiff? If its the latter, that would make him truly diabolical. Whichever, I applaud the prosecutor, the jury, Constand and the brave women who came forward to make public the most shameful secret in their lives not, as Cosbys defense claimed, for fame or money, but to finally bring this man to justice. Advertisement Wendy Dytman, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Cosby was compared by his publicist to Emmett Till, the black lad who, in 1955, was said to have whistled at a woman in Mississippi, an act for which the 14-year-old was tortured, mutilated and shot to death by white men. The comparison seems more to underscore Cosbys appropriate conviction than help him. If there have been serious flaws in Cosbys trial, he will be granted an appeal. But this ridiculous comparison has nothing to do with Cosbys case, and it certainly does him no favor. William Josephs, Los Angeles Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: The Times Editorial Board urges a nonpartisan commitment to free speech on California campuses. (How to bolster the 1st Amendment on college campuses, editorial, April 27) This is disingenuous; the issue is inescapably partisan. Right-wing students are not the problem. We need a leftist commitment to free speech. On California campuses, many leftists are trying to prevent the expression of certain views. Right-wingers are not. Leftists sometimes resort to violence to shut down speakers. Right-wingers do not. Students who deny free speech to others must be expelled immediately from any institution of higher learning funded by California taxpayers. Only then will true discourse again flourish on our campuses. Advertisement Rob Dean, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Lately it seems that free speech on our state campuses applies only to every kind of right-wing extremist but not to students. If we say that the hatemongers have a right to speak unchallenged, are we not normalizing intolerance? Ideally some acceptable compromise that would allow dialogue is better. I recall an incident from my own college years a long time ago. A purveyor of pseudoscience was set to come speak, so all the science students and their friends came to the event. After the speakers remarks, there was a designated question-and-answer period during which the science community could challenge the speakers points. The pseudoscientist talked, and the science people talked back. The head of the physics department was allowed to say, Utter claptrap, dammit! No one had to be disciplined or legislated about. Whats wrong with a plan like that? Cynthia Hart, Culver City Advertisement Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. #Georgia Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush. The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump as recently as Tuesday continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops You really are our heroes, he said as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see. James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes he last won reelection by a 14-point margin suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election again, in blowout fashion but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10. Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters... Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children the older ones are 5 and 2 about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican she the race felt m He tweets about fire and fury and threatens an event the likes of which nobodys seen before. But after 15 months in the White House, Donald Trump has shown that his use of military force may be the most conventional aspect of his presidency. To date, Trump has launched two limited military strikes against Syria and increased the use of airstrikes and special operations raids in Somalia and Yemen to kill Islamic extremists, killing more civilians as well. He has equivocated over pulling troops from Syria amid its civil war and reversed President Obamas drawdown of American forces from Afghanistan. It adds up to a shift from Obamas military strategy, but more incrementally than by the 180 degrees that Trumps incendiary rhetoric has suggested since his days on the campaign trail. Advertisement The president is erratic, but he does also seem to be pretty risk-averse where the use of military force is concerned, said Kori Schake, who held several security roles in George W. Bushs administration and wrote a book with Trumps secretary of Defense, James N. Mattis. He asks basic and important questions, often asks for military planning for operations that alarm the professionals, but so far hasnt chosen to enact them, Schake said, adding, He doesnt appear to want to spend his presidency on the wars. Trump stands at a key juncture in defining his national security policy. John Bolton, his third national security advisor in little more than a year, began his job this month, with a history of advocating aggressive use of force and a reputation from his Bush-era service as a bruising infighter to get his way within the federal bureaucracy. One White House National Security Council official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the stamp the more interventionist Bolton will put on Trumps military policy is still a wait and see proposition. Administration officials would not grant interviews with security staffers amid Boltons transition and the ongoing shakeup in the National Security Council. Several top aides have resigned or been ousted as Bolton forms his own team. In the same week that Bolton arrived in the West Wing, Trump ordered the latest airstrikes against Syria a dramatic act, but one that was sharply dialed back by military advisors to minimize tensions with the Russians, who are backing Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Meanwhile, after months of bellicose warnings that he might use force to halt North Koreas nuclear program, Trump is seeking to win his biggest bet yet, on a summit with the isolated countrys autocratic leader, Kim Jong Un. Security experts from across the spectrum many of whom opposed Trumps election still hold significant concerns about his temperament, his willingness to risk a fatal miscommunication with global rivals and his impatience with detailed policy analyses. Some, particularly on the left, worry that Bolton will push him toward perilous military interventions. Advertisement Yet, so far, the biggest surprise has been the gulf between Trumps talk and his military actions. A lot of this, Hillary Clinton would have done, said Derek Chollet, an assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs under Obama and an advisor to Clinton when she was secretary of State. In some ways, Trump is discovering what Obama and other predecessors learned about the limits both of presidential power in the face of global conflicts and of the options from military advisors to confront them. He initially hoped to withdraw from Afghanistan but was persuaded by advisors to raise troop levels instead. Syria may follow a similar course. Advertisement Trump recently called for an abrupt withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, yet the following week felt compelled to retaliate against Assads use of chemical weapons. That episode only reinforced the arguments of Trumps national security advisors that he shouldnt leave Syria to Russia and Iran, Assads protectors. Lately, Trump has taken to describing his goal of bringing troops home as vaguely aspirational. From the start Trumps vision has been blurred by seemingly contradictory impulses. While he promotes a nationalist, noninterventionist agenda, the president exudes hawkish bravado, boasting about the size and strength of the military, often surrounding himself with soldiers and military equipment. During the campaign, he vowed to enlarge the military for the sake of deterrence, to avoid unnecessary wars or nation-building adventures. Yet he also promised to bomb the hell out of ISIS, an acronym for the Islamic State. And as president, he has threatened fire and fury like the world has never seen against North Korea. Supporters say Trumps doctrine is modeled after President Reagans peace through strength dogma. Extravagance is his personality but it also serves a purpose in projecting strength, said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union. Advertisement Trump made a similar point during an interview on Fox & Friends on Thursday, recounting his threatening tweets toward Kim months ago, which have given way to a softer tone as Kim has moved toward diplomacy. He even called the autocrat very honorable. It was very, very nasty with Little Rocket Man and with the buttons my buttons bigger, he said, adding about himself, Everyone says, This guy is going to get us into nuclear war. Let me tell you: Nuclear war would happen if you had weak people. Many security analysts outside Trumps circle are unwilling to ascribe any doctrine to his record, calling it more a loose collection of gut instincts, machismo and military deference than coherent strategy. President Trump is a lot about looking tough, being dramatic and not being his predecessor, said Michael V. Hayden, a retired general and former CIA director who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations. Advertisement Yet, Hayden continued, What President Trump did in Syria was simply what President Obama was doing. He just amped it up a little bit. There werent any sharp turns there. Hayden defined Bush by his willingness to commit large numbers of troops to two wars for long periods. Though Obama campaigned against those policies, Hayden noted, he nonetheless left many deployed, if at a lower profile, for extended periods. Trump, in contrast to both of them, seems comfortable with high levels of violence but only for short periods of time, said Hayden, whose book The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies is about to be published. Trump shares Obamas inclination to withdraw from conflicts in the Middle East, but also finds himself boxed in by military advisors who warn that withdrawals could heighten instability, empower terrorist groups or otherwise weaken American interests. Advertisement After spending several weeks promising to leave Syria, the president sounded chastened during a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. I do want to come home, he said, but I want to come home also with having accomplished what we have to accomplish. The April 14 missile strikes in Syria were intended to send a message that Trump, in contrast to Obama, was willing to employ force against the use of chemical weapons. Yet they were limited, like the previous one in April 2017. Although Trump declared Mission Accomplished! the next day, the strikes may not prevent future chemical attacks and didnt stop Assads forces from continuing to kill civilians. He wants to be seen as decisive. He wants to be seen as hitting back. But he doesnt want to own Syria, Chollet said. He doesnt want this to be seen as a fight against Assad, but neither does the U.S. military. Advertisement Trump allies say the president is not given enough credit for thinking through military strategy. Jim Hanson, who is president of the conservative think tank Security Studies Group and in frequent contact with administration officials, disputed portrayals of Trump as a shoot from the hip, make snap judgments sort of commander in chief. Hanson said Trump asks basic questions about the implications of security decisions, with an emphasis on U.S. interests. Other advisors, however, have said that the president continues to resist lengthy policy discussions. Much of Trumps policy is defined not by those private discussions but by his public pronouncements, especially on Twitter, that often take even advisors by surprise. Supporters say Trump, by those outbursts, intends to provoke reactions or air frustrations more than to convey specific policy. Advertisement He likes to throw over all the conference room tables, knock over the rice bowls, Hanson said. He likes to throw everyone for a loop and see what the reactions are. On that, Trumps critics agree. And they continue to worry that he will unintentionally spark a conflict. Kathleen Hicks, who served in top defense positions under Obama, worries that an adversary will react or that Trump might overestimate his ability to contain the use of force. Even if Trump has been inclined to avoid risk in deploying force, his Twitter finger is another story, Hicks said. Its clear his tendency is toward willingness to risk a little miscalculation in order to talk tough, she said. It really is, Speak loudly and carry a big stick. Advertisement Times staff writer David Cloud contributed to this report. Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington noah.bierman@latimes.com Twitter: @noahbierman The sixth-grader figures he spends two to three hours a day watching YouTube videos and playing games on his smartphone. My dad makes me go outside, says Harvey Cendejas, so I wont go blind. Harvey, 11, who attends Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School in Santa Ana, did his father proud on April 21 by barely touching his phone during an Earth Day weekend outing with a couple of dozen fellow members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast. Instead of staring into the screen of his cell phone, Harvey saw hummingbirds dance around cobweb thistle at the Irvine Ranch Conservancys Native Seed Farm on Jeffrey Road in North Irvine, spotted the tiny red speck of the Big A at Angel Stadium from a panoramic viewpoint along Loma Ridge, and looked for a hawk, coyote tracks and several native plants during a nature scavenger hunt in nearby Baker Canyon, off Black Star Canyon Road. The half-day outing themed Nature in My Backyard and held on preserved wildlands on the Irvine Ranch was a pilot program aimed at instilling in youth a love of nature and teaching them the importance of preserving and protecting natural open space. On a societal scale, kids growing up these days are increasingly disconnected from nature, said Michael OConnell, executive director of Irvine Ranch Conservancy, which hosted the event and was sponsored by the Irvine Company and the Donald Bren Foundation. Bren, chairman of Irvine Company, recalled growing up in Southern California and appreciating nature on land similar to the preserved open spaces on the Irvine Ranch. They not only inspire, they create a sense of freedom, Bren said in a statement. My hope is that this special outing instills a similar sense of freedom and wonder in (youth), added Bren, who preserved 57,000 acres of Irvine Ranch land as open space. Judging by the reactions of the 24 kids second- to fifth-graders from the Irvine and Santa Ana clubs of the five-city Boys and Girls Club of Central Orange Coast the event was a hit. I like being outdoors, said Dulce Villasenor, 9. I can spend time with my family instead of watching TV all day. Today, I learned that some flowers are lazy and they steal food from other plants. Dulce was referring to the pretty and innocent-looking pink plant called purple owls clover, which uses its roots to suck food from the California goldfields, as Native Seed Farm stewardship coordinator Rachel Lambert explained to the children. Those two species of plants are among 52 the IRC grows on its 14-acre Native Seed farm for planting elsewhere. Twin brothers Inyan and Inban Kathirazan, 9, members of the Irvine Boys and Girls Club, said they loved learning about nature. I learned that the quail is the state bird and the poppy is the state flower, Inyan said. As they hiked single-file down a trail in Baker Canyon, heading to lunch under a canopy, hike leader Michelle Clemente, director of community programs for the IRC, pointed to animal poop on the ground. You know what we call it out here? Clemente asked the kids, some of them grossed out. Scat, Clemente said. Its probably from a coyote or bobcat. OConnell said the pilot Nature in My Backyard outing was a response to kids spending much less time outdoors now compared to prior decades and the consequences such a societal shift can have not only on children, but on the outdoors. One future problem for conservation is were not bringing up the next generation of land stewards, OConnell said. I sure as heck hope there is a fourth-grader who wants my job someday. And its my responsibility to get him or her ready for that, and to get them excited about it. Added OConnell: The Irvine Ranch Conservancy is never going to be a kids organization, and the Boys and Girls Club is never going to be a land organization. But if we can build bridges between the two, then the kids can walk over that bridge, and thats exactly what this day is about. The children at the Saturday outing were treated to a Subway sandwich lunch and given Irvine Ranch Conservancy hats with animal designs on them, as well as T-shirts and water bottles. Much more valuable, though, were the memories the kids took home with them. One youngster gazed at a turkey vulture circling close overhead atop Loma Ridge. Hes not going to eat us, Clemente reassured him. He only eats dead things, and were very much alive. For information about volunteer and outdoor programs managed by the IRC, visit letsgooutside.org. Greg Hardesty is a contributor to Times Community News. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised at a meeting with his South Korean counterpart last week to give up his nuclear arms in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to attack his country, a spokesman for the South Korean president said Sunday. Top aides to President Trump signaled skepticism, but insisted that the presidents unconventional diplomacy had already yielded greater achievements than his predecessors could claim in reining in the Norths rogue nuclear and ballistics program. For the record: This article omitted the first name of the South Korean president. His full name is Moon Jae-in. Kim also offered to allow in experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea to witness the shutdown next month of the Norths only known nuclear testing site, according to Yoon Young-chan, a South Korean presidential spokesman. In his talks with Moon, Kim also sought to dispel the notion that the promise to shut down the nuclear testing site under Mt. Mantap was an empty gesture because it had become too unstable to use anyway after the Norths sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, in September. Advertisement Some say that we are terminating facilities that are not functioning, but you will see that we have two more tunnels that are bigger than the existing ones, and that they are in good condition, Yoon quoted Kim as saying. This month, North Korea said it had suspended its nuclear tests, along with ballistic-missile tests, and announced plans to shut down the test site. In the meeting with Moon, Kim insisted he did not want to threaten the United States or anyone else, according to the South Korean presidential spokesman. While the two leaders talked of working toward complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, their meeting yielded no agreements on verification, or set any timetable for steps toward that end. Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States, Kim said, according to Yoon. South Koreas presidential palace said Kim wants a U.S. commitment to bringing a formal end to the Korean War. The 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, so the two sides technically remain in a state of war. If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a nonaggression treaty, then why would we need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons and suffer? the North Korean leader asked, according to the South Korean account. We will not repeat the painful history of the Korean War. Trumps national security advisor, John Bolton, said Kims seemingly conciliatory rhetoric was not being accepted at face value, and indicated that no easing of sanctions against North Korea would take place until there was a commitment to full denuclearization. Crediting American pressure with nudging North Korea along, Bolton said the Trump administration would demand evidence that Kims pledges were real and not just rhetoric. Advertisement Weve heard this before, he said on CBS Face the Nation, adding that the North Korean propaganda playbook is an infinitely rich resource. Interviewed separately on Fox News Sunday, Bolton said nobody is starry-eyed about the North following through on promises. In a symbolic yet practical gesture of cooperation, Kim also told Moon that North Korea would set its clocks to match South Korean time, Yoon said. Since 2015, the North had declared itself a separate time zone, half an hour behind that observed in Seoul and Tokyo. Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States Kim Jong Un, North Korean leader This satellite image released and notated by Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North in 2017 shows the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea. (Associated Press ) Advertisement Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was still the CIA director when he met with Kim over Easter weekend, played down concerns that Trumps meeting with Kim, planned to take place in May or June, could be knocked off track if the president follows through on threats to withdraw the United States from the landmark nuclear accord with Iran. I dont think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I wont talk to the Americans anymore, Pompeo told reporters traveling with him Sunday on a flight from Saudi Arabias capital, Riyadh, to Israel. Pompeo said Kim had higher priorities, things that he is more concerned about than whether the Trump administration would refuse by a May 12 deadline to waive sanctions against Tehran. European allies who are party to the world powers accord with Iran have urged the U.S. administration to adhere to its international commitments or risk being seen as an untrustworthy partner. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both came to Washington last week to personally lobby Trump to not undermine the nuclear accord, which was a signature achievement of his predecessor, President Obama. Advertisement In an interview taped earlier in Riyadh and aired Sunday on ABCs This Week, Pompeo sought to dispel the idea that Trump was naive in his approach to North Korea, which has a history of making promises to scale back its nuclear ambitions, and then reneging. This administration has its eyes wide open, Pompeo said. We know the history. We know the risks. Were going to be very different were going to negotiate in a different way than has been done before. Trump himself has dismissed critics concerns that in agreeing to the sit-down meeting with Kim without preconditions, he was offering a murderously dictatorial regime an enormous boost in prestige. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set, the president wrote Saturday on Twitter. Advertisement There is concern that North Korea has no intention of carrying through on promises of denuclearization at least not without linking that to demands that the United States would probably find unacceptable. North Korea has long sought the removal of nearly 30,000 U.S. troops from South Korea, and has railed against the existence of an American nuclear umbrella for Washingtons allies Japan and South Korea. Trump has blown hot and cold on Kim, directing both harsh insults and lavish compliments at the young North Korean leader. Last year, the U.S. president derided Kim as Little Rocket Man, but last week, he praised him as open and honorable. Even some longtime critics of Trump acknowledged that his zigging and zagging might have led Kim to seek negotiations. Advertisement I think its more than fair to say that the combination of the presidents unpredictability and bellicosity had something to do with the North Koreans deciding to come to the table, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) said on ABCs This Week. But Schiff also suggested it was dangerous to prematurely claim a breakthrough in dealing with the mercurial North Korean leader. Before the president takes too much credit, or hangs out the Mission Accomplished banner, he needs to realize we may go into a confrontational phase, Schiff said. And he may not want the full blame if things go south. laura.king@latimes.com Advertisement @laurakingLAT King reported from Washington and special correspondent Stiles reported from Seoul UPDATES: 5:30 p.m.: The article was updated with staff reports from South Korea. Advertisement This article was originally published at 1:45 p.m. It was the start of a new special relationship between America and France, and like all new romances, started with kisses, hugs, and plenty of touchy-feely gestures. The French are like that, preferring bises pecks on cheeks to manly handshakes, but Emmanuel Macron did both. Macrons state visit to Washington included a tree-planting, an explanation of the workings of the Oval Office, a lavish White House banquet and an address to Congress. The first ladies there is no official position for the presidents spouse in France Melanie and Brigitte impressed with their vertiginous heels. The French president returned to Paris with no deal on climate change or the Iran accords or any contracts, and there were mixed reactions among his compatriots, but globally, his visit was seen as a success. For some the visit was a triumph of soft diplomacy a la francaise and evidence of Macrons, and by extension Frances, role in world affairs. Others were disappointed Macron had come home empty-handed. Heres a sampling of commentary on and by French media about his trip to the White House. President Trump clears what he referred to as dandruff from French President Emmanuel Macron's jacket in the Oval Office prior to a meeting at the White House. Ludovic Marin / AFP/Getty Images 'We cannot expect miracles Commentators, noting Trumps frosty relationships with other world leaders, opined on Macrons efforts to win over the president with friendship and kindness. Former Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, to radio station Europe 1: French foreign policy has returned to being realistic and ambitious, but we cannot expect miracles. As no politician gives the impression of being able to influence him [Trump] its not at all absurd for Emmanuel Macron to try the friendship card. Theres nothing about it to criticize. Why not try the friendship card? Apparently, Emmanuel Macron is the only person able to position himself as a personal intermediary that Donald Trump accepts. But we cant judge right now, its too soon. Vincent Hervouet, commentator, to Europe 1: The American president is loyal only to himself. He dumps his wives, his advisors and also his friends. Yesterday, Emmanuel Macron before Congress criticized America first and was at the mercy of a vengeful tweet: Thankfully the American held himself back, but it wont last. The end of the pseudo bromance will be words if Donald is engulfed by the scandals circling him. Olivier Mazerolle, journalist, to radio station RTL: After asking if Macrons and Trumps differences on the Iran deal, trade and climate change would mean an end of their friendship, Mazerolle provided his own answer: No, theyve said too many friendly things until now to break up like that. Theyll probably do as in the saloon bars of the Old West when they realize nobody has what it takes to win, they take a drink together. And neither of them has any wish to split Emmanuel Macron, because it makes him important to be the privileged intermediary of the U.S. president, and Donald Trump, because despite his America first, [he] cannot remain isolated. He needs allies. President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron walk to the Oval Office of the White House. Pablo Martinez / Associated Press All those repeated little hugs Like political analysts in the U.S., many in France commented on how Trump and Macron kept touching each other handshakes, hugs, pats on the back or leg. This, they decided, held significance: Commentator Hervouet to Europe 1: Did Emmanuel Macron take risks in Washington? Clearly yes, the most obvious, all those little repeated hugs with the big man who never smiles. To let yourself be hugged exposes you to the risk that the other person suddenly thinks they can dust you down. And why not one day to tweak your ear or punch you in the face. Can anyone imagine Eisenhower removing dandruff from Charles de Gaulles lapel? Stephen Bunard, commentator, in newspaper Journal du Dimanche: What Trump and Macron dont realize is the intensity of these gestures. A pat on the back, or repeated taps on the back, the place on the back being tapped all that is important. For example, the higher on the back the tap, the more the person is showing their dominant character. To take someone by the shoulder is therefore something strong. So we can see this domination game through this semiconscious touching. If the pictures of Trump and Macron [touching] have provoked amusement, its no doubt because theres a feeling it is too much. A positive side of this familiarity is that the two show mutual recognition. Theyre judging and evaluating each other, a bit like two lions. Voici magazine: Emmanuel Macrons very tender and VERY ASTONISHING gesture toward Donald Trump. Accompanied by their respective wives, the two politicians met again, not without emotion, giving a peck on each cheek, a particularly unexpected gesture. Le Figaro, editorial: Accolades taps on the back, kisses during the last 48 hours the American media has delighted over the attentiveness of the two leaders toward each other. Patrick Saint-Paul, Le Figaro foreign editor: They held hands, they kissed. Trump held Macron by the shoulder, Macron whispered in the American presidents ear. Never has a French president and the host in the White House shown such familiarity. French President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump walk off after a news conference at the White House. Evan Vucci / Associated Press It was a bit like Dallas Macron was feted with the first state dinner at the White House since Trumps inauguration. Some commentators were struck by the spectacle of the visit, and whether Macron actually accomplished anything: Isaac Chotiner, Slate France: Macron in Washington: Make Flattery Great Again: The French presidents strategy toward Trump hasnt given the slightest result. Can things change? DH Belgium, French-language radio station website: When the Macrons arrived in the United States it was a bit like Dallas. A glam (almost bling) state visit. A very Kennedy-style arrival." Huffington Post France Throughout the visit, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump have had a series of crazy, strange and sometimes embarrassing moments. We will remember this visit for a long time. Support our journalism Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you. Willsher is a special correspondent. Iran pushed back Saturday against demands by the Trump administration for changes to the countrys nuclear deal, a subject expected to be high on the agenda as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart at the start of the Middle Eastern leg of his maiden trip as Americas top diplomat. President Trump has said he will decide by May 12 whether to pull out of the landmark accord and reimpose U.S. sanctions that were lifted after Iran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in 2015. Speaking on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels Friday, Pompeo said Trump was unlikely to stay in the deal unless European leaders negotiate a substantial fix. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was in Moscow Saturday for talks about the conflict in Syria, accused the Trump administration of reneging on its obligations, saying demands for changes to the deal signed by the U.S. and five other world powers were unacceptable. Advertisement Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also emphasized the inviolability of the deal. Otherwise, there will be no platform for continuing contacts and for continuing the dialogue, he told reporters Saturday. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both used trips to Washington this week to lobby Trump not to walk away from the agreement, which they fear could encourage Iran to resume its nuclear program. But Trump has decried what he sees as terrible flaws in the accord, including that it does not address Irans ballistic missile program or its support for militant groups elsewhere in the Middle East. Shortly before Pompeo arrived Saturday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Iran-backed rebels in Yemen fired eight ballistic missiles at the southern Saudi city of Jizan. Saudi authorities, who are engaged in a deadly war against the Houthi rebels, said the kingdoms air defenses intercepted four of the missiles. But they said shrapnel from the attack killed a civilian and damaged two homes. Senior officials traveling with Pompeo accused Iran of supplying the munitions and said he would use the trip to press for more sanctions on individuals, businesses and government agencies associated with Irans missile program. He will have a receptive ear in Saudi Arabia, where officials have grown increasingly alarmed about the presence of Iranian troops and allied militias in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The kingdom has been a staunch opponent of the Iran nuclear deal. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir was on the tarmac to welcome Pompeo to Riyadh on Saturday evening. The secretary was also expected to meet with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before traveling to Israel and Jordan on Sunday. U.S. officials told reporters that Pompeo would seek to reassure Saudi leaders of the United States commitment to defend its allies in the Middle East. Advertisement He also plans to raise the administrations concerns about a dispute within the Gulf Cooperation Council that the officials said is hampering attempts to forge a unified response to Irans expanding influence in the region. Last summer, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with Egypt, imposed an embargo on Qatar over its close ties with Iran and alleged support for extremist groups, an accusation Qatar has repeatedly denied. And the officials said Pompeo would press the Saudis to contribute more to efforts to stabilize areas in eastern Syria that were recently freed from the extremist group Islamic State. The administration has been struggling to persuade its regional allies to send military troops or contribute funds to the effort, an obstacle that could delay Trumps goal of pulling American forces out of Syria. The countries are worried about becoming entangled in Syrias multi-sided civil war and dont want to be left with the task of preventing an Islamic State resurgence without U.S. backup. alexandra.zavis@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @alexzavis UPDATES: 4:15 p.m.: This article was updated with staff reporting, including details about Pompeos upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia and Irans response to U.S. demands for changes to the nuclear deal. 5:20 p.m.: This article was updated with background about Saudi Arabias dispute with Qatar. Advertisement This article was originally published at 11:25 a.m. SAN DIEGO, April 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miami FL drug rehabilitation drug addiction is tough to cure and to go through withdrawal symptoms is enough for anyone to want to turn around and go back to getting high every time they need to feel good about themselves. The good news is drug addiction by no means incurable, and the withdrawal symptoms are only temporary. The even better news is that there are groups of people willing and able to help you or any drug addict you care about to go through treatment to have a new lease on life. It might be a difficult journey, but any difficulty becomes bearable when you know you are surrounded by people who care for you, people who are there to see you through and people who will ensure your success by being with you every step of the way. Drug rehabilitation centers in Miami, Florida are made up of those types of people. 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It seems the world never runs out of people addicted to some drug or addictive substance. Every year, the number of drug addicts or substance abusers surges up. What is even more alarming is the fact that most of the people that comprise these rising numbers of addicts and drug abusers are teenagers. The number is so shocking that one cannot help but ask why these teenagers are turning to drugs, and probably more importantly, how and where do these teenagers get these drugs. It is a known fact that addiction is not a one-time deal. It takes unabated and continued use of a substance for someone to be addicted to it. Sometimes, teenagers try it just for fun or just for the experience. Unfortunately, they try drugs at a point in their lives when they are depressed or lonely or out to prove something to parents or friends. This is when addiction starts to creep in. When teenagers feel that a drug or an addictive substance is filling a void in their lives or helping them find their place under the sun, they go back to it every time they need a crutch. Before they know it, they are already able to function without having to take drugs first. Having said this, the only way out of an addiction is by seeking help and help from concerned family or friends and help from professionals. For those in Miami, a drug addict or his or her family can find these professionals at Miami drug rehabilitation centers. There has been quite a number being put up over the years to accommodate the growing number of recovering drug dependents, so an addict or his family will not find it hard to get professional help. The important thing is to commit to wanting to get better, and drug rehabilitation centers in Miami, Florida can certainly help in that area. A drug dependent or substance abuser must realize that he or she is only creating more problems for himself or herself by staying under the influence of drugs. Not only that, his or her family is also suffering because of his continued drug dependence. Without this realization and commitment, any attempts at treatment or rehabilitation might not work. There have been instances in Miami, Florida when the drug addict has run away from drug rehabilitation centers because he did not want to deal with the difficulties associated with withdrawal from drugs. Admittedly, addiction is very difficult to cure. The good thing is it is not incurable. Miami drug rehabilitation centers are there to help. Search for them online, and you will find a lot of them. Contact Info: Author: Kevin Leonard Organization: TheRecover.com Address: 27420 Jefferson Ave, Temecula, CA 92590 Phone: (888) 510-3898 KEMP, Texas, April 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Industrial lighting leader, Larson Electronics LLC, announced the release of a 56-watt, two-lamp vapor-proof LED light with emergency battery backup for use in rugged outdoor worksites. This fixture provides much longer lamp life and higher performance than traditional fixtures and is an ideal light for off-shore applications, marine use, shopping malls, parking structures and any other outdoor locations where vapor proof lighting is required or desired. The GVP-EMG-48-2L-LED-M is an LED fixture with a battery backup, ideal for operators looking for top quality vapor proof lighting in outdoor settings. Those who wish to reduce the maintenance costs and improve lighting quality will find this unit is an ideal replacement for common fluorescent fixtures. This unit is equipped with two, 4 foot-long, 23W LED T8-Series bulbs, producing a total of 7,000 lumens with a 5600k color temperature. T8 bulbs are special solid-state LED tubes that produce the same illumination as standard fluorescent bulbs, with higher efficiency and lower draw. Additionally, this unit does not have a ballast, which reduces overall weight and slims down the profile. The vapor proof outdoor LED features an emergency battery backup that runs one bulb for 90 minutes after power is lost at 3,500 lumens. Once power is restored the lamp will recharge the battery and keep it ready for the next outage. A switched leg turns the light on and off without kicking the unit into emergency mode. The GVP-EMG-48-2L-LED-M operates on universal 110-277VAC at 50/60 Hz without modifications and is also available in a low-voltage model that runs on 12-24V AC/DC. This unit is equipped with 25 feet of 16/3 SOOW cord with choice of cord caps for safe and reliable connection and utilizes two 100-pound magnets to conveniently mount the fixture to magnetic surfaces. This light is a really versatile emergency unit for outdoor applications - from warehouse lighting, to the illumination of shipyards and marine worksites, said Rob Bresnahan, CEO of Larson Electronics LLC. The flexible magnetic mounting, makes it easy for operators to move the light around where needed, and place it anywhere that has a metallic surface. About Larson Electronics LLC: Larson Electronics LLC is a manufacturer of industrial lighting equipment and accessories. The company offers an extensive catalog of industry-grade lighting and power distribution products for the following sectors: manufacturing, construction, food processing, oil and gas, military, marine and automobile. Customers can benefit from the companys hands-on, customized approach to lighting solutions. Larson Electronics provides expedited service for quotes, customer support and shipments. For further information, please contact: Rob Bresnahan, President and CEO Toll-free: 1-800-369-6671 Phone: 214-616-6180 Fax: 903-498-3364 E-mail: sales@larsonelectronics.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/483fb9dc-7e58-4f1e-8379-c24afd4138c2 http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/1e11db47-4e3b-463f-a213-c64832a7e9b5 Lafayette College has decided to rescind an honorary degree it awarded Bill Cosby in 1996 following his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. The Easton school awarded the actor and comedian the degree in 1996 when he was the school's commencement speaker. Lafayette President Alison Byerly released a statement Friday evening announcing the decision. "In light of his conviction yesterday on multiple charges of aggravated indecent assault, the Board of Trustees has voted to revoke the honorary degree awarded to William H. Cosby in May 1996," Byerly said. Back in 2015, Lehigh University took back the honorary degree it awarded Cosby in 2004. Lehigh trustees have declined to act on campus community requests to revoke President Donald Trump's honorary degree. Lafayette joins Cosby's alma mater Temple University, which announced Friday it planned to revoke the honorary degree of one of its most famous alums. Cosby graduated from Temple but he was also awarded an honorary Temple degree in 1991 based on his career achievements. He spent 32 years on the college's Board of Trustees, finally resigning in 2014 amid accusations he'd sexually assaulted many women over decades. Through his close ties with Temple, Cosby met employee Andrea Constand, who he was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting in 2004 at his suburban Philadelphia home. This was Cosby's second trial on the charges. A previous trial resulted in a hung jury. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Saucon Valley Middle School during an open house in November 2014. Lehighvalleylive.com file photo By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com School officials across Pennsylvania are closing in on their 2018-19 budgets, which are fueled largely by the ever-controversial property tax. Voters in November approved a constitutional amendment that paves the way for a 100 percent elimination of property taxes on a homestead, or primary residence. Pennsylvania had capped the exclusion level at 50 percent since 1997. Without the constitutional change, any law to eliminate school property taxes for homeowners while keeping them for businesses could have been ruled unconstitutional, pennlive.com reports. State Sen. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe/Northampton, announced legislation April 23 to follow through on last fall's voter referendum: Senate Bill 1137 would allow local taxing bodies to exclude from taxation 100 percent of the assessed value of owner-occupied homes in 2019. To fund the expanded homestead exclusion program, the legislation would increase the personal income tax rate by 1.98 percent to 5.05 percent. "There's no free lunch here," Scavello said in a PCN call-in program that same day, alongside state Sen. Lisa Boscola. "If you get rid of a tax, you've got to find the money somewhere else." Don't Edit Don't Edit Boscola, on the show, called school districts' reliance on property taxes an antiquated system that is costing senior citizens their homes and making it hard for young people to become homeowners. "So we're clearly going in the wrong direction with how we have to fund the schools," said Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, continuing later: "Right now there's an over-reliance on homeowners in particular to pay for schools." She said any bill to eliminate school property taxes a goal she supports needs the right mix of income tax and sales tax hikes to win over 26 senators and 102 members of the state House of Representatives. Pennsylvania caps school tax increases based on what is called an Act 1 index calculation. A school district that adopts a preliminary budget with real estate taxes that exceed its index may seek approval for exceptions to increase tax rates by more than its adjusted index, according to the state Department of Education. Otherwise, voter approval is needed to exceed the cap. Don't Edit MORE: Should Pa. have an anonymous school threat reporting system? Don't Edit Efforts to eliminate property taxes are opposed by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, which says it does support "the concept of diversifying the local tax base to reduce the burden of property taxes on local property taxpayers." Referring to another bill addressing school property taxes, the "Property Tax Independence Act" (SB 76), the association says: "The plan is being touted as a victory for homeowners and a better way of funding public education, but the truth is that it is not a panacea for taxpayers or school districts. Instead, the elimination of the property tax merely serves to create additional, higher tax burdens for other taxpayers and destabilize funding for public education." In addition to property taxes, school districts also levy Act 511 taxes on earned income and real estate transfers. But it is the property tax that is the workhorse of funding education across Pennsylvania's 500 school districts. Don't Edit Don't Edit Here is a glance at all of Northampton County's public school districts' preliminary budgets for 2018-19, focusing on total expenditures, property taxes and the schedule leading up to school board final budget adoptions before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. The 2017-18 property tax rates are from the county's ncpub.org website. Don't Edit Bangor Area School District Proposed preliminary budget: Unavailable. Proposed property tax rate: Unavailable. "Our administrative team is still in the process of reviewing our revenues, expenditures and property tax figures for the preliminary budget adoption in May, so I think it's premature to quote any numbers at this time," district Business Manager Mark Schiavone said in an email Thursday. 2017-18 tax rate: 54.757 mills. That generates a bill of $4,107 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Approval schedule: The board is scheduled to vote May 22 on the preliminary budget followed by final approval June 26. Communities served: Bangor, East Bangor, Portland and Roseto and the townships of Lower Mount Bethel, Upper Mount Bethel and Washington. Don't Edit Bethlehem Area School District Proposed preliminary budget: $281,979,160 (as of March) Proposed property tax rate: Unavailable. The district expects to remain under its Act 1 index, ideally with an increase of 2.5 percent or less, said Stacy Gober, Bethlehem Area schools chief financial officer and school board secretary. 2017-18 tax rate: 54.55 mills. That generates a bill of $4,091 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Approval schedule: Following the budget workshop, tentative final budget adoption is scheduled May 14 followed by final adoption June 18. Communities served (in Northampton County): Bethlehem, Freemansburg and the townships of Bethlehem and Hanover. Don't Edit Catasauqua Area School District Proposed budget: $31,260,448 (as of Feb. 13) Proposed property tax rate (in Northampton County): 57.726 mills. That would generate a bill of $4,329 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: Up 2.23 percent from 56.4678. Approval schedule: The proposed final budget is up for a vote May 8, followed by final budget adoption June 12. Communities served (in Northampton County): North Catasauqua. Don't Edit Easton Area School District Proposed budget: $155,300,000 Proposed property tax rate: 63.09 mills. That would generate a bill of $4,732 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: Up 0.6 percent from 62.71 mills. Approval schedule: The school board gave its preliminary budget approval April 17, with member Jodi Hess opposed and Tina Rosado, Thomas Guth Jr. and Robert Fehnel absent. Final adoption of the budget is scheduled May 22. Communities served: Easton and the townships of Forks, Lower Mount Bethel (portion) and Palmer townships. Don't Edit Don't Edit Nazareth Area School District Proposed budget: $88,605,988 Proposed property tax rate: 54.52 mills. That would generate a bill of $4,089 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: Up 2.35 percent from 53.268 mills. Approval schedule: Final adoption by the school board is scheduled May 21. Communities served: Nazareth, Stockertown and Tatamy and the townships of Bushkill, Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth. Don't Edit Northampton Area School District Proposed preliminary budget: $107,532,563 Proposed property tax rate: 54.83. That would generate a bill of $4,112 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: Up 3.9 percent from 52.77 mills. Approval schedule: The proposed budget will be presented to the school board May 7, with final adoption scheduled June 11. Communities served: Bath, Chapman and Northampton and the townships of Allen, East Allen, Lehigh and Moore. Don't Edit Northern Lehigh School District Proposed preliminary budget: Unavailable. Proposed property tax rate: Unavailable. "We will not be approving our proposed final until May 14th," district Co-Director of Business Affairs/Human Resources Sherri Molitoris said in an email Thursday. "We do not file for extensions therefore do not approve the first round of our budget until May. After board approval on May 14th that information will be on our website." 2017-18 tax rate: 61.811 mills. That generates a bill of $4,636 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Communities served (in Northampton County): Walnutport Don't Edit Pen Argyl Area School District Proposed preliminary budget: Unavailable. Proposed property tax rate: 54.99 mills. That would generate a bill of $4,124 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: Up 3.09 percent from 53.34 mills. Approval schedule: Final adoption is scheduled for June 26. Communities served: Pen Argyl, Wind Gap and Plainfield Township. Don't Edit Saucon Valley School District Proposed preliminary budget: $46,167,192. Proposed property tax rate: 53.03 mills. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: No change. The 53.03 millage rate generates a bill of $3,977 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Approval schedule: The district set a deadline of May 31 to adopt the proposed final budget. Communities served: Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township. Don't Edit Don't Edit Wilson Area School District Proposed preliminary budget: $40,774,143 Proposed property tax rate: 57.53 mills. That would generate a tax bill of $4,315 on a $150,000 house assessed for tax purposes at $75,000. Change from 2017-18 tax rate: Up 3.09 percent from 55.805 mills. Approval schedule: Adoption of the proposed final budget is scheduled for May 7, followed by adoption of the final 2018-19 budget June 18. Communities served: Glendon, West Easton and Wilson and Williams Township. Don't Edit Editor's note: This article was changed from its original version to correct the communities served by the Saucon Valley School District and to include newly provided information from the Bethlehem and Wilson area school districts. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Phillipsburg's Union Square, the town's historic gateway to and from Pennsylvania, hasn't been an actual square for decades. As its landmark buildings deteriorated or were claimed by fire, other uses sprouted -- a gas station and eateries, framed by older buildings on the east side of South Main Street. Instead of growing as a destination, as Downtown Easton has over the last two decades, Union Square became a pass-through for motorists, with services geared toward commuters. A place to get to ... to get to someplace else. Town officials have tried to jump-start the revitalization of Union Square and the rest of the business district along South Main Street, with limited success. Parking remains a big problem. Interest from developers, almost nil. That could be changing. Last week the Phillipsburg planning board gave its blessing to a plan to redevelop the square and several blocks on either side of it -- an ambitious undertaking that envisions three- and four-story multi-use buildings with built-in parking, floodproofed to withstand the occasional rise of the Delaware River. What separates this plan from previous ones is Phillipsburg's eligibility for a federal Opportunity Zone, an incentive that could lure developers with cuts in capital gains taxes on property improvements over a 10-year period. The town was approved for inclusion in the tax forgiveness program by Gov. Phil Murphy. "The riverfront is that mustard-seed that is going to start the redevelopment and bring people back to town," Mayor Stephen Ellis said. The Opportunity Zone extends well beyond Union Square to acreage north and south along the Delaware River. Another big leap is the town's willingness to acquire existing properties and remove them to make way for Victorian-themed buildings, recreating the sense of a square where the Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge meets South Main Street. That may require the condemnation of land through eminent domain. If so, it must be coupled with relocation expenses for businesses and residents, as well as property settlements. The first phase of the plan focuses on riverfront land near the Route 22 bridge, with a proposed hotel and perhaps a tourism draw, such as a Ferris wheel. Farther south the plan calls for raised boardwalks and open areas that could be used for farmers markets. The plans are conceptual at this point, town planner Angela Knowles says, designed to suggest ideas to developers and let them hone them into final plans. It's encouraging that some Union Square property owners are viewing the plan as an opportunity. Tricia Kobble, whose family has owned businesses on the square since the 1930s, has endorsed the plan, which calls for a complete redesign. That includes removal of her family's gas station on the south side of the square. For years, Phillipsburg and Easton officials have talked about capitalizing on a cross-river economy connected by a walkable bridge. That bond looks stronger today. For years, Allentown officials talked about using tax incentives to create a new waterfront community. It's no longer a blueprint -- it's happening. Phillipsburg now has the tax tools and plans to carry out its own vision, coupling a rich history with thoughtful design and modern financing. Union Square, where Phillipsburg began, is a good place to start. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday again demanded the removal of Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a company owned by him were a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest", charges dismissed as "baseless and malicious" by the BJP. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal Group which has interests in the renewable energy sector. Pawan cited company filings of Piramal Estates Private Limited to make the claims. Piramal Estates Private Limited refuted the charges made by the Congress. Suspects in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Alexander Mervin will face murder charges in court this week after one suspect was caught and the second suspect was already in custody in an unrelated matter, Boston police said. Boston Police's Fugitive Apprehension Unit arrested 19-year-old Jerion Moore of Stoughton Saturday in connection with the Jan. 11 fatal shooting of Mervin in Roxbury. "I want to commend and thank my Homicide Detectives for the hard work and driven dedication to justice that led to the arrest of the suspect in this case," Boston Police William Evans said in a statement. "The long hours and meticulous attention to detail as it relates to homicide investigations cannot be understated. Thanks to their work, a dangerous felon is behind bars and our community is safer as a result. More than anything else, it is my sincere hope that news of today's arrest brings with it some small measure of comfort and closure to the family and friends of Alexander Mervin." Investigators identified 18-year-old Nicholas Sicellon of Dorchester as the second suspect in the killing. He is currently in custody on an unrelated matter, police said. Both suspects will face charges in Roxbury District Court. Officers heard gunfire while on foot patrol in the area of 31 Whittier St. in Roxbury on Jan. 11 around 1:46 p.m. "Officers immediately ran towards the scene and promptly located a male victim in his early 20's suffering from apparent gunshot wounds," police said. The victim was later identified as Mervin, a resident of Revere. He died at a local hospital after the shooting. AMHERST - One person suffered burns and smoke inhalation and 20 others were displaced in a fire that damaged a multi-family home on Main Street early Sunday. The fire started at about 2:55 a.m. in a six-unit building at 258 Main St. When firefighters arrived there were flames coming from the third story, Amherst Fire Chief Tim Nelson said. Firefighters entered the building and found one victim on the third floor and carried him to safety. They swept the remaining apartments to ensure everyone else had escaped while others started pouring water on the fire, he said. Residents were alerted to the fire by smoke detectors so most were able to leave safely, Nelson said. "It was one of those nightmare situations. You have multiple floors and multiple occupants and they are college kids and it is 3 in the morning. It is a worst case scenario," Nelson said. The problem with college students is firefighters are not sure if everyone was home at the time of the fire or if some of the occupants had guests, he said. Firefighters were still able to track everyone down to ensure no one else was trapped or injured in the building, he said. The one man injured was brought to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and then transferred to the Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital. His condition was not immediately known, Nelson said. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the flames. They remain on the scene Sunday morning, cleaning up and securing the building, he said. The fire started on the third floor and was mostly contained to the right side apartment, which was gutted. The left side apartment had some smoke damage and there was water damage to the rest of the building, he said. All the residents were students from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. College officials are working with the students to find temporary housing for the for the rest of the semester, Nelson said. Firefighters from Pelham, Northampton, Belchertown and Hadley assisted at the scene and South Hadley firefighters covered the station and other calls. The South County Ambulance Department also assisted, he said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Amherst fire examiners and the State Fire Marshal's office, Nelson said. Law enforcement officials who captured the man accused of fatally shooting a Maine sheriff's deputy used the slain deputy's handcuffs to place him in custody, authorities said. Fox News reports Somerset County Sheriff's Office officials confirmed the handcuffs of Corporal Eugene Cole were used by the team of officers who arrested Williams Saturday. Williams, 29, was caught Saturday around 12:43 p.m. at a camp located in Maine, authorities said. The manhunt for Williams began on Wednesday after Maine State Police say he shot and killed Cole and stole his cruiser. More than 200 law enforcement officers from 28 different agencies helped search for Williams. Fox News reported that Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster "felt that it was fitting" for Cole's handcuffs to be used to secure Williams. Records show Williams was supposed to be in Haverhill District Court the day of the shooting. Williams was arraigned on March 22 on gun charges after he drove off the road and was arrested by Massachusetts State Police on firearms charges. His bail was set at $7,500, but after a March 28 bail review hearing, the amount was reduced to $5,000. A disbarred Massachusetts lawyer who stole $60,000 from his wife's nurse and used some of the cash to buy Boston Red Sox season tickets was sentenced to federal prison for defrauding a group of people out of money. John Silvia Jr., 68, of Somerset was sentenced to serve 57 months by a federal judge in Boston Friday. He will be on supervised release for two years and was ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution. Silvia was convicted on 17 counts of mail, wire and securities fraud during trials in 2016 and 2017. He was also convicted on witness tampering and structuring cash transactions charges. Authorities said Silvia sold ownership interests in Advanced Space Monitor (ASM), when, in reality, he did not have the right to do so. He created a fake "Subscription Agreement" that purportedly gave him the right to receive and sell shares in ASM. The U.S. Attorney's Office said he cut and pasted the signature of the company's founder on the document as well. The disbarred lawyer stole more than $300,000 from family members and friends, authorities said. "One victim was a nurse caring for his wife, whom Silvia convinced to invest $60,000 in a real estate venture and an alleged "performance bond." In reality, however, Silvia used the money for personal expenses, including to pay for his portion of Red Sox season tickets and an interest in a Marriott timeshare," authorities said. Silvia promised the victim the money would be returned with interest, but he had spent the money. Silvia then collected $70,000 and attempted to pay off the victim before she testified against him at trial. Silvia, who was licensed to practice law in Massachusetts in 1975, has been disbarred since 2003. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declined to say whether he would debate controversial pastor Scott Lively as the two head into a GOP primary in September 2018. Baker on Saturday gained the endorsement of GOP state convention delegates, but also picked up a GOP challenger when Lively cleared the 15 percent threshold and qualified for the primary ballot. At the state convention inside Worcester's DCU Center, Baker, a moderate Republican, picked up 69.7 percent of delegates, while Lively, an anti-gay activist, received 26.7 percent. "I'm more interested in the 70 percent of the delegates who supported my message and supported our administration," Baker said when talking to reporters after the voting wrapped up. When a reporter noted Lively's positions, Baker said, "Look, there's no place and no point in public life, in any life, for a lot of the things Scott Lively says and believes. Okay? And that's why I'm pleased that 7 out of 10 delegates in that convention chose us as their nominees." Baker declined to discuss why nearly 27 percent of delegates at the GOP convention voted for Lively. "Look I can't get into the minds of people who made decisions to support us or support anybody else," Baker said. "But I can tell you that Scott Lively, a lot of what he says and a lot of what he believes doesn't belong in public discourse." When asked whether he would debate Lively, Baker said, "Look, Monday, I go back to my job as governor and there about 50 days left in the legislative session, and we have about 20 different pieces of legislation that are really important us that we have to figure out a way to get through that process between now and the end of the session. I'm going to go back and focus on my job." Lively, a supporter of President Donald Trump while Baker has sought distance between his administration and the Trump White House, claimed Baker was taking credit for a booming economy that is the result of a Trump presidency. Ripping into Baker, Lively told the crowd there is "one man in this nation responsible for the economic miracle...that's our president Donald Trump." Baker taking credit on the economy amounts to "stolen valor," Lively said. Asked about Lively's remarks, Baker said sharply, "I didn't hear his speech." SPRINGFIELD - A woman was struck by a bullet which ricocheted through the car she was driving early Sunday morning. The woman was treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for her injury. She is listed in stable condition, said Ryan Walsh, Springfield Police spokesman. The shooting happened at 2:37 a.m. in the area between 1 and 100 Silver Street, he said. It is not a random shooting. The victim's name was not released, Walsh said. Police are investigating the incident. Walsh did not release any more information about the shooting. HOLYOKE -- The public schools will expand a home-visits program where staff spend time in the poorest households to assess families' needs. Nearly 10 families of children who attend Morgan School, 596 South Bridge St., have benefited from the program and a $25,000 state grant will add home visits to nine families of students who attend Kelly School, 216 West St., a press release said. Nearly a third of the population of this city of about 40,000 lives in poverty, according to federal guidelines, and many are Latino for whom English is not their first language. Information about the program is based on a press release from the Holyoke public schools and a list of questions from The Republican answered by officials. The Parent-Child Home Program Expansion provides funding for visits to families challenged by poverty, little education, language barriers, homelessness and other factors that can affect success in school. The program is under the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, the press release said. "More specifically, this funding supports and strengthens parents' skills in enhancing their children's cognitive development and school readiness," the press release said. In Holyoke, the program is geared to families whose children have yet to enter school, to help in preparing them to develop language skills to participate in pre-school programs, the press release said. "Morgan School has operated the program in the South Holyoke neighborhood for several years and the participating children who are now in pre-school there are excelling," public schools' spokeswoman Judy Taylor said in an email. Like the current program, the expansion will involve working with community groups to identify families with the greatest needs, the press release said. Each family in the program gets 23 home visits. Staff members use games, toys and books to help parents and children to improve language skills. Families get orientations about preschool and how to observe behavior and developmental progress in their children, the press release said. "We are excited to grow the Parent-Child Program in Holyoke as its impact has been significant in providing our families the skills and knowledge to support their child's early literacy development," Stephen K. Zrike, state-appointed receiver managing the Holyoke public schools, said in the press release. "This family-to-family outreach is empowering for parents and children and has been a positive factor in increasing literacy in our children's lives,"state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, said in the press release. A crash in Worcester Sunday morning sent one SUV into a building, leaving a 39-year-old man trapped inside. Officers were called to the intersection of Chandler and Piedmont streets around 2:10 a.m. Sunday for a report of a crash with a possible fight at the scene. "Officers arrived on scene to find a large, unruly crowd surrounding two seriously damaged vehicles," police said. A 39-year-old man was found trapped in a 2011 gold Nissan Murano. The Nissan had crashed into the side of 133 Chandler St., causing major damage to the building. Worcester firefighters were called to the scene and were able to free the man, according to Worcester police. A gold 2002 Toyota Avalon was also involved in the crash. The Toyota had heavy damage. "Witnesses said that the driver of the Toyota fled after the accident," police said. "A passenger in the Toyota was located and brought to the hospital." Authorities said the Nissan was traveling west on Chandler Street and the Toyota was traveling north on Piedmont Street when they crashed in the westbound lanes on Chandler Street. The investigation is ongoing. Everyone involved in the crash is expected to live. Investigators are looking for the driver of the Toyota. Anyone with information about this incident, can send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send an anonymous web-based message at worcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at 508-799-8651. Made in Massachusetts is an ongoing feature taking you inside the products made right here in the Bay State and the people who make them. _____________ If there isn't a 110 Grill location near you, there probably will be soon. At just 3 and a half years old, the company is expanding rapidly. It has 13 locations across Massachusetts and New Hampshire and plans to open 10 more in the coming year, including a restaurant in downtown Worcester at the epicenter of the city's downtown renaissance, City Square. "We're looking to expand into markets that we believe are underdeveloped for restaurants," Chief Operating Officer Ryan Dion said, adding 110 Grill is the only restaurant in the town of Hopkinton. "There's no set location market we're going to, we're looking for great opportunities with developers with limited competition." The restaurant group describes itself as "modern American cuisine in a trendy casual atmosphere." Every location has an outdoor patio with fire pits and TIKI torches, and inside, diners will find 110's signature U-shaped bar with 16 craft and local beers on tap. "We realized we want to do something a little bit more unique, a little bit cooler than what we find out there with our competition," Dion said. "We want our food, ambiance to be approachable and at a price point that can appeal to everybody. I look at it like a little bit better than what you'd find at casual dining but at a little bit higher quality." Dion, 37, started working in the restaurant industry as a server during college and never left. He partnered with developer Robert Walker in September 2014 to create the 110 Grill restaurant group. They took over a small restaurant on Route 110 in Chelmsford and expanded from there. Each location has several different types of seating - a 30-seat bar and high-top lounge tables, a main dining room with tables and booths, a private dining room and an outdoor patio. The Marlboro location was bustling with activity shortly after opening its doors for lunch on Thursday afternoon. Customers -- many of whom were dressed in business casual attire -- gathered for drinks at the bar or at high top tables in front of the restaurant's open kitchen. Behind the counter, bartenders mixed the restaurant's signature peach Arnold Palmer cocktails and City Lights Cosmos, while cooks served up warm plates of nachos smothered in barbecue sauce and seared cucumber and avocado tuna. The restaurant's open kitchen concept allows diners at nearby high-top booths to watch food being made - a feature that Dion said is very popular among customers. "Because you're up higher, you can watch every part of the cooking experience, it's really exciting to see all of the action," he said. Elliot Williams, director of culinary, added that the arrangement allows customers to see just how fresh the ingredients are. "You do it just to give the guest the experience of physically watching their food get made - it's almost like dinner and a show in a sense," he said. When it comes to drinks, Executive Beverage Manager James Adams said less is more. "When it comes to creating any cocktail, we're not trying to recreate the wheel, it's basically new and innovative twists to make it a 110-style cocktail," he said, adding the restaurant makes a lot of its own syrups and adds fun garnishes. Dion attributes the brand's instant success to its passionate employees that "live and breathe" the company's culture, as well as the company's commitment to customers with allergies. The restaurant's entire menu is available gluten-free. "That's very rare in the restaurant industry," he said. "We take allergies very seriously." Although the chain's expansion since 2014 has been rapid, it's about to kick in high gear. 110 plans to open 10 locations this year throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, and Dion said he expects 2019 to be very similar. New Massachusetts locations in Holyoke, Wrentham and Woburn will open this spring and summer and the chain is planning late summer and fall openings for Albany and Latham, New York locations. 110 Grill chose Worcester as one of its newest locations because of the downtown's recent renaissance. The restaurant is connected to the AC Marriott hotel, which opened last week, and is just down the street from 365 new luxury apartments at 145 Front. The city has been in the midst of a renaissance of dining, development and culture spurred by both public and private developments throughout the city, but concentrated on downtown. Several blocks away on North Main Street, Armsby Abbey and deadhorse hill have created a "We truly believe Worcester is an up and coming area," Dion said. The 7,000-square-foot location is set to open May 22. "It makes me more productive to actually have an official place to go work," Lightner said. "I get to the studio, Im focused and I choose what I want to do." Hers is one of 11 artist spaces in Billings Open Studio, which has formed a business around its available square footage. And business is stable for the niche market, which targets artists who are far enough past the "starving" phase to move into a work space of their own. By MATT HUDSON [email protected] http://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/a-room-of-one-s-own-affordable-artist-studios-are/article_20209103-21a0-5aa7-b470-fbff317364a8.html Lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday that will expand the Tennessee Promise program that launched in 2014. It made tuition and fees free for recent high school graduates enrolled in a community college or technical school. Now, adults who dont already have an associates or bachelors degree can go for free, too, starting in the 2018 fall semester. by Katie Lobosco @KatieLobosco http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/11/pf/college/tennessee-free-community-college/index.html PFL Tech Inc. is a marketing technology company that provides sales enablement and marketing automation solutions, as well asprinting, mailing, and fulfillment services. They also provide some great Montana Jobs. This year Philipsburg is celebrating its 150-year anniversary. And to honor the sesquicentennial, Jim Jenner, Philipsburg resident and former president of the towns Rotary Club, is creating a documentary called "Saving the Burg" that chronicles the towns Cinderella story. "The Philipsburg recipe for longevity is a mixture of hope, resilience, tenacity, community, versatility and faith." ANNIE PENTILLA [email protected] http://mtstandard.com/news/local/focusing-on-philipsburg-documentary-to-depict-revitalization-of-historic-mining/article_6ece4bfa-e18a-587d-82f0-f0894d3e92c9.html#tracking-source=home-top-stories Article 149 of the Armenian Constitution, about the election and appointment of the prime minister, envisages that within a seven-day period of accepting the Governments resignation in case of the Prime Minister submitting a resignation or the office of the Prime Minister becoming vacant, the factions of the National Assembly shall have the right to nominate candidates for the Prime Minister. The National Assembly shall elect the Prime Minister by majority vote of the total number of parliamentarians. If a Prime Minister is not elected, a new election of the prime minister shall be held seven days after the vote, in which the prime-minister candidates nominated by at least one third of the total number of parliamentarians may take part. If a Prime Minister is not elected by majority vote of the total number of parliamentarians, the National Assembly shall be dissolved by virtue of law. The election of the Prime Minister shall be conducted by open vote. The President of the Republic shall immediately appoint as Prime Minister the candidate elected by the National Assembly. A special session of the Armenian National Assembly will be convened on May 1. According to statements made by the Yelk, ARF, and Tsarukyan parliamentary factions, they are going to vote in favor of Nikol Pashinyans candidacy (not officially nominated yet). This amounts to 47 out of 105 MPs voting for Pashinyan. However, in order to be elected, Pashinyan needs at least 53 votes. Citizens are actively discussing whether the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) will vote for Nikol Pashinyan or will boycott the parliamentary elections, hoping for snap parliamentary elections. However, even if Pashinyan is elected on May 1, Article 151 of the Constitution allows for another chance to dismiss the parliament. It says: 1. Within a 20-day period of the formation of the Government, the Prime Minister shall present to the National Assembly the program of the Government. 2. The National Assembly shall approve the Program of the Government within a seven-day period by majority vote of the total number of parliamentarians. 3. If the National Assembly does not approve the Program of the Government and does not elect a new Prime Minister in accordance with Paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 149 of the Constitution, then the National Assembly shall be dissolved by virtue of law. If the National Assembly elects the Prime Minister, but once again does not approve the Program of the Government, the National Assembly shall be dissolved by virtue of law. The deadline for parliamentary factions to nominate a candidate for prime minister expires tomorrow, April 30, at 18:00. Tigran Avinyan, spokesperson for the Civil Contract party, told us that Nikol Pashinyans candidacy would be officially submitted to the parliament today on behalf of the Yelk Alliance faction. Arsen Babayan, Head of the Media and Public Relations Department of the National Assembly, said that the nominations would be tallied as soon as the nomination period expired. Photo: Narek Aleksanyan ALLEN PARK -- The draft is over, which means teams are lighting up the phone lines to pounce on the top undrafted rookies in the country. That's always an important step in the roster building process, and the Lions carried a few last year, including running back Tion Green, defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga, defensive end Alex Barrett and offensive lineman Storm Norton. With that, here's the list of players who are expected to sign with Detroit according to various reporters. Reminder: These are agreements, not contracts, so it's nonbinding. We'll continue to update this post throughout the night. Offensive line John Montelus (Virginia) Brett Kendrick (Tennessee) Receiver Michael Ford (Southeast Missouri State) Teo Redding (Bowling Green State) Brandon Powell (Florida) Tight end Deandre Goolsby (Florida) Defensive back Chris Jones (Nebraska) Antwuan Davis (Texas) Amari Coleman (Central Michigan) Anthony Sherrils (Missouri) Linebacker Chard Meredith (Southeast Missouri State) Al-Rasheed Benton (West Virginia) Defensive line JoJo Wicker (Arizona State) Michael Hill (Ohio State) Josh Fatu (USC) Punter Ryan Santosa (Minnesota) ANN ARBOR, MI - As the debate over the downtown Y Lot continues and Ann Arbor considers repurchasing it, city and library officials are having conversations about its potential future. One idea that's come up is building a new downtown library on the Y Lot, across Fifth Avenue from the current downtown library. Mayor Christopher Taylor and Jamie Vander Broek, Ann Arbor District Library board president, both said in recent interviews they think it's an interesting idea and one worth exploring. "The library is an incredibly vital and important part of the community, but their current building has real limitations, real problems," Taylor said. "I want to make sure, as we consider our options for the Y Lot, that we have the flexibility to work together with respected local partners to build a better downtown - for everyone." Right now, it's just a thought and not yet an actual proposal or anything the Ann Arbor District Library is actively pursuing. But one idea that's come up is having a new library be part of a mixed-use development on the Y Lot, taking up the lower levels in a building that also could include new apartments on upper levels. Taylor, along with City Council Member Zachary Ackerman, is co-sponsoring a proposed resolution that lays out a vision for affordable and workforce housing on the Y Lot, saying also that the city "may explore options with interested users to dedicate the ground level and levels immediately above and below for public-use purposes and partner with a developer to incorporate these uses." Vander Broek said the library board is still having talks about the future of the downtown library and is still gathering information and not ready to make any decisions. But she thinks it's worth having further conversations about the idea of a new library on the Y Lot. "It's a really interesting idea and it's not one I would have thought of on my own, but it presents a lot of positive qualities, I think, that remaining in our existing space might not give us," she said. Vander Broek said one of the AADL's considerations has been how to continue operating the downtown library if it undergoes a renovation. Building a new library across the street on the Y Lot would allow the current space to function while construction takes place. If that happened, what would become of the current library property is another question yet to be answered. The Ann Arbor District Library put a $65 million bond proposal for a new downtown library at its current site on the ballot in November 2012, but it was voted down. It had about 45 percent support. The current library was built in the 1950s and added onto in the 1970s and 1990s. The AADL has been weighing options for updating the library to better accommodate the number of patrons and types of activities it hosts, saying the types of spaces needed in a library have changed. Aging infrastructure in the current building also is a concern. O'Neal Construction conducted an assessment of the downtown library in 2017, which was presented to the library board in November. The assessment outlined four scenarios for looking at the future of the downtown library in its current location, with options for renovating or rebuilding ranging from $10.4 million to $62.5 million. The AADL had an EPIC-MRA phone survey conducted in February, interviewing 500 residents in the Ann Arbor school district. The results presented to the library board in March showed a majority would support a millage proposal for an improved downtown library with expanded usable space. Without mentioning a millage rate amount or what it would cost taxpayers, 51 percent said they would vote yes and 3 percent said they were leaning toward yes, while 27 percent said they would vote no and 3 percent said they were leaning toward no. Another 5 percent were undecided and 9 percent said it depends. Those who weren't a solid yes vote were given a followup question that included information describing the renovation history of the downtown library. With that, the percentage of solid yes votes for an unspecified millage climbed to 59 percent, while another 3 percent said they were leaning toward yes. About 25 percent still said they would vote no, while 2 percent said they were leaning toward no, 3 percent were undecided and 7 percent said it depends. Vander Broek said she doesn't think the downtown library needs to be much bigger than it is now, but library officials are talking about the kind of space desired for programs and events. "I feel there is consensus that the library doesn't adequately physically represent the institution that's operating inside it," Vander Broek said of the current space. "We want to see a really exciting flagship downtown space for the library, but how we go about doing that we're really still in the middle of those conversations." As part of Record Store Day, the downtown library recently hosted a pop-up record fair with music, a documentary screening, and vendors slinging used records and music-related gear. Vander Broek said about 2,800 people came to the library for Record Store Day, which she called a good example of bringing the community together. "The space needs to be thought about as an answer to what we want to do in it," she said of the future of the downtown library. "Right now it's kind of upside down and backwards where we have a space that was designed to hold lots of books. And now we want to have lots of books, but we want to do things like Record Store Day. So, what we need, I think, going forward is a space that's going to allow us to do what we want to do now, to be responsive and visionary for the community, but then what we're going to want to do in 25 years, too." The city is in the process of finalizing a purchase agreement with Chicago-based developer Core Spaces for a high-rise development on the Library Lot, just to the north of the downtown library, while a grassroots group of citizens is fighting to stop it and hopes to put a proposal on the November ballot for a downtown park there. Whatever happens on the two parking lots that now sit to the west and north of the downtown library, known as the Y Lot and the Library Lot, Vander Broek said she hopes it creates more vibrancy and activity surrounding the downtown library. The City Council is meeting again on Tuesday, May 1, to consider its options for possibly repurchasing the Y Lot from Dennis Dahlmann, who bought the property from the city four years ago as part of a deal to redevelop it by April 2018. Dahlmann, who never developed it and blames the city for it, is now suing the city over it. The library board is planning to continue discussions about the future of the downtown library at its annual retreat from 4:30-9 p.m. May 23 at the at Westgate Branch Library, 2503 Jackson Ave. The meeting is open to the public. At a campaign rally in front of thousands of attendees, President Donald Trump spent a chunk of his speech taking aim at Democrats, particularly Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Trump, who spoke in Macomb County's Washington Township, noted he signed onto a $700-billion U.S. military budget and attacked Democrats for not caring "about our military" or borders. "I don't think they they care much about crime. We are getting rid of MS-13 in record numbers. The liberal politicians who support criminal aliens...they support them over, far over American citizens...Nancy Pelosi and her gang. They've got to be voted out of office," he said during the 80 minute speech Saturday night. "And you've got a senator in Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow. She voted against tax cuts. She votes against borders...she wants people to flow through the country, and you people just keep putting her back again." Tax cuts were a prominent topic during his speech, and one supporters were hoping to hear. But it was also a topic he did not refrain from mentioning that Stabenow "voted against" it. "If the Democrats get in, they're gonna take the tax cuts away. They're gonna raise the taxes to a much higher level," Trump said. "Debbie Stabenow is one of the leaders for weak borders. A vote for a Democrat in November is a vote for open borders and crime, it's very simple..it's also a vote for much higher taxes. It's also a vote for be careful of your Second Amendment." The president also discussed Chrysler moving its Mexico plant to Michigan, which is expected to bring several thousands of jobs to the state. "The cars are coming back to Michigan, the plants are coming back, they're being expanded," Trump said. "They build the cars in Mexico, they sell them across the border. No tax. We lose the jobs. How did anybody let this happen? Guess what, not happening anymore, folks." Trump also boasted that previous presidents have not done the amount of work his administration has in his first year of office, and particularly pointed at the Soo Locks, in Sault Ste. Marie. "Do you know what the Soo Locks are? Well, the Soo Locks are going to hell. We're gonna get them fixed up, he said. "We're gonna start that as soon as I get back," adding he'll call the the Army Corps of Engineers on Sunday to fix them. "It hasn't been fixed in 50 years. After spending all that money in the Middle East, we cant fix a lock." Stabenow, for her part, has long advocated for stronger federal investment in the Soo Locks. "Michigan families are tired of political attacks. Instead they want results, and that's exactly what Senator Stabenow has done by restoring every penny of President Trump's cuts to Great Lakes funding and leading the bipartisan effort to upgrade the Soo Locks," a Stabenow spokesperson said in an email. LAKE ORION, MI -- LakeVille senior Breanna Wells hugged her friends tightly before running out of the Paint Creek Country Club to call her mom on Saturday night, April 28, in Lake Orion. "Mom, I'm prom queen!" Wells shouted into the phone. "Okay, go back to bed." Wells was one of nearly 200 LakeVille High School students and guests who attended. Other prom royalty included senior Seth Burwell and juniors Megan Cicalo and Collin Harris. With a theme of "Old Hollywood," students danced through multi-colored strobe lights to the music of Cardi B, Drake and a number of other hip-hop, country and Top 40 artists. The prom also featured photos, a photo booth and an ice cream sundae bar. The Flint Journal and MLive.com are photographing the special moments from proms across Genesee County, including Burton Bendle and Swartz Creek from last weekend and more throughout the state. Have a look at MLive's prom coverage here. MONTCALM COUNTY, MI -- Dr. Steven Edward Scranton, a Grand Rapids area doctor accused of inappropriately touching patients, has been found dead in Montcalm County state game area near his vehicle. Police say foul play is not suspected and it appears he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The body was found Saturday, April 28. In a media alert Friday, police said Scranton was reportedly suicidal and left his Cannon Township home on Wednesday, April 25 with a rifle. Kent County sheriff's deputies issued a "missing person" alert Friday and asked for help to locate him. Scranton was out of bond awaiting trial on sex-assault allegations. He faced one charge of second-degree criminal-sexual conduct, a 15-year felony, and two charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a high-court two-year misdemeanor, but was considering a plea deal. The alleged victims said Scranton touched their breasts while undergoing treatment at Westbrook Recovery Center, which treats drug and alcohol addiction. Police on Saturday morning received a tip on the possible location of Scranton's vehicle, a gray 2015 Dodge Ram Longhorn, a four-door truck with an extended cab. The exact state game area was not stated by police. Montcalm County sheriff's deputies went to the location and found the vehicle. "A short time later Dr. Scranton was located deceased a short distance from where the vehicle was located," police said in a release. Ahead of President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Macomb County's Washington Township, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said the two will discuss policies, such as tax cuts and bringing jobs to Michigan. Schuette, a Republican gubernatorial candidate called the Saturday night stop a "Trump-Schuette rally," in a press briefing before the event, adding Trump has supported his campaign for governor. Trump was expected to speak at 7 p.m. "The president is a very detailed guy. He knows who is with him ... and who deserted and cut and run. I'm delighted he came here to help my campaign," Schuette said. "I'm the only guy in the country that has received two tweets from the president. "I'm thrilled by it. It's a big day for Bill Schuette." Schuette also took aim at Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, his opponent in the primary race, noting he "deserted" Trump during the campaign. Calley, who did not attend Trump's rally, fired back at Schuette in a press release saying: "The truth is Schuette worked to defeat President Trump in the GOP primary and repeatedly undermined his campaign against Hillary Clinton," the release said. "Any criticism of Brian Calley's support for President Trump will simply be another example of Bill Schuette's hypocrisy. Schuette will say or do anything to get elected." Thousands of Trump supporters waited in line hours early to hear the president speak. Many, including Schuette, were anxious to hear Trump speak about immigration. "You need to have a hopeful immigration policy, and a welcoming immigration policy," Schuette said. "We need to make sure we secure our borders and we have legal rules to follow." A few hours before President Donald Trump was set to speak, his supporters flooded the fields of Macomb County's Washington Township in the hopes of hearing him speak. Much like Trump's past campaign rallies in Michigan, thousands of people descended upon the area, traversing large fields and buzzing with excitement in support of the president. Several hope to hear Trump speak about immigration, tax cuts and even North Korea. One supporter drove from Chicago to hear him speak for the first time. "I'm 60 years old - I don't know if I'm going to get another president I like as much in my lifetime," said Christine Lapp. "The last one for me was Reagan." "My number one issue would be immigration. I'm really not one to scream build the wall,' but I really would like him to. I think that would solve a lot of additional problems we have in this country, including education and crime. If immigration gets straightened out, a lot of things get straightened out." Thousands of supporters flock to President Trump rally, others protest 69 Gallery: Thousands of supporters flock to President Trump rally, others protest Lapp's sister, Cathleen McDonald, said she felt Trump "lifted the shade on the corruption in Washington and the media, adding its "fantastic" that he skipped the White House correspondents dinner honoring White House journalists. "I think they're so incredibly unprofessional towards him...most of them," McDonald said. Also present was Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Bill Schuette, who categorized the rally as a "Trump-Schuette rally" in support of his campaign, despite his name not appearing on event literature. Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who also is running for governor as a Republican, did not attend Saturday's rally. Trump had previously tweeted his support of Schuette in the governors race. A few dozen protesters from a coalition of groups, including By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), Stop Trump Ann Arbor and Refuse Facism, greeted those coming in with signs like "Trump Must Go" and "Stop Trump's Deportations. Jessica Prozinski of Stop Trump Ann Arbor said Trump's appearance in Macomb County is "our opportunity to take a stand for decency." "We're determined to fight Trump and what he represents every step of the way," she said. "We're outnumbered here today, but we know we're the majority." Trump is scheduled to speak at 7 pm MLive reporter Dana Afana contributed to this report JACKSON, MI -- Vandercook Lake High School went to prom 2018 at the Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History on Saturday, April 28. The theme this year was "Hollywood." About 140 people attended the prom that was put on by the junior class, said principal Renee Rudloff. Photos, a photo booth, and a chocolate fountain were features of the event. Donations from Subway and Klavon's provided food for dancing breaks. 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, Building Homes for Heroes donates home to war veteran and her children April 29, 2018 Syria Sitrep - Turkey's War In Idleb The Syrian government issued Property Law 10 (ar) which will help to rebuild the country. Martin Chulov of the Guardian falsely reported: 10m Syrians at risk of forfeiting homes under new property law. The Syrian-American economist Ehsani explains why the Guardian report is wrong. He summarizes: Without legislation, imagine people returning to say Jobar in Damascus or Bustan al-Basha in Aleppo and starting to build on their own. What code? What property lines? What legal basis? What about the infrastructure underneath? Law 10 is the State's legislative blueprint. --- In 2012 UN blue helmets from Austria controlled the demarcation line with Israel at the Golan heights. They watched as Takfiris ('smugglers'), likely coming from Israel, set up an ambush. Nine Syrian border policemen pass through the UN checkpoint but are not warned. They drive into the Takfiri ambush. All are killed. An Austrian whistle-blower gave the video (ger) to a local paper in Vienna. The Austrian Defense Ministry is investigating the case. --- Today tribal forces aligned with the Syrian government attacked and captured two villages (map) controlled by the U.S. proxy force in east Syria north of the Euphrates near Deir Ezzor city. The Kurdish U.S. proxy forces SDF vowed revenge. This might be a local incident but could develop into something bigger. While the U.S. claims exclusive rights north of the Euphrates and to fight ISIS in the area zero progress has been made since November. The U.S. wants keep ISIS alive and well to later reuse it for its own purposes. The Syrian government is trying to disrupt that plan. The Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk, a southern suburb of Damascus, is held by ISIS and some other Takfiri groups.The Syrian army surrounded it and is attacking it with full force. Today all groups but ISIS agreed to either leave Yarmouk to Idelb (Jaish al-Islam) or Daraa (Jaish Ababil Huran) or to reconcile with the Syrian government. ISIS plans to fight to death in the densely upbuild area. Only few civilians are left and the Syrian army will not risk high casualties for the otherwise empty city. The ISIS fighters will be bombed and shelled to smithereens. While one part of the Syrian army is eliminating ISIS in Yarmouk another part has moved north towards Homs and might go further up to Idleb. Meanwhile the Turks are trying to tackle the al-Qaeda (aka Jabhat al-Nusra aka Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) problem in Idelb province. Erdogan's long term plan is to annex Idleb governorate for Turkey. But as long as al-Qaeda controls the governorate and city Turkey can not claim that the 'de-escalation zone' is off-limits for Syrian government attacks. It needs to hide or eliminate al-Qaeda and any other group that can be painted as 'terrorist'. Map by Tomasz Rolbiecki - bigger A while ago the 'western' aligned Crisis Group devised a plan for Erdogan: What should be done? Turkey should deploy along the front line in cooperation with Russia, which should press the Syrian regime to delay, or even desist from, its assault. This would buy time for renewed Turkish efforts to curtail transnational jihadist influence within HTS in favour of militants more open to de-escalation and compromise. First Turkey tried to 'curtail' al-Qaeda by open force. In February 'Syrian rebel' groups under Turkish control launched a war on al-Qaeda in Idleb. It was waged over two month and sent more than 1,000 'rebels' an both sides to hell. Al-Qaeda held on to its position and even made some gains. A week ago a ceasefire was arranged but that did not suffice the Turkish plans. The al-Qaeda problem is still there. Yesterday an UAE journo pointed to this report and wrote: Hassan Hassan @hxhassan - 12:32 UTC- 28 Apr 2018 Turkish officials met with leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Nusra) and gave them an ultimatum to save Idlib: either dissolve the group & individually join other groups, or Turkey will throw its full weight behind other groups to fight it. The 'full weight' would likely include Turkish troops but no air support as Russia controls the airspace in west-Syria. But Turkey also has other means. During the last 48 hours more than 30 mid-level leaders of al-Qaeda in Syria and of other groups resistant to Turkish pressure were assassinated by IEDs or 'unknown gunmen'. The Turkish friendly propaganda claims that ISIS sleeper cells are the culprit. I believe that the assassination campaign is the work of the Turkish secret service MIT. How will al-Qaeda respond? Will it submit to the will of the wannabe Caliph Erdogan or will it fight? Turkey has several small static observation posts around Idleb. These need to be supplied. If al-Qaeda, which controls the border to Turkey, cuts off Turkish supplies, what will Erdogan do? What if al-Qaeda takes the fight into Turkey? Posted by b on April 29, 2018 at 17:21 UTC | Permalink Comments April 29, 2018 The MoA Week In Review And Open Thread 2018-21 A short MoA week as I was 'under the weather' and mentally too deficient to write something sensible. The New York Times is miffed that the talks between the two Koreas make war less possible: The talk of peace is likely to weaken the two levers that Mr. Trump used to pressure Mr. Kim to come to the bargaining table. A resumption of regular diplomatic exchanges between the two Koreas, analysts said, will inevitably erode the crippling economic sanctions against the North, while Mr. Trump will find it hard to threaten military action against a country that is extending an olive branch. We do not get D-Notices and will continue to tackle this issue. Use as open thread ... Posted by b on April 29, 2018 at 17:50 UTC | Permalink Comments next page TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Tuukka Rask tossed a broken skate blade up the ice in frustration, but hardly lost his cool. "I didn't throw it at anybody," the Boston goaltender said Saturday. "If I threw it at somebody, I'd like to apologize, but I didn't. I just wanted to make sure that everybody saw that my blade was off." Rask settled after allowing a second-period goal while trying to let officials know he had a problem with his left skate, finishing with 34 saves in the Bruins' 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. Rick Nash had two goals and the Bruins' high-scoring line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand combined for 11 points, however Rask's ability to retain his composure after Mikhail Sergachev's goal trimmed Boston's lead to 3-2 was every bit as important. "He was really good," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He gave us more than a chance to win early on when we were still trying to find our legs. We weren't executing very well. They were better than us, and then our top guys started finishing their chances." Bergeron also scored twice and had an assist on one of Nash's goals for the Bruins, who finished one point behind Tampa Bay for the Atlantic Division title, as well as the No. 1 seed in the East. Marchand had a goal and three assists, while Pastrnak finished with four assists in a dominating performance. A second goal by Marchand was waved off because of a cross-checking penalty on Pastrnak. "You need your best players to be your best players, and clearly that happened tonight for us,' Cassidy said. Dan Girardi also scored for the Lightning, who trailed by one goal entering the third period. Marchand and Bergeron hiked Boston's advantage to 5-2 before Jake DeBrusk added an empty-netter with 6:19 remaining. The Bruins had just 10 shots against Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy over the last two periods, but made the most of the limited opportunities. Game 2 is Monday night at Amalie Arena. The Lightning, in the conference semifinals for the third time in four years, remain confident. "We have a lot of experience. Guys have been in this position before," center Tyler Johnson said. "It's one game. It doesn't matter if you lose a game 3-2 or 12-2. It's the same thing." Rask won three of four starts against the Lightning during the regular season, with Tampa Bay's lone victory coming in the final meeting. Pastrnak assisted on each of Boston's first three goals and added another on Bergeron's third-period goal, giving him 12 helpers in eight playoff games. "They're good. ... They've played together for a while and they know where to find each other," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Boston's top line. "They play both ends of the rink. They've played on Olympic teams, World Cup teams, and every time you look up and Canada is winning, usually Marchand or Bergeron had something to do with it," Cooper added. "They've done it for a long time." Nash, meanwhile, got his second and third goals of the postseason, scoring on the power play at 17:11 of the opening period and 12:33 of the second to put the Bruins up 3-1. Sergachev countered on the power play, trimming Tampa Bay's deficit to 3-2. "We lost 6-2, so it doesn't matter how we feel about how we played," Cooper said. "We're going to wake up in the morning, somebody is going to look at the score and say Tampa is down 1-0. Is there stuff we can build off this game? No question. But they got six, and in the end we have to raise the level of our game to get back in this series." NOTES: Vasilevskiy stopped 18 shots. ... When Rask lost the blade on his skate, play was allowed to continue because losing a blade is not considered a safety issue. ... The Bruins and Lightning are meeting in the playoffs for only the second time. The teams also met in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final, won by Boston in seven games. Six current Bruins Bergeron, Marchand, Rask, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci and Adam McQuaid were part of that team, which went on win the Stanley Cup. ___ More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. LONDON (AP) Alfie Evans, a British toddler with a degenerative brain condition whose parents lost a legal battle to keep him on life support at a Vatican hospital, was mourned with balloons set free in the sky and prayers from the pope after he died Saturday weeks shy of his second birthday. Kate James and Tom Evans said their son's death overnight in Liverpool, England had left them "heartbroken." Alfie's condition left him with almost no brain function, and multiple courts ruled that keeping him alive was not in his best interests before doctors removed his ventilator five days ago. "My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30," Evans, 21, wrote in a Facebook post decorated with a broken heart and crying emojis. As news spread in the community, dozens of people laid flowers and mementoes in a park near Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where Alfie was treated. About 1,000 people gathered 12 hours after the boy died to release blue and purple balloons in solidarity with the grieving mother and father who had struggled to come to terms with their child's terminal illness. James, 20, posted a message on social media thanking everyone who supported the family through Alfie's illness and court fight. Alfie's case sparked a medical ethics debate that resonated far beyond Britain. Doctors overseeing his care said further treatment was futile and he should be allowed to die. But his parents fought for months to try to convince judges to allow them to take him to the Vatican's children's hospital, where life support would have been maintained. Under British law, courts are asked to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the right course of treatment for a child. In such cases, the rights of the child take primacy over the parents' right to decide what's best for their daughters and sons. Pope Francis, who met with Evans and publicly supported the parents' campaign to bring Alfie to Bambino Gesu Hospital, wrote condolences that were posted Saturday on Twitter. "I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie," Francis said. "Today I pray especially for his parents, as God the Father receives him in his tender embrace." Italy granted Alfie citizenship and put a military plane on standby to transport him to Rome, if the courts allowed it. "Goodbye, little Alfie. We loved you," Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted Saturday. Tensions between the toddler's parents and the hospital had eased in recent days. Evans, who earlier said doctors were wrong about Alfie's prognosis and threatened to resume the court battle over his care, pledged to work with hospital staff to give his son "dignity and comfort" in his final days. "Our lives have been turned upside down by the intense focus on Alfie and his situation," Evans said Thursday outside the Liverpool hospital. He thanked the hospital staff "for their dignity and professionalism during what must be an incredibly difficult time for them too." Alder Hey issued a statement to express "heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfie's family." "All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them," the hospital said. "This has been a devastating journey for them, and we would ask that their privacy and the privacy of staff at Alder Hey is respected." Alfie's case received widespread attention outside Britain, especially in predominantly Catholic countries. Francis recently appealed for the wishes of the boy's parents to be heeded, saying only God can decide who dies. Officials in Poland and Italy criticized Britain's courts and state-run National Health Service. A leading right-wing politician in Italy, Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia, said that in Alfie, the "so-called civilized world has supplied the latest proof of enormous incivility." Supporters of the parents staged angry protests regularly outside the hospital and tried to storm the entrance at times. Alder Hey asked for tributes to Alfie to be left in a park next door so the hospital's work wasn't disrupted. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) A U.N. Security Council delegation is in Bangladesh for a firsthand look at the plight of some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar to escape military-led violence and are seeking U.N. protection to return home. The team will meet some of the refugees, including victims of rape and torture, on Sunday. The delegation will also visit Myanmar after concluding its three-day visit on Monday. Representatives from the five permanent Security Council members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent member states have joined the delegation in the coastal town of Cox's Bazar, where the camps are located. The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on Aug. 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by U.N. s and U.S. officials as "ethnic cleansing," Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed. Bangladesh's acting foreign secretary, M. Khurshed Alam, said the delegation's visit is "very significant," with international pressure on Myanmar continuing to mount to ensure the safe and voluntary return of the refugees, who are seeking protection from the United Nations. "This council can make a difference by putting pressure on Myanmar and creating a situation to start the repatriation in full swing. It has that influence," Alam said. He said the team will return to Dhaka on Sunday and is expected to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday morning before leaving for Myanmar. Britain's U.N. ambassador, Karen Pierce, said in New York that the most important thing is that the body charged with maintaining international peace and security "can see for itself the situation on the ground in a very desperate case of alleged human rights violations and abuses and crimes against humanity." Lord Nazir Ahmed, the British minister of state for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, told reporters earlier in the week that Myanmar's agreement to the council visit and a previous visit by the U.N. special envoy for sexual violence in conflict "demonstrates the glimmer of hope in what has been a very dark chapter in human history in that part of the region." He stressed the importance of direct engagement, which "sends a very strong signal to those in Myanmar, both the civilian but more importantly military authorities who have been responsible largely for what we've seen, which has been ethnic cleansing and nothing short of that." Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in December to begin repatriating the refugees in January, but there were concerns among aid workers and Rohingya that they would be forced to return and face unsafe conditions in Myanmar. The U.N. refugee agency and Bangladesh recently finalized a memorandum of understanding that said the repatriation process must be "safe, voluntary and dignified ... in line with international standards." Rohingya Muslims have long been treated as outsiders in Myanmar, even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless. They are denied freedom of movement and other basic rights. ___ Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Florida attorney general candidate Ryan Torrens is on Political Connections this Sunday. The Democrat talks about his campaign and what he believes are the top issues the attorney general must deal with. "I think the first thing that needs to happen is that that office severely needs a reorganization I want to structure that office as the most powerful consumer protection office the state has ever seen but for us to do that it's going to take a reorganization we're going to have to have the right number of attorneys to get the job done there's going to need to be some management changes but so that's going to be the first thing that needs to be done so we can do the job and start protecting Florida consumers and get that office back on the side of our consumers again." Political Connections: Sunday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Spectrum News 13. BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. Crews are working to contain a large brush fire in Micco. Large brush fire buring in Micco Fire is near Interstate 95 in Brevard Co. Firefighters working to contain it Palm Bay Fire Rescue said the fire was estimated at more than 600 acres Sunday night. The fire was reported Sunday in the Micco Preserve area near Interstate 95. Flames were across the street from the Deer Run subdivision, causing concern among residents. "This is scary, we just lost our insurance," said Scott Nelson. "So we don't even have insurance on our home right now." Nelson and his wife kept a close eye on the fire, as did many living in the area. "Right now, they are thinking about horses being trailed up and pulled if they need to," he said. "Very tense back here right now." A portion of Babcock Street that runs to Micco Road was closed. Firefighters with Brevard County Fire Rescue and Florida Forest Service are assisting PBFR. No evacuations were ordered and homes are not being threatened, according to officials. Twenty-three fire units and five forestry tractors are being used to contain the fire. A STAR helicopter is conduting water drops in the area. "Due to the crews being aggressive and being on it, we have moved it north away from the houses," said Palm Bay District Chief Shane Cameron. The cause of the fire has not been released. Officials are urging people to avoid the area. Florida Highway Patrol said it's monitoring the fire to see if affects road conditions. This brush fire follows one that burned in the area of John Rodes Boulevard in Melbourne on Saturday. Reporter Matt Fernandez contributed to this story. WALLINGFORD For almost two hours every day for weeks, makeup artists pored over Connecticuts newest movie star, transforming him from a 56-year-old into an 87-year-old man. I hated that nose, said Jim Barone of Hamden, who played Uncle Seymour in The Week Of, starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rachel Dratch and Steve Buscemi. The movie, rated TV-14, will be released on Friday, April 27 through Netflix. Seymore is a World War II veteran who lost both his legs and is perpetually grumpy towards his family. He is grand uncle to Kenny Lustig, played by Sandler, a middle class father struggling to pay for his daughters wedding as her fiances wealthy father, Kirby Cordice played by Rock, futilely offers his help. With no background in acting or comedy, aside from entertaining his physical therapists and co-patients at Gaylord Hospital, Barone, himself a double amputee, said he landed at the top when he was cast for the film. He attributes his launch to the improvised audition tape he sent in alongside the standard script-reading, where he launched into a low, raspy voice berating Seymours family. Barone said director Robert Smigel told him, Jimmy, I could not have found a better person to play Seymour. Once on the set, Barone jumped right into his role with no training or lessons in acting needed. As soon as they put the makeup on, I went into character. While he said he was able to hold his own with the other comedians on the set, making them laugh as much as he was laughing at them, he was thrown back for a moment when he was called into a scene alongside Sandler, Rock, Dratch and Buscemi. What the hell am I doing here, he wondered. Im with the funniest people in Hollywood. With one major film already behind him, Barone already hopes to appear in future films, especially ones where he will perform alongside Sandler again. He appreciated how easygoing and funny Sandler was to work with and his dedication to the other actors on the set. For instance, six days after Barone had finished his portion of the filming, Sandler called him to check in and say that the set wasnt the same without him. The two have maintained communication since. In the meantime, Barone can be found doing comedy at area restaurants like the La Luna Ristorante in Branford, where he will be the feature comedian in a lineup of seven. I basically tell stories about my life, he said. Were very proud that hes found this big role and we hope something comes down the pipe for him, said Gaylord spokesperson Kimberly Thompson. A screening of the film is planned for Barone and his friends and therapists at the hospital after it premieres, although he is sure to entertain them daily. The Week Of premiered on Netlix Friday. When he returned to the hospital during filming, he made the rounds showing off an autographed photograph of him and Sandler to the therapists and patients he once cracked jokes to daily. It gives the current patients a glimmer down the road, Thompson said. dleithyessian@record-journal.com 203-317-2317 Twitter: @leith_yessian Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By Express News Service CHENNAI: A flight ticket and a suite at a star hotel. Mohan Ram* also had to ensure that a pick-up was arranged from the hotel. Later that evening he found himself buying his guest drinks at an expensive bar. All this hospitality ensured a prefix to his name. He is now Dr Mohan Ram*. The life of a research scholars can be lonely and hard. In India, such students are further likely to face exploitation at the hands of several stakeholders in the process of earning their doctorate. The recent alleged sex for academic progress scandal involving an assistant professor at an Aruppukottai collage, is only the tip of the iceberg. While abuse can be of a sexual nature, it is common for research scholars to be subject to abuse of power in the form of emotional abuse, being made to take on additional work, run personal errands, or even offer bribes. This exploitation is set up by the power that PhD supervisors exercise over a students research, progress and career. These guides are both the mentor who can support and facilitate the emotional processes; and the patron who manages the springboard from which the student can leap into a career. Students are dependant on them for everything from financial sanctions, networks and guidance. While there are guidelines stipulating duration of PhDs, guides could stretch the project out for up to eight years. Many PhD students work on scholarships, usually available only for a certain period of time. Students who are forced to finish majority of their work before their scholarship ends, need competent co-operation from their guides, said former Anna University V-C M Anandakrishnan. Thus, Mohan Ram, then a PhD scholar had to ensure a comfortable stay for the external examiner who conducted his viva voce test. Mohan, who pursued his research at one of the largest private engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, said that he didnt want five years of work going down the drain, simply because the examiner was in a bad mood. The examiner asked me to ensure a comfortable stay for him and my faculty-guide elaborated on what was the industrial norm for a comfortable stay, says Mohan, adding that he was scared of his thesis getting rejected. Kaushik Sam*, who pursued his PhD at a private university in the outskirts of Chennai three years ago, met his PhD guide for the first time only two years into his research. The professor I wanted as a guide was in high demand and so a faculty from my college, who knew the subject well, was my acting-guide. And he usually coordinated with the actual guide, he said. A former faculty of the university, on condition of anonymity said that he himself had been such an acting-guide. While the University will not pay us for it, we will be listed as co-authors for that paper. This adds a lot to our academic resume, he said. However, this means that the students research progress falls in the hands of a nodal faculty. Moreover, as doctoral students are not employees, they are not protected from employment legislation that prohibits staff bullying at work. Factors such as gender, social status, caste and network too influence the extent to which students get bullied. Sexual favours Anandakrishnan recalls firing a Chemistry professor after two female research scholars alleged that he was asking them for sexual favours. The teacher went on to joining another university in a couple of years and my hands were tied, he said. In October 2017, law student Raya Sarkars list, that went viral, revealed how often students felt sexually harassed by faculty. Sarkar had compiled a list of alleged sexual predators in Indian academia, claiming their victims had submitted their names to her. The list featured 58 academics from 29 Indian colleges, research centres and universities. The alleged crimes listed against the professors ranged from verbal abuse to molestation and rape. Subsequently, students filed complaints before internal complaints committees against some of those named. For instance, prominent academic Lawrence Liang of Ambedkar University Delhi was held guilt of sexual harassment by that varsitys sexual harassment committee. Caste-based discrimination too pervades the research sphere. The issue caught national attention after Rohith Vemula, a research scholar at the University of Hyderabad, committed suicide in January 2016 following a controversy that had begun in July 2015 when the university reportedly stopped paying him a fellowship because an inquiry found that he had been raising issues under the banner of Ambedkar Students Association. His acquaintance J Muthukrishnan, from Tamil Nadu, committed suicide at Jawaharlal Nehru University last year. Dalit and marginalised students have spoken up about difficulties in being assigned supervisors, being poorly graded, or verbally abused. Four committees The chairman of All India Council for Technical Education Anil Sahasrabuddhe has said that every university must have a redressal mechanism for all kinds of bullying. There are four committees mandated for any technical institute to get its license: The Internal Complaints Committee for sexual harassment, committee to investigate atrocities against SC/ST and minorities, anti-ragging and grievance redressal committee, he said. The earliest sexual harassment committees were formed in educational institutions based on Supreme Court guidelines framed as part of the case that led to the Vishakha judgement in 1997. Some of these were reconstituted and at most institutions, new internal complaints committees formed, after the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was passed in 2013. Bound by regulations, committees require proper procedure even for registering complaints. They must be submitted in writing or a statement should be recorded and signed. There is no scope for an anonymous complaint registered without disclosing the identity of the complainant to the committee, the accused and witnesses. Once a complaint is received, a sub-committee of about three-four members, within the larger complaints committee, inquires into it. Not all varsities have such fully functional complaints committees, though. Anandakrishnan suggested that a dean, who exclusively looks into research and development could prevent the extent of this exploitation. The dean should be aware of the time taken for research by scholars, and why its getting delayed or why a lot of funds come in at a certain point The dean would basically be in charge of the dynamics of the PhD programme, he said. Student unions Abuse against students can be prevented only when there is a strong student union, opines former vice chancellor of Manonmanium Sundaranar University V Vasanthi Devi. A strong elected student body is the best immunity. The union must be able to give voice to individuals, she said adding that efforts must be taken to have fair representation within the union. Such democratic student bodies help prevent harassment while preserving anonymity, according to a report of a committee headed by JM Lyngdoh, constituted by Ministry of Human Resource Developmen as per the direction of the Supreme Court of India.*-Names changed Unscholarly behavior Feb 2016 Mohit Kumar Chauhan found hanging from the ceiling of his hostel room at Central University of Rajasthan. FIR is registered against three faculty members including his research guide March 2017 A 36-year-old PhD student at AIIMS New Delhi attempts suicide, accusing his supervisor of mental harassment, abuse and delay in his fellowship March 2018 JNU professor Atul Johri arrested after research scholar levels charges of sexual abuse against him. Many other students too allege harassment By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the state government is devising plans to raise the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) to world-class standards, the patients are complaining of sleepless nights on account of the rat menace. Though the MCH authorities had been informed several times of the threat posed by the rodents, they failed to initiate remedial action, the patients said. In the latest incident which has shorn the torch on the rat menace, a patient admitted to the orthopaedic ward alleged he suffered serious injuries to his leg after being bitten by a rat during the wee hours on Saturday. Incidentally, the same patient was bitten by a rat last week and he is currently undergoing treatment for the same. For the last one month, I had been admitted to the orthopaedic ward after suffering serious injuries in a bike accident. I had sustained serious injuries to my left leg and there is no sensation. The rat bit the injured leg and I noticed it only in the morning, said Rajesh, hailing from Anchal in Kollam district. According to the patients admitted to the 15th ward, which is the orthopaedic ward, rat bites are a common occurrence at the MCH, with a spurt in the number of such cases reported at night. During the day-time, we can see the rats moving about freely and they target us during the night. We can barely sleep as we are busy shooing away the rodents. Though we had asked the hospital authorities to initiate steps to prevent rat bites, there has been no follow-up action, said a bystander. Meanwhile, Health Minister K K Shylaja has sought an explanation from the MCH Superintendent on the incident. Even as she called for an inquiry, the minister also directed the superintendent to ensure similar incidents are not repeated in the future. The incident at the MCH is indeed unfortunate one. Necessary instructions have been given to the hospital authorities to enlist the services of a pest control agency. In the case of the patient who was bitten by the rat, proper treatment will be provided, said Shylaja. In the backdrop of the rat menace, the Health Minister has instructed the authorities concerned to undertake a cleanliness drive in and around the hospitals. Jug Suraiya By On my first day in Mauritius, my local guide, Mooniar, asked me a riddle as we were finishing lunch. The British stir the sugar into their tea this way, he said, stirring clockwise. The French stir it this way, he continued, going anti-clockwise. But we Mauritians stir it this way, he said, describing a zig-zag in his cup. Why? No? Give up? I conceded defeat. To make it tasty! beamed Mooniar, delighted by his own punchline. Its a good line to remember, and apt for the tiny Indian Ocean Island, 850 km off the coast of Madagascar, which has been stirred by the zigzag cross-currents of history so as to impart to it its unique savour. The visitor gets a taste of this special flavour after arrival at the Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam International Airport in Plaisance. Driving through the morning streets you see roadside kiosks selling an intriguing combination of baguettes and pakoras. The shop signs present an equally unusual cultural melange: mostly French or English, with a sprinkling of Chinese interspersed with the Hindu symbol Om. In the countryside, the vegetation is as variegated as the hoardings. The silk-smooth highway, comparable with roads in Western Europe, unspools through a gently rolling landscape cloaked with feathery sugarcane fields like the green wings of a giant bird outspread across the land. At times you feel you could be driving through Normandy, with cane plantations having replaced pastures. A bend in the road, and you are engulfed in lush tropical vegetation. A crest, and suddenly between two jagged volcanic peaks on the horizon, the Indian Ocean greets you with a wink of startling, aquamarine blue. Set in the sea like a grain of the sugar which continues to be the mainstay of its economy, Mauritius has been like a tea cup in the stormy tides of change. The Dutch, who came in 1598, were the first settlers, naming Mauritius after Maurice of Nassau. They cut down the ebony forests, introduced sugarcane, brought in Malagasy slaves and drove the dodo into extinction. The Dutch abandoned the island in 1710, and were replaced by the French. Following the Napoleonic wars, the British took over Mauritius, abolished slavery and imported indentured Indian labour to work the cane plantations. Mauritius gained independence in 1968 and in 1979 embarked on an ambitious programme of industrial and commercial development. Today Mauritius is a Republic and is set to prove its credentials as Africas first economic tiger. A lot of change to be crammed into so small an island, measuring only 1,865 sq km in area and with a population of little over a million. The compression of cross-cultural time and space holds many surprises for the visitor, who often feels that he is watching a cavalcade of tableaux from three continents parading past in the blink of an eye. This dance to the rhythm of time finds an apt expression in the Sega, the Mauritian version of folk disco. The Sega traces its origins to the era of slavery, when plantation workers would gather in the evening to recreate in song and dance half-remembered memories of their lost African homeland. Today the Segaan ebullient admixture of calypso, Moorish flamenco and Polynesian hulais a tourist attraction. Sega bands perform in the five-star beach hotels, the Creole dancers in their swirling skirts coaxing guests to join in the hip-sprung, up-tempo beat. Few of the participating visitors realise that what they are celebrating is, in effect, a liberation from chains. But for those willing to make the translation from tourist to traveller, there is another Mauritius beyond the glossy wrapping of a package holiday. In its own way, this other Mauritius is equally imbued with fantasy, a landscape of imaginary homelands revealed through random encounters which the visitor takes back in the form of vivid mental snapshots. The language of religion affords many ambiguities in Mauritius. Visiting Ganga Talav, to which thousands of Hindu devotees flock on the night of Mahashivaratri, I climbed the hill to the statue of Hanuman, presented by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he had been Indias external affairs minister. A Mauritian family was offering prayers to the image. The Sangh Parivars visions of Akhand Bharat would have gained a new perspective to hear Hanuman being worshipped in chaste French. On my last night in Mauritius I went to the bar of the Sand N Dory to have a farewell beer with Mario, the Creole barman. Mario said he had wanted to marry a Hindu girl called Premila. Premilas parents had objected, because he was a Creole, and had sent Premila to India, where she had never been before. Mario began to sing softly. He stopped and took a sip of beer. That was Premilas favourite song, he said. She had taught him to sing it. But he couldnt understand Indian. Would I tell him what the song meant? He began to sing again, slowly, waiting for me to translate: Janay woh kaise, log thay jinke, Pyar ko pyar mila. Humne toh jab kaliyan mangi, Kaanto ka haar mila. (Who knows who they were, whose love was returned with love./When I asked for flowers I got a garland of thorns.) Stir it which way you like, Mauritius has an unforgettable flavour. jugsuraiya@gmail.com By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a 15-minute debate in Parliament. Just give me 15 minutes for a debate with the PM and I will grill him on the Rafael deal, Nirav Modi issues. He will not be able to speak, Rahul said at the launch of his partys nationwide campaign to save the Constitution at Talkatora Stadium. Charging the Modi-government of interfering in the functioning of the judiciary, he said the BJP is subverting the Constitution, and consciously negating the efforts of the past governments.All the institutions IIT, IIM, and AIIMS all have been given to us by the Constitution, without it, nothing would have been possible. But today, people of RSS ideology are being placed in these institutions, he said. He went on to say that all the democratic institutions in the nation have been filled with RSS ideologues. Discussions and debate and have seized to exist in these institutions. We will not allow the BJP and the RSS to even touch the Constitution, and neither will the country in 2019, he added. Attacking the PM on employment and other promises made by him before the last Lok Sabha polls, Rahul said Modi would now come up with new promises for votes. Taking a dig at Modis statement in his book Karmyog, Rahul said the PM had justified manual scavenging by calling it a spiritual experience for the Valmiki community. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: In a major breakthrough in the mysterious abduction and murder case of Bengali girl Navaruna Chakravarty in Bihar in 2012, CBI on Sunday arrested six people, raising her distraught parents hopes about a final revelation of the culprits identity and the cause behind the crime. The six arrested, who were called from Muzaffarpur and interrogated by CBI sleuths in Patna before being arrested, were presented before Muzaffarpur special CBI court judge AK Dixit, who remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days. The arrests, which came seven months after CBI made the first arrest in the much-hyped case, caused a sensation in Muzaffarpur town. Among those arrested are former Zilla Parishad vice-chairman Shah Alam Abbu, Shiva Ram Hotel owner Abhay Gupta, well-known builder Brajesh Singh and marble businessman Vinit Agrawal. The two other arrested men are private hospital owner Vikku Shukla alias Vikrant Shukla and Navarunas neighbour Rakesh Kumar. Twelve-year-old Navaruna, a student of class VII at St Xaviers School in the northern town of Muzaffarpur, was abducted from her house on the intervening night of September 18 and 19 in 2012. Her father Atulya Chakravarty, a pharmaceuticals businessmen, had alleged it was the handiwork of the local land mafia and politicians to punish him for his refusal to sell off his property a two-storey house built in 1876 and land around it, with a market price of Rs 4 crore. Previous investigations by the district police and CID had pointed at Navarunas possible elopement. When a human skeleton with the skull missing was recovered in a drain outside her house in November 2012, the cops had suggested an honour killing. Despite Bihar CM Nitish Kumar recommending a CBI probe in September 2013, the central agency had refused to take up the case. After the Supreme Court directed it on November 25, 2013 to probe the case, CBI began investigations in February 2014. In the first arrest in the case, Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation ward councilor Rakesh Kumar Sinha Pappu was arrested on September 5, 2017. Pappu, who was allegedly present in front of Navarunas house when the drain was being cleaned, knew of the plot to abduct and kill her and also played a role in it. Several criminal cases, including involvement in a train robbery, are pending against him with Muzaffarpur police. Kumar Vikram By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The number of financial fraud cases has nearly doubled in 2017-18 as compared to the previous year. The Serious Fraud Investigating Office (SFIO), the governments arm that handles complex financial fraud cases such as the Nirav Modi-PNB case, has got overloaded with cases of white collar crime. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, under which the SFIO comes, 209 cases of big financial fraud were referred to the SFIO in 2017-18 (till March 1, 2018). This is almost double the figure in 2016-17, when 111 cases were given to the agency. The maximum number of cases is from Maharashtra. Senior officials attributed the massive jump to the governments crackdown on black money, benami properties and shell companies. It has resulted in the unearthing of a huge number of cases relating to financial or corporate fraud. Cases of alleged suspicious transaction involving huge amounts of money in the wake of demonetisation have also been referred to the SFIO. READ | Hundreds of financial fraud cases, only four convictions The fraud related to Nirav Modi and PNB is just one of the big cases assigned to the probe agency in the last one year. The SFIO is also investigating the Kingfisher Airlines case and sources said it had come across various violations of company law in the case.Recently, investigation related to the Maharashtra-based realty firm, DS Kulkarni group, which allegedly defaulted on payments to depositors, has also been given to the SFIO. The agency is also looking into alleged financial irregularity by Bhushan Steel. Even Asaram Bapu, who was recently convicted and sentenced for raping a minor, first ran into trouble in 2013 after the SFIO sought his prosecution in a `700 crore land grab case in Madhya Pradesh. The increased workload is stretching the SFIO, already grappling with a staff crunch and working with just about half its sanctioned strength. The SFIO has a sanctioned strength of 133 but only around 66 posts had been filled till March. Considering the increased workload, the probe agency has planned to hire many people at senior levels, including assistant directors. In a public notice recently, the white collar crime probe agency has sought applications for filling up seven posts of Assistant Director (Investigation), two of Assistant Director (Law), five of Senior Assistant Director (Banking) and five of senior prosecutor. They will be positioned at various places such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Officials said new recruitment rules for SFIO were being notified, paving the way for the creation of a permanent cadre over a period of time. Apart from this, about 35 experts from various fields have been engaged as consultants in the department. Lack of officials at the agency has also resulted in under-utilisation of funds. `18.33 crore were allocated to the probe agency during the year 2017-18, out of which only `13.83 crore could be spent (till March 1, 2018).Recently, the parliamentary standing committee on finance, in its report, had also talked about the staff crunch, saying that the SFIO should fill its vacancies with adequate permanent cadre and strengthen its investigative and prosecution arms by developing a foolproof fraud detection mechanism. The SFIO is a multi-disciplinary investigating agency wherein experts from diverse fields like banking, capital markets, corporate law, forensic audit, taxation, and information technology work together to unravel corporate frauds. It is headed by a director in the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India. He is assisted by additional directors, joint directors, deputy directors, senior assistant directors, assistant directors, prosecutors and other secretarial staff. By PTI NEW DELHI: In a first, arch rivals India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries. The military exercise will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-dominated security grouping which is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO, officials said. They said the military drill will be held in the Ural mountains of Russia and almost all SCO member countries will be part of it. They said the main aim of the exercise, Peace Mission, will be to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries. The officials said India's participation at the exercise was confirmed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting of SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Beijing last week. It will be for the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan will both be part of a military exercise, though the armies of the two nations have worked together in UN peace keeping missions, they said. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc last year. India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China. With expansion of the grouping, SCO now represents over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 per cent of the global GDP. India feels that as an SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. It is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India has been holding military exercise with China. The two countries are likely to resume their bilateral military exercise in September. Last year the drill was suspended following a tense standoff between their troops in Doklam. Sana Shakil By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Around 300 Dalits from Gujarats Una town plan to convert to Buddhism on Sunday to protest against discrimination and caste-based violence. Among those converting are persons who were assaulted in Una by cow vigilantes in July 2016, allegedly for skinning dead cattle.Forms carrying the details of the Dalits and their consent to converting to Buddhism were submitted to the district administration, but Dalits in the region say the number of those converting would be much higher because a lot of people will give their consent for conversion on Sunday, a day ahead of Buddha Purnima. The conversion ceremony is to be held at Mota Samdhiya village in Gujarats Gir Somnath district. Sarvariya Kantik, who is from the village, told TNIE that thousands of people would be converting. Kantik, whose uncle and brothers were allegedly attacked by cow vigilantes in July 2016, said, Our whole village has decided to embrace Buddhism and there will be many others from neighbouring villages who will join us. Kantik said after the attack, Dalits were promised that the communitys condition would improve, but nothing had changed. We were assaulted and insulted publicly. At that time, the government, including then CM Anandi Patel, made several promises to us. The promises included constitution of special courts to try cases of discrimination against Dalits, fast-tracking of such cases, and creating job opportunities for us, but none have been fulfilled. The flogging incident sparked nationwide outrage. Buddhist monks have been invited to preside over Sundays event. However, not many politicians have been invited. We have called very few local politicians. We have invited legislator Jignesh Mewani, but we dont know if he will come, Kanti said. When Express contacted Mewani, his aide said Mewani was in Karnataka and wont be able to attend the function. Vasram Sarvaiya, who was flogged and paraded through Una, said he and many others were embracing Buddhism because Hinduism did not accept them as its own. Our leader Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar chose Buddhism as the religion where there was no discrimination. We are following Babasaheb. Dalit thinker Chandra Bhan Prasad said the mass conversion would send a strong message and more such conversions might take place if radicalised Hindus continued to discriminate against Dalits. This is the beginning of a Quit Hinduism movement, and if upper caste Hindus continue to chase Dalits away, the count of Hindus would come down significantly. Badri Narayan, professor at JNUs School of Social Sciences, said all should take note of the mass conversion and try to take corrective measures. Harpeet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Sixteen days after 19-year old Yashwant alias Bobby a Dalit activist who had sustained a bullet injury on his head in the Phagwara clash between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Ludhiana hospital in the wee hours on Sunday, thus again this small town near Jalandhar is tense. Fearing trouble the authorities have blocked mobile internet services for twenty four hours in four districts of the state. The clash that took place on April 13 between both the communities on the issue of renaming of the Goal Chowk as Sambhidhan Chowk (roundabout) on National Highway 1 as a group of dalit youths installed a flex board bearing a photo of Dr BR Ambedkar. After these hoardings were fixed leaders of some right wing groups, including factions of Shiv Sena, gathered there to oppose the move saying that the action of Dalit body was illegal. After the clash Bobby was admitted at DMC Hospital in Ludhiana after he sustained injuries and had been undergoing treatment there. His condition was stated to be critical and at 1.45 AM (intervening nigh of Saturday and Sunday) he was declared dead by the doctors. After the post-mortem his body was sent back to Phagwara today morning under tight police security. The leaders of his community carried his stretcher on their shoulder for more than half-an-hour on Banga Road amid sloganeering and demanding immediate naming of Goal Chowk as Samvidhan Chowk and even erecting a memorial in the memory of Bobby at the point. Bobby was cremated today as his younger brother Tanish lit his pyre. Many leaders attended the cremation including Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Pawan Tinu. Trouble again arose when people were returning back from the funeral and attempted to go to the Goal Chowk again but due to heavy police deployment their attempt was foiled after a minor scuffle. Sources said that around 4,000 policemen, including Punjab Police, three companies each of Rapid Action Force, Anti-Riots Squads and BSF have been deployed in all sensitive areas in the town. Also, entry of vehicles into Phagwara has been suspended. Local administration has diverted the traffic to avoid entry of buses from National Highway-1 into Phagwara. Deputy Commissioner of Kapurthala, Mohammad Tayyab said that curfew has not been imposed but there was heavy deployment of security forces across the town. Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naunihal Singh said they have connected CCTVs and were monitoring all the movement from the citys police stations. Mobile internet services had been blocked for twenty hours in the four districts (Jalandhar, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur) of Doaba after midnight of April 28. A day after the clash on April 14, a case was registered in which around 100 people, including 33 by name were booked for attempt to murder, hurting religious sentiments, robbery, assault, Arms Act and the National Highways Act. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRI NAGAR: On the eve of the J&K ministry reshuffle, the BJP on Sunday decided on Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta swapping places. Later in the day, Singh put in his papers.Gupta, who represents Jammus Gandhi Nagar in the Assembly, confirmed to The New Indian Express that he will be the new deputy chief minister. Ive been informed, he said. Gupta is part of the faction that is close to Dr Jitendra Singh, junior minister in the Prime Ministers Office. The formula to ease out the increasingly unpopular Singh was shared with him by BJP president Amit Shah as part of the ministry shake-up. Singh will be the new Speaker. Sources said State BJP president Sat Pal Sharma and legislators Shakti Parihar, Davinder Maniyal and Rajeev Jasrotia, who is the Kathua MLA, may be the new faces in the ministry.The BJPs share in the 25-member coalition ministry with the PDP is 11. Some shuffle is also expected in the PDP.Governor N N Vohra would administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at Raj Bhavan in Jammu at 12 noon on Monday. Sources said besides adding some new faces in the cabinet, the BJP may also elevate some Ministers of State as Cabinet ministers. Health minister Bali Baghat and MoS Priya Sethi may be dropped from council of ministers.The BJP had asked all its nine ministers in the coalition government to submit their resignations to enable it to bring new faces in the cabinet ahead of the 2019 general elections. The PDP has also two seats vacant following the sacking of Haseeb Drabu as Finance Minister last month for saying that Kashmir was not a political issue. Sources said the PDP may fill the two vacancies. Jammu and Kashmir can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister. As per the agreement between the two parties, the PDP can have 14 portfolios, including the Chief Minister, and the BJP gets the remaining 11. Shankkar Aiyar By On Thursday, a school bus carrying schoolchildren was run over by a train at an unmanned railway crossing in Uttar Pradesh13 children lost their lives and eight were grievously hurt. The loss of young lives, the shock and grief, triggered outrage. Aggravating the anguish was politicsabout what Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, and the many responses and interpretations. The rage of the people, worsened by the dodge-weave rhetorical response of the administration, reflects the sense of frustration and helplessness at the episodic failures of the system. At the crux of these tragedies is the casual approach to causalities, the measures of governance that are ostensibly in place to prevent such tragedies. The details of the tragedy represent the classic cliche about governancewhat can go wrong does go wrong. The unstated statutory warning on governance should read: Systemic sloth kills. Consider the elements to appreciate the multiple failures that made this tragedy. The UP Police estimated that around 21 children were packed like sardines in the van. The driver, the police suspect, was 17 years old and either did not possess a drivers licence or had one issued illegally. The driver, eyewitness accounts say, was driving with headphones on. The railway crossing was unmanned. The gate mitra at the crossing asked the driver to stop but he proceeded regardless. It is also not clear if the van was cleared by the school to carry students. The school itself was apparently unregistered. Juxtapose the elements of the tragedy on the systemic landscape. Many of the factors and elements of the tragedy are in the domain of known knowns. First, let us take the legality of the school. The police have arrested the principal and the school was unregistered. The fact is that there are more than 24,000 unrecognised schools with over 33 lakh children in elementary schools across India. You could ask why it existed and you could also ask why parents chose this school over government schools. Police investigations show that the van was sans a number plate and did not have the required clearance from the transport department. The van, with a capacity to ferry seven, carried 21 children. But this is not unique or unknown. Kids and bags hanging dangerously out of rickshaws and vans is a common visual across towns. Ditto with the phenomenon of rash bus driversa few weeks earlier in Indore, a driver crashed a bus into a truck, killing five students. But administrations turn a blind eye to this phenomenona complex paradigm of costs, compulsions and considerations. Did the driver have a valid licence? The police suspect the driver was underage. In 2016, the road transport ministry revealed, drivers below 18 years of age were involved in 18,378 accidents, including 5,383 fatal ones. Did he or not possess a drivers licence? And the scary factoid here is that Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is on record saying that over 30 per cent of drivers licences are bogusunsurprisingly, traffic accidents have claimed over 8 lakh lives, or over 350 a day, since 2011. Worse, the driver is suspected to have been driving with headphones on. Data show that just in 2016, drivers using a mobile phone while at the wheel caused 4,976 accidents, killing 2,138 persons and injuring 4,746 others. Accidents and deaths, though, have not deterred drivers using phones while driving in cities, towns and on high-speed highwaysit is not just commercial drivers, but also educated owner drivers who tend to believe that they are insured from the consequences of recklessness. The police say the driver defied the gate mitra contracted by the Railways to stop/regulate traffic. How vulnerable are travellers on unmanned crossings? Between 2011 and 2016, government data (NCRB/MoRTH) show, 12,043 persons were killed in road accidents at rail crossings, or five a day, including 1,326 deaths in 2016 alone. Sure, the Railways have spent over `11,000 crore to eliminate unmanned crossings, but there are still 7,701 unmanned crossings, of which 3,479 are on broad gauge tracks, and 800 in Uttar Pradesh. Why not put up gates funded by the Railways and the state at the crossings till a road overbridge or an underpass is built? It would cost some money, and surely some of the 25 million people, nearly the population of Australia, who applied for 90,000 railway jobs could be deployed to prevent tragedies. Grief frequently surfaces between the grey fault lines of governanceespecially in health care and personal safety, and areas where the government is obliged to deliver goods and services. The question that begs to be asked is could this tragedy have been averted/avoided. There is the inadequacy of administrative accountability. And, like it or not, there is an inexplicable social ambivalence of the 'chalta hai' kind to entrenched risks. The crux of the problem is that government systems are outdatedscripted for an earlier era, somewhere between the 19th and 20th centuries, whereas the needs of the people are of the 21st century. Governance requires the rewriting of processes, regulation and oversightthere is no dearth of literature on the how and what of that which needs to be done. Implementation demands installation of an architecture that rewards initiative, performance and innovation by administrators. The anger among people stems from a sense of helplessness about the sameness of issues. Traditionally, in democracies, governments spend time explaining why something was done. India's politicians are frequently found explaining why something could not be done. Politicos may as well recognise that they are judged not just on intent but execution of intent. The distance between assurance and achievement reveals the ability of the elected to get the appointed to deliver. Anti-incumbency is essentially insolvency of promises made. shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com Shankkar aiyar Author of Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution,and Accidental India T J S George By When those who dont have it in them think they have it in them, its sad. Chandra Kumar Bose was a qualified management expert who did well in the Tatas for many years. Then somebody told him that he was not just another Bose but Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses own grand-nephew. Worse, the BJP zeroed in on him, told him how Bengal was waiting for his guidance and leadership. As their nominee for the chief ministership of West Bengal, they fielded him against Mamata Banerjee in the 2016 elections. Poor Chandra Kumar Babu. He got 26,299 votes, less than half of Mamata Banerjees 65,520. Even those 26,299 were Hindutva votes, not Bose votes. But alas, those who dont have it in them dont see what others see. CK Bose came out last week with a denunciation of Jawaharlal Nehru that revealed many things about this Bosehis ignorance of the nuances of history, his lack of a sense of balance, his immaturity as a public interlocutor and, frankly, his political rawness. Just see what the man said: Hitler never betrayed his nation. Nehru wanted to sit on the throne without fighting, but sucking up to the British. In short, Nehru betrayed his nation. Somebody must have told him about the stupidity of his words, so he came up with another statement. I am not supporting Hitlerof course he was a devilbut he was not fraudulent like Nehru, who in the guise of being a nationalist was actually a British lackey. Perhaps this undeserving Bose was aware of the BJPs aversion to Nehru and was trying to please his masters. There are schools in Rajasthan where history texts do not mention that Nehru was the first prime minister of India or that Gandhi was shot dead by Godse. Bose figured that such an iron-hard line would make his stock go up with the BJP; may be PM candidate next time, who knows? So Nehru is put in the same bracket as Hitlerbold even by Hindutva standards. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose would do nothing of the kind. The differences of opinion between Netaji on the one hand and Gandhi, Nehru, Patel on the other are well known. Yet, Netaji did not denounce Congress leaders. There are strong reasons to believe that he did not die in an air crash as Japan claimed, and that he eventually returned to India, living as Gumnami Baba in Faizabad, where he died in 1985. This is still a raging controversy, but no one denies the fact that the Babas belongings, examined after his death, contained several photographs of Netajis parents and immediate family, telegrams from trusted veterans of the Azad Hind Fauz and various personal belongings. A small move by such a man to attack Nehru as a betrayer would have changed the course of Indian history. But he was a true patriot who put the country above him. Sometimes grand nephews have difficulty comprehending such things. As irony would have it, Chandra Kumar Boses worthless views on Jawaharlal Nehru were exposed for what they were by not a Congressman or Indian historian or intellectual but by a Pakistani. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a physics professor in Pakistan, wasnt replying to Bose, too inconsequential to be noticed from that distance. He was merely analysing an aspect of the India-Pakistan situation from an academic point of view. Writing last week in the venerable daily, Dawn, the professor wondered: What might have todays India looked like in scientific terms if Narendra Modi, not Jawaharlal Nehru, had been Indias prime minister in 1947? Instead of being noted for its exceptional space programme, and brilliant string theorists, India would have become a garbage dump for every kind of crackpot science... As in Pakistan, Darwinian evolution would be considered heretical and destructive of religious faith. Recalling a speaking tour of India in 2005, Hoodbhoy wrote: Without Nehru there could never have been the huge and palpable mass enthusiasm for science, manifested in many science museums within a single city... Nehru must also be credited with keeping a lid on his generals. Immediately after partition, Nehru ordered the grand residence of the army chief to be vacated and instead assigned it to the Prime Minister. The move carried huge symbolism... It is nowadays becoming easier by the day for Pakistan to recognise its mirror reflection across the border.Chandra Kumar Bose is unlikely to see the point. Naturally. Those who dont have it in them dont have it in them. By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: Expired wheat flour packets, milk packets and cool drinks are flooding the markets of Vizag city, putting the lives of denizens at stake. A raid by Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) officials on several city-based agencies has brought to light the illegal business being done by some miscreants. The agency which has bagged the contract for supplying food material to several government-run hostels and even temples, had been providing expired products. Students in many BC/SC welfare hostels in the district have been consuming food prepared with the expired products. Even many temples including Simhachalam Devasthanam receive some of the expired food supplies from this agency. The Vigilance officials have found that expired wheat flour packets are repackaged and released in the market. The private agency at Madhavadhara area sends its expired wheat flour products to another agency at Sivajipalem. The traders at Sivajipalem repackage the expired wheat flour packets by changing the brand name, date of packing and expiry date, and release the products again in the market, said Malikarjuna Rao, V&E Inspector, Visakhapatnam. Similarly, expired cool drink bottles and milk packets are also being supplied. As the products arrive in bulk quantity, the hostel authorities barely check them. Several BC/SC welfare hostels in the district receive the products from the same agency, said Vigilance department SI Ramesh. Repackaging expired food The private agency at Madhavadhara area was earlier booked for supplying expired products in August 2017 The agency which has bagged the contract for supplying food material to several government-run hostels and even temples, had been providing expired products The V&E officials seized more than 17,000 expired wheat flour packets, large number of expired milk packets and cool drink bottles in a surprise raid on the private agency on Friday By Express News Service RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The products made by the inmates of the special prison for women (SPW) here are gaining popularity. The prison houses 119 inmates, of which 89 are convicts and 30 are under judicial remand, who have found interest in tailoring, embroidery works, making paper covers, cakes and breads.The baked items and paper covers manufactured here are sent to government general hospital and the central jail. Those skilled in tailoring stitch school uniforms, after being supplied the materials, for girl students living at social welfare hostels. Also, a shop has been opened in Rytu Bazaar that sells products made by the SPW inmates. To encourage them to indulge more in skilled activities, the prison management also gives them wage between Rs30-Rs50 per day. The superintendent of the prison, R Sarada, told Express that 12-15 inmates were working for the bakery, five were doing embroidery works, 15 achieved skill in tailoring and five more worked at the paper cover unit. The official said that five prisoners even graduated from Dr BR Ambedkar Open University in Hyderabad and even attended the convocation ceremony recently to collect their certificates. The prison also is equipped with a computer learning centre and library. By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Visakhapatnam MP K Hari Babu came down heavily on Telugu Desam Party and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu here on Saturday. At a news conference at the party office, he denied the TDP and the CMs charges. In a rebuttal, Hari Babu said that there was a tacit understanding between the TDP and Congress high command. Reacting to the charges made by Naidu who said that the BJP and the YSRC were hand in glove, the MP said that the TDP had a secret understanding with the Congress. The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP and the YSRC have a tacit agreement because one of the YSRC MPs was seen at the PMO a few times. What made the Chief Minister meet Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjuna Kharge, the Congress leaders, in the Central Hall of Parliament? said Hari Babu in a counter attack. He further said, What made them meet the Congress leaders at the latters offices a few days back? Is it also a part of the underatanding between the TDP and Congress? Or is it a sign of future friendship between them? The TDP chief had said that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government must be defeated in Karnataka. Does he want to favour the Congress? What does he mean by asking to defeat Modi-led BJP government? Further, the BJP MP expressed surprise at the recent comments of Chandrababu as he repeatedly said false cases might be booked against him. He also said that the public should protect him from such attacks. Who is going to book cases against him? Ordering investigation into corruption allegations and booking cases are the responsibilities of the police and judiciary and the Modi-led Union government would not involve in any such undemocratic acts. Who is going to attack the CM as he already has Z category security. Who will harm him and why? What made the CM so frustrated and scared? the MP asked. On the Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawales recent comments on the TDP and the YSRC, Hari Babu said Chandrababu and his Cabinet ministers reacted wildly. But they conveniently forgot the fact that Athawale was not a BJP leader and his comments and opinions should not be taken as the BJPs or Union governments. The CM referred to former governors Ram Lal and Kumudben Joshi and expressed his own fears and doubts about the Central governments attitude. Did he forget that those two governors belong to the Congress? When Ram Lal dismissed the NTR government, we, as the BJP supported NTR though we didnt have any tie-up with the TDP, which proves our commitment towards the true democratic values, said Hari Babu. He welcomed the State governments proposal to send students, farmers, employees and eminent persons to visit the Polavaram project at the State governments expenses. Criticizing the present TDPs activities, Hari Babu said that after enjoying the support of the BJP-led Union government for four years, now the TDP is moving closere to the corrupt Congress and TDP took up special category status issue to cover up its failures. Unlike NTRs anti-Congress policies, the TDP is moving slowly towards the Congress at the moment. It is evident that the present TDP government was a mixture of YSRCP (those defected to TDP) and TDP leaders. Now, the TDP is half YSRCP. The Chief Minister has the responsibility to answer all the allegations, said Hari Babu. On the occasion, Hari Babu affirmed that the Union government would grant Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters. Meanwhile, finding fault with BJP for its close ties with YSRCP, TDP State president Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao said by maintaining close relations with Jaganmohan Reddy, an economic offender, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have resorted to valueless politics. In a press release, the TDP leader said Hari Babu is trying to hide the facts to project a different picture. It is an open secret that YCRC and BJP have now formed an alliance. Ramdas Athawales statement that YSRC was invited to be part of NDA coalition is proof of it. Neither TDP nor BJP has condemned the statement, he said. Describing BJP as a party which has used cases to threaten its own MPs and a party which went back on the promise made to 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh, Kala Venkata Rao demanded to know why YSRC party MPs resignations have not been accepted till date when the resignations of TDP ministers from the Cabinet were accepted in a day.He said that the day is not far off when the people of Andhra Pradesh will teach the saffron party and YSR Congress a fitting lesson. Express News Service HANUR (CHAMARAJANAGAR): As you enter the interior villages of Hanur assembly constituency which borders Tamil Nadu, all you can see is groups of elderly men sitting on Aralikatte (platform built around peepal tree) and school going boys and girls playing on the streets. Most of the streets in these villages wear a deserted look and surprisingly the sight of young men is rare. Ask Kalashetty, an 80-year-old in Kuratti Hosur village, and pat comes the reply. Why will the young men be here? What will they feed their kids when they have no jobs? As per the gram panchayat figures, Kuratti Hosur village has a population of 3,380. But the village elders say it is less than half of that. Pointing towards shops in the heart of the village, Kalashetty says: You can see people only here. Go inside the village and all you can see is deserted streets and locked houses. That happens to be true. The ghost villages are dotted with locked and broken houses, indicating that it has been years since anybody lived here. There are rows of houses but people reside in only one or two of these. Youngsters of the villages of Kuratto Hosur, Cowdalli, Chengdi, Dantalli, Dinnalli, Ramapura, Gajanuru, Koppa, Minnya, K S Doddi and Nakkundi among others have migrated to cities such as Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Sathyamangala and Tirupur in search of jobs. Migration is nothing new here, but what is surprising is that it is on the rise despite government schemes designed to check migration. Agriculture is the main occupation in Hanur and people are dependent on rain for it. The region was one of the worst hit A health centre which was contructed 2 years ago lies unused | S Udayashankar during droughts for two consecutive years. Farmers not just lost their crops, but also saw their livestock die as there was no water to quench their thirst. The situation is somewhat better this year with some rain. Many villages are also devoid basic amenities such as proper roads, drinking water, health care and education facilities. Chengdi, a village with a population of 450, is the worst hit. Surrounded by forest on three sides, the village does not have a motorable road. While a few families have two-wheelers, a majority of them have to trek at least 15km to Cowdalli for medical emergency. If no help comes their way, people carry the patients and pregnant women to the hospital. Chengdi villagers boycotted the last Lok Sabha and panchayat elections hoping to draw some attention, but nothing happened. They have threatened to boycott this time too. Venkataraju, a villager, says the elected representatives do not care about their problems. A building for a health centre was constructed in Kuratti Hosur two years ago, but it is still not functional. The PHC in the neighbouring Shettalli has been locked since the last one year as no doctor wants to work there. As a result, people of five to six villages have to go to Cowdalli or Ramapura, which is 10-20km away from the hospital, another villager added. Krishi Bhagya, whats that? The much-hyped Krishi Bhagya, which aims at efficient management of rainwater to improve farm productivity, has not been of any help here. Strangely, not just farmers, even the staff at Kuratti Hosur gram panchayat have not heard about any scheme called Krishi Bhagya. Even under MGNREGA, only four farm ponds have been built in the gram panchayat, which covers four villages. While the villagers complain about lack of jobs under MGNREGA, Panchayat Development Officer Rajesh denies it. They do not find MGNREGA wages attractive as it is not even half of what earn in a day in Bengaluru working as construction labourers. Ask those who say there are no jobs if they have even availed job cards. If they are really interested, they would have registered with us. By Express News Service BAGALKOT: A farmer from Bagalkot has filed a complaint against BJP workers for damaging his farmland to construct a helipad for party national president Amit Shah. Jagadish Rudrappa Karadi has accused BJP leader Dodannagouda Patil and other workers of trespassing, destroying his farm in Ilkal of Bagalkot district and abusing him for questioning them. The Ilkal police have initiated a probe. In his complaint to Ilkal police, Jagadish has stated that on Friday, BJP workers forced their way into his land and damaged parts of it to level the ground to construct a helipad for Shah. The 1.32-acre farmland at survey number 111 in Ilkal belongs to my relative but I live and work as a farmer here. On Friday, some people entered the land forcefully and started removing embankments on the outer edge. When I questioned them, I was abused, read the complaint letter. The land on Ilkal-Nagoor road lies close to the highway. Jagadish claimed that he was assured of Rs 10,000 as compensation but turned it down and filed a complaint instead. Jagadish has named BJP leader Dodannagouda Patil, workers Manju Shettar, Malliayya Mooganuoora math, Suguresh Nagaloti and Shymasundar Karava for destroying his farmland. While there were no standing crops, the farmer has alleged that they destroyed his farmland that had been prepared for sowing. Jagadish told reporters, I had prepared the entire land for sowing since monsoon is almost here but now they have destroyed it. While the Congress has gone to town accusing the BJP of being insensitive towards farmers, the latter has assured to compensate the farmer. The party will look into any highhandedness that local leaders may have committed. Whatever the damage, we will take care of the farmer and the issues if any will be sorted at the earliest, said BJP spokesperson S Prakash. He added that Shah could not have been in the know of the local leaders act. The police who have taken cognizance of the complaint said, A few parts of the land have been used by the BJP workers to build a helipad. The party workers have taken permission from the authorities for the construction and landing of the helicopter. A part of the land has been destroyed during the construction. BSY invites PM to his swearing-in ceremony! Hubballi: Confident of his win,BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said, I have printed invitations for my swearing-in ceremony as the chief minister of the state, to be held on May 19.And one of them has already been sent to the Prime Minister.He was ddressing a gathering at Kundagol on Saturday. Shreyas H S By Express News Service RAICHUR: Over 22,000 Bangladeshi settlers in four Raichur camps of who 12,000 have voting rights are cross with the government for not recognising them as Schedule Castes, and that could be the deciding factor for the prospects of Congress here. Prasen Raptana, a second-generation resident of a Bangladesh camp in Sindhanur taluk is one among 10% of his kind who completed decent education. The caste factor, Raptana says is beleaguering the aspirations of settlers in the state of Karnataka. During 1971, when East Pakistan was carved out to form a new state, Bangladesh, many Hindus facing atrocities left that country and entered India. On the instruction of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Bangladeshi Hindus who sought refuge here were accommodated in many parts of the nation. The Union government initiated a programme to facilitate their stay in India. As part of it, the victims of persecution were given space in six states of the country; Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal and Odisha. Owing to space constraint in these states, refugees of the last leg were resettled in the northeast part of Karnataka, ie Raichur. While in the initial years, only land was given to them for economic sustainability, Government of India in 1979 bestowed upon them citizenship and voting rights. There are four such camps in Raichur, which are labelled RH2, RH3, RH4 and RH5, with the total population of these settlers being a little over 22,000. During these Assembly polls, over 12,000 of them have voting rights. CM lobs ball in Centres court All most all 98% residents of the camps are Namasudras, which is categorised as scheduled castes in West Bengal. However, in Karnataka gazette, this community was not listed as such a caste did not exist in the region. These people have been demanding the caste certificate for over two decades now, albeit with little progress. Prasena Raptana, who is in the forefront of this fight for recognition, says the Congress promises them the SC status in every election. Unfortunately, the issue is still alive and even in the present polls, Congress candidate Hampanagouda Badarli has assured us the identity. But we are losing faith in the Congress leadership, for they are not resolving the issue, he said. He elaborated their struggle further to say Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in person promised to give him and his community the caste certificate. He kept his hand on my shoulder and promised to issue a gazette notification. But he only recommended to the Centre on April 4, 2014, he said, going on to add, The recommendation was rejected as it was not in proper order. The state then directed Tribal Research Institute to research the matter, which the Institute refused saying it only studied tribal populations and not scheduled castes. Following the refusal, the state in July 2017 directed Ambedkar Foundation to do the study. The Foundation carried out the study in Kannada, which the state is now getting translated, he said. We have begun to wonder if the state is keeping the issue alive only to galvanise votes. The delay is costing our community dear, as we are deprived reservation in education and government jobs, he added. Complete land rights denied Even though land was given to the settlers, the patta (papers that give land rights) was not. Another settler Shiva said, Apart from tilling rights, we have no powers over land. The revenue records state that it is the government that is the owner of our land. Over 22,000 There are four camps for Bangladeshi settlers in Raichur with the total population of the settlers being a little over 22,000. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Highlighting the need for a broader coalition to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday said that India may not see elections again if the current government returns to power. There is great worry about the continuation of democracy in India with the way the Prime Minister is functioning. If they (BJP) win one more election we are afraid that there may not be elections again, Chavan said. Chavan urged all like-minded parties to come together while rejecting the possibility of a non-Congress, non-BJP front becoming a formidable force. While Chavan refused to answer who would lead such a coalition, he said that Congress is the largest party. This is a crucial election for us. There is an absolute need for all like-minded parties to come together, he said. Chavan was addressing the press about Union Minister and Karnataka election in-charge for BJP Piyush Goyals alleged conflict of interest in selling his firm to Piramal Estates Pvt Ltd - a big player in the power sector. Piramal group entered the renewable energy business in 2013. In July 2014 they inked a deal with APG Asset Management for investments worth $1 billion in various infrastructure projects, including in the power sector, which is a clear case of conflict of interest, Chavan said. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major breakthrough in the sensational Liga Skromane case, the post-mortem report revealed the Latvian was murdered by strangulation. Sources said the report mentioned "severe injury sustained on neck" as the cause of death and, according to the police, it might have caused because of strangulation. Forensic experts pointed out blood was clotted in the brain, which confirms strangulation. Bruises on two legs indicate a struggle with someone. Since the body was in a decomposed state, the police could not get information whether Liga was sexually assaulted or not. However, the Special Investigation Team have started further proceedings to nab the suspects. Sources said that arrests would take place in two days after getting fool-proof evidence. On Saturday, IG Manoj Abraham also inspected the crime spot based on the forensic report. Speaking to Express, City police commissioner P Prakash said the major finding in the report was strangulation. "We're weighing all aspects. Interrogation is on. We're getting leads based on it. We're expecting a positive result soon," said Prakash. Earlier, the police seized two fiber boats in which Liga was suspected to have been brought to the secluded place at Vazhamuttom. The forensic experts also examined the fingerprints on the boats confirming the presence of more persons in the place at the time of the incident. On Friday, the police questioned around 40 persons. Nine persons including a yoga trainer based at Kovalam are suspected to be under custody. The police also verifying whether Liga had undergone any sexual harassment. Meanwhile, Ligas younger sister Ilze Skromane told mediapersons she suspects a drug mafia based at Kovalam. Liga is not used to have such habits. So I suspect some people involving in drug mafia could have approached her with some offers. When she refused, they might have forced her to use. However, Im satisfied with the police investigation and I hope the culprits will be nabbed soon, said Ilze. Liga, who suffered post-traumatic depression, went missing from Kovalam on March 14. Closing in on culprits 40 persons were questioned by the police on Friday 9 persons, including a yoga trainer based at Kovalam, are suspected to be under custody Liga's sister says she suspects a Kovalam-based drug mafia By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR : Patnagarh parcel bomb case watertight, Crime Branch is not leaving anything to chance. It will send crucial evidence to an Israel- based agency besides seeking service of national scientific agencies for establishing involvement of Punjilal Meher, the English lecturer who is the mastermind and only accused in the case. Sources informed that the Crime Branch will send Punjilals laptop to a national forensic laboratory for retrieving the data which he reportedly deleted in a bid to avoid getting caught. Punjilal has reportedly confessed to the investigators that he had written the letter to Balangir SP for hoodwinking the cops. The agency investigators suspect that Punjilal had written the letter on his laptop and later transferred it in his pen drive for taking out a print out from an internet cafe. Investigators can scientifically ascertain when a laptop is connected to a pen drive and viceversa. They have also seized the printer of the internet cafe from where Punjilal had reportedly taken out the print out of the letter. Similarly, CCTV footage collected near one of the courier offices will be sent to Israel for confirming Punjilals presence in the video recordings. Punjilal visited three courier offices in Raipur for booking the parcel. He visited the first courier office in a cycle rickshaw and he asked the rickshaw puller to book the package. However, the staff of the courier office asked the rickshaw puller to call the customer for booking the parcel himself. He then left without booking the parcel there. Though his footage was captured in the courier office where he visited first, the data has been overwritten in the hard drive. Crime Branch officers have found that there is a firm in Israel which can retrieve the overwritten data and are planning to send the hard disk there to retrieve the overwritten data. The anonymous letter received by the police that was used to confuse the investigation process, will also be sent to a forensic science laboratory. The investigators are trying to collect scientific evidence of his finger prints through the envelope he sent to Balangir Police. THE CB is also trying to collect scientific evidence of Punjilals finger prints on the letter through ninhydrin and the method is not available in Odisha. It is of the opinion that the accused may have used either his saliva for enclosing the envelope or glue which was recovered from his home. The exhibits will be sent to a laboratory for conducting a DNA test and to ascertain if the glue used was the same one which has been recovered from Punjilals house. Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad is specialised in examining the gadgets and the officers are mulling to send Punjilals laptop there for examination. Similarly, the officers are mulling to send the DNA exhibits to Forensic Science Laboratory in Gandhinagar for further examination. Besides, Punjilal has reportedly confessed before the investigators that he dumped the leftover materials meant for preparing the explosives in a dustbin. Crime Branch officers will send the scrap of the dustbin to a forensic laboratory for ascertaining whether any explosive material was dumped in it. The agency took Punjilal on sixday remand on April 26. The agencys officers have been interrogating Punjilal at Balangir Circuit House to get to the bottom of the crime which was executed by him alone as per his confession. By Express News Service COIMBATORE: A day after the Madras High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the alleged illegal trade of gutka products in the State, Coimbatore rural police raided an illegal gutka manufacturing unit in Kannampalayam near Sulur on the outskirts of the city for more than 12 hours from Friday night. Police found about 648 kg of gutka packed in over three lakh small packets inside the illegal manufacturing unit, said sources. Police seized 79 kg of tobacco products and the unit was sealed to prevent tampering of evidence. They arrested the supervisor of the unit, Raghuram, and three north Indian labourers. The owner of the unit, Amith Jain, is in Delhi. On Friday night, acting on a tip-off, a team of police headed by Coimbatore Superintendent of Police Pa Moorthy raided the premises of the illegal gutka manufacturing unit located at the centre of the Kannampalayam village near Sulur. To their surprise, sacks of raw materials used to manufacture gutka were found hoarded inside the unit, apart from packed products in sachets. On Friday night, initially, after entering into the premises, the special team struggled hard due to language problem as only North Indian labourers were inside the premises. The inquiry gained a grip only after they managed to find the supervisor of the unit, Raghuram, residing in the nearby village of Kannampalyam. Police managed to bring him to the manufacturing unit in the night and conducted inquiries with them until Saturday morning, sources privy to investigation told Express. Investigations revealed that the unit was functioning here from 2011. Whatever the top police officials asked, the supervisor and the labourers continued to say that they have the permission to the run the unit. So, police became angry and asked for the copies of the permission. Only then, it was known that they have had permission to manufacture betel nuts since 2011 and then they had renewed the permission to manufacture sweet betels in 2013, sources added.With the permission to manufacture sweet betels, they were manufacturing banned gutka products illegally. So police seized 79 kilograms of tobacco products, while samples of the rest of the 1,398 kg of pan masala and gutka were taken. As they have license for manufacturing pan masala, we have taken the samples. If it is found that they have violated the standards mentioned by the Food Safety cell, additional sections would be added, a senior official told Express. Sulur police booked all five persons including the owner of the unit Amith Jain, under sections 7 read with 10 of The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 273 (Sale of noxious food or drink) and 328( Causing hurt by means of poison) of Indian Penal Code. The police arrested the three workers and one supervisor. On Saturday afternoon, Superintendent of Police Pa Moorthy got a tip off from his senior official, after which he formed a special team with the Prohibition Enforcement Wing officials and his Armed Reserve police force to conduct a raid. R Sivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: CHENNAI : Expressing delight over his meeting with DMK working president MK Stalin in Chennai on Sunday, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said he was concentrating on truthful federalism aimed at bringing a qualitative change in politics. However, in a departure from earlier remarks calling for non-BJP, non-Congress alliance, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi supremo did not rule out the possibility of joining hands with the grand old party. Neither do we say we will associate with Congress, nor that we will desert it, he said, in response to a query. Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao greets DMK president M Karunanidhi at the latters home in Chennai on Sunday as MK Stalin & T R Baalu look on | express KCR, who has been meeting regional leaders, including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, in a bid to form a regional Federal Front, called on the DMK president and five-time Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence before lunching with Stalin and other DMK leaders. Addressing the media with Stalin after the 150-minute meeting at the latters Chitharanjan Salai residence, KCR referred to the DMK leader as a brother. Its time for India to act in a truthful federalism, he said, adding that he and Stalin shared the view that India should be secular and there was no alternative to that. Both said they had discussed Centre-State relations, powers to states, devolution of funds and autonomy. Despite sounding upbeat, Stalin said a call on any alliance would be taken only during the general elections. He said KCR had proposed a State autonomy meet to be organised. KCR also invited Stalin to take part in the May 10 launch of a Telangana scheme to provide `8,000 per acre to farmers. SHOWING off his warmth and bonhomie with DMK leader M K Stalin, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday referred to Stalin as his brother and termed their meet and lunch delightful. Noting that the discussion was not either a beginning or ending, KCR said, We will continue our friendship and we will forge ahead our new idea. However, he cautioned against any haste in talking of a formation of a third alternative. We have not proposed a third, fourth or fifth front. Who said third front? Nothing like that, he stated while responding to a question. The Telangana leader said it was an alignment of not mere political parties but an alignment of the people, the masses and the farming community working for betterment of the country offering a lot of opportunity for youth.We had a telephone conversation with Mamata Banerjee, we would talk to leaders across India, he informed. Stalin disclosed that the leaders discussed issues relating to protecting secular nature of India, obtaining more rights for states, raising voice for states autonomy, transferring education to states list and seeking more share in the funds. DMK leaders A Raja and T R Baalu were among those at the meeting, while KCR was accompanied by TRS Parliamentary Party leader K Keshav Rao, Finance Minister Etela Rajender and others. KCR said that he was pleased to have met the ailing DMK president M Karunanidhi who greeted him. Describing the former TN CM as the tallest leader in the country, he said Kalaignar had presented him with some books. S Kumaresan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Superstar Rajinikanths fan club Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) is struggling to enlist booth committee members for 65,000 polling stations in the State. Till now, we have managed to appoint only 30 per cent booth committee members. Initially, we thought it would be a very easy task as we had fan clubs in each and every village. But the ground reality is different, said an RMM district level functionary.Rajini has one of the largest fan clubs in the State, but the irony now is that the actors older fans, who joined the fan club in the early 1980s, have shifted allegiance to other political outfits or have been indifferent to politics. Since fan club activities were minimal for the last two decades and were only active during release of Rajinis films and his birth anniversary functions, reviving it is turning out to be a difficult task for RMM office-bearers. Approximately, we had around 600 fans clubs in the district till mid 1990s. Of them, only 225 had been registered as the headquarters of the fans associations stopped registering new clubs in early 90s. We did not want to encourage new associations as we could not offer first day first show tickets to them due to limited screening on those days, says a former district secretary of Rajinikanth fans association. But now the challenge is to revive the lost base. Thalaivar wanted to reconstruct the fans association structure and he instructed us through State functionaries that we should constitute booth-level committees in all 65,000 stations to float a political party. But we could not find our fan base in rural TN when we visited the villages recently as many of them are actively functioning with various political parties and some are not interested in politics, an RMM office-bearer confided. Interestingly, recruiting new members to the RMM has also been a challenge for office-bearers. Major political parties are threatening villagers that they may forfeit government welfare schemes if they get themselves enrolled in RMM, said another union level office-bearer. Even the social media has failed to charm the actors followers. The RMMs official Facebook account has only 3,466 followers till now. However, in 1996, Rajini was seen as a kingmaker after he expressed his open support to the DMK-led alliance in Assembly elections, resulting in its victory. At that time, Rajinis fans urged him to contest elections. The hesitant Superstar, who had his fans guessing till 2017, took a decision on political plunge in December 31 last year stating that his party will contest all 234 Assembly constituencies without any alliance. By Express News Service TIRUVARUR: While asserting his government would never give up fighting for the States rights to the Cauvery, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday slammed DMK leader M K Stalin for using unparliamentary language while referring to him. Despite being an opposition leader and former deputy chief minister, Stalin does not know how to address the CM. He is using unparliamentary words. He has lost his mental balance... Karunanidhi brought his son Stalin and Stalin is trying to bring his son to politics now, the chief minister said here addressing an AIADMK public meeting. We will struggle as much as possible. We will do all the sacrifices for Cauvery water...When the Union government failed to adhere to the order, we filed a contempt petition, he said.AIADMK leader MGR was the first one who asked for a board to share the Cauvery water. Likewise, our late leader J Jayalalithaa had initiated legal proceedings to get the water. She had even observed an 80-hour hunger strike for retrieving the rights of Tamil Nadu to the river water. Its thanks to the legal steps taken by Jayalalithaa that the Union government published the final verdict of the Cauvery tribunal in the gazette, something that Karunanidhi failed to do, he added. Earlier during his stay in Salem, the Chief Minister distributed cash awards worth of Rs 20.85 lakh to best sericulture farmers at an exhibition cum conference on sericulture organised by the Sericulture Department and district administration at Azhakapuram Central Co-operative Bank on Friday. Palaniswami claimed that because of the steps taken by his government, the State stood third in the country in silk production. While at Needamangalam, Palaniswami won hearts by picking up the bag of an elderly woman, who accidentally dropped it while shaking her hand with him. The Chief Minister promptly bent down to pick up the bag for her even before his security personnel could. Anuraag Singh By BHOPAL: The Congresss search for a leader to match the stature of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh has ended with the appointment of political stalwart Kamal Nath as the chief of the partys state unit.The development is likely to boost possibility of pre-poll tie-ups with other Opposition parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state.According to party sources, the nine-time Lok Sabha member from Chhindwara seat, enjoys good rapport with many politicians of different political parties, including BSP supremo Mayawati and national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra. Owing to his stint in the past as Union parliamentary affairs minister in the UPA-II regime, Nath shares good bonding with many Opposition party leaders, including the Samajwadi Party leaders. With the support of former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Naths position in the party to forge poll tie-up is likely to be stronger. Kamal Nath The Congress urgently needs to forge a formal pre-poll alliance with BSP, SP and the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) to ensure that it doesnt lose 50-odd seats like it had in 2013 due to the division of Opposition votes. Now with Kamal Nath as partys state president, we feel that the crucial tie-up, particularly with the BSP will be done swiftly, said a senior Congress leader Bundelkhand. In 2013, the ruling BJP won 165 seats, while Congress was a distant second with 58 seats. Though the BSP won just four seats and the SP and GGP didnt win even a single seat, they helped the saffron party trounce Congress in over 50 seats due to division of Opposition votes, playing a spoilsport to Congress poll prospects in the Bundelkhand, Vindhya and Gwalior-Chambal regions. In the Assembly bypolls held in 2017 and 2018 , the absence of BSP candidates in Ater, Chitrakoot, Mungaoli and Kolaras helped the grand old party retain these seats. Several senior Congress leaders, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, have advocated for pre-poll alliances with BSP and other like-minded parties to ensure BJPs ouster from power in the Assembly polls slated in November-December this year. Not only is Kamal Naths appointment likely to create a strong turf for pre-poll alliances, but the Congress another major problem, the fund crunch too is likely to be addressed.The varied business interests of Nath and his good connectivity with big industrial houses will certainly help the party garner much needed funds to go into the Assembly polls against the BJP which has opulence of money power, said a senior state Congress functionary in Bhopal. BADAMI/BAGALKOT: There is an old saying in parts of Badami taluk in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. If an old woman dies in rural Maharashtra, a weaver (nekar) family too dies here.Guledagudda, a weavers town in Badami, has been supplying kana (cloth) to rural parts of Maharashtra for decades. It is also customary for women to have kana from Guledagudda factories along with the famous Ilkal saris. And it is not just the Guledagudda town, there are many weavers settled in Kerur town as well. However, this community of weavers has been crying for attention for years. Poor road connectivity results in difficulty and delay in bringing in raw materials on time. Frequent power outages add to their woes. Despite making many promises, the government has done little to uplift this talented community. Now with two political heavyweights Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP leader B Sriramulu contesting for the state assembly elections from Badami, the people here are pinning their hopes on the development of the region. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeks blessings at Banashankari temple before filing his nomination papers in Badami; (right) BJP candidate B Sriramulu waves at his supporters after filing nomination | D Hemanth As far as they are concerned, political equations do not matter, development of the region does. While Siddaramaiah contesting in these parts of North Karnataka has raised hopes for Congress in the region, the BJP seems to have chosen the right opponent for Siddaramaiah. The social works taken up by Sriramulu in Gadag and Ballari are much talked about in Badami. Isthaling Sirsi, a political analyst from Badami, said, With the BJP announcing Sriramulu as its candidate here, it could be anybodys game. Though the Chief Minister seems to have an upper hand at present, the coming days could be tough for him and his party, as Sriramulu too enjoys strong support of voters here. The JD(S) candidate Hanumanthappa Mavinmarad, who has worked with people on the ground level in the last two years, could also give a tough fight to both the leaders. But there are other factors that may work in Siddaramaiahs favour. The voters here may prefer Siddaramaiah as he has already been announced as the chief ministerial candidate. Also, if Siddaramaiah wins in both the constituencies Chamundeshwari and Badami people feel that he could announce a big package for the constituency. The region has remained underdeveloped for years. Though the political equation with the candidatures has nothing to do with the development of the region, voters here hope that the high-profile candidates will bring some respite, he added. How it all started After speculations were raised about Siddaramaiah winning in Chamundeshwari constituency, it is said that the CMs team was looking for a safe seat. With Badami having the highest numbers of Kuruba voters, it became the first choice for the Chief Minister, even as the names of Koppal and Basavakalyan were said to be considered. Morever, the Chief Minister contesting from this region could help Congress garner more votes in parts of the Mumbai-Karnataka region and influence the surrounding constituencies. If not for Siddaramaiah, we do not have any Kuruba leader to represent us at a high position. There was also pressure on Siddaramaiah to contest from North Karnataka for the same reason, a Kuruba leader from Bagalkot said. When Siddaramaiahs name was doing the rounds in Badami, the BJP wing floated the name of Sriramulu. Though there were other options such as B S Yeddyurappa and businessman Vijay Sankeshwar, the locals here were sure that Sriramulu would contest. BJP leaders, however, kept everyone guessing till the last minute. Richa Sharma By CPI(M) Politburo member Prakash Karat, who had rejected party general secretary Sitaram Yechurys stand of not completely shutting the door on the Congress, says the party has made the political line very clear and electoral tactics will be decided at the time of elections. Karat, 70, says divergence in views on the partys stand on various issues has been resolved and all decisions taken at the party congress will be implemented by the entire party. He is confident the partys decisions will help the Kerala unit carry its fight forward against the BJP-RSS in the state. In an interview with The Sunday Standard, Karat talks about the shrinking party membership, functioning of the party and the Karnataka elections. Can the CPI(M) have an electoral understanding with the Congress on the lines of 1996/2004 or 2016 in West Bengal? The Political Resolution adopted by the party congress spells out the partys political-tactical line for the coming days. It does not deal with electoral tactics to be pursued at the time of elections either at the national level or in the states. Hence, there is no confusion. We shall evolve suitable electoral tactics which will help maximise the pooling of anti-BJP votes based on the political line adopted. Amit Bandre Have the differences between the partys top leadership been put to rest after the adoption of the Political Resolution, especially in the context of the political organisation report highlighting lack of cohesion among Polit Bureau members? Whatever divergent views were there in the course of the discussions in the run-up to the party congress, they have been resolved. The political-tactical line will be implemented by the entire party. What was the need for the party congress to amend the majority draft after the Central Committee approved it in January 2018? In our party, the draft political resolution goes through various stages of discussion. The party congress gives the final seal of approval. The job of the Central Committee is to present a draft resolution for discussion in the party and to be clinched at the party congress. What role is the CPI(M) expected to play in the 2019 general elections? As I said, we will adopt appro priate electoral tactics which will help to consolidate all anti-BJP votes. How this can be done cannot be decided now. Will it be difficult for the party to convince the Kerala cadre? In Kerala, the CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front are the leading force against the BJP-RSS. The political line adopted at the congress will help them to carry this fight forward. With the new political line, what will be the message to party supporters and cadre ahead of the Karnataka elections? We have already decided to fight 18 seats in the Assembly elections. We have an understanding with the CPI, which is also fighting a certain number of seats. We have no understanding with any other party. We will campaign generally for the defeat of the BJP in the entire state. As for our party members and supporters, in the seats where the Left is not contesting, they will be asked to vote for the strongest candidate who can defeat the BJP. The political organisation report talks about shrinking membership in many states. What is the reason behind it? There is a fall in membership in many states. This was expected. The Plenum on Organisation, which we held in December 2015, had directed that the quality of party membership must be improved. For this, we are enforcing a five-point criterion that should be fulfilled by party members when their membership comes up for annual renewal. This has led to some members being dropped from the party in various states. Is the drop in party membership a cause of worry for the party? This process will continue in the renewals this year too. If we improve the quality of the party members, then the scope for expansion of the party through various activities will grow. With the Gadchiroli encounter that killed 39 Maoists being touted as the most successful anti-Naxalite operation in 40 years and an MHA report saying the Red corridor is shrinking, Pushkar Banakar, Abhijit Mulye and Ejaz Kaiser check out if the tall claims hold water Last Sunday, at least 39 Maoists were killed in a bloody encounter with security forces on the north bank of river Indravati that divides Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Reports say the Maoists were trapped by C-60 commandos in a pincer move from the north, with a hillock acting as a shield, and that they had no option but to jump into the river even as they returned fire. After the April 22 encounter ended in heavy rain, the bodies of 16 Maoists were recovered from the spot. A day later, 15 bodies were spotted floating downstream. On Wednesday, two more were found floating in the river. At last count, the toll stood at 39. With this being touted as the biggest success ever in the last four decades by any anti-Naxalite force and the Ministry of Home Affairs releasing findings of a recent survey of Left Wing Extremism-affected districts, the big talking point has been the alleged shrinking of the Maoist influence in the country. While the survey has listed the 30 most-affected LWE districts, it has also mentioned several that have been struck off the list and a few that have been added. The most-affected state continues to be Chhattisgarh, where at least eight districts -- Sukma, Rajnandgaon, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar are reported to be in the grip of the Moaists. Jharkhand is not far behind, with at least 13 districts on the list. Other affected states are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar and Odisha.But the spotlight is on the many districts that have been struck off the list -- at least six in Odisha, six in Bihar, three in Chhattisgarh, three in Andhra Pradesh, two in Jharkhand and one in Maharashtra. So, is the Maoist monster really losing its teeth? Experts are not so sure. Nandini Sundar, Professor of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, told The Sunday Standard: In the first place, not many districts were affected by Left Wing Extremism. It was the only the government that declared them affected, so they increased the numbers. Then later, to boost their own image, declared them LWE-free. Referring to reports on the declining hold of the Maoists in remote villages, she said there was no concrete evidence yet to categorically say this. If people are assuming that remote villages are not under the influence of Maoists as government schemes are reaching them, I do not know. I do not think the schemes are reaching them but I cannot comment on this for sure. However, after the Gadchiroli encounter, Sundar had tweeted: I am deeply saddened by the deaths of the Maoists in Gadchiroli as I am saddened by the deaths of the security forces who are fighting them. This senseless war must come to an end. If the govt can talk to Nagas, why not to Maoists? The Adivasis of India need peace. Tarun Mene, Assistant Professor of Tribal Studies at the Rajiv Gandhi University, was of the opinion that the Maoist problem would remain as long as the tribals were not given their due.I can be pretty sure that there has been no disconnect between tribals and Maoists. The tribals see the Naxals as their only hope to defend their civil rights. The report which says that incidents of LWE have come down is because Maoists are regrouping now after the government came all out against them, he said. Mene said the government should try and find a real political solution to the Maoist problem. Only saying LWE has declined in reports does not change the ground situation. You will see a rise in such incidents after the Maoists manage to regroup, he said. Questions are also being raised on the authenticity of the Gadchiroli encounter. According to Anand Teltumbde of the Committee for Protecting Democratic Rights, based on prima facie information, there was ample scope to suspect that no encounter took place in Gadchiroli. It was cold-blooded killing. Else, how come not even a single police personnel was even wounded? The Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, too, raised similar issues. Abhinav Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police of Gadchiroli district, brushed aside such claims as Maoist propaganda. Our men are highly trained personnel deployed for the security of the people and the law. We have well-documented sets of standard operating procedures for all our conducts and the troops are trained to act accordingly, he said. Retired IPS officer Shirish Inamdar, who is engaged in training of intelligence officials, wondered why no such questions were raised when security personnel were killed by Maoists. This is the standard operating procedure of countless front organisations of Naxals. To create an atmosphere of suspicion and mobilise opinion against state machinery is what they want to achieve and for that they exploit every possible way, he said. WHO ARE THE C-60 COMMANDOS? The C-60, also known as Crack Commandos, is a group of 60 police personnel handpicked for training into an elite counter-Naxalite force in Maharashtras Gadchiroli district. It was first formed in 1992 by then Superintendent of Police K P Raghuvanshi, who later rose to head the Maharashtra ATS. The C-60 commandos are specially trained in guerrilla and jungle warfare with special focus on anti-Naxalite operations. They are trained to withstand extreme weather conditions, operate on tough terrain and handle sophisticated weapons and equipment. They also reach out to people in remote villages, build a rapport and cajole them to lay down arms. WHAT IS COUNTER-SAMADHAN? In a 21-page booklet issued by the Maoist central military commission, cadres have been exhorted to plot and execute a tactical shift to counter Samadhan, the current phase of the governments anti-Maoist operations. The cadres have been asked to train more intensively and strengthen their intelligence network. In a statement, the Maoist leadership said: Following the Burkapal ambush in Sukma, the new enforced strategy Samadhan has set the target to eliminate the revolutionary movement by 2022. We need to remain focused on defeating the strategy. The term, Samadhan, was coined by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in 2017. Ankur Sharma By NEW DELHI: Traffic jams during VVIP movement may soon ease with authorities planning to open traffic on the opposite carriageway of a VIP route. Currently, traffic on both carriageways is stopped during VVIP movement, triggering snarls, inconvenience and in some cases even costing lives when ambulances carrying critically ill patients have got stuck in traffic.The proposal to study its feasibility has come from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who during a visit to the newly inaugurated BJP headquarters on Deep Dayal Upadhay Marg in Delhi on April 8, noticed a jam as traffic had been stopped to allow his motorcade to pass. During the Honble (sic) PMs function at BJP headquarter at Deep Dayal Upadhyay Marg, Honble (sic) PM has observed that there is no movement of traffic on opposite side of carriageway during his journeys in Delhi, said an official communication accessed by The Sunday Standard. The PM has desired that traffic on opposite carriageway should not be stopped and there should not be any inconvenience to the general public in this regard, the communication said. Anish Sirohi, an officer with the Special Protection Group, the force that protects the Prime Minister, former PMs and their families, conveyed Modis wish to multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police. Following this, a meeting was held to check the feasibility of the suggestion. Among the things security agencies are looking into is identifying the frequently travelled road of the PM and increasing the height of the central verge so that no one can hurl a bomb from the opposite side or attempt to ram a vehicle on the PMs motorcade.Security agencies are conncerned about the PMs security but soon traffic will be allowed on roads which have a central verge up to the required height, a government official said. By AFP TEHRAN: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected any hopes of rewriting a nuclear deal with world powers Wednesday, while his French counterpart vowed to US lawmakers that everything would be done to stop Iran ever acquiring atomic weapons. In their different ways, Europe, Iran and Russia are all seeking to convince US President Donald Trump not to abandon the landmark 2015 deal that curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has called the existing accord "insane" and "ridiculous", in part because its restrictions start to expire in 2025. But addressing the US Congress at the end of his pomp-filled, three-day visit to Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron said: "Iran shall never possess any nuclear weapons. Not now. Not in five years. Not in 10 years. Never." He has proposed an additional deal that extends Iran's nuclear restrictions while also curbing its ballistic missile programme and support for militias in the Middle East. In Iran, Rouhani took a more aggressive tack, reiterating that the Islamic republic would not accept any changes to the deal. "We have an agreement called the JCPOA," said Rouhani in a fiery speech, using its technical name. "It will either last or not. If the JCPOA stays, it stays in full." From Europe, a host of voices have urged Trump to build on the deal, rather than tear it up. "There is one deal existing, it's working, it needs to be preserved," said EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini. Moscow also reiterated its support, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters: "We believe that no alternative exists so far" to the nuclear deal, and demanding that Iran be involved in any further discussions. The next to press the point will be German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she visits Washington on Friday. "The biggest priority is maintaining the existing nuclear accord. It was negotiated by seven countries and the EU and can't be renegotiated by one or other party," said German foreign spokesman Rainer Breul. "President Macron... spoke of the need for supplementary agreements. The question is whether, and in what circumstances, Iran would be ready to enter into such a process," he added. - 'A high-rise builder' - Rouhani's speech was particularly fiery, ridiculing Trump as "a trader, a businessman, a high-rise builder, how can he judge about global issues? "You have no expertise in politics, nor in law, nor in international accords," he said. Iran has the support of all other parties to the accord, who say it is working and Tehran has stuck to its commitments. Macron, who has built a warm rapport with Trump, has positioned himself as an emissary for European officials seeking a compromise that allows the mercurial US president to claim a public victory, while keeping the deal intact. But for now, even Macron had to admit he could not read whether Trump would simply walk away from the existing deal when the renewal deadline arrives on May 12. True to his background in reality TV, Trump has kept everyone guessing. "This is a deal with decayed foundations," he said. "We're going to see what happens on the 12th." Iran has warned it will ramp up enrichment if Trump scraps the accord, prompting a blunt warning from the US leader. "They're not going to be restarting anything. If they restart it, they're going to have big problems, bigger than they ever had before. And you can mark it down," Trump said. The proposal that Macron put forward to his US counterpart involves preserving the existing agreement on the first of "four pillars" of a future deal. The others would address the period after 2025, when certain clauses concerning nuclear activities will sunset; Tehran's highly controversial ballistic missile program; and its "destabilizing" role in the region. "For me it's progress, it avoids falling into the complete unknown if the US decision is a hard exit," said Macron, who confirmed that the proposal was a strategy coordinated with European partners and not a unilateral one. Some hawkish American officials argue that the Europeans, particularly Germany, oppose a tougher stance against Iran to safeguard their business interests there. That is sharply rejected by European officials, who are increasingly frustrated at spending time handling Trump's complaints rather than focusing on the deepening crises of the Middle East. The disagreement threatens to plunge transatlantic relations to their lowest point since the Iraq war, despite the lavish welcome Trump put on for Macron's state visit. And meanwhile, Western countries have found themselves increasingly sidelined from issues such as the Syrian war -- underlined again on Wednesday when Iran, Russia and Turkey announced a new summit to discuss the conflict this Saturday in Moscow. By AFP WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump today again offered hints about the possible locations for his eagerly awaited meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, now saying "two countries" were in the running. "We're down to two countries as to a site, and we'll let you know what that site is," Trump told a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at his side. Trump and Kim are expected to meet in the coming weeks, in the wake of Friday's historic talks between the North Korean leader and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. By PTI NEW DELHI: After being allocated a transponder from the South Asia Satellite, Afghanistan has requested India for another one which it could use for Direct-to-Home television services, an official from the Department of Space has said. However, unlike the South Asia Satellite or G SAT-9, which was a 'gift' from India to its neighbours and one transponder was allocated to the participating SAARC countries for free, Afghanistan may have to pay for the services this time, the official said. "They have asked for another transponder and we are looking into it. Unlike in the case of the South Asia Satellite, Afghanistan may be charged for the second transponder. However, no decision has been made in this regard," the official said, requesting anonymity. The second transponder may not be from the South Asia Satellite. In 2014, Afghanistan had launched its satellite AFGHANSAT-1 for wide-ranging services including DTH, broadcasting and internet services. The satellite was launched by a French company. But as demand increases, it looks to augment its supply side. A transponder is a device that receives and transmits signals. It is essential for Direct-To-Home (DTH) services. India and Afghanistan share a robust space cooperation. Last year, after a meeting between External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani, it was decided that New Delhi will extend assistance to Kabul in the area of remote-sensing. During the 2014 SAARC Summit in Kathmandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India would be launching a satellite as a gift to its SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) neighbours. Pakistan did not join the project, stating it was working on its own satellite. It offered monetary and technical support though for the project, which was rejected by India. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the South Asia Satellite in 2017. The 2,230-kg communication spacecraft, with a mission life of 12 years, will support effective communication, broadcasting and internet services in a region that is geographically challenging, economically lagging and has limited technological resources. The satellite provides significant capability to each of the participating countries in terms of DTH (direct-to-home) services, besides linking the countries for disaster information transfer. The satellite has 12 Ku band transponders which the six nations -- Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan -- can utilise to enhance communications. Each South Asian country will get access to one transponder through which it will be able to beam its own programming. As a part of its commitment, India also assisted several countries to build ground stations and other infrastructure-related work to receive signals sent from transponders. In countries like Bhutan, the project is running well, the official said. The official added that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will also do a review of how the project is progressing. By PTI LAHORE: Pakistan's Interior Ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said today, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008. "The Interior Ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI. Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said. "Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to representing the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said. Azhar developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said. "The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling PML-N government. When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case. "I am no more with this case," he said. The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter. "It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said. The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet. The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses. According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements. Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it. A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused. But still the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case. "The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years. "It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said. Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said. Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009. Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. LeT operation commander Lakhvi got his freedom about three years ago after securing bail. He has been living in an undisclosed location since then. There are reports that he had come to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa headquarters in Lahore last November to greet Saeed on his release from a 10-month detention under terrorism and public safety laws. Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. By ANI ISLAMABAD: Thousands of people gathered and participated in a public gathering called by Pashtun Tahaffuz (protection) Movement (PTM), a human rights movement in the Swat Valley of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. They were protesting against alleged atrocities, extra-judicial killings and mass abductions by the Pakistan Army and its allied units. The protesters were said to be mostly relatives of those persons who have gone missing in recent times. Many locals have considered the protest as the biggest public gathering in the history of the Swat Valley. Though many local media outlets refrained from covering the event, allegedly under the pressure of the Pakistan Army, the news of the same still managed to make it to the social media platforms through Twitter. Taking to Twitter, Ahmad Shah Azami captured a picture of the PTM protest. "Ahmad Shah Azami, Tens of thousands of @PashtunTM_Offi gather in beautiful #Swat valley. Atrocities, extrajudicial killings & #MissingPersons are the biggest issues that speakers are talking about. Locals consider it the biggest public gathering in the history of Swat. #PashtunLongMarch2Swat," he posted on the micro-blogging site. Another user, Said Alam, posted an image showing the panoramic view of the protests in Mingora in Swat Valley. Panoramic view of #Jalsa in Kabul #Mingora #PashtunLongMarch2Swat Despite getting no permission from Lahore Police, PTM supporters held a huge rally in Lahore last week. Thousands of protesters gathered at Lahore's Mochi Gate and called for an end to alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of the members of their community. According to The Dawn, at the event, it was also announced that one more protest rally would be held in Karachi on May 12 to condemn the 2007 violence. The PTM was started by young Pashtun activists in 2014, 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. By AFP MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the temporary ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait is now permanent, intensifying a diplomatic standoff over the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf nation. Duterte in February imposed a prohibition on workers heading to Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in the Gulf state. The crisis deepened after Kuwaiti authorities last week ordered Manila's envoy to leave the country over videos of Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employers. The two nations had been negotiating a labour deal that Philippine officials said could result in the lifting of the ban but the recent escalation in tensions has put an agreement in doubt. "The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for especially domestic helpers. No more," Duterte told reporters in his hometown in the southern city of Davao. Around 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, nearly 60 percent of them domestic workers, according to the Philippines' foreign department. Last week the Philippines apologised over the rescue videos but Kuwaiti officials announced they were expelling Manila's ambassador and recalling their own envoy from the Southeast Asian nation. Duterte on Sunday described the situation in Kuwait as a "calamity". He said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse as he appealed to workers who wanted to stay in the oil-rich state. "I would like to address to their patriotism: come home. No matter how poor we are, we will survive. The economy is doing good and we are short of our workers," he said. About 10 million Filipinos work abroad to seek high-paying jobs they were unable to find at home, and their remittances are a major pillar of the Philippine economy. Duterte said workers returning from Kuwait could find employment as English teachers in China, citing improved ties with Beijing. Describing China as a "true friend", he said he would use Chinese aid to fund the workers' repatriation. Duterte added that he was not after "vengeance" against Kuwait and did not "nurture hate". "But if my people are considered a burden to some of them, to some government mandated to protect them and uphold their rights, then we will do our part," he said. By AFP RIYADH: Washington's new chief diplomat was to meet Saudi and Israeli leaders on Sunday to rally coordinated opposition to Tehran and brief them on President Donald Trump's threat to end the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh on Saturday shortly after Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles across the kingdom's border. US officials travelling with Pompeo told reporters the Huthi missiles had been supplied by Iran, and cited the attacks as evidence that regional powers should work together. Pompeo had dinner with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and on Sunday he was due to meet his father King Salman. Then he was due to fly on to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then on to Amman in Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 nuclear accord, which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile program. Pompeo set off on his first diplomatic trip within two hours of being sworn in on Thursday and on Friday -- after talks with the NATO allies in Brussels -- he appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the deal. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo told reporters in at NATO headquarters. Perhaps the last chance to fix these supposed shortcomings came from talks between Washington and its European allies Britain, France and Germany on a supplemental agreement to sanction Iran's missile program. But both President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel left Washington this week after talks with Trump having failed to secure any promise that he might keep the core deal alive. Air strikes That may be music to the ears of the Saudi and Israeli leaders, who both support a tougher line on Iran. "This administration has made it a priority to address Iran's missile programs," a senior US official told reporters in Riyadh, condemning the latest Huthi volley of missiles, themselves in part a response to Saudi air strikes. "Iran supplies the missiles that the Huthis fire into Saudi Arabia, threatening civilians," he said. "Today alone the Saudis shot down four Huthi missiles, the latest in a string of such attacks." Earlier, a civil defense official had said that at least one Saudi had been killed by falling shrapnel as his government's air defense batteries attempted to intercept the missiles near the Yemen border. A Saudi-led coalition air strike overnight Friday to Saturday killed dozens of Yemeni rebels including two commanders, state media said. Prince Salman and his father will welcome US solidarity against Iran -- just as Israel will want to see greater US support for its efforts against Iranian influence in Syria and Lebanon -- but Pompeo has come with requests too. According to US officials, while Riyadh has a right to self-defense, it must come to see that the solution to Yemen's civil war will be a political one and its forces must not exacerbate the massive humanitarian crisis there. Washington also wants to see an end to the Gulf crisis that has seen Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates impose a diplomatic and trade embargo on fellow US regional ally Qatar. And, perhaps most importantly for Trump, Pompeo will urge Saudi Arabia to provide personnel and funding to help US efforts to stabilize northeastern Syria in the wake of the expected defeat of the Islamic State group. "The president has made clear that he wants to see meaningful participation from states in the region," another senior US official travelling with Pompeo's party said. "We want to see the kind of participation, for financial efforts, not just kinetic efforts that would match, parallel, would assist, the US role," he said. The United States has more than 2,000 troops in Syria. On Qatar, the US officials said they do not blame one side or the other, but want Riyadh and Doha to sort out the stand-off themselves. Humanitarian tragedy And on Yemen, they warned the Saudi-led coalition not to again block or bomb ports that supply vital civilian aid, warning that there is no military solution to the crisis. "The humanitarian situation in this tragic country cannot be allowed to become worse. It needs to get better. And that means full and free access to humanitarian goods, to commercial goods, to fuel," one said. Pompeo will conclude his first diplomatic trip on Monday after talks with senior Jordanian officials and then fly back to Washington to move in to his office in the State Department. By AFP PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday urged the world to keep up the fight against chemical weapons on the anniversary of an international convention banning their use. "On the 21st anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and following Douma and Salisbury, Theresa May and I call with one voice for the world to join us in upholding the vital global prohibition on chemical weapons use," Macron tweeted in English and French, referring to recent chemical attacks in Syria and Britain. May's office tweeted a similar statement, also in both languages, saying "we should never go back" on ending the production, stockpiling and use "of these terrible weapons." Chemical weapons, such as mustard gas, were first used on the battlefields of World War I and also in 1988 by late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein against civilians in Halabja, Iraq. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) convention, which oversees the destruction of such arms, came into effect on April 29, 1997. Macron's and May's statements came two weeks after the United States, France and Britain carried out missile strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime over its suspected use of chemicals in an attack near Damascus on April 7 in which over 40 people died. Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which oversees the application of the 1997 convention, are currently in Syria to probe the assault, which Syria and Russia say was staged. Russia has also denied accusations that it used a Soviet-made nerve agent to poison a former former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Western countries expelled scores of Russian diplomats over the attack. By PTI TEHRAN: The head of Iran's reformist newspaper Shargh was freed today, a day after being arrested over a report on "prostitution" in a northeastern city that angered residents, Iranian media said. Mehdi Rahmanian, the director of the newspaper, was released in the afternoon after paying bail of 500 million rials (USD 9,000 dollars), the ILNA news agency reported. The courts had summoned him "after a complaint by a group of residents of the Shahid Rajai neighbourhood of Mashhad," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, quoting the city's deputy prosecutor Hassan Heydari. "The newspaper had described some of the district's women as prostitutes. " Mashhad's Khorassan newspaper said Rahmanian had been detained after initially failing to pay the bail. Shargh on April 8 published a report on the murder of a six-year-old Afghan girl in the impoverished Shahid Rajai district of Mashhad, the second-largest city in Iran. The article quoted an official from an association for children and poor people who said the district was home to several brothels and that drugs were sold there. Khorassan said the article had provoked an angry protest by residents in front of the local mosque three days later. Heydari said the prosecution had asked Rahmanian to "take action" against the journalist who wrote the article and "repair" the damage caused but measures were not taken. Like other reformist newspapers, Shargh returned to the newsstands in late 2012 after being banned for several years. It is one of the main reformist newspapers and a key supporter of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative elected to a second term in 2017. Since taking office, Rouhani has been the target of intense criticism by ultra-conservatives, who dominate the judiciary and the security services. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. ZIMBABWEANS should give President Mnangagwa a chance to fully implement his economic vision by voting for him in the forthcoming harmonised elections, prominent Zambian politician Dr Venon Johnson Mwaanga has said. Dr Mwaanga is a former Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister and also once served as Minister of Information, including serving as director-general of the Southern African countrys intelligence services. He is famed for being appointed as Zambias Ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1965 at the age of 21. Two years later, he was deployed as permanent secretary in the Office of the President. In a wide-ranging interview with our Harare Bureau on Friday, Dr Mwaanga, who is commonly known here as Dr VJ, said President Mnangagwa was a practical person who could transform Zimbabwe economically if given a full mandate. He said during the few months that President Mnangagwa has been in office, he had implemented several policies pointing to a great future for Zimbabwe. I have a feeling that once given his own mandate, he will then be able to form a Government which will reflect his own vision about the future of Zimbabwe, said Dr Mwaanga. He (President Mnangagwa) kept repeating to me that my brother VJ, Zimbabwe is open for business. I keep a close eye on what is happening in Zimbabwe and I think once free, fair and credible elections are held, Zimbabwe will move forward. Once given a chance to rebuild the country, I am convinced that President Mnangagwa will do the right thing for the country and put Zimbabwe back on the growth trajectory so that the economy begins to grow. When I went to Parirenyatwa (Hospital in Harare) and just chatted with doctors there, they highlighted shortages of medicines and other things and President Mnangagwa is very much aware of these challenges and I think if he is given his own mandate, he will be able to pay particular attention to that and other issues relating to infrastructure development. A number of factories that were closed are beginning to open, but they need an injection of capital and I believe that he (President Mnangagwa) is very mindful of this and that he will certainly do his best with the team he chooses to take the country forward, he said. Dr Mwaanga said he was confident that Zimbabwe would rise to its past glory under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa. He said ordinary Zimbabweans he interacted with were impressed by President Mnangagwas economic policies and re-engagement efforts and were keen to vote for him. Said Dr Mwaanga: Given the work culture of the people of Zimbabwe and the priorities that I heard President Mnangagwa talking about, I am sure that Zimbabwe will rise up again. It is my hope that they (Zimbabweans) will be able to give President Mnangagwa the support that he needs so that he wins the next elections and appoints a Cabinet that will reflect his own vision for the future of Zimbabwe. A Cabinet that will work hard not to embrace the concept of what I call me, myself and I, but the concept of working for the people of Zimbabwe. Dr Mwaanga also commended President Mnangagwas all-embracing character, saying: I got the impression that he is doing, by and large, the right things that he is more tolerant also to the opposition. I noticed that when (MDC-T leader) Morgan Tsvangirai died, he accorded him a State funeral. The Government even helped to pay some of the expenses for his funeral and some of his medical bills he had incurred in South African hospitals. Each time I have talked to President Mnangagwa since he has been in office, he bears no bitterness, no hatred towards the other opposition party leaders or towards anybody. Herald Zanu-PF has deployed teams to all of the countrys 10 provinces to preside over primary elections set for today which are widely viewed as a yardstick to gauge the ruling partys strength in preparation for the national plebiscite set for July or August. A record of over 8 000 candidates are contesting in the primaries for National Assembly, womens quota, Senate, provincial council and local authority seats. Voting during the primaries is expected to start at 7am and end at 5.30pm with provisional results set to be announced soon after counting while finalised results will be publicised tomorrow from 4 pm. The party has waived restrictions for voting as party supporters will only be asked to produce national identity cards or a valid passport. Voters are expected to cast their ballots in their respective wards of residence to ensure that the primary poll mirrors the main election which will be polling station based. In a statement availed to The Sunday Mail yesterday, the partys national political commissar, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Dr Englebert Rugeje said: All polling stations are expected to open for business on Sunday 29 April 2018, commencing 0700 hours and closing at 1730 hours. Counting and collation of results will start immediately after closure of voting and results will be announced to those present. A copy of the results will be posted at the polling station. Polling station results will be forwarded to the Administrative Elections Management Centre where parliamentary, senatorial, womens quota and provincial council results will be announced. Dr Rugeje, who is also the chairperson of the Zanu-PF elections commission, said the party had deployed members of the commission to all the provinces to supervise the polls. The Zanu-PF elections commission members have been deployed to each province to work hand-in-glove with the team leaders and the provincial party leadership to ensure that the elections are conducted smoothly in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, he said. According to Dr Rugeje, results will be posted outside the polling stations first before verification by the provincial and national management centres. The results will be forward to the Provincial Elections Management Centre for onward transmission to the National Elections Management Centre at the party headquarters in Harare. Final results are expected to be announced by the national elections commission chairman on Monday 30 April at 1600 hours. Dr Rugeje said polling stations were set as the designated meeting points for the party districts that will be manned by six officers under supervision by a presiding officer. The partys provinces were a hive of activity yesterday as teams started arriving in preparation for the polls. In Bulawayo, provincial chair Cde Chris Sibanda yesterday said: Today (yesterday) was a busy day as candidates were being introduced. Deployment of officers will be done tomorrow (today) morning and our elections will be ward based. We have 29 wards which will translate to 29 polling stations. Voting will start at 7am and end at 4pm. Voters are required to bring their BVR slips and identity documents. All other necessary information can be obtained from the Commissariat Department. Matabeleland North chair Cde Richard Moyo said the province had taken delivery of ballot papers and it was all systems go. Today (Saturday) we will be holding a PCC meeting in Lupane and we will be briefing the teams, he said. There we will also be giving guidelines to candidates on how the process will go tomorrow (Sunday). We will also deploy polling officers today (Saturday) in all constituencies so that we will not have hiccups tomorrow (today). Everything is now in place. We have received the ballot papers and we are set to go. In President Mnangagwas home province, Midlands, the ruling partys provincial chair, Cde Mackenzie Ncube, said all prospective candidates had been briefed on what was expected of them. We met the candidates last week and we briefed them on guidelines, so we have started deploying polling officers in all 28 constituencies and 286 wards, he said. As for the ballot papers we are expecting them anytime from now. As a province we are ready for the primary elections. Chairman of Harare province Cde Godwills Masimirembwa said there were 245 polling stations in the province. Preparations are going on very well and everything is on course, he said. We expect the material to be delivered towards the end of the day (Saturday). All our 245 polling stations throughout the province will open at 7am. Counting of the ballots will take place at individual polling stations before results are transmitted to the national headquarters. Results of individual polling stations will be posted outside the respective polling station. In Masvingo, chairperson Cde Ezra Chadzamira said: We are nearly done with preparations and our election officers are being deployed today (Saturday). The polling stations will open at 7am as per directive from the national leadership. All the logistics are in place and we are receiving all materials including ballot papers. Cde Rabelani Choeni, who is Zanu-PF Matabeleland South provincial chairman, also said all was in place for the primary elections. Everything is now set for the election. The final list of those contesting has been released and we hope the best candidates win, he said. Cde Choeni said aspiring candidates in the province had held joint rallies as prescribed by the party commissariat. Yesterday some party candidates held final rallies under the joint meetings initiative that has exhibited the partys capability to organise. The joint rallies have also enabled the party to promote non-violent conduct and discourage acrimony. In Mashonaland West, 364 polling stations had been established while deployment of ballot material was still underway late into the night. There were no incidents of violence reported. In Mashonaland Central candidates held holding joint rallies yesterday especially in Guruve North, Guruve South, Centenary and Mbire. All eyes will be on Mt Darwin South were a record 20 candidates will be battling it out. Statistics availed by the party recently showed that just over 6 000 candidates will contest for 1 950 local authorities. About 1 302 candidates square off for the 210 National Assembly constituencies while 226 are in the running for the 60 womens quota seats. On the other hand, 208 candidates are in the hat for the 60 Senate seats while the 48 provincial council seats that are available will be contested by 203 aspirants. A total of 3 250 polling stations will be in place for the elections. Sunday Mail At one time, Gumbo claimed the decommissioned planes were bought for ZimAirways by a consortium of Zimbabweans living and working in the diaspora, but of late, he and Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa are insisting that they are government property belonging to the new entity, which they say is also a public enterprise. Biden Tells GOP to 'Get Out of the Way' on Debt Limit (Newser) One of the most infamous figures in Bitcoin history has endured death threats, interrogations, and a year in solitary at a Tokyo jail. Now Mark Karpeles is telling his full story for the first time. "I think this really is the worst experience for anyone to have in life," he tells Fortune. "But based on the information I had at the time ... I still think that I've done the best I could." To recap: Karpeles was CEO of Mt. Gox, the world's biggest Bitcoin exchange, when an apparent $473 million hack forced it to declare bankruptcy in 2014. Karpeles says he then found 200,000 missing Bitcoins in an archived file, but critics said he was just dangling his secret stash to appease creditors. Perhaps worse, leaked records indicate that Mt. Gox had fraudulently inflated its numbers to stay afloat. story continues below For that, the Frenchman was arrested by Japanese police in 2015. He denied everything during months of interrogations, he says, and lost 70 pounds in his cell. Now free while on trial for embezzlement and other charges, he was partly vindicated when Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik was arrested for allegedly laundering most of the hacked Mt. Gox Bitcoins. But they remain lost, and the sharp rise in Bitcoin value only complicates matters because Japanese bankruptcy law would give most of it to Karpeleswho wrote on Reddit that he'd pass on what could be worth over a billion dollars, Business Insider reported. "The only thing I'm touching related to cryptocurrency is how to solve this bankruptcy," he tells Fortune. "Bitcoin right now is, I believe, doomed." (A suspected Bitcoin thief broke out of a low-security prison and flew home to Sweden.) (Newser) The world's oldest known spider was killed after living to the ripe old age of 43. Per Fox News, the female trapdoor spider was killed by a parasitic wasp in October after she was studied by scientists starting at her birth in 1974. The findings were published in a study in Pacific Conservation Biology Journal, per a statement from Curtin University in Western Australia. According to Phys.org, researchers believe the spiders can survive so long in the Australian outback thanks to their slow metabolism, distance from humans and sedentary nature. Dubbed "Number 16" by the study, this particular female lived her entire life in a single burrow that was extremely close to the place of her birth. story continues below Per the Curtin University release, Number 16 outlived the previous record holder, a captive tarantula in Mexico, by some 13 years. "To our knowledge this is the oldest spider ever recorded, and her significant life has allowed us to further investigate the trapdoor spider's behaviour and population dynamics," lead author Leanda Mason said in a statement. The spider's death not only breaks the record for the world's oldest spider, but also demonstrates that long-term research is essential to understand how different species live in the Australian environment, the release said. The study The longest-lived spider: mygalomorphs dig deep, and persevere can be read in its entirety here. (Read more spiders stories.) (Newser) Steamboat Geyser hasn't erupted three times in a year since 2003, but Reuters reports that it hit that mark on Fridaywhich might prompt concern that something bigger is about to happen at Yellowstone National Park, which sits on top of a 44-mile-wide active volcano. Geologists aren't sure exactly what is going on at the park's lesser-known geyser, but USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory chief Michael Poland says, "there is nothing to indicate that any sort of volcanic eruption is imminent." story continues below The earlier eruptions occurred on March 15 and April 19, after a silence of more than three years. What would be more worrisome: If the park's hydrothermal systems dried up, an indicator that magma could be creeping upward. "Yellowstone hasnt had a volcanic eruption for 70,000 years! Geysers erupt all the time," says another USGS geologist. The Washington Post, meanwhile, is worried, calling the volcano "a disaster waiting to happen." (Read more Yellowstone National Park stories.) (Newser) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Friday that he would totally denuclearize if America declares the Korean War over and promises not to invade the North, the New York Times reports. Kim made the remarkable statement to South Korean President Moon Jae-in when they met in a village on the border between their two countries and Kim publicly vowed to shut down his nuclear test site. "I know the Americans are inherently disposed against us, but when they talk with us, they will see that I am not the kind of person who would shoot nuclear weapons to the south, over the Pacific or at the United States," Kim said, per a Moon rep. But details released Sunday suggest that Kim wouldn't easily give up his nukes. story continues below Kim apparently added that denuclearization would require several trust-building rounds of negotiations and could take a long time. Publicly Kim also promised to open the process of shuttering his nuclear site to experts and journalists from South Korea and the US, reports the AP. The event may serve as a dramatic setup to Kim's nuclear negotiations with President Trump in the next weeks amid widespread skepticism about whether the North will ever fully surrender its nuclear weapons. Yet Kim expressed optimism about meeting Trump: "Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific, or the United States," Kim is quoted as saying. (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) A UK man has been banned from driving after he pleaded guilty to switching from the driver's seat to the passenger seat of his vehicle as it traveled down a highway at 40mph. Per the BBC, Bhavesh Patel was behind the wheel of his Tesla on England's M1 motorway when he pulled the stunt, which someone in another car recorded on video. The witness reportedly posted the video to social media before police got wind of it. story continues below Patel, 39, pleaded guilty in St. Albans Crown Court to dangerous driving and was sentenced to an 18-month license suspension and 100 hours community service. Bhavesh reportedly told the court that he was simply the "unlucky one" who got caught. Per the Telegraph, Tesla said in a statement to the court that it recommends drivers using its autopilot feature remain "fully attentive" and at the wheel ready to slow down the car as they watch the road for obstacles. (Read more Tesla stories.) (Newser) A trucker who was missing for four days in a snowy part of Oregon after his GPS sent him awry walked 36 miles and emerged safely from a remote region. Jacob Cartwright, 22, showed up Saturday near La Grande, where an intensive search had been taking place since he went missing Tuesday. Cartwright was being evaluated but appeared OK, a nursing supervisor at Grande Ronde Hospital tells the AP. "He looks to be pretty good," she said. "He kept moving and stayed warm enough. So it doesn't look like he's going to have too many injuries." Cartwright's boss, Roy Henry of Little Trees Transportation, said Cartwright was driving a truckload of potato chips but got stuck after he took the wrong turn in an area with limited cell coverage. He walked away without food or water just after midnight Wednesday, wading through snow at points. He didn't stop until Saturday morning near La Grande, where he lives, Henry said. From there, he got a ride home. story continues below Cartwright's wife returned from meeting with officials about the search for her husband only to find him home. "He took his cowboy boots off and put on flip flops," Henry said. Cartwright told her "he was hurting real bad and was real cold. So she packed him up and took him to the hospital." Temps have been dropping into the 30s. Henry asked Cartwright why he didn't take potato chips with him for his journey and he responded, "That's worth money. That's the load I was hauling and I didn't want to damage the property.'" After interviewing Cartwright, Oregon State Police located his truck, which had several wheels sitting precariously on a steep embankment, 21 miles away from the last known GPS location. At the hospital, Cartwright first told Henry that he hoped he would not lose his joband Henry assured the trucker with children ages 4 and 2 that he wouldn't. "It was pretty much just sheer will and determination that got him out," Henry said. (Read more truckers stories.) (Newser) You may one day drive down roads charged with electricity that your vehicle automatically detects and sucks up through an automatic armif a Swedish project gains any headway, CNN reports. Called eRoadArlanda, it has turned 1.2 miles of road outside Stockholm into a kind of slot-car track where electric trucks insert movable arms into a rail to recharge the vehicle's battery while driving. Designers say the technology is weather-proof and the arm will rise automatically when one car passes another, Sky News reports. The rails are also said to be safe to the touch. story continues below "One of the most important issues of our time is the question of how to make fossil-free road transportation a reality," says eRoadArlanda Chairman Hans Sall. "We now have a solution that will make this possible, which is amazing." Among its pluses, Sall says the electric road lets vehicles have smaller batteries and therefore makes vehicles cheaper to produce. The $7.7 million project will be tested with a truck fleet for two years, and if the government approves, it could be implemented for $1.9 million per mile and include buses and cars. "Sweden is at the cutting edge of this technology, which we now hope to introduce in other areas of the country and the world," Sall says. (Meanwhile the entire country of Sweden is now listed on Airbnb.) (Newser) A New York bar can apparently toss out a customer for wearing a "Make America Great Again" capwhich Greg Piatek found out the hard way, CNN reports. The Philadelphia man says he went to The Happiest Hour bar in the West Village last January and couldn't get served because of his hat. First a bartender ignored him; then he was told to take it off; and when he wouldn't, he and his friends were kicked out. The bar's owner says Piatek got booted for being "verbally abusive," but Piatek alleges that the bar manager told him, "I spoke directly to the owner and the owner told me that anyone who supports Trump or believes what you believe is not welcome here! And you need to leave right now because we won't serve you!" story continues below So Piatek filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court and said the encounter "offended his sense of being American," the New York Post reports. But when the bar's lawyer pointed out in Manhattan court Wednesday that only religious beliefsnot political onesare protected under city and state law, Piatek lawyer Paul Liggieri said his client was in New York "paying spiritual tribute" at the 9/11 Memorial. "The Make American Great Again hat was part of his spiritual belief," Liggieri said. Liggieri eventually conceded that Piatek's spiritual group had only one member, and the judge dismissed the incident and a "petty" slight. Liggieri says his client may appeal. (Read more discrimination stories.) (Newser) John McCain's son-in-law said Saturday that the ailing US senator has asked him to "take care" of his daughter. In a Twitter post that he subsequently took down, conservative pundit Ben Domenech said McCain embraced him as he made the request. Per AZCentral.com, the post read: "John hugged me tonight. He asked me to take care of Meghan. I said I would F--- you soulless crazies. F--- you all the way to hell." Domenech married fellow conservative commentator Meghan McCain in November. He publishes the online political magazine the Federalist. While some followers assailed Domenech for his tweet, many others wished him and the McCains well as the senator continues to battle an aggressive form of brain cancer. Domenech did not appear to clarify the content of his tweet after taking it down. story continues below McCain had been recovering in the hospital following surgery to stem an intestinal infection up until his release on Saturday. Per the AP, staff members for the 2008 GOP presidential candidate say the surgery was related to diverticulitis, a condition where the colon develops small bulges that can sometimes become infected. The longtime Republican senator has been undergoing physical therapy related to brain cancer treatment at his family home near Sedona, Arizona, since December. He previously said he was planning to return to Washington in January but has remained at home. McCain has had frequent visits from family, friends and Senate colleagues. (Read more John McCain stories.) (Newser) Hundreds of Central American migrants arrived at the US border Sunday for a rally, to be followed by a planned mass attempt to apply for asylum, in a direct challenge to the Trump administration. The migrants, many traveling with children, left a downtown Tijuana shelter where they had been staying. Police with flashing lights escorted the buses to a cross-border rally at a Pacific Ocean beach, with supporters gathering on both sides of security fencing. President Trump and members of his Cabinet have been tracking the caravan of migrants, calling it a threat to the US since it started March 25 in the Mexican city of Tapachula, near the Guatemala border. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the caravan "a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system," pledging to send more immigration judges to the border to resolve cases if needed. story continues below Trump administration officials have railed against what they call "catch-and-release" policies that allow people requesting asylum to be released from custody into the US while their claims make their way through the courts in a process that can last a year, per the AP. The arrival at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest, marked the end of a monthlong journey by foot, freight train, and bus for the migrants, many of whom said they feared for their safety in their homes. Travelers faced an uncertain future as they prepared to turn themselves in and face asylum. US immigration lawyers conducted free legal workshops for the group, warning them they face possible separation from their children and detention for many months. (Read more migrants stories.) (Newser) An off-duty Arkansas police officer was killed inside his home Saturday afternoon by a bullet fired from outside, reports ABC News. Oliver Johnson Jr. was fatally shot in West Memphis and was a member of the police department in neighboring Forrest City. Police don't think he was the intended target but was instead struck by a stray bullet as he sat inside. A relative tells WREG that someone drove by and unloaded some 40 shots. "It was an encounter between the suspects and another group outside of the apartment," says a police official. The investigation is continuing. (Read more shooting stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: The UP Board Class 10th and Class 12th Results have been declared by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) at 12:30 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2018. The board, also known as Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh, has made the results available at the official website, which is upmspresults.up.nic.in and upresults.nic.in. In order to avoid heavy traffic, students may also log into other websites such as examresults.net/up result12, examresults.net/up/10th and indiaresults.com to check their results. The UP Class 10th Board exams 2018 was conducted between February 6 to February 22 while Class 12 th exams took place from 6 February to 12 March 2018. The passing percentage of boys and girls in the Class 12 examination are 72.27 per cent and 78.81 per cent respectively. Rajneesh Shukla and Akash Maurya topped in the Class 12th examination with 466 marks. Ananya Rai from Ghazipur, Abhishek Kumar from Moradabad and Ajit Patel from Barabanki secured second position in the exam, Awadh Naresh Sharma, Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh told ANI. Results of class 12th of UP Board has been announced. The passing percentage of boys is 72.27% & the passing percentage of girls is 78.81%. Rajneesh Shukla & Akash Maurya topped with 466 marks each: Awadh Naresh Sharma,Board of High School & Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/48uzr9QJWM ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2018 Around 75.16 per cent students have cleared the Class 10th examination. Allahabad's Anjali Verma - 96.33%, Fatehpur's Yashashvi - 94.5% ranked first and second in the examination. Third place is jointly shared by Vinay Kumar (94.17%) and Sani Verma (94.17%). "I am very happy to top the exam. I was confident of scoring good marks. Our school teachers helped us to prepare well. I want to become an engineer. My father is farmer who has always supported me,' said topper Anjali Verma. I am very happy to top the exam. I was confident of scoring good marks. Our school teachers helped us to prepare well. I want to become an engineer. My father is farmer who has always supported me: Anjali Verma, Class 10th topper (UP Board) pic.twitter.com/8ezYSxtJX9 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2018 Kanpur's Utkarsh, who bagged the 6th rank in the Class 10th examination, expressed his happiness about the result. "My father is a teacher at a government school. I want to become an IAS officer," he added. I am really happy that I have secured 6th rank in UP Board 10th exams. My father is a teacher at a government school. I want to become an IAS officer: Utkarsh from Kanpur pic.twitter.com/QNJCUe7DFv ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2018 Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated all the students, who have passed in the examinations. The chief minister has also applauded the exam organising authority for conducting the Class 10th and Class 12th examination and releasing the results within the shortest amount of time. "I am really happy that such a good result has come. This time all the exams were held without any complaints of cheating coming from anywhere," Yogi told ANI. Students, securing rank between first to tenth will be felicitated by the Uttar Pradesh government in Lucknow. Adityanath has also consoled all those candidates, who have failed to clear the same. A little bit of hard work will take them towards success and they will clear the Up Board examination with a good percentage next year, Yogi said in another tweet. Candidates, who are waiting eagerly to get their UP Board results 2018, may go through the following steps. Check out the steps to download UP Board Class 10th Result 2018 and the UP Board Class 12th Result 2018: Step 1: Visit official website upresults.nic.in Step 2: Click on the link 'UP Board Result 2018 Class 10' or 'UP Board 12th Result 2018' Step 3: Provide important details such as Date of Birth, Roll Number and others Step 4: Click on Submit to get your UP Board High School & Intermediate Result 2018 Step 5: Result will be appeared on the screen Step 6: Download your result Step 7: Take a print out of the same for future convenience. Alternatively, students can get the UP Board Class 10 Results 2018 and UP Board Class 12 Results 2018 on Mobile via SMS. SMS - UP10ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 SMS - UP12ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 Also Read | AP SSC Results 2018: Andhra Pradesh Class 10th results to be declared today at 4 pm; steps to check Amidst the anticipation for UP Board result 2018, the board has released the updated syllabus for high school students. As per the newly implemented NCERT rule, the Elementary Mathematics has been removed from the Class 9 and 10 syllabus. Earlier, students had option to choose among Mathematics, Elementary Mathematics, and Home Science (only for girls). For both Mathematics and Elementary Mathematics, 70 marks were allotted to theory paper and 30 marks to practical and internal assessment. About UPMSP: The Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh is the state government administered autonomous examining authority for the Standard 10 examination and Standard 12 examination of Uttar Pradesh, headquartered in Allahabad India. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Jan Aakrosh rally at Delhis Ramlila Ground. Addressing a large gathering, mostly Congress workers, Rahul slammed the Prime Minister for not delivering on his 2014 elections promises. The Congress president accused the Modi government of spreading lies and hatred in the country. In the last four years, he said that the Modi government had hurt the backbone of the informal sector and failed to provide jobs to youth. The Gandhi scion blew the poll bugle for the next years Lok Sabha elections and said that after surpassing expectations in Gujarat elections, Congress party will emerge victorious in 2019 general elections. Here are Rahul Gandhis top quotes from Jan Aakrosh Rally: Modi not delivering on promises: Wherever I go, I ask people if you are happy, and the response I get is we are angry at the government. This is because wherever the PM goes he makes promises, but does not deliver. Takes a dig at Modi over corruption: PM Modi goes to Karnataka and talks about corruption while on the stage he is being accompanied by his CM candidate Yeddyurappa who was jailed for corruption. Congress, a party committed for farmers: The farmers of this country cannot live without the Congress party, if Congress had not taken a stand Narendra Modi would have snatched all their lands. Modi government did nothing in last four years: PM Modi had said that Congress did nothing in 70 years and demanded 60 months for change. I will tell you what he has done in 60 months, he has hurt the backbone of the informal sector, could not take a stand in front of China, no jobs to youth. Congress party is like the water which has nurtured the foundation of the country. Congress will win 2019 Lok Sabha elections: After surpassing expectations in Gujarat elections, Congress will win upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Congress will emerge victorious in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Unlike BJP, Congress for Satya not Satta: We are standing with the truth while Narendra Modi is hiding behind lies. The Congress party fights for Satya (Truth) and not Satta (power). Attacks Modi over women safety: PM Modi says Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. Ironically, the members of his own party are assaulting women. A BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh was involved in the Unnao rape case. No freedom of speech in BJP: In Congress, there is freedom to speak your minds, express your thoughts and ideas, while in BJP the thoughts of just Pm Modi and Amit Shah matters. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Two historic summits in Asia, running almost simultaneously currently, could lay the seeds for an impending Asian century. One is the Xi-Modi summit in Wuhan, China, which is seeking to narrow down the chasm between the worlds two most populous countries and the second the informal summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the border of the two Koreas. While Chinese President Xi Jinping has apparently been driven to look more indulgently towards India lured by the huge Indian market with the US slapping heavy import duties on Chinese goods, North Koreas Kim is suddenly seeing merit in befriending his South Korean counterpart and pursuing the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula after being technically at war since 1950. Almost magically, the North is transformed from a hawk to a seeming dove. But whether that would last is anybodys guess. Equations could indeed change again and political expediency could drive China-India and the two Koreas apart once again but the picture for now looks good. That in both cases, the respective leaders resolved to not get bogged down by the past is a good sign. But serious differences of approach remain. For India the provocations for wanting a reset in ties are a none-too-bright turn in the Indian economy and an increasingly unfriendly neighbourhood due to the Chinese propensity to draw these countries into its axis and consequently draw them away from India. Be it Pakistan or Maldives, Sri Lanka, Seychelles or even Nepal, the attempt on Chinas part is to lure them with back-breaking loans and then to browbeat them with the weight of indebtedness. India would naturally want the Chinese to loosen their stranglehold on these countries so that they are more amenable to Indian influence and trade deals. Also Read | Narendra Modi in China LIVE Updates: PM Modi returns to Delhi after two-day informal summit with President Xi Jinping There is no denying, however, that the journey to Sino-Indian bonhomie would be long and hard. If the starting point could be reducing of tension on the border it would be a good first step. On its part, India has clipped Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile's wings. Indias asylum to the Tibetan spiritual leader and his activities have always been a sore point with the Chinese. That India is also preparing to take the Trump administration to the dispute settlement forum in the WTO on steel and aluminium tariffs has also gone down well with the Chinese. On India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the UN Security Council, and designating Pakistani terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad as a terrorist organization China is unbending. So is the unshakable friendship with Pakistan especially cemented by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in which China has high stakes and which is anathema to India. The importance of the Xi-Modi summit in Wuhan lies in the equation that the two leaders have established and the small steps towards greater goodwill in mutual interest. Problems will remain but if the two countries can foster greater trade and investment and defuse tensions on the border there will be cause for satisfaction. It goes without saying, however, that India must not lower its guard lest it be suddenly confronted by a belligerent China and be caught napping. Also Read | PM Modi in Wuhan: India, China to forge ahead with joint economic project in Afghanistan The other new-found congeniality, between the two Koreas could also turn sour at the drop of a hat. Kim and Moon said at their summit that they would hold military talks next month and seek a phased disarmament. Considering the level of animosity between the two neighbours, this is significant. Both have much to gain from de-escalation but will better sense continue to prevail? The North Korean dictator is thoroughly unpredictable and he has shown the world how he plays the politics of brinkmanship. New Delhi: In a big move that may contribute significantly towards achieving the world peace, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to shut down the countrys nuclear test site in May, South Korea said on Sunday. The closure of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site will be done in public and experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States will be invited to watch, said Yoon Young-chan, a spokesperson of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The decision to close the nuclear test site was conveyed by the North Korean leader during his historic summit with Moon at a border truce village on Friday. During the summit, Kim also expressed optimisim about his highly anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump. Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States, Kim was quoted as saying by Moon's spokesperson. If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would be need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons? the spokesperson quoted Kim as saying. Earlier on Friday, Kim sat foot in South Korea by crossing the military border and met President Moon in a moment dubbed truly historic by the United Nations. Kim became the first North Korean leader to cross over to South Korea after partition of the peninsula in 1953, following the Korean War. As Kim crossed over to South, both leaders exchanged handshakes and pleasantries and held over an hour-long summit in a heavily fortified demilitarised zone. Moon and Kim, the enemy turned friends, promised to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during the summit. The South Korean spokesperson also said that Kim had also revealed his plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the Souths. The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own Pyongyang Time by setting the clock 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. Yoon said that the Norths decision to return to the Seoul time zone was aimed at facilitating communication with South Korea and also the United States. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: For the first time ever, India and Pakistan will take part in a multi-nation counter-terrorism exercise scheduled to be held in Russia in September. Apart from India and Pakistan, China will also be a part of the military exercise which shall be held under the aegis of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This would be the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan will take part in a military exercise. Although India-Pakistan ties remained strained, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed Indias participation during her recent visit to China to attend the SCO Defence Ministers meeting. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Indias membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistans entry into the grouping was backed by China. With expansion of the grouping, SCO now represents over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 per cent of the global GDP. With the drill, India-China will also resume their bilateral military exercise, which was suspended after the Doklam standoff. The development came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modis two-day informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the summit, both leaders had asked their militaries to enhance predictability and effectiveness in managing border affairs. Dubbed as Peace Mission, the drill will take place in Ural Mountains of Russia with an aim to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday agreed to request North Korea take concrete actions toward denuclearization. They welcomed Friday's summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling the meeting a historic step toward the peace and stability of Northeast Asia. In a 30-minute telephone conversation, Abe and Trump also agreed to work together to resolve the issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals decades ago. "The important point is whether North Korea will take concrete actions," Abe told reporters after the phone talks. "I'll strive further so that good results will be produced through cooperation between Japan and the United States, and among Japan, the United States and South Korea." Ahead of the phone talks, Trump was briefed on the inter-Korean summit by Moon. Police served on Saturday a fresh arrest warrant on a 38-year-old man for the murders of two of the five people he has confessed to killing at a home in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture. Tomohiro Iwakura, 38, already arrested on April 7 for allegedly murdering his neighbor Hiroyuki Goto, 47, is now suspected of murdering his father Masatomo, 68, and his grandmother Hisako, 89, sometime between March 31 and April 6 at Hisako's home. He is also suspected of disposing of their bodies in a mountainous area about 400 meters away, according to the police. Iwakura has denied he intended to murder the victims but admitted to killing them and transporting their bodies using Masatomo's vehicle, they said. In addition to the three, Iwakura has confessed to killing two of his aunts -- Takako Iwakura, 69, and Kuniko Sakaguchi, 72. He has told police he was annoyed by his grandmother nagging him for not having a regular job, investigative sources said, citing it as a possible motive for the multiple murders. Police first found the aunts and Goto collapsed at Hisako's home on the afternoon of April 6. They suspect the three came to check on Hisako and were attacked by Iwakura, the sources said. After the police arrested Iwakura, they found the bodies of Hisako and Masatomo on April 8 based on Iwakura's confessions. Japanese human national treasure Takemoto Sumitayu, narrator of traditional "bunraku" puppet plays, died of pneumonia at a hospital in the western city of Osaka on Saturday. He was 93. The bunraku performer, whose real name is Kinichi Kishimoto, was named Sumitayu VII in 1985 and designated as a living national treasure in 1989. His adoptive father, Sumitayu VI, was also a government-designated national treasure. Such parent-child designations were unprecedented in the world of bunraku. He started a career as a bunraku narrator at a relatively old age in 1946. But he attracted attention from the beginning, as the first-ever university graduate among bunraku performers. He has since established a reputation for his ability to play a variety of bunraku characters with emotional expressions. China's national legislature has enacted a law to criminalize the online uploading of photographs of costume play using replica uniforms of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army. The law was unanimously approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Friday. It will take effect on Tuesday. The move followed a spate of cases from last year in which photos of such costume play taken at locations related to the country's previous war of resistance against Japan were uploaded on the Internet. Some critics say the spread of the costume play reflects public frustration with the Communist Party of China's one-party rule. At a press conference in March, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blasted those costume players as human scum. The Japan Sumo Association says it will conduct a survey to examine the tradition of keeping women out of the professional sumo ring. The association announced the plan after an emergency board meeting on Saturday. It followed a series of incidents that sparked debate about the ban. Earlier this month, an association official repeatedly told women to leave the ring over a loudspeaker as they attempted to provide first aid to the mayor of the city of Maizuru who had collapsed during a speech. Also this month, the mayor of the city of Takarazuka was barred from giving a speech from inside the ring because of her sex. The mayor has since called for the association to consider allowing women to enter the ring. The association released a statement from association chairman Hakkaku following Saturday's meeting. The statement stressed the ban is not intended as sexual discrimination. It said sumo originates from a holy ritual and the ban on women has been a long-standing custom. The statement added the association will consider allowing women into the ring but that more time will be needed. The statement also touched on a spring sumo event for children in which girls were banned from taking part. The statement explained the measure is out of concern for injuries and that the association will seek safer ways to organize children's events and consider allowing girls to participate. There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have. - Don Herold Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane. - Phillip K. Dick In the fight between you and the world, back the world.- Frank Zappa By Reno Omokri During the 2015 Presidential election campaign, then candidate Buhari said at various places that the Nigerian economy h... During the 2015 Presidential election campaign, then candidate Buhari said at various places that the Nigerian economy had been ruined by the alleged corruption of the Jonathan led Peoples Democratic Party administration which had also made a mess of the nations security situation and promised that if Nigerians elected him, he would provide the leadership that would address these challenges and reverse the alleged damages that the Goodluck government inflicted on Nigeria.Thank God President Buhari said these things on camera and cannot deny them, as he has denied quite a few of the promises he freely made during the campaigns even though those promises were the basis of his social contract with Nigeria.But what has been the reality after three years of Buhari in power?The US has just released a report saying human rights abuses have increased under Buhari. Transparency International said corruption has increased. The Global Terrorism Index says insecurity has increased in Nigeria since 2015 and we are now the third most terrorized nation in the world. The World Economic Forum says Nigeria is the fifth most dangerous nation in the world. The International Monetary Fund say the Nigerian economy is worse now than in 2015 (as if we dont already know).So, what exactly has Buhari improved in three years besides his family and his cronies financial status? Has your life improved? Has he kept his campaign promises? Yet he has announced his reelection bid. He wants to come back. Come back to do what? President Buhari cannot run on his record because his record is bad. He cannot run on his promises, because he has a history of denying his promises.The only option before President Buhari is to run on sentiments. And that is why President Buhari and the All Progressive Congress party machinery have put all their eggs in the blame it all on Jonathan and the PDP movement.That is why their strategy is to go after all dissent until no one is willing to oppose them for fear of arrest on trumped up charges. That is why we are discussing about looters list while killers are on the rampage all over the country.That is why the President and the Vice President spend their time making allegations instead of giving a report of their stewardship. A very good example of the over reliance on sentiments by this administration over actual governance is Benue State.How could Governor Sam Ortom agree to be in a meeting where Buhari is endorsed for a second term a day after it was reported that herdsmen had killed two Catholic priests and fourteen of their parishioners in Benue? In todays Nigeria, insecurity is so rampant that if you sleep and wake up alive without Boko Haram killing you, without herdsmen slaughtering you, without bandits shooting you and without government destroying your business, then you must testify in church/mosque for the miracle in your life. How could the APC machinery even go ahead with endorsing Buhari in Abuja while herdsmen are endorsing deaths in Benue?It is because securing a second term for President Buhari is more important to the APC than securing the lives of Nigerians. It is also the reason why their so called looters list reads like a who is who of those they consider threats in the opposition. These guys are not prepared to even campaign for 2019. Their strategy is to prosecute for 2019. Take the case of Senator Dino Melaye.Whether or not you like Dino, you must at least see that there is a hidden hand behind his ordeal with the police. For instance, I read the Nigerian Police Forces statement on Dino Melayes escape saga and it was a detailed statement saying nothing. If only the Nigerian police can be as serious about going after enemies of Nigeria, like herdsmen, as they are with going after enemies of President Buhari, like Dasuki, Dino and Saraki. If only. Even the thugs who stole the Senates mace were not treated as brutally as Dino Melaye.Herdsmen who kill Nigerians are treated better than Dino was. Maina was brought back to Nigeria and given armed guards (according to Junaid Mohammed), Dino was stopped from leaving Nigeria and maltreated by armed guards! People ask my thoughts on Dinos arrest. This tale describes my thoughts. Three thieves went to rob. After robbing, they sent one to go and buy food.He bought food and poisoned it so he could keep the loot for himself. On his return, his colleagues killed him and ate the food. Dino is one of the influencers that convinced Nigerians to reject then President Jonathan and elect incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. He propagated the APCs propaganda that de marketed Jonathan and projected Buhari as the Messiah. Dino and his co travelers brought a tiger to fight their enemies.tiger did its job but as is the case with all tigers, it continued to thirst for flesh. Having killed all the enemies of its benefactors, the tiger is now turning on its own. Bola Tinubu should see what is being done to Saraki and Dino and be aware that a slave who sees his fellow slave buried in a shallow grave should not expect a befitting burial when his time comes. I can vividly remember Dino wearing a T-Shirt mocking Jonathan while he was President. I recall interviews he gave condemning that administration. Nothing happened to him. Why? Because Jonathan was a true democrat, a statesman who could be trusted to keep to his word.While in office, President Jonathan had said I am the most abused and insulted president in the world but when I leave office, you will all remember me for the total freedom you enjoyed under my government. With the benefit of hindsight, I am sure Dino now sees the truism of that statement. In fact, under Buhari, repentant Boko Haram members are released while unrepentant government critics are arrested.It is easier for you to be free in todays Nigeria if you say you are a reformed terrorists than if you are a confirmed government critic. What has happened to Nigeria? To show you how justice works in Buharis Nigeria, consider that Senator Omo Agege, who is suspected of being behind the mace theft saga, is on APCs National Convention Committee while Senator Shehu Sani has been invited by the police for questioning or that Senator Nwaoboshi is languishing in prison, while Babachir Lawal is luxuriating at home! It is for this reason that I congratulate former unwanted factional chairman of PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, on his return to his natural habitat, APC. Sheriff is wise.With allegations against him and a soon to be released looters list round the corner, he has carried the broom so his problems will passover! So, I say to Nigerias lazy youth, do not let down your guard now that #BBNaija is over. The most important eviction happens in February 2019. The man at Aso Rock has lost the challenge of fighting corruption, insecurity and improving the economy. It is time Nigeria has a new Head of House who can accept responsibility and not dish out blame! President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday arrived Washington DC ahead of his 4-day working visit to the United States. President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday arrived Washington DC ahead of his 4-day working visit to the United States.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft carrying President Buhari and members of his entourage had left the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Saturday at about 11.35p.m.A Presidency twitter handle tagged; @NGRPresident, confirmed the arrival of the President in Washington on Sunday at about 4.20p.m(Nigerian time)It said President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Washington DC ahead of his working visit to the United States.He will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House onMonday.President Muhammadu Buhari will left Abuja on Saturday on an official working visit to the United States of America, on the invitation of President Donald Trump.The Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, had on Friday in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari while in America would hold bilateral meeting with President Trump and would later have a working lunch on April 30.According to Adesina, the meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries.He said the meeting would also advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security.The meeting will further deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigerias economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership.Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry, he added.He said that ahead of the visit by the President, meetings had been scheduled on April 26 and 27, between senior Nigerian government officials and executives of major U.S. companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation.He said that in the area of aviation, the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project.The presidential aide said: On agriculture, they will meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment.In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession.In the interim phase, a substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalized to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated two billion dollars to modernize the rail line from Lagos to Kano (Western Line) and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri (Eastern Line).During the meeting, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed.He further disclosed that Nigerian officials would also meet with US-EXIM Bank and the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements.It is noteworthy that in 2017, Nigerias Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the United States Department of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and encourage commercial and investment ties between Nigeria and the United States.This is with initial focus on infrastructure, agriculture, digital economy, investment and regulatory reforms. (NAN) Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on the Federal Government to do more to end attacks and killings allegedly by criminal herd... Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on the Federal Government to do more to end attacks and killings allegedly by criminal herdsmen in parts of the country.Soyinka made the call in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.He said recurring cases of alleged criminal herdsmen unleashing terror on communities leaving in their trail tears and blood required lasting interventions.Soyinka acknowleged that a few armed herdsmen had been apprehended by security agencies but said that was not enough to put a stop to the mayhem by the criminals.He said there were so many of the criminals hiding in the forests which needed to be tracked down by security agencies.The Nobel Laureate expressed regrets that some communities had been sacked by the criminals, causing residents to flee.He said there was the need to order the invaders out or drive them away and provide security for safe return of residents.Soyinka called for justice and restitution for victims of herdsmen attacks, saying that would give them some succour.We must go beyond arresting a token of herdsmen caught with arms as there are still hundreds of them in the forests.It is not enough to back the anti-open grazing law,so late in the day, but we shall leave that for later.Right now, the violated and the dispossessed demand restitution and with no further delay or subterfuge.All available forces should be deployed to right the hideous, unprecedented wrong that has left the nation drowning in blood. We simply cannot continue one day longer to watch this forceful feeding of human blood, he said.He also called on the agencies to track down and identify the sponsors of the criminals in order to curb their activities.Soyinka wished those who laboured for humanity a Happy May Day, adding that he was optimistic that the solutions to the security challenge would come in no distant time. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo says nobody can intimidate him on the mission to set up a third force with the Coalition for Nigeria Move... Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo says nobody can intimidate him on the mission to set up a third force with the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), a group which he has been promoting across the country.Obasanjo said this on Saturday when he addressed thousands of CNM members during a town hall meeting held at the Trans Amusement Park, Bodija, Ibadan.For me, I dont think there is anyone that can intimidate me. Let me remind you, I have gone through many things. I have been jailed without committing any offence, he said.According to the elder statesman, CNM will soon become a political party. He then urged members of the group not to give in to any form of intimidation from the powers that be either individually or collectively.He emphasised that he will cease to become a member of the group, once it becomes a political party, adding that this however will not reduce his concerns for Nigeria and unity of the nation.My struggle for the good of Nigeria progress of Nigeria, unity of Nigeria, development of Nigeria will not diminish. Even now, I get people from other parties, coming to me to seek advice. I dont belong to them. I dont have anything to do with them, but I give them advice. So, that situation will continue. I will continue to look for the good of Nigeria wherever I am.Men of valour dont run away from challenges and it is the same thing with women of honour. Permanent voters cards (PVCs) are your instruments. If you have not collected yours, go and collect it. If you are not yet registered, go and register. They are the keys to open the doors, he said.Obasanjo also urged youths to participate in politics, noting that, this is one of the philosophies of CNM.The youths under 40 years old form more than 65 per cent of our population. Now, who will tell you that because you are under 40, you cannot play a very significant role in the affairs of your country?I was Head of State when I was under 40. Now, France has elected a president that is under 40 yrs. Botswana has just a vice president at 32 years old. Now, what we are saying is that the youths must be given a pride of place.The National Coordinator of the movement, Olagunsoye Oyinlola also at the event said verifiable members of CNM have scaled over three million, adding that the movement would participate in all the elections scheduled to hold this year in the country.The meeting was also attended by a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Taofeek Arapaja; former secretary to Oyo State Government, Olayiwola Olakojo, who is the Oyo State Coordinator of CNM; another ex-SSG in the state, Ayodele Adigun, Oyewole Fasawe, as well as a legal luminary, Hammed Raji, among others. As President Muhammadu Buhari begins his official visit to the United States of America on Sunday (today), the Peoples Democratic Party ... As President Muhammadu Buhari begins his official visit to the United States of America on Sunday (today), the Peoples Democratic Party has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump to alleged constitutional and human rights violations in Nigeria.Also, the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Uche Secondus, on Saturday, accused Buhari of running a police state, warning that clamping down on those with opposing views was capable of truncating democracy.Addressing journalists at a press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja, the spokesman for the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiya, urged Trump to stand up for democracy and take Buhari to task on constitutional and human rights violations in Nigeria under his watch.Lamenting that the nation had become a police state, he said Buhari had taken the country back to what it was in 1984, when the military under Buhari, took over the government violently.Ologbondiyan said Buharis administration had destroyed the nations democratic order and eroded constitutionally- guaranteed rights of citizens, while foisting a siege mentality on the people.He said, Nigeria is facing a perilous time; our constitution has been technically suspended; we have now become a police state; governance has reverted to the nightmares of the 1984 era, when draconian leaders held sway and forcefully held our people under the grips of military Decree 2.Currently, there is a total collapse of respect for constitutionally-guaranteed personal freedom. There is no regard for the natural course of justice, life in Nigeria is gradually returning to the state of nature and there is fear everywhere.Today, Nigerians are being hounded, arrested and directly detained on order from above, without warrant. Citizens are locked up in dehumanising detention centres without access to medical care and legal assistance just for holding political opinions that run contrary to the views of those in power at the centre.Citing the recent United States Department of States report, which alleged cases of extreme human rights violations under the Buhari administration, Ologbondiyan called on Trump to ask Buhari questions on the way he runs his government.He added, Indeed, the height of human rights abuse being witnessed in our country today is the worst in our national contemporary history.As we speak, governments inaction and aloofness have led to escalation of killings in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, Edo, Zamfara, Ekiti and Enugu by insurgents and marauders, who are having a field day as the Presidency has abandoned governance for 2019 reelection bid.Secondus, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Ike Aboyi, said nobody is safe again in Nigeria under President Buhari. The PDP chairman, however, said Nigerians would never surrender their sovereignty to an individual.He added, Legislators are not safe, judges are living and working in fear; the media are being harassed, security agencies have all become tools of oppression for the government. Dictatorial signs are all over the place, threatening our democracy.Meanwhile, American companies in Nigeria have advised that infrastructure development and intelligence on counter-terrorism should be part of the agenda of Buharis meeting with his US counterpart.The companies are operating under the auspices of the American Business Council, an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce. Bruce Deifik gets it. He has carefully studied what went wrong at Atlantic City's former Revel casino and is fixing it before he reopens the star-crossed property as the Ocean Resort Casino. When it opens this summer (a date has not yet been set), guests will be able to smoke, eat at a buffet, take bus trips to the resort and find their way around the place much easier. The vertiginous "escalator to heaven" at the main entrance will now have glass safety panels on either side; a two-night stay will no longer be required; a wall blocking the casino off from easy Boardwalk access is being replaced by stairs welcoming foot traffic; the casino will offer more things for kids and families to do; and gamblers of all levels will be welcomed. In this April 26, 2018 photo, a technician installs slot machines on the casino floor of the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City during the renovation of the former Revel casino. Some Revel patrons said they felt unwelcome there, from not being able to smoke, to a general feeling that higher-end guests were more valued. It took Revel management 14 months (and the first of two bankruptcies) to offer a "Gamblers Wanted" promotion, and by then, the die was cast for the money-losing casino. Former Revel executives either declined comment or did not respond to requests for comment. The changes Deifik is making closely mirror those that former Revel customers told the AP in January they wanted to see instituted at the new property, and Revel changed some of its policies before shutting down in an attempt to reverse its decline. "I'm a non-smoker, but there are groups of people out there that are smokers and you have to be respectful to those people when they come," Deifik said. The casino floor is being reconfigured to make it easier to get from place to place. A confusing pedestrian flow through Revel was a common complaint among patrons. New signs are being put up, and employees will greet customers on arrival to direct them. The popular HQ outdoor pool and dance club will return, and Topgolf will offer virtual golf and other sports. Actor and musician Mark Wahlberg will have a large presence at Ocean Resort, opening his Wahlburgers burger restaurant, and also will open a bar called "Entourage," Deifik said. Kids will enjoy a large candy store, as well as "Cereal Town" an eatery "where you can go and have cereal for dinner, every kind of cereal from around the globe," Deifik said. Deifik also guaranteed Ocean Resort will reach a contract agreement with the city's main casino union, an assessment with which the union agreed; labor relations between the union and Revel were contentious. He promises Ocean Resort will not open until it is truly ready. "She doesn't have that luxury of being able to make a mistake without people saying, 'Aha!'" Deifik said of the property. "I think everybody is looking to find fault; I'm going to make sure that's not going to be the case." Follow writer Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC. My Golden Gloves champion father, Allie Santora, taught me how to throw a left hook. After reading Pope Francis' latest apostolic exhortation -- "Gaudete and Exsultate," Latin for "Joy and Exultation," subtitled "On the Joy of Holiness in Today's World" -- it's clear that for Pope Francis, the left hook comes naturally. Much of the document speaks about the spiritual quest for holiness as a vocation for each person. But Francis dispenses with the niceties early on when he turns "church militant," a classic concept, on its head to deflate a website with the same name. Church Militant, notorious of late for calling out any deviation from their self-described orthodoxy, has been getting Jesuit James Martin disinvited from Catholic speaking engagements. Martin wrote a mild book, "Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity,'' that's more provocative in tone than doctrine, which it adheres to faithfully. Church Militant's social media presence is larger than its membership, which is insignificant. Francis has been opposed from cardinals down to priest organizations for creating a slippery slope in morality by diluting what some would call immutable church dogma. So Francis takes them on by calling out "two false forms of holiness that can lead us astray: gnosticism and pelagianism" two heresies from early Christianity. The first, Francis writes, "gives rise to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism." Contemporary gnostics believe that they possess special knowledge that is not available to all. This makes them superior and, Francis wrote, "they judge others based on their ability to understand the complexity of certain doctrines." They possess "an encyclopaedia of abstractions," Francis says. Pope Benedict XVI gave some credibility to this concept when he talked about a smaller, more pure Catholic church. This pope is much more expansive. "Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our midst, reflect God's presence,'' he writes. "We might call them the middle class of holiness." He also extols what he calls the "genius of woman" and the feminine style of holiness, which he calls an essential example of God's holiness in the world. He also cautions about pelagianiam, which gives humans an oversized role. Francis calls out their hypocrisy by trusting in their own powers "because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style." Could Francis be describing the so-called dubia cardinals, who questioned the pope's catholicity in his previous exhortartion, "Amoris Laetitia," ("The Joy of Love")? This document set the stage for applying the internal forum or conscience to divorced and remarried Catholics. Francis ignored his critics. It is said that we get the pope that the Church needs and not necessarily what it wants. Francis would refer to this as a God of surprises. "When somebody has an answer for every question, it is a sign that they are not on the right road,'' he writes. "God infinitely transcends us; he is full of surprises." In the 2013 conclave that ended with him being named the next pope, Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio was ready to return to Buenos Aires to retire. God does surprise. Today, Francis fascinates and frustrates because he leads perhaps the largest monarchy in the world yet encourages revolution from below. He welcomes critics but seems undeterred. He sees this as the true successor to earliest Christianity, which fostered individual expressions of faith because those who followed "The Way" lived lives of holiness and that inspired them to change the world. Rather than back down, he is moving forward at 81 and perhaps in the best spiritual health of his life. Francis is not holding on to the ropes of the ring, avoiding the fight. He is right in the center, truly engaged and throwing those judicious, left hooks. EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken. JERSEY CITY -- Hundreds of people gathered along the Exchange Place waterfront on Saturday to pay tribute to police officers who have died in the line of duty. The annual "Walk to Remember our Fallen Heroes" 5K is hosted each year by the Jersey City Detective's Benevolent Association. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the deaths of 135 police officer in 2017 were considered to have occurred in the line of duty. Of those officers, 46 officers were fatally shot, 47 died in traffic incidents, and six died of 9/11 related illnesses. Many held signs with the names of fallen officers. A flag was draped from two fire trucks at the foot of Exchange Place. Check out photos from the event taken by Jersey Journal freelance photographer Joe Shine. Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. 1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted. 2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks. 3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown". 4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam). I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published. JERSEY CITY -- Seniors from the United States Military Academy, West Point, visited Jersey City last weekend. The 25 cadets participated in the "Winning the Peace" program, which is designed to give the individuals a "weekend of cultural diversity." During the three-day trip, cadets visited City Hall, a number of local churches, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, and Liberty Science Center. One of the stops included Christ Hospital CarePoint Health, where the cadets learned about different health initiatives organized by the hospital. "We really tailor our programs to the needs of the community," Clinical Care Coordinator Maria Mainolfi told the cadets, "to make sure everyone gets the quality healthcare they deserve." The cadets called their experience in Jersey City "enlightening." "It's really valuable to see the community and the institutions that serve them," said cadet Miranda Bass. "It's important to see the cornerstones of the community and how they operate." Okay, let's get this out of the way right up front about goat yoga. There's probably going to be some poop involved. No kidding. With that disclaimer and an obligatory goat pun out of the way, we can get on with the fun stuff. Goat yoga is a blast, and it's exactly what the name implies. You do yoga while goats wander around doing, well, goat things. You can't help but smile. The goats are ridiculously adorable. "I liked that they climbed around and gave kisses and tried to be near everyone," said Shelby Bassetti, after attending her first goat yoga class at Pampered Pup Luxury Resort in Millville this month. "If you ever thought about trying it, just do it. You'll love it." Audrey Mazza kisses Donald, a goat during a Goat Yoga session at Pampered Pup Luxury Pet Resort in Millville, Saturday, April 21, 2018. These aren't your typical barnyard goats, mind you. They're on the smaller side. And don't be surprised if your downward dog pose encourages an upward goat. Goats, after all, love to climb. "Each class is totally different because the goats are always different," said Tracey Morgado, the yoga instructor who led the recent class at Pampered Pup. "They have their own tendencies, personalities and dynamics. As someone taking the class, though, you have to be tolerant of animals and their functions." The goats are pretty playful and don't shy away from contact from each other, or people. Goat Yoga at Pampered Pup Luxury Pet Resort in Millville, Saturday, April 21, 2018. As Morgado calmly gave instructions, one of the goats named Harry butted heads with a compatriot. The tussle knocked one attendee out of her pose. Moments earlier, Harry nonchalantly left a little pellet pile on a nearby yoga mat. "Oh, we need a clean up," Morgado said. Goat yoga has become a full-on thing in just a few short years. Classes regularly sell out quickly and the goats are in high demand. You can find the classes throughout New Jersey. Morgado has been teaching yoga for 20 years, but just recently started doing the goat sessions. "It's funny," Morgado said. "In normal yoga classes you're focused on the instructor, mimicking what they do and hanging on what they say. In these goat classes, I am far from the focus and people in class are more focused on making sure their fingers don't get stepped on instead of following my exact pose." Goat Yoga at Pampered Pup Luxury Pet Resort in Millville, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Pampered Pup Luxury Resort owner Danielle Ford said the goat yoga was just a fun way to get people interacting with the animals in a familiar, relaxing setting. The boarding, training and grooming facility recently added 15 goats "to make the farm feel farmier," she said. "And that's what brought us to goat yoga." "Everyone fools around and has a good time with it," she said. "It's a different kind of relaxing because how serious can you really be in a room full of goats that may or may not poop? But people still get a little workout out of it, they stretch and can feel muscles working, so there's still yoga. It's just less intense." Pampered Pup has two more goat yoga sessions coming up, May 19 and June 9. Both have a suggested donation of $30. Tonya Kidd pets Harry during a Goat Yoga session at Pampered Pup Luxury Pet Resort in Millville, Saturday, April 21, 2018. "We always wanted to try it and will definitely do it again," said Hrisanthi Sotiropoulos, who attended the April session. "I thought they'd be in a pen or something, but it was great that they roamed around and interacted." Admittedly, it's far from the more serious yoga experience. "There's nothing to lose by trying this," Morgado said. "For goat yoga, it's about being in the moment, hanging out with sweet goats and checking the ego at the door." And don't worry about the poop. Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Back in 2006, when Steve Lonegan was mayor of Bogota, he turned to a Republican councilman and called him a "fundamentalist faggot piece of shit," according to the councilman, and a witness who testified under oath, Bogota GOP chairman Andrew Fede. Lonegan denies it, now that he is running for Congress. But there is no evidence he denied it in 2006, when the charges first surfaced. And even this month, his campaign spokesman didn't deny it when confronted with the quotes, and conceded that Lonegan used "some naughty words." To believe Lonegan, we have to believe his fellow Republicans hatched a fake plot to get him more than a decade ago. Please. Your guide to N.J. candidates itching to ride anti-Trump wave as political season begins A more likely explanation is that Lonegan knows this quote makes him radioactive in New Jersey. He should quit now, and end the drama. Voters in this district have made it clear they don't like this kind of vile behavior. The Republican who held the seat previously, Scott Garrett, lost his Wall Street donors and was forced out in 2016, after he said the Republican party should stop supporting gay candidates. Why should Republicans put forward another candidate who expresses homophobia to run against the Democrat incumbent, Josh Gottheimer? The target of the diatribe, then-councilman George Silos, says he sent an email at the time complaining about it to prominent Republicans. This was worse than naughty. "It was an anti-gay homophobic slur," says Silos, who called it "ugly and hateful." He's not gay. He's married with two kids, one of whom interned in Garrett's D.C. office the summer of 2016. But he was really bothered by Lonegan's "thug" behavior, he said. At the same meeting, he says, Lonegan threatened to go outside and fight him, twice. And in a previous, three-way phone conversation, Lonegan told him, "I'll cut your balls off." Fede also swore that Silos told him about this at the time. Silos thinks Lonegan used the slur because he was angry the councilman was supporting a police officer whom Lonegan had asked for a political favor. "That's what spewed out," Silos said. "He's got the mentality of a 9-year-old schoolyard bully." The implication for Christians wasn't particularly nice, either. Lonegan is Roman Catholic. Silos is evangelical, and believes the "fundamentalist" comment indicates "he doesn't like my brand of Christianity." He says he's coming forward with this now because Gottheimer will do so himself if Lonegan wins the Republican nomination. The Bergen County Republican chairman, Paul DiGaetano, also called for Lonegan to step down. And it's not just one homophobic comment. Lonegan's record is fundamentally biased against gays. He's questioned the right and ability of same-sex couples to raise children, or marry. He even opposed civil unions. He's an extremist in other ways, too. He would make abortion illegal even in cases of rape or incest. He accused 9/11 first responders of trying to "find any reason to sue" by inventing a fake "respiratory ailment." As mayor, he infamously demanded that McDonald's remove a Spanish-language billboard and tried to make English the official language of his small town. Yet after police discovered he'd hired two illegal immigrants to help assemble lawn signs, he shrugged it off: "These guys need the money," Lonegan said. He's shrugging off this story in the same way now, as "an allegation of name-calling from a dozen years ago." But it's a plausible one, and a hateful slur that should disqualify him from Congress. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Last week we learned that political allies of Gov. Phil Murphy are planning an ad campaign to generate public support for the adoption of his budget proposal, which relies heavily on new taxes. Let me propose the following commercial based on the recent experience of an old friend of mine who grew up in Point Pleasant but moved down to Barnegat some years ago. Over the years, my friend's eyesight worsened to the point that he is legally blind and can't drive. When his elderly mother was in the hospital recently he had to take an Uber to visit her. That cost $70 each way. I'm sure that for a slight consideration my friend would be willing to appear in a TV ad saying something like this: "I feel really bad that my $140 round-trip on Uber isn't taxed. Please call the governor's office and insist that he raise the sales tax back to 7 percent and apply it to Uber and Lyft rides." That should go over about as well as the Hindenberg did on its one-way trip to Lakehurst. When the plan first surfaced last week in a column by my fellow pundit Charles Stile of the Record, the reaction among Murphy's fellow Democrats was instantaneous. "I heard about it when I was in a meeting in Trenton," said Senate President Steve Sweeney when I called him Thursday. "I was taken aback by it. Just because we're reluctant to raise taxes, why would you go to the nuclear option without talking to us?" Good question. Here's my answer: Murphy and his people lack political skills. If your only experience with angling is shooting fish in a barrel, you're not going to be ready to hook a great white shark. That sums up the career of the reported mastermind of this scheme, Brendan Gill. Gill is an Essex County freeholder and former Murphy campaign manager who worked his way up the ladder in the Essex Democratic machine. That machine is used to piling up 90-percent victory margins in the cities, margin that are reminiscent of the old Soviet Union. Achieving political victory there is more a matter of winning the approval of the Essex version of the politburo than of actually persuading voters to vote for you. Sweeney by comparison comes from Gloucester County, a largely suburban area that could easily go Republican in a good year for the GOP. Hence his talent for politics - and his reluctance to sign on to a Murphy budget that relies on $1.5 billion in new taxes. That tax on Uber and Lyft rides could easily become the political equivalent of Jim Florio's toilet-paper tax - a source of little revenue but much public opposition. If Sweeney's going to take the risk of raising taxes, he wants the new governor to convince him that he should. But Sweeney told me Murphy hasn't been talking with him and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, a Middlesex Democrat. "If you disagree with us, we can give you what we think and go from there," Sweeney said. Instead Murphy has been traveling around the state making speeches that are intended to build public support for his agenda. That sort of thing worked for his predecessor. But if I may rework a saying from the late Democratic senator Lloyd Bentsen: I knew Chris Christie. And governor you're no Chris Christie. Christie seemed like just another boring moderate from Morris County when he first came on the state scene in 2009. But once he got in front of the television cameras, it was love at first sight. The guy was golden. Before long he had the New York and Philly TV stations showing up at every ribbon-cutting he attended. The hope was that he'd say something outrageous. Christie was glad to oblige. But when it comes to Murphy, he simply repeats his campaign promises to give the voters free things like tuition-free county college and universal pre-K. Nothing to see here, media people. Move on. Even worse, he's casting himself as the good guy. That means Sweeney and Coughlin have to play the role of the bad guys. They're the heartless politicians who have to tell the voters that they won't be getting all those freebies that their wonderful governor wants to give them. Well, "bring it on," as Sweeney said. Better yet, turn it off - at least if you know what's good for you, governor. PLUS - TIME'S RUNNING OUT: As of Sunday, Murphy has a mere 62 days to come up with a budget plan that the Senate and Assembly leaders will approve. He's not going to get it by running TV ads making them look like they're selfish for not giving the public a lot of new services he knows the state can't afford. As a political neophyte, Murphy doesn't seem to realize that his fellow Democrats don't like being caricatured as cheapskates for performing their constitutional duty of passing a balanced budget. As some one who has been studying those budgets for 20 years or so, I have to say that there is absolutely no possibility the state can afford to fund Murphy's proposal for universal free preschool and free county college in three years - even with the $1.5 billion in tax hikes he proposes. Even with those tax hikes, he will still be unable to meet the full payment for the public-employee pensions he claims to support. It's perfectly fine for him to argue that those pensions should be fully funded. But if so, why is he shorting the pension fund by more than $2 billion in next year's budget? As with the promises of county colleges and pre-K, he says he will "ramp up" the payments over the years. One problem: As a former Goldman Sachs guy, he has to know that ramp is too steep. He should admit that rather than pass the burden on to his fellow Democrats to make the tough decisions he clearly wants to avoid. WASHINGTON -- The head of the committee tasked with electing House Republicans acknowledged that his party has failed to recruit a strong candidate to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo in South Jersey. "The LoBiondo seat is still a recruiting hole for us," said Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "That's one of the few recruiting holes we have across the country." LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist., announced his retirement after 24 years in the House, and the Cook Political Report, a Washington-based publication that tracks congressional races, said the district now leans Democratic. Stivers, speaking to Washington-based reporters from local news outlets, including NJ Advance Media, acknowledged that the Democratic candidate could be the front-runner. "That one probably should be at least a tossup or lean their way," Stivers said. "I wish we had a better recruit in the LoBiondo seat but we don't." Democrats have recruited state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, to run, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently named him as one of their candidates most likely to flip a GOP-held seat. He raised $488,845 through March 31, with $456,028 to spend. "As we've seen all across the country, Republicans cannot find candidates to run under their unpopular agenda," DCCC spokesman Evan Lukaske said. "Nowhere is that more true than in New Jersey. With his independent mindset and focus on finding common ground, Senator Van Drew will be an excellent representative for this community." The DCCC's support of Van Drew, one of the most conservative Democrats in Trenton, hasn't sat well with progressive activists. The Collective Political Action Committee, a PAC created to elect black candidates, is backing retired schoolteacher Tanzie Youngblood. She raised $65,309, lent her campaign $23,000, and had $14,102 in her campaign bank account as of March 31. Another Democrat, former congressional aide Will Cunningham, brought in $51,951 and reported cash on hand of $45,986. On the Republican side, only engineer Hirsh Singh, who lost a bid for GOP gubernatorial nomination last year, amassed any significant campaign funds and that was because he dug deep into his own pocket. He raised $55,665, while giving or loaning his campaign about the same amount, $56,685. He entered April with $82,554 to spend. The other Republicans running are former state Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi, R-Cumberland; Robert Turkavage, a former FBI agent and two-time unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate; and lawyer Seth Grossman. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. WASHINGTON -- New Jersey Transit is in danger of missing the deadline for installing an automatic speed control system on its tracks, the Federal Railroad Administration said in a letter expressing concern with the rail system's progress. The FRA cited the railroad's lack of progress, including the fact that only 11 percent of the hardware was in place mine months before the Dec. 31 deadline, according to a letter obtained by NJ Advance Media. The letter from Administrator Ronald Batory was designed "to stress the urgency of timely compliance with this critical rail-safety mandate." Amtrak President Richard Anderson in March named NJ Transit and Metro-North as the northeast commuter railroads "most at risk" of missing the Dec. 31 deadline. Anderson has said those railroads could be banned from its tracks, including the tunnels under the Hudson River, if the equipment isn't in place. NJ Transit officials said they were reviewing the letter and would meet the deadline. NJ Transit at risk of missing deadline "NJ Transit has been meeting regularly with the FRA and we are committed to ensuring that we continue to realize substantial and immediate progress to meet the statutory mandate," spokesman Jim Smith said. "Positive train control implementation remains our highest priority and we continue to make progress." The absence of an automatic speed control system contributed to the September 2016 fatal train crash at Hoboken Terminal, the National Transportation Safety Board said in February. While NJ Transit had an exemption from federal rules to install such a system on the terminal tracks, Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt "said some sort of technology" should be put in place to automatically slow down trains. Congress extended the deadline for installing positive train control by three years to the end of this year from Dec. 31, 2015. Railroads can get another two-year extension if they meet certain requirements, but Batory said in his letter that FRA wasn't sure NJ Transit would be able to qualify. Among the requirements was the complete installation of hardware along the tracks and acquiring the spectrum necessary for the system. Live testing of PTC equipment on NJ Transit's Morris & Essex line was delayed for a full year until this Spring. The railroad and the FRA also adjusted the installation plan to deal with a subcontractor's problems getting the equipment into the trains. NJ Transit officials also paid contractor Parsons Transportation Group $32 million more, bringing the contract to $320 million to design and install PTC. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. When hip hop artist Common hit the Congo Square stage at New Orleans Jazz Fest Saturday afternoon, the crowd screamed for him. I must admit: I did too. I remember belting out the lyrics to one of his most popular songs, "The Light," as a kid with a passion so fierce, you'd swear I recorded it with him in the studio. That song debuted when I was 10 years old, and I didn't quite grasp the lyrics then. But I loved that song. And when "Come Close" premiered two years later, I fell in love with Common's music even more. A few hours before his performance on Saturday, I played all of my favorite Common songs and a few that I didn't really know. I wanted to be prepared. Y'all, I was so prepared. As he burst onto the stage, he rapped lyrics to "Time Travelin," a song from his fourth album "Like Water for Chocolate." The beat samples music from the great Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. And most of Kuti's songs require you to get up on your feet. Needless to say, everyone was dancing. The Chicago native, who rocked a yellow jacket, white T-shirt and black jeans, quickly came out of his jacket after about three songs. Honestly, I'm surprised it took him that long to take it off. It was way too hot for that. Throughout his performance, he asked the audience to put their fists up for unity. "Where my people at," he asked. "Whenever you see me, you know I stay with the people." While performing his song "The Food" and later rapping to the beat of Donny Hathaway's "Little Ghetto Boy," the rapper asked the audience to put their hands in the air in honor of black people who've lost their lives to police brutality. Common is no stranger to rapping about the everyday lives of the underprivileged. Particularly, in black communities like the one where he grew up on Chicago's South Side. But his performance wasn't all about the struggle. He even brought a little sexy to the stage. When Common invited a female NOPD officer to the stage for a serenade, all the ladies near me were swooning, wishing they were on the stage instead. To prove he's one of the greatest MC's ever, he free-styled to the young police officer over the beat of Alicia Key's "You Don't Know My Name." For nearly four minutes, the hip hop star free-styled about the officer and New Orleans, mentioning street names and neighborhoods. He also planted several kisses on her face and neck. I must give the officer credit: she kept her composure and mostly remained professional. After all, she was probably on the clock. But the other woman he invited to the stage wasn't so reserved. She took every opportunity to pat Common's bald head dry and caress his abs and triceps. They even did a little Chicago two-step. Not even his sexy serenades were the highlight of his performance though. The final song of his set was "The Light" and I sang and rapped just as hard as I did when I was 10 years old. Common, I know you give love to your hometown of Chicago all the time. And it loves you right back. But New Orleans loves you, too. Come back anytime. Mitch Landrieu set the tone for his eight years as mayor of New Orleans a month after he was sworn in. In the first week of June 2010, he announced dramatic changes in the way the city would do business with contractors. He set up a selection committee to screen professional services contracts for architects, engineers and lawyers -- contracts that don't have to go to the lowest bidder. The process was created to limit his choices and reduce patronage, something other mayors had promised, but failed to do. His administration also established a one-stop shop for permitting that had long been promised by his predecessors. Almost eight years later, the difference is striking -- both in the level of business investment and the lack of complaints about dealing with City Hall. GE, DXC Technology and a dozen other companies chose New Orleans for new high-tech ventures, national retailers like Costco and Tiffany opened stores and the Riverwalk mall was transformed by an $82 million renovation. Goldman Sachs chose New Orleans for its 10,000 Small Business Initiative, a program to strengthen small businesses. There are new nonstop flights to London and to Frankfurt, Germany, and Louis Armstrong International Airport set a record for passenger traffic in 2017. A new $1 billion terminal at the airport is scheduled to be finished early in 2019. Although that will happen after Mayor Landrieu leaves office, it will be part of his legacy. These sorts of accomplishments would be significant under any circumstances. But they are more remarkable because of the condition the city was in when the Landrieu administration took over five years after Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches. The recovery was sluggish then, and the city had a massive budget deficit. The Landrieu team expected to have to deal with a $67 million deficit, but it was closer to $90 million. The Police Department had gone so far over budget, it was essentially broke. "For all intents and purposes, the city was bankrupt," Mayor Landrieu said in a meeting April 19 with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. The city didn't go into bankruptcy, but it took a Herculean effort to get the budget balanced. Eight years later, incoming Mayor LaToya Cantrell is inheriting a surplus. That, Mayor Landrieu said, was his goal: To deliver a city that was in much better shape for the future. There are still major challenges looming -- a crumbling drainage system and inept Sewerage & Water Board, an understaffed police department and stubborn crime rate, the need for affordable housing. But New Orleans is a far stronger and more economically vibrant city than it was eight years ago. Not only was the city in a financial mess in 2010, the Nagin administration was embroiled in scandal. Former technology chief Greg Meffert had been indicted in November 2009 and accused of taking $860,000 in kickbacks from city contractor Mark St. Pierre. Mr. Meffert and Mr. Pierre both went to prison in a scheme that ultimately reached Ray Nagin, who is serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison. Mr. Nagin's downfall could have done enduring damage to New Orleans' reputation as a place to do business, but the Landrieu administration didn't allow that to happen. Mayor Landrieu's business-like approach at City Hall over the past eight years was an antidote to the Nagin years. The strength of the city's standing is evident in the outpouring of national accolades for New Orleans and Mayor Landrieu. The mayor will receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in May for his leadership in removing monuments to Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Confederate icons. It was the right thing to do, for residents who were offended by the statues and for the city's reputation. How others view us does matter, particularly for a city that thrives on tourism and needs business leaders to invest here. Greater New Orleans Inc. keeps a list of the latest rankings: New Orleans was named the top city for Employment, Income and Population by NerdWallet; the No. 2-ranked aspirational city by DailyBeast; the No. 4 Western Hemisphere City of the Future (Mid-Sized) by fDi, and on and on. There are negative rankings, as well, for the city's entrenched crime and poverty. Too many residents have been left out of the wave of prosperity evident downtown and in the city's hottest neighborhoods. The workers who make New Orleans' tourism industry run are being priced out of their homes and neighborhoods. The New Orleans Police Department has yet to recover from a hiring freeze Mayor Landrieu put in place shortly after he took office in 2010. The Sewerage & Water Board, which the mayor heads as its chairman, is a mess. Floods Aug. 5 revealed a level of dysfunction and disrepair in the operation that was shocking given the reforms that were supposed to be in place. In his State of the City address in 2013, Mayor Landrieu laid out his vision for what the city could be by 2018. He described "a city for the ages" with a world-class airport, a teeming biomedical district and safe neighborhoods. All that work is not done, but this mayor has turned New Orleans around. For more than 30 years fellow Louisianians have been asking me this question: "What can I do to help the state prevent our bottom third from being consumed by the Gulf of Mexico?" The answer has become inescapable: Join the Republican Party -- and change it. I do not offer that solution lightly. Some of my best friends are Democrats. I even married one. But with this state destined to remain deeply Red for decades, the survival of many Bayou State communities between Baton Rouge and the Gulf depends not on our 50-year, $92 billion coastal master plan, but on how the Republicans we send to Congress and Baton Rouge vote on climate change issues. And so far, their votes are drowning us -- and making a mockery of efforts to find the $92 billion for that plan. Last week was a perfect example. One day a peer-reviewed study co-authored by researchers at Tulane University made national headlines by reaching this conclusion: Unless current rates of sea level rise are reduced, the coastal master plan will fail because over the next 50 to 80 years those rising seas will swallow almost anything we build over. Science has proven that acceleration in sea level rise is being pushed by greenhouse gas emissions caused largely by the burning of oil, coal, gas and other fossil fuels. But just a few days later, another headline told us this: Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry joined 14 GOP state AGs in filing a brief in support of oil companies California cities are suing for their part in producing those emissions -- the same emissions threatening to flood south Louisiana. Granted, Landry is known to have an oracle complex. He recently proclaimed climate change was a hoax, in effect telling us his law degree gives him more expertise on the future of the climate than 97 percent of all the published climate scientists in the world. But this is not an isolated case when it comes to the GOP pols Louisiana elects. Rep. Steve Scalise from Metairie -- the GOP Whip in the House of Representatives -- agrees with Landry. His degree in political science apparently confers on him great insights into climate science that have escaped Louisiana researcher Virginia Burkett, who shared a Nobel Prize for work on climate science. And our entire GOP delegation -- including Rep. Garret Graves, who once headed the coastal master plan effort -- are complicit in this anti-coast, anti-science movement. They not only opposed past legislation and regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emission, they are supporting the Trump Administration's efforts to roll them all back, as well as opposing having oil companies pay for their part in the disaster. And they are doing this, even while the state's Legislature unanimously endorsed the 2017 edition of the coastal master plan, which clearly states that its success depends on reducing sea level rise. The plan that once boasted it could result in the state gaining more land than it is losing in aggregate by 2067, now concludes everything depends on reducing emissions. If the Paris Climate Accords work, we will lose only an additional 1,200 square miles with the plan. If those accords don't work, we'll lose another 2,800 square miles -- home to communities, and thousands of oil, gas and fisheries jobs. But President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris agreement, raising the odds that effort will fail. And while almost every Democratic member of Congress objected, not a single GOP congressman from Louisiana -- the state most imperiled by those emissions -- voiced concerns. By now it's painfully obvious the GOP is the biggest obstacle to the survival of south Louisiana. It shouldn't be, and it doesn't have to be. I'm not asking GOP voters to switch parties. There is nothing inconsistent with being pro-life, pro-gun, pro small government and pro-environment. There should be no conflict (no choice, really) in saying you're conservative on social and economic issues but believe it's wrong to allow companies to poison the air with chemicals. Those chemicals are also ensuring communities and industries located south of Interstate 10 will be under water in the next 50 to 80 years. Republicans in Louisiana need to find candidates who agree with that logic, nominate them, and elect them. And all those Democrats out there should consider moving that progress forward by joining the GOP. We're running out of time. Bob Marshall, former Outdoors editor for The Times-Picayune and former environmental reporter for The Lens, writes a regular column. He can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com. One man was killed and another injured in a single-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon (April 28) on U.S. 90 in St. Charles Parish, according to Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey. Shortly after 2 p.m., 41-year-old Maurice Stewart of Houma was driving a 1994 Ford Explorer on U.S. 90 near LA 306, according to Matey. For unknown reasons, the Explorer began to spin out, crossed the median and stopped in the eastbound lane, she said. Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene and the passenger, a 36-year-old Houma resident, was taken to University Medical Center, according to Matey. Both Stewart and the passenger were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, Matey said in a news release. As of Saturday night, it is not known if Stewart was impaired and Matey said a toxicology report will be done during the autopsy. According to the news release, speed was a factor in the crash, but no further information was immediately available. Storyville, New Orleans' famed red-light district, officially closed in November of 1917. Unofficially, though, it simply adapted -- or at least attempted to. According to one contemporary report, several houses of prostitution in the district continued operations well into 1918, sometimes with police officers or elected officials on hand. Whether they were patrons is unclear. But it presumably was not coincidence that when vice squad raids were planned, the homes were sometimes discovered to be vacant. One such business was Lulu White's famed Mahogany Hall, rebranded by White a century ago as a hotel and restaurant. White's legal struggles became particularly scandalous for the city after she was convicted of operating a brothel but was given a slap on the wrist, in open defiance of the city's public safety commissioner, who had insisted to the judge that jail time was mandatory. That judge was briefly suspended amid whispers of corruption, and things got worse for him from there. By the end of 1918, the White Hotel was out of business, even if Lulu White was not. White was convicted in February of that year of two counts of violating the city ordinance that made prostitution illegal. For the first count, she was ordered to pay a $25 fine; for the second, she was ordered to pay an additional $25 and serve 30 days in jail. Those were the punishments mandated under the law. White appealed to the state Supreme Court, but the verdict was upheld. Judge Louis Burthe sentenced White to pay two $25 fines, according to coverage of the case in the local press, but he gave her no jail time. The sentence was reportedly agreed upon after being proposed as a compromise by White's attorney, Louis H. Burns. Burthe was immediately suspended by Public Safety Commissioner Sam Stone, who wrote the judge a letter saying he was prepared to remove Burthe from office for defying his orders. The letter also summoned Burthe to a private meeting with Stone to explain himself. Stone provided a copy of his letter to the newspapers. It was published in full by the New Orleans Item on June 6, 1918. "I have suspended you from office in order to give you an opportunity to explain your course to me before any formal charges are made against you, for removal from office and trial thereof by the commission council as is provided by the charter of this city," Stone wrote. "Herein fail not," he concluded. Burthe failed not. His explanation to the public safety commissioner was that he intended to sentence White to jail, but that he was simply giving her time "to arrange her affairs," according to the New Orleans States. He was reinstated to the bench at the Second Recorder's Court, with a stern warning from Stone that "where there is gross and flagrant violation of the law, and by a person notoriously known to be a violator of the ordinance and twice prosecuted before you for violations thereof, no delay ought to be granted under any circumstances." Burthe lost his job in 1920, when the city's Commission Council removed him from office and appointed another man in his place. Burthe sued, arguing that the judgeship to which he himself had been appointed was actually an elected position, and he refused to leave the bench when his replacement showed up for his first day of work. Burthe cleared 19 cases that day in December of 1920, then barricaded himself inside his office as a squad of police showed up to install the new judge. (Burthe's marriage was also falling apart in late 1920, his wife having filed for a legal separation, alleging "cruelty, mistreatment, failure to observe his marital obligations, that he is incorrigible and that he cursed and abused her, and that he stays out late at night.") As for Lulu White, in December of 1918, she listed the lavish furnishings of the brothel-turned-hotel in a cash auction. "ATTENTION, FURNITURE BUYERS -- THE SALE OF THE YEAR!" read a classified ad published in The Times-Picayune. "Peremptory auction of the White Hotel, No. 235 N. Basin St., near Bienville, comprising diamonds, mirrors, pianos, piano players, furniture, carpets and other household effects in large quantities estimated to have cost above $100,000.00." The auction listing detailed various pieces of the famed brothel's decor -- paintings, chandeliers, "costly ornaments in China and bronze" -- as well as more practical items, condition unknown: "iron and brass beds, bedding of all kinds, springs, mattresses, quilts, blankets, spreads, linen, refrigerator, gas and coal ranges, utensils and hundreds of other things." Though the White Hotel ceased to exist, Lulu White's troubles did not. In 1926, she found herself reunited with Louis Burns, who was by this time a federal judge. White was brought up on March 26 of that year on charges of violating the Volstead Act, which set enforcement for Prohibition. She paid a fine of $100 on what was known as "bargain day" in the court, a day when people who pleaded guilty to violating Prohibition could pay a fine and avoid jail time, a deal not unlike the one supposedly brokered by Burns eight years earlier when he represented Lulu White. Get Up, Stand UpAn Awakening for the United Nations This past week, we have seen the United Nations in its Annual General Assembly meetings being addressed by all the World Leaders, including President Biden, and the Caribbean leaders who... Bidens Promise for Diverse Judges and Federal Court Diversity One of the most important reasons to vote Donald Trump out of the White House was to stop him from packing our federal courts with even more anti-voting-rights, anti-equality, pro-corporate... 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: The Most Expensive Business Destinations in Asia are Revealed Business travel is an inevitable part of the working process in any large organization. While many employees treat business travel as a necessity and a part of their responsibilities, many actually love to travel and consider business trips another opportunity to see new places. ECA International decided to identify what destinations are the most expensive and what countries and cities wont ruin a companys travel budget. Hong Kong hotels may be doing well as they are the most expensive destination for business travelers in Asia. They managed to overcome Tokyo that ended up second in the rank. This is the first time that the Chinese city overtook the Japanese capital. However, experts mention that this happened not because of a drop in the price of business travel in Japan but mostly thanks to the decrease of Japanese yen value compared to US dollar. The average value of a business trip in Hong Kong is US$508 a day. Singapore occupies the third place in the list of the most expensive locations for business travel across Asia. In 2017, the average cost of a business trip raised to US$479 a day, which is slightly more than US$472 in 2016. This price includes not only hotel accommodation cost but also the daily allowance fee, taxi, meals, laundry, and other daily essentials. Based on reports of companies like ECA, businesses determine the average rate of a business travel for their employees. So, we have determined the most expensive regions for business travelers in Asia, and what about the cheapest ones? Malaysia turns out to be the most affordable for business guests. Hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru definitely have less profit than Hong Kong as they are at the bottom of the list. The weakness of the national currency is one of the major reasons for that. The Malaysian Ringgit keeps its downward trend, making the country even more affordable for foreign visitors. The average cost of a day in Kuala Lumpur is almost half of the Hong Kong value. Many other cities across Asia also rank among the cheapest. These are cities in Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, and Indonesia. When it comes to most expensive cities, besides the top 3 mentioned above, the fourth and fifth places are occupied by South Korean cities, namely, Seoul and Busan. Yokohama, Japan, occupies the sixth place, followed by Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kobe (Japan), Shanghai (China), and Macau. Finally, it is important to mention that even the leader of the list, Hong Kong, is no match to the global leader, New York where a business trip costs US$793 a day on average. 29.04.2018Stay 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. It's too bad that "runoff" isn't one of the options voters can choose in the race for state labor commissioner. A little additional time - and pressure - could force the two leading candidates, Val Hoyle and Lou Ogden to be more forthcoming about their stands on a few key issues. Voters don't have that option, however. While they should hope that none of the three candidates for the nonpartisan seat win enough to avoid a November runoff, Oregonians should still cast their votes based on the best available information. And the best available information means choosing Hoyle as commissioner and leader of the state's Bureau of Labor and Industries. Hoyle, a Democrat, served as the House Majority Leader in the Oregon Legislature before launching an unsuccessful run for secretary of state in 2016. Her experience on state issues, detailed understanding of BOLI's responsibilities as an enforcer of labor laws and regulations and willingness, at times, to show independence from her party makes her the stronger candidate. Hoyle, 54, likes to point to her list of backers, which include employers amid her largely labor-union supporters, as evidence of her ability to work fairly with both business and workers. She rightly identifies the need to streamline and hasten BOLI investigations which can take months or even years for final resolution. And she talks convincingly of the need to rebuild businesses' trust in BOLI, a welcome shift after current Commissioner Brad Avakian's reign of partisan grandstanding. Yet, we have our concerns. Hoyle played dumb on the question of how she would have handled the controversial Sweet Cakes by Melissa discrimination case that defined Avakian's tenure and turned Oregon into ground zero for the culture wars. In that case, Avakian levied a $135,000 penalty against a Christian bakery in Gresham whose owners refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. But Hoyle said she didn't know enough about the case, hadn't read the Court of Appeals opinion laying out the background and legal conclusions and was waiting for the Oregon Supreme Court to weigh in. Yet that won't be for at least another year considering that the matter has not even been scheduled. Oregonian editorials Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and John Maher. To respond to this editorial, post your comment below, submit an OpEd or a letter to the editor. If you have questions about the opinion section, email Laura Gunderson, editorial pages editor, or call 503-221-8378. Her ignorance reflects either a shocking lack of curiosity or an intentional political calculation. It's unfortunate that she would not be up front with voters on such a prominent case, unlike Ogden, who said he did not believe that the state should seek to penalize a business out of existence for its first transgression. Ogden, the longtime mayor of Tualatin, is a tempting choice because his philosophy toward business is so diametrically opposed to that of Avakian. He made no bones about his intention to make BOLI far more business friendly, with more of a focus on building a pipeline of trained Oregonians for marketable jobs than on aggressive enforcement of wage-and-hour laws. But Ogden, 63, would be an overcorrection. His breezy answers to The Oregonian/OregonLive EditorialBoard came across as someone whose approach was both unformed and uninformed. The third candidate, Jack Howard, has not run an active campaign and did not respond to The Oregonian/OregonLive EditorialBoard's invitation to discuss his candidacy. Hoyle's silence on Sweet Cakes should cost her, except for the fact that Ogden doesn't bring a compelling platform to endorse. Voters should go with Hoyle and press her to be the measured, nonpartisan leader that the bureau has lacked. The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board The full list of May 2018 primary endorsements Governor Bureau of Labor Commissioner: Val Hoyle The Legislature Metro Council President: Lynn Peterson City of Portland Multnomah County Board of Commissioners The state of Oregon is raking in cash these days. Tax revenues are at record highs and the booming economy has helped push unemployment to record lows. A rare bipartisan agreement in 2017 also brought a much-needed investment in our highways, bridges and public transportation. The problem, however, is the shaky ground underneath all that good news. Oregon's record revenue growth can't match the breakneck speed at which state government is spending tax dollars. Small businesses, celebrated by politicians as the backbone of the state's economy, are struggling to navigate new regulations and taxes passed in recent months. Meanwhile, persistent problems in education, foster care, housing affordability and other areas only ratchet up the pressure for elected officials to show leadership. The May 15 primary gives Oregonians the ability to decide who best delivers that leadership in two statewide seats -- governor and labor commissioner. In the governor's race, The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board endorses Gov. Kate Brown for the Democratic primary, Rep. Knute Buehler for the Republican primary, and Patrick Starnes for Independents. Brown not facing much competition Gov. Kate Brown keeps getting a pass. Re-elected as secretary of state in 2012, the 57-year-old Portland Democrat succeeded former Gov. John Kitzhaber after his Oregon Gov. Kate Brown resignation amid corruption allegations in 2015. She faced no real threat in her 2016 race -- even from Republicans -- to fill out the remaining two years of Kitzhaber's term. And the May 2018 primary appears to be no different. The lack of competition isn't a reflection of great leadership. Oregon remains a basement dweller in K-12 education rankings, the divide between urban and rural interests has grown into a canyon, and she has dilly-dallied on undertaking either revenue reform or public-pension fixes despite an escalating budget crisis that threatens to choke off funding for public services. Democrats would have been wise to put forward a strong challenger for the primary to at least force Brown to articulate a vision. Instead, once again, Brown faces only token opposition and will skate ahead to the general election. While Brown is the best of the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, she needs to show she can deliver far more than she has in her current term to deserve a win in November. Buehler's the best choice for Republicans Republicans fielded 10 candidates from across the state who are seeking the chance to oust Gov. Brown in November. Yet only one has the smarts, savvy and experience to actually get that done. Rep. Knute Buehler, an orthopedic surgeon, has twice convinced voters in Bend - where Democrats hold an 11 percentage-point edge -- that he can represent their interests in Salem. Buehler, a Roseburg native who attended Oregon State University and later became its first Oxford Scholar, has been a reasonable and respected Republican lawmaker known for championing a groundbreaking bill that gave women access to birth control without a prescription. Rep. Knute Buehler His independent streak continued with his support of the coal-to-clean energy bill in 2016 and last session's move to close the "boyfriend loophole" by banning gun sales to partners convicted of domestic abuse. Buehler also was the first Republican to call for Sen. Jeff Kruse to resign after the Roseburg lawmaker admitted he'd ignored warnings that his hugs and touching made female lawmakers uncomfortable in Salem. Not surprisingly, those stances have earned criticism from his more conservative opponents, including Sam Carpenter, also of Bend, and Greg Wooldridge, a former Navy captain from Southwest Portland. But Buehler has an array of credible plans to address Oregon's struggles. He promises he wouldn't sign any new spending proposals without a viable PERS reform bill. He says he'd support a $150,000 cap on annual payouts for future retirees, a retirement age increase from 58 to 65, a transition from pensions to defined-contribution plans and a requirement that employees contribute to their retirement plans. Addressing PERS could help staunch the flow of money out of classrooms, he said, though he'd also like to see more savings by pushing for a statewide contract with teachers instead of the current system of forging hundreds of deals across the state. He would aim to increase state support of career and technology options in school that voters passed in 2016, and to make more changes than Brown has to address Oregon's failed foster care system. Among the other candidates, Brett Hyland presented one of the more interesting concepts to pay down Oregon's unfunded pension liability with a dedicated tax that would go away once the task was complete. Though vague, the idea was more creative than anything we heard from the conservative front-runner Wooldridge. The 71-year-old Southwest Portland resident won the Republican gubernatorial straw poll at the Dorchester Conference earlier this year yet appeared to drop the ball when it came to seriously studying Oregon's most pressing issues. Greg Wooldridge, a Republican gubernatorial candidate. Wooldridge, who has never held a public office, said that he supports moving public employees from a defined benefit, or pension, plan to a defined contribution set-up, such as a 401k. That's not a bad idea, but it's also not particularly new. He also said he'd fill empty seats on the PERS board, which sounds more like crossing off to-do list items than crafting a real strategy to address the pension crisis. While he has capably served his country for decades and can fly a fighter jet upside-down, he seems to lack the creative collaboration and political savvy that a Republican governor would need to get work done with a House and Senate controlled by Democrats. Starnes in the Independent primary Independent voters only have one credible choice in Patrick Starnes, a cabinetmaker from Brownsville who has served on the Douglas Education Service District and the McKenzie School Board. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board The full list of May 2018 primary endorsements Governor Bureau of Labor Commissioner: Val Hoyle The Legislature Metro Council President: Lynn Peterson City of Portland Multnomah County Board of Commissioners Oregonian editorials Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and John Maher. To respond to this editorial, post your comment below, submit an OpEd or a letter to the editor. If you have questions about the opinion section, , editorial pages editor, or call 503-221-8378. By Tom Chamberlain and Owen Christofferson In any business, the people who do the work deserve to have a voice in their working conditions. Drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft are no different. By working with allies in the labor movement and in our communities, drivers are standing together to change the direction of this emerging industry. Earlier this month in Seattle we heard drivers speak up, which urged Seattle City Council to take a closer look at how companies like Uber and Lyft operate. In Portland, we need similar action from Mayor Ted Wheeler and Portland City Council to assess the conditions for app-based drivers and their passengers. It's time for drivers and for the community to have a voice in how the app-based companies - also known as Transportation Network Companies -- operate in Portland. We are standing together as Transportation Fairness Portland to address issues including fair compensation, lack of transparency, how app-based companies' rating systems operate, and improvements regarding insurance. When we speak with drivers at the app-based company lot at Portland International Airport or at driver gatherings, it becomes clear that the public is not seeing the reality for these drivers. Uber's testimony at Seattle City Council and in committee hearings in the Oregon Legislature in 2017 made driving for app-based companies seem like a lucrative choice. This is an effort to make the companies and the so-called 'Gig Economy' appeal for their entrepreneurship and independence. The truth is most drivers are not earning a decent living, and without local policy oversight of app-based companies, we may never. When Portland City Council hears from drivers about working conditions and from the community about transportation inequities, we know what to expect from app-based companies because of Uber's testimony in Seattle. We will hear how local policies raise prices for riders and we may see attempts to discredit drivers who testify in favor of local policies. In some cities, drivers testifying in favor of local policies are 'coincidentally' deactivated by their company after testifying. The public must be aware of how far app-based companies may go to maximize profits and what drivers are doing about it. Uber and Lyft tried to pass a statewide law during the 2017 legislature that would have taken away Portland's ability to regulate them. It's time for the city to act and give drivers a voice. Local control is the solution to ensure drivers voices aren't drowned out by the app-based companies that currently maintain total control. Portland's app-based drivers, the labor movement and community advocates are standing together to make our voices heard. We are asking the City of Portland to create a new board where we can start to have a say in how app-based companies treat us, as well as where community members can have a voice in how this critical transportation component can better meet everyone's needs. We need a place to talk about these problems, find solutions and move forward together. Portland City Council must act on this important matter to ensure drivers' and community members' voices are heard. -- Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. Owen Christofferson is a Portland-based driver for an app-based transportation company. Oregon's Attorney General has drafted the ballot title for an initiative to ban the sale of high capacity magazines and many semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns. Initiative Petition 43 "criminalizes possession or transfer of 'assault weapons' (defined) or 'large capacity magazines' (defined), with exceptions," according to the draft ballot title written by Ellen Rosenblum's office. The public now has until May 8 to comment on the draft. The Portland area clergy leading the effort face a timeline that's challenging at best: they must collect more than 88,000 signatures by July 6 to get it on the ballot for the November election. They also can't begin gathering signatures until the ballot title appeal process is complete, which could take awhile since opponents can appeal all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court, the Statesman Journal has reported. A proposal by Secretary of State Dennis Richardson would have ditched the hold on gathering signatures, but Richardson scrapped the plan earlier this year. The ballot initiative would ban the manufacture and sale of magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition and firearms classified as assault weapons in Oregon starting in 2019. Military and law enforcement employees who are required to carry firearms would be exempt, as would retailers and manufacturers who sell the weapons to those agencies. For everyone else, possession of the weapons would be a Class B felony. It would define assault weapons as certain semiautomatic rifles and pistols that can accommodate detachable magazines and have other military style features such as a collapsible stock or grenade launcher. Semiautomatic shotguns would also fall under the definition if they have fixed magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition or have other features such as the option for a detachable magazine. People who already own these weapons would be allowed to keep them, if they register them and pass a criminal background check. Organizers of the initiative effort have launched a website, lifteveryvoiceoregon.com. They want to rely on volunteers rather than paid signature gatherers, plan to start training those volunteers on Monday evening. The entire draft ballot title is available online through the Secretary of State's website. Anyone who wants to comment on the draft ballot title can do so the following ways: Email: Fax: 503.373.7414 Mail: 255 Capitol St NE Ste 501, Salem OR 97310 -- Hillary Borrud 503-294-4034; @hborrud A flight from Portland to New Mexico was turned around Saturday after a "smoke smell" was detected by the airplane's crew, according to an Alaska Airlines spokesman. Tim Thompson, spokesman, said the Horizon Air flight departed to Albuquerque about 9:25 a.m., an emergency was declared, and the airplane landed safely in Portland at 10 a.m. No smoke was seen, but the plane's captain opted to turn the flight around out of "an abundance of caution," Thompson said in a statement. He said late Saturday afternoon that workers were inspecting the plane "as a precaution." Thompson said passengers were put on a different plane and departed soon after getting back in Portland. Alaska Air Group is Horizon's parent company. KGW-TV and KATU-TV reported about the incident earlier Saturday. Jim Ryan We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has called for stronger partnership between the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO and the private sector in the promotion of peace and economic growth. The United Nations (UN) specialized agencys mission is to contribute to the building of peace, eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue. Ghana has received enormous benefits from the Organization in the areas of education, scientific research and cultural endeavours. It has granted scholarships, fellowship and study grants to many Ghanaians to study in world-class institutions abroad. Dr. Opoku-Prempeh speaking at the launch of the 60th anniversary celebration of the National Commission for UNESCO, in Accra, said there was every reason to celebrate the gains made through the countrys association with it. He added that its contribution to the nations development had been tremendous. The event was attended by Ministers of State, the Diplomatic Community, members of the Commission, Heads of Department and Agencies. The Commission started as a Committee for UNESCO Affairs in 1953 when Ghana became an Associate Member of UNESCO. On April 11, 1958, when Ghana attained full membership of the UN agency the Committee was reconstituted under the new title Ghana National Commission for UNESCO. The Commission serves as the official link between the Government of Ghana and the Organization. Dr. Opoku-Prempeh said the establishment of Department of Library and Archival Studies at the University of Ghana, the National Film and Television Institute and the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), were some of the good things, that had come from our association with UNESCO. He also made reference to its support for construction of a modern science facility at the UCC. The Minister said since the Commission became a member of the global body, it had played instrumental role in shaping the nations educational and scientific policies. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Opoku Onyinah has revealed that he is paid 3,500 including allowances as his salary. The 64-year-old Professor told host of Hard Truth on Joy News that his motivation was to leave a lasting legacy, both spiritual and physical revival of the church. According to him, his inspiration to lead over three million members of the church has never been money. He urged pastors not to manipulate their flock for money but learn to depend on God to meet their needs. The motivation is the call of GodI love the ministry so much that I can do it without pay, Apostle Opoku Onyinah, called into full-time ministry at age 22 years told host, Nana Akosua Konadu. Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah put out his life story as a testimony of Gods providential care in 42-years of his ministry. The outgoing chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah will retire from office on May 5. A retirement service will be held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) on 26th August 2018 for him as he marks his 42nd year in the ministry. Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, who served as the churchs maiden International Missions Director (IMD) from 1991 to 1996, succeeded Apostle Dr. Michael Ntumy, whose tenure of office as a chairman of the leading Pentecostal church in Ghana ended in 2008. He is the last of the Apostles who walked with the founder of the church, Pastor James Mckeown. His 10-year tenure of office is said to have seen the greatest infrastructure and spiritual uplift of the church. The Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) at Gomoa Fetteh is one of his legacies for the church. Opoku Onyinah increased the international presence of the church from 73 nations in 2008 to 96 in 2018. His recorded sermons since 2008 stands at 8,888 across the world. In 2017, Opoku Onyinah recorded 722, his least in a year since he took office. The most traveled chairman, has written 162 songs; the most written by any chairman of the church. His song writing gift, is par excellence to past chairman; Pastor James Mckeown 10, Apostle Fred Stephen Safo First African Chairman 11, Prophet Martinson Kwadwo Yeboah 34, Apostle Dr. Michael Kwabena Ntumy 12, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah 162. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, has urged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party not to encourage the practice of crowd-sourcing at its events, especially rallies and unity walks. According to him, crowd-sourcing will not give the NDC the right picture on the ground as regards its membership size. The NDC, after suffering a humiliating defeat in the 2016 general election, begun the Unity Walks across the 10 regions of the country, which is targeted at closing the ranks of the umbrella family and building bridges that were broken in the party before and during the 2016 electioneering. The walks have seen thousands of party members thronging the streets and participating in the exercise, with some political analysts questioning the source of the milling crowds as to whether they were indeed members of the party in the respective areas the walk has been organised or that the crowd was bussed from elsewhere. Speaking to Bola Ray on Starr Chat on Starr FM, Mr Fuseini argued that it would be important for only Kumasi members of the NDC to partake in the upcoming Unity Walk slated for the Ashanti Region in order to know the partys membership base. I believe that people in Kumasi must organise the Unity Walk, thats how were going to know our real strength on the ground. Crowd-sourcing doesnt give us the real picture on the ground. Looking back, you ask yourself so what happened after Cape Coast, then what happened after Accra, where are all those who filled the stadia or stadium in Accra? So looking back it didnt give us our real strength, so when we lost disastrously in Accra, that number we saw was not reflected. Background It would be remembered that portions of the Dr Kwesi Botchweys report on events leading to the loss of the party in 2016 general election said in the run-up to the crucial elections, the NDC, with state resource at its disposal, formed many splinter groups to promote the second term bid of President John Mahama. Groups likes Girls Girls for Mahama, Zongo Girls for Mahama, Zongo for Mahama, Youth for Mahama, Celebrities for Mahama, and Doves for Mahama were formed with massive resources from the Flagstaff House to prosecute the agenda, which failed woefully in the end as Ghanaians overwhelmingly rejected then candidate Mahama. The committee further recommended that the party needed to reconnect with its social democratic philosophy and further pointed out that the NDC had a weak intellectual and research base and recommended that steps be taken to crowd the party with critical thinkers instead of funding crowds. Source: Daily Heritage Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Akufo-Addo has described as 'baseless' reports that he has legalised same-sex marriage in the country. A statement released on Saturday and signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, indicated that: "the attention of the Office of the President has been drawn to comments made by the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, as reported by the online news outlet, The Pulse, to the effect that same-sex marriage has been approved by President Akufo-Addo. Speaking at the NDC's health/unity walk, on Saturday, 28th April, 2018, in Kumasi, the NDC General Secretary is reported to have stated that "Nana Addo says men will marry men, and women will marry women." This is nothing but a baseless and vile fabrication, by no less a person than the General Secretary of the leading opposition party in Ghana. For the avoidance of doubt, President Akufo-Addo has NEVER stated anywhere that, under his presidency, "men will marry men, and women will marry women" Indeed, the President remains focussed on delivering on his mandate, and improving on the quality of lives of the Ghanaian people. It will NOT be under his Presidency that same-sex marriage will be legalised in Ghana. We will neither ask for an apology or retraction from the NDC General Secretary, who, obviously, is still stuck in the age of the politics of lies, deceit and propaganda, which was rejected decisively by discerning Ghanaians in the 2016 general elections. We will rather appeal to Ghanaians to, once again, ignore the falsehoods of the NDC, and urge Mr. Asiedu Nketiah to concentrate his energies on uniting his divided and discredited party. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The 2016 Presidential candidate of the Ghana Freedom Party, Akua Donkor, says the whole debate on homosexuality will end once she is elected as president of Ghana. Both the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and governing NPP have been caught in the debate on why homosexuality must be considered in Ghana. But Akua Donkor says her government has a new approach that will end the entire debate once and for all. "My government will end this gay thing, Our men will not sleep with men under my administration. NDC and NPP have failed us. They will run under my administration," she revealed in an interview with HITZ FM in Ghana while attending a funeral. Recently, former CEO of the Volta River Authority (VRA) under the Kufuor administration, Charles Wireko Brobbey also known as 'Tarzan' has argued that homosexuals need to be respected. On his Facebook post, the politician, and policy analyst argues that Ghanaians must 'support LGBT rights'. Tarzan believes that LGBT rights in Ghana must be upheld especially when these men and women are Ghanaians and also human beings. Some Ghanaians also engaged the politician on his views, questioning the morality of his argument. Meanwhile, the senior law lecturer at the Ghana School of Law is sad about what he terms the chance government is giving to the West to demand Ghana legalizes homosexuality. Lawyer Moses Foh Amoaning is particularly mad about the recent comments made by a UN official against the stance of the speaker of parliament when it comes to gay rights. 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 Ghanaians dont seem to appreciate what is happening. He revealed in an interview with Starr FM. Watch The Video below- Source: yen.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video There were no sitcom actors. No Olympians or supermodels or Real Housewives, either. Even some of the usual high-profile media names were missing, too. And for the second consecutive year, so was the president. The White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday attracted about 3,000 journalists, random plus-ones and curious hangers on, but the usual buzz around the event was reduced to something more like a snore. The annual social rite of spring in Washington was less the government-meets-Hollywood-meets-the-press glitzfest of yore and more like a dressed-up Kiwanis Club dinner, albeit one televised live by CNN, MSNBC and C-SPAN. This may have been President Donald Trump's intent when he turned down an invitation to the dinner, making him 0 for 2 since his inauguration last year. Trump - who distilled his signature hostility toward the news media by branding them "the enemy of the people" - arranged to be out of town while the journalists and their guests partied. As he did last year, Trump staged a campaign-style rally, this year in Michigan, timing it to begin just as the salad was being served in the Washington Hilton ballroom. Many of the people at the Hilton read that as more than a coincidence. At one point in the speech, Trump eviscerated the media for being "very, very dishonest people." Fifteen presidents have attended the correspondents' dinner since it began in 1921, which has made the event a hot ticket long before the likes of Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson began showing up. The presidents-in-the-house streak ran to 36 consecutive years until Trump pooped out on the party last year. The last time Trump attended, in 2011, he sat stoically as the evening's entertainer, Seth Meyers, dropped comic bombs on him. The prospect of it happening again seems to have deterred him from returning. Trump did make one gesture toward press-administration glasnost, encouraging current and former members of his administration to attend (the White House announced last year that no staff employees would attend in "solidarity" with the president's snub). And so Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer and Reince Priebus showed up. Omarosa Manigault-Newman came, too (accompanied by a fellow who tended to the train of her gown). Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders occupied a seat at the head table at the invitation of the White House Correspondents' Association. The celebrity cadre was small and not quite A-list: comic and Trump controversialist Kathy Griffin, Comedy Central host Jordan Klepper, Baltimore Orioles legend Brooks Robinson, Stormy Daniels attorney and ubiquitous TV presence Michael Avenatti. The political contingent was modest as well. Among the pols in attendance were former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat; former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a Republican; Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican; and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Tech luminaries? Titans of business? TV network chiefs? Not so many. It was possible, one guest quipped, that Trump had done something he doesn't usually do: He made an event more normal. The sedate and earnest nature of the event was disrupted by comedian Michelle Wolf, the evening's entertainer, who predictably went after Trump in a routine that swerved from raunchy to downright nasty. She noted Trump's decision to avoid the dinner by saying, "It turns out Trump is the one [expletive] you're not allowed to grab." Wolf vowed to get under Trump's skin by questioning his wealth, issuing a call and response with the audience ("How broke is he?"). Her punchline included such quips as, "He's so broke . . . he has to fly failed business class" and "he looked for foreign oil in Don Jr.'s hair." She was particularly harsh on the women associated with Trump. At one point, she compared Ivanka Trump to a diaper pail, and said Kellyanne Conway has "the perfect last name" because "all she does is lie." Several cracks about Sarah Huckabee Sanders landed poorly, such as her alleged confusion over how to refer to Sanders' full name: "Is it Sarah Sanders? Is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders? . . . What's 'Uncle Tom' but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know: 'Aunt Coulter.' " Groans and cold silence followed. In place of celebrity glitz, the correspondents' group has tried to rebrand its party as a celebration of the First Amendment, a fundraiser for journalism scholarships and an awards ceremony. Winners of White House reporting awards this year included: the New York Times' Maggie Haberman, whom Trump disparaged in a tweet last week; a CNN team consisting of Jake Tapper, Evan Perez, Jim Sciutto and Carl Bernstein; Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey, recognized for his work at Politico; and a team from Reuters. And maybe that's how it should be, Tapper indicated during a pre-dinner cocktail party. "This might be a precedent that the president is setting that is good," he said. "We in the media have constantly for years been accused of being too cozy with power - during the Bush years, during the Obama years. Maybe no U.S. president should ever feel comfortable in a room full of White House reporters. I know that's not why he's taking a stand, but maybe it's a good thing." The WHCA's current president, Bloomberg News' White House reporter Margaret Talev, called the president's absence "unfortunate." But she added, "Our tradition of inviting U.S. presidents, vice presidents and their staffs exists not because of the individual president but because of the office. Those who accept the invitation are signaling that they support the constitutional principles at stake and the role of the press and free speech in our republic." News organizations seemed to get that, quickly snapping up all of the available tables within the first week they were on sale. That meant that more than the usual number of actual journalists got to attend, lending the affair a kind of industry reunion vibe. "Maybe ultimately this should be more about the First Amendment, and about recognizing good journalism and about recognizing student journalists," Tapper said. "Maybe this is not as glamorous and fun, but ultimately maybe this is what this event should be more like." (c) 2018 The Washington Post. Paul Farhi wrote this story. Zachary Pounds threw in a racial slur as he swore at Michael Cleckley, hit the black man on the head with a beer bottle and slashed his arm with a knife. "We don't like your type here," the 20-year-old Pounds, a white man, told his victim before the 2016 attack in a rural town north of Pittsburgh. The knife left a wound on Cleckley's arm 2 inches wide and 5 inches long. In a plea agreement with the district attorney, Pounds and his brother pleaded guilty to assault charges, but the hate crime charges brought against Zachary were dismissed. Richard List, a senior-ranking member of the Ellwood City Police Department, scoffed at the idea that Zachary Pounds had committed a hate crime in the first place. "He stabbed the guy," List told PennLive. "It wasn't because of race. He was just being Zach." Police logs across the state are filled with scores of similar incidents - ones in which a bias against someone's race, ethnicity or religion are noted in the crime report. But whether it's a failure of police to file hate-crime charges or the chargers become the go-to bargaining chip in a plea deal, these so-called hate crimes seldom make it into state crime statistics. As a result, Pennsylvania, a state of 12.7 million, continues to have a chronically low annual reporting rate of hate crimes to the FBI. The state's 61 reported hate crimes in 2016 fell well below those reported in similar-sized states (see document at the bottom of this story) and fewer than even Utah, which has a population one-quarter that of Pennsylvania. As part of an effort to discern why a state with 12.7 million residents reports a comparatively low number of hate crimes, PennLive has teamed with ProPublica and other news organizations to document hate nationwide. The goal of the project is to create a reliable national resource on hate crimes that provides not only documentation but understanding. One thing is certain: Pennsylvania has a reporting problem. "Absolutely the numbers should be higher," said Sgt. William Slaton, who oversees hate crimes for the Pennsylvania State Police. Intelligence reports received by state police shows these incidents are on the rise. "They are going up, but unfortunately the numbers are not reflected adequately," Slaton said. Training or technology? The FBI hate-crime statistics are based on a report submitted by state police. And those numbers come from information provided by law enforcement agencies across the state. A review of police reports from across the state shows that police departments are responding to incidents that are booked as bias crimes targeting victims by race, ethnicity or religion. Invariably, at some point between the initial arrest and the court disposition, hate-crime charges are dropped. Law enforcement agents cite a number of reasons: Some say prosecutors often are willing to drop the charge; others point to police attitudes. They say that too often local police departments fail to recognize hate crimes or identify them as such. State police said the agency is now investigating whether the problem is centered on training, technology or a combination of the two. Slaton said the department is in the process of updating its record management system and implementing a new statewide system for police agencies to report crime. This fix should streamline the transfer of crime information, he said. In some smaller barracks, records are still kept on paper. "With people inputting information into the system, there could be a margin of error," said Slaton, whose job includes monitoring hate crimes statewide and the state police response to them. Pennsylvania's extraordinarily low count of hate crimes could be simply attributed to human oversight, Slaton said. "It may be they thought they put the correct number in, but that can be the case for any volume of incidents, even the volume of DUIs," he said. "They could unintentionally put the wrong number in. It depends on the diligence of the person entering the number into the system." Identifying the crime An overhaul to its outdated reporting system will help the state police. But it won't solve the issue of how local departments handle, process and report hate crimes. In fact, out of the 1,463 law enforcement agencies across the state that submitted numbers on crimes last year, only 20 submitted hate crime incidents reports. "Unfortunately, and not to speak ill of local police departments, some may not know how to adequately investigate a hate crime or they may not know what a hate crime may be," Slaton said. "A lot of local police agencies aren't aware that what they are actually investigating is a hate crime. They believe it's disorderly conduct or assault." That played out in December 2016 in a Northampton County case in which a 14-year-old white high school student targeted a 16-year-old black student in a racist video. In his video, the white Saucon Valley High School student addressed the black student with a racial slur, referencing Kentucky Fried Chicken and welfare. He then shared the video over the social media platform Snapchat. The front line of law enforcement overlooked the bullying and cyber harassment as a hate crime. It took Gary Asteak, the attorney who represented the targeted student, to make the case that the offense involved ethnic intimidation. Asteak's argument prompted the Northampton County district attorney's office to authorize a hate crime charge. Asteak said a lack of recognition of hate crimes is rampant across law enforcement in Pennsylvania. "The deeper you dig you find instances of this everywhere, but you find it was swept under the rug or handled informally or hushed up," Asteak said. "No community wants to have a reputation of being deemed racists or having racist elements. Who wants that?" He blames Pennsylvania's low reporting rate on a lack of recognition or sensitivity to hate crimes. Asteak compares it to the #MeToo movement. "I think it takes folks like my clients to stand up and say, 'Hey wait a minute. We don't like what is going on and we are going to do something about it,' " he said. One issue, law enforcement agents say, is the narrow definition of the ethnic intimidation statute. "We have to prove that the person acted with criminal intent because of malice towards a specific racial, ethnic or religious group," Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said. "There are some hurdles that have been placed. It could have been drafted more precisely." For that reason, Chardo argues that state-by-state comparisons are misleading. "I'm sure we are punishing people for committing hate crimes. We are just not classifying it the same way other states do," he said. "The FBI is trying to count things for every state and it's not going to translate." But statistics show the ethnic intimidation statute seldom wields a prosecutorial muscle. Data compiled by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing show that in 2016 only nine adults were convicted under the ethnic intimidation law. Only one was convicted of a major offense - aggravated assault. From 2011 to 2016, only 22 adults were convicted statewide for so-called hate crimes, and the majority of those for relatively minor offenses such as misdemeanor assaults, threats, vandalism and harassment. More than half of those convicted received probation. The following chart shows the number of hate crime charges filed annually in Pennsylvania and the number of those charges that resulted in an individual being found guilty, or entering a guilty plea to a hate crime charge. Of the 144 hate-crime offenses on criminal cases filed last year across Pennsylvania, 91 were declined, dismissed or withdrawn, according to a review of records kept by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. These figures do not reflect the number of ethnic intimidation cases that are dismissed or dropped even before they enter the judicial system. In 2016, for example, a Monroe County couple pleaded guilty in a case initially charged as a hate crime. Ricky Strausser, then 25, and Kimberly Ann McKee, then 19, had dumped a severed cow head in a cow sanctuary owned by a man of the Hindu faith, which regard the animals as sacred. The ethnic intimidation charge was dropped and Strausser and McKee, who pleaded guilty to other charges, received probation. The incident did not make the end-of-the-year count for ethnic intimidation charges. "It is shocking, but what can you do?" Dr. Sansar Sastri recently told PennLive. Sastri, owner of the Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary in Monroe County, said he was surprised that, even though the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice were involved in the investigation, the incident did not make the end-of-year ethnic intimidation crime count. "I accepted it. I reported it to the police," Sastri said. 'We are the outlier' With more than 1,400 local police departments, it is nearly impossible to track incidents that are charged as ethnic intimidation as they make their way through the legal system. In some cases, such as the racially motivated stabbing at an Ellwood City tavern in Lawrence County, the charge is dropped. "It's one of those charges you file, but usually they plead to something more serious," explained Officer Richard List, of the Ellwood City Police Department. "The DA makes the plea to save the cost of trial ... if he is pleading a felony they'll drop the lower charges." In its end-of-the-year count, Ellwood police reported the crime as an aggravated assault. The ethnic intimidation charge never made it into the books. In 2016, the Ellwood City Police Department reported zero hate crimes in its annual submission to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Sometimes prosecutors drop the ethnic intimidation charge because it is not likely to yield additional punishment in the conviction. Ethnic intimidation is an "add-on" charge that increases an underlying offense by a degree. For example, ethnic intimidation would raise a summary offense for a criminal mischief charge to a third-degree misdemeanor; an ethnic intimidation charge would raise a first-degree misdemeanor terroristic threat to a third-degree felony. "A lot of times we know we are going to get a good sentence, for example in an aggravated assault where there was a hate crime," Chardo said. "If the ethnic intimidation isn't going to get more time, it may very well go by the wayside and won't be reflected in the statistics because they are not going to get more time practically speaking." Efforts in the Legislature to expand the language of the law - and protected classes - have failed over the years. The most recent reform, which was passed about 11 years ago, was overturned by the courts on procedural grounds. Since then, efforts to expand protection under the law have failed both in the House and Senate. Crimes motivated by political orientation, gender or sexual orientation bias are not protected under the ethnic intimidation statute. Pennsylvania is one of 15 states that offer no LGBT inclusion under hate crimes law. State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, who has spearheaded efforts in the lower chamber, blames what he calls an obsessive apprehension on the part of some conservative lawmakers to extend protection to the LGBT community. "When you take a look at our neighbors to the northeast, we are the outlier," Frankel said. "Until we recognize and empower the LGBT community and give them the same standing as every other group in this state, we are going to be perceived as being out of step with the rest of the country." Steve Miskin, a spokesman for the House GOP Caucus, said the law currently provides comprehensive protection for everyone. "Discrimination for any reason is wrong. Harassment of any type is wrong," he said. "Once you single out one group, you basically are discriminating against other groups." Amid a rising tide of hate crimes across the country - notably the Charlottesville riots in August 2017 that resulted in a woman's death - prosecutors are increasingly reluctant to drop the ethnic intimidation charge. That's true in the pending case out of Chester County stemming from an arrest last year that police in Coatesville made based on a surveillance photo of a man who they say spray-painted swastikas and racial epithets throughout the community. The Chester County district attorney's office recently made a plea offer to put George Rissell behind bars for 10 to 20 years. Rissell, who was 24 at the time of his arrest in August, last week pleaded guilty to one count of ethnic intimidation and three counts of criminal mischief. His sentencing hearing is pending. District Attorney Tom Hogan said the fact Rissell had a prior record and the timeliness to Charlottesville and his affiliation to a white supremacist group compelled him to seek a stiff punishment. "It certainly heightens people's awareness, but in Chester County a guy who does something like this is going to get crushed by our office," Hogan said, noting that the location of the crime, Coatesville, is a predominantly minority demographic. "He is clearly trying to incite violence and he is clearly targeting ethnic minorities," Hogan said. "If he wants to march up down the street and yell these things, there would be nothing I could do about it. At that point I would say this is his First Amendment right. No one can bother him." Fear is a factor Often hate crimes are not reported because victims, particularly those who live in more rural communities, refrain from reporting the crimes to police. Timothy Welbeck, a civil rights attorney for the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said victims are sometimes afraid to come forward. Some might have questionable immigration status; others have had unfavorable encounters with law enforcement or fear retaliation if they were to speak out. "Many are fearful of coming forward," Welbeck said. "Even with the increased reports we receive, I would argue it's only a fraction of what is happening across the state and country." In the wake of the anti-Muslim sentiment that welled up nationwide with the election of President Trump, hate crimes against Muslims soared. Welbeck said the majority of hate crime victims who contact his office do so at a breaking point after years of being victimized. "They contact us when they are at their wits end and at the point when harassment has become unbearable," Welbeck said. His office is monitoring an incident that happened in November involving a Northumberland County Muslim woman who was targeted by a man as she waited outside a store. The woman told police the man said "all terrorists should be shot" and pretended to shoot an automatic weapon. No update on the case has been reported. The following map shows hate crime reporting for each state in the continental US. States are color-coded according to crimes reported in 2016 per 100,000 population. Mouse over (or tap) a state for more information. Welbeck said he has met police chiefs who vigorously pursue hate crime claims, but he has also met scores of victims of hate crimes who say law enforcement turned a blind eye to their claims. He said the nature of hate crimes coming out of rural areas across the state tend to be more flagrant and targeted compared to incidents that take place in more ethnically and racial diverse centers. "There needs to be unilateral willingness and rigor for enforcing these laws," Welbeck said. "Pennsylvania is a hub for hate groups and we've seen the increase in hate crimes. There needs to be vigorous response to that." Small steps Exclusion from protection of the law for individuals with disabilities or members of the LGBT community has restricted the reach of the statute. One of Pennsylvania's highest profile cases was the 2014 Philadelphia "gay bashing case" in which two gay men were brutally beaten by more than a dozen young people who initiated the attack with a barrage of anti-gay slurs. Prosecutors were able to charge the 15 assailants with simple assault, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and conspiracy, but they were not able to tack on the sentencing enhancement of ethnic intimidation. More recently, Hogan, the Chester County district attorney, prosecuted a man who had mocked and punched a man with cerebral palsy. Hogan used a surveillance video that showed Barry Baker Jr. mocking the victim's disability before attacking him outside a 7-Eleven convenience store in West Chester. Hogan was able to prosecute Baker on simple assault and related crimes, but not ethnic intimidation since the law provides no special protection to individuals with disabilities. "In my humble opinion that person should be subject to the same enhancement that ethnic intimidation has to offer," Hogan said. Efforts to expand the language of the statute have been in part stalled by arguments over the nuances of a person's identity. "If somebody kills somebody because of their race, guess what, they are going to get prosecuted for murder," Hogan said. "I don't need extra bang." Problems arise when the race or disability of a victim is not apparent, he explained. "If you don't have something immediately obvious, it becomes a bit of guessing game and that's where you run into legislative issues," Hogan said. "Did they attack the person because they were gay or for some other reason? You run into sticky issues, which is why prosecutors like to stick to simple minority status." In the Baker case, Hogan explained, the disability was arguably as apparent as an ethnic minority. Sectors of the law enforcement community have echoed that opinion, calling for a "simple fix" to the law. They say supporters of an expansion to the law "junk up" the legislative efforts with dozens of categories added to the bill, hampering any progress. In spite of the woefully low reporting numbers, Pennsylvania has logged some wins under the ethnic intimidation statute. Most recently, a state Superior Court upheld the conviction of a white Lancaster woman to a 6- to 16-year prison sentence for the racially motivated shooting in a grocery store parking lot. Ashley Rose Curry is serving a 6- to 16-year prison sentence for a racially-motivated shooting in the parking lot of a Lancaster County grocery store. Ashley Rose Curry used a racial slur while speaking to her victim, then kicked and spat at her. She also shot a bystander - who happened to black - in the stomach. The Lancaster County District Attorney's office also recently successfully prosecuted a 59-year-old county man under the ethnic intimidation charge. Robert Chenault pleaded guilty to a felony count of ethnic intimidation and related charges for the July 8 road rage incident last summer in which he threatened to shoot his victim, waving his fist in her face and yelling, "I'll shoot your brains out you [racial slur]." In sentencing Chenault, President Judge Dennis Reinaker said "this kind of language is absolutely despicable." Roger Chenault in February pleaded guilty to a felony count of ethnic intimidation and related charges for a July 8 incident in Washington Boro. A spokesman for the Lancaster District Attorney's office said neither of the instances represented anomalies for the county. "We do not feel we are filing this charge more here in comparison with other counties," said Brett Hambright. "In fact, this recent case [Chenault] and the 2015 incident involving Ashley Curry are the only two convictions on the [ethnic intimidation] charge we can recall off hand." Lancaster County reported zero hate crimes to the FBI from 2014 to 2016. Lu-in Wang, professor of law at University of Pittsburgh, noted that while communities might not want to be seen as havens for racism and bigotry, the irony is that higher numbers of hate crimes often correlate to a higher level of awareness. "It's opposite of what the numbers would show," she said. "It's the same for sexual assault. The more attention you pay to it, the better the place it is for these things to be combated. But it still looks like one of the worst places." Wang, who has written several books about hate crimes, said that society as a whole needs to counterbalance the propensity for some groups to glorify hate crimes. "There is a certain kind of glory sometimes in committing a hate crime," Wang said. "The best illustration is anti-gay violence . . . sometimes groups of men will get together and gay bash. It's like a bonding experience. It's a way to show they belong. Similarly, racist crime is a way to get attention from your peers who agree . . . that this as a spectacular thing." She adds: If communities do not crack down on hate crimes, they in turn normalize it. Graphics by Nick Malawskey FBI Hate Crime statistics, 2016 by PennLive on Scribd The mother of an 18-year-old man killed in York this week was arrested while attempting to see her son at the hospital, according to a report from the York Dispatch. Cheirha Rankins and several other relatives were cited for disorderly conduct at York Hospital after learning that Nylik Moore had been shot, according to the report. Moore was found on April 24 along the 100 block of East Maple Street and taken to the hospital where he later died, police said. He had been shot in the chest, police said. "I didn't get the chance to say 'Hold on' to my son," she told the paper. The story also contains a video of police officers and security guards stopping screaming relatives from entering the hospital. A hospital spokesman told the paper "it's a standard safety procedure to lock down the hospital after a victim of violent crime is brought in," according to the report. Police said the charges were withdrawn on Thursday, "because the case is being reviewed to see if criminal charges should be filed and against whom," according to the report. FILE- In this April 27, 2010 file photo, a woman using a cell phone walks past T-Mobile and Sprint stores in New York. T-Mobile and Sprint are trying again to combine in a deal that would reshape the U.S. wireless landscape, the companies announced Sunday, April 29, 2018 (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) This satellite image released and notated by Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North on April 12, 2017, shows the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to shut down his country's nuclear test site in May 2018 and disclose the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul's presidential office said Sunday, April 29, 2018. (Airbus Defense & Space/38 North/Pleiades CNES/Spot Image via AP) When Greg DiTeodoro was looking for a home in 2003, he was drawn to the cobblestone streets and the charm of Society Hill. A two-bedroom home on Cypress Street, a part of the neighborhood he was familiar with, caught his eye. "The great energy and charm of the house" attracted him at first, he said. "And I already knew several neighbors on the block that are great people." The home required some updating after DiTeodoro moved in. Since 2003, he has installed a new HVAC system, remodeled the kitchen and full bathroom, and replaced the skylight. Custom, wrought-iron spiral staircases save space in the 819-square-foot home. The kitchen which now features a Belgian block floor, new stainless steel appliances, and the home's laundry facilities occupies an additional 285 square feet on the lower level, bringing the total living space in the home to just over 1,100 square feet. DiTeodoro has one favorite room. "Although I love it all, my favorite room is the first-floor living room with the fireplace," he said. The living room also boasts high ceilings and exposed brick. The neighborhood itself also remains among DiTeodoro's favorite parts of the home. "The neighborhood is the best of both worlds: It's quiet and close to many green spaces but is in walking distance from all that Center City has to offer," he said. "It's also On the market: A Society Hill rowhouse for under $500,000 in my opinion the most beautiful neighborhood in the city." Recently, he decided it was time to list the home for sale. "At this point in my life, we are just looking for something a little bit bigger," DiTeodoro said. He thinks new owners will likely appreciate some of the same things that drew him to the property. "It not only has old charm but has been updated," he said. "The neighbors are absolutely the best." The home is listed with Deborah Nye at Elfant Wissahickon for $499,900. Bizet's Carmen whose tale of romantic obsession is one of the few operas where listeners see much of themselves in the characters is necessary to any major opera company, though what allows audiences to keep entering its dark looking glass has no dependable formula. Having gone from traditional productions to disastrous updating, Opera Philadelphia amended much of its checkered Carmen history with a new, visually provocative, well-cast production that found fresh interpretive middle ground Friday at the Academy of Music. The setting felt like 1950s Franco-era Spain with its stark contrast of good and bad girls (one in white gloves, another in blood red), plus a strong military presence in a society where loopholes are possible at every turn. Gypsy smugglers, flawed heroes, and corrupt officers were all at home in the production's world of sleazy nightclubs, cigarette ads on crumbling billboards, and bullfight stadiums in seedy surroundings often rendered with smart diagonal geometry that drew in your eyes. Neither director Paul Curran nor designer Gary McCann let the production get ugly: This is a world where some semblance of veneer was maintained, even if its bright Latin colors had been left out in the rain a bit too often. Carmen sought a life of both freedom and stability that this world couldn't give her in contrast to the good girl Micaela, who was just as passionate in her own way, even if she resembled a 1950s Sunday school teacher. The hapless corporal Don Jose was the lost soul in the middle, becoming unhinged amid sexual conflict that he was too naive to understand. All of this was there in the production with traditional character relationships magnified by an animated, ever-so-slightly stylized manner of staging. The interior miracle of Carmen was apparent: The famous effervescent melodies were made to reveal underlying tension and danger just about everywhere. The production, however, wasn't fully realized. It seemed to have been rehearsed from the end and then moving forward with a meticulously wrought Act IV murder scene among the most effective I've ever seen with lighting that made Don Jose first appear like a specter who then bars Carmen's escape routes one by one. In contrast, Act I crowd scenes looked pedestrian and even thrown together. Well, the music is so inviting that it probably doesn't need any visual help, though the title character's casual entrance was a definite minus. In between, Act III was an eloquently stark warehouse where smugglers meet, initially suggesting the barrenness of their lives that is eventually filled with stolen goods. This co-production with Seattle Opera and Irish National Opera deserved longevity. Though ostensibly polished and with good French enunciation, performances were somewhat undercooked a quality that contributed dramatic truth to Evan LeRoy Johnson's early scenes as Don Jose. Recently heard in the Curtis Opera production of Eugene Onegin, he had the kind of effortless vocal production rarely heard in well-projected tenor voice, which constantly reminded you, during his character's descent into mania, that Don Jose once passed for normal. Though Johnson promises to have a long, fruitful relationship with his role, Adrian Timpau brought far too much vocal weight to the bullfighter Escamillo. Kirsten MacKinnon refused to hide out in Micaela's demure qualities: When she forced her voice a bit, she established herself as a strong foil for Carmen. And Carmen herself? Daniela Mack had many qualities for a fine Carmen, including physical allure and adept theatricality, though the music hadn't yet settled into her rich mezzo-soprano voice. What should've been soaring, sustained notes were blunted by excessive vibrato. Conductor Yves Abel similarly left a mixed impression. French style was apparent, and the orchestra played beautifully with some remarkably lush moments, but tempos were so often moderate in ways that lacked electricity in key scenes. When you start thinking that Carmen's famous Habanera is a verse too long, something significant is missing. Opera Review Carmen MarlaJan Wexler wasn't exactly grateful to be diagnosed at age 27 with lupus, an inflammatory disease that makes her immune system attack the tissues and organs it's supposed to protect. But it explained a lot. At her best, Wexler, now 36, felt worn out, even after a full night's sleep. At her worst, she couldn't get out of bed. Now, a regimen of drugs including an infusion once every four weeks of Benlysta, an immunosuppressive drug keeps Wexler's symptoms in check. Infused and injected biologic medications have been lifesavers for people who, like Wexler, have difficult-to-treat illnesses and few other options. But they come at an incredible personal and financial cost. In addition to the medication's price the Cherry Hill infusion center Wexler uses charges $8,300 people who rely on biologics tether themselves to inflexible infusion appointments every several weeks and the imperative to have good health insurance. "It's a lot of work to be sick," said Wexler, who lives in Marlton. Specialty medications, including biologics, account for 1 percent of prescribed drugs, yet comprise about 32 percent of drug spending in the United States. As these sophisticated treatments become available to treat a broader range of illnesses, patients, physicians and insurers will need to reckon with their high price tags. "Our big focus has been, we need new drugs we only have a handful but what we forget is once those drugs are out, can patients afford them?" said Susan Manzi, the medical director for the Lupus Foundation of America. "The global answer to that, often, is no." Affordability concerns Though they still account for a small minority of the pharmaceutical market, developers are investing heavily in biologics, a newer science that involves growing proteins and DNA structures out of live cells, and that holds promise for addressing illnesses that lack effective treatments. Biologics spending topped $120 billion in 2017, a 12 percent growth from the year before, outpacing overall growth in the $324 billion pharmaceutical industry, according to IQVIA, a market research firm. >> READ MORE: Jefferson partnership paving way for biologics jobs The way they are made and administered an infusion or injection contributes to universally high prices around the world. A year's worth of biologic infusions runs tens of thousands of dollars in Canada and other countries where health care often costs less than in the U.S. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Benlysta, said it considers the research and development that went into the drug, as well as its value to patients, when pricing medications. Like many manufacturers, GSK has a financial-assistance program that offers rebates and free medication to some patients, based on financial need and type of insurance. The growing number of Americans with high-deductible health plans must pay a greater share of their health costs than in the past, helping to drive assistance plans. "We do recognize that an increased drive toward more cost sharing that we are seeing in the U.S. health-care system may result in affordability concerns for some patients," said Anna Padula, a spokeswoman for the company, in an email. Costs could be crippling Patients who rely on biologics often have few, if any, other options. Remicade, for example, is one of the few treatments available for Crohn's disease, which causes such severe bowel inflammation that surgery to remove the affected bowel can become necessary. >> READ MORE: To control her Crohn's disease, she needs drug infusions at $18K a year Since October, Grace and Dan Jost have been taking their 10-year-old son, Aaron, for Remicade infusions at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia about once every six weeks. The hospital charges about $11,500 for each infusion, which comes down to $3,100 after their insurer's adjustments and payments. A rebate program by Remicade maker Janssen knocks off about $2,800 per infusion, leaving the Voorhees family with an out-of-pocket cost of about $340 per infusion until they reach their health plan's out-of-pocket maximum. As is the case for most patients with autoimmune diseases, the cost of the infusion is only one piece of the financial puzzle. The family expects to spend about $10,000 a year the out-of-pocket maximum for their health plan on medical expenses. The cost is significant, but worth it, if it means Aaron can have a semi-normal childhood. Dan doesn't like when Grace compares the diagnosis to a death in the family, but that's how she feels. "It's a death of the normal life you expect for your son," she said. Grace, a retail pharmacist, and Dan, who owns an architecture firm, budget for the anticipated expense by cutting back in other areas, such as vacations. They feel fortunate, knowing the cost could be crippling for some families. "For us, it takes away $10,000 in savings. We plan for it and that's just the way it is," Dan said. "Someone making $50,000 a year who has to deal with this it's a big deal." Its frustrating Treatment regimens like Aaron's take a heavy personal toll, too. In order for the medication to work properly, patients must be diligent about keeping their appointments, however frequent and inconvenient they may be. Weekend appointments are coveted and hard to get, which means patients must be able to take off from work or, in Aaron's case, school. Grace cut back her demanding work schedule to 30 hours a week shortly before Aaron was diagnosed; now, returning to work full time isn't possible. She might consider a less-demanding job. But her family is insured through her employer, so a new job could mean a new insurer and disruptions in Aaron's treatment. "There's no question in our society the cost of health care is driving a lot of decisions that people make about employment, where they work, how long they work," said the Lupus Foundation's Manzi, who also chairs Allegheny Health System's Medicine Institute outside Pittsburgh. Lupus has changed Wexler's life trajectory. A pediatric nurse, she took years off from work because she felt so sick. Now, she works from home 20 hours a week as a triage nurse, fielding phone calls and directing patients to the right department. The job isn't what she envisioned for herself, but it comes with valuable health insurance. Between the half-dozen medications she takes and medical visit cost-sharing, Wexler spends about $500 a month out of pocket on health care, in addition to insurance premiums. It's a monthly expense she must budget for the rest of her life. Lupus is a chronic condition with no cure. "As a nurse, I get it," Wexler said. "As a patient whose life has been changed exponentially, it's frustrating." Though she can't do the kind of nursing she would like, Wexler has found another way to tap into her passion for helping people. Wexler's blog, Luckfupus.com, has an international readership, and she speaks at health conferences around the nation as a patient advocate. One of her proudest moments came during a pharmaceutical roundtable a few years ago, when she said she confronted a pharmaceutical executive about why the company wasn't investing more in drugs for lupus. She does not receive funding from the pharma industry. "I can still make a difference it's in a completely different capacity than I ever thought," she said. "But I'm going to do it." Hope in new treatments Patients are optimistic that, as research advances, new medications will give them more options and bring down costs. There has been a push to accelerate development of biosimilars akin to, but not exactly like, a generic version of a brand-name drug and spending in this area is on the rise, as patents on original biologics expire, said Michael Kleinrock, research director for IQVIA's Institute for Human Data Science. But in health care, competition does not necessarily lower prices, in part because price is often hidden from consumers. "It's a highly moveable feast as for what will happen," Kleinrock said. What is a biologic? Biologics differ from traditional drugs in the way they are made and administered to patients. Rather than combining different chemical compounds using formulas that are very exact, biologics are complex proteins and DNA structures grown out of live cells. More familiar examples include vaccines and blood products. But the new generation of biologics is developed to treat illnesses that have resisted traditional pharmaceuticals. Traditional drugs commonly take the form of pills, while biologics must be administered directly to the bloodstream, through infusions or injections. Some examples of biologics include infused cancer medications, Remicade for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Humira for arthritis and psoriasis, Benlysta for lupus. Whats going to happen to us if all we do is buy stuff at a keyboard? We wont have places like Mushmina, the Wayne store that Katie ONeill is shutting down because not enough people go to actual stores like hers anymore.ONeill says she plans to keep the store open online and is working on a new business model. Read more From inside the Main Line boutique she is closing this weekend, 36-year-old Katie O'Neill sees an ominous future for us hunter-gatherers-turned-online-shopping addicts. Even as the evidence suggests the digital world is harming our psyches, we are retreating into bubbles, a social species reduced to staring into iPhone screens instead of mingling with other real, live human beings. She's closing Mushmina, her shop on Lancaster Avenue in Wayne, for the same reason that the kiddie wonderland Toys R Us chain is closing, along with businesses in towns such as Narberth, in shopping malls, and in communities far and wide. The vacuum that is the internet is sucking dollars into cyberspace by persuading people to look no further than a computer or tablet to shop. It's not just gutting community vibes and small-business dreams. It's fundamentally transforming what it means to be human. O'Neill worries not just about her own future, but about what this means for all of us, 10 or 20 years from now. As we talked in her shop a few days ago, I found myself agreeing fully with the impressively creative and never-say-die Millennial merchant. My takeaway from the earthquake that's made Amazon's brilliant founder, Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world goes something like this: Will most of us soon be underemployed, digitally hypnotized consumers ordering unmanned drones to drop milk onto our porches after robots extract them from a computer-driven warehouse? God help us, if so. "When you're a shop owner, it's like you're a hairdresser, too," she tells me, and I can relate. My dad ran a small deli when I was a kid; I still sometimes get emails from our old customers, who remember me behind the register, standing on a milk crate, while my dad made them hoagies and gabbed about life. "You hear what's going on with [customers'] families, you hear about politics." It's a sensory experience just walking into Mushmina. It's adorned with gorgeous hand-crafted Moroccan leather bags, Berber rugs, jewelry and kaftans designed by O'Neill and made by women who live near Casablanca. This is the definition of eye candy, the end product of a singularly creative mind. No Amazon or Facebook algorithm can mimic the beauty or treasure-hunt feel of stumbling into a place like this. "A lot of times they come in and they just bask in the specialness of it," says Cindi Raimondo, who at age 57 only helps run the store because she too, years ago, had to close her own shop, Ruka, at 19th and Sansom Streets in Center City. Soaring rents and online competition were to blame. Digital evangelists might be quick to say all is well, stop whining. But let's be clear. They have no evidence with which to back that optimism. And O'Neill? She's no Back-in-my-day! codger who fears change. A Jersey native who graduated from University of the Arts, she's worked in New York retail and parlayed that into her own business. She designs and buys goods from Morocco, with help from her sister who lives there and helps broker deals with local woman artisans who'd have no other way to make money themselves. But O'Neill is stumped by the Rubik's Cube that is our digital economy. No matter whom she hires as a digital marketing consultant, no matter what she's told to do with Facebook, online ad sales and the web, the bottom line is that her store's overhead costs are not being sufficiently covered by customers coming into it anymore. She started selling some brand labels to give customers a broader selection, but found customers would come in, go home, and then buy the same thing online for a little bit less. O'Neill is still making money. But she's closing down while still flush enough to investigate a new business model. For starters, her plan in the next year is to pop up in communities throughout the year with temporary leases while beefing up her website. Experts struggle to find a comparison in history to what we are living through. Sears Roebuck, which transformed the consumer economy a century ago by launching its once-ubiquitous catalog, didn't gut brick-and-mortar stores the way online retail has. Amazon has become so dominant that mayors like Jim Kenney in Philadelphia and across the country reportedly are offering the company everything but the shirt off their backs in return for landing its second headquarters. Wharton business historian Dan Raff agrees this is unprecedented. But he's not yet sure exactly what is being lost as we shovel our money toward the internet instead of people in actual stores. Used to be: "It's that you're dealing with people rather than machines." Now: We're opting for easy and speedy. "A lot of what gets lost, beside the sense of community," Raff says, "is the extent to which you're doing business with people who might know you well enough to enter imaginatively into the question of what might this person want that they might not know yet that they want?" O'Neill went to Morocco with customers not long ago and introduced them to the women she's hired to hand-stitch her goods. Those customers, she said, were in awe. This is what worries O'Neill as we continue to ditch one another for robots. "I'm most afraid that without that kind of physical interaction," O'Neill says, "how will people have compassion for each other?" The Federal Detention Center, at 7th and Arch Streets. A policy there that prevented pretrial inmates from seeing their children has been changed as a result of a class action lawsuit. Read more Last October, Dayna Walter despaired that her 2-year-old son was beginning to forget who his father was. "When you're far away from someone and can't visit, it puts a strain on everything. You rely a lot on love and hope to get you through. You keep pictures around of him so his son can see his face and recognize when he's talking on the phone." Her son's father, Keith Campbell, had been prevented from seeing his child by a policy at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia, where he's been for the last year awaiting trial. The policy, which bars unaccompanied minor children, also excludes visitors who are not immediate family, including unmarried partners. That meant Walter couldn't visit; consequently, there was no one to bring her son. Starting April 30, though, that policy will change and the family will finally be able to reunite. The FDC announced the new policy in advance of settlement negotiations in a class-action lawsuit in which Campbell is a lead plaintiff. The new rule allows each pretrial inmate one visitor who is not immediate family. "For a large number of inmates, this will resolve the problem," said Benjamin Geffen, a lawyer with the Public Interest Law Center, which filed the suit with Drinker Biddle & Reath and the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project. According to court filings, about 100 inmates were prevented from seeing their kids under the old policy. But, Geffen added, it's an imperfect solution. "We remain concerned that some pretrial inmates may still have trouble visiting with their children. For instance, some inmates have children by more than one parent. This is hardly unheard of in 21st-century America: Even the president has five children by three different women." The lawyers, in settlement discussions Friday, sought protection for those children, too, and assurances that the policy would not be restricted once again. Mira Baylson, a lawyer with Drinker Biddle & Reath, said that the FDC agreed to notify the lawyers of any policy change. As well, she said, "I think the FDC is going to look at special-exception visiting requests for people [with multiple children] with a favorable eye." The FDC holds about a thousand inmates, most of them pretrial. The pretrial inmates (but not sentenced ones) had been subject to the stricter policy since July 2016. A spokesman for the detention center told the Inquirer and Daily News last year that the policy change was created in response to an influx of illegal drugs entering the facility through the visiting room. "The policy was one of the strictest in the entire country," Geffen said. "[It] applied only to people who enjoyed the presumption of innocence." It was the most restrictive policy of any federal detention center, he said. It's also substantially more limiting than conditions in Philadelphia's county jails, where inmates are restricted to one hour of visitation per week but are not restricted to a set visiting list, and in Pennsylvania state prisons, where each inmate can include up to 40 names on a list of approved visitors. Lindsey Cramer, a researcher at the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center who studies effects of parental incarceration on children, said jail and prison visitation policies vary widely by jurisdiction, and from one facility to the next. But, she said, research indicates there are benefits to more welcoming policies. Prisoners who have frequent contact, including visitation, with their family members are less likely to recidivate, some studies have found. And while kids of incarcerated parents are at elevated risk for behavioral and substance abuse problems, researches have found that visits under child-friendly conditions could improve outcomes for kids. "There's research showing contact visits help foster that parent-child bond," Cramer said. "It supports them and gives them the foundation to be better at school, to have better social and emotional well-being." On the other hand, she added, "some literature out there says the visiting process may cause more stress or trauma for the child." Cramer said there's a need for more research, and for institutions to take measures to make visits less stressful for kids, such as by limiting searches of children. The Bureau of Prisons Public Information Office confirmed the new policy was announced to inmates April 9, but declined to comment further. Baylson said the legal team will watch the implementation carefully. "We're very hopeful," she said. "We take the FDC at their word that they are trying to implement this so people can connect with their children and maintain ties to the community." Sheriff Jewell Williams, a Democrat first elected in 2011, has authorized millions of dollars in extra spending to advertise sheriff sales. Read more Former Philadelphia Sheriff John Green turned on the spigot nearly 30 years ago and the spending has gushed forth ever since. Without any legal obligation to do so, Green and his successor, Jewell Williams, have spent millions of dollars to place ads for forthcoming sheriff sales in community and niche newspapers across Philadelphia, using fees imposed during foreclosures. In some cases, those fees are borne by the very homeowners at risk of losing their houses. The result has been a bonanza for politically connected intermediaries who have gotten a cut of the ad money, as well as for the papers themselves, a number of which were founded by politically active owners. Williams and Green both say the money has been well spent, a way to reach a more diverse pool of potential bidders for foreclosed properties. Critics dismiss the ads as an expensive frill, meant to reward the sheriffs' Democratic allies and buy friendly news coverage for the relatively uncovered agency. Statewide court regulations require that sheriff-sale legal notices be placed in a major general-interest newspaper and an area legal publication. To that end, Williams purchased $4.2 million in ads last year in the Inquirer, the Daily News, the Philadelphia Tribune, and the Legal Intelligencer. But he has gone well beyond that, spending an additional $3.6 million for ad space in many other publications, some small and obscure. The Public Record, the Sunday Sun, the Philadelphia Gay News, Scoop USA, Fun Times, and Impacto News are among 20 newspapers and two radio stations that have received such discretionary ad money from the sheriff for years. Williams declined an interview request. In a statement, he said the extra spending was needed to reach beyond mainstream media. This way, he said, "all citizens in a city as diverse as Philadelphia have an opportunity to participate in the sheriff sales." The price for that opportunity is steep. The cost of the ads is covered by a fee that can be as high as $1,500 on a foreclosed house, officials say. "The money comes from the homeowners, the people who lost their homes. That's not good," said John Dodds, the director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project. "It still doesn't make any sense to me." City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart is another critic. At a time when the city is considering tax hikes, she said, the Sheriff's Office spending on the ads "needs to be thoroughly explored." Her agency is planning a new audit of the Sheriff's Office, including its nearly $8 million annual advertising expenditure, Rhynhart said. The ads have been controversial for years. Advocates for the poor, such as Dodds, have tried to rein in the practice. But nothing has had any impact not even the harsh light cast on the spending by the federal corruption investigation of Green that climaxed in his recent trial on bribery charges. Federal prosecutors accused the former sheriff of pocketing kickbacks from the money flow, though a jury deadlocked on some charges and acquitted Green on others. He is facing a retrial. Still, the debate over the sheriff's largesse continues as part of a larger disagreement about whether state law should mandate any sheriff ads in newspapers. Detractors say such legal notices could be posted on government websites at a fraction of the current cost. Mark Cohen, president of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, which represents the state's newspapers including the Inquirer and Daily News, said it was important that papers, independent of local governments, continue printing legal notices. "We're a watchdog," he said. "I'm not sure it makes sense for public notices to be in the hands of government." In editorials, the Inquirer, along with many other papers, has argued that printed legal notices are necessary to reach elderly and low-income readers who may not be online. Philadelphia Media Network, the parent company of the Inquirer and Daily News, was paid $1.6 million for ads by the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office last fiscal year. >> READ MORE: Covering the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office: A word from the publisher It is notable that even defenders of the continued use of printed ads are surprised by the Philadelphia sheriff's aggressive use of community and niche publications, often free with small circulations. "This is shocking that they are going above and beyond what is required," said Holly Lubart, the lobbyist for the NewsMedia group. In total, Williams, a Democrat first elected sheriff in 2011, authorized the purchase of $41 million in ads over the last five years. The Sheriff's Office also has chosen to outsource the purchase of those ads rather than rely on any of its 400 employees to handle that task. In contrast, the City of Philadelphia gets the job done in-house, detailing two employees to place $2 million in legal notices yearly, said Mike Dunn, spokesman for Mayor Kenney. In the case of the Sheriff's Office, the decision to outsource the ad placements has benefited two well-connected Democratic political consultants, Barbara Grant and Luz Cardenas, former spokeswomen for Mayor John F. Street. Williams hired their media firm to place ads with 17 news organizations, paying them more than $4.5 million since 2013. They have kept their contract despite being underbid in 2016 by a competitor who offered to place the ads for less than half their fee. The Sheriff's Office, like other city agencies, is not required to hire the lowest bidder. Another political veteran in on the action is Kenneth Smukler, a longtime adviser to U.S. Rep. Robert Brady, the Democratic Party chairman in Philadelphia. Brady has been a key backer of Williams. Smukler is awaiting trial on federal charges of violating campaign-finance laws during two Democratic primaries, including the 2012 election in which Brady won renomination. None of the charges involves the Sheriff's Office. Smukler and his wife have been generous supporters of the sheriff. The couple have given $13,000 to Williams' campaign fund since 2011. For a fee, Smukler provides five niche publications with pages of sheriff sale ads, as well as a few accompanying articles, including self-penned editorials that anchor the insert. Publications that print and use the ads and insert were paid $11 million by the sheriff. In addition, they paid Smukler a fee for his efforts. Smukler declined to say what he is paid. One publisher in his group, while declining to specifically reveal Smukler's fee, said his work would typically be covered by a 15 percent commission. In that case, Smukler would have been paid $1.6 million by the papers. Smukler spoke with a reporter for this story, insisting the exchange be off the record. Last week, he published an article in his online publication, Liberty City Press, that detailed the interview. In his article, he asserted the Inquirer exploited its special legal status to overcharge the sheriff. Since Smukler violated his own ground rules for the interview, the Inquirer and Daily News view the exchange as on the record. During the interview, Smukler said the members of his group were paying for his editorial material, and not merely to gain access to the sheriff ad revenue. "This is a real publication," he said, referring to Liberty City Press. "I'm charging our partner publications for content that our partners seem to be happy with," he said. A reform candidate The practice of placing sheriff's ads in smaller community papers can be traced to Green's first election in 1987 when he ran against the party as a reform candidate. "He was interested in getting people involved people that don't read the Legal Intelligencer or the Inquirer," Janet Pina, a former top aide to Green, testified during his recent trial. "He believed the best way to do that was through the community newspapers that were free." In an interview, Irwin Trauss, a veteran lawyer with Philadelphia Legal Assistance who advocates on behalf of homeowners in foreclosure, said the spending was in part an effort to buff Green's image. "I think it was also viewed as a way of buying favorable coverage in the smaller papers," he said. Barbara Deeley, Green's former second-in-command, also testified at Green's trial, saying she persuaded Green to place ads in the Gay News after its publisher, the politically active Mark Segal, asked for help. Deeley said she presented the buys as smart politics. "The gay community are voters, and they're very community active," she recalled telling Green. The Gay News was not the only publication with political heft to receive sheriff ad money over the years ($538,000 last year). Others receiving money over time include the Sunday Sun ($572,000 in 2017), founded in 1992 by the late J. Whyatt Mondesire, a former top aide to the late U.S. Rep. William H. Gray; and the Public Record ($234,000 in 2017), founded in 1999 by former City Councilman James Tayoun after he served 40 months on a corruption conviction; Tayoun and his paper gave Williams a total of $2,000 in campaign contributions in 2011 and 2015, campaign-finance reports shows. And in 2015, with Williams up for reelection, the Public Record named him "Public Servant of the Year" in a front-page story. The article failed to report that the paper also honored him with a $1,000 prize. The honor was short-lived. After the city Ethics Board spotted the honorarium in Williams' financial disclosure the following year, it forced him to disgorge the money and pay a $500 fine. (Tayoun died in 2017). For Williams, the ethics complaint was an embarrassment. Green, his predecessor, faced far more serious allegations. Green's trial ended early this month when a jury acquitted him of three corruption charges and deadlocked on conspiracy and corruption counts. A codefendant, businessman James Davis, was convicted on several charges, including conspiracy and helping file a false Green campaign-finance report. Green's retrial is several months away. The placement of sheriff sale ads formed the heart of the corruption case against both men. The government faulted Green for giving no-bid contracts to Davis to purchase the ads under contracts that called for Davis to receive a 15 percent commission on the sales. Prosecutors said Davis reciprocated by showering Green with zero-interest loans, illegal donations to his campaign fund, and other benefits. Green's lawyer said there was no evidence that Davis' actions were tied to his sheriff's contracts. Green quit midterm at the end of 2010 amid hostile audits and criticism from good-government groups. Deeley took over as acting sheriff and promptly killed Davis' contracts. But she didn't end the niche advertising. Instead, Deeley handed the work to Grant and Cardenas, and Smukler, who, in 2011, worked for the two women's firm. All three have benefited since. For six years, the Sheriff's Office paid Cardenas-Grant Communications a 15 percent commission on the ad sales. The women lowered the rate to 12 percent in 2017 after a bidding competition. Asked about competing bids, the Sheriff's Office, in a statement, said, "Bids ranged from 5 percent to 12 percent." Grant and Cardenas got the contract again after the sheriff deemed other bidders to not meet all the requirements for the job, according to a statement. For their commission, Grant and Cardenas also handle public relations work for the Sheriff's Office. They fielded questions for this story, for instance. Grant said politics had nothing to do with her firm's winning the contract and keeping it. "The reason we were selected was we submitted superior proposals," she said. In all, Grant and Cardenas are paid commissions on ads placed with 17 news organizations, including the Inquirer, Daily News, Legal Intelligencer, and Philadelphia Tribune. Smukler's network is made up of the Gay News; the Sunday Sun; Al Dia, which serves the Latino community; and New Mainstream Press, which prints papers in Chinese and Vietnamese. Catherine Hicks, co-publisher of the Sun and a former aide to Sheriff Green, and Hernan Guaracao, publisher of Al Dia, declined to answers questions about Smukler. Segal, publisher of the Gay News, said Smukler "gets a percentage" of the ad placements. He would not say how much, but added that the "typical agency fee is 15 percent." "Ken acts as the agent for the multicultural consortium," Segal said. "Ken is a political consultant and a businessman. In this he is more of a businessman." While Grant and Cardenas are paid by the Sheriff's Office under a government contract subject to rebidding and competition, Smukler is paid by the newspapers in his group. There has never been any bidding or public competition for the placements of ads in his group. According to Smukler, before each sheriff sale, Williams' staff sends sales information to print shops that create the listings. Smukler then adds his editorials and other material. The papers in Smukler's group print the material at their own cost as an English-language insert for their publications including those in Chinese and Vietnamese. His wraparound generally includes photos from charity events, feature stories focused on people of color, stories on high school sports, and Smukler's editorials. In his editorials, Smukler has defended his political allies, including Brady and Williams. In December, he devoted his front page for two consecutive weeks to a plan to grow marijuana in a warehouse in North Philadelphia. He did not mention he has an option to buy the warehouse. Segal, who founded the Philadelphia Gay News 42 years ago, said the ad payments from the sheriff a total of $2.7 million to his weekly since 2013 supported local journalism and alternate voices. "We at PGN, like at minority and multicultural newspapers, have fought for years to gain city, state and federal advertising that the mainstream media has always had for itself," Segal added. Supporters of the spending point out that the money does not come from general taxes, but from a foreclosure fee. The advertising fee is often the biggest part of a bewildering package of foreclosure levies used to cover auctioneer charges, hall rentals, lunch for sheriff staff, attorney fees, and more. In total they can reach almost $5,000 per house. "One of the problems is that the costs are viewed as if nobody is paying them," said Trauss, of Philadelphia Legal Assistance. "There's not a significant recognition that it is coming out of the pockets of the homeowners or the lender." Rhynhart, the city controller, also said the fees needed to be scrutinized. "It is people's money," she said. "Whether it's tax dollars or fees from business or individuals, it is money that is being contributed and should be safeguarded and used appropriately." Staff writer Anh Nguyen contributed to this article. The House Intelligence Committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was heavily redacted by the Intelligence Community before its release to the public on Friday. I posted the report as released here. In his contemporaneous press release, Chairman Devin Nunes expressed his displeasure with the redactions: Given the substantial public interest at stake, the Committee is publishing the redacted version weve received. However, we object to the excessive and unjustified number of redactions, many of which do not relate to classified information. Lee Smith is one of the few journalists who has contributed truly helpful analysis of the chain of events leading to the appointment of Robert Mueller as Special Counsel. Most recently, for example, he published the deeply reported piece Unpacking the other Clinbton-linked Russia dossier. In the tweet below Lee draws attention to one intriguing footnote of the report and asks a good question. The redactions in the footnote also serve to illustrate Nuness objection. Ronny Jackson, the presidents physician, seemed like a questionable choice to head the Veterans Administration. The VA is a vast and apparently poorly run bureaucracy. And unlike other vast, poorly run bureaucracies, its entrusted with the vital task of delivering medical care directly to our nations veterans. Thus, the job of VA head cries out for an experienced administrator with a history of running, and taming, large bureaucracies. Jackson is undoubtedly a fine physician, as Presidents Obama and Trump both believe. However, he lacks the history of administrative success on a large scale that the president should be looking for. But Jacksons nomination did not fail for this reason. Instead, it failed because Democrats, most notably the deplorable Sen. Jon Tester, smeared him. Tester unleashed a string of damning allegations against Jackson even though he acknowledged that he did not know them to be true. The picture Tester painted of Jackson is almost impossible to reconcile with the fact that two presidents entrusted their medical care to him. If Jackson had a drinking problem and irresponsibly dispensed drugs, wouldnt President Obamas aides have brought this to the attention of their boss? And wouldnt Obama have removed Jackson as his physician or, at a minimum, sternly counseled him? Of course. Instead, Obama and his team praised and commended Jackson, even rallying to his defense when the doctor was attacked for having the audacity to say President Trump is in excellent health. Former Obama aides, including Susan Rice, David Axelrod, and Dan Pfeiffer, called Jackson a saint a really great guy, and a phenomenal doctor. And Trump clearly thinks the world of him. When we examine the key allegations against Jackson, we find they are either meaningless or unsupported and unlikely to be true. The former category includes the claim that Jackson drank alcohol on overseas trips with the president. According to several White House officials, doctors are permitted to drink alcohol if they are not on duty and if there is more than one doctor traveling, as there always is on foreign trips. Jackson says he never drank while on duty or on a domestic trip while he was the only doctor. There appears to be no evidence (or even allegation) to the contrary. Jackson is also said to have handed out sleeping and alertness pills to White House staffers on overseas flights. But it is common, and reasonable, to take such medication to avoid jet lag, especially for people who have to work when they arrive after an overnight trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flight. For example, Brian McKeon, who served as National Security Council chief of staff and as a senior Defense Department official under Obama, says he used Ambien while traveling both at the White House and at the Pentagon. On a long trip or multiday trip, if people needed an Ambien to try to get to sleep, you could get some Ambien. I thought that was appropriate because when people are working 16-hour days and going across time zones, that was pretty hard, McKeon said. Sen. Marco Rubio and even Sen. Dick Durbin are of a similar view. Other allegations against Jackson would be troubling, if true. But they appear not to be. Democrats accused Jackson of wrecking a car after drinking at a Secret Service going-away party. Yet, there is no record of this. The White House says it conducted a thorough review of Jacksons vehicle records and found only three minor incidents, none of which was his fault. Democrats claimed that agents intervened on an overseas trip to prevent Jackson from bothering Obama. The White House says it thoroughly reviewed internal documents related to all presidential foreign travel that occurred during the year in question, and interviewed personnel present during foreign travel that occurred during the same time frame. It uncovered no information to support this allegation. Is it possible that some of the misconduct Jackson is alleged to have committed actually occurred? Yes, But Tester concocted a picture of Jackson that is unsupported by the record and almost impossible to reconcile with the picture painted by two presidents and key Obama staff members as recently as this year. He and fellow Democrats have reached what might well be a new low in congressional smearing of presidential nominees. If Republicans apply the Tester standard to future nominees of Democratic presidents, Dems will have only themselves to blame. Twenty-three month old Alfie Evans was held for nearly a week without care against the will of his parents in a Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool until he died yesterday. He could have been cared for in a Vatican hospital if the British authorities had let him go. The British authorities denied him care to avoid his or their suffering. The basic facts of the case are set forth by the BBC and by the Guardian. Alfie struggled against a rare degenerative brain disease. Once taken off life support, Alfie was supposed to die immediately without life support. Thats what a British doctor testified in court back in February. That isnt quite the way it turned out. Alfie lived long enough to make himself an example. We have frequently commented on the immiseration of Venezuela as exemplary of the fate of socialism. The case of Alfie Evans in Britains National Health Service is exemplary and symbolic in its own way. That must be one reason why the British authorities refused to relent in their assertion of control over Alfies fate. As for the symbolism, here are a few items as they occur to me. However obvious, I hope they may nevertheless be worth saying: We have turned over vast swaths of our lives to the control of experts. Thats the way the left wants it. This is what what socialism and the administrative state are all about. The knowledge of experts is frequently a pretense to assert control over our lives. Individual rights lose their meaning under socialism and the administrative state. Abuse of the right to life is part and parcel of a health system dominated by the state rather than the individual or the family (as James Freeman puts it). With the loss of the right to life and property goes the right to liberty. The Merseyside Police put it this way (per James Freeman and Mark Hemingway): Weve issued a statement this evening to make people aware that social media posts which are being posted in relation to Alder Hey and the Alfie Evans situation are being monitored and may be acted upon. The Catholic Church understands one of the principles at the heart of Alfies case. It therefore presented a striking contrast with the British authorities. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Operations Support Engineer wygaso z dniem 2018-04-29 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Luxoft Poland sp. z o.o. Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to: propozycja zozona przez pracodawce zostaa wycofana z naszych zasobow rekruter zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc zgoszen firma zmodyfikowaa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych niewasciwy adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Informatyka / Telekomunikacja, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Informatyka / Telekomunikacja Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Operations Support Engineer, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Operations Support Engineer Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Warszawa, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Warszawa Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne oferty, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: In 1985, Sheila McMillan graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelors degree in food science and human nutrition. Two years later, working at varying jobs unrelated to her degree and enjoying her freedom from the rigors of higher education, McMillans parents, Nelson, a U.S. postal employee, and Angelee, a federal clerk typist, asked her about her plans for the future. Her mother recommended the younger McMillan give the civil service a try. McMillan considered her options. She could pursue a lucrative career in the private industry, or she could work in the public sector as a federal employee and improve the lives of the American people. McMillan chose the latter. She saw a posting for a food technologist with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Services Office of Field Operations. After reading the job description, I knew FSIS was the career path for me, McMillan said. In short, I had found my dream job. The announcement had everything I was looking for in a job. Principally, I would be responsible for making sure that food is produced safely, legally, and is the quality the product claimed. Drawing on experience Three decades later, she is still in OFO, but is now an enforcement, investigations and analysis officer in Oak Park. As an EIAO, her duties involve a variety of in-plant tasks and verification functions, to include conducting food safety assessments (which determines the adequacy of the plants food safety systems) and confirming that the businesses can produce safe, wholesome products per regulatory requirements. She also reviews sanitation standard operating procedures to ensure establishments equipment is clean and safe to use for food production, and analyzes hazard analysis and critical control points plans. McMillan said these plans are ground zero in preventing, reducing and eliminating identified food safety hazards. My job is to make sure scientific, technical or regulatory documents support all decisions made within the food system and each plant must adhere to those requirements. Thats where HACCP plans come into play, McMillan said. Establishments can write beautiful plans, but if they fail to implement them properly, then the plans do not serve their purpose. I evaluate these plans to make sure they are sound and scientifically based; identify the establishments biological, chemical and physical hazards; and ensure that the plans are implemented successfully. These are critical steps in preventing foodborne illnesses and dangers. She, along with other FSIS employees in the Dearborn circuit, also performs outreach activities at schools and churches. Through this outreach, different populations can be reached and educated about food safety. To do her job efficiently, McMillan draws from her well of experiences, her investigative abilities and her sixth sense. I have a tool bag full of farm-to-consumer knowledge that I draw from every day, she said. My investigative skills come in handy when Im conducting recall effectiveness checks at stores and restaurants making sure that products associated with recalls have been removed from commerce. Those skills coupled with my intuition comes into play to spot red flags. For example, if an establishment is cooking a lot of product, and I know they do not have the freezer space for cooling it all, the hairs on the back of my neck start to stand up. Ill check their records, and if they are pristine, showing that the product is cooling as it should be, I follow my instincts and take the time to do some investigating. More times than not, my instincts are right. Bridging the gap McMillan considers herself an ambassador for FSIS because she ensures consumers are safe from purchasing potentially hazardous or harmful products. She transfers information from the district office to establishments and back again. She also assists plant owners when issues arise. Often, problems are discovered during a food safety assessment, McMillan said. Im there, along with the frontline supervisors, to talk the plant owner down from the proverbial ledge and to explain FSIS regulatory process. I feel that its my job to help them find solutions to their concerns, which could range from a labeling issue to finding the holes in their HACCP plans. I see us as partners, and without USDA, I wouldnt have had this opportunity to make a difference. She also extends her ambassador duties to FSIS employees and credits to the Agencys i-Impact initiative for being the catalyst. As an i-Impact trainer, I facilitate communication with in-plant personnel and let them know that what they do every day, whatever the function, does make a difference in the world of food safety, McMillan said. Im just so glad Ive had the opportunity to be a part of the program. Adventurer and family woman McMillan is an avid traveler and hopes to one day visit Arizona, Colorado and Paris. She also enjoys spending time with family and hanging out with her mother, whom she affectionately calls her shopping buddy. Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here It's an exciting time to be building a business in this area and the CoCreateX team is providing a runway for blockchain startups to succeed! CoCreateX, Inc., is showcasing transportation applications for blockchains and cryptocurrency start-ups and enterprises at this years Blockchain Week in Boston, MA - April 24 27, 2018. Over 65 companies, notable universities and various organizations attended this years event to host talks, lectures, developer trainings and leadership events with founders and researchers about the evolution of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Courtesy of Pillar Venture Capital and Bitcoin Market Journal, the CoCreateX Blockchain Bus was Bostons premiere mobile innovation space for blockchain companies during this years Blockchain Week. Its an innovation celebration on wheels, inspiring guests between and during events all week and broadcasting Blockchain Week live on the internet, stated Mac Cameron, CoCreateX Co-Founder and President. A full list of over 30 Blockchain Week events is available here. Its fantastic that the CoCreateX team is leading the Boston blockchain scene, stated John Hargrave, CEO at Media Shower a Boston company that provides a media platform for ICOs, crypto, and blockchain projects. It's an exciting time to be building a business in this area and the CoCreateX team is providing a runway for blockchain startups to succeed! The CoCreateX Blockchain Bus was the exclusive shuttle service for BlockChain Week guests between the hours of 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM, April 25 27. Schedule subject to change. Learn more at CoCreateX.com. ## About CoCreateX CoCreateX provides diverse communities of creators with the necessary tools to say, thank you to fellow cross-industry inventors, makers, scientists, artists, designers and supporters. CoCreateXs cloud-based Thank You platform, invention and catalyst spaces, Mobile Innovation Center, co-development, agency services, and workforce development training opportunities and experiences create a viable network for entrepreneurs, investors, and business to engage with one another across a variety of industries. Our mission is to help people tap the power of communities and realize their creative dreams, so everyone can be successful by being who they are and by doing what they love. For more information visit CoCreateX.com or email us at team@cocreatex.com. "Both Emily and Trish have strong local connections to the Outer Banks, which will contribute to their success. Im looking forward to watching both of them succeed with our firm Says Pamela Smith, Vice President of Sales. Emily Quinn and Trish Berruet have joined Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, the top-producing real estate firm in northeast North Carolina. The pair is enrolled in the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Success Center Training Program, along with the Achieve Maximum Productivity course. AMP is a four-week productivity program which boasts a strong focus on lead conversion and how to work effectively with both buyers and sellers. The AMP program includes live classroom instruction, self-paced modules, and online learning which empower agents to launch and sustain a successful career in real estate. Ive been licensed for 10 years and have had a lifelong passion for all things real estate. I am excited to be joining such a fabulous organization with an amazing team," says Quinn. When it came time to choose a new firm, I immediately thought of Coldwell Banker, not only because they are the number one real estate brokerage in the area but also because I have friends who are tenured agents there with great integrity, they are very committed to their affiliation with Coldwell Banker and appreciate the cutting edge technology and continuous training the firm provides in order to best serve their clients. For me it was an easy choice! says Berruet. "Both Emily and Trish have strong local connections to the Outer Banks, which will contribute to their success. Im looking forward to watching both of them succeed with our firm, says Pamela Smith, Vice President of Sales. Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty firm has sold the most real estate on the Outer Banks for the past four years and is the number one firm in sales volume.* Family owned and operated with nearly 30 years of local knowledge and experience, the company offers real estate services across the entire Outer Banks as well as all of northeastern North Carolina. Combined with the Coldwell Banker brand, one of the largest and most influential residential real estate brokerage franchises in the world, Seaside Realty offers top-tier real estate services to buyers and sellers throughout the region. Dmitry Gorin Dmitry Gorin, a former sex crimes prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office and a criminal defense attorney discussed the verdict on National Public Radio. Listen to interview here. Entertainer Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era of awareness about sexual assault and harassment. The jury concluded he sexually violated a Temple University employee at his home in 2004. She was the only woman among dozens who pursued criminal charges against the comedian. Mr. Cosby is one of the nations most admired actors widely known for his role in the 1980s popular program The Cosby Show. He was described in the Philadelphia courtroom as a sexual predator and deviant during his trial. Prosecutors claimed he was a con artist who used his television image to trick victims to trust him so he could drug them. Six women testified in detail about Mr. Cosby drugging them in separate incidents from the 1980s until 2004. The conviction comes in a retrial of a 2017 case where a mistrial was declared. No sentencing date has been set. Dmitry Gorin is a partner at Eisner Gorin LLP, a Los Angeles-based law firm with an AV- Preeminent* Rating (Top 5% U.S. Law Firm) specializing in criminal defense. He has been selected to Best U.S. Lawyers 2017 and aggressively represents clients against sex crimes, theft crimes, domestic violence, drug crimes, and fraud crimes. For more information, visit us online at https://www.egattorneys.com Its time to envision the new leader. Its not about the person who knows the answers all the time, but the person who can ask the right questions and harness group wisdom. At the New Leader Summit on May 3rd and 4th in Mountainview, California, the conversations will focus on a new paradigm in leadership. An intimate gathering of 300 - 400 leaders and executives from across the world, the summit will explore the new wave in managing and supporting teams and organizations. By practicing self awareness, cultivating group intelligence, and leading with wisdom and compassion, the new leader is changing how business is done in the 21st century. Its time to envision the new leader, says Wisdom 2.0 founder Soren Gordhamer. Its not about the person who knows the answers all the time, but the person who can ask the right questions and harness group wisdom. Wisdom 2.0, which holds its annual conference in San Francisco and produces the Mindfulness in America summit in New York City, is happy to partner with LinkedIn for this new and critical conversation. Hosted at the Computer History Museum, the summit opens on May 3rd with a reception in the museum gallery, followed by an all-day conference on the 4th with talks, panels, and interviews. Sessions range from The Art of Compassionate Management to Hiring and Firing with Clarity, creating a day in which business leaders and executives can work to hone their values and skills as practitioners of a new, effective kind of leadership. Speakers include Google's Vice President of People, Karen May; Gusto CEO Joshua Reeves; Chip Conley, author of Wisdom at Work; and more. There will also be a special keynote on compassion management with LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, one of Glassdoors highest-rated CEOs. "I'm excited to be a part of this gathering of business leaders committed to conscious, innovative, and compassionate leadership, says Weiner. For more information, visit http://www.newleadersummit.com Martinez Welcomed Into Forbes Technology Council Forbes will help us fortify a global leadership role in our industry. Axon Global Services (Axon) has been welcomed into the Forbes Technology Council, joining other world-class Chief Information Officers and Technology Executives, hand-selected to become part of a curated network of successful peers accelerating technology innovation through peer exchanges, including publishing on Forbes.com global platforms. Axon has achieved stature through non-traditional methods that generate force multipliers of success in cyber, such as the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Boardroom Intelligence, Cyber Enterprise Risk Management and Proactive Defense - with discrete and exclusive partners in R&D. Axon is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Full Board member, recognized as a leader as stated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Israel Martinez, Axons CEO stated, This opportunity is largely due to some of our breakthrough applications of AI in Boardroom Intelligence, giving them unprecedented visibility and strategic advantage. This is the result of great teamwork and support from leaders such as Dr. Richard Schroth, an Axon Partner, world-class F500 CEO strategist and the first Chief Technology Officer of the Marriott Corporation; the Honorable Rene Pena, Chief General Counsel, who has been instrumental in applying his fourteen years of experience prosecuting criminals as a District Attorney, into new strategies that help the country stop cybercrime; Mr. Alec Wilder a world-class technology architect and former CEO to an NYSE publicly traded company; members of the Axon Global Alliance and support from great leaders such as Congressman Cuellar (TX) and Congressman Hurd (TX). We are looking forward to adding value to the Forbes community, which will help us fortify a global leadership role in our industry. Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, says, We are honored to welcome Israel Martinez, CEO of Axon Global into the community. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to curate successful professionals from every industry, creating a vetted, social capital-driven network that helps every member make an even greater impact on the business world. Forbes Councils combines an innovative, high-touch approach to community with the extensive resources and the global reach of Forbes. About Forbes Councils Forbes partnered with the founders of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to launch Forbes Councils, invitation-only communities for world-class business professionals in a variety of industries. Members, who are hand-selected by each Councils community team have the opportunity to share thought leadership content, see Forbes.com. About Axon Axon Global Services is recognized by the NACD , for Exemplary Board Leadership, where Axon empowers Boardrooms to recapture cyber dominance via Cyber Risk, Governance, Strategy and Innovation. Axon has trained over 150 F500 boardroom Directors, Officers and general counsel including Google; GM, 7-Eleven; Capital One; Comcast; Dell; Delta Airlines; Discovery Channel; Ford; GM; GE; Humana; Intel; the American Bar Association; Mass Mutual; Microsoft; Prudential; Coca Cola; The Home Depot; Walt Disney; Walmart; DOJ; FTC and DHS. Axon has also served the U.S. Government, Defense and international communities, including the Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency. Axon is currently contracted with the DHS Cybersecurity and Communications, supporting cybersecurity, ... Control systems security, supply chain risk management...across the spectrum of security coordination... enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure, government networks and systems that are vital to National Security and the Nation's economy. Axon is also supporting cyber governance strategy across industries and government in Japan, as they prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: (by Muzamil Jaleel) New Delhi April 28: Did the lawyers of Kathua Bar Association prevent the Crime Branch team from filing the charge sheet in the case of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl in Kathua or not? While a report filed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) before the Supreme Court on Thursday said there was nothing on record to say that the lawyers obstructed the chargesheet, an affidavit filed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, the report of the Principal District and Sessions Judge Kathua and the state government have said that the lawyers indeed obstructed the Crime Branch team from filing the charge sheet in the chief judicial magistrates court and that the police finally submitted the chargesheet at the judges official residence later in the evening. On April 13, the Supreme Court took serious note of the conduct of the lawyers at the court and sought explanations from the BCI, J&K Bar Council, Jammu High Court Bar Association and Kathua District Bar Association. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had taken cognizance of the developments and said that impeding the process of law affects the delivery of justice. Subsequently, the BCI formed a five-member committee to undertake a fact-finding mission. In its report, the BCI team concluded that the lawyers in Kathua did not restrict any official of the Crime Branch from filing the charge sheet before the court. Instead, the BCI report blamed the media for misreporting the entire episode, especially relating to the conduct of lawyers at Kathua and Jammu. In fact, the BCI team transcended its mandate and concluded that the demand for a CBI inquiry by the public, civil society in Jammu and by Kathua and Jammu Bar Association appears to be justifiable. The BCI report, however, has been contradicted by the affidavit filed by the J&K High Court (officiating as the State Bar Council), the report of the Principal District and Session Judge Kathua and the J&K government. The BCI team, in fact, did not meet the Crime Branch team or consider the FIR filed by J&K Police in Kathua police station against the lawyers for restraining the Crime Branch from filing the charge sheet, using criminal force upon the police and disallowing them from discharging their legitimate duties. The J&K governments affidavit said the officers were heckled and prevented from even reaching the court a few lawyers also barged into the chambers of the CJM and made attempts to humiliate and threaten officers to leave the court. The charge sheet was filed at 9 pm at the CJMs official residence, the affidavit said. It cited a press release issued by the president of Kathua Bar Association, Kirti Bhushan Mahajan, on April 9 saying that the agitation of the Bar proved successful and the Crime Branch was compelled to go back and the challan couldnt be presented in the court. The affidavit submitted by the Registrar General of J&K High Court Jammu Sanjay Dhar said that reports were received on April 9, 2018, that some advocates of Kathua Bar Association had caused hindrance at the time of presentation of the challan. Subsequently, a report was sought from Principal District and Sessions Judge Kathua, who confirmed that obstruction was caused by advocates In a report submitted to the Registrar General of J&K High Court, Jammu, on April 10, Principal District and Sessions Judge Kathua Sanjeev Gupta wrote that on April 9, .as soon as the Crime Branch team arrived in the premises of the court of Chief Judicial magistrate Kathua, a group of lawyers resorted to a massive and intense protest demonstration the accused, seven in number, were brought in custody could not be produced in the court of CJM In the meantime, the court time was over but the demonstration of lawyers continued. The team of Crime branch made a hasty retreat from the court premises and took accused along with them. The CJM Kathua remained in his office chamber till 6 pm and scrutinised the challan which was found to be duly complied. The lawyers also remained standing outside the court of CJM raising slogans and demonstration. In view of the sensitive nature of the case, the Crime Branch officials were advised to bring the accused to the official residence of CJM at 8 PM. The report continued: Some lawyers assembled the official residence of CJM Kathua up to 7.45 pm along with media persons but thereafter they left the place The BCI report also rejected the contention of Dipika Singh Rajawat, a Jammu lawyer who represented the eight-year-old victim, that she was threatened by the President of J&K Bar Association B S Slathia because majority of lady advocates of the Jammu Bar looked upon the Bar President as a fatherly figure and there was no question of the Bar President threatening Rajawat. The victims father had approached the J&K High Court, which subsequently monitored the Crime Branch investigation into the rape and murder of the child. Rajawat had filed a complaint before the Chief Justice of J&K High Court on April 4, saying that she was threatened by the Jammu Bar president B S Slathia asking her to abstain her court work. Subsequently, she was given a guard inside the court premises so that she could appear in the case. (Muzamil Jaleel is an Associate Editor with the Indian Express. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East I am not brainwashing anyone Srinagar April 29 (Moazum Mohammad): The father of the killed 8-year-old Kathua girl said on Saturday that New Delhi-based social activist and columnist Madhu Kishwar came to him to ask that he agree to a CBI probe into his daughters rape and murder. Lawyers in Kathua as well as the Hindu Ekta Manch, a Hindu group that counts among its members the man accused of masterminding the little girls rape and murder, have been demanding a CBI probe into the case. They say that the Jammu & Kashmir Police cannot be trusted to defend the interests of the Hindu community in Kathua. A five-member fact-finding panel of the Bar Council of India has also justified the need for a CBI probe in its report submitted to the top court on April 26. The JK high court and the government has contradicted the BCI version in their affidavits in Supreme Court. The slain Bakerwal girls father, Mohammad Yousuf Pujwala, told Kashmir Reader that Kishwar reached Suransar in Jammus mountainous region some days ago, along with two girls and a policeman, to talk to him about the case. Pujwalas nomadic family with their livestock is staying at Suransar after fleeing from Kathuas Rasana village early this month. The family will move to Kashmir Valley for the summer as they do every year in a seasonal migration. They (Kishwar and her companions) wanted us to go for a CBI investigation. They said, what is the problem with a CBI probe? They (CBI) will do proper investigations into the case. Aapko kya takleef hai? Pujwala said. I told them I dont want a CBI probe. I am satisfied with the Crime Branch investigations. The government is doing the right thing. Wo doodh ka doodh aur paani ka paani nikalenge, Pujwala said that he replied to Kishwar. A policeman named Mudasir accompanied Kishwar to Suransar that day, Pujwala said. Gujjar activist Talib Hussain, who has been rallying for justice in the Kathua case, corroborated what Pujwala said. Kishwar wanted them to go for a CBI probe but he refused, Hussain told Kashmir Reader. Kishwar, however, denied the allegations. She said she met Pujwala to hear the story from the horses mouth. I wanted to get a first-hand account from him. I asked him about it (CBI probe) just like everyone else is asking him. Who am I to tell him (to go for a CBI probe), Kishwar said. I am not Barkha Dutt to brainwash him. It is not my job to persuade him. I am not brainwashing anyone; I am only listening, Kishwar told Kashmir Reader. According to her, she recorded every question and answer and added that Pujwala refused a CBI probe. He very clearly said that the Mehbooba Mufti government is doing the right thing and refused a CBI probe. Ya to wo aapko pagal bana raha hai ya woh khud pagal hai (Either he is fooling you or he himself is insane), Kishwar said. J&K Director General of Police SP Vaid said he had no information about the allegations levelled by Pujwala. Posted Sunday, April 29, 2018 4:13 am When the 'blog' section was originally set up, the guidelines included whatever the blogger wanted to share with the "Leader" community (within boundaries, of course, of taste and discretion- each of these arguable- and argued). SO, this is a very short story I wrote, partially in response to painting a house with a renter who is attending a local writing workshop. I actually have written, or thought about writing, several pieces, similar in that I start out wanting to be mean, and, somewhere in the process, get, maybe, less so. Maybe the series should be Attempted Character Assassinations. NOTE: The part with the cigarette smoke was not in the first draft. CHARACTER ASSASSINATIONS FUTURE PERFECT TENSE Phyliss showed me the cigar box (Cubans) that held her collection of apologies. She sniffed it, appeared to smell (and, I thought, savor) some ancient remnant of fine tobacco. She offered it to me. I obliged. I smelled nothing. Just paper; some, maybe, aged. I nodded, smiled. This, she said, lifting a hat box (but not for a very large hat) from the sideboard, is my box of condolences. When I didnt immediately respond; or, rather, when another nod was insufficient, she added, There are, you can see, many more of these. Still, she didnt sniff the box of condolences. Yes, I said. Again, insufficient. There was a pause. So, I guess, I said, apologies for past, um, mistakes; not as many as notes of, uh, sympathy for past losses I mean, uh, your losses. It might be difficult to determine if her expression was of disdain, possibly modified by my obvious ignorance and lack of skill in the formal graces; or an unconvincing attempt at appearing sympathetic to my obvious unease. No, it was a sort of required politeness to disguise an irritated condescension. She looked, without focusing, at the final billing statement as I did focus, checking the final calculations on my cell phone. All apologies are in the past tense, she said, looking for my agreement with and appreciation of her statement. All condolences are in the present tense. Since I didnt appear to understand, she added, Such as, I grieved you, thusly, in the first instance; past tense; and I wish you a recovery. Going forward. See? Present tense. Oh, I said, Right. I smiled (the way socially awkward people do), wrote Paid in full on the form on the clipboard, set it, facing her, near her right hand (the one now resting on an upside down check). I then carefully picked up and moved the clipboard over. I turned away from her, giving her a moment to examine the page, looked around the formal dining room, took a sip from my tea cup, tried to set it back without a bone to bone (china) noise, and wrote something on a blank sheet of printer paper. When I was finished, I folded the page (on the bias), slid it between the two boxes. She slid my check, which had been in the place a cup and saucer could have been set, toward me. I slid it under the clip, still face down. It would have been rude (and I knew this) to look at the payment; but I (also) knew she had probably deducted some money for some minor issues she had insisted were not minor. That was fine. I had been warned to expect this from other tradespeople. I made a move to stand; stopped; waited until she stood. Thank you so very much, Phyliss. She didnt, of course, unfold the paper before I reached the door. At some future time, the note said, if Im remembering correctly, I will have, or may have, come to the conclusion that I owe you an apology. Future perfect tense. I do, however, now offer my condolences for whatever past made you what you are now. Present tense. Lighting up a cigarette, I turned the check over on the clipboard just after I opened the door to my truck. Durn, I said, Bonus. Looking toward the dining room window, unable to hold back a smile; I tore another sheet of paper from the stack on the clipboard. I blew a bit of smoke on it before I started writing. Past (imperfect) tense. When a federal judge granted a motion requesting a 90-day stay in a civil lawsuit brought by an adult film actress against President Donald Trump, he said he made the decision because it was "likely" Trump's longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, could be indicted. The statement, from US District Court Judge James Otero, underscores the mounting jeopardy Cohen could be in as he faces three separate legal disputes: Daniels filed suit last month to get out of a nondisclosure agreement she signed in October 2016 after Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay silent about an affair she says she had with Trump in the 2000s. Daniels and her lawyer are now claiming that the agreement is null and void because Trump never actually signed it. In light of the criminal investigation into him, Cohen indicated earlier this week that he would plead the Fifth Amendment in Daniels' civil case in order to obtain a stay. Legal experts largely agreed that it was a smart move on Cohen's part. If he were deposed under oath in the civil case, it could be used against him in the federal criminal investigation. Conversely, if he took the Fifth and refused to answer questions in the California case, it could be used against him in the civil suit. "This is no simple criminal investigation," Judge Otero wrote of the Manhattan US attorney's inquiry into Cohen's activities. He continued: "It is an investigation into the personal attorney of a sitting president regarding documents that might be subject to the attorney-client privilege. Whether or not an indictment is forthcoming, and the court thinks it likely based on these facts alone, these unique circumstances counsel in favor of stay." The Manhattan US attorney's office is investigating Cohen for possible wire fraud, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations related to two payments made to women including Daniels who claim they had affairs with Trump. The FBI obtained a warrant to raid Cohen's property as part of the investigation in early April and came away with documents related to the payments; tape recordings about Cohen and his associates; electronic devices including cell phones and a hard drive; and communications between Trump and Cohen. Cohen and Trumps relationship grows strained Cohen has been described at various times as Trump's fixer, pit bull, and consigliere. He has been acquainted with Trump for decades and joined the Trump Organization in 2007, eventually leaving in 2017 to work as Trump's personal lawyer. While Cohen has demonstrated intense loyalty to Trump since they first met, media reports indicate that Trump has not always shown him the same kindness, often brushing Cohen off and deriding him in front of others. Following the raids, Trump publicly praised his lawyer as a "good guy" and declared that he is innocent of any wrongdoing. The president's defense of Cohen comes as his advisers grow increasingly worried that Cohen will flip against Trump. Now, Cohen and Trump find themselves on opposite ends of a protracted legal battle over how much access the government should have to documents and records it seized in the raids. In court this week, Cohen's lawyers argued that an independent attorney known as a special master should be appointed to review the records and set aside those that fall under attorney-client privilege. Trump's lawyers came out in staunch opposition to the proposal, arguing that as the privilege-holder, Trump himself should be able to look at the documents first and determine what is privileged and what is fair game in the Cohen case. On Thursday, US District Court Judge Kimba Wood ruled in favor of appointing a special master and tapped Barbara Jones, a former judge and a partner at Bracewell who specializes in white-collar litigation, for the position. Cohen is also a subject of interest in the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the race in his favor. Cohen was an instrumental figure in at least three episodes that are said to be in Mueller's focus. The first is a failed attempt by the Trump Organization to secure a Trump Tower in Moscow. The second is the push for Ukraine-Russia "peace plan" in the early days of Trump's presidency that appeared to favor Moscow. READ MORE: Mahama criticises government fight against illegal mining "It is true that if we dont do something about it, it will destroy the environment. But we need to apply wisdom," he said Saturday at the NDC's unity walk in Kumasi. He continued: "Because weve chased young people involved in illegal small-scale mining with soldiers in the past in this country but it didnt work." "But if we put a blanket ban and send soldiers after the young people, that is not the way to go. As you stop illegal small-scale mining, at the same time you must put in place a livelihood package so that as you are displacing people from illegal mining, they have something to do.But when there is nothing to do but you are just chasing them, shooting them, it is not the way to go." Many have viewed the ex-president's comments as a major setback to the fight against illegal mining. Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, in a Citi News interview decried Mr Mahama's comments but conceded using troops to fight galamsey is not an alternative approach. "He did that before... we knew the military or combat approach is not an alternative. Yes we are aware and that is why we came out with a comprehensive document," he told Accra-based Citi FM. Mr Amewu then accused Mr Mahama of failing to comprehensively deal with the menace which was at its peak during his administration. "He has been a president for four years, he has been a vice-president for a number of years, and what alternative has he put in place?, he quizzed. "He ruled this country for these number of years at the peak of galamsey. He has not been able to provide a single paper on sanitising the small scale mining and today he mounts a platform and tell Ghanaians [using soldiers is counterproductive]. I am so much disappointed in the former President," he said. At roughly the same time, scores of supporters, some of whom had walked from as far as Los Angeles, gathered about 50 yards away, just north of the fence separating the United States from Mexico. The gathering on the Mexican side of the border was a prelude to the groups final, decisive act. About 1 p.m. local time, accompanied by volunteer lawyers, paralegals and other advocates, the migrants were to begin marching to a border crossing between downtown Tijuana and southern San Diego. There, about 180 people mainly women and children fleeing poverty and violence in Central America planned to present themselves to U.S. border officials and request asylum. It was a day of emotional reckoning as the migrants prepared to part ways and to take their chances with the immigration authorities. During the trip from the southern border of Mexico, friendships had been forged and romances kindled. In the oceanfront park Sunday morning, before the larger group arrived, four migrant couples were married in a small ceremony attended by several of their friends. The weddings were conducted by a pastor from Chicago who wore monarch butterfly wings strapped to her back. The monthlong odyssey began March 25 in Tapachula, on Mexicos border with Guatemala, following a familiar pattern. Groups of a few hundred migrants have traveled north together through Mexico as a caravan several times in recent years, their numbers providing protection from thieves, extortionists and rapists. This time, however, the caravan quickly grew to upward of 1,200 people far larger than its organizers, the transnational advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, had anticipated And there was another crucial difference: While past migrations had barely registered outside Mexico, this one caught the eye of Trump. In early April, Trump unleashed a barrage of tweets warning of the supposed threats the caravan posed to the security and sovereignty of the United States and accusing Mexico of doing little to stop illegal migration. Undeterred, the caravan continued north in a herky-jerky manner, its participants traveling by any means possible, including on foot and by hitchhiking, but also atop freight trains and buses. Hundreds dropped out along the way, choosing to travel on their own or stay in Mexico. Remnants of the original group, now numbering about 300, began to arrive at the northern border early last week and gradually converged on Tijuana. They crammed into overtaxed migrant shelters and gathered themselves for the caravans last act. Many of those who will not seek asylum in the United States on Sunday hope to apply for protection in Mexico or elsewhere, or apply for asylum in the United States at a later date. With the migrants on the doorstep of the United States, Trump, in a tweet, ratcheted up his rhetoric, vowing not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the caravan a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system. In a statement Saturday, Rodney S. Scott, San Diego Chief Patrol Agent of Customs and Border Protection, said that groups of people associated with the caravan have illegally entered the United States by climbing over a metal fence. He said people who enter the country illegally will be referred for prosecution. To anyone that is associated with this caravan, think before you act, the statement read. If anyone has encouraged you to illegally enter the United States, or make any false statements to U.S. government officials, they are giving you bad advice and they are placing you and your family at risk. But the Trump administrations aggressive response to the caravan has only seemed to embolden its organizers and mobilize supporters. In recent days, scores of volunteer immigration lawyers and paralegals from San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and elsewhere have converged on Tijuana to help. On Friday and Saturday, the lawyers met migrants individually to review their asylum requests to enter the United States. To qualify, applicants must prove they have been persecuted or fear persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political belief or membership in a particular group. Those migrants deemed to have solid claims of persecution were encouraged to apply for asylum Sunday. The lawyers advised others to seek protection in Mexico or elsewhere in Latin America. People who request protection at a U.S. entry point must first be referred to an asylum officer for a screening, known as a credible-fear interview. If the officer finds that an applicant has a chance of proving fear of persecution, the person must then present his or her case before a judge. While awaiting their court date, applicants could be released, albeit with an ankle-bracelet monitor. Those who do not pass their interview, or who do not qualify for one, could face months in detention and eventual deportation. Were only sending people who we think will pass the credible-fear interview, said Nicole Ramos, a volunteer immigration lawyer helping the caravan. The Trump administration has sought to make it more difficult to apply for and to receive asylum, and immigrants advocates say that the number of asylum-seekers released while their cases are pending has plunged since Trump took office. A lawsuit filed in March by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups accused the Trump administration of detaining asylum-seekers to deter them and others from seeking sanctuary. Ramos said she feared that with all the international attention on the caravan, the White House might be even less inclined to show mercy, even to those who pass their credible-fear interviews. They could use it as an opportunity to make an example out of people, she said. Theyre assuming that people are breaking the law. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Ogunyemi in an interview with the Punch said the sexual harassment bill was targeted at only male lecturers, adding that the rule of lawmaking does not permit you to target legislation against a group or an individual. He said ''that bill was too restricted. What the lawmakers did was to narrow down on lecturers. Laws should be made open; not saying lecturers, male lecturers, who are in tertiary institutions harassing female students. ALSO READ: FUNAAB VC promises to protect female students against randy lecturers ''The phrases in the bill, which we brought out, showed ample instances of direct targets at lecturers. Everyone can study it closely. You will find places where the lawmakers make it an offence for lecturers to wink or smile to students forgetting that learning takes place in a friendly environment''. Don't target only lecturers, there is sexual harassment everywhere- ASUU Citing the case of a female corps member, who was allegedly sexually harassed Ogunyemi argued that there is sexual harassment everywhere even among the lawmakers. ''We told them that sexual harassment takes place everywhere including in the National Assembly. And we sighted the case of a female youth corps member who was also harassed in the National Assembly at that time. It was on record. ''So, dont target people with a bill. You can work on existing laws and enforce them.'' The OAU sex-for-mark saga Recall that a lecturer at the Department of Accounting at Obafemi Awolowo, Professor Richard Akindele was in the news for demanding five rounds of sex from a female student. Prof Akindele was exposed on Monday, April 9, 2018, when the audio conversation between him and the female student went viral. In the four-minute audio clip, the lecturer was heard demanding sex with the yet-to-be-identified student five times before he could upgrade her 33 marks to a pass. The suspects were reportedly arrested by the Nigerian troops following intense gunfire exchange at Tormatar village in Benue State. ALSO READ: Benue elders say group wants to attack Makurdi The Commanding Officer of 72 Battalion, Lt. Col. Suleiman Muhammad, revealed that the troops of the 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, nabbed the trio while they were planning further attacks on the state. Troops of the 707 Special Forces Brigade conducted a fighting patrol on a suspected militia herdsmen camp located close to Tormatar village on Thursday. "The armed men were massing up for another possible attack on innocent citizens in the local government area. On getting to the militia camp, the herdsmen fired at our troops but the troops immediately returned fire and dislodged them, he said. Muhammad gave the names of the suspects as; Abubakar Umaru, Adamu Likita and Yusufa Alhaja. Two AK 47 rifles with six rounds of 7.62MM special ammunition weapons were recovered from the suspects while one AK47 rifle and five rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were also found in the bush in Naka village. However, one of the suspects revealed to newsmen that they had been grazing their cattle when they were handed guns by their master and asked to run away with them after the soldiers engaged them in a gun battle. Nigerian Army arrest suspected mastermind of Benue attacks The Nigerian Army said it has arrested a major Boko Haram suspect "believed to have masterminded most of the recent attacks in Benue State." Th suspect, Aminu Yaminu also known as Tashaku, was said to have been arrested Friday, April 27, in Makurdi, by a combined team of troops of 707 Special Forces Brigade, Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services. The army disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni. "Following an intelligence report, it was gathered that Aminu has concluded plans with his cohorts in Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Nasarawa states to launch a major attack on innocent citizens in Benue State," Ayeni said. He said the Nigerian Army is working tirelessly to clamp down on the criminals wreaking havoc in Benue. "As earlier reinstated, Nigerian Army will ensure enemies of peace in the state are brought to justice. Nigerian Army encourages all law-abiding citizens to go about their lawful businesses without fear," he added. ALSO READ: Troops arrest herdsman with bullet-proof vest The army also urged Nigerians to provide it and other security agencies with timely information that could lead to the arrest of criminals in the society. Benue has been under attack since January 2018 when suspected herdsmen massacred 73 persons. The people of the state have been living in fear as the herdsmen practically launch fatal attacks every week. On Tuesday, April 24, gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Gwer East Local Government Area of the state, killing two priests and 17 worshippers. The Harare Herald reports that Zimbabwes health minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa, revealed this in a government notice. ALSO READ: Can weed be legalised in Nigeria? According to him, individuals and businesses would now be able to apply for licences to grow cannabis for medicinal or scientific use. According to the reports, using Marijuana for recreational purposes will remain illegal. The government notice which was published in the Harare Herald on Saturday, April 28, also stated that the applicants must submit detailed proposed plans for their production site and yield. They must also be Zimbabwe citizens or residents or have a waiver issued by the minister. However, those who have been convicted of drug offences will be unable to apply. Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe move to legalize weed Lesotho recently became the first African country to grant a marijuana license. Now African countries Ghana, Malawi and Zimbabwe are making moves to legalize marijuana. A minister in Zimbabwe, Obert Mpofu revealed that a Canadian government has been in talks with the government to produce marijuana in the country. "This company is from Canada and its one of the biggest conglomerates in that country and they are producing cannabis for medical purposes under strict conditions," said Mpofu, the Minister of Investment Promotion. In Ghana, a debate has been initiated by the acting head of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo on the production of marijuana. "Im not advocating that we should promote marijuana but several countries are now promoting medical marijuana including Canada. "They are creating greenhouses to grow it and we have them in the bush but currently, its illegal. But that argument; that discussion should start" said Professor Alex Dodoo to Biz Africa Daily. Dodoo further argues that his countrymen should see the cultivation of marijuana as a source of major revenue for the country. ALSO READ: Connection between marijuana and making music "If we have the best products, why dont we produce it at least for exports to the market in America, the market in Uruguay, the market in Canada and in several other countries where they need it for medical purposes" he suggested. In the African nation of Malawi, is set to legalize hemp, a lower version of weed, after two years of rigorous debates. For those who don't know, the continent of Africa produces some of the best strains of marijuana in the world. According to Mail & Guardian Africa, an African marijuana industry could generate up to $79.8 billion per year. 33-kg gold smuggling case: Incumbent DSP Prajit KC arrested District Police Office, Morang on Sunday arrested DSP Prajit KC in connection to the smuggling of the precious yellow metal from the Tribhuvan International Airport. According to Vanguard, the chairman of the ethnic groups, Chief Edward Ujege said that 360 military assault rifles by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to facilitate the attacks. It has been alleged that heavily armed militant herdsmen are being mobilized for the execution of this diabolic attack on the seat of Government of Benue State. Though, we have not been able to verify this allegation, we are constrained to state that there is some element of truth in this given that in time past, such similar allegations have been dismissed at the detriment of our villagers. Similar threats have been issued on Tiv communities in Nasarawa State with the herdsmen eventually, executing the threats leaving behind sorrow, anguish, condemnation and lamentations. To this date, mass killings by herdsmen have continued in the state with thousands of people taking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the state while others are putting up with their relatives. " Herdsmen have taken over villages He also alleged that Fulani herdsmen have occupied several villages along Makurdi. Ujege said There are strong indications that these herdsmen militia have taken over villages around Makurdi metropolis including the village after NASME Barracks, behind Makurdi Modern Market, University of Agriculture Makurdi axis and Mbalom where two priests and 18 others were killed recently. Over 360 military assault rifles are said to have been acquired by the group and distributed to their collaborators in the state preparatory for the execution of the planned attack. From the foregoing, we cannot at this point wave aside any bit of information regarding threats by herdsmen to continue with their jihadist activities in the Benue valley. Step up surveillance The chairman of the group also called on security personnel to beef up security to protect residents from the herdsmen. ALSO READ:Herdsmen strike in Kogi, kill 32 It is on account of this that we call on security agencies to step up surveillance with a view to forestalling attack on Makurdi metropolis. We also urge the security operatives to swing into action and carry out a thorough investigation around Wadata, North Bank Areas of Makurdi as well as Hausa quarters in Gboko. We also call on Nigerians, who are resident in Makurdi to be on the watch out and assist the security agencies by reporting suspicious movement within their vicinities to relevant authorities for necessary action. Residents must however avoid giving false information that would cause anxiety and may lead to unnecessary breakdown of law and order, he added. In the early hours of April 24, 2018, suspected herdsmen attacked St. Ignatius Quasi Parish Ukpor-Mbalom in Ayar-Mbalom community of Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, killing two Catholic priests and 17 other worshipers. Buhari, during the one-day official working visit to the U.S. at the invitation of Trump, would have bilateral meeting with the U.S. president and a working lunch. President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to enhance our strategic partnership and advance our shared priorities: promoting economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security, and building on Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region. The relationship of the United States with Nigeria is deep and strong, and Nigerias economic growth, security, and leadership in Africa will advance our mutual prosperity, the White House said. International affairs experts say Buharis U.S. visit is strategic in many fronts, especially in view of the fact that the Nigeria-U.S. relationship was not too good prior to the inauguration of Buhari as president. They say Buhari, being the first democratically-elected African President that would be hosted by Trump since his inauguration and also being the first African leader Trump spoke to on phone following his inauguration as the U.S. president, speak volume. They also note that former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Nigeria in March in a first five-country African tour embarked upon by any official of the Trump administration These historic events, the experts say, apart from reaffirming Nigerias strategic position in Africa, raised a lot of expectations and opportunities during the visit. The Special Adviser to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, highlighted some of the expectations and opportunities. The meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security. The meeting will further deepen the U.S.-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigerias economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership. Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry, Adesina said. Ahead of the visit, meetings were scheduled between senior Nigerian Government officials and executives of major U.S. companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation. The presidency said the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project. On agriculture, the Nigerian delegation will also meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment. In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession. A substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalised, to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated two billion dollars, to modernise the rail line from Lagos to Kano and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. In addition, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed during the visit. The Nigerian officials will also meet with U.S.-EXIM Bank and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, said the Buhari-Trump meeting will be a very high level meeting; it will help the U.S. to also understand Nigerias projection. There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region, Symington said. Nigerias Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also described the visit as a sign of the growing cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria. Mohammed said: There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region. The meeting between President Trump and President Buhari will centre majorly on security and the economy and I think its not by co-incidence and I think its quite important. He (Buhari) is the President of the most populous country in Africa, the president of the country with the largest economy in Africa. And this is quite important because it is going to offer the opportunity for the two countries to reset their ties. And I think its probably the fact that the world is now understanding that Nigeria is very strategic not just to the sub-region but the entire Africa, Mohammed said. Amb. Hakeem Balogun, Nigerias ambassador to Indonesia, sees a very positive outing, saying the Nigeria-U.S. relation has improved greatly since Buhari became president and described the relationship as very warm. The Nigeria-U.S. relationship is quite good. Its been very warm and lovely ever since the coming of this administration. Prior to President Buharis ascendancy, the relationship was sort of lukewarm following the Americans complaints over Nigerias handling of security issues, human rights allegations, issues of corruption, issues of governance. These are issues which the present government has come in to make the focal point of its administration. And no doubt, even since then, our relationship has been very robust. Our relationship has entered the fulcrum of the Bi-National Commission and based on that, it has formed the bedrock of our relationship; the bi-national commission is the foundation, the basis of the relationship between both countries. Well within the bedrock of that bi-national commission, are issues of good governance, corruption, security and others, which formed the basis of our relationship with the United States. On Corruption, Balogun, who was Nigerias former Charge d Affaires in U.S., said the U.S. was quite impressed with how far Nigeria had gone in the fight against corruption under Buhari. They (U.S.) really have this belief that the person of Mr President was okay to handle the issue of corruption in Nigeria and that hes been doing well. So I can definitely tell you that the United States is pleased with what weve been doing at that level, ditto the efforts to revive the economy, Balogun said. To corroborate Baloguns assertion, Trump, during his phone conversation with Buhari in February 2017, discussed the strong cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities. Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expressed interest in working with Buhari to expand the strong partnership. The leaders agreed to continue close coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and worldwide. The U.S. president, particularly expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the U.S. to support Nigerias fight against Boko Haram. Trump thanked Buhari for the leadership he has exercised in Africa and emphasised the importance of a strong, secure, and prosperous Nigeria that continues to lead in the region and in international forums. Balogun also said Buharis visit would be a win-win for both countries considering Nigerias ability to rally Africa on any issue at the international stage, a diplomatic advantage, which U.S. desperately needs. The U.S. recognises Nigeria as the leader on the continent. It shows that if they (U.S.) have to have a foothold in Africa or to do something in Africa, anything positive, they need the support of Nigeria. The Sector Commander, Mr Clement Oladele, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota on Sunday. Oladele spoke against the backdrop of the accident that claimed 12 lives while five people sustained various degrees of injury at Fidiwo, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday. NAN reports that one of the victims died immediately after arriving at the hospital, making the number of deaths to 13. The accident that led to a head on collision between Volvo Truck and Ford Transit Bus could have been averted if the passengers in the bus had cautioned the driver, he said. He explained that the bus was earlier flagged down for speeding by FRSC patrol team that noticed the speed of the vehicle, but the driver ignored the flag-down order. The sector commander further said that the driver even abused the patrol team with the use of his hand. Unfortunately, barely driving five minutes from the FRSC Patrol team that cautioned him for speeding, the bus collided with the truck traveling from the opposite direction, he said. Oladele, therefore, implored passengers to caution drivers with reckless driving habits and wrongful overtaking tendencies to the appropriate channels so as to safe lives and property. The Kogi-West senator reportedly jumped off a moving SARS vehicle enroute Logoja, the Kogi state capital. Melaye allegedly became unconscious minutes after threatening to kill himself if taken to Kogi state by the Police. But an eyewitness told Vanguard that Melaye did not jump out the SARS vehicle adding that the officers dropped off the lawmaker. At the Area One Roundabout, people heard a man in the police vehicle shouting for help. The people were moved at the development and blocked the Police and in the process, forcefully pulled him out of the police vehicle," Peter Babayemi, one of the passers-by had told newsmen who rushed to the scene of the incident. Babayemi disclosed that their attention was drawn to the lawmakers plea for help, and immediately the SARS vehicle was surrounded by a sea of passers-by. He noted that the SARS operatives were overwhelmed by the number of passers-by and abandoned Melaye and drove off to avoid being lynched. What happened was that we were at the Area One roundabout when we saw the SARS vehicle carrying someone. We saw the person struggling and shouting on top of his voice. So, many people now gathered to see what was happening. When we looked close, we saw it was Dino Melaye. Immediately, we started shouting that we know this man. Since some of us had read the news about what was happening to him, we said we wont allow them take him anywhere. That was how we rescued him from them and they drove away when people became too many, the eyewitness added. Melaye was rushed to Zankli Hospital where he was later referred to the National Hospital. At the Senate, lawmakers condemned the treatment been meted out to their colleague with the resolve to adjourn plenary and visit him at the hospital. Addressing journalists at the National Hospital, Senate President Bukola Saraki said Melaye was in a stable condition but had not eaten since he was hospitalized. Saraki added that the lawmaker was not in handcuff as speculated. Saraki reiterated the commitment of the Senate to pass legislations aimed at creating an enabling environment for Nigerian youths to thrive. He said this at Yikpata, Kwara state orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Sunday, April 29, 2018, during a visit to commiserate with corps members over the death of Hilda Amadi Ichechukwu. Saraki led a minute silence in honour of the late corps member and described his visit as part of a process of immortalising Miss Ichechukwu. Coming here always bring good memories because as governor of the state I had occasions to be here and I had cultivated a special relationship with this camp, Saraki said. Thus when I heard of the unfortunate incident I felt bad and decided to come and condole with you. We must take up the responsibility of doing more to ensure this type of thing doesnt happen again and that every NYSC is of good memories for each of you. This should not be a place of endurance but a place you should be happy to have been to, something that will impact on your life even after here. ALSO READ: Buhari says Nigerian youths want everything for free We have the responsibility to improve your condition and I have gone around and seen things for myself and identified the areas where we need to intervene such as the kitchen, hostels etc. Times are hard but we have a great country that has potentials. You have capacities to match that of other young people in the world and we must give you that opportunity. Most of you will shine if we give you that opportunity; we shall do everything to ensure that your future is bright, he added. Saraki promised to ensure that the fencing of the camp is started and completed on time to further improve on its security. The Senate President also promised to use his persuasive influence to ensure that Kwara state government begins to pay local monthly allowance to corps members serving in the state. The group also called on Trump to use his powers under the Presidential Proclamation 7750 to instruct the US Secretary of State to temporarily ban those named on the list and their family members from entering the US, pending the final determination of the cases against them. This is coming ahead of planned talks between Buhari and the United States President. According to SERAP, Imposing targeted anticorruption sanctions against those accused of grand corruption in Nigeria would help to deter corrupt behaviour by high-ranking public officials. Such sanctions would not violate due process and presumption of innocence principles, if the reasons for the sanctions are communicated to those that may be affected. Also, the cases of those found not guilty of corruption can be revisited, since the proposed travel suspension would be temporary until the final determination of their cases." The letter read in part: Proactive initiatives to combat global corruption have always been in the best long-term interests of the US. Therefore, your application of targeted anti-corruption sanctions would reaffirm US commitments to the global fight against corruption, help to supplement Nigerias criminal justice system, and be entirely consistent with the US obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption. Nigeria has also ratified the Convention. SERAP believes that pervasive corruption is at the heart of the insecurity, under-development and extreme poverty in the country. SERAP hopes that you will exercise your constitutional powers to promote transparency and accountability and reduce corruption in Nigeria. Presidential Proclamation 7750 of January 12, 2004 underscores the importance of legitimate and transparent public institutions to world stability, peace, and development. The Proclamation notes the serious negative effects that corruption in countries like Nigeria has on the United States efforts to promote security and to strengthen democratic institutions and free market systems and reiterates the importance to the United States and the international community of fighting corruption. Significantly, Proclamation 7750 underscores that it is in the interests of the United States to act to restrict the international travel and to suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or non-immigrants, of certain persons who have committed, participated in, or are beneficiaries of corruption in the performance of public functions. Section 5 provides that, Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to derogate from United States Government obligations under applicable international agreements. SERAP notes that Presidential Proclamation was made pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the US, including section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. Section 1 allows suspension of the entry into the US, as immigrants or non-immigrants of public officials or former public officials accused of grand corruption, which has or had serious adverse effects on the national interests of the United States. It also covers the family members and friends of such public officials who are beneficiaries of the proceeds of corruption. SERAP notes that the Nigerian government in 2016 published details of the recoveries, which showed that the Nigerian government successfully retrieved total cash amount N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, 3,508,355.46 and 11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016. Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, 2,484,447.55 and 303,399.17. But the publication of the recoveries failed to disclose the names of high-level public officials, politicians and others from whom the funds were discovered. Consequently, in July 2017 Hon Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/CS/964/2016 ordered the Nigerian government to widely disseminate including on a dedicated website information about the names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered since May 2015 and to disclose the circumstances under which funds were returned. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami SAN publicly said that government agreed with the ruling and would carry out the order. However, the Nigerian government only recently published alleged looters list. Even then, the list is not comprehensive and would appear lopsided." SERAP condemns looters list SERAP recently urged the government of President Buharito withdraw the clumsy, arbitrary and selective looters list. The result of the verification released early Sunday in Lokoja by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that 39,285 of the signatories were verified, out of which only 18,762 signatures were genuine. The genuine signatories represent a dismal 5.34 per cent of the total signatories to the petition, which fell short of 51 per cent or 98, 364 signatures required for the petition to sail through. It was observed that the verification failed largely due to fictitious and forged signatures and names of dead persons affixed to the recall petition by its promoters. The News Agency Of Nigeria ( NAN) recalls that some electorate in the Kogi West senatorial district had on June 24, 2017 submitted a petition to recall Melaye to the headquarters of the INEC in Abuja. One Mr Cornelius Olowo led the petitioners to submit the recall petition which alleged poor representation as one of the reasons for the move to recall Melaye. However, the INECs presiding officer for the verification exercise , Prof. Okente Morthy of the university of Abuja said that the number of signatures verified fell short of the number required. He consequently gave the breakdown of the results of the verification exercise which took place in 552 polling units in seven local government areas in Kogi West senatorial district . According to him, in Kogi Local Government with 46,727 registered voters and a total number of 24,459 signatures to the petition , only 2,335 were verified out of 2,566 signatures recorded during verification. He said that at Kabba/Bunu Local Government with 59,319 registered voters and 27,910 petitioners , only 2,085 signatures were verified to be genuine out of 2,151 that came out for the exercise. Also at Ijumu Local Government, with 46, 810 registered voters and 24, 389 petitioners , 2,664 were verified out of 2, 811, the returning officer announced. According to Morthy, others are Yagba East, 35, 329 registered voters, 18, 229 petitioners while 3,506 were verified out of 3, 580 recorded at verification. At Mopa-Amuro Local Government with 18, 350 and 9, 173, signatures, 710 were verified out of the 729 recorded However, the Returning Officer, said that there was violence in six polling units at the Mopa town towards the end of the exercise, forcing the INEC to nullify the exercise in the affected wards. At Yagba West which has 35, 506 registered voters and 19, 444 signatories, only 3,729 petitioners were verified out of the 4, 221 that turned up, the returning officer stated. In separate interviews with international media houses, Mohammed said there was nothing to fear about Buharis health as he declared his intention to seek re-election. Mr President, yes was ill, has recovered very well, so on the grounds of his health, theres nothing to fear about his health, Mohammed said. Continuing, he said: "Of course, I explained to them that it is those who have a morbid fear about president coming back in 2019 that are flying this kite about his health. But his health is very good, since he came back in August, hes feeling very well, hes never missed one single Federal Executive Council meeting or cancelled any schedule and his schedules have been very hectic. He has faced his presidential duties with vigour, urgency and purpose. Therefore, theres nothing to fear about his health, Mohammed said. ALSO READ: According to him, most people have raised the issue of the presidents health, adding many who have raised the issue are not being sincere. The minister also said the president would find his campaign much easier in 2019 because he would campaign on what he has been able to achieve in three years. US officials travelling with Pompeo told reporters the Huthi missiles had been supplied by Iran, and cited the attacks as evidence that regional powers should work together. Pompeo had dinner with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and on Sunday he was due to meet his father King Salman. Then he was due to fly on to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then on to Amman in Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 nuclear accord, which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile program. Pompeo set off on his first diplomatic trip within two hours of being sworn in on Thursday and on Friday -- after talks with the NATO allies in Brussels -- he appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the deal. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo told reporters in at NATO headquarters. Perhaps the last chance to fix these supposed shortcomings came from talks between Washington and its European allies Britain, France and Germany on a supplemental agreement to sanction Iran's missile program. But both President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel left Washington this week after talks with Trump having failed to secure any promise that he might keep the core deal alive. Air strikes That may be music to the ears of the Saudi and Israeli leaders, who both support a tougher line on Iran. "This administration has made it a priority to address Iran's missile programs," a senior US official told reporters in Riyadh, condemning the latest Huthi volley of missiles, themselves in part a response to Saudi air strikes. "Iran supplies the missiles that the Huthis fire into Saudi Arabia, threatening civilians," he said. "Today alone the Saudis shot down four Huthi missiles, the latest in a string of such attacks." Earlier, a civil defense official had said that at least one Saudi had been killed by falling shrapnel as his government's air defense batteries attempted to intercept the missiles near the Yemen border. A Saudi-led coalition air strike overnight Friday to Saturday killed dozens of Yemeni rebels including two commanders, state media said. Prince Salman and his father will welcome US solidarity against Iran -- just as Israel will want to see greater US support for its efforts against Iranian influence in Syria and Lebanon -- but Pompeo has come with requests too. According to US officials, while Riyadh has a right to self-defense, it must come to see that the solution to Yemen's civil war will be a political one and its forces must not exacerbate the massive humanitarian crisis there. Washington also wants to see an end to the Gulf crisis that has seen Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates impose a diplomatic and trade embargo on fellow US regional ally Qatar. And, perhaps most importantly for Trump, Pompeo will urge Saudi Arabia to provide personnel and funding to help US efforts to stabilize northeastern Syria in the wake of the expected defeat of the Islamic State group. "The president has made clear that he wants to see meaningful participation from states in the region," another senior US official travelling with Pompeo's party said. "We want to see the kind of participation, for financial efforts, not just kinetic efforts that would match, parallel, would assist, the US role," he said. The United States has more than 2,000 troops in Syria. On Qatar, the US officials said they do not blame one side or the other, but want Riyadh and Doha to sort out the stand-off themselves. Humanitarian tragedy And on Yemen, they warned the Saudi-led coalition not to again block or bomb ports that supply vital civilian aid, warning that there is no military solution to the crisis. "The humanitarian situation in this tragic country cannot be allowed to become worse. It needs to get better. And that means full and free access to humanitarian goods, to commercial goods, to fuel," one said. America's top diplomat also said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held in-depth talks about a denuclearization "mechanism" when they met over Easter weekend. "We talked a great deal about what it might look like, what this complete, verifiable, irreversible mechanism might look like," Pompeo said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Kim in a historic summit, agreeing on Friday to pursue a permanent peace and the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. An armistice brought the fighting on the Korean peninsula to an end in 1953, but 65 years later, a final peace agreement has still not been reached. 40 quake survivor students get scholarships Forty earthquake survivor students were granted scholarships of Gorkha and Dolakha districts. On Sunday, state news agency SANA said a deal had been reached to evacuate opposition fighters and members of their families from rebel-held areas east of Yarmuk. SANA reported "an agreement reached between the Syrian government and terrorist groups in southern Damascus, in the areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem", using its usual term for all rebels. The deal gives fighters the choice between leaving the area with their families or handing over their weapons and staying, SANA said. The reported deal is the latest in a string of such agreements that have seen the regime retake areas near the capital after rebel withdrawals. Such a deal around Yalda could allow the regime to deploy forces on the eastern edges of Yarmuk after other units advanced towards the camp from the west, a Britain-based war monitor said. Over the past two days, the army has retaken large parts of the district of Qadam on Yarmuk's western flank, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added. On Saturday, IS seized a hospital and surrounding buildings on the eastern edges of Yarmuk as it tried to push towards Yalda, the Observatory said. On Sunday, regime war planes pounded Yarmuk and the neighbouring district of Hajar al-Aswad, it said. Yarmuk and its surroundings are now the jihadist group's largest urban redoubt in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, after IS lost most of the swathes of territory it once held in both countries. The jihadists have held parts of Yarmuk and Hajar al-Aswad since 2015, and overran Qadam in a surprise assault last month. At least 85 regime fighters and 74 IS jihadists have been killed in ten days of fighting in southern Damascus, the Observatory says. The announcement of an evacuation deal on Yalda and nearby areas comes after the regime reconquered what was once a key rebel bastion east of Damascus earlier this month. Eastern Ghouta fell after a brutal military operation and a series of similar evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Russia that saw tens of thousands of residents bussed to northern Syria. Vivendi, which owns 24 percent of TIM, has de facto control thanks to its stranglehold on board and executive positions, and opposes Elliott's aim to replace six board members -- though not Genish, whom it has said it would retain. TIM is set to elect a new board at this week's investor gathering, following the resignation last month of eight members in a bid to pre-empt the fund's move. "If the Vivendi slate does not get the majority of votes, because this is clearly the only slate to support our long-term industrial plan, I firmly believe my position (...) would be untenable," Genish told the Telegraph. Elliott, sometimes called a "vulture fund", proposed a motion last month to replace the board members, in the latest salvo in a simmering stand-off with Vivendi over TIM's governance. It has repeatedly blasted the company's performance since "Vivendi nominees" joined the board in December 2015 and last month offered its own list of six "independent" replacements, well known to the Italian business community. The move prompted the resignations of the eight TIM board members, which Elliott called "Vivendi's cynical new attempt to avoid accountability and delay the shareholder vote." QUIZ: Guess the Road Songs We can't wait to get back on the road again! Play this quiz and see if how many you can get right! Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Cargo train from Kolkata port arrives near Biratnagar A cargo train that had left Kolkata port in India five days ago arrived Bathana Station at Nepal-India border point near Biratnagar on Sunday. Chitwan rhino male caught for gift to China After two days of extensive work for capturing rhinos to be gifted to China, a male animal was caught in Chitwan National Park on Saturday. The Prime Ministers Office has decided to set up a panel, led by former chief statistician T C A Anant, to deliberate on whether the enterprise-level quarterly data, which is released by the labour bureau, should be discontinued. The Union government has begun the process to do away with the only official enterprise-based quarterly jobs surveys. The process was initiated a few days ago with the release of monthly payroll data for employment in the formal sector as a part of efforts to overhaul official employment estimates. The prime ministers principal secretary Nripendra Misra chaired a meeting with top bureaucrats and experts on April 18 to discuss the roadmap for collecting employment data. The Prime Ministers Office has decided to set up a panel, led by former chief statistician T C A Anant, to deliberate on whether the enterprise-level quarterly data, which is released by the labour bureau, should be discontinued. With the 2019 general elections, the government is under pressure to substantiate job creation in the economy as the present official estimates represent a small sample of the job market or have been captured with respect to the old timeframe. During his rallies for the 2014 general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised 10 million jobs for the youth every year. The Opposition has been critical of the government for jobless growth, which the government recently countered with first-of-its-kind estimates that showed 3.53 million new payroll jobs were generated during six months in 2017-18. In its meeting last week, the PMO asked the NITI Aayog for periodic reports on payroll from June. These reports will include data from chartered accountants, company secretaries, doctors and lawyers. The meeting was attended by NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant, ministry of statistics and programme implementation secretary K V Eapan, State Bank of India Chief Economic Advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh and Manipal Global Education Chairman T V Mohandas Pai. The panel (led by Anant) will be asked to examine the relevance of the labour bureaus quarterly survey. It will decide whether the survey can be replaced by payroll data gathered from the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, the Employees State Insurance Corporation and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, said an official on condition of anonymity. The EPFO, ESIC and PFRDA issued payroll data on Wednesday based on their month-wise subscriptions between September 2017 and February 2018. Data from the National Pension System and EPFO show 3.53 million new jobs were generated during the six-month period. However, the ESIC data did not present a clear picture of job additions in the formal sector. Anant declined to comment on the governments decision to set up a panel but said, Payroll data from the EPFO, ESIC and NPS is a very good way of measuring the characteristics of the job market. Sources said the government would soon issue a notification to set up the panel. Payroll data from these three organisations will now be released every month. We may as well bid goodbye to the days of analyses based on random sample surveys, the NITI Aayog stated on Friday. Apart from payroll data, field work for survey on jobs created by the Mudra scheme -- to disburse unsecured loans of up to Rs 1 million to small enterprises with the objective of generating self-employment -- has also begun and the results may likely be released by the end of 2018. Early indications of job creation in the governments tenure that came from the labour bureau had painted a dim picture. The bureaus yearly household estimates showed joblessness at a five-year high of 5 per cent in 2015-16 and the quarterly factory survey reflected job generation at a six-year low in 2015. The yearly household survey of the bureau has been discontinued since and the quarterly survey was revamped in September 2016 to increase its coverage five-fold to 10,000 units. The government then appointed a task force, led by the then Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya, in May 2017 to suggest ways to improve employment data in the country. The proposal to replace the quarterly enterprise-level jobs survey comes months after the Panagariya-led task force had pointed out serious limitations in measuring jobs based on data from the EPFO, ESIC and PFRDA. First, there is a substantial overlap across them. Aggregation requires de-duplication The second limitation is more serious. Additions to these data sets need not represent new jobs. Therefore, administrative data can only be used to measure the extent of formalisation in the workforce, the task force, led by Panagariya, had said in its draft report of July 2017. The task force cited an example that companies with at least 20 workers were required to make provident fund contributions under the EPFO and if a firm with 19 workers added another worker to its payroll, it would begin contributing to the EPFO for all employees. In the EPFO database, this will add 20 employees. Yet, only one of these 20 employees represents a new job, the panel noted. Though the panel was critical about several aspects of the quarterly data from the labour bureau, including low coverage and outdated sample frame, it had not recommended discontinuing the survey. Illustration: Domnic Xavier/Rediff.com. Kumaraswamy agreed that the coming assembly elections were a "battle for survival" for the JD-S as it was out of power for 10 years. Janata Dal-Secular state President H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday said he would not be a "kingmaker" and instead people of the state would bless him as "king" in the May 12 Karnataka assembly polls, which he conceded was a "battle for survival" for his party. Expressing confidence about the JD-S coming to power on its own, the former chief minister said, he is asking people to give the party a "chance", having seen the performance of both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. "I'm completely confident about bringing in a government with majority, I don't have an iota of doubt," Kumaraswamy told PTI. Pre-poll surveys on the elections to the 225-member Karnataka House, that includes one nominated member, have projected a hung assembly with the JD-S emerging as kingmaker. Kumaraswamy said his target was 113 seats. "I'm targeting 113, I have made preparations strategically, required to reach 113. So in my opinion ultimately I will succeed in reaching my goal. People will make me succeed, I have this confidence," he said. To a query, Kumaraswamy said, as per his current calculations, the JD-S would comfortably reach the 97-105 mark and it is now working towards making up the remaining seats. "I'm confident that we will not fall short... according to my calculation 97-105 comfortably I'm going to reach this time, another 7-8 seats I may fall short. For that I'm working out and I'm sure we will make it up," he said. Asked if he would not need support of other parties to make up for the numbers, he replied in the negative. Ruling out any prospect of a hung assembly, he said, "It (situation) is not going to arise, I'm confident." Dismissing pre-poll surveys which predicted a hung assembly and projected the JD-S as "kingmaker", he said only after polls can such surveys have some clarity and "not at this stage." "Not kingmaker, people will bless me as a king, that full confidence is there," he said, as he claimed that there is an "undercurrent" in favour of the JD-S across the state and people have "lost faith" in the BJP and the Congress. Kumaraswamy said he is asking people for a "chance" for good governance, to address their problems or issues. "You have given chance to both Congress and BJP, you have seen their work, and you have experienced it. Give me one chance; I'm going with this message," he added. Conceding that the coming assembly elections were a "battle for survival" for the JD-S, Kumaraswamy said, it is because for the last 10 years "we have been out of power." He said, "All our workers are working very hard even without power. This time they want us to somehow reach the goal, for that they are sincerely working. Even I'm also working very hard to come back to power." "We want to come to power not for our selfishness. There are several problems created by the BJP and the Congress in last ten years, I want to clean it. For that Karnataka very badly needs good governance...," he added. Responding to Congress President Rahul Gandhi's allegation that JD-S is the "B team" of the BJP, Kumaraswamy said in his opinion Siddaramaiah is BJP's 'B' team. He said, "The Congress is saying we are the 'B' team of BJP, as they don't have anything to point fingers at me, they don't have issues to comment against my party." "They have one issue that I had once joined hands with the BJP to form the government, keeping that issue alive they are saying to people that if you vote for Kumaraswamy it is like voting the BJP, so don't vote for Kumaraswamy," he added. The 2004 assembly polls had thrown up a fractured verdict with the BJP emerging as the single largest party. The Congress, which lost power, and the JD-S had formed a coalition government led by Dharam Singh. The Congress-JDS coalition, however, crumbled when Kumaraswamy led a revolt, withdrew support and joined hands with the BJP. He was the state chief minister heading a JDS-BJP coalition from February 2006 to October 2007 with B S Yeddyurappa as deputy chief minister. The coalition with the BJP also collapsed after the JD-S refused to hand over the mantle to Yeddyurappa after 20 months under a power-sharing arrangement, that led to elections with the BJP installing its first-ever government in the south in 2008. He pointed out that when the BJP was in power it was he and not the Congress, who brought out several cases of corruption against them. The former chief minister further said in his opinion Siddaramaiah is BJP's 'B' team, as he had repeatedly entered into an understanding with the BJP to safeguard his seat. He said, "Earlier in 2013 in Varuna constituency, the BJP candidate absconded for five days ahead of the election, people say Siddaramaiah had booked him and reached an understanding with the BJP. This time before the filing of nominations, the BJP changed its candidate." "Who is behind it? Siddaramaiah even today is in contact with the BJP, there is unofficial contact even now, but they point fingers at the JD-S," he charged. Siddaramaiah, who has been representing Varuna constituency since 2008, has this time opted for neighboring Chamundeshwari constituency. His son Dr Yatindra is the party's candidate from Varuna in this election. The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet. Pakistan's interior ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said on Sunday, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Ten Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008. "The interior ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI. Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said. "Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to representing the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said. Azhar developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said. "The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government. When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case. "I am no more with this case," he said. The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter. "It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said. The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet. The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses. According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements. Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it. A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused... but still the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case. "The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years. "It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said. Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said. Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009. Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. LeT operation commander Lakhvi got his freedom about three years ago after securing bail. He has been living in an undisclosed location since then. There are reports that he had come to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa headquarters in Lahore last November to greet Saeed on his release from a 10-month detention under terrorism and public safety laws. Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. The Telangana chief minister has recently met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda as part of his move to form an alternative. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on a mission to form a non-Bharatiya Janata Party, non-Congress alternative, on Sunday met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam patriarch M Karunanidhi and its working president M K Stalin in Chennai. Rao, who held discussions with Stalin on a wide range of issues, including more autonomy to states, described the meeting as "very delightful". He said his ongoing effort was not aimed at some kind of a 'third front'. It was not a mere alignment of political parties but "that of the people" of the country, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi supremo told reporters in a joint press meet with Stalin. Rao parried a question on whether he was projecting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, whom he had recently met, as the prime ministerial candidate in the 2019 elections. The efforts were aimed at the country's betterment, better economy and better opportunities for the youth, he said. "We have not proposed any third, fourth or fifth front, this so called front is created by media. We have never announced a third front...it is not a mere alignment of political parties but an alignment of people of India, the masses and unemployed youth of India," he said. Earlier, Rao met Karunanidhi at the latter's Gopalapuram residence where he was received by Stalin. Praising 93-year old Karunanidhi as "one of the tallest leaders" of the country, he recalled their association in United Progressive Alliance - I. He expressed joy that Karunanidhi, since confined indoors due to health reasons, responded to his 'Vanakkam,' the traditional Tamil salutation. The Telangana chief minister has recently met Banerjee and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda as part of his move to form an alternative. A resolution at the TRS Plenary on April 27 had authorised Rao to take appropriate decisions on forming the alternative to BJP and Congress. Stalin, son of Karunanidhi and Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, hosted a lunch for Rao at his residence where the two had a lengthy discussion on issues, including federalism and devolution of funds to states. Rao said the meeting was "very delightful...We discussed so many things. Things which have been happening for the last seven decades in the country." Both Rao and Stalin said they discussed issues such as the centre-state relations, powers to be given to the states, more devolution of funds and more autonomy to states. They also said more rounds of discussions would be held. Rao said this was neither the beginning nor the end and no decision had been taken. "...Across the nation there is a debate that there is a need for a qualitative change in governance of India, politics of India," he added. "So we have been discussing with so many leaders across the nation.. Both of us (himself and Stalin) had a telephonic talk with Mamata Banerjee also and we will be talking to so many leaders across the country," he said. This effort will take about two to three months for a consensus to be achieved, Rao said adding he and Stalin shared the view that India should be a secular country. "The centralisation...dictatorial trends" of successive governments seen in the last seven decades should go," he said. When asked if the Centre 'ignored' southern states, Rao shot back saying, "where is the doubt about it" and vowed to ensure justice for people. The TRS chief said he invited Stalin to be chief guest for the launch of a Telangana government scheme next month. On whether he would reach out to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he said "why not", adding he considered him as "best friend". Stalin said the discussions centred around the prevailing political situation, but added any annuncement on a possible alliance would come only during elections. "Issues like more powers for states, strengthening federalism, bringing education to state list, more devolution of funds to states and the authoritarian attitude of Central government were discussed. A healthy discussion happened today," he said. Rao was accompanied by his senior party colleagues including K Keshava Rao, MP, while former DMK ministers T R Baalu and A Raja were present during the meeting. Photographs: Kind courtesy @@kalaignar89/Twitter, @mkstalin/Twitter Rahul exuded confidence that his party will emerge victorious in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls and defeat the BJP in the 2019 general polls. IMAGE: Congress president Rahul Gandhi addresses Jan Aakrosh' rallyat Ramilia Maidan in New Delhi. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo Virtually sounding the poll bugle for the next Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed his party would win the polls in Karnataka and other states and will return to power at the Centre in 2019. At his first public rally in the national capital after taking over as the party chief, he said the Congress was like the water required to build the country's edifice and described party workers as "sher ke bachche" (lions cubs), who sacrificed their lives for truth and not for "satta" (power). In his over half -an-hour address, Gandhi launched an all-out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues of law and order, 'double standards" on corruption, "messing up" of the economy, "undermining" democratic institutions and "failing" to provide safety to women. He said while the country believed in a religion that was based on truth in everything, one did "not find truth" in Modi's speeches. "Elections are round the corner. In 2014, the BJP and the RSS spread lies against our government. Modi ji spread lies and spoke against our government, the Congress party and its leaders. "The truth is now coming out and the people are seeing the truth about Narendra Modi and the strength of the Congress and its workers is being revealed," he said at the'Jan Aakrosh' rally at Ramlila Maidan. The Congress chief said, "The strength of the Congress workers was evident in Gujarat ...I can tell you here that the Congress party will win Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and it will win the 2019 elections." "The Congress workers, who are fighting like 'sher ka bachche', are 'satya ka sipahi' (soldiers of truth). You beat or kill them, they will not leave the truth.... "In every state, the Congress workers gave away their lives for truth and not power," he said, referring to the killing of Congress workers in Punjab, Assam and other states. He said India is a country that believes in a religion whose faith is truth, he accused the BJP of being soaked in "falsehoods". Accusing Modi of "lying" for "not fulfilling" his promises, Gandhi wondered what kind of a prime minister he was and alleged that the people have to find truth in his speeches. "This country is like a building and no building can come up without water. The Congress party is the water of India's edifice, it is the love and if you want to uplift this country and take it forward, then what is required is love and not hatred, that is spread by the BJP and the RSS. "The Congress workers across the country spread love and brotherhood...and this is what the Congress has done in the last 70 years. We have united the country, given protection to women, minorities, Dalits and tribals," he said. Attacking Modi on corruption, Gandhi said in Karnataka, the prime minister sits on stage with BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa who was jailed for corruption and added that the money of Indians has gone into Nirav Modi's pockets, who has since fled the country and evaded justice. Gandhi also took on Modi for his "silence" on farmers' distress and the crisis in the higher judiciary that has never happened in the past 70 years. The Congress chief said the prime minister had promises giving two lakh jobs and the people trusted him, but after four years of the NDA rule, there was widespread unemployment. Modi has given demonetisation and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' to the people which have broken the back of the informal sector, he said. Hitting out at Modi for "takeover" of institutions by the RSS, Gandhi alleged that the RSS is slowly destroying them from within, while "Modi ji watches silently". The Congress chief also criticised the prime minister for his "silence" on crimes against women and alleged that while Modi gave the slogan 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', members of his own party assaulted women. He said Modi went to China "without an agenda" and alleged that while China deployed its military in Dokalam, he held a "no-agenda" meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "Modi ji did not publicly speak a single word on Dokalam during his visit to China. What kind of prime minister is he," Gandhi asked. Gandhi also sought to compare the performance of the state governments led by his party with that of the Modi dispensation. He alleged that farmers were under stress, but their loans were not written off by the government, which "waived" of debts of corporate houses. Rahul also said, the party will respect its experienced and young leaders and workers alike. Action will be taken against anybody who shows disrespect to own party colleagues, he said. "I want to give an example. Salman Khurshidji is sitting here. A few days back, he voiced opinions which were against the party line. I am ready to accept from this platform that there will be different opinions in our party and that I will allow different opinions to flourish in the party, he told the gathering. Gandhi said he will protect people like Khurshid, a former Union minister, who has opinions different from the party's. But, I do want to say something that when the party is fighting against the RSS, then we will have to do so with unity and love. As Gandhi spoke these lines from the stage, Khurshid was seen clapping in the audience. He later said only truth prevails in the Congress party. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, Gandhi said they would never say something like this. This is mainly because only two people are respected in the ruling party, PM Modi and Shah, he alleged. Neither (Union finance minister) Arun Jaitley ji nor (BJP veteran LK) Advani ji nor their chief ministers will be respected in their party. In their party, only Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will be respected, he alleged. IMAGE: What happened to Modi ji's slogan 'Na khaunga, na khane dunga;? Asks Sonia during the rally. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused it of "betraying" the people by not keeping its promises and alleged that corruption had taken "deeper roots" since it came to power. The United Progressive Alliance chairperson alleged that the government has left no stone unturned in undermining institutions and targeting political rivals by misusing central agencies. She also made a reference to the "serious crisis" that had gripped the top judiciary, saying it had never happened before. Sonia Gandhi claimed all sections of the society were unhappy and angry with the government as none of the promises made to them were fulfilled. In her 10-minute address, she said unlike truth prevailing in the past, today falsehood, hatred and violence were ruling the roost. The Congress leader cautioned the people to remain alert in the "sensitive" phase that the country was passing through. "What happened to Modi ji's slogan 'Na khaunga, na khane dunga' (would not take bribes, nor let anyone do so) as the roots of corruption have become deeper under his watch," she said. Sonia charged the government with muzzling dissenting voices and dividing communities with an eye on electoral gains. "For all of us, the country is passing through a sensitive phase and we need to take it seriously. That is why I want to tell you to remain alert," she said, adding that the people should strengthen their voice along with party president Rahul Gandhi to fight divisive forces. "We will fight unitedly the directionless, anti-people Modi government, which has made false promises and betrayed the people," she said. The former Congress chief said, "I am confident that the voice raised at the rally at the historic Ramlila Maidan will resonate across every household and our fight will be successful in the days to come." She said, "This government has not left any stone unturned in undermining constitutional institutions. Political rivals are being targeted through government agencies. "The media cannot play its role and it is being stopped from doing so," she said, adding institutions were built with a lot of hard work in the last 60-65 years and need to be strengthened. "All this is being done at the behest of an organisation, which follows a certain mindset," the Congress leader said, in an apparent reference to the RSS, the BJP's ideological mentor. Urging people to unite under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Sonia Gandhi said, "We will fight Modi ji and his colleagues who are weakening the foundations of the Constitution for their personal interests. "We will fight those who are imposing their will and not the law of the land. We will fight those who want to annihilate our Ganga-Jamuni culture," she said. The chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party said leaders of the party in the past sacrificed everything as they wanted to create an India based on the values of truth, love and non-violence. "But what has happened in the last four years is there before all of us. I feel pained to see that falsehood, hatred and violence is rampant in the country today instead of truth, love and non-violence. "Those who raise voice for justice become victims of Modi government's anger. They (the BJP) take their majority in the Lok Sabha as a licence to work at their whims and fancies. They think it is their right to muzzle voices at every level," she added. IMAGE: Congress President Rahul Gandhi hugs his mother Sonia Gandhi during the rally. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also sought support for the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi, saying the democracy of the country is in danger with the Modi government consistently undermining its Constitutional institutions. Launching an all-out attack on the government, he said it has failed to fulfil all its promises it made before coming to the power and it's the time it should give an account of its works to the people of the country. The former prime minister claimed the anger among all sections of the society has shot up in the last four years due to the rising threat to the safety and security of the people and the vanishing employment opportunities, which has left the youths worried. Singh said the pessimism is on the rise across the country, the law and order situation is bad and the atrocities against the minorities, the Dalits and the women are rising, but the Modi government seems hardly perturbed. "The manner in which the Modi government is functioning, it can also pose a threat to democracy in the country. In the last few days, what happened in Indian Parliament is before the people of the country (to see)," he said. Accusing the Modi government of thwarting the Opposition's 'No Confidence Motion' in Parliament, Singh said it did everything possible and conspired to stop it from being taken up in Parliament. "It is clear from this that if the Parliament does not function, it can pose danger to the democracy in the country. Democracy is a gift of the India's Constitution and we should all strive to strengthen it. "Today such an atmosphere is being created where the Constitutional institutions are being insulted. I talked about the manner in which Parliament was not allowed to function and how the Budget was passed. "The way the 'no confidence motion' by the opposition was not allowed to be taken up..., all this is posing a danger to India's democracy," he said. The former prime minister said what has happened in the banking sector with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi having taken thousands of crores of loans and run away from the country, is for everybody to see. "This is affecting the health of our banks," he said. He said the price of crude oil across the world was falling while in India the prices of petrol and diesel were constantly rising. He asked why this government was not working towards reducing the oil prices, which have put common man in great distress. "The time has come that we support Rahul Gandhi in making this country a better place," he said. Talking about unemployment, he said it was on the rise as the Mod Government has not created the much-promised two crore job opportunities, leaving youths and students, who had taken study loans, a worried lot in absence of jobs. New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said he had a 'good conversation' with Kim during his visit to Pyongyang, adding he was 'prepared to... lay out a map that would help us achieve' denuclearisation. South Korean President's office says Kim promised to close N Korea's nuclear test site next month. United States President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested that a meeting between the US and North Korea is likely possible in 'three or four weeks'. "We'll have a meeting over the next three or four weeks," CNN quoted Trump as saying during a rally in Michigan, which he is holding on the night of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, as he skips the annual bash for second consecutive year. According to the report, earlier on Saturday, Trump spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier and mentioned in his speech that the South Korean leader credited him for the apparent progress with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "He gives us tremendous credit. He gives us all the credit," Trump said. Meanwhile, Moon's office said on Sunday that Kim said during Friday's summit that he would close the country's nuclear test site next month. "Kim said during the summit... that he would carry out the closing of the nuclear test site in May," Moon's spokesman told reporters. This comes in the backdrop of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in ending their historic summit on Friday with a glimmer of hope and positivity in Panmunjom. New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said he had a good conversation with Kim during his visit to Pyongyang, adding he was prepared to... lay out a map that would help us achieve denuclearisation. Pompeo made the remarks in an exclusive interview with ABC News, extracts of which were released ahead of its broadcast on Sunday. Trump also said that the world went from having a potential disaster, but the Olympics and North Korea's participation helped to turn things around, according to the reports. To begin with, Kim became the first-ever North Korean leader to step on the South Korean soil, when he took a step at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone, the world's most heavily guarded border, separating the two countries. He then shook hands with Moon, which was the first-ever meeting between them after the Korean War ended in 1953. The inter-Korean summit was also unique as it was the first time in over a decade that it was being held. The previous two summits were held in 2000 and 2007 in Pyongyang. It was also the first time that the summit was being held in South Korea. The Korean War between the two countries took place between 1950-53, which ended with a ceasefire and signing of an armistice agreement. Technically, both the countries are still at war since no peace treaty has been signed between them. In a joint declaration after the talks, the two leaders officially inaugurated a document formally called the 'Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula.' The declaration read, "The two leaders solemnly declare that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and a new era of peace has begun," CNN reported. The two Koreas agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. Moon also reiterated that it marked the rise of 'a new era of peace'. The South Korean President is also slated to visit Pyongyang later this year, according to a statement released by his presidential office. Many countries such as China, Russia and Japan and the United Nations (UN) have praised the outcome and positivity of the successful summit. They hoped for ending of hostilities and pressing for peace, denuclearisation and reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula. With inputs from PTI The operation, which sources said was coordinated by NSA Ajit Doval, led to the rendition of the 33-year-old princess, who has said she was seeking to escape torture inflicted by her father, UAE PM and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. Praveen Swami reports. IMAGE: Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters Prime Minister Narendra Modi authorised a secret Coast Guard operation to intercept a yacht carrying runaway Dubai royal Latifa Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum after key national security officials advised it was necessary to secure Indias counter-terrorism and strategic interests, highly placed government sources have said. The unprecedented March 4 operation involved three Coast Guard ships, including the state-of-the-art offshore patrol vessels Samarth and Shoor, helicopters and a maritime surveillance aircraft. India located the United States-flagged yacht, Nostromo, some 50 km off the coast of Goa. New Delhi has so far declined to either confirm or deny the operation took place. "No such incident has been brought to our notice, a ministry of external affairs spokesperson said in response to a query. The Coast Guard did not respond to an email seeking comment. The operation, which the sources said was coordinated by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, led to the rendition of the 33-year-old princess, who has said she was seeking to escape torture inflicted by her father, United Arab Emirates Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. In a pre-recorded video released online after her arrest, Princess Latifa said she and her elder sister, Shamsa, had been beaten, tortured, threatened, detained, and forcibly drugged for years because of their efforts to seek personal freedoms. Princess Latifa, eyewitnesses on board the yacht have said, was handed over to UAE military personnel by the Coast Guard even as she demanded asylum -- sparking an international row over Indias action. Former French intelligence officer Herve Jaubert and Princess Latifas friend Tiina Jauhiaien were also handed over the UAE by the Coast Guard, but subsequently released after pressure from western diplomatic missions on the UAE. In an interview to The Helsinki Times, Jauhiaien said, 15 men came on board fully masked, in black clothing, with machine guns and laser sights. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. In the interview, Jauhiaien said Princess Latifa, whose passport was held by her family, planned to land in Goa and then fly to the United States to seek asylum. Lawyers representing Princess Latifa did not respond to emails asking how she intended to enter India without legal travel documents. New Delhi, said two officials familiar with the Coast Guard action, acted after personal messages were received from Prime Minister al-Maktoum seeking assistance in seizing the United States-flagged yacht, which, he claimed, had been used to kidnap his daughter. There is no illegality, one Indian diplomat said. Indian and international laws authorise the government to intercept foreign-flagged vessels to enforce customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws in the contiguous zone and even further. In this case, we acted because we were informed that the individuals on the yacht were sought by the UAE for a crime. London-based law scholar Abhimanyu George Jain, however, said that if the interception and subsequent detention are sought to be justified on the basis of Indian immigration law, in the absence of further facts, at the very least there would be an obligation of due process. He added that if India was aware the princess had faced torture, both international and Indian law would prohibit returning her to Dubai. A government source admitted India did not seek a formal legal request from the UAE for Princess Latifas return. But, he added, We have to respect other countries laws, domestic political institutions and interests if we want similar treatment in return. The operation, interestingly, took place even as Indian and UAE officials were engaged in final negotiations for extradition of 1993 Mumbai serial bombings accused Farooq Yasin Mansoor, also known as Farooq Takla, who was returned to face trial on March 8. Alleged by the Central Bureau of Investigation to have arranged transport for bombers linked to ganglord Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Mansoor had been sought by Interpol for over 20 years. Nineteen of 64 fugitives extradited to India have been sent by the UAE, including alleged Indian Mujahideen financier Abdul Wahid Siddibapa, Lashkar-e-Tayiba linked terrorist Abdul Sattar, and a slew of 1993 bombing perpetrators. In addition, a number of suspects wanted in ongoing investigations have been quietly forced to return home, without formal legal process -- notably alleged Islamic State financier Moinudheen Para Kadavath and Indian Mujahideen suspect Faizan Ahmed. New Delhi has also cultivated a deep strategic relationship with the UAE, which is Indias fifth-largest source of hydrocarbons. In addition to holding a 10 per cent stake in a UAE oilfield, Indias underground strategic petroleum reserves near Mangalore are also being filled by the country. Court paves way for new industrial estate A high court has paved the way for establishment of an industrial estate in Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City, as it has quashed a petition that sought halt in construction works at the site of the new complex. Govt mulls plan to boost traffic at ICP The government is planning to make it mandatory for empty cargo vehicles returning to India via Birgunj to use the newly built integrated check post (ICP) in Birgunj. The Birgunj Customs Office made the decision in a bid to operate the countrys only ICP at a higher capacity. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The William C. O'Neill Bike Path, which runs from Kingston to Narragansett, is currently seeking state approval for a 1,700-foot extension, which will loop around the Narragansett Elementary School and end in the Narragansett Community Center parking lot. Health first Human health is intrinsically tied to what we eat: Our meat has to be grown better A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. International Buddhist meet begins in Lumbini The International Buddhist Conference got under way in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, on Saturday.Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari inaugurated the two-day conference amid a function. Around 300 participants from 24 nations, including archaeologists, historians, Buddhist gurus and scholars, are participating in the event. Lightning bolt kills two people At least two persons died and five others sustained injuries in separate incidents of lightning in Sunsari and Panchthar districts in the past 48 hours. Prologis Inc. (PLD) Sunday said it agreed to buy logistics provider DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (DCT) for $8.4 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction, including the assumption of debt. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. DCT shareholders will receive 1.02 Prologis shares for each DCT share they own. The transaction, which is currently expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, is subject to the approval of DCT stockholders and other customary closing conditions. "For some time, we have considered DCT's realigned portfolio to be the most complementary to our own in terms of product quality, market position and growth potential," said Prologis chairman and chief executive officer Hamid Moghadam. "This high level of strategic fit will allow us to capture significant scale economies immediately. In addition, our current platform initiatives, particularly in the areas of advanced analytics, customer experience and procurement and ancillary revenues, will enable us to extract significant upside from the combined portfolios." The transaction is anticipated to create substantial synergies, including near-term synergies of approximately $80 million in corporate general and administrative cost savings, operating leverage, interest expense and lease adjustments, which are forecast to increase annual stabilized core funds from operations per share by $0.06-$0.08. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News YMU launches 3rd report on coalition's crimes against media in Yemen [29/April/2018] SANAA, April 29 (Saba) Yemeni Media Union (YMU) on Sunday launched the third annual report of April 2018, about the crimes and violations of the aggression coalition against media and media men in Yemen. In a press conference organized by the Union, the Presidential Advisor Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Tarib called on the national media to stand united during the current stage. Al-Tarib said that despite the lack of support Yemeni media were able during the past period to uncover the aggression crimes and defend the homeland and its sovereignty and independence. He condemned the assassination of the president Saleh al-Sammad by the US-backed Saudi aggression coalition, considering it a cowardly and treacherous crime, for which the coalition will pay high price. The YMU's annual report in its third edition monitored over three years of war a series of violations and crimes that affect the media and media men at home by the Saudi-led coalition. The crimes and violations included the deliberate killing, bombing media institutions, the continued blocking of a number of satellite channels and cloning of others, and the closure of dozens of social networking pages in addition to direct and indirect violations. A total of 180 media men were killed and 16 wounded by the coalition airstrikes, according to the report. The violations also included five cases of cloning channels, 22 cases of destroying facilities, 30 cases of targeting radio, television centers, seven cases of suspension of broadcast on Arabsat and Nilesat Satellites, and seven cases of blocking and confusion. In April 27, 2017, the management of Arab Radio and Television Festival in Tunisia suspended the participation of Al-Maseera TV channel under Saudi pressure. The report also referred to the losses and damage caused by the aggression to the offices of Yemen News Agency (Saba) and headquarters of the other official press institutions. The report also recommended the formation of a neutral international inquiry committee to look into the war crimes committed by the Saudi aggression against media in Yemen. BA Saba Massive fire destroys four buildings in Itahari A massive fire swept through Ghana Bazaar area in Itahari Sub-metropolitan City4 of Sunsari district on Friday night, destroying four houses. A preliminary police investigation suggests properties worth around Rs10 million were destroyed in the incident. The fire broke out from an electric short circuit in a shop at around midnight, police said. North Korea nuclear test site to close in May, South Korea says North Korea's nuclear test site will close in May, BBC reported quoting the South Korean president's office. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said water conservation "must be a collective responsibility" and that it was not difficult to do for Indians as "our forefathers have lived this as a way of life for centuries". In his monthly radio address "Mann Ki Baat", Modi also dwelt upon the teachings of Prophet Mohammad and Lord Buddha who taught love and compassion. "We often hear that in times to come, the world will face a war because of water. Everyone talks about this but do we not have any responsibility towards conservation of water? Do we not feel that water conservation must be a social responsibility? This must be a collective responsibility," Modi said. Modi said several baodis (stepwells) across the country were popular tourist spots but one should not forget that these were also the "living symbols of the water conservation campaigns which our forefathers had accomplished". He said in the last three years, an average of Rs 32,000 crore has been spent besides the MNREGA budget each year on water conservation and water management by the government. Greeting the listeners ahead of the holy month of Ramazan, Modi said the essence of fasting was that when a person experiences hunger and thirst himself, he becomes sensitive towards the hunger and thirst of others. "This is an opportunity to remember the teachings of Prophet Mohammad... It is our responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from his life. Once a person asked the Prophet as to which was the best thing in Islam and the Prophet replied 'feeding a poor and needy and meeting everyone cordially, whether you know him or not'," Modi said. Modi said one should be proud that India is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, pointing out that Buddhism forges a link between India and many Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar where Buddhist traditions are followed. "Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood. These are human values, which are most desired in the world today," Modi said. The Prime Minister said it was on the day of Buddha Purnima on May 11, 1998 that India conducted its successful nuclear tests in Pokhran, Rajasthan, which established the country's nuclear prowess as well as scientific superiority. He said India acquired nuclear capabilities in consonance with Buddha's teaching who said that the power of inner strength was necessary to live in peace. "Now that we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pokhran-II test, I ask the younger generations of our nation to imbibe the mantra of 'Jai-Vigyan' (hail science) for enhancing the might and the power of India, to build a modern, powerful and self-reliant India." The Prime Minister congratulated the Indian athletes for their "excellent performances" at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where India bagged 66 medals -- 26 gold, 20 silver, 20 bronze -- and observed that a large number of medal winners were women. He urged the people to stay fit and adopt Yoga as part of their fitness regime. Modi asked students across the country to join the government's Swachh Bharat Summer Internship programme, saying the interns who accomplish their tasks well would be awarded two credit points each by the University Grants Commission. Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday made a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of being "hollow" and speaking "lies" while being silent on pressing issues concerning the judiciary, women, Dalits, youth, farmers besides corruption. Addressing a well-attended Jan Akrosh rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, Gandhi tore into the Modi government's record in office so far and said the Congress will not only win the forthcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka but all Assembly polls this year and the Lok Sabha polls next year. "Four years of Modi government have given unemployment, BJP MLAs committed atrocities on women, informal sector was destroyed, Modiji could not stand up to China," Gandhi said. The enthusiastic gathering at the rally, which came almost a year before the Lok Sabha polls and signalled Gandhi's intention to build up electoral momentum with sharp attacks on Modi, loudly cheered the Congress chief, who packed a lot of punch in his 30-minute speech, repeatedly citing Modi's description of himself as "chowkidar" (guard). UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her speech, said India had been turned into a land of falsehood, hatred, anger and violence since Modi became the Prime Minister. "The government takes parliamentary majority as a license to do whatever it likes. They think it is their right to crush any dissent," she said and termed it "directionless and anti-people". Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Modi government has not been able to fulfil any of its promises. "The style of work of the Modi government can increase threat to democracy. Constitutional institutions are being insulted," he said. Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh urged party workers to strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi in defeating the BJP. Gandhi defended senior party leader Salman Khurshid over his "blood on party's hands" remarks, saying he would allow "divergent views to flourish in the party", but asked party members to fight together in the ideological battle against the RSS. He said unlike the Congress, only the views of Modi and party President Amit Shah prevail in the BJP. Referring to death of Judge B.H. Loya, Gandhi said people in the Supreme Court had stated that pressure was being exerted on the court, but Modi was "silent" as he was on the unprecedented press conference of four judges of the apex court in January. He accused the Prime Minister of being silent over Union Minister Piyush Goyal's alleged sale of shares held in a privately-held company at nearly 1,000 times the face value. "Piyush Goyal becomes a minister and does not declare his company. Later he sells it for Rs 48 crore to a power company. It is the first time a Power Minister has sold his company to a power company and Narendra Modi does not speak a word," Gandhi said. Fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi has taken away Rs 30,000 crore of people's money and fled to London but "did the chowkidar say a word about Nirav Modi", he asked. Citing Modi's visit to China for an informal summit, he said: "China's Army is entrenched in Doklam, they are making helipads, extending airways and India's Prime Minister held discussions without an agenda. What does this mean?" None of the Prime Ministers had done such a thing, he said. He said Modi had talked of providing two crore jobs every year but now "unemployment is highest in the past eight years", while demonetisation and faulty implementation of the GST had "broken the back of the informal sector". "China creates 50,000 jobs in 24 hours while India generates 450. The youth look towards Narendra Modi and say that he is hollow. His words are empty. He only speaks lies," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said the Modi government was willing to waive Rs 2.5 lakh crore worth of loans of a few industrialists but was not ready to do the same for farmers, who were being forced to commit suicide. "If the Congress had not stood up, all the land of farmers would have been snatched by Narendra Modi," Gandhi said. Noting Dalits and minorities were facing attack and Modi "does not speak a word", he, referring to incidents of rapes in different parts of the country, said it was the first time in the country's history that a Prime Minister was told to his face in a foreign land that his government was not doing enough to protect women. North Korea will openly close its main nuclear test site in May and its leader Kim Jong-un shared his expectations from a summit meeting with US President Donald Trump, South Korea said on Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said at a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim told Moon that he will shut down the nuclear test site and show the process to the world, Xinhua news agency reported. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the US to North Korea for the transparent shutdown. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear tests in the Punggye-ri test site. Moon and Kim held the third-ever inter-Korean summit in the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom. Kim became the first North Korean leader to step onto South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. After the summit, they confirmed a common goal of the complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to have multilateral talks, including China and the US, to declare an end to the Korean War and alter the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year. The peninsula remains technically at war as the war ended with armistice, not a peace treaty. Kim told Moon that the Punggye-ri test site is in a good shape, rebutting the contention by some media that North Korea would close the already collapsed nuclear test site. Moon welcomed Kim's decision to openly shut down the nuclear test site, agreeing to discuss when to invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the US to North Korea. Kim told Moon that the US will realise, after holding talks with Pyongyang, that North Korea was not a country to use its nuclear weapons toward South Korea, the Pacific Ocean, or the US. The North Korean leader said his country has no reason to live with difficulty because of the nuclear programme when it meets the US frequently and build mutual trust to promise the end to the Korean War and non-aggression. The summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump is forecast to be held in May or early June. Kim told Moon that there will be no repetition of war on the peninsula, strongly affirming that there will never be any use of force. In a separate press briefing, Moon's spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said the South Korean President had a telephone conversation with Trump for 75 minutes from 9.15 p.m. local time on Saturday to exchange views over the result of the inter-Korean summit. Trump congratulated the successful inter-Korean summit, while Moon expressed gratitude for Trump's strong support that led to it. Moon and Trump exchanged opinions on ways to successfully hold the North Korea-US summit, agreeing to continue close consultations in a bid to reach an agreement on the summit on detailed ways to realize the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Moon also had a phone dialogue for 45 minutes from 10 a.m. local time on Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to explain and share the results of the inter-Korean summit. Outmigration turns arable land barren More and more youths of the western Nepali district of Pyuthan are leaving for overseas job destinations, turning most of the arable land barren and increasing dependency on imported food. Lets face it. Times are indeed changing in Samoa, and from what were seeing today, it looks as if problems galore are waiting up ahead. That way, it looks as if the right thing to do now is slow down, and let caution be our guide. The point is that on the front page of the Samoa Observer of 12 April 2018, the story title Govt, sacks Village Mayor, was published. In it, the mayor of Luatuanuu Village, Autu Lolesio Tauilii, likened Prime Minister Tuilaepa, Dr. Sailele Malielegaois administration, to that of Adolf Hitlers The story said Autu launched his attack on Dr. Sailele after the Ministry of Women Community and Social Development, had terminated his services as Village Mayor, after he had been servicing his community for nine years. Said Autu then: My position has been terminated by the Government and Im really saddened about the way it has been done. He went to say: It is just like Hitlers government; an absolute dictatorship. Later in the interview, Autu explained: I say this and compare the Samoan Government to Hitler because my services have been terminated without any proper notification, without any logical cause. He had a point there. Still, the fact of the matter is that much has been said about Prime Minister, Sailele Malielegaoi, as being a dictator but then as far as were aware, there is nothing to show that he is indeed, a dictator. This is to say, a dictator kills people indiscriminatingly; in other words, neither a word nor a question is asked, and if others are objecting and theyre standing in the way, the dictator will kill them too. Still, we sympathise with the Village of Luatuanuu and their Mayor, Autu Lolesio Tauilii, since we know what its like to be attacked by our Prime Minister, Tuilaepa. But then, perhaps comparing him to Hitler is perhaps a bit too much. Still, lets hope the harm caused will soon be mended, and hopefully then life will be less demanding of us all. And now, as if quarrelling among public servants has become a permanent preoccupation in todays day and age, were reminded of the story that appeared on the front of the Samoa Observer on 26 April 2018, titled Minister of Justice denies removing Court files claims. The story said: The Minister of Justice and Courts Administration (M.J.C.A.), Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu, has denied claims that Land and Titles Court files were removed from the vicinity of the Court, and taken to his Office. It went on to say: The files are in relation to the Ainuu title of Sapapalii and one other about, the boundaries of Atua. The question then is: Why were the files removed from the Court and taken to the Office of the Minister of Justice and Courts Administration? As it turned out though, the person who is alleged to have delivered the files to the Ministers office, is an employee of the Ministers Office, Tulima Pio, Says the report: The files were allegedly delivered by the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administrations employee, Tulima Pio, to the Ministers Office. Mr. Pio told the Samoa Observer: I took the boxes of files to the Ministers Office, I was escorted by the C.E.O.s Secretary. When I reported this matter to the Chief Justice, I told him that I was instructed by the C.E.O. to take these boxes of files. I followed orders even though I know deep down that this was wrong. Now the question is: Why did Tulima Pio say he thought this was wrong? He explained; I dont care what the outcome of this is, but at least I came clean and reported the matter to the Chief Justice. Mr. Pio also said he gave the Samoa Observer a document that lists the names of 10 Land and Titles Court files that were allegedly removed from the Court and taken to the Ministers Office in October 2016. Asked for a comment, Minister Faaolesa said: That is not true. I cannot respond to the questions if you will not tell me who said these things to you. It was Mr. Pio. Later though, Mr. Pio said hed delivered the files in 2016, upon instructions from his superior. He also said: I took the boxes of files to the Ministers Office. I have reported this matter to the Chief Justice earlier this month. Mr. Pio went on to say: I can no longer carry this burden. I followed orders even though I know deep down that this was wrong. I dont care what the outcome of this is, but at least I came clean and reported the matter to the Chief Justice. Now again, why did he say: But at least I came clean? Mr. Pio said he has worked at the M.J.C.A. for six years and hes never seen anything like this being done before. He said: The Head of State; the Prime Minister and all Cabinet Ministers come down to the Court to view the Court files; because we all know the Court files are not allowed to leave the Court. It is prohibited. Ah! The Head of State! Whats the problem with the Head of State today? On the front page of the Samoa Observer of 28 April 2018, the headline read: He signed the law, Acting P.M. hits back at former Head of State. The Acting Prime Minister here is Fiame Naomi Mataafa, and the Head of State, is the former one, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi. So whats going on between these two now? Well, according to Fiame, Tui Atua had signed a law. But then what law she was talking about, she did not say. Later though, it was explained that the law Fiame was referring to, was the Land Titles Registration Act 2008, which she claimed Tui Atua had signed when he was the Head of State. There was some confusion with Tui Atua though, which was when Fiame insisted: He signed the law. In response to Tui Atua, she said: I dont know what more to say other than that I have no comment. Fiame had apparently issued a response after Tui Atua had spoken the week before, about customary lands and Samoas land laws, an that was when she remarked: He signed the law. Still, it was there that Tui Atua had warned about the wording of Article 102 of the Constitution, saying it was ambiguous. He said he feared that this could be negatively exploited and could lead to the alienation of customary lands. As for Fiame, she said she was referring to the Land Titles Registration Act 2008, which was signed into law by Tui Atua, when he was the Head of State. Tui Atua said he had asked for clarity on the matter when he was given the L.T.R. Bill 2008, to sign. The advice was given in a letter from former Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai. Tui Atua said: In 2008 as Head of State, I was assured by the Attorney General that the provisions of the L.T.R. Bill would not impact in any way, on the customary land rights of suli. He also said: The Attorney General was tasked with a sacred duty to provide the Head of State with the best legal advice possible. Tui Atua said it was with this assurance that he signed the bill. Asked for a copy of the letter from the former A.G. Aumua, Tui Atua said he could not find it. Aumua has reportedly told the media the advice hed issued at the time is confidential and could not be released. During a media event at Tuaefu, Tui Atua said there is ambiguity in Article 102 of the Constitution that needs to be dealt with. He said: Today we have the responsibility of admitting that there is a problem with Article 102; that the ambiguity within is serious enough to warrant the attention of our best minds in order to make Article 102 unambiguous. And so it dragged on. Still, even with all these laws, poverty is here to stay. The point is that Samoa, in our view, is a country that will never be able to rise from the dregs of austere poverty - especially in the villages - since those in the government who are entrusted with the task of helping to alleviate poverty, are instead enriching themselves with the resources that are being made available for this very purpose, to the point when poverty becomes uncontrollable and then along the way, it becomes a dangerous liability. And that is what the government should remain focused on. Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless. The seriousness of the Constitutional crisis is not just about the serious issues as explained in the first letter and my other letters in the past. It also involves the denial of serious behaviour by the people who have committed them. That is where I began to smell a dead rat (tulou le gagana) Because of that reason, it opens a new standard of seriousness in my concentration. It encourages me to search to an extent which led to the uncovering of accusations that I have made on the Media against the government in relation to the Cabinet Handbook 2011. Finding the truth behind that problem is the only target of the search because once the truth has been found; there is no other way around for the government to make excuses and to cover up untruths and wrongdoings. No more going back and forth and back and forth for our government. They will be stuck and cannot create any more defenses. While at this point of the conversation, I want to make something clear. The pursuit for the truth does not mean that I am trying to create propblems. I am creating honest conversations from my honest opinions based on facts and the truth. I understand it is unnecessary to just go ahead and accuse people on the Media without justification. Also, I understand, taken advantage of any opportunity provided on the Media for personal satisfaction concerning an issue debating on the Media is unnecessary. Therefore I take every side very seriously and with great awareness. Which means, having an opportunity to share on the Media or the social media about an issue, is an opportunity to be used wisely because all parties involved in a discussion about an issue for one main reason or different kinds of reasons are all paying great attention to the Medias coverage of any issues whether they like it or not. So when I said above that I did search in great extent for the truth, then that shows awareness and how serious I am not only about the truth and the issue but also about the space that I have been offered on the Media. Blaming the government on the Media about the Constitutional crisis that we have been facing for sometime now is a massive thing to be done on the Media by an ordinary citizen like myself. So to be fair for the government and its supporters with regard to that situation, transparency and accountability is required. On the other way round, I expect our government and its supporters to be fair with their arguments by revealing the truth through transparency and accountability. So for the sake of transparency and accountability, it is very important to do things in the right way. I have to provide evidence for accusations and provide some suggestion to overcome the problem if necessary. Those are my set goals for transparency and accountability. The simple way to achieve those goals is by walking us through every single steps of the small planned investigation that I did. There are only four steps of the investigation. The first step at the forefront is already completed and delivered in my previous letters. That step is about the development of the case study according to the current issue. Its primary target is searching out for the truth and builds arguments from there. The second step is revelation of evidence and justification from history. Third is about more evidences but this time is not from history but from some of the real cases and scenarios already occurred in Parliament and on the media since the beginning of 2018. Some scenarios I have brought on the table involved public criticisms against some Members of Parliament. I considered those criticisms as legitimate concerns because from the perspective of a voter or a citizen of a Constituency, the main reason why a person puts up his/her hand to run for Parliament because he/she has the guts to fight for the rights and concerns of the Constituencies they represent in Parliament. That is the main purpose of elections. Accordingly, the Members of Parliament already targeted by public criticisms; they deserved blames as they did not serve their missions for their Constituencies with honesty and with sincere respect. That is, they did not address concerns of their Constituencies in Parliament regarding the L.T.R.A. 2008 and the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018. Lastly is about Cabinet contradictions and Parliament contradictions. So without further due, lets begin the walk through from the first step. Step 1: Case Study (A serious Constitutional crisis in our country) This is already said and done. The introduction of the case study is already delivered in full details in the first letter and the opening statements of this second letter. Also, more and more related details about this case study were already covered in my other previous letters. Step 2: Evidence / Justification from our history. The Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa is the concrete evidence. That is the simple truth. The Constitution is the basis of justification and that is the first piece of our history we should always seek out to justify our opinions and arguments in relation to any Constitutional issues about Christianity and Samoan Customs and traditions. Samoa contains Churches, other Religions, Academics, Justice / Court, Village Councils / Pulega a matai o alii ma faipule and ordinary citizens. When it comes to any legal issues or any threats against Christianity and our Samoan customs and traditions, they all seek to validate their opinions and their arguments by indentifying of the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa and the faith of the Founding Fathers. Under those circumstances, therefore, it is a must to put to rest the Cabinet Handbook 2011 to be repaired or to be replaced. If it doesnt get repaired or replaced, nothing is going to change about the smell of the dead rat in our Parliament and in all our government systems. Similarly, the Acts and Bills already created from the Cabinet Handbook 2011, they should be put to rest as well. They should be repealed immediately and removed from our book of law and the record of facts and truths. Step 3: More evidences (Real cases and scenarios in Parliament and on the Media) Firstly, since the introduction of the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 which affects Saleaula, the voice of Saleaula in Parliament; which is Faasootauloa Pati Taulapapa, was useless in Parliament through out that period of time. Because he is the voice of Saleaula in Parliament, he should raise Saleaulas opposition against the bill in Cabinet and in Parliament but he did not do anything. And because of the reason that he did not do anything in Parliament to address Saleaulas concern, the Village Council of Saleaula took a trip to town to speak for themselves in front of a Parliament Committee. What can the Prime Minister say about that type of situation? Is that okay with the Prime Minister? Why cant he try his Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 to Lotofaga and Lepa and see if what kinds of responses he is going to get from Village Councils of those Constituencies? What would be his reactions if the Prime Minister of our country was somebody else who has been applying the same Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 on Lotofaga and Lepa? Can he stand up for protection of Samoan customs and traditions by challenging the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 in Cabinet and in Parliament or remained tight lipped like he did with all Ministers of Cabinet and Associate Ministers? Because of the Cabinet procedures restrictions, Faasootauloa Pati Taulapapa continued to keep his silence when the Village Council of Saleaula appeared before the Parliament Committee to oppose the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018. To me, the two main Cabinet procedures restrictions quoted below is the dead rat in the Cabinet Handbook 2011. COLLECTIVE REPONSIBILITY 1.17 In Cabinet, decisions are taken by collective consensus. This is in keeping with the traditional Samoan way of soalaupule. Discussions are informal. The ordinary rules of open debate and decision making by majority vote as applicable in Parliament do not apply in Cabinet. In Parliament the debate is between the Government and the Opposition. In Cabinet, all the Ministers, together, make up the Government 1.22 The principle of collective responsibility thus means that all Ministers must stand together as a united front and in solidarity in presenting and defending their decisions, both in Parliament and to the general public. 1.23 If any Minister feels conscientiously unable to support a decision of Cabinet, he or she has one recourse and that is to tender his or her resignation to the Prime Minister. 1.24 All Associate Ministers are also bound by this principle of collective ministerial unity, solidarity and responsibility. SECRECY OF PROCEEDINGS 1.26 The proceedings of Cabinet are privileged and are protected by the requirement of secrecy. In their oath of office as required under article 34 of the Constitution, all Ministers in Cabinet individually undertake, inter alia, ---not directly or indirectly [to] reveal such matters as shall be debated in Cabinet and Committee and in Executive Council and thereby commit themselves to secrecy---. This undertaking of secrecy is binding not only when a Minister is serving in Cabinet. It also continues to bind the incumbent even when he or she is no longer a Minister. According to the other principle in the same handbook, Associate Ministers are not members of Cabinet and yet, under Collective Responsibility 1.23 as quoted above, Associate Ministers are also bound by the principle of Collective Responsibility intended only for Ministers of the Cabinet. That is the main reason why Faasootauloa Taulapapa Pati did not do the right thing to fulfil his Parliamentary duties for the Constituency and for Samoa of speaking up against the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018. Secondly, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga is another Member of Parliament has been captured under the same radar. He was exposed and criticized on the Samoa Observer 12 April 2018 (Where is our M.P. Peseta Vaifou Tevaga?) by a concerned citizen from his constituency regarding customary lands and the L.T.R.A. 2008. The following are words from the concerned citizen While the government and critics strongly debate the issue about customary lands, I can hardly hear the voice of our representative in Parliament regarding this matter. For your information, people of Faasaleleaga #4 didnt vote for you to go there to just sit and remain silent with Tuilaepas hands over your shoulder. We, the citizens of Faasaleleaga #4 strongly and are really against the L.T.R.A. 2008 and you cant open your mouth to be our voice? So the fact of the matter is that their not challenging of the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 and the L.T.R.A. 2008 in Parliament for their Constituencies because they are prohibited by Cabinet procedures is serious misconducts. Let go of the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 and the L.T.R.A. 2008 unchallenged is defending of the Cabinet procedures. Defending of Cabinet procedures is denial of serious misconducts. The denial of serious misconducts is the supreme power of the Cabinet Handbook 2011 and that is the saddest thing about this whole situation. Now we know that immediately after a representative became a Cabinet Minister or an Associate Minister, the Cabinet Handbook 2011 turns every thing upside down about the real purpose why the representative run for Parliament for the Constituency. When that situation happens which is already happening, the representative can no longer be a truthful servant for the Constituency. Instead of being the mouth piece for the Constituency, the representative becomes the mouth piece for the Cabinet to serve the Prime Ministers agenda. If the representative decides to challenge the Cabinet by objecting an un-Constitutional decision of Cabinet, the representative is requiring under the supreme power of the handbook to resign from Cabinet. Not only that, if the representative decides to leave the Cabinet, the representative is still prohibited to keep all Cabinet secrecies hidden. On the other hand, if the representative decides to support policy proposals that are not align with the truth in the Constitution or against the will of the Constituency, it puts the representative in the state of being a liar to the Constituency and the country. That situation is going to be remained unobservable because of the secrecy procedure. It is tough, uncomfortable and it is unnecessary. That situation becomes a secret burden all through out the whole term of the representative in Cabinet and in Parliament. Can you see the impact Mr. Editor of that situation on the integrity and the dignity of Ministerial positions especially the seat of the Constituency? Furthermore, there is one more disturbing situation that has to be revealed. When the public criticize what they have identified as wrongdoings and untruths caused by Cabinet, the representatives supporters quickly rush in for defense. They still trust that person without knowing the new changes within that person. Nothing has been changed in the way they trust that person since the beginning when they chose that person to run for Parliament to represent them. What they did not realize is that the real representative they used to know in the beginning does not exist anymore. As a result, it creates differences and disturbances all over the place between the people of our country while the representatives in Cabinet and former representatives of Cabinet who caused the problems refuse to come forward and admit their faults and deal with the problems in the right way. The only thing they have been able to do is denying, attacking and impart pain as much as possible. The supporters of representatives that committed misconducts, they have done the same thing of denying and attacking without engaging in honest conversations. They are okay with their representatives serious misconducts. They care more about them than the truth. So what can the Prime Minister say about those situations? How about the current Ministers and former Ministers; can they say something about those situations? What is the real purpose of Members of Parliaments representing the Constituencies in Parliament? What is the point of general elections? Is it okay with the Prime Minister when all Ministers and their associates go out to visit their Constituencies and look at them in the face and say to them that every thing is okay but in reality they are telling them lies because of the Cabinet Handbook 2011? How do they feel about those situations? Is that the right example from a father figure of the nation known as Prime Minister? Is that type of situation okay for the country? Those are very serious information and very serious questions for our country. It hurts. The revelation of secrets hidden in an un-Constitutional secrecy due to political exploitation can cause great harm that really hurts. Its a shame but we have to stay strong. Laaulialemalietoa Polataivao was trying to say something in Parliament in the past which I believe relates to this situation. In Samoan, he said Sa taotaomia manatu ma lagona ao iai i le itu le la. To be continued. Nanai Malonuu Lealaiauloto Nofoaiga The District Court has demanded more records from the Tafaigata Prison in its quest to find out how prisoner, Siliva Aualiitia, died last year. The order was made by District Court Judge Alalatoa Rosella Papalii, who is the Coroner in the Inquest, which started last week. The order for additional records for the Courts Review was directed to the Commissioner of Prisons and Correctional Services, Taitosaua Edward Winterstein, who was testifying in the Inquest. The family of Siliva is represented by lawyer, Afamasaga Michael Soonalole. They are questioning why a post-mortem examination was not conducted when Siliva was found with bruises and scratches on his face and body. Taitosaua, during his testimony, said when they discovered that Siliva was not inside the jail, they immediately looked for him. We conducted a search three days in a row then the body was found and I was informed by my office. I was told the Police have been informed of the body and I was told they will take over the crime scene, he said. Taitosaua said he did not view the body firsthand, as a former Assistant Commissioner was at the scene. Judge Alalatoa queried the Commissioner whether an internal investigation was carried out into the death. The Commissioner responded that in other similar incidents, there were protocols in place. I am not asking about other incidents, Judge Alalatoa said. I am only interested in this specific matter. So my specific question Taitosaua was there any internal investigation carried out on this matter; specifically on the other prisoners who was housed together with Siliva? Or did you leave the investigation to be carried out solely by the Police? Taitosaua responded: I believe there was an investigation as there are reports that were submitted. Judge Alalatoa then put it to him that personally you have no knowledge of that? Yes, he responded. Judge Alalatoa then made an order for every prison record on the prisoner. I would like to see every particular of occurrence pertaining to Siliva Aualiitia as I know for a fact there is an Occurrence Book at the prisons as I have seen in previous cases. So every record relating to Siliva from 29 May to 31 July 2017; or any records relating to his medical condition that was mentioned previously and any records for an internal investigation conducted on the death of Siliva, ordered Judge Alalatoa. The District Court Judge informed the Commissioner that the family of Siliva suspect there is a possibility of foul play. They have witnesses that Siliva had injuries on his body, namely on his forehead and chest, said Judge Alalatoa. As reported earlier, on the first day of the inquest Investigative Officer, Sergeant Failauga Failuga took the stand and described what he had seen when he saw Aualiitias body. I saw that Aualiitia had scratches on top of his left eye as well as stains of blood on his body, said Sergeant Failauga. As an investigative officer, these scratches and blood stains were caused from when he was hanging from the breadfruit tree. There was a branch from a breadfruit tree that was right on top of the head of the deceased and that caused those scratches and blood stains. Afamasaga then put it to the witness that there should have been more done on the matter. The lawyer also asked the witness how he came to a decision that the cause of death was from suicide. In response, Sergeant Failauga said: It was because the deceased was found hanging from a breadfruit tree. Afamasaga put it to the defendant that he should have treated the matter as a homicide, given the deceased had some scratches on his face as well as blood stains. Sergeant Failauga said the matter was treated as a homicide. After gathering all the information that was needed, we found that the deceased wanted to have a rest (ua fiamalolo) from the sickness that he had, Failauga told the Court. Especially because he was waiting for his operation, but it never pushed through so that is why he decided to take his life so that he can rest from all that he is going through. Judge Alalatoa asked Sergeant Failauga whether he had checked the prison's log book or occurrence that will state what activities Aualiitia had done on the day he went missing, but Sergeant Failauga said he did not check. Why didnt you check the log book because that should have been one of the first things that you should have looked at as an investigative officer? said Judge Alalatoa. Sergeant Failauga did not provide an answer to the Court. Another issue Afamasaga questioned Sergeant Failauga about was a post-mortem examination. Why wasnt there a post-mortem examination? asked Afamasaga In response, Sergeant Failauga told the Court the doctor that was on duty that day said there was no post-mortem examination needed. Afamasaga then put it to the Sergeant that his job was to work together with the doctor on duty. Didnt you get suspicious? asks Afamasaga. You were supposed to advise the doctor that a post-mortem examination is needed, given that the deceased had some scratches on his face. It was part of your job to advise the doctor on what needs to be done and especially in homicide cases. The driver of the taxi, who crashed into the street lights at the intersection in Taufusi, has been charged with careless driving. This was confirmed by Police Superintendent, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo. A bystander told the Sunday Samoan that the taxi was speeding and just went straight for the street lights during the early hours of yesterday morning. I heard the brakes screeching and when he finally came to a stop after crashing into the street lights, he exited with what appeared to be a shot gun, but I was not certain." He then took off and I called the Police to report the matter." Workers repaired the lights yesterday and they were worked into the night. Customary land advocate, Fiu Mataese Elisara, has mixed feelings about the former Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, speaking out about what he claims as ambiguity in the Constitution relating to customary lands. In an email to the Sunday Samoan, Fiu commended Tui Atua for opening up on the customary land discourse. This is very timely and as Tama Aiga, many Samoans look to his wisdom, vision, guidance and indeed love in challenging times that call for that kind of leadership, Fiu said. But Fiu said he is also puzzled. I am also struggling with his ideal call for the best legal minds to come together in love, non-political, bi-partisan etc. to work on the alleged ambiguity to make sure the so-called ambiguity, said Fiu. Last week, Tui Atua called on all Samoans to pay closer attention to Article 102 of the Constitution. He said there ambiguity in the Article 102 that needs to be dealt with. Today we have the responsibility of admitting that there is a problem with Article 102, that the ambiguity within is serious enough to warrant the attention of our best minds in order to make Article 102 unambiguous, he said. These minds, however, must be able to locate the principle of alofa in their custom law and statutory law assessments and have it sing in harmony alongside their assessments of pule, and of legal certainty and transparency. This is what Fiu does not agree with. I am having some initial questions in my mind on his view that there is ambiguity in Article 102 of the Constitution, Fiu said. I am also struggling with his ideal call for the best legal minds to come together in love, nonpolitical, bi-partisan etc. to work on the alleged ambiguity to make sure the so-called ambiguity is removed to secure clarity on the inalienability of Customary Lands our forebears envisioned in their framing of the supreme law, especially under articles 102 and 109 on the imperative for referendum." For me, I have said in my previous submissions that it is difficult for me to trust any suggestion that the solution to the customary land discourse is through the courts or engagement of legal experts! Fiu made it clear his continuous belief those who framed the supreme law made sure to direct us to Article 109 of the Constitution to be the best and only solution to resolve any discourse like we now have on customary lands. Take it to the heirs (Suli). Ask them. Take the referendum dictate." Any attempt to use alternative pathways that is subjected to human frailty, one that depend on technical skills and court experience as well as professional ability to argue a case, having adequate capacity and resources to procure the best legal defenders, engaging those with vested interests, etc. to resolve customary land issues that people like me believe risk ultimate alienation and disposition of customary lands, is in my humble view expose non-negotiable assets such as customary lands to delivery of injustice, co-option by those with money, violation of our rights as Samoans, and indeed repugnant to the vision and spirit of the supreme law. He also noted the last thing he wants is to give the H.R.P.P. government an opening to use the call to remove the ambiguity to be the excuse and much needed opening for them to override the pre-requisite requirement in Article 109 for referendum, which to him continues to be the best and only solution. Fiu noted he was preparing a submission on an invitation from the Parliamentary committee reviewing the Alienation of Customary Lands Amendment Bill 2017, which he has just been sent a copy with explanatory note. A farmer in Faala Palauuli has highlighted the need to support local producers of fresh milk. Tausivaatele Peter Trevor and wife, Amelia, have been running their shop in Faala for more than 40 years. Twenty years ago they started to make their own ice cream popsicles out of the fresh milk produced by their cows. Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, Tausivaatele says times have changed and they are finding it hard sell to their fresh milk supply when competing with other cheaper imported dairy milk products. According to Tausivaatele, fresh milk supply is not the problem because farmers in Savaii can meet the demand but marketing and other variables were an issue. Theres no problem with the farm operation, producing the milk is easy but marketing is the big problem with getting rid of the product. When we are delivering milk in the bottles, we try and sell around the island and we cant sell it." The Chinese businesses want this product because they know its made with fresh milk and its healthier." The other businesses arent buying them because its more expensive than the other ice cream products. Theyd prefer cheap and watery than fresh milk products. If we can get more buyers then we can look at bringing down the prices more. Our price structure includes all the expenses such as marketing and delivery. If we had more of a demand then we would look at lowering the price." But I suppose times have changed now with the hotels and we may be able to get certification and sell it to them. We can do it. Just with 12 cows, I can produce about 40 up to 60 litres a day and if you have other farmers producing the same every day, thats a lot of milk. Challenges at a policy level make conditions harder for farmers to be able to market their fresh milk to locals. With the recent reports of a worldwide shortage of Devondale milk, Tausivaatele doesnt understand why locally produced milk is not prioritized when it comes to providing for families with infants. Theres never been any help from the health department with regards to drinking fresh milk. They go around telling everybody that babies have to drink milk. They wont even buy Anchor milk, they buy Devondale; fresh milk doesnt even come into it. As far as producing milk goes, its easy we can get that done straight away. In Thailand, the Government provides school milk. They help set up a factory to make sachets of fresh milk that go out to the kids, but thats an issue for people much higher up than the producer. According to Tausivaatele, a crucial but missing link in the supply chain can be remedied if buyers would look to their own local producers. Ive been sent away by the department to one workshop, it was all about small holder milking but the important thing is to get the middle man to take the milk from the farmers because all the farmers can produce as much milk as they want. You can get every farmer on the island to produce it, but you have someone on hand to buy it, someone like Ah Liki, set up a factory to make ice cream or butter. You have to have someone like that to make sure that the farmer can be sure that hes going to get rid of his milk every day. The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, visited Tausivaatele ,having heard that the Trevor family was producing their own milk and milk products out of their simple operation in the back of their shop. We need to look at how we can help these farmers but at the same time we also need to help on the policy side by going to the Ministry of Education and that has to come from the Government. On the policy side, we are more or less creating the market for them. There are grants available for this type of production in the rural areas and we need to assist the farmers in accessing it. Tausivaatele came to Samoa more than 40 years ago from England when he was a part of the road construction project for the southwest coast of Savaii. He met Amelia and together they raised their family in Faala while farming and running their shop. For the Englishman, Savaii is home and while the big island is known for its laid back relaxed style, the Trevor family is kept busy and love every minute of it. Between starting my farming and store Ive been stuck with that (producing the ice cream) because its more fun. Our store is open seven days a week and we are milking twice a day. We work 16 hours a day and theres only two of us here and we got four workers. All the kids are overseas at the moment, so we keep busy. Efforts by Police to reduce the drug problem in Samoa with the recent raid at the flea market have been applauded by several flea market vendors. Last week, the Samoa Police Service carried out a drug raid at the Savalalo Flea market where about 100 Police officers were seen with their K9 dogs. All the access roads leading into the Flea Market were closed off by the Police. For fear of repercussions from the alleged drug dealers, the street vendors opted not to use their full names. One vendor, who only wants to be identified and Vin, applauds the Police for heeding their call to clear the drug dealers from the market. He has been in the business for 10 years nows. We witness them all the time selling their illegal drugs to people of all ages, from high school students to the elderly population. We had to do something about it and what other way than to report the Police to take a hold of the situation, he said. Another vendor, an elderly mother, was ecstatic the alleged drug dealers were caught. Not all of them were taken but at least now they know we will not hesitate to report illegal activities to the Police when we see them again hanging out at the market. And as a mother, you wouldnt want your children to be buying drugs. I am happy the raid took place, now those who are planning to be a drug dealer will stay away from the market. And this is why most of the students come to the market to buy their drugs, she said. According to a press statement issued by the Police on the matter, the raid follows increasing public concerns on the issue of marijuana being sold at the flea market which poses a risk to the youth of Samoa. A majority of these men are known to Police for being dealers and suppliers of marijuana. However, due to their histories, they have master ways of concealing narcotics from the Police and K9 dogs. A total of eight individuals were arrested and six were charged for possession of narcotics. Police also managed to seize a certain amount of marijuana cigarettes found on these individuals. The Ministry of Police further advised that marijuana is illegal in Samoa. If anyone has any concerns with regards to any narcotics matter please contact our Narcotics Division on 22 222 ext 292, according to the Police statement. A new business is making life easier for families in Savaii. Seki Works Ltd Cargo now offers the option for people and businesses to ship directly to the big island. Seki Works Ltd is a subsidiary company of Great Works Ltd. It was started by Samoan businesswoman, Maria Malaki Luatuanuu Gafa, who works from Newmarket, New Zealand. Seki Works Ltd specialises with freight to Samoa. But while Great Works Ltd ships to the wider Pacific region, Seki Works focuses on providing freight services to Samoa. In January, Ms. Malaki launched a direct service to Savaii after seeing a need to provide an affordable service to the families of Savaii. We already ship to Upolu and we added a service to ship direct to Savaii families because it was quite expensive to bring it here before, she said. So a lot of families would be sending their freight to Upolu where it would be contained and fees would add up and then there also logistical challenges for people trying to bring their containers over to Savaii from there. The added service to Savaii has been a great help to families on the big island and has been received well. I was quite focused in helping the families in Savaii to make it more affordable, said Ms. Malaki. When we launched the service to Savaii in January, we generally took over the market we received a huge response from Savaii. Its been really good. The Managing Director of Great Works Ltd collaborated with Savaii businessman, Leota Kuki Retzlaff, to establish an agency in Savaii. Ms. Malaki tells the Sunday Samoan that this is in line with her vision to continue to find ways to develop Savaii. My desire is to develop Savaii and thats why weve partnered up with Leota to establish Seki Savaii. I have roots in Upolu as well in Savaii. Im from Sapapalii and I was born in Motootua. When I first started, it was about helping people and businesses and helping families from Savaii, New Zealand, to Samoa. Its both cost effective and about quality service deliverance as well. Ms. Malaki was present at the Savaii fishing tournament prize-giving and she is currently in discussions with the organizing committee about growing the Savaii tournament. Im always keen to assist in terms of development of anything to do with Savaii, whatever it takes to bring them forward. I was talking to Saleimoa about sponsoring in terms of helping bringing boats and Angler teams. We are looking at opening an office up in Australia so thats in the pipeline and opportunity to explore. The aspiring shipping mogul doesnt plan on stopping anytime soon. The young entrepreneur sees opportunities not only for Samoa, but for her own personal development and growth. I see myself as someone who is always moving towards personal development in whatever I do. Im still learning as well as giving back to others through what Ive learnt and developed. I just want to encourage girls and especially Samoan women to pursue their aspirations to be in business and its always about self-development and doing your best. Seki Works Ltds shipping agents in Samoa are the Betham Brothers Enterprises and Seki a Savaii in Saleloga. They provide services to transport shipments by sea or air with various options of packaging. Coralie Allen, owner of The Kindest Cut salon in Sydney Australia for over 14 years, is in Samoa on a mission. She is at the Campus of Hope, home to children surivovors of violence and sexual abuse. This is Coralies second time at the Campus, offering free haircuts for the children survivors thereby Changing Lives One Haircut, One Conversation, One Prayer at a time. In January, Coralie visited with a friend and she vowed to return. It was obvious as Coralie cut each childs hair that she had her heart in her hands. The physical touch, the big hugs, the silent tears. Her action speaks of love, making the children feel loved. Assisting Coralie was her brother Robbie and a good friend Uso. With scissors and clippers, the trio worked through half the children on the first day, with the rest to be attended to later in the week. And that is not all. Coralie has also got the support of her church in Sydney, the Faith City Canterbury, friends and supporters, to fundraise and to donate towards food and other supplies to assist with the childrens daily needs. Changing Lives One Haircut, One Conversation, One Prayer at a time is Coralie Allens mission. This is my second time at the Campus and I will keep coming back, she said. S.V.S.G. President Siliniu Lina Chang was at the Campus to witness Coralies labour of love. Thank you so much Coralie, your church, family and friends who got behind you in support of your mission in Samoa, she said. Thank you also for supporting the nofotane women by buying the Nofotane Products. Keep on reaching out to the vulnerable members of the community and share Gods love. BEIJING (AP) The leaders of China and India stressed the importance of close ties in talks Saturday, against the background of their rivalry for leadership in Asia and the potential for cooperation on economic and security matters. Solid China-India relations "are an important factor for global peace and stability," Chinese President Xi Jinping was quoted as telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an informal summit in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Saturday. The two Asian giants should "engage in even closer strategic communication," Xi was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as saying. In a tweet, Modi said discussions over tea had been productive and that "Strong India-China friendship is beneficial for the people of our nations and the entire world." Talks touched on economic issues, along with people-to-people relations, agriculture, technology, energy and tourism, Modi said in his tweet. The meeting comes amid tensions over the contested China-India border and a rivalry for influence with smaller neighbors. China-India relations date back centuries but in recent years have been characterized by competition for leadership in Asia. The countries fought a border war in 1962 and last year engaged in a 10-week standoff. New Delhi has also been alarmed by China's moves to build ties with Indian Ocean nations including India's longtime rival Pakistan. China, for its part, resents India's hosting of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and its control of territory Beijing says belongs to it. Following the most protracted standoff in years, India last year agreed to pull back troops from the disputed Doklam Plateau high in the Himalayas, where Chinese troops had begun constructing a road. China claims the strategically important region, but India says it belongs to ally Bhutan. Despite such differences, Modi hopes China can help drive Indian economic growth ahead of national elections next year. He also appears intent on building a strong personal relationship with Xi, who will be China's leader for years to come following the lifting of term limits on the presidency. However, Modi's administration has been notably reluctant to engage with Beijing's "Belt and Road" initiative linking its economy to those of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe through massive loans and investments. Modi will travel to China again in June for a summit of the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is dominated by Beijing and Moscow. Along with China, Russia and India, that group includes the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Pakistan. Prez summons Federal Parliament meet on May 6 President Bidya Devi Bhandari has summoned the meeting of the Federal Parliament for coming May 6. The Governments total debt stands at $1.1 billion. This is according to the figures released by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (S.B.S.) Financial Statistics for the December 2017 quarter. The statistics are issued by the Central Bank. The stats also reveal that Samoas debt to China is $416 million, making China Samoas biggest creditor. The amount is higher than what Samoa owes the Asia Development Bank; World Bank and Japan. In January, Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi rejected reports that the Government debt to China had reached billions. Its wrong, its totally wrong, he told the Samoa Observer then. Look for a report issued by the Central Bank that is where the accurate information is found. It also indicates the amount (owed) to China. According to the report, Samoas debt to China fluctuates from year to year. For instance, in 2015 it was $441 million. It decreased to $408 million in 2016 before it increased again to $416 million in 2017. The loan to the Japanese government, through J.I.C.A. is $89 million, says the report. Last year, the total debt went up by $6.8 million (0.6 percent) compared to December 2016. Multilateral loans amounted to $532.3 million; 94.2 percent of the amount are outstanding to the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Multilateral loans was however lower than December 2016 by 7.4 percent ($1.4 million), the report reads. Bilateral loans on the other hand went up from December last year by $23.8 million to stand at $505.0 million during the review. The amount is comprised of loans to the People of the Republic of China and Japan through J.I.C.A. at $416.0 million and $89.1 million respectively. Bilateral loans increased by 5.0 percent or $23.9 million over the last twelve months. Domestic Debts for December 2017 quarter stood at $24.4 million, going down by $9.6 million (28.3 percent) from last year, according to the report. Prime Minister Tuilaepa has repeatedly downplayed concerns about Samoas debt. For Samoa, we have our own Debt Management Policy that we watch very, very carefully to ensure that annually we are able to meet our debt service payments, he said during a previous interview. Therefore, it is up to Samoa to carefully gauge its capability to meet its debt obligations and to carefully watch the borrowings that we make from international governments and institutions. Since all our debts are concessionary, we do not have such problems. We have very strong payment capabilities every year. Very often for instance in many projects that we do, the construction period is up to 2 years and then we begin to earn revenue to help start paying the loans well, well, well before the grace period ends and the repayment of the loan and interests begin. So there are inbuilt cushions in a countys debt level capacity, so long as they watch these debts service capacities very carefully and this is why we have institutions like the Central Bank of Samoa to carefully watch our debt obligations. Tuilaepa has also repeatedly addressed concerns about the state of Samoas debt. What is often misunderstood is that people without the proper understanding of debt issues tend to be critical of a countrys overall indebtedness. I dont blame them for their ignorance, he said. That is not important because overall, indebtedness does not highlight the fact that our debts are all on concessional terms and have different payment deadlines, some 10 years, 15 years, others 20 years and over. In our dealings with the Government of China, we have constantly requested for China to look at their grant element to increase the concessionality of their loans to Samoa. Residents of Moamoa Fou are calling on Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi and his administration for assistance. One of them, Tagaloa Taavale Masoe, said they desperately need help after the road there was washed away during Saturdays flooding. More than 70 families living in the area have been affected. In the hot sun yesterday afternoon, close to 20 men and women were piling up rocks in an effort to erect a temporary access road to allow residents to cross the river. Our family has lived here for a long time and this is the first time we have experienced this unfortunate situation, said Tagaloa. The river has even washed away part of the land. There are about 300 people who use the road on a daily basis. I hope the Prime Minister will consider offering some assistance for us, he told the Samoa Observer. The unfortunate situation has deprived us from our Sunday church activities and family gatherings as we cannot get to the other side. We have had to build a temporary walkway to commute over to other side otherwise, we would be stuck on this end. Tagaloa added that students need to get to school today. This has literally put a pause on our daily routines, a day we will never get back because road was washed away by the river. The Government should consider building a concrete road to assure this does not happen again. Fortunately no one was injured. Another family that has suffered tremendously is Faaifoaso Joe Leaumoana. He suggested for the Government to provide a permanent solution rather than something that will not last. We relocated from town area due to flooding and yet we encountered this unfortunate predicament. Our family was unable to go to church today and to be honest it is quite disappointing that we are still encountering such problems. We all know the effects of climate change, and we need to act before the natural disaster strikes. Like in our case, the government should consider building a tougher and sturdier bridge to assure this does not happen, said Faaifoaso. He told the Samoa Observer that other bridges overflowed as well and yet it rained for several hours. As an island we will continue to encounter such problems, and I hope that we will get the assistance that we need from the Government. It was not possible to get a comment from the Government yesterday. In a new study on beach nourishment projects, scientists from Scripps Oceanography followed sand placed on local shorelines, as it traveled along the coast. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Coastal Engineering, tracked sand deposited on four San Diego beaches to see how it functioned there, and where it moved in following years. We want to try to help answer how much sand you need to put on the beach, how often you need to put it there, and once you put it here, where does it go, said Bonnie Ludka, a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and lead author of the study. The study can inform coastal management and fine-tune future sand nourishment projects, said Serge Dedina, mayor of Imperial Beach and chair of the shoreline preservation working group at the San Diego Association of Governments. Advertisement First, I think it shows that at the end of the day for Imperial Beach, in terms of addressing sea-level rise and erosion, sand replenishment is still the best, he said. Its a lot more complicated than we previously thought, and we have to be more innovative in how we address these projects, and do projects that are smaller and more opportunistic. We have to do projects that balance coastal protection, as well as recreational access. To take measurements, Ludka and her colleagues had the enviable task of riding all-terrain vehicles equipped with GPS gear, and cruising the waves on jet-skis fitted with acoustic sonar. That allowed them to measure the sand height and placement, and track it over time. The study found that sand placements shift in unexpected ways, and that smaller sand grains may be more unstable. A Torrey Pines replenishment project used sand similar in size to the naturally occurring grains, but those improvements didnt even last a season. One site was the 2001 Torrey Pines nourishment that was built with a grain size similar to native, Ludka said. It washed offshore at the first moderate storm just months after it was placed. Some of that sand was stored in a large offshore bar, and then partially returned to the upper beach the following summer. By contrast, coarser sand grains placed at Imperial Beach, Solana Beach and Cardiff Beach in 2012 stayed put, even in the face of rough weather that ravaged other California beaches. The most recent 2015-16 El Nino had extremely energetic waves, Ludka said. Even during those really big waves, beaches remained wider than they had been in a similar winter. Thats because of what sand researchers call the fall velocity of sand grains. Advertisement What it means is that the coarser grains tend to fall through the water column more quickly, so it settles to the sea bed and isnt transported as far as smaller grains, she said. Thats not to say that the coarser grains dont pose their own issues. During the El Nino storms of 2016, sand placed at Imperial Beach moved south down the coast, contributing to blockage of the Tijuana River Mouth that flooded streets and created stagnant pools, killing some 50 leopard sharks. We could see the beach migrating down there, Ludka said. We think the (nourishment) sand had something to do with it. Other studies have concluded that sand replenishment can be harmful to intertidal invertebrates, such as worms, clams, amphipods (sandhoppers) and crabs. So it may be ecologically safer to stick to sand similar to the natural grain size, Ludka said. Advertisement And sand placed in the wrong location can dampen waves, to the detriment of surf quality and beach attendance, Dedina said. We have to do projects that balance coastal protection, as well as recreational access, he said. We need to make sure that if we do these projects, we do them in a way that could improve the quality of the waves, so its seen as a win-win. Beach nourishment may be the only way to maintain sandy beaches and counter erosion, given the changing dynamics of the coastline, so its important to study how it works, Ludka said. In 2016, Solana Beach and Encinitas launched a 50-year, $165 million project to shore up their coastlines. Coastal development has blocked sand that was naturally delivered by rivers. And as sea waters rise with climate change, coastal communities will confront the ocean lapping ever closer to their doorsteps. Advertisement Its likely that in the future beach nourishment will be used to try to maintain wide beaches in the face of sea-level rise, she said. But if we dont have the right information, we wont be able to do that. Advertisement deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan CITY COUNCILS DEL MAR The Del Mar City Council will meet at 9 a.m. Monday in council chambers, 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Suite 100, for a special workshop on council goals and priorities. The council will also discuss ways to expand public information, communication and outreach. ESCONDIDO Advertisement The Escondido City Council will meet in closed session to discuss labor negotiations and litigation at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers, 201 N. Broadway. In regular session at 4:30 p.m., the council will discuss whether to approve an interim measure imposing a moratorium on businesses described as car washes. The council will also hear an update on the Innovate 78 regional economic development initiative, and on its updated 2018 comprehensive economic development strategy. OCEANSIDE The Oceanside City Council is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday at City Council Chambers, 300 N. Coast Highway, for a workshop to receive information on organics management within the city. Council is expected to direct staff to negotiate with Waste Management to start a commercial collection program, and to work towards developing residential solutions locally. POWAY The Poway City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers, 13325 Civic Center Drive, when it will hold a hearing on whether to allow four seatainers on residential property at 14710 Beeler Canyon Road. The council will also hold hearings on two new Landscape Maintenance Districts. SAN MARCOS Board vacancies The city of San Marcos is taking applications for vacancies on its Budget Review Committee, Youth Commission, Parks & Recreation Commission and Traffic Commission. Application deadline is 5:30 p.m. May 11. For information and requirements, visit www.san-marcos.net/your-government/commissions-boards-committees. Call (760) 744-1050, ext. 3100, or email cityclerk@san-marcos.net. Advertisement VISTA The Vista City Council will hold a workshop meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday in City Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Drive, to discuss city marijuana policy and a possible cannabis initiative. SANDAG plans open house The San Diego Association of Governments is developing an updated big-picture vision for the North County region as well as a program to make that vision a reality. San Diego Forward: The 2019-2050 Regional Plan is intended to represent all the different communities and constituencies in this diverse region. To that end, SANDAG is hosting an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Centro Universidad Popular, 1234 N. Santa Fe Ave., Suite 100, Vista. Advertisement SCHOOL DISTRICTS SOLANA BEACH The Solana Beach School District board will meet in special session at 10 a.m. Monday at the district office, 309 N. Rios Ave., when consultants from Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates will present the leadership profile developed during the districts Superintendent Search. Advertisement laura.groch@sduniontribune.com CITY COUNCILS CARLSBAD The Carlsbad City Council met Tuesday for a public hearing and approval of notifying properties in violation of its weed abatement program. The council also discussed a sample resolution in support of gun violence prevention, and asked that the city/schools committee work on the wording and return it to the council. The council also gave final approval to a measure denying permits for the Carlsbad Village Center to proceed. ESCONDIDO Advertisement The Escondido City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss labor and property negotiations. In regular session, the council discussed irrevocable pension trust funding options and policy on the use of one-time resources to fund them. The council approved a staff recommendation that all successor agency loan repayments over the next four years, totaling roughly $14 million, would go to fund the trust. OCEANSIDE The Oceanside City Council met in closed sessionWednesday to discuss labor and property negotiations. In regular session, the council approved a contract for $1.84 million with Tetra Tech of Irvine for its services on the Pure Water Oceanside project. SAN MARCOS The San Marcos City Council met in special closed session Tuesday to discuss personnel. In regular session, the council approved allowing 89 single-family residential lots to be built on a 91.6-acre site west of the north end of Las Posas Road. The Community Development Block Grant annual action plan was also approved. SOLANA BEACH The Solana Beach City Council met in special session Wednesday to interview applicants and appoint someone to its vacant City Council seat. Former member Peter Zahn was appointed tot he seat. In regular session, the council awarded the contract to build La Colonia Skate Park Construction Contract Award to California Skateparks at a cost of $939,976. The council then met in closed session to discuss property negotiation and litigation. VISTA Advertisement The Vista City Council met Tuesday and approved amending city code to allow unleashed dogs in South Buena Vista Park during all operating hours. A request for a zoning change for a four-lot subdivision at 1160 Branding Iron Drive was approved. SCHOOL DISTRICTS ENCINITAS The Encinitas Union School District met Thursday in special session and approved a tentative agreement with the Teachers of Encinitas. The salary schedule effective from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 will be adjusted to reflect an across-the-board 2 percent retroactive raise. The hourly rates for non-instructional time ($28) and instructional time ($35) will remain the same as on the 2008-2009 salary schedule. Advertisement FALLBROOK The Fallbrook Union High School District board met in closed session Monday to discuss personnel and litigation. In regular session, the board discussed and approved the Certificated Retirement/Resignation Incentive Program, and energy-efficiency projects funded through the Proposition 39 Clean Energy Jobs Act-San Diego Energy Joint Power Authority. OCEANSIDE The Oceanside Unified School District board held a Board Showcase Tuesday to share the ways OUSD elementary schools are advancing learning. The board later met in closed session to discuss labor negotiations and personnel. In regular session, the board approved the proposed Two Way Bilingual Immersion program for K-12. The board also approved the reopening contract proposals with the Oceanside Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association Chapter 370. Advertisement POWAY The Poway Unified School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss litigation. That meeting was followed by a board budget workshop. RAMONA The Ramona Unified School District board met in closed session Tuesday and approved the hiring of Tamara Lewis as principal for Mt. Woodson Elementary, and Jeri Billick as principal of James Dukes Elementary, both to start in the 2018-2019 school year. In regular session, the board also learned that James Dukes Elementary School raised $20,000 in their first Color Run, and the Administrative Leadership Team Fundraiser raised nearly $1,900 for scholarships for seniors. Advertisement SAN MARCOS The San Marcos Unified School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss property negotiations. Advertisement laura.groch@sduniontribune.com Welcome to the future of slot machines. Now watch out for flying coins. In late February, Sycuan Casino and Pechanga Resort & Casino both added the Sphinx 4D video slot game to their casino floors, ushering in the next generation of gaming to the San Diego area. The Sphinx 4D combines the intense sensations of virtual reality no geeky glasses required with sci-fi-worthy gesture recognition that allows you to change whats happening on the screen, just by moving your hands. The machine, from gaming giant IGT, is the first to use so-called mid-air haptic technology, which puts players at the center of an engaging, futuristic experience. Advertisement Cutting-edge technology is what Sycuan general manager John Dinius called it. Like Bruce Waynes computer in some of the new Batman movies, is how Pechanga vice president of slot operations Alex Rodriguez described it. I called it a trip. I recently got a personalized tutorial in how to play the Sphinx 4D at Sycuan from slot attendant Alexandria Santana, who patiently guided me through this hyper-dynamic, if a little complicated, machine. Getting a tutorial on how to play the Sphinx 4D from Alexandria Santana at Sycuan Casino. Think of it as virtual reality gambling without the geeky glasses. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union Tribune ) Here are the key takeaways: The penny slot machine has a minimum bet of 80 cents and offers a three-level progressive jackpot, with seven interactive bonuses. You sit in a black, adjustable space ship-sized chair that rumbles and has speakers, which makes for a true, multi-sensory adventure. As a devotee of old-style, flat-screen video poker machines, I was immediately drawn to the lively and ultra-realistic looking graphics. How realistic? When I hit a bonus and coins started spilling out onto the screen, they seemed to be coming right at me and I ducked! Just by moving my hands, I was controlling the screen. By drawing certain shapes in the air, like hearts or a crown, it launches different graphics (changing the screen from night to day, for example) or launches a bonus round. Santana clued me in that it would easier to make the infinity symbol, which unleashes a magic butterfly you want catch, if I just made a gesture that looked like an 8. I was reminded how bad I was at drawing. My crown took several attempts to nail. To put the cosmetic changes to the screen in some context, theyre like Snapchat filters. As much as I wanted the faux lions to roar a good thing, winning-wise I was startled every time they did (a bad thing for my image). There are 15 pages worth of instructions and payout details to swipe through. I got overwhelmed and ignored them and still won $40. Which I gave back to Sycuan. Thats my virtual reality. The somewhat complicated, but totally fun, Sphinx 4D slot machine uses gesture recognition technology just hope you can draw better than I did. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union Tribune ) William Shakespeare may have shuffled off his mortal coil 402 years ago this month, but his works still speak to high school senior Jaden Guerrero. Shakespeare is the wackiest person youll ever meet, hes the coolest guy youll ever meet, because through his writings you can see his personality, said Guerrero, who attends Olympian High in Chula Vista. Im 17 years old and I like listening to rap music and I still enjoy some Shakespeare. Lev Boraz-Beaumont on North Clairemont also finds inspiration but has discovered a practical advantage to the Bards plays and sonnets. Ive learned quite my share of insults through Shakespeare, thats most useful because you can tell them to someone and they have no idea what youre saying to them, the 15-year-old said. Its quite gratifying. Advertisement More than 500 students from high school, middle school and even elementary schools all over San Diego County took part Saturday in the 13th annual Student Shakespeare Festival, performing 10-minute scenes on four open-air stages lining the Prado at Balboa Park. The festival was the brainchild of Alex Sandie, originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, who moved to San Diego and made it his adopted home. After taking a stab at acting in a Shakespearean play a few years ago, the retired banker felt compelled to establish the San Diego Shakespeare Society. The student festival followed. He just fell in love with the language and he wanted to get more people involved, said Festival Director Lisa Sandie, Alexs daughter. And as you can see, she said, gesturing to the actors, teachers and passersby, it came to this. The 84-year-old Sandie was not able to attend Saturdays festival but his presence was felt. During the opening ceremonies, one of the festivals organizers took out a smartphone to send a video to Sandie. As the camera panned the crowd, the students shouted, Hi Alex! Richard Lederer, one of the festivals volunteers and an author who writes a weekly column for the Union-Tribune on language, recited a sonnet in honor of Alex Sandie and his wife, Janet. Please know, Sir Alex, as we end our rhyme, you are not of an age but for all time, Lederer said to a round of applause. Catalina Zelles, a 10-year-old from Encinitas who carried off three roles from The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Nights Dream with aplomb in her scenes Saturday, has become a close friend of Sandies. Advertisement He taught me to have fun with Shakespeare and to just love it the way I do now, she said. Hes become like a third grandfather to me. Craig Zelles, Catalinas father, said learning Shakespeare can boost a childs intellectual development. By learning Old English, it helps them understand modern English that much better. Those Elizabethan Era words may be difficult to memorize much less intimidating to perform but the young thespians said they get the hang of it quickly. Some of the lines can be hard but after you get used to them it gets easier to understand how words are said, said Delaney Hall, a fifth-grader from Hawthorne Elementary, who turned in an animated performance as Pyramus from A Midsummer Nights Dream. Advertisement Ten-year-old Anna Hubbard, who played Theseus, agreed. You just have to add a few -ths and -ooves here and there and just practice and youll be fine, she said. Jennie Connard, Hawthornes theater coordinator, said Shakespeares plays make up the foundation of the art form. I think its really important that kids learn the language of Shakespeare. Its one of the harder things to do so I feel like if you can get that down, you can move into anything beyond that. Topanga Tusantoso, a 10-year-old at Hawthorne, said she goes to a website to help translate Shakespeare into words that are easier for the modern ear to understand. She said she gets a little nervous when performing, but when I get on stage a little while, I get the hang of it. Advertisement The Shakespeare Student Festival is presented in association with the San Diego Theatre Educators Alliance. Advertisement Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski Sangeeta Thapas art recovery Nepali artwork must be classified, catalogued and preserved so our icons can be saved before it is too late Police are asking for the publics help in identifying and locating the gunman who fatally shot a 15-year-old girl as she waited with her mother outside a hamburger stand in South Los Angeles. The girl was identified Sunday as Hannah Bell, said Officer Mike Lopez of the LAPDs Media Relations Section. The shooting occurred around 9 p.m. Friday at a Best Burger hamburger stand near 77th Street and Western Avenue, Lopez said. Bell was taken to a hospital and police told reporters that she later died, he said. Advertisement A male suspect wearing a black hoodie was last seen leaving the location on foot, southbound on Western, Lopez said. Police said they did not have a motive for the killing. A vigil for the little girl was scheduled by Project Islamic Hopeactivist Najee Ali for 5 p.m. Sunday at the shooting scene. Anyone with information regarding the shooting was asked to call the LAPDs 77th Street station at (323) 786-5077. You may have thought Gov. Jerry Browns long political tenure was winding down, but there he is, seemingly running for office all over California. Just this month, it almost sounded as though he was running in San Diegos East County congressional district. And in a North County congressional district. And for mayor of Escondido. Advertisement This isnt just a local thing, but a handful of San Diego County Republicans this past month seemed to be talking more about the Democratic governor than their actual opponents. Never mind that Brown isnt on any ballot and leaves office, apparently for good, after the November election. His signing of laws that seek to enhance protections for unauthorized immigrants has made him a more prominent GOP talking point for some candidates in California than House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. (Or even Hillary Clinton. Yes, shes not on the ballot but continues to be a strategic target for Republicans nationally.) These policies that the governor and some of these wild-eyed people in Sacramento are trying to push down our throats, has nothing to do with safety. It has to do with politics, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells said on Fox & Friends, which regularly features Republican candidates criticizing Californias immigrant laws. Wells is running against Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, who, despite being the focus of a federal criminal investigation, appears to remain popular in the 50th district. Here in California we have a governor thats just rolling out the welcome mat for illegal criminals, county Supervisor Kristin Gaspar told Fox Business on Wednesday. Thats become a theme for Gaspar as she runs for the 49th district seat being vacated by Republican Darrell Issa, R-Vista. We have a governor whos rolling out the welcome mat for MS-13 gang members in the state of California, Gaspar said on Fox News last Sunday. Neither of those things she said about the governor is true, by the way. Advertisement With all the clamor about these so-called sanctuary laws compromising public safety, theres been no data showing theyve resulted in an increase in crime since taking effect at the beginning of this year. In this supercharged political atmosphere, we certainly could use an impartial analysis of whats actually been happening. Some candidates contend dangerous criminal immigrants are being let loose by law enforcement into local neighborhoods. It would be valuable to know if that was actually happening and, if so, to what extent. San Diegos crime rate remains at near-historic lows and the recent upticks in some categories have not been attributed to unauthorized immigrants or the states new laws. Last year, UC San Diego professor Tom Wong released a study that showed sanctuary jurisdictions have lower crime rates and stronger economies than elsewhere. The study had its critics. Advertisement The laws in question are complex and easy to misinterpret or distort. Despite claims to the contrary, the statutes dont prevent federal agencies from enforcing immigration laws, though they do limit the extent to which local police and businesses can help them do it. The law everybody talks about, SB 54, still allows local police to turn unauthorized immigrants over to federal agencies as before, but now only if theyve committed one of 800 specific crimes mostly felonies but also some misdemeanors. Thats not allowed when those being released have committed lower-level, misdemeanor crimes. The jail-release information in San Diego is publicly available and immigration authorities can pick them up, though its not as easy as it was before. While a small number of local law enforcement leaders around the state have been openly critical of the law, it appears the vast majority do not want their departments being used or seen as an arm of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Their concern is if unauthorized immigrants thought that, theyd be reluctant to report crimes. Wongs research, which surveyed unauthorized immigrants, backs that up. Advertisement Another law, AB 103, prohibits local governments from entering into new contracts for civil immigration detention facilities and requires the state to monitor conditions in existing facilities. Finally, AB 450, prohibits employers from voluntarily allowing immigration officials into non-public areas of the workplace unless the officers have judicial warrants. Some politicians, such as Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, criticize Brown on immigration, but segue to other grievances such as the high rate of homelessness, poverty and taxes. Gov. Brown, you have turned the Golden State into a dumping ground, Abed said on April 4 just before the Escondido City Council voted to file a brief supporting Trumps lawsuit challenging the states sanctuary laws. Advertisement . . . You are destroying the American dream for me and for millions of immigrants who came to this country legally. . .Your Sacramento is now politically, ethically and morally corrupt. The state certainly has problems, though local governments also share the blame for homelessness and the lack of housing stock. Not everyone subscribes to Abeds dystopian view of California. Brown did inherit a huge budget deficit when he was elected in 2010 and has since turned it into a surplus. The governors standing among voters is still pretty good. He had a 54 percent job approval rating from likely voters in March, according to a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. In that same poll, 55 percent said they support the state and local governments taking actions to protect the legal rights of unauthorized immigrants. Advertisement As you would expect, there was a big partisan split on the Brown and immigration questions, with Democrats heavily in favor and Republicans strongly opposed. But when it comes to Republicans castigating Brown, gubernatorial candidate John Cox may take the cake though give him points for also disparaging an actual election opponent. In a Q & A with The New York Times, the Rancho Santa Fe businessman talked about being a Jack Kemp Republican, particularly when it comes to the former congressman and presidential candidates positive approach. I want people to get away from harsh language, Cox said. Advertisement Having said that, it is absolutely objectionable for people like Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown to say they are not going to adhere to the federal law on immigration. The reality is, they are adhering to federal law on immigration. But thats not his weird statement. This is: Jerry Brown should not be acting like George Wallace in front of the schoolhouse in Alabama. There you have it: drawing a parallel between Brown and a famously racist southern governor. Just when you think youve heard it all. Advertisement Tweet of the Week Goes to Jeremy Ogul (@jsogul), San Diego writer and researcher, reacting to @sdutKrier suggesting the clouds on Tuesday could make for a nice sunset. I like the idea of forecasting sunsets. Its very San Diego. State regulators are urging local elected officials to brace for retreat as scientists continue to predict sea levels will rise in coming decades and pummel beachfront communities from San Diego to Arcata. With the prospect of evermore harrowing storms and flooding brought on by climate change, officials say that cities and towns need to start planning as soon as possible to eventually abandon or relocate everything from highways to underground utilities to beachfront homes. The reality is seas are rising, eroding and inundating our coast and, in some places, that means homes and critical infrastructure will be lost, said Jack Ainsworth, executive director for the California Coastal Commission. Just look at the apartment buildings leaning off the crumbling cliffs of Pacifica or the homes tumbling onto Gleason Beach, he added. These are windows into Californias future, and we must plan for that. Advertisement This message hasnt been well received in some coastal communities, where local leaders and landowners say they have no intention of sacrificing private property to the ocean. Under ratcheting pressure from the Coastal Commission, Del Mar, for example, has agreed to pay lip service to the idea of retreat, mentioning it in a sea-level rise adaption plan required by the state. However, local officials said they will try every other option specifically, dumping massive amounts of sand on their beach before even drafting a strategy to purchase and ultimately demolish homes and businesses hemmed in by the San Dieguito Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. Managed retreat is not feasible for us, said Del Mar Mayor Dwight Worden. The best strategy is to build up a good wide beach. Thats feasible, and we can make it work up to 3 feet of sea level rise. Conservative estimates range from about one to four feet of sea-level rise by the end of the century. Although experts warn that it could be as much as eight feet, depending on how fast ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica melt. The reality is seas are rising, eroding and inundating our coast and, in some places, that means homes and critical infrastructure will be lost. Jack Ainsworth, executive director for the California Coastal Commission State regulators are now urging local elected officials to brace for retreat, as scientists predict evermore harrowing storms and flooding tied to climate change. Some cities, such as Imperial Beach, have taken a different tack, engaging in hard conversations about when and how to start retiring homes expected to be threatened by rising tides. Advertisement The South Bay city experimented with so-called beach nourishment in 2012 with mixed results. Now, officials say theyre looking at strategies for managed retreat, such as buying and renting out homes to recoup costs before flooding increases. Doing our economic impact study we identified many options for (addressing) sea level rise, and the most cost-effective thing we can do is managed retreat, said Mayor Serge Dedina. The more that we work with nature and not against it, the more successful we are. Dumping sand on shorelines can be costly and is expected to get even pricier as cities increasingly complete for the limited resource to save their beaches. Solana Beach and Encinitas, for example, plan to spend $165 million over the next 50 years to add sand to their shores. Beach nourishments as they are called are also not guaranteed to work. Researchers at UC San Diegos Scripps Institution of Oceanography are still trying to get a handle on how and when to use the strategy. Advertisement Sand poured on the shores of Torrey Pines in 2001 washed away after just one storm. On the other hand, projects in Solana Beach and Cardiff in 2012 used a coarser grain sand and have proven somewhat resilient, even through El Nino-driven weather two years ago. We still have a lot to learn about how these beach nourishments behave, said Scripps researcher Bonnie Ludka. Weve found that they can behavior drastically different. Beaches are really dynamic, and they change from year to year. Despite this uncertainty, Del Mar seems set on a strategy of beefing up its shoreline with sand, in part because buying opulent coastal homes would prove potentially more expensive, at least in the short term. Much of the northern part of Del Mar sits at very low elevation, meaning retreat could require the city purchase dozens, if not hundreds, of residences. It would also meaning coming to terms with the possibility of losing some of the citys most historic housing tracts. The notion has rattled many citizens, including longtime resident Kim Fletcher, whose home pushes right up against the shore. Advertisement It scares everybody here, said the 90-year-old. Of course, I wont be here, but Ive got grandchildren and great grandchildren. Fletcher said he thinks the concerns about sea-level rise are overblown. I wont be around to pay, but Ill bet you a million dollars these houses will still be around in 100 years, he said. Another concern for residents has been the potential impact on property values if buyers find out that homes are slated to eventually be scooped up by the city using eminent domain. Laura DeMarco, who owns property in the area, said she wants the city to focus all its resources on maintaining the community in its current form. Advertisement What theyre asking us to do is amputation, she said. Why should we plan to give up? Why should we plan to surrender? There are a lot of things that can be done that preserve our economic vitality and the culture of Del Mar. Many towns and cities along the coast will likely soon be having similar conversations as the Coastal Commission oversees the creation of dozens of plans to adapt to sea-level rise. And the commission has leverage. If the state agency doesnt approve a citys final blueprint, the municipality could lose control over development decisions along its swath of shoreline. Advocates are pushing for cities to embrace managed retreat in these blueprints in large part to avoid attempts by residents to put in controversial seawalls. Armoring the coast with walls, boulders or piles of rocks often referred to as riprap can protect shoreline property and infrastructure, but the strategy will also drown beaches under rising tides. Advertisement Roughly a third of Southern California beaches are armored, according to the Coastal Commission. That numbers about 10 percent for the states entire 1,100-mile shoreline. Advocates argue that as seas rise the practice unfairly deprives the public access to the coast. The world that we live in is changing and we have people who own property in places where the ocean is going to flood, said Jennifer Savage, California policy manager with the Surfrider Foundation. Theres an option to gracefully retreat instead of putting in a wall and sacrificing the beach. While cities for the most part reserve the use of seawalls to protect large, expensive infrastructure, such as wastewater treatment plants, private property owners still fight vigorously, often in the courts, for the right to use such barriers. Advertisement This is definitely going to be a growing issue of controversy and contention, but I dont think the Coastal Commission is in a place to say no more seawalls, said Rick Frank, director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at the UC Davis School of Law. The commission is going to have focus on the issues with a lot more scrutiny coming up because theyre so site specific. Advocates hope that if cities embrace a policy of managed retreat it could sidestep legal battles over seawalls. However, it doesnt appear that most homeowners along the coast are going to embrace such a strategy without a fight. Advertisement Twitter: @jemersmith Phone: (619) 293-2234 Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com After 35 days of traveling through Mexico, a group of Central American migrants prepared to cross to the United States on Sunday and request asylum. But one thing quickly became clear: As one leg of their journey had concluded, a new struggle was just beginning. While some 200 members of the Pueblo Sin Fronteras Caravan went over final details of their asylum petitions in Tijuana, U.S authorities announced Sunday afternoon that they had reached capacity at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for processing persons without appropriate entry documentation a status that would apply to all caravan members. Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement that depending upon port circumstances at the time of arrival, those individuals may need to wait in Mexico as CBP officers work to process those already within our facilities. As they made their way across Mexico, the caravans members have come under a spotlight in recent weeks following a series of tweets by President Trump, who invoked the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program as he accused Mexico of doing nothing to stop their journey to the border. Advertisement Undeterred by the president and the CBP announcement, the first group of 50 Caravan members walked into the ports PedWest entrance at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, waving farewell, as activists and fellow caravan members cheered them on. Most were women and children. But several hours later, members of the group had yet to enter the U.S. facility for processing. The Central Americans would not be the first group to be forced to wait in Mexico. When thousands of Haitians sought entry at San Ysidro in 2016, CBP worked with Mexican officials to accept limited numbers each day so as not to overwhelm the ports processing capacity. CBP officials in recent days have said that the agency has the capacity to detain as many as 300 people at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. A representative of Amnesty International observing the process, Madeleine Penman, said if the U.S. government decides not to receive these people who are presenting themselves today, they would really be violating their own laws and international law. As uncertainty grew over what would happen to the Caravans asylum petitioners, the mood on Sunday evening contrasted sharply with a boisterous gathering earlier the day as caravan members and supporters gathered by the Pacific Ocean on both sides of the international border fence. The morning crowd grew to several hundred, with participants waving Honduran flags, calling out chants, carrying bouquets of yellow flowers, with some of the younger members climbing to the top of the tall metal bollards. Stop Donald Trump and his politics of fear, went one chant. Others sat quietly, clutching infants, wondering what awaited them in U.S. custody. Were not here for entertainment, we cannot live in our country, we are just people like everyone else, said Katerine Enamorado, of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, holding her one-year-old daughter Ashley Abigail. Reina Isabel Rodriguez, 52, had traveled from El Salvador with her two grandchildren and was also among those determined to cross. I fear that they will separate me from them, she said. Advertisement As they prepared to present themselves at the San Ysidro Port of Entry today, a group of asylum seekers from Central America gathered at the border fence in Playas de Tijuana Sunday morning cheered on by supporters on both sides of the border. By foot, bus and train, the caravan participants have been journeying through Mexico since leaving the southern border city of Tapachula on March 25 with the aim of reaching the Tijuana-San Diego border. Most are from Honduras, and tell of gang violence and extortion back home. Those preparing to ask for asylum are a small percentage of a traveling group that at one point swelled to more than 1,700 members, according to organizers. They said that about 400 caravan participants, many of them women and children, had completed the journey to Tijuana, and some small groups had already been surrendering at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in recent days. Nicole Ramos, an immigration attorney, has been helping guide those preparing to petition for asylum. She expected about 180 to carry through on Sunday, about half of them children. Advertisement Some of the strongest cases are those from the LGBT community, particularly transgender women, she said. Weve also had extremely strong cases from unaccompanied minors, she added, as well as entire family members under death threat because they are not submitting to the will of gangs. On Sunday, as they lingered near the U.S. border, many appeared weary and ready to move on. David Lopez was among dozens pondering their next move. Lopez, 25, who said that until recently he had worked on the staff of an elementary school, said organized crime and our countrys government had prompted him to flee the Copan area of Honduras with his wife and their three-year-old daughter. Mother and child had presented themselves at San Ysidro Port of Entry ten days ago, but Lopez remained behind. He said his wife and their daughter have been released from custody while their asylum claim is under review and are staying with sponsors in South Carolina. Advertisement On Friday and Saturday, the caravan members met at different locations near the border with volunteer attorneys who listened to their claims and offered counseling, so that people really know what theyre getting into, said Ramos, the immigration attorney. Similar caravans for years have been taking place as a way of keeping Central Americans safe from criminal gangs and corrupt officials as they travel through Mexico hoping to make it to the U.S. border. But this caravan is one of the largest and by far the most visible, as it came under fire of the U.S. president. This is not ideal for us to have this many people, this much publicity, said Irineo Mujica, leader of the Pueblo Sin Fronteras Caravan. But its been really really good that we are able to see what is the problem, the violence that is causing so many to abandon their homes and come to the U.S. border. Advertisement Still, some migrant advocates have questioned the benefits brought by the caravan. We dont think its a really good move, said the Rev. Patrick Murphy, who heads the Catholic-run Casa del Migrante, a 120-bed shelter that overlooks the city. What happens to those people who have made this journey for quite a few weeks now, and they get rejected, or worse yet, they dont even get their asylum cases heard. In a statement last week, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, said the department has been closely monitoring the remnants of the caravan. She said DHS encourages persons with asylum or other similar claims to seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico. But Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights advocacy group, said that its naive to think that most of the Central Americans will want to request asylum in Mexico. Advertisement While Mexico has increased its capacity to process and screen potential asylum seekers, it still has a long way to go, she said. With widespread kidnappings, theft, sexual assaults and other crimes against migrants in Mexico, it is hard to think that Central Americans will view Mexico as a place they want to settle. This story was updated at 8:30 PM. sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com @sandradibble About 200 members of a migrant caravan that traveled north through Mexico, drawing the ire of President Donald Trump, plan to come to a San Diego port of entry today and ask for asylum. At its largest, the caravan reportedly numbered about 1,200 people, mostly from Central American countries like Honduras, where many have fled violence that activists attribute, at least in part, to U.S. involvement. After the Mexican government issued temporary travel documents to members of the caravan, some came ahead of the group to the U.S.-Mexico border to ask for asylum. Others planned to resettle in Mexico. Those that remained in the group which numbers now about 345 people arrived by bus this week in Tijuana. Both the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have pledged to send additional staff to the border to process those claiming asylum as quickly as possible. Advertisement Generally, when asylum seekers come to the U.S. border, they begin a process that can take months or even years to resolve. Many spend most, if not all, of that time in detention facilities run by private prison companies contracted with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are interviewed and screened by multiple federal agencies, and at the end, they have to prove to judges that their stories meet the requirements under asylum law to be granted protection. They can expect to be put through a very confusing process, said Bardis Vakili, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union who conducts legal orientations at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility. They can expect to have things not explained to them very well in a language they dont understand for weeks or months. They can expect to find great difficulty in getting legal help to make their case. The Trump administration has called on Congress to end loopholes in the asylum process, calling out court rulings and laws that dictate how children and families who arrived together move through the system. Trump also tweeted that hed told DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen not to allow large caravans to enter the U.S. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL, he wrote. Under both U.S. law and international treaties that came after the Holocaust, border officials must allow people who say theyre afraid to return home to submit their claims in the asylum process. Processing at the border Migrants can ask for asylum at any port of entry along the U.S. border. If they come through El Chaparral to the PedWest side of the port at San Ysidro, they are stopped by security guards who make sure travelers have documentation before walking through the gate into the U.S. side of the port. Advertisement Customs and Border Protection officers take asylum seekers to a processing area for inadmissibles, or people who dont have permission to enter the U.S., where theyre held in temporary cells. California ports of entry received 17,610 inadmissibles so far in fiscal 2018, according to data from CBP. At the same point last year, 21,180 inadmissibles had arrived. The agency does not specify how many of them sought asylum. In the processing area, officers interview the migrants. During the interview, officers are required to ask if they are afraid of going home. If people express fear of returning to their countries, border officials notify ICE officers, who look for detention bed space to house the arrivals. People who present at the border in San Diego often go to Otay Mesa Detention Center, but if there is no room, they also go to Adelanto Detention Facility, Imperial Regional Detention Facility or farther away. Advertisement Sometimes this transfer process can take several days. Nicole Ramos, a Tijuana-based immigration attorney who focuses on asylum cases, said that clients have described to her losing sense of time in the notoriously cold holding cells. Its a very disorienting place, Ramos said. Clients complain to her about the slim burritos theyre given for each meal while they want to transfer. Families are taken to an ICE processing center in the federal building downtown. If processing takes multiple days, ICE sometimes uses the Quality Suites on Otay Mesa Drive to hold people overnight, according to a document obtained and published by the National Immigrant Justice Center. Advertisement The largest group held at the hotel so far in fiscal 2018 was 120 people, according to the document, and ICE has kept on average 74 people there daily. Some asylum seekers, instead of coming to a port, cross the border between ports of entry and are caught by Border Patrol agents. Some purposefully cross where they see an agent stationed to ask for help requesting asylum. Agents call these self-surrenders. Border Patrol agents, like their counterparts at ports of entry, are required to ask if people they encounter are afraid to go home. Advertisement Credible fear Asylum seekers wait in detention for interviews with officers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services who are specially trained in evaluating cases under asylum law. Those interviews last about two hours and are usually conducted by phone. Some detention facilities have asylum officers stationed in them, particularly those that house families since children are not allowed to stay detained beyond 20 days. Unaccompanied children go through a slightly different process. Asylum officers interview them in person and make the first determination of whether they get asylum. If the officer does not grant asylum, then the child tries again in immigration court. Advertisement Under asylum law, an individual must have suffered persecution or fear suffering persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The because of is important even if the person faces legitimate death threats at home, that person might not win an asylum case if he or she cannot show it is for one of these reasons. (There are other types of protections that have different requirements, like the Convention against Torture, that people can ask for as well.) How this part of the law applies to Central Americans fleeing gang violence, in particular, is still up for legal debate and has evolved over time. Asylum officers look for whether applicants stories are consistent, detailed and plausible based on country conditions, and they run security checks in a variety of government databases. Advertisement They check for histories that could bar an applicant from asylum, like war crimes, persecuting others or other particularly violent or serious crimes. Supervisors review every credible fear decision before its sent to the asylum seeker. For asylum officers, its a high pressure situation, said Michael Knowles, president of the officers union. The outcome of an officers decision is very consequential. For the person granted asylum, it is a new lease on life, a chance to recover after having lost everything. For the failed asylum seeker, its not just, Oh darn, I didnt get my visa, but, Oh darn, Im going to have to go back to the place I ran away from, Knowles said. Advertisement Theres also the high stakes of national security, he said. By carefully adjudicating these cases, we ensure the integrity of the program. The union would like to see more resources and more officers hired, especially with pressure to clear the backlog while adding more security checks. The union has also been critical of reports that some asylum seekers are turned back at the border. If theyre coming to seek asylum, they need to be given due process, Knowles said. We shouldnt be impeded from doing our job, and those applicants should not be impeded from having their cases heard. People who are not found to have credible fear can have that decision reviewed by an immigration judge. Advertisement Detention and immigration court After someone gets a positive credible fear finding, he or she receives a Notice to Appear, a document that schedules that person for immigration court. The person at this point can request to be released from detention. Those who are released may be required to pay a bond or wear an ankle monitor. Under the Trump administration, most remain in custody, and even under the Obama administration, many asylum seekers spent the entire process locked up. At the first hearing with an immigration judge, the asylum seeker receives an asylum application as well as a list of free and low-cost attorneys. Advertisement Since it is civil court, not criminal court, asylum seekers must find their own attorneys. Many cannot afford the cost of an immigration attorney, and because there are a limited number who take on cases pro bono, asylum seekers often represent themselves in court. Studies have shown that would-be immigrants are much more likely to win their cases if they have lawyers. At the next hearing or sometimes a couple of hearings later the asylum seeker turns in the application. The judge reads a warning that frivolous asylum applications can make someone ineligible for immigrating to the U.S. for life. Then the judge schedules a private hearing with the asylum seeker, where the person presents evidence to support his or her story. Waiting for hearings takes at least months. Immigration court has a backlog nationwide of close to 700,000 cases, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse of Syracuse University. In fiscal 2016, immigration courts nationwide received more than 63,700 defensive asylum cases, a 221 percent increase from about 19,800 in fiscal 2012, according to data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Advertisement At or after the individual hearing, the judge makes a decision. Either side can appeal the case, which can extend an asylum seekers time in custody. Nationally, about 31 percent of the defensive cases that were decided were given asylum in fiscal 2016, but that rate varied widely by court location. A woman from Rwanda who won her asylum case last year said she understands that the U.S. needs to protect itself but that the process is hard on asylum seekers. She didnt know she was going to be imprisoned when she arrived at the border, she said. Its a mix of fear and you dont know where you are, said the woman, who didnt want to be named because she worried about how people would treat her if they found out shes an asylee. You ask yourself what is going to happen to me. I was terrified. Its something that is hard to explain unless you experience it. It was a horrible experience. Advertisement Despite that struggle, shes grateful for the opportunity to start a new life in the U.S., she said emphatically. Recent and proposed changes The Trump administration has proposed changes to the asylum process, saying that loopholes entice people without valid claims to come to the U.S. The department enforces and follows the laws as set forth by Congress. However, the secretary and the president have made clear that the current asylum process is rife with fraud and are working with Congress to close loopholes, a DHS official said. If families are seeking asylum or other legal protections, DHS encourages them to cross our border at a port of entry. Crossing the border between ports of entry is illegal and puts officers at risk. Advertisement The administration wants to hold children in detention longer and require them to file asylum applications within one year of arriving in the U.S. It also wants Congress to pass a law that sends unaccompanied childrens cases to immigration court like the process for adults instead of going first to asylum officers, a proposal the asylum officers union has opposed. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has already made changes in policies at immigration courts. He recently referred a Board of Immigration Appeals decision to himself and vacated the Boards finding that required judges to give all asylum seekers a full hearing. That means judges may now make decisions based on asylum applications without listening to any testimony from the asylum seeker. People who advocate for asylum seekers rights to protection criticized how the process worked even before the changes made under Trump. Advertisement The system is not designed as a protection system, said immigration attorney Ramos. Its designed as a mass incarceration and deportation system. Sessions also created quotas for immigration judges, which he has said he hopes will reduce the backlog. The immigration judges union has opposed this move, arguing that especially for asylum cases, it will require judges to make decisions too quickly given the amount of evidence involved. Vakili, the ACLU attorney, emphasized the importance of allowing people access to a fair process. Nobody flees their home country and faces the risks of coming here unless things are very dangerous at home, Vakili said. There are significant numbers of people who face real danger if they were to be deported. To not give someone a fair shake in their case risks making mistakes when life and death is on the line. Advertisement Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Advertisement Alejandro Tamayo contributed reporting. Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter Hundreds of supporters of a migrant caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum in San Diego rallied on both sides of the sea wall dividing Mexico from the United States on Sunday. I served my country and I love my country, but I think our policies are wrong on this issue, said Cliff Moseley, a former Navy machinists mate on the attack submarine Bremerton. I thought it was important to show support for the Central Americans, because its really bad down there. As in recent years, a caravan of asylum seekers from the crime-plagued nations of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala has wound its way up the spine of Mexico to protest what they say are exclusionary American immigration policies at the border. On Sunday, several hundred of them vowed to seek asylum in the United States after fleeing narco-criminal gangs, corrupt and incompetent politicians and what they predict is a brutal future for their children. Advertisement Americans need to know that the reason theyre trying to come here is because of the gangs down there, said Moseley, a Los Angeles school teacher whose mother is Guatemalan. American immigration courts last year turned away nearly 62 percent of all asylum seekers, the fifth year in a row that the denial rate rose, but judges were less sympathetic to Central Americans. Only one out of every four Central Americans seeking asylum was allowed to remain in the United States. But this years procession drew the ire of President Donald Trump, who has called the caravan a threat to national security. His Attorney General Jeff Sessions termed it a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system. Those sorts of sentiments were ridiculed by the more than 100 pro-caravan supporters who led a march through Border Field State Park to the sea wall blocking entry from Tijuana. Chanting pro-caravan slogans, waving flags from several nations and carrying placards decrying Trump, they raised additional concerns about the presidents deployment of National Guard troops along the border, his call to erect a three-story wall along its length and a hike in federal raids to catch and deport undocumented immigrants. As they prepared to present themselves at the San Ysidro Port of Entry today, a group of asylum seekers from Central America gathered at the border fence in Playas de Tijuana Sunday morning cheered on by supporters on both sides of the border. Margaret Elman, a retired Pacific Beach psychologist, came because she worried the United States was repeating an ugly history. She pointed to the 1939 arrival of the German ocean liner St. Louis and its 937 mostly Jewish passengers seeking refuge in Miami. Advertisement American authorities turned them back to Europe, where more than a quarter would die in the Holocaust. Next month, she visits Lithuania, where many Jews in her family were slaughtered. This is just cruel, closing our borders, she said. And its not just about asylum. Im concerned about the increased hatred. Holding a sign reading We are all immigrants and flanked by her husband, Bryan Bruns, she said that the protest helped remind Americans not to be so cold hearted to the rest of the world. Its also a lesson she wanted to pass on to her four grandchildren. Advertisement San Diego, our community, isnt interested in closing the borders. It seems that people who live far away from here are those who are intent on closing the border, she said. Although there was an online push Saturday by San Diegans for Secure Borders to stage an informal counter-demonstration, it never materialized. On Sunday, pro-caravan groups urged the crowd to avoid confrontation but there was no one to confront. Instead, San Diegans for Secure Borders took to their Facebook account and posted a video of the rally taken by a Fox News camera. The account called the caravan and their supporters in Mexico hostile foreign invaders from the south who want our country and urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to prosecute the foreign criminals claiming false asylum. Advertisement The whole world is watching to see if we still have a country left after this radical left wing publicity stunt and border surge, the message said. A strong showing by California State Parks and San Diego Police officers and Border Patrol agents shadowed the rally but they made no arrests and avoided interfering with the procession except to create a 100-yard buffer zone on the American side of the wall with yellow tape. From the Tijuana beach, pro-caravan supporters scaled the wall and perched on it, occasionally tossing flowers into the sand separating them from those rallying inside America, but no one went to retrieve them. Advertisement Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com Some number of people associated with the Central American migrant caravan, which is stopped in Tijuana, have crossed into the United States illegally in the past 24 hours, federal officials said Saturday. A pregnant woman and some children as young as 4 were detected entering the U.S. through a canyon that authorities described, in a statement, as dark, treacherous and notorious for human and drug smuggling. They were said to have climbed over a dilapidated scrap metal border fence on either side of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The statement was issued Saturday afternoon by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Advertisement RELATED: Migrant caravan arrives in Tijuana, prepares to request asylum No information was given on the number of people caught entering the U.S. illegally or what became of them. It also was not clear if the statements phrase people associated with the caravan meant people who actually had taken part in the bus trek from Central America, through Mexico, to seek asylum in the U.S. Members of the caravan are expected to ask for asylum on Sunday. Caravan members interested in requesting asylum spent Friday and Saturday at legal orientations to understand their rights and what to expect after they enter the U.S. port of entry. Individuals of the caravan seeking asylum or other similar claims should seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico, Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said in the statement. To anyone that is associated with this caravan, think before you act, Scott continued. If anyone has encouraged you to illegally enter the United States, or make any false statements to U.S. government officials, they are giving you bad advice and they are placing you and your family at risk. Pete Flores, the Customs and Border Protection director of field operations, said in the statement that pedestrians at the San Ysidro Port of Entry will be divided into two lines those with, and without, travel documents for legal entry. If the facility becomes overcrowded with those who have no entry documents, they may need to wait in Mexico, Flores said. Advertisement All travelers will be processed in accordance with appropriate detention and removal enforcement protocols, Flores said. Advertisement pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard SJVN awarded generation licence for hydro project The 30th board meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) held on Saturday has decided to award generation license for the Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project to Indian firm, SJVN Arun-3 Power Development Company. A group of children set off an unexploded mortar round in a residential area in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, causing a blast that killed a woman and two children, according to provincial official. Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said another seven children were wounded in Sundays explosion. He said the mortar round had been fired by insurgents the night before but failed to explode. Afghanistan is littered with land mines and unexploded munitions left over from decades of war, which kill and wound hundreds of people every year. In Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar, a rickshaw loaded with explosives blew up near a mosque and registration center, wounding a policeman and six civilians, Khogyani said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Advertisement Both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate are active in Nangarhar. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bombing in Jalalabad on Saturday that wounded 12 people, including two traffic police. UPDATES: 4:35 a.m.: Updated with a blast in Jalalabad. This article was first published at 11:35 p.m. Alfie Evans, a British toddler with a degenerative brain condition whose parents lost a legal battle to keep him on life support at a Vatican hospital, was mourned with balloons set free in the sky and prayers from the pope after he died Saturday weeks shy of his second birthday. Kate James and Tom Evans said their sons death overnight in Liverpool had left them heartbroken. Alfies condition left him with almost no brain function, and multiple courts ruled that keeping him alive was not in his best interests before doctors removed his ventilator five days ago. My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30, Evans, 21, wrote in a Facebook post decorated with a broken heart and crying emojis. As news spread in the community, dozens of people laid flowers and mementos in a park near Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool, where Alfie was treated. Advertisement People hold a prayer vigil for Alfie Evans in Saint Peters Square, Vatican City. (Claudio Peri / EPA/Shutterstock ) About 1,000 people gathered 12 hours after the boy died to release blue and purple balloons in solidarity with the grieving mother and father who had struggled to come to terms with their childs terminal illness. James, 20, posted a message on social media thanking everyone who supported the family through Alfies illness and court fight. Alfies case sparked a medical ethics debate that resonated far beyond Britain. Doctors overseeing his care said further treatment was futile and he should be allowed to die. But his parents fought for months to try to convince judges to allow them to take him to the Vaticans childrens hospital, where life support would have been maintained. Under British law, courts are asked to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the right course of treatment for a child. In such cases, the rights of the child take primacy over the parents right to decide whats best for their daughters and sons. Tom Evans speaks to the media outside Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool. (Peter Byrne / Associated Press ) Pope Francis, who met with Evans and publicly supported the parents campaign to bring Alfie to Bambino Gesu Hospital, wrote condolences that were posted Saturday on Twitter. Advertisement I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie, Francis said. Today I pray especially for his parents, as God the Father receives him in his tender embrace. Italy granted Alfie citizenship and put a military plane on standby to transport him to Rome, if the courts allowed it. Goodbye, little Alfie. We loved you, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted Saturday. Tensions between the toddlers parents and the hospital had eased in recent days. Evans, who earlier said doctors were wrong about Alfies prognosis and threatened to resume the court battle over his care, pledged to work with hospital staff to give his son dignity and comfort in his final days. Advertisement Alfies case received widespread attention outside Britain, especially in predominantly Catholic countries. Francis recently appealed for the wishes of the boys parents to be heeded, saying only God can decide who dies. UPDATES: April 28, 1:15 a.m.: This article was updated with additional background, details and comments. This article was originally published at 11:55 p.m. April 27. Maybe I didnt get her so much, President Trump mused to Fox & Friends. He was talking about his wife, Melania, whose birthday Thursday he dimly believed he had marked with a card. She was evidently not top of mind. As usual that slot was reserved for Hillary Clinton. (Breaking: Trump defeated Clinton in 2016.) Trump reminded the supercilious Fox TV hosts of his triumph over Clinton in the presidential election, inflating as usual his tally in the electoral vote. Trumps mind also danced with images of other women not his wife. In his lurching, unsteady rant, he spoke of Stormy Daniels, the pornographic-film actress who alleges she had a sexual relationship with him shortly after Melania gave birth to their son Barron. He let slip that, contrary to earlier protests, he had a crazy Stormy Daniels deal, overseen by his beleaguered personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. (Daniels lawyer called this truth-serum Trump blurt a hugely damaging admission by the president.) Advertisement The famous, if maybe fictional, sex workers of Moscow also addled Trump. Though he didnt explicitly mention those possibly phantom Muscovites, he told his Fox friends, Of course I stayed in Russia overnight, thus confirming another widely verified fact hed earlier denied. It seems hed had all the time he needed in Moscow in 2013 for the alleged revenge-urine event. Discretion forbids me from elaborating on this scurrilous rumor beyond this link to the complete Steele dossier. Tangled webs! Ideally, while her husband raved, Melania Trump spent her birthday speaking Slovenian, her mother tongue, with someone she actually loves. Maybe Barron, or her parents. One further hopes that she, in merry celebration, ignored his card and his foray on Fox & Friends. Although I believe pity is the least anyone married to an abuser deserves, I dont overlook evidence that Melania is not a sterling human. Oh, Melania. The canonical feminist position is that she deserves no pity. The former model made her bed, its said and gold diggers who spout birtherism like ventriloquists dummies have no place in the sisterhood. Although I believe pity is the least anyone married to an abuser deserves, I dont overlook evidence that Melania, now 48, is not a sterling human. In April 2016, she came close to countenancing anti-Semitic attacks on the journalist Julia Ioffe by people she called her fans. One of these fans had depicted Ioffe, who had written a moderately critical Melania profile, dressed for a gas chamber at Camp Trump. And then, more trivially, theres Melanias taste. While she nailed a pretty Chanel dress at the state dinner for the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, her usual synthetic-looking scuba garb says dont touch me. White hats, like the one she wore Tuesday to greet the Macrons, may say chastity, virtue or suburban prom. That hat seemed to have been placed with a carpenters level; Melania forgoes the jaunty angle favored by white-hat fan Olivia Pope on Scandal. Melania is not jaunty. Her usual dominatrix stilettos seem designed to flaunt her ornamental role, atrophy her calf muscles and further incapacitate her. Advertisement Indeed, shes incapacitated. And for that its also hard to have no pity at all. Trumps first wife, imperious Ivana, drags her; she used to try to be cutting in response, but now she swallows her feelings. She doesnt crack when more news breaks that her husbands a goat. She appears desperate but never sheds a tear. As the journalist Evgenia Peretz has observed, Melania once seemed poised to be the ideal advertisement for Trumps virility. That ad seems like a faded bit of Melanias long-lost trousseau. Now she promotes his status as physically repellent. When at the Macrons arrival she resisted, in vain, her husbands efforts to hold her hand, it became plain: In her agonizingly high heels, she will hit her mark like a steely, dead-eyed cadet, but when it comes to actually touching her husbands skin, even our spirit-broken trouper wont fall in line. Especially on the biggest of stages. Advertisement Or perhaps instead of his virility Melania now advertises Trumps kinship with the incel rebellion a drastic internet movement among involuntarily celibate men who, according to CNN, believe that women have unfairly denied them the sex to which theyre entitled. (Alek Minassian, who was charged with murder in the Toronto car rampage that left 10 dead, considered himself an incel and seems to have been radicalized into exterminationist misogyny by incel propaganda.) In any case, it takes a hard heart to scorn Melania these days. Once she was spotted laughing with Barack Obama at the funeral for former First Lady Barbara Bush, it became clear that she still has the capacity to smile. Yoked to Donald Trump, she just lacks a reason. Remember how we all used to smile more with Obama? Melania Trump has become a stand-in for the nation, which has also been humiliated, even threatened, by the presidents recklessly asserted droit du seigneur. We as a country an electoral-college majority of us married ourselves to a brutal overlord, and we have also made our bed. Anyone who finds fault with Melania for taking it, and for serving as an exponent of the presidents bigotry, has to do what she cannot as first lady. Stand up to him at the midterms, put on some sturdy shoes and break free. Advertisement Twitter: @page88 Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Dear Mediator: I recently moved out of an apartment in an older building. The property manager just notified me that the owner is keeping my $1,000 deposit and billing an additional $1,200 for damages that include scuffs on walls (which repainting will cover) and stains on carpeting (which needs to be replaced). I am beyond furious. I dont mind paying for actual damages I caused, but after this gouging tactic, Id rather spend money on a lawyer to sue these people to kingdom come. Ready for a Fight in Escondido Dear Ready: Advertisement When a dispute begins with an audacious demand from an opponent who may be vying for dominance, the first step is the hardest: Take a very deep breath, and carefully chart a strategy for playing the long game on your own terms. You can take heart in knowing that battles over security deposits are the most common landlord-tenant conflicts, which is why every state has laws governing the use and return of such funds. The California Department of Consumer Affairs has a Refunds of Security Deposits webpage with comprehensive information about when landlords can legally withhold deposits and how tenants can contest such charges. Ultimately, you could sue your landlord in small claims court or formally request mediation. Before you reach that point, you can take a series of actions that will put you in a strong negotiating position. Start by sending your landlord a written request for your deposit in appropriate legalese. The Judicial Branch of Californias online Self Help Center includes a Security Deposits webpage that will help you craft a magisterial letter describing your circumstances and citing relevant civil codes. California landlords cannot withhold deposit funds to repair minor damages caused by normal wear and tear. They must specify the repairs they deemed essential by means of an itemized statement listing work performed, hours spent, and expenses for labor and supplies. And they must attach all receipts and invoices. For your own documentation, review your personal records to assemble a history of your tenancy. Did you always pay the rent on time? (If not, be ready to take responsibility and provide context.) Did you ask for necessary repairs that were neglected or botched? Did you fix any problems or make any improvements during your stay? As you gather paperwork, prepare a narrative that shows you to be fair and principled. You are willing to pay for damages that were demonstrably your fault. You believe that you and the landlord are both acting in good faith, and you want to clear up misunderstandings and part on amicable terms. This may seem like a lot of work, but it will be time well spent, because you will be leveraging what negotiators call the principle of consistency, a useful compass for navigating all kinds of interpersonal conflicts. Advertisement If your behavior throughout a negotiation is consistent with your stated goals and principles, you will be perceived as capable and conscientious. That perception empowers us in more ways than we know. One of our mediators recently handled a landlord-tenant security deposit dispute. The tenant came in with a well-organized portfolio of documents, and he made a persuasive case for the full return of his deposit. The landlord confessed that her firm is understaffed and overwhelmed. She offered the tenant his full deposit. Then she offered him a job as her office manager, which he accepted. Lets end with a lesson learned. At the start of any big-ticket rental agreement housing, a vehicle, equipment take pictures and notes of the original condition, and stash them for long-term safekeeping. Advertisement Steven P. Dinkin is a professional mediator who has served as President of the San-Diego based National Conflict Resolution Center since 2003. Do you have a conflict that needs a resolution? Please share your story with The Mediator via email at mediatethis@ncrconline.com or as an online submission by visiting www.ncrconline.com/MediateThis. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Millions of Americans have bought into the exciting new world of consumer genealogy, sending spit-filled tubes to DNA-testing websites that offer to help them discover their family history. But the massive haul of DNA data, popularized by companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com, also has become a powerful weapon for police hoping to solve enduring mysteries, including, at times, by using the genetic data of unwitting volunteers. The capture this week of a man whom police believe to be the Golden State Killer who became a suspect only when police matched crime scene DNA to a distant relative on a genealogy website used to map family trees has highlighted the consumer DNA industrys growing role in reenergizing cold cases and reshaping justice in the digital age. But the hyper-personal datas use in public policing also has inflamed concerns that people dont truly understand the power of what theyre handing over: the building blocks of identity, both for themselves and their families. And, in some cases, theyre giving police the keys to linking their loved ones to evidence that could convict them. Advertisement The Golden State Killer had mystified authorities for a generation, carving a trail of unsolved crimes across California that included at least a dozen killings and 45 rapes. But the case, police say, was ultimately cracked with help from GEDmatch, a barebones genealogy database of volunteered DNA samples whose operators say they didnt realize it was being used in the criminal investigation. Police, armed with DNA evidence that was of limited use to investigators in the 1970s and 1980s, were able to compare the genetic material with the data on the website. That data pointed them to distant relatives of Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, a former police officer and retired mechanic. As they followed the family tree, they found DeAngelo, who matched the age and description of a potential suspect and also happened to live in areas near where the notorious crimes occurred. They followed him. Discarded DNA that police recovered from DeAngelo matched the DNA from the crime scenes, authorities said. Four decades after the first crimes, and three decades after the killer went dormant, they made an arrest. Former Sacramento County sheriffs detectives Richard Shelby and Carol Daly, two of the original investigators on what was also known as the East Area Rapist case, were gobsmacked by the techniques used to capture the man they had trailed long ago. Daly likened those days to the Dark Ages, when he placed calls via pay phone, filed reports via typewriter and dusting for prints was the big thing in criminal investigations. Its revolutionary, Shelby said. Its one of the best crime-fighting tools to come in a long, long time. But criminal-justice and privacy experts questioned how people who have gotten their DNA tested online would react to the possibility that their choice could someday lead police to their relatives or themselves. Even the people who consent by uploading their DNA often dont imagine the ways their information will be used, said Erin Murphy, a New York University law professor who researches forensic technology. They arent really thinking through the implications of creating this treasure trove of data that can be mined. Advertisement DeAngelo was arrested Tuesday, and jurisdictions across California began charging him in the string of crimes this week. He appeared in a Sacramento County courtroom on Friday afternoon, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and pushed in a wheelchair, speaking only briefly in a quiet rasp. Consumer genealogy sites such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com sell DNA testing kits, often cheaper than $100, to millions of customers wanting detailed information on their family, lineage and ethnicity. The services offer privacy controls for user data but can also help connect users with possible long-lost relatives. The service police used, GEDmatch, does not sell testing kits, but its users amateur hobbyists and professional researchers can upload DNA profiles provided by other sites. GEDmatchs database now includes roughly a million distinct DNA sets. Representatives from 23andMe and Ancestry.com on Friday distanced themselves from the open-source firm, saying they do not share data publicly and will not share information with law enforcement unless legally compelled. Advertisement Some company officials voiced concern that episodes like these could impact users trust in the consumer DNA ecosystem, citing focus groups where customers said they were nervous that their DNA could be shared with insurance providers, their employers or the police. But the companies, leaders of the young consumer-genealogy industry, have served as the top contributors to the vast landscape of publicly available online DNA data. Its thanks to the advertising budgets of 23andMe and Ancestry that so many millions of people are coming into genealogy for the first time, said Blaine Bettinger, a professional genealogist in New York. GEDmatchs privacy policy says its tools are for comparison and research purposes and encourages people to think closely about what theyre providing. In the end, if you require absolute privacy and security, we must ask that you do not upload your data to GEDmatch, its policy states. Curtis Rogers, a GEDmatch co-founder, said in a statement that while we were not approached by law enforcement or anyone else about this case or about the DNA, it has always been GEDmatchs policy to inform users that the database could be used for other uses. Advertisement Searching through the DNA of relatives to find suspects also known as familial DNA has long been controversial. Ten states allow familial searching within their borders, while the practice is banned in Maryland and the District. But there is no such law for private DNA sites. Kenneth Mains, founder of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases, said he had personally run DNA markers through many genealogical sites in order to help move a case forward. Any resource that helps investigators solve the 200,000-plus cold cases in the United States needs to be utilized, Mains said. As an investigator, you will take that lead. Prosecutors say they see the private genealogical databases as an investigative gold mine, and they worry that privacy concerns could block them from the breakthroughs needed to track down future predators. Advertisement Why in Gods name would we come up with a reason that we not be able to use it, on the argument that it intrudes onto someones privacy? said Josh Marquis of the National District Attorneys Association. Everythings a trade-off. Obviously we want to preserve privacy. But on the other hand, if were able to use this technology without exposing someones deepest, darkest secrets, while solving these really horrible crimes, I think its a valid tradeoff. Some legal experts compared the use of public genetic databases to the way authorities can scan other personal data provided to third-party sources, including telephone companies and banks. Others suggested further scrutiny as the amount of publicly available DNA multiplies. The law often lags behind where technology has evolved, said Barbara McQuade, a University of Michigan law professor and former U.S. attorney. With DNA, most of us have the sense that that feels very private, very personal, and even if you have given it up to one of these third-party services, maybe there should be a higher level of security. The use of the genetic database could open up avenues for investigators probing other cold cases, but it left numerous questions unanswered, including how many other DNA samples from innocent people had been inspected by police, Murphy said. She also questioned whether users who had submitted their DNA knew of the datas ramifications. Even if [users are] content with making that trade-off with their personal data, theyre also making that trade-off with their extended family, their children, their childrens children, she said. And theyre not just making it for 2018, but for 2020 and 2040, when data from the genome could be used in all sorts of different ways. Advertisement Before the DNA breakthrough, the Golden State Killer case had long stymied detectives. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said investigators had worked for years trying to learn the source of the DNA recovered from one of the crime scenes. When DeAngelo, then under surveillance, discarded an unidentified item containing his DNA, detectives grabbed it. On April 20, they tested it against the DNA taken from one of the crime scenes. It was a match. Schubert was out to dinner that Friday evening when her phone rang. Are you sitting down? Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Grippi asked her. I probably said a few times with some expletives that he better not be kidding me, Schubert said. After a second DNA test and match, police arrested DeAngelo at his home on Tuesday. Schubert defended the work, although she nodded to the privacy concerns likely to emerge as a result. Advertisement Im sure those questions will be raised through this court process, Schubert said. I also know that we are sitting here today with an individual in custody for probably one of the most significant serial cases of all time. Berman, Harwell and Jackman reported from Washington. The Washington Posts Avi Selk contributed to this report. The Trump administration is struggling to assemble a coalition of Arab military forces to replace U.S. troops battling Islamic State militants in eastern Syria, a roadblock that could indefinitely delay President Trumps goal of pulling American forces out of the country, U.S. officials said. Allies in the region are deeply skeptical about sending their troops and many are even reluctant to contribute funds to help stabilize cities and towns liberated from Islamic State, according to senior U.S. officials, if the United States intends to pull out, as Trump has threatened. Roughly 2,000 U.S. troops have been working with local fighters in eastern Syria to defeat Islamic State. The militants presence east of the Euphrates River has shrunk to a few towns and rural strongholds that are being pounded by U.S.-led airstrikes. But what to do once those fighters are defeated remains a matter of stark disagreement between Trump and his advisors, especially at the Pentagon, where officials fear Trumps desire for a rapid troop pullout could enable the militants to regroup and give a freer hand to Russia and Iran. Advertisement Trump signaled plans for an abrupt U.S. pullout this month when he declared he wanted to remove American troops very soon, and news reports indicated he told aides he wanted them out in six months. Pentagon and State Department officials rushed to reassure allies involved in possible contributions to a Syrian follow-on force that there is no timetable for a U.S. pullout. Even so, the prospects for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab countries to send troops and trainers to Syria is remote, U.S. officials said. Although worried about Irans growing presence, they fear becoming bogged down in Syrias multi-sided civil war and being handed the difficult job of controlling Islamic State. There is no serious appetite in the region to do that much on the ground, said a senior U.S. official involved in the talks with allies, who spoke on the condition he not be identified to discuss internal assessments. One thing is certain: No other military, particularly from the region, will enter Syria if we are not there in some capacity. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told reporters in the capital, Riyadh, this week that his government has been in discussion with Washington since the beginning of the Syrian crisis about sending forces into Syria. It has yet to send ground troops in, however. U.S. officials are warning the White House that the U.S. is risking repeating the same mistake it made in Iraq, when President Obama withdrew U.S. forces in December 2011 despite warnings from the Pentagon and critics that Iraq was still unstable only to send them back in 2014 after Islamic State fighters swept across the border from Syria and appeared on the verge of capturing Baghdad. We learned that the Iraqi forces were incapable of providing security inside the country, and that gave the enemy an opportunity to resurge, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Thats where, really, ISIS had the space to grow. Hoping to prevent a recurrence, the Pentagon is discussing a plan to continue U.S. airstrikes and special operations raids against Islamic State, also known by the acronym ISIS, in Syria even after U.S. ground forces withdraw. The concept is aimed partly at reassuring allies worried that the U.S. will leave them unprotected if they contribute to a stabilization force in eastern Syria, the officials said. U.S. ground troops would be gradually withdrawn beginning later this year. But airstrikes and ground operations staged from nearby bases in the region would aim to keep Islamic State contained, targeting leaders, bomb-making facilities, equipment and training facilities, a second official familiar with Pentagon planning said. Advertisement That would enable Trump to claim he fulfilled his vow to remove U.S. forces without completely disengaging from Syria, the officials said. But they conceded that they are unsure how long the president is prepared to let U.S. ground troops remain. Although he has not yet set a deadline for a U.S. pullout, Trump has made clear he wants to hand off the mission in Syria as soon as possible to regional allies. That has heightened the urgency of getting pledges of financial and military support. Hours after he won his Senate confirmation Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left on his first official trip. Syria was high on the agenda in his visits with military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels, as well as in planned stops in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. Highlighting the split between Trump and his advisors, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said the U.S. would probably regret not leaving troops in Syria to train local security forces in liberated areas and to protect Syrian militias that have aided the U.S. effort. Advertisement We have to create local forces that can keep the pressure on any attempt by ISIS to try to regenerate, Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned Mattis and Dunford that the Syrian Democratic Forces, a grouping of Arab and Kurdish militias that has become the main U.S.-allied ground force, could face attacks from Turkish forces. Infuriated by Washingtons support for Syrias Kurds, Turkey launched a military campaign in January, dubbed Operation Olive Branch, to rout the U.S.-backed force from near the Syrian-Turkish border, where the Kurds hope to create their own state inside Syria. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurds to be terrorists linked to restive Kurdish separatist groups at home, against which it has fought a decades-long insurgency war. Advertisement Turkish special forces working alongside Syrian rebel groups last month captured Afrin, a Kurdish-majority enclave near Aleppo city. The town of Manbij, where some U.S. troops are stationed approximately 50 miles northeast of Aleppo, may be their next objective. U.S. lawmakers are pressing Pentagon officials not to abandon the Kurds. If we leave too soon, Turkey is going to go after the Kurds that helped us destroy ISIS. Are you worried about that? Graham asked Mattis. Weve got to get that situation right before we leave. In a meeting Friday in Brussels with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Pompeo urged Turkey to abide by its promise to reach a negotiated settlement on Manbijs future, according to a senior official who briefed reporters traveling with the new secretary of State. Advertisement The U.S. also is discussing offering other inducements to regional allies to help in Syria, such as offering to name Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, a designation held by 16 other countries that widens access to U.S. weapons sales and Pentagon stockpiles. The United Arab Emirates pledged to contribute $60 million in humanitarian assistance for Syria at a conference this week in Brussels. But U.S. officials say such pledges are largely focused on assisting refugees, not on rebuilding infrastructure and training local police, the tasks considered most vital for stabilizing eastern Syria. Any contributions will mean little if Trump orders an abrupt U.S. withdrawal, officials said. Nobody will invest hundreds of millions of dollars if they think we are just leaving, said one of the senior officials. It is all quite uncertain. Advertisement Last February, a civil defense volunteer, a member of the group known as the White Helmets, checks the site of a Syrian airstrike in the rebel-held town of Saqba, in the besieged eastern Ghouta enclave on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus. ((AFP / Getty Images) ) david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT UPDATES: Advertisement 5:25 p.m.: This report has been updated with a comment from the Saudi foreign minister. This article was originally posted at 2:35 p.m. A shoplifting turned into a robbery when a thief pulled a knife on workers at Macys in Carlsbad Saturday, police said. Officers searched around the The Shoppes at Carlsbad, at Marron Road and El Camino Real, until they found a man hiding in brush near state Route 78. The 23-year-old Ramona man was jailed on charges of robbery and having stolen property, Carlsbad police Lt. Steve Thomas said. Macys workers called 911 about 2:50 p.m. to report that they had just been robbed. They told officers that a man had walked in, gathered two pairs of pants and several purses, and walked out without paying. Advertisement When employees confronted him outside, he pulled out a knife, Thomas said. The man then ran off across the parking lot and into some brush. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard Six people and two pets were displaced by an apartment fire in Mira Mesa Sunday morning, fire officials said. Fire personnel received the call shortly after 5 a.m., according to San Diego Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Monica Munoz. They responded to a two-story apartment complex on Capricorn Way, east of Camino Ruiz. Damage to the structure was estimated at $30,000, and $15,000 for the contents inside the unit, Munoz said. The Red Cross is assisting those who were displaced. Advertisement dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield Sheriffs deputies arrested 13 people in a Saturday warrant sweep from Santee to Pine Valley, authorities said. Those arrested had a total of 34 misdemeanor and two felony warrants, said sheriffs Sgt. Rick Turvey of the court services bureau. Deputies spread out across El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside, Alpine and Pine Valley to make the arrests. Persons who have outstanding warrants can turn themselves in at any sheriffs courthouse facility from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Advertisement pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to rule fundraising in the governors race, with more than $17.6 million in the bank, according to fundraising documents filed with the state. But wealthy allies of fellow Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa dumped more than $12.5 million into an independent effort to boost his candidacy just before mail ballots are sent to voters. The money, which was contributed by a handful of donors over the course of a week, is funding a barrage of television advertisements promoting Villaraigosas record at a time he needs to change the narrative of the race. Recent polling has shown him scrambling for second place, which he needs to capture in the June primary to move onto the general election. (Los Angeles Times ) But Villaraigosa has a very, very powerful weapon, Bill Whalen, a fellow at Stanfords Hoover Institution, said of the large infusion of cash to the former mayor of Los Angeles. Advertisement A poll released last week by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies showed Republican candidates John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach ahead of Villaraigosa by at least 7 percentage points. Whalen still believes Villaraigosa has an edge because of money. The more things change in California, the more they stay the same, said Whalen, who worked as a speechwriter for Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. It comes down to the final push in the month before the primary and the power of television. Villaraigosa has raised $2.4 million this year and reported having $7.1 million in the bank with $101,011 in debt. But the pro-Villaraigosa independent expenditure committee which can take unlimited donations funded by charter-school backers had $7.3 million in its bank account as of April 21, according to reports filed with the state on Thursday. It has continued to pick up six- and seven-figure checks since then. The biggest contributors to that effort include Netflix chief Reed Hastings, Los Angeles billionaire and philanthropist Eli Broad and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Follow California politics by signing up for our email newsletter Newsom continues to lead in the polls and fundraising. He reported raising $4.6 million this year, leading to a total haul of $24.9 million since he began running in early 2015. He reported $59,325 in debt. (Los Angeles Times ) He also has $2.9 million in a lieutenant governor campaign account that can be transferred to his gubernatorial campaign. An independent expenditure group formed by the California Nurses Assn. backing Newsoms bid also has $1 million in the bank. Advertisement State Treasurer John Chiang is the other Democrat in the race with substantial resources going into the primary. He has $7.9 million cash on hand, but his donations slowed this year while he reported raising nearly $4.4 million, $3.1 million of that was a transfer from his treasurers campaign account. Chiang reported $28,864 in debt. An independent expenditure committee supporting Chiangs bid formed by the United Nurses Assn. of California/Union of Health Care Professionals raised $250,000 this year. But Chiang has not shown any movement in the polls, typically placing in the single digits. Nor has former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, who reported $140,701 in the bank and $101,370 in debt. Among Republicans, Cox, a wealthy Rancho Santa Fe businessman, leads with $1.2 million in the bank. He has donated $4 million to his campaign, and has been scrapping with Villaraigosa for second place in recent polling. Advertisement Allen, his top GOP rival, has $147,609 in the bank and $28,120 in debt. But he has support among grass-roots conservative voters, and has been scooping up local party endorsements up and down the state. Coverage of California politics They are both trying to create momentum by aligning themselves with a gas-tax repeal initiative on the November ballot, and by opposing Californias sanctuary state law, a movement sweeping conservative parts of the state. Next weekend, the California Republican Party will decide whether to endorse in the race. If either candidate wins the partys nod, that could help him consolidate the states GOP voters, increasing the chances of placing second in the June primary. Advertisement One of them has to convince Republicans that they are the real Republican, said veteran Democratic political strategist Darry Sragow, publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book. He added that while money is necessary to campaign in a state as large as California, it is not determinative. He pointed to 2010 GOP nominee Meg Whitman, who spent $178.5 million on her unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign, including $144 million of her own money. Given Californians are not intimately familiar with any of the candidates in the race even Newsom the campaigns need to be both efficient and disciplined when reaching out to undecided voters and when crafting a core political message that will resonate, he said. Having gobs of money and throwing it at the wall doesnt mean success, Sragow said. Advertisement seema.mehta@latimes.com phil.willon@latimes.com For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema and @philwillon on Twitter. State 1 tops migrant workers Province 1 contributes the highest number of migrant workers for foreign jobs, among all provinces in Nepal, according to a report on labour migration. It ranks number one for the last nine years, sending 25.51 percent foreign workers from fiscal year 2008-09 to 2016-17. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Time to focus on good-governance, progress and development: PM Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said reiterated that the time has come for the government to deliver on its promise of good-governance, economic prosperity and development. Van laden with illegal chickens under control Police took under control a vehicle laden with chicken from Bariyarpatti of Siraha on Saturday night while being illegally imported to Nepal from India. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - So now we've come to the part of the program where the City of New York wants to charge us for parking on our own residential streets. Well, not on every street. At least not yet. City Council members have introduced legislation to create a residential parking permit program for Manhattan residents in areas above 60th Street. In order to park, you have to have a permit. The reason is to save folks in those neighborhoods from competing with non-residents for the spots. Apparently, a lot of suburban motorists come south and take up all the parking spots, leaving residents in the cold. So we're charging you to park on your own street in order to help you. It's also supposed to make things safer for pedestrians and cyclists, because so much of the traffic in these neighborhoods is apparently drivers circling the blocks looking for a place to park. Of course, there will be a nominal fee for the permit, something like $25 a year. At least initially. The prices vary in different cities around the country. In San Francisco, the yearly residential parking fee is $128. But in Washington, D.C., the full-time resident price is just $35. But if you're a temporary D.C. resident? That will cost you $250 for six months. Student? You'll pay $338 per year. There's a range of options, is what I'm saying. So if residential permit supporters tell you that generating a revenue stream has nothing to do with it, don't believe them. The city, any city, will take any money it can get its hands on. And it costs them a pittance. All they have to do is put up some signs. So if all things that have been proposed come to pass, we'll have to pay a congestion pricing fee to enter Manhattan below 60thStreet, and we won't be able to park at all above 60thStreet. Not that congestion pricing, if it ever happens, is going to stop people from flocking to the city. Most people are just going to gripe and pay the congestion price when they travel below 60thStreet in Manhattan. More money for the coffers, in other words. As for ferreting out prohibited parkers in Upper Manhattan if this new program goes into effect, I guess we'll have to increase police patrols there. Or hire a whole new army of parking police. Is that what we want the NYPD to spend its time doing? Maybe the revenue generated will make it all worthwhile. Or maybe those bad suburban drivers will figure that the price of a parking ticket is less than they would have to pay to park their car in a garage, and just park illegally. So I guess we'll have to up our towing capacity as well. Funny, we don't see the same urgency from the City Council when it comes to keeping New Jersey commuters from taking up all the free spots in our park-and-rides and on surrounding streets on the South Shore. Maybe that's further down on their list of things to do. And if the residential parking program is a "success" in Upper Manhattan, you can bet the city will look to put it in other areas where parking is tight. Which could be pretty much anywhere in the city. So if you're a resident of a particular street, how many permits are you allowed to buy? Will there be a sliding price scale based on the number of cars you need to park? San Francisco limits residents to four permits per address. Do the math on that and tell me it doesn't feel like a tax. And there's no guarantee that your parking fee will buy you that coveted spot in front of your house, by the way. It might only allow you to park somewhere on your street. So I'm going to pay for parking and not even be able to park in front of my own damn house? Good luck selling that one to Staten Islanders. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Boards of the United People's Party (UP) and Democratic Party (DP) together with the Board of the United Democrats (UD) extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Joe "Joe 4 So" Richardson with respect to his passing. "Mr. Richardson was a dynamic hardworking and committed man towards his country. His years of Government experience, service and mentorship to many individuals will never be forgotten," said UD President Stuart Johnson. We now in deep mourning, and join with the entire Sint Maarten community for strength during this time of bereavement. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. The Central Committee meeting which was adjourned on Thursday, 26 April 2018, after a presentation by the Minister of Finance on the 2018 Budget, will be reconvened at 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Council of Ministers will be present. Four (4) points have been added to the agenda. The agenda points are: 1. Advice regarding the installation and composition of the Permanent and Ad hoc Committees of Parliament 2. Advice regarding the installation and composition of the Committees of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) 3. Approval composition delegation and provisions for Members of Parliament to participate in IPKO and Tripartite in the Hague, the Netherlands from May 29 June 1, 2018 4. Advice concerning Regulation for faction workers of Parliament 5. Landsverordening tot vastelling van de begroting van het land Sint Maarten voor het dienstjaar 2018 (Landsverordening begroting 2018) (Zittingsjaar 2017-2018-107) (IS/480/2017-2018 d.d. 21 april 2018) National Ordinance stipulating the Budget of the Country for the year 2018 (National Ordinance Budget 2018) (Parliamentary Year 2017-2018-107) (IS/480/2017-2018 dated 21 April, 2018) Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, SXMGOV Radio 107.9 FM, video live stream via the internet www.pearlfmradio.sx, www.sxmparliament.org and also Parliament FB page: Parliament of Sint Maarten. Or as they say in The Netherlands... Proost!! Recently Edible Skinny was lucky enough to spend 8 days in The Netherlands. Between the canals of Amsterdam and the windmills of the North Sea, we discovered this country far and wide. And while on our trek of this Dutch wonderland, we utilized our time as kickass reporters to test out some travel items, Welcome to: "Let's Getaway: Dutch Edition Travel Product Review." So Cheers to exploring the globe! Or as they say in The Netherlands... Proost! BABBEL DUTCH LESSONS Dank je! On our way to discovering Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (aka the Kingdom of the Low Countries), we decided to learn some of the language basics. Enter online language course Babbel... the comprehensive learning system combines effective education methods with state-of-the-art technology. This isn't just about listening, interactive online courses improve your grammar through playing with your computer's microphone. Within days our vocabulary and and pronunciation skills were amped up to 11. Which was about the number of words we remembered when we got over to the Netherlands. But Hey, we said them like an authentic Hollander! ;-) https://www.babbel.com/ OLBAS OIL It sucks to get sick when your traveling, and unfortunately this happened to Matt on our trip... Luckily we had some Olbas Oil on hand to speed up the process of healing. Originating in Basel, Switzerland over 100 years ago, Olbas Oil is a blend of six essential oils made from healing herbs. These kickass oils are pure plant remedies (some of the nature's secret weapons in maintaining wellness). Olbas contains essential oils of peppermint (aromatic stimulant), eucalyptus (promotes oxygen absorption), cajeput (sinus soothing), wintergreen (warm soothing effect when used in massage), juniper (stimulated metabolism), and clove (strong stimulating aromatic). Since Kat didn't succumb to the sniffles, we deemed this the "good stuff" to prevent and protect yourself from those common cold breeding airplanes! https://www.pennherb.com/Olbas-Remedies COTOPAXI KUSA HYBRID JACKET Kat LIVED in Cotopaxi's Kusa Hybrid Jacket while in chilly Amsterdam... And not just because it's made with llama-fleece (cause who doesn't LOVE some llama LOVE...). This Hybrid features some SUPER technical things like 20D ripstopnylon fabric, which is finished with a DWR to create a light, durable, water-resistant outer shell. And below this technology Cotopaxi has applied their unique llama-fleece insulation to keep you nice and warm when the mercury dips. Plus it's a Do-Goodery company! Cotopaxi designates 2% of their revenue to help alleviate poverty around the world. Their products are guaranteed to last 61 years, the average lifespan of a person living in the developing world! So stay European warm in Llama style!!! https://www.cotopaxi.com/collections/womens-apparel/products/kusa-hybrid-womens?variant=32547978762 MOSHI TEGO SLING MESSANGER BAG THIS BAG WAS A LIFESAVER! The Moshi Tego Sling Messenger blends functionality with a sleek Asian minimalist design. The Tego was PERFECT for biking the streets of Amsterdam. The cross body messenger, is wearable on the left or right shoulder, features a quick-release strap for easy access, and an ActiveStrap for added stability on the move. Smart yet refined, each bag in the Tego series is constructed with concealed rear zippers for added security when we hit the streets of Europe. Crafted from a lightweight and durable fabric, this messenger bag is cut-proof and weather-resistant to keep your belongings secure and dry. Plus it's SUPER DUPER sophisticated looking making you look like you're wearing a bag from the FUTURE! ;-) https://www.moshi.com/anti-theft-bags-tego NOMADER WATER BOTTLE This is life hacking at its best! This lightweight collapsible water bottle can roll up to the size of an orange when your done using it! The bottle loops around your wrist for easy carry or attaches to your bag for quick access. Nomader is rated for temperatures of below 4 degrees to 248 degrees, making it safe to use for boiling water, hot beverages, and frozen margarita drinks. This space saving water bottle is perfect a post TSA filler up!!! https://www.nomader.com/ FACEBLASTER FROM ASHLEY BLACK If your a fan of Edible Skinny, you know we are FANS of Ashley Black's FasciaBlaster!!! So we were delighted to test drive the FaceBlaster while voyaging in the North Sea. The FaceBlasteris a completely new fascia straightening design with 3 tiny, dainty claws that employ the same benefits of the FasciaBlaster for smaller, delicate areas. It was specifically designed for the face and can help release tension, fascial adhesions, and tightness between the smallest joints and bones in the hands, feet, and neck. So for anyone with tight necks from carrying bags (READ US) or have TMG for stressing over delayed flights (also READ US): THIS IS THE PRODUCT FOR YOU!!! https://ashleyblackguru.com/product/faceblaster-from-ashley-black/9212453452/ MINISTRY OF SUPPLY: EASIER THAN SILK SHIRT Hollerback! This anti wrinkle button down has the ability for any traveler to go from Backpacker to Business Casual in 5 minutes! Ministry of Supply interviewed dozens of women to understand their clothing demands...they then went to into the laboratory and got to work. The result is their Easier Than Silk Shirt: machine washable, wrinkle-resistant, and as flexible as Kayne West's politics... ;-) https://ministryofsupply.com/products/easier-than-silk-shirt-1 SOUL INSOLE Orthotics with soul! When walking upon cobble-stoned streets, taking care of your toesies and feetsies becomes a priority! But Hallelujah, Soul Insole's minimalist and flexible design works with your shoes, not against them. The biomechanically designed shape of the Soul Insole effectively redistributes pressure evenly across the foot to relieve pressure from the heel and forefoot. An arch booster that can be added to a full length insole or placed in any shoe. Soul Insole uses the medial wall and existing structure of the shoe to increase support to your arch (which means it will feel different in each shoes). Soul Insole prevents overpronation while training the foot to maintain proper alignment and gait, helping to relieve symptoms of Plantar Fascitis. Hip Hip Hooray for feetsies so happy they can dance the night away!!! https://www.soulinsole.com/ TRAVELWISE 5 PIECE PACKING CUBE SET Never been disheveled again! The TravelWise 5 Piece Packing Cube Set is a travel essential that allows clothes to stay folded and neat when packed in their own "small drawers". These cubes have been featured on PopSugar, Marriot Traveler, and Reader's Digest and are FANTASTIC for staying organized. Constructed of lightweight, durable nylon, these multi-sized cubes compartmentalize similar items such as shirts, pants, swimsuits and electronic accessories to streamline packing. They are FAB for staying organized on both short and long trips and help travelers avoid over packing. The open mesh top makes searching for misplaced items a thing of the past. Travelwise is available in nine colors (including PINK)! Each set includes 1 small, 2 medium, and 2 large cubes to organize different sized items when traveling. https://www.amazon.com/TravelWise-Packing-Cube-System-Weekender/dp/B00HHBQZZY KIND BARS PROTEIN BARS Olbas Oil on hand to speed up the process of healing These were our GO-TO bars on this trip. Many protein bars on the market are a blend of sugar, more sugar, and artificial ingredients. Not KIND, this 12g of protein bar comes primarily from nuts such as whole peanuts, almonds, and soy. For that long train ride from Amsterdam to Eemshaven (8 hours) their Double Dark Chocolate Nut Bar was PERFECT solution to tiding us over! https://www.kindsnacks.com/products/protein Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy. She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures. You can find more about both brands at http://www.thiswayadventures.com Matt Bourquardez is a Writer for Edible Skinny. He has traveled the globe and rarely sees his house. T-Mobile, Sprint to form 'new company': CEO Washington, April 29 (AFP) Apr 29, 2018 US wireless operators Sprint and T-Mobile will form a new company and push development of a super-fast 5G network, the heads of both firms said Sunday. The announcement came months after the two companies called off merger talks when they failed to clinch mutually agreeable terms. "I'm excited to announce that @TMobile & @Sprint have reached an agreement to come together to form a new company -- a larger, stronger competitor that will be a force for positive change for all US consumers and businesses!" T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced as part of a series of tweets about the combined firm. T-Mobile, a division of Germany's Deutsche Telekom, and Sprint -- a subsidiary of Japan's SoftBank -- are at present the third and fourth largest US wireless operators, respectively. Together they have about 131 million subscribers, virtually matching second-ranked AT&T and posing stiff competition to market leader Verizon Communications. Sprint chief executive Marcelo Claure also used Twitter to announce "some incredibly exciting news - @Sprint and @TMobile are joining forces." He said that they will "combine to create the most disruptive U.S. carrier!" T-Mobile's Legere said on Twitter that "the New @TMobile will be the ONLY company able to bring a broad & deep nationwide 5G network -- something no US wireless company could achieve alone in the critical early years of 5G." Legere said that in its first three years, the new firm will be able to invest around $40 billion, "nearly 50 percent more than both of us invested in the last three years." - '30X more capacity' - "Together, we will build the highest-capacity mobile network in US history!! I'm talking 30X more capacity than T-Mobile today!!" T-Mobile is one of the biggest earners for its German parent. In 2017, it added 5.7 million net new customers compared with 8.2 million the previous year, but the hoped-for merger with Sprint fell through in November. The two firms had also held talks in 2014 on a merger but ended discussions in the face of opposition from US regulators. 5G or fifth-generation wireless communication networks would enable services such as smart cities, remote surgery and driverless cars, and would allow customers to experience video and virtual reality with greater ease. The first commercial 5G roll-outs begin this year and next in the United States, Korea and Japan, but industry players have cautioned development of 5G still has a long way to go. In February China's Huawei unveiled what it said is the world's first commercial chipset to meet the standards of 5G wireless networks. An unusual move by US President Donald Trump earlier this year to block a proposed takeover of Qualcomm by a chip rival then based in Singapore highlighted growing concerns about the rise of Chinese competitors. Trump's order made no mention of China, but an earlier letter from the US Treasury Department warned that a Broadcom takeover might hurt US leadership in 5G. 5G will account for 14 percent of global wireless connections by 2025, according to GSMA, the global mobile operators association. Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Hoettges has estimated the cost of providing 5G networks in Europe alone will be EUR300-500 billion ($363-606 billion). The telecoms industry will invest $275 billion in the United States to develop 5G networks there, Claure said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. Pompeo briefs Saudi, Israel on Trump plans for Iran deal Riyadh, April 28 (AFP) Apr 28, 2018 Washington's new chief diplomat was to meet Saudi and Israeli leaders on Sunday to rally coordinated opposition to Tehran and brief them on President Donald Trump's threat to end the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh on Saturday shortly after Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles across the kingdom's border. US officials travelling with Pompeo told reporters the Huthi missiles had been supplied by Iran, and cited the attacks as evidence that regional powers should work together. Pompeo had dinner with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and on Sunday he was due to meet his father King Salman. Then he was due to fly on to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then on to Amman in Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 nuclear accord, which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile program. Pompeo set off on his first diplomatic trip within two hours of being sworn in on Thursday and on Friday -- after talks with the NATO allies in Brussels -- he appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the deal. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo told reporters in at NATO headquarters. Perhaps the last chance to fix these supposed shortcomings came from talks between Washington and its European allies Britain, France and Germany on a supplemental agreement to sanction Iran's missile program. But both President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel left Washington this week after talks with Trump having failed to secure any promise that he might keep the core deal alive. - Air strikes - That may be music to the ears of the Saudi and Israeli leaders, who both support a tougher line on Iran. "This administration has made it a priority to address Iran's missile programs," a senior US official told reporters in Riyadh, condemning the latest Huthi volley of missiles, themselves in part a response to Saudi air strikes. "Iran supplies the missiles that the Huthis fire into Saudi Arabia, threatening civilians," he said. "Today alone the Saudis shot down four Huthi missiles, the latest in a string of such attacks." Earlier, a civil defense official had said that at least one Saudi had been killed by falling shrapnel as his government's air defense batteries attempted to intercept the missiles near the Yemen border. A Saudi-led coalition air strike overnight Friday to Saturday killed dozens of Yemeni rebels including two commanders, state media said. Prince Salman and his father will welcome US solidarity against Iran -- just as Israel will want to see greater US support for its efforts against Iranian influence in Syria and Lebanon -- but Pompeo has come with requests too. According to US officials, while Riyadh has a right to self-defense, it must come to see that the solution to Yemen's civil war will be a political one and its forces must not exacerbate the massive humanitarian crisis there. Washington also wants to see an end to the Gulf crisis that has seen Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates impose a diplomatic and trade embargo on fellow US regional ally Qatar. And, perhaps most importantly for Trump, Pompeo will urge Saudi Arabia to provide personnel and funding to help US efforts to stabilize northeastern Syria in the wake of the expected defeat of the Islamic State group. "The president has made clear that he wants to see meaningful participation from states in the region," another senior US official travelling with Pompeo's party said. "We want to see the kind of participation, for financial efforts, not just kinetic efforts that would match, parallel, would assist, the US role," he said. The United States has more than 2,000 troops in Syria. On Qatar, the US officials said they do not blame one side or the other, but want Riyadh and Doha to sort out the stand-off themselves. - Humanitarian tragedy - And on Yemen, they warned the Saudi-led coalition not to again block or bomb ports that supply vital civilian aid, warning that there is no military solution to the crisis. "The humanitarian situation in this tragic country cannot be allowed to become worse. It needs to get better. And that means full and free access to humanitarian goods, to commercial goods, to fuel," one said. Pompeo will conclude his first diplomatic trip on Monday after talks with senior Jordanian officials and then fly back to Washington to move in to his office in the State Department. N. Korea's aged nuclear test site faces closure Seoul, April 29 (AFP) Apr 29, 2018 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's promise to dismantle its only known nuclear test site next month has shone the spotlight on the secretive facility near the Chinese border. The Punggye-ri test site, located beneath a mountain in the country's northeast, has hosted all six nuclear tests Pyongyang has conducted -- most recently last September. Attention is now focused on whether that will prove to be the final test, as the diplomatic push for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons gathers pace ahead of Kim's eagerly-awaited summit with US President Donald Trump. - Ideal environment - The site is located deep inside mountains in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong, which borders China. Surrounded by high, craggy peaks and carved deep into a granite mountain more than 2,000 metres high, the test site is said to be an ideal venue to withstand the huge forces unleashed by nuclear blasts. The presence of the site became known in 2006 when the North conducted its first nuclear test under Kim's late father, longtime ruler Kim Jong Il, with activities closely watched through satellite imagery since then. Tunnels can be see entering the site from different directions. The first test was staged in the eastern tunnel, the second and third in the western tunnel and the remainder in the northern tunnel, according to intelligence authorities. - Powerful blast - Tests staged at the site have demonstrated the country's rapid progress in its nuclear programme -- especially since Kim took power in 2011 and oversaw four atomic tests in only six years. The country's first test was largely seen as a failure and produced an estimated yield of only about a kiloton, compared to as much as 250 kilotons in the sixth -- an explosion more than 16 times powerful than the US atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. But Punggye-ri's proximity to China has become a source of concern for Beijing, as the tremor from the sixth test was felt across the border and prompted many residents to flee their homes in panic. - Collapse claims - The growing impact of the blasts raised safety concern at the Punggye-ri site, with some Chinese scientists warning that it could pose a major radioactive threat to the wider region. Potential damage to the site became a topic for debate again this month after Kim declared he would shut down the facility -- followed by Sunday's revelation that he would invite foreign observers to verify it in May. Sceptics have said it was an empty concession by Kim as the site is already suffering from "tired mountain syndrome" and may be obsolete. A recent study by seismologists at the University of Science and Technology of China also suggested rock had collapsed under the Mantap peak, making it unusable. But Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies dismissed the claims, saying there is "no basis" to conclude it is no longer usable and the promised closure is "not a case of passing off damaged goods". - Radiation fears - The North has long claimed that its nuclear tests posed no environmental threats, saying there was "no radioactive leak" after conducting tests. But some South Korean and Japanese media reported that workers at the site or area residents suffered from radioactive exposure and symptoms including cancer and the births of deformed babies, citing the North's defectors and researchers. Such concerns prompted Seoul's unification ministry to run medical checkups on 30 defectors who hailed from the region for potential radioactive exposure last year. Four of them -- from the county of Kilju that includes Punggye-ri -- showed symptoms that could be attributed to radiation exposure, but researchers involved in the study said they could not conclude that the health problems had been caused by a nuclear test. Pompeo talks tough on Iran in first trip to Mideast allies Tel Aviv, April 29 (AFP) Apr 29, 2018 Washington's new chief diplomat lashed out at Iran on Sunday as he met Saudi leaders and landed in Israel to rally opposition to Tehran and brief US allies on President Donald Trump's threat to quit the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who set off on his first diplomatic trip within hours of being sworn in, met on Sunday with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, after dinner on Saturday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pompeo flew on to Tel Aviv to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then head to neighbouring Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. After the meetings in Riyadh, he accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, including through its support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and for Shiite rebels in Yemen. "(Iran) supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Huthi rebels in Yemen and Iran conducts cyber-hacking campaigns. And it supports the murderous Assad regime," Pompeo said at a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. "Unlike the prior administration we will not neglect the vast scope of Iran's terrorism." Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril a landmark 2015 nuclear accord which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from gaining atomic weapons. - 'Iranian interference' - But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile programme. Jubeir said Riyadh supports "efforts aimed at improving the nuclear deal" and called for further sanctions against Iran for its "violations of international decisions on ballistic missiles, its support for terrorism and its interference in the affairs of countries in the region." Iran has been accused of supplying missiles to the Huthis in Yemen, who on Saturday carried out the latest in a series of cross-border missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. Riyadh launched a military intervention against the rebels in 2015 after they took control of large parts of the neighbouring country. Netanyahu said he would also discuss Iran with Pompeo, noting that it was "important" that Israel was one of his first stops as the new secretary of state. "I will discuss with him developments in the region, Iran's growing aggression and -- of course -- the nuclear agreement with Iran, about which there will be a decision soon," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. Pompeo said in Riyadh that the nuclear deal "in its current form" does not do enough to make sure Iran never possesses atomic weapons, and again suggested Trump was ready to nix the agreement. "We will continue to work with our European allies to fix that deal, but if a deal cannot be reached, the president has said he will leave that deal," he said. President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany left Washington this week after talks with Trump which failed to secure any promise to keep the deal alive. In Washington, National Security Advisor John Bolton also said Trump was still considering his options on the nuclear deal. "He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," Bolton told Fox News Sunday. - 'Hopeful' on Qatar crisis - Speaking to reporters on the flight to Tel Aviv, Pompeo said Washington and Riyadh were on the same page. "I think we shared a great deal of overlap in terms of how we think about keeping stability in the Middle East," he said. Pompeo said he discussed calls from Trump for Saudi Arabia and other Middle East allies to contribute more to regional stability, including in Syria where the US has more than 2,000 troops. "We had good conversations about that, it's a complicated problem in Syria," he said, adding that he was "confident" of Saudi help but that it was too soon to discuss details. He also said he was "hopeful" of an end to the Gulf crisis that has seen Saudi Arabia and regional allies impose a diplomatic and trade embargo on fellow US ally Qatar. "They're going to figure this out... We've got a common challenge in Iran and I think they all recognise that." Pompeo will conclude his first diplomatic trip on Monday after talks with senior Jordanian officials, then fly back to Washington to move into his office in the State Department. 'No decision' by Trump on Iran nuclear deal: Bolton Washington, April 29 (AFP) Apr 29, 2018 US President Donald Trump has not yet decided whether or not to scrap the Iran nuclear deal, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday. "He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," Bolton told Fox News Sunday. "He is certainly considering the framework, the four pillars that President (Emmanuel) Macron laid out in their meeting last week," said Bolton, referring to efforts to supplement the Iran deal with additional measures to make it more palatable to Trump. In 2015 the United States, along with other nations, struck a deal with Iran to end a 12-year standoff over that country's nuclear program, which was feared to be leading towards an atomic weapons capability. Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear program in return for the lifting of punishing international sanctions, but Trump has criticized the deal as not going far enough. Britain, France and Germany -- the three European countries that signed the Iran nuclear deal -- are working to head off Trump's threat to walk away from the accord and reimpose sanctions. Trump has called the existing accord "insane" and "ridiculous," in part because its restrictions start to expire in 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed an additional deal that extends Iran's nuclear restrictions while also curbing its ballistic missile program and support for militias in the Middle East. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected any hopes of rewriting the nuclear deal itself. Libya denuclearization model for N.Korea: Bolton Washington, April 29 (AFP) Apr 29, 2018 Libya's decision to give up its nuclear program through diplomacy is a model for efforts to have North Korea do likewise, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday. "We have very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004," Bolton told Fox News Sunday when asked if North Korea would have to fully give up its nuclear weapons, fuel and missiles before the US makes concessions. "There are obviously differences, the Libyan program was much smaller. But that was basically the agreement that we made," Bolton said. "We'll want to test North Korea in this first meeting for evidence that they have made this strategic decision" to end their program, he said. But Libya's move to scrap its nuclear program also serves as a model of what North Korea fears will happen: its government was later overthrown by rebel forces supported by Western air strikes. Pyongyang regularly cites the fates of Saddam Hussein in Iraq -- whose government was overthrown in a US-led invasion -- and Libya's Moamer Kadhafi, as evidence of the need for nuclear arms. Some of Spain's best chefs have joined forces to take part in Chefs & Kids, an initiative in aid of the children's charity Aldeas Infantiles and endorsed by the town of Marbella and the Diputacion de Malaga. Martin Berasategui, Angel Leon, Eneko Atxa and Paolo Casagrande (whose restaurants have three Michelin stars) will be in charge of sparking the children's passion for cooking. Paco Perez, Dani Garcia, Mario Sandoval, Paco Roncero, Diego Guerrero, Francis Paniego, Jesus Sanchez, Kiko Moya, Fina Puigdevall, Erlantz Gorostiz and Oscar Velasco (two Michelin stars) will also be taking part, as will Jose Carlos Garcia, Diego Gallegos, Mauricio Giovanini, Ricardo Sanz, Paco Morales, Benito Gomez, Juan Jose Carmona, Miguel Angel Lopez (with one star each) and Diego del Rio. The events are organised by the Avalon company and will start in the morning of 21 May with culinary workshops at los Monteros, Marbella. The 24 participating chefs will work with children from the Aldeas Infantiles centre in Malaga and several schools in Marbella. These kitchen greats will teach the children to recognise textures, ingredients and, what is most difficult, try to pass on their passion for cooking. The chefs and children will also take part in a photo shoot for a calendar which will be sold to raise funds for the international Aldeas Infantiles organisation, which works to provide homes for deprived children and to help vulnerable families. Gala dinner In the evening, eight of the chefs will prepare a gala dinner at the hotel with executive chef Sebastian Conejo. The tickets for this unique evening have already gone on sale and can be purchased through the website https://chefsandkids.com/reservas/adquirir. They cost 350 euros per person. The chef of Messina, Mauricio Giovanini said, Hopefully the tickets will all be sold and a lot of money collected to help these children. Diego del Rio was enthusiastic about the idea of channelling the children towards the profession that has given him so much joy. Deputy mayor of Marbella Felix Romero applauded the Chefs & Kids initiative saying he hoped it would open up possibilities for minors to find a profession and help Aldeas Infantiles continue to perform the excellent work it does with young people. 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 ... Biomedical engineers at Duke University successfully decreased blood cholesterol levels in mice through a new approach to gene-silencing technology. Specifically, the engineers used a new delivery system of CRISPR/Cas9 into the bodies of mice. The new method resulted in reduced blood cholesterol levels in mice with the responsible gene rendered silent for the duration of six months and this is only after a single treatment. Additionally, through the new approach, the biomedical engineers were also able to observe how the immune systems of living organisms react when CRISPR/Cas9 was added to the bodies. What Is CRISPR/Cas9? Genome editing is the ability of different scientific technologies grouped together to alter a living organism's DNA. These technologies worked together to add, remove, alter genetic materials at certain locations in the genome. Genome editing offers hope of treatment for otherwise irreversible diseases. One approach to genome editing that has been developed is the CRISPR/Cas9. The term means "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9." CRISPR/Cas9 was derived from naturally occurring genome-editing system bacteria. The bacteria lock snippets of DNA from viruses and use them in its own creation of DNA segments or the CRISPR arrays. These arrays allow the bacteria to recognize the viruses or similar variants of the viruses. The moment these viruses attack again, the bacteria will produce RNA segments from the arrays to attack back against the viruses. The bacteria will then utilize the Cas9 or a similar enzyme to stop the DNA apart, thereby disabling the viruses. Reduced Blood Cholesterol Levels In Mice Biomedical engineers at Duke University headed by Charles Gersbach developed a technique to successfully put together and deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-silencing system to mice. For the technique, the team used adeno-associated viral vectors to deliver CRISPR/Cas-9-based repressors to the mouse liver. AAV are small viruses that were engineered to target a variety of tissues during clinical trials that involved human gene therapy. The said delivery system invalidated Pcsk9, a gene responsible for regulating cholesterol levels. Several of the drugs developed to aid high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease work by blocking the activity of the Pcsk9 gene. The new approach used by Gersbach and his team does not merely block but also ultimately stops the body from making the Pcsk9. Immune System's Response Against Cas9 While they deliver the CRISPR/Cas-9 into the liver of the mouse, the scientists also observed that there is an immune response against the Cas9 protein. This means that the immune cells were infiltrating the liver the moment it became aware of the delivered Cas9. The reaction gives the scientists a significant insight on how the immune system will respond to Cas9 gene technology therapy. Particularly significant is that the immune system might be recognizing Cas9 as a threat, and it is fighting the enzyme accordingly. Their complete study is published in Nature Communications. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Archaeologists say that skeletal remains of more than 140 children and 200 baby llamas they found in Peru could be proof of the largest child sacrifice in history. The children and baby llamas sacrifice are predicted to have taken place around 550 years ago at the pre-Columbian burial site known as Las Llamas. Following its findings, the scientific team hopes to know who these kids were and where did they come from. Largest Child Sacrifice In History Discovered The skeletal remains were found to have belonged to children aging from 5 to 14 years old. The llamas, on the other hand, were believed to be not more than 18 months old. The team, headed by Gabriel Prieto of the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo and John Verano of Tulane University, found that both the children and baby llamas suffered cuts to their sternum and they also have dislocation on their ribs. Their chests were believed to have been ripped apart to specifically get their hearts. Their faces were also painted with a red mixture made from cinnabar, a bright red mineral consisting of mercury sulfide. The archaeologists supposed that it had been done as part of the ritual before the sacrifice took place. The skeletal remains were found to be facing opposite directions. The children were buried facing west, out to the sea while the baby llamas were facing east, seemingly looking at the high peaks of the Andes. The team also concluded that the children and llamas were sacrificed in one ritual session. There were also skeletal remains of three adults found near where the children and llamas were buried. It is thought that these adults were also sacrificed. Why Were The Children Sacrificed? Prieto believes the children were offering to the gods to stop the floods brought by the El Nino. "They were possibly offering the gods the most important thing they had as a society, and the most important thing is children because they represent future, explains Prieto. As for the baby llamas, the people might have sacrificed them as well because they were also an integral part of the ancient community, being the only animals that carry loads for them. This theory was echoed by Haagen Klaus, a professor of anthropology at George Mason University. Klaus is not a member of the team involved in the recent discovery, however, he was at the helm of a separate excavation done at another site located in the north of Huanchaco. He inferred societies that lived along the northern Peruvian coast were compelled to sacrifice children because of the destruction brought by El Nino. He supposed that at the time, people were left to kill children when their sacrifice of the adults was futile to attract a more favorable weather condition. "The rains kept coming. Maybe there was a need for a new type of sacrificial victim," Klaus says. Meanwhile, the team of archaeologists, led by Prieto and Verano, will continue their investigation around Huanchaco to find more sacrificial sites. Their study is supported by grants from the National Geographic Society. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A 93-year-old former model has died from septicemia, a complication caused by crusted scabies that is left untreated for a long time. Rebecca Zeni was a resident at a nursing home in LaFayette, Georgia. According to the autopsy report, Zeni died a painful death due to millions of scabies mites living in her body. Records from the Georgia Department of Public Health show that Shepherd Hills Nursing Home reported incidents of scabies outbreak in 2013 and 2015. However, no inspection was conducted, instead, a state health official e-mailed information on how to treat scabies. Forensic pathologist Dr. Kris Sperry, a former medical examiner at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said that Zeni's death can be considered a "homicide by neglect" case and that the victim was likely eaten alive. "There was a conversation at this nursing home with a healthcare provider about being careful about touching Ms. Zeni's hand for fear that it might fall off her body," said Stephen Chance, one of the lawyers representing the family. Pruitt Health, the operator of Shepherd Hills, denied claims made by the Zeni family, saying that the company is not a medical or health provider. Health added that they have "no legal duty to Plaintiff or Ms. Rebecca Zeni for which it could be held liable in this litigation." What Is Scabies? Scabies is not an infection but an infestation of the skin caused by the human itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. The adult female mite burrows itself in the epidermis, where it lives and lays its eggs. Scabies is highly contagious and is usually transferred to from one person to another, skin-to-skin or through sexual contact. It is common in nursing homes, child care facilities, and prisons where mites spread in beddings and shared clothing. When scabies is left untreated, it will develop into a more serious disease called crusted scabies. Up to 2 million mites can live in a person with crusted scabies, and about 50 percent of the patients will die within five years. Signs And Symptoms Prevention and immediate treatment are necessary to avoid scabies outbreak. Itch and rash are common symptoms of scabies. When rash leads to a sore, it means that an infection has occurred in the affected area. Symptoms of scabies usually appear in wrists, elbows, armpits, nipple, waists, and even the genitals and buttocks. "The severe itch can lead to constant scratching. With non-stop scratching, an infection can develop. Non-stop scratching can even lead to sepsis, a sometimes life-threatening condition that develops when the infection enters the blood," advised the American Academy of Dermatology. Treatment For Scabies Treatments for scabies come in the forms of topical creams or lotions. These products called scabicides can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription. It is also important to apply the amount and frequency of the medicine as recommended by the physician. Infants with scabies are advised to take permethrin or sulfur ointments. Creams and lotions should be applied thoroughly in the body and on the scalp because scabies is likely to spread into different body parts. Dermatologists may also prescribe antihistamine, antibiotic, and steroid creams to control the itch, fight off infection, and ease swelling. Although ivermectin may be prescribed to patients with compromised immune systems, experts do not advise it for pregnant women or children who weigh less than 15 kilograms. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Men with stronger hand grip are likelier to be married compared with men with weaker grips. The unmarried men may experience the double burden of poorer health and a lack of spousal support. Hand Grip Strength And Marriage Prospects A group of researchers from Columbia University found an association between hand grip strength and likelihood of being married. Specifically, the male participants with stronger grips were likelier to be married than those with weaker grips. Researchers gathered their data with the help of over 5,000 participants from a Norwegian city, in particular by looking at the relationship between the hand grip strength and marital status of two groups: those born between 1923 and 1935, and between 1936 and 1948. Participants' hand grip strength was assessed using a vigorimeter, and the data was then matched with records in the Norwegian national death registry. The two groups had an almost equal percentage of married men and in both groups, the unmarried men exhibited lower grip strength. But compared to the older group, researchers found more unmarried men with lower grip strength in the second, younger cohort, and those who were never married were found to have significantly lower grip strength. Interesting as the results are, they were not the same for women, as grip strength was not found to be linked with their marital status. Researchers surmise that this could possibly be linked to women favoring partners who exhibit strength, whereas men do not particularly emphasize strength when selecting a partner. 'Double-Burden' What makes the results of the study significant? Apart from social outcomes, grip strength is actually associated with health and predicts the risks for cardiovascular diseases and mortality, especially among older adults. It allows adults to live socially active and healthy lives. Spousal support provides many of these benefits as well, especially since wives often encourage healthier behaviors and provide preventive care, while at the same time discouraging unhealthy lifestyles. "In recent decades, women are less dependent on men economically. At the same time, men have a growing 'health dependence' on women," said Vegard Skirbekk, PhD of Columbia Aging Center and Mailman School professor of Population and Family Health, coauthor of the study. On the other hand, the unmarried men may experience the double-burden of a low grip strength and a lack of spousal support as they age. As such, researchers state the significance of creating policies that may help the people in this population to lead healthier lives with the help of programs that encourage social interaction and provide information on avoiding the adverse consequences of independent living. The study is published in the journal SSM-Population Health. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After a monthslong effort, the Louisiana Public Defender Board recently reached a compromise on a new plan intended to more fairly distribute state funds used to pay lawyers who represent indigent defendants. The plan is the product of two different proposals, one from consultants who reviewed the public defender funding system and the other from a collaborative effort among the majority the state's district public defenders, said State Public Defender James Jay Dixon. While still far from thriving, he said, the plan should prevent the state's 42 offices from failing. "Under that plan, everyone will make it," Dixon said. "It's very complicated to get a formula that works for everyone, and because there's not enough money, every single plan we come up with has winners and losers." Area district defenders agree the compromise is an improvement on what was previously considered a confusing and often lopsided system of divvying up the state funds. But without enough money allocated for that distribution process, East Baton Rouge Parish District Defender Mike Mitchell said it's impossible to be satisfied. "At the very least, everyone is being treated equally under the state board for distribution," Mitchell said, calling the new plan a success in that regard. "I don't think any of the plans were sufficient due to the fact the amount of funds we receive from the state are insufficient." Louisiana's public defender offices are notoriously dependent on traffic fines and court fees, an arrangement unlike any other in the country. That funding method creates a volatile and unpredictable foundation for the legal representation guaranteed to all accused under the U.S. Constitution. The secondary revenue source for the local public defenders often more reliable but less substantial comes from the state's yearly allocation, which is doled out to the districts by the Public Defender Board. Dixon said the new distribution formula relies in large part on the plan developed by consulting agency Postlethwaite and Netterville, which considered each district's population, its caseload by type of crime and ratio of the local funding to hours worked in determining how much money the district should receive. In Louisiana, public defenders fight for scraps, argue how to change funding system Public defender offices in Louisiana are notoriously dependent on traffic fines and court fees for their primary revenue. That creates what ma "It's all based on data," Dixon said, adding that this plan did not take into consideration some of the peculiarities of some districts or historical funding schemes. The other plan developed by the Public Defender's Association of Louisiana, a group led by Mitchell, created two separate formulas for how money was sent to the smaller and larger districts. Dixon said the final hybrid plan adopted the portion of that plan that dealt with strengthening the position of often forgotten smaller districts. But because the amount of money available under the new plan is still limited, almost all districts are still worried. In fact, under the new plan, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and the Orleans public defender offices are receiving less money from the state than they did last year. Those three district defenders all said they are concerned about their offices' operation throughout the upcoming fiscal year, beginning in June, especially as they are all already struggling short attorneys, investigators and local funding. And, Dixon said, the hybrid plan is only approved for fiscal year 2019, which means deliberations for further distribution formula will have to begin again soon. Public Defender Alan Robert, of the 23rd Judicial District, which includes Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes, said hes concerned that the distribution plan still factors in local funding and prior spending hurting him for his attempts to be frugal and because his district has strong local funding, often an offshoot of the presence of a heavily traveled interstate. People are rewarded for their historically high spending, Robert said. "(It's) still not fair ... but we can live on it. In one of the state's smaller districts, Rhonda Covington, district defender for East and West Feliciana parishes, said she didn't even try to get involved in the development of the new distribution plan simply because she didn't have time. "We're just basically at their mercy," Covington said, who is the only full-time attorney in the 20th Judicial District. Her state funding will be more than cut in half under the new plan, which she said will only cripple her more. I find it extremely unfair," Covington said. "If you are a client of the public defender's office in a rural area, you do not get the same services as you would get in the city. A state law that passed almost two years ago attempted to address that issue, requiring the Public Defender Board to give a minimum of 65 percent of its overall funding directly to public defender offices, which resulted in about a 25 percent annual increase to the district offices, from about $16 million to $20 million. Prior to that law, Dixon said, about half of the budget went to nonprofit organizations across the state to supplement all districts' work that do death penalty case representation, post-conviction and juvenile work. These groups can travel the state working in all regions, Dixon said, instead of having each district staffing the specialized services. A bill that advanced out of the House criminal justice committee this legislative session would further increase the proportion of state funds designated only for local districts, not to nonprofits, to 70 percent. State Rep. Sherman Mack proposed the bill hoping to better support the local public defender offices, but Mitchell said it would do the opposite. "Nonprofit funding is absolutely necessary," Mitchell said. "They do a tremendous service to the system and to the districts. But 15th Judicial District Defender G. Paul Marx, whose district includes Lafayette, Acadia and Vermillion parishes, said the nonprofits, which are primarily based in New Orleans, disproportionately help the districts in their backyard. He said they would benefit from more funding directly in southwest Louisiana. Orleans District Defender Derwyn Bunton disputed that claim, saying the organizations travel the parish from Shreveport to Lake Charles. He also said the nonprofit work should not be cut simply because the state cannot find further funding for public defenders. Bunton said he hopes as legislators continue to focus on criminal justice reform, they look closely at a crucial piece to that puzzle: public defenders. I dont think you succeed success in (in limiting jail population) without addressing public defenders, Bunton said. If you want to get folks to jail fast, just dont resource their defenders. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission In a typical week, state Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee takes part in dozens of meetings and conference calls with health care professionals and also pops up at inspections of health facilities or restaurants, free testing events and ribbon-cuttings for new services across the state "The governor told me to be an active secretary, so that's what I do I get out of my office," she said in a recent interview in her New Orleans office. "Every day is different." A bill proposed at the State Capitol over when and how Cabinet members do their jobs has been met with speculation that it is targeted at Gee, who lives in New Orleans and has an office there in Benson Tower in addition to her downtown Baton Rouge office. It would require department heads to work "full time" seven hours a day and 40 hours a week and "report to work on each day that his (or her) agency is open to the public." It also would prohibit agency heads from performing any outside work related to their state government jobs when they receive, directly or indirectly, anything of economic value or volunteering on their own time for any organization that falls under the agency's jurisdiction or regulation. Gee, an obstetrics and gynecology physician who was appointed head of the Louisiana Department of Health in January 2016, has continued occasional clinic work, without pay, at the LSU Uptown Clinic on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. LSU Health Sciences provides professional support services given to other physicians who also do pro bono work there, according to the Health Department. As health secretary, LSU Health Sciences falls under Gee's purview, raising questions of whether it puts her in a conflicted position working, even pro bono, for an entity she oversees. It's unclear how the bill ultimately would affect Gee's day-to-day work if it becomes law or whether she would be able to continue to see patients as she has sporadically done since taking her spot in the Edwards administration to maintain her licensing. House Bill 849 passed out of the House Appropriations Committee without objection and with little discussion. It now awaits action on the House floor and, if approved, would then face vetting by the Senate. +3 At Lafayette forum, Louisiana's health secretary warns of threat fiscal crisis poses for hospitals The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health on Friday voiced frustration with the legislatures failure thus far to resolve the state Rep. Lance Harris, an Alexandria Republican who chairs the House GOP caucus, said his bill isn't intended to target any specific department head, though he acknowledged that it could affect Gee. "It's only fair that they devote 100 percent of their time to their departments," Harris said. "It's got to be full time." He said he's concerned about agency heads possibly devoting only three days a week to their state job while working the two days elsewhere or using their positions to leverage benefit from entities that could pose conflicts of interest. "This is strictly a good-government, transparency bill," he said. The bill would carry hefty penalties. Those found in violation would face possible removal, suspension, demotion and reduction in pay. They also could be fined up to $10,000 per violation, plus $5,000 per day, and be forced to pay back of any economic benefit they are found to have received. During the House committee hearing on Harris' bill, no one mentioned Gee directly, but in the past, Republican leaders on the panel have publicly questioned Gee's whereabouts during discussions. +28 La. House begins advancing tax legislation; here's what comes next The state House burst through a logjam that has kept most important pieces of legislation holed up in committee this special session, during a Harris said his bill was filed in response to another bill related to Department of Health officials working as practicing physicians, which he voted against. Harris gave a hypothetical example of a situation he would deem inappropriate if it were happening: a state transportation secretary working for an engineering firm part time during the week noting there is no reason to believe that scenario is happening in the Department of Transportation and Development or other agencies. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "This is purely a good-government bill," Harris said. The Governor's Office hasn't taken a formal position on the bill, but a spokesman for Edwards rejected the notion that agency heads aren't putting in full workweeks. "I think executive agency heads would be shocked to learn that they 'only had to work 40 hours per week,' as they are working around the clock in their roles, in many cases working more than 40 hours per week," Edwards' deputy chief of staff Richard Carbo said of Harris' bill. "If Rep. Harris has a concern related to a particular position, he should say it, but based on his floor comments, he clearly doesnt have an understanding about how many hours agency heads put in on this job. "Gov. Edwards expects all of his agency heads to work full time in their roles, and theres no reason to suggest they are not." Gee's Benson Tower workspace a window-lined corner office on the 20th floor with an impressive view of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is neatly adorned with photos of her family and other mementos. About 700 Health Department employees are stationed in the New Orleans high-rise, compared with about 800 employees based in Baton Rouge. The Department of Health is the state's largest agency and has a budget of nearly $14 billion. Gee, 42, lives in New Orleans with her husband, an attorney, and five children. The children all under the age of 15 include two sets of twins. Gee's twin daughters were just 3 years old when she agreed to become health secretary, she noted. "I'm definitely the only Cabinet member with this many young children," she said. She said she's proud of being a working mother. "There are many criticisms of me, some of which I think are personal," Gee said. "People assume that women cannot do these jobs in some cases. One of the things I'm here to do is provide an example for my own children and other young women that you can do this." Scheduling documents The Advocate obtained through a public records request show Gee was in near back-to-back appointments each day last week, from morning until 4 p.m., 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. Travel times are not noted, though the schedule includes events in multiple cities in a single day. Over the course of the week, Gee met with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber at a mental health center in north Baton Rouge; attended a dental health screening fair in New Orleans and the grand opening celebration for a breast milk bank at Ochsner; held a conference call on hepatitis C in Louisiana; prepared for her LSU Health Sciences commencement speech; and met personally with or had scheduled phone calls with nearly two dozen health professionals from the public and private sectors, including partners from the state's safety-net hospital system and insurance providers. The Advocate is awaiting records from a more comprehensive request encompassing Gee's weekly public schedules for her entire 2 years as health secretary. Gee said she has seen patients on 11 half-days in the clinic since becoming health secretary. She no longer delivers babies and doesn't perform surgery because of the potential liability. Gee's most recent clinic day was in January and she doesn't see patients when the Legislature is in session, she said. LSU covers her medical malpractice insurance as part of the agreement with Gee and other doctors at the clinic and allowed under state law. "I bring a caregiver's perspective to my policymaking positions," she said. "If I didn't see patients, I would lose touch and I would lose credibility," she said. "It's a big and important part of who I am I'm a doctor." She said she has been able to improve health care in the state because she has noticed things that someone without a physician's eye may not see. The state previously was not covering positron emission tomography scans. PET scans can show whether chemotherapy cancer treatments are having an effect. "We cannot be taking care of cancer patients and they have no idea if their chemotherapy is working or not," she said. "If you weren't a doctor, you wouldn't necessarily know how important that is." New Orleans Mayor Elect LaToya Cantrell enters the press room in front of Mayor Mitch Landrieu before they announced the beginning of the transition from the Landrieu administration to the Cantrell administration during a press conference at City hall in New Orleans, La., Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. State Rep. Greg Cromer was elected Slidells next mayor in a runoff over former parish President Kevin Davis on April 28. Cromer will take office July 1, replacing Freddy Drennan, who was term-limited. Cromer overcame Davis to win a tight race with 51 percent of the vote. Cromer, who got 2,239 votes to Davis' 2,159, apparently was helped by the fact that only one other race was on the Slidell ballot a runoff for the District G City Council seat that Cromer once held. While turnout citywide was 24.7 percent, the district race helped boost turnout in the north Slidell district to nearly 35 percent. Cindi King beat Glen Sutherland in the council race, also by a 51-to-49 percent margin. Cromer seemingly was helped by the endorsement of recently retired Slidell Memorial Hospital administrator Bruce Clement, who earned 23 percent of votes in the primary and narrowly missed making the runoff for mayor against Davis. Davis led the primary with 36 percent of the vote and Cromer grabbed 24 percent. City Councilman at Large Landon Cusimano finished fourth in the primary and didnt make an endorsement in the runoff. All four candidates are Republicans. During the primary, candidates in the four-way race largely avoided making personal attacks, and that polite tone held through most of the runoff, as well. But in the final week before the election, a group called Slidell Citizens for Good Government sent out a mailer that bashed Cromer for his role as head of the Louisiana Health Cooperative, a nonprofit created in 2013 to provide insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act. The company, which was created with a $65 million federal loan, went out of business in 2015, and the mailer urged voters not to put Cromer in charge of Slidell's finances. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Cromer campaign responded with a robocall and online video that called the group behind the attack an illegal, unregistered PAC. Slidell Citizens for Good Government is not listed with the Louisiana Ethics Administration. The video urged Slidell voters to support the "honest and positive" candidate. Cromer said he thought the mailer might have hurt Davis, saying he'd heard from some people that it had pushed a few more votes his way. The mayor-elect said he will begin working on his transition, but noted that he is still a state representative and the Legislature is still meeting. If there is a special session, he said, he will not want to leave his district without representation. "My transition will have to work with my legislative duties," he said. In the District G City Council race, King had 504 votes to Sutherlands 477. She will replace current councilman Bill Borchert, who won one of the councils at-large positions in the March primaries. In Covington, Joey Roberts earned 53 percent of the vote (200 votes) to win the vacant District C City Council seat over Tim Burke, who had 47 percent (178 votes.) Chuck Wohltmann won a Justice of the Peace race in Ward 1 in the Madisonville area. Wohltmann had 60 percent (453 votes) while opponent Amy Murphree had 40 percent (308 votes.) Voters in the Folsom area handily approved a 19.68-mill, 10-year tax renewal for Fire Protection District No. 5. The measure passed with 78 percent of the vote. Voters in the Goodbee area also overwhelmingly passed a 10-year, 20.92-mill tax for Fire Protection District No. 5. The renewal earned 77 percent of votes. Andrew Canulette contributed to this report. if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... The boom in international education in Australia is expanding. Lead by Chinese enrolments, student volumes grew 12 per cent in the past year, recent government data shows. That is a remarkable gain and further confirmation that our international education sector has a long way to run. Australia is hosting record numbers of international students and they make up more than a quarter of enrolments at some universities. Chinese students account for almost one in three international students in Australia a market that will expand as more Asians join the middle-class and seek Western education. Then theres rising demand from Cambodia, Myanmar and other emerging nations, albeit off a lower base, for our universities. About 540,000 international students now study at our universities, private colleges, schools or English-language centres. For all the challenges, international education has been one of Australias great export success stories and will remain so for many years. Its a shame there are few ways on ASX to play this trend. Our market had several vocational education training (VET) providers that were leveraged to the international-education trend, until some unscrupulous operators went bust and tarnished the listed VET sector. IDP Education and Navitas remain the pick of our listed education sector. Most others are too small or inconsistent to get excited about (online education provider 3P Learning is an exception as its recovery continues). IDP provides student-placement services to universities in Australia and overseas, and English-language testing services through the IELTS program. IDP has starred since its November 2015 float, soaring from a $2.65 issue price to $7.58 after a string of profit upgrades. Chart 1: IDP Education >> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter Tony Featherstone is a former managing editor of BRW, Shares and Personal Investor magazines. The information in this article should not be considered personal advice. It has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on information in this article you should consider the appropriateness and accuracy of the information, regarding your objectives, financial situation and needs. Do further research of your own and/or seek personal financial advice from a licensed adviser before making any financial or investment decisions based on this article. All prices and analysis at April 24, 2018. The Office of the Chief Economist at the Australian Governments Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science publishes a quarterly report forecasting the value, volume and price of Australias major resources and energy commodity exports. Two- year forecasts come out in the June, September, and December reports with a five-year forecast included in the March report. The recently released March report includes projections that should pique the interest of retail investors sitting on the fence considering investing in ASX oil and gas stocks. To the surprise of the reports creators, the rally in commodity prices remains in place, leading to their forecast for the total value of Australias resource and energy exports in FY 2018 to climb to the highest level ever recorded $230 billion. Australian investors who jumped on the coming golden age of gas driven by LNG (liquefied natural gas) exports watched in disappointment while cost overruns at LNG projects and lower prices due to linkage with declining oil prices weighed down the sector. The report projects the total LNG export volume for FY 2017 of $23 billion will increase 69.5% to $39 billion by FY 2023. The increase will be driven by both higher export volumes and higher prices, with LNG exports expected to bump metallurgical coal from the number two spot as our second largest export. Oil exports over the same period are forecasted to increase from $5.6 billion to $9.3 billion, a 66% jump. The rosy outlook is short to medium term, with forecasters expecting export earnings to decline slightly by FY 2020, levelling out at about $212 billion to $216 billion from 2019-20 onwards. These forecasts suggest a short-to medium term opportunity in the big name ASX oil and gas producers with substantial LNG operations. However, the fact remains the price of LNG is linked to the price of oil, fraying the nerves of risk-averse investors. Oil bulls point to the early 2017 forecasts calling for $60 Brent Crude. As of 26 March, of this year the price was $74.50 with some macro-economic factors suggesting further increases and others suggesting declines. Agreements to limit production carved out by Saudi Arabia are credited for some of the price rises, along with robust global growth. The Saudis and the Russians are making noises about further production cuts to drive the price of oil to $80 and more. US president Donald Trump has entered the picture, complaining of what some could say amounts to price-fixing on the part of the Saudis and the Russians. Supply reductions are further at risk from what some analysts and experts are dubbing the Mideast risk premium spurred by tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran as well as the potential withdrawal by the US from the Iran nuclear deal and the imposition of new sanctions. Contract pricing for LNG exports is complex at best, with graduated rises and declines linked to the price of oil to protect both buyers and sellers. Currently Asian buyers are looking for more favorable terms, but the fact remains LNG producers have some protection against the unlikely eventuality of a collapse of oil prices. The ASX boast four major oil and gas producers with substantial presence in the LNG sector. >> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eli Lake (Bloomberg) Sun, April 29, 2018 11:07 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e116b80 2 Opinion Inter-Korean-summit,trump,kim-jong-un,Moon-Jae-In,South-Korea,North-Korea Free North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, traveled into South Korea on Friday to meet his counterpart. They agreed in principle at least to formally end the war that has divided the peninsula they share. Kim even agreed to a joint statement calling for the denuclearization of the peninsula. What's not to like? Plenty. To understand why, examine the "Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula" issued by Kim and President Moon Jae-in Friday after their meeting. Let's start with the issue most important to America and North Korea's neighbors, the nuclear file. The joint communique says, "South and North Korea confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula." It also says the two states "shared the view that the measures being initiated by North Korea are very meaningful and crucial for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agreed to carry out their respective roles and responsibilities in this regard." Finally it pledged that both would seek help and cooperation from the international community to achieve the goal of denuclearization. That sounds pretty good, but it isn't. North Koreans have historically used the phrase "denuclearization" to mean the U.S. should no longer extend its nuclear umbrella to protect South Korea. As former senior State Department official Evans Revere explained in a recent policy brief for the Brookings Institution, North Korean interlocutors have explained the concept in talks to U.S. officials and experts as "the elimination of the 'threat' posed by the U.S.-South Korea alliance, by U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula, and by the U.S. nuclear umbrella that defends South Korea and Japan." Revere goes on to say that in return for those steps that would undermine the U.S.-South Korean alliance, North Koreans have offered to "'consider denuclearization in 10-20 years' time if Pyongyang feels 'secure.'" Maybe they mean something different this time around. But it's a red flag that Kim is agreeing to the same phrase that in past discussions has meant something very different than verifiable disarmament. Then there is the strange language about how Kim's recent announcement to pause missile tests is considered by both leaders "very meaningful and crucial for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." It isn't. As Kim himself said in his New Year's Day address, he no longer sees a need to test its intercontinental ballistic missiles: "We attained our general orientation and strategic goal with success, and our Republic has at last come to possess a powerful and reliable war deterrent, which no force and nothing can reverse." The real test of Kim's commitment for denuclearization will be measured in the level of transparency he provides to weapons inspectors and whether he will take steps to dismantle his nuclear infrastructure. The problems with the communique though go beyond what both sides mean by "denuclearization." There is also a sickening parity in the statement that equates a vibrant democratic republic with a totalitarian slave state. The two leaders agreed to a joint event on June 15 "in which participants from all levels, including central and local governments, parliaments, political parties, and civil organizations, will be involved." There is only one political party in North Korea and no civil organizations. It's dangerous to pretend otherwise. Along those lines it's particularly troubling that South Korea appears to agree to stop allowing its citizens to send leaflets over the border to break North Korea's information monopoly over its citizens. The communique says, "The two sides agreed to transform the demilitarized zone into a peace zone in a genuine sense by ceasing as of May 1 this year all hostile acts and eliminating their means, including broadcasting through loudspeakers and distribution of leaflets, in the areas along the Military Demarcation Line." This is hugely detrimental to the North Korean people. In the last decade more and more Koreans with the help of defectors have sent drones containing portable video players with memory sticks full of Korean soap operas and other dangerous cultural items into the north in the hopes of breaking the Kim regime's information grip over his population. Nicholas Eberstadt, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, told me this provision "means North Korea's thought control now extends to the south." Finally, President Donald Trump in particular should worry about what the communique between the two Koreas means for his own strategy of maximum pressure on Pyongyang unless and until the regime makes tangible concessions on the nuclear file. It references a 2007 communique between the two Koreas that pledged "economic growth and co-prosperity." It calls for connecting roads and railways between the two Koreas. In and of itself, that's unobjectionable. However it could be an economic lifeline that eases pressure before nuclear concessions are made. For these reasons, Trump should be careful about next steps. He needs to make sure South Korea will not seek a separate peace with its rival. He also needs to get a better sense of the real steps Kim will take to disarm. Until then, Trump should slow the diplomacy down and wait. Kim has shown he is adept at getting optimistic headlines. That is a testament to his connivance, not his intentions. --- This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Fashion house Balenciaga, owned by French luxury group Kering SA, issued a second, longer apology after reports of a scuffle between Chinese and other shoppers in a Paris shop led to claims in China of racial discrimination by store staff. In a Chinese social media post on Saturday after calls for a boycott by some internet users in China, Balenciaga said it sincerely apologized to all Chinese customers and other shoppers over the incident, which occurred on Wednesday. According to Chinese media reports, staff of a Balenciaga outlet in a Printemps department store told Chinese customers to leave after a confrontation with other shoppers. Considering the "seriousness" of the matter, Balenciaga said on Saturday it had temporarily suspended management staff present during the incident pending the outcome of an investigation. Read also: Balenciaga, Paris store apologize over incident with Chinese customers In the incident, according to Chinese media, a Chinese woman queuing to enter the store scolded a group of shoppers who jumped the queue. The woman was pushed by one of the queue jumpers, according to Chinese media, prompting her son to come to her defence before both were asked to leave by store staff. Balenciaga issued a first apology on Thursday, but it did not identify the customers to whom it offered the apology as Chinese, prompting scorn among some Chinese social media users. The hashtag #BoycottBalenciagaDiscriminatesChinese spread across social media service Weibo, drawing millions of page views. (Additional reporting by Stella Qiu and Lusha Zhang in BEIJING. Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Tequila is one of the world's most popular alcoholic beverages. Made from blue agave, a plant found in Mexico, it is typically served with a squeeze of lime and salt. To learn how to best enjoy tequila, take a look at the list below. Serve it cold Depending on your taste and brand preference, tequila is served at either room temperature or low temperature in a chilled glass. In March 28, during the launch of its latest campaign, Why Wait, in Jakarta, one of the oldest tequila brands from Mexico, Jose Cuervo, allowed people to sample a chilled shot of its 100 percent blue agave Tradicional with orange, cinnamon and sugar in a cold room, resulting in a sweet, crisp taste and a sharp flavor at the end. Its about enjoyment, so you can taste more of the complexity of the tequila and get more of the crisp taste of the agave, said Henry Guyer, a tequila aficionado, who was present during the event. Nevertheless, sometimes it is better to enjoy a cold shot of tequila after working outside on a hot summer day. Tequila and margarita One of the ways to enjoy tequila is by mixing it with other drinks, forming a margarita. However, sometimes people get caught up in the idea that margaritas should be complicated, both in how it is made and in its flavor. For Guyer, all it takes to make a good margarita is a measurement cup. Read also: Margarita festival in Jakarta and Bali Henry Guyer tastes the Jose Cuervo Tradicional in a cold room. (Jose Cuervo/File) It should be ice cold. Now the trend is to have it blended. But, really, ice cold is enough, said Guyer. For a really good margarita, I say skip the triple sec and just have pure, freshly squeezed lime juice with simple syrup. And if you want to go fancy then you put a bit of Cointreau in it to get a little bit of orange flavor. Enjoy it like the Mexicans Mexicans have their own way of savoring tequila. According to foxnews.com, aside from having the 100 percent agave tequila, Mexicans do not necessarily need lime or salt like most people do, especially if the tequila itself is already good enough, although a salt-dipped lime wedge can be used in between sips. Sangrita can accompany your tequila. Highly different from Sangria, Sangrita, which translates to "little blood", is a sweet, spicy drink that is made from a combination of tomato juice, salt, chili powder and other ingredients, according to The Washington Post. In Mexico, a lot of people have Sangrita that is enjoyed on the side of their tequila, said Guyer. So you take sip of tequila and then take a sip of the Sangrita. (wng) Zimbabwe has legalized production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific use, according to new regulations seen by AFP Saturday. A statutory instrument entitled Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Use Regulations, said prospective producers can apply to the health ministry for a license to grow cannabis but under strict conditions. "An application shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee and three copies of a plan of the site proposed to be licensed, read part of the regulations. Individual producers must be citizens of the country or have proof that they are resident while companies must produce proof of incorporation in Zimbabwe, the regulations said. The producers will submit to routine audits by the health ministry. "The application shall contain, the maximum quantity expressed as net weight in grams, of fresh cannabis, dried cannabis, cannabis oil to be produced by the applicant under the license and the production period and the maximum number of cannabis plants to be sold or provided." The license is valid for five years and should be renewed, if necessary, before expiry. Producers intending to "possess, produce, sell, provide, ship, deliver, transport or deliver cannabis at more than one site" will require a separate license. Production and use of cannabis was illegal in Zimbabwe although the herb is widely used in traditional medicine to treat conditions like asthma, epilepsy and mental illness while some people use it as recreational drug and, supposedly, to make their hair grow quicker. Production or possession of large quantities of cannabis attracted up to 12 years in jail. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nick Rigillo and Peter Levring (Bloomberg) Copenhagen, Denmark Sun, April 29, 2018 21:13 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e1254eb 2 Business tesla,denmark,electric-car,subsidy Free Denmark may be open to financial incentives to buy electric cars after seeing a dramatic drop in sales of non-polluting vehicles, according to Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. We have tax incentives for electric cars, and you could discuss if they should be bigger. I will not exclude that," Rasmussen said in an interview in Copenhagen. Any new incentives would be announced along with a government plan to boost clean-energy consumption after the summer, he said. Danish sales of electric vehicles have fallen dramatically -- from nearly 5,000 in 2015 to around 700 in 2017 -- since Rasmussens center-right government phased out subsidies such as those offered in Norway and Germany. With diesel having fallen out of favor across Europe in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal, Denmark is now debating which vehicle types to promote and which to discourage. The government has come under fire for its indiscriminate cuts to registration taxes, which have eroded incentives to buy green vehicles rather than those powered by fossil-fuels. Denmark has no car industry of its own and has one of the highest import duties in the world. Adding to pressure on the government, the opposition Social Democrats grabbed the limelight last week by announcing plans to ban the sale of diesel vehicles by 2030, if they win elections due to be held by June 2019. Poster Child Rasmussens government on Thursday unveiled plans to consolidate its reputation as a poster child for clean energy by announcing 12 billion kroner ($2 billion) in funds earmarked to help it go fossil-free by 2050. The proposals include an 800 megawatt offshore wind park, which would be one of the worlds biggest, investments in bio-gas and a government tender that pitches different green technologies to compete on producing the cheapest electricity. At the same time, Denmark is reducing subsidies on renewable energy, arguing that the technology is almost ready to stand on its own feet. Weve now reached a stage where we can continue to build capacity without necessarily investing taxpayers money, Rasmussen told Bloomberg. This is the first time in Danish history that we can go green and cheaper at the same time. Denmark is home to the worlds biggest wind turbine maker, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, and Orsted A/S, the largest operator of offshore wind parks. The government is also hoping that lowering taxes on electricity will encourage more people to ditch home heating based on fossil fuels. Last year, 43 percent of Denmarks electricity consumption came from wind energy, a world record, with the ratio set to increase over the coming years. Rasmussen said the goal is to make the economy greener and less vulnerable to swings in commodities markets. Thats why were proposing to cut taxes on electricity, to raise demand and ensure that green energy is more competitive versus fossil fuels. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Sun, April 29, 2018 22:38 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e1272cd 2 Business oil-and-gas,Abu-Dhabi,Australia,deal Free Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Sunday signed a $1.5 billion offshore concession deal with Austria's OMV, the UAE firm said in a statement. The 40-year deal to develop SARB and Umm Lulu offshore oilfield is the latest in a series of contracts with foreign oil companies to develop three offshore oilfields with the aim of boosting their output. The other fields are Lower Zakum and Umm Shaif and Nasr. ADNOC has already signed concession contracts with France's Total, Italy's ENI, Japan's INPEX and China's CNPC in addition to Spain's CEPSA and an Indian consortium led by ONGC Videsh, raising some $8 billion in participation fees, the statement said. The deals also guarantee secure markets for around 40 percent of Abu Dhabi oil output which currently stands at 2.8 million barrels per day, ADNOC said. ADNOC has been vying to expand its output capacity from 3.2 million bpd currently to 3.5 million bpd by the end of 2018. Earlier this month, it invited bids for exploration contracts for six major blocks with untapped reserves of oil and gas. ADNOC said the blocks are estimated to hold billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. Home to more than 90 percent of United Arab Emirates (UAE) oil, Abu Dhabi is auctioning off licences in its blocks for the first time. ADNOC wants to double its refining capacity, currently at around 800,000 bpd, and tripple its petrochemicals production. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Sidoarjo, East Java Sun, April 29, 2018 14:26 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e11a95c 1 National blasphemy,Prophet-Muhammad,Dems,Democratic-party,East-Java,freedom-of-expression Free The East Java Police arrested Rendra Hadikurniawan on Friday on blasphemy allegations after Rendra posted a video that went viral in which he allegedly insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Sidoarjo Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor), the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, said the statement from Rendra, who was a member of the Democratic Party prior to the allegations, had hurt a lot of Muslims. We reported him to the police to avoid further public unrest, said the organizations deputy chairman, Rachmad Muzayin, on Friday. East Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Frans Barung Mangera said that the police officers had arrested Rendra in Trawas in Mojokerto. Rumors say Rendra developed a mental problem after he separated from his wife, Barung said. But I dont think that someone with a mental problem could record a video while driving a car before uploading it to a Facebook account." The secretary of Nahdlatul Ulama's East Java chapter, Akhmad Muzakki, said he deplored Rendras statement. He blamed the overflow of information inundating the internet as the cause of such behavior. Some people consume fake information as it is. They fail to filter which news to read and share, he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. In the seven-minute, 55-second video, the 39-year-old reportedly accuses the Prophet Muhammad of having stolen another mans wife and claims the Prophet is an ordinary human being who could not act fair. So let me explain, the Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, but he is just an ordinary human a human who was born in Arabia. Nothing is good about him, he stole someones wife, Rendra said in the video that he took while he was driving. Rendra went on to express doubts over the Prophet Muhammads words, which, according to him, had been glorified. Responding to the issue, the party immediately dismissed Rendra from the Democratic Party. The secretary of the Democratic Party's East Java branch, Renville Antonio, confirmed the dismissal. Renville said the party branch had received a copy of Rendras dismissal letter from the Democratic Party in Sidoarjo regency. Moreover, Renville also received reports that the former member is believed to have psychiatric disorders. (vla/roi/evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Tehran, Iran Sun, April 29, 2018 18:25 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e120c21 2 World Iran,press,arrest Free The head of Iran's reformist newspaper Shargh was arrested after residents of a northeastern city accused the paper of defamation over a report on "prostitution" there, Iranian media said Sunday. Mehdi Rahmanian was "summoned (by the courts) after a complaint by a group of residents of the Shahid Rajai neighbourhood of Mashhad," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, quoting the city's deputy prosecutor Hassan Heydari. "The newspaper had described some of the district's women as prostitutes." Mashhad's Khorassan newspaper said Rahmanian had been detained after failing to pay bail set at 500 million riyals (around $9,000/7,500 euros). Shargh on April 8 published a report on the murder of a six-year-old Afghan girl in the impoverished Shahid Rajai district of Mashhad, the second-largest city in Iran. The article quoted an official from an association for children and poor people who said the district was home to several brothels and that drugs were sold there. Khorassan said the article had provoked an angry protest by residents in front of the local mosque three days later. Heydari said the prosecution had asked Rahmanian to "take action" against the journalist and "repair" the damage caused but measures were not taken. Like other reformist newspapers, Shargh returned to the shelves in late 2012 after being banned for several years. It is one of the main reformist newspapers and a key supporter of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative elected to a second term in 2017. Since taking office, Rouhani has been the target of intense criticism by ultra-conservatives, who dominate the judiciary and the security services. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Baghdad, Iraq Sun, April 29, 2018 21:50 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e126458 2 World Russia,Iraq,IS,Women Free Iraq on Sunday sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of heavy verdicts against foreign women linked to the jihadists. The head of Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, said the women were found guilty of "joining and supporting IS", according to an AFP journalist at the hearing. Six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also condemned to life in prison Sunday on the same charge. The women, who have the right to appeal against the sentences, entered the court one-by-one dressed in black headscarves and pink blouses, most of them accompanied by their children. They addressed the court through a translator, a Russian-language professor at Baghdad University hired by their embassy for the trial. "We will contact the parents to inform them of the verdict," a Russian diplomat at the hearing told AFP. IS took over nearly one third of Iraq in a blistering 2014 offensive, seizing control of the country's second largest city, Mosul, among others. Baghdad declared military victory over the jihadists in December, after expelling them from all urban centres. It has detained at least 560 women and 600 children identified as jihadists or relatives of suspected IS fighters, and is wasting no time in putting them on trial. Most of the women on trial Sunday claimed they were tricked into going to Iraq. "I did not know we were in Iraq," said one of the accused. "I went with my husband and my children to Turkey to live there, and then I suddenly discovered that I was actually in Iraq." Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership. There is no official figure. Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS, judicial sources said earlier this month. Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, April 29, 2018 18:10 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e120859 4 Business #PLN,PLN,Rini-Soemarno,SOEs,SOEMinistry,#SOE,Sofyan-Basir Free President director of state utility company PLN Sofyan Basir said he would take legal action in response to a leaked recording of a conversation between State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and himself. We will take legal action. If the recording was uploaded as it is, it would be no problem. But the viral post was an edited recording, Sofyan Basir told the press in Karanganyar Central Java, on Saturday. Sofyan said the leaked conversation took place in 2016. It was a real conversation between me and Bu Rini. PLN always consults with the minister, he said as quoted by tempo.co. Sofyan said he knew the conversation was recorded but he did not know who recorded it or who uploaded it to the internet. Sofyan said PLN often cooperated with private enterprises especially when the cooperation spanned from 10 to 30 years. The conversation about shareholding was about a foreign company that will join a national private company on a project. They are offering 7.5 percent of the holding. We want 30 percent for Pertamina and PLN. However the project has still not yet been realized, said Sofyan. (gis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, April 29, 2018 20:15 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e1240b5 2 City North-Jakarta,playgrounds,Kelapa-Gading Free The police are expected to question a man who allegedly kicked a boy at a playground in a mall in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, after a video of the man and the boys parents arguing circulated on social media. We will invite both parties to solve the problem on Monday or Tuesday, Kelapa Gading Police precinct chief Comr. Arif Fazrulrahman said on Sunday as reported by kompas.com. A video circulating on social media shows the boy, who was on a swing, unintentionally hit a little girl. The girls father later kicked the boy. The boys mother later confronted the man and their quarrel was recorded on a phone. My boy is crying, sir, you kicked him, the mother said in the video. Make sure your child behaves, I never let my child behave like yours, said the father. A security guard was seen trying to calm the mother and the man, while both children were still crying. The police said both parties had yet to confirm whether they would answer the summons. (ami/wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Glen Carey (Bloomberg) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sun, April 29, 2018 19:51 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e1221ec 2 World US,Qatar,Saudi-Arabia,MikePompeo Free US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was essential for Gulf Arab monarchies to achieve unity, in an apparent attempt to resolve the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and a Saudi-led coalition. Pompeo, visiting Riyadh on his first trip as the US top diplomat, said he stressed the importance of Gulf unity in talks with Saudi officials. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and transport links with Qatar on June 5, accusing the country of supporting Sunni extremist groups and Iranian-backed Shiite militants. Qatar denies the charge. While President Donald Trump initially sided with the Saudi-led action, he and other US officials later said the crisis was distracting members of the Gulf Cooperation Council from confronting regional rival Iran. Pompeo succeeded Rex Tillerson, a former chairman of Exxon Mobil who was leading US efforts to end Qatars isolation. Some officials within the Saudi bloc accused him of siding with the Qataris because of his former energy ties to the gas-rich country. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Bali Sun, April 29, 2018 20:33 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e124a4c 1 National #accident,bali,#Bali,vacation,foreign-tourists,swimming,safety Free A Spanish man, identified as Francisco Miguel Garcia Perez, 53, died on Saturday while on vacation in Nusa Ceningan, a small islet off Bali. Perez died after he was swept away by a heavy current when trying to rescue his wife and children from drowning. Nusa Penida Police chief Comr. I Ketut Suastika told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that the incident happened at around 11 a.m. at Secret Beach, Nusa Ceningan island, Nusa Penida subdistrict, Klungkung regency. "The victim and his wife and two sons were swimming. Suddenly a heavy current swept his wife and two sons away. He tried to rescue them. However, he became exhausted and was dragged by the current," Suastika said. Perez was spotted by another foreign tourist who was having lunch at a beach side restaurant. He was taken to the beach using a traditional fishing boat, before being brought to a local community health center in Jungutbatu village. A doctor declared that Perez had died when his body arrived at the health center. The victim's wife and two sons lived. "The victim's body has been sent to Sanglah morgue by boat," Suastika said. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ethan Bronner (Bloomberg) New York, United States Sun, April 29, 2018 19:15 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e121abe 2 World Middle-East-conflict,Iran,Israel,Nuclear Free If North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons, credit belongs to President Donald Trump for his aggressive rhetoric and increased sanctions -- and a similar policy would defang Iran, a senior Israeli minister said. Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said Iran is even more vulnerable to such pressure than North Korea because it doesnt yet have nuclear weapons, while its people are less cowed by their leaders and wouldnt passively accept tighter economic sanctions. If it happens in North Korea, its proof that this way works and will work with Iran, Katz said in an interview in New York. Whether through fixing the nuclear agreement or nixing it, such a policy could even lead to the fall of the regime. Now is the time to be very tough against Iran. Macrons Big Mistake Israel has been seeking support amid growing tensions with Iran that have raised concerns about a direct military conflict between the countries in Syria. Israeli leaders have lobbied against Trumps proposal to pull US troops out of Syria, and sought to persuade Russia not to send state-of-the-art air defenses there. Iran has been backing President Bashar al-Assad and the Shiite group Hezbollah, a longtime Israeli enemy, in the Syrian civil war. Katz, 62, a member of Israels security cabinet who promotes himself as a potential successor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was critical of French President Emmanuel Macron for his attempt last week to persuade Trump to stay in the Iran nuclear deal. Macron made a big mistake. He should have gone to Iran to persuade Iran to change, not to Trump, he said. Macron and other European leaders have been promising add-ons to the accord that will address US concerns about issues including Irans ballistic missile program and its regional interventions. Trump is threatening to pull out of the deal May 12 if those fixes cant be agreed. Go Hungry While many analysts -- including within Israels own security establishment -- say such a step will turn a spurned Iran into a dangerous foe, and send a message to North Korea that it cant count on the US to keep its word, Katz sees things differently. He argued that Irans government is weak and its economy deeply troubled, giving it few options if the US were to ratchet up pressure. Iranians arent willing to go hungry like North Koreans, he said. Earlier this month Israel carried out a predawn airstrike said to have killed several Iranians at a military base in Syria. Katz described such action as backing a red line, and said Israel will keep Iran and Hezbollah away from its borders. He said Russia, Irans ally in Syria, is aware of Israeli concerns. He called Russian President Vladimir Putin very smart, and said he doubted Russia would follow through with delivery of S-300 missile-defense systems to Syria, which Israel has strongly opposed Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, April 29, 2018 15:50 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e11d094 4 Business #SOE,Rini-Soemarno,PLN,Instagram Free A recording of a conversation allegedly involving State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and PLN president director Sofyan Basyir has been circulating on the internet. In it, a discussion on stock shares between PLN and state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina takes place, in which Sofyan tells Rini that he wants a bigger share. The recording was uploaded by Instagram account @jokerpolitik on Friday with the caption, Finally the plot is revealed. The post was taken down on Sunday. Tri Sasono, the general secretary of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Workers Federation, demanded that the National Police immediately arrest the uploader of the recording, arguing its circulation harmed the government. The edited recording was intentionally modified to discredit the SOE minister, he said in a press release on Saturday. Tri said the conversation between Rini and Sofyan was not a plot for them to benefit personally from the state project and that, instead, it was about PLN's and Pertaminas intention to cooperate with a private enterprise on an energy-related project in Serang regency, Banten. The minister and Sofyan were coordinating to make SOEs the majority shareholder of the project, because the plan was to cooperate with Japanese gas company Mitsui, Tri said, adding that the conversation happened in 2016. The said project, however, had not materialized, State-Owned Enterprises Ministry secretary Imam Apriyanto Putro said. In his written release on Saturday, Imam said the circulated recording was edited and cut to damage the reputation of those in it. The complete conversation shows that the discussion was in accordance with the ministers task to ensure that all SOEs are run based on good corporate governance, Imam said. (gis/evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Kutupalong, Bangladesh Sun, April 29, 2018 15:10 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e11aee8 2 World UN,United-Nations,Rohingya,Bangladesh,refugee,Myanmar Free A UN Security Council team visited Rohingya refugees trapped in the no man's land along the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar Sunday, as it weighs its response to one of the world's worst refugee crises. Myanmar has faced intense international pressure since the start of a military campaign in August that has driven some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh, where refugees have provided harrowing testimony of murder and rape by security forces and local mobs. The UN delegates will interview refugees in the Bangladeshi camps before travelling to Myanmar and meeting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been denounced in the West for her failure to speak up for the Rohingya. The council is urging Myanmar to allow the safe return of the Rohingya and take steps to end the decades of discrimination that the stateless Muslim minority has suffered in the Buddhist-majority country. Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told AFP that the UN team -- with 26 diplomats from 15 countries -- first visited Konarpara camp, where some 6,000 Rohingya have been trapped on bleak scrubland since the bloodshed began last year. The camp's Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad said the UNSC delegation met and spoke with some women victims of the violence in Rakhine, as well as community elders. "We told them that we're staying here to save our lives. We're very much eager to go back to our land, provided our security is ensured by the UN," Mohammad told AFP. Later, the council will also head to the Kutupalong camp where hundreds of Rohingya staged a protest ahead of the visit, holding banners demanding the restoration of their rights in Myanmar. Police dispersed the protesters peacefully, an AFP correspondent at the scene said. "We want restoration of our citizenship under Rohingya ethnicity. We want security and return of our confiscated land and properties," said Rohingya leader Mohibullah, adding that they would present the delegation with 14 conditions for their repatriation to Rakhine. Myanmar has said the military operation in Rakhine is aimed at rooting out extremists and has rejected nearly all allegations that its security forces committed atrocities in the state. Led by Kuwait, Britain and Peru, the four-day Security Council visit is expected to include a meeting with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as a helicopter flight over Rakhine to allow delegates to see the remains of villages torched during the violence. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the visit was not about "naming and shaming" Myanmar, but that "the message will be very clear for them: the international community is following the situation and has great interest in resolving it." On Friday, Human Rights Watch called for Myanmar's Rohingya crisis to be referred to the International Criminal Court. "The lack of a UN Security Council resolution has left the Myanmar government convinced that it has literally gotten away with mass murder," HRW executive director Kenneth Roth told reporters in Yangon. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Manila Sun, April 29, 2018 12:54 1255 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e119d91 2 SE Asia #Philippines Free Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the temporary ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait is now permanent, intensifying a diplomatic standoff over the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf nation. Duterte in February imposed a prohibition on workers heading to Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in the Gulf state. The crisis deepened after Kuwaiti authorities last week ordered Manila's envoy to leave the country over videos of Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employers. The two nations had been negotiating a labour deal that Philippine officials said could result in the lifting of the ban but the recent escalation in tensions has put an agreement in doubt. "The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for especially domestic helpers. No more," Duterte told reporters in his hometown in the southern city of Davao. Around 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, nearly 60 percent of them domestic workers, according to the Philippines' foreign department. Last week the Philippines apologised over the rescue videos but Kuwaiti officials announced they were expelling Manila's ambassador and recalling their own envoy from the Southeast Asian nation. Duterte on Sunday described the situation in Kuwait as a "calamity". He said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse as he appealed to workers who wanted to stay in the oil-rich state. "I would like to address to their patriotism: come home. No matter how poor we are, we will survive. The economy is doing good and we are short of our workers," he said. About 10 million Filipinos work abroad to seek high-paying jobs they were unable to find at home, and their remittances are a major pillar of the Philippine economy. Duterte said workers returning from Kuwait could find employment as English teachers in China, citing improved ties with Beijing. Describing China as a "true friend", he said he would use Chinese aid to fund the workers' repatriation. Duterte added that he was not after "vengeance" against Kuwait and did not "nurture hate". "But if my people are considered a burden to some of them, to some government mandated to protect them and uphold their rights, then we will do our part," he said. Have you ever imagined 10 weeks of summer residing in downtown Reykjavik, and complete 12 trips in and out of Iceland with all expenses covered? Icelandic budget airline WOW Air is seeking a summer employee willing to travel the world. The airline announced that the successful candidate may invite a friend to join him/her to live in an apartment in Reykjavik from June 1 to Aug. 15. During that period, the summer employee pair is expected to complete eight trips to WOW Air international destinations and four trips to domestic destinations. With each trip lasting two to four days, the pair must create a travel guide in the form of vlogs, Instagram stories, photographs, any other form of creative media, and a complete digital travel guide to the destinations. The guide must include local food secrets, how to act like a local, when and where to enjoy nightlife, guide to wildlife, parks, and beaches, transport info, and ways to stay on budget. Applicants must create and upload a short video travel guide (two minutes maximum) of their hometown, with the submission deadline on May 14. Read also: Explore the archipelago through Jokowis vlogs According to travelandleisure.com, this role comes with a salary of about US$ 4,000 per month including transportation, travel, and living expenses. (mut) We left off last week's episode with Peyton discovering Liv making one of her fake ID's for the Zombie underground railroad. Pretty big revelation no? So I was kind of hoping that this episode would devote a lot of time to that, since you know, it's a pretty big thing to discover that your best friend has become the new leader of a secret, illegal movement. But it felt like the entire thing was brushed under the rug.We get a short conversation between them at the top of the episode, where Peyton wants to join the railroad (an idea which is categorically shut down by Liv) and then she appears later on, having stolen money for the railroad, and Liv is suddenly fine with her being there. It felt like there was a whole chunk missing from this storyline. I wanted more conflict - it felt like everything was too easily resolved. Peyton just found out that her friend has this whole new secret life - surely she's bound to have feelings about that. It was a missed opportunity not to explore Peyton's reactions more. As far as the murder of the week, I'd say it's one of the weaker ones that iZombie has had thus far this season. Sure Rose McIver was brilliant as always, speaking in her Ye Olde English accent, but I felt like there was no reason why the brain should have made her do that? I don't know much about LARPing, but I'm pretty sure they don't go around in character all the time. The murder subplot this week didn't really seem to add anything and I do wonder whether they could have done without it. iZombie proved not two episodes ago, that they can do an episode without a murder and pull it off really well, and there was more than enough that could have been mined from the Peyton and Blaine storylines this week that the LARP murder, whilst fun, wasn't totally necessary. All the murder of the week case seemed to achieve was some rather clunky parallels to the situation with Clive and Bozzio (the murder victim was sleeping with his murderer's wife, because she was a human and her husband was a zombie) and even then, that subplot wasn't furthered. They either need to break Clive and Bozzio up, or make them have a frank, honest, conversation about their relationship, instead of what what they currently have, where they seem to retread the same ground over and over again. It's getting kind of old, both for them, and for us! I was a little sad that Ravi didn't have all that much to do this week, but seeing him dressed up in full knight armour trying to impress Peyton and all of his geeky little reactions to Liv's brain, shows that you do not need to give Rahul Kohli much to work with for him still to produce shining moments in an episode! Blaine and his father's story this week culminated in honestly one of the most disturbing sequences of iZombie yet, as Brother Love and his congregation attack a prison transport bus, eating people's brains while they are still alive whilst cheery music plays in the background. This ultimately ends fruitlessly as the money Blaine had been after was taken by Peyton. However, after a largely uneven episode, iZombie does seem to redeem itself in its last few minutes, as Isabelle, the girl who Liv was making an ID for last episode, is finally rescued, and is all ready to become a zombie, when Liv scratches her.....and NOTHING HAPPENS. Honestly, the last five minutes of this episode was more interesting than the rest of it. I'm intrigued to see what this means, whether the girl is immune to the virus (and therefore could be a game changer for finding a cure), if she's potentially already a zombie, or perhaps that Liv's scratches are becoming less potent? Whatever the case, I am excited to find out! National paint shortage stalls South Dakota road painting projects A national shortage on paint and resin has left many South Dakota road construction services wanting paint for striping projects. Salad Fingers is back with a brand new 3 minute episode You'll either love this, or hate it so much. Or both. President Donald Trump said Friday he rejected a plan to spend $1 billion on the new US Embassy in Jerusalem and plans to do it for less than half a million dollars instead. He said he may go to the embassy opening May 14. At a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump said he had started signing his name to a proposal when he noticed the eye-popping $1 billion figure. He says he called it off. Trump noted US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told him it could be done for a mere $150,000, but added he didnt want to go that low and approved spending $300,000 or $400,000 instead. The embassy is moving from Tel Aviv. Rather than build a new building, the US is retrofitting a small part of an existing American consular facility so the embassy can open quickly. Aside from leading the move to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and move its embassy there, the US has also taken Israels stance on Iranemphasizing the importance of deterring the Islamic Republic away from seeking nuclear capabilities. At the conference, the president was asked if he would use military force to reign in Irans nuclear program, if the US drops out of the international nuclear deal with Iran. Trump said he wont discuss the use of military force, but he says: They are not going to be doing nuclear weapons. You can bank on it. He then called on NATO allies to increase their defense spending, pressing European nations to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defenseas he has urged since his campaign. (AP) Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Ms S.C. writes: Microsoft has proved unwilling to close the Skype account of my late mother since it appeared to be hacked last November. I have sent it her death certificate and the Grant of Probate, but I have made no progress. It would appear the only way it would consider closing the Skype account is if I obtain a court subpoena. But I am not asking it for any information, just the closure of the account. It appears uninterested in the fact it has been hacked. Cannot cancel: Closing accounts after a family member has died is surprisingly difficult Your mother died in 2012, but suddenly last November her Skype account burst into life again when someone you know received a message from it. The message recommended a dating website, with the claim: Its better than Tinder! You contacted Microsoft, which runs Skype, and you were asked for your mothers death certificate, which you supplied. Shockingly, Microsoft replied: We are unable to assist with the accounts of people who have passed away. You replied that as the executor of your mothers estate, you wanted a supervisor to reconsider the matter. But the supervisor told you: We cannot delete or make changes to an account without the account owners permission, regardless of the situation. She added: For Microsoft to make any changes, a subpoena needs to be provided. She gave you 24 hours to reply or the company would regard the matter as closed. I have the strong feeling Microsoft only paid heed to US laws. When you contacted the companys UK office in Reading, you were told it had never received such a request from an executor. You kept being told staff could not give you any information about your mothers Skype account even when you repeatedly told it you did not want information, just for the account to be closed so the hacker could not use it. I asked Microsoft exactly what families should do in these circumstances or was it happy to let the names of deceased Skype users bounce around cyberspace apparently sending inappropriate messages and upsetting their relatives. Microsoft told me it would immediately suspend the account and that the team are working with the customer overlooking the fact that your mother died six years ago. Finally, Microsoft admitted it had mishandled your closure request. It said: The account in question has now been blocked and can no longer be used. Microsoft said it would review what had gone wrong and implement any necessary improvements to avoid a repetition. The internet giant then came back and said its review had given it the chance to re-examine and clarify procedures. It concluded: If a family would like to close the account of a deceased relative, they should contact us at support@microsoft.com, where they will need to first validate ownership of the account. My confidence was only slightly dented by the fact that a day later Microsoft told you the company is now working to adjust our processes to provide assistance to individuals with needs such as yours. So has Microsoft really concluded its review and got its act together? You might think that with all the adverse publicity surrounding the big beasts of the internet jungle and their inability to stop leaks, hacking and other offences, Microsoft would have had in place years ago a simple procedure for closing a deceased customers account. But it seems not. Whether it has one now is anyones guess. Why did PC World cut off my broadband without asking me? H.J. writes: I work as a photographer. My landline and wi-fi connection have been fraudulently migrated from my service provider, MacAce, to another company without my agreement or authorisation. The person who apparently requested the transfer gave my address and the line is now with TalkTalk. You have had the same phone number for more than 30 years and it was known to all your customers. Suddenly you lost that number as well as your broadband connection and were forced to work from an internet cafe. You even started to receive bills from TalkTalk showing your address but someone elses name. But TalkTalk is an innocent party in this. I found the migration request came from the Currys PC World store in Enfield, North London. At first, Currys PC World said: A full investigation into the issue was conducted which concluded the issue was due to external factors outside of our control. But when I asked it to explain how something that happened in one of its stores was outside its control, it gave a new statement: We are sorry that Mr Js broadband service was transferred in error. This was due to a mistake in setting up a transfer for a different customer. The Enfield branch had your details because you bought a fridge there several months ago. You then had to complain because the bill included an extended warranty you did not want. Armed with all this detail, you have been in contact with MacAce to restore your service. TalkTalk did nothing wrong but has offered 50 to make up for the inconvenience. Currys has contacted you with an apology and 100 in compensation, which you have accepted. Bank lost my package but is STILL charging me P.C. writes: Last October, I went to Lloyds Bank at Pride Hill in Shrewsbury and asked to withdraw two packages it held in safe storage for me. I was told they were no longer stored there, but the branch would get them. I returned a week later and one package was ready but not the other. I was told to come back and I have returned almost every week since then, but staff say they cannot find the missing package. To make matters worse, Lloyds is still charging me to store it. There should have been no reason for the bank to stonewall. I asked officials at the head office of Lloyds to step in and they did just that. Within a few days you were asked to meet the branch manager. She admitted the package which contained your will could not be found and apologised. Lloyds has told me: We take the custody of our customers property and personal information seriously and we are sorry for the distress this situation has caused Mr C. The bank manager at our Pride Hill branch has met Mr C and we have reimbursed him for the expenses he has incurred as a result of this error and have offered compensation as a gesture of goodwill. You now have 250 which will more than cover the cost of replacing your will. 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 Private equity firms are circling troubled outsourcing firm Capita after it announced moves to shore up its finances. Capita last week unveiled 513 million losses and said it needed to raise 701 million from shareholders. The 1.2 billion firm has since received more than 100 letters from private equity firms in the UK and the US asking to buy parts of the business. Public contracts: Capita manages London's congestion charging zone There have been fears Capita whose contracts include collecting the BBC licence fee and the London Congestion Charge could suffer the same fate as government outsourcer Carillion which collapsed in January with 1 billion of debt. But chief executive Jon Lewis, appointed to revitalise Capita last December, has rebuffed the approaches. The businesses are not for sale, he said. Lewis has been cheered by investors support for his plans. A number of our major shareholders have been buying tranches of millions of shares. People have recognised we are not another Carillion. Woodford Investment Management, run by star fund manager Neil Woodford, is Capitas second-largest shareholder. It admitted it had misjudged the firms woes but said it will be in better shape by the end of 2018. Lewis plans to cut costs by 175 million a year, simplify Capitas structure and raise another 300 million by selling three businesses this year. A dozen Capita directors, including Lewis, could share a 71.5 million bonus pot under long-term incentive plans. Unexpected start-up: Lord Harris at 75 proves its never too late to set up a new business After years of squeezed incomes, high rents and with a terrible winter keeping shoppers indoors, the British high street is nothing short of a disaster zone. So the opening salvo by veteran carpet-seller Lord Harris comes as a surprise. Carpetright, the company he founded he has moved on to a new venture and is at loggerheads with the management at his old firm is on its knees, embroiled this weekend in a draconian bid to save the business by shutting shops and shedding jobs. Harris, however, couldnt be more chipper. I think this is the best time to set up a new retailer, says the Conservative peer and Tory party donor. Why? At the grand age of 75, Harris has embarked on a new business with his son and reckons he can take advantage of others misfortunes by hiring disillusioned staff and by taking over retail premises more easily and that includes his former Carpetright empire. You are in a downturn, you can get good people and stores. You can build the business, he says. His fledgling chain Tapi, which unsurprisingly sells carpets, may be a beneficiary, but Carpetright, which he founded in 1988 and left three-and-a-half years ago, is less fortunate. The 426-store chain has already asked its landlords for rent cuts because 205 of its shops are either in the red or making very little money. Next month it will try to raise 60 million to repay its debts. What does he feel about Carpetrights financial woes? The only feeling Ive got for Carpetright is the staff that worked for me for years. I feel sorry for them. He adds that he is hiring former staff there is a waiting list, he says but he cant take everyone. His concern doesnt extend as far as chief executive Wilf Walsh, whom he suggests has tried to shift the blame for Carpetrights decline on to decisions made under his Lord Harriss tenure. At the time of Harriss departure the chain was worth 200 million. Now its worth 25 million. He says: I dont feel sorry for Walsh. Hes lost the company a lot of money and hes still taking 800,000 a year. As for Carpetright, it blames the consumer squeeze, Brexit and it points the finger at Tapi. In documents drawn up by Carpetrights advisers Deloitte, Tapi is described as a new national competitor entering the market with a widespread and aggressive store opening programme that has put significant pressure on the groups best performing sites. There is clearly no love lost between Harris and Walsh. But the peer says there should be enough room for two well-run chains in the market. Lord Harriss son Martin runs Tapi, and opened his first store less than three years ago. The family expects to make its first profit next year. They are hoping the chain will have at least 110 stores by the end of this year. Were just starting Tapi, weve got investors that just want us to go forward and they like what were doing. Theyre not worried about profit yet. When we get to 100 and then 150 shops and we get the internet going then we will [make a profit]. At the moment we are more interested in getting the stores open and getting things going, he says. Sources say Tapi has been in touch with landlords at outlets where Carpetright has handed the keys back and even some where property owners have been asked for rent cuts of up to 50 per cent. No ones heard of Tapi, he admits. Only 5 or 6 per cent [of shoppers] have, according to our research. But we are building on that. He may be in his eighth decade, but says hes fit as anything. I love it. Its been 60 years. We work quite late some nights, dont we? he says turning to his property manager Tina, with whom he regularly travels the length of the country to find new stores. His optimism can only be described as bracing particularly at a time when a string of household names are going bust and many others are on the rack. So far this year, Toys R Us and electronics chain Maplin have gone bust. Others, such as fashion chains New Look and Select, have triggered partial insolvencies similar to Carpetright, which allow them to escape paying rent bills. Word has it that department store House of Fraser and Poundworld may follow suit. The uncertainty which Harris says includes worries over Brexit affects the decisions that shoppers make in stores. He says the state of the economy even influences peoples taste in carpets. When times are tough, they are more likely to go for a safe option, such as a plain neutral shade that they can keep for years, rather than bright colours or patterns that might go out of fashion and can be costly to replace. There are only two colours that sell at the moment: grey and beige. You cant buck a trend with carpets people either want colour or they dont, he says. Tapi has a string of wealthy backers, including Harriss friend Lord Kirkham, founder of DFS, with whom he part-owns racehorses. Other investors are textiles mogul Sir Harry Djanogly and David Herro, a straight-talking New York fund manager. The new stores are in smaller outlets in smarter retail parks than Carpetright stores. The Harris clan have spent more on fitting out stores and samples are hung on clothes hanger-style hooks, making it easier for customers. The stores even have a signature scent which one staff member suggests smells like fresh linen. As ever, Harris is having a busy day. As well as overseeing his Harris Academy schools 44 of them with 32,000 pupils he and his wife run a charitable foundation. That afternoon he is due in the House of Lords for a vote. Its all Brexit, he says. Weve got to do it, he adds, though he criticises David Camerons decision to call a referendum while reminding me that the former Prime Minister is a nice man. A former deputy treasurer for the Conservative party, he was closely involved under John Major. Nowadays, he has no official role but says: I still know whats happening. Although he described Theresa Mays election campaign as hopeless, he now says she is doing a fantastic job despite the tough circumstances. Whatever she agrees, [on Brexit] 50 per cent are going to agree with her and 50 per cent are not. I blame Cameron for it, for calling the referendum. He should have left it for another six months and got a better deal from Europe. But I think they thought they were going to walk [the referendum] and win. They didnt fight hard enough. People are not going to be happy about Brexit, he says. Specifically? The one where they said they are going to put an amount of money into the health service, a subject dear to his heart as he has been involved for years in looking at how to make the NHS more efficient, dating back to the 1990s. There is enough money but theres no one to take control of it, he says. Its too big an animal. Absenteeism and poor management, particularly when purchasing supplies, are two key issues he has encountered. As for the high street, he concedes it has deep problems and says it never really recovered from the crash of 2008. It is either coffee shops, charity shops, betting shops theres not much fashion, the high street has changed so much. The worry is now, how many shops are going to be empty? Asking questions: Only 25 million has so far been paid out so far An influential MP wants the Government to investigate a group that was set up to sue Royal Bank of Scotland on behalf of small investors who were misled in the financial crisis. Norman Lamb who is co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking will this week write to Justice Secretary David Gauke asking him to examine the RBoS Shareholders Action Group, which was co-founded by a fraudster. His move comes after The Mail on Sunday uncovered major concerns about the management of the action group. The Liberal Democrat MP will specifically ask Gauke to look into why the action group was not regulated by the Ministry of Justice. The MoJs Claims Management Regulator has previously ruled that the action group did not fall within its scope. Investors who signed up to the action group won 200 million from RBS last June as compensation for shares they were duped into buying in 2008 before their value collapsed. But, as this newspaper pointed out, only 25 million has so far been paid out. The action group was co-founded by an Irish businessman, Gerard Walsh, who has been described as a fraudster in two separate court cases. In a courtroom dispute over the running of the RBoS Shareholders Action Group, Walsh has been accused of claiming a 3.75 million bonus through a payment arrangement kept secret from investors, and of presenting himself as a volunteer while charging 80 an hour for work for the action group. Walsh and the group deny any wrongdoing. Restaurateur and nightclub owner Richard Caring is drawing up blueprints to expand his business empire after pre-tax profits at his restaurants group almost quadrupled. Caring owns a string of London eateries including The Ivy, Le Caprice, J Sheekey and Sexy Fish in Mayfair, where Kate Moss, Boris Becker, Johnny Depp and Rita Ora have been spotted. Revenues at his restaurants group, Caprice Holdings, rose strongly to 67.1 million in the 53 weeks to January 1, 2017 up by 18.5 million compared with the previous year. Flying high: Profits at Richard Caring's upmarket restaurants have almost quadrupled Pre-tax profits rocketed from 2.2 million to 8.7 million, according to the latest accounts, seen by The Mail on Sunday, which will be published at Companies House next week. Caring has invested 25 million in Caprice Holdings and is keen to buy more restaurants. His spokesman said: As a company we are always open to good business opportunities. Carings private members clubs business, MBH Group, has spent more than 55 million opening a new Annabels members club in Berkeley Square, Mayfair. MBH posted a 4.9 million pre-tax loss for 2017 although sales increased by 12 per cent, up to 23.5 million. Consumers are facing penalties for being disabled, female or loyal to a particular company. Research by The Mail on Sunday shows how different groups of society are facing disproportionately higher costs for goods, utilities and financial products compared to their peers. Whether it is double the cost for womens perfume or hundreds of pounds more for the same insurance deal because a customer male or female has not switched, our findings show there is more work to be done to level the playing field. Our probe coincides with a consultation launched by the Government this month, highlighting how shopper competition works well for some but not everyone. Here, we expose how some consumers are more equal than others and explore ways to solve the problem. Penalties for being disabled: Piers Wilkinson pays more for food, travel and housing, and is beholden to one manufacturer for his specially adapted wheelchair The disability price tag There are 14 million disabled people living in the UK paying an average 570 extra a month for everyday living expenses, according to a report by charity Scope. One in five disabled people pay more than 1,000 extra each month. After housing costs, half of their remaining income is spent on disability-related expenses. Often this comes from having to buy specially adapted equipment for which there is little or no market competition. Higher costs also come from energy use, transport and insurance. The charity has uncovered further examples of discriminatory charges including a spare battery for an electric wheelchair that costs 600; hand grips for wheelchairs and walkers that cost five times those for bikes; knives with angled-blades for 15 each; and a 4,000 charge for the creation of a disabled persons parking bay near the home of someone in need. Mark Atkinson, chief executive of Scope, says these additional outlays amount to a disability price-tag. What to do: Have your say. Contribute your thoughts to the Governments consultation on modernising consumer markets on behalf of yourself or the disabled community in general. Visit Gov.uk to read the report and find out how to respond, or write to the Consumer Green Paper Team, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, 1st Floor, Orchard 3, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET. Georgie Frost, consumer expert for comparison website GoCompare says: There is a wide range of disability-related financial support including benefits, tax credits, payments, grants and concessions. Visit Turn2us.org.uk, a charity matching people in need with available support. Or call Scope on 0808 800 3333 for more information. Frost adds: For help with heating, you could get 140 off your electricity bill through the Warm Home Discount Scheme. You may also be able to get cold weather and winter fuel payments and up to 1,000 towards the replacement of your boiler. Contact your provider to find out if you are eligible. Tax relief is available for the purchase of certain items related to a disability. For help, contact the Customs and Excise VAT helpline on 0300 123 1073. There is also a discount available on Council Tax for households where a resident is significantly and permanently disabled. Life's more costly when you're disabled Disabled Piers Wilkinson pays more for food, travel and housing, and is beholden to one manufacturer for his specially adapted wheelchair. The 22-year-old Bangor University student cannot bulk-buy his grocery shopping as he is limited to whatever he can carry in his chair. He often has to travel to lectures by taxi rather than relying on public transport and with a limited stock of housing accessible for the disabled he pays more to rent a home. He also pays more for specific clothing he knows will fit his shape. Piers, who is also involved in amateur theatre, says: If a bus is late or too full, I cannot just walk or drive. I have to pay for taxis and get charged more as a wheelchair user. I also have to pay for my wheelchair if it breaks. It is stressful and out of my control. Piers is resourceful in finding ways to save money. For example, if he needs a single screw to fix his chair, the specific one might cost 9. But he will buy a slightly longer standard screw and saw a bit off with tools his theatre group uses to create props. He says bicycle shops are also friends of wheelchair users and assist him with his tyres when he gets a puncture. Meanwhile, friends with cars help out with food shopping trips. Despite working around problems, Piers says it is disheartening when he is charged more for taxi fares despite this practice being illegal since the law changed a year ago. It is difficult to be disabled and makes life more expensive, he adds. The Pink Tax Gender bias in the price of goods and services hits both men and women at some stage in their lives. But the pink tax the higher prices women pay because of their gender is rampant in the world of hygiene and personal grooming. It is cruelly evident in the VAT charged on sanitary products that women have no choice but to buy, known as the tampon tax. The rate is 5 per cent and applies to maternity pads as well. By comparison VAT is zero-rated for incontinence products used by both genders. It does not take long to find examples of gender-based price discrimination in the beauty aisles, with a 69 per cent mark-up for basic twin-blade disposable razors aimed at women compared to male equivalents. A second shop also marked them up by the same amount. Meanwhile, a sample of barbers and hairdressers that neighbour each other in areas of Manchester, Birmingham and London showed women pay more than twice the price on average for a basic wet-cut without any fancy blow dries. Smelling good costs more for the fairer sex too with retailers selling Obsessed by Calvin Klein at double the price per 100ml of the male version of the scent. All is not fair in love either. Supermarket chain Sainsburys was admonished earlier this year for charging women in the Midlands 50p extra for a Valentines card for their husbands, compared to a virtually identical card aimed at men buying for their wives. Beyond the high street, a gender imbalance pervades the financial industry. A report by gender equality charity The Fawcett Society, together with law firm Pinsent Masons, shows women under-invest in their pensions, under-insure themselves relative to men and are more likely to experience poverty in retirement. This picture is against a backdrop of the gender pay gap which sees most women earn significantly less than men over their working lives. This gap continues through retirement, with research by consumer group Which? showing that women receive 29,000 less from the state pension than men over the course of a typical 20-year retirement. What to do: There is little women can do about costly toiletries other than develop an immunity to well-branded packaging and turning to basic yet effective alternatives. But in the world of financial services women should pay particular attention to their financial futures and get the advice they deserve to secure it. Visit financial website SavvyWoman for tips and information about a range of subjects and guidance on finding a suitable financial adviser. The Loyalty Penalty Long-standing customers subsidise the discounts enjoyed by everyone else. The annual loyalty penalty paid by those sticking with the same utility and financial providers each year is nearly 1,000 according to consumer charity Citizens Advice. The Governments consultation admits that energy, telecoms and financial firms charge increasingly higher prices to customers who have not switched recently. It adds: The large gap between the best and the worst deals received by consumers is difficult to justify and it is often the vulnerable who suffer disproportionately. For example, the difference between the cheapest 12-month fixed-rate gas and electricity tariff and the average dual-fuel deal is 470 a year. Some two million homeowners pay 360 a month extra interest for staying on their mortgage lenders standard variable rate rather than picking a new deal from another provider. Half of consumers could save 280 a year by shopping around for car insurance while a quarter could save 113 on buildings and contents insurance. The Financial Ombudsman Service, which settles disputes between customers and financial firms, has seen a small but significant number of complaints where insurance customers are being mistreated for loyalty. Chief executive Caroline Wayman says: People are paying the price for loyalty in a way that is simply not fair. What to do: Frost says the answer is to ditch and switch. She adds: When it comes to gas and electricity, sometimes you will not even have to change your supplier to lower your bills. Just move to a cheaper tariff with your current energy company and do not be afraid to haggle. Those who have stayed with one insurer for a long time save the most by switching. To compare energy deals try comparison website TheEnergyShop. Websites GoCompare and MoneySuperMarket can help with insurance. Use a mortgage broker such as London and Country or new online alternatives including Habito and Trussle to find a cheaper home loan. The Offline Tariff Most British consumers are digitally capable, but there are still millions who lack the confidence to buy goods and services online or do not want to. Providers are increasingly focusing on internet consumers, so those paying the offline tariff lose out on significant discounts or higher interest for cash deposits. In the world of energy for example, offline customers pay more to receive paper bills than those who agree to receive digital versions. The best savings rates are reserved for those opening accounts online, meaning customers take a hit on interest earned if they bank in person, by post or over the phone. For two, three and five-year fixed-rate bonds, only one of the market-leaders allows customers to open an account in person. That is United Bank UK, which has only a handful of branches. What to do: If you cannot beat them join them. Allowing for paperless billing and online account management paves the way for lower bills and higher interest earned. If you are not happy to do it yourself, rope in a friend or relative to help. Alternatively, sign up with just one online company that promises to switch deals automatically on your behalf. Flipper or Switchcraft will do this in the energy market. If the internet really is not an option, contact at least three providers each for energy, insurance or broadband, including your own, and ask for their best offers. In some cases your existing provider may relent to offer a better deal. For savings, try building societies in your local area which usually have better rates than the banks, even if they are not best-buys. Lesser-known brands with market leading rates often allow account openings by post or phone. Try Kent Reliance, Hodge Bank, Close Brothers Savings and PCF Bank. Holidaymakers gathering vital paperwork in time for their travels this summer are being warned to beware of money-grabbing copycat websites. The internet is a convenient place to quickly order essential documents such as passports, travel visas, drivers licences and European Health Insurance Cards. But travellers are routinely being tricked in to paying for items that are normally issued for free, or if they do carry an official charge, are duped into paying an inflated price for the same service. Trouble before paradise: People are being tricked into paying for items that should be free They are doing this by falling for lookalike websites that resemble those of official organisations. National Trading Standards says at least 40 million has been taken from consumers by the owners of bogus websites. But this is only the tip of the iceberg as it only represents the money lost to crooks that Trading Standards has managed to bring to justice. Last month, the organisation secured the latest in a series of convictions against seven defendants with prison sentences handed out totalling 38 years and seven months. Those convicted were involved in websites mimicking the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Not all websites are behaving illegally. Many simply say they offer extra professional services when arranging paperwork which they say justifies the additional costs. The people behind copycat operations pay search engines to ensure their websites appear at the top of search listings, above the official websites. Mike Andrews, of the National Trading Standards e-Crime team, says that the number of people caught out by lookalike websites has declined in recent years. But he warns that the problem is almost impossible to eradicate. Be alert: Two visa copycat sites exposed, alongside the official site He says: We have been working hard with Government agencies including the Passport Office and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to report such websites to search engines the likes of Google and Bing. They then take them down within hours or days. Web-hosting firms are also asked to remove culprits when they are unmasked. But it is a game of cat and mouse as these websites often reappear in searches following a few tweaks to website wordings and adverts. Many copycats sail closer to the wind than others, creating websites that use phrasing and colours that give the illusion they are official. According to the Advertising Standards Authority, some operators are adopting an air of business legitimacy and honesty by stating somewhere on their web pages that they are not affiliated to the official service. Andrews says such disclaimers cut little ice and are not enough for perpetrators to escape enforcement action. He says: If websites are using a disclaimer, they know they are essentially trying to be like the real thing. As our barrister said during a recent court case, Tesco would not set up a website to look like Sainsburys and include a disclaimer that it is not Sainsburys. The people behind trickster websites defend their practices saying they offer extra services such as checking assistance. This is normally a sham, says Trading Standards. Matt Wilson, of the Advertising Standards Authority, says complaints about misleading adverts for copycat websites reached a peak in 2014, before tailing off. But last year they rose again. He says: The work we have done, including raising consumer awareness, enforcement action and working with the Government, has led to a fall in complaint numbers generally. But it does not mean the problem has gone away. Websites operating from overseas are hard to take action against though Trading Standards does work with colleagues abroad to have adverts taken down that originate from such locations. Ripped off: Ras Dhesi with her husband Kamaljit and their two children Raman 16, and Arjun 9. The family who live in Mirfield, Yorkshire, were caught out by a copycat website when getting visas for Canada Ras Dhesi, from Mirfield in West Yorkshire, is still fuming after falling for a copycat website when purchasing Canadian travel visas last month. Ras, 42, a customer analyst for a financial services company, believed she had paid just $7 Canadian dollars (3.90) for two visas so that her daughter Raman, 16, and son Arjun, nine, could travel to Toronto this summer to stay with their aunt. She says: Raman will have finished her GCSEs and have a long summer to enjoy. So I thought it would be a great opportunity for them to spend time with their cousins. The family had visited Canada before so knew electronic travel authorisations were required. Ras went online using her daughters personal computer and completed the relevant forms, but when the payment system did not work she switched to her laptop instead. She says: I logged on again and the forms looked the same so I went ahead and put in my card details. It was only when Ras received her bank statement that she realised she had been charged 150 for both visas. It transpires that Ras had originally been on the official Canadian Government immigration website. But when she switched to her laptop and typed Canadian ETA into the Bing search engine, she was directed to a copycat website called Canada Access. She says: The page I landed on seemed to mirror the Canadian Governments so I did not realise that anything was awry until I received my bank statement. I realise now that when the payment page came up there was no mention of the amount I had to pay. If it had said 150, alarm bells would have rung. Ras contacted Canadian immigration who said they were unable to help. The copycat website, carrying the Canadian flags distinctive maple leaf, does carry a disclaimer that it is not connected to the Canadian Government website. It also mentions a $99 charge per visa. But only when you scroll down the initial page do you find this inconspicuous wording. The layout of the page also dissuades users from reading this far down with a blue button placed higher up inviting you to Check Canada ETA eligibility. Buried deep in the websites 10,000-word terms and conditions are such details as Canada Access being registered in the Central American country of Belize. Also, that its $93.48 services fee plus the Canada Government $5.52 e-Visa issuance fee covers extras such as reviewing and multi-lingual customer assistance. It also states its service fees are non-refundable. Ras received no extra help with her application and says the form she completed looked official. It appears the copycat website had simply forwarded her form on to the Canadian Government. She has put the expensive incident down to experience, although she has now contacted her bank to see if it will refund her debit card under its chargeback scheme. Last week, The Mail on Sunday contacted Canada Access for a comment. It failed to respond to our request. Have you been affected by a copycat website? If so please email sally.hamilton@mailonsunday.co.uk Steer clear of search engines - and ALWAYS use the official site AVOID making an online search for a passport, European Health Insurance Card or driving licence using search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. Instead, search via the Government website gov. uk. Tap gov.uk into the address bar - not into a search engine. SEARCH for international travel visas such as the US Esta or Canadian Eta using the relevant Government website. The electronic travel authorisations should cost you only 14 US dollars and 7 Canadian dollars. There is no advantage in paying extra. BE AWARE that if you do carry out an online search paid-for ads appear at the top. The official services are likely to turn up a few places down the list. DO NOT rush into completing applications online. Check the website is official. This might require reading beyond the first few paragraphs. The website that misled our case study, Ras Dhesi, tags a disclaimer low down on the first page - as well as burying it in its 21 pages of terms and conditions. Such disclaimers should ring alarm bells - log off. FIGHT back. Chase the website for a refund. Most will state they do not offer money back but it is worth a try. The trickster might calculate that returning your payment is a price worth paying not to attract unwanted attention to its methods. Mike Andrews, of National Trading Standards, says: 'Even if they have to write off 10 per cent of business they are still making money.' ATTEMPT a refund via your bank. If you used a credit or debit card to make the purchase, you may be able to get your money back via Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act or the bank's chargeback scheme. REPORT a copycat website to trading standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 040506 and to the relevant search engine. Make a noise if your holiday is disturbed Unwanted noise is likely to ruin many a holidaymaker's rest and relaxation this summer. People have complained in their hundreds to website Resolver about how noise levels in and around their hotel have ruined their getaway in the past year. Analysis of the complaints suggests the biggest irritant is noise from neighbouring rooms, with gripes up 60 per cent in the year to the end of March. Many people recall a nightmare experience where just as they are drifting off to sleep holidaymakers return to their rooms for an allnight party, slamming doors on the way. Martyn James, of Resolver, says holidaymakers should not put up with unacceptable noise levels. He says: 'Speak to the hotel management who may move you to a quieter room if it is the neighbours who are the issue. You could even move hotel if it is part of a company that owns other properties. If it is an issue with the hotel's construction you could argue the holiday was not as described and demand some or all of your money back.' He recommends people who desire total peace and quiet state this when they book. If noise becomes an issue, they can point to their request as part of any demand for a refund. Outsourcing group Capita has had a hard time in recent years, with a raft of profit warnings, a growing pensions deficit and a Labour leader threatening to nationalise many of the services it provides. Its woes were compounded at the start of the year when it issued a profit warning just two weeks after the collapse of fellow contractor Carillion. Shares plunged to a 15-year low, wiping 1 billion off the value of the company overnight and it looked as though the troubled business could be the FTSE 250s next casualty. Outsourced services: Capita's clients include the army, and it also collects London's congestion charges But, three months on, Capita is still hanging in there. Shares closed on Friday 17 per cent higher than at the start of the week as cautious investors wondered whether the turnaround was finally starting to take hold. Capita provides outsourced services to private and public companies, including back office IT projects, call centre operations and administrative duties. Its contracts include collecting the BBC licence fee and Londons Congestion Charge. Other customers range from Marks & Spencer and O2 to the Army. But a scattergun approach has created a business with a lack of focus. Last year, chief executive Andy Parker stepped down after a 33 per cent drop in profit and new incumbent Jon Lewis promised change after admitting that the business was too complex, too focused on the short-term and lacking operational discipline. Too many acquisitions and too little investment in IT were cited as just some of the issues facing the business. That much can be seen by looking at its website, where the Our Services menu ranges from travel and events to financial services, and from legal services to start-up business development. But Capita is working on this it has disposed of a specialist recruitment business and its Capita Asset Services division. The plan is to simplify the business, reducing the number of markets it serves from 40 to just five, while increasing its international focus. If you can get past the headline figures a net loss of 513 million in 2017 and a 400 million pension deficit, for example things may not be as grim as they appear. Underlying operating profits, for example, soared 34 per cent in the year to 447 million, with several divisions making good progress. The business expects pre-tax profits of between 270 million and 300 million for this year, though that doesnt take into account the costs of restructuring and turning the business around. This weeks gains will be little solace to long-term investors; shares are still down 67 per cent over the past year from 565p to 187p. Yet, while there are definitely problems, you have to wonder whether Capita has been unfairly punished by investors for simply reminding them a bit of Carillion. Certainly, it seems the top dogs are confident. This week non-executive director Andrew Williams splashed out 53,750 on 30,000 shares while chief executive Jon Lewis snapped up 138,500 for 248,120. Veteran investor Neil Woodford is remaining steadfast, too, though it is understood that his fund took a 40 million hit when Capita suspended its dividend in January. The star fund manager is Capitas second-largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake in the business. Midas verdict: Investors bruised by the heavy falls in the share price may want to hold on to their stock in the hope of reducing their losses. Newcomers should hold fire for now. Turnarounds are rarely quick and not always successful. While Capitas management team has identified a plan of action, it remains to be seen whether it can pull it off. Geneva based Pictet Asset Management is not your typical investment house. Unlike most of its rivals, it is not a listed company but a partnership which means it does not have to keep the City happy with ever increasing profits and revenues. It can take a more laid-back and considered view and plan for the long term. It also goes about its investing in a slightly different way. Rather than run traditional equity funds set up on a geographic basis, it is big into identifying key investment themes and building portfolios to profit from them. The result is that a fifth of the 140billion of assets it manages are now in single thematic funds such as water, robotics, biotech and clean energy - areas that are growing rapidly as a result of new technological developments. The logic is that these themes will gain popularity and drive stock markets forward. Sometimes the themes that Pictet chooses run their course, necessitating a change of direction. The Telecom fund is now the Pictet Digital fund while the latest repositioning has taken place on Pictet Agriculture which since August last year has been renamed Pictet Nutrition. The fund's portfolio has also been overhauled to reflect the greater emphasis on investing in companies which are helping improve the quality of food. 'Out have gone the pesticide manufacturers and the red meat suppliers,' says Cedric Lecamp, manager of the fund. Cedric Lecamp: 'What we are now doing is looking for companies that are helping produce healthier food and reducing food wastage' 'What we are now doing is looking for companies that are helping produce healthier food and reducing food wastage both in the production process and when it arrives on the shelf.' The buzzwords for Lecamp are 'quality, access and sustainability'. He is focused on companies which are ensuring better quality food, providing wider access to healthy produce or enabling more food to be yielded from the land that then lasts longer. Lecamp estimates that there are some 350 companies worldwide that meet the fund's investment criteria. Of these, 150 are 'real candidates' for inclusion in the fund although currently holdings total 55. Key positions include a stake in food manufacturer Kerry Group, owner of brands such as Dairygold, LowLow and Charleville. The Irish-based company ticks Lecamp's boxes because of its determination to reduce the use of salts, sugar and fats across its brands. The fund also has a position in Chr Hansen, a Danish producer of enzymes and cultures that help extend the shelf life of many dairy products. Located north of Copenhagen, Lecamp says Chr Hansen is part of a 'silicon valley of enzyme technology'. Any suggestion that the fund is based more on marketing hype than investment potential is washed away by two key facts. First, all potential investments are screened by third party the Access to Nutrition Foundation for their commitment to delivering healthier food products. Secondly, while Lecamp dictates the fund's holdings, he also draws on the knowledge of key nutritional experts. They are part of an 'advisory board' whose role is to help Lecamp identify emerging nutritional themes - the idea being that he can then invest in companies operating in these areas before anyone else. Enzyme technology is currently the rage although Lecamp and his advisers believe personalised nutrition - tailored nutritional advice - could be the next big theme to take off. One of WPP's biggest investors is demanding the advertising giant launch a probe to find and punish the person responsible for leaking details of an investigation into chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell. David Herro of Harris Associates - WPP's second largest investor with a 6 per cent stake - met chairman Roberto Quarta and called for an inquiry into the explosive leak, which Sorrell's camp believes must have come from a board member due to the level of detail involved. Herro told The Mail on Sunday last night: 'The board must investigate and punish the leaker. Departed boSir Martin Sorrell dramatically quit the firm he set up from scratch in 1985 'WPP is an image business.' He added that the leak 'negatively impacted' the company's reputation and a 'smooth transition' from the reign of Sorrell to a new chief executive. Herro's meeting with Quarta in New York last weekend came after Sorrell dramatically quit the firm he set up from scratch in 1985. US business newspaper The Wall Street Journal first reported that WPP was investigating accusations against Sorrell at the beginning of the month. The firm confirmed it had appointed lawyers to probe an 'allegation of personal misconduct'. Relations between Sorrell and the board deteriorated rapidly. He appointed his own lawyers and public relations advisers and friends say he is convinced the leak must have come from a 'rarefied' source - in other words a member of the board. Friends of Sorrell said he would be 'very happy' for there to be a leak inquiry. However, one investment consultant, who asked not to be named, told The Mail on Sunday last night he would support the WPP board if it emerged one of their number had divulged details of the investigation in a bid to oust Sorrell, who angered investors by raking in more than 200million in pay between 2012 and 2016. The consultant said: 'Given Sorrell's obstinacy over the years in the face of what would normally be considered intolerable investor and media scrutiny, I would like to believe it was members of the board themselves that leaked the report in a final desperate bid to hasten his succession.' WPP published its 2017 annual report on Friday, revealing its lowest pay package for Sorrell since 2011, although the tycoon still received just under 14million. The company is in the process of finding a successor. A spokesman for WPP told The Mail on Sunday: 'We take any breach of confidentiality very seriously.' MBABANE Talk about manna from heaven! The countrys politicians, who include Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Dlamini, 75 members of parliament (20 in Senate, 55 in House of Assembly), 55 Tindvuna Tetinkhundla (Constituency Headmen) and 334 Bucopho Betinkhundla (Members of Tinkhundla Executive Committees), will continue being paid their salaries until October, long after they had been relieved of their duties. Their five year term of office, according to Finance Circular No. 2 of 2013, is deemed to have come into effect on the date of appointment for the Right Honourable prime minister, deputy prime minister, cabinet ministers and regional administrators; and the date of swearing in for Members of Parliament and Members of Senate. Sworn in towards the end of October These politicians were all sworn in towards the end of October, with the PM having been appointed in October, while the regional administrators were appointed early November 2013. Documents seen by the Times SUNDAY show that the PMs salary will be stopped on November 1, 2018, which means that October will be the last month for him to receive his salary from government. This, it has been learnt, will apply to all the politicians because of what the circular states. When the politicians get their last pay cheque in October, it is expected that they would have left office as His Majesty the King is anticipated to have dissolved parliament at that time. Parliament will be dissolved in readiness for the 2018 National General Elections. As confirmed by the Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), Chief Gija, the beginning of the elections process is now near and the dates for registration will be announced soon. The registration dates are close by and people will soon be told when this process will begin. The media will be the first to be called and given the dates and this will happen soonest, Gija said. During registration, members of parliament will still be in office and His Majesty, as Gija said, will only dissolve the august House before the elections process enters nomination stage. 2013 nomination process conducted in August In 2013, the nomination process was conducted on August 3 and 4, 2013. Parliament was dissolved at the beginning of August, which means that the MPs last month in office was July. If this trend could be followed even this year, it would mean the MPs, which are inclusive of Cabinet ministers, will be paid for doing nothing for the months of August, September and October. The PM, who earns a basic salary of E77 197.50 a month, will be paid a basic amount of E231 592.50 over the three months for doing absolutely nothing. MBABANE Did the two long flights, endless meetings in London and chairing another one - barely 12 hours upon returning home, trigger the PMs health scare? Before he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the Mbabane Government Hospital on Wednesday morning, the Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, had a hectic schedule over a seven-day period. Firstly, he had to fly as early as 8am on Friday, April 13, 2018, from Eswatinis King Mswati III International Airport to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, to connect another flight to Heathrow International Airport in London, England. In London, he had gone to represent His Majesty King Mswati III in a five-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. A flight from Johannesburg to London takes 10 hours 45 minutes if one boards a Virgin Atlantic Airways-operated flight. It takes 10 hours 50 minutes through British Airways and 11 hours 10 minutes through South African Airways. Non-stop meetings and functions The distance between London and Johannesburg is 9080 kilometres. On Monday, April 16, the PM had to attend one of the first gatherings of the Commonwealth meeting - a function dubbed welcome to the UK reception - where the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, made a short speech. From there on, it was non-stop meetings and functions, including the Commonwealth Big Lunch that was attended by the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and the Duchess of Cornwall. Commonwealth Big Lunches are for bringing people together to celebrate their Commonwealth connections through food. There was also the Commonwealth Business Forum, which the PM had to attend, whose reception at the closing ceremony on April 18 was attended by the Prince of Wales. The forum was an opportunity to enhance trade, showcase investment opportunities and promote sustainable development across the Commonwealth. The PM also attended the Malaria No More Summit, which brought together Commonwealth leaders to discuss how commitments and a call to action could help reduce deaths caused by this preventable and treatable disease. The Prince of Wales, who made the keynote speech, and The Duke of York, were also in attendance. MBABANE Some investigators of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) feel intimidated by actions of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Edgar Hillary. This is contained in their letter dated April 26, 2018 addressed to Speaker Themba Msibi. They told Msibi that they received telephone calls on Sunday (April 22, 2018) inviting them to attend a meeting on Monday (April 23) at 8:30 am. In that meeting, which they say was also attended by Lorraine Hlophe, the ministrys Principal Secretary, the officers further alleged that they were viewed as disrespectful people and were called to order. Addressing the speaker, they charged that the ministers alleged innuendos were unfortunate, particularly because parliament was investigating the ACC, not them. They copied the letter to Hillary, Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala, Principal Secretary Lorraine Hlophe, the deputy ACC commissioners, the attorney general and Manzini North MP Jan Sithole, the Chairman of the Parliament Select Committee investigating the ACC. Hillary at loggerheads with some officers of ACC Hillary is presently at loggerheads with some officers of the ACC over the constitutionality of the Parliament select committee appointed to investigate alleged corruption at the commission. The names of the investigators who signed the letter cannot be revealed to protect them. Calling Hillary to order, they said his instruction that they should not appear before the select committee was baseless. They said it was a pity the minister did not advise them on how he would protect them from charges of contempt of parliament for failure to appear before the select committee. They said Parliament had equal powers with the High Court in terms of section 29 (1-5) of the Constitution. Citing the constitution, they said section 29 (5) empowered the committee to exercise powers, rights and privileges of the High Court or a justice of the High Court at a trial when summoning a witness to appear before the committee. Section 129 of the Constitution, specifically provides for the powers of the Parliament committees. Based on the Constitution and Parliamentary Privileges Act of 1967, they said they were of the view that heeding to the ministers order and defying the select committees summons would have constituted a charge of contempt. They also cited section 19 of the Parliamentary Privileges Act, which provides that a person might render himself liable to arrest for contempt of Parliament if he neglected to comply with the summons. Relating how they ended up appearing before the committee, the investigators said they were served with summons on April 6, 2018, inviting them to assist the committee on their terms of reference. The terms of reference include investigating alleged maladministration at the ACC, controversies surrounding fleet management, alleged corrupt practices in the recruitment and promotion of personnel, alleged misappropriation of government funds through the special fund account and the committee is free to investigate incidental matters. Members of the committee are MP Jan Sithole (chairman), MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, MP Mjuluko Dlamini, MP Menzi Dlamini and MP Michael Masilela. Speakers advice sought We, therefore, seek the Honourable Speakers advice on this issue of the minister forcing us to defy a legitimate authority and further blocking us from attending the committees probe without any law authorising him to do so, reads the letter signed by the ACC investigators. According to their missive, the officers mentioned that Hillary was allegedly disappointed with them for defying his orders not to honour summons to appear before the select committee. Another allegation they levelled against the minister was that he claimed the decision to stop ACC staff from honouring the committees invite was not his but a Cabinet resolution. The minister, further, in his showing of his disappointment, alluded to us that those who complied with the invite and attended to the probe were not loyal to the organisation and are not fit to work for the ACC, they told Speaker Msibi. They also mentioned that a memorandum dated April 9, 2018 from the Deputy Commission Administration, Ndiphethe Mabila, informed them that Hillary expected nobody from the ACC to make the testimonies. The ministers instruction caused them to miss the select committees sitting on April 9, 2018 despite the fact that they had been summoned to appear. However, they eventually honoured the summons and appeared before the committee on April 13, 2018, according to the letter. In an interview, Speaker Msibi confirmed receipt of the letter. Based on the contents of the letter, he said, they were yet to convene a meeting to take a decision. He pointed out that a select committee appointed by Parliament had similar powers with that of the High Court. Msibi did not want to elaborate on the matter as it was still being discussed internally. Hillary told the Times SUNDAY he had not yet received a copy of the letter. The minister said he was unaware that the officers had written a letter to the Speaker. He said he would reserve his comments until he got the copy. MP Jan Sithole, the Chairman of the Parliament Select Committee investigating the ACC, confirmed receipt of the copy of the letter. For now it is for the Speaker to respond as the letter is directed to his office, he said. The MP said the committee could react, without fear, favour or prejudice, if the speaker were to refer the matter to them. US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to make little headway on high-stakes trade and security disagreements Friday, but avoided the public bickering that has plagued their year-old relationship. Merkel left the White House, seemingly unable to secure a promise from Trump to stay in the Iran nuclear deal or to provide a permanent European exemption to trade tariffs. Unless Trump acts by May 1, which is next Tuesday, tariffs on European steel and aluminum will kick into effect, likely followed by EU countermeasures that would spark a transatlantic trade war. "The president will decide. That is very clear," Merkel said, papering over differences during a joint press conference at the White House. "We had an exchange of views on the current state of affairs of the negotiations and the respective assessments on where we stand on this. And the decision lies with the president." On the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump may scuttle on May 12, Merkel conceded it was "anything but perfect" but is worth holding on to nonetheless. Trump has demanded the "terrible" deal which gave Tehran sanctions relief in return for curbs on controversial nuclear activities be renegotiated, something Europeans see as unrealistic, dangerous and unnecessary. Merkel, like French President Emmanuel Macron who visited the White House earlier this week, tried to sell Trump on the idea of the deal being a stepping stone to a longer-term, broader agreement. "It will not solve all the problems with Iran. It is one piece of the mosaic, one building block, if you like, on which we can build up this structure," she said. Trump was as noncommittal as he was with Macron, giving no sense that he was ready to bend, or that he has an alternative plan. "They will not be doing nuclear weapons. That I can tell you. Okay?" Trump said when asked about his own proposal, refusing to rule out military action. The White House has largely seen the deal through the prism of domestic politics and Trump\s campaign promise to nix it. Despite lingering disagreements, Trump tempered his previously harsh criticism of low German defense spending, open immigration policies and export-focused trade. Hailing Merkel as an "extraordinary woman," Trump insisted "we must have a fair and reciprocal trading relationship with our friends and partners." "I\m committed to working with Chancellor Merkel to reduce barriers to United States exports, to remedy these trade imbalances, and deepen our economic ties." Trump also renewed his criticism of NATO, saying the transatlantic defense alliance was more useful for Europe than for the United States, but in less sharp terms than before. "NATO is wonderful but it helps Europe more than it helps us," he said, returning to a pet peeve. "Why are we paying a vast majority of the costs?" he complained. "We\re working on those things. It\s been unfair. And I don\t blame the chancellor." Make Germany heard again The German leader\s visit had been overshadowed by a backslapping three-day festival of "fraternite" between Trump and Macron earlier this week. Aware of the optics, anxious German diplomats pressed in vain for Merkel to enjoy a similarly meaty two days at the White House, betting the face time would help sweeten difficult relations, officials told AFP. Instead the chancellor got a one day, run-of-the-mill "working visit." But the trip got off to a surprisingly warm start, and the body language showed. The two leaders exchanged kisses on the cheek as Merkel emerged from her limousine at the White House. "We actually have had a great relationship right from the beginning but some people didn\t understand that," Trump told reporters. "But we understand it, and that\s what\s important." When Merkel last came to Washington, the cautious dry-witted chancellor held several awkward joint appearances with her more impulsive host clashing publicly over defense spending, trade and migration. The Trump era has seen a dramatic change in fortunes for the German leader who, for more than a decade, was seen by Washington not just as a sensible and pragmatic interlocutor, but the de facto leader of Europe. Her relationship with Barack Obama was particularly close, officials from that administration have said, so much so that he was a powerful voice encouraging her to run, successfully, for a fourth term. Their partnership has proven along with centrists claiming her as the new "leader of the free world" to be a poisoned chalice for Berlin in the age of Trump. Just hours before the chancellor landed late Thursday, some 15 months after Trump was sworn into office, the Republican-controlled Congress finally got around to confirming an ambassador to Germany. Both Merkel and Trump welcomed his appointment. [April 29, 2018] Dealer.com Advertising Solution Now Available Directly Through Cox Automotive Canada MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 29, 2018 /CNW/ - Effective today, Dealer.com Advertising solution is now available directly through Cox Automotive Canada, which will enable the organization to launch the full capability of the platform in the Canadian market. A true pioneer of digital marketing in the automotive space, Dealer.com allows car dealers to automatically connect their vehicles with the most likely buyers, track and monitor ROI in real-time across their complete program, and execute any strategy, at scale, adapting as the situation requires. As the industry's leading digital advertising solution, Dealer.com has a proven performance record that can increase and enhance a dealer's success by widening their reach and driving the most relevant traffic to the dealership's website. 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About Dealer.com Canada Dealer.com provides an integrated platform of Advertising, Website and Managed Services products which allow OEMs, dealer groups, retailers, and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology and data to better engage and connect with their customers. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness, making it one of the most desirable places to work, and a valuable partner for automotive retailers. In Canada, Dealer.com is managed by Dealertrack Canada. For more information, visit Dealer.com. About Cox Automotive Canada Cox Automotive is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. In Canada, the Cox Automotive family includes Dealer.com, Dealertrack, HomeNet, Manheim, NextGear Capital, Ready Logistics, RMS Automotive, vAuto, VinSolutions & Xtime, along with a host of other brands in other countries. The global company has 34,000 team members in more than 220 locations and is a partner to more than 50,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of 120-year-old Cox Enterprises, Inc., which has revenues exceeding $20 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive Canada, visit coxautoinc.ca. SOURCE Cox Automotive Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 29, 2018] Industrial Robots Market in Automotive Industry - Rising Adoption of Lean and Flexible Manufacturing Drives Growth| Technavio Technavio's latest market research report on the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2018-2022. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180429005087/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry from 2018-2022. (Photo: Business Wire) According to Technavio market research analysts, the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry will grow at a CAGR of approximately 7% during the forecast period. The increasing adoption of lean and flexible manufacturing is a major factor driving the market's growth. The automotive industry is highly competitive, and the vendors in the market compete on reliability, quality, cost, and delivery. In the present scenario, when the demand for vehicles is increasing substantially, the competition among players is intense, thereby making cost reduction a major concern for them. To attain this, industry players are concentrating on producing required products at first attempt and eliminating additional cost by adopting lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing refers to the method, which reduces waste generated during the manufacturing process without compromising on productivity. It also considers several other wastes such as waste generated through overburden or unevenness of workloads. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing Save more with Technavio. Buy 2 reports and get the third for FREE: View all Technavio's current offers In this report, Technavio highlights the emergence of IoT and industry 4.0 as a key trend driving the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry: IoT and Industry 4.0 Internet of Things (IoT) is an interconnection of several devices be it mechanical or digital, which allow data to be transferred from end-to-end without human interventions. At present, IoT has already been commercialized in various applications, thereby initiating an industrial revolution with the advent of Industry 4.0. Also, IoT is further simplifying the connectivity techniques using internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) based protocol addressing systems. The interoperability and data readability issues have found better solutions with the advent of IoT. This technology has revolutionized the world of robotics by streamlining the working of robots with smart factory. A network of robots can connect to the cloud and provide insightful data from mass data. A major application of such technology interpretation is in asset management and maintenance to optimize equipment and process efficiency, reduce the cost, and mitigate the risk of downtime. "Industry 4.0 and IoT have been gaining traction in automotive manufacturing facilities. The support extended by governments to modernize manufacturing facilities has encouraged OEMs in Germany, Italy, France, the US, and China to enhance productivity. It is expected that the adoption of IoT and Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing plants will increase the demand for industrial robots in the automotive industry," says a senior analyst at Technavio for research on robotics. Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Global industrial robots market in the automotive industry - segmentation analysis This market research report segments the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry into the following applications (material handling, assembly line, welding, and painting and dispensing) and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). In 2017, the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry was dominated by the material handling application, and it is expected to retain its position during the forecast period. Material handling is a major application within automotive manufacturing set up because handling bulky and complex parts is cumbersome when it must be carried out manually. APAC was the leading region for the global industrial robots market in the automotive industry in 2017, accounting for a market share of close to 61%. This segment is expected to project significant growth and dominate the global market throughout the forecast period. Technavio supports Health for All campaign on this World Health Day with 20% savings on all reports in the Health and Wellness category for the entire month. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180429005087/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Missouri Supreme Court rules woman at center of Greitens case must hand over phone On Saturday, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected a petition by the woman at the center of Governor Eric Greitens' sex scandal. The secretive hottie at the center of this drama says she "feels like she's being victimized all over again" as the court searches for more evidence of her allegations. Read more: How Long Should They Serve? Jackson County Legislature Takes Up Charter Changes When Jackson County legislators convene Monday afternoon, they'll be taking the first step into determining their own future. At that meeting, legislator Greg Grounds, who represents much of eastern Jackson County and is one of two Republicans in the county legislature, will introduce a controversial plan to change the county charter. Here's a sign that there's not much hope for the courthouse . . . Our blog community reported this MONTHS AGO and now it's news fact and up for debate . . . Amid a slew of negative publicity, infighting and hard feelings, the charter change proposed for Jackson County includes aThe focus is on term limits but thepay bump should encourage more voter ire. Read more: ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 28 The PGI Contract Workers Union on Saturday called off its strike scheduled for May 3 after the authorities invited them for a meeting. Ashwani Munjal, chairman of the union, said the call for strike was withdrawn after the PGI authorities asked the union to send a list of daily-wage workers deployed in various departments of the institute. If the PGI will not act in accordance with the law, we will again reconsider our decision, said Munjal. However, sources said the union decided to call off the strike after the PGI authorities responded strongly to its strike notice. In a communique issued on Friday evening, the PGI authorities had stated that the patient care would not be allowed to suffer at any cost and indiscipline would not be tolerated. Meanwhile, the PGI has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Dr A Chakarbati, professor and head, Department of Microbiology, to hold a discussion with the union representatives on April 30. The PGI Administration had clarified that the outsourced hospital attendants, sanitary attendants and MRTs had given the strike notice. The PGI had stated that these outsourced workers were not its employees. As a goodwill gesture, they were invited for discussion twice, but they didnt turn up, stated a communique by the PGI. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 28 The consultant appointed by the UT Administration for a flyover at Tribune Chowk has prepared an interim report, as per which the project is likely to cost around Rs 1,600 crore. Sources said the consultant had prepared an initial report of the project after a three-month survey. The UT Administration had appointed Mumbai-based Stup Constructions for consultancy. Sources said the consultant had suggested two levels of the flyover connecting Chandigarh with the Zirakpur flyover. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had announced the project during his visit to the city in 2016 after local MP Kirron Kher raised the demand for a flyover at Tribune Chowk. UT to pay Rs 1.85 cr to consultant The UT Administration will pay Rs 1.85 crore to Stup Constructions, the consultant hired for the flyover project. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had given its approval to engage a consultant for preparation of a detailed project report for the flyover project in December 2016. . ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Mohali, April 28 A cab hired from Anandpur Sahib was allegedly snatched at knifepoint by three unidentified persons on Saturday afternoon. The police said the victim, Jaswinder Singh, stated that his SUV, a Mahindra Scorpio, was hired by the trio from the Anandpur Sahib taxi stand at 8 am. The accused told him that they wanted to go to the PGI, Chandigarh, to visit a relative admitted there. On the return journey, just before reaching the Kurali toll plaza, one of them asked the victim to stop the car as he was not feeling well. The accused then placed a knife on his neck and tied his hands. The SUV was driven towards Dera Bassi where the victim was thrown out near a government college. The accused then drove towards Dadrala village. Sources said the accused abandoned the Scorpio as it overturned after hitting an electricity pole in Dera Bassi and fled. The police said the accused also took Rs 10,000 in cash and the victims driving licence. TNS How events unfolded MK Bhadrakumar MK Bhadrakumar It has been reported that the Ministry of External Affairs is lobbying hard with the Trump administration to ensure Delhi does not get caught in the crossfire of the United States sanctions against Russia. The Indian diplomats are reportedly pleading with the Americans to grant India exemption from the US sanctions regime that also targets third countries doing business with Russias defence industry. According to top Indian sources, the governments three-fold argument is that firstly, Indias dependence on Russian weaponry has been shrinking, as the statistics of the past decade testify. Secondly, Delhi pleads that if the US imposes punitive sanctions against India to stifle arms procurements from Russia, it would affect the existing reserves of the Indian armed forces and the overall defence preparedness. Thirdly, Delhi has assured Washington that its Russian arms purchases will not hurt the business interests of American vendors. This is, indeed, laughable an uncommon nonsense that leaps out of Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland. But, on a serious note, some profound issues are involved. Why should our government get into such nerve-wracking trapeze acts begs an explanation. As a former British colony for two centuries, we have a collective memory. The centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that is drawing close must be jogging that memory. Simply put, does our democratically elected government owe such laboured explanation, bordering on apology, to a foreign power regarding its sovereign decisions taken in national interests to meet the requirements and needs of the countrys defence? It is in awkward moments like this that the lingering unipolar predicament of Indias foreign policy elite surfaces. Perhaps, our vulnerable bureaucrats have reason to be fixated on the unipolar predicament, but surely, that is not the case with our political leadership weaned on nationalist ideology. Yet, India must be one of a clutch of countries that suffers from such inferiority complex. Even the US close allies are strengthening strategic autonomy. Turkey has placed an order to procure the S-400 missile defence system from Russia and Moscow has begun producing it. Indonesia placed a firm order in February for 11 Su-35 multirole fighter jets from Russia. In March, Moscow signed a deal to provide Egypt with air defence missile systems, although according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, it amounts to changing the status quo in regional military balance and challenges the Camp David treaty, which is lauded as the high noon of Americas Middle East policy. Turkey is a major NATO power; Indonesia and Egypt are Washingtons traditionally close partners yet, they are being contemporaneous with the emergent multipolar world order. Equally, an astonishing surge of strategic autonomy was on display last week in Washington when Emmanuel Macron, president of France (which is not only a friend but Americas oldest ally, as President Trump put it), tore into what is commonly known as Trumpism, during an address at the US Congress while on a state visit. And as he was leaving for Paris on the return journey, Macron said harshly that the US flip-flopping on international agreements on global issues can work in the short term but its very insane in the medium to long term. Macron plans to visit Russia next month to discuss a settlement in Syria. Moscow commentators are speculating that he might be undertaking some shuttle diplomacy as a mediator between Washington and Moscow. Yet, ironically, the latest bout of US sanctions against Russia is attributed to Russian policies towards Syria! And therein hangs a bizarre tale. Washington speaks in multiple voices, often contradictory. From a long-term perspective, countries such as Turkey are increasingly wary about US policy shifts. They estimate rightly that putting all the eggs in the American basket would be a risky idea for any country that pursues independent foreign policy. India too should exercise caution to avoid heavy dependence on American arms supplies. The tendency to impose sanctions historically constituted a key tool in the US foreign policy armoury to pressure countries to fall in line. Currently, there is a bipartisan move afoot in the US Senate aimed at blocking the Lockheed Martins high-tech, radar-evading F-35 joint strike fighter to Turkey on the specious ground that President Recep Erdogan has embarked on a path of reckless governance and disregard for the rule of law. However, one of the pioneering senators, James Lankford (Republican) has openly admitted: Turkeys strategic decisions regrettably fall more and more out of line with, and at times in contrast to, US interests. These factors make the transfer of sensitive F-35 technology and cutting-edge capabilities to Erdogans regime increasingly risky. Indeed, the plain truth is that the move comes at a time of policy divergence between Turkey and the US over American backing for Kurdish fighters in north Syria, whom Ankara regards as terrorists aiming at the creation of an independent Kurdistan state in the region. Quite obviously, any US interference in the India-Russia defence cooperation, if allowed to happen, will inevitably lead to more American demands. The next target will be the India-Russia collaboration in the energy sector where too the US is an aspiring competitor. Therefore, the time to draw a red line in the India-US defining partnership is the present moment. Above all, the South Block should use brainpower to discern the range of American motivations to sanction Russias arms industry. There are strong commercial interests involved; arms exports are highly lucrative. Russia, which exported $15 billion worth arms last year, threatens to erode the US traditional dominance in the field. Russian arms sales to the US captive markets such as Middle East and Latin America have spiked to record-high level. American vendors are hard-pressed to match not only Russias highly competitive pricing but also Moscows willingness to share advanced military technology. For example, the US refused to give the advanced Patriot missile system to Turkey, whereupon Ankara has proceeded to procure the superior S-400 missile defence system from Moscow, which is also willing to transfer military technology. India must preserve its strategic autonomy in the vital sectors of its national economy and security. The suggestion that India might get sucked into the US sanctions against Russia is actually psywar. The US simply cannot afford to sanction India. Indias burgeoning arms bazaar is today the biggest in the world and the American vendors know very well that a gravy train is running. We are not a non-NATO ally seeking American weapons as gifts. We pay the asking price and are terrific paymasters. Importantly, we should know that self-respect and free will are a countrys strategic assets. The writer is a former ambassador Satya Pal Jain Satya Pal Jain Additional Solicitor-General, India The issue of holding elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies simultaneously is being debated these days. The Constitution provides a term of five years for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, unless dissolved earlier. The first General Election was held in 1952, when elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislatures were held simultaneously. This pattern continued in 1957 and 1962, but it was broken in 1967 when the Congress lost majority in many states, leading to the formation of non-Congress governments, but which could not complete their tenure. It led to mid-term polls in those states, breaking the five-year circle. After that in 1971, Indira Gandhi, after winning the war with Pakistan and after the formation of Bangladesh, dissolved the Lok Sabha and got the Lok Sabha elections conducted in 1971 itself. Such practice has continued ever since. However, the losses of being in the 'election mode' throughout are tremendous. Most political parties remain busy formalising and executing their own strategy for the next cycle of elections. The security forces which are for law and order have to be shifted from one place to the other to ensure free and fair elections. The Election Commission gets busy preparing for elections for another state, the moment it is free from the election of one state. The expenditure on propaganda, posters, banners by all political parties is multiplied with every new election. And, when elections are held in a particular state, the campaign gets the attention of the national leadership and as a result, the local issues and local leadership are relegated to the background. Thus, the attention of the ruling as well as opposition parties shifts from developmental works to winning one election after another. Every election creates political turmoil in the country. If the ruling party wins, it is called the vindication of its policies and in case it loses, the opposition claims it as defeat of the party in power in the Centre. It's like a musical chair race where the focus shifts to holding your chair and not on doing something substantial for the development of the country. Approximately 25 lakh employees and a few lakh security personnel are deployed for conducting elections in the country. Because of the Model Code of Conduct, the working of the state government comes to a standstill during elections. In case elections are held simultaneously, the expenditure will be incurred only once, reducing it by almost 50 per cent. Each parliamentary constituency has different number of legislative assembly constituencies varying from state to state. In Himachal Pradesh, on an average, 17 Assembly constituencies constitute one Lok Sabha seat, in Punjab and Haryana, it is nine, in Uttar Pradesh five. The number is much more in the smaller states. Take the example of Himachal Pradesh, if elections to Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha are held separately, the expenditure in 17 Assembly Elections will again be repeated in just one Lok Sabha Election. In case elections are held simultaneously, the expenditure will be only once, reducing it by almost half. It is time for political parties to sit together and decide on holding simultaneous election to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. It will need amendment of the Constitution. So far as Lok Sabha is concerned, there is no provision for President's rule but there is such a provision under Article 356 in the case of the states. The next Lok Sabha Elections are to be held in 2019. Elections to about half the states can be adjusted to coincide with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and elections to rest of the states can be postponed to coincide with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. By 2024, the issue of simultaneous elections can be achieved and from there onwards a provision can be made in the Constitution that in case there is a need of mid-term polls either in the case of Lok Sabha or in any state, the mid-term poll shall be for the remainder period of five years and not a full term of five years, so that the national roster of holding elections is not upset and disturbed. This will also act as a deterrent to the political parties and leadership from getting the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha dissolved on trivial issues. This idea is not new. It was discussed by the Election Commission in 1983, the Law Commission in 1999 and Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice in 2015. According to this report, about Rs 4,500 crore is spent by the Election Commission in conducting one election to the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies. Simultaneous elections will save huge expenditure, provide more time to the governments for undertaking development work, take the nation out of being in the 'election mode' throughout the year. This trend then can be taken to the elections within the state also by holding elections in municipalities, corporations, panchayats and zila parishads simultaneously. sanjiv@tribunemail.com The two days that Modi and Xi spent together at a countryside retreat in Wuhan were perhaps as momentous for the regions geopolitics as the days show-stealer: the first-ever summit of the Koreas. Clearly, like the two Koreas, both India and China have arrived at a new modus vivendi to coexist peacefully. The trajectory of the turnaround is clear: it all began in February with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and rapidly escalated into a flurry of high-level visits, significantly all of them to China. Some were unavoidable diplomatic obligations in the run-up to the BRICS Summit in China. But PM Modis extended tete-a-tete with Chinas permanent President Xi Jinping, preceded by security czar Ajit Dovals confabulations in Shanghai, suggests the worm has turned in the Sino-Indian relationship. It will be facile to characterise the Sino-Indian bonhomie as a coincidence of agendas though there are clues to suggest that is also the case. US President Donald Trumps trade wars and his security policies for the region have fostered confusion and strategic mistrust even among close US allies, forcing them to define their interests at variance with the US. It was natural for India and China to coordinate their national interests as well as reconfigure other estranged relationships in the neighbourhood such as Indo-Pakistan and Sino- Japan. Beyond that much of the ballast is provided by their respective national interests. The pact on better management of the border suggests that PM Modi is insuring against a Doklam kind of misadventure during the last summer before the 2019 elections. The South Blocks narrative after Doklam had managed to prevail but a bad press from a future Sino-Indian border standoff has the potential to significantly dent PM Modis strongman image. Equally important is the need to jump-start the economy which is possible if China is coaxed into reactivating its earlier promise of massive investment. Beijing too has considerable interest on the economic side, especially after the recent Communist Party conference admitted that Chinas principal contradiction was unbalanced and inadequate development. A promising beginning has been made. But its contours will be more sharply defined when the two leaders meet next in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 28 Two additional companies of security forces have been deployed and police posts set up by the Sirsa police on the eve of the annual foundation day of Dera Sacha Sauda, which falls on Sunday. Though there is no official word from the dera about the celebrations on this occasion, sources have said the police are making sure that a large number of persons do not assemble on the dera premises. He said all vehicles going towards the dera were being checked and the police had told the dera management to ensure that there was no large gathering on Sunday. He said the dera authorities had told the police that they would organise a health check-up camp at the multi-speciality hospital of the dera and only those requiring treatment would go to the dera. Though no one in the management was willing to speak on record, the sources said satsang had begun at the dera after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The sources said between 5,000 and 10,000 persons usually attended the satsang at the dera on Sundays, but the crowd could swell this time in view of foundation day. The dera was established on April 29, 1948, by Shah Mastana Balochistani. Since then, dera followers had been celebrating this day with fanfare. The convergence of dera followers on foundation day started increasing under Ram Rahim. Every year, lakhs from India and abroad participated in the event in Sirsa. On April 29, 2007, Ram Rahim served jaam-e-insan to his followers for the first time in Sirsa. When he was performing jaam-e-insan ceremonies at the Salabatpura dera in Bathinda on May 11, 2007, he got embroiled in a controversy over his dress and had a long faceoff with Sikhs. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Karnal, April 28 The Arthiyas Association of Haryana announced on Saturday that it would go on strike and not engage in procurement in grain markets to protest the recent circular issued by the Food and Civil Supplies Department regarding direct payment into farmers accounts. They also opposed the decision of not allowing procurement of wheat from Uttar Pradesh and other adjoining states and demanded revocation of the decision. Ashok Gupta, association president, said a trader should be allowed to procure crops from any part of the country, but they were against illegal trade. We have decided to go on strike from Sunday. No commission agent will be involved in procurement activities. We will allow farmers to unload their crop at their shops and get produce weighed, he said. We are against illegal trade of wheat by traders from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, but the government should allow procurement from those who have cultivated wheat in adjoining states, he said. He further said the government had assured them on several occasions that direct payment would not be made into farmers accounts without the consent of commission agents concerned, but the department had issued a circular to this effect now. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Gurugram, April 29 A local court granted granted bail to six men arrested by Gurugram police for disrupting namaz in Sector 53 on April 20. This, however, did not pacify Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, which decided to organise a protest march tomorrow demanding not just withdrawal of the case against the six but also a ban on offering collective namaz in open areas. The Samiti is a forum of Hindu outfits formed to take up the matter. "We are happy that our demand of immediate bail for the men has been met but we want withdrawal of case and also a ban on offering namaz in open spaces without any official permission or approval," said Abhishek Gaur, district president of Bajrang Dal. Protesters will gather at Kamla Nehru Park tomorrow and march to the mini-secretariat, where they will hand over their list of demands to the deputy commissioner. On April 20, a video went viral showing six men of Kanhai and Wazirabad villages chasing away people offering namaz and raising slogans. The Gurugram police identified and arrested six men on the basis of the video and produced them in court today. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Sonepat, April 28 Women and Child Development Minister Kavita Jain on Saturday visited the residence of Anu Kumari in Vikas Nagar here to congratulate her on getting the second position in the civil services examination, the results of which was declared on Friday. Kavita congratulated Anu for her success and announced that she would be designated the brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme in the district. Out of the five toppers in the examination, three are from the state and it is an honour for the people of Haryana, she said. Anu thanked the minister and other well-wishers and said that she wanted to become an IAS officer to serve society and work for women education. Anus husband Varun Dahiya, father Baljit Singh, mother Santro Devi, mothers sister Neelam and aunts husband Mahender were present. Sonepat MP Ramesh Kaushik and Chairperson of the National Council of State Agriculture Marketing Board Krishna Gahlaut also congratulated Anu on her success. editorial@tribune.com Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 29 The Forest Department led by former Congress minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri attracted a lot of adverse attention in the last five years when the BJP, then in the Opposition, leveled allegations of forest scams. BJP leaders, while in the Opposition, disrupted Assembly sessions over alleged forest scams and targeted the former minister minister. Even CDs were tabled in the house allegedly illustrating illegal felling of deodar trees in Chamba district. A fact-finding team of BJP MLAs visited Chamba district to check illegal felling of trees. The issues of large amounts of payments made to some people for catching monkeys were also raised in the Assembly. It was alleged that monkey catching was a lucrative business in Kutlehar Assembly constituency in Una district and five people earned in lakhs in monkey catching business in the constituency in the last five years. The information came to the fore in response to a question raised by BJP MLA from Kutlehar Varinder Kanwar while in the Opposition. Varinder Kanwar was now minister for rural development in the present BJP government. He had asked the forest minister to provide information regarding the number of monkey sterilizations carried out in various villages of his constituency and amount paid to people for catching monkey. The forest minister, in the reply tabled in the house, had given information that 19,433 monkey sterilizations have been carried in Kutlehar Assembly constituency in last five years and the five persons were paid Rs 82.23 lakh for catching monkey in the Kutlehar area during the period. The details of the persons to whom payments were made for catching monkeys for sterilisation include Pitamber Dutt Sharma Rs 31.81 lakh, Rajinder Singh Rs 24.86 lakh, Ram Dass Rs 9.64 lakh, Udham Singh Rs 7.49 lakh and Gagan Singh Rs 8.4 lakh. As per this estimate of the payments the department paid about Rs 428 per monkey catch to said five people. However, the numbers of monkeys they caught for sterilization program in Kutlehar area seems to be staggering. As per these estimate, Pitambar Dutt Sharma caught about 7,400 monkeys, Rajinder Singh 5,800 monkeys, Ram Dass 2,252 monkeys, Udham Singh 1,750 monkeys and Gagan Singh 1,962 monkeys. Varinder Kanwar had then claimed that he would be seeking information from the department regarding the addresses of the person who were credited with catching so many monkeys in a small area and were paid huge amounts. Kanwar had said that he shall be going from village to village to ask people to expose this scam. However, now that the BJP was in power the issue seems to be swept under the carpet. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Palampur, April 28 A 16-year-old Class XII student was allegedly gangraped in a forest near Paror, Palampur, on Thursday. Briefing mediapersons, Santosh Patial, Superintendent of Police, said the girl had gone to Garh Mata temple with her friend. While returning from the temple, they stopped their bike in a forest near Paror. All of sudden, five youths appeared on the spot and beat up her friend and took the girl in the forest where she was gangraped. The girl made all efforts to save herself, but being a solitary place, no one came to her rescue. Later, the friend traced the girl in the forest and she disclosed the entire episode to him. The girl was in deep trauma and both decided to return to their village near Bhawarna. On reaching home, the girl told her sister that she was gangraped in the forest. On Friday, the mother of the victim, reported the matter to the police and a case was registered under different sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act. The SP said the police immediately swung into action and arrested one person and also identified the remaining accused. Police parties had been sent to different places to nab the culprits. The police also raided the possible hideouts of the accused, but they managed to flee. The SP, who is camping at Palampur, said the mobile locations of the accused had established that all were hiding somewhere in the forest near Palampur. The police had also detained a few persons who were in touch with the accused on mobile phones. Meanwhile, the medical examination of the victim was conducted at the Civil Hospital. However, the medical report is still awaited. Teacher suspended for molestation The Education Department has suspended the teacher of Government Middle School near Kali Bari here who was arrested for molesting of a Class VI student. A committee, constituted to look into the allegations, had recorded the statements of students of Class VI and VII, besides teachers, and completed the inquiry, said sources in the Education Department. Earlier also, there was a complaint of molestation against the teacher and he had given a written apology, but, this time, the parents of the girl filed a complaint with the police. The issue came to light on Thursday when the girl had a heated exchange with the teacher in the classroom and revealed that he had been molesting her for sometime. The police had registered a case under Section 354 of the IPC and Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act and arrested the accused, who has been sent to the police remand till April 30. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 29 Body of a US citizen has been found from a nullah in the upper Sakoh area of Dharamsala under mysterious circumstances, police said on Sunday. As per the Superintendent of Police, they received information in the morning that a body was lying in a nullah. The dead was identified Raynold Shainey Harnez, a US citizen. Raynold had married a woman residing in Kangra town. His wife Prishina Harnez had registered a missing complaint with the police in Kangra. She had alleged that her husband Raynold took her entire belongings, including passport, on April 21 and left the house and was not traceable since then. Raynold's sister-in-law identified his body. The SP said the body has been sent to Tanda medical college for post-mortem. The forensic team was also called to the spot from where the body was recovered. Anything on the reason behind the death can only be said after the post-mortem report comes, the police officer added. The body was decomposed and was lying in the nullah for the past few days, he said. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM There is a furore over the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission that has directed it to consider the 2011 population figures instead of hitherto used 1971 population data to work out inter-state shares in the divisible pool. The southern states, which have performed better on the population front than the northern states such as UP, MP and Rajasthan, consider themselves paying the price for controlling population and providing better health and education facilities to their people. Earlier, the 14th FC had raised the states share in the divisible pool of taxes to 42 per cent from the previous 32 per cent. While accepting the recommendations of the 14th FC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that although this would mean less money at the Centres disposal, yet his government had decided to strengthen the cooperative federalism. Apparently, the ToR for the 15th FC suggests otherwise. The Centre has also urged the Finance Commission to finalise its tax-devolution formula after factoring in the impact on the Unions fiscal situation. Taken together with its need for resources for essential spending in areas such as defence, security, infrastructure, climate change, etc and uncertainties in GST receipts, the Centre seems to be seeking a rollback of the 42 per cent share for states. But, any reduction from 42 per cent share could dent the states faith in the cooperative federalism. However, the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which marks a new chapter in cooperative federalism, makes the job of the 15th FC more complex. The Centre is committed to compensate states for any revenue loss arising out of the GST implementation for five years, thus covering nearly half the period for which the Commission is supposed to make recommendations. Besides, making recommendations relating to the division of net proceeds of taxes between the Centre and the states, the Commission has been assigned wide-ranging terms of reference, including deficit, current status of finance, debt levels, fiscal efforts of the Union and the states. It will also recommend fiscal consolidation road map for sound fiscal management. Its mandate also includes formulating performance-linked incentives for states on a range of desirable outcomes such as attaining a replacement rate in population growth, deepening the GST net and improving the ease of doing business. Thus, the terms of reference of the 15th FC are so complex that it will be a great challenge for the Commission, especially when one has to reward a state for showing control or lack of it in incurring expenditure on populist measures. It may be recalled that there is an in-built constitutional bias in favour of the Union government as far as financial resources are concerned. And, over the period, when a single political party was in power both in the Centre and states, the Union government has further strengthened its position and encroached upon the rights of states. It is another thing that with the latest Constitutional Amendment (Eightieth Amendment Act, 2000), the distinction between shareable and non-shareable taxes has become irrelevant. However, when the Constitution was amended to distribute the total central tax proceeds, the word gross, as recommended by the Tenth Finance Commission, was substituted by net, thereby the share of states from the divisible pool of taxes was reduced permanently. Although the then Punjab Finance Minister, Captain Kanwaljit Singh, objected to this manoeuvrability, the Central government promised to compensate the states. Thus the total expenditure on tax collection stands deducted from the shareable taxes. Even when the 14th FC recommended hiking the share of states to 42 per cent of tax revenue, the Union government made substantial cuts in expenditure relating to schemes benefitting states. Then, the proceeds from surcharges, cesses and non-taxable sources are also kept out of the shareable pool. From the current fiscal, the Centre has levied a non-shareable new road cess on petrol products in lieu of basic excise duty and additional excise duty. Earlier in 2016 also, the Finance Minister replaced wealth tax with additional cess on income tax. Whatever the recommendations of the 15th FC may be, the Commission must keep up the spirit of cooperative federalism, which has just been created by the implementation of GST. In fact, states cooperation is the pre-requisite to move towards implementing economic reforms, whether it is the area of tax reforms, labour laws, land acquisition laws, education, health, social security, etc. Even the latest Ayushman Bharat scheme of the Centre is seen by some states as subsuming their own health insurance schemes. Lastly, the 15th FC should also rejuvenate the true form of cooperative and participatory federalism, which will be realised when power flows to the people at the grassroots level. Twenty five years back, Rajiv Gandhi had implemented 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, whereby 29 and 18 functions were transferred to panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies, respectively. In this context, the Finance Commissions, both Union and states, are playing useful role. In order to incentivise the states to move faster towards decentralised form of government, the 13th Finance Commission (2010-15) was the pioneer to divide the amount of total grants into two categories: basic grants and performance grants. The 13th Finance Commission advocated that given the increasing income of state governments from royalties, they should share a portion of this with those local bodies in whose jurisdiction such income arises. The 14th Finance Commission has also provided performance grants to address issues such as making available reliable data on local bodies receipts and expenditure, and bringing improvement in their own resources. Now, it is the job of the 15th FC to carry forward the task of strengthening decentralisation form of governance in the country. To conclude, India needs to promote cooperative and participatory federalism right up to the grassroots. States and local self-governments will have to be involved in the process of development. Since the total revenue of the Union government is much more than that of all the states put together, financial considerations should not come in the way of pushing economic reforms and promoting a true form of federalism in the country. The 15th FC should see that better performing states do not suffer. But poorer states need to be helped to bridge the inter-state gap in the provision of basic services to all citizens. The poor-performing states need to be incentivised for fiscal prudence and quality expenditure. The writer is a former Professor and UGC Emeritus Fellow at the Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala The needless controversy A needless controversy is sought to be created that the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission are loaded against any particular region of the country. Nothing could be further from the truth. The share in central taxes is allocated to the states based on recommendations made by the Finance Commissions (FCs) to help the states meet fiscal deficiency in providing a minimum standard of services to their people. This calls for assessing the states needs on rationale and equitable basis. FCs use appropriate criteria to assess the true needs of the states. Population proxies very well for the needs of the people in a quantitative sense. Another criterion, the Income Distance, which captures very well the relative poverty of people in the states, is used to assess qualitative needs. These two parameters allocate more resources to the populous and poorer states, which need additional funds for providing education, health and other services to the people, which own resources of these poorer states may otherwise not allow. The 14th FC had no specific mandate for using the 2011 Census. Yet, the 14th FC rightly used the 2011 Census population data to capture the demographic changes since 1971 to make a realistic assessment of the needs of the states. It allocated 10 per cent weight to 2011 population. The 14th FC had allocated a 42 per cent share in the central taxes to the states more than ever before. There is a specific inclusion of another reference, i.e. efforts and progress made in moving towards replacement rate of population growth in the Terms of References of the 15th FC. This ToR recognises the efforts of all the states which have done well in population control. This specific ToR would allow the 15th FC to propose a specific incentive scheme to reward the states which have achieved the replacement level of population growth, and also, if the 15th FC wishes to do so, to assign appropriate weight to the progress made in population control while allocating resources. The ToRs of the 15th FC rightly balance both the needs represented by the latest population and progress towards population control very well. There is no inherent bias or mandate in the ToRs of the 15th FC that may be construed as discriminatory against the states which made good progress in population control. Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister (Facebook post) Population A bone of contention 2017 Nov 22: Cabinet approves setting up of the 15th FC for 2020-25 Nov 27: President appoints NK Singh as its chairman One of the ToRs directs the 15th FC to use 2011 population data 2018 Apr 10: FMs of Kerala, Karnataka, AP and Puducherry meet They protest against the ToR for using the 2011 population data FM Jaitley clarifies that the ToR recognises efforts of states in population control Apr 22: Kerala FM Thomas says that the disgruntled states to meet again on May 7 Punjab FM Manpreet Singh Badal and Delhi FM Manish Sisodia to participate, he says Odisha, West Bengal and Mizoram to join them at Vijayawada, he adds The issue Mainly southern states fear that using 2011 population data (in place of 1971 census) for devolution of central taxes would penalise them for checking population growth and incentivise populous states like UP, MP, Bihar The Finance Commission Set up under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution Constituted every five years to review financial situation of Union and states Recommends devolution of tax revenues between the Centre and states The divisible pool includes central taxes excluding surcharges & cess It also suggests measures for stable/sustainable fiscal environment Composition and Tenure of 15th FC Chairman, NK Singh: Former MP and former expenditure & revenue secretary Member, Shaktikanta Das: Former economic affairs and revenue secretary Member, Anoop Singh: Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Member (Part Time), Dr Ashok Lahiri: Chairman (Non-executive), Bandhan Bank Member (Part Time), Dr Ramesh Chand: Member, NITI Aayog Secretary, Arvind Mehta Tenure October 30, 2019 The past The 14th FC (2015-20) Chaired by YV Reddy Report laid in the Parliament on Feb 24, 2015 All recommendations implemented from 2015-16 Vertical Devolution Distribution of net tax proceeds of the Union between Centre and states 14th FC increased states share in the net proceeds to 42% from 32% Grant-in-aid to states for revenue deficit to be Rs 1,94,821 crore Grants: Panchayats Rs 2,00,292 crore; Municipalities Rs 87,144 crore Fiscal deficit for states at 3% of GSDP (flexibility of 0.25%) The 14th FC on population issue Though we are of the view that the use of dated population data is unfair, we are bound by our ToR and have assigned a 17.5% weight to the 1971 population. On the basis of the exercises conducted, we concluded that a weight to the 2011 population would capture the demographic changes since 1971, both in terms of migration and age structure. We, therefore, assigned a 10 per cent weight to the 2011 population. Horizontal Devolution Allocation of respective proceeds among states Horizontal Devolution Formula in the 13th and the 14th Finance Commissions Variable Weights accorded 13th FC 14th FC Population (1971) 25 17.5 Population (2011 for demographic change) 0 10 Fiscal capacity/Income distance 47.5 50 Area 10 15* Forest cover 0 7.5 Fiscal discipline 17.5 0 Total 100 100 * 2% for smaller states Sources: FC reports/PIB/Economic Survey/prsindia.org Share of states in Rs 100 pool States Under the 13th FC** Under the 14th FC Bihar 10.917 9.665 Haryana 1.048 1.084 Himachal Pradesh 0.781 0.713 J&K 1.551 1.854 Punjab 1.389 1.577 Kerala 2.341 2.500 Uttar Pradesh 19.677 17.959 ** Share of all shareable taxes excluding service tax Sources: 13th & 14th FC reports) editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jammu, April 28 Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday inaugurated the administrative complex of the Cluster University of Jammu (CLUJ) on the GGM Science College Campus here. She also e-inaugurated buildings of various schools of the varsity housed in five constituent colleges. After unveiling the building, Mehbooba dedicated it to the university. With the opening of the administrative complex, the entire CLUJ administration would now function under one roof. So far, the vice chancellor, registrar, controller of examination, and deans were working from separate places. Minister for Education, Finance, Labour and Employment Altaf Bukhari, Minister of State for Education Priya Sethi and Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Asgar Samoon were also present on the occasion. Five other buildings that were e-inaugurated by the CM included the School of Sciences on the GGM Science College Campus, School of Social Science at Government SPMR College of Commerce, School of Teacher Education at College of Education, School of Humanities and Liberal Arts at MAM College and School of Engineering and Computer Technology at Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar. Mehbooba also released the CLUJs inaugural handbook, You & CLUJ, which offers a kaleidoscopic view of the newly established varsity. The CM stayed at the venue for around 20 minutes but didnt say anything. She only inaugurated the buildings and released the handbook. Later, she left for Srinagar. Earlier in her welcome address, Vice Chancellor Prof Anju Bhasin welcomed the Chief Minister and others. She said the basic purpose of the university was to move ahead and ensure students success, expanding enrolment strategies, enhancing academic instructions, fostering greater focus on research, bolstering community partnership and maximising human potential. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jammu, April 28 Minister for Finance, Education, Labour and Employment Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday visited the civil secretariat and inspected the dispatch of official records for the bi-annual Durbar Move from Jammu to Srinagar. Following its closure in the winter capital on Friday, the civil secretariat and other Durbar offices would start functioning from the summer capital from May 7. For the shifting of official record, the authorities have engaged a fleet of 107 vehicles. Responding to queries of mediapersons after the inspection, the minister said the state government would continue to embark on its cherished agenda of restoration of peace, good governance and development. The state government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is committed to good governance and the agenda will be followed wholeheartedly, he said while listing the historic decisions taken by the government recently, like the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission report, moving of the SRO-202 appointees to a new framework and extension of pay revision benefits to them. Commenting on the centuries-old Durbar Move practice, the minister said it had strengthened and symbolised the unity of Jammu and Kashmir and it must continue. Hoping for a bumper tourism season this year, Bukhari said being a world famous tourist destination, Kashmir does not require any introduction. What it needs is a positive projection in the world. I hope that this time, the media will take a lead in wiping out the negative picture, the minister said. Later, the minister also held a brief interaction with the officials associated with the record shifting process. He sought details about the fleet engaged for the transportation of records and the journey schedule. 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 editorial@tribune.com Arun Joshi There is an urge among common people that India and Pakistan should replicate the Korean peninsula peace initiative. That is summed up in the hug and talk phrases, implying that the two countries should talk and deliver permanent peace to Kashmir with dignity. Arun Joshi The diplomatic theatre that unfolded at Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone in the Korean Peninsula, where South and North Korean leaders scripted a stunningly beautiful chapter of peace and reconciliation on April 27, seeking to formally bring down the curtain on the Korean war, has given a reason to Kashmiris to believe that peace is possible in the Valley too. Kashmir is viewing the developments in the diplomatic world with optimism as it is giving momentum to peace in Northeast Asia. Primarily, Kashmiris are looking toward their own future. At the moment, they are unsure whether their exquisitely beautiful Valley will ever step on the path of reconciliation because it is sinking in the inferno of terrorism and the narrative of hatred. There is an urge among common people that India and Pakistan should replicate the Korean peninsula peace initiative. That is summed up in the hug and talk phrases, implying that the two countries should talk and deliver permanent peace to Kashmir with dignity. South Asia is living in uncertain times, with a clear warning that the region can suffer the consequences of Kashmir being a nuclear flashpoint. Pakistan keeps on flagging this to tell the world that it has a button that can destroy India. It uses Kashmir as an alibi. Pakistan is a difficult nation to deal with. Its definition of the Kashmir solution is that the water-rich parts of Jammu and Kashmir should fall into its lap. It doesnt want any other solution in order to keep alive the anti-India rant at the global stage and chance to instigate violence in J&K. There lies the fundamental difference in the outlook of the common Kashmiri and that of the Pakistani establishment. India had initiated the hug and the talk in February 1999 and later it was relived in December 2015. There was a great show for the desire for peace and the Kashmir resolution. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his successor Narendra Modi undertook grave risk to their political careers to land in Lahore to persuade Pakistan to join the path of peace. Pakistan defiled these peace overtures with Kargil and Pathankot. So, the Indian caution is justified. But India has a responsibility toward its own people and that of the world at large. It has evolved its own ethos of democracy and values which Pakistan has sought to overlook despite having commonality in languages, ethnicities and culture. That Pakistan will do something like Kargil or Pathankot again cannot be dismissed. But India needs to create an opportunity for peace in the region to demonstrate its benign leadership and soft power. Having lost the opportunity to sign a deal with General Pervez Musharraf, it will now have to show greater pragmatism in the changed scenario. The strategic guidance that has been worked out between Beijing and Delhi is required more on the Line of Control that divides Jammu and Kashmir. India will have to live without the fiction that it can regain what is now Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan also should be aware that it cannot get what it is aiming at to grab this part of Jammu and Kashmir. India should act on the diplomatic front without any delay. It is urgent because whatever happens in J&K catches global attention, mostly negative. The tragic episode of eight-year-old Kathua girl triggered international condemnation of the country as a whole. If not Modi, who else can work for the resolution of the Kashmir crisis? Perhaps none! Modi has strong appetite for good relations with neighbouring countries. He demonstrated that in Wuhan, China, on April 27-28. Kashmir offers both a challenge and opportunity to him. sanjiv@tribunemail.com Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, April 30 The PDP-BJP government headed by Mehbooba Mufti on Monday witnessed a reshuffle with the BJP replacing its deputy chief minister, inducting four new faces and elevating one MoS to the cabinet rank. The PDP also inducted two new faces and dropped a cabinet minister. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor NN Vohra at the convention centre instead of the Raj Bhavan as the state government has already shifted to Srinagar. Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, who has replaced Nirmal Singh as deputy chief minister, was first to take oath; he did this in Hindi. He was followed by PDPs Mohammad Khalil Band and others. The new BJP faces sworn in as ministers were the partys state unit chief Satpal Sharma, MLA from Jammu West; and the MLAs from Kathua and adjoining Sambha, Rajiv Jasrotia and Devinder Kumar Manyal, respectively. Amid slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, the BJP members took oath. The BJP also upgraded Sunil Sharma, at present minister of state for transport, independent charge, to the rank of a cabinet minister. BJP legislator Shakti Raj took oath as a minister of state. The PDP members included in the cabinet were Mohd Khalil Band, MLA from Pulwama, and Mohd Ashraf Mir, MLA from Sonwar. Both had earlier served as ministers in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government. From BJP quota, deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh, Health Minister Bali Bhagat and Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi have been dropped. Their resignations have been accepted along with that of Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan of PDP by Governor NN Vohra. BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and party incharge of J&K Affairs, Avinash Rai Khanna, attended the event. The saffron party had on April 13 asked all its ministers in the PDP-BJP government in the state to submit their resignations to enable bringing in new faces in the council of ministers. Resignations of BJPs Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who had taken part in a rally in support of demanding a CBI probe into the infamous Rassana case, were accepted on April 14. As per the Constitution of the state, J&K can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the Chief Minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP. editorial@tribune.com Samba, April 29 In a sprawling military garrison in Samba, a group of women are engaged in making mouth-watering cookies a unique venture started by the Army in an effort to empower widows of its martyrs. Named Olive Green Cookies, the Army established the social entrepreneurial project in collaboration with a Pune-based NGO, Aseem Foundation, about one and a half months back. It was formally inaugurated by zonal president, Army Wives Welfare Association, Rising Star Corps, Geetha Mohan a few days back at Samba Brigade. A group of widows were trained by the foundation which also provided necessary equipment for production of cookies currently, 10 kg of cookies are made by these women daily, said an Army officer supervising the initiative. The officer, who did not wish to be named, said the Army was transporting cookies twice a month to Pune, where the NGO is doing the packaging, and subsequently the product, which is made of the highest quality of apples and walnuts, hits the market. He said initially the product was being sold to corporate customers in metros. Displaying the ready-to-sell packet which costs Rs 55, he said the venture was still in its infancy and efforts were on to engage more women, especially widows of martyrs, to ensure their self-employment and financial independence. Koshur Krunch (Kashmiri delicious) is written on the top of the packet, which carries the message that every cookie is infused with the flavor of valour and sacrifice. Made by the hands of women of courage of Samba district, Olive Green Cookies tell a story of fighting the odds after losing a near and dear one in the line of duty. These war widows have the grit and determination to embrace fate with a stern will and pride themselves in being called 'Veer Nari'. With the purchase of every pack of Olive Green Cookies, you are saluting not only the brave martyr but also supporting the indomitable spirit of war widows, the message on the packet reads. Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand termed the venture as noble and said the profit earned would be shared by widows which would help them to lead a better life. It is in keeping with the Army's tradition of looking after the families of its soldiers, he said. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Srinagar, April 29 Two suspected militants shot at and injured a political activist here on Sunday evening, just days after the killing of a local leader in Pulwama, police said. The motorcycle-borne assailants shot at Zubair Parray outside his shop in Aloochi Bagh area of the city, an official said. Sources said Parray was a political activist reportedly affiliated with the BJP. The official said Parray sustained bullet injuries to his stomach and was undergoing treatment at a hospital here. Earlier on April 25, a political activist, Ghulam Nabi Patail, was killed and two policemen injured in a militant attack in Rajpora Chowk area in south Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, officials said. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Samaan Lateef Tribune News Service Srinagar, April 29 Jammu and Kashmir health sector is likely to go through a major overhaul in infrastructure and human resource management as the state government is pushing for the implementation of its first health policy. From a three-tier system in the Health and Medical Education (HME) Department to the establishment of a separate medical university for the regulation of medical education, the policy lays emphasis on upgradation of the healthcare at primary as well as at the tertiary level to make it affordable for all. Moving towards assurance of free healthcare to patients irrespective of their ability to pay is the cornerstone of the state health policy. The inability of the poor to pay for healthcare decreases their chances of survival and pushes them into poverty, said Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Saleem-ur-Rehman, who is chairman of the committee constituted for drafting the policy. He said the policy envisaged assurance of quality health services at every hospital to reduce expenditure. In the three-tier system, the policy calls for trifurcation of the HME Department to create separate Directorate of Primary Care and Public Health to run public health centres, Directorate of Medical Services to run sub-district and district hospitals, and Directorate of Medical Education for medical colleges. It also envisages creation of J&K Medical Commission for the recruitment and promotion of faculty members of the medical colleges. It also calls for abolishing four-tier faculty in medical colleges and re-organising it as a three-tier system. Apart from welfare schemes, it says there is a need for a regular audit of human resources and appraisal of their performance. To counter the misuse of antibiotics, the policy calls for treatment management protocol for various infectious diseases. Advocating a ban on private practice by government doctors, it also calls for the mandatory use of generic drugs to stop corruption and reduce expenditure of patients. Amid increasing number of cancer cases, the policy envisages day care chemotherapy units in every district hospital with referral linkages to the regional cancer centres. The policy has recommended starting up of geriatric medicine departments in medical colleges to provide healthcare to the elderly people (above 60) in J&K, who at present constitute 8.3 per cent of the population. The policy envisages insurance cover for the below poverty line families to be extended to the whole population. It also recommends starting of preventive health and lifestyle clinics in medical colleges, and district and sub-district hospitals for screening and prevention of various communicable and non-communicable diseases. It calls for upgradation of district hospitals to start postgraduate DNB courses and nursing colleges to start doctoral and super specialty nursing courses. The health policy has recommended to the government to bring a legislation for retention of doctors, who are rushing to work in the Middle-East or West after completion of studies at government expense. Bold human resource policy changes are required to address the issue of human resource retention in rural areas, it said while asking the government to provide incentives to doctors and expose them to newer methods of treatment. To bring the health facilities to the highest performance levels, all hospitals shall be accredited by National Accreditation Board of Hospitals, a national-level accreditation board under Quality Council of India. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Manpriya Singh No matter what Satish Kaushik does, hell always find his reference point to be Calendar. The filmmaker, actor, director, producer might have shuttled several roles in a span of twenty five years, or recently apologized for nineties disaster Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, or lately have taken the initiative for mobile theatres. But when Mr India starts playing and Calendar enters the kitchen, the audience draws a blank to everything else and breaks into a huge round of applause. As it did at the screening of the film at Chandigarh University. Shares the actor filmmaker, Mere mathe pe hi likha hua hai Calendar. And because this character is so dear to audience even today, it is one of the roles I am sentimental about, he shares on his way back from the city to the airport. Students, aspiring actors, listen up There is something he likes to let all the youngsters know right away about the industrythe fact that its a respectable career choice today. If you decide to join the industry, I tell them that its a lucrative and respectable career choice today. Its not like yesteryears when the family would object to their children joining showbiz. He adds, So if you have made up your mind, give it a shot with all your might. Mobile theatres You cant bring audience from remote areas to the multiplexes; you go the other way round. That is take the mobile theatre experience far and wide. Picture Time Digiplex, a small truck that aims to provide a complete viewing experience and can seat up to 150 people, is a concept he is excited about. We plan to further take it to Tier II, III and IV cities. I saw the idea at a film festival and I think our nation is ready for it. Punjab remains special, like always Hes played a Punjabi, a sardaar while at it, several times and happily so. And just in case you cast a doubt as to his fluency, he immediately breaks off into the language. I have two more films coming up where I play a Punjabi, one being Namaste England where I once again get to play a sardaar character and the other being a film where I play Diljit Dosanjhs father. Talk of Punjabi artistes and apart from Diljit and Gippy, he can name a handful. In our times we used to have Gurdas Maan, who remains eternal and then these days among actors we have Ammy Virk who is quite promising. I have seen Nikka Zaildar. Chandigarh is a city thats contributed to him in a way. During my formative years as an artiste, we used to perform here a lot. I have several memories of Tagore Theatre, but I believe its all changed now. manpriya@tribunemail.com ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Filmmaker Steven Spielberg credits late actor Robin Williams for helping him get through the trauma of filming Schindlers List. The Lincoln filmmaker and Williams became close after they worked together on 1991s Hook and when Spielberg took on the emotional task of directing Schindlers List which was about German businessman Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust, Williams was there to comfort his friend by performing stand-up over the phone, reports aceshowbiz.com. Robin called me, Spielberg said at the Tribeca Film Festivals 25th-anniversary screening of the film on Thursday. Robin knew what I was going through. Once a week he called me on schedule. He knew exactly what time it was in Poland, what time it was in San Francisco... and he would do 15 minutes of stand-up on the phone, and I would laugh hysterically because I had to release so much, said Spielberg. The way Robin is on the telephone, he would always hang up on the loudest, best laugh youd give him. Hed never say goodbye, just hang up on the biggest laugh, he added. The emotionally-draining process of directing the movie paid off for Spielberg when he brought home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, but he didnt feel like he could celebrate. That night wasnt really a celebration at all. I dont feel this movie is a celebration. The subject matter and the impact the film had on all of us... took sort of the celebration out of that, he said. It was wonderful to win, but at the same time I just remember how moved I was when Branko Lustig, our co-producer, showed the world that he was in Auschwitz, too, and had numbers on his arms, he added. IANS gspannu7@gmail.com Los Angeles, April 29 Actor Henry Cavill has said that it is his "desire" to star in the sequel to "Man of Steel" as he believes there is more "Superman story" to be told. The 34-year-old actor said he is in talks with studio executives about "Man of Steel 2", a direct follow-up to the 2013 film, and would like to explore the lead character further. "I'm having a lot of conversations, behind-the-scenes, with certain people and we will hopefully be having conversations with other people who are also behind-the-scenes to make things start happening," Cavill told Collider. "It is very much in my desire to do a 'Man of Steel 2', a direct sequel to 'Man of Steel', and there is a whole bunch of Superman story that I want to tell. There is a whole style of Superman's character that I'm very keen to tell and I'm looking forward to the opportunity," he added. As per his contract, Cavill is on board to do one more movie in the DC universe but the actor made his intentions clear to play the character in more than one film. "There's a lot of story I'd love to tell and if that stuff starts to happen, and with exciting filmmakers, who I have close relationships with, then regardless whether I have one more or not, I'm doing it, because I want to tell more of the Superman story," he said. Since starring in "Man of Steel", the actor reprised his role in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and later for superhero ensemble "Justice League". PTI. shalender@tribune.com A helpline for women to report sexual harassment at the Cannes Film Festival will be set up following four alleged attacks at the event in the past by Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood movie mogul. Marlene Schiappa, Frances gender equality minister, said industry grandees would be warned to watch their behaviour when they arrive at the worlds most prestigious film festival, which takes place in the Riviera resort next month. One of the rapes that Harvey Weinstein is accused of happened at Cannes, and so the festival cannot fail to act. She said the measures were aimed at protecting not only actresses, but all women working in or around the film industry. Weinstein is accused of four sexual assaults at Cannes in recent years including the alleged rape of a 21-year-old Italian actress Asia Argento. With the #MeToo movement in the headlines, the Cannes film festival organisers face heightened scrutiny over the role of women at the festival, which runs from May 8-19. IANS ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Priyanka Chopra, who is currently busy promoting her show Quantico 3, is back in the country. Priyanka has returned to India to promote Assam Tourism for which she is a brand ambassador. Reportedly, the actress is here to shoot for an ad for Assam. Dressed in an orange high-low shirt with denims, Priyanka arrived in the state and immediately proceeded to be part of a cultural gathering. At the event, she addressed the people of Assam and was overwhelmed with the love she received. Priyanka was also seen dancing along with the ladies who performed the traditional Assamese dance, Bihu. Meanwhile, on work front, PeeCee will be back in Bollywood with Salman Khan starrer Bharat and fans are more than excited to see this global star on silver screen! By Benjamin Jumbe. Workers leaders have renewed calls to government to drop the plan to import doctors from Cuba. This comes at a time government has maintained that the Cuban specialists are important and will help improve Ugandas health care. Speaking at the occupation safety and health day celebrations in Kampala yesterday the state minister for Gender and culture Peace Mutuuzo justified the move saying it would also help stop medical referrals abroad. Speaking to Kfm the Organizations chairman general Usher Wilson Owere says it is unacceptable to import foreign doctors and pay them highly at the expense of the local specialists. He warns that if government goes ahead with the move, the workers leaders are to petition the International Labor organization editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Khanna, April 29 A Romanian youth dressed in womens clothes landed in the police net at Khanna after he exchanged fake Euro currency with Indian Rupees. The alert shopkeeper, however, raised an alarm and the accused was arrested. The youth has been identified as Simion, a resident of Romania. The Khanna police have registered a case under Section 420, 489-C against the youth in this regard. As per the information, Simion had come to Khanna to meet his female friend from Mauritius. He went to the Western Union office in Khanna, where he gave 1000 Euros and got Rs79,000 in return and left. But his dressing sense made him suspicious as he was dressed like a woman. The Western Union staff then found the notes to be fake and they started searching for the accused and also informed the police. The Khanna police spotted Simion near the bus stand and took him to Khanna city police station, where after inquiry, a case was registered against him. SHO Rajneesh Kumar said after preliminary investigation, the accused said he had taken these notes from a person at Romania and had come to exchange it in Khanna. He said he was about to go in for a sex-change operation, for which he was taking medicines as well. The SHO said the accused was presented in court, from where he was sent in police remand for two days. pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, April 29 As many as 3,292 NGOs and institutes, including some top academic centres like JNU, PU, IGNOU, IIT Delhi and Madras, besides the Infosys Foundation in Bangalore, have not disclosed their annual foreign donations and expenditure for the last fiscal or previous years, the Home Ministry has said. The ministry told the NGOs and institutes in a notice that after scrutiny of records for 2011-12 to 2016-17, it has been observed that the mandatory annual returns/accounts for some of the financial years in the said period have not been found uploaded on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act portal despite several opportunities were given to them to do so. Those whose names figure in the Home Ministry list include Infosys Foundation, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Panjab University, University of Rajasthan, Madras Christian College, Indian Council Of Agricultural Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Madras, besides others. The ministry said in the notice that those associations which have not filed the annual returns must file it immediately online. The status of submission of mandatory annual return will be reviewed after 15 days of issue of this notice (electronically/physically) in respect of your association, being dispatched to your known addresses. If you fail to submit any of the missing return (s) within this period, appropriate action under Section 10 of the FCRA, 2010 would be initiated against your association for the said violation, it said. No organisation is allowed to receive funds from abroad unless it is registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). It is mandatory under the law for such organisations to submit income and expenditure statement to the government annually else their registration is cancelled. According to the FCRA, the renewal of registration for receiving foreign funds cannot be granted unless the annual returns are uploaded on the FCRA website by the organisation. Executive Vice President of the Infosys and a trustee of Infosys Foundation, Ramadas Kamath, said the Foundation recieves donations only from Infosys Ltd and does not come under the purview of the FCRA. He said the Central Government had bought in an amendment to the FCRA regulations to say that even though the FII holding in the share capital of a listed Indian company is more than 51 per cent, the donations given by such a listed Indian company to any Indian charitable trust will not be considered as a foreign contribution. Kamath said this amendment was bought in by the government of India with retrospective effect and pursuant to this amendment, Infosys Foundation has written to the Home Ministry to derecognise Infosys Foundation under the FCRA provisions as it does not recieve any foreign contributions as per the amended act. The Home Ministry has to take appropriate administrative measures to derecognise Infosys Foundation from the purview of the FCRA in consequence to the retrospective amendments to the FCRA, he said. A senior IIT Delhi official said, We have been pointing this out every year that there are procedural lapses in issuing notices on the FCRA licenses as far as IITs are concerned. We are exempted from registration under the FCRA as IITs are set up through an Act of Parliament and are audited by the CAG. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com New Delhi, April 29 After being allocated a transponder from the South Asia Satellite, Afghanistan has requested India for another one that it could use for Direct-to-Home television services, an official from the Department of Space has said. However, unlike the South Asia Satellite or G SAT-9, which was a gift from India to its neighbours and one transponder was allocated to the participating SAARC countries for free, Afghanistan may have to pay for the services this time, the official said. They have asked for another transponder and we are looking into it. Unlike in the case of the South Asia Satellite, Afghanistan may be charged for the second transponder. However, no decision has been made in this regard, the official said, requesting anonymity. The second transponder may not be from the South Asia Satellite. In 2014, Afghanistan had launched its satellite AFGHANSAT-1 for wide-ranging services including DTH, broadcasting and internet services. The satellite was launched by a French company. But as demand increases, it looks to augment its supply side. A transponder is a device that receives and transmits signals. It is essential for Direct-To-Home (DTH) services. India and Afghanistan share robust space cooperation. Last year, after a meeting between External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani, it was decided that New Delhi would extend assistance to Kabul in the area of remote sensing. During the 2014 SAARC Summit in Kathmandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India would be launching a satellite as a gift to its South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) neighbours. Pakistan did not join the project, stating it was working on its own satellite, but offered monetary and technical support, which was rejected by India. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the South Asia Satellite in 2017. The 2,230-kg communication spacecraft, with a mission life of 12 years, will support effective communication, broadcasting and internet services in a region that is geographically challenging, economically lagging and has limited technological resources. The satellite provides significant capability to each of the participating countries in terms of DTH (direct-to-home) services, besides linking the countries for disaster information transfer. The satellite has 12 Ku band transponders that the six nationsAfghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutancould utilise to enhance communications. Each South Asian country will get access to one transponder through which it will be able to beam its own programming. As part of its commitment, India also assisted several countries to build ground stations and other infrastructure-related work to receive signals sent from transponders. In countries like Bhutan, the project is running well, the official said. The official added that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will also do a review of how the project is progressing. PTI singhking99@yahoo.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 28 Trying to put behind the 73-day Doklam military stand-off last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday intervened to issue strategic guidance to their respective militaries. Build trust and have a mechanism to prevent incidents in the border regions, said a statement issued from Wuhan. This is significant given the fact that the disputed and un-demarcated LAC, the de-facto boundary between the two countries, has been a matter of dispute. After the 2015 meeting at Xian, China, the two leaders laid down targetssome are still pendinglike a hotline at the level of DGMO and greater military interaction along the LAC and also at sea. The two sides conducted a symbolic joint exercise in eastern Ladakh in 2016 and another one on the Chinese side, which were by far the only positives at the LAC. Today, the two leaders expressed their support for the special representatives (SRs) on the boundary question and urged them to intensify efforts to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement. The SRs have been meeting since 2003. Last week, China changed its representative and tasked its Foreign Minister Wang Yi to replace Yang Jiechi. New Delhi is represented by the National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval. As of now, 14 core disputes remain along the LAC, all due to British cartography dictated by fluctuations of its forward policy of the 1800s. PM Modi, in September 2014, suggested demarcation of LAC on ground. China, however, was less enthusiastic. On February 2 this year, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told Rajya Sabha that Chinese troops did 426 transgressions of the LAC during 2017. This was a huge jump over the 273 transgressions in 2016. The LAC is not marked on the ground and it largely runs along the east-west axis, in contiguity with the Himalayan ridgeline. India and China fought a war in 1962. The two had an armed skirmish in 1967 at Nathu La and an eight-month stand-off at Sumdrong Chu in north-western Arunachal Pradesh in 1986. gspannu7@gmail.com Kathmandu, April 29 A bomb exploded on Sunday at the office of a hydroelectricity project being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal, an official said, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plants office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500 km from here, was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district. The project is slated to come into operation by 2020. The blast comes at a time when preparations are going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11. No one was injured in the blast and an investigation is under way, he said. However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun-III was signed with Indias state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014, in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi. This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands. The project is expected to bring in USD 1.5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people. PTI singhking99@yahoo.com New Delhi, April 28 In a major milestone, indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has successfully fired an air-to-air beyond visual (BVR) range missile, demonstrating its overall capability as an effective combat jet, and inched closer to receive final operational clearance. Defence Ministry officials said the test-firing of the missile from a Tejas jet was carried out on Friday off the Goa coast and it met all operational requirements. Earlier, Tejas was given clearance for deployment of armaments and other missiles. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had ordered 40 Tejas Mark-1 version and a request for proposal (RFP) was issued to HAL by the IAF in December for procurement of another batch of 83 Tejas at a cost of around Rs 50,000 crore. Officials said the successful launch of the BVR missile will expedite issuance of the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) to the aircraft developed by state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) successfully fired Derby air-to-air BVR Range missile to expand the firing envelope as well as to demonstrate safe operation of the aircraft, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 A combative Rahul Gandhi on Sunday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to every election starting the May 12 Karnataka polls and said the Congress will henceforth win each state poll, leading to its eventual victory at the Centre in the 2019 General Election. "Elections are approaching. In 2014, the BJP and RSS won after spreading lies about the Congress. But the truth is now revealing itself. Congress workers showed the BJP their strength in Gujarat. Now, they will show their strength in Karnataka. We will win every electionKarnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and we will also win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Congress workers are lion's children (sher ke bacche)," said Congress president Gandhi to a frenzied gathering as he addressed the 'Jan Aakrosh' rally against BJP's policies at the Ram Lila Maidan here. Read: Modi govt betrayed people, corruption has taken deeper roots under it: Sonia Democracy is in danger: Manmohan Singh In a comprehensive speech attacking the Prime Minister as a "liar" and RSS as a "divisive force", Gandhi said the Congress was the "water needed to build India's foundations". "No building can be constructed unless there is water. The Congress is that water without which India cannot be built and it cannot progress," said Gandhi, openly evoking India's "religiosity" for the first time and saying the basis of faith is truth, adding that "the BJP lies all the time and when the Prime Minister speaks, people have to sit back and find the truth in his narrative". "India is a religious country. When we visit temples or mosques, or gurdwaras or churches, we bend to truth but when the Prime Minister speaks, people have to hunt for truth in his speech," Gandhi said. Recalling his recent aircraft scare, Gandhi said, "When my aircraft went down 8,000 feet, I first thought I am gone. Then I thought no I am still to complete my Kailash Mansarovar journey. Today I seek your permission for a 10-15 days holiday after the Karnataka elections to undertake that yatra," a clearly at-home Gandhi said, as his signed off after "seeking permission from his workers for his holiday". Earlier, Gandhi attacked the Prime Minister for his silence on a range of corruption issues, including former Power Minister Piyush Goyal selling off his firm to a power company; BJP President Amit Shah's son making huge money; PM Modi buying Rafale jets from France at twice the prices negotiated by the then UPA Government and Nirav Modi running away with the money people deposited in the banks during demonetisations. Accusing the BJP of "betrayal of farmers and youth", Gandhi said: "Farmers cannot live unless the Congress comes. Had we not stood against the Land Acquisition Bill, Modiji would have run off with farm lands. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says farm debt waiver is not their policy but in Congress-ruled states we gave a waiver in 10 days of coming to power, Gandhi said, raising the issue of crisis in the judiciary and quipping, "for the first time in India's history, four judges came to the people for justice while normally it is the other way round". Gandhi also attacked the Government for "comprehensive undermining of all institutions from the universities, to judiciary to Parliament", with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying: "Democracy is in danger". In context of the judiciary, Gandhi also made it a point to tick off former Law Minister Salman Khurshid who had recently dissented with the party stand on CJI's impeachment. "We are not like the BJP and RSS. We allow all kinds of opinions to flourish and will protect these viewpoints. So, Salman Khurshid voiced a different viewpoint recently. I will allow that and I will protect Salman ji but I want to say one thing as we fight the BJP and RSS, we have to fight together," Gandhi said, literally nudging dissenters to keep party unity above individual takes. In saying so, Gandhi gave a subtle message of party unity on major issues to his colleagues and workers. "In the Congress everyone will be respected, whether someone is 80 or 90-year-old or someone is 19-year-old. We will have space for everyone here. And if someone does not respect each other, I will act against them," Gandhi said, causing a number of veterans seated in the front rows to smile. Earlier, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said winds of change were visible across India and the Congress will fight "the directionless and anti-people BJP Government". "Today there is a serious crisis in the judiciary as has never happened before. It's time for alertness for all of us. We will fight the Modi Government which has betrayed the people of India," Sonia Gandhi said, while Manmohan Singh cited the issue of no-confidence motions being stalled in the Parliament to argue that democracy was in danger. monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, April 29 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised Indian artists for their popularity across the globe and said it felt great to hear the famous Bollywood rendition Tu tu hai wahi dil ne jise apna kaha in China for his welcome. Feels great to hear Indian music on foreign soil, especially when the host nation plays it! Our artistes are popular across the world. @ashabhosle, the Prime Minister tweeted. Feels great to hear Indian music on foreign soil, especially when the host nation plays it! Our artistes are popular across the world. @ashabhosle https://t.co/HHTnDbb4XA Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2018 Prime Minister Modi's response came as Asha Bhosle sought to know how he felt when he heard her 1982 song in Wuhan. Bhosle said she was surprised that her song was liked by people who don't understand the language. Rishi Kapoor, who had featured in the song, also took to his Twitter handle to express happiness over the same. Tu Tu Hai Wahi (Original Version) Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle | Yeh Vaada... https://t.co/vgFMWVGgqU via @YouTube. The Chinese played our song to welcome PM Modi along PM Xi in Wuhan. Honored. Thank you Pancham! Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) April 28, 2018 Prime Minister Modi on Saturday evening returned from China after the two-day informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. ANI singhking99@yahoo.com Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service Kolkata, April 28 The West Bengal Government has written to five state governments, including that of Punjab, for loaning it four to five companies of police for deployment during the panchayat elections. Normally, states seek central forces for additional security, if need be. Besides Punjab, the other states approached are Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Orissa and Assam. Panchayat elections in West Bengal were to take place in three phases in the first week of May. However, following a High Court directive, the State Election Commission announced May 14 as the fresh date for the polls. Since the state government does not have adequate police personnel for manning the over 58,000 polling booths, it has sought the help of the five states. While Punjab has a Congress government, the CM has sprung a surprise by asking for help from the BJP-ruled Assam. The remaining states Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana are ruled by regional parties. The CM enjoys a good rapport with her Telengana counterpart KC Rao. The latter had visited Kolkata recently to discuss a coalition for the Lok Sabha polls. Mamata had also lent support to Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu when the latter went on fast to protest against the Centres refusal to award special category status to Andhra. Personal equations apart, election duty in West Bengal is a tricky business and the risk factor will have a bearing on the five states decision whether or not to send their police personnel to West Bengal. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Ahmedabad (Gujarat), April 29 Nine professors of Central University of Gujarat (CUG) have denied attending Congress president Rahul Gandhis programme. Their reaction has come after the university issued show-cause notice to them for canvassing for the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates during the last Assembly elections. Sony Kunjappan, President, Central University of Gujarat Teachers Association, says that the professors are being targeted. I think we are being targeted. The university should have first sought a clarification from us before issuing show-cause notice, Kunjappan said. He is among the nine professors who were served a show-cause notice. The notice has been issued to us that we as teachers participated and campaigned for a political party (Congress).We have denied this, he added. The teachers representative told ANI that the notice has been issued reportedly on the complaint of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) but it has denied giving such a complaint. The CUG Vice-Chancellor Syed Abdul Bari issued the show-cause notice while acting on the references forwarded by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, office of the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the state education department. ANI singhking99@yahoo.com Raipur, April 28 At least two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, a senior police official said. Several other ultras were injured in the encounter and the toll may rise. The gunfight comes a day after eight Naxals, including six women, were killed in an encounter in Sukmas adjoining district Bijapur. Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar) Sundarraj P said: So far, the bodies of two Naxals, including a woman, have been found. A search operation is on. Separate teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Special Task Force (STF) and the elite CoBRA were carrying out combing operations in Sukma, the DIG said. The gun battle lasted for about two hours following which the Maoists fled into the core forest area, he said. According to ground reports, several other Naxals were grievously injured in the exchange of fire but were dragged away by their colleagues. On Friday, a joint security operation was carried out in Bijapur by the Chhattisgarh Police, the special anti-Naxal Greyhounds unit of their Telangana counterparts and the CRPF. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, April 29 An Indian Navy aircraft, which is in Russia for a mid-life upgradation, made an emergency landing at the Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow after its chassis malfunctioned, Russian media reported on Sunday. An Indian Navy official said the IL-38 aircraft was on initial test-flight and that the extent of damage to the plane in the incident is being ascertained. The Russian-built IL-38 is an anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The aircraft is in Russia for Overhaul (OH) and Mid-Life Upgradation (MLU). No Indian Navy crew was onboard during the sortie though they are present in Russia. The aircraft was on initial test flight with all Russian crew, the official said. The incident had taken place yesterday. According to Russia Today, the plane, which was bracing for the emergency landing, emitted quite dense smoke and was seemingly dumping fuel in order to reduce the chances of catching fire. It said all the people four pilots and three technical specialists on board the aircraft walked away unharmed. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was in Moscow during which she held extensive talks with her Russian counterpart General Sergei Shoigu. The two sides had agreed to significantly step up defence cooperation. Russia has been one of Indias key suppliers of arms and ammunition. However, it has been a long-standing grievance of the armed forces that supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from that country. Officials said Russia has agreed to speed-up implementation of various projects including mid-life upgradation of various platforms supplied by it to Indian armed forces. Majority of Indias weapon systems are of Russian origin. PTI singhking99@yahoo.com Our Correspondent Ahmedabad, April 28 The CBI has opposed the discharge petitions of former Gujarat Inspector General of Police DG Vanzara and police superintendent NK Amin in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. The CBI, while opposing the discharge pleas, stated it had proof to corroborate presence of NK Amin at the spot of the alleged encounter and establish Vanzara as the mastermind of the entire operation. Mumbai-based college student Ishrat Jahan and three others Javed alias Pranesh, Zeeshan Johar and Amzad Ali Rana were allegedly gunned down by a team of Vanzaras men in an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in June 2004. It was claimed that Ishrat and her friends were terrorists and were in the state with an intent to kill then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Both Vanzara and Amin claimed innocence and sought discharge from the CBI chargesheet. They moved the special CBI court after DGP PP Pandey was discharged in the case in February this year. Vanzara had claimed that the charges against him were politically motivated. His plea claimed that he too, more or less, was facing same charges as Pandey and should be acquitted. On Saturday, the CBI, however, argued that it had proof to nail Vanzara as the main conspirator in the case. To Amins plea that there was no forensic evidence of his involvement, the CBI stated that there were witnesses who had seen Amin at the encounter spot and they had forensic evidence also that Amin had fired from his gun. The CBI presented its case after the court sought its view on whether the plea by Vanzara and Amin be accepted and approved. The court has now set May 5 as the next date of hearing. Have proof sanjiv@tribunemail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 Addressing his maiden national rally after assuming Congress presidency last December, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday invoked religion to attack BJPs untruths and prophecised that the Congress would win every election starting Karnataka and going up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Elections are round the corner. In 2014, BJP and RSS spread lies about Congress and its leaders. The truth is now getting revealed. The strength of Congress workers was evident in Gujarat Now you see how we win Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and 2019 elections, declared a combative Gandhi in contrast to his usually self-effacing style as he addressed the Jan Aakrosh rally at Ram Lila Grounds here. The remarks sought to position Congress as the pole of Opposition unity amid talks of a non-Congress, non-BJP front. Gandhi said Congress was the water needed to build Indias foundations and thats why he believed it would win every election. He then used generous references to religion to argue that while the basis of faith is truth, BJP is seeped in falsehoods. Later, Gandhi accused the PM of lying about his promises and wondered what kind of a PM Narendra Modi was! India is a country of faith and faith rests on truth. It is truth we bow to when we visit shrines but when the PM talks, people struggle to find truth. In Karnataka, with BS Yedyurappa on his side, the PM says hes fighting corruption. People wonder what he is saying, Gandhi quipped in a 40-minute speech which he ended with the announcement to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after the Karnataka elections. Even here, Gandhi addressed the dominant Hindu voters by attributing his escape in a recent aircraft scare to Lord Shiva. As my aircraft fell 8,000 feet, I thought I was gone. But then I remembered I have to visit Kailash Mansarovar. Now I seek leave of 10 to 15 days from you all to travel, Rahul Gandhi told his workers. Sounding the poll bugle, he attacked the PM for silence on corruption, on anxieties raised by four Supreme Court judges, on unemployment, on dying farmers, on atrocities against Dalits, minorities, women and children and on the failure to rein in China. Youth trusted the PM when he promised two crore jobs a year. Now they realise this government is hollow. FM Arun Jaitley says farm loan waiver is not government policy. So the only option for farmers is to commit suicide. Farmers cant live without Congress, a ballistic Gandhi said, slamming the PM for having tea with the Chinese President while the Dragon expanded its Doklam presence. No PM in 70 years travelled to China without an agenda for discussion, was Gandhis refrain. He dwelt most on the alleged BJP corruption, citing the partys nomination of a once jailed Yedyurappa as Karnataka CM candidate; alleged sale of a company to a power firm by former Power Minister Piyush Goyal, financial rise of BJP chief Amit Shahs son, PMs move to buy overpriced Rafale jets from France and Nirav Modis escape with peoples money. For the first time ever, four judges came to people for justice but the PM is silent. The judges mention BH Loya but the PM is silent. All institutions are being filled with RSS people but the PM is silent; a woman is raped by a BJP MLA in UP but he is silent. In J&K, a child is violated, he is still silent, Rahul Gandhi said in a caustic build-up against the PM. The Congress chief also used the occasion to rev up party cadres for battles ahead, terming Congress workers as sher ke bachhe who have sacrificed their lives for truth. While he assured space and respect for everyone from 80 and 90 year olds to 18 year olds in Congress he equally signalled that fighting the BJP in unison was more important than dissenting publicly. So Gandhi publicly ticked off ex-law minister Salman Khurshid for taking a stand contrary to the partys on the CJIs impeachment and later in reference to Babri Masjid demolition saying that Congress hands were stained with the blood of Muslims. Salman Khurshidji is sitting here. Some days ago he expressed a different opinion. I accept that there will be varied viewpoints in our party and I will allow these to flourish, but will say one thing. When the party is fighting BJP-RSS, we need to fight with unity, Gandhi said. As he spoke, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh sat in the front row with seniors Ghulam Nabi Azad, AK Antony, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel, Janardan Dwivedi, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh and ex Haryana CM BS Hooda, among others. The Congress chiefs "space for all" assurance found quick reflections on the faces of veterans, who graciously smiled. The eldest of the lot was 90-year-old AICC Treasurer Motilal Vora. Nothing but parivar aakrosh rally: Shah A dynasty and courtiers, sent out of state after state by Jan Aadesh, now pretend to represent Jan Aakrosh. The Congress rally is nothing but a Parivar Aakrosh rally. Amit Shah, BJP National Chief editorial@tribune.com Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service Hyderabad, April 29 As part of efforts to forge a federal front, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday met DMK president M Karunanidhi and the partys working president MK Stalin in Chennai and held discussions on the proposal to bring together like-minded political forces ahead of the General Election. The CM took a special flight from Begumpet airport in Hyderabad to Chennai. He was accompanied by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) general secretary K Kesava Rao, MP B Vinod and some party MLAs. On their arrival in Chennai, they were received by Stalin amid slogans of KCR zindabad by DMK cadre. KCR, as the Telangana Chief Minister is known in political circles, called on Karunanidhi at the latters residence and enquired about his health. He later left for Stalins residence where the two discussed the political situation. KCR, widely seen as an architect of the Telangana statehood movement, had in March last vowed to play a key role in national politics and mooted the idea of forging a non-BJP and non-Congress front at the national level. Since then, he has been meeting leaders of various political parties to gather support for the idea. He had met his West Bengal counterpart and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and followed it up with meeting with JD-S supremo HD Deve Gowda. editorial@tribune.com Syed Ali Ahmed Disagreements between Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government are said to be leading to delays in development works in the national capital, amid charges by AAP that city bureaucrats prefer to listen to Raj Nivas rather than the Delhi Government. The L-G office and the AAP government continue to trade charge in regard to projects running behind schedule and delays in clearing files pertaining to these. The L-G office admits that it received approximately 1,000 files of the projects seeking approval, including those of reserved subjects. Of these, 97 per cent of the proposals were concurred to without any change, the office said. A senior official of government said proposals, including health insurance scheme, higher education loan schemes and mohalla clinics, remain pending in the L-Gs office for months as are those relating to mid-day meal proposal, door step delivery of ration, Lokpal Billl and education. These are schemes the AAP government of Chief Minister Kejriwal wants to roll out as part of its promise to denizens of Delhi. Similarly, proposal for in-principle approval for a licence and allotment four acres of land to NGO Akshay Patra Foundation to run the mid-day meal scheme remains to be cleared. The AAP governments grand plans of providing WiFi across Delhi remain unfulfilled even after three years in office. As per the project, the city government was to create 1,000 hotspots across the national capital and Rs 100 crore was allocated for the project. The internal tussle led to the files beings tossed from the IT Department to the Public Works Department and to the Dialogue and Development Commission, and gave Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Vijender Gupta the opportunity to take pot shots that the Kejriwal government had failed to complete even a single project. Vertical greening Delhi Minister of Environment Imran Hussain has written to the Public Works Department, mayors of North Delhi, South Delhi and East Delhi Municipal Corporations, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Cantonment Board to undertake vertical greening activities on buildings, flyovers, including spaces underneath flyovers, to enhance green cover. This is being done to neutralise air pollution. Following the Delhi High Court order banning the use of plastic bags and other such material, the Delhi government has also ordered all schools to ban plastic covers. Burning issue Twenty eight persons have so far lost their lives in fire in the national capital in 2018. Chief Fire Officer of the Delhi Fire Service Atul Garg said there were many reasons for such incidents occurring at factories. People in industrial and factory areas do not take care of building bylaws and fire safety norms. Sometimes, factory owners close the gate from inside with a fear that the labour will leave their jobs in between. gspannu7@gmail.com New Delhi, April 29 Launching a scathing attack on the Modi government, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday accused it of betraying the people by not keeping its promises and alleged that corruption had taken deeper roots since it came to power. In her address at the Jan Aakrosh rally at Ramlila Maidan here, the UPA chairperson alleged that the government has left no stone unturned in undermining institutions and targeting political rivals by misusing central agencies. She also made a reference to the serious crisis that had gripped the top judiciary, saying it had never happened before. Sonia Gandhi claimed all sections of the society were unhappy and angry with the government as none of the promises made to them were fulfilled. In her 10-minute address, she said unlike truth prevailing in the past, today falsehood, hatred and violence were ruling the roost. The Congress leader cautioned the people to remain alert in the sensitive phase that the country was passing through. What happened to Modi jis slogan Na khaunga, na khane dunga (would not take bribes, nor let anyone do so) as the roots of corruption have become deeper under his watch, she said. Sonia Gandhi charged the government with muzzling dissenting voices and dividing communities with an eye on electoral gains. For all of us, the country is passing through a sensitive phase and we need to take it seriously. That is why I want to tell you to remain alert, she said, adding that the people should strengthen their voice along with party president Rahul Gandhi to fight divisive forces. We will fight unitedly the directionless, anti-people Modi government, which has made false promises and betrayed the people, she said. The former Congress chief said, I am confident that the voice raised at the rally at the historic Ramlila Maidan will resonate across every household and our fight will be successful in the days to come. She said, This government has not left any stone unturned in undermining constitutional institutions. Political rivals are being targeted through government agencies. The media cannot play its role and it is being stopped from doing so, she said, adding institutions were built with a lot of hard work in the last 60-65 years and need to be strengthened. All this is being done at the behest of an organisation, which follows a certain mindset, the Congress leader said, in an apparent reference to the RSS, the BJPs ideological mentor. Urging people to unite under Rahul Gandhis leadership, Sonia Gandhi said, We will fight Modi ji and his colleagues who are weakening the foundations of the Constitution for their personal interests. We will fight those who are imposing their will and not the law of the land. We will fight those who want to annihilate our Ganga-Jamuni culture, she said. The chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party said leaders of the party in the past sacrificed everything as they wanted to create an India based on the values of truth, love and non-violence. But what has happened in the last four years is there before all of us. I feel pained to see that falsehood, hatred and violence is rampant in the country today instead of truth, love and non-violence. Those who raise voice for justice become victims of Modi governments anger. They (the BJP) take their majority in the Lok Sabha as a licence to work at their whims and fancies. They think it is their right to muzzle voices at every level, she added. PTI editorial@tribune.com Ramakrishna Upadhya Everything is fair in love and war, they say. Is politics included, too? Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has caused some embarrassment to the BJP leadership by invoking language and regional pride in the political dialogue leading up to the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections. When BJPs Karnataka in-charge Muralidhar Rao tweeted in Hindi taunting Siddaramaiah for contesting from two constituencies, the CM tweeted back: Why dont you message me in Kannada or English, which I can understand? Rao promptly switched over to English. Siddaramaiah accused BJP of using North Indians for the election campaign (mainly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national chief Amit Shah) and reducing state leader BS Yeddyurappa to a dummy. The BJP promptly hit back, saying the Congress was relying on Rahul Gandhi, who was not even a North Indian, but an Italian import. In the run-up to the elections, Siddaramaiah, though a Chief Minister of a national party, has gone out of the way to pander to regional sentiments and carve a vote bank among the Kannadigas. When some Kannada organisations launched an agitation to remove Hindi signage from Metro train stations, Siddaramaiah not only supported their demand, but wrote to the Centre on the issue. Though Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation is a joint venture between the Karnataka government and the Centre, the Chief Minister argued that the major funding is done by the state and its wishes should be respected. The Hindi signage was eventually removed. Siddaramaiah responded positively when groups of Kannada organisations wanted the state to have its own flag. Except Jammu and Kashmir, no other state has a flag, because it has never been an issue. But, Siddaramaiah contended that the National Flag Code did not prohibit a state from having a flag and even if Karnataka had one, he would make sure that it would fly below the national flag. The Chief Minister set up an expert committee, which came up with the suggestion to have the emblem of the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore (which is currently the state emblem) in the middle, with red and yellow colours, which Kannada organisations have been using for a long time. A Cabinet decision was taken in favour of the new flag and sent to the Centre, but the state government has already started using it in some of the posters. So, with so much of Kannada pride in the air, when PM Modi who is set hold a series of election rallies in the state from May 1 conducted a tele-conference with BJP candidates and party workers, he spoke a few sentences in Kannada and regretted that he could not learn the language, though he was very much interested. Modi said Bengaluru represented India on the world stage and its infrastructure had crumbled under Congress rule. What Bengaluru and Karnataka need is development and not lollipop in the form of a new religion, which is an election stunt, he said. The stage is clearly set for more fireworks! (The writer is a Bengaluru-based journalist. This is the first of a series of election-related articles) sanjiv@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged students to undergo a special summer internship with the government, saying the activity would fetch UGC credits to well-performing candidates. The PM, in his Mann ki Baat programme, asked students to use their summer holidays for the special internship being offered by ministries of Sports, HRD and department of drinking water. The Swachh Bharat Summer Internship 2018 is open to college students, NCC cadets and Nehru Yuva Kendra members. Whoever wants to do something substantial, learn something for the sake of society and the country for them, there is a great opportunity! Even the cause of the cleanliness campaign will get a boost and when we celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we will surely attain a sense of fulfillment, the PM said. He also asked everyone to spare a thought for water conservation, drawing their attention to ancient temples which carry the message of conservation and drought management in their architecture and design. Reward for those who do well Whoever wants to do something substantial, learn something for the sake of society and country, there is a great opportunity. Best interns will be rewarded at national level and those who accomplish tasks will be awarded two credit points each by the UGC. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister singhking99@yahoo.com New Delhi, April 28 The Centre is planning to amend the POCSO Act to provide justice to male child victims of sexual assault, the Women and Child Development Ministry said, days after an ordinance promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind provided the death penalty for rape of girls under the age of 12. The government has always strived to develop gender-neutral laws. It has proposed amendment in the POCSO Act to seek justice for (male) survivors of child sexual abuse, it said on its official Twitter handle. WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi had supported a petition on Change.org by filmmaker-activist Insia Dariwala, who said male child sexual abuse is an ignored reality in India. Replying to the petition, she said a first-of-its-kind study on male survivors of child sexual abuse would be conducted. Another much neglected sphere of child sexual abuse is male survivors. Child sexual abuse is gender neutral... It is a serious problem and needs to be addressed. Following the petition, the minister had in September 2017 instructed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to look into the issue. The NCPCR held a conference in this regard in November last year. As per the recommendations that emerged from the conference, it was unanimously decided that there should be an amendment to the existing scheme for the victims of CSA to also include compensation for boys who have been sexually abused or raped, she said. As per an ordinance promulgated by the President recently, courts can now award the maximum death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years. PTI Protecting children The government has always strived to develop gender-neutral laws. It has proposed amendment to the POCSO Act to seek justice for (male) survivors of child sexual abuse. WCD Ministry monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, April 29 Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally, his first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, at the Ramlila Ground on Sunday. At the national-level "Jan Akrosh Rally" which comes ahead of the crucial Karnataka elections on May 12, Gandhi is expected to attack the BJP government at the Centre over its "unfulfilled promises and divisive politics". Gandhi would seek to give voice to public anger over misgovernance, corruption, unemployment, economic situation, crimes against women, attacks on Dalits and the Judiciary, and social unrest. The rally is expected to be addressed by top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others. A day ahead of the rally, Rahul today said on Twitter, "In the four years of the Modi government, youths haven't got jobs, women haven't got security, farmers failed to get a fair price for their crops, and Dalits and minorities their rights." He appealed to people to join the rally to express their discontent and anger. There is anger among all sections of society, the poor, the elderly, the youth, farmers, women... Hence the name Jan Akrosh Rally', AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot told reporters. He said Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh would address the Congressmen and urge them to unite to oust the BJP, "which is causing social unrest and dividing society". Congress's communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala said a clarion call would be given to root out the BJP from Karnataka. He said, The rally would ensure a "decisive victory for the Congress in the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and many others. It will culminate in uprooting the misrule of Modi ji in 2019. Surjewala said Congress's state presidents, CLP leaders, chief ministers, former chief ministers, MPs, and MLAs would attend the rally. It will be a historical day for the nation... the Congress. A new era will begin for transforming politics in India, he said. Surjewala said the entire India is outraged over "corruption, bank scams, Rafale scams, rampant unemployment... the way businesses are going down by the day. There is hatred all around under Modi ji's rule... People are angry over atrocities against Dalits, tribals, and backward people. The judiciary is under attack, he said. The Congress said four years ago, Modi led an entire nation into believing that he would change the face of India, but did nothing except furthering a hidden agenda. Four years ago, people believed you. Now, they see through your lies... Your silence is also an answer which the nation has heard and rejected. But this anger has now been channelised, the Congress said in an article on its website. PTI editorial@tribune.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda were among Congress veterans seated in the front row at the stage of Jan Aakrosh Rally addressed by party president Rahul Gandhi at Ramlila Maidan today. The prominent placement of these regional leaders was a political statement by itself with sources saying majority of the gathering for the rally came from Haryana and Punjab apart from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi lauded Amarinder and Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah from the dais for granting farm debt loan waivers in their respective states. Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu also found a prominent mention in Gandhis speech, though former Law Minister Salman Khurshid was left embarrassed as the Congress chief chose to publicly cite the formers dissent from the partys stand on the issue of impeaching Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. In every party there are different opinions. Recently Salman Khurshid ji gave a varied opinion on something (read CJIs impeachment). In our party there will be diverse opinions. I will allow all viewpoints. I will also personally protect Mr Khurshid but I want to say one thing. When the party is fighting the BJP and RSS then we will have to fight together, Gandhi said in a direct reference to Khurshid who was seen clapping with a red face. In a 40-minute unusually combative speech in Hindi, Gandhi also ticked off another prominent Congress man as he skipped his mention while naming other colleagues. So when Gandhi said Congress would win Rajasthan under Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and Madhya Pradesh under Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia, he omitted any reference to former MP Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, seated next to Kamal Nath on the stage in the front row. The miss triggered talks of whether Singh was now totally out of favour with Gandhi even though he recently returned from a successful Narmada yatra in MP amid reports that cadres got galvanized behind him ahead of year-end state elections. Present also on the dais were former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with veterans Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony, Ambika Soni, P Chidambaram and Sushil Kumar Shinde. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday tore into the ruling BJP accusing it of betraying the people and endangering democracy. Leading the attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the partys Jan Aakrosh rally, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the first speaker of the day, said corruption had taken deeper roots under the current regime and judiciary is in crisis. Corruption has taken deeper roots under the Modi regime. All promises Mr Modi made have proved hollow. Untruth, hatred and violence are ruling. Dissent is being muzzled and constitutional institutions undermined. Serious crisis is gripping the judiciary as has never happened before this is a very sensitive time, a time for alertness, Sonia Gandhi warned a mammoth Congress crowd at the rally venue declaring that winds of change were visible and Congress would fight a directionless and anti-people government that has betrayed everyone. Earlier, Gandhi in an all-round attack on the PM said the country was facing unprecedented problems on every front. Farmers, youth, Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and women are all anxious about their future. Even children are not safe. Those accused of crimes are being protected. Two crore jobs a year were promised, but people are still searching for those. The country has realised the PM has betrayed them. Farmers feel betrayed as Modii never kept the promise of raising the MSP two times. Economy stands shattered due to the governments faulty policies and my sisters are bearing the brunt of high prices, Sonia Gandhi said accusing the PM of weakening constitutional institutions. Manmohan Singh in his short speech steered clear of any reference to the judiciary (he had not signed the Opposition petition to impeach CJI Dipak Misra), but attacked the government for endangering democracy. Democracy is in danger the way the recent Parliament session did not function, Budget was passed without debate and Oppositions no-confidence motions stalled, he reasoned. If Parliament does not function, democracy will be in danger. What happened in the last session, everyone saw, he said. The former PM also cautioned against a looming banking crisis following Niravs escape from India with massive bank loans. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh/Patiala, April 28 The deletion of 23 chapters from the Class XII history book of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) pertaining to important aspects of the Sikh history has raised a storm in the state. The PSEB, after reviewing the syllabus, has reportedly removed the chapters concerning the history of Sikh gurus and their teachings Anglo-Sikh wars; the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and annexation of Punjab among others, from the textbook. While newly inducted Education Minister OP Soni said he was not aware of this, PSEB officials admit that certain chapters from the last years syllabus have been deleted to bring the syllabus on a par with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). They added that these chapters would now be taught in Class XI, and the new textbooks were currently in print. However, the syllabus of class XI, circulated online to some schools, does not mention that the ancient Sikh history will be included in their textbooks. It is learnt that while a print order for 11,000 history books was made, 3,500 have already been printed. The new syllabus of Class XII , without the above mentioned chapters, has also been shared online with the affiliated schools. Among other important aspects of Punjab history that are no longer part of the Class XII history book are chapters on Sikh struggle against Mughals and Ahmad Shah Abdali and the origin and growth of Sikh Misls and Banda Singh Bahadur. These have been replaced by chapters on modern history, early and medieval history and political and economic developments in these periods and the rise of nationalism and freedom struggle. As the matter took political overtones with former Education Minister and SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema demanding a high-level probe and action against officials guilty of deleting chapters and wrote a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the latter dismissed as malicious the SADs allegation of deletion of chapters on Sikh gurus. Lambasting Akali Dal leaders for trying to spread misinformation on a sensitive religious issue, the CM said Akalis had shown gross irresponsibility by making a baseless public statement without bothering to check on the facts. The fact is that the courses have merely been realigned with the NCERT syllabus to enable students from Punjab to compete at the national level," said the Chief Minister, making it clear that not even a single word had been deleted by the board. The history chapters had been now spread across classes XI and XII, on the recommendation of an expert committee, of which a SGPC representative was also a member, he said. He added that under his directive, a chapter on the lives of four Sahibzadas had been incorporated in the textbooks. Prof Gurmeet Singh Sidhu, head of the department of religious studies, Punjabi University, said the PSEB had omitted major parts of Punjab history from classes XI and XII syllabus. Moreover, the facts were wrong and history had been distorted. Removing the Sikh history means we are depriving our students of knowing their past, which is highly damaging for any culture. I have read Class XII and I am shocked to find so many factual errors in the book, which shows that the board was least concerned about Punjab history. We have constituted a three-member committee which will be presenting a report to the CM and the Education Minister, along with supporting documents highlighting all mistakes, he said. Chapters were based on history of Sikh gurus, their teachings editorial@tribune.com Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Batala, April 28 In a setback to the police, a local court has rejected the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which had absolved all the accused in the infamous woman karate player suicide case of all charges. On January 2, Kuldeep Kaur (25), who had donned India colours in an international karate meet held in Kathmandu in December last year, ended her life after consuming poison. A day later, an FIR under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC was registered against three Ajaib Singh, Pargat Singh and Karam Singh at the Ghania-Ke-Bangar police station. The deceaseds brother Satwant Singh and sister Balbir Kaur had claimed that Kuldeep had ended her life because of a land dispute their family had with the trio. The SIT had absolved all the three accused name in the FIR of all charges. Peeved over the SITs findings, Kuldeep Kaurs sister, Balbir Kaur had petitioned the court of the Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Batala. The court has now rejected the SIT probe. The IG (Border), Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, confirmed that the court had rejected the findings of the SIT. Parmar was personally supervising the working of the SIT. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 Minister for Local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday violated the model code of conduct while addressing a gathering at the local Trinity College. Sidhu announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for science and computer labs of the college despite the code of conduct being in place in the district from April 26 in view of the Shahkot bypoll. Notably, Sidhus violation comes within 24 hours of Jalandhar Deputy Commissioners direction to all political parties to strictly abide by the code of conduct. Sidhu was here to attend the convocation of the Trinity College and his announcement was made in the presence of MP Santokh Chaudhary and MLA Sushil Rinku. He made the declaration in the middle of his address to the students of the college. In a meeting of representatives of all political parties, the Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner and SSP on Friday had told all parties that code violations would not be tolerated at any cost. The Shahkot bypoll is scheduled for May 28 and the last date for filing nomination papers is May 10. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 29 The SGPC has sought an apology from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh over deletion of chapters on Sikh history from the syllabus of Class XII. Echoing similar views, former Deputy CM and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal called the Punjab Government an atheist. Sukhbir and his wife Union Minister Harsimrat Badal were here to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple on Sunday. SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said the state government should rectify its anti-Sikh approach as the history of Punjab was incomplete without mentioning the contribution of Sikh Gurus teachings, Anglo-Sikh wars, Maharaja Ranjit Singh era and annexation of Punjab. These most important aspects of Sikh history have been removed from the Class XII history books. Being the head of the state, Capt Amarinder Singh should apologise from the Sikh community. We demand that the revised textbook should be banned and re-introduced with the original text on the Sikh history, he added. Sukhbir said, This shows the governments anti-Sikh policies. The Sikh war memorials established during the SAD-BJP regime were totally neglected. Similarly, the heritage street leading to the Golden Temple is crying for maintenance. He challenged Capt Amarinder to produce before the media copies of the Punjab School Education Boards new book on history for Class XI to prove his claim that chapters on Sikh history had been shifted to the Class XI syllabus. Sukhbir said the CM should have ordered a probe into the issue instead of embarrassing himself with a factually incorrect statement, which was fed to him by the very officers who were responsible for the mischief in the first place. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 29 What can thousands of Punjab Government employees do, if their employer itself is leading them to despair and penury? This is the question that employees in the Education and Rural Development Departments are asking, as they await their salaries for the past few months. Forced to borrow money from relatives, take their daily needs goods on credit and even arrange money for those among them who are more desperate, these employees are now questioning if they are working in a welfare state. With tears in her eyes, Mandeep Kaur, all of 20, lost her father Godavar Singh, a panchayat secretary posted in Sanaur, two months ago. He died of stress because he had not got his salary since November 2017. My mother was unwell. She could not get proper treatment on time. Though we used whatever money we had saved for her treatment, around Rs 5 lakh, she succumbed to her ailment. My father was in shock and would just keep saying that he could not afford her treatment. Within 10 days of her death, my father passed away too, she told The Tribune. Now, both Mandeep Kaur and her younger brother Taranjit Singh left without support. Their grandfather Joginder Singh, who suffers from partial visual impairment, is taking care of them. Baljit Singh, also a panchayat secretary is among the 1,400 employees of the Rural Development Department, who are working without pay since November last year. He said though all employees were contributing whatever little they could to help the family, there was no effort on part of the government to release Godavar Singhs pending salary, or his other dues. As a result, Mandeep has been forced to leave her nursing college due to non-payment of fee. The money we contributed by us or their relatives is only enough to make their ends meet, he rued. Ravinder Singh Gill, president, Panchayat Secretaries Union, said there were almost 900 employees who had not received salaries for past five months, while 500 employees had not received salaries for one year. Our salaries are paid by the block samities, but there is a diversion of funds (the excise cess transferred by the Excise Department) in 41 of the 147 blocks. As a result, funds have dried up and salaries are not being released, he said, adding that even the contributory provident fund of employees was not deposited. Those retiring from service, too, are not getting their retirement benefits, he said. In protest, these secretaries have been on a pen-down strike since April 28. Such heart wrenching tales of people, waiting in despair for their salaries from the cash-strapped Punjab Government, are not uncommon or restricted to one department. There are almost 8,000 teachers under the Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtrya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), who have not given salary since November. In Hoshiarpurs Hariana village, Pritpal Singh and his wife Amarjit Kaur, both teachers under SSA, have not received their salaries for five months. My parents have medical needs and I have to pay for the school fees of my two children. Besides, there are other household expenses. It feels as if we are unemployed, and this is leading us to complete despair, he said, adding that he was getting sick of having to borrow money to make ends meet. Ram Bhajan, SSA-RMSA Teachers Union leader, said they were being forced by the government to take up a regular job at a basic pay of Rs 10,300, after leaving their contractual jobs under SSA/RMSA. How can we work on such limited salary when we are already drawing between Rs 30,000 and Rs 42,500? By not releasing our salaries, the government is coercing us to take regular jobs at one-fourth of our current pay, he rued. While Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal claims that his department has not stopped or held back any salaries, Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa says the salaries of panchayat secretaries have to be paid by the block samitis, but their financial system is in a mess. "We are working to ensure that the salaries of panchayat secretaries are released in the coming week, he adds. No problem at our end: FM Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal claims that the states financial position is much better and the Finance Department has not stopped/held back any salaries. The issue could be related to the departments concerned, but we have not stopped any payments, he says. Block samitis a mess: Minister Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa says the salaries of panchayat secretaries have to be paid by the block samitis, but their finances are a mess. We will ensure that the salaries of panchayat secretaries are paid next week. We are developing a mechanism whereby the salaries will be paid regularly, he claims. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Ashok Kaura Phagwara, April 29 A youth, who was critically injured in a clash in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups on the issue of renaming an NH1 traffic intersection, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital last night. Yashwant alias Bobby (19 ), a Dalit activist, who was critically injured in the clash, in which three others were also injured, succumbed to injuries around 1.45 am at DMC Hospital in Ludhiana. His body was sent to Phagwara on Sunday morning after postmortem by doctors under tight police security. The leaders carried his stretcher on their shoulder for more than half-an-hour on Banga Road amid sloganeering and demanding immediate naming of Gol Chowk as Samvidhan Chowk and even placing a memorial of Bobby at the point. Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in Doaba region since last night. The were suspended at 11 pm last night Around 4,000 policemen, including three companies each of Rapid Action Force, Anti-Riots Squads and women police and BSF, besides Punjab Police, have been deployed in all sensitive areas in the town. Inspector General of Police Naunihal Singh said they have connected CCTVs and were monitoring it from the citys police station Assistant IG Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh has been given an additional charge to tackle the Phagwara case. The traffic on NH-1 between Ludhiana and Jalandhar has been diverted through link roads to prevent entry to Phagwara. Also, negligible traffic was witnessed in the town. They finally agreed to move ahead after the intervention of AIG (Intelligence) Harkamalpreet Khakh. At the cremation ground, wreaths were laid by Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal, DC Mohammad Tayyab and SSP Sandeep Sharma. Akali MLA Pawan Tinu also attended the cremation. Tanish, Bobbys younger brother, lit the pyre. ADC Babita Kaler, SDM Jyoti Bala were also present. Trouble again rose when the people, who were returning after the funeral, attempted to go to the Goal Chowk again from the turning of Subhash Chowk but heavily deployed police force foiled their bid after a minor scuffle. On April 13, clashes erupted in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups after Dalit members allegedly put up a board with a picture of B R Ambedkar at Gol Chowk. They also tried to rename the intersection as Samvidhan Chowk. Four persons were injured in the clashes. The number of North Korean defectors attending South Korea's elementary and secondary schools stood at 2,538 as of April 2017, marking a 270 percent increase from 687 in 2007, figures from the education ministry showed Saturday. Of the total, 1,027 defector students, or 40.5 percent, were attending elementary schools, while 785 students, or 30.9 percent, were enrolled in middle schools and 726 students, or 28.6 percent, in high schools, the figures showed. The remaining 226 students were enrolled in alternative educational facilities. Despite the growth in numbers, however, Ministry of Education officials say many defector students have difficulties at South Korean schools due to disparities in language and culture. For instance, the drop-out rate for North Korean defector students fell to 2 percent last year from 10.8 percent in 2007 but still remained higher than the national average of less than 1 percent, they noted. The drop-out rate for defector students attending high schools was the highest at 4.3 percent, followed by 1.8 percent at middle schools and 1 percent at elementary schools, they added. Young escapees arriving here from North Korea are assigned to South Korean schools after a state scholastic committee screens their academic records achieved in the North and other countries. Usually, North Korean defectors are grouped with younger South Korean students at schools under the current screening system. "In most cases, defector students lack basic academic abilities as they spent much time as refugees in third-party countries," said a teacher at a Seoul elementary school. He said defector students born in China and other third-party countries generally have more difficulties adapting to the Korean language and culture. According to ministry figures, the number of North Korean defector students who were born outside the Korean Peninsula was 1,437 as of last year, accounting for 56.6 percent of all defector students. The corresponding figure for 2012 was 708 students, or 35.5 percent. (Yonhap) editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, April 28 Acting on a tip-off, the police on Friday arrested a smuggler and seized four kg of heroin, one 9mm pistol and eight cartridges from his possession. The value of the consignment is Rs 20 crore in the international market. SSP Darshan Singh Mann, while addressing a press conference here on Saturday, said the accused, identified as Amandeep Singh, alias Aman, of Thatha village, near Harike, was declared a proclaimed offender in a number of cases registered under the NDPS Act. He was arrested from Mohali by a police party, led by SHO Sukhraj Singh. A case under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and Sections 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against Aman. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 28 After more than a year, there is finally a ray of hope for restarting all the shutdown water supply and sewerage projects in 107 cities and towns of Punjab. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has issued the first instalment of Rs 200 crore, from a Rs 1,540-crore loan advanced to the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation. But herein lies the catch. The Local Bodies Department will first have to allocate work and exhaust the sum before the second instalment for the work is released. It is only after we utilise the first tranche of the loan, that the second instalment of the loan amount will be released. We are in the process of quickly starting the work for completing the ongoing water supply and sewerage works by identifying where the amount needs to be utilised first, said A Venu Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Bodies Department. All water supply and sewerage works under construction and renovation were stopped by the Congress government when it came to power in March 2017. Suspecting some mala fide intentions in the allotment of these works by the previous Akali BJP government, the Congress stopped all work, thus inconveniencing the public and earning their flak. As a decision to restart the work took too long, at many places the project executing agencies left midway. All funding for these projects, which was earlier coming from the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board, under the Rural Urban Mission (now disbanded), were also held back and later the funds were transferred to the states consolidated fund. In the months that followed, Punjab struggled to make both ends meet, and as a result, there was no money to restart the projects. Even the projects worth Rs 563 crore, announced by the Congress government, in a series of functions in February, are awaiting the release of funds. It is on the pursuance of both Local Bodies and Finance Departments that the loan of Rs 1,540 crore from HUDCO has been arranged. The PMIDC earns Rs 200 crore per annum from the 2 per cent Goods and Services Tax collections that go straight to the PMIDC fund. This income will be used for repaying the interest on the loan. Though initially HUDCO was offering this loan on a much higher rate of interest (10.40 per cent), the state government has managed to get the loan at 9.60 per cent rate of interests. Mala fide intentions in work allotment suspected sanjiv@tribunemail.com Ashok Kaura Phagwara, April 29 A Dalit youth who was critically injured in a violent clash over the renaming of an NH-1 traffic intersection on April 13 succumbed to injuries at a Ludhiana hospital early on Sunday. Yashwant Bobby, 19, who had suffered gunshot injuries, died at DMC Hospital around 1.45 am after battling for life for 16 days. Five persons were injured after members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups clashed over putting up of a board bearing Dr BR Ambedkars picture at Gol Chowk in a bid to rename the intersection as Samvidhan Chowk. Internet services were suspended in the Doaba region around 11 pm on Saturday as a precautionary measure. Around 4,000 policemen, including three companies each of the Rapid Action Force, Anti-Riot Squad and the BSF, besides Punjab Police, were deployed at sensitive places. The traffic on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar National Highway-1 was diverted even as IGP Naunihal Singh monitored the situation through CCTV cameras. Tension prevailed as the body was brought to Phagwara in the morning amid tight security after a post-mortem in Ludhiana. The pyre was lit by the victims younger brother at the Banga road cremation ground. As the funeral procession reached Subhash Chowk, some activists demanded that they proceed towards Gol Chowk and rename it as Samvidhan Chowk. Even after the cremation, a minor scuffle broke out as some members again tried to head towards Gol Chowk, but were stopped by the police deployed at Subhash Chowk. Wreaths were laid by Kapurthala DC Mohammad Tayab, SSP Sandeep Sharma, former minister Joginder Singh Maan, BSP Punjab president Rashpal Raju, MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal and former MLA Mohan Lal. ADC Babita Kaler and SDM Jyoti Bala were also present. In Chandigarh, BJP MP Vijay Sampla said the district administration failed in their duty in handling the Phagwara violence. There has been a total administrative failure in handling the ground situation there. The state government needs to take an immediate call on the issue as well as on the role of the DC and SSP, said Sampla. editorial@tribune.com B.N.Goswamy All that I am going to do in this piece is to reproduce some voices, almost exactly as they were recorded. I have accessed them via my artist-friend, Manisha Gera Baswani, who lives in Delhi, and has long been interested in photographing and interviewing artists at work. She was recently in Lahore, attending the Lahore Biennale, and there she set up an engaging installation in the Shahi Masjid, with packages of these voices and photographs stuck in locally purchased jute bags filled with wheat. This is obviously an imperfect and partial selection, for there were many, many more. But even this will convey, I hope, something of the flavour of nostalgia, of memories, of affection, and, above all, of the sense of loss on both sides of the border. Dad says its all very vivid, said Rashmi Kaleka from Delhi. When the slaughter started, the sky was empty of all birds, the skies carried no bird sound. (A memory) In the midst of the cruel violence of 1947, Shankar Ohri, my mama (mothers brother) is agonising over his door. He is missing it. He can resist no longer and pays fifty rupees to two Gurkhas to accompany him. Armed with a screw driver, he makes his way from Jalandhar to Lahore. Warily, he enters his Lahore home and unscrews the door. No one remembers how he got back. He built a house in Shahdara, Delhi, and fitted his door in it. Reminds me of Door, Makhmalbafs film. A man left with only a door of his house roams on barren land on the island carrying it on his back. Muhammad Atif Khan, from Lahore, recalled: Both of my parents, father, Muhammad Idris Khan, and mother, Rabya Kihwar, were born in a small town named Gudiyani (90km towards west from New Delhi). They spent their childhood and teenage there until they got married and moved to New Delhi for my fathers job. They lived over there for a few years until the Partition of British India. Then they migrated to the newly formed state, Pakistan, where they spent the rest of their lives. My mother always talked about a Sufi saint Mian Munna Sahib whose shrine was equally respected among local Muslims and Hindus of Gudiyani. Since her childhood, my mother used to visit and pray there. She believed that lost things will be found if one prays a mannat to Allah on behalf of his beloved saint, Mian Munna Sahib. Nilima Sheikh lives in Baroda. Most people of my generation, she recalled once, from northern post-independence India would have stories to recall of their loss of familial home: stories about the wrench of displacement that have got distilled into family lore. My story is indeed quite different, about coming to find home in Lahore, and dates to the late 1920s. My maternal grandparents lived in Burnley in the north of England where my grandfather, Naunidh Rai Dharamvir, was a practising doctor. Their home was often a resting point for visiting nationalist Congress leaders and they were increasingly drawn into the fervour of nationalist aspirations. They were persuaded by Lala Lajpat Rai, who had just lost his mother to tuberculosis, which was rampant in South Asia, to come and set up a hospital in Lahore. So they came and started afresh in Lahore (founding a hospital). It is heartening to know that the Gulab Devi Memorial Hospital for women, named after Lala Lajpat Rais mother, continues to be a landmark institution in Lahore, and still bears the same name. Gargi Raina from Delhi related this experience: In 2001, I was invited by Salima Hashmi for a Womens Peace Workshop in Lahore and was able to trace my father, Satyendra Kumars, footsteps after 54 years to his childhood home, Fairfields (now Fatima Jinnah hostel]. When I got to Ajudhyapur, the village from where a group of Muslim men in 1947 had come to save Fairfields (with my 17-year-old father and family inside) from being burnt to the ground by a huge mob, the entire village turned out to meet me as it did for my father a year before. Shaukat Kang, a village elder placed his hand on my head and gave me a joda, an unstitched garment given to a daughter on her first trip back home after marriage. Imran Qureshi from Lahore has a recollection. (Some years ago, I was in Jaipur.) While my friends were captivated by the magic of Bollywood on the silver screen, I suddenly found myself torn between the spectacle of the film and my fathers telephone call from Hyderabad, Sindh, to me in Lahore, before I was to travel to India on a study trip of the National College of Arts. In 1992, I was a 3rd-year student at that time. My father Inam Ullah Qureshis wish was for me to visit his family house in Jaipur, which they had left behind, during the time of Partition. My fathers voice pulled at my heart and I decided to leave my friends as they watched a Bollywood film, searching for the home that he had nostalgically mapped out to me on the telephone as if it were yesterday. As I walked the narrow lanes of the Pink City of Jaipur, every landmark lovingly described by my father appeared almost magically before me the signs, the turns. My heart started beating faster as I saw myself nearing my destination. I remember being overwhelmed with emotion. And then, I stood quietly in the street where once stood Abbas home. An old man sat outside a house, perhaps with his grandchildren. I felt the urge to start a conversation with him, ask him about my fathers home, and many more questions that were coming to my heart and yet I just could not bring myself to I walked away without identifying the house. I find some of this very moving. editorial@tribune.com Amarjit Chandan To talk of Punjabiyat has now become a ritual performed by romantic writers and opportunist politicians in the so-called World Punjabi meets held in East Punjab and abroad. The word Punjab was first used in Akbarnama. In the Mughal empire, Suba Lahore was the only province which had Five Doabs. Without dal and vao it turned in to the Punjab. Punjabiyat Punjabiness a compound word having its origins in Arabic and Farsi, is the password to go into any aspect of Punjabs distinct language, cultural identity, history, culture, literature, nationality/ nationhood and so on. The term Punjabiyat was first coined and used perhaps by Professor Attar Singh, who visited Lahore in 1974 along with Giani Zail Singh, the then chief minister of East Punjab. It is likely that the concept evolved in discussions with the Punjabi activists here. There are two insightful essays on the concept in Attar Singhs book Sumdarshan (1982). Soon after, the term was picked up by Professors Pritam Singh and Vishwa Nath Tiwari. In the Bhutto era, Punjabi intellectuals of Lahore started using the terms Punjabiyat or Punjabi shanakhat i.e. identity in response to the other three nationalities Balochis, Pakhtoons and Sindhis assertion of their distinct national identities. West Punjabi leftist and liberal intellectuals Eric Cyprian, Shafqat Tanvir Mirza, Ishaq Mohammad, Hanif Ramay did not and could not go further to the extent of assertion of Punjabi nationality. They all ignored the glorious role of the Sikh resistance against the Mughals and foreign invaders. It would have gone against the two-nation theory (TNT), the very basic tenet of the Islamic Republic. In East Punjab, the Punjabi intellectuals face the same dilemma. The notion of Punjabi nationality goes against the idea of the Indian state and nationhood. Spoken Punjabi in East Punjab has been vulgarised by the media and Bombay films and the decay in the writing standards of the users of Punjabi especially in academia and journalism can be attributed to Doordarshani Hindi and English as it is reflected in all the Punjabi newspapers in East Punjab. The concept of mother language as a medium of instruction is losing its meaning. A Punjabi mother who talks to her children in Urdu/Hindi, their mother tongue for all intents and purposes is Hindi/Urdu. Unless Punjabi is linked with finance, commerce and trade (as business is a potent tool to preserve and popularise language), it is bound to become an archaic language of the scriptures meant for the esoteric discussions. Id extend Guru Baba Nanaks maxim na ko Hindu na Musalman to Punjab na ko Hindu na Musalman na Sikh, Punjab Punjabian da. Is it another wishful thinking that the Punjab belongs to Punjabis of all the denominations? No present day Musalman, Sikh or Hindu ruler will buy this idea. East Punjabi Sikh politicians of all shades ruling over just 15 per cent area of the undivided land would not agree to the idea of reunification or even an India-Pak confederation. If Partition had not happened, Sikhs would have never ruled the present day East Punjab. Punjabi Muslims are content where they are. They got the Islamic Republic on a platter. The TNT, the very ideology of Pakistan i.e. Pakistaniyat, is incompatible with the idea of Punjabiyat. The idea of Khalistan implies that the first partition in 1947 and further divisions of East Punjab were justified. They tend to confuse the vague Punjabi term qaum (org. Arabic) for religious meaning as nation; which is also used for species, ethnicity, class, caste, clan and gender. We have lost the case for Punjabi both in East and West Punjab. For historical reasons and the internal dynamics of the Pakistani state, Punjabi will never be accepted here at the state and popular level. In East Punjab now Punjabi is the language of the poor. editorial@tribune.com Rashmi Gopal Rao Given its rapidly growing pace that is poised to make it one of most spectacular cities of the Gulf, Doha is a picture of modernity and sophistication. The city today is synonymous with the Corniche, which is its waterfront promenade as well as its ever-evolving magnificent skyline that hosts several snazzy skyscrapers. But, if you are a culture vulture and are looking to experience Doha at its authentic best, head to the unique Souq Waqif in the centre of the city. Translating into marketplace or commercial centre, the souq is one of the most popular spots in the city. The souq has been in existence since at least a century, when it was used primarily by the Arabic nomads or Bedouins as a marketplace to trade cattle, sheep, goat and other goods. The souq has always been located strategically close to the shore so that goods could be transported easily by boats. As time progressed, trading saw a decline and a major fire saw most of the souq destroyed in 2003. An outcry and heavy demand for restoration resulted in the complete rebuilding and refurbishment of the souq in 2008. Today, the souq is a reflection of the architecture and heritage of the commodity market of the past. It is one of the very few traditional souqs that exist today in the entire Gulf region. With a distinctive rustic ambience, winding alleys, roadside eateries and vintage lamp posts, the Souq Waqif exudes an old-world charm. It is literally a maze with shops that are uniformly numbered, selling a variety of stuff. You can shop here for antiques, including Qatari water jugs and Aladdin lamps as well as traditional Qatari outfits, including bukhnoqs and embroidered fabric. There are carpets, exclusive incense, spices and dry fruits, apart from a whole range of knick knacks and souvenirs. Perfumes, pottery, ceramics and beaded jewellery are aplenty, and it is a great idea to soak in the culture of Qatar while shopping at the souq. There is also a bird market where umpteen kinds of birds can be bought to be kept as pets. There are several restaurants as well as food carts serving authentic Arabic, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine to complement the experience. The souq also houses an art gallery, a heritage police station as well as a gold market. There are several distinctive offerings that are exclusive to Souq Waqif alone. One such experience is the Falcon souq that is located adjacent to the main building. The falcon is a symbol of status and is reared by the locals in Qatar. At the falcon souq, you can see these birds on display, adorned with leather caps, ready for sale. Apart from the birds, you can find falcon accessories and even a Falcon hospital! In addition to this, auctions are held in the souq for rare and collectible items, including antiques. Auctions are usually in Arabic and are held on Fridays. There are local dance and music shows that are a perfect medium to showcase the native culture as well as special events like the equestrian festivals that are held on particular days. While shopping in the souq, do have your bargaining skills handy and do not miss the sight of the local porters in traditional Arabic outfits with maroon numbered coats. They are a common sight in the souq transporting wares in wheelbarrows when not sitting in them outside their little shops! editorial@tribune.com Khursheed Dinshaw As the mercury rises, island destinations like Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean beckon. Paphos and Limassol are two scenic and culturally rich destinations where one can soak up the sea, relish Cypriot cuisine and explore ancient sites. Here is why heading to these makes for a good vacation: Strolling along in Paphos Paphos has a long walking pathway with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the waterfront of numerous hotels on the other. Manicured lawns, bright-coloured flowers, sit-out areas with sun decks where visitors sun tan themselves or relax gazing at the sea, kids play areas and wooden lifeguard towers line this pathway. Here mobile trucks selling fast food and ice cream vie for attention. The Church of Saint Nicholas is also located along the pathway. Its white walls with a blue roof against the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea are simple yet beautiful. Visitors can feel the peace inside the church. Sunsets from this church are not to be missed. The walking pathway ends at the harbour where boats and yachts dock. Cafes and restaurants here specialise in seafood, mezze, olives, dips, grilled halloumi cheese, afelia and moussaka. Souvenir shops line the cobbled road. Step in to buy some carob tea and coffee. A popular Cypriot staple is carob syrup, which can be used as a healthier substitute to chocolate. This sweet syrup helps to treat cholesterol and bone problems. The carob tree was referred to as black gold because products made from it were exported from Cyprus. It was used to make medicines, chocolates, sweets, and even filmplates for photographs, adds Thalia Sofiali, a local guide. The medieval castle is also located at the harbour. A former fort of the Byzantine period, it was built to protect the Paphos harbour. In the 13th century, it was rebuilt by the Lusignans and then torn down by the Venetians. When the Ottomans gained control, they rebuilt the fort sometime in the 16th century. The British used it to store salt. After 1935, it has been protected by the Department of Antiquities. While heading to Limassol, do stop by at Petra tou Romiou, which translates to rock of the Greek. It is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. A small flight of stairs lead to the white and grey stones near the foamy waters where huge rocks dot the coast. According to a legend, Aphrodite was born right here from the sea foam. an evening in Limassol Strolling along the harbour at night after a sumptuous dinner with an ice cream in hand makes for an enjoyable evening. The cool breeze makes you forget the sweltering heat back home. Limassol makes a good hub for visiting Kourion, which was ancient city kingdom whose Greco Roman theatre is an architectural masterpiece. It was built in the 2nd century BC to honour Dionysus, who is the Greek God of wine. A special performance for him called dithyramp was conducted. The participating writers used their creativity and decided to perform comedies and tragedies, henceforth marking the beginning of theatrical performances at the theatre. Extensions took place in the 2nd century and today, the Greco Roman theatre is popular for conducting musical and theatrical concerts. Next to the theatre is the House of Eustolios, which was a private villa with mosaic flooring dating back to the 5th century. Apart from rooms, the house also contains a bath complex. Some of the inscriptions on the floors mention that Eustolios was a Christian. This villa became a recreational centre for the public during the early Christian period. Ira Pande Ira Pande As I read or view the news nowadays, I am reminded of the unforgettable opening lines of Dickens A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times It seems to me as if the country is divided into two halves today: one that thinks this is the worst of times, the other that we are going in the right direction (no pun intended) after years of misgovernance, corruption and venality. Both sides have some merit but the truth may actually lie somewhere in between these opposite opinions. So while the economic indicators seem encouraging, the social indicators leave a lot to be desired. It cannot be denied that while the rights of women, children, minorities and tribals have been supposedly dear to every political outfit, it is only an elaborate lie that this party or that has cared in any substantial way to ensure that they are included in the rah-rah narrative of achhe din. The time, however, has come when some sections have taken matters into their own hands and used education, social media and public anger to their advantage. I see this most among the Dalit movements that have now given up on the Comrades and Behenjis to identify those young leaders who actually understand their problems and offer hope. To some extent, women too have started to assert their presence, although this is still restricted to urban pockets and middle class leaders. However, I am certain that in the coming years it will no longer be easy to postpone the Womens Reservation Bill in Parliament by offering lame excuses. And it is still a shame that despite the presence of an Indian Nobel laureate in the area of child rights, we have daily reports of cruelty, exploitation and sexual crimes against them from every part of the country. Let us now come to the religious minorities: mainly Muslims who chose to live in India as Indians. Apart from rabid and fundamental outfits, there is a deep silence from those who are liberal and have a high social standing in the country. In private conversations, they speak freely but when it comes to forming a pressure group they seem to lose their nerve. This is why most poor Muslims live in the false hope that the government of the day will pull them out of the dreadful condition that many of them are still trapped in. When will it dawn on them that they have always been used for political expediency and that if they want empowerment, they must wrest it politically by educating their children outside the ghettos madarsa and creating self-help groups that can provide women with independent means of livelihood? Fortunately, there are some green shoots but the pace is slow and the levels of dedication required of these brave men and women are hard to match. I spent a long time in Lucknow and have seen the best of Muslim tehzeeb and elegance. Yet, while one admires the innate civility of these old families one also occasionally feels that they are living in a time warp where a well-laden table, an old haveli and polite retainers help them to re-live a past when all they needed to do was to visit their traditional village fiefdoms for family get-togethers, accept graciously the dua-salaam of the peasants who looked after their orchards and lands, fly pigeons from the terraces of their havelis and hold marsiyas and concerts for friends. Ask them what they did to educate their dependents or liberate their women from the veil and they will look shocked. That was what the government was meant to do, wasnt it? I also remember that as long as we were in school, there was a good percentage of us who were Muslims but after that many of our Muslim friends were married off or sent to girls only institutions. In my university days, I could count on the fingers of one hand the names of those Muslims girls who came to study in co-educational institutions. Of course, things have changed now but only in urban areas and in educated families. Until a Mayawati or a Mamata Banerjee emerges as the voice of the new Muslim, we are bound to see only male leaders speak for women. This why the anguish of secular Indians such as Harsh Mander is so palpable. No one expected the BJP to include the Muslims in their fold happily but if even the INC stays away from publicly standing by them then burre din will surely follow these troubled times. Stirring the communal pot from Kashmir to Kanyakumari has spread this fire all over the country. Of all the marginalized and oppressed groups in our country, please remember there is none as frightened and terrorized as the Indian Muslim. We must look no further than our borders to see how religious bigotry destroys all humanity in us. Finally, a sincere plea to our media to occasionally show us stories that inspire hope and love. For instance, instead of the eternal sagas of poverty and despair from the darkest parts of our country, can we not have the heartening tale of women from Mithila who have transformed the Madhubani Railway Station with brilliant panels of folk art? It is to the ordinary men and women we must go for stories to inspire us to do good. The politicians need no amplifiers. Parched Cape Town, in South Africa, has managed to push back its Day Zero an estimate of when taps in the city could run dry to 2019 after successful water-saving efforts. But in India, Day Zero has come and gone for residents in many parts of the country, where taps failed long ago and people have turned instead to digging wells or buying water. An expanding population, growing demand for water from agriculture and industry, and poor management of water supplies have sent Indias groundwater to ever lower levels. That reality, combined with rising temperatures, threatens worsening scarcity, experts say. Nearly 163 million people among Indias population of 1.3 billion or more than one in 10 lack access to clean water close to their home, according to a 2018 WaterAid report. Disputes with neighbours over the sharing of water from rivers that cross national boundaries also means tensions are rising as water shortages grow, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director and South Asia expert at the Wilson Center, a policy think tank in Washington DC. India is entangled in water disputes with its eastern and western neighbours -- Bangladesh and Pakistan. To the north and northeast, however, India fears a loss of water to upstream China, which plans a series of dams over the Brahmaputra. Almost 600 million people in India are at high risk of being unable to continue relying on surface water, according to the World Resources Institute. Water supply in India may fall 50 per cent below demand by 2030, the Asian Development Bank has forecast. Large parts of India have already been living with Day Zero for a while now. Much of it is because of bad management. Most cities lose between a third and a fifth of their water from pilferage or leakage through antiquated pipes, said Mridula Ramesh, author of an upcoming book on climate change. Bengaluru, Karachi and Kabul are among the 10 cities in the world that are on the verge of an imminent water crisis, according to a report last month by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Day Zeros are inevitable unless cities push for judicious use of water - including rainwater harvesting and reuse of waste water, as well as more efficient irrigation, Sengupta said. Some states are taking steps to manage water better. Karnataka and Maharashtra require industries to use treated urban wastewater, with Gujarat and other states also planning similar measures. New-age philanthropy As the rich get richer, the world has entered an age of philanthropy, with education the most popular focus of some 260,000 foundations, researchers have said. Increasing numbers of rich individuals, families and corporations are setting up foundations for social investment amid persistent inequality, said study author Paula Johnson of Harvard Universitys Hauser Institute for Civil Society. (Due to) the rapid growth of wealth around the world, more individuals and families (have) the ability to create philanthropic capital, she said. The richest form 1 per cent of the worlds population and owns half of its wealth, up from 43 per cent in 2008, propelled in part by gains in financial assets, like stocks and bonds. There are more than 15 million millionaires and close to 2,000 billionaires in the world, while 10 per cent of the population lives on less than $1.90 a day, said the report. Globally, foundations have combined assets of $1.5 trillion, the report found in an assessment of 39 countries around the world, including in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Almost three-quarters of 80,000 foundations were started in the last 25 years, the report said. Education was the main funding focus globally, followed by social welfare, health, arts and culture and reducing poverty. Doctors from India in UK Hundreds of doctors recruited by UKs National Health Service (NHS) from overseas have been denied visas by the Home Office, leading to increased pressures in the health service. The NHS authorities said limits on the number of visas issued to non-EU doctors were contributing to rota gaps and delays in patients receiving care. Some 100 Indian doctors are reported to have been refused for a scheme in the North-West that supplies junior doctors to 30 NHS trusts. Chief executive of NHS Employers Danny Mortimer said he had heard of 400 cases of blocked visas of overseas doctors since December. We have examples of delays in patient receiving care. It exacerbates pressures in what are relatively small medical teams, said Mortimer. In February, NHS Improvement said that there were 100,000 vacancies across Englands 234 acute, ambulance and mental health trusts. Dignity of elderly A young nation, India, as per UN Population Fund, will be home to 173 million elderly people by 2026. By the middle of the 21st century, one out of every six of the worlds older persons will be in India. The government has recently sought to expand the ambit of social security for the elderly: distant relatives are made responsible for their upkeep; and those who abandon their parents face fine and imprisonment. The ministry of social justice and empowerment has finalized the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill 2018. The legislation amends many clauses of the 2007 Act to ensure better care and maintenance for senior citizens. According to a study by Agewell Foundation, 43 per cent of the elderly in India face psychological problems owing to loneliness. Old women face more disdain than men. Considering the rampant abuse the elderly face, the UN figures present a challenge. Protecting the rights of older people is one of the urgent challenges facing the world. Many governments are struggling to respond to the sudden changes in social structure brought about by aging demographics, says Daisaku Ikeda, chief, Soka Gakkai International (SGI). Founder of Soka University and the Toda Peace Institute headquartered in Japan, Ikeda says to be treated well is essential to a persons experience of dignity. But even more important is being looked to by others as an irreplaceable source of spiritual support. The SGI has 12 million members in various countries, including 300 towns in India. Chandigarh will host a peace symposium based on the SGI chiefs 2018 peace proposal on April 30. Sources: Thomson Reuters Foundation, The Independent & Tribune News Service vinaymishra188@gmail.com Think of it: we are all pilgrims some of us carrying a larger baggage than others. This pilgrimage isn't imposed on us as much by the space that we call our own: it is the time that we have allowed ourselves to be 'ticked around.' We choose, we dismiss, we experiment and we move on the options taking us to the pinnacle of our seemingly insignificant aspirations. And hills, valleys and quietude have come to symbolize our ambitions; our superior getaways, where lies nothingness inviting us to talk to ourselves; and where we find the greatest solace. We return, we must, with our batteries recharged. It is more than a mechanical switch-on and off; it is more than being in auto mode. It is undefined, ever uncharted spiritual levitation. It is different from annual yatras undertaken by thousands of people. It is a yatra centred on you, beginning with you, and ending with you. "A stint at a spiritual centre rejuvenates my mind and body. It makes me stronger and clearer about what I am seeking," says Sangeeta Roy, an IT professional from Bengaluru, who was recently in Dharamsala to attend Tushita Centre of meditation. Her spiritual quest drives her to the hills often, to places she gets an individual-centric attention, and where serendipity is a common experience. The Tribune team takes you to a few places widely perceived to be a part of a fast-emerging spiritual circuit: Pratibha Chauhan in Shimla & Lalit Mohan in Dharamsala Ashrams nestled amidst rustling cedar and pine forests in Himachal Pradesh have emerged as the latest haunts for those seeking solace from the materialistic existence of highly demanding professional lives. Scenic locations like Dharamkot and Sidhbari, located on the outskirts of Dharamsala, are setting the tone for a new, untapped spiritual tourism potential that the state has. Many tourists, especially foreigners, are allured by Buddhism, while there are others who are into meditation and yoga. The state tourism department says such tourists are increasingly flocking to the tribal districts of Kinnuar and Lahaul too which have centuries-old monasteries. Vipassana centre Dharamsala: A very simple entrance and a small board announce the presence of a Vipassana centre at the main crossing of Dharamkot. The entry is restricted to only those who have registered online for meditation courses. It was very fulfilling. I wish I had come here in my young age my life would have been better," says TR Sharma, a retired corporate executive in Delhi who took a 10-day meditation course at Vipassana centre. Sharma says after booking online he arrived in centre at 4 pm a day before the session. "I was allotted a simple room with an attached bathroom. In the evening we interacted with the guru in the ashram who warned us that it was going to be a tough exercise, and that if we wanted to leave we could, right away. We had to deposit our phones with the ashram authorities. We had to be disconnect ourselves with the outside world, says Sharma. The next day the group got up at 4.30 am and a long meditation began. We were given breakfast at 10.30 am. We were then again taken to the meditation hall for online discourses on meditation techniques from SN Goenka, the founder of Vipassana centre. In the evening we were allowed to move around within the compound, but were gently told not to speak or even make an eye contact with each other. Only on the last day of the course, the participants are allowed to interact with each other. I feel the meditation has strengthened me more mentally, says Sharma. There are no charges for the meditation courses. The participants are free to donate as per their wishes. Taste Tushita Tushita is a centre for the study and practice of Buddhism from Tibetan Mahayana traditions. The Tushita centre is located in Dharamkot area of Dharamsala just adjoining the Vipassana centre. The centre is located about 20 km from Gaggal airport and 12km from Dharamsala bus stand. The centre offers three types of courses: an introduction, intermediate and advanced courses. The first two last for 10 days. The advanced course extends to a month. The centre also organizes drop-in sessions: you may, except on Sundays, can drop in at the centre (subject to space availability) at 9.30 am and attend an hour-long meditation session. For extended sessions, appointments are given online through the centre website Tushita.info. Prasay, a tourist from Israel who attended the drop-in session, said there was complete silence at the centre. That one hour gave me a new meaning to my hiking experience in the mountains, he said. Ditto for Riya, a corporate employee in Delhi. The meditation sessions offer moments of quiet which are simply absent in cities. The Tibetan monks guide us on techniques for meditation," she said. There are no charges for attending the meditation centre. The participants are free to donate. Chinmaya Tapovan Over to Vedanta, the Hindu way of life, at this Chinmaya Mission centre. The Mission came up in 1953 with help from Swami Chinmayananda Saraswatis disciples. The Tapovan, set up in 1980, is located about 8 km from Dharamsala. Arun Gupta, in-charge at Tapovan, says the centre is called Sandeepany Himalayas. The centre offers a 30-month course for graduates who are taught the philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya, the nine Upanishad, the Gita and the Ram Charitramanas. The students are recruited through ads. The teachers themselves travel to students who have applied for the course to interview and select them. Every year around 80 students are selected. Over a dozen spiritual camps are on at the ashram in which 250 people from across the globe are participating. The camps are meant to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati on May 8. Dr Yeshi Dhonden's clinic Dr Yeshi Dhonden, 91, is well known for offering succour to cancer patients. Many patients from adjoining Punjab and Haryana line up outside Ashoka Hotel located in a narrow alley in Mcleodganj to get a chance to meet Dr Yeshi Dhonden. Dr Yeshi Dhonden, a Padma Shri recipient, attends to about 40-45 patients a day. People eager to see him wait for more than a month. Dr Dhonden's aides give tokens for an audience with him. The doctor prescribes Tibetan medicines. A former director of Tibetan Astrology, Dr Dhonden remained a personal physician to Dalai Lama for a long time. He is a master of Sowa-rigpa (Tibetan medicine system). The doctor makes his own diagnosis through urine samples and by feeling the pulse. His medicines are pellets created from secret herbs. Many cancer patients who take medicine from him claim that his medicine slows down the growth of cancer cells. He does not look at X-ray or any other lab reports, says Tenzin, one of his colleagues. Rachna Khaira in Jalandhar Rachna Khaira in Jalandhar July 7, 2017: The monsoon had arrived. It was raining heavily in Jalandhar. Paramjit Kaur, 39, was sitting in a corner of her partially-kucha house at village Gorsi Nihal in Nakodar, waiting to change her destiny. Only three days had left before she was to step out of her village to board a flight to an unknown destination. Though she got a job in Saudi Arabia, she was told that she may have to first visit another country in between for stamping. She had not even gone out of her village without her husband Malkiat Singh accompanying her. How would she travel to two different countries? July 9: Around 8pm, she boarded a Punjab Roadways bus from Nurmahal and reached Delhi at 5pm. She was made to stay in a rundown hotel at Pahar Ganj area. She handed her passport with a tourist visa of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a return ticket to an agent. July 11: She entered Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. She looked back and waved to her nephews Babloo and Sonu. Tears rolled down her eyes as she headed towards the immigration check. A sense of fear gripped her as the immigration officer looked at her rather closely: she wore a faded suit, slippers and carried a rugged bag. Tourist visa? Want to go shopping in Dubai? She nodded hesitatingly, her eyes fixed to the ground. The officer smiled and let her in. When she landed in Dubai, an anonymous person carrying her picture in his mobile phone met her and asked for her passport. He pasted work permit issued by the Saudi government, handed her another ticket and took the earlier return ticket back. He signaled her to board another flight leaving for Riyadh shortly. The agent standing at the departure gate coolly tore off Paramjits return ticket to India. The ardous journey Every day, dozens of Paramjit Kaurs from India board a flight allegedly to third countries like United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, Kuwait and Qatar to get stamped for gaining a legal entry into Saudi Arabia. The stamping once done may not be of much use to them the way it would prove to be useful for their Saudi employers! To transport an illegally recruited worker to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the recruiting agent takes the individual out of India on a tourist visa to a third country. They even provide them a return air ticket so that the Indian immigration does not suspect them for being an illegal migrant, says Ahmed Javed, Indian Ambassador to the Saudi Arabia. Once they become legal migrants, they come under the ambit of the Saudi law. Kafala system The Kafala system of Saudi sponsorship the sole and complete right of allowing a worker to leave the kingdom is to be granted by the sponsor through an exit visa. It remains a huge headache. A maid whose passport has been forcibly withheld by the recruiter can obtain emergency travel documents from the Indian embassy. But without an exit visa from the sponsor, she cannot get out of the kingdom. The maid who earns about 1,500 riyal per month (Rs 26,000) could be asked to pay up to at least 15,000 riyal for an exit visa upon premature contract termination to cover investment cost of a sponsor. Paramjit who is stuck with her employer has now been asked to pay Rs 3.20 lakh to her employer to secure her return to India in between the two-year contract. Consulate sources say Punjab alone has sent over 40 house maids illegally in the age group 18-30 years in the last few months to Saudi Arabia. Even though the age of an Indian employee to work in a foreign country is 30 years, most women who are flooding Saudi Arabia are less than the mandatory age, says a consulate source. In 2014, the Indian consulate received 210 household complaints and the number rose to 341 in 2015 and 404 in 2016. In 2017, the consulate received over 526 complaints from house maids, majority of which are from Punjab. This year, the consulate has received over 13 complaints alone in January from Riyadh and Jeddah. Consulate sources say these figures are only the tip of an iceberg as most cases go unreported due to lack of awareness among the unskilled and illiterate workers. Rescue apparatus choked Since there is no arrangement between the Indian and the Saudi government to share details of work permits issued by the Saudis, the Indian consulate comes to know about harassment of Indian maids only when they post their videos online or approach the consulate by some other means. Despite creating awareness through Surakshit jao, Prashikshit jao (Go safe, Go trained) programme, illegal immigrants continues to flow through third countries, making them vulnerable to exploitation by their employers. As per Saudi law, the sponsor is entitled to get reimbursement of his recruitment expenses when an expatriate worker wants to return to his country prematurely. The amount towards recruitment goes up to Rs 5 lakh which a poor worker is unable to pay, and is forced to work. It is the responsibility of a recruiting agent (RA) to resolve the matter by either compensating a Saudi sponsor or by providing replacement. But most local RAs wash their hands of it because they were not registered with the government and hence not liable to any confiscation of the deposit (Rs 50 lakh) as in case of registered RAs. The case of Paramjit Kaur They have made my life hell. All I carried from India was Rs 3,500 which is still there in my purse. I have been working here for almost a year, but have not been paid even a months salary. I was told that I had to work for a family of four people. But I have to cook all three meals a day for a family of over 20 people, says Paramjit while speaking to The Tribune over phone. Indian consulate officials are making efforts to get me out of here, but as I come under the kafala system, they are unable to extend any help. A person deputed by the embassy has contacted my employer and he has finally agreed to release me in lieu of Rs 3.20 lakh instead of Rs 5 lakh, says Paramjit. Back home, the mood in her house is depressing. Naresh, a family friend, says the family could barely manage Rs 1.5 lakh. The family does not have money to buy poison. Kaurs husband works as a labourer at a local Mandi and earns around Rs 300 a day. He can hardly manage to feed his three children, says Naresh. Approved agencies for Saudi Arabia Norka Roots, Kerala Overseas Development and Employment promotion, Kerala Overseas manpower Corporation Ltd, Chennai Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation, Kanpur Overseas Manpower Company AP Limited, Hyderabad Telangana Overseas Manpower Company limited, Hyderabad Procedure for legal recruitment sanjiv@tribunemail.com THE difficulty of entirely suspending political discussions could not have been better illustrated than by the speech delivered by the President of the annual meeting of the Bengal Presidency Muslim League at Calcutta. This gentleman began by saying that we should conserve all our energies to fight an implacable foe and that it would be foolish to distract attention by raising questions of a controversial character, and ended by praying for the release of the Press Act and the Arms Act and urging that the police ought to be under Magistrates and Commissioners. None of these are to us controversial, but our opponents have treated them as such, and yet the President could not help raising them. The Conference adopted resolutions protesting against the internment of Muslim leaders and against the manner in which the Mehomedans of Bengal had been ignored in the selection of delegates to the Delhi Conference. sanjiv@tribunemail.com HIS Excellencys address to the Conference are touching; In this great world-conflagration, all nations are being tried by fire and the dross is being purged away. We may ask ourselves how this thing can be. But we may be confident that it is not without divine purpose that the peoples are being tested as by fire and that for those who come out purified and refined there are spacious days ahead. So it may be with India, and you who have come to this conference, have Indias good name in your hands. Not only is it the case that in the immediate future, as a recent manifesto declared, liberty stands or falls with the British Empire, but who can doubt that if India will do her part worthily, she will have made out a case for that for which she has been longing so passionately, the breath of freedom? ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Dehradun, April 29 In order to ensure foolproof arrangements for Char Dham yatra, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh visited Gangotri Dham to take stock of facilities being made available to the pilgrims. Presiding over a meeting at forest rest house at Gangotri, the Chief Secretary expressed his concern over absence of sanitary workers at Sulab lavatories at the biometric centre and cautioned Sulabh International officials against showing any complacency. Referring to the importance of cleanliness, the Chief Secretary said the cleanliness and hygiene on Char Dham route were on the priority of the state government. He asserted that any negligence would not be tolerated and invite punitive action. He asked the Uttarkashi district authorities to be vigilant in this regard. During his inspection at Harsil bus stand, the Chief Secretary directed the officials to remove the cars parked in the premises and rearrange the space available properly. The Chief Secretary also emphasized on cleanliness along the entire yatra route. After offering his prayers at the Gangotri shrine, the Chief Secretary gave a patient hearing to the grievances of the temple priests and assuredprompt solution. The priests sought better infrastructure in the temple. The Chief Secretary also directed the District Magistrate Uttarkashi Ashish Chauhan to ensure that there was no shortage of drinking water in the temple complex so that the pilgrims do not face any inconvenience and asked for conducting a survey for installinborewell at Gangotri Dham. The Chief Secretary also directed power officials to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity. He was also informed by district authorities that 100 solar lights have been installed in the temple area. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Dehradun, April 29 The Department of health has started helpline number 104 for the convenience of pilgrims on the Char Dham route. The devotees will be provided the information about health facilities on this helpline number, said Uttarakhand Secretary for Department of Health Nitesh Jha on Sunday. Medical relief posts have been set up at 20 places on the Char Dham yatra route. First medical responders and services have been provided at eight places, while at 103 places health units have been constituted. In addition to this, medical experts, pharmacists and staff nurses have been arranged and 50 ambulances have been deployed at major places along the yatra route. Further, Delhi-based Six Sigma Health Care center will provide specialised health services till June 21 on yatra routes. The center has also provided cardiologist, pulmonologist facility at Kedarnath Dham and a cardiologist will also be made available at Yamnotri Dham soon. Two cardiologists and one pulmonologist have been deployed in Kedarnath, while a cardiologist has been sanctioned for Yamunotri. The company has also sent a medical team for Badrinath, said Saroj Naithani, nodal officer for Char Dham. Further, the government is also coordinating with major hospitals such as Max, Himalayan, Mahant Indresh and Birla groups for providing expert health services. Telemedicine services will also be introduced on Char Dham route and all preparations for it are complete. He said quick relief and response teams have been arranged in case of accident on the yatra route, and if need be free vehicle will be provided to take the injured to Jolly Grant hospital. Proper arrangements have been made for medical relief post, medical units, ambulance, blood bank and trauma centre to facilitate devotees on yatra routes. Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber has been installed at Badrinath dham ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Dehradun: A body of female tiger was found in the Sarpduli range of Corbett in Uttarakhand today. The patrol party of the forest guard came across the body in Dudwa beat of Sarpduli range of the Corbett. The matter was reported to senior authorities of the park. As a foul smell was emanating from the carcass, it in all probability could have died some days back. Corbett Deputy Director Amit Verma, who rushed to the spot where the body was found, has prima facie ruled out the possibility of any foul play. He said the post mortem report would reveal the exact cause of the animal's death. He said that the viscera was being sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly. TNS gspannu7@gmail.com Kabul, April 29 At least nine Afghan policemen were killed and 10 others injured in a gunfight with the Taliban in Badakhshan province, an official said on Sunday. "Militants stormed security checkpoints in Tashkan district on Saturday night, triggering a gunfight. Sporadic clashes were ongoing Sunday in the district as security forces are fighting back the assailants," the official told Xinhua news agency. Several militants were also killed and wounded but the exact number could not be immediately verified, the official added. IANS. laxmi@tribune.com Kathmandu, April 29 A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal, an official said, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plants office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500 km from here, was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district. An unidentified group was behind the explosion targeting Arun III office situated at Tumlingtar, according to Chief District Officer Shivaraj Joshi. Joshi said the explosion caused minor damaged to the office. However, no one was injured in the incident. Joshi said further investigation into the incident is underway and extensive search is on for the perpetrators. Following the incident, security has been stepped up in the area. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with Indias state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Prime Minister Modi. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy here has discussed the matter with the Nepal Foreign Affairs Ministry here, an official at the embassy said. The Foreign Minister of Nepal said they had asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the matter. This is the second blast in a month in Indian properties in Nepal. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Riyadh, April 29 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes. He's also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met today with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior US officials travelling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. "Iran destabilises this entire region," Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was "essential." Al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Senior US officials, who were not authorised to preview Pompeo's discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran "room to play" and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combatting violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian individuals, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said he'd also stress the US commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. - AP laxmi@tribune.com United Nations, April 29 India violated the UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea last year, sometimes even going against its own government orders, by importing metals worth $2.2 million and exporting jewellery valued at more than $578,000, according the UN panel monitoring the sanctions. Some of the imports and exports continued even after the Indian government issued a notification banning them in March last year. The panel of experts established by the UNSC said in a recent report that it found that between January and September last year India had imported iron and steel valued at $1.4 million, iron and steel products worth $234,000, copper worth $233,000 and $526,000 of zinc, ignoring the sanctions. India also exported jewellery worth $578,994, which included diamonds valued at $514,823, between January and June. All exports (from North Korea) after September 4, 2017 violated paragraph 8 of resolution 2371 (2017), while those before September 4, 2017, violated paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016), the report said. Those resolutions demand that countries prohibit the import of iron and iron ore from North Korea. A 2013 resolution expressly banned export of precious and semi-precious stones to North Korea. In contrast to its dealings with North Korea, India has in other cases strongly supported strict implementation of UNSC sanctions and in some cases called for more stringent actions, especially relating to terrorism, and criticised countries opposing those restrictions. The iron imports continued even after March last year when Indias Directorate General of Foreign Trade imposed restrictions on importing iron and iron ore from North Korea, even as it said the sanctions lacked clarity, according to a note from Indias UN Mission to the sanctions panel last July. New Delhi reiterated its commitment to implement the sanctions in a report Indias UN Mission sent last month. IANS Trade trespass pardeepdhull@gmail.com Tokyo, April 29 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump welcomed the inter-Korean summit as good for denuclearisation and a historical step towards peace and stability in northeast Asia, Abes office said on Sunday. The leaders of North and South Korea pledged at a historic summit on Friday to work for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. However, Trump said he would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Abe and Trump spoke on a 30-minute phone call on Saturday, in which they agreed on how crucial it was that Pyongyang take concrete steps towards denuclearisation, the Japanese premiers office said in a statement. The important thing is whether North Korea will take specific actions in the future, Abe told reporters late on Saturday, according to remarks released by his office. Trump and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump has said would take place in the next three to four weeks. Separately, Abe told reporters after a call on Sunday with Moon that the South Korean president had raised at the summit with Kim the issue of past abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea. It has been one of the thorniest issues in relations between the two countries. North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies. Five of them returned to Japan, but Tokyo suspects that hundreds more may have been taken. Abe has made the abductions a keystone of his political career, and has pledged to work until all 13 of the people North Korea admitted to abducting have returned to Japan. Reuters laxmi@tribune.com Seoul, April 29 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea when the country closes its nuclear test site in May, Seoul officials said on Sunday, as US President Trump pressed for total denuclearisation ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim. On Friday, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal. North Koreas state media had said before the summit that Pyongyang would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace. Kim told Moon that he would soon invite the experts and journalists to open to the international community the dismantling of the facilities, the Blue House said. The United States, though inherently hostile to North Korea, will get to know once our talk begins that I am not the kind of person who will use nuclear weapons against the South or the United States across the Pacific, Moons press secretary Yoon Young-chan quoted Kim as saying. There is no reason for us to possess nuclear weapons while suffering difficulties if mutual trust with the United States is built through frequent meetings from now on, and an end to the war and non-aggression are promised. Kim said there were two additional, larger tunnels that remain in a very good condition at the Punggye-ri test site beyond the existing one, which experts have said had collapsed after repeated explosions, rendering much of the site useless. Kims promise shows his willingness to preemptively and actively respond to inspection efforts to be made as part of the denuclearisation process, Yoon said. To facilitate future cross-border cooperation, Kim pledged to scrap the unique time zone Pyongyang created in 2015. He said the North would move its clocks forward 30 minutes to be in sync with the South, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kim also reaffirmed that he would not use military force against the South and raised the need for an institutional mechanism to prevent unintended escalations, Yoon said. Late Saturday, US President Trump told Moon in a phone call that he was pleased the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearisation during their summit, Seoul officials said. Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realising a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearisation, Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a separate briefing. Moon told Trump that Kim said he and Trump would get along with each other, ... and Trump said he was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result. Reuters Of Panmunjom Declaration and bonhomie Adopted between leaders of North Korea and South Korea on April 27 during the 2018 inter-Korean summit, the Panmunjom Declaration confirms the common goal of realising, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But the phrase is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides In the declaration document, the two Korean leaders pledged to seek a peace treaty this year to formally declare the Korean War over, 65 years after hostilities ceased with an armistice. But agreeing a treaty to formally close the conflict will be complicated as both claim sovereignty over the whole Korean peninsula When Kim stepped over the demarcation line that divides the peninsula he became the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the Korean War hostilities ceased in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. He then persuaded Moon to step into the North and the two leaders shared a day of smiles Singapore venue of Trump-Kim summit? vinaymishra188@gmail.com Islamabad, April 28 Shakil Afridi, a doctor who helped the USAs Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) track down Osama bin Laden, has been moved out of a prison in Peshawar to an undisclosed safe location in another city, the media said. Afridi had been imprisoned in the Central Prison Peshawar for almost seven years after he ran a phoney vaccination campaign in Abbottabad city to help the CIA track down and kill the former Al Qaeda chief in a controversial raid on May 2, 2011. A year later, Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison for involvement in anti-state activities by a tribal court in Pakistan. Speaking to the Express Tribune, an official of the Peshawar prison said that a large number of police as well as army contingent reached the prison on Friday and took Afridi away amid tight security. The official said he had no idea where the prisoner had been shifted. Another official said Afridi had most probably been moved out of the province. IANS laxmi@tribune.com Tel Aviv, April 29 Washingtons new chief diplomat lashed out at Iran on Sunday as he met Saudi leaders and landed in Israel to rally opposition to Tehran and brief US allies on President Donald Trumps threat to quit the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who set off on his first diplomatic trip within hours of being sworn in, met on Sunday with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, after dinner on Saturday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pompeo flew on to Tel Aviv to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then head to neighbouring Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Irans most fervent foes in the region. After the meetings in Riyadh, he accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, including through its support for Syrias President Bashar al-Assad and for Shiite rebels in Yemen. (Iran) supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Huthi rebels in Yemen and Iran conducts cyber-hacking campaigns. And it supports the murderous Assad regime, Pompeo said at a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. Unlike the prior administration we will not neglect the vast scope of Irans terrorism. Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril a landmark 2015 nuclear accord which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from gaining atomic weapons. AP monicakchauhan@gmail.com Washington, April 29 US President Donald Trump has said that there would likely be a US-North Korea meeting in the "next three or four weeks", but "whatever happens, happens", the media reported. Trump made the remarks while addressing a boisterous crowd at a rally on Saturday outside Detroit, reports Efe news. "We are doing things that are good. I think we'll have a meeting over the next three or four weeks, it's going to be a very important meeting", Trump said. "The denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, of North Korea. The de-nuke! De-nuke! But we'll see how it goes. And again, whatever happens, happens. "Look, I may go in. It may not work out. I leave... I'm not going to give you what's going to actually happen because we don't really know", the President added, to loud cheers. Trump spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-In earlier on Saturday, and in the speech he said the Seoul leader credited him for the apparent progress with Kim, reports CNN. "He gives us tremendous credit... He gives us all the credit," Trump said of Moon later at the rally. The White House has previously said that Trump would meet with Kim at the end of May or beginning of June. The proposed meeting between would be the first ever between the leaders of North Korea and the US. The location for the summit is yet to be determined. Trump's Saturday remarks comes after Kim on Friday crossed the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula and met Moon, the first time the leaders of North and South Korea met in person since 2007. Following a full day of talks and symbolic events, both Moon and Kim issued a statement calling for the end of the Korean War and heralding a "new era of peace". IANS laxmi@tribune.com Kutupalong Camp, April 29 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh made emotional pleas to the UN Security Council on Sunday for help to return safely to their homes in neighbouring Myanmar and for justice over the reason they fled accusations of killings, rapes and arson. During a visit to an unclaimed strip of territory between the two states dubbed no-mans land, several tearful women and girls threw themselves at British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce as they recounted what had happened to them. It shows the scale of the challenge as we try as a Security Council to find some way through that enables these poor people to go home, Pierce said. The sad thing is theres nothing we can do right today that will make their distress any less. The Security Council envoys, who will travel to Myanmar on Monday and meet with its de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, also visited a dry and dusty Kutupalong refugee camp that housed many of the nearly 700,000 Rohingya who fled Myanmars Rakhine state. Its quite overwhelming. Obviously the scale of this camp is unlike anything Ive ever seen, said deputy US Ambassador to the UN Kelley Currie. It is going to be a disaster when the rains come. United Nations officials and aid groups have voiced concern that the coming monsoon season will worsen the humanitarian situation. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are living in temporary shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulins at Kutupalong, many on steep hills and in low-lying areas likely to be flooded. Myanmars Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye, who visited the camps in Bangladesh earlier, expressed concern about very poor conditions. However, while the Security Council is united on travelling to the region, diplomats said they expect Myanmar ally China and Russia, both veto-wielding powers on the council, to resist any push for stronger council action, such as sanctions or a referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court. Reuters We demand justice vinaymishra188@gmail.com Yangon, April 28 Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between Myanmars army and ethnic insurgents in the countrys remote north, a United Nations official said. More than 4,000 people have been displaced in Myanmars northernmost state of Kachin near the border with China in the last three weeks, Mark Cutts, the head of the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP. The numbers do not include some 15,000 people who have fled since the beginning of the year and upwards of 90,000 residing in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps in both Kachin and Shan states since a ceasefire between the government and the powerful Kachin Independence Army broke down in 2011. We have received reports from local organisations saying that there are still many civilians who remain trapped in conflict-affected areas, Cutts said of the recent clashes. Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities. We must ensure that these people are protected. OCHA has been unable to verify reports that civilians have been killed in the fighting. In addition to the Rohingya crisis in the western part of mainly Buddhist Myanmar, the countrys conflict-hit north has also played host to clashes involving other ethnic minorities, which rarely make headlines. Myanmars border areas have been unstable since its independence from British colonial rule in 1948, hosting a dizzying array of insurgencies, local militias, and drug-running operations. Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said making peace was her priority when she took office in 2016 after decades of military rule but progress has been slow. Ethnic armed groups are demanding more autonomy and control from a country in which the Burmese hold major positions of power. Rights groups say amid the Rohingya crisis, some 7,00,000 people have fled to Bangladesh. AFP UN team in Bdesh pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, April 28 US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs committee should resign after the Presidents pick to lead the Veterans Affairs department withdrew from consideration amid numerous allegations. On Thursday, Trumps physician Ronny Jackson withdrew from consideration to head the department after allegations that he had been lax with prescription drugs and drank alcohol on the job. Trump had already singled out Senator Jon Tester, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs committee, who is up for re-election in November in Montana. Allegations made by Senator Jon Tester against Admiral/Doctor Ron Jackson are proving false ... Tester should resign, Trump tweeted on Saturday. Admiral Jackson is the kind of man that those in Montana would most respect and admire, and now, for no reason whatsoever, his reputation has been shattered. Not fair, Tester!, Trump added. In a statement, Tester said he would never stop fighting. Its my duty to make sure Montana veterans get what they need and have earned, and Ill never stop fighting for them as their Senator, Tester said. Jackson, a U.S. Navy rear admiral who has been physician to three presidents, has categorically denied the accusations as false. Later at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, Trump suggested he had damaging information on Tester. Tester started throwing out things that hes heard, well I know things about Tester that I could say too, said Trump. And if I said them, hed never be elected again. Trump earlier tweeted that he had been told by the Secret Service that the Democrats statements on Jackson were untrue. There were no such findings. A horrible thing that we in D.C. must live with, just like phony Russian Collusion. Tester should lose race in Montana. Very dishonest and sick! he tweeted. Democrats said more than 20 people, whose names they withheld, said Jackson had prescribed himself medications, got drunk at a Secret Service party, wrecked a government vehicle and once could not be reached on a work trip to provide medical treatment because he was passed out drunk in a hotel room. Tester had said Jacksons nickname was the candyman because of his willingness to hand out prescription drugs. The White House said on Friday it had looked through records of motor vehicle incidents involving government vehicles and found only three that involved Jackson. None of the records noted alcohol use. Reuters also reviewed two years of audits of the White House medical unit pharmacy, which did not show any major issues. Separately, the US Secret Service said it had no records to back allegations that its personnel intervened to stop Jackson from disturbing former President Barack Obama during a foreign trip in 2015. Reuters vinaymishra188@gmail.com London, April 28 Terminally-ill British toddler Alfie Evans died today after doctors withdrew life support, the childs parents said, following a protracted legal battle and a campaign that drew support from Pope Francis. Our baby grew his wings tonight at 2:30 AM (0700 IST). We are heartbroken. Thank you everyone for all your support, the mother, Kate James, wrote on Facebook. The father, Thomas Evans, said: My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 0230. Absolutely heartbroken. I love you my guy. The parents had fought to take their son, who had a degenerative neurological condition, out of a hospital in Liverpool in northwest England to a clinic in Rome but lost a final court appeal on Wednesday. Doctors had already removed life support on Monday after the parents lost a previous appeal to keep him alive despite doctors recommendations. Pope Francis intervened several times in a case that attracted worldwide attention, particularly in Italy and Poland. Earlier this week the pontiff wrote on Twitter that he hoped the parents desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted. Thomas Evans had met the pope in the Vatican and asked him to save our son. Italy had also granted citizenship to the toddler in the hope of facilitating his transfer to the Bambino Gesu (Baby Jesus) paediatric hospital in Rome. The father on Thursday had asked supporters, who have staged a series of vigils outside the hospital where the baby was being treated, to go home. He said he was grateful for all the support but asked people to return back to your everyday lives and allow myself, Kate and Alder Hey to form a relationship, build a bridge and walk across it. AFP The Turkmen Horse Day was celebrated at the Akhal-Teke Equestrian Complex with participation of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The program of celebrations featured the finals of the international beauty contest of Akhal-Teke horses as well as the ceremony of awarding winners and prizewinners of the art contest for the best images of heavenly horses. Ten magnificent Akhal-Teke horses took part in the finals of the international beauty contest, including the four-year-old dark-brown stallion Berkararlyk (power) who was named Turkmenistan's most beautiful horse of 2018. The horse owner, private breeder from Ashgabat Begmyrat Khodzhaliyev, was awarded a car. There were also named the winners of the art contest for the artistic embodiment of the image of the Akhal-Teke horse in the works of fine and decorative art. They were awarded cash prizes worth from 1 to 3 thousand US dollars. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 Wolfsburg and Lyon are set to meet for the third time in a UEFA Women's Champions League final after both teams saw off English opposition to seal their berths in the Kyiv decider on 24 May. Holders Lyon edged Manchester City to maintain their pursuit of a record fifth title, while two-time winners Wolfsburg are back in the showpiece after dispatching Chelsea. Their Kyiv showdown will be their third final meeting in six years echoing the early dominance of FFC Frankfurt and Umea, who faced off in three of the first seven UEFA Women's Cup finals. Lyon and Wolfsburg also crossed paths in the quarter-finals last term, and there is nothing to suggest that this year's decider will be any less tight than their previous encounters. What they say Stephan Lerch, Wolfsburg coach Both teams have come a long way to make the final and have worked hard to get here. So everyone can look forward to a riveting match with both teams performing at their best and showing everything they are capable of. If they can do that it will be a spectacle to behold and we will do our part to try and make it riveting. Reynald Pedros, Lyon coach We need to focus on our own goals and ambitions, which this season is to win everything. We've already won the league, this would be our second title. We need to deal with the pressure and not play the game before kick-off. We have the weapons to win stay forward, play with discipline, otherwise Wolfsburg will punish us, we know what we have to do. Key stats Wolfsburg: through to their fourth final in six participations, and their third against Lyon (whom they beat in 2013 and lost to three years later). Wolfsburg now hope to become only the third three-time winners after Lyon and Frankfurt, while picking up Germany's tenth title in the 18-year history of the competition. Lyon: set to contest a record seventh final (one more than Frankfurt), Lyon are aiming to move one clear of FFC by becoming the first five-time winners. They can also become the first team to win three finals in a row, having edged the last two on penalties. 2016 final: Lyon pip Wolfsburg on penalties #UWCL head to head 2017 quarter-finals First leg: Wolfsburg 0-2 Lyon Abily 62, Marozsan 89 Second leg: Lyon 0-1 Wolfsburg (agg: 2-1) Hansen 82pen 2016 final (Reggio Emilia) Wolfsburg 1-1 Lyon (aet, 3-4 pens) Popp 88; Hegerberg 12 Ada Hegerberg missed Lyon's first penalty but consecutive failures from Nilla Fischer and Elise Bussaglia allowed Saki Kumagai to convert the winner, just as she had done for Japan in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup final. 2013 final (Chelsea) Wolfsburg 1-0 Lyon Muller 73pen Ended Lyon's two-year reign as champions and their 118-game unbeaten run. Martina Muller was also to score Wolfsburg's final winner in 2014. Key players Wolfsburg Alex Popp: the versatile Germany forward scored the late equaliser when these sides met in the 2016 final. Pernille Harder: attacking star of Denmark's run to the UEFA Women's EURO 2017 final and prolific since joining from Linkoping last year. Lyon Camille Abily: the all-round midfielder became the first player to make 80 UEFA women's competition appearances during the semi-finals, having claimed the record from Emma Byrne (77) in the previous round. Due to retire this summer, she has been part of all four previous triumphs, while her 42 goals for OL is the highest tally for a single club in this competition. Ada Hegerberg: the Norwegian forward has scored a record-equalling 14 goals in this season's competition to take her career tally to 36, putting her in the top ten at the age of 22. Overall this season, she has 46 goals in 27 appearances, only failing to score in five games. Road to the final Wolfsburg Round of 32: Atletico Madrid 3-0a, 12-2h (agg: 15-2) Round of 16: Fiorentina 4-0a, 3-3h (agg: 7-3) Quarter-finals: Slavia Praha 5-0h, 1-1a (agg: 6-1) Semi-finals: Chelsea 3-1a, 2-0h (agg: 5-1) Lyon Round of 32: Medyk Konin 5-0a, 9-0h (agg: 14-0) Round of 16: BIIK-Kazygurt 7-0a, 9-0h (agg: 16-0) Quarter-finals: Barcelona 2-1h, 1-0a (agg: 3-1) Semi-finals: Manchester City 0-0a, 1-0h (agg: 1-0) Key facts Both these teams have already retained their domestic league titles: Wolfsburg's second in a row, Lyon's 12th. Wolfsburg also beat Bayern on penalties on Saturday to win the German Cup. Luisa Wensing, Lena Goessling, Anna Blasse and Alex Popp all played in Wolfsburg's final wins of 2013 and 2014. Popp also won with Duisburg in 2009. Of those players, Goessling, Blasse and Popp all started against Lyon in the 2016 final, with Wensing an unused substitute. Sarah Bouhaddi, Wendie Renard, Camille Abily and Eugenie Le Sommer featured in all four of Lyon's previous final-winning teams (no other players have won more finals; Popp could equal that record if Wolfsburg beat Lyon). Bouhaddi and Renard have contested all six of Lyon's finals (no other players have appeared in more separate finals). Lara Dickenmann was part of the Lyon team that lost to Wolfsburg in 2013 and also played for them in the finals of 2010, 2011 and 2012, claiming two titles. She was in the Wolfsburg side that lost to Lyon in 2016. Lyon have played in five Franco-German finals, winning three and losing two. The only UEFA Women's Champions League final not to feature either of these teams was also a Germany v France affair, Frankfurt beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in Berlin in 2015. Coaches Stephan Lerch (Wolfsburg) and Reynald Pedros (Lyon) took charge at the start of the season, in both cases their first roles at the helm of senior women's sides. Amandine Henry could make her 50th competition appearance in the final, making her the 31st player to reach that mark a list that includes Abily, Renard, Elodie Thomis, Popp, Le Sommer, Babett Peter and Bouhaddi. Kyiv 2018 Venue: Valeriy Lobanovskiy Dynamo Stadium Tickets: On sale now Referee: Jana Adamkova (CZE) Assistants: Sian Massey (ENG), Sanja Roak-Karsic (CRO) Fourth official: Kateryna Monzul (UKR) Reserve official: Maryna Striletska (UKR) Past UEFA Women's Champions League finals (since 2010) 2017: Lyon (FRA) 0-0, 7-6 pens Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Cardiff 2016: Lyon (FRA) 1-1, 4-3 pens Wolfsburg (GER), Reggio Emilia 2015: FFC Frankfurt (GER) 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Berlin 2014: Wolfsburg (GER) 4-3 Tyreso (SWE), Lisbon 2013: Wolfsburg (GER) 1-0 Lyon (FRA), Chelsea 2012: Lyon (FRA) 2-0 FFC Frankfurt (GER), Munich 2011: Lyon (FRA) 2-0 Turbine Potsdam (GER), Fulham 2010: Turbine Potsdam (GER) 0-0, 7-6 pens Lyon (FRA), Getafe Start your day with Sunrise, a roundup of B.C. news and opinions delivered straight to your inbox Start your day with Sunrise, delivered straight to your inbox Sign up now> Techcombank shares will then debut on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX) on June 4, the bank also announced. 164 million TCB shares sold out to institutional investors Nguyen Le Quoc Anh, CEO of Techcombank, said, We are thrilled with the positive response from the international investment community. Our decision to allocate a large portion of our offering to the cornerstone tranche is a testament to the tremendous demand from a diverse and high quality set of investors. Just as important is that a number of these funds are investing in Vietnam for the first-time. We believe investors are attracted to the strength of Techcombanks business model along with the broad background and experience of its management team. But most importantly, investors are very bullish on the growth of Vietnams middle class as its young population enters the work force. Finally, the countrys low financial inclusion rate makes banking a very attractive proposition. According to Anh, this year is shaping up to be one of the more exciting times for the countrys equity market as it parallels the trajectory of Vietnams economic development. Our management team is very grateful for the incredible support from our existing shareholders, excited to welcome new investors, and appreciative of our advisors, who altogether made this initial public offering a resounding success. We are committed to providing the highest value to our customers, developing our team members, and delivering strong returns for shareholders. Morgan Stanley, Viet Capital Securities and Deutsche Bank AG are arranging the offering. Scientists have said the reef suffered a 'catastrophic die-off' of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016 AFP/GREG TORDA The World Heritage-listed site, which attracts millions of tourists, is reeling from significant bouts of coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. The reef is also under threat from the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which has proliferated due to pollution and agricultural runoff. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more than A$500 million ($400 million) will go towards improving water quality, tackling predators, and expanding restoration efforts. Turnbull said it was the "largest ever single investment - to protect the reef, secure its viability and the 64,000 jobs that rely on the reef". "We want to ensure the reef's future for the benefit of all Australians, particularly those whose livelihood depends on the reef," he added. The reef is a critical national asset, contributing A$6.4 billion a year to the Australian economy. Canberra has previously committed more than A$2 billion to protect the site over the next decade, but has been criticised for backing a huge coal project by Indian mining giant Adani nearby. With its heavy use of coal-fired power and relatively small population, Australia is considered one of the world's worst per-capita greenhouse gas polluters. Canberra insists it is taking strong action to address the global threat of climate change, having set an ambitious target to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. Turnbull said part of the money will be used to mitigate the impacts of climate change, but gave no details. The bulk of the new funding - just over A$200 million - was earmarked to improve water quality by changing farming practices and adopting new technologies and land management. "The money will go towards improving water quality, working with farmers to prevent sediment, nitrogen and pesticide runoff into the reef," said Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg. "It will ensure that we tackle the crown-of-thorns... and use the best available science to ensure our coral is resilient to heat and light stress." He said the government would work with traditional Aboriginal owners, the tourist industry, farmers and scientists, to save the reef, calling the commitment "a game-changer". Earlier this month, scientists said the site suffered a "catastrophic die-off" of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016, threatening a broader range of reef life than previously feared. A study in the journal Nature said 30 per cent of the reef's coral perished, the first of an unprecedented two successive years of coral bleaching along the 2,300-kilometre reef. Foreign investment inflows were down in January-April, though disburesment increased slightly According to the statistics of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), in the first four months of this year Vietnam attracted $8.06 billion in foreign investment capital, reaching approximately two-third or 76.1 per cent of last year's figure. However, the disbursed FDI capital was $4.5 billion, up 6.3 per cent. Notably, as of April 20, 883 newly-registered projects received investment certificates with the total capital of $3.55 billion, which was 76.1 per cent of last year's figure, while 303 existing projects received added capital of $2.24 billion, 51.5 per cent. Meanwhile, 1,863 M&A deals were signed with a total investment capital of $2.26 billion, up 67 per cent. In the first four months of this year, foreign investors invested in 17 industries nationwide. The processing and manufacturing industry still kept the top position with a total of $4.52 billion, equaling 56.1 per cent of the total FDI inflows. The runners-up are the real estate industry with $807.5 million and the wholesale and retail industry with $779 million. Besides, Vietnams cities and provinces saw changes in the ranking of provinces and cities receiving the largest FDI volume as well as the ranking of the largest foreign investors. Notably, foreign investors poured capital into 53 cities and provinces across the country. Ho Chi Minh City ranked first with $1.92 billion, making up 23.8 per cent of the total FDI inflow, while Haiphong received the second largest FDI volume with $1.03 billion, equaling 12.8 per cent of the total. Hanoi overcame Binh Duong to become the third largest investee with $746 million. Additionally, Japan returned to the top three largest foreign investors during January-April. The three largest foreign investors in Vietnam were South Korea with $2.34 billion in registered investment capital, Japan with $1.29 billion, and Singapore with $808 million. Thuong Dinh Footwear has been relying too much on its prime land plots Chuong Duong Beverages JSC, the King of saxi has just reported losses in the first quarter of 2018, continued a bad 2017. This company used to be among those dominating the soft drink market, but has fallen behind due to outdated production lines and the competitive pressure from global brands. In the first quarter, the companys revenue hit VND74 billion ($3.3 million), decreasing by 25 per cent on-year, while pre-tax profit was negative VND400 million ($17,620). Meanwhile, accumulated revenue hit VND339 billion ($14.93 million) in 2017 and pre-tax profit was a negative VND2.2 billion (nearly $0.1 million). They were very far from the targeted VND494 billion ($21.76 million) of revenue and VND38 billion ($1.67 million) of pre-tax profit. In the 2013-2017 business plan of Chuong Duong Beverages, revenue growth was targeted at 10-15 per cent per annum. However, this target was decreased due to competition with foreign beverage brands. Against this context, the 40-year-old beverage brand reduced selling price and increased discounts for distributors. These only brought positive results in the short-term to hit targets in quantity and profit, but could not ensure stable and sustainable development. According to the 2017 financial report of Thuong Dinh Footwear Company, business results were not positive due to a loss of VND14 billion ($0.62 million). Several years ago, this leading footwear brand was running annual profits of VND1-2 billion ($0.44-0.88 million). Moreover, this report was also rejected by auditors due to many unclear statements. Instead of focusing on core business segments, the company has laid on its only advantage, real estate. Thuong Dinh Footwear owns prime land plots, including a 36,000sq.m factory in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi. The companys GTD ticker has fallen by 80 per cent since listed on the stock exchange, along with continuous losses of liquidity. The two famous Vietnamese ice-cream brands Trang Tien and Thuy Ta can now only be found on the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake. Although not in the red, Thuy Ta Ice-cream JSC has not grown in recent years. While the average growth of this sector is over 10 per cent annually, no growth means that the brand is losing market share. In 2010-2011, Thuy Ta Ice-cream planned to build an ice-cream processing factory with an investment of VND150 billion ($6.6 million). This project was evaluated to be feasible, but it had to be cancelled as the company was lacking resources, Bui The Tru, head of the Planning Division of the company, told Vnexpress. Thuy Ta Ice-cream also wanted to raise charter capital to expand operations, however, it failed to attract investors. The firm is now managed by Hanoi Trade Corporation (Hapro), holding 51 per cent of total shares. Dinh La Thang, Trinh Xuan Thanh, and 13 other defendants appealed against the first-instance verdict The Hanoi Supreme Peoples Court scheduled to hold the appeal trial over the notorious Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) corruption case on May 7. The court is going to spend ten days to hear the appeals of Trinh Xuan Thanh, former chairman of PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC), and Dinh La Thang, former chairman of PetroVietnam, as well as 13 others convicted for the million-dollar losses at the state oil giant at a trial in January. Trinh Xuan Thanh, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for embezzlement and violations in economic management, said he did not commit the crimes. Dinh La Thang, who received a 13-year sentence for violations in economic management, said his punishment was "too harsh" and has appealed for a reduced sentence. In the appeal letter, he said that the verdict was neither fair nor objective in assessing his role in the case. Most of the other defendants, who received up to 22 years in prison, are also seeking commutation. Notably, the son of Trinh Xuan Thanh requested the court to return the villa that it confiscated at the first instance hearing. Several days ago, the Central Inspection Commission asked the Politburo and the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party to consider and sentence the most severe disciplinary measure to Dinh La Thang, former member of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party and deputy head of the Central Economic Commission. Thang (58) served as the board chairman of PetroVietnam between 2006 and 2011, before his career took off as Minister of Transport and then Party Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City. According to the indictment, he directly appointed Thanh as general director of PVC in December 2007, before making various promotion, funding, and recruitment decisions to boost Thanhs power and facilitate the companys operations. He was found responsible for Thanhs actions that led to losses worth more than VND119 billion ($5.24 million) at one thermal power plant and embezzlement of VND4 billion ($176,000) at another. Top ex-HSBC trader gets 2 years in 'front-running' fraud, illustration photo - source AFP British national Mark Johnson, 51, also will pay a $300,000 fine following his October conviction on nine wire fraud and conspiracy charges. The foreign exchange trader "cheated his client out of millions and now he's going to prison for it," Justice Department officials John Cronan said in a statement. Prosecutors accused Johnson of a scam called "front-running," in which he used confidential information from a client in late 2011 to purchase British pounds for HSBC, ramping up the price before executing a $3.5 billion transaction for the client. Johnson and traders acting at his direction generated $7.3 million in profits for HSBC at the expense of the unidentified client, the Justice Department said. The sentencing follows HSBC's $1.6 million settlement in January with US derivatives market regulators over "spoofing" precious metals futures markets, a scheme in which traders placed and then aborted trades to drive up prices. TTC Land reveals ambitious plans to attract foreign capital New identity At its annual general shareholders meeting, TTC Land has outlined its plan for 2018, following the name change from Sacomreal JSC last month. The re-named real estate firm will issue 212 million new shares to current shareholders, aiming to raise its charter capital to VND5.5 trillion ($241 million). The additional capital will be used for mergers and acquisitions activities. Each new share will be offered at VND10,000 ($0.44) and each batch of 100 current shares entitles the investor to purchase 67 newly issued shares. Investors are free to trade these shares after purchase. The issuance is expected to take place in late 2018 or early 2019 and will be subject to approval from the State Securities Commission. Shareholders questioned the feasibility of this share sale as the market price of TTC Lands stocks have been on the downslope, hovering at only VND11,000 ($0.48) per share, and TTC Land is also organizing a parallel share sale to existing shareholders. Chairman Pham Dien Trung expressed his optimism in TTC Land, stating that lots of foreigners are waiting to invest in the fast-growing firm. We believe that we will raise at least VND1 trillion ($43.8 million) from this sale. Even if we cannot collect any money from investors, we can still resort to bank loans. I am sure that the banks are willing to lend us money as we have a wide range of assets under management, said Trung. The chairman added that TTC Lands stock price is likely to shoot up once positive news about the firms business plans spread. It is noteworthy that TTC Land plans to follow in the footsteps of Vinamilk and other conglomerates in Vietnam by modernising its corporate governance. In particular, the firm will abolish the inspectorate team and set up an internal auditing committee, as well as do research on international accounting standards. According to Trung, this Western-style structure will improve TTC Lands transparency and its appeal for foreign investors. M&A plans TTC Land will use the new capital to boost its stake at various industrial zones, shopping malls, and hospitality real estate. Previously, as Sacomreal JSC, the firm used to focus on the Ho Chi Minh City real estate market, but now it will expand to other areas such as Phu Quoc Island, Danang, Dong Nai, and Haiphong. The total area under management will be 1,500 hectares. Specifically, TTC Land will buy 79 per cent of Toan Hai Van JSC, the developer of the mega-project Vinh Dam Complex in the south of Phu Quoc Island. Half of the complex, or 110 hectares, will be used for sea ports and warehousing, while the remaining half will be developed into a resort area named Ocean Lotus Island. Another target company is Dang Huynh Industrial Zone Management JSC, in which TTC Land looks to boost its ownership to 51 per cent. Dang Huynh JSC is the operator of Tan Kim Industrial Zone in Long An province, spanning an area of 50 hectares, as well as warehousing facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai. The last investeeThanh Thanh Cong Industrial Zone JSCcurrently operates the 1,020-hectare Thanh Thanh Cong Industrial Zone in Tay Ninh province. In 2018, TTC Land plans to reach VND2 trillion ($87.7 million) of consolidated revenue, up 4 per cent year-on-year, and after-tax profit of VND248 billion ($10.8 million), up 24 per cent. The dividend payout ratio will be higher than 7 per cent. TTC Land jumps into industrial zone segment Saigon Thuong Tin Real Estate JSC (Sacomreal) decided to set foot in industrial zone and resort development, as well as the commercial-rental segment after changing ... Sacomreal's 217 million shares move to HOSE HCM Stock Exchange approved the listing of more than 217 million shares of Sai Gon Thuong Tin Real Estate (Sacomreal) JSC (SCR) on the bourse. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. On Saturday night, Michelle Wolf, former Daily Show correspondent and future host of her own Netflix show, hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner and it. was. epic. The comedian made plenty of jokes about the president, who was absent, but soon turned her attention to the people actually in the room, and things got real. She asked how to refer to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Whats Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? And she shut down CNN: You guys love breaking news, and you did it, you broke it. The most useful information on CNN is when Anthony Bourdain tells me where to eat noodles. Wolf called out everyone present, I think what no one in this room wants to admit is that Trump has helped all of you. And while she pointed out that newspapers are just about the only thing Trump could sell, she didnt let anyone off the hook, You helped create this monster and now youre profiting off of him. And instead of dropping the mic physically, she ended by reminding the room full of reporters that the Flint water crisis is still happening. Hopefully the A/V guys appreciated that. Michelle Wolf at the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Just like last year, a certain alleged president skipped the White House Correspondents Dinner. The yearly gathering used to be a time when the media and White House staffers could come together and chill. But this is an administration woefully bereft of chill, so once again, another former Daily Show correspondent hosted the affair, comedian Michelle Wolf. If 2016 taught us anything, its that we should be listening more to people outside of Washington, said White House Correspondents Association president Margaret Talev. And if 2017 taught us anything, its Hey, that means women. If Wolf is any indication, what women have to say is downright filthy. Ive seen many WHCD sets, and I dont recall John Hodgman having jokes about what it looks like when Jake Tapper comes. It was ballsy and wonderful. Wolf walked up to the podium in a see-through shirt under a tasteful pantsuit and delivered her opening remark: Like a porn star says when shes about to have sex with a Trump, lets get this over with. The comedian went after Trump for being sexist, a white supremacist, and poor. Here are a few of her best moments: It is kinda crazy that the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia, while the Hillary campaign wasnt even in contact with Michigan. Mr. President, I dont think youre very rich. I think you might be rich in Idaho, but in New York youre doing fine. Trump is racist, though. He loves white nationalists, which is a weird term for a Nazi. Calling a Nazi a white nationalist is like calling a pedophile a kid friend, or Harvey Weinstein a ladies man, which isnt really fair he also likes plants. Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isnt gay. On the #MeToo movement: Its probably the reason Im here. They were like A womans probably not going to jerk off in front of anyone, right? And to that I say: Dont count your chickens. Al Franken was ousted. That one really hurt liberals. But I believe it was great Ted Kennedy who said Wow! Thats crazy! I murdered a woman. Chappaquiddick, in theaters now. Mitch McConnell isnt here tonight, he had a prior engagement. Hes finally getting his neck circumcised. Mazel. On Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was sitting right next to her: I loved you as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaids Tale. Mike Pence, if you havent seen it, you would love it. Im never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Sarah Sanders, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Is it Cousin Huckabee? Is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? Like, whats Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know, Aunt Coulter. On CNN: You guys love breaking news, and you did it, you broke it! Good work! The most useful information on CNN is when Anthony Bourdain tells me where to eat noodles. Megyn Kelly got paid 23 million dollars by NBC, then NBC didnt let Megyn go to the Winter Olympics. Why not? Shes so white, cold, and expensive, she might as well be the Winter Olympics. Brokaw. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images More than 60 women in media, including Rachel Maddow and Andrea Mitchell, have signed a letter in support of veteran NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, days after two women accused him of sexual misconduct. In the letter, which was first obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Brokaws former colleagues paint the accused anchor as a man of tremendous decency and integrity who has treated the 64 women with fairness and respect. This collective statement comes as a response to a Washington Post report published last week, in which two of Brokaws former female colleagues, including former NBC News anchor Linda Vester, accused him of touching them without their consent. Tom has treated each of us with fairness and respect, the letter reads. He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers. As we have advanced across industries news, publishing, law, business and government Tom has been a valued source of counsel and support. We know him to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity. Following the report, Mika Brzezinski tweeted add me to the list, bringing the number of Brokaws female supporters up to 65. Brokaw has yet to publicly respond to the letter, but when he does, hell hopefully leave out any language comparing the allegations against him to a drive-by shooting. President Donald Trump criticized Democrats and the media and touted what he described as his accomplishments in office during a campaign-style rally in Michigan on Saturday. The President kicked off the event, which took place as journalists gathered in Washington, DC, for the White House correspondents' dinner, by taking a shot at the annual event, which he skipped for the second year in a row. "You may have heard I was invited to another event tonight -- the White House Correspondents' Dinner," Trump said, "but I'd much rather be in Washington, Michigan, than in Washington, DC right now. That I can tell you." Over the course of the more than hour-long rally, the President attacked Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who are running for re-election this year. He talked up his domestic agenda and laid out a potential timeline for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying, "we'll have a meeting over the next three or four weeks." Trump goes after Democrats, the media and James Comey Trump called on the crowd to "elect more Republicans so we can protect our cities, defend our borders, grow our economy, and continue to make America great again." And he made a plea to his supporters to vote Democrats out of office, saying "the Democrats don't care about our military. They don't, and they don't care about our borders, and I don't think they care much about crime. ... Nancy Pelosi and her gang, they've got to be voted out of office." Trump went on to say Stabenow "wants people to flow into the country. And you people just keep putting her back again, and again, and again. It's your fault. So you gotta get to the poll." Trump took on Tester for raising concerns about the President's former nominee for secretary of veterans affairs, White House physician Ronny Jackson, who faced a series of allegations, including that he was "abusive" to his colleagues, loosely handled prescription drugs and was periodically intoxicated. Jackson, who took his name out of the running for the position on Thursday, has denied the allegations. "Well, I know things about Tester that I could say, too," Trump told the crowd, "and if I said them, he'd never be elected again." Earlier on Saturday, Trump called for Tester to resign for raising concerns about the allegations, saying the accusations "are proving false" and referring to them as "phony Democrat charges." Later, Trump also launched into a diatribe against allegations that his campaign might have colluded with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election, insisting that he is tough on Russia and that "the only collusion is the Democrats colluded with the Russians." He went on to attack former FBI Director James Comey, telling the crowd to "watch the way he lies, it's the most incredible thing," and also the media, suggesting that many journalists are "very, very dishonest people." Trump makes promises, talks up time in office Trump made promises to the Michigan crowd too that echoed his 2016 presidential campaign. He said that he is in the process of "straightening out" what he referred to as "disastrous trade deals." While Trump warned that in the pursuit of better trade deals, there might be some "problems" in the "short term," he vowed that in the "long term you're going to be so happy, we're going to get it opened up, or we're not doing business with these other countries." Trump also told the crowd that he was working to revive the auto industry in the state. "The cars are coming back to Michigan, the plants are coming back, they're being expanded," he said to cheers and applause. The President floated the possibility of a government shutdown in the fall over funding for border security. "We need security. We need the wall," he said, adding, "We come up again on September 28th, and if we don't get border security, we'll have no choice. We'll close down the country because we need border security." Last month, Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending package that will keep the government funded through the end of September. In his speech, the President touched on counterterrorism efforts, saying the US has "really wiped out ISIS," and praised the armed forces, saying, "there's no military like we have." Trump also used the rally as an opportunity to reflect on his time in the White House so far. "Nobody in the first year of office has done what we've done," he said. "Regulations, tax cuts, judges, you look at what we've done, nobody has done what we've done. ... After years of rebuilding other countries, we're finally going to rebuild our country. It's about time." Skipping correspondents' dinner At the rally in Washington Township, which served as counter-programming to the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner taking place in Washington, DC, trump took a page out of a playbook he followed last year. In April 2017, Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania instead of attending the dinner. But while skipping the dinner may be something of a tradition for the current President, that wasn't always the case for past administrations. The last president to miss the dinner was Ronald Reagan. Reagan did not attend in 1981 because he was recovering from an assassination attempt, but he still delivered remarks via phone. Trump, however, has had a notably contentious relationship with the media. The President routinely argues that he receives unfair media coverage and denounces "fake news." He has even labeled the media the "enemy of the American people." Earlier this month, the White House Correspondents' Association, which represents the White House press corps, put out a statement saying that the White House had informed the association that the President would not be attending the dinner in 2018. The statement said, however, that White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will attend the event to represent the administration and that the President "will actively encourage members of the executive branch to attend and join us as we celebrate the First Amendment. During Trump's rally last year, the President mocked the correspondents' dinner taking place back in Washington. "A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation's capital right now," he said at the time. "They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents' dinner -- without the President. And I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington's swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people." Trump won both Michigan and Pennsylvania in the 2016 presidential election. By Nicole Chavez, Samantha Lugo and Elizabeth Plaza, CNN (CNN) -- Dozens of people died last week in Nicaragua as a result of anti-government protests, human rights groups there told CNN Friday -- in contrast to the government's official death toll, which stands at 10. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, based in the capital city of Managua, reported 42 deaths on Sunday. On Saturday, the group had reported 43 people died but revised the death toll, saying they'd mistakenly included a person who was in critical condition. The Permanent Commission on Human Rights said 58 people died. The government reported its latest death toll April 20. The deaths came amid the largest street protests the country has seen since the civil war ended in 1990. Protesters clashed with security forces, and different groups among the demonstrators also clashed with each other. Demonstrators in Managua threw rocks and set fires as police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Several television stations were taken off the air as the government tried to stem the unrest. Nicaraguan Attorney General Ines Miranda on Thursday announced an investigation into the deaths. "A responsible and formal investigation was started regarding the following acts: the loss of life of students, police and civilians; the injuries sustained by students, police and civilians; looting and property damage, both public and private," Miranda told reporters. A journalist who was covering the protest was among those killed, state media outlet El 19 Digital reported. The unrest, mostly led by students, started when President Daniel Ortega tried to change the country's social security system. He implemented a controversial pension reform resolution intended to halt the growing deficit. The changes increased contributions by workers and employers and reduced retired workers' pensions. Ortega revoked the resolution Sunday, putting an end to violent clashes. Peaceful protests continue in Nicaragua, with demonstrators now calling for Ortega's resignation. International community condemns violence The Nicaraguan government has been accused of using excessive force against protesters and "arbitrarily (shutting) down media outlets covering the recent protests," a human rights organization says. "Human Rights Watch received credible accounts that suggest that police officers used excessive force to shut down demonstrations in several places across the country and that pro-government groups attacked peaceful protesters," the group said in a statement. The US State Department and the United Nations have condemned violence against protesters, whom the vice president compared with "vampires" who "feed off blood ... (to) achieve advances in their political agenda." Both institutions called for a peaceful resolution. Nicaragua "needs to comply with their international obligations to guarantee that people are able to freely express their rights of freedom of expression and freedom to peacefully assemble," UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Liz Throssell said in a statement. The US State Department issued a statement Monday ordering the departure of US government employees and their families. The department also urged travelers to reconsider travel plans to Nicaragua. 11 years in power Ortega came to power as part of the Sandinista rebels who overthrew the Somoza dynasty in 1979. He fought against the US-backed contras during the 1980s and has remained a key ally to Venezuela. He was first elected president in 1985, then ran unsuccessfully in 1990, 1996 and 2001. He was elected again in 2006, 2011 and 2016. In the last presidential election, Ortega was elected in a landslide victory, with his wife as vice president. Critics have accused the couple of skirting laws while building a political dynasty. Nicaragua's constitution bars presidents from being re-elected and also bars candidates who are relatives of the sitting president from running. In 2014, Ortega used his power to pressure lawmakers to do away with term limits. The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. In Australia, the crisis of legitimacy stems from sharp practices in the financial advice sector. Both phenomena were driven by a single-minded focus on profits. According to Leonida, not every bank must be a pure profit-seeker. In Germany and Italy, for example, the banks are by nature and culture conservative. They try to avoid risk, to only lend to those who already have money. Such banks rarely collapse. But on the other hand, they are not doing the economy any favours. They avoid too much profit, and they avoid too much risk, says Leonida. But they are not helping the system to grow. This is impossible to do in the UK which is a textbook case of a profit-oriented economy. It is not their job directly to control risk, really but then when something goes wrong, everything goes wrong. And in the end its always at the customers risk. Divestment or ring-fencing? In 2007, the GFC hit Britain hard. Jobs were lost, production plummeted and the UK's governments spent a huge amount of money to save failing banks. Loading Ten years on, the Bank of England says the system has been made safer. British banks have raised more than 130 billion ($240 billion) of capital, 10 times more than before the crisis, enabling them to withstand much bigger losses without failing. They are also taking fewer risks (though Leonida wonders if this will last), with trading assets halved. The central bank boasts of intrusive supervision of banks and building societies, and conducts regular stress tests to ensure they have the strength to deal with very severe recessions without cutting back on lending. Losses that would have wiped them out 10 years ago would barely make a dent these days, and banks are much less dependent on short-term wholesale market funding. The banks are also ring-fencing consumer banking services from their investment and international banking arms. Sir John Vickers, who led the Independent Commission on Banking which reported in 2011, said ring-fencing was a better solution than structural separation. Former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels reacted to the revelations in Australias royal commission by suggesting big banks should be forced to sell off their financial planning businesses. But Vickers, in his report, said a strong ring-fence could get the same, if not more stability benefits at much lower economic cost. Bad medicine Australias royal commission has also led to calls for better standards and licensing of financial advisers. The royal commission's lawyers Rowena Orr, left, and Eloise Dias at the banking royal commission. Credit:Eddie Jim This is an area Britain has also led the way in. Separately to the financial crisis, the City of London has been through its own crackdown on financial services. In 2013 the Financial Services Authority Britain's equivalent of ASIC raised the bar for accreditation and training of investment advisers to ensure, the FSA said, that they act in the public interest". It also ended the practice of advisers getting commissions for selling investment policies a practice that had been at the heart of selling scandals which Australia has also done. Most British financial advice firms are required to agree on an explicit fee. "Rebuilding trust between customer and adviser is absolutely vital for the future prosperity of the retail investment market," said Sheila Nicoll, a policy director at the FSA. Last year Charlotte Baumanns, from the University of Oxfords Commercial Law Centre, wrote that three years after the new regulations came in, there was a noticeable improvement in the quality of advice and business standards in the financial services sector. But it had also led to an advice gap, with many investors finding investment advice unaffordable and a significant number of banks advising high-income investors only, Baumanns said. Though it might be argued that no advice is better than biased advice a significant number of people will be exposed to the risk of making ruinous investment decisions, she said. Risky lending The main game in Britain has been the reduction of risky lending. There has been a knock-on effect outside the City, Leonida says. Before the crisis you could have a mortgage with no collateral, really, he says. Now they are back to a standard rule [requiring significant deposits]. This approach discourages very risky borrowing, it is augmenting the entire resilience of the system. Traditionally, this should have depressed the housing market. But instead Britain's and especially London's housing market has boomed in the past two decades, and has only recently showed signs of slowing or even contracting slightly. The London housing market has boomed in the past two decades. Credit:Bloomberg And this, says Leonida, is an example of why its so hard to control the banking sector. Commonsense economics is not always borne out in the contradictory, multi-factorial real world. Many blamed regulators for falling asleep at the wheel and allowing the convergence of factors that led to the financial crisis. But Leonida warns that just because regulation failed, that does not mean more regulation will fix the problem. Indeed, he warns that extra regulation can have knock-on effects and unintended consequences. He argues, for example, that the new capital requirements for banks after the crisis have not been so difficult for the big players, but raised the cost of entry into the industry or staying in the sector for smaller ones. This has reduced competition, allowing banks to rake in profits without concern for maintaining their dominant market position. And a loss of competition is a problem: competition is usually one of the smartest ways to ensure that banks arent exploiting their customers. Regulation always moves much slower than the news, Leonida says. As soon as there is some new regulation, the large banks hire someone who is able to find a way around it, to make money around the rule. He believes if you tinker around the edges, with commissions or bonuses or such issues, youre not really tackling the problem, youre just playing whack-a-mole. Large banks make money out of regulation, he argues. Thats the nature of capitalism. In the end, he believes, competition is the best antiseptic. It is difficult to decide if [the financial crisis] was a regulatory failure or an ethical failure. That, maybe, is the point. You have to wonder if everyone in the royal family was jumping for joy when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child, a bouncing baby boy, into the world on Monday night. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, appeared before wellwishers just six hours after giving birth. Credit:AP Even before the little bundle of blue blood had been presented to the world's press outside London's Lindo Wing, the new prince had bumped his uncle Prince Harry out of the royal family's "top five". Effective immediately, the new prince is fifth in line to the throne, though given Prince Harry and his soon-to-be bride's soaring celebrity status, their position within "The Firm's" core royals looks pretty safe for a while. He became convinced that the Germans would attack Villers-Bretonneux again, convinced that when they did the British would be unable to hold it, convinced that his nearby brigade would be called on to recapture it, and convinced that his cherished envelopment manoeuvre would do the trick. He was eventually proved correct in all four predictions. Early on April 24 the Germans attacked Villers-Bretonneux and drove the British out. Elliott was itching to counter-attack immediately with his envelopment plan, but had to wait for hours and hours until authorisation materialised from the British. This prolonged delay, a significant feature of the battle, has been overlooked in many accounts of Villers-Bretonneux in recent days, including the article by King. Pompey described his frustration with characteristic candour: I submitted the plan for recapture of a town. I was told not to bother as the British corps concerned were doing it themselves and it was out of my area, [so] for 14 hours we delayed whilst the Bosche strengthened his position. Eventually Elliott was authorised to carry out a counter-attack in association with the 13th Australian Brigade commanded by Brigadier-General T.W. Glasgow. According to Pompey, no means of communication with each other was provided by this time it was pitch dark and raining, and we were launched, and our meeting place fixed within the enemys lines, and we were left to find each other. Everyone expected the whole thing to fail, but something desperate had to be done. Knowledgeable AIF insiders were anxious and pessimistic, but the daring counter-attack based on Pompey Elliotts plan succeeded brilliantly. Afterwards Monash described the achievement as the finest thing yet done in the war, by Australians or any other troops. Thousands of people have protested in Israel calling for an end to live animal imports from Australia. Footage of a voyage from Fremantle to the Middle East on which 2400 sheep died in filth and extreme heat has sparked protests in Australia, and now in Israel after being broadcast there. Shocking footage has emerged showing sheep dying in horrific conditions. Animals Australia say about 3000 people attended the rally in Tel Aviv overnight. Israel's first lady Sara Netanyahu and her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke out against the August 2017 Awassi Express journey earlier this month. London: The chief executive of BP was poisoned in a plot believed to have been orchestrated by the Russian security services, a former employee has disclosed. Bob Dudley, the US head of the British oil giant, had to flee Moscow after blood test results indicated he was being poisoned slowly, the former employee claimed. Rumours that Dudley was poisoned began to circulate in 2014, six years after he left Russia in August 2008. At the time, Dudley was a senior executive in BP, running a highly profitable joint venture called TNK-BP. Ilya Zaslavskiy, who worked for TNK-BP for 4 years, has claimed that the Russian authorities wanted to oust Dudley, so put in place a plan to poison him slowly. France's first lady Brigitte Macron said Melania Trump is charming but is very constrained and can't even seem to go outside due to her role in Washington. Macron opened up about the three-day Washington visit with her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, and her time spent with her US counterpart in an interview with Le Monde. Macron said Melania is "actually really fun. We have the same sense of humor. We laugh a lot together." But, she added, Melania, who has kept a relatively low-profile becoming first lady, "cannot do anything". Beijing: The office of South Korean president Moon Jae-in has revealed some detail of promises made by Kim Jong-un in the leaders' historic summit, including that North Korea's nuclear test site would be publicly dismantled next month. US and South Korean media and experts will be invited to North Korea to witness the dismantling of the site of six nuclear tests. Kim had also said he was not the sort of person who would fire a nuke at the US. In the wake of the meeting on Friday, the first time a North Korean leader has stepped onto South Korean soil since the end of the Korean War 65 years ago, there has been scepticism among analysts about Kim's motivation and whether he has any real intent to give up the nuclear arsenal that was his entry ticket to major power diplomacy. The country is still embracing heavy government involvement in the economy, and it's having the same disastrous effects. This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article. In 1986, a well-known African-American economist traveled to South Africa for a conference on the role of business in helping to overcome racial divisions in that country. Three years later, Professor Walter E. Williams of George Mason University published a book titled South Africas War against Capitalism. Racial discrimination in the country, he wrote, was not a result of free enterprise. Instead, it was a consequence of the governments attempt to protect white workers from their black competitors. If capitalism can be described as the unfettered operation of the market in the allocation of societys scarce resources, he concluded, then apartheid is the antithesis of capitalism. Today, the South African government is, yet again, undermining the countrys market economy and racial tensions are on the rise. To save themselves from economic collapse and rising racial tension, South Africans of all colors should read Williams sage words and, maybe, invite him to visit South Africa once more. The Racial and Economic Struggles with Apartheid In 1989, when Williams book came out, South Africa was still run by the white-minority government. Both the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) were banned. Their leaders were either in exile or, like Nelson Mandela, in prison. Communism was very much alive and engaged in an ideological struggle against free nations throughout the world. South Africa, meanwhile, faced international sanctions and opprobrium. The black majority lacked political representation while the economy was over-regulated and increasingly dominated by state-owned enterprises. To ease the economic and political consequences of isolation, the government portrayed South Africa as a Western bulwark against communism. The communist threat in Southern Africa was real enough, but that did not make South Africa a free country. The black majority lacked political representation while the economy was over-regulated and increasingly dominated by state-owned enterprises. South Africas racial history is, to put it mildly, complicated. In some provinces of what became the Union of South Africa in 1910, Africans lacked most of the basic political and economic rights. In contrast to Transvaal and Orange Free State, Africans in the Cape Province enjoyed greater equality with whites, including the right to vote. Race relations in the country deteriorated, rather than improved, throughout the 20th century. That happened for many reasons, including, most obviously, white racism and, less obviously, the catastrophic performance of newly-independent African states to South Africas north. Among the reasons for the deterioration of race relations in South Africa was the now largely forgotten problem of economic competition. As South Africa urbanized and industrialized, African workers poured into the cities and started competing with white workers for lucrative jobs in the mining sector. On average, black laborers were willing to work for lower wages than white laborers, and South Africas industrialists were only too happy to cut their costs by hiring Africans. White workers took to the streets under a banner that read, Workers of the World Unite for a White South Africa. As blacks displaced whites, white resentment grew. Egged on by the SACP, which catered to the needs of the white proletariat, white workers took to the streets under a banner that read, Workers of the World Unite for a White South Africa. The so-called Rand Rebellion of 1922 spread like a wildfire, threatening the survival of the government. General Jan Smuts, the Prime Minister, had to resort to using 20,000 troops, artillery units, and even aerial bombardment in order to survive. That said, the Rand Rebellion succeeded in its primary objective. The government was forced to institute the so-called Colour Bar, which reserved certain jobs for Europeans only, thus protecting the white workers from black competition. With time, the Colour Bar expanded into a large body of laws and regulations that were intended to re-engineer the South African society along racial lines. That system of laws and regulations came to be known as apartheid. No Apartheid, but Still Struggling A quarter-century after the end of apartheid, South Africas economy is once-again groaning under a vast and complex system of racial quotas and preferences, which, this time around, favor the black majority over the white minority. The government composed of the ANC and SACP (which now caters to the black, rather than white proletariat), explicitly rejects meritorious advancement in favor of racial representativity in all aspects of political and economic life. The governments statist economic policies, incompetence, and venality have resulted in low growth, ballooning debt, higher taxes and, worst of all, an explosion in unemployment. The worsening economic conditions have, in turn, created fertile ground for Marxist ideologues in both parties, who seem to be on course to commit economic suicide by expropriating private property without compensation. In South Africas War against Capitalism, Williams observed, it is readily apparent to any observer that the mere elimination of colonialism was not a sufficient guarantee for the personal liberty and higher standard of living hoped for by the African common man and woman the experiences of post-colonialism should serve as a caution for post-apartheid South Africa. Compassion requires that we seriously entertain questions and thoughts about what kind of system is going to replace apartheid. Will such a system promote the kind of liberties and standards of living hoped for by both South African and Western opponents of apartheid? Looking back, it must be admitted that neither South Africas post-apartheid government nor the plethora of Western do-gooders, including governments and NGOs, heeded Williams warnings. Thirty-two years after Williams trip to South Africa, the country teeters on the brink of economic destruction and possible wide-spread political violence. It is now more important than ever for South Africa to look to free enterprise as a solution to its problems. Reprinted from CapX. Marian L. Tupy is the editor of HumanProgress.org and a senior policy analyst at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. Bridge work resumes on I-24 in Marshall County this week Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 29, 2018 | 09:12 AM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY Saturdays fifth annual Mayfield-Graves County Empty Bowls event raised a total of over $15,000, all of which will help feed needy local families. The food tasting extravaganza was held at Trace Creek Baptist Churchs Family Life Center. All proceeds will go to the Mayfield-Graves County Food Pantry. The local event founder and coordinator Claudia Heath said she was very pleased with the 20 restaurants that participated in the event and all the people who came out to support it. This was a great turnout and the weather cooperated for us to have a very successful event, Heath said. A lot of people did a ton of work to make this happen and God was there through it all to make sure everything went smoothly. We are so grateful for the 20 restaurants that donated their food and expertise and everyone who donated silent auction items and door prizes. We could not have done this without their support. Participating restaurants this year were: A&B BBQ, Carrs Steakhouse, Cracker Barrel, Dairy Queen, Dinner Bell, Dominos, Happy House, Hardees, Larry, Darrel & Darrel, Majestic Pizza and Steak House, Mayfield Creek Market, Reds Donut Shop of Mayfield, Ritas Cafe, Snappy Tomato, Southern Reds BBQ, Taco Johns, The Catfish House, Wendys, Wilmas Kountry Kitchen, and Wings, Etc. Each restaurant offered samples of their fare for diners to fill their bowls. After eating, participants took the bowls home as reminders of the hungry people around the world and in their own community. The first four years of the event raised a total of about $50,000 for the Food Pantry, which provides emergency food supplies for about 350 local needy families each month. Next years event is scheduled for May 4. The Empty Bowls project is an international effort started some 20 years ago to help alleviate hunger and raise awareness of hunger issues around the world. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 29, 2018 | 12:39 PM | DRAFFENVILLE, KY The Marshall County School District will host a Community Forum on Monday featuring Dr. Ron Stephens. Dr. Stephens is the Executive Director for the National School Safety Center. He has served as consultant and frequent speaker for school districts, law enforcement agencies and professional organizations worldwide. He also serves as executive editor of the School Safety News Service, America's leading school crime prevention newsletter. Two students were killed and 14 other students were wounded by gunfire when a classmate opened fire on Jan. 23 before classes began at Marshall County High School. Fifteen-year-old Gabe Parker is being held on murder and assault charges. Monday's event will be hosted in the school's Performing Arts Center beginning at 5:00 pm. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2018 | 06:07 PM | FRANKFORT, KY Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin caught his fellow Republicans by surprise with another round of vetoes, this time targeting a half-dozen bills passed at the end of this year's legislative session.Measures backed by local governments and county clerks were among proposals the governor blocked from becoming law on Thursday.The bills' supporters said Friday they didn't see the vetoes coming, and some of them said that Bevin's veto messages had misrepresented the proposals they had tried to enact.Unlike previous vetoes that were overridden, the latest vetoes are sure to stand. Lawmakers ended their 60-day session in mid-April and thus have no opportunity to attempt overrides.Three proposals to change election law fell victim to the governor's pen. Another vetoed measure dealt with local governments' investment authority.In his veto message, Bevin said the bill affecting local governments would create restrictions that "unnecessarily limit" their investment opportunities. He said the investment guidelines "need to be rewritten in conjunction with actual investment professionals."The bill was a priority for the Kentucky League of Cities, and it worked with investment advisers in crafting the legislation, said J.D. Chaney, the league's deputy executive director."It's very perplexing why he would veto it with the excuse that it provides additional limitations," Chaney said in a phone interview. "The bill does just the opposite. It expands the number and manner of investment options that local governments can do if they have money to invest."Meanwhile, Rep. Kenny Imes, a Republican from Murray, said he was "kind of shocked" by Bevin's vetoes of three election bills he sponsored. Imes heads the House committee that oversees election issues, and he pushed two of the measures at the request of county clerks."I read the veto messages, and they seem to be inconsistent, to me, with the purposes and intents of the bills," the veteran lawmaker said by phone. "The reasons he stated in there are contrary to what the bills say, in my opinion."One measure, among other things, would have moved up the filing deadline for political candidates to early January in election years. The current deadline is in late January.Bevin's veto message said the bill would have caused confusion with multiple filing deadlines. "The existing process serves us well, and has done so for years," he said.Imes said the same deadline would apply to local, state and federal candidates under the bill.One bill sought by county clerks would have moved up the deadline to request an absentee ballot by a week. In his veto, Bevin said he opposed "additional burdens" that could "impede a citizen's ability to exercise their vote."Imes said it's the current deadline that can keep absentee ballots from being counted if the request for a ballot or the actual ballot gets delayed in the mail. "The whole purpose is not to limit anything," he said. "It's just to be sure your vote will be counted."The other bill backed by county clerks was aimed at preventing people from dropping their voter registration, then registering again in another political party and voting in the next primary.Imes said there's concern that some people have done so, not because they wanted to identify with a different party but to support a weaker primary candidate.In his veto, Bevin said voters wishing to change parties "should not face undue burdens and narrow timetables imposed by the state in order to exercise their right to vote."Imes, who decided not to seek re-election this year and instead is running for judge-executive in Calloway County, said: "It is disappointing to know that I'm leaving and the last three bills I got passed got vetoed."Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said the vetoes caught legislative Republicans by surprise. He predicted at least some of the proposals will resurface next year."The bills he vetoed I didn't think were in danger of being vetoed," the Georgetown Republican said. "We knew that we wouldn't have the chance to override, but frankly didn't think that we'd have to do that. ... But look, that's his prerogative. I'm not mad. He has a right to veto those bills. He put in his message why he did it, and we'll just move on."Another vetoed bill dealt with administrative regulations. Bevin also used his line-item veto authority to carve out a few parts of the state transportation cabinet's operating budget.The latest vetoes were quiet compared to the backlash caused by Bevin's prior vetoes of the state's operating budget and a tax increase used to fuel record increases in public education spending. The GOP-led legislature overrode those vetoes after thousands of teachers descended on the Capitol in protest. LARGE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS: A WORLD OF CHANGES IN THE COMPLEX, CHANGING, AND BIG MONEY WORLD OF LARGE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS WHKP.com News last week reported that the due diligence is continuing on the proposed sale of Ashevilles Mission Health system (valued at about $1.8 billion) to HCA of Nashville, Tennessee. But not all proposed sales, mergers, or other co-operative agreements between hospitals and hospital system work out. The proposed agreement between UNC Health Care, with whom Hendersonvilles Pardee Hospital is associatedh, and Charlottes Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) l) is a good example. Media Health Leaders reported last month that talks about any possible deal between UNC Health Care and Atrium have been suspended. And a spokesperson for Pardee Hospital last week confirmed that talks between the two large hospital systems has been suspended. There were reportedly issues over who would lead the proposed new organization, some serious questions raised by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, and other business opportunities...all cited by Health Leaders as reasons why the proposed deal fell through. Separate statements were issued last month by both organizations on why the deal never got off the ground. As Health Leaders reported, Atrium, the Charlotte-based nonprofit, said it suspended the discussions with UNC Health Care in a letter last month from Atrium President and CEO Gene Woods and Board of Commissioners Chairman Ed Brown. The statement that followed from UNC Health Care suggested, however, that the matter was more of a joint decision. After months of discussions and due diligence, UNC Health Care and Atrium Health have determined that we cannot satisfy our mutual organizational goals through a proposed partnership and joint operating company, UNC Health Care System CEO William L. Roper, MD, MPH, and UNC Health Care Board of Directors Chairman Dale Jenkins said in a statement. That news came after talks between the two organizations hit a snag last month over which would retain a top leadership role after the merger, as The News & Observer reported. Sarah E. Wilson, principal analyst of market access insights at Decision Resources Group in Nashville, said this contention over which leadership team would steer the joint operating company appears to be the main issue that sank the Atrium-UNC deal. You have two powerhouse systems in their respective markets, and I think neither system wanted to give up any control, Wilson told HealthLeaders Media. There were also questions as to how this merger would impact patients in North Carolina, Wilson added. That may have added pressure to the negotiations, though that has not been stated by either party outright. In addition to conflict between the two organizations, the potential merger faced pressure from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who sent a letter last month to the CEOs of both hospital systems, as the Charlotte Observer reported. Experience cautions that large-scale health system mergers are often not in the public interest, Stein wrote in the letter. The State and the public have a right to know the facts behind your proposal. Therefore, we seek information to assess whether the proposed combination would increase prices for health care, reduce choices available to patients and payors, or otherwise harm North Carolina patients, North Carolina businesses, or the State itself. That statement by the attorney general raises the question: will there be similar concerns raised over the possible sale of Missions health care system to HCA? The Atrium-UNC deal had also faced opposition from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. As for other "business opportunities", the day after it announced its name change last month, the Atrium system reached across state lines to partner with Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia. Mergers, sales, management agreements, and other arrangements between hospitals and particularly between large hospital systems are complex with many details and implications for patients and patient care. As the due diligence continues between Mission Health and HCA, and with all the "principals" involved optimistic about the outcome, the attempted UNC Health Care-Atrium arrangement is a good example...that while sales, mergers and other arrangements between large health care providers is the order of the day and seems to be the way of the future, not all of them work out and end as planned. By Larry Freeman WHKP.com According to the diplomat, regional integration generates concrete benefits for the population and paves the way for expanding trade and investment, as well as for entering global production chains. "Within that perspective, the Pacific Alliance is the most dynamic integration process in Latin America," Popolizio said in an article published Saturday on El Comercio local newspaper. Statements were made upon the celebration of the seventh anniversary of said integration mechanism. Colombia, Popolizio recalled that Chile Mexico , and Peru leaders met on 28 April 2011 to create a bloc based on common values of democracy and rule of law, as well as on market economy promotion and free trade. As he stated, the Peruvian proposal to create this alliance sought to promote citizens' welfare through close cooperation between member countries' private sector and governments so as to build an integration area to move towards free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. "The alliance has eased the increase in commercial exchange among its members, but the task of increasing it in more significant proportions remains pending. (...) The integration process' main goal is to create more effective advancement opportunities for citizens," he said. The Pacific Alliance's international projection is illustrated by its relation with more than 50 observer-states and regional blocs, the minister added. Some of them, he explained, are the European Union , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum ( APEC ), Mercosur, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It must be noted Peru will assume the Pacific Alliance presidency in July. (END) MVF/RMB The Pacific Alliance an integration scheme comprising Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico has become an essential tool to contribute to these countries' development, Foreign Affairs Minister Nestor Popolizio pointed out.Published: 4/29/2018 Williamson, WV (25661) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to occasional showers during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Natonal Grids Pipeline Extortion Tactics Thwarted by Cuomo Administration As Wildfire Rages, Governor Newsom Must Shut Aliso Canyon Gas Facility to Protect Families As Wildfire Rages, Governor Newsom Must Shut Aliso Canyon Gas Facility to Protect Families EWG News Roundup (10/11): California Bans Brain Damaging Pesticide, Algae Blooms Across U.S. Swell in 2019 and More Maryland Delegate Lorig Charkoudian Urges Support of Local Control Energy Bill New California Law Protects Workers From Toxic Lead Poisoning The Stanford Sexual Assault Case Made Her "Emily Doe." In New Memoir, Chanel Miller Tells Her Story Headlines for October 11, 2019 Legal Victory Puts 15 Species on Path to Protection Nationwide As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more UTICA- The American Red Cross and over 150 local volunteers teamed up Saturday morning. Their mission was simple, to distribute as many smoke alarms as possible to those who need them. Having working smoke alarms reduces your chance of dying in a home fire by 50 percent, said Mallory Brown, Executive Director of the Mohawk Valley American Red Cross. You have two minutes to escape your home fire; the best way to prevent that is installing fire alarms. Dozens of volunteer groups made their way around Utica. Volunteers knocked on homeowners doors to see who may be in need of a fire alarm. A grand total of 568 free alarms were placed. We worked with the Utica Fire Department to determine which homes were at high risk of house fires, said Brown. However, anyone is eligible for this program. The Mohawk Valley American Red Cross told WKTV if you are in need of a free fire alarm you can call them at, 315-733-4666. You must be within the Mohawk Valley chapter area to be eligible. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) If you've never been to Hawaii, New Zealand or any of the other Polynesian Islands, the Purdue Polynesian Cultural Club has you covered. The group hosted the third annual Luau Friday night at Loeb Playhouse on Purdue University's campus. Those who attended the event were brought into the traditional cultures of the Polynesian Islands. Special performers from across the country performed rituals, songs and dances. Conrrad Nicholls is the president of the club. He said he hopes events like these educate those who attend. "That is one of our major goals -- to not only share our message, but to educate as well. So when people leave here, they have a better understanding of what Polynesia is," said Nicholls. "For example, people only think of Polynesia as Hawaii. No one knows that it covers several thousand other islands." Performers also invited members of the audience up to practice a traditional ritual. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)-- Pro-life advocates voiced their concerns in a nationwide protest over Planned Parenthood. Lafayette is one of five places in Indiana where protests were held, Saturday. Protesters stood on the sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood building. Members from ProtestPP were handing out posters to those who wanted to join. Signs included messages against services offered by Planned Parenthood. Pastor Derin Stidd said the goal was to inform people about what they believe goes on inside of Planned Parenthood. "This is to let the world know that little human beings are having their lives taken away inside this building," Stidd said. "Christians need to be involved in this kind of work and this is a part of loving our neighbor and so that is the just of what I will be talking about." ProtestPP Leader Patricia Cole said there are alternative solutions. "They tell women they can't do certain things if they have their baby and our mission is to tell women they can do certain things," Cole said. "I've heard stories of women who had their children and finish school and all kinds of other things." The protesters said they will continue to express their first amendment rights. Stidd said he wants this to start a conversation without causing a disruption. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)--A group of high school students learned the importance of diversity. The program I Matter: Continuing Our Story focuses on opening discussions between different cultures. Greater Lafayette Black Expo partnered together with The African American Leaders of Tomorrow for the program. The high school group of student leaders hosted their 2nd annual I Matter conference at McCutcheon High School. Students were able to openly talk about their concerns regarding race, discrimination, inequality and how to appropriately respond to law enforcement. President Monica Keyes said these discussions will carry on outside of Saturday's discussion. "This group will take this back to their peers, the concepts that were shared here today," Keyes said. "So we're excited about what happened last year and to continue the story again this year." The program last year, Writing Our Story, was the beginning of the discussion. With this year's theme appropriately titled: Continuing Our Story, those in attendance are taking what they've learned so far, and apply that knowledge to teach others. Junior Machi Jones said these events should happen more often. "Instead of a yearly thing, maybe monthly, I think it should be taught in schools," Jones said. "Not only just about our history and politics, we should learn about the culture and how humans are humans." Greater Lafayette Black Expo is planning another event for the fall. They also have a monthly membership meeting at the beginning of every month. More information on their upcoming events can be found here. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Students at a university will now be able to better cope with stress and lack of sleep by going into a designated closet, where they could cry and let stress out. The University of Utah in Salt Lake City allows students to get a 10-minute crying break in a specially designed small room. The Cry Closet was created by art student Nemo Miller, who wanted to give students a private space to get away from the workload and express themselves in a way that will make them feel better. The Cry Closet is located in the J. Willard Marriott Library. Students who wish to use the exhibit must knock on the door before entering. Only one student is allowed to enter at a time. The photo of the closet that was shared on social media shows the room containing several stuffed animals for comfort, a light, and a timer. Pontus Tidemand claimed victory at YPF Rally Argentina on Sunday after Skoda Motorsport team-mate Kalle Rovanpera crashed out of the lead on the penultimate stage. At the start of the final day, 17-year-old Rovanpera had a 23.2sec lead as the field tackled El Condor but he lost 13.3sec to Tidemand as the Swede looked to fight back after losing time to his colleague yesterday. It looked like the Giulio Cesare - Mina Clavero stage would be the setting for a close battle between the pair but instead the youngster crashed his Fabia R5 close to the end of the test. Thankfully Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen were both uninjured but it all but guaranteed his team-mate a second WRC 2 victory of the year. Tidemands victory moves him top of the WRC 2 drivers standings after Skoda team-mate Jan Kopecky missed this transatlantic trip. Its been a demanding rally, he explained. When there are hot conditions and youre competing against a fast driver you really have to raise your game. Rovanperas retirement allowed Gus Greensmith to finish second in his Ford Fiesta, more than 7mins behind the Swede after a broken driveshaft on SS16 affected his pace. Pedro Heller finished third after closing to within 1min 23.8sec of the Briton but ran out of stages to potentially move up a position. Fourth went to the only Hyundai i20 R5 in the field driven by Diego Dominguez - with the restarting Nil Solans fifth, gaining a place from Gustavo Saba who retired on the last stage. Head to WRC+ to watch All Live from YPF Rally Argentina, including every stage broadcast live, breaking service park news and expert studio analysis. Video More News State Police in Kentucky have charged a woman in a house fire that left her 3-year-old nephew dead. Thirty-seven-year-old Amanda Brock of Coldiron was being held on $100,000 bond Sunday at the Harlan County Detention Center on charges of second-degree manslaughter and wanton endangerment. Jail records didnt indicate whether she has an attorney. Trooper Shane Jacobs says in a news release the fire broke out Saturday night at Brocks home. The statement says Brocks 11-year-old son was babysitting the 3-year-old while she went to watch go-cart races in Letcher County. The house caught on fire after she left and the 11-year-old ran to a neighbors house for help. Firefighters found the 3-year-olds body inside Brocks home. The cause of the fire wasnt immediately determined. The boys body has been sent to a medical examiner. Kentucky State Police tell WYMT a 3-year-old and an 11-year-old were left alone at home and just before 9:00 Saturday night, a fire started. "By the time the 11-year-old got up to the neighbor's house and told them that their house was on fire, the neighbor went straight over to the residence, and by the time she got to the residence, it was fully engulfed with smoke and fire," explained Shane Jacobs with Kentucky State Police Post 10. Police said the boy's caretaker is his aunt. They said she was in a different county when the fire started. "The 3-year-old who is deceased was in the care of his aunt, the homeowner here. She was the actual caretaker of this child at the time," explained Trooper Jacobs. KSP Trooper Jacobs described it as an extremely difficult time both for family and first responders. "It's just a very sad situation. Anytime you have a small child involved in this, and it's very tragic; not only for the family to lose such a small child, but as first responders, you show up to a scene like this, and it affects everyone," said Trooper Jacobs. At this time, police are still trying to determine how the fire started. "We have contacted our arson investigator to have them come to the scene to try to figure out exactly the cause of the fire, what started this fire. Was it an accidental fire, or was there something that occurred here?" questioned Jacobs. The body of the 3-year-old will be sent to the State Medical Examiners Office in Frankfort for an autopsy. ____ Kentucky State Police tell WYMT Amanda Brock was arrested early Sunday morning in connection with the death of a 3-year-old. We're told Brock is the aunt of the 3-year-old. The 11-year-old is her son. The house caught fire while Brock was gone to watch go-cart races in Letcher County. Brock was taken to the Harlan County Detention Center where she faces charges of 2nd-degree manslaughter and 1st-degree wanton endangerment. ___ Officials with Kentucky State Police have confirmed to WYMT a 3-year-old is dead after a home caught fire on Abe Lane in the Coldiron community of Harlan County. Troopers say a care-taker left an 11-year-old child with the 3-year-old toddler when a fire began. The 11-year-old left the home to tell a neighbor, but troopers say by the time anyone got back to the home it was destroyed. Fire Crews were called to the scene as well as the Harlan County Coroner and a KSP Arson Investigator. Troopers do not know if the fire was arson, they are still investigating. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Officials say a cigarette likely caused a fire at a Terre Haute business. It happened just before 4 p.m. on Saturday at Bunch Nursery. That's at 3500 Hulman Street. Heavy smoke could be seen billowing from the business. Employees were evacuated as a safety precaution. No injuries were reported. According to fire officials, the fire was traced to a pile of mulch. A fire investigator told News 10 the fire was ruled accidental. The investigator went on to say the fire was likely started by a cigarette. A portion of a fence was damaged. China's military put out a strong message on Taiwan on Saturday, vowing to "safeguard the territory of our motherland." The People's Liberation Army air force released a video and series of commemorative envelopes showing recent Chinese air force missions around the island, which Beijing views as a breakaway province. "It is the sacred duty of any PLA pilot to safeguard the territory of our motherland," reads the text on the envelopes, which feature pictures of PLA warplanes and pilots on flights near Taiwan. State-run news agency Xinhua reported Saturday that the images were taken by China's PLA pilots during missions around Taiwan that began April 18. "Every time we flew the H-6K bomber over the island, my comrades and I could clearly see the wonderful landscape of our motherland, before recording the scenes with cameras," it quoted pilot Wu Yuepeng as saying. "They're not only the witness to our efforts for a stronger country and a stronger military, but also witness to us carrying out missions in the new era." The Xinhua report was posted on China's English-language military website, alongside an article from the state-owned China Daily newspaper. "The recent live-fire drills carried out by the People's Liberation Army have sent an explicit and clear message -- we aim to pursue peaceful reunification with sincerity and great efforts, but we have the resolve, the confidence and the ability to defeat secessionist attempts in any form, to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office was quoted as saying in the China Daily report. 'Resolve, capacity and faith' Other state-owned media also carried coverage of the PLA's missions around Taiwan. Broadcaster CCTV posted footage to YouTube of what it said was a flight around the island on Thursday. "The round the island flight is to test and improve the combat capacity of bombers that are included in the unit. Currently all our pilots are ready to take off and go into battles at any time, no matter how complex and severe the air situation is," bomber captain Chen Liang was shown telling reporters. "We have the resolve, capacity and faith to safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity." The unit "was composed of fighters, early warning and surveillance aircraft, and H-6K bombers, which took off from various military airfields," according to CCTV captions. Meanwhile, the state-owned English-language broadcaster CGTN posted a video to YouTube Thursday that included footage of the air force's flights and headed "PLA stands firm against 'Taiwan independence'." CGTN correspondent Han Bin said that H6-K heavy bombers capable of carrying strategic missiles were among the aircraft to circle Taiwan in drills "aimed at thwarting any moves towards independence." His report included a media conference by defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian. "The secessionist activity in Taiwan has posed the greatest realistic threat to across strait relations and damaged the core interest of the Taiwan people," Wu said. "The activities we have taken were targeted at the independence groups and served to protect the well-being of the Taiwan people." PLA air force spokesman Shen Jinke was shown saying China would continue to patrol the Taiwan Strait "with multiple aircraft." "We have resolute will and sufficient capability to defend the country's territorial integrity," Shen said. Long history of confrontation The PLA air force flights are just the latest PLA military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan. Earlier in April, the PLA navy sent the aircraft carrier Liaoning and its battle group for live-fire drills in the East China Sea. Last week, the PLA touted the deployment of DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missiles with its Rocket Forces. The missiles can hit targets on land and at sea, China's Ministry of Defense said. A story from state-sanctioned Global Times posted on the PLA's English-language website said the deployment should be seen as "part of the country's warning to Taiwan secessionists" and their supporters in the US. Coupled with the military around Taiwan, "it sends a clear warning that the US should act cautiously on the Taiwan question and not interfere in China's internal affairs," Global Times reported, attributing the opinion to Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator. Taiwan has been self-governed since a bloody civil war ended in 1949, forcing the defeated nationalists to flee to the island and continue to rule under the banner of the Republic of China. Though both Taipei and Beijing view the island as part of China, neither government recognizes the legitimacy of the opposing side, and there is a strong pro-independence sentiment within the current ruling party in Taiwan. This prospect is anathema to Beijing, prompting it to warn that it could retake the island by force if necessary. The two governments have a long history of international brinksmanship in their efforts to gain economic opportunities and diplomatic support from governments around the world. US position The United States maintains close unofficial links with Taiwan and provides them with arms under the Taiwan Relations Act, but it maintains formal diplomatic relations only with Beijing. While Washington does not challenge Communist China's claim over Taiwan, the official US policy simply states that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait recognize there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. But under US President Donald Trump, the United States' has appeared enthusiastic to move closer to Taiwan, a move which has caused deep concern in Beijing. "Every inch of our great motherland's territory cannot be separated from China," President Xi said during a nationalistic speech at the National People's Congress in March, drawing huge applause. The Trump administration has sought closer ties to President Tsai's government, angering Beijing by recently signing two deals to tighten ties with the island, including a travel act which will allow more official visits between the US and Taipei. BROOKSVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - A woman is free from jail on bond after she was arrested in the shooting of her boyfriend at their home in Noxubee County. Sheriff Terry Grassaree says Taniesha Sharp, 40, showed up angry at her home on Wells Road in Brooksville around 5:45 a.m. Saturday and got into an argument with the boyfriend, Curtis Miller, 52. He would not let her into the home. Taniesha Sharp is charged with aggravated assault after a shooting at her home in Brooksville Taniesha Sharp is charged with aggravated assault after a shooting at her home in Brooksville UPDATE: Wanted man back in Noxubee County jail According to the sheriff, Sharp fired a shotgun through the door and wounded Miller. She then took him to his parents' home in Carrollton, Alabama. He was later taken to a hospital in Birmingham for treatment. Sharp is charged with aggravated assault in the case. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - If you drove past Leon High School Saturday, you probably noticed the big event going on there. More than a hundred people showed up for Relay for Life. Cancer survivors, caregivers and supporters of all kinds walked and shared stories about beating cancer. They also participated in fun activities to raise money for the American Cancer Society. "It's always a great event to come together for a great cause that everybody wants to fight. Most folks in your viewing area has someone are knows someone that's close to them or a love one or neighbor that this has affected," said Mark Feely, a cancer survivor. "So it's a great cause and everybody does really well when it come out to fight for us." WTXL's newest anchor Stephanie Rank was at the event Saturday, getting her very own Tally baptism in the the Dunk Tank. JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Two people are seriously injured after a two-car accident in Jackson County Sunday morning. Carolyn Banas, 79, of Marianna, and Willie Kirkland Jr., 28, of Graceville, suffered serious injuries from the accident. According to Florida Highway Patrol, around 5:59 a.m. on Sunday, Banas was traveling south on County Road 167, while Kirkland was traveling north. FHP says, Banas drifted over the center double yellow lines and collided with Kirkland. FHP states Kirkland was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and alcohol was not a factor in the crash. FHP says charges are currently pending. Both were transported to Southeast Medical Center in Alabama. SOFIA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian President Rumen Radev here on Thursday said that joining the eurozone is a strategic goal for his country. Bulgaria's strategic perspective is to deepen its European integration, and it is impossible to happen without joining the eurozone in the future," Radev said at a meeting with European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis. "It is not a matter of desire, but a goal that must be achieved on the basis of real preparation," Radev said as quoted by his press office. The president pointed out that his country needed a clear plan of action, an analysis of the commitments made, and a risk assessment of the introduction of the euro, the press office said. Radev noted that it would be useful for Bulgarians to get acquainted with the experience of other European countries that have gone the same way, the press office said. It was important to have objective information on how the eurozone would influence the economic development, Radev also said. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007. In December 2009, country's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said the country's strategic goal was to enter the eurozone "in two and a half years to three years," but this idea was abandoned later on due to the world financial crisis. by Angela Efros LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Xinhua) -- On a beautiful spring day, Chinese and American students sit together, discussing issues about eco-civilization in a Pitzer College classroom in Claremont, California. The students listen attentively, taking careful notes as their peers present passionate ideas. The chairs are placed in an intimate circle, and a screen at the front of the room shows a presentation in both English and Chinese. Some of the Chinese college students have flown over 12 hours across the Pacific Ocean to take part in this rare face-to-face exchange with American students on ecological civilization. The 1st International Youth Forum on Eco-civilization was part of the 12th International Forum on Ecological Civilization. Themed "Ecological Civilization and Symbiotic Development," the two-day conference ended Saturday was hosted by the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, a non-profit organization. In the 12 years the forum has been held, ideas have been successfully exchanged between China and the United States on how the two countries can work together to support and protect our global home. This year, students were invited to present on the topic of ecological civilization. Students had the opportunity to discuss shared problems and come up with creative solutions. "The idea is to begin to start the exchange of ideas. It's nice when we have old grey-haired people talking about the future and what it's going to look like, but it's really this younger generation that's going to bring it into being," explained Andrew Schwartz, Ph.D., Executive Director for the Center for Process Studies at the Claremont School of Theology. Schwartz moderated the student panel, where students discussed challenges that we can combat together as global inhabitants, despite differences in culture and language. Adrian Luis Poloni, a staff research associate from the University of California Cooperative Extension, addressed invasive insects - an ecological challenge that both countries are facing. Andrew explains, "One of those invasive insects happens to be in Southern California and in China killing urban trees - so that's kind of an interesting connection." Emma McElroy, a student at Scripps College expressed, "It's very important to take opportunities that are given to you to learn about different cultures." In her presentation, McElroy spoke about the importance of using global knowledge to solve global problems. "We should really use that to our advantage and learn from other people," said McElroy. Zhang Shenglin, a student from the Hubei University of Technology was one of the students who traveled from China to present in the youth forum. "The exchange today was so meaningful, I was able to experience a different understanding, a different culture, experience different points of view," she said. China has rapidly developed into the world's second largest economy, and in that growth now faces many environmental concerns such as river and air pollution. The United States is also dealing with environmental challenges such as dangerous wild fires, blizzards, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Faced with these environmental issues, people around the world are increasingly concerned about global efforts to protect the environment. It has become an important issue to the younger generations, and youth around the world are increasingly active in environmental protection efforts. John B. Cobb Jr., a 93-year-old member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, emeritus professor of Theology at Claremont college, and well-known philosopher gave his support for the student involvement, "That's a good sign that concern for these matters is increasing among students." "I think young people are finding ways to relate to each other, and for the sake of the future it must be done," he told Xinhua. Cobb has visited China several times in recent years to meet Chinese scholars and officials, seeing firsthand how China is developing. The international youth forum will be included again in plans for the 13th conference next year. "It's absolutely crucial that younger voices are engaged in this discussion," emphasized Philip Clayton, President of the Institute for Post Modern Development, and a well-known activist in the field. "Young scholars, young activists are ready to think outside the box... the event today was an important step forward in achieving these goals of mutual understanding and mutual learning as a foundation for future collaborations." SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Three San Francisco Bay Area-based businessmen have been arrested on charges of allegedly selling auto parts to Iran by violating U.S. trade sanctions against Tehran, a local media report said Saturday. The three businessmen, who are naturalized U.S. citizens from Iran, allegedly used "elaborate systems of international wire transfers" to provide funds for smuggling auto parts into Iran, which has been under U.S. trade sanctions for years, the Mercury News reported. Sadr Emad-Vaez, Pouran Aazad and Hassan Ali Moshir-Fatemi, who are listed as executives for a Tehran-based manufacturing operation, were accused of being engaged in transactions involving the illegal export of goods and services to Iran, the report said, quoting sources with the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern California District. They were also indicted for playing a role in financial transactions designed to evade the Iranian Transactions Sanctions Regulations, which bans U.S. citizens from exporting or selling any goods, technology, or services to Iran without a license of the U.S. government. Two of them were arrested at a Silicon Valley residence south of downtown San Francisco, and the other one was detained at San Francisco International Airport early this month. If convicted of all offenses, the three men could face in total a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and 1,250,000 U.S. dollars in fine. Wade Modisette is a local husband and father that seeks the best and most appropriate entertainment for his family. A movie connoisseur in his own mind, he seeks to educate his friends and community on quality choices for their family. Find more reviews and information at wadereviewsstuff.wordpress.com. YANGON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Sarpay Beikman, or the House of Literature, is working to publish a new Myanmar Encyclopedia and 100 Myanmar Classics, 64 years after the previous ones came into being in 1954, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday. An editorial team has been set up to strive for the publication of the first volume by September, Sarpay Beikman Chief Editor U Soe Myint Than was quoted a saying. Myanmar Classic Publishing Committee Secretary U Zeya also said three novels for 100 Myanmar Classics Volume-1 are in place for printing and 81 novels are being pre-selected for Volume-2 and 3. The novels are epics from past eras to date, to be followed by poems, short stories, plays and essays, he said, adding that novels will be up to 17 volumes to be published two a month this year. The concept of publishing the new Myanmar Encyclopedia began in November 2016 and the actual work was started in February 2017. File Photo taken on Dec. 8, 2017 shows a statue representing the "comfort women" in Manila, the Philippines. (Xinhua/Dong Chengwen) MANILA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Philippine women rights groups on Saturday strongly condemned the removal of the "comfort woman" statue in Manila, calling the act "a desecration of Filipino women's dignity." The seven-feet bronze sculpture, depicting a blindfold, grieving woman in Maria Clara traditional Filipiniana gown and unveiled last December, represents women in the country forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II. "This monument is reminder of the Filipino women who were victims of abuses during the occupation of the Japanese forces from 1942-1945. It took a while before they came out into the open to tell their stories," reads the inscription on the monument. Activists sympathetic to the plight of the former sex slaves said the statue was removed around 8 p.m. (local time) on Friday night, less than five months after it was erected along Roxas Boulevard. A backhoe is seen at the area where a statue remarking the World War II comfort women used to be in Manila, the Philippines, April 28, 2018. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) "GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women strongly condemns the removal of the 'comfort woman' statue along Roxas Blvd despite opposition from women's rights advocates, historians and other sectors," said Joms Salvador, GABRIELA secretary general. "This is a desecration of Filipino women's dignity as it casts a foul insult on hundreds of Filipina sex slaves victimized under the Japanese occupation," said Salvador. The "comfort woman" statue supposedly serves as a reminder to future generations of Japan's atrocities and abuses against Filipino women during the last world war, and women's historical victimization in times of wars of aggression, she said. The erection of the statue has angered Japan. Tokyo has protested and demanded that the statue be taken down. Salvador said GABRIELA will vigorously pursue efforts to expose Japan's sex slavery in the country and other parts of the globe. "Women will persevere in highlighting the horrors of Japanese occupation, no matter how Japan and its puppets try to cover it," she said. GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women, including the Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Women), have demanded justice on behalf of the ageing "comfort women" in the Philippines, an official apology from the Japanese government, just compensation, and inclusion of the "comfort women" issue in Japan's historical accounts and textbooks. Knocking down the statue would be a setback in the long struggle for justice of "comfort women", the groups said. LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. involvement in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative may start with the U.S. state of California, China's top diplomat in Los Angeles said on Friday. "California maintains a close economic and trade tie and people-to-people exchange with China," Zhang Ping, Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles, said in his keynote speech to the Belt and Road Forum hosted by the Hong Kong Association of Southern California. "Cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative may start with California," Zhang said. The initiative is a visionary blueprint that seeks to enhance global economic development, and reinvigorate the seamless flow of capital, goods and service by promoting international connectivity and forging new ties with among the communities. California, a pioneering state in fighting climate change in the United States, has an aggressive agenda in cutting greenhouse gases and developing renewable energy. To achieve that goal, California Governor Jerry Brown has said that California needs "a very close partnership with China." "The Belt and Road Initiative provides important opportunities for all countries and regions, including the United States," Zhang added. The forum aims to provide updated ideas, insights and development projects of the initiative, among others, said Danton K. Mak, president of Hong Kong Association of Southern California. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 10:12:08|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China's securities regulator has approved two new IPO applications, which will raise up to 1.5 billion yuan (236.6 million U.S. dollars) in the A-share market. One will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, while the other will be listed on Shenzhen's ChiNext start-up board, according to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The firms and their underwriters will confirm dates and publish prospectuses following discussions with the exchanges. The CSRC has introduced rigorous approval procedures for IPOs since a new review committee came into office in October, rejecting or suspending more than half of IPO applications. China has sought to normalize IPOs to improve financing efficiency and direct more money into the real economy since it suspended IPOs between July and November 2015. The regulator is seeking a balance between easing the IPO backlog, keeping the market calm and improving the quality of listed companies. WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis reaffirmed on Saturday the commitment to defend South Korea, voicing support to diplomatic solution to the Korean Peninsula issue. Mattis reiterated "the ironclad U.S. commitment" to defend its ally "using the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities" in phone discussion with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo on the results of Friday's inter-Korean summit, Pentagon chief spokesperson Dana White said a statement. The two defense chiefs also expressed commitment to a diplomatic resolution that achieves "complete, verifiable, and irreversible" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as reflected in multiple UN Security Council's resolutions, the statement said. In his conversation with Mattis, Song reviewed the Panmunjom Declaration and the efforts to improve inter-Korean relations while achieving denuclearization. The Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, signed Friday by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), pledged joint efforts for national reconciliation, denuclearization and lasting peace. On Friday, Mattis said the United States will discuss with its allies and the DPRK the need for U.S. troops to stay stationed on the peninsula. The United States "will build, through confidence-building measures, a degree of trust if it's going to go forward," he added, referring to the dialogue with the DPRK on denuclearizing the peninsula. The U.S. troops have stayed in South Korea ever since the signing of the Korean War armistice treaty in 1953. Bilateral relations are often strained over issues such as defense burden sharing, the U.S. army's harassment of South Korean civilians and Seoul's initiative to take back the war-time command control from Washington, among others. TRIPOLI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Libyan authority supervising domestic crimes and its British counterpart agreed to train Libyan security personnel to fight organized crimes and money laundering, the Arabian country's Interior Ministry said Saturday. "It has been agreed to conduct training courses for the (Criminal Investigation) Department's personnel to improve their capabilities in the fight against organized crime" and also, in investigations to track money laundering and contraband funds, a statement from the ministry said. Under an agreement signed by the two countries, a British expert will also assist Libyan electronic crime division members in developing their performance, the statement added. SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said his country will openly close its main nuclear test site in May, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim has told Moon that he will implement the shutdown of the nuclear test site, which will be transparently made open to the international society. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK for the transparent implementation. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear detonations in the Punggye-ri test site in the northeast of the DPRK. File photo: Shanker Das Bairagi (R), Secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong inaugurate a seminar entitled "Strengthening cooperation to promote the construction of the Belt and Road" in Kathmandu, Nepal, Feb. 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma) KATHMANDU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from China and South Asian countries have been encouraged to utilize their complementary advantages to develop and grow together under the Belt and Road Initiative. Addressing the opening ceremony here on Saturday at South Asia-China SMEs Seminar and the third annual general meeting of the Organization for South Asian Regional Friendship and Cooperation with China (OSARFCC), Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong called on the SMEs from China and South Asian countries to seize the opportunity offered by the initiative. 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. Yu said that economic and trade relations as well as cooperation in the areas of tourism and culture have been growing between China and South Asia under the framework of the initiative. A business delegation from Guangyuan city of China's Sichuan Province and the teams from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have gathered in the seminar to explore the possibility of joint investment projects. "China's importance in South Asia has long been felt since decision was taken to bring in China as an observer of South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation," said Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Vidya Sundar Shakya. Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, president of OSARFCC also urged Chinese and other South Asian entrepreneurs to make Nepal a destination of investment as the Himalayan country can be gateway to South Asia. SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has said his country will openly close its main nuclear test site in May, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim told Moon that he will shutdown the nuclear test site, which will be transparently made open to the international society. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK for the transparent implementation. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear detonations in the Punggye-ri test site in northeast of the DPRK. Moon and Kim held the third-ever inter-Korean summit in the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom. Kim became the first DPRK leader to step onto South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. At the summit, they confirmed a common goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to have multilateral talks, including China and the United States, to declare an end to the Korean War and change the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year. Kim told Moon that the two tunnels in the nuclear test site are bigger than the existing ones and in a good shape, rebutting the contention by some media that the DPRK would close the already collapsed nuclear test site. Moon welcomed Kim's decision to openly shut down the nuclear test site, agreeing to discuss when to invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK after the DPRK side completes preparations for it. Kim told Moon that the United States will realize after holding talks with Pyongyang that the DPRK is not a country to use its nuclear weapons toward South Korea, the Pacific Ocean or the United States. The DPRK leader said his country has no reason to live with difficulty because of the nuclear program if it meets the United States frequently and build mutual trust to promise on the end of the Korean War and non-aggression. The summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is forecast to be held in May or early June. Kim told Moon that there will be no repetition of war on the peninsula, strongly affirming that there will never be any use of force. Meanwhile, Kim has agreed with Moon to unify different standard times between Seoul and Pyongyang, which Pyongyang has a standard time 30 minutes later than Seoul. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 12:12:26|Editor: Liu Video Player Close MONTEVIDEO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's capital city of Montevideo is looking to Chinese technology in a bid to expand into a smart city and promote itself as a gateway to Latin American. The city's mayor Daniel Martinez is set to lead a business delegation to China in May to explore the country's technological advances and how they can be applied back home. "The idea is to make technology benefit the people and generate jobs," Martinez told Xinhua. The tour scheduled for May 1-10 will take the delegation to cities including Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Tianjin, where they will visit leading Chinese companies, such as telecommunication giant Huawei, electric vehicle manufacturer BYD and bike-sharing venture Mobike. Representatives of Montevideo's business community will be meeting with their Chinese counterparts, as well as national and regional officials, to explore mutual investment opportunities in a year when China and Uruguay mark 30 years of diplomatic ties. Montevideo is a port city, which is home to 1.4 million people, nearly half of the country's population, and to much of its services and manufacturing industries. "Due to its stability and average socio-educational level, Montevideo is a point of departure for entering into this region," said Martinez. ELECTRIC MOBILITY Martinez envisions residents exclusively traveling on the city's main thoroughfare aboard electric buses, perhaps built by BYD, which has in a short time become the local standard in electric transit. The capital's main public transportation provider, CUTCSA, includes a quiet BYD-made electric bus among its fleet as part of a pilot program that could lead to more such units being incorporated into the network. What's more, a BYD electric car has served as the mayor's official vehicle since last year. An engineer by training, Martinez was impressed when BYD's chief executive told him about a year ago that the company would invest 20 billion U.S. dollars to develop longer-lasting batteries. "In a year and a half, they improved the batteries," Martinez said, adding that the electric cars used by Uruguay's state energy company, UTE, can run for 160 km on a single charge, while those newer models belonging to the mayor's office can run for up to 300 km. In December, Uruguay became the first Latin American country to inaugurate an "electric highway," a 300-km corridor linking three cities -- Colonia, Montevideo and Punta del Este. The route has six charging stations every 60 km to cater to electric vehicle drivers. SMART CITY Montevideo has made "very important development" as a smart city, where technology, communication and infrastructure interconnect to improve urban life, said Martinez. Free Wi-Fi spots are numerous, surveillance systems installed along major avenues help manage traffic and monitor security, and waste management has been made easier with the use of technology, he said. Uruguay is South America's leading exporter of software per capita, with some 700 technology firms exporting to more than 50 markets. With its advanced communications infrastructure, it also leads regional rankings in Internet access. In China, said the mayor, "we are going to see things that are of interest to us. We have to see the reality, learn about the opportunities and see where we can collaborate ... bring together our needs, proposals and also the possibility of Chinese and Uruguayan companies being technological counterparts." "Certainly public-private partnerships, on the Chinese side as well as the Uruguayan side, are going to be beneficial to all sides," he said. MORE OPPORTUNITIES Looking into the future, Martinez said that four out of six children born today will work at jobs that don't yet exist, so it's necessary "to understand that technological development is going to be the paradigm and the reality of the coming eras." "We want to open up as a city and as a country so (China) can offer its technology and its products, and generate relationships with both companies and cities that will allow us to maintain a direct link," said Martinez. "There is a window of opportunity to strengthen, and as residents of (the port of) Montevideo, we are interested in collaborating in logistical development," said the mayor. Martinez said he hopes the trip to China will lay the groundwork for future cooperation. "The function of leaders is to help the private sector develop and boost capacities that drive economic activity and generate more jobs," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 12:27:28|Editor: Liu Video Player Close BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The world continued to welcome a historic meeting between Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and praised the two sides' joint commitment to peace and "complete denuclearization" on the Korean peninsula. Qatar has welcomed the historic summit held on Friday on the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom, hoping that the summit would conduct positive outcomes to promote reconciliation and cooperation between the two countries, Qatar news agency (QNA) reported Saturday, citing a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), lauded the "historic summit" that brought together Moon and Kim, UAE state news agency WAM reported. The highest diplomat of the Gulf Arab country noted that the "groundbreaking summit" represented a turning-point on the path toward ending tension on the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace and security there. Sheikh Abdullah underlined the necessity of keeping the momentum of such efficient steps, affirming the importance of the international community providing all needed support. Iran's Foreign Ministry hailed Saturday in a statement the positive developments in the relations between South Korea and the DPRK, saying Iran had always favored the de-escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula. The Islamic republic welcomed efforts by the leaders of both countries to ensure detente and regards their recent meeting as a "responsible and appropriate step" to global peace and security. Finnish president Sauli Niinisto on Saturday described the inter-Korean summit as "positive" and hoped the trend would continue. Brazil's Foreign Ministry released on Friday an official statement, praising the realization of the summit "was both historical in symbolism and results achieved." "The 'Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula' issued shortly after the meeting brings commitments that Brazil considers fundamental for the normalization of inter-Korean relations and for the definitive construction of peace in the region," the ministry said. The Brazilian government stressed the importance of several points of the agreement achieved by the two leaders, such as the decision to maintain open channels of high level dialogue, to address the issue of families separated by the division of the peninsula, complete cessation of all acts of hostility between the two nations, and the promotion of gradual disarmament in order to make the Korean Peninsula a nuclear-weapon-free zone. "Brazil welcomes the content of the declaration and reaffirms its commitment to peace, the banning of nuclear weapons and the primacy of diplomacy and international law in resolving conflicts," the ministry said. Brazilian President Michel Temer also praised the summit and hoped that it would lead to peace in the region. The Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula pledged joint efforts for national reconciliation, denuclearization and lasting peace. The South African government on Friday welcomed the summit as a positive move. "South Africa is encouraged by these positive developments on the Korean Peninsula and the efforts on all sides to promote direct contact and dialogue to ensure holistic and durable solutions in the Korean Peninsula," said South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation in a statement. Also on Friday, Azerbaijan said the summit would lead to stability on the Korean peninsula. The country's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev wrote on Twitter that Azerbaijan welcomed the summit level meeting between the two Koreas and hoped that consultations would contribute to strengthening peace and security in that region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 13:12:33|Editor: ZX Video Player Close NANNING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A man has been arrested and three others are under investigation after 17 people drowned in a dragon boat accident in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local prosecutors said. Li Changdi, a villager and publicly elected commander of the dragon boat team in Dunmu Village, was arrested by the procuratorate in Xiufeng District of Guilin City. Li, along with others, organized the dragon boat activity without consent of local government authorities, the procuratorate said. Li was arrested on charges of causing a major accident, prosecutors said. Organizers of the dragon boat race failed to anticipate the risks of passing the dam and did not have safety training. On April 21, 17 people died after two dragon boats overturned when trying to pass over a rubber dam on the Taohuajiang River. Most of the victims drowned due to a powerful current near the dam. The boats were 18 meters long with a capacity of 30 passengers each. About 60 people fell into the water. Further investigation is under way. SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Pyongyang cold noodles are now receiving global attention after Friday's inter-Korean summit, according to Yonhap News Agency. While the world welcomed the two Koreas' joint commitment to denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula at the historic summit, cold noodles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which were served at the banquet after the summit, became an overnight hit. Popular DPRK-style cold noodles restaurants in Seoul were crowded with customers lining up to have a bowl for lunch, said Yonhap News Agency. Besides, the phrase Pyongyang naengmyeon, which means Pyongyang cold noodles in Korean, hit the Korean trends on Twitter this Friday. Pyongyang cold noodles, a signature from the DPRK, are long and thin handmade noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients, including buckwheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, arrowroot starch, and kudzu. Cold noodles from Pyongyang's famous Okryugwan restaurant were served at the banquet on Friday night, according to the Blue House. A chef from Okryugwan were said to cook the noodles with a noodle-making machine installed at Tongilgak on the DPRK side of Panmunjom, a truce village straddling the heavily fortified inter-Korean land border. WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday in Michigan state that his meeting with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un could happen in three or four weeks. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Trump said. The White House added that Trump did not know what will happen concerning the meeting. Earlier on Saturday, the White House announced that Trump discussed in phone calls about the latest developments of the Korean Peninsula with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump and Moon discussed the inter-Korean meeting Friday between Moon and Kim, and emphasized that "a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea (the DPRK) is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." In a separate call with Abe, the two leaders reiterated the need for the DPRK to "abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs." Earlier on Friday, Trump told a press conference that he has a "very good working relationship" with Kim, and that "we're down to two countries, as to a site" to host the meeting with Kim, "and we'll let you know what that site is." NEW DELHI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Two political workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were killed by unidentified gunmen in India's western state of Maharashtra, police said Sunday. The duo was killed Saturday evening at Ahmednagar district, about 250 km east of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. "Two youth wing leaders of NCP Yogesh Ralebhat and Rakesh Ralebhat were shot at by unidentified assailants last evening. The assailants are said to have come on a motorbike and shot bullets at them through a country made weapons," a police official said. "Though both of them were immediately removed to the nearest hospital but they succumbed there during treatment." Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the incident. The killing came three weeks after two political activists from Shiv Sena were killed in the similar incident. HOUSTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-four Chinese students studying in the southern United States received the 2017 national awards for outstanding self-financed students abroad Saturday at the Chinese Consulate General in Houston. Deputy Consul General in Houston Wang Yu presented the awards to the distinguished students, saying that people-to-people exchange, including educational exchange, is the basis of China-U.S. relations. "Young people from China and the U.S. should understand each other and learn from each other," Wang said. "I hope all of you will act as the constructors and messengers of China-U.S. relations." Wang Yuan, a former PhD student at University of Alabama and now an assistant professor at Eastern Kentucky University, told Xinhua that getting the PhD degree is a journey full of hardship and accomplishment. "I feel so proud and grateful to have the award," he said. "I hope every PhD student will work hard and be persistent to finish their study and devote their contributions to the home country." The Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad is a scholarship set up by the China Scholarship Council in 2003 to honor overseas Chinese students with outstanding academic accomplishments. According to official statistics, 500 Chinese students studying abroad received the scholarship in 2017. SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), has said during the inter-Korean summit that Pyongyang was ready to hold dialogue with Japan at any time, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said that Moon had a telephone conversation for 45 minutes from 10:00 a.m. local time with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to explain and share the result of the April 27 summit with the DPRK leader. At the summit, Moon relayed Abes willingness to talk with Pyongyang and normalize Japan-DPRK relations to the DPRK leader. In response, Kim told Moon that his country was ready to talk with Japan at any time. JALALABAD, Afghanistan, April 29 (Xinhua) -- An Afghan woman and two children were killed in a blast caused by explosive remnants of war in eastern province of Nangarhar, a provincial government spokesman said Sunday. "The incident occurred at around 06:30 Sunday in Surkh Rod district, east of provincial capital Jalalabad city," spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told Xinhua. He said the blast occurred on an agriculture land near the victims' house. Another woman and a teenage girl were also wounded in the explosion. Provincial police department has launched a probe into the incident. Afghan officials use the term of explosive remnants of war (ERW) referring to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO). The ERW explosions killed 164 civilians and injured 475 others across Afghanistan in 2017, according to UN missions' figures. 9 police killed in gunfight with Taliban in N. Afghanistan Source: Xinhua 2018-04-29 14:37:47 FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, April 29 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Afghan police personnel were killed and 10 others injured in a gunfight after the Taliban attacked a remote district in the country's northern province of Badakhshan, local police said Sunday. Editor: Shi Yinglun In this file photo,the cooling tower of the Yongbyon nuclear complex is demolished in Yongbyon of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), June 27, 2008. (Xinhua/Gao Haorong) SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has said his country will openly close its main nuclear test site in May, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim told Moon that he will shutdown the nuclear test site, which will be transparently made open to the international society. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK for the transparent implementation. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear detonations in the Punggye-ri test site in northeast of the DPRK. Moon and Kim held the third-ever inter-Korean summit in the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom. Kim became the first DPRK leader to step onto South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. At the summit, they confirmed a common goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to have multilateral talks, including China and the United States, to declare an end to the Korean War and change the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year. Kim told Moon that the two tunnels in the nuclear test site are bigger than the existing ones and in a good shape, rebutting the contention by some media that the DPRK would close the already collapsed nuclear test site. Moon welcomed Kim's decision to openly shut down the nuclear test site, agreeing to discuss when to invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK after the DPRK side completes preparations for it. Kim told Moon that the United States will realize after holding talks with Pyongyang that the DPRK is not a country to use its nuclear weapons toward South Korea, the Pacific Ocean or the United States. The DPRK leader said his country has no reason to live with difficulty because of the nuclear program if it meets the United States frequently and build mutual trust to promise on the end of the Korean War and non-aggression. The summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is forecast to be held in May or early June. Kim told Moon that there will be no repetition of war on the peninsula, strongly affirming that there will never be any use of force. Meanwhile, Kim has agreed with Moon to unify different standard times between Seoul and Pyongyang, which Pyongyang has a standard time 30 minutes later than Seoul. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 3 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time AnatoliyGolitsyn Registered User User ID: kaput 04-29-2018 03:47 AM Posts: 3,299 Post: #1 Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time Advertisement Pavel Stotsko and Yevgeny Voytsekhovsky Pavel Stotsko / Facebook Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time in what may be a legal loophole that was uncovered by a couple in Moscow. Russia does not register same-sex marriages, however Russian family law recognizes marriages that were registered abroad if they do not contradict article 14 of the Family Code. That article bars marriages between close relatives and people who have already been registered as married but does not mention marriages between people of the same sex. Pavel Stotsko and Yevgeny Voytsekhovsky tied the knot in Copenhagen, where gay marriage is legal, earlier this month, before asking Russian officials to recognize their marriage certificate, the couple told the opposition-leaning Dozhd TV news channel. A Moscow civil service staffer stamped their marital status page in their passport as married without additional questions, or any change in his facial expression, the couple told Dozhd TV on Thursday. Moscows service center later denied registering the marriage. Employees of state service centers dont stamp passports. Therefore, the information indicated in the news is false, it said in an online statement later that day. Dozhd TV cited Russian deputies as saying that the gay marriage loophole should be closed legislatively. There should be and could be no loopholes in the law, the TV broadcaster cited Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Dumas committee on international relations, as saying. https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-a...says-60295 Pavel Stotsko and Yevgeny VoytsekhovskyPavel Stotsko / FacebookRussia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time in what may be a legal loophole that was uncovered by a couple in Moscow.Russia does not register same-sex marriages, however Russian family law recognizes marriages that were registered abroad if they do not contradict article 14 of the Family Code. That article bars marriages between close relatives and people who have already been registered as married but does not mention marriages between people of the same sex.Pavel Stotsko and Yevgeny Voytsekhovsky tied the knot in Copenhagen, where gay marriage is legal, earlier this month, before asking Russian officials to recognize their marriage certificate, the couple told the opposition-leaning Dozhd TV news channel.A Moscow civil service staffer stamped their marital status page in their passport as married without additional questions, or any change in his facial expression, the couple told Dozhd TV on Thursday.Moscows service center later denied registering the marriage.Employees of state service centers dont stamp passports. Therefore, the information indicated in the news is false, it said in an online statement later that day.Dozhd TV cited Russian deputies as saying that the gay marriage loophole should be closed legislatively.There should be and could be no loopholes in the law, the TV broadcaster cited Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Dumas committee on international relations, as saying. (This post was last modified: 04-29-2018 03:49 AM by AnatoliyGolitsyn .) AnatoliyGolitsyn Registered User User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 03:48 AM Posts: 3,299 Post: #2 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time Ahhh, so sorry to burst the Putintards' bubble. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 03:51 AM Post: #3 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time In Soviet Russia, we used to allow western spy to marry other western spy because they act like such f*gg**s to us in the first place. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 03:53 AM Post: #4 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time MainStreetFatCat Wrote: (04-29-2018 03:48 AM) Ahhh, so sorry to burst the Putintards' bubble. There goes the neighborhood There goes the neighborhood AnatoliyGolitsyn Registered User User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 04:24 AM Posts: 3,299 Post: #5 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 03:53 AM) MainStreetFatCat Wrote: (04-29-2018 03:48 AM) Ahhh, so sorry to burst the Putintards' bubble. There goes the neighborhood LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 08:02 AM Post: #6 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time I knew it. He was takiing us all for a ride with his fake anti gay stuff. USSR Registered User User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 08:18 AM Posts: 1,023 Post: #7 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time ... I hope this legislative the amendment will be shortly included in laws of Russia... Russia does not need the American values of perverts You can celebrate... you have won against Putin... Putin is defeated... I hope this legislative the amendment will be shortly included in laws of Russia... Russia does not need the American values of perverts Behave adequately... if you see the Russian... (This post was last modified: 04-29-2018 08:24 AM by USSR .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 08:25 AM Post: #8 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time any state that meddles in its citizens personal lives is a commie statist hellhole. USSR Registered User User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 08:28 AM Posts: 1,023 Post: #9 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:25 AM) any state that meddles in its citizens personal lives is a commie statist hellhole. The ban of same-sex marriages, the ban of sex with children, the ban of sex with corpses, the ban of sex with animals ... This interference of the state in private life? Any country ... which does not prohibit this ... is a hell of a hole Behave adequately... if you see the Russian... (This post was last modified: 04-29-2018 08:37 AM by USSR .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 08:32 AM Post: #10 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time USSR Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:28 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:25 AM) any state that meddles in its citizens personal lives is a commie statist hellhole. The ban of same-sex marriages, the ban of sex with children, the ban of sex with corpses, the ban of sex with animals ... This interference of the state in private life? Any country ... which does not prohibit this ... is a hell of a hole Yes the ban of consensual marriage/sex is commie statist shithole practice. Meddling in the lives of people is what commie shitholes do. Russia is a commie shithole. Yes the ban of consensual marriage/sex is commie statist shithole practice. Meddling in the lives of people is what commie shitholes do. Russia is a commie shithole. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 10:40 AM Post: #11 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:32 AM) USSR Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:28 AM) The ban of same-sex marriages, the ban of sex with children, the ban of sex with corpses, the ban of sex with animals ... This interference of the state in private life? Any country ... which does not prohibit this ... is a hell of a hole Yes the ban of consensual marriage/sex is commie statist shithole practice. Meddling in the lives of people is what commie shitholes do. Russia is a commie shithole. So you're saying it's the California of the East? So you're saying it's the California of the East? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 06:54 PM Post: #12 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 10:40 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:32 AM) Yes the ban of consensual marriage/sex is commie statist shithole practice. Meddling in the lives of people is what commie shitholes do. Russia is a commie shithole. So you're saying it's the California of the East? t ceti h c radnarg lop guest User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 06:57 PM Post: #13 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time nature doesnt . LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:55 AM Post: #14 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time t ceti h c radnarg Wrote: (04-29-2018 06:57 PM) nature doesnt . The Soviets only use heterosexuality for cohesion purposes internally but are promoting libertinism in the West. The Soviets only use heterosexuality for cohesion purposes internally but are promoting libertinism in the West. AnatoliyGolitsyn Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 03:20 AM Posts: 3,299 Post: #15 RE: Russia has recognized a same-sex marriage for the first time LoP Guest Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:32 AM) USSR Wrote: (04-29-2018 08:28 AM) The ban of same-sex marriages, the ban of sex with children, the ban of sex with corpses, the ban of sex with animals ... This interference of the state in private life? Any country ... which does not prohibit this ... is a hell of a hole Yes the ban of consensual marriage/sex is commie statist shithole practice. Meddling in the lives of people is what commie shitholes do. Russia is a commie shithole. Gay marriage actually helps communism. You have things twisted. Gay marriage actually helps communism. You have things twisted. Advertisement NEW DELHI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and 25 others injured in a collision between a truck and a bus in India's Madhya Pradesh state Sunday, police said. The accident occurred in Mandsaur district, 350 km from the central state's capital Bhopal. "The collision took place this morning when the speeding truck crashed into the passenger bus carrying some 40 people, including a driver and a conductor," a police official said. While seven passengers of the bus died in the impact of the crash, those injured have been admitted to a local hospital where the condition of three are said to be serious, he added. Eye-witnesses told police that the truck was travelling at high speed and the accident occurred when its driver lost control of the vehicle. However, a probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said. "We have booked the truck and bus driver for rash and negligent driving. While the bus driver sustained injuries, a manhunt has been launched to track down the truck driver," he added. India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles. Enditem CANBERRA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has allocated 500 million Australian dollars (379 million U.S. dollars) to save the Great Barrier Reef from climate change, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced here on Sunday. The reef, the largest of its kind in the world, has been decimated by climate change with a recent study finding that 30 percent of its coral was killed during a "catastrophic" heatwave in 2016. Earlier in 2018, the head of the United Nations environment program warned that the fight to save the world's coral reefs was at "make-or-break point." A vast majority of the funding will be given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation who will continue their efforts to eradicate crown-of-thorns starfish, reduce pollution and mitigate the impact of climate change. The rest has been allocated to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Department of Environment and Energy to expand environmental management. Turnbull said the funds were an investment in the reef and the tourism industry that relies on it. "Like reefs all over the world, the Great Barrier Reef is under pressure," Turnbull said in a statement on Sunday. "A big challenge demands a big investment, and this investment gives our reef the best chance. "As a highly respected philanthropic organization, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has a strong fundraising track record, and will seek corporate contributions to further enhance this work," he said. Damage to the reef has come in the form of coral bleaching, a process whereby coral expel the algae living in their tissue when water is too warm, turning the coral completely white. Coral that has bleached is not dead but is under more stress and vulnerable to mortality. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 15:02:52|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KUNMING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Squirrels have become the latest Chinese internet celebrities thanks to an account on microblogging site Sina Weibo featuring the animals. An account named after the squirrels at southwest China's Yunnan University was launched on April 9. The human behind it is Jiang Mingli, a sophomore in archival science at the university. The account has already received over a million clicks. "For graduates of our university, I squeak for happiness when you are happy, and I squeak for sorrow when you are sad. If you miss your alma mater, come back and feed me," read one blog entry. "Squirrels have been on our campus for a long time. They are very popular with tourists, so I opened the account to let more people get to know the cute animals. I also thought it would be fun to have something special to represent our university, like an icon," Jiang said. Last week, the university celebrated its 95th anniversary. Jiang also hopes that the account will be a way to keep students and graduates in touch with their alma mater. "I want it to be an emotional connection for students, particularly after they graduate," he said. Social media users have delighted in interacting with the account. "Hello squirrel, did the peacock that showed up several days ago invite you to dinner?" asked Weibo user YNUBB. "NO!" came the reply, accompanied by three crying emojis. Jiang publishes two blogs per day in the squirrels' voice. Content includes pictures of squirrels, tips on feeding the animals, and interesting facts about the university. "I hope the account will be taken care of after my graduation," Jiang said. The squirrels aren't the only university icons to appear on the microblogging site. There are Weibo accounts named after the wind at a university in Qingdao, the pigeons of Zhejiang Gongshang University and one that personifies a bell at another institution. The wind account, with more than 23,000 followers, tweets the Chinese character "hu" -- the sound of wind -- every day to indicate how strong the wind is. Another account named after a bell tower has gained about 400,000 followers since 2010, and it tweets "BONG" every hour to indicate the time. FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, April 29 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Afghan police personnel were killed and 10 others injured in a gunfight after the Taliban attacked a remote district in the country's northern province of Badakhshan, local police said Sunday. "Militants stormed security checkpoints in the outer neighborhood of Tashkan district Saturday night, triggering a gunfight. Sporadic clashes were ongoing Sunday around the district center and its local bazaar as security forces are fighting back the assailants," spokesman Sanaullah Rouhani told Xinhua. Several militants were also killed and wounded during the fighting in the district, south of provincial capital Faizabad city, but their number could not be exactly specified yet, he added. The Taliban-led insurgency has been on the rampage since the beginning of 2015 when the Afghan security forces assumed full responsibilities of security from the U.S. and NATO troops. The Taliban militants also intensified attacks against security forces across the country after they launched a yearly rebel offensive on Wednesday. The mountainous province has been the scene of heavy clashes over the past months. Earlier, the country's defense ministry said that six Taliban militants were killed and four others wounded during a cleanup operation in Tashkan district on Saturday. SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese delegation is preparing for the first China-U.S. Quality Summit to be held next Monday in Seattle, the largest city in Washington state on the U.S. west coast. The China-U.S. Quality Summit is part of the Global Summit on Quality to be hosted by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) during the 2018 World Conference on Quality and Improvement (2018 ASQ Conference), which will be held between April 30 and May 2. The summit will provide a platform for the exchange of information and ideas between senior U.S. and Chinese executives, government officials and quality experts. Representatives from nearly 40 organizations and industries from the United States and China are scheduled to attend the event. Themed "New Vision of Quality in the Digital Era," the summit will feature keynote speakers from the Chinese government and senior executives from leading Chinese companies such as Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited, Haier Group Corporation, and XiamenAir, a carrier mainly owned by China Southern Airlines. "Regardless of size, industry or location, the way we do business is changing due to the rapid advancement of technology, including robotics, the internet of things and artificial intelligence," said ASQ Chair Elmer Corbin earlier this month. "This Sino-U.S. summit will open meaningful dialogue about challenges and opportunities in the digital era, which are having a profound impact on quality and organizational excellence," he said. While participants will share their views and perspectives on disruptive technologies and quality, panel discussions about globalization, innovation and sustainability will include thought leaders from Chinese organizations and industries. The World Conference on Quality and Improvement is the largest and most influential global annual meeting on quality, which attracts about 2,000 to 3,000 participants from more than 50 countries and regions since its inception in 1947. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 15:37:58|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China's local governments have entrusted more of their basic pension funds for investment, as the country moves to tackle the challenge of an aging society. By the end of March, 12 provincial-level regions including Beijing and Shanghai had signed contracts to entrust a total of 475 billion yuan (75 billion U.S. dollars) in pension funds to the National Council for Social Security Fund (NCSSF), according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Of the total, 306.65 billion yuan is in place and has started to be invested, the ministry said. Pensions in China were traditionally held by banks or used to purchase treasury bills with annual yields far below the market average. Given an aging population, China faces more pension payment pressure and has been exploring ways to preserve and increase the value of its around 4-trillion-yuan of pension funds. Measures have been rolled out to allow investment in more profitable financial products. The NCSSF said it earned an annual average return of over 8 percent on its investments over the past decade. The country had around 240 million people aged over 60 at the end of 2017, accounting for 17.3 percent of the total population. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (C), Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attend a joint press conference in Moscow, Russia, April 28, 2018. MOSCOW, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Iran and Turkey said Saturday that international meetings in the Astana format have made the most efficient contribution to the settlement of the Syrian crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu issued a joint statement after a trilateral meeting on Syria in Moscow. They said the talks in the Kazakh capital helped combat terrorism, reduce the level of violence and create favorable conditions for a political settlement, including through facilitating the establishment of a broad intra-Syrian dialogue. The three ministers agreed to hold the next round of international talks on Syria in Astana next month. In parallel to the UN-sponsored Geneva process, eight rounds of Astana talks have been held since January 2017, with Russia, Turkey and Iran as the mediators. The most significant outcome was the establishment of four de-escalation zones in Syria. In Saturday's joint statement, the three countries reiterated their firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria. The ministers confirmed their countries' determination to work for the final elimination of the Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other terrorist groups in Syria. They also called on all armed opposition formations in Syria to completely and urgently dissociate themselves from the terrorist groups. The three countries rejected all attempts to create new situations under the pretext of anti-terrorism and opposed separatist plans aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and the national security of neighboring countries. The top diplomats strongly condemned the reported use of chemical weapons in Syria and demanded the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons conduct a timely and professional investigation. SEOUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said his country will openly close its main nuclear test site in May, and showed expectations for a summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told a press briefing that during the April 27 summit, Kim told Moon that he will shut down the nuclear test site and show the process to the world. Kim said he will invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK for the transparent shutdown. Pyongyang conducted all of its six nuclear tests in the Punggye-ri test site in northeastern DPRK. Moon and Kim held the third-ever inter-Korean summit in the South Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom. Kim became the first DPRK leader to step onto South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. After the summit, they confirmed a common goal of the complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to have multilateral talks, including China and the United States, to declare an end to the Korean War and alter the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty by the end of this year. The peninsula remains technically at war as the war ended with armistice, not with peace treaty. Kim told Moon that the Punggye-ri test site is in a good shape, rebutting the contention by some media that the DPRK would close the already collapsed nuclear test site. Moon welcomed Kim's decision to openly shut down the nuclear test site, agreeing to discuss when to invite experts and reporters of South Korea and the United States to the DPRK after the DPRK side completes preparations for the closure. Kim told Moon that the United States will realize, after holding talks with Pyongyang, that the DPRK is not a country to use its nuclear weapons toward South Korea, the Pacific Ocean, or the United States. The DPRK leader said his country has no reason to live with difficulty because of the nuclear program when it meets the United States frequently and build mutual trust to promise the end to the Korean War and non-aggression. The summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is forecast to be held in May or early June. Kim told Moon that there will be no repetition of war on the peninsula, strongly affirming that there will never be any use of force. In a separate press briefing, Moon's spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said the South Korean president had a telephone conversation with Trump for 75 minutes from 9:15 p.m. local time Saturday to exchange views over the result of the inter-Korean summit. Trump congratulated the successful Moon-Kim summit, while Moon expressed gratitude for Trump's strong support that led to the successful inter-Korean summit. Trump said confirming the goal of making a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through the complete denuclearization was very good news to the two Koreas as well as to the entire world. He expressed his support to the agreement by Moon and Kim to declare an end to the Korean War. Moon and Trump exchanged opinions on ways to successfully hold the DPRK-U.S. summit, agreeing to continue close consultations in a bid to reach an agreement on the summit on detailed ways to realize the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Regarding the timing of the DPRK-U.S. summit, Moon and Trump shared a view that it should be held at an earliest possible date to maintain the momentum of the successful inter-Korean summit. They also discussed the possible DPRK-U.S. meeting locations, reducing candidate sites to two to three places. Moon also had a phone dialogue for 45 minutes from 10 a.m. local time Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to explain and share the results of the inter-Korean summit. At the summit, Moon relayed Abe's willingness to talk with Pyongyang and normalize Japan-DPRK relations to the DPRK leader. In response, Kim told Moon that his country was ready to talk with Japan at any time. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 17:03:10|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal meeting Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, underscoring mutual trust and cooperation. The Xi-Modi meeting has become a new milestone in the development of China-India bilateral relations, said Russian expert Boris Volkhonsky, associate professor of the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State University. "The meeting is of great symbolic significance ... It will undoubtedly give impetus and new dynamics to China-India relations," Volkhonsky told Xinhua. Volkhonsky said addressing global development issues without the participation of China and India is simply impossible. Building trust between the two largest countries in the region would contribute to global peace and stability, he added. The historic "informal" summit between Xi and Modi would lead to consensus on many long-pending issues between India and China, and it would usher in a new world order of "equals," said Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, former chairperson of India's premier Institute of Chinese Studies. This was a milestone like former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's visit in 1988, Mohanty told Xinhua. Being billed as an informal summit which did not focus on specific issues, the meeting could be an occasion for a frank exchange of views, said Mohanty, who is the incumbent chairperson of the Bhubaneswar-based Development Research Institute. The important thing was to recognize that it's a new framework for the relationship that the two countries want to develop, in which three things have become important and apparent, said the Indian analyst on China. First, respecting each other as equals; second, it is a comprehensive framework, not issue-bound; third, it is not about gains in a power-relationship in a particular sphere, but about 2,000 years of history and the future, Mohanty said. So this is a new framework that has emerged in the two countries' understanding of each other, the expert said. "The bilateral tete-a-tete may well prove a game-changer," said Alka Acharya, who teaches at the Center for East Asian Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. Acharya, along with many of the Indian media and strategists, was upbeat about the Xi-Modi meeting. Not that one informal summit between the two leaders would solve the major bilateral problems between India and China, she was quoted as saying by "The Daily Star," the largest English-language newspaper in Bangladesh. Given their divergences on a host of issues, the fact that Modi and Xi were meeting again is viewed in New Delhi and Beijing as an indication that bilateral ties are resilient, the daily said in an opinion piece published before Xi and Modi met. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 17:18:13|Editor: ZX Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army said on Sunday that it had briefly detained a Lebanese shepherd after she crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel. An Israeli military spokesperson said she and another shepherd crossed the border near Mount Hermon in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights on Saturday. "One of the shepherds was detained for questioning, after which she was freed to return to Lebanon," the spokesperson said. Lebanese media identified the shepherd as Nohad Dali. Reports quoting the Lebanese military said she was caught in Shebaa, a disputed area which the Israelis claim as part of the annexed Golan Heights seized from Syria in 1967, while Lebanon considers it as a Lebanese territory. The Lebanese army initially reported the woman was "abducted" by an Israeli army patrol and reported it to UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the United Nations peacekeeping force. UNIFIL is based on the border between Israel and Lebanon. The last full-fledged war on this border took place in 2006 between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese military of Hezbollah. The border area has seen mounting tensions over Hezbollah's involvement in the war in Syria, where its forces have gained more experience and better arsenal while fighting alongside the Syrian army. 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The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 17:28:15|Editor: ZX Video Player Close WUHAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached broad consensus on the overarching, long-term and strategic issues of global and bilateral importance after an informal summit in central China's Wuhan from April 27 to 28. According to a press release issued on Saturday following the summit, the two leaders had in-depth discussions in a friendly atmosphere. They also reached consensus on their respective visions for national development as well as domestic and foreign policies. Both sides share the view that the international landscape is undergoing profound changes, the relative power of countries is heading towards greater balance, and peace and development represent an irreversible trend. One the other hand, the world is faced with rising instability and uncertainty. China and India, as celebrated civilizations, the two biggest developing countries and two emerging economies each with a population of over one billion, are important countries with strategic autonomy. A peaceful, stable and balanced relationship between China and India is an important positive factor for the stability of the world. The two countries will work together to enhance stable and balanced development of major-country relations, advance stability, development and prosperity of Asia in the 21st century, promote the rejuvenation of the oriental civilization and make a positive contribution to global peace and development. Both sides take the view that China and India are neighbors, friends and partners. The development of both China and India is a prevailing trend of history and offers important opportunities to each other. Both China and India stand for an independent policy of peaceful development. Both sides agree that the two countries will continuously enhance mutual trust, carry forward the fine norms enshrined in the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, a stellar example of joint initiatives by the two countries, and blaze a broad path of friendly cooperation between two great neighboring countries, a path that can best meet the needs of the times. Both sides agree to advance all-round cooperation and strengthen the China-India Closer Developmental Partnership in an equal-footed, mutually beneficial and sustainable manner to support their national modernization. Guided by the leaders of the two countries, they will strengthen dialogue in political, security and other areas to have full and timely communication on major issues of mutual interest to enhance understanding and expand consensus so that the China-India relationship will always keep to the right direction. They will tap into the full potential of business and investment cooperation, set new targets, harness positive forces, and explore new ways of cooperation to achieve win-win results. Building on the profound cultures of the two great oriental civilizations and harnessing the rich human resources of their combined population of 2.6 billion, the two sides will work to create a new boom in cultural exchanges by promoting people-to-people links and unleashing the vitality of the two emerging economies. For this to happen, the two sides agree to establish a high-level cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanism. Both sides agree to properly manage and control their differences. Both sides have the maturity and wisdom to handle their differences through peaceful discussion and by respecting each other's concerns and aspirations. They agree to use the Special Representatives' Meeting on the Boundary Question to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement. The two militaries will strengthen confidence-building measures and enhance communication and cooperation to uphold border peace and tranquility. Both sides agree to promote more active regional and international cooperation. They agree to join hands in offering innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges such as epidemics, natural disasters, climate change and terrorism. As two major countries in Asia, China and India will use their political influence and economic power to reinvigorate regional economic development. The two countries will work together to make international relations more democratic, increase the representation and say of developing countries and emerging markets, support the multilateral trading regime, oppose protectionism and work for an open, inclusive, balanced and win-win economic globalization that benefits all. Both sides agree to instruct their competent departments to work out specific plans and measures to implement the above consensus, and, building on the informal summit, endeavor to open new prospects in China-India relations. Both sides agree that the leaders of the two countries will continue to maintain strategic communication in various forms. MOGADISHU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has appealed to the international community for humanitarian support to help avert a humanitarian crisis as floods uproot hundreds of thousands. Khaire said the situation was fast escalating as aid agencies warned that close to half a million people had been affected in south-central regions of the country. "We have all agreed to put our efforts together to help those who have been affected the floods," the prime minister said on Saturday evening after commissioning a 22-member team to spearhead the response. He also called on envoys who also attended the meeting to step in while urging Somalis to contribute resources to stem the crisis after more than 400,000 Somalis have been affected by the flooding including 175,000 others who have been displaced. "We urgently call on the various sectors of the community such as clerics, women, parliamentarians and aid agencies to consult on emergency response to our people affected by floods," Khaire said. Thousands were still moving Saturday from their homes in central regions as the River Shabelle burst its banks inundating Baladweyne town in central Somalia. African Union troops joined in on Saturday to transport families to safe grounds. The Norwegian Refugees Council said on Friday that upwards of 400,00 people had been displaced along the Shabelle and Juba rivers which emanate from Ethiopia draining into the Indian Ocean. The humanitarian appeal follows an ongoing drought relief efforts in the country which the UN has warned could still spiral into a famine. The committee to be chaired by deputy prime minister will oversee the response in coordination with the ministry of humanitarian affairs. The prime minister said his government will urgently respond to prevent the crisis from deteriorating into a catastrophe, adding that the committee will soon start efforts to help the victims who are currently in dire need of assistance. File photo shows displaced children play in rain water at a camp for displaced people in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia.(Xinhua/ Faisal Isse) MOGADISHU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has appealed to the international community for humanitarian support to help avert a humanitarian crisis as floods uproot hundreds of thousands. Khaire said the situation was fast escalating as aid agencies warned that close to half a million people had been affected in south-central regions of the country. "We have all agreed to put our efforts together to help those who have been affected the floods," the prime minister said on Saturday evening after commissioning a 22-member team to spearhead the response. He also called on envoys who also attended the meeting to step in while urging Somalis to contribute resources to stem the crisis after more than 400,000 Somalis have been affected by the flooding including 175,000 others who have been displaced. "We urgently call on the various sectors of the community such as clerics, women, parliamentarians and aid agencies to consult on emergency response to our people affected by floods," Khaire said. Thousands were still moving Saturday from their homes in central regions as the River Shabelle burst its banks inundating Baladweyne town in central Somalia. African Union troops joined in on Saturday to transport families to safe grounds. The Norwegian Refugees Council said on Friday that upwards of 400,00 people had been displaced along the Shabelle and Juba rivers which emanate from Ethiopia draining into the Indian Ocean. The humanitarian appeal follows an ongoing drought relief efforts in the country which the UN has warned could still spiral into a famine. The committee to be chaired by deputy prime minister will oversee the response in coordination with the ministry of humanitarian affairs. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 18:08:24|Editor: ZX Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A deal was reached on Sunday for the evacuation of rebels and their families from three towns south of the capital Damascus, as a prelude to the entry of the Syrian army to those areas, Syrian state TV reported. The deal was reached in the towns of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem on the southern outskirts of Damascus. It includes the evacuation of rebels and their families who refuse to reconcile with the government to rebel-held areas in northern Syria, while the militants who want to remain in the three towns will have to reconcile with the government and hand over their weapons. The evacuees will only be allowed to have light weapons, said the report, adding that the Syrian government's institutions will return to the three towns after the process is completed. Still, the report spelled no detail on the exact time of the evacuation, noting that the process will start once the arrangements are completed. Those areas have for long been out of the conflict zone, as the Syrian army concluded a truce with various rebel groups in these towns in 2014, and since then the Syrian government has been trying to turn the deal from a truce to reconciliation, which will allow the government to enter those areas and take control. The deal comes as the Syrian army launched a crushing offensive against rebel-held areas south of Damascus. A day earlier, the Syrian army fully secured four neighborhoods south of Damascus after battles with the IS militants and closing in on a key bastion of the terror-designated group in that part of the capital. The Syrian army fully captured the neighborhoods of al-Qadam, Mazaniyeh, Asali, and Jourah, from IS around the Hajar al-Aswad and the Yarmouk Camp areas, as those two areas are the major bastions of IS south of Damascus, according to the report. IS has lost its major stronghold late last year, with the Syrian army capturing Deir al-Zour city in eastern Syria as well as large swathes of the Syrian desert near the Iraqi border. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also stripped IS of its de facto capital of Raqqa north of Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 18:08:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Photo taken on April 29, 2018 shows the site of a blast in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. At least six people, including a child, were injured in a bomb attack near a voter registration center in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Sunday, a provincial government spokesman said. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi) JALALABAD, Afghanistan, April 29 (Xinhua) -- At least six people, including a child, were injured in a bomb attack near a voter registration center in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Sunday, a provincial government spokesman said. "Six civilians were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a rickshaw went off at around midday near a mosque in Police District 4 of the city," Attaullah Khogyani told Xinhua. The injured were shifted to hospital where two of the wounded remained in critical condition. A poll registration center was set up inside the mosque for locals to visit the site and receive voting card. The blast also damaged several nearby buildings. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. The Afghan election officials have slated Oct. 20 as the date for the upcoming parliamentary and district councils elections. Over the past few months, Afghanistan has witnessed waves of terror attacks by the Islamic State (IS) and Taliban insurgents opposing the elections. Last Sunday, some 60 people were killed and over 130 injured after an IS suicide bomber struck a voter registration site in Afghan capital of Kabul. ADDIS ABABA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has renewed its decade-old demand for 468 looted artifacts stored in British museums to be permanently repatriated. The artifacts were looted by Imperial British forces after their victory over an Ethiopian king, Emperor Tewodros I, in 1868 in Meqdela, northern Ethiopia. Speaking exclusively to Xinhua on Sunday, Gezahegn Abate, Public and International Relations Director at the Ethiopia Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT), said Ethiopia's efforts to return the looted artifacts from the UK are complicated by the fact that British law makes it difficult for looted artifacts to return to their original homeland. Ethiopia's largely underreported efforts to return its looted artifacts is about two decades ago. While MoCT is working hard to return the stolen artifacts, the ministry is also pushing back on suggestions by some foreign officials that Ethiopia may not have adequate facilities to house artifacts and countries like Germany and Britain can do a better job of showcasing Ethiopian treasures. Abate told Xinhua his government deems these suggestions unacceptable and the Ethiopian government as well as private citizens have invested and are investing their money and know-how in building and renovating museums to preserve the country's rich historical tradition. "We're diligently working to keep our treasures, register them in digital archives so we can identify and showcase to the public and in turn helping guard them against being stolen," he further said. MoCT is also giving professional services to institutions holding invaluable artifacts like churches and mosques on how to better protect and preserve treasures. "While domestic legislations in countries like UK hinder return of looted treasures to their original homeland, momentum is on Ethiopia and other countries who want their looted treasures return," Abate said. Abate also said the Ethiopian government intends to make the return of its looted artifacts an international matter and is utilizing international conventions on artifacts to ask for their restitution. Ethiopia is also working through the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to pressure foreign governments and private institutions to return Ethiopian artifacts. "Ethiopian treasures are the expression of our identity, culture and history and a source of our civilization," said Abate. ABUJA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Twelve people have been confirmed dead following a road accident in Nigeria's southwest region late Saturday, according to the traffic police on Sunday. Five others were injured in the accident which involved a truck and a bus along the 127.6 km-long Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Babatunde Akinbiyi, a spokesman of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency in the southwest of Nigeria, told Xinhua. Akinbiyi said the accident was caused by wrongful overtaking by the bus driver coming from an opposite direction. This led to a head-on collision with the oncoming truck. He said the injured victims have been taken to a government hospital for treatment. NAIROBI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is set to submit its papers for the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) that was signed in March in Kigali, Rwanda, a government official said. "We shall soon be depositing legal instruments with the African Union, making Kenya the third country in Africa to ratify the convention after Rwanda and Ghana," said Chris Kiptoo, the Principal Secretary for International Trade in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Co-operatives. Kiptoo said this while presiding over official closing of a four-day African Round of the European Law Students Association (ELSA) Moot Court Competition on World Trade Organization (WTO) Law on Saturday night in Nairobi. He called upon member states in Africa to invest in knowledge about multilateral trading system in order to fully appreciate and leverage the vast market opportunities created by the AfCFTA. All the East African countries except Burundi which did not attend the Summit on March 21 in Rwanda signed all the three protocols. Only 22 member countries were required to sign the agreement to make the AfCFTA treaty operational. According to the African Union, AfCFTA aims to establish a single liberalized market that will spur industrialization, infrastructural development, economic diversification and trade across the continent that is home to some 1.2 billion people. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 19:03:33|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close A woman prays in front of a big statue of Buddha during "Buddha Purnima" celebration in Dhaka, Bangladesh on April 29, 2018. Bangladesh's Buddhist community Sunday celebrated "Buddha Purnima", in a befitting manner, which marks holy Gautama Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. (Xinhua) DHAKA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's Buddhist community Sunday celebrated "Buddha Purnima," in a befitting manner, which marks holy Gautama Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. As the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, the festival's daylong celebration started with the lighting of lamps and hoisting of national and religious flags atop the monasteries and other religious organizations. The community also arranged other celebration programs including blood donation, "sangadana" (presentation to the monks), discussions and "panchashilla" (prayers). Special prayers were also offered at all monasteries across the country, seeking peace, progress and prosperity of the nation. Since Sunday morning, hundreds of Buddhists were seen to throng monasteries in Dhaka. They brought out a colorful rally in Dhaka on Sunday morning. They also took part in various rituals and offered fruits, flowers and candles to statues of Lord Buddha who was born on a full moon day in 563 BC, attained the enlightenment and passed away on the same date. On the occasion, Bangladesh President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted members of the Buddhist community as well as the countrymen. The day is a public holiday. On the occasion, Bangladesh newspapers publish different articles while state-run and private TV channels air special programs highlighting the significance of the day. TUNIS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The vast Sahara desert area in Tunisia, which is regarded as one of the North African country's most important tourism resources, has gradually attracted more and more Chinese tourists. "DESERT-STYLE" TENTS CAMP After nearly four hours' bumpy drive from the small town of Douz in southern Tunisia, a row of white tents appeared among the golden sand. To Nouael Kamel, a 52-year-old local guide, the famous tents camp is one of the must-have ways of experiencing the Sahara tour. "This year, the tourism business is better than last year," Nouael said. "Especially, I begin to take more Chinese tourists into the Sahara." With no electricity and a great lack of water, inside the tents were candlesticks, kettle sinks, and toilet filled with wood chips, in an original "desert style." Take a stroll outside the tents, to the sand dunes, one can immediately found himself surrounded by the vastness and silence of Sahara sand sea. Under the sunset, Sahara showed its beautiful shape. Liu Xiaokai and Zhou Li, a young couple from Beijing, enjoyed their stay in the tents camp. "This is our first time here, and such a close touch with Sahara is so exciting", said Liu. Liu and Zhou wrote each other's names on the soft sand, and drew a large sign of love heart around the words. "In China, people always associate Sahara with romantic love," Zhou laughed. "There is a famous saying, 'every time I miss you, the sky fell a grain of sand, then there forms the Sahara'." When night fell, fires were lit up in the camp. Under the stars was the mysterious and romantic night of Sahara. FAMOUS FILM LOCATIONS Thanks to its unique geographical landscape, the Sahara desert in Tunisia, has been a favored location of film shootings for directors. It was chosen as a major film location for the classics "Star Wars" and "The English Patient." The symbolic spaceport on Tatooine planet was located in Sahara near Tozeur in southern Tunisia, and some originally-built scenes still stand here. A group of Chinese fans of Star Wars toured around and took photos of the scenes. "Some houses are a little bit damaged, but it doesn't matter at all. I am so excited to find here these treasurable memories," said He Wei, a 35-year-old tourist from Shanghai. The house of Luke Skywalker, a major character in the Star Wars series, was located near Matmata in southern Tunisia. It was originally a residence of indigenous inhabitants Berbers, before it was transformed into a cave-style hotel after the films. Salah Ajala, 56 years old, who worked at the hotel reception desk, told Xinhua "although nowadays there are fewer bookings than in the past, we are still optimistic about the future. To eat at Luke's table and sleep in Luke's room, this is our advantage." "More Chinese tourists come here and pay to take photos, this is also good business," said Ajala. CHINESE TOURISTS BRING NEW MARKET POTENTIAL In February 2017, Tunisia decided to offer visa-free entry to Chinese tourists for stays of no more than 90 days in the country. Since then, China has become Tunisia's fastest-growing source country of tourists, with arrivals rising from about 7,400 in 2016 to over 18,000 in 2017. Amouar Chetoui, the deputy representative in Beijing Bureau of Tunisian National Tourism Office, expected Chinese tourists in Tunisia to reach 50,000 by the year 2020. Tunisia witnessed a slump in its tourism since 2015 when three major terrorist attacks claimed the lives of more than 70 people, mostly foreign tourists and security forces. Accounting for about 8 percent of the country's GDP, tourism sector started to recover slowly in 2017, and registered a growth of over 20 percent by receiving more than 7 million tourists from all over the world, according to Tunisian Tourism Ministry. At the beginning of this year, Tunisian Minister of Tourism Salma Elloumi estimated that 8 million tourists will head for Tunisia in 2018. The forecast was based on indicators such as recovery of traditional markets and opening of new major markets such as China. RIYADH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Sunday in Riyadh that the nuclear agreement failed to modify Iran's behavior that supports violence in Yemen by training and arming militias. The U.S. official accused Iran of being the largest supporter of terrorism, citing the readiness of Washington to stand with Saudi Arabia to combat terrorism, Al Arabiya local news reported. He also said that Iran disturbs the security of the region through arming the Houthi rebels in Yemen, highlighting that the nuclear deal had failed to correct Iran's violating moves in Yemen. He asserted that Saudi Arabia's security is a priority for the United States. Meanwhile, His Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir told a joint conference that the two countries agreed on many issues, stressing the need to impose more sanctions on Iran for its continuous violations. "We support (U.S. President Donald) Trump's policy toward Iran, especially with regard to the nuclear agreement," the Saudi foreign minister said. Pompeo arrived in Riyadh on Saturday as the beginning of a regional tour. He will also visit Jordan and Israel. The U.S. State Department spokeswoman said Saturday that Saudi Arabia has an important leadership role in working towards a peaceful and prosperous future in the region, saying that the United States and Saudi Arabia are working to achieve this goal for the region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 20:37:58|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Tourists play at a lawn decorated with pinwheels in Shijingshan Amusement Park during a spring fete in Beijing, capital of China, April 29, 2018. The fete, decorated by various pinwheels, kicked off on Sunday. (Xinhua/Li Jundong) ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan military said Sunday that an Indian national, who had mistakenly crossed the border, has been handed over to the Indian authorities. The army said Dalwinder Singh, 23 years old, who had inadvertently crossed into Pakistan on March 6, 2017, at a village in Kasur district has been returned to Indian Border Security Forces by Pakistan paramilitary Rangers at Wahga Check Post after due legal process. "Dalwinder Singh was thankful to Pakistan Security Forces for treatment and care meted to him during the period and his return," a statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said. Pakistan has returned the Indian national at a time when both countries are involved in cross-border skirmishes. Pakistan and Indian military officials spoke on Friday to explore ways to reduce tension along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region. An army statement said hotline contact was established between Pakistani and Indian Director General Military Operations (DGMOs) and the Pakistan Army took up the issue of "continuing surge in ceasefire violations (CFVs) by Indian Army" along the LoC and Working Boundary. The military said on Friday that "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces killed two civilians and injured two others along the LoC. Pakistan and India declared ceasefire in 2003 along the LoC, however, both countries routinely accuse each other of ceasefire violations. HELSINKI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Finnish police has detained two men who left the fugitive car before their companion crossed fire with the police and was killed in southern Finland, media reported on Sunday. The dead was a British immigrant who was born in 1992 and lived in Finland for several years. He was killed by the police after he opened fire following a high speed chase south of Tampere. The police told the media on Sunday that several "home made" guns were found in the car. The driver, killed moments later by the police, had fired shots against the police with a "cut pipe" rifle. The two detained men are Finnish nationals in their twenties, the police said. The two are suspected of aggravated arms crimes. The police said the arms found in the car were not industrially manufactured. A Chinese chef makes dumplings during the welcoming reception organized by the Ethiopian Airlines at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Jan. 25, 2016.(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia recorded 169.6 million U.S. dollars in revenue from 45,307 Chinese tourists that visited the country in 2017, says an Ethiopian official. Chinese tourists are the largest group of tourists to Ethiopia. The 2017 Chinese tourists figures have shown a steady increase from 2016 numbers, which stood at 41,659. Speaking to Xinhua, Gezahegn Abate, Public and International Relations Director at Ethiopia Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT), said despite a steady increase in Chinese tourist numbers over the last several years, insufficient food and accommodation facilities are hampering further growth. "MoCT is encouraging Chinese investment in Ethiopia's hospitality sector with a view to dramatically increasing the number of Chinese tourists," Abate said. With a view to making tourism a major hard currency earner, Ethiopia is implementing incentives for entrepreneurs involved in the tourism and hospitality industry, including duty free arrangements for construction materials. The national flag carrier Ethiopian airlines already flies to five destinations in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Guangzhou and plans to start flights to Shenzhen in June. MoCT hopes the increasing flight connection between Ethiopia and Chinese destinations will help sustain the steady increase of Chinese tourists to Ethiopia. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 22:29:14|Editor: ZX Video Player Close GUIYANG, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A county in southwest China's Guizhou province is celebrating Sisters Festival, an ancient courtship festival of the ethnic Miao group. The Miao Sisters Festival is held annually in Guizhou's Taijiang County, where 97 percent of the 168,000 residents are from the ethnic Miao group. Recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, the celebrations are said to reflect the lives of the Miao people during the transition from a matriarchal society to a patriarchal one. The five-day festival usually falls in the middle of the third month in the lunar calendar. This year's celebration started on Saturday with a costume parade. Tens of thousands of the ethnic Miao girls donning traditional embroidered attire and silver ornaments sang and danced as they paraded through town. The silver ornaments, which can weigh up to 15 kilograms, clinked and clanged melodiously, accompanied by the sound of the lusheng reed pipe and a drum played by marching local musicians. "The silver jewelry we wear, the embroidery and batik on our clothes, and the lusheng we play are all the cultural heritage of the Miao people," resident Tai Haiyan said. Miao women also prepare "sisters' rice" for the occasion. According to folklore, the festival is celebrated in honor of a Miao couple separated by their parents and tribal leaders. They continued their romance despite the opposition and ultimately stayed together. When the two met in secret, the girl would sneak glutinous rice, known as sisters' rice, in her basket and bring it to her lover. The rice is considered the traditional gift for single Miao women to give to young men. Girls add a pair of chopsticks to the rice for their desired suitors, and show their refusal of others by adding pepper or garlic. Tai, 30, considers the festival an event to relive and pass on Miao traditions. She attended her first costume parade in 1998, when the event gathered mostly local residents. "I'm so proud to see that Miao celebrations are attracting a growing number of visitors from both home and abroad," she said. Monita Roughsedge, an interior designer from Australia, said she came to the festival with her husband to see the traditional crafts and designs, which are all handmade. "The minority costumes are amazing. That was the inspiration for coming here. Besides, this particular part of China's culture is completely unknown in Australia," she said. Taijiang County has set up embroidery and batik courses for local students, and they have classes in both Mandarin Chinese and Miao languages. "I think Sisters Festival is fun, and I get to put on pretty clothes," said seven-year-old Wan Yulin, who was attending the event with her elder sister. The Wan sisters used to live in Shanghai, but their parents took them back to their hometown to be near their culture. Bullfights, singing competitions and craftsmanship contests are among other activities to be held during the festival, according to the county government. After watching the parades, Chinese author Feng Jicai, also chief member of China's National Expert Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Work, said he was most impressed to see two little children in their traditional clothes posing confidently for photos with visitors. "They exude immense pride in wearing the costumes, and that is true continuation of traditions, in hearts and memories," he said. HANOI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has so far this year licensed 883 new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with total registered capital of nearly 3.6 billion U.S. dollars, posting a year-on-year decline of 34 percent. Meanwhile, Vietnam has seen 303 operational FDI projects raise their capital by roughly 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in total, down 49.5 percent on-year, its Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said on Sunday. Between January and late April, nearly 5.1 billion U.S. dollars worth of FDI was disbursed, increasing 6.3 percent against the same period last year. In the same period, foreign investors also spent nearly 2.3 billion dollars buying stocks of, or contributing capital to operational Vietnamese companies, up 67 percent. Of the total FDI in the first four months, over 4.5 billion U.S. dollars was poured into processing and manufacturing industries, 807.5 million U.S. dollars into real estate trading and 779 million U.S. dollars into wholesales and retails. Among 82 countries and regions having FDI projects licensed by Vietnam in the January-April period, South Korea was the biggest investor with more than 2.3 billion U.S. dollars, representing 28.7 percent of the total registered capital. Japan came the second with total registered capital of approximately 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, followed by Singapore with 808 million U.S. dollars. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 22:34:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China will improve services for tourists through public-private partnerships (PPP), according to a guideline released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance (MOF). The PPPs, collaborative projects between government and private companies, will give priority to support national tourism projects and poverty-alleviation through tourism. "The policy will improve infrastructure and public services especially in poor areas such as central and western China," said Liu Jiajun of East China Normal University. "PPP will speed up the transformation of the tourism business," said Li Qiuyan, director of travel agency Joyo Group. In February, the MOF published details of PPP projects with a total investment of 760 billion yuan (around 125 billion U.S. dollars), the fourth round of such investment since 2014. COLOMBO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena granted amnesty to 432 prisoners on Sunday in view of Vesak festival celebrated by the Buddhists in the country, a spokesman here said on Sunday. Spokesman for the Department of Prisons, Thusara Upuldeniya told Xinhua the president granted amnesty for the prisoners convicted of minor offences. The spokesman said the prisoners were held in 29 prisons in the country. "The president did it in keeping with the power vested in him under the Sri Lankan Constitution. Most of these people were in jail because of their inability to pay fines imposed on them by courts. The fines were waived off enabling them to get free," Upuldeniya said. The Sri Lankan president grants such relief to prisoners every year as a tradition on special occasions such as Vesak, the Independence Day and the National New Year. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Ann Arbor through the eyes of drivers for Uber and Lyft. by Patrick Dunn From the April, 2018 issue Ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft have become wildly popular since they debuted in Ann Arbor almost four years ago. But Uber's business practices have sparked controversy, and the folks who do the driving are often left out of the discussion. We asked five of them to tell us about their time behind the wheel: Chris Iskra says he switched from Amazing Blue Taxi to Uber in 2014 after deciding that the app was going to "take over." He continues to drive for Uber and Lyft. Jesse Miller works full-time, but drove for Uber from 2015 to 2016 to make extra cash to cover the costs of his son's day care. David Shtulman started driving for Lyft last year to keep busy after retiring as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor. Tim VanDongen quit his job as a general manager at Panera in 2014 to drive for Uber and start a short-lived business that placed advertising displays in Uber cars. He now works for Durham School Services, the company that operates Ann Arbor's school buses, but still drives for Uber occasionally. Beth Weiler drove for Uber for ten months in 2015 and 2016 to raise money for a gap year abroad after her graduation from U-M. Though all five have ridesharing apps in common, the experiences they had and their overall appraisals of their employers vary considerably. Here are their stories: A Night in the Life A "day in the life" of an Ann Arbor Uber or Lyft driver can be a misnomer; a night in the life is far more typical. Drivers can work whenever they want to, but Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from eight p.m. to three the next morning are by far the most lucrative times. As hundreds of partiers shuttle between bars and other nightlife destinations, Uber and Lyft impose "surge pricing." The exact amount fluctuates as the two apps compete with one another, but it is often at least double the normal ...continued below... rate. Uber drivers keep 72-80 percent of their fares, and Lyft drivers 75 percent. Both apps now also let customers add tips.Miller fondly recalls one night when he drove a group home to Livonia at more than four times the normal rate. "They weren't so drunk that I was worried they were going to throw up in my car or get violent, but they were hilarious," he says. "I made as much on that ride as I would make in an entire evening."But the drivers agree that those longer trips are highly uncommon in Ann Arbor. "I can show you days where I did twenty-five runs and not one run I made over three dollars on," Iskra says. "It's just kids going a half-mile."That annoys some drivers, but others embrace it. Weiler says she regularly gave about 125 rides per night Thursdays through Saturdays, some of them "just from South U to Rick's" around the corner on Church St. "I would just drink a lot of caffeine and treat it as a mission," she says. "The short rides were fun, to see how many I could knock out in an hour."It was so easy. As soon as you're dropping someone off, you're getting dinged again. I didn't mind those. It made the time go by."Weiler is unique in embracing the South U beat. "I will never touch South U between one and three a.m.," Iskra says. "I've done that in taxi work. If you want [your car] to get puked in, go ahead." Miller says he avoided both Rick's and Scorekeepers "like the plague" at closing time. Instead, he'd stick to Main St.: "That's where the older people, the yuppies, went," he says. "They're not universally better, but they're older. They're more likely to know how much [alcohol] they can handle."Though bar runs are the most lucrative, other shifts have their advantages. Iskra switches his work hours to shake things up and sometimes drives to the Detroit suburbs, where he can often find longer rides. Shtulman preferred to drive during the day or early evening; he was happy to drive people to the bar, but not back. "Sometimes the behavior is fun," he says. "It gets a little bit like Taxicab Confessions sometimes. But I just don't like driving late at night, and I don't want people puking in my car."Having a rotating cast of strangers getting in and out of your car produces endless stories, and drivers are happy to share them. "You overhear some of the greatest things," Iskra says. "You hear about people hooking up, people on drugs--people doing Adderall all the time. That's not uncommon. There's a little coke in there."The unusual length of an airport trip creates other opportunities for positive interactions between drivers and passengers. Weiler recalls a lasting connection she made with a passenger she drove from Ann Arbor to Detroit Metro. The man was on his way to explore southeastern Asia, which she also aspired to do. The two bonded over the subject, exchanged numbers at the end of the trip, and still get together occasionally for a beer.Other substances can be more worrisome. Once, after taking someone to Henry Ford Hospital, Shtulman picked up a fare in Detroit. Two passengers got into his car, one of them finishing off a joint before he did so. After playing his stereo "so loud that the rearview mirror was shaking like it might fall off the windshield," he says, one of the passengers received a call."He says, 'Yeah, we're going to the party now. Do you have the stuff?'" Shtulman says. "Apparently the guy didn't, and he said, 'What do you mean, no? You're supposed to have five keys'"--meaning kilograms. "Then he says to me, 'we have to make another stop, a detour,' and we go to this abandoned gas station. One of them gets out, and he goes in the back, and he comes back with stuff--whatever it was, I did not ask--and we went to the party, and they got out, and everything was fine. But I was a little bit nervous about being stuck in the middle of what appeared to me to be a major drug deal."Another of the regular hazards of the job, especially on bar nights, is vomit, and most drivers have at least one story about a rider making a real mess in their back seat. Drivers generally have a laid-back attitude about those incidents, particularly because both Uber and Lyft charge riders--and pay drivers--a "cleaning fee" of up to $250 if a rider makes a mess."I can pick up some puke for 250 bucks," VanDongen says.Miller's only had one puke incident. But he's twice picked up couples where a woman was intoxicated to the point of incoherence, and the second one still troubles his conscience.The first time, the woman was so drunk Miller had to help her boyfriend carry her from the car to her home, but he felt somewhat reassured that the man, too, seemed bewildered, and thankful for the help. On a second occasion, "I didn't feel as confident about the guy," and he wasn't sure if he was taking them to her place or his. "It's funny," he says. "You live to a certain age, and you start to have lifelong regrets. It's like, 'OK, that's going to be one of them.'"Miller says Uber should do more to prepare drivers for such situations. "You say, 'How do I deal with belligerent drunks?,' and they say, 'Use your best judgment.' I always thought the subtext was, 'Don't lose money for us [by turning down a ride] unless you have to.'"Drivers agree that the apps' attitudes toward their employees are extremely hands-off, although some of them don't mind that approach. Iskra says Uber has a "frat-boy mentality," and derides former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick as "the biggest asshole on the planet." But the pros of working for the company vastly outweigh the cons for Iskra, especially compared to his past life as a taxi driver.To earn $700 to $800 a week at the cab company, he says, he'd have to put in sixty or more hours behind the wheel, including every weekend. Now, he works thirty to fifty hours a week, sets his own schedule, and estimates that he makes $700 a week--or $1,000 if he works the weekend.Iskra notes that he has to pay for gas, his car's insurance, and maintenance costs. He's set up an LLC for tax purposes and deducts all those expenses, "so by the time it kicks back to me [as income], I'm technically poor."VanDongen agrees that wear and tear on the vehicle makes the apps a lot less lucrative than they seem at first--though "sometimes it takes people an entire car" to figure that out. "They're going to put 150,000 miles on a car," he says, "it's going to die on them, and then they're going to realize: 'Wait, I have no money in the bank for another car, and this car is done with.'"Miller puts it more bluntly: "Driving for Uber is not making money so much as it is trading equity in your car for cash up front."Last summer, Iskra temporarily switched to driving for Lyft. Uber's business was "in the crapper," he says, amid the flurry of scandals that led to the ouster of CEO Travis Kalanick. Nationally, Uber's market share slipped from 90 percent to about 75 percent. But Iskra switched back after Uber did some corporate housecleaning and rolled out more driver-friendly features, including a tipping function and payment for the time they spend driving to pick up riders.Uber remains the go-to option for most drivers, because it still has far more riders. Still, Shtulman says his decision to drive for Lyft was an easy one."How many bad stories have you seen or read about Uber in the last year?" he asks. "How many have you read about Lyft? And can you think of a city that is more politically correct than Ann Arbor? That was the reason."Weiler says she "had a really good time" driving for Uber and didn't have any negative experiences. But she always carried pepper spray and a knife within easy reach, and concerns about her own safety never fully abated. "I think I got away kind of lucky," she says. "Being a female, I think about that a lot. So I probably would not do it again."Miller says his experience was "more good than bad." But he doesn't expect to go back to driving. "Uber, for me, served a purpose," he says. "I needed money in the bank to pay for child care, and I got it. And as soon as my wife and I got to a place where we didn't need the money, I quit."VanDongen feels strongly enough about the apps' value that he advocated for state legislation that took effect last year, legalizing them while also imposing some regulation. Though he drives only occasionally now, he reflects fondly on the period when he drove more frequently. But he thinks that fewer people may be willing to drive once they realize the gig isn't as lucrative as it looks. If that happens, he says, riders "might have to start paying more, or at least paying more for the slow times."Between the cab company and Uber, Iskra has been driving for five years. He says that's usually the point when drivers "get that bitter taxicab syndrome where you think everybody's an asshole and you hate the human race." But he still loves the work, partly because he changes the times and places he drives to break the monotony. And "after doing this for so long, the idea of punching a clock, getting paid by the hour, paying taxes, and having a boss tell me what to do--I don't want to do it," he says.When Shtulman started driving for Lyft, he quickly burned through his mileage limit on the two cars he was leasing at the time. He took some time off until the leases were up but found he missed the work. "There's good and bad," he says, "but mostly it's just nice people and a nice time."Shtulman's father was a cabdriver in New York City for more than thirty-five years, and he used to think his dad was "out of his mind" to stick with it that long. But now, he says, "I feel a bit like I'm channeling him. On the other hand, I'm doing the kind of stuff that's putting cabdrivers out of business. And then, in another few years, self-driving cars will put me out of business. So it's just natural evolution."Shtulman says people who knew him from the Jewish Federation have reacted with some surprise to his new occupation. "It's like, how far have I fallen?" he chuckles. However, he says that as he considered other "real work opportunities" after retirement, "there was no other job I was going to take that was going to pay me more than I was making, and there was no reason to believe I was going to like the other thing more." And Lyft lets him work as much as he wants, when he wants. That came in handy recently, as he prepared to move to Colorado to be closer to his kids and grandkids.He plans to continue driving there. "It's what I need right now, and I enjoy doing it," he says. "And I don't think I've fallen at all. I think it's very cool." [Originally published in April, 2018.] KATHMANDU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A high-level Nepali government delegation has left for China to discuss cross-border railway construction between the two countries, an official of Nepal' Department of Railway (DoR) said. The delegation led by Secretary of Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Madhusudan Adhhikari left for China on Saturday and will discuss expanding Chinese railway to Nepal's capital Kathmandu through Chinese border town of Kerung, and Chinese cooperation in the areas of human resource development related to railway, Kiran Karki, engineer at the DoR, told Xinhua on Sunday. The Nepali government delegation is visiting China after Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali discussed cross-border railway development among others during his visit to China earlier this month. The Nepali government has identified a cross-border railway project connecting Kerung and Kathmandu as one of the potential projects to be developed under the Belt and Road Initiative. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 23:34:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Burak Akinci ANKARA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The unprecedented move by some U.S. senators aiming at blocking the transfer of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Turkey, a NATO ally, could seriously backfire and delay production of the high-tech, radar evading aircraft, local experts said. A bill has been submitted last week by three senators and comes at a time of deteriorating relations between the United States and Turkey, which supported the fight against Islamic State (IS) but has become increasingly worried about U.S. backing for Kurdish fighters in north Syria. The senators issued a statement expressing concern that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had embarked on a "path of reckless governance and disregard for the rule of law," arguing that "the transfer of sensitive F-35 technology and cutting-edge capabilities to Erdogan's regime is increasingly risky." The move aims at pressuring Ankara to release a U.S. citizen jailed in Turkey. The senators voiced concern about Turkey's detention of a U.S. preacher, Andrew Brunson, a long-time resident of Turkey who was jailed during Turkey's crackdown launched after a military coup attempt in July 2016. President Erdogan declared a state of emergency in Turkey following the failed coup. Since then, tens of thousands of suspected coup plotters have been arrested and convicted especially in the military and bureaucracy. Ankara charges that followers of a U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, were behind the coup attempt. Brunson faces 35 years in prison for charges of "terrorism and espionage." The pastor denied the charges during the first hearing of his trial in mid-April. U.S. President Donald Trump has personally intervened in the case. Turkey plans to buy more than 100 F-35 aircraft and it is in negotiations to purchase some 16 others capable of short take-off and vertical landing, according to Turkish government sources. Turkish companies have been involved in producing parts for the fighter, and Ankara is scheduled to begin receiving its first aircraft within a year. Experts believe that the bill will do more harm than good to the F-35 project which has been already subject to delays because of financial problems. "As the Turkish manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is engaged in the production of the central fuselage of the aircraft jointly with the American Northrop Grumman, the adoption of such a bill would deal a serious blow to the project," said Ozgur Eksi, a senior analyst at the Istanbul-based C4defence magazine. "Such a move could possibly delay the project by up to 5 years," he argued. The bill would restrict the transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey and limit Ankara from receiving intellectual property or technical data needed to maintain and support the fighters. It would allow the U.S. president to waive the restrictions by certifying that Turkey is not taking steps that would undermine NATO security and not wrongfully detaining U.S. citizens. But it could also push Turkey to turn to Russia for sophisticated arms deals. Turkey signed a deal with Russia to buy the S-400 missile defense system in September 2017, worrying Washington and other NATO members. He also pointed out that the future maintenance of European F-35 aircrafts is planned to be done in Turkey and that could be put at risk, too. Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark and Norway are other European countries that buy the F-35 and may be affected by a sanctions row between Washington and Ankara. TURKEY DISMISSES U.S. WARNINGS Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey would not accept threats of sanctions for buying Russian S-400 system. Cvusoglu said so after meeting his newly appointed counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Brussels on Friday on the sidelines of a NATO session. The statement was in response to Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell, who said last week that Turkey could face U.S. sanctions if it insists on purchasing Russian missile system. A senior U.S. official, quoted by news agencies, for his part said that "He (Pompeo) asked Cavusoglu to closely consider NATO interoperable systems," seemingly referring to the Patriot systems that Washington would want to sell to Ankara. "We have completed the S-400 process. That is a done deal. But we need more air defense, we can discuss what we can do for further purchases," replied Cavusoglu. The Russian surface-to-air missile batteries are not compatible with NATO's defenses and their purchase by long-term member Turkey has unnerved other members which are already wary of Moscow's military presence in the Middle East. The Turkish president said recently that the ties with the NATO alliance remain strong despite differences over the Russian missile deal and that Turkey is considering also a French-Italian offer to reinforce its air defense. Defense sources in Ankara indicate that Russia is speeding up the delivery date of the missiles upon Turkey's request and that a first batch could be shipped in early 2019 and deployed in a matter of months. The missile system can detect targets 600 km away and eliminate threats from multiple sources. Turkey is planning to deploy them at its southern borders with Syria and Iraq, where the main threat is concentrated and consists of jihadist and separatist Kurdish groups. SOFIA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian national qualifications of the 17th "Chinese Language Bridge", the world's major Chinese proficiency competition for foreign university students, were held here on Sunday. Ten competitors from five universities participated in the event, organized by the Confucius Institute Headquarters, Confucius Institute in Sofia and the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria. Karolina Hristova from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" won the competition and will represent Bulgaria at the final stage in China. With her speech "The World as One Family," performance of Tai Chi with sword and perfect answers to questions related to Chinese language and culture, she won a total of 93.8 points out of 100 possible. Maria Dekova from University of Ruse "Angel Kanchev", who came second with 89.8 points, will attend the finals in China as a spectator. Hristova, 22, told Xinhua that she has been studying Chinese since 2010. In 2012, she won Bulgaria's "Chinese Bridge" competition for foreign secondary school students, and in 2017 took the second place at the "Chinese Bridge" for foreign university students. The Chinese language learning program in Bulgaria was launched in 1953, just four years after the Balkan country recognized China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 23:54:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine becomes available in China for women between 16 to 26 years old as the country steps up efforts in fighting cervical cancer. The country's top drug regulator has allowed the new vaccine to enter the Chinese market after meeting certain requirements. There are three HPV vaccines which cover different kinds of viruses and different age groups from nine to 45 years old. The new vaccine can help prevent 92.1 percent of all kinds of cervical cancers. By far all the HPV vaccines available worldwide can also be bought in China. Cervical cancer is caused by sexually acquired infection with certain types of HPV. There is also evidence linking HPV with other cancers affecting both male and female genitals. HPV vaccine producers have been asked to develop risk management plans and track their products' development after entering the market. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-29 23:59:33|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Tunisian soldiers guard a polling station in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, on April 29, 2018. Tunisian soldiers and police participate in voting for municipal elections, which will kick off on May 6, for the first time in Tunisian history.(Xinhua/Adele Ezzine) TUNIS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- About 60,000 Tunisian security and military agents visited 359 voting offices on Sunday to cast their ballots for the first time for the municipal election. The polling took place one week earlier than that of civilians. Mohamed Tlili Mansri, president of the Independent Higher Authority for Elections said it is also the first local election since 2011. The results of security and military agents will remain preserved and closed in the polling centers and will be mixed with the ballot of civilian votes on May 6, in order to ensure the discretion. The Tunisian municipal election campaign has already started on April 15 and will end on May 4, 2018, thus giving way to the "election silence" of a day before the May 6th election. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-30 00:09:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Air Force successfully overhauled an F-4 fighter jet, state TV reported on Sunday. The F-4 fighter jet was revamped by the Iranian experts at the Shahid Lashkari Air Force Base in northern Tehran Province in one and half years. The aircraft had been grounded for years before the overhaul process began. It has undergone a final test and restored to the Air Force's fleet, the report said. On Sunday, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that Iran's Armed Forces are not afraid of any enemy, according to Press TV. Iran's Armed Forces, are capable of guaranteeing security in the region, he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 29, 2018. (Thomas Coex/Pool via Reuters) JERUSALEM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States is "deeply concerned" about Iran's efforts to expand its forces in the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after meeting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats towards Israel and the region," Pompeo said during comments alongside Netanyahu. The two met at the defense ministry in Tel Aviv amidst the newly-appointed secretary of state's three-day visit to the region. The prime minister congratulated Pompeo upon taking office last week, saying Israel is "very proud of the fact that this is your first visit as secretary of state." Pompeo called Netanyahu "an incredibly important partner" as a reply. Commenting on the upcoming May 12 deadline when U.S. President Donald Trump is due to decide on the extension of the waiver on nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, Pompeo said that Trump will exit the agreement if the U.S. administration "can't fix it." Pompeo also reiterated the U.S. commitment to relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14. The controversial move has triggered a strong Palestinian condemnation and a new wave of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. He also stressed that Trump said in December 2017 that the borders of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to "negotiations between the sides," and the United States has remained committed to achieving "a long and lasting peace that offers a better future for both Israel and the Palestinians." Pompeo arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, starting his first official trip outside the United States after he was sworn in last week. He is also scheduled to meet with officials of Israel and Jordan, which are key allies of the United States in the region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-30 01:34:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian Ambassador to Tehran Rodrigo de Azeredo Santos said that his country has allocated 1.2 billion euro (1.46 billion U.S. dollars) to invest in Iran's projects, Tehran Times daily reported on Sunday. Santos made the remarks during a meeting with the members of the Chamber of Commerce of Abadan (a city in southwest of Iran) on Saturday. "Agreement on the banking ties and currency issues is required for promotion of bilateral trade," he asserted. Earlier, Brazilian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Eumar Roberto Novacki, said that banking problems are the main barrier on the way of expanding trade between the two countries. "If we can resolve banking problem, it will definitely have many benefits for both sides," Novacki told Tehran Times. "We see Iranian market a potential market for our more presence and I believe that we can boost our relations," he said, adding that presence of Brazilian delegations in Iran indicates determination for improving ties. The governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Valiollah Seif said that U.S. stances against Iran have deprived Iran of the economic benefits of the international nuclear deal, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-30 01:44:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A professor at London Imperial College has been detained on security charges, a Iranian Judiciary spokesman said on Sunday. "Accusations are security-related and he is under detention," Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei said in a press conference. Mohseni Ejei refrained from giving more details. It was announced here on Friday that members of a "spying team" linked to Britain have been arrested in Iran. According to Tehran Times, Abbas Edalat, a British-Iranian citizen and a professor of computer sciences and mathematics at London Imperial College, is among those arrested. Edalat had travelled to Iran to attend an academic workshop, the reports said. BRUSSELS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The 17th "Chinese Bridge" Competition, a contest for foreign students on their Chinese proficiency, was held on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Brussels. Under the theme of "The World Under One", this year's competition reflects China's pursuit of peace, love and harmony, said Zhang Chi, charge d'affaire of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium. "Advocating a harmonious traditional culture echoes the requirements of the idea of building a community of human destiny," said the Chinese diplomat. Zhang hopes that the contestants can use their language advantages to build a new bridge between the peoples of China and Belgium. Altogether nine contestants entered the final competition, which was divided into three parts: keynote speeches, talent shows and Chinese cultural quiz. Sara Correia, student of the Institute of Translation/Interpretation (ISTI) at the Free University of Brussels took the first prize. Chinese learning is gaining popularity in Belgium. Apart from six Confucius Institutes in Belgium, over 50 primary and secondary schools as well as 40 adult education centers are providing Chinese language and culture courses in addition to university courses in Chinese. Launched in 2002, the "Chinese Bridge" has become a well-known cultural and educational exchanges platform for Chinese learners world wide. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 5 Vote(s) - 4.2 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? Strategos Against Dystopia User ID: kaput 04-29-2018 09:08 PM Posts: 9,456 Post: #1 Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? Advertisement You won't hear that story on AIPAC controlled media. research. OR ever looked into the history of Lebanon, of how Israeli war crimes in 1947 led to the Palestinian camps in Lebanon which destabilized that paradise in the Middle East, leading to civil war and the Hizbollah standing up for the downtrodden shi'ites of Southern Lebanon and actually welcoming the Israeli forces at first, then turning against them as they settled in for a BRUTAL 17 year occupation of Southern Lebanon and all the atrocities they committed against the people of Lebanon during that time?You won't hear that story on AIPAC controlled media.research. Strategos Against Dystopia User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 09:09 PM Posts: 9,456 Post: #2 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? Instead you only get one side of the story - Israel's - because AIPAC controls all the major media in the U.S. - including search engine results at Google and Facebook. Zuckerberg, anyone? Strategos Against Dystopia User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 09:09 PM Posts: 9,456 Post: #3 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? Take the red pill. Flic Vange Registered User User ID: 1337 04-29-2018 09:11 PM Posts: 1,777 Post: #4 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? Voltaire: I detest your views but I would give my life to protect your rights to express them. https://globalcrypto.exchange/i/R0NYMTYxMDUyMDY0OQ== Bitcoin-bc1qq9r87uasrxv59hz92zy9t47r96aezdfuqnujfx Bitcoin-bc1qq9r87uasrxv59hz92zy9t47r96aezdfuqnujfx Strategos Against Dystopia User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:12 AM Posts: 9,456 Post: #5 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:13 AM Post: #6 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? as per Geneva convention rules Palestine has every right to defend it'self and that's a FACT DrVIP Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:15 AM Posts: 3,902 Post: #7 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? in all the wars of Israel vs lebanon/hizbullah. Israel NEVER fired the first shot. prove me wrong. Dreamily Resonant VIP Spiddy Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:17 AM Posts: 18,164 Post: #8 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? Why would I ever need to ask such a stupid question? As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. H.L. Mencken 1920. Archangel Michael User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:18 AM Posts: 14,103 Post: #9 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? In the last go around, Israel was doing cross border raids.... DrVIP Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:19 AM Posts: 3,902 Post: #10 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? DrVIP Wrote: (04-30-2018 02:15 AM) in all the wars of Israel vs lebanon/hizbullah. Israel NEVER fired the first shot. prove me wrong. Dreamily Resonant VIP Spiddy Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:19 AM Posts: 18,164 Post: #11 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? DrVIP Wrote: (04-30-2018 02:15 AM) in all the wars of Israel vs lebanon/hizbullah. Israel NEVER fired the first shot. prove me wrong. When did they ever need to? When did they ever need to? As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. H.L. Mencken 1920. The Hermit Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 02:36 AM Posts: 697 Post: #12 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? The real question that arises for me, is why anyone outside that area should care what either of them does. If Israel wants to establish a country in the middle of declared enemies, then go ahead. They had better be able to defend it themselves though. Personally, I think that it was the absolute stupidest move that could have been made, and would not lift a finger to help them. If Palestine wants to fight Israel, then go ahead, you are on your own with that. If the entire rest of the middle east wants to unite and obliterate Israel from existence, that is between them. The only reasons anyone else in the world cares about any of it has nothing to do with ideologies or religions. Except for those brainwashed fanatics on all sides, that serve as useful tools. It is about gobal geo-political and strategic assets positioning for the super powers. It is about big oil for multi-national business interests. Again, these are things that the common person has no affect over, cannot influence in any meaningful way, and is ignored or locked up for saying anything truthfully negative about. It would be very interesting to see just how quickly ignored that entire area of the world became, if oil were to suddenly become irrelevant to humanity. Consciousness is an ocean from a distance. A wave from above. Droplets from within. The Hermit Registered User User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 05:28 AM Posts: 697 Post: #13 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? It is also interesting to note, just how quickly all the rabid warhawks on all sides disappear when you say: Yeah so? Get on with it then, murder each other. No one cares. Consciousness is an ocean from a distance. A wave from above. Droplets from within. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 10:17 AM Post: #14 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-30-2018 10:30 AM Post: #15 RE: Does anyone ever ask WHY Hizbollah needs to defend itself against Israel? DrVIP Wrote: (04-30-2018 02:15 AM) in all the wars of Israel vs lebanon/hizbullah. Israel NEVER fired the first shot. prove me wrong. They just shoot children now. They just shoot children now. Advertisement Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-30 03:25:08|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (C) meets with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit (1st R) in Cairo, Egypt, April 29, 2018. (Xinhua) CAIRO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi praised on Sunday the close relations between Egypt and France in all fields. Sisi's comments came during his meeting in Cairo with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, acting chief of General Intelligence Abbas Kamel, and the French Ambassador to Cairo Stephane Romatet. Spokesman for the Egyptian presidency Bassam Rady stressed, in a statement, the importance to boost cooperation between both countries in the coming period and exchange high-level visits to enhance ongoing partnership between Cairo and Paris in all fields, especially counter-terrorism. The president reviewed the efforts exerted by Egypt in the fight against terrorism, underlining that terrorism is the enemy of humanity. He also highlighted the need to enhance ongoing coordination between the two countries over regional issues. On the Syrian crisis, Rady said that Sisi stressed Egypt's position which calls for a political settlement of the crisis that guarantees the unity of the Syrian territories and achieves the will of the Syrian people. Le Drian conveyed to Sisi the greetings of the French president, highlighting the special and distinguished relations between the two countries. Ties between Cairo and Paris have been enhanced as the North African country has recently bought warships, fighter jets and corvettes worth billions of U.S. dollars from France. The total French investments in Egypt have also reached 4 billion dollars with 150 French companies operating in the most populous Arab country. The French companies, which employ some 50,000 Egyptian workers, invest in the fields of food industry, pharmaceutical industry, construction, energy, communications, banking, software, transport and tourism. Before his meeting with Sisi, Le Drian held talks with his Egyptian counterpart and discussed bilateral relations in political, diplomatic, economic, trade and cultural fields. They also tackled issues of mutual interests including the Syrian crisis, the Palestinian cause and the situation in Libya as well as efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. During his visit in Cairo, Le Drian also met with the Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit. During their meeting, the Arab League chief said that France can play an important role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and an effective international player. Spokesman for Aboul-Gheit, Mahmoud Afifi, said in a press statement that the meeting covered regional and international issues including the situations in the Palestinian territories, Syria, Libya and Yemen. France takes active steps to support the lawful rights of the Palestinian people, atop of which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, Aboul-Gheit said during the meeting. The Arab League chief reiterated that France can press Israel to commit to international legitimacy resolutions. They also discussed consequences of the recent airstrike conducted by France, the United States and Britain against the Syrian Army, Afifi said. Aboul-Gheit and the French foreign minister also discussed ways to solve the Libyan crisis and achieve progress among the different Libyan factions, Afifi said, adding the escalation by the Houthi group in Yemen was also discussed. The 6th edition of the Mamut Art Project, which aims to present Turkey's promising young artists and their works to gallery owners, curators and art lovers, kicks off in Istanbul on April 25 and lasts until April 29. (Xinhua/Zeynep Cermen) ISTANBUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- "I was mostly sitting in the dim light at home just like this plant seen on the photo, searching the light while leaving my mind roaming in the midst of feelings of being trapped and inert," a young Turkish photographer described her mood back in 2015. Oyku Canli, a 25-year-old artist, was having hard times at the time in her career in photography after she returned to Istanbul from the United States. "I took a turn into darkness both mentally and physically," she told Xinhua. Canli moved to Turkey's Black Sea province of Giresun, her mother's hometown, for a while, where she followed her inner voice and made a decision on what to do in life. There she created a series of photographic pieces under the theme of Motherland to reflect her own inactivity in life. She was aware of the fact, however, that she had to present herself and her works to the art industry so as to work with professionals. Toward the end of last year, she decided to apply to Turkey's biggest public art project for a chance to prove herself. The sixth edition of the Mamut Art Project, which aims to present Turkey's promising young artists and their works to gallery owners, curators and art lovers, kicked off in Istanbul on Wednesday and lasted until Sunday. Over 500 art pieces by 48 artists in a variety of forms, from painting and sculpture to animation, digital art and new media, were introduced to the public inside a large black tent set up in the form of an art gallery in a park in central Istanbul. Canli displayed five pieces of her Motherland series, with the last two about a flowing river reaching the sea, indicating her inner peace and a positive turn in her life. "Everything started six years ago when we realized that the country was lacking such a platform," said Ekin Kohen, sales director and co-owner of the project. "So we came up with the idea of establishing an art project to represent young artists and make connections between them and art professionals and art lovers," she added. The artists qualified for the project were selected from 1,000 applicants by means of a tough evaluation process. "During the two-month application period, the jury of five multidisciplinary experts have carried out a series of assessments, which also included a grading system," said Kohen. Inside the tent, each artist was able to showcase their works for free in a 10-square-meter individual space. "We are providing them guidance, promotional support and networking opportunities during the exhibition, and after the exhibition, we continue to offer professional consultancy to the participating artists," explained Kohen. During the event, art lovers were offered good prices to buy the original art pieces. Urban transformation, reflections on the past, childhood memories and alienation from one's root were among the themes of the works on display. "The artists mostly manifested their personal experiences and inner worlds on their art pieces," noted Kohen. Asli Ozyenginer, a film maker, joined the project with a series of videos titled Words on Water, having high hopes for her future career. "This is my second application. I was not accepted at first, but this year I finally did it," she said. A Mamut Kids section was opened for the first time in a special area, where children could participate in interactive and colorful activities. In the Mamut Performances section this year, the re-performance rights of the works were sold. Kohen described this initiative as an important chapter in the ongoing development of performance art in Turkey, as it is helpful in keeping the integrity of the works while maintaining the copyrights of the artists. Additionally, there was a section dedicated to KRUW, an art collective involving 20 artists including illustrators and street artists. For the event this year, they created exclusive series of works entitled Mythz, inspired by mythological stories from different territories and cultures. "I am confident to say that through the Mamut Art Project, we have created a pioneering platform offering a distinctive alternative to the established commercial-art-fair model," said Seren Kohen, director of the project. KHARTOUM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. official on Sunday said there were no longer restrictions on banking dealing with Sudan after lifting the U.S. sanctions. The remark was made by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Treasury Marshall Billingslea who is visiting Sudan as part of a U.S. Congress delegation. Billingslea, who held talks with a number of Sudanese officials in Khartoum on Sunday, promised to restore relations of the American banks with the Sudanese banks. He urged in a statement the Sudanese government to make further progress in human rights and build normal ties with the United States. He said Sudan has achieved progress in the five-track plan in accordance with which the economic sanctions were lifted, noting that the U.S. congress is looking forward to removing Sudan's name from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. Last Oct. 6, the United States decided to lift its economic sanctions on Sudan permanently, citing Sudan's "sustained positive actions to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, improve humanitarian access throughout Sudan, and maintain cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism." However, Sudan still remains on the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-30 06:25:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Photo taken on April 29, 2018 shows smoke rising from the Islamic State militant's positions in the Hajar al-Aswad neighbourhood, south of Damascus, Syria. The Syrian army captured the IS-controlled areas in al-Qadam on Saturday, according to the state news agency SANA. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) DAMASCUS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Deals were reached on Sunday for the evacuation of rebels from the southern outskirts of Damascus, as the battle on the Islamic State (IS) group is ongoing until the full liberation of rebel-held areas. The deal was reached between the rebels and the Syrian army in the towns of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem in the south of Damascus, and it will see the evacuation of rebels and their families towards rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The evacuation will be for rebels who refuse to reconcile with the government, while the militants who want to remain in the three towns will have to reconcile with the government and hand over their weapons. The evacuees will only be allowed to have light weapons, said the report, adding that the Syrian government's institutions will be re-established in the three towns after the process is completed. Still, the report spelled no detail on the exact time of the evacuation, saying that the process will start once the arrangements are completed. Those areas have for long been out of the conflict zone, as the Syrian army concluded a truce with various rebel groups in these towns in 2014, and since then the Syrian government has been trying to turn the deal from a truce to reconciliation, which will allow the government to enter those areas and take control. The deal comes as the Syrian army launched a crushing offensive against rebel-held areas in southern Damascus. A day earlier, the Syrian army fully secured four neighborhoods in southern Damascus after battles with the IS militants and closed in on a key bastion of the terror-designated group in that part of the capital. The Syrian army fully captured the neighborhoods of al-Qadam, Mazaniyeh, Asali, and Jourah, from IS around the Hajar al-Aswad and the Yarmouk Camp areas, as the two areas are the major bastions of IS south of Damascus. IS has lost its major stronghold late last year, with the Syrian army capturing Deir al-Zour city in eastern Syria as well as large swathes of the Syrian desert near the Iraqi border. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also stripped IS of its de facto capital of Raqqa north of Syria. Later in the day, the state TV said another deal was reached for the rebels to evacuate the Yarmouk Camp area, adding that the evacuation will start on Monday with buses entering the area after midnight Monday. The rebels in the area will also depart for the rebel-held areas in Idlib, and in return, the rebels in Idlib will break a siege imposed for years on the pro-government towns of Kafraya and Foa in Idlib's countryside. About 1,500 rebels, out of a total of 5,000, from Kafraya and Foa will be evacuated as the first step of the deal, the report said. Under the deal, the rebels will release 85 kidnapped people from the town of Eshtabraq. However, the state TV report stopped disclosing further details on the names of the rebel groups that will evacuate Yarmouk Camp, 75 percent of whom are under the control of the IS militant group. The camp houses a large population of Palestinian refugees in Syria, but it has been inhabited by both Palestinians and Syrians. In 2015, IS took over large areas of the camp. The rest of the area is believed to be controlled by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. The Syrian army has been on a crushing offensive on the Yarmouk Camp and the adjacent Hajar al-Aswad area to drive out IS militants, after the terror-designated group rejected a previous deal to evacuate these areas earlier this month. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported Sunday that Syrian forces carried out precision strikes on the Hajar al-Aswad area, targeting IS supply routes deep in the Hajar al-Aswad area, which was not mentioned in the evacuation deal. The sound of warplanes was heard late on Sunday, in what appeared to be an ongoing military offensive on Hajar al-Aswad area. The defeat of IS, and the evacuation of rebels from areas south of Damascus would mark the end of battles in the capital and its countryside after the Syrian forces made major progress this month in terms of the evacuation of rebels and their families from the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus and the eastern part of the mountainous Qalamoun region in the northern countryside of Damascus. The recapture of Eastern Ghouta alone was considered to be the major victory as that area was an active battle zone that posed a major threat to Damascus with daily mortar attacks on the city and the frequent infiltration attempts of the rebels that had all been thwarted by the army. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the 'Bharat Ratna', the highest civilian award in the country, on socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. In a three-page letter addressed to the PM, Kumar drew Modi's attention towards Lohia's role in the struggle for Independence, his efforts in bringing together non-Congress parties during the time of Nehru, his model of socialism rooted in Indian realities and his emphasis on issues of public sanitation and women's upliftment decades ago. The chief minister also highlighted Lohia's active participation in the movement for Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule and suggested that the international airport in the coastal state be named after him. "Lohia had gone to the extent of saying that he would give up opposing Nehru if the latter got toilets constructed for rural women. His foresight can also be gauged from his emphasis on equipping kitchens with chimneys so that smoke did not spoil women's' health, " the Kumar said in the letter. "In the light of these facts, it would be appropriate that the Government of India confer Bharat Ratna on Lohia, in the honour of his contributions, on his death anniversary on October 12 and also rename the Goa International Airport as Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Airport," he said. NEW DELHI: An Air India flight from Delhi to Srinagar carrying 180 passengers made an emergency landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport after the flight AI-825 developed an engine snag. The incident comes just a few days after an Air India flight AI-476 made an emergency landing in Jaipur on April 7. The Airbus A321-200 plane from Jodhpur to Delhi had to be diverted after the crew got intimation about a landing gear issue. All one hundred and fifty-eight people onboard were unharmed in the accident. Air India was in news just a few days back when one of its flights experienced severe turbulence mid-air leading to chaos in the aircraft. The incident took place on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VTANI) soon after take off from Amritsar to Delhi on April 19. Three passengers sustained minor injuries in the flight and some overhead oxygen masks also got deployed. A window panel also fell off. The turbulence continued for 10 to 15 minutes. The flight had over 240 passengers when the incident happened. The officials said the flight experienced turbulence soon after take-off when the altitude was around 15,000 feet due to bad weather. More details awaited. Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh SSC (class 10) board examination results 2018 has been declared by Board of Secondary Education of Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP). Students can log on to the board's official website bseap.org and get their results. They can also check resn18.bseap.org and manabadi.com for results. The results of over 5 lakh Andhra Pradesh SSC results was declared on Sunday by Director of Government Examinations, SSC Board, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Students can also download the mobile app - SSCAP - from playstore and check the marks memo. The number of students who took the exams were - 613378. The pass percentage is 94.48. For boys, it is 94.41% and for girls, it is 94.56%. The top-scoring district is Prakasam with 97.93% and the least scoring district is Nellore. The Andhra Pradesh class 10 examinations were held from March 15 to 29, 2018. Here's how to check AP SSC results 2018 for class 10 on the website: 1) Visit official board website bseap.org. Candidates can also visit manabadi.com, resn18.bseap.org and examresults.net. 2) Click on SSC results 2018 link 3) On the new page, enter your roll number and click on submit 4) Your results and marks memo will be displayed on the screen 5) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference Here's how to check AP SSC results 2018 for class 10 via App 1) Download the SSCAP by DGE Andhra Pradesh 2) Now open the app and enter your roll number 3) The marks memo will be displayed on the screen 4) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference As per the official website, "The directorate of government examinations is an independent department functioning under ministry of secondary education, the government of Andhra Pradesh. The department is responsible for conducting the SSC/OSSC public examinations and a number of minor examinations." The directorate conducts mainly SSC/OSSC examinations twice in a year and vocational SSC examination once in a year. Andhra Pradesh SSC (10th Class) Results 2018 will be declared on Sunday, April 29 by the Board of Secondary Education of Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP). The results of the Board of Secondary Education of Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP) will be available on the board's official website bseap.org, manabadi.com, bieap.gov.in, and results.cgg.gov.in. Students can also download the mobile app - SSCAP - from playstore to the check the marks memo. The Andhra Pradesh SSC Class 10 examinations were held from March 15 to 29, 2018. Here's how to check AP SSC Results 2018 for Class 10 on website: 1) Visit official board website bseap.org. Candidates can also visit bieap.gov.in, manabadi.com, examresults.net. and results.cgg.gov.in 2) CLick on SSC results 2018 link 3) On the new page, enter your roll number and click on submit 4) Your results and marks memo will be displayed on the screen 5) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference Here's how to check AP SSC Results 2018 for Class 10 via App 1) Download the SSCAP by DGE Andhra Pradesh. 2) Now open the app and at 11 am, enter your roll number 3) The marks memo will be displayed on the screen 4) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference The Board of Intermediate Education in Andhra Pradesh regulates and supervises the system of Intermediate education. It executes and governs various activities that include devising of courses of study, prescribing syllabus, conducting examinations, granting affiliations to colleges and, providing direction, support and leadership for all educational institutions under its jurisdiction. The Board was established in 1971, to regulate and supervise the system of Intermediate education in the state of Andhra Pradesh and to specify the courses of study and matters connected therewith. Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country which adopted the 10+2+3 pattern of education. The Board of Secondary Education of Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP) will on April 29, 2018 announce the list of toppers of AP SSC Class 10 results 2018 at 4 pm. Almost 5 lakh students took the class 10 matric examination in the state. The Board of Intermediate Education Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) will put out the results of AP SSC Class 10 results 2018 on its official website bseap.org. Candidates can also view their results at manabadi.com, bieap.gov.in, and results.cgg.gov.in. One can also opt to download the mobile app - SSCAP - from playstore and check the marks memo. The Andhra Pradesh SSC examinations were held from March 15 to 29, 2018. Here's how to check AP SSC Results 2018 for Class 10 on the website bseap.org: 1) Visit official board website bseap.org. Candidates can also visit bieap.gov.in, manabadi.com, examresults.net. and results.cgg.gov.in 2) Click on SSC results 2018 link 3) On the new page, enter your roll number and click on submit 4) Your results and marks memo will be displayed on the screen 5) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference Here's how to check AP SSC Results 2018 for Class 10 via App 1) Download the SSCAP by DGE Andhra Pradesh. 2) Now open the app and at 11 am, enter your roll number 3) The marks memo will be displayed on the screen 4) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference According to sources, AP Class 10 results will be declared on time and all the required arrangements have been made. The Board of Intermediate Education in Andhra Pradesh regulates and supervises the system of Intermediate education. It executes and governs various activities that include devising of courses of study, prescribing syllabus, conducting examinations, granting affiliations to colleges and, providing direction, support and leadership for all educational institutions under its jurisdiction. The Board was established in 1971, to regulate and supervise the system of Intermediate education in the state of Andhra Pradesh and to specify the courses of study and matters connected therewith. Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country which adopted the 10+2+3 pattern of education. After suggesting that mechanical engineers should not join civil services, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb has now come up with a bizarre explanation on his remark. The BJP CM has now said that he never meant that mechanical engineers should not go for civil services, instead he said that civil engineers should join civil services. I didn't say mechanical engineers must not go for civil service. I said that civil engineers should join civil services as they have experience about administration, said the Tripura Chief Minister. At an event at the Prajna Bhawan in Tripura on Friday, the BJP leader has said, "Those who are from a mechanical engineering background should not opt for civil services. Society has to be built up. Civil engineers have this knowledge... Because those in the administration have to build the society." He had said that earlier arts graduates used to appear for the civil services examination and now, medical and engineering graduates are also joining the services, adding that civil service officers should be all-rounders as "people who are expert in all disciplines have the highest demand". After a spate of controversial remarks, the Tripura CM has been summoned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on May 2. The first bizarre statement that came from Biplab Deb was that Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He later also questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997. Biplab Deb, who took oath as CM of Tripura on March 9 after BJP ended Left Front's 25-year reign, had also made a remark highlighting the significance of cows, which sparked a row. "Every house should have a cow. Here, milk is Rs 50 a litre, so rear a cow. Someone is a graduate, searching for a job for 10 years. If he had reared a cow for 10 years, then a bank balance of Rs 10 lakh would have been created," he had said. "Senior party leaders are miffed over the controversies triggered by Deb`s statements. Deb is just saying anything and everything. Modi will talk to him," a senior party leader said on Sunday. New Delhi: Reacting to senior party leader Salman Khurshid's remarks, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said he would allow different voices to flourish within the organisation. At the same time, he stressed that all must present a united face when it comes to fighting forces like the RSS. This was Rahul's first public comments on recent dissenting opinions expressed by senior party leader Khurshid. Addressing the party's 'jan aakrosh' rally at the Ramlila Maidan, with the former union law minister in the audience, he said the party will respect its experienced and young leaders and workers alike. Action will be taken against anybody who shows disrespect to own party colleagues, Rahul added. "I want to give an example. Salman Khurshid ji is sitting here. A few days back, he voiced opinions which were against the party line. I am ready to accept from this platform that there will be different opinions in our party and that I will allow different opinions to flourish in the party," he told the gathering. Rahul further said he will protect people like Khurshid, who has opinions different from the party's. "But, I do want to say something that when the party is fighting against the RSS, then we will have to do so with unity and love," he said. I respect differences of opinion and will protect any dissenters. However, the BJP neither appreciates different opinions nor does it respect its own elders: Congress President @RahulGandhi #JanAakroshRally Congress (@INCIndia) April 29, 2018 Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, Rahul said they would never say something like this. This is mainly because only two people are respected in the ruling party, PM Modi and Shah, he alleged. "Neither Arun Jaitley ji nor LK Advani ji nor their CMs will be respected in their party. In their party, only Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will be respected, Rahul said. Reacting to Rahul's statement, Khurshid said, "Modi (PM) should learn from Rahul Gandhi how to respect ideas and reach out to supporters." He also took a dig at the BJP. Modi should learn from Congress President Rahul Gandhi how to respect ideas and reach out to supporters. Should learn also how to grasp truth and build politics of Aastha grounded in Satya. Aakrosh rally becomes Inspirational Moment Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) April 29, 2018 Severe indigestion for BJP cheer leaders today. Their enemy is Truth and there is much Truth around now. Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) April 29, 2018 The impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra given by seven Opposition parties led by Congress did not have the backing of Khurshid, a former law minister. He had said he was not kept in the loop on the impeachment notice. Also, a controversy had erupted over Khurshid's remarks that the party's hands were 'stained with blood', prompting the Congress to quickly distance itself from the comment. It had said it disagreed completely with him and had requested its leaders to refrain from making such "unfounded" statements that "help the cause" of the party in power. "It is a political question. There is blood on our hands. I am also a part of the Congress so let me say it, we have blood on our hands," Khurshid had said in response to a student accusing the Congress of having Muslim blood on its hands and asking how the party proposed to wash it off, at an event in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh on April 22, 2018, PTI reported. After a controversy erupted over the issue, Khurshid had hit out at the media and had said it saddened him as it questioned the right to speak the truth. Media saddens. They question right to speak truth. They distort reply to isolated hostile question by imputing confession instead of reporting despite allegations would you deny our duty to protect you from harm? Sensationalism for profit? Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) April 24, 2018 People who object to colour of a terrorist still see different colour in the blood of victims of hate. Jaundiced eyes, stone hearts, vampire DNA, filthy vocabulary, ugly thoughts. Pity the leader who counts them as friends. Who needs enemies? Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) April 24, 2018 Never cease to be shocked about BJP moral bankruptcy and lack of faith in own political ideology. Like lesser animals behave like carrion rather than hunters. Distort truth or feed on anothers distortion. Selling souls in India Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) April 25, 2018 Meanwhile, Rahul launched a fusillade on PM Modi and his government on Sunday, questioning why the country's 'chowkidar' was silent on issues of graft and weakening of institutions. Addressing the rally at Ramlila Maidan, he sought to compare the performance of the governments led by his party with that of the Modi dispensation at the Centre. Rahul claimed that the Congress united all sections of society and spread love in 70 years unlike the BJP, which allegedly attacked Dalits and minorities. Rahul charged that farmers were under stress, but their loans were not written off by the government, which, he added, waived of debts of corporate houses. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party will win all elections starting with Karnataka and come to power at the Centre in 2019. At his party's 'Jan Aakrosh rally' at Ramlila Maidan, he accused the BJP and the RSS of sowing seeds of hatred and polarising the country. Rahul also charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with spreading "lies" against the Congress and its leaders. "Elections are around the corner. In 2014, the BJP and the RSS machine spread lies against our government. I can tell you here that the Congress party will win Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," he said. The Congress will win every election from now on and will also emerge victorious in 2019: Congress President @RahulGandhi #JanAakroshRally pic.twitter.com/cJaytMnHTy Congress (@INCIndia) April 29, 2018 Rahul added that while the country believed in a religion that was based on truth in everything, one did "not find the truth" in PM Modi's speeches. In his over half-an-hour address, he targeted the PM on the law and order front, besides alleging "double standards" on corruption, "messing up" of the economy and "failure" to provide safety to women, PTI reported. Further, the Congress chief charged PM Modi with "silence" on farmers' distress and took a swipe at him over "rising unemployment" in the country. The PM had promised to give two crore jobs per year and the people trusted him, but after four years of his government, there is widespread unemployment, he said. PM Modi has given demonetisation and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST) to the people which have broken the back of the informal sector, Rahul maintained. On the other hand, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday too launched a scathing attack on the Modi government and accused it of "betraying" the people by not keeping its promises". She also alleged that corruption had taken "deeper roots" since it came to power. In her address at the rally, the UPA chairperson alleged that the government has left no stone unturned in undermining institutions and targeting political rivals by misusing central agencies. She also made a reference to the "serious crisis" that had gripped the top judiciary, saying it had never happened before. At the same time, Sonia claimed all sections of the society were unhappy and angry with the government as none of the promises made to them was fulfilled. (With PTI inputs) NEW DELHI: At a time when Tripura CM Biplab Deb is facing backlash over a series of his statements on various subjects, he offered a suggestion to the youngsters who are desperately looking for jobs. He asked the young men to not run after political parties for jobs. "The youth here runs after political parties for several years to get a government job and wastes the vital time of their life. Had the same youth instead of running after parties set up a paan shop he would have by now had a bank balance of Rs 5 lakh," the Tripura CM said. While speaking at a seminar organised by Tripura Veterinary Council on 'The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety', he advised them to become self-employed by starting various projects under the animal resource sector with bank loans, under the Prime Minister's Mudra scheme. He said that any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs seventy five thousand borrowed from the bank and with little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in Tripura during the last 25 years. He added that there are narrow-minded concepts like a graduate cannot opt for farming, start poultry, or piggery because if he does so, his class will go down. Deb added that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided various bank loans provisions for the startup projects under the Mudra scheme, so that people can get self-employed and live with prestige. Earlier in the day, Deb had also reacted to the recently declared Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam results stating that mechanical engineers should not join civil services instead civil engineers are better suited for the job. "Those who are from a mechanical engineering background should not opt for civil services. Society has to be built up. Civil engineers have this knowledge... Because those in the administration have to build the society," he said. He had also stoked a row by questioning the crowning of Diana Hayden as 'Miss World' in 1997 alleging that international beauty contests were a farce. Deb had said that he failed to understand the "process of judgement" of the crowning of the Miss World contest in 1997, in which Hayden won the award. He, however, was all praise for Aishwarya Rai, who won the Miss World crown in 1994 and had said that she "represents the Indian women in the true sense". Earlier in April 2018, Deb had claimed that Internet and satellite communication existed in the days of Mahabharata, drawing criticism from Twitterati, intellectuals and his political adversaries. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP)/Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh (BHSIEUP) on Sunday declared the results of class 10 UP board examination. The topper of the year is Anjali Verma, who secured 578 out of 600 marks in the exams. Reacting to the exam results, Anjali Verma said that she was very happy to top the exam, adding that she was always confident of scoring good marks. Daughter of a farmer, Anjali Verma said that she wants to become an engineer. I am very happy to top the exam. I was confident of scoring good marks. Our school teachers helped us to prepare well. I want to become an engineer. My father is farmer who has always supported me: Anjali Verma, Class 10th topper (UP Board) pic.twitter.com/8ezYSxtJX9 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2018 I am very happy to top the exam. I was confident of scoring good marks. Our school teachers helped us to prepare well. I want to become an engineer. My father is farmer who has always supported me, she told news agency ANI. Another top ranker, Utkarsh who hails from Kanpur, said that he wants to become an IAS officer. Utkarsh, who secured sixth rank, said, I am really happy that I have secured 6th rank in UP Board 10th exams. My father is a teacher at a government school. I want to become an IAS officer. I am really happy that I have secured 6th rank in UP Board 10th exams. My father is a teacher at a government school. I want to become an IAS officer: Utkarsh from Kanpur pic.twitter.com/QNJCUe7DFv ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 29, 2018 Yashasvi has bagged the number 2 spot with 94.50 per cent marks. Yashaswi is a student of BMIC Fatehpur. The third spot on the chart is shared by Vinay Kumar Verma from Sitapur and Sunny Verma from Gonda. Both the third position holders secured the 94.17 per cent marks. Over 37 lakh students had appeared for the class 10 matric examination conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP)/Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh (BHSIEUP). The board results were declared on its official website upmsp.edu.in and upresults.nic.in at 1 pm on Sunday. Congratulating the students, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: "I am really happy that such a good result has come. I want to congratulate everyone who has passed in these examinations. This time all the exams were held without any complaints of cheating coming from anywhere." The UP 10th board matric examinations were held from February 6, 2018 to February 22, 2018. Over 37 lakh students took the examination. At present, there are more than 22,000 secondary schools recognised by the UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education. Thousands of students had either failed to appear for the examination or dropped out midway after the BHSIEUP strict checking to stop cheating and impersonation. The results for class 12th UP Board exams was also declared on Sunday where girls outperformed boys. With a pass percentage of 78.81, girls did better than the boys who scored a pass percentage of 72.27 per cent. "Rajneesh Shukla and Akash Maurya topped with 466 marks each," Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh official Awadh Naresh Sharma said after the results were announced. United Nations: India violated the United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea in 2017, sometimes even going against its own government orders, by importing metals worth $2.2 million and exporting jewellery valued at more than $578,000, according the UN panel monitoring the sanctions. Some of the imports and exports continued even after the Indian government issued a notification banning them in March 2017. The panel of experts established by the Council said in a recent report that it found that between January and September last year India had imported iron and steel valued at $1.4 million, iron and steel products worth $234,000, copper worth $233,000 and $526,000 of zinc, ignoring the sanctions. India also exported jewellery worth $578,994, which included diamonds valued at $514,823, between January and June. "All exports (from North Korea) after 4 September 2017 violated paragraph 8 of resolution 2371 (2017), while those before 4 September 2017 violated paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report said. Those resolutions demand that countries prohibit the import of iron and iron ore from North Korea. A 2013 resolution expressly banned export of precious and semi-precious stones to North Korea. In contrast to its dealings with North Korea, India has in other cases strongly supported strict implementation of Council sanctions and in some cases called for more stringent actions, especially relating to terrorism, and criticised countries opposing those restrictions. The iron imports continued even after March last year when India`s Directorate General of Foreign Trade imposed restrictions on importing iron and iron ore from North Korea, even as it said the sanctions lacked clarity, according to a note from India`s UN Mission to the sanctions panel last July. "Pending clarity on this issue, national implementation of the measures contained in UNSC resolutions 2270 (2016) and 2321 (2016) relating to iron and iron-ore was nevertheless carried out by Government of India through a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on 21 March 2017," it said. The identities of those who imported from North Korea or exported to it were not included in the report and it is not known if the Indian government took action against those who made the imports in violation of its orders in March or if an investigation is under way. A UN source familiar with its sanctions monitoring told IANS that India had not provided details about the importers and exporters and the report relied on trade data compiled by the UN and proprietary information from organisations that gather commercial information on trade. New Delhi reiterated its commitment to implement the sanctions in a report India`s UN Mission sent last month to Karel Van Oosterom, the Netherlands Permanent Representative who chairs the Council`s North Korea Sanctions Committee. Indian authorities "will ensure that the relevant provisions" of the Council sanctions will be "implemented in letter and spirit," the report declared. It said that an order issued on March 5 by the External Affairs Ministry would implement the sanctions relating to North Korea and a notification was issued on March 7 by the DGFT to regulate trade with North Korea to conform to the sanctions. Big spurts in imports were noticed in August and September just as efforts were under way in the Security Council to tighten sanctions after Pyongyang carried out missile tests, a UN source familiar with the sanctions process told IANS. Suddenly the iron and steel imports rose from $69,577 in July to $281,000 in August and $487,000 in September, and iron and steel products import went up to $21,000 in September, the source pointed out. In case of copper, there was again a spurt, from $13,990 in June to $47,000 in August and $152,000 in September. The sanctions panel`s report to the Council referred to an earlier explanation sent in July by India about the violations that it blamed on a lack of clarity about the sanctions. That communication from India`s UN Mission asserted that "there was no clarity regarding the scope of the measures related to iron and iron ore since there was no elaboration/explanation of the word `iron` and `iron ore`." It also asked for "clarity" regarding the items banned, including luxury goods. A UN official told IANS that sanctions monitors had given India details on how various countries had dealt with the definitions of materials in the sanctions as well as the World Customs Organisation`s codes identifying the products. India could have more credibly invoked a clause that permits some imports "exclusively for livelihood purposes" that was used, for example, by Russia, the official said. The July communication said that in March last year, India had tightened the ban on trade with North Korea. The notification of the ban from the DGFT (Notification No. 41/2015-2020; 21 March 2017) mentioned the Council resolutions and specifically mentioned import of iron ore and export of luxury items (which included jewelry and diamonds). As regards the assertion in the report about the bans requiring "due legal process for incorporating them in domestic law," an official pointed out that the UN Charter takes precedence and requires compliance. An II-38 plane of the Indian Navy made an emergency landing in an airfield just outside Moscow late on Saturday night. Local Russian media reported that the plane had developed a technical snag and was forced to make an emergency landing at the Zhukovsky Airfield. The airport was temprarily shut down for other flight operations. A chasis failure is being suspected as the cause of trouble. There was, however, no fire even though emergency services were kept on high alert. The plane eventually made a successful landing 'with unlowered front landing gear," according to Sputnik News, quoting a press service statement. In a statement, the Indian Navy clarified that the aircraft was in Russia for an overhaul and that no crew was on board when the incident took place. On reports of Navy's IL 38 making a crash landing in Russia- the aircraft is in Russia for Overhaul and Mid Life Upgradation. No crew was onboard during sortie though they are present in Russia. Aircraft was on initial test flight with Russian crew.Damage being ascertained:Navy ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2018 The II-38 is a long-distance anti-submarine plane with modern navigation and radio tools which makes it capable of spotting ships and submarines. Karnataka PUC II Exam Results 2018 declared | Check results here Karnataka PUC II Exam Results: Overall pass percentage and top districts Bengaluru: Karnataka Pre-University (PUC) results 2018 is all set to be declared on Monday (April 30, 2018). In order to check the results, candidates should log on to the official website - karresults.nic.in and pue.kar.nic.in. As per reports, about seven lakh students appeared for the Karnataka PUC examination which was held in March 2018. Here's how to check PUC results 2018 on the website: 1) Visit official board website - karresults.nic.in and pue.kar.nic.in. 2) Click on results 2018 link. 3) On the new page, enter your roll number and click on submit. 4) Your results and marks memo will be displayed on the screen. 5) Download it or take a printout of your result for future reference. "The department of pre-university, the government of Karnataka is the organisation for implementation of higher secondary education in the state. There are 1202 government pre-university colleges, 637 aided pre-university colleges, 1936 unaided pre-university colleges, 165 bifurcated pre-university colleges and 13 corporation pre-university colleges. After X standard every year about 10 lakhs students enroll in the 2-year pre-university courses. The courses offered by the department are broadly classified under the categories of humanities (arts), science and commerce. There are 23 subjects, 11 languages and 50 combinations in the pre-university curriculum. In 2010-11, there were 4,43,185 students in Humanities in I and II PUC, 2,47,421 students in Science in I & II PUC and 2,77,189 students in commerce in I and II PUC," says the official website. It functions under the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. The Congress on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, accusing the BJP of taking fake credit for work done by the grand old party in the past 60 years. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, Dear Amit Shahji, India has 6,49,867 villages. Congress connected 97% with electricity. During UPA (2004-14), Congress electrified 1,07,600 villages. He further asserted that the Congress has electrified villages at a rate of 10,000 villages per year in the past 60 years, whereas the Modi government was working at a pace of electrifying 4,813 villages per year. In 60 yrs, Congress average is electrifying 10,000 villages per year. Congress created #PowerfulIndia but didnt boast! Dear Modiji/Piyushji, On 26th May 2014; only 18,452 villages were without electrification. BJP Govt took 46 months to complete this at an average of 4,813 villages per year. This is - celebrating inefficiencies & taking fake credit for Congress work, he added. Earlier on Sunday during the Jan Akrosh rally, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had accused PM Modi of making false and hollow promises. Rahul Gandhi said the Modi government has been unable to fulfil promises it had made before coming to power. "The government has not fulfilled any of the promises made during elections four years ago. What happened to the 2 crore jobs which were promised? What about getting the black money back?" he asked. The Gandhi scion also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence on issues like the death of judge Loya, offence by absconding billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi. "Why is PM Modi silent when SC judges speak of Justice Loya? Why is he silent when someone asks about economic offenders like Nirav Modi? Our democratic institutions are being attacked. Parliament is not being allowed to function and legislation is being bulldozed. Our democracy is in danger. We must all work together to protect it," he said. New Delhi: In a statement with all the ingredients for inviting criticism, a Madhya Pradesh minister appeared to downplay farmer deaths in his state by saying that suicides are committed the world over and are not limited to farmers alone. Although Union agriculture minister Purushottam Rupala - on March 20 - had informed Lok Sabha that there was a 21 percent rise in farmer suicides in MP, state minister Balkrishna Patidar said reasons behind suicides can only be guessed, not known with surety. "Who doesn't commit suicide? Businessman commits suicide, Police commissioner too commits suicide. This is a global problem," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "The reason for suicides is known only to he who commits suicide. We can only make guesses." Suicide kaun nahi karta? Vyapaari karta hai, Police commissioner bhi karta hai. Yeh poore world ki problem hai. Suicide ka kaaran jo suicide kar rha hai sirf usse pata hai. Hum log sirf andaaza lagaate hain: Balkrishna Patidar, Madhya Pradesh minister on farmers' suicides. pic.twitter.com/9qD7foXY1B ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2018 While suicides are indeed a global phenomena, farmer suicides in India - in particular - has been a matter of national concern and debate. Political parties have accused each other of ignoring the needs of farmers - leaving them no alternative but to kill themselves. Little wonder then that manifestos before elections offer countless incentives to farmers in a bid to woo them. Plans do not often see the light of day - regardless of which political party is in power. Interestingly though, data between 2014 and 2016 reveal that farmer suicides have seen a decline. This was also one of the highlights of Rupala's address to Lok Sabha earlier this month. With several states waving off loans given to farmers, there has been relief to an extent. However, protest movements like the one in Maharashtra last month in which 35,000 farmers walked to Mumbai, continue to paint a grim picture. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged students across the country to join the government`s "Swachh Bharat Summer" internship programme. "Exams are over. Students are now worried about what they should be doing during the vacations. Internship programmes have become famous among the youth. Such a programme is an experience in itself. "I would urge the youngsters to join the government`s `Swachh Bharat Summer` internship being organised by the three ministries -- Sports, HRD (Human Resource Development) and Water," the Prime Minister said in his monthly radio programme "Mann Ki Baat". He said that this programme can be "a good opportunity" for those who wish to make a difference in the society. "The best interns will be awarded. The UGC will give them credit points. "I am also curious to know about your initiatives. I request you to register for it," he added. New Delhi: In what was his first rally in the national capital since becoming Congress president, Rahul Gandhi minced no words in a scathing attack on BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi - accusing him of making false and hollow promises. Addressing close to two lakh party workers at the Ram Lila Maidan here, Rahul Gandhi said the Modi government has been unable to fulfil promises it had made before coming to power. "The government has not fulfilled any of the promises made during elections four years ago. What happened to the 2 crore jobs which were promised? What about getting the black money back?" he asked. While most of the accusations levied on Saturday were repeats of what Rahul Gandhi has already said in the past, his words nonetheless evoked much cheer from the party workers even as he questioned BJP for tampering with democracy. "Why is PM Modi silent when SC judges speak of Justice Loya? Why is he silent when someone asks about economic offenders like Nirav Modi? Our democractic institutions are being attacked. Parliament is not being allowed to function and legislation is being bulldozed," he said. "Our democracy is in danger. We must all work together to protect it." Rahul Gandhi also accused the BJP government of failing farmers of the country. "Arun Jaitley ji has already said it is not BJP's policy to waive off farmer loans. I am telling you, farmers in the country cannot survive without Congress." Rahul Gandhi then targeted RSS and said people loyal to the organisation are being made in charge of a number of important institutions. Other leaders of the party like Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh too spoke at the rally - all charging BJP and its leaders on a number of issues ranging from ammunition for the army, Rafale deal, farmer welfare, issue of corruption and economic activities. New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally, his first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, at the Ramlila Ground on Sunday. At the national-level "Jan Akrosh Rally" which comes ahead of the crucial Karnataka elections on May 12, Gandhi is expected to attack the BJP government at the Centre over its "unfulfilled promises and divisive politics". Rahul would seek to give voice to public anger over misgovernance, corruption, unemployment, economic situation, crimes against women, attacks on Dalits and the Judiciary, and social unrest. The rally is expected to be addressed by top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others. A day ahead of the rally, Rahul said on Twitter, "In the four years of the Modi government, youths haven't got jobs, women haven't got security, farmers failed to get a fair price for their crops, and Dalits and minorities their rights." He appealed to people to join the rally to express their discontent and anger. "There is anger among all sections of society, the poor, the elderly, the youth, farmers, women... Hence the name Jan Akrosh Rally," AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot told reporters. He said Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh would address the Congressmen and urge them to unite to oust the BJP, "which is causing social unrest and dividing society". Congress's communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala said a clarion call would be given to root out the BJP from Karnataka. The rally would ensure a "decisive victory for the Congress in the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and many others. It will culminate in uprooting the misrule of Modi ji in 2019. "The battle will start tomorrow ... A new revolution will start tomorrow ... To fight for people... Congressmen and women will fan out in every nook and corner of the country to spread this message," he said. Surjewala said Congress's state presidents, CLP leaders, chief ministers, former chief ministers, MPs, and MLAs would be in attendance at the rally. "It will be a historical day for the nation... The Congress. A new era will begin for transforming politics in India," he said. Surjewala said the entire India is outraged over "corruption, bank scams, Rafale scams, rampant unemployment... The way businesses are going down by the day. "There is hatred all around under Modi ji's rule... People are angry over atrocities against Dalits, tribals, and backward people. The judiciary is under attack," he said. The Congress said that four years ago, Modi led an entire nation into believing that he would change the face of India, but did nothing except furthering a hidden agenda. "Four years ago, people believed you. Now, they see through your lies... Your silence is also an answer which the nation has heard and rejected. But this anger has now been channelized," the Congress said in an article on its website. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadavs son Tej Pratap Yadav has started distributing the invitation cards for his wedding with Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai. Among the invitees are all big names from the Bihar politics. However, one Janata Dal United (JDU) MLC, Niraj Kumar, has put forth a condition to attend the marriage of the former health minister of Bihar. The JDU MLC has asked Tej Pratap Yadav to declare that his marriage with Aishwarya Rai is without any dowry, and only then he will attend the wedding ceremony. He has also asked the RJD leader to announce that his marriage ceremony would be conducted without any pomp and show. This demand by the ruling party leader has sparked a new political row, with the RJD targeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the issue. RJD spokesperson Ramanuj Prasad has said that JDU must first declare if Nitish Kumars party is completely free of dowry and liquor. Tej Pratap Yadav and Aishwarya Rai got engaged at Hotel Maurya in Patna on April 18. Except for Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is jailed after his conviction in the fodder scam cases, all close family members are friends had attended the engagement ceremony. Nearly 200 people were present at the hotel when Tej Pratap and Aishwarya Rai exchanged the rings. Special arrangements were made for the engagement. The flowers for the decoration had reportedly been brought from Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Pune. Aishwarya Rai is the eldest daughter of RJD leader Chandrika Prasad Rai. Their marriage is likely to take place in May this year. Tej Pratap's mother Rabri Devi, who is also an RJD leader and former Bihar chief minister, had finalised the marriage in March following consultations with Aishwarya's father Chandrika Prasad Rai, a former Bihar minister, and her mother Poornima Rai, who is an assistant professor in Patna Women's College. New Delhi: Two road accidents earlier this week - one each in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh - killed one and 13 children respectively. While both accidents were extremely unfortunate and BJP's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari was one of many who expressed his deep sorrow at the tragedies. Twitter users, however, pointed out that he was guilty of 'selective outrage'. Two accidents involving school children took place last Wednesday - one near north-west Delhi's Kanhaiya Nagar metro station in which one girl died after her school van rammed into a tanker, and the other in UP's Kushinagar in which a school van hit a moving train, killing 13 children. While Tiwari - in back-to-back tweets - termed both incidents as unfortunate, he lashed out against the Aam Aadmi Party's government in Delhi. Deeply saddened by the loss of this young life which could have been prevented. Delhi HIgh Court has given guidelines for school kids transportation. Delhis @AamAadmiParty Govt has failed to implement it. https://t.co/4MRb1tG7aO Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) April 26, 2018 That Tiwari did not have any message for the BJP government after the Kushinagar tragedy angered many. Heartfelt condolences to bereaved families and Prayers for Speedy recovery of the injured.#Kushinagar https://t.co/iTCzYLPh6Y Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) April 26, 2018 Several netizens accused Tiwari of playing politics at the cost of innocent lives lost. Many even advised him to not offer condolence at all if he would give it a political twist. aisa tweet yha pe kyu ni kiya ???? ohhh rajneeti jo khelni h janaab ko pic.twitter.com/s923zU8J7g Quazi Farooque (@quazihbk) April 26, 2018 Saheb ek comments UP kushinagar ke train accident ke liye bhi banataa hai....."Kam SE Kam bachho ki maut pe to rajniti mat karo". Aisaa Mai Nahi Modi ji kehte hai....... ... UP government... Chandan Singh (@Chandan50666974) April 26, 2018 Stop politics ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???... ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???...?? ???? ?? ?????? Mrs. Nikkii Jha (@india_firstt) April 26, 2018 You should have give guideline before this incident, after every incidents u bjpians give new instruction. Shame on u Manoj. Wasiullah shamsi (@WasiullahShamsi) April 26, 2018 Tiwari has been relentless in taking on the Delhi government. Not all his charges though have found support among people at large. Lucknow: For lakhs of Class 12 students in Uttar Pradesh, the wait for board results is over. The Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh, also known as the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP), declared the UP Board 12 Results 2018 on Sunday at 12:30 pm on its official website upmspresults.up.nic.in and upresults.nic.in. Candidates can also check the UP Board Class 12 Intermediate Results 2018 on websites examresults.net and indiaresults.com. The UP Class 12 Board exams 2018 was held from February 6 to March 12 2018. More than 29 lakh students appeared for the exam. However, over 11 lakh students dropped out of the exams after strict measures to stop cheating were introduced. In order to view their UP Board 12 Inter Result 2018 results, candidates need to follow these steps: Step 1: Visit website upmspresults.up.nic.in or upresults.nic.in or examresults.net or indiaresults.com Step 2: Click on UP Board 12th Result 2018 link Step 3: On the new page, enter your Roll Number and click submit Step 4: Now, download your result and take a print out for further reference Candidates can also view their Intermediate Results 2018 on via SMS. Just type UP12ROLLNUMBER and send it to 56263 In 2017, 26 lakh students took the exam out of which 82.5 per cent students passed the exam. Although every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of the results, error may creep in inadvertently due to extraneous reasons beyond the control of the publishing agency National Informatics Centre (NIC) or the concerned Institution/board/university. Students are advised to verify their marks with the official hard copy issued from the respective Institution/board/university. The Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh has its head office in Allahabad, the nerve centre of education in the state. It was set up in 1921 by an act of United Provinces Legislative Council as India was under the British rule at that time. BHSIEUP is one in India which, from the very start, had adopted 10+2 system of examination. The first public examination after 10 years education is High School Examination and after the 10+2 stage, there is Intermediate Examination. Prior to 1923, University of Allahabad was the examining body of these two examinations. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) on Sunday announced the Class 10th and Class 12 board results for 2018. Class 12th exams were topped jointly by Rajneesh Shukla and Akash Maurya as while Anjali Verma topped the Class 10th exams. Girls did better than boys in the UP board class 12 exams with a pass percentage of 78.81, while the boys secured a pass percentage of 72.27 per cent. "Rajneesh Shukla and Akash Maurya topped with 466 marks each," Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh official Awadh Naresh Sharma said after the results were announced. For Class 10, Allahabad resident Anjali Verma topped with 96.33 per cent marks. Anjali secured 578 out of 600 marks in the exams. Yashasvi has bagged the number 2 spot with 94.50 per cent marks. Yashaswi is a student of BMIC Fatehpur. The third spot on the chart is shared by Vinay Kumar Verma from Sitapur and Sunny Verma from Gonda. Both the third position holders secured the 94.17 per cent marks. Congratulating the students, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: "I am really happy that such a good result has come. I want to congratulate everyone who has passed in these examinations. This time all the exams were held without any complaints of cheating coming from anywhere." Almost 65 lakh class 12 and class 10 students in Uttar Pradesh had appeared for the board exams in February and March 2018. Almost 30 lakh students had registered for Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad Class 12 intermediate examination which took place between February 6, 2018 and March 12, 2018. The UP 10th board matric examinations were held from February 6, 2018 to February 22, 2018 for which over 37 lakh students appeared. At present, there are more than 22,000 secondary schools recognized by the UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education. The hard work of over 37 lakh students in Uttar Pradesh who sat for the class 10 matric examination conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP)/Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh (BHSIEUP) has borne fruit with the results being declared on Sunday. The UPMSP put out the results on its official website upmsp.edu.in and upresults.nic.in at 1 pm. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated all the successful candidates. "I am really happy that such a good result has come. I want to congratulate everyone who has passed in these examinations. This time all the exams were held without any complaints of cheating coming from anywhere," said Adityanath on UP board exam results. The UP 10th board matric examinations were held from February 6, 2018 to February 22, 2018. Over 37 lakh students took the examination. At present, there are more than 22,000 secondary schools recognized by the UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education. Thousands of students had either failed to appear for the examination or dropped out midway after the BHSIEUP strict checking to stop cheating and impersonation. How to check UP Board results 2018 online 1. Students can visit websites- upmsp.edu.in, upresults.nic.in, upmspresults, up.nic.in 2. They should click on the Result link 3. Enter registration as well as roll numbers in the new window 4. Now see your UP Board 10th and 12th results 2018 on the screen 5. Download your UP Board result and take a print out for reference. However, this document will not serve any official function. Students will have to get their original certificate for any official purpose. How to check UP Board Class 10 and class 12 results 2018 through app 1. Students should visit the google play store 2. Download board results 2018 3. Download the app as per review 4. Once the app is installed, pre-register yourself along with registering the roll number 5. Once results are declared, you can check UP Board 10th and 12th results 2018 through the app Students can also check their UP Board Result matric and intermediate results 2018 on examresults.net and through SMS. To access the results through SMS UP10ROLLNUMBER or UP12ROLLNUMBER and send it to 56263. The BHSIEUP has mentioned on its site www.upresults.nic.in that results published on net are for immediate information to the examinees. Although every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of the results, error may creep in inadvertently due to extraneous reasons beyond the control of either NIC or the concerned Institution/board/university. Students are advised to verify their marks with the official hard copy issued from the respective Institution/board/university. The Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh has its head office in Allahabad, the nerve centre of education in the state. It was set up in 1921 by an act of United Provinces Legislative Council as India was under the British rule at that time. BHSIEUP is one in India which, from the very start, had adopted 10+2 system of examination. The first public examination after 10 years education is High School Examination and after the 10+2 stage, there is Intermediate Examination. Prior to 1923, University of Allahabad was the examining body of these two examinations. In view of the ever-multiplying load of work in successive years, the Board had been experiencing considerable difficulty in controlling and conducting its activities centrally from Allahabad. As such four Regional Offices of the Board were established at Meerut(1973), Varanasi(1978), Bareilly(1981) and Allahabad(1987) under the control of Regional Secretaries; the head office still being at Allahabad with Secretary as the overall executive head. Now Regional Office at Ramnagar (Nainital) has been separated from UP Board due to the creation of Uttaranchal as a new state on November 8, 2000. Presently, the Board holds the examinations and prepares the results of well over 65 lakh students. The results of the Uttar Pradesh Intermediate exam 2018 and class 10 board examinations were declared on April 29. For Intermediate, the pass percentage of boys has been 72.27% and the pass percentage of girls is at 78.81%. Rajneesh Shukla and Akash Maurya have topped the class 12 board examination with 466 marks each, said Awadh Naresh Sharma, member Board of High School & Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh. The results were declared by Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP)/Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh (BHSIEUP) . Over 65 lakh students who took the class 12 intermediate and class 10 matric examination 2018 results can check the results on UPMSP official website upmsp.edu.in and upresults.nic.in. Almost 30 lakh students registered for Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad Class 12 intermediate examination. The Uttar Pradesh board class 12 exams took place between February 6, 2018 and March 12, 2018. The UP 10th board matric examinations were held from February 6, 2018 to February 22, 2018. Over 37 lakh students took the examination. At present, there are more than 22,000 secondary schools recognized by the UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education. Thousands of students had either failed to appear for the examination or dropped out midway after the BHSIEUP strict checking to stop cheating and impersonation. How to check UP Board results 2018 online 1. Students can visit websites- upmsp.edu.in, upresults.nic.in, upmspresults, up.nic.in 2. They should click on the Result link 3. Enter registration as well as roll numbers in the new window 4. Now see your UP Board 10th and 12th results 2018 on the screen 5. Download your UP Board result and take a print out for reference. However, this document will not serve any official function. Students will have to get their original certificate for any official purpose. How to check UP Board Class 10 and class 12 results 2018 through app 1. Students should visit the google play store 2. Download board results 2018 3. Download the app as per review 4. Once the app is installed, pre-register yourself along with registering the roll number 5. Once results are declared, you can check UP Board 10th and 12th results 2018 through the app Students can also check their UP Board Result matric and intermediate results 2018 on examresults.net and through SMS. To access the results through SMS UP10ROLLNUMBER or UP12ROLLNUMBER and send it to 56263. The BHSIEUP has mentioned on its site www.upresults.nic.in that results published on net are for immediate information to the examinees. Although every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of the results, error may creep in inadvertently due to extraneous reasons beyond the control of either NIC or the concerned Institution/board/university. Students are advised to verify their marks with the official hard copy issued from the respective Institution/board/university. The Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh has its head office in Allahabad, the nerve centre of education in the state. It was set up in 1921 by an act of United Provinces Legislative Council as India was under the British rule at that time. BHSIEUP is one in India which, from the very start, had adopted 10+2 system of examination. The first public examination after 10 years education is High School Examination and after the 10+2 stage, there is Intermediate Examination. Prior to 1923, University of Allahabad was the examining body of these two examinations. In view of the ever-multiplying load of work in successive years, the Board had been experiencing considerable difficulty in controlling and conducting its activities centrally from Allahabad. As such four Regional Offices of the Board were established at Meerut(1973), Varanasi(1978), Bareilly(1981) and Allahabad(1987) under the control of Regional Secretaries; the head office still being at Allahabad with Secretary as the overall executive head. Now Regional Office at Ramnagar (Nainital) has been separated from UP Board due to the creation of Uttaranchal as a new state on November 8, 2000. Presently, the Board holds the examinations and prepares the results of well over 65 lakh students. His family met its expenses by farming on a two-acre land but his humble background is exactly what motivated Sheikh Salman to devote himself completely in preparing for the UPSC Civil Services 2017 exams. And the result - declared on Friday - was only a confirmation. Salman worked hard to balance his time between helping his family with their farming needs and studying for the UPSC Civil Services 2017 exams. The Aurangabad youth now dreams of not just helping out his parents but serving people at large. "We meet our expenses by doing farming on two acres of land that we have. I still cannot believe that I have cleared the Civil Services Exam," he told news agency ANI recently. "I will serve people to the best of my abilities. Local media has also reported that Salman's father worked hard to provide a decent education to his son. Despite financial hardships, Salman managed to complete his B. Sc and M.Sc in Chemistry before turning his attention towards UPSC Civil Services exam and managing to secure the 339th rank. Salman's remarkable tale of success against financial challenges is not the only one to have emerged after this year's UPSC Civil Services 2017 exams were declared. From a tea seller's son to the son of a police constable and a mother of a four-year-old from Haryana, inspirational candidates have truly highlighted that no ask is big enough for those determined to put in hard work. Hyderabad: Stepping up his efforts to form Federal Front, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will meet DMK leaders M. Karunanidhi and M.K. Stalin in Chennai on Sunday. This was announced by the chief minister`s office in a statement on Saturday night. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief along with some other leaders of the party will leave for Chennai by a special aircraft. He will call on former Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi and his son Stalin, who is also the working president of DMK. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will discuss with DMK leaders the formation of Federal Front proposed by him as an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress to bring a qualitative change in the national politics. At the TRS plenary here on Friday, a resolution was passed towards this effect. The TRS chief declared that he will intensify the efforts to form the front and as part of this will meet Stalin and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav in coming days. Stating that both BJP and Congress miserably failed to address people`s problems during last 70 years, KCR said the front would trigger tremor in the national politics with its agenda for speedy development and for addressing the real issues of people. On April 13, the TRS chief had met Janata Dal (S) President and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his son H.D. Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru to discuss the proposed front. KCR had last month flown to Kolkata to meet West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Hemant Soren and well-known actor Prakash Raj had also called on KCR to discuss the formation of the front. Bengaluru: A total of 2,655 candidates are left in the fray for the May 12 Assembly polls in Karnataka. Out of 2,655 candidates, 2,436 are men and 219 women, a statement from the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office said, a day after the last date for withdrawal of candidature. A total of 2,948 candidates had contested the 2013 polls. It said the contesting candidates include 224 from" BJP, 222 from Congress and 201 from JD(S). Others are BSP 18, CPI 2, CPIM 19, NCP 14, registered unrecognised parties 800 and independents 1,155. The process of filing of nominations had begun with the"issue of gazette notification on April 17. While the last"date for filing of nominations was April 24, scrutiny was on April 25. The CEO office said there were 3,509 nominated" candidates without duplicates. Mulabagilu had highest"nomination of 61 while the lowest nomination of four was in Challakere. It said 271 nominations had been rejected. The highest rejections of eight each were in Shantinagar and Rajajinagar constituencies in Bengaluru. Noting that 583 nominations were withdrawn, the release said the highest number of 17 withdrawals was in Mulabagilu (Kolar). There are 25 assembly constituencies that have more than 15 candidates. Mulabagilu has 39"candidates. Counting of votes will take place on May 15. New Delhi: A day after Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy claimed that phones of Congress leaders in the state were being tapped, BJP has come out all guns blazing in slamming the accusation. Reddy on Saturday had said that BJP was making use of unscrupulous methods and had tapped phones of several Congress leaders to learn about the party's strategies for the May 12 state assembly elections. PTI reported that Reddy blamed Amit Shah for it and that some of the tappings were for 18 hours a day. He then went on to say that teams had been tasked with recording conversations between Congress leaders and then translating these recordings to either Hindi or English. BJP, as expected, is absolutely fuming. Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday hit back at Reddy and said that the accusition only shows the state Congress is in. "Karnataka ministers saying their phones are being tapped by BJP is hilarious," he told news agency ANI. "This is nothing but a lame excuse for their impending defeat." The political climate in Karnataka has been getting hot in the last few months and threatens to boil over in the weeks leading up to the elections. Leaders from both parties have traded verbal jabs, unleashed accusations galore and - at times- indulged in personal insults. Stakes, understandably, are high. While CM Siddaramaiah is looking to win another term and his Congress party is desperate to hold on to Karnataka at a time when its presence in most states has been enormously diminished, BJP is looking for momentum in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year. A win in Karnataka could also mean an entry point into southe Lucknow: Taking a dig at the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, spokesperson of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit Rakesh Tripathi has termed the proposed visits of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati to poll-bound Karnataka as "political tourism". He, however, claimed that BJP workers and people in Karnataka want to have a glimpse of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his campaigning in different poll-bound states of the country is benefiting the party. Alleging that both the SP and the BSP "thrive on caste politics", Tripathi said, "The election tours made to Karnataka by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati are simply political tourism." "The main base and origin of both these parties is Uttar Pradesh. But, in this state their condition is miserable. Both of them are facing the worst times since their inception. They do not have any party organisation, base and mandate in Karnataka," he was quoted as saying in a statement. The state BJP spokesperson claimed that the founding members of the BSP were deserting the party which is finding it tough to preserve its status as a national party. Hitting out at the Samajwadi party, Tripathi said, "Ever since Akhilesh Yadav replaced his father (Mulayam Singh Yadav) as the SP president, the party has been weakened." "The SP is a regional party. In Karnataka, it does not have any organisational structure. The tour of Akhilesh Yadav to Karnataka will prove to be a flop show like the one to Gujarat," the BJP leader said. He claimed that Yogi Adityanath influenced the entire country after becoming the chief minister. "This is the reason why there has been a continuous demand from various poll-bound states for Adityanath to campaign for BJP candidates," Tripathi said. According to BJP sources, Adityanath will be seen in action, addressing as many as 35 rallies and road shows the saffron party has organised for him as the Nath sect, to which he belongs, wields considerable clout in coastal Karnataka. As per the party's plans, the chief minister's hectic Karnataka tour will begin on May 3 and he will be there holding rallies daily between May 7 and 10, BJP spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi told PTI. BSP supremo Mayawati, whose party has entered into a pact with former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S), has already started working in the state with her rallies starting April 25 from Mysuru. She will be addressing a rally in Chitradurga today and Belagavi and Bidar on May 5-6 respectively. The BSP is contesting on 20 seats in Karnataka and is hoping to open an account there with the JD(S) support. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will also be touring the state to champion his party's cause in those constituencies where SP candidate is in the fray. According to a party spokesperson, the SP has fielded over two dozen candidates in Karnataka. Polling in Karnataka will be held in a single phase on May 12 for all the 224 Assembly seats in the Congress-ruled state, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes. Hungund: Slamming Congress president Rahul Gandhi for questioning the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last four years, BJP president Amit Shah had on Saturday said that the nation wants to know the contributions of four generations of his family. "Rahul Gandhi has been travelling around Karnataka and asking what the Modi government has done in the last four years. We don't need to answer Rahul Baba's question. Why are" you (Rahul Gandhi) asking the details of our work in four" years? The people of the country are asking about the" contribution of your four generations," he said. Shah, who was addressing a public meeting in north Karnataka on April 28, 2018, said five years ago, the UPA government gave Rs 88,000 crore to Karnataka under the 13th Finance Commission, whereas the BJP government since 2014 increased the share in the 14th Finance Commission to Rs 2.19 lakh crore. Seeking public support for BJP state chief B S" Yeddyurappa as the next Chief Minister, Shah accused Congress" of toppling the BJP government in Karnataka in 2008. Shah said the Yeddyurappa led BJP government came"to power once in 2008, but the Congress brought it down by 'conspiring' against it. "I have come here to appeal to you to give Yeddyurappa five years to rule the state. He will make Karnataka a number one state." He said a "BJP tsunami" was in the offing in Karnataka, looking"at the turnout at public rallies in various parts"of the state. "We have won in 13 states since 2014 and now it is the turn"of Karnataka," said Shah. He then sought to know what would be the outcome of the May 12 Assembly elections and predicted a huge victory for his party. He flayed the Siddaramaiah government for the killings of BJP and RSS workers, adding that 24 of them had lost their lives so far, but the government chose not to do anything. The BJP president predicted that party"candidate B Sriramulu would win in Badami, from where Chief Minister" Siddaramaiah is contesting. The Chief Minister is contesting from two constituencies - Chamundeshwari and Badami. "Rahul Gandhi depends on Siddaramaiah to form a Congress government in Karnataka.Can a man who runs away from elections ensure his party's victory? He ran away from"Chamundeshwari to Badami. He thinks he will win from there." Shah asked Siddaramaiah to stop 'day dreaming' of a win from Badami, saying Sriramulu would defeat him. MUMBAI: Two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were on Saturday shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. The two youth wing workers have been identified as Yogesh Ralebhat and Rakesh Ralebhat. A police investigation has been initiated into the case. The incident reportedly took place at around 6.45 pm on Saturday when 29-year-old Yogesh Ralebhat and 28-year-old Rakesh Ralebhat were shot at by three assailants. The attackers riding on a bike shot bullets from a countrymade small firearm while the two were sitting outside their shop at Jamner in the evening. Eight bullets were reportedly shot at the two NCP members. They were rushed to the hospital but succumbed to their injuries. The incident comes days after two Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Anand Thube (40) were shot dead in Ahmednagar in Maharastra. The Sena leaders were shot at hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced. NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap, a suspected shooter, and two more persons were arrested in connection with the killings. Motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead Kotkar and Thube in Shahunagar area of Ahmednagar's Kedgaon at around 5:15 pm. Supporters of Jagtap allegedly vandalised the office of Ahmednagar superintendent of police after he was held in connection with the killings. Bhingar Camp police arrested at least 22 people for ransacking the SP's office while 31 others are on the run, said a local police official. "When MLA Jagtap was brought to the SP office, his supporters ransacked the window panes of the office and carried their leader on their shoulders while shouting slogans," he said. Gangtok: Pawan Chamling created history on April 28, 2018, by becoming the longest serving Chief Minister of the country. He has one more year to go in his fifth term as the CM of Sikkim. Chamling has broken the record of late Jyoti Basu, who was the longest serving CM in India. He was the CM of West Bengal for five terms from June 21, 1977, to November 6, 2000. Due to ill health, Basu could not complete his fifth term and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had taken charge from him. Chamling has led Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) to successive electoral victories for five terms in the hill state. He first took office as the CM of Sikkim on December 12, 1994. Before that, he served as minister for Industries, Information and Public Relations from 1989 to 1992 in the Nar Bahadur Bhandari Cabinet. Congratulating Chamling, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma tweeted: Congratulations for being the longest serving CM @pawanchamling5 ji. Your dedication and commitment is a testimony of your leadership, which keeps the spirit of democracy alive. You have not just transformed #Sikkim but have set a benchmark for others to follow. @CMOSIKKIM pic.twitter.com/cCQ9f7xShW Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) April 29, 2018 Talking to Sikkim Express, Chamling said he was personally happy with the record and he also extended his thanks to the people of Sikkim. "This would not have been possible without the faith, belief and support of the people of Sikkim. The credit for this goes to the people of Sikkim, Chamling was quoted as saying by the media house. In September 2017, he was honoured for his pioneering work in the field of organic farming during a ceremony at Germany's Lagau on the occasion of the One World Festival. Chamling was conferred the Grand Prix Award during the One World Award ceremony on September 8, 2017, at a mega event attended by nearly 700 guests who had arrived from different countries. The award was jointly handed over by Gerd Muller, the Federal Minister of Bavaria, and Joseph Wilhelm, German Organic Pioneer and Managing Director of Rupenzel. The award is presented every three years by Rapunzel and IFOAM - Organics International to people and initiatives that have an outstanding impact on the international organic movement and its ideas. (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: At 42, Shilpa Shetty continues to defy her age and has time and again proved that when it comes to fitness, she is unbeatable! She might be missing from the big screen for a while, but that doesn't stop the diva from ruling millions of hearts. The sexy siren recently shared some of her photos of her from Maldives, where she is currently holidaying with husband Raj Kundra and son Viaan. And this time, the diva has left her fans jaws dropped. In the photos, Shilpa is donning a sexy blue and white bikini top which she paired with matching shorts. But it is her perfectly toned body that is raising the temperature. Check out her photos: In both the photos, Shilpa is facing towards the sea. In one of the photos, the actress even poses like none other but King Khan Shah Rukh, imitating his favourite signature pose. In another video that Shilpa shared, she is seen trying her hands in fishing and even succeeds in it. In the meantime, the actress-turned-entrepreneur is all set to make her digital debut as host of reality show 'Hear Me. Love Me.' that aims to redefine the concept of blind dating. Thrilled about her digital debut, Shilpa had said, "I am sure all of us have wondered if looks are everything when it comes to dating. Kolkata: The Opposition parties in West Bengal on Saturday met the State Election Commission to express their grievances over the upcoming single-phase panchayat polls and the security arrangements for the same. Apart from the opposition Congress, BJP and Left parties, the ruling TMC also met the poll body and discussed the security and election arrangements for the upcoming poll, sources said. State Election Commissioner AK Singh will meet the state government officials on Monday. "The opposition parties expressed their grievances over the single-phase election and security arrangements. I cannot comment on it now. I can only say something after holding a meeting with state government officials, DG and home secretary on Monday. Let us see what happens," he said. The SEC officials met representatives of 10 political parties of the state separately. "We told the SEC that we are not happy with the security arrangements for the elections. The state does not have adequate forces to hold the elections in one day. The result of today's meeting is zero," senior BJP leader Pratap Banerjee told reporters after the meeting. "We had demanded that the elections be held in three phases when a meeting was held in this regard on April 21. We told the SEC that one phase election will only lead to violence," CPI(M) senior leader Rabin Deb said. The Congress delegation blamed the SEC and the state government for its alleged failure to provide adequate security during the filing of nominations. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha today said the party has decided to move court over SEC announcing single phase election. "The nominations were taken by saying three phase polls. Now, they are saying one phase elections. There is no proper security arrangements. We will move court," Sinha said. The TMC delegation, led by party general secretary Subrata Bakshi and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee, did not speak to the media after the meeting. The West Bengal panchayat election is scheduled to be held in a single phase on May 14. The West Bengal government has written to Odisha, Punjab, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh seeking forces for the panchayat election, a senior government official said today. Four companies of security personnel were sought from each state for a full back up to the existing force in the state, the official said. Stressing that the government was doing everything for adequate arrangements for the election, Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha had yesterday said that it had sought security forces from four to five states to manage the panchayat elections, wherein 58,467 polling booths have been set up across the state. The Korean War will be formally declared over after 68 years, the North and South said in the inter-Korean summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in. It has been hailed as a "historic meeting" which paved the way for the start of a new era, Pyongyang's state media said. The official KCNA news agency said it was a "historic meeting that has opened a new era for national reconciliation and unity, peace and prosperity", and carried the text of the leaders' Panmunjom Declaration in full. The two leaders "confirmed the common goal of realising, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula". Denuclearization being reported in the North Korean media is unprecedented due to the official propaganda which has always presented the country`s nuclear program as a matter of national pride and fundamental to the survival of the regime. Even though denuclearization was one of the key issues in the joint declaration on Friday, no concrete steps in achieving it were mentioned. The two neighbouring countries also agreed to work towards peace on the peninsula with a formal end to the conflict set to be announced later this year. The pair agreed to bring the two countries together and establish a "peace zone" on the contested border. For years, Pyongyang insisted it would never give up the "treasured sword" of its nuclear arsenal, which it says it needs to defend itself against a possible US invasion. But it has offered to put it up for negotiation in exchange for security guarantees, according to Seoul -- although Kim made no public reference to doing so at yesterday's spectacular summit. When Kim stepped over the military demarcation line that divides the peninsula he became the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the Korean War hostilities ceased in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. He then persuaded Moon to step into the North, and the two leaders shared a day of smiles, intimate moments, and a half-hour-long one-on-one conversation. Rodong Sinmun, the country`s main newspaper, featured 15 photographs from different moments of Friday`s summit on its front page, and another 20 on the second, reports Efe news. Thee photos showed Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in holding hands, the moment when the North Korean leader crossed over to the South, and the symbolic tree planting ceremony, among others. The newspaper also published the full text of the Panmunjom Declaration, which Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed on Friday. The media in Pyongyang, which on Friday had only mentioned that their leader had traveled to the South to meet with Moon, on Saturday covered the summit in full, including reporting on the denuclearization of the regime. State-owned KCNA agency published the declaration which discussed the common goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. 112 Agency The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on international partners to exert more pressure on the Russian Federation in connection with the situation in Donbas. A corresponding statement was published on Twitter by the speaker of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Mariana Betza. "Russia needs destabilization in Ukraine ... We call on partners to exert more pressure on the Russian Federation," she wrote. We recall that during the past day the militants carried out 61 shelling, four Ukrainian soldiers were injured, three - received military wounds. Earlier it became known about the mortar shelling of the Donetsk filtering station. Related: Protesters block roads and streets in Yerevan 112 Agency Today, on April 29, militants used artillery in the Donbas conlict zone, reported the press center of the antiterrorist operation headquarters in Facebook. "In the Luhansk direction, out of the banned 122-mm artillery, the enemy fired at our fortifications near the settlement of Prychepylivka," the report said. In the Donetsk direction, according to the information of the headquarters, from grenade launchers and small arms, the militants fired at the defenders of the Vodiane and Avdiivka twice. In addition, from large-caliber machine guns and small arms, terrorists opened fire on Ukrainian positions in the Krasnohorivka area and the Butivka mine. Near Marinka and Shyrokine, the militants fired from small arms. It is noted that only from the beginning of the day (as of 18:00) the militants fired Ukrainian positions for 13 times. As a result of fighting, there are no losses in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ulraine. Related: Protesters march along central streets of Yerevan, Armenia 112 Agency In Yerevan, thousands of protestors moved from the square in France along Mesrop Mashtots Avenue. This is reported by "RIA Novosti" referring to the data of its correspondent. The protesters were joined by opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan. Before the column goes the orchestra, the oppositionists beat the drums and play other instruments, carry the national flags of Armenia. According to the publication, motorists welcome the column with the help of sound signals. Note, at 19:00 local time (18:00 Kyiv time) protesters are planning to start a rally on the Republic Square. Earlier today, protesters blocked the central streets of Yerevan. We recall, Nikol Pashinyan called for the resumption of mass actions on April 29, and on May 1 to go to the rally during the consideration of candidates for the post of prime minister in parliament. Yesterday it became known that the ruling Republican Party in Armenia decided not to nominate a candidate for the post of prime minister. Related: Russia extended arrest for Pavlo Gryb for two more months It is reported that the frigate and the tugboat were in the exclusive economic zone of the country and a few nautical miles from the territorial waters of Latvia Reuters The ships of the Russian Navy have approached the territorial waters of Latvia. This was reported by the Latvian national armed forces on Twitter. It is reported that on April 28 a frigate of the Steregushchy class was found in five nautical miles from the territorial waters of Latvia, and a tug of the Gorin class of the Russian Federation military forces - in eight nautical miles. LV ekskl. ekonom. zona 5 j.j. no teritorialas juras brunotie speki 28.04. identificeja Krievijas BS "STEREGUSHCHIY" klases fregati NBS (@Latvijas_armija) April 29, 2018 Let's remind, earlier it was informed, that Russia carries out rocket tests over territory of Latvia in Baltic sea. 'After Russia announced the missile tests, Latvian defense ministry asked the Russian side to give as much information about the tests as possible, including which kinds of missiles will be used and which measures will be taken to provide security', the message reads. Russia claimed the missile tests are a part of military drills, and all the necessary security measures will be taken; however, no more questions were answered. Previously, Russian Centre for Management of Air Traffic informed the Latvian government that the Russian Navy would hold missile tests over Latvia's exclusive economic area in the Baltic Sea. He also stressed that it will be a very important meeting Open source The U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the meeting with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, is to be held in three-four weeks, as Reuters reports. I think we will have a meeting over the next three or four weeks. Its going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Trump said. Earlier, Trump said that the meeting with Kim Jong-un is to be held in May or in early June and expressed hope that the agreement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be reached. The leaders of two Koreas had a historic meeting in Panmunjom, South Korea. After the talks, the leaders of the states announced the signing of a treaty of peace at the end of 2018, which will end the war between the states which officially lasts since 1953. The leaders of the states have signed the Panmunjom Declaration for peace, prosperity and unity in the Korean Peninsula. Ukraine news on 112.international Hundreds of protesters are conducting marches on all the streets in Yerevan, blocking the roads with dumpsters and benches. According to Interfax, the protesters reacted to the call of Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the protest, the head of the parliamentary fraction Yelk. The roads to the Republic square, where the oppositions protest will be conducted, are blocked for now. Besides, the avenues which connect different citys parts with the centre of Yerevan and central Mashtots Avenue. It is known that the residents of Aragatzotn region blocked the Ashtarak Yerevan highway, north of the capital of Armenia. Earlier, Nikol Pashinyan called for reviving mass actions on April 29 and for showing up at a protest on May 1. He said it during the process of reviewing of candidates for PM post. Yesterday it was reported that ruling Armenias Republican Party decided not to nominate a candidate for PM post. The Iran situation is the key topic at the talks between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Israel Open source Brian Hook, a Senior Policy Advisor in U.S. State Department, stated that the USA called the European states and other countries for imposing sanctions against Iran to limit its missile programme, as Reuters reports. We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Irans missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans, Hook said. The Iran situation is the key topic at the talks between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Israel. Earlier, the U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw from a nuclear treaty with Iran if till May 12 the document is not tightened and new restrictions are not imposed on the Iranian missile programme. Tehran renounced any amendments to the done deal. Iran assumed the obligation to reduce the amounts of uranium enrichment and agreed on tighter international control over its nuclear programme. The European Union prolonged sanctions against Iran till April 13, 2019 due to the violations of human rights in the state. Anti-Iranian sanctions were imposed in 2011. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has prolonged anti-Iranian sanctions. The new national security advisor will offer Trump to step up pressure on Iran. These sanctions were prolonged by the U.S. Presidents in 1997, 2010 and 2011-2012. Reuters A large group of countries expects Ukraine to take steps after which the country will be able to become a NATO member. This was stated by the newly appointed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after the meeting of the foreign ministers of the member countries of the Alliance, reports European Truth. "A large group (of countries) hopes that the Ukrainians will begin to carry out actions after which they can be invited to join NATO," Pompeo said. He added that Ukraine needs to do a lot of work, "go a long way to achieve this." As you know, President Petro Poroshenko insists that the North Atlantic alliance should provide Ukraine with the Action Plan on NATO membership. Earlier it was reported that NATO considered the application of Ukraine for membership in the Alliance. The later information appeared that the NATO committee was ready to support Kyiv with weapons. We recall, on April 27 during a meeting of foreign ministers of the member states, the Ukrainian side planned to hold a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission during the meeting. All the allies, as well as the International Secretariat of the Alliance, supported such an initiative, but Hungary has vetoed it. Related: Aggravation in Donbas: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urges to increase pressure on Russia Most of the disruptions were recorded in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Ukraine in Kyiv region Open source Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram, wrote on Twitter that the European users of the messenger may have problems with the app. Massive overheating in one of the Telegram server clusters may cause some connection issues for European users within the next couple of hours. Apologies for the inconvenience the problem is being solved. Pavel Durov (@durov) April 28, 2018 As to Downdetector server, which monitors the work of Internet resources, as at 3:40 Kyiv time most of the disruptions were recorded in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Ukraine in Kyiv region. In Russia, where the authorities are trying to block Derovs messenger, mass troubles are noticed only in Moscow and St. Petersburg regions. 112 Agency 112 Agency 112 Agency Lviv citizens with solemn march marked the 75th anniversary of the creation of the SS division Galicia. As ZAXID.NET writes, the procession passed without political party symbols. According to one of the organizers of the march, Svyatoslav Siryi, the march was attended by representatives of the Azov volunteer battalions, the OUN battalion, the Karpatska Sich battalion, the Aidar battalion, and a number of public organizations. He added that he considers this day one of the days of the Ukrainian volunteer and a day of remembrance of the Galician, Ukrainian military tradition. ZIK notes that, as the organizers specified, originally the action was called "Spirit March" and was planned on the square near the monument to Taras Shevchenko, but the city authorities did not allow carrying out the event there. We recall, the Galicia division was formed on April 28, 1943. It consisted mainly of Ukrainian volunteers who lived on the territory of the Galicia and the General Province. The division was part of the SS troops of Nazi Germany, and in April 1945 it was formally incorporated into the Ukrainian National Army. Related: Ukraine needs to do a lot to join NATO, - US Secretary of State Related: Latvia spots Russian military ships near territorial waters As to the channels information, these states are included in the short list of possible sites for their meeting Open source The U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un can conduct a meeting in Mongolia and Singapore, as CBS News referring to the source. As to the channels information, these states are included in the short list of possible sites for their meeting. Earlier, Trump named the date of the meeting with Kim Jong-un. It was also reported that the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea may conduct a meeting in Russia. As we reported earlier, the U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the meeting with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, is to be held in three-four week. Earlier, Trump said that the meeting with Kim Jong-un is to be held in May or in early June and expressed hope that the agreement on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be reached. The leaders of two Koreas had a historic meeting in Panmunjom, South Korea. After the talks, the leaders of the states announced the signing of a treaty of peace at the end of 2018, which will end the war between the states which officially lasts since 1953. The leaders of the states have signed the Panmunjom Declaration for peace, prosperity and unity in the Korean Peninsula. The representatives of the National Corps have officially stated that they themselves will find and punish the individuals who destroyed the monument Open source Vandals destroyed the monument to Fighters for Ukraines Freedom of 1918-2018 on the night of April 28, as National Corps party wrote on Facebook. The memorial cross was set last Saturday within the Ukrainian-Lithuanian project Nations Memory: lets revive Khortytsia. We came to the monument in the morning today and saw the destroyed cross and the memorial plate near the monument, the post says. The representatives of the National Corps have officially stated that they themselves will find and punish the individuals who destroyed the monument. 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!) Amazon I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. The US State Department has released a statement over the current domestic situation in Armenia. The United States continues to monitor closely the situation in Armenia. As a friend of Armenia, we urge all parties to engage in good faith negotiations on the formation of a new government in accordance with the Constitution, and to reach a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians. We support the ongoing efforts of the Office of President Sarkissian to facilitate dialogue between all parties. We continue to commend the peaceful nature of the demonstrations, and trust that the security forces and those exercising their right to peaceful protest will remain committed to non-violence in the days to come, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release posted on the State Departments website. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. The finance ministry of Armenia has introduced the official website of the procurement system of the finance ministry www.gnumner.am, the ministry told ARMENPRESS. Deputy minister of finance Karen Tamazyan said the adoption of the law of procurement drastically raised transparency and the societys involvement in the procurement system. In 2017, the Armeps PPCM system was also introduced, which enables to have detailed information about each procurement from any company or signed contract. According to the deputy minister, 180 billion drams of procurements have been implemented in 2017, from which 96 billion drams are licensed procurements, while 83,7 billion drams are competitive procurements. 4,7 billion drams were procurements from one individual, which amounts to 5,7% of the overall procurements, which is drastically lower than the indicators of previous years. This means that the degree of competition has increased, he said. Tamazyan says the average number of participants in procurement tenders has also increased. According to Tamazyan, Armenia is a member of the Geneva WTO procurement office and is the only CIS country which was able to join the office. We presented our work there in terms of both structural and IT point of view and our experience was considered as positive and exemplary, he said. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the ongoing protests in Armenia, has said that he had another meeting with President Armen Sarkissian overnight April 28 29. A short while ago I met with President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian. We discussed the latest developments of the domestic situation and possible directions of solution, Pashinyan said on Facebook around 1:00 April 29. This is the third meeting of the opposition leader and the President, first being on April 21, then again on April 26. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. The rescue service of Armenias ministry of emergency situations has carried out special strategic trainings on evacuation of citizens and personnel in the event of fire in two major shopping centers of Yerevan the Rossiya Mall and Tashir Invest Group centers, the ministry told ARMENPRESS. The training focused on testing the readiness of both employees of the shopping centers and the first responders in the event of fire, and on improving cooperation. The training scenario was a fire eruption and a malfunction of the automatic extinguishers. As a result, fire inspectors detected certain shortcomings in the shopping centers, with least shortcomings recorded in Rossia Mall. Officials of the rescue service had a discussion with executives of the trade centers. An agreement was reached to organize trainings in the future as well to increase the readiness of the staff and to jointly eliminate the flaws. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Yelk faction of the Armenian parliament is currently holding a meeting with a delegation of Russias State Duma in the Armenian parliament seat the National Assembly in Yerevan. Arsen Babayan, director of the PR and press department of the parliament, told ARMENPRESS that Yelk faction leader Nikol Pashinyan is also in attendance. The meeting between the delegation of Russias State Duma and Yelk faction is underway in the National Assembly. Yelk faction leader Nikol Pashinyan is also participating in the meeting, Babayan said. Earlier opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan had said that he had a meeting with President of Armenia overnight April 28-29. State Duma (lower house of Russian parliament) MPs said at an April 28 press conference in Yerevan that they are ready to meet with Nikol Pashinyan. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. A group of students held a rally titled Student Awakening Our Last Walk in the morning of April 29 near the Isahakyan statue in downtown Yerevan. The students then began marching through city streets until reaching the France Square. Some students were seen wearing doctors uniforms, suggesting they are medical students. They shut down the Abovyan-Koryun intersection. Similar pocket demonstrations are also seen in other parts of the city with some protesters blocking the Mashtots-Tumanyan intersection and the Mashtots Khorenatsi intersection. Activist Davit Petrosyan, the organizer of the rally, said they will continue marching until 15:00. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan will lead his crowd of supporters at 17:00 from France Square to the Republic Square, where a rally is set for 19:00. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the parliamentary Yelk faction, is holding a meeting with Vahram Baghdasaryan, leader of the Republican Party (HHK) faction of the Armenian parliament. ARMENPRESS correspondent reports from the parliament that Pashinyan refused to mention the purpose of the visit before entering the office of the HHK faction leader. Before this meeting, Pashinyan and the Yelk faction had a meeting with the delegation of Russias State Duma. Details will be presented soon. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. The ARF Supreme Body has released a statement regarding the upcoming election of Prime Minister. The unanimity around a single candidate for PM and the political agenda, the necessity for which we had announced, can become reality. Thus, the ARF Armenia Supreme Body has decided to endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan in the upcoming May 1 Prime Minister election, ARF said in the statement. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Issues related to the Armenian-Russian relations and the domestic political situation of Armenia have been discussed at the April 29 meeting of the Yelk parliamentary faction of Armenia and the delegation of Russias State Duma. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan was also present at the meeting. Pashinyan told reporters that theyve presented their stance the Armenian-Russian relations must develop in by a normal path. We discussed and presented our stance regarding the membership to EEU, CSTO and generally the Armenian-Russian relations. We said that Armenia should continue being a EEU member, CSTO member, the Armenian-Russian relations must develop normally. We are set to discuss all issues, reach solutions in working, patient conditions, Pashinyan said. Regarding the stance of Russian lawmakers on the ongoing rallies in Armenia, Pashinyan said the Russian MPs assess this fact and the excitement of the people positively. We reassured that what weve said publicly is the reality, in this context there is no conspiracy against Russia, there is no geopolitical context in our movement. Nothing threatens the Armenian-Russian friendship, he said. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has shown an example that civil society exists and people are courageous and proud to express their opinion, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian told BBC News in an interview. First of all, the most important I am the guardian of the constitution , and as you have seen there are big demonstrations on the streets of Yerevan, probably you have seen them, that is the outcome of several years of problems that have been accumulated and that were not addressed or resolved, be that corruption, be that social injustice or young people that dont see a bright future for themselves despite they are talented or have good education , many many factors and most probably absence of dialogue between the government and the people, so president is the one that has to guide everybody towards a constitutional solution of this crisis. And I have been proud that we have several successes here, as you know there were very big demonstrations, but former president then PM Serzh Sargsyan, hearing what people are saying, he resigned on April 23, and I would like to give credit to Serzh Sargsyan for this courageous move because in other places in other times presidents were fighting for their political career up to the end. Serzh Sargsyan showed courage, heard the people and resigned, showing that this country can go towards democratic and free path, President Sarkissian said. BBCs Rayhan Demytrie asked the President if he agrees with the opposition leaders assessment that a velvet revolution is unfolding in Armenia, to which the President responded by saying: I would not like to give nice slogans, is it velvet or rose revolution , or purple one, or is revolution or not. For me whats important that people in Armenia, Armenia has shown an example that civil society exists and people are courageous and proud to express their opinion. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II held a meeting on April 29 with Republican Party (HHK) parliamentary faction leader Vahram Baghdasaryan, acting minister of defense Vigen Sargsyan, and MP Armen Ashotyan, who also serves as Vice President of the ruling party the HHK, the information department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin told ARMENPRESS. The meeting was held in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin. The meeting focused on the current domestic political situation in Armenia and peaceful settlement paths. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan has addressed a question on continuing cooperation with Bright Armenia and Republic parties the two other parties of the Yelk faction of the Armenian parliament. Speaking to reporters in the Armenian parliament, Pashinyan was asked on what format he will continue cooperating with the two political parties. I have said that our main task will be the creation of an atmosphere of solidarity and agreement. And this goal will accompany us in all actions, Pashinyan said. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, head of the parliamentary Yelk faction, says he believes that snap elections should take place within two months after the May 1 election of a Prime Minister. However, Pashinyan expressed readiness to discuss the issue with other political forces and organize the elections later. Speaking to reporters in the parliament, Pashinyan emphasized that they have their ideas over the timing of the snap parliamentary elections, however they are willing to discuss the proposals of other political forces. We have our ideas, however different forces of the political arena are voicing concerns that if we want to ensure equal conditions for all, then we must do it the way for the political arena to get prepared for that event. We believe that the elections can be done within two months, however we find this topic to be discussable, that it can be done a bit later, however within the limits of logic, in order for the political arena to be more ready for it, Pashinyan said. Asked whether or not the snap elections are possible to be held within a year, Pashinyan said: We believe that one year is a very long time, however the issue is discussable. All arguments must be weighed. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenias national security service (NSS) has prevented a terrorist, who was active in the Syrian war, from entering the country. The terrorist is identified as Suleymangaji Bagandgajiyev, a Russian citizen and resident of Makhachkala, the national security service told ARMENPRESS. The NSS said it continues being on high alert and focusing on foreign threats or terrorist organizations, taking into account the difficult tactical situation in the country. The national security service has heightened border control simultaneously with its other function in order to prevent the continuous attempts of terror suspects from taking advantage from the current domestic tension in Armenia and to target the country. The NSS said it had intelligence reports suggesting that terrorist organization-affiliated suspects would attempt to cross the border into Armenia. The prevention of entry of Suleymangaji Bagandgajiyev back on 13th of February of 2018 has proven the possible threats to national security relating to international terrorist organizations. The Russian citizen had arrived in Armenia on a transit flight from Kenya and attempted to use a fake passport of a Ukrainian citizen to illegally cross into Armenian territory. Suleymangaji Bagandgajiyev was charged under Article 325 and 329 of the Criminal Code as part of the criminal case on using forged documents and illegal border crossing. The Russian citizen was arrested. The NSS also gathered intelligence reports on Bagandgajiyevs recruitment and payment by an international terrorism organization for fighting in Syria from May 2015. The NSS also gathered information on Bagandgajiyevs suspicious interest towards individual locations in Yerevan and other Armenian cities. The investigation continues. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan has announced ceasing all civil disobedience campaigns on April 30 and holding meetings in the parliament with factions. Speaking at the April 29 rally in Yerevans Republic Square, Pashinyan said that he has very important work to do in the parliament tomorrow meeting with all parliamentary factions. He called on his supporters to suspend all civil disobedience demonstrations. I have very important work to do from the morning in the National Assembly. I have to meet with representatives of all parliamentary factions, in order to be able to give you information as result of these discussions that the election of your candidate is guaranteed. I will not be able to calmly work in office conditions if I know that civil disobedience campaigns are taking place in different parts of the country. We are taking a break tomorrow and we are not carrying out any civil disobedience action, in order to be able to work calmly. I am urging from this moment on to stop contacting HHK lawmakers through phone messages. According to initial agreement, tomorrow I will meet on your behalf with them, as a candidate for Prime Minister, in order to discuss our agenda entirely and make it reality, he said. He said he will be at the Garegin Nzhdeh Square of Yerevan at 17:00 and they will march to the Republic Square from there. In Republic Square, I will tell you about the results of negotiations, and together we will decide our future tasks depending on the situation. In any case, the next day, from the morning, we are gathering from all provinces in the Republic Square from 08:00. Regarding where we will spend May 1, how we will spend the day, it depends on the political situation in the country on that day, Pashinyan said. He also talked about his meeting with Russian State Duma lawmakers. He said the meeting proceeded in a very warm atmosphere and they separated as friends saying for the record that this all doesnt anyhow threaten the Armenian-Russian friendship, on the contrary these relations will develop even more in the future. On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned. First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting. Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan leader of the opposition on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament. On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties. Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party the Republican Party of Armenia HHK said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans. An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the partys president. The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1. In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliaments rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law, Speaker Ara Babloyan said. According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament. The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan. On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed the peoples candidate. On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan Supporters of Armenia's opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan rallied in the capital on Sunday, hoping that a massive show of force two days ahead of a parliamentary vote will help propel him to power. Waving national flags and chanting Pashinyan's name, tens of thousands of people gathered in a square in the centre of Yerevan in the evening, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. "The victory of the velvet revolution is irreversible," Pashinyan told the ecstatic crowd chanting "Nikol Prime Minister". "Looking into your eyes, I can say that yes, I am ready -- with a great sense of responsibility -- to assume the prime ministerial duties," he said. Pashinyan, who needs a handful of votes from lawmakers to become the country's next premier, saw his chances boosted Sunday when a senior lawmaker said the ruling Republican Party would not stand in the way of his candidacy. In the streets of Yerevan, flag-draped demonstrators blocked intersections, sang songs, played music and chanted slogans accusing the ruling party of clinging to power against the people's will. Serzh Sarkisian, who became prime minister on April 17 after serving a decade as president in what was seen by opponents as a power grab, resigned on Monday after 10 days of mass protests. "A spring of liberation has come to Armenia," 56-year-old protester Sona Paremuzyan told AFP. "We got rid of a governmnent of thieves and will soon start rebuilding the country. For the first time in many years, I hope that my grandchildren will live in a better country." Another protester, 48-year old architect Robert Gukasyan, said: "In a couple of days we will finish dismantling Serzh (Sarkisian)'s regime. A window of opportunity has opened for Armenians to build a functioning state." Pashinyan, who heads the small Civil Contract party, is the only candidate in the running for the premiership so far and insists that only he can rid Armenia of corruption, poverty and nepotism. On Friday and Saturday, Pashinyan received a hero's welcome in a number of towns and villages outside the capital as he drove around the landlocked ex-Soviet state with his supporters in a convoy. - Six more votes - He needs the backing of at least six lawmakers from the ruling Republican Party, which has 58 seats in parliament, to clinch victory on Tuesday. The party has said it would announce its position on Monday, but Pashinyan said he had already received assurances from the head of its parliamentary group, Vahram Baghdasaryan, that it would not sabotage his bid. "Lawmakers of the ruling party are inclined not to stand in the way of my candidacy," Pashinyan said. On Saturday, after days of frantic negotiations, two major parties said they would back Pashinyan, but he was still six votes short of the 53 he needs from the 105-seat legislature. The Prosperous Armenia Party, which holds 31 seats, threw its weight behind Pashinyan on Saturday. A smaller party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, quit the ruling coalition and said it would also back the protest leader. Pashinyan had urged his supporters to turn out in force on Sunday evening. "Our fantastic rallies and meetings across the country have affected the situation in a powerful way," he said in a video address. "Everything will be OK. We'll continue until we reach victory." - 'Rats from a sinking ship' - Some analysts said they expected a number of Republicans to defect and give their votes to Pashinyan, sealing his victory. "I am sure that at least six people from the Republican Party -- like rats from a sinking ship -- would vote for Pashinyan," said analyst Ervand Bozoyan. Observers have expressed fears that the turmoil could destabilise the Moscow-allied nation which has been locked in a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan for decades. Pashinyan met Sunday with Russian lawmakers, telling them his premiership would not threaten the South Caucasus country's close ties with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week spoke by phone with the interim head of government. One of the Kremlin's closest allies, Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is dependent on investments and aid from Moscow. Russian border guards patrol Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran. The United States on Saturday urged "good faith" in negotiations, with a State Department statement calling for "a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians." "Our fantastic rallies and meetings across the country have affected the situation in a powerful way," Pashinyan told supporters In a bid to break the deadlock and drum up support, Pashinyan also called on his supporters to stage a major rally on Sunday evening Australias oldest scientist plans to fly to Switzerland next week to end his life through voluntary euthanasia. Dr David Goodall, who is 104, doesnt have a terminal illness but his quality of life has deteriorated in recent months. I greatly regret having reached that age, Dr Goodall told the ABC about turning 104 on April 4. Exit International, founded by controversial euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke, has started a GoFundMe campaign to upgrade Dr Goodalls ticket from economy to business class and is sending nurse Carol ONeil to accompany the Perth resident. Dr David Goodall (right), 104, will travel to Switzerland with Carol ONeil (left) next month. Source: GoFundMe My feeling is that an old person like myself should have full citizenship rights including the right of assisted suicide, Dr Goodall said. Dr Goodall and Ms ONeil plan to leave Perth for Basel in early May. The acclaimed botanist and ecologist made headlines in 2016 after Perths Edith Cowan University, where he was an honoury research associate, told him he must vacate his office due to concerns for his welfare and others while on campus. Dr Goodall challenged the decision and won. Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467. With AAP The EU will this week unveil its first formal plans for a larger, one-trillion-euro-plus long-term budget after Britain's departure, which threaten to further deepen divisions in the bloc. From slashed farm funds that will anger French farmers, to development cash tied to respect for democracy, and demands for greater national contributions, the 2021-2027 budget promises to be an explosive mixture. EU Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, who will present the plans in Brussels on Wednesday, says that tough steps are needed to fill a 12 to 14 billion euro hole left by Brexit. A race against time will follow, especially as the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, wants the budget agreed before the next European Parliament elections in May 2019, two months after Britain leaves. EU states say it is "impossible" given the rifts between east, west, north and south, with countries anxious not to put their hands in their pockets at a time when populism on the march. "They have to take responsibility for the ambitions that they have expressed" for the EU after Brexit, an official in Jean-Claude Juncker's commission said on condition of anonymity. - 'There will have to be cuts' - The loss of Britain deprives the EU of one of its biggest net contributor nations at a time when the bloc is trying to finance new areas such as defence and tackling migration. Countries including Austria and the Netherlands are already gearing up to fight any demand for increased national contributions, although France and Germany have said they are ready to pay more. The sums at stake in the budget debate are huge, even if on the face of it they only represent a tiny fraction of the overall wealth of the European Union -- the current 2014-2020 budget represented just 1 percent of the bloc's GDP. Oettinger has called for countries to increase their contributions to "between 1.1 percent and 1.2 percent" of their national budgets for the next "multi-annual financial framework". But along with the new resources "there will have to be cuts," the German commissioner has warned. Sources said they would be "modest" amounting to less than 10 percent. Most will target the two areas that together account for nearly three quarters of all EU spending. The EU's infamous Common Agricultural Policy is first in the crosshairs, accounting for 37 percent of the bloc's spending. That will be difficult to swallow for France, whose farmers are the biggest beneficiaries of CAP funds. Paris has said it is ready to defend "substantial reform" but the "indispensable security of aid for farmers cannot be affected", a diplomatic source said. - 'Political pressure' - Also targeted will be so-called cohesion funds that are used to fund development in poorer European countries. They represent a further 35 percent of the EU's budget. Most of that money currently goes to eastern former Soviet bloc countries which are still catching up economically. But southern nations such as Spain and Italy have started demanding that some is redirected to tackle mass youth unemployment in their countries. The eastern countries are also alarmed by the commission's plans to link the funds to respect for the rule of law. Poland and Hungary, both criticised by Brussels over democratic issues, have battened down the hatches and say they are being criticised for failing to take in refugees. "We will not accept arbitrary mechanisms which will make the funds an instrument of political pressure, Poland's deputy European affairs minister Konrad Szymanski said. Some of the money saved will be directed to guarding the EU's frontiers in the wake of the migration crisis, with the Commission planning to more than quintuple the size of the Frontex border agency to nearly 6,000, a European source said. EU Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, who will present the plans in Brussels on Wednesday, says that tough steps are needed to fill a 12 to 14 billion euro hole left by Brexit The EU's infamous Common Agricultural Policy is first in the crosshairs, accounting for 37 percent of the bloc's spending. That will be difficult to swallow for France, whose farmers are the biggest beneficiaries of CAP funds With the Basque Country and Catalonia going their different ways, the Spanish government has avoided the nightmare of a joint independence front between the two wealthy regions. The northern Basque Country, home to 2.2 million people -- roughly one in four said to be a separatist -- wants to live in peace, taking advantage of the expected dissolution of separatist group ETA after decades of bloody attacks. That contrasts sharply with Catalonia, where about half its 7.5 million people back independence and the region is now locked in a tense stand-off with Madrid. "The interests today of the two regions are very different. One wants to protect what they have won; the others (Catalans) want more," said Pablo Simon, a political science professor at Carlos III University in Madrid. - Shared history - The two regions have felt close since the 19th century, when elite-led nationalist movements first appeared. Both are industrial centres and they watched with a certain detachment as the rest of the country -- rural and largely illiterate -- collapsed into chaos after Spain lost its last colonies, notes Spanish historian Carlos Gil Andres. General Francisco Franco's 1939-75 dictatorship was then a time of repression with the public use of their distinct languages banned. But it was in the Basque region that the response was more radical. ETA, set up in 1959, is blamed for the deaths of at least 829 people to 2010 in its campaign of bombings and shootings to achieve independence. In Catalonia, nationalist group Terre Lliure set up in 1978 and which like ETA was Marxist, carried out only one killing. It disbanded in 1991. - 'New coexistence' - In 2003 Basque regional premier Juan Jose Ibarretxe proposed a status of "free association" with Spain. He also wanted -- long before Catalonia -- a referendum on self-determination but the plan was rejected by parliament in Madrid. Basque nationalist politicians however chose to respect democratic rules and avoid the confrontation with Madrid that Catalan leaders took on. Today all sides in the region "want to build a new coexistence" and "avoid a repetition" of the years of violence, said Agus Hernan of the Forum Social, a group which is close to families of ETA prisoners. The ruling conservative nationalist PNV party "realised that radicalisation would keep them from power," said Inaki Oyarzabal, a Basque senator with the conservative Popular Party. - Unequal tax powers - There is another key difference -- the Basque Country has since the 19th century had the power to collect its own taxes and decide for itself how to spend the money. Basque leaders negotiate roughly every five years the "cupo", the amount they must give Madrid to pay for public services, said Simon. They are therefore used to dealing with Madrid and are interested in maintaining the status quo. This tax-and-spend advantage of the Basques fuels resentment in Catalonia. The situation there has been made worse by "a perfect storm" driven by the drastic austerity measures adopted after the 2007-8 economic crisis and anger over corruption, said Borja Ventura who has written on both regions. In 2011, the then head of the Catalan regional government, Artur Mas, was forced to enter the regional parliament by helicopter to avoid a crowd that had surrounded the building to protest austerity, Ventura recalled. "And a way to bring people to his side was to mobilise them against an external enemy," he said, referring to the Spanish state. - Civil disobedience - Catalonia demanded the same "fiscal autonomy" but Madrid was unwilling to concede a region which accounts for 19 percent of Spanish economic output the same costly privileges enjoyed by the Basque Country which accounts for just six percent. Over the following years, Catalan separatists repeatedly challenged Madrid?s authority and the decisions of the national courts until, on October 27, 2017, the parliament they controlled voted to break away from Spain after a banned independence referendum. Oyarzabal, the Basque senator, said "there is no terrorism" in Catalonia but he likened the region's separatist drive to a "coup d'etat". Catalans reject outright any suggestion their struggle can be compared to that of the Basques. Joan Tarda, a lawmaker for Catalonia separatist party the Republican Left, said any comparison with the years of violence in the Basque Country "is an insult to intelligence and it trivialises terrorism". "We opted for an enormous act of civil disobedience. But we will not deviate from our civic and peaceful method," he added. ETA separatists address the press in 2011 when the Basque separatist group announced a permanent end to its campaign of violence which cost more than 800 lives Thousands of people demonstrate against ETA in the town of Portugalete in 2002 after a bomb attack there Catalans march in support of jailed pro-independence leaders and politicians in Barcelona earlier this month Costa Rica's new assembly will formally begin work on Tuesday, with 14 of its 57 new deputies evangelical Christians, making up one of the main groups in opposition to the center-left government of president-elect Carlos Alvarado. The evangelicals, half of whom are pastors or preachers, were voted in by the National Restoration party -- which challenged the result of the April 1 presidential election won by Carlos Alvarado with 61 percent of the vote. His rival, Fabricio Alvarado, a 43-year-old preacher who surged from obscurity by harshly criticizing moves to recognize gay marriage, came a distant second with 39 percent. Despite having the same last name, the two are not related. Despite Alvarado's resounding victory, his Citizens' Action Party only holds 10 seats in the Legislative Assembly, with the list including Costa Rica's first openly-homosexual legislator, journalist Enrique Sanchez. "There are differences over certain issues linked to the rights of women and human rights. We will stick to our positions and we will strengthen and defend them," Sanchez told AFP. The former presidential candidate has taken a belligerent posture towards Carlos Alvarado's new government, sharply criticizing it even before it takes power on May 8. "We cannot grant legitimacy to a corrupt, irresponsible government, which tramples on religious freedoms, and promotes a secular state and the death and destruction of the family," Fabricio Alvarado wrote on Twitter on Thursday, saying his deputies would be vigilant in their "defense of the family." When it begins work on Tuesday, the assembly will have to urgently approve a tax reform to keep the public deficit at 6.2 percent of gross domestic product -- a move which the four previous governments had been unable to pass. The incoming president, a 38-year-old former journalist, had on Thursday unveiled a national unity government made up of 25 ministers, including 14 women and 11 men, who represent the main parties in parliament. None of them are evangelicals. The new government of Costa Rica's president-elect Carlos Alvarado will take office on May 8, 2018, a week after the Legislative Assembly begins work Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran's "growing aggression" when he meets visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later Sunday. Pompeo, sworn in only on Thursday, met Saudi leaders on Sunday as part of his first trip since taking office. He was due in Israel and Jordan later in the day. "I think that it is important that he is coming to Israel as part of his first visit outside the US as secretary of state," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "I will discuss with him developments in the region, Iran's growing aggression and ?- of course -? the nuclear agreement with Iran, about which there will be a decision soon." US President Donald Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 accord over Iran's nuclear programme. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the deal with Israel's main enemy to be altered or scrapped, though most world powers see it as key to preventing Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons. On Friday, after talks with NATO allies in Brussels, Pompeo appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the nuclear deal. Netanyahu has also warned that his country will not accept Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad's regime. On April 9, seven Iranian personnel were among 14 people killed in a strike on the T-4 airbase in Syria. Regime allies Iran and Russia blamed Israel for the attack. Trump's recent promise to withdraw troops from Syria led to concern in Israel, which wants Washington to help limit Iran's influence there. Pompeo's visit also comes ahead of the deeply controversial move of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, planned for May 14. Palestinian leaders have frozen contact with the White House over the move, and Pompeo is not due to meet with any of them during his trip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office on April 29, 2018 Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on Sunday refused to yield to opposition demands that he resign from office, following eight days of anti-government protests in the capital. "I am president by the will of the Malagasy people. There are millions of people who voted for me, it would really betray the people to resign," the president said at a press conference. Just seven months from general elections, he is confronted with an unprecedented revolt since coming to power in late 2013. The opposition accuses the government of trying to elbow them out of the race through new electoral laws they claim benefit the incumbent. They claim that the new laws could bar some candidates from standing in the presidential election, and they have asked the country's constitutional court to rule on the measures. The protests erupted last week and on the first day two people were killed and at least 16 people wounded, with the police accused of firing real bullets at the crowd. "No one gave the order to the security forces to fire real bullets," Rajaonarimampianina said Sunday. "They want to blame the State but it is not responsible." The large Indian Ocean island, which has been beset by decades of political instability, is due to hold polls in late November or December. Rajaonarimampianina has not yet announced whether he will stand for re-election, but on Sunday he was defending his record. "We are still poor but there are building projects underway everywhere in Madagascar, the aim of which is to improve the living conditions of the population," he said. Two former heads of state have already said they would be candidates: Marc Ravalomanana, who was president from 2002 to 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, who removed Ravalomanana during a coup. Both were barred from running in 2013 and their parties have been involved in the demonstrations. Representatives of both the president's party and of the opposition had met on Wednesday to try to find a solution to the crisis, but to no avail. Protests organised by opposition deputies in Madagascar have been calling for the resignation of the president, who on Sunday declared he would not step down Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has been in office since 2013, but he has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election this year Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the temporary ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait is now permanent, intensifying a diplomatic standoff over the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf nation. Duterte in February imposed a prohibition on workers heading to Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in the Gulf state. The crisis deepened after Kuwaiti authorities last week ordered Manila's envoy to leave the country over videos of Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employers. The two nations had been negotiating a labour deal that Philippine officials said could result in the lifting of the ban but the recent escalation in tensions has put an agreement in doubt. "The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for especially domestic helpers. No more," Duterte told reporters in his hometown in the southern city of Davao. Around 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, nearly 60 percent of them domestic workers, according to the Philippines' foreign department. Last week the Philippines apologised over the rescue videos but Kuwaiti officials announced they were expelling Manila's ambassador and recalling their own envoy from the Southeast Asian nation. Duterte on Sunday described the situation in Kuwait as a "calamity". He said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse as he appealed to workers who wanted to stay in the oil-rich state. "I would like to address to their patriotism: come home. No matter how poor we are, we will survive. The economy is doing good and we are short of our workers," he said. About 10 million Filipinos work abroad to seek high-paying jobs they were unable to find at home, and their remittances are a major pillar of the Philippine economy. Duterte said workers returning from Kuwait could find employment as English teachers in China, citing improved ties with Beijing. Describing China as a "true friend", he said he would use Chinese aid to fund the workers' repatriation. Duterte added that he was not after "vengeance" against Kuwait and did not "nurture hate". "But if my people are considered a burden to some of them, to some government mandated to protect them and uphold their rights, then we will do our part," he said. Duterte said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the temporary ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait is now permanent, intensifying a diplomatic standoff over the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf nation. Duterte in February prohibited workers heading to Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in her employer's freezer. The resulting row deepened after Kuwaiti authorities last week ordered Manila's envoy to leave the country over videos of Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employers. The two nations had been negotiating a labour deal that Philippine officials said could result in the lifting of the temporary ban but the recent escalation in tensions has put an agreement in doubt. "The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for especially domestic helpers. No more," Duterte told reporters in his hometown in the southern city of Davao. Around 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, nearly 60 percent of them domestic workers, according to the Philippines' foreign ministry. Last week the Philippines apologised over the rescue videos but Kuwaiti officials announced they were expelling Manila's ambassador and recalling their own envoy from the Southeast Asian nation. Kuwait also detained four Filipinos hired by the Philippine embassy and issued arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel, Manila said. On Sunday, Kuwait's deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Jarallah said in a statement his country "is willing to cooperate with friends in the Philippines to look into ways to resolve all outstanding issues" regarding Filipino workers. "The historic friendship between the two countries can overcome this issue," he added. The Philippines' ambassador Renato Pedro Villa told AFP he will leave Kuwait on Wednesday, adding that he refused to comply with Kuwaiti demands for the names of staffers suspected of being involved in the rescues. Duterte on Sunday described the treatment of workers in Kuwait as a "calamity". He said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse as he appealed to workers who wanted to stay in the oil-rich state. "I would like to address to their patriotism: come home. No matter how poor we are, we will survive. The economy is doing good and we are short of our workers," he said. - 'Anger against Filipinos' - About 10 million Filipinos work abroad, seeking high-paying jobs they are unable to find at home, and their remittances are a major pillar of the Philippine economy. The Philippine government has for decades hailed overseas workers as modern heroes but advocacy groups have highlighted the social cost of migration, tearing families apart and making Filipinos vulnerable to abuse. Duterte lashed out at Kuwait in February, alleging Arab employers routinely rape Filipina workers, force them to work 21 hours a day and feed them scraps. However after the latest row, Duterte used a conciliatory tone as he addressed the "diplomatic ruckus" on Saturday. "Apparently it seems as if they have anger against Filipinos... I do not want to send (workers) because apparently you do not like Filipinos," he said in a speech before Filipinos in Singapore. "Just do not hurt them. I plead that they'd be given a treatment deserving of a human being," he said in the same event. Duterte said workers returning from Kuwait could find employment as English teachers in China, citing improved ties with Beijing. Describing China as a "true friend", he said he would use Chinese aid to fund the workers' repatriation. Duterte added he was not after "vengeance". "I'd address myself to the Kuwait government and the people: Thank you for helping my countrymen all these years. It is a debt of gratitude that after all you were able to help. So I have no anger, no hatred," he said. burs-jm/amz/ia Duterte said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday described the treatment of Philippine workers in Kuwait as a "calamity", and pledged to bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse President Rodrigo Duterte met Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh th this week, but the row between the two countries has escalated Four police cars were significantly damaged as officers attended an out of control party of up to 50 youths in North Melbourne. Police were called to a rental property on Shands Lane about 2am on Sunday, but objects were thrown at police and four vehicles were damaged, with windscreens smashed, side mirrors kicked off and panels dented. Four police vehicles were significantly damaged in the early hours of Sunday morning. Source:@pauldowsley7/ Twitter Senior Sergeant Adam Tanner said on Sunday, Look lets be honest, its outrageous, its criminal behaviour. And its not something that we tolerate. Investigations are underway after four police cars were damaged in North Melbourne. Source: @pauldowsley7/ Twitter As soon as we became aware of that damage, it was about identifying who may have committed that damage. No officers were injured during the incident. The cars were damaged when police responded to a party in North Melbourne. Source: @pauldowsley7/ Twitter Investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made at this point. There was certainly a large number of people around there, so whether those people were connected to the address, connected to any party that may be occurring at that address or also for instance whether there were any gatecrashers or things like that at that party, Senior Sergeant Tanner said. The four police vehicles damaged outside a North Melbourne house party this morning. All with smashed windscreens, some side mirrors kicked off and panels dented. pic.twitter.com/c2JfAqjzpj Paul Dowsley (@pauldowsley7) April 29, 2018 Police said a number of youths had been spoken to before the group dispersed. Authorities are appealing for help from the public, and investigators are particularly interested to obtain any CCTV in the area. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a report anonymously at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill celebrated mass in Tirana on Sunday, the highlight of his first visit to the mainly Muslim Albania. "We, Orthodox Christians living in various countries, share the same values, and we must follow them," Kirill told hundreds of faithful in Tirana's Orthodox cathedral. In a country of 2.9 million known for its religious tolerance, Orthodox Christians make up seven percent of the population, behind the 10 percent who are Catholic and the majority Muslims who account for 56 percent, according to the 2011 census. Kirill, 71, is the spiritual leader of more than half of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians. Kirill hailed the Albanian church's "resistance" during a half-century of communist rule, when more than 100 members of the clergy including seven bishops died in detention or were executed for their religious conviction. More than 1,800 churches were destroyed between 1945 and 1985. Kirill also praised the "renaissance of faith" the country has seen since the fall of communism in the early 1990s. "Our Church is marked by the spirit of peaceful coexistence among all religious communities, and the visit by Patriarch Kirill is an affirmation of these values," said Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, the head of the Albanian Orthodox Church. Kirill, who arrived in Tirana on Saturday, was to meet Albanian President Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill hailed the Albanian church's "resistance" during a half-century of communist rule, when dozens of clergy died in detention or were executed and more than 1,800 churches were destroyed A deal has been reached for the evacuation of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk where Islamic State group fighters have been holed up in southern Damascus, state media reported Sunday. The transfer of "terrorist groups" to rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria would begin on Monday, said the official SANA news agency, which did not name IS jihadists. It came hours after the Syrian government and rebels agreed to evacuate opposition fighters from the areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, also in southern Damascus, according to SANA. The announcements followed a more than one week-old regime assault to oust IS fighters from the capital's southern suburbs. Earlier on Sunday, SANA said opposition fighters and members of their families would be evacuated from the three rebel-held areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, east of Yarmuk. The deal gave fighters the choice between leaving the area with their families or handing over their weapons and staying, SANA said. The reported deal is the latest in a string of such agreements that have seen the regime retake areas near the capital after rebel withdrawals. Over the past two days, regime forces have retaken large parts of the district of Qadam on Yarmuk's western flank, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Earlier, behind the frontlines, an AFP correspondent on an army tour of the area west of Yarmuk heard sniper fire, as well as heavy regime air strikes and shelling. At the devastated Qadam train station, soldiers took a break inside one of the train's carriages, one peering out from a broken window. - 'Narrow alleys'- Another lit some firewood to boil some water for tea, as a thick column of black smoke billowed up into the sky not far off. On Sunday, regime warplanes pounded Yarmuk and the neighbouring district of Hajar al-Aswad, the Observatory said. SANA said regime forces continued advancing in Hajar al-Aswad. Yarmuk and its surroundings have been the jihadist group's largest urban redoubt in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, after IS lost most of the swathes of territory it once held in both countries. The jihadists have held parts of Yarmuk and Hajar al-Aswad since 2015, and overran Qadam in a surprise assault last month. On Saturday, IS seized a hospital and surrounding buildings on the eastern edges of Yarmuk as it tried to push towards Yalda, the Observatory said. The announcement of a deal for Yalda and nearby areas comes after the regime reconquered what was once a key rebel bastion east of Damascus this month. Eastern Ghouta fell after a brutal military operation and a series of similar evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Russia that saw tens of thousands of residents bussed to northern Syria. A military source told AFP the battle against IS in southern Damascus was very different to the operation to retake the former rebel enclave. In southern Damascus, "the buildings are close together and alleys narrow" so tanks and heavy weaponry can not operate, he said. At least 85 regime fighters and 74 IS jihadists have been killed in 10 days of fighting in southern Damascus, the Observatory says. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011 with a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Smoke rises from buildings in Yarmuk, a Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of Damascus, during regime shelling targeting Islamic State group positions in the southern district of the capital on April 28, 2018 A picture taken during a government guided tour in Damascus' southern Qadam neighbourhood shows smoke rising from buildings in Yarmuk, a Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of the capital, and the surrounding areas, during regime shelling Coiffed, cheerful and multilingual, identical twins Fatima and Zukhra Rakhmatova do not immediately resemble agents of ex-Soviet Uzbekistan's long-feared security apparatus. But the photogenic 30-year-old pair are frontline members of a newly formed, user-friendly Tourist Police deployed in the famed Silk Road city of Samarkand and other hotspots as a visitor boom sweeps the Central Asian country. The force, established in January, is viewed as part of a broader opening initiated by Uzbekistan's authoritarian government following a long period of self-enforced isolation. More than 2.5 million tourists visited Uzbekistan last year, a 24 percent increase on the previous year, according to the UzDaily news site. "In the past I worked as a teacher and then as a wedding stylist. I even won a national prize as a stylist," recalls Zukhra Rakhmatova, one half of a sister act proficient in English, Russian, Farsi, Turkish and Japanese. "But our grandfather served in the force and our uncle too," Rakhmatova told AFP. "It was always our dream to serve." - Change and continuity - Samarkand -- a former power centre positioned at the epicentre of millennia-old trade routes linking China and Europe -- hosts symbols of authoritarian continuity as well as tentative reform. A short walk from the ceramic and marble dazzle of the three madrasahs towering over the city's old square is the statue of Islam Karimov, who ruled the country from before independence in 1991 until his death in 2016. Laid to rest in a grand mausoleum in Samarkand's historic centre, Karimov is criticised by rights groups as the architect of one of the world's most repressive and closed-off police states. Far from being disavowed, his monument is now yet another photo opportunity for visitors and wedding parties in the city, where he was born in 1938 and remains widely revered. "Everyone makes mistakes but Islam Karimov is a hero. He worked day and night to protect the Uzbek people," said a 22-year-old bridesmaid posing for pictures by the monument. The young woman, who did not give her name but said she had travelled to Samarkand from the capital Tashkent, refused to say what "mistakes" she thought Karimov had made. - Power struggle - Whether out of political pragmatism or genuine deference to a man he served for 13 years as prime minister, Karimov's successor, 60-year-old Shavkat Mirziyoyev has also continued to honour his mentor in public. In the aftermath of the former leader's death, new strongman Mirziyoyev likened him to a "father", even as he toned down some of the totalitarian excesses that defined Karimov's 27-year rule. Foreign tourism, which grew by around a quarter during Mirziyoyev's first year in office emerged as a key battleground in a power struggle that pitted the new reform-touting president against regime hardliners. In February for instance, Mirziyoyev ordered the introduction of a 30-day visa-free regime for citizens of seven countries -- Israel, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and Japan -- and relaxation of registration rules for citizens of 39 others. In cities like Samarkand, the changes were cheered by a population that endured long stretches of economic stagnation under Karimov. "(We need to) open up of course!" said Malika Shakhimardonova, a chef at a mutton-grilling teahouse in the shadows of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, completed on the orders of medieval conqueror Tamerlane in the 15th century. "Let the tourists arrive to us like brothers and sisters!" said Shakhimardonova, whose kitchen is expanding. - 'Take photos and share them!' - Many saw significance in the fact that Mirziyoyev's relaxation of visa restrictions came days after Rustam Inoyatov, 73, who led the notorious national security service for over two decades, was dismissed. Inoyatov was widely reported to have blocked a previous effort by Mirziyoyev to revamp tourism and to have insisted on retaining long-standing security measures, including a blanket ban on photography in the capital's metro. Such bans, which occasionally saw visitors detained by police, were "rudiments of the Soviet Union" now consigned to the past, said the country's new 44-year-old tourism chief Aziz Abdukhakimov. "We want tourists to take as many photos as possible. Put them on Instagram! It is the best advert for the country," he told AFP. The Rakhmatova sisters, who scoot around Samarkand on two-wheeled, motorised "Segways" and are trained to administer first aid, certainly seem far removed from the grimmer elements of a former communist police state. But Fatima jokes their dual presence on the tourism beat might sometimes give visitors a different impression. "Some tourists will see one of us close to one attraction then move on to another and find the other sister standing there," she explained. "They smile but sometimes give us a strange look. Probably because we are identical they think the police are following them around," she laughed. Identical twins Zukhra and Fatima Rakhmatova are members of a newly-formed Tourist Police deployed in the famed silk road city of Samarkand Samarkand is positioned at the epicentre of millennia-old trade routes linking China and Europe The statue of Islam Karimov, who ruled the country from before independence in 1991 until his death in 2016, is a popular site for tourists visiting Samarkand The Rakhmatova sisters scoot around Samarkand on two-wheeled, motorised 'Segways' and are trained to administer first aid Decked out in a striking blue suit and white shirt, matching his political allegiance, Simon Slama rubs shoulders with fellow candidates ahead of Tunisia's municipal elections. Nothing unusual about that -- except he is the only Jewish candidate, standing for the Islamist Ennahdha party. A public relations stunt for some; a sign of genuine liberalisation for others. But even if Slama fares dismally come the May 6 poll, his candidacy has become a major story in the nation. This will be the first municipal vote since former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fell from power in 2011. And while Slama looks at ease, joyously clapping hands on the campaign trail in the coastal town of Monastir, the 54-year old sewing machine repairman's decision to run drew fierce initial opposition from loved ones. "All my family were against my choice. My brother was angry and my wife went days without speaking to me," the candidate tells AFP, with a timid smile and a nervous fidget of the hands. "But I managed to convince them." Slama and his relatives are among the small number of Jews still living in Tunisia. The community in the North African nation has shrunk from several hundred thousand before independence in 1956, to just 1,200 today. While Jews in the country, which is overwhelmingly Muslim, once served as lawmakers and even ministers, they have long since slipped to the margins of politics. Slama believes his candidacy is helping to change all that and has already "removed fears for Jewish Tunisian citizens". - 'Ancient family' - Comrades in the Ennahdha party insist Slama is the right man to stand for office in Monastir -- a symbolic town for Tunisians as it is the birthplace of Habib Bourguiba, the father of the country's independence. "He comes from an ancient family. He has his roots in Monastir... and he knows the town's problems," says Chokri ben Janet, who heads the party's candidate list in the town. Slama says that despite its history as an Islamist party he opted for Ennahdha out of political conviction, describing it as "the most active and the most serious on the political scene". "Ennahdha has changed its strategy -- it is no longer a religious party, it is a civil party," he says. The party is a junior partner in a coalition led by President Beji Caid Essebsi and his Nidaa Tounes party. Taking stock from its experience in power after the 2011 revolution, it has worked hard to modernise its image. It opposed a project to criminalise any attempt to normalise relations with Israel; a vote on the proposal was dropped this winter. Now some of its leading candidates are women who don't wear the Islamic veil. All of these changes -- including Slama's candidacy -- have drawn derision from some political opponents who accuse the group of simple opportunism to bolster its vote. Top Nidaa Tounes official Borhane Bassais called it a "political striptease". - Torah and Koran - Others say that interest in Slama's candidacy highlights that while Jews can practice their religion freely they remain an anomaly in Tunisia -- and shows the country still has a long way to go on minority rights. The media frenzy is testament to "this obsession we have of judging (people) on the basis of something so personal as their religious conviction," says Yamina Thabet, an official for Tunisia's Association for the Support of Minorities. Some noteworthy figures have, nonetheless, thrown their weight behind Slama's bid for a seat. "This candidacy brings pride for the Jewish community," says Rene Trabelsi, who organises the Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia's famous Ghriba synagogue, on the island of Djerba. "It has created a positive image of an open Tunisia that we can all share," says the businessman, who was once a contender to become tourism minister. And as for the candidate himself -- he appears comfortable with his identity and the attention his foray into politics has garnered. If he wins, Slama says, he is ready to take the oath of office on "both the books" -- the Jewish Torah and the Muslim Koran. Simon Slama, a Tunisian Jewish candidate for the Islamist Ennahdha party, speaks during a press conference in Monastir on April 14, 2018 Tunisians look at lists of candidates for the upcoming municipal elections in the Tunis suburb of Ariana on April 14, 2018. Tackling bullying requires clear-minded policies and the empathetic engagement of schools, parents, and communities "Hurt people hurt people."That's how one middle school principal summed up the origins of bullying for me. My interview with her was one of many I conducted, years ago, for a parenting book I wrote - yet her concise description of why kids bully has always stayed with me. It makes even more sense today, given recent incidents at schools. But while tracing the primary roots of bullying may seem easy, stopping its spread in schools is not. Tackling bullying requires vigilance, an arsenal of school-based resources, and the empathic engagement of parents and other adults.Bullies' slings and arrows fly fast, and early. According to a new survey of 9-11-year-olds - the first nationally representative student data on bullying in elementary school - 62 percent have "ever" been bullied; 14 percent have, already, been bullied "many times." The survey, from Cartoon Network and Harvard's Graduate School of Education, assessed 1,054 public and private school students about verbal, physical or electronic bullying.In middle school, federal survey data, currently available just for select states, show 38 percent t o52 percent of public and private students were bullied at school; 18 percent to 29 percent were bullied electronically. The latest federal survey data on high schoolers, available nationwide, reveal 20 percent of public or private students were bullied at school during the previous year; 16 percent were bullied electronically.Think about all that hurt - across every level of K-12 education.Savvy school officials are finding smarter ways to track threats. Fifty North Carolina middle and high schools have been piloting a new smartphone app, SPK UP NC , which enables students to submit anonymous tips about bullying, danger, drugs, and more. The pilot program has run in Avery, Macon, Forsyth, Wayne, and Johnston counties, and concludes May 1.Schools have found the appsays Ben Matthews, Chief School Operations Officer at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.adds Matthews. Students submitted more tips about bullying than any other concern.Expanding the app to every North Carolina middle and high schoolsays Matthews, costing about $2 million to set up. DPI will recommend statewide expansion. But the final decision is up to the General Assembly.Let's hope lawmakers sign on. Similar tools work elsewhere: Program statistics indicate Michigan's confidential mobile reporting app, OK2SAY , has produced nearly 12,000 tips since 2014. OK2SAY has helped schools address bullying, confiscate weapons, and prevent violence.Tough, clear, well-publicized bullying policies - consistently enforced - are important. Training helps, too: The Center for Safer Schools , within DPI, offers school stakeholders training on bullying basics, cyber-safety, and more.Ultimately, changing school climate starts with empathic parents, who teach children their most enduring lessons about goodness and kindness. What happens when home is hostile? That's a hard hurt to heal. Can schools teach empathy, using a parent-child relationship as a prototype for peer relationships? Some are trying. Roots of Empathy , an international elementary school intervention, "strives to break the intergenerational cycle of violence and poor parenting" by modeling a healthy parent-child relationship for students. A baby-parent duo visits a classroom monthly, demonstrating responsiveness to another's needs and feelings. Several studies show this program reduces aggression and increases emotional competencies.These strategies are no facile fix. They're just a start. There's much more to do to ensure schools are supportive and safe. We know hurt people hurt people. Yet we know this, too: Whole people can help heal people, protect people - in a classroom, a community, even a culture. Against freshman Republican Budd, Manning and Coker agree on much, but Coker bristles at Manning's strong ties to Democratic establishment Kathy Manning. Education: Harvard University undergraduate degree, University of Michigan law degree. Occupation: Attorney specializing in immigration law, owns law firm. Career highlights: The Jewish Federations of North America, board chairwoman; former partner at major law firm; worked with various civic and religious organizations; fundraiser for community projects. Adam Coker. Education: Appalachian State University, bachelor's degree. Occupation: Cattle farmer, truck driver. Career highlights: Has worked in the mortgage industry and as a personal banker. Democratic primary, U.S. House District 13 (Davidson, Davie, portions of Iredell and Rowan counties)GREENSBORO -Two political newcomers are fighting it out in the 13th U.S. Congressional District Democratic primary in hopes of unseating freshman Republican Rep. Ted Budd in the November general election.While Kathy Manning and Adam Coker are running on many of the same issues - expanded health care, a tax code that helps the middle class, immigration reform, and protecting Social Security and Medicare, the issue driving this campaign is money.Manning's Democratic critics claim she is the "ordained choice" of the national Democratic Party. A letter to the editor in the Greensboro News & Record stated as much. The writers said it was "unacceptable" and "undemocratic," and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hadIndeed, Manning is part of the DCCC's "Red to Blue Program" that arms what it deems to be "top tier" candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them run strong campaigns.Manning's campaign holds a significant fundraising advantage. Her campaign announced earlier this month that it was one of thewith more than $1 million cash on hand.While Manning's campaign says it'sshe nonetheless has vowed not to accept any donations from Political Action Committees, asserting it would assure her independence from special interests.That said, Manning's campaign boasted in a press release that it had received the endorsement of Emily's List, the PAC that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for pro-choice, Democratic female candidates.Manning, a Greensboro attorney and philanthropist, did not respond to requests for an interview. She went on the offensive against Budd early with an op-ed piece in the News & Record attacking his vote on the tax reform package passed late last year.Manning wrote.According to Manning's website, her views on health care evolved when her daughter was struck with a chronic illness. ManningManning added that sheShe said sheAttempts to arrange an interview with Coker were not successful. He is a farmer and a truck driver who describes himself on his Twitter account asIn the wake of the high school mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, guns are a major issue on the campaign trail. Budd is a staunch Second Amendment advocate. He owns a gun store and a shooting range.Coker describes himself as a strong advocate for the Second Amendment. But he released a statement criticizing Budd following the Parkland shootings, saying BuddAt a recent Town Hall for Our Lives event in Greensboro, Coker said he would never accept contributions from the National Rifle Association and that the gun rights organization puts "unbelievable" pressure on legislators to toe the line.According to his website, Coker said the reason he is running is he'sCoker is a proponent of Medicaid expansion and immigration reform. On his Twitter account, he documents his meeting with Juana Ortega. She is a Guatemalan immigrant who has taken sanctuary in a local church after receiving a deportation order from the U.S Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Coker defended Ortega.he wrote.The district is rated "leans Republican" in the most recent "Sabato's Crystal Ball" from the University of Virginia Center for Politics. 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. Over the past several weeks, we've finally seen what the law enforcement priorities of British police look like. We've found out that they will simply not stand comedians training their girlfriend's pugs to make Nazi salutes for YouTube LOLs - that vicious act of cruelty comes along with an 800 fine from the British government. At least he didn't end up in prison. We also know that flipping off a mobile safety camera while fitted with a laser jammer is punishable in the UK by eight months in prison. And, of course, we know that carrying a spork in the UK is criminal activity as well.Leaving a baby to die - well, that's another story.Two-year-old Alfie Evans, who suffers from an undiagnosed brain condition that has left him in a semi-vegetative state, has been ordered removed from life support by the British government over the wishes of his parents. His parents simply wanted to move him to Italy to pursue palliative measures, but the British court ruled that wouldn't be in Alfie's best interest, and ordered that his parents watch him die. Instead of dying, however, Alfie continued to breath on his own for 15 hours after being disconnected from life support. Pope Francis tweeted in support:3:15 PM - Apr 23, 2018The British government placed 30 officers around the hospital to prevent protesters from attempting to move the baby.This marks the second time in recent months that the British government has enforced the death of a child above the wishes of the parents - baby Charlie Gard's parents were refused the ability to move their child out of the country for treatment, with the hospital arguing that he should die instead.So they've got their priorities straight.Meanwhile, the British police have been enmeshed in scandal as a Newcastle rape gang comprised of Muslim men was left to its own devices while the authorities reportedly "appeared to punish victims," according to The Independent (UK). According to that outlet:Europe is in serious trouble. And that trouble is self-imposed. We may be watching the end of the Judeo-Christian morality that protected children and women, increasingly supplanted by the new morality of bureaucratic rule from above - a rule concerned mostly with quashing dissent and treating citizens as subjects. A few weeks ago, Burning Man founder Larry Harvey suffered a massive stroke. Today I have learned that he has passed. He was 70 years old. Marian Goodell, Burning Man's CEO, made the announcement: Our founder, friend, and original instigator, Larry Harvey has passed away. Larry suffered a massive stroke at his home on the morning of April 4. We resolutely held out for a miracle. If there was anyone tenacious, strong-willed and stubborn enough to come back from this challenge, it was Larry. Though we all hoped he would recover, he passed peacefully this morning at 8:24am in San Francisco, with members of his family at his side Read Marian's announcement in its entirety here: The Man in the Hat, Larry Harvey, Passes Larry's friend of some 25 years and a director of the Project, Stuart Mangrum, penned a tribute that detailed Harvey's life: As a denizen of San Francisco in the 1980s, Larry found himself drawn to the sorts of Bohemian scenes that are often the breeding grounds for serendipitous collaborations. And when he started hosting his own happenings on Baker Beach, he lit a flame that in turn drew these free spirits to him. He joined forces with the San Francisco Cacophony Society, and its members became some of the first Burners. When San Francisco authorities shut down the Baker Beach Burn in 1990, it was these Cacophonist colleagues who helped orchestrate the event's relocation to Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Over the next three decades, Harvey fought tirelessly to keep the event going, through dark days of organizational strife, government opposition, and financial uncertainty, as well as through boom times of community growth and unbridled creativity. Through it all he pursued his vision with a single-minded determination. In the words of his contemporary Stewart Brand, he created something that has "surpassed in every way" all other offspring of the San Francisco counterculture. Burning Man is now a global, year-round community, with 85 official regional events on six continents, and hundreds of thousands of passionate participants Read all of Stuart's words here: In Memoriam: Larry Harvey, 19482018 The Project offers these ways to share memories and offer financial gifts in his memory: In lieu of flowers, you are invited to share memories of Larry at larry.burningman.org. We've also received inquiries about financial gifts. At the request of friends of Burning Man, Burning Man Project has established the Larry Harvey Art and Philosophy Fund to support art projects, philosophical endeavors, and other work that reflects Larry's passion for the playful and the profound. Please see donate.burningman.org/art-and-philosophy-fund/ for more information. In addition, his brother Stewart Harvey has created a photo essay in his honor. I'm still in shock but I'd like to share this: This is my community and I'm truly saddened by the news. I fell into Burning Man in 1995, shortly after arriving to California, and was soon pulled into the greater shenanigans of the San Francisco Cacophony Society a month later. That was when I was reborn as "Rusty Blazenhoff" (I arrived to the Bay Area with a birth name). I have Larry and all the early playa pioneers to thank for giving me a space to be me. Without Burning Man, I feel certain that I would not be the "professional free spirit" I am today, and that includes being a blogger for Boing Boing. So, thank you, Larry. You are missed already. As my longtime friend Juke, who I met through the Burning Man community oh-so-many years ago, writes, "We're gonna need a bigger temple" screenshot via larry.burningman.org The Negro Motorist Green Book was a series of annual guides for African-American drivers and holiday-makers who wanted to know where they could find gas-stations, restaurants and hotels that would serve them and which "sunset towns" they should avoid on pain of violence from corrupt, racist law-enforcement. The Green Books have taken on a new cultural relevance; they play a central role in Matt Ruff's outstanding anti-racist Lovecraftian tale Lovecraft Country (which is being adapted by Jordan "Get Out" Peele for the small screen). In late 2017, Jan Miles released the The Post Racial Negro Green Book, an unexpected bestseller that catalogs police killings, violence and harassment; businesses that racially profile black customers; and places where white people publicly abuse black people with impunity. Miles created her Green Book as a way of coping with an onslaught of news about racist violence and discrimination; rather than being a passive observer of the news, she did something to process it (this is how I deal with the news, too Boing Boing is both a public notebook and a personal way of reflecting on the news rather than letting it get on top of me). She calls it "a snapshot of contemporary racism in America." It's timely: the NAACP just released its first-ever travel advisories, warning black people to avoid both Mississippi and American Airlines. "There was so much information coming at me that I felt like I was being inundated with these stories," Miles told me during a recent phone conversation, recalling for example the 2016 police shooting and killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, "I thought someone needs to be keeping track of it. So I self-appointed myself as the historian of this history. I wanted to create a record of what is going on." Miles, who has a law degree and worked several years in New York City's publishing circles, wrote and self-published The Post-Racial Negro Green Book last year, meticulously documenting and fact-checking racist activities on a state-by-state basis between the years 2013 and 2016. Her hope is that the book will draw increased public attention and a level of sustained concern about the racist outrages that now flicker past Americans on Facebook or Twitter as rapid-fire news items, only to be replaced within days or hours by fresh calamities. The Post-Racial Negro Green Book [Jan Miles/Brown Bird Books] The return of The Negro Motorist Green Book [Sam Fullwood III/Thinkprogress] (via Naked Capitalism) As states pass a wave of laws barred non-neutral ISPs from providing services to state agencies, more than 100 US mayors have pledged to disqualify non-neutral ISPs from getting city contracts as well. You can email your mayor to get them to join the pledge. Participating cities include NYC, PDX, Austin, San Antonio, KC, San Francisco, Baltimore, San Jose, Minneapolis, Stockton, Newark, Jersey City, Sioux City, SLO, Cambridge Mass, Akron, Rochester, Chapel Hill, Ithaca, Boise, Fargo, Richmond (VA), East Lansing, Albuquerque, Sheboygan, Birmingham (AL), Long Beach, and many, many more. Tim Karr, senior director of strategy and communications for Free Press Action Fund, said in a statement that meanwhile local leaders are "forming a bulwark" to defend net neutrality. "On average, more than three city mayors are signing the Cities Open Internet Pledge each day, with more expected to join throughout the spring and summer," he said. 100 US Mayors Sign Pledge to Defend Net Neutrality Against Crooked ISPs [100 US Mayors Sign Pledge to Defend Net Neutrality Against Crooked ISPs [Dell Cameron/Gizmodo] Entertainment / Music by Simbarashe Sithole Nicholas Zakaria and his Khiama boys outfit suffered a low turnout in Centenary at Club Changaz last night due to high admission fee.The band reportedly miscalculated and charged $4 per head targeting tobacco farmers who attended in small numbers.Revellers who spoke to Bulawayo24.com said the show was a bit expensive considering the band's popularity which is slowly dying a natural death."This show is expensive it was supposed to be half the price ($2) ana Zakaria vapera ava so people cannot pay such a price to a band that has lost popularity," said David Phiri.Meanwhile, during the same period last year the band duped fans by advertising a show at the same venue which they did not turn up.Apparently the "Mabvi nemagokora" hit maker has 26 albums to his name since 1984 but he seems not to have enjoyed the fruits of his sweat basing on his life style which is not satisfactory. News / Health by Staff Reporter GOVERNMENT is working on modalities to provide free blood in public hospitals as efforts to improve access to quality health gain pace.Health and Child Care Secretary Major-General (Retired) Dr Gerald Gwinji said measures were in place to reduce the price of blood which stands at US$50 from US$100 per pint.The Government is targeting to start offering free blood to all patients in public health institutions in June this year. Currently, only pregnant women and children under the age of five are getting free blood.The price of local blood is higher compared to other regional prices, forcing some patients to import from neighbouring countries such as Zambia."We are looking at how we can fully finance the purchase of blood so that it's free to patients in public hospitals," said Dr Gwinji."The investments made so far brought down the cost to US$50 for the general public patient and to zero for pregnant women and children under five years."We hope to mobilise more resources and partnerships to achieve a zero-cost at point of access for the patients."There is a reasonably flow of foreign currency to support the health levy in importing medicines and sundries while we wait for the resuscitation of the local pharmaceutical industry."The Government is concerned by reports that some desperate patients are importing blood and blood products from neighbouring Zambia. This is against the law. We discourage such practices as the safety of the imported blood cannot be guaranteed. We do not know from whom the blood has been collected, whether the requisite tests including screening for such micro-organisms as HIV and syphilis has been done in a certified laboratory by a registered institution."In South Africa a unit costs R2 000 while it cost US$50 and US$85 respectively in Zambia and Malawi.In June 2016, the National Blood Services of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) reduced the price of blood from US$135 for the public sector and US$161 for the private buyers to US$120 and US$140, respectively.The prices were further reduced to US$100 in September 2016, before it dropped to US$50 in January this year. News / National by Stephen Jakes Zanu PF activists in Shamva ward 22 reportedly threatened to beat up people who boycott attending the ruling party meetings in the area.The Heal Zimbabwe Trust said Zanu PF members including Peter Makamba and Sarudzai Shereni on the 18th of April 2018 intimidated community members during a meeting conducted in Wadzanai Township at ZANU PF offices."The two highlighted that people who fail to attend a ZANU PF meeting that was to be conducted on the 21st of April 2018 will be heavily beaten in the upcoming elections," said the trust."In Manicaland Province, Makoni ward 25 Headman Mudyarabikwa on the 6th of April 2018 intimidated community members during a meeting conducted at Mavhudzi Shopping Centre. The headman highlighted that people who fail to submit serial numbers of their voter registration slips will be beaten in the coming election."The trust said in Makoni ward 25 ZANU PF members who include Caribat Mudyanadzo and Kainos Mudyanadzo on the 6th of April 2018 intimidated community members during a meeting conducted in Mavhudzi village."The two highlighted that people who fail to submit serial numbers will be heavily beaten in the pending elections," said the trust. News / National by Stephen Jakes Zanu PF activist in Chipinge ward 5 reportedly forced villagers top contribute $2 towards the celebration of independence."Zanu PF District Secretary Daniel Chipakwe and Zanu PF District Chairperson Enia Nzati on the 1st of April 2018 intimidated community members during a meeting conducted in Mikiri village. The two forced community members to make $2 contributions per household towards Independence Day celebrations. The two further highlighted that people who fail to contribute towards the independence celebrations will not receive food aid in the future," Heal Zimbabwe Trust reported."In Chipinge ward 5 Zanu PF supporter Dust Dengedenge on the 20th of April 2018 destroyed campaign material belonging to opposition party, MDC Alliance in Miki village. Dengedenge moved around defacing posters and announced that only Zanu PF has the right to campaign freely in the ward."The trust said in Buhera ward 5 on 5 April 2018, Zanu PF ward chairperson Mugove Magunda and Zanu PF Youth Chairperson Forward Sadhi intimidated community members who had come to receive maize from the Ministry of Social welfare at Jaggers Business centre."The two started chanting Zanu PF slogans during the maize distribution exercise and told people that if they failed to chant similar slogans, they were going to be denied food aid," said the trust. News / National by Sabelo Mhlanga- Mpopoma Bulawayo As events were unfolding this past few days I could not ignore the drama at play in the MDC T alliance. The old guard is now irrelevant despite the fact that they enjoy absolute support both in rural and urban areas. The end result shall be a divided electorate. To be warned is to be forearmed.His (Chamisa) relationship with the alliance partners is of no help. Welshman Ncube is a learned guy I don't doubt that fact but as a politician he is a non event. A failure. He has no support whatsoever in Matabeleland. Even in his home area. He is not a popular figure. The only message he has is that of devolution of which is covered in our national constitution. This means that any leader taking over power will also implement the same concept.Mr Tendai Biti again is a failure. He has no supporters. I put a challenge to anyone doubting me. Let Tendai do a rally where MDCT is not a factor and see if he can pull a thousand people. Honestly you cannot bank your support on the caliber of the two figures mentioned above. They can never be a presidential material. The post of an advisor to the emperor Nero needs a father figure. A man of the people. A man who has the support base.The current capture of MDCT alliance president by Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube will leave the party weaker in the face of the resurgent ZANU PF party that is following all Democratic principles to the book at the moment. He needs to stick with the very comrades that were with him when things were thick and when things were thin. He needs an advisor. The alliance partners have nothing in common except a ticket into office riding on the power and strength of MDCT.And who is MDCT...it is the personalities that stayed behind in 2005 when Ncube broke ranks. It is the comrades who stayed put when Tendai broke ranks in 2013. The comrades who stayed put when when Mangona went away. And in Bulawayo it was Felix M Mafa Sibanda, Thabitha Khumalo and Gift Banda who held and steered the ship when there was a Khupe break away; Not Ncube, not Biti and the other flies that swarm the steak.Welshman Ncube has never garnered a 93000 votes in the national election. Prove me and look at the data from 2013.Manicaland- 13422Mashonaland Central -3525Mashonaland East -6231Mashonaland West 15603Masvingo -9878Matebeleland North -13003Matebelaland South -12726Midlands - 11036Total Votes - 92637 and 1 seat won by Misihairambwi for the parliament.It is fine to have them on deck but nowhere near the vice president seat for they harbor presidential ambitions and always set to derail our MDC ship. They have done it before and they will do it again. We the people have the right to decide who gets close to our president and we hope our president takes heed of our message. The only job for the Welshman and the Biti is to spoil and then hold their position close to power. There are dragging close to the coat tail of our organization and hope we get angry and all walk away to split our inheritance. Morgan left us to steer this ship, and yet here we are, we have been robbed as the MDC T family. We are being robbed of everything. We are now being robbed of all that Morgan left us with and we all need, must look at the numbers. We have not given this mandate to the president to allocate cream positions to these charlatans. We want them in the alliance, but not absolute power that belongs to our hard workers who have been loyal. Its a matter of time, we will have drama emanating from their chivalry.They now plan to give away our brand to Khupe so they can hijack the peoples movement. Why are we silent Zimbabwe? Can't you see what is happening. They are killing our prophets one by one, derailing our bullet train movement right before our eyes. No ones respects Welshman and Biti otherwise, they would have won their home towns. The power is the people. Take heed or see how it will manifest into lighting.I rest my submission. News / National by Staff Reporter THERE is a certain refreshing aura around names on the official list of candidates contesting today's Zanu-PF primary elections ahead of national elections scheduled for July this year.Some of the names, do not guarantee an articulate and compelling chanting of the revolutionary party's slogans but assure you of getting the job done when it comes to economic revival or the business push that is being championed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.From the very day he assumed office on 24 November 2018, President Mnangagwa has emphasised that his Government will not pursue the politics of antagonising supposed enemies as was in the past but rather push policies that further Zimbabwe's economic and national interest.His "Zimbabwe is open for business" mantra has become an anthem and would-be investors have been falling over each other as they queue to scan the Zimbabwean market.Addressing Johane Masowe YeChishanu Vadzidzi VaJesu Church pilgrims from across Africa at their Madziva Shrine, Mashonaland Central Province last Wednesday, President Mnangagwa said FDI commitments over the last four months had topped the $11 billion mark."For the past four months, we have been discussing and realised that investment commitments have passed $11 billion as companies are angling themselves for mutual benefit. The figures are too high as we have never reached such numbers previously," said the President.Zimbabweans of the requisite intellectual ability and requisite industrial experience, the type that talk the language that is well understood by investors which the country is pulling all stops to lure, have responded by submitting their CVs to contest national elections on the Zanu-PF ticket. This is a first for the ruling party.While some will naturally fail to make it past the primary test, their mere participation will push them in good stead with the ruling party and going forward, they will have Zanu-PF's ear should the ruling party retain power as is widely expected.Most importantly, some will make it through and go on to take public office and begin to run public offices the way they are used to: the business way.Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando, hitherto an unknown political actor but an accomplished business executive recently Executive Chairman with the country's second platinum producer Mimosa Mining Company, has already secured his way to the national election after being nominated unopposed for the Gutu Central parliamentary seat.It would be folly for a Zanu-PF supporter to expect Chitando to burst into a revolutionary song, typical Zimbabwean style, at Mupandawana Business Centre and get the crowd on the edges of their seats before addressing a political rally punctuated by compelling slogans.It's not his field.You will never get that from a technocrat of Chitando's worthy.Not that it's wrong, NO. It's just not his forte.An accountant by training, Minister Chitando in December left his position as Mimosa Mining Company Executive Chairman, a position he had assumed in April 2013 having previously served as Managing Director of the company since October 2007.He has been in the mining sector since 1984 when he joined Anglo American Corporation as a graduate trainee at Hwange Colliery Company and he comes in with a wealthy of experience which will be key in realising President Mnangagwa's dream of championing economic revival on the back of the mining sector.It is no surprise therefore that barely four months into his new "job" Minister Chitando played a key role in the signing of the $4, 2 billion platinum investment deal that will see the creation of 15 000 direct as 75 000 indirect jobs.The constituency that Minister Chitando is "inheriting" is being vacated by Zanu PF Chief Whip Lovemore Matuke. For such a senior Zanu-PF member to leave the seat for Minister Chitando, there must be something big going on in Gutu Central.Those who have worked with him at Mimosa, will tell you that Gutu Central is blessed because Minister Chitando is a man of action and very few words. No wonder why, despite clinching several mega mining deals, he remains modest and humble.Several other captains of industry, business leaders, industrialists and professionals have heeded the President's call and are battling it out with the usual campaigners for the right to represent the ruling party at the July national plebiscite.Distinguished travel and tour operator Emmanuel Fundira has made a pitch for the Shurugwi North National House of Assembly seat where he is battling it out with incumbent and former Tourism and Environment Minister Francis Nhema and three other comrades.Whether Fundira goes on to win the right to run for Shurugwi North on behalf of Zanu-PF or not, tomorrow will tell us, but the most important thing is President Mnangagwa's pitch and call for a new path has convinced this tourism technocrat to ask for a front row seat in the ruling party juggernaut.If he goes on to win, you are assured the President's ear is now being whispered into by a person who know all the ins and outs of the industry.Fundira is a heavyweight in the tourism sector and if these are the people that the ruling party and the President will work with then the sector is surely poised for a rebound.As chairman of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, President of Operators and Outfitters Association of Southern Africa (OPHASA) and Non-Executive Board Member of several listed and non-listed companies Fundira has a wealthy of industrial experience.Those amongst us who follow current affairs would know of Africa's richest billionaire, one Aliko Dangote, of the Dangote group who of late has been working on a framework to invest in locally.The person behind his interest and visit, businesswoman and filmmaker, Josey Mahachi has made a pitch for the Hatfield House of Assembly seat.While negotiations between Government and the Dangote group are still ongoing and whether he goes on to invest or not, for Mahachi to have nailed down a businessman worthy over $13 billion and convince him to fly into Zimbabwe over and above sending several technical teams speaks on her acumen.And to think that she is among the people vying for a front row seat into the circle that the President will and can assign duties, brings a positive vibe and expectation to Zimbabwe's economic prospects.There has been something toxic about Zimbabwean politics over the years that some who have earned title in academics have previously considered themselves rather too smarter for our national politics.But the trend has changed, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Retired Lieutenant-General Dr Sibusiso Moyo who holds a PHD in International Relations and easily gets away as the most qualified for the foreign affairs brief that Zimbabwe has ever had has also jumped in.Appointed into Government in December last year as one of the five non constituency technocrats, Dr Moyo under President Mnangagwa's leadership, has been the face of Zimbabwe's reengagement effort and has seen it worthy the while that he is pitching for a return via a senatorial seat in Mberengwa.Other notable executives, business people and professionals in the revolutionary party's primaries are Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive Dr Obadiah Moyo, former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Calisto Jokonya (Chivi South), former Zinara boss Frank Chitukutuku (Goromonzi South) and this publication's Features and Opinions Editor, Garikai Mazara (Guruve South).Zinwa chief executive officer Jefta Sakupwanya (Mutasa Central), Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe Chairperson Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, banker and corporate guru Mr Ozias Bvute, ZBC journalists Tendai Munengwa and Andrew Neshamba (both Mt Darwin South) and Richard Siyakurima (Uzumba) are also in the race.It's not only Zimbabwe that is open for business. Zanu-PF is also opening up for serious business. This is refreshing and re-assuring. News / National by Staff Reporter The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is steering clear of a suspected multi-million illegal deal involving a new airline, Zimbabwe Airways (ZimAirways), which is linked to former president Robert Mugabe's family, amid fresh evidence of lies by government officials and their associates.Government reportedly established ZimAirways six years ago as a parallel airline to Air Zimbabwe (AirZim), a public enterprise that was inherited from the colonial Rhodesian government at independence in 1980, but has been facing severe financial and operational problems for more than a decade.The new airline largely remained on paper through the tenure of two transport ministers - Nicholas Goche and Obert Mpofu, respectively - only to become a public controversy after the current minister, Joram Gumbo, took over in 2015.Gumbo's anchor plan was to get ZimAirways operating as a supplementary entity to AirZim under the guise that it was a private concern and leasing planes to the national carrier to avoid seizure of its aircraft by international institutions and groups of evicted white farmers who the Zimbabwean government owes millions of dollars. ZimAirways is renting offices at a property owned by Gumbo's niece, Mavis, in Gletwyn, a plush northern suburb in the capital.There was an outcry over the lease of the property to AirZim amid accusations of nepotism, but a bigger controversy surrounding the airline has evolved around the purchase of four planes worth $70 million from Malaysia with the direct involvement of Mugabe, who set off negotiations with his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, in 2016.According to Gumbo, the used Boeing 777-200-ER planes, which were purchased with the help of Mugabe's son-in-law, Simba Chikore, a pilot who was working as the AirZim chief operating officer at that time but resigned late last year, were initially supposed to replenish the ailing airline.However, he claims, there was a change of plans after realising that the planes would be seized on international flights, hence the decision to re-route them to ZimAirways through another government entity, Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (Zalc) that was also reportedly set up in 2012.At one time, Gumbo claimed the decommissioned planes were bought for ZimAirways by a consortium of Zimbabweans living and working in the diaspora, but of late, he and Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa are insisting that they are government property belonging to the new entity, which they say is also a public enterprise.There have been loud calls from aviation experts, politicians, civil society and citizens to investigate the deal amid suspicions that the new airline was meant to benefit the Mugabe family and its close associates prior to the November 2017 military coup that ushered in a new administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.Investigations by The Standard, working in collaboration with the Information for Development Trust (IDT), have unearthed a deliberate plot by Gumbo and connected individuals to mislead the nation on the tenancy of ZimAirways and ZalcThe minister denied any nepotism in the fact that his niece, Mavis, is Zalc's and ZimAirways' landlord, claiming that the two went through an estate agent in a manner that was above board."Mavis is my niece. She has her house and she wanted to lease it out through estate agents. The ZimAirways guys stumbled on the house without her or my knowledge and they liked it. It was a purely business deal," Gumbo told The Standard.Mavis claimed in a brief interview that the two entities got the lease through an estate agent called Letbill Realty, but checks revealed that this was false. Letbill Realty folded in 2017 upon the death of one of its directors and a surviving co-director, Clemence Chidziva, confirmed this.Chidziva dismissed claims that their now-defunct agency had facilitated the lease of Mavis's property to ZimAirways and Zalc.The only time the real estate company had dealt with Mavis was some years ago when she sought to sell a different property, but the deal did not materialise. "We closed the business and are not collecting any management fees from any property as we speak," Chidziva said. "We briefly dealt with Mavis Gumbo many years ago when she wanted to sell one of her properties along Enterprise Road (Harare). The deal fell through and that's all I remember." He said he had never dealt with ZimAirways or their representatives in any way. Mavis, who has been largely media-shy on the purported lease agreement, refused to shed more light on the deal with ZimAirways and Zalc.Even though Gumbo says both ZimAirways and Zalc were formed in 2012, the available paper trail shows that they were incorporated only last year.The ZimAirways file has mysteriously disappeared from the Registrar of Companies' records, but the CR14 company registration form obtained during investigations lists three top civil servants and a local lawyer as the directors.They were appointed on January 18, 2017, according to the document, some five years after the initial establishment of ZimAirways.Andrew Ndaamunhu Bvumbe, who has since resigned, Angeline Karonga (Transport ministry legal advisor), Mufaro Eric Gumbie (ministry principal director) and Anne Farirayi Mutswiri, who works at Matsikidze and Mucheche legal practitioners, are listed as directors of the company. Intriguingly, Mutswiri said she had no idea why she is listed as a director."That cannot be, I think it's incorrect. If my name appears it is possibly because we did some work for ZimAirways, but I do not work for them," she said.Documents show that Matsikidze and Mucheche legal practitioners presented ZimAirways' papers for filling at the Companies Registry.More mystery surrounds the registration of Zalc.The certificate of incorporation for Zalc numbered 4069/2017 shows that the company was registered by the Registrar of Companies on June 22 last year.Its directors are named as Phillipa Phillips, Phillips Law and Dacyl-Ray Rambanepasi.The first two's given address is Suite 100, Sanlam Centre, Newlands in Harare, while Rambanepasi's is Number 6, Bray Close, Greystone Park, Borrowdale in Harare.Gumbo maintains that directors of both Zalc and ZimAirways are government employees but the leasing company directors, like Mutswiri, are private individuals.According to a statement jointly issued by Chinamasa and Gumbo recently, Air Zimbabwe approached the State Procurement Board (SPB) seeking authority to purchase the four Boeing 777 second-hand planes."In November 2016, the SPB under BPR 1067B approved Air Zimbabwe's request to purchase the four Boeing 777 planes from Malaysia."Government, through the ministry of Finance and Economic Development, took a decision to secure funding for the procurement of the four planes together with eight Embraer aircraft, which would be used as feeder planes," reads the statement.However, the SPB approval of the purchase was a rubber stamp.In an interview, Gumbo indicated that the decision to buy the planes was made hastily when his team travelled to Malaysia with Mugabe, who was on his way to Singapore for treatment.Mugabe, Gumbo said, engaged the Malaysian leader Razak and introduced the transport minister.At that stage, the Malaysian PM said they couldn't enter into a partnership with AirZim on whose behalf the Zimbabwean team was negotiating.Instead, he offered to sell four decommissioned planes to them, and the Zimbabwean delegation promptly took up the offer of $70 million.The delegation negotiated with the London-based PriceWaterhouseCoopers which was acting on behalf of the Malaysian government, and the Zimbabwean team quickly wrote a letter of intent to buy the planes after agreeing on the $70 million price.That means Gumbo's team returned home with a deal already in the bag and processes that followed were mere formalities, in violation of tendering regulations. Former Transport secretary Munesu Munodawafa was excluded from the Malaysian deal under unclear circumstances."I was never involved in any negotiations with Malaysia Airlines (the owners of the planes). Beyond that, I have no comment," he said. Instead, Gumbo jointly signed the deal with former Mines minister Walter Chidakwa.It was not clear how Chidakwa, who was removed from his post after Mugabe's forced exit, got involved in the deal.He is closely related to Grace Mugabe, the ex-first lady, through marriage.Gumbo, on the other hand, is related to Mugabe's late mother, Bona.He has been linked to Mnangagwa, but, according to sources, has also maintained close ties with Mugabe, and Chikore is reported to be a regular visitor at his office. Gumbo's close involvement in operational issues at ZimAirways has generated discomfort among his critics.He described himself as a "consultant" in the deal, but was quick to point out that, like Chikore, he did not receive extra payment for his role.The SPB has been replaced by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe after recurrent complaints of corruption over the years.Its acting CEO Nyasha Chizu, in response to questions from The Standard, defended the Boeing purchase deal, which he said was done in accordance with the repealed Procurement Regulations Statutory Instrument 171 of 2002."Any direct procurement required that the accounting officer be cleared by the State Procurement Board before contract."As reported in other media, it is a fact that the procurement of 4 x Boeing 777s was cleared by the State Procurement Board at their meeting No. 84 of 2016 on 17 November 2016," he said."The accounting officer, before the clearance, was requested to clarify issues relating to costs, life span and spare parts."The submission by the accounting officer was then found to be reasonable by the State Procurement Board."The request for the purchase of planes involved the ministry and Air Zimbabwe, he said, but did not shed light on whether the SPB requested for information on other suitors for a fair award of the tender or whether it was being treated as a special case.He admitted that the SPB was "not privy to the finer details of the agreement of sale" with Air Malaysia, since "the role of the SPB back then was limited to the award of contracts".While Chikore did not avail himself for an interview despite numerous attempts. he is on record saying he did not benefit personally from the ZimAirways deal.Gumbo told The Standard that he advised Chikore to resign from his post at AirZim in September 2017 in order to take up more roles in setting up ZimAirways.Chikore raised eyebrows recently when he flew in the first Boeing 777 bought from Malaysia and registered as Z-RGM as a full pilot even though aviation experts maintain he is still junior.Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe [RBZ] governor John Mangudya added more confusion to the unfolding mystery regarding the purchase of the planes.Gumbo, who has revealed that Mangudya is the ZimAirways trustee, is on record saying the governor directly facilitated payment of at least $45 million for the four Boeings.However, Mangudya said: "The RBZ does not process commercial transactions. You may, therefore, wish to contact the relevant authorities or the sources of your information for the details that you need on your inquiry."Gumbo shockingly claimed that, by 2016, government had removed AirZim from its books and replaced it with ZimAirways."According to government books, there was no longer Air Zimbabwe. Instead there was ZimAirways."Contrary to that, AirZim has never ceased to operate, constantly flying Mugabe and other officials to regional and international destinations in addition to servicing domestic routes.Former finance minister Tendai Biti said the ZimAirways deals might have breached a litany of the country's procurement regulations and laws as well as the constitution. "We never saw any advertisement to the effect that Air Zimbabwe wanted to lease any planes and the government never invited bids for the lease of the planes, but the procurement regulations require that," he said."If it is correct that government made a payment for the planes, then Parliament needed to be involved."All government payments are from the Consolidated Revenue Fund whose custodian is the legislature and I do not think Parliament was ever asked to approve this deal "This means Gumbo is in breach of sections 303, 304 and 305 of the constitution relating to state expenditure."Government could seek condonation from Parliament under section 307 of the constitution, but this has not happened either."Biti called on Parliament to investigate the deal, but the legislature has been folding its arms.Former parliamentary committee on transport chairperson Dexter Nduna said the legislature had adopted a "wait-and-see attitude" over the developing scandal.Nduna was reportedly removed as chairperson after numerous clashes with Gumbo over investigations by the committee in most parastatals under the minister's purview.Zacc has decided to watch the unfolding scandal from the terraces despite swelling allegations of nepotism, fraud and violation of public procurement procedures."Zacc has not received any report with regard to the ZimAirways (sic) and neither do we know of the existence of such a company."Zacc advises you to check with the Ministry of Transport for more information," said commission spokesperson Phylis Chikundura.The constitution and the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, however, do not limit Zacc to being a passive recipient of graft-related reports.Section 12 (a) of the Act provides that the commission shall "monitor and examine the practices, systems and procurement procedures of public and private institutions", while, under subsection (f), it must "investigate any conduct of any person whom the commission has reason to believe is connected with activities involving corruption". In the past, Zacc has avoided probing politically-sensitive cases and stands accused of working on orders from the elite. News / National by Simbarashe Sithole A 46-year-old Mutorashanga man was slapped with twelve months imprisonment after being found in possession of cyanide.He was convicted for contravening section 17 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 15:05 after being found in possession of dangerous substances without a licence.According to court papers Emmison Chivhakara pleaded guilty to the charge on Friday (yesterday) after on he was found with 2kgs of Cynade valued at $2100.A team comprising of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife from Guruve and Criminal Investigating officers from Mutorashanga purported to be buyers leading to his arrest.Chivhakara was convicted and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment three of which were suspended on condition of good behaviour hence 9 months are effective. News / Religion by Staff Reporter THE Roman Catholic Church has upheld the priesthood as part of its long lasting legacy.Part of the vows demand that a priest is sworn to celibacy.In Zimbabwe one of the most celebrated priests is Father Fidelis Mukonori, who is also known for his close links with former President Robert Mugabe.Father Mukonori, in his book 'Man in the Middle' tells an interesting story of how, as a teen he spent several hours in solitude as he could not mingle much with his peers.The cleric says he devoted much of his youth time reading books in a bushy area close to his family farm."when my friends or the girls I spent time with came calling, I would listen to their voices and decide whether to join or ignore them. Sometimes I would go out sometimes, I would remain hidden"He adds that he enjoyed adult company than his age mates, something which raised worry in his father's mind.At a tender age, he was well-known for his wisdom in issues related to religion."I cannot deny that there was always light inside me pointing me down a religious path, but it was not until I graduated at high school that I really began to contemplate becoming a Jesuit."Because of his parents' bitterness, in 1968, a 20 year-old Mukonori, together with his uncle also named Fidelis exited into Jesuit life, leaving home without telling anyone except his younger brother.He says, "Only my younger brother knew of the plan and I gave him a task of informing my parents when the time came..my decision was final and no questioning or discussion would change my mind. No-one in my family had ever pursued that path of a religious man before"The duo headed to the then Salisbury, Mount Pleasant to join the Jesuit Society.Father Mukonori also experienced racism as the colonists did not entertain black people in certain sections of the city.He was denied service by a white sales lady at some shop in central Harare, then Salisbury.The clergy man says, "I was dumbfounded. I was not naive enough to be surprised by racism, but the assault of such sudden open disgust for my presence was an unwelcome surprise, to say the least. My blood instantly boiled."The cleric says priesthood became a voice of conscience that soothed his nerves confirming that he indeed had a calling and had chosen the right path. Opinion / Columnist "Sadza hoboo! Nyama hoboooo! Rimai!" (There is plenty of food! Plenty of beer! Work!) Is one of the late Safirio Madzikatire's best catch phrases.To those who do not know who Safirio Madzikatire or more commonly known as Mukadota was; he was a comedian and musician who made many Zimbabweans laugh in the decades before and after independence.In the above quotation, Mukadota, the town-wise, was encouraging his naive and gullible "humwe" (gathering of neighbours to assist in some chore requiring many hands in return for food and drink) to work harder before breaking up for their food and beer. When the workers finally take the break, they discover there is very little food and beer!"Vanida kukorera pano!" (Do they want to become obese at mine expense!) Is the cheeky reply to those complaining they are hungry and thirsty!President Mnangagwa and his coup junta's clarion call "Zimbabwe is open for business!" has all the essential ingredients of Mukadota's humwe sketch.1) Mukadota needed people to weed his field ED needs cash and investment, plenty of both, to kick start Zimbabwe's very sick economy after 38 years of gross mismanagement and corruption. Under Mugabe Zimbabwe had earned a reputation as a pariah state ruled by thugs, big spenders who did not like paying their debts. This reputation had driven lenders and investors alike out of the country. From the day ED was sworn in as the new president, he committed himself to attract the investors and lender back.2) Town-wise Mukadota was being deceitful, encouraged the workers to work even harder on the promise there was plenty of food and beer the junta promised all the removal of Mugabe and "the criminal elements who had captured the state" had completely transformed Zanu PF and Zimbabwe from the dictatorship to a democracy. The regime has talked of "new era, new Zimbabwe and new dispensation".3) The setting is pregnant with theatrical drama, Mukadota encourages his neighbours to work harder on the promise of plenty of food; that is unheard of! If, for nothing else, this junta regime will be known for its passion for spin. The "new Zimbabwe" self-promotion has its roots with the very first act of the coup. "This is not a coup," Lt General Sibisiso Moyo in the small hours of the morning of 15 November 2017, "it is a military assisted transition".4) Whereas Mukadota deceived his naive and gullible neighbours, who humoured him be playing along, even they were not going to be fooled again and again; ED is not that lucky. The lenders and investors were not so easily fooled by all this whitewashing. The investors knew the Zanu PF dictatorship was a colossal monster with many players including President Mnangagwa and the junta members; the monster was not going to be cleansed squeaky clean by the simple act of removing Mugabe and a few G40 thugs! Indeed, many investors must have raised their eye-brows at the clumsy attempt to deceive their by insisting the coup was not a coup.5) Mukadota had his neighbours in the field working and it was only after the work was done that they learned he had conned them. Mnangagwa promised the coup change Zimbabwe and the investors asked him to prove it hold free, fair and credible elections. The regime's failure to implement even one meaningful reform has proven to the whole world that Zimbabwe has not changed one bit.6) "Zimbabwe is open for business!" cry has failed to attract any business because until the country embrace democratic change, investors and lenders will continue to shy away from the country. No amount of spin will ever change that economic and political reality!7) Like all good performers Madzikatire dressed, walked and talked to suit the town-wise Mukadota. As President Mnangagwa and his high-powered entourage of 10 Minister, 88 CEOs and many hangers-on all attired in their colourful scarfs they looked like Southern Ground hornbills with rainbow wattle instead of the usual red.With the national economy in serious trouble; unemployment at 90%, of the people living on US$1.00 a day, etc. the nation is desperate for economic recovery. We need a cure to the country's many economic ills. Instead of economic doctors with the statoscopes round their necks all we have is spin doctors, human size hornbills, squawking "Zimbabwe is open for business!" The shrewd investors can see for themselves that is a lie, they can see the country is still a pariah state ruled by thugs!"Zimbabwe is open for business!" Back from China with mega, mega deals! A British Columbia First Nation is questioning the greenlighting of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, arguing there may be new evidence the federal government failed to complete consultations with First Nations prior to approving the expansion. In a letter filed to the Federal Court of Appeal on Thursday, the group's lawyer, Scott Smith, says two stories published in April by the National Observer, a national news website, confirmed the Tsleil-Waututh Nation's fears that the government had acted improperly. Citing documents laid out in the two media reports, Smith's letter says that government employees were instructed to give cabinet a legally sound basis to approve the pipeline at the same time the government was still supposedly consulting with First Nations and had not reached a decision yet. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation intends to bring forward an urgent motion requesting that the federal government be ordered to produce the documents and if necessary, will bring another motion to allow new evidence to be heard in court in order to ascertain whether the government breached its duty to consult with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. "Canada represented to the parties and the Court that it had appropriately and meaningfully consulted with TWN when it now appears Canada had already pre-determined that it would approve the Project," the letter says. This new potential evidence of "bad faith" and "dishonourable conduct" could have bearing on the court's decision as to whether the government discharged its duty to consult, Smith's letter states. The first motion is expected to be filed next week, a source with knowledge of the court proceedings told CBC News. Should that motion be approved, it would likely add more than a month to the timeline for the case. Last fall, seven First Nations, the cities of Burnaby and Vancouver, and two environmental groups asked the court to overturn the federal government's decision to approve the expansion of the $7.4-billion pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby. Story continues This new letter is unusual, since the case which included the Tsleil-Waututh Nation was heard in the fall. However, Smith says in the letter there is legal precedent for the court to reopen the matter. Pushback from government, pipeline company In a written response from the federal government obtained by CBC News, it outlines it has no position on whether the First Nation should be "permitted to bring this motion at this late date, over six months after the hearing of these proceedings has concluded." That letter also explains the government does not see the motion as "urgent," but asks the court that if the motion is allowed to proceed that the timeline be brief 10 days for a government response after the motion, and four days for the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to reply. In a statement provided to CBC News, Kinder Morgan said this motion would cause unnecessary delay to the case, as a decision was expected this spring. The company argues reopening the case now would cause "significant prejudice" against Trans Mountain. In their own letter to the court, they ask for the proposal from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to be rejected. While 43 First Nations have financial benefit agreements with Kinder Morgan in support of the new pipeline, the Tsleil-Waututh and several other nations along its path oppose it. The Trudeau government approved the project in November 2016 after the NEB recommended it get the green light, subject to 157 conditions. So far, the NEB has approved 66 per cent of the project's proposed detailed route and hearings are scheduled to continue on the project into the fall, according to the regulatory body. Kinder Morgan has engaged with 133 Indigenous communities and groups in Alberta and B.C. over the last six years on the project. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Inspiration from Zion..28 April '18..Ive heard that people who are bipolar often go off their medication because, although the lows of depression are difficult and sometimes even dangerous, the highs they experience are so thrilling, they dont want to give them up for the sake of being normal. The highs open the door to genius, to creativity, to the sublime.And it is impossible to attain the high, without also experiencing the low.The Israeli experience is something like this. I hesitate to compare my beloved country to a disorder but like the bipolar person, our normal isnt normal.Everyday life in Israel is about as normal as casually making sandwiches for the kids while walking on a tightrope, with no safety net, over a sea of blood-thirsty sharks. We do make fabulous sandwiches as well as self-driving cars, solutions for world water shortages and cures for cancers with a smile and full of joy for life on the tightrope, over the sharks.Some days are more intense than others. Probably (unless there is a war), the most intense day of the year is the day of Yom Hazikaron, IDF Memorial Day, which at night becomes Israels Independence Day.On Yom Hazikaron my family attends the ceremony held at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa. The children of the school attend as well as many of the schools alumni. There is something special about generations of alumni coming together, on this important day.The Reali was founded in 1913. The State of Israel had not yet been formally re-established but this did not stop the Jewish community in Palestine (Eretz Yisrael) from building institutions of education for the next generations, the new Jews who would be free in their homeland and be educated in Hebrew, the language of their ancestors.The ceremony at the Reali is probably the most impressive and moving Yom Hazikaron ceremony in the country. Israelis are notoriously bad at ceremonies. Pomp and circumstance is a foreign concept, there is something about focusing on the way things look (rather than their content) that goes against Israeli nature.The Reali ceremony is simple, yet profound. 'All that Siddaramaiah has done is that he created a divide between Hindus and Muslim here. There are many problems here, including scarcity of drinking water problems,' said Fazal, member BJP Minority Cell, Mangalore. (Photo: PTI | File) Mangalore: A Muslim leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Karnataka on Saturday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has created a Hindu-Muslim divide in the state. The leader also said that despite the Congress's five-year rule, Mangalore is suffering from so many problems. "All that Siddaramaiah has done is that he created a divide between Hindus and Muslim here. There are many problems here, including scarcity of drinking water problems," said Fazal, member BJP Minority Cell, Mangalore. Karnataka will vote on May 12, 2018, to send their 224 representatives to the state assembly. The counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15, 2018. The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to defeat the ruling Congress. Both the parties have pressed their star campaigners to woo voters. Siddaramaiah has filed his nomination papers from two constituencies: Badami and Chamundeshwari. On the other hand, Janata Dal (Secular) led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has forged a pre-poll alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). 'The agent promised him a job in Canada or the USA and asked him to visit Qatar for 4 days saying it would help him procure the visa for Canada, easily,' said the mother of Quadri. (Photo: ANI) Hyderabad: The family of a Hyderabad resident, S A Quadri, who was allegedly human trafficked to Qatar in 2017, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, seeking his rescue. The man was allegedly human trafficked to Qatar on the pretext of job offer by an agent. "The agent promised him a job in Canada or the USA and asked him to visit Qatar for 4 days saying it would help him procure the visa for Canada, easily," said the mother of Quadri. "The agent took Rs 6 lakh from us on the pretext of providing him the job. He went to Qatar for four days but we got no information about him for five months. Then the agent told us in March that our son is lodged in prison but he didn't tell the reason," she added. Earlier, in a similar case, a woman from the same city, was allegedly trafficked to Dubai and later to Oman. She was rescued after her family took the matter to the Indian embassy in Muscat. Beyond the paroxysms of ecstasy in the Indian television media over the summit in Wuhan there are fundamental contradictions between India and China that shouldnt be glossed over. Before coming to the substantive aspects of the deep divergences that bedevil the relationship, a word about the atmospherics. While the Indian side was quick to issue an 11-paragraph statement delineating their version of the discussions between the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese President, prefaced by a detailed briefing by the Indian foreign secretary there was no official word from the Chinese side on the Wuhan process. In fact, in the regular briefing by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on the of April 27, there was not even a word about the event in Wuhan even as it was unfolding. The first and foremost difference is where do both India and China see themselves in 2040. Are the Middle Kingdoms aspirations of becoming a global power compatible with Indias aspiration of being an important player in the evolving multi-polarity of the global order? The answer is no. For Indias fundamental foreign policy construct stands at odds with Chinese designs in the Indian Ocean Region to begin with. Nothing manifests itself more than the Chinese desire for bases all across this geography. If Chinese sources are accurate, then the PLAN (Peoples liberation Army Navy) has been advised to construct as many as 18 overseas Naval military bases not limited to the greater Indo-Pacific region that includes Chongjin (North Korea), Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Koh-Lanta (Thailand), Sittwe (Myanmar), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Gwadar (Pakistan), Hamabantota port (Sri Lanka), Maldives, Seychelles, Djibouti (Djibouti), Lagos(Nigeria), Mombasa (Kenya), Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), Luanda(Angola) and Walvis Bay in (Namibia). The quintessential String of Pearls. Out of these, three in Indias immediate neighborhood are most worrying, namely Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantatotta in Sri Lanka and the proposed surveillance station that will come at Makunudhoo island of the Maldives not far from Kerala and the Sri Lankan coast. The latter can be quickly upgraded to a submarine base that would give the Chinese Navy the ability to interdict crucial international shipping routes. This is a direct challenge to Indias maritime supremacy, sits as it does on the head of the Indian Ocean. The related dilemma is with regard to the Quadrilateral between the United States, Japan, Australia and India. The idea of the Quad, as it is called, was first mooted in 2007 but never got much traction except for some joint Naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal. The first Quad miscarried as Australia summarily walked out and India followed suit. This coincided with the 2007-2008 economic crises that saw Chinese economic power go up several levels and the initiation of a phase of military assertion by the Chinese across the board from the Senkaku islands, and on the Sino-Indian border. The idea was revived again during the last Asean summit in Manila. Howsoever India may want to spin it, but China sees the Quad as a measure of containment and is decidedly uncomfortable with this alliance of democracies. How will India square up its commitment to the Quad with a smoother relationship with China is logic defying. Ultimately India would have to bite the bullet and choose between bending to the Chinese wind or its strategic autonomy underpinned by the Quad? It should be no surprise, which way India should tilt! Then there is the South Asian question. For 70 years, India has considered South Asia as its near abroad. The region is equivalent of its Monroe Doctrine. The world at large has respected Indias right to its eminent domain. However, that is not the case any longer. China has been actively patronising all the anti-India elements in the region beginning with Pakistan with whom it has a robust military and even nuclear and missile technology cooperation if not supply relationship stretching back decades. In the past four years this strategic embrace has expanded beyond Pakistan. China is actively patronising all the anti-India elements and political forces in the region, be it in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Abdulla Yameen government in the Maldives or hostile organisations in Bangladesh. It also seeks to punish those who still stand in solidarity with India. Doklam was nothing but a warning shot across the bows to Bhutan for standing by India in its boycott of the Belt and Road Conference in Bejing last year. The litmus test for India is whether after the Wuhan summit China will continue to back those political forces in the Bangladesh general elections, scheduled to be held at the end of 2018, who wear their hostility to India on their sleeve? Then there is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) President Xi Jingpings signature initative. While the Indian side has put it out that the Chinese would not insist on India joining the BRI, the fact remains that the project, especially its CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) dimension, is a direct assault on Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Can India afford to look the other way? The tragic irony is while the BJP government has been carping about CPEC for over four years now, it has failed to unveil an alternative vision to challenge it, forget about breaking the vision down into implementable projects. Finally, on the border question also while the Indian side has waxed eloquent about Chinas commitment to the Special Representative (SR) Process to resolve the vexed border question between the two neighbors, the fact remains that the Chinese have walked away from the agreement arrived between the two sides on April 11, 2005, on the political parameters and guiding principles for the settlement of the India-China boundary question, especially the issue of not disturbing settled populations in both the nations. The Sino-India relationship does not require a bhai-bhai chant. It requires India to create ballast on its side. It is time to bite the bullet. The two-day informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping of China on April 27-28 at Wuhan in central China has succeeded in the reckoning of both sides. This is apparent from the first comments of the Chinese official media and the Chinese Communist Party media, as well as the first post-meeting observations of foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale. India has put out that the two countries looked forward to working in the direction of peace, and that they had also agreed to do a joint economic project in Afghanistan, in which context China has been seen as Pakistans partner. Future informal summits were also spoken of. While Mr Modi threw in the invitation for the next summit in India, Mr Xi said that he expected to meet with the Indian leader subsequently too perhaps giving Mr Modi a soft boost as elections approach in India. It had been suggested in this space last Thursday that the two leaders agreement on holding subsequent summits would indicate a positive environment for India-China ties. This has, in fact, turned out to be the case. From the general comments made by both sides, it appears that they will work to let economics and commerce overtake politics in the foreseeable future. Mr Modi spoke of the economies of India and China together driving economic life in the world in 1,600 of the past 2000 years. Also speaking in the backdrop of the international economy, Mr Xi said cooperation between China and India would be a factor for peace and stability in the world. This is hardly a new formulation. But its reiteration at the informal summit fell naturally into place in the context of globalisation that President Xi flagged in his reported conversation with Mr Modi. This can be a hint that India and China may desire to work more closely in view of the challenge to the WTO-guided multilateral world trading order that US president Donald Trump appears to be posing by initiating bilateral protectionist steps, in the process hurting both China and India (and others) in varying degrees. We have to see if this signals the effacing of Indias vast trade deficit with China because Indian goods and services are denied access to Chinese markets. This could be the new work Beijing and New Delhi will now be called upon to do. It appears that Indias political concerns such as the boundary issue (including Doklam) and Pakistan-inspired terrorism may have been touched upon only peripherally at Wuhan. It was blandly indicated by official quarters that both sides will work to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border, and that they discussed terrorism. There is nothing new there. The proposed joint economic project in Afghanistan of course has an economic and a political dimension, and, in the regional context, may be seen as an alternative theme to India not signing up on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. Xiaomi had a pretty successful run in its wearable segment with Mi Band 2, which was launched in June 2016. Reports have claimed that Mi Band 2 was the most sold wearable after Apple Watch according to last year. The company had also partnered with Hrithik Roshan's HRX brand to launch an HRX Edition Band 2 last September. However, the company has taken Twitter to announce the new Band 3, which is expected to release this year sometime soon. Can you guess what it is? pic.twitter.com/EstUJDUIff Mi (@xiaomi) April 29, 2018 According to the teased tweet, the new Band 3 looks much similar in the design element compared to the Mi Band 2, which came with an OLED display and a capacitive button. Earlier, there were reports stating Mi Band 3 had passed Bluetooth certification and it now supports Bluetooth 4.2 BLE. (Photo: news.mydrivers.com) The company had recently launched its Black Shark smartphone. During this launch, the companys CEO, Lei Jun had been spotted with a new wearable, supposedly the new Band 3. It also showcased larger display and also blends into the band, however, the image wasn't clear. (Photo: news.mydrivers.com) This could suggest that Mi Band 3 has already been in production and this new teaser from the Chinese manufacturer confirms that. The complete details about the specifications are yet to be known. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The trams are suitable for Alexandria's climate. Ukraine has announced that it is set to begin delivery of their first trams to Egypt by July 2018, according to a statement by the Ukrainian manufacturer Tatra-Yug. The first batch of trams will be docked in Alexandria in early June 2018, the statement said, adding that the delivery of the trams will be completed by the end of 2019, Egypt Today reported. Read alsoUkraine ready to help Egypt's steelmakers modernize The length of the double-sided, high-floor trams is 22 meters, making them suitable for Alexandria's climate and the technical parameters of the tram system in Egypt. Moreover, Ukraine is ready to plan several projects worth $280 million, Ukrainian Minister of Economic Development Stepan Kubiv said, as quoted by ZNAJ. This is five times the sum directly held in the UK. Russians have more than GBP 34 billion in British overseas territories, new figures reveal, as MPs prepare to vote on a bill that will force the territories to unmask corrupt individuals holding "dirty money" in their jurisdictions. Theresa May promised to freeze Russian assets and money in response to the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in March, saying "there is no place for these people, or their money, in our country," The Sunday Times wrote. Read alsoKremlin seeks to set up offshore havens to help oligarchs under sanctions media Yet analysis by campaign group Global Witness claims at least GBP 34 billion in Russian funds are currently invested in British overseas territories five times the sum directly held in the UK more than GBP 30 billion of it in the British Virgin Islands alone. The figures show a further GBP 110 billion has passed through the territories in the past decade, making them second only to Cyprus as a preferred destination for Russian cash. The analysis comes as Andrew Mitchell, the former international development secretary, prepares to lead a back-bench move to compel the overseas territories to have publicly accessible ultimate ownership registers of companies by 2020. Peaceful demonstrations in Nicaragua turned violent, when police and pro-government groups cracked down on protesters, reportedly leaving at least 26 dead. Protesters were initially exercising their right of freedom of assembly to protest President Daniel Ortegas proposed reforms of the social security system. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least nine journalists have been injured since the demonstrations began and at least two have had their equipment stolen. Meanwhile, multiple independent television networks that were covering the events were temporarily blocked from transmission, and one remains off the air. The United States government regrets the loss of life and injuries suffered in Nicaragua during protests by its citizens. We condemn the violence and the excessive force used by police and others against civilians who are exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression and assembly, said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. Amnesty International called on Nicaraguan authorities to stop repressing demonstrators and protect their right to protest. Erika Guevara-Rosas, director of Amnesty International in the Americas, said, The authorities crude and violent response to these demonstrations has deeply troubling implications for human rights in Nicaragua. 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. Spokesperson Nauert call[ed] on the Nicaraguan government to allow journalists to operate freely and restore all television coverage to the air. Additionally, we urge the government to allow an independent investigation and to prosecute those responsible for the deaths. Human rights abuses in Russia continued to be a serious problem in 2017, according to the State Departments Human Rights Report issued in late April. The Russian Government continues to quash dissent and civil society, even while it invades its neighbors and undermines the sovereignty of Western nations, said John Sullivan, who was serving as Acting Secretary of State at the reports release. According to the report, among the most significant human rights concerns during the year were the reports of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and mass torture of over 100 gay persons in Chechnya. Outside of Chechnya, there were allegations of systematic use of torture by police and prison officials, sometimes resulting in death, and at times including punitive psychiatric incarceration. Prison conditions were reported to be harsh and life-threatening.The government failed to take adequate steps to prosecute or punish most officials who committed abuses, resulting in a climate of impunity. There was a lack of judicial independence. Authorities detained and prosecuted individuals for political reasons. Political prisoners were quite frequently charged with terrorism, extremism, separatism, and espionage. The government severely restricted freedom of expression by various means, including the use of antiextremism and other vague laws to prosecute peaceful dissent; impunity for violence against journalists and bloggers; financial and editorial pressure on independent media outlets; blocking and filtering of internet content and use of cyberattacks to disrupt speech on the internet. The rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association were also severely restricted, primarily through implementation of laws on public assemblies, and by falsely labeling civil society organizations foreign agents and undesirable foreign organizations. The government also limited the ability of opposition political parties to organize, register candidates for public office, access media, and conduct political campaigns, thus precluding free and fair elections. In addition, the Russian government was responsible for many abuses perpetrated on the territory of neighboring Ukraine. In Russian-occupied Crimea, occupation authorities employed various strategies to suppress all forms of dissent, including political prosecutions of opponents of the occupation. Russian-backed forces also committed widespread abuses in Ukraines Donbas region, including [forced] disappearances and torture. We once again urge Russia to end its brutal occupation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, said Mr. Sullivan, 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. Iranian hackers have attacked user accounts of several Iranian charity workers, academics, dual nationals living abroad as well as tens of political and civil activists in Iran, reported Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on Saturday April 28. According to CHRI, the attacks originating from inside Iran took place during the past two weeks and targeted email and social media accounts of some well-known Iranians. The report did not mention any names, but said that the attack targeted individuals in California, Washington DC and Tehran. The CHRI added that some of those whose accounts were attacked were in communication with individuals who have been arrested in Iran. Some others were professional acquaintances of individuals currently in custody in Iran. Some of those who were targeted by the attacks have been charged with baseless accusations by IRGC-linked media during the past few weeks, the report further added. Professor Abbas Edalat of Londons Imperial College is one of the activists who was arrested on April 15 in Tehran. Edalat is a British-Iranian dual national who campaigned to prevent sanctions and war against Iran. Meanwhile, the arrest of more than a dozen environmental activists in February, led Kaveh Madani, also an Imperial College lecturer, to leave Iran because of political pressures. Madani wrote in his resignation letter that all of his personal hardware and social media user accounts were stolen by Iranian government agents upon his arrival in Tehran in 2017 to work with Irans Environment Department. The CHRI reported that hackers have also targeted the accounts of the members of Imam Ali Charity as well as those of tens of civil and political activists in Iran. The Imam Ali Charity is an NGO in Iran that supports underprivileged women and children. The charity told Telecommunications and IT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi via their Twitter account that all emails, Telegram, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts of the charitys members were widely targeted by hackers on April 26, adding that some of their Gmail and telephones were also hacked. Subsequently, Jahromi replied that he has ordered an investigation into the matter by the ministrys security office but did not elaborate on details of what he was going to do. Some experts have said that the hackers have used the kind of information that are usually available to telecommunications and intelligence agencies. The charity also said that one of their SIM which was inactive was also hacked, which points to state level access. Such a hack would be possible through cell phones registry center, a government organization which happens to be under Jahromis supervision, the Charity added. Based on the same information CHRI concluded that hackers have undoubtedly had access to Irans telecommunications infrastructure. Meanwhile, Internet security expert Amin Sabeti told the CHRI that IRGC-linked hackers have started a wave of attacks against Iranians and others all over the world in the same style they had been operating since March 2017. A Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report [https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/01/04/iran-s-cyber-threat-espionage-sabotage-and-revenge-pub-75134] released in January said that Iranian intelligence organizations, like their counterparts in other countries, have been increasingly involved in cyber intelligence and cyber-attacks, targeting Iranian opposition in Iran and abroad as well as civil right institutions, government offices and businesses in the US, Israel, Germany and Saudi Arabia. The report which was focused on Irans destructive activity in cyber space, said Iran uses misleading user accounts as cover in order to conceal its responsibility while taking credit for its hacking capability. Since 2012, Iran has been implicated in hacking cases involving some US banks and a dam near New York and attempting to access the Obama administration officials user accounts. In a most recent case the United States imposed sanctions on 10 Iranian real and legal entities on charges of hacking hundreds of US and international academic institutions. The managing director of reformist daily Sharq was taken into custody on Saturday, April 28, by the order of a judge based in Mashhad, holiest Shiite city in Iran. Mehdi Rahmanian could not raise the bail set for him and was detained by the judges order, state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) reported, adding that several people had filed legal complaints about an article in daily Sharq that had allegedly insulted women of a neighborhood in Mashhad. Iranian hardliners usually rally a group of people to complain about the contents of a newspaper they want to shut down and often manage to do that thanks to their influence in the Judiciary. Mashhads hardline prosecutor is known for a comment in which he had said prosecutors are only a bit less authoritative than God. Meanwhile, religious authorities in Mashhad, including Friday prayers leader Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda and Hojjatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric who runs the holy shrines administration, have been imposing their own fundamentalist rules about cultural events. They banned concerts in Mashhad and often criticized Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and other moderate officials for their relatively liberal approach to political, social and cultural matters. Mashhad hardliners activity against the reform and moderation camp escalated following Raisis defeat in the 2017 presidential race. According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps affiliated news agency, Fars, Rahmanian was arrested for publishing a controversial report that showed the residents of Shahid Rajaei neighborhood in Mashhad in a bad light. The report, filed by Shahrzad Hemmati, is about social harms in a poverty-stricken neighborhood on the skirts of Mashhad where a six-year old Afghan girl, Neda Alizadeh, was recently murdered. Citing officials of an NGO, Ms. Hemmati reported, There is a street named Milan 6 in Qala Sakhteman neighborhood which is not even shown on the maps. The female residents of the street are classified in two categories; women who never leave their houses and those who go out to sell their bodies for sex. The report, according Fars, enraged women and religious people to the extent that they hold a protest assembly and finally signed a petition against daily Sharq. Describing female residents of Shahid Rajaei slum as prostitutes has injured them emotionally and left them with no option other than filing a complaint against the managing editor of Sharq, said deputy prosecutor-general of Mashhad, Hassan Heidari. We officially contacted Mr. Rahmanian and asked him to redress peoples injured emotion and punish the individual responsible for the report. Had he done that, we would have not been in current situation, Heidari maintained. However, records show that Sharq, on its Thursday, April 19, had published protest and response of the residents of Shahid Rajaei and Shahid Bahonar slums to the controversial report. Meanwhile, the chairman of Social and Cultural Commission of Tehran City Council, Mohammad Haqshenas has bitterly criticized judiciary for Rahmanians detention. Calling judiciarys decision to detain Rahmanian as questionable, Haqshenas said in a note published by ISNA, There were no plausible reasons for arresting Rahmanian since he was not going to run away and hide. Sharq was founded in 2003 by supporters of President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), two years before the end of his second term and soon turned into reformists flagship daily. The daily has been banned a few times since its launch for undermining Iranian hadliners authority. While a few individuals on Twitter in Mashhad have called for a ban on Sharq, several Iranian journalists have tweeted that Sharqs managing editor should have been questioned by the Media Court in Tehran, where the daily is based, rather than in Mashhad. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Israel, the next leg of his first diplomatic trip to the Middle East during which he was briefing U.S. allies about President Donald Trumps threat to quit the Iran nuclear deal. Pompeo met on April 29 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks that centered on Iran. "We have just had very productive, very focused conversations on our common interests and how to defend our common values," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference following the meeting. "I want to thank again President Trump for his historic decision on recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital." Pompeo said Trump has "a comprehensive Iran plan that is designed to counter the full array of threats emanating from Tehran." He added that the United States was "deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region." Earlier in the day, Pompeo met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman after arriving in Riyadh the previous evening and dining with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. After his talks in Israel, Pompeo will travel on to neighboring Jordan. After the Riyadh meetings, Pompeo accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East with its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and for Shi'ite rebels in Yemen. Speaking at a joint press conference with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Pompeo said Iran "supports proxy militias and terrorist groups." "It is an arms dealer to the Huthi rebels in Yemen and iran conducts cyberhacking campaigns. And it supports the murderous Assad regime," Pompeo said. "Unlike the prior administration, we will not neglect the vast scope of Irans terrorism." Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran a move that could jeopardize the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers. Britain, France, German, Russia, and China, which also signed the accord, have urged Washington to remain part of the deal, saying it is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But Trump says Tehran has violated the "spirit" of the deal by continuing to test ballistic missiles and by fomenting insurgent violence in the Middle East, allegations Iran denies. The accord provides Iran with sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, told Fox News on April 29 that Trump "has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out." Meanwhile, the office of British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement the same day saying May, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed that the nuclear deal is the best way of curbing Iran's nuclear program, but added that it could need to be broadened to cover other issues, including ballistic missiles. "They committed to continue working closely together and with the U.S. on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses," the statement from May's office said. A senior U.S. official says Pompeo is pushing the international community during his Middle East trip to impose new sanctions on people or entities that aid Iran's missile program. "We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Brian Hook, a senior policy adviser traveling with Pompeo, said on April 28 in Saudi Arabia. "Iran's missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel," he said. Pompeo, who was sworn in last week as the top U.S. diplomat, arrived in Riyadh as part of a Middle East trip following his attendance at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. Pompeo said in a news conference from Brussels on April 27 that "no decision" has been made yet on continued U.S. participation in the accord. But he said unless substantial changes are made, it is "unlikely" Trump will remain in the deal. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 87 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 29. 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 29 Trend: During the visit to the People's Republic of China, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov visited Poly Technologies Company, which is a part of the military-industrial complex of this country, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message April 29. During the meeting with the company's managing team, Hasanov was briefed about the activity of this company. Then the minister reviewed modern military equipment and other military products manufactured by the company. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 Trend: Azerbaijans Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has met with the Western Theater Commander of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Colonel General Zhao Zongqi, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message April 29. Expressing satisfaction with the meeting with the Azerbaijani delegation, Colonel General Zongqi stressed the importance of expanding bilateral military ties. He noted with satisfaction the creation of new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the "One Belt and One Way" initiative and the huge support of Azerbaijan for this strategy. Colonel General Hasanov, having expressed gratitude for warm welcome and hospitality, stressed that friendly relations between Azerbaijan and China have deep roots. Hasanov expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for supporting Azerbaijan's fair position in settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He emphasized that Azerbaijan also respects the "United China" policy of the People's Republic of China, supports this concept and recognizes organizations representing the PRC in the international arena. During the meeting held in a friendly and mutually trusting atmosphere, the sides discussed prospects for the development of cooperation in military, military-technical, military-educational and other spheres of mutual interest. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 Trend: President Ilham Aliyev has expressed happiness with Azerbaijans hosting Formula 1 for the third time. We are very happy that such an event of worldwide importance as Formula 1 is being held in Baku for the third time, said President Aliyev in an interview with FOX Sports on the sidelines of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku April 29. Everyone is enjoying the race. I am sure that the guests are also enjoying it. They are here with us. They see the hospitality of the Azerbaijani people. The guests see how beautiful our city is. This is a great event. We are very happy, said the president. Answering the reporters question about who he thinks will win today, the president said: I dont know. I wish victory to everyone. Every winner will become a hero here. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: Azerbaijani companies exported non-oil products worth $356.4 million in 1Q18, which is 35 percent higher than in the same period of 2017. This is reported in the Export Review, published April 27 by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications. During the period, the greatest share of the exported non-oil products fell on electricity ($33.9 million), gold ($30.9 million) and polyethylene ($26.3 million). Electricity exports during the period increased 8.6 times, fruits and vegetables - 45.7 percent, ferrous metals and products made of them - 34.8 percent, chemical products - 29.5 percent, cotton yarn - 24.8 percent, tea - 12.9 percent, aluminum and products made of it - by 4 percent. In the list of the main importers of non-oil products from Azerbaijan in January-March 2018 the first place was taken by Russia ($98.7 million), followed by Turkey ($97.6 million), Switzerland ($33.8 million), Georgia ($31.8 million) and China ($11.9 million). In March 2018, non-oil exports from Azerbaijan amounted to $115 million. During the period, Azerbaijan mostly exported electricity ($13.6 million), tomatoes ($9.3 million) and peeled hazelnuts ($8.3 million). In March, Turkey ($32.2 million) became the largest importer of Azerbaijani non-oil products. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev Bulgaria could become a bridge for Chinese cargo and open the "New Silk Road"(One Belt One Road Initiative) to Central and Western Europe, said Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski in response to a question on the Trans-Caspian transport corridor, Novinite reported citing Bgnes. The Minister reminded that on November 7, 2013, the leaders of three of the leading companies in the region - "National Kazakh Company Temer Zolly AD, Azerbaijani Railways AD and Georgian Railways JSC are united around the idea of establishing a Coordination Committee for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route in order to increase the freight flows between Europe and Asia. In April 2016, KTZ Express, ADY Express, GR Logistics and Terminals, Azerbaijan Caspian Ship Company AD and ADY Container signed an agreement to set up an International Trans-Caspian Transport Consortium with the following tasks: developing logistics products with a high degree of customer orientation, searching for customers both to the east and west to increase the efficiency of using the available rolling stock, organizing and monitoring the container transport of TMTM; establishing a long-term partnership with foreign partners in the main trading countries of the Consortium, attracting more freight traffic to use the TMTM and its services. From the beginning of 2016, BDZ - Freight Transports Ltd. has been negotiating to join the project for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, thanks to its strategic geographic location, Bulgaria could become a bridge for Chinese cargoes and open " New Silk Road" to Central and Western Europe, Moskovski says. In the course of the negotiations and the letter sent by BDZ - Freight Transports EOOD for intent on the connection of the company to the Consortium, in the period 4-5 July 2016, "BDZ - Freight Transport" EOOD hosted a working meeting of the Coordination Committee of TMTM, which was held in Varna. In the Bulgarian side there were representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, the ports of Varna and Burgas, "Maritime Navigation". The meeting was attended by representatives of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan (rail and sea carriers, logistics companies). For the purpose of acquainting with the opportunities of the Bulgarian ports, visits to ferryboat complex Varna, port of Varna and port of Burgas (Port Bulgaria West and BMF Port) were organized within the meeting. In order to develop the cooperation with the participants in the project, representatives of BDZ - Freight Transport EOOD took part in various initiatives, within which the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was presented. Tehran, Iran, April 29 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad Trend: A senior exporter of dried fruit has told Trend that the governments new monetary policy has spelled trouble for the merchant. Mohammad-Hassan Shamsfard, the head of Iranian association for dried fruit exporters, has said that under the new regulations the exporters are obliged to carry out currency transactions through the countrys banking system. However, a number of international banks refrain from doing business with Iranian merchants which poses serious obstacles to exporting goods. Irans First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri unveiled on Monday an online system which enables the countrys exporters to sell hard currency they obtained from international trades to the countrys banking system. The online system namely "NIMA" came amid the recent efforts to renovate Irans foreign currency system via managing domestic foreign currency market and reinforcing exports. Following the recent currency fluctuations in the country which saw the greenback trading at 62,000 on the unregulated market (an increase of 20 percent within two days), the government decided to increase the official rate of the national currency, rial, against the US dollar, setting the official rate at 42,000 rials on April 12. Eshaq Jahangiri earlier announced that the administration has ratified a 16-article instruction to address new policies to be applied in the foreign trade, including import regulations in free zones and some tax exemptions for exporters. Under the new regulations, Iranian importers must officially register their purchase orders on Iran Trade Promotion Organization's official online platform. In the meantime, the importers are required to get their hard currency for trade exclusively from the banking system. Mojtaba Khosrotaj, head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran earlier announced that the countrys agricultural exports surpassed $4.9 billion during the first eight months of the last fiscal year (March 20-Nov. 22, 2017). The country exported $947 million worth of dried fruits in the mentioned period, 15 percent down year-on-year. Tehran, Iran, April 29 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad Trend: Chabahar Free Zone Organization, Negin Makran Petrochemical Complex and China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) signed a strategic partnership memorandum, Trend correspondent reports. The memorandum was signed as part of further economic cooperation between the governments of Iran and China, and according to Iranian sources, this pursues mainly to alter mission of the Chabahar Free Zone, converting it into the third Iranian petrochemical hub. The memorandum was signed with participation of Morteza Bank, adviser of Irans president, Chabahar Free Zone Executive Director Abdul Reza Kordi, and Li Shousheng, chairman of the board of directors of CPCIF. Also, members of the boards of directors of 15 major Chinese companies took part at the meeting. Focus of the memorandum was the construction of a petrochemical park in the Chabahar Free Zone, which will be carried out with cooperation of the parties in near future. Calling Iran and China old friends, Morteza Bank welcomed the signing of the memorandum. "Iran has perfect and strong relations with China, which can be a model for the rest of the world. This memorandum is in line with the major agreements between the presidents of Iran and China, and we fully support the new cooperation of the two countries in petrochemical industry," he added. 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. Earlier this month, Reza Norouzzadeh, managing director of NPC, said that Irans petrochemical output is expected to reach 63 million tons during the current fiscal year (started March 20). The official added that currently 60 petrochemical projects with nominal production capacity of 65.4 million tons are underway across the country. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 Trend: Irans deputy oil minister Hamid Reza Araqi said that Tehran is ready to swap Turkmenistans gas to Pakistan. Araqi, who heads the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), said that the Islamic Republic can take part in any gas pipeline project in the region due to its unique position, IRNA news agency reported. He added that Iran is the best route for transferring Turkmenistan gas to Pakistan and the Islamic Republic can carry out this process very fast with minimum costs. However, Araqi said that Turkmenistan has not answered to Irans offer so far. Turkmenistan has initiated the TAPI project (TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia Pipeline). The TAPI project is designed to ensure energy security in Central and South Asia. The pipeline being developed by the Galkynysh TAPI Pipeline Company Limited with participation of the Asian Development Bank. Total length of the TAPI gas pipeline will be 1,840 kilometers. Construction of the Turkmen section of the TAPI gas pipeline began in December 2015. Construction of the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline started Feb. 23, 2018. Tehran, Iran, April 29 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad Trend: In case of violating Iran's nuclear deal by the US, Irans insurance will cover the main risks, Abdul-Nasser Hemmati, general director of Central Insurance of Iran, said. Hemmati made the remarks at Iran-Europe Banking and Business Forum in Tehran, Trends correspondent reported from the event. Hemmati said that the influence of insurance in Iran is growing rapidly and the insurance industry has also grown well. According to the 6th Development Plan of Iran, the penetration rate of the insurance industry should increase from today's level, which is about 3.2 percent of GDP, and this needs more investment in the sector, he added. Today our compulsory insurance coverage is complete, but optional insurance is covered about 20 percent, he said, adding that Iran's insurance industry turnover reached to 13 billion euro last year, and this turnover indicates the high capacity of the Iranian insurance industry, he added. Currently we are negotiating positively with European parties to use their capacity to develop our insurance coverage, a large part of our tankers and ships are covered by International insurance, and the other part, which is covered by domestic insurance, can travel with the same insurance coverage in the European regions, he continued. Referring to Iran's readiness in the event of US withdrawal from the JCPOA(Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal), Hemmati said that Iran's insurance industry is ready to continue its coverage with pre-existing structures before and after sanctions so that no domestic industry in Iran will be left uncoated. We welcome international relations with foreign insurance companies, Hemmati said, adding that today, 30 percent of catastrophic accident insurance in Iran, with a capital investment of around 1.2 billion euros, is covered by European reinsurance companies. We expect this rate to increase in near future, the official said pointing out that the insurance industry is an international industry. He further said that the insurance of 11th Phase of South Pars Development Project, with Frances Total being its contractor, will be carried out through Iranian insurers, and this will result in important work in the field of insurance co-operation with European companies. "We are in talks and cooperation with Russian and Chinese reinsurance companies, Hemmati said. With an annual growth rate of over 20 percent, Iran's insurance industry is ready to cooperate with foreign companies, he added. Europe is a traditional partner of Iran in the field of insurance, the official concluded. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 Trend: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran, Russia and Turkey the initiators of the Astana process for peace in Syria- will stay in touch with the UN secretary general and his special envoy to coordinate efforts for settling the conflict in the Arab country, Tasnim news agency reported. Speaking to reporters before leaving Moscow for Tehran on April 28 night, Zarif said the three guarantors of ceasefire in Syrias de-escalation zones have decided to hold separate talks with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and the UN secretary general and also follow up on the decisions made at the Iran-Russia-Turkey summit and those made between Syria representatives in Sochi. The meeting (on Syria between the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey in Moscow) was to show that the Astana (peace) process is the only ongoing process that has been relatively successful in (resolving) the Syria crisis, he said. He added that in the trilateral meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu, the need for the continuation of the Astana peace process was underlined. The three foreign ministers issued a joint statement after their meeting in Moscow on Saturday, saying that they have agreed to increase joint efforts to help achieve a lasting political settlement in Syria. In the statement, they said they have agreed to increase joint efforts aimed at facilitating the achievement of a lasting political settlement in Syria envisaged by the UN Security Council resolution 2254 and through full use of multi-level mechanisms of the Astana format. President Hassan Rouhani described the JCPOA as the first major base for confidence building between Iran and Western states, saying that the country will not accept limitations beyond its commitments, according IRNA. The JCPOA stands for Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of the agreement reached bewteen Iran and six world major powers in 2015 to give Tehran sanctions relief in return for scaling back its nuclear program. In a telephone conversation with French President Emanuel Macron late Sunday, Rouhani maintained that Iran attaches special significance to consolidating ties with France. In view of very excellent capacities for mutual cooperation in political, cultural and economic fields as well as regional issues, we are determined to strengthen our relations with France in all fields, he said. During the phone talks which lasted over an hour, Rouhani reiterated that sustainability of JCPOA will help strengthen regional security. Confidence is the basis of our relations and the JCPOA is an important pillar of confidence between Iran and Western states, he said. Noting that Americans stance on the JCPOA is flagrant violation of the agreement between seven countries, he added that Iran has taken a very significant decision in the fields of banking ties, foreign exchange and other economic issues in recent days and has taken measures in the face of any decision the US is to make on May 12. US current stance regarding the JCPOA amounts to its breach of the deal and creating fear and ambiguity for the countries and economic enterprises dealing with Iran, he said, noting that even if the US announces on May 12 that it will stay in the deal but wants to continue the same course it did over the two past years, it will not be acceptable to us. Underlining that future of the JCPOA after 2025 will be decided by the international regulations and Iran will never accept any restrictions beyond its commitments, the chief executive said that the JCPOA and any other issue under its pretext is non-negotiable. As to regional cooperation, he said that Iran has so far indicated that it is ready for dialogue to safeguard regional stability and security, particularly fighting terrorism. During the phone conversation, Macron reiterated the need for boosting Tehran-Paris cooperation in all fields, saying that EU, especially France, has totally defended the JCPOA and France will stay in the JCPOA 100 percent. Maintaining that adherence to the JCPOA will help promote confidence and stability in the region, he said that France and EUs definite stance is to stay in the JCPOA and they ask Iran to do the same. EU and France accept the JCPOA as it is, Macron said. France has always favored a stable Middle East, as it believes that the JCPOA is a major model for solving regional problems and it should be preserved by all parties, he said, noting, This is an important issue that I raised in the US Congress. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29 Trend: Over 296 serious cyber attacks were carried out against Irans infrastructures in last fiscal year, ended March 2018, Brigadier General Seyed Kamal Hadianfar, head of Irans Cyber Police (FATA) said. The police commander said that over 50 percent of the attacks were originated from the US and China, meanwhile 30 percent of the cyber attacks were from Europian countries, including Germany and Netherlands, the FATA website reported April 29. Hadianfar added that Irans banks and financial institutes are the main target of attacks, followed by telecommunication infrastructure, power, energy, oil and gas sectors. At least 11 of 32 Iranian banks with highest financial turnover were the target of cyber attacks in last fiscal year, he said. Averagely 6-7 million cyber attacks are carried out to Iran on a daily basis, Hadianfar said, adding that the attacks generally are thwarted and fail to impose damage against the countries infrastructures and systems. Iranian official sites were target of various cyber attacks in recent years. In June at least 50 websites belonging to Iran's Foreign Ministry were hacked by an allegedly Saudi group called itself "Team Bad Dream." On May 24, 2016 a group calling itself "DAES" hacked the website of the Statistical Center of Iran, sending the website down for a short time. Two days later the websites of Iran's Culture Ministry, the legal deputy of the Judiciary and the interpreting administration of the Judiciary were hacked as well. Irans oil industry was also damaged as a result of various cyber attacks previously. In April 2012 a virus forced the oil ministry to disconnect its main oil terminals and facilities from the Internet to protect them from damage. In 2015, Iran accused the US of cyber attacks against the Iranian oil ministry website. The attacks continued for four days during the holidays of Iranian New Year (started on March 21, 2015). Meanwhile the US, on the other hand accuses Iran of conducting cyber-attacks against the United States. Earlier in March Washington charged nine Iranians and an Iranian company with attempting to hack into hundreds of US and international universities, dozens of companies and parts of the US government on behalf of the Tehran government. Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco has unveiled the appointment of a five new board of directors' members, including a first female member - Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, the energy giant said in a statement on Sunday, Sputnik reported. The historic decision comes in light of the upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of the Saudi state giant, set to take place in second half of 2018 after it was delayed several times. "The five new appointed members are: H.E. Mohammed A. Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance; H.E. Mohammed M. Al-Tuwaijri, Minister of Economy and Planning; Mr. Peter L. Cella, former Chevron Philips Chemical Co. LP President & CEO (2011-2017); Ms. Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, former Chairwoman, President & CEO, Sunoco Inc., (2008-2012); Mr. Andrew N. Liveris, Director (2017- present*) and Former Executive Chairman, DowDuPont Inc, (2017-2018), the statement read. The newly appointed members will join six returning members, the Saudi Aramco noted. Saudi Aramco, founded in 1933 and headquartered in the city of Dhahran, is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. The corporation controls almost all oil-producing capacities of the Middle Eastern country. Peru's former President Ollanta Humala could ask for political asylum in Venezuela, Bolivia or Cuba as soon as he leaves prison, local media reported, citing Peruvian former Vice President Omar Chehade, Sputnik News reports. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court of Peru ordered the release of Humala and his wife who were jailed in July for 18 months over money laundering allegations. The ex-president will seek asylum, citing the political persecution in his home country, the EFE news agency reported. Humala is suspected of receiving bribes from construction companies Oderbrecht and OAS, which were used for financing election campaigns of Peruvian Nationalist Party in 2006 and 2011. A massive inferno raged inside a printed circuit board manufacturer in Taoyuan City Saturday night, killing five firemen and two migrant workers, with two firefighter listed in serious condition, the city's fire department said Sunday, Focus Taiwan reports. The department said that seven firefighters lost contact with their team after they raced to battle the blaze that broke out at Chin Poon Industrial at around 9 p.m. Saturday to rescue several migrant workers believed to be trapped inside the factory. However, five of the firemen were found killed later, reportedly from a collapsed structure which trapped them. Two others were rescued with serious injuries. Lu Tsung-yu, the first of the firemen to be rescued, was found at 00:50 a.m. Sunday, the department said. Lin Wei-hsi, another fireman, was found at around 4 a.m. Sunday. Both of them are hospitalized in serious condition. The department said that two migrant workers killed in the blaze were two men from Thailand. Information about their identity is yet to be disclosed. Meanwhile, five other firefighters who suffered from splashes from acids or alkali chemicals stored at the factory have been hospitalized, the department said. Mongolia and Singapore are the two neutral grounds being considered for a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, it has been reported. The list was narrowed down on Saturday after Trump spoke with South Korean president Moon Jae-in who made history on Friday by welcoming Jong-un after decades of frosty relations. After their meeting, Trump and Jae-in spoke on the phone to discuss his looming meeting and the president, as is often the case on Saturday mornings, kept the nation updated on Twitter. 'Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. 'Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations,' he said. CBS's Major Garrett cites sources who says Mongolia and Singapore are the favorites. Trump would not be drawn on the details of where the meeting will take place or when but told reporters on Friday that it would happen in the next few weeks. 'We're down to two countries as to a site, and we'll let you know what that site is,' he said, during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Moon vowed earlier this week 'there will be no more war' and the pair agreed to 'complete denuclearisation', a stunning victory after months of frightening threats and missile tests. The talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could take place in three or four weeks, US President Donald Trump said, Sputnik News reports. Trump said during a rally in Michigan the United States was not playing games. "We're down to two countries as to a site, and we'll let you know what that site is," he said earlier at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House. Trump has said he will meet Kim in May or early June to discuss the denuclearization of the regime. On Thursday he said there were five locations and three or four dates under consideration. By Friday morning, he said it was broken down to "two or three" sites. "I don't think he's playing. It's never gone like this. It's never gone this far," he said during the press conference with Merkel. "I don't think it's ever had this enthusiasm for somebody for them wanting to make a deal." According to Trump, the US was "played beautifully like a fiddle" under past administrations as it sent money to the regime in exchange for a freeze of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. Mongolia and Singapore are the final two sites that are being considered for the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Sputnik reported citing the CBS TV channel. Trump posted on Twitter earlier that time and location of the meeting with Kim were being determined. The US president also said during a rally in Michigan on Saturday night that the summit could happen in three or four weeks. US new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim during the Easter weekend earlier this month to lay the groundwork for the meeting. KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2018 - 14:45 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed readiness to have dialogue with Japan during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae In, the presidential office said Sunday, with Tokyo eager to resolve the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals. After Moon told Kim during their Friday meeting that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is ready to talk with North Korea, Kim responded by saying the North is also ready to do so, the South's presidential office said. With North Korea's recent turn to diplomacy, Tokyo is expected to try to arrange talks with Pyongyang in a bid to resolve the long-standing issue of abductions of Japanese by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. (Korea Summit Press Pool) Abe, meanwhile, said in Tokyo that Moon discussed the abductions during Friday's historic summit between Moon and Kim. Abe told reporters following telephone talks with Moon earlier Sunday that he "would like to thank (the South Korean president) for his sincerity" in taking up the abduction issue as promised. Abe also said Moon conveyed to Kim the Japanese prime minister's ideas about the issue as well as relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang. But Abe declined to comment on how Kim had reportedly responded. "At this stage, I cannot give details," Abe said. Resolving the abduction issue is a priority for his government. (Abduction victims returning to Japan from North Korea in 2002) Tokyo officially recognizes 17 people as having been kidnapped by the North. Five of them were returned in 2002, but North Korea insists eight have died and the other four never entered its territory. The telephone talks were held for Moon to personally brief Abe on the inter-Korean summit on Friday, in which Moon and Kim agreed to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and seek a formal end to the 1950-1953 Korean War by the year's end. Abe said he told Moon he appreciates the fact that the vision of a "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula was included in the declaration issued after the summit. The Japanese and South Korean leaders agreed to cooperate so the North will take concrete actions toward denuclearization, Abe said. The two leaders also confirmed that the inter-Korean summit was "held in line with policies decided" in negotiations involving the two countries and the United States, he said. Following the telephone talks, Abe met with Suh Hoon, director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, who visited Tokyo to brief Abe on the landmark summit. Suh told reporters following the meeting that he agreed with Abe that "the international community must cooperate so (denuclearization pledged by the North) can move to the implementation stage." By Myat Thura, KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2018 - 07:19 | Arts, All, Feature As a child from a poor farming family in a remote village in central Myanmar, 26-year-old Mi Mi Lwin never imagined she would one day win a grand prize as a film director in her own country, much less abroad. Her parents work on a toddy palm plantation in the Mandalay Region of central Myanmar, where her father climbs the trees to collect palm syrup and her mother uses it to make jiggery sweets to earn a living. While growing up, she and her two brothers used to help their parents with their work, when they were not attending the village's school where they were taught by Buddhist monks. But in June last year, this erstwhile country girl found herself on stage at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia in Tokyo, receiving the Grand Prix award for her film Sugar & Spice, a 16-minute documentary about rural life in Myanmar. Lwin was helping her parents with farm work when she got a telephone call from Tokyo asking her to attend the film festival where hers was among 9,000 entries submitted from over 140 countries. With support from festival organizers and friends at Yangon Film School, which produced and submitted her film for consideration, she made it to Tokyo, despite earlier opting not to go for lack of funds, and was both surprised and thrilled to win the top prize. Sugar & Spice is a portrait of Lwin's hard-working parents living their simple and peaceful rural existence. "When I was receiving the prize, I feel I really wanted to have my parents there with me. My film is about them, their lives. So I wanted them to know and witness the moment," she said. Lwin said she believes her film won because it conveyed powerful messages on "how the people are struggling in their daily lives, the risks they are taking for just a low income," while also touching on the political situation in her rapidly transforming country. One scene, for example, shows her parents arguing over the value of expanding one's knowledge, with the husband trying to justify his passion for reading and his wife insisting that such time would be better spent working to earn more money. In the scene, her father speaks about a police crackdown on student protesters to underscore how important information can be gleaned from newspapers. Lwin said she wanted that scene to convey to viewers a message about freedom of expression and human rights, which have long been lacking in Myanmar. Her interest in filmmaking dates back to 2006 when, as a ninth-grade student, she first met an all-woman film crew from Yangon Film School who were visiting her village to work on a documentary about the rural people and their culture. The crew chose Lwin's family as the subject for their documentary film, which focused on their going to a pagoda festival in the nearby ancient city of Bagan. She was very excited to see all the cameras and equipment and struck by the fact the crew were all women. Three of them, in later years, became her close friends and helped her move to Yangon and join the film school there. After high school however, Lwin, at her father's advice, went to an agriculture university near the capital Naypyitaw, far from her village, aiming for a career in agriculture. It was only after she graduated from there in 2013 that she decided instead to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker, moving later that same year to Yangon. She was accepted the following year by Yangon Film School for a two-year training course as one of 12 new students. On Myanmar's political situation, Lwin said that she, like many others, had high expectations when Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy won the 2015 general election by a landslide and came to power the following year. But as the term of Suu Kyi's government passes the two year mark, she has started to lose hope of her country becoming truly free and much more developed under a genuine democratic government. "I do not see any significant development in rural areas after this government came to power. Youth in rural areas have to mainly rely on migration (to neighboring countries) as there are still no job opportunities. Earnings for work are also very low in the rural villages," she said. And while freedom of expression has undoubtedly improved compared with the era of military rule, when films had to go through notoriously strict censorship, Lwin still feels something is holding her back. Even now, she said, the police "monitor the filmmaking crews all the time when we shoot the scenes in rural areas." "It is quite annoying for us. I do not feel there is total freedom of expression yet," she said. Lwin now lives in Yangon where she works as a freelance filmmaker and takes short courses on new subjects at the same film school, while occasionally returning to home to help out her parents. She said she is now thinking of making a documentary on rural people suffering from mental illness and the myriad problems they face, including primitive and abusive methods of treatment. "In the cities, everyone knows that they can send them to mental hospitals or special treatment centers. But in rural areas, most people don't know there is proper medical treatment for mentally ill persons," she said. By Sam Green, KYODO NEWS - Apr 29, 2018 - 17:28 | Arts, Feature, Japan, All An Iraqi-American comedian stands onstage in Tokyo and tells the crowd how her lack of Japanese has led her to play "pick and pray" when ordering in restaurants: pointing at the ubiquitous food photos and hoping for the best. "I'm a Muslim so I don't eat pork," says Reem Edan. "But, erm, now I do," she adds to a burst of laughter. "People are like, 'what does it taste like?' and I'm like, 'infidelicious'." While Edan's take on an outsider's experience in Japan has its own slant, it plays well in a small but vibrant stand-up scene that gives foreigners a chance to share stories and laughs about life here, often alongside curious locals. (Reem Edan performs at Good Heavens Comedy Club) [Photo courtesy of Alex Camp] It is "a very forgiving scene" for comedians, says Hager B, who runs Stand-Up Tokyo with fellow comic Alex Camp. The duo say this is partly due to the polite and respectful local culture rubbing off on the expat community, which Hager estimates makes up at least 90 percent of their audiences. "In places like London or New York, people are like, 'I know comedy, impress me, make me laugh'," says Camp, who is British. "People are more chilled out here. It's not like America where everyone is shouting and doing whatever they want." Stand-Up Tokyo -- which Hager describes as "a collective of comedians" -- supports regular nights across the city and helps bring over well-known international comics. "There are different showrunners but they all fall under the same umbrella," says Hager, who was born in Egypt and raised in the Netherlands. Los Angeles-based Edan, who has played at legendary U.S. venues the Comedy Store, Laugh Factory and Gotham as well as in Berlin and Amsterdam, said performing in Tokyo and Osaka was "on-par" with the States and Europe. "The audiences were some of the best I've had, and I was surprised to see that there were both expats and native Japanese speakers laughing along," she said. She also noted the way comics in Japan supported each other, for example by openly laughing at each other's jokes -- which she described as a "refreshing" change to the "cutthroat" L.A. scene, where comedians "sometimes acknowledge a great joke by silently thinking how it was better than theirs." Edan headlined on April 4 at Stand-Up Tokyo's flagship event held every Wednesday at Good Heavens, a British-themed pub in the hip Shimokitazawa neighborhood. She warmed up by performing at an open mic night called Get on the Mic! that Stand-Up Tokyo started staging last year, due to demand from comics, every Monday at Titans craft beer bar in Otsuka. Accommodating up to 16 comedians, who can book a slot up to 15 minutes before it starts, the night is a testing ground where established performers such as Edan can try out new material and budding comics can make their first steps. One such rookie is Fergal Daly, who was performing for just the second time on April 16. "Years ago I was really interested in stand-up but never had the courage to do it," says the Irishman, who works for an internet company in Tokyo. "It's such a supportive crowd here. It's still really nerve-wracking, but I felt I could get up in front of these people and that they were really sympathetic to people making an effort." Camp had kicked the night off by declaring, "We have four Japanese comedians tonight, we're squeezing them in like a rush-hour train." First up was local comic Ryo Wakabayashi, who was dressed in a traditional Japanese hakama robe and opened his routine by saying, deadpan, "I always wanted to be a samurai," but abandoned the idea as he could not stand the idea of sticking a knife in his belly. (Ryo Wakabayashi performs at Get on the Mic! at Titans craft beer bar) Another homegrown participant pointed out the close similarity in the pronunciation, and sometime the reality, of the Japanese words for husband and prisoner. There were semi-serious moments too, such as when comedians told of when they have received unwanted attention from local police because they are immigrants. And in the best traditions of stand-up, there were jokes that sailed close to the wind. As Camp says: "Comedy is about pushing the envelope and surprising people." Evans Musoka from Kenya told the audience he always wanted to be African-American because they are cool, "not like white Americans." He joked that he could never pass himself off as African-American in the U.S. or UK, but in Japan he has more success. William Bradbury has an altogether dryer, more British sense of humor. Like many of the comedians, his main source of income is teaching English, and he said, "I tell my students, 'Do not copy. That is pointless. You have to paste as well'." "You can play in front of 70-100 people here and there's no way someone doing comedy for as long as me would get that chance as quickly elsewhere," said the Englishman, who has been performing for two years. "You can get in front of a lot of people very quickly as there is not a lot of competition." While the open mic night can be an opportunity for foreigners to vent their frustrations at life in Japan, Hager says they strive to keep the vibe positive. "We don't want to encourage people to slag off the country, but at the same time the motto is 'as long as it's funny.' It has to be funny," she says. Stand-Up Tokyo also puts on a monthly show called Okomedyaki that features non-Japanese comedians doing the usual Western-style observational, confessional stand-up, but in Japanese. "The audience really like that style of comedy but can't find it by Japanese performers in Japanese," Hager says. But most of what happens under the collective's umbrella is about bringing together a disparate group of foreigners who share a passion for laughing, often at the expense of their own cultures. As Hager said in her set that closed the open mic night, "My parents pray five times a day. I like to drink five times a day." Violence broke out in Lakhimpur-Kheri on Sunday when some people mowed down protesting farmers with their vehicle, triggering a violent backlash. Apple is leaving one market and has its sights set on another. The past week was nothing if not eventful in Apples world. The tech giant announced plans to kill its AirPort line of wireless routers and double down on iTunes. And although it continues to say that its done nothing wrong in its tax deals in Ireland, Apple agreed this week to start paying into an escrow account some of the 13 billion euros ($15.7 billion) it allegedly owes in that country. This is Fortunes latest weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news. Heres last weeks roundup. Meanwhile, Apple made a big move in Microsofts Windows world, where the companys iTunes is now more readily accessible. Read on for more from this week in Apples biggest stories: Get Data Sheet, Fortunes technology newsletter Apple on Thursday announced that it has discontinued its wireless routers, including the AirPort, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule. The company said in a statement that it only stays in markets in which it can make a meaningful contribution. Thats ostensibly not the home router market. After announcing that its moving away from routers, the company published a page on its website that provides tips for finding a suitable wireless router from another company. The tips include finding devices with the latest wireless standard, 802.11ac, as well as choosing devices that work with WPA2 Personal encryption to improve security. Apple has agreed to a tax-repayment plan that will involve the company depositing 13 billion euros into an Ireland escrow account. The cash will remain in escrow until the European Unions case against Apple is over and one side wins. The EU slapped Apple with the tax bill in 2016, alleging that it obtained illegal state aid that allowed it to significantly reduce its tax burden. Apple has denied the charge and said that it will fight it in court. The tax payments will begin in May and continue until September, when the entire bill will be paid. After a long wait, Windows PC owners can now download Apples iTunes through the Microsoft app store built into Windows. Customers could previously download iTunes from the Web but never had access to the app through Microsofts marketplace. Apple had promised to make the app available at the end of last year, but apparent delays pushed back its release. The EU this week announced that its starting an in-depth investigation into Apples pending Shazam acquisition. Apple announced plans to acquire the music-discovery app Shazam in December for a rumored $400 million. Apple had hoped to close the deal quickly, but the EUs regulatory body, the European Commission, said this week that there are elements to the deal that give it pause. The Commission wants to determine whether the acquisition will negatively affect users and give customers less choice for their music listening. One more thingApple CEO Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump at the White House this week. It was closed to the press, but Cook reportedly discussed China, tax cuts, and how that impacts the business world. YEREVAN, April 27 (Reuters) - Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that the opposition would probably boycott any snap parliamentary election unless parliament made him the interim prime minister next week. Parliament is due to choose a new interim premier next week and Pashinyan has said he is the only legitimate choice for the job even though he is not a member of the ruling party which has a majority of seats in parliament. Armenian politicians have spoken of holding a snap parliamentary election once a new interim premier is in place. A close Russian ally, Armenia is in the middle of a political crisis after two weeks of anti-government protests that led to the resignation of Serzh Sarksyan as prime minister on Monday. Pashinyan, at a news conference on Friday, also called for a two-day moratorium on protests in the capital Yerevan, but insisted that demonstrations take place in other cities during that time. (Reporting by Hasmik Mkrtchyan in Yerevan and Maria Kiselyova in Moscow Writing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber Editing by Andrew Osborn) Whether you're purchasing a $1,500 gaming laptop or a $200 Chromebook, the brand matters. That's why we rate the top 10 laptop brands each year, based on their support, design, innovation, value/selection and, most of all, product quality. For 2018, Lenovo retained its place for a second year as the best laptop vendor, but it just barely edged out second-place HP and third-place Dell. Apple, which used to dominate this contest, fell all the way to seventh place, down from fifth last year. 1. Lenovo (86/100) (BW Brands) Lenovo takes first place again this year, on the strength of the company's fantastic product lineup. From the beautiful ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which was the only product to get a perfect, 5-star review in the past year, to the versatile Yoga 920, Lenovo's laptops earned the most Editors' Choice awards of any brand. And a full 53 percent of the company's laptops scored 4 or higher. However, Lenovo's tech support scores declined from last year, and stiff competition from HP and Dell made this a nail-bitingly close race. Best Lenovo Laptops | See Lenovo's Full Report Card 2. HP (85/100) (BW Brands) After a banner year, filled with compelling laptops such as the gorgeous HP Spectre x360, the powerful ZBook 17 and the affordable HP Envy 13t, HP jumped ahead two places from its spot in 2017 to finish second. With great design marks and the second highest review score, HP gave Lenovo a run for its money. Best HP Laptops | See HP's Full Report Card 3. Dell (82/100) (BW Brands) Dell's product portfolio is a mixture of fantastic premium systems, like the Dell XPS 13 and the awesome Alienware 15, and ho-hum mainstream and budget products. The company earned high marks for its improved tech support, which assigns users personal tech support people who follow up with them. Best Dell Laptops | See Dell's Full Report Card 4. Acer (81/100) (Laptop Mag) With laptops like the Spin 1 and Aspire E 15 in its lineup, Acer knows how to provide premium features at bargain-basement prices. The company can also make bold premium products, as evidenced by the $9,000 Predator 21X. Story continues Best Acer Laptops | See Acer's Full Report Card 4. Asus (81/100) (BW Brands) Thanks to innovative systems like the Zephyrus, Asus is a leader in gaming. With stunning blue models like the ZenBook UX331UN, indestructible laptops like the Chromebook C213S and great bargains like the ZenBook UX330UA, Asus is also a leader in design and value. Best Asus Laptops | See Asus' Full Report Card 6. Microsoft (77/100) (BW Brands) Microsoft makes only a handful of laptops, but all of its systems are first-rate. The company's innovative Surface Book 2 convertible and the colorful and comfortable Surface Laptop are highlights. See Microsoft's Full Report Card 7. Apple (72/100) (BW Brands) Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Apple just doesn't seem as focused on its laptop business as it used to be. The company did nothing to innovate or even tweak its designs in the past year, and only one of the company's laptops earned an Editors' Choice award. However, Tim Cook's company still has the best tech support you can get. Best Apple Laptops | See Apple's Full Report Card 8. Razer (70/100) (BW Brands) If you're looking for a premium gaming laptop and you have a generous budget, you should look into Razer, which has some really compelling laptops. Those include the Razer Blade and Razer Blade Pro. However, if you need something more affordable, you'll have to look elsewhere. See Razer's Full Report Card 9. MSI (67/100) (BW Brands) MSI is one of the premiere gaming-laptop companies, but it still finds itself in a tie for 10th place, primarily because of very weak tech support. However, the company still has some very compelling products, including the MSI GT75VR Titan Pro, which had the best keyboard of any gaming laptop. Best MSI Laptops | See MSI's Full Report Card 9. Samsung (67/100) (BW Brands) If Samsung gave its laptops half the amount of love as it gives its phones, the company would probably fare better. As it stands, Samsung offers a small lineup of laptops that just don't stack up to the competition. It also has, by far, the least-attractive designs in the industry. However, the tech support is excellent. Best Samsung Laptops | See Samsung's Full Report Card How We Rate Brands Each laptop brand is assigned a score based on a 100-point scale. Points are awarded in five categories: Design, Reviews, Tech Support/Warranty, Innovation and Value, and Selection. Here's what each means. Reviews (40 points): The most important aspect of any brand is the quality of its products. To determine a company's Reviews category score, we used the ratings we gave its laptops between March 1, 2017, and Feb. 28, 2018. We took the average laptop rating for each brand (Laptop Mag rates on a scale of 1 to 5), converted that average rating to a 40-point scale and then added a 0.75-point bonus for each Editors' Choice award. Design (15 points): We absolutely will judge a notebook by its cover a" and its sides, deck, bezel and base. Though no two notebooks look exactly the same, each brand has a design language that cuts across its product lines. BrandReviews (40)Design (15)Support & Warranty (20)Innovation (10)Value & Selection (15)Overall (100)Lenovo 38 13 14 7 14 86 HP 35 14 15 7 14 85 Dell 31 11 18 9 13 82 Acer 33 12 14 7 15 81 Asus 30 15 15 6 15 81 Microsoft 34 12 14 8 9 77 Apple 33 11 19 3 6 72 Razer 33 12 14 5 6 70 MSI 31 11 11 6 8 67 Samsung 27 9 17 6 8 67 Tech Support and Warranty (20 points): When you buy a laptop, you want to know that the manufacturer is going to stand behind that machine and help you with technical problems. We base this category's score primarily on the ratings from our annual Tech Support Showdown, in which we go undercover and pose questions to all of the companies, using their phone, web and social channels. However, 2 out of the 20 points were awarded based on the quality of the company's standard warranty coverage. Innovation (10 points): The laptop market is moving fast, and if you stand still, you'll get rolled over. For the Innovation category, we awarded points based on the brand's ability to move the market forward by implementing or developing new technologies, as well as by taking risks. Value and Selection (15 points): How many different kinds of shoppers does the manufacturer address, and do the products provide good bang for your buck? For this category, we awarded points for offering a wide range of laptop types (budget, business, gaming, etc.) and for providing aggressive pricing. Scorecard and Winners One of Mars 2020's heat shields cracked after a week-long series of tests, and NASA has no choice but to ask Lockheed Martin to build a replacement. The heat shield's purpose is to envelope and protect the Mars 2020 rover and landing system so they don't burn up when they enter the Martian atmosphere. Since the system will have to endure temperatures up to 3,800 degrees Fahrenheit, NASA and Lockheed Martin (its contractor for the mission) subjected the shield to forces up to 20 percent greater than what it'll encounter during entry. Upon inspecting the shield, NASA found what it says is an unexpected fracture near its outer edge that spans its whole circumference. Lockheed Martin now has to build a new one for the mission, but it will also repair the damaged shield, so it can be used for more tests over the next year. While unfortunate, the event is a perfect example of why the agency and private space companies have to put rockets, capsules and their individual components through rigorous testing first. Better to spend more on a replacement than lose billion-dollar spacecraft. In Mars 2020's case, the $2-billion mission includes a rover designed to look into the possibility of past life on Mars and to drill into the planet's surface to collect samples. The good news is that NASA doesn't believe the incident will affect its target launch in 2020 like what happened to the James Webb Telescope, so it doesn't have to think of a new name for the mission. A general view of Geely's Lynk & Co plant in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, China April 26, 2018. Picture taken April 26, 2018. REUTERS/Joe White (Corrects April 27 story in paragraph 10 to say production at a plant in Belgium is planned to start in 2019, and sales are planned to begin in 2020.) By Joseph White ZHANGJIAKOU, China (Reuters) - While auto workers in Germany and South Korea fight to save their jobs, one of China's youngest auto brands is gearing up to build sport utility vehicles at a new factory with digitally-connected robots and a fresh workforce of 1,800 people. A three-hour drive from the Chinese capital Beijing, the Lynk & Co plant in Zhangjiakou combines technology and manufacturing know-how from the Geely and Volvo Cars units of China auto giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group [GEELY.UL]. The 12 billion yuan ($1.89 billion) investment is a bright, freshly painted example of the challenge confronting long-established auto factories in mature industrial economies. As automakers adopt a new generation of manufacturing technology, industry officials are confident that they can deploy the same packages of robots, assembly line designs and digital quality control systems anywhere in the world - and train people to do the tasks robots cannot yet perform. Plant manager Tong Xiangbei is in the vanguard of a tech revolution that enables automakers to put new factories in remote places like Zhangjiakou, a city of four million people in Hebei province and far from many of Geely's parts makers. "With this team, we could go anywhere and replicate this factory," Tong, 42, who previously worked at Ford Motor Co, told Reuters during the first media tour of the factory. The ability to build cars in almost any location that has electricity and decent roads is one factor behind Peugeot SA's clash with German workers over proposed cost-cutting at Opel brand factories once owned by General Motors. GM this week agreed to invest $3.6 billion in its money losing South Korean operations only after unions representing workers at its plants agreed to allow the shutdown of a factory in Gunsan, Korea and gave concessions GM said will save $400 to 500 million a year.With Lynk & Co, Geely is targeting younger and less affluent buyers than typical Volvo customers, but who still demand more sophistication and technology than a standard Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd car for the mass market in China. Story continues Lynk & Co vehicles already are competing with GM, Peugeot and other automakers in China. The brand plans to launch in Europe next year. Geely and Volvo have said they plan to bring the brand to the United States, but have not said when. "MIDDLE OF NOWHERE" The Zhangjiakou complex will build the Lynk & Co 02 SUV and a sedan called the 03 for the Chinese market. Currently the plant has about 1,800 workers on one daily shift, laboring alongside nearly 300 robots. When the factory goes to a second shift, it will employ 3,000 people capable of building about 200,000 cars per year, Tong said. Those are employment and production levels consistent with mature market auto plants. The factory uses Kuka robots to weld together the bodies of its vehicles - the same brand used by Daimler AG to build Mercedes-Benz cars. U.S. firm Rockwell Automation and Germany's Robert Bosch Gmbh [ROBG.UL] supply the technology used on the final assembly line. A robot from ABB Ltd glues windshields into each Lynk & Co 02 sport utility, relieving human workers of that messy job. U.S. tool maker Atlas Copco provided what plant manager Tong describes as a "huge-ass nut runner" that bolts wheels on vehicles, records the force used and sends the data to a cloud server. The Zhangjiakou factory's advanced systems are evident in both the robots seen by journalists during the tour, and other things that are missing. Unlike many older auto factories, there are no natural gas fueled forklifts or tug vehicles operated by drivers to haul parts to the assembly line. At Lynk & Co, parts are brought to work stations by unmanned, automated machines. For its human workforce, some of whom live up to 500 kilometers (311 miles) from the plant, the company is building housing for its employees, Tong said. But he also saw benefits in the plant's remote location. "We're in the middle of nowhere," he said. "We can expand any direction we want." ($1 = 6.3390 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Joe White in ZHANGJIAKOU; Editing by Darren Schuettler) It is snowing, but hello spring (that is surely coming). It is a time of renewal here at the pantry. As I am acknowledging the need to clean house; a volunteer painted with a donated color, pastel green. A soft color and a fresh start for spring! So I must thank the Calvary Food Pantry Board of Trustees for its support all this long year long, especially in this spring season. Someone posed the question, "Where do you get your money to run such an awesome operation? She was young. The question was unusual from an adolescent. Hoping to help her question about a very complex problem, I didnt hold back: Any where I can. I am always fundraising. But she continued to probe. I thought she was just being inquisitive; after all, she was here with her mother in the third week of the month, when food stamps (SNAP) start to run out and her family of four needed help. Then she surprised me by asking what help I got each month to help feed her and obviously a lot more people. I asked her why she wanted to know. "I hear at school how effortlessly you help not just me, but many of us families, and I wonder if you will run out of food? I asked, "Are you worried that I will?" The Philippines successfully stayed out of the US intellectual piracy watch list for five straight years. The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines said the country was not included in the latest Special 301 Report of the United States Trade Representative which identified economies with weak intellectual property rights enforcement. The enduring campaign drive of the Philippines in fighting counterfeiting and piracy is an effort that the United States, one of the Philippines largest trading partners, continues to recognize, said IPOPHL director general Josephine Santiago. This bodes well for the country especially that at this time we have embarked on, and will continuously explore, innovative ways in introducing to the public the importance of intellectual property, in strengthening our engagement with stakeholders, and in the need to fight the proliferation and patronizing of fake products, Santiago said. The message is clear and encouraging that we are going in the right direction, she said. The county was first listed in the USTR Special 301 Watch List in 1994, but was gradually eased out of its Priority Watch List category to the regular Watch List until it was finally removed in 2014. The USTRs Special 301 Report 2018 edition recognized the Philippines as among the countries with effective legislation against anti-camcording, along with Canada and Japan. The report said the laws of some particular economies lacked the teeth to criminalize camcording activity. The Anti-Camcording Act of the Philippines allows authorized persons, even without warrant and payment of admission fee or any charge, to enter and search any exhibition facility, seize any audiovisual recording device and detain any person if they have reasonable ground to believe that a violation under the law was being committed.The report, however, mentioned the Philippines for reportedly having slow opposition proceedings in trademark protection. Trademark opposition proceedings are administrative proceedings that can be filed in the Philippines, at the IPOPHL by any person who believes that he will be damaged by the registration of a mark. Oppositions to applications for the registration of trademark or service mark and petitions to cancel the registrations of trademarks or service marks are designated by IPOPHL as inter-partes cases as opposed to intellectual property violations or infringement cases. Improvements in registration processes, adjudication and development of information on IPR, IPR protection and enforcement will continue with greater vigor buoyed and validated by assessments like the USTR Special 301 Report and the EU Assessment, said IPOPHLs enforcement activities deputy director general Teodoro Pascua, We enjoin our fellow Filipinos, especially the youth and the next generation to join the movement and actively participate in increasingly greater cadence for this culture of respect for IPR is not only to spur economic development but to bulld for them a better environment for a creative and innovative generation, he said. The Philippine government, through IPOPHL, submitted its comments to the USTR on Feb. 22, 2018, to report on ongoing initiatives on IPR protection, promotion and enforcement and the general state of the Philippine intellectual property system. This was assessed and made the basis by which the USTR determined the countrys placement in the USTR Special 301 Watch List. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian sanctions-hit businessman Oleg Deripaska has agreed in principle to reduce his stake in Russia's En+ Group (ENPLq.L), which manages his aluminium and hydropower assets, to less than 50 percent, the company said in a statement on Friday. Washington imposed sweeping sanctions on some of Russia's biggest companies and businessmen on April 6, striking at allies of President Vladimir Putin to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and other so-called malign activities. En+, along with Deripaska, who currently has a 65 percent stake in the company, and aluminium giant Rusal , in which En+ owns a 48 percent stake, were all hit with sanctions. "Following a series of discussions with the Company's independent chairman, Lord Barker of Battle, Mr Oleg Deripaska has agreed in principle to the chairman's request that Mr Deripaska reduce his shareholding in the company to below 50 percent," En+ said in the statement. Earlier this week, the United States said it could remove Rusal from the list if Deripaska ceded control. Deripaska also agreed with the chairman's proposal that he will resign from the board and consent to the appointment of some new directors so that the board will have a majority of new independent directors, it added. En+ also said that it asked the United States for an extension of the deadline for operations with En+'s debt, equity, or other holdings from the current May 7 to October 31 or another appropriate date. Without the extension, En+'s ability to maintain its listing in London will be materially impacted, it added. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by David Goodman and Adrian Croft) By Greg Roumeliotis, Sheila Dang and Liana B. Baker (Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp said on Sunday they had agreed to a $26 billion all-stock deal and believed they could win over skeptical regulators because the merger would create thousands of jobs and help the United States beat China to creating the next generation mobile network. The agreement capped four years of on-and-off talks between the third and fourth largest U.S. wireless carriers, setting the stage for the creation of a company with 127 million customers that will be a more formidable competitor to the top two wireless players, Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc . U.S. regulators, who have challenged in court AT&T's $85 billion deal to buy U.S. media company Time Warner Inc , are expected to grill Sprint and T-Mobile on how they will price their combined wireless offerings. Verizon has 116 million U.S. wireless customers, according to a spokesman, while AT&T has 93 million branded customers, as of the first quarter. Their first round of merger talks ended unsuccessfully in 2014 after the administration of then-U.S. President Barack Obama expressed antitrust concerns. The new deal will create the highest-capacity U.S. network, lower prices, create jobs and improve service in rural areas, said John Legere, the chief executive of T-Mobile and the new head of the proposed combined company. The combined company, which will be called T-Mobile, will invest $40 billion over the next three years to upgrade its networks to accommodate the next generation 5G wireless technology, which is expected to have the speeds necessary to power drones and self-driving cars, Legere said in a statement. The companies said during a conference call with analysts that the recent U.S. tax overhaul would have a positive impact, and the combined company would not be a significant taxpayer until 2025. Story continues T-Mobile and Sprint said they expected to complete their deal no later than the first half of 2019, an ambitious goal given the intense U.S. regulatory scrutiny it will be subjected to. T-Mobile will not be liable to pay Sprint a breakup fee should regulators block the deal, according to sources who asked not to be identified because that detail in their contract had not yet been made public. The companies said they expected U.S. regulators would see the benefits of the deal. This isnt a case of going from four to three wireless companies there are now at least seven or eight big competitors in this converging market," Legere said, referring to cable companies as wireless competitors. Other companies also would be forced to accelerate their investments in the face of a combined T-Mobile-Sprint, the companies added. A spokeswoman for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai declined to comment on Sunday on the proposed merger. The FCC will decide whether to grant the deal regulatory approval if it is in the public interest, the spokeswoman added. CTIA, a trade organization that represents the U.S. wireless communications industry, ranks the United States behind China and South Korea in 5G readiness. The Chinese government launched a plan targeting 5G deployment by 2020, with three carriers committed to the timeline. Legere said the deal would likely lead to lower prices from AT&T and Verizon, as well as Comcast Corp . AT&T declined to comment. Comcast could not immediately be reached for comment. Verizon declined to comment on prices but said it remained committed to building a 5G network. DEAL BREAKTHROUGH The breakthrough in the companies' negotiations, first reported by Reuters on Thursday, came after T-Mobile majority-owner Deutsche Telekom AG and Japan's SoftBank Group Corp <9984.T>, which controls Sprint, agreed on a structure that would allow Deutsche Telekom to continue to consolidate the combined company, which will have a market value of over $80 billion, on its books. Deutsche Telekom will own 42 percent of the combined company, and will control the board of the combined company, nominating nine of the 14 directors. Legere will also serve as a director. The implied equity valuation for Sprint is $6.62 per share based on T-Mobile's closing share price on Friday. Sprint shares closed on Friday at $6.50. The all-stock transaction is at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.10256 T-Mobile shares for each Sprint share, or the equivalent of 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile US share. Tokyo-based SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom will sign a voting rights agreement that will give Deutsche Telekom access to voting rights for a total of 69 percent of T-Mobile shares. The second round of talks between Sprint and T-Mobile ended in November over valuation disagreements. Since then, Sprint's shares lost about a fifth of their value amid questions about how the company can compete effectively under the weight of its long-term debt of more than $32 billion. T-Mobile's market capitalization is $54.7 billion, while Sprint is valued by the deal at $26 billion. INVESTING IN 5G TECHNOLOGY Even though Sprint's customer base has expanded under CEO Marcelo Claure, growth has been driven by discounting. Analysts say that without T-Mobile, Sprint lacks the scale needed to invest in its network and to compete in a saturated market. T-Mobile has fared better than Sprint, even if it remains a distant third to Verizon and AT&T. It has managed to score sustained market-share gains, as innovative offerings, improving network performance and good customer service attract new customers, according to Moodys Investors Service Inc. T-Mobile became the first major U.S. carrier to eliminate two-year contracts, a shift quickly embraced by consumers and copied by competitors. The company has also badgered rivals with its unlimited data plans. Both Sprint and T-Mobile are far behind Verizon and AT&T in upgrading their network to accommodate next generation 5G wireless technology. Even after their merger, the combined company's budget to invest in 5G will be smaller than that of Verizon or AT&T. Sprint and T-Mobile hope the deal will give them more firepower to participate in auction for spectrum to develop 5G. They plan to participate in a spectrum auction in late autumn and will request a waiver if the merger prevents the companies from participating. PJT Partners, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Evercore served as advisers for T-Mobile. The Raine Group, J.P. Morgan and Centerview Partners LLC advised Sprint. (Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis, Sheila Dang and Liana B. Baker in New York; Writing by Sheila Dang; Editing by Peter Henderson, Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney) We'd like to say that a driver in England has taken Tesla Autopilot hands-off irresponsibility to a whole new level by activating the driver-assist feature on a busy roadway, then moving to the passenger seat and leaving the wheel and pedals unattended. We'd like to say that, except in a search of YouTube for video of this incident, we discovered a long, alarming list of people who have done the same thing, some going even so far as to crawl into the backseat. In the case before us now out of England, the reckless driver has had his license suspended for 18 months. Bhavesh Patel, 39, of Nottingham, England, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in St Albans Crown Court on April 20. In addition to the driving ban, he will do 100 hours of community service and pay a fine. Patel also offered a glimpse into the mind of a Tesla fanboy with his explanation for what he did. On the summer evening of May 21, 2017, Patel was driving his white Tesla Model S northbound on the M1 motorway near Hemel Hempstead, northwest of London, when he decided to turn on the Autopilot function then abandon the controls altogether. Someone in another car noticed and shot a snippet of video, which you can see above. (Remember, it's England, so right-hand drive. He's sitting in the left seat, though he's hard to make out because police have blurred his face. But you can definitely tell that the driver's seat is empty.) The witness said Patel appeared to have his hands behind his head. Traffic was heavy, and the estimated speed was 40 mph. The video went up on social media, which allowed police to track Patel down. Police said he told them that he knew what he did was "silly" not dangerous, not risking the lives of everyone around him, but "silly." But he said the car was capable of doing something "amazing" and that he was just the "unlucky one who got caught." The only "amazing" thing is that nobody got hurt. But to Patel's latter point, at least, the collection of videos on YouTube which were posted by the Tesla owners themselves proves he's right. Tesla told police what it has stated in case after case of crashes involving Autopilot: Its suite of driver-assistance features were meant to be used hands-on, and only to complement a "fully attentive driver." Tesla literature states that a driver should "never depend on TACC [traffic-aware cruise control] to adequately slow down Model S, always watch the road in front of you and be prepared to take corrective action at all times. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death." Our Autoblog Green Senior Editor John Belz Snyder recently traveled to Silicon Valley to review the Tesla Model 3, and he also provided a sidebar regarding serious issues he observed with Autopilot. Tesla owners, do you get it? Clearly some of you don't. This shouldn't need to be said, but Autopilot, or any driver-assistance technology on the market today, requires vigilant oversight and not from the passenger seat. Related Video: Story continues Tesla will be one of the first to tell you not to put too much faith in Autopilot. It's currently more of an advanced driver assist than a full self-driving system. However, one driver recently ignored that advice in dramatic fashion. Nottingham, UK resident Bhavesh Patel has received an 18-month driving ban after he was caught sitting in the passenger seat of his Model S on the M1 in May 2017. The man said he invoked Autopilot and was betting that its "amazing" semi-autonomous guidance would keep the car rolling at the estimated 40MPH of surrounding traffic. He didn't crash, but that obviously didn't matter. Police noted that what he did was "grossly irresponsible" and was risking not just his life, but those of "other innocent people." On top of the ban, Patel has to work 100 unpaid hours, conduct 10 days of rehabilitation and pay 1,800 (about $2,480) in prosecution costs. It almost goes without saying why doing this would be dangerous: Autopilot can keep your car in its lane and maintain a traffic-appropriate speed, but it won't perform evasive maneuvers or otherwise react well in emergencies. There is a question about how long Patel managed to keep Autopilot going, though. The system requires that you keep your hands on the wheel. Ignore warnings for a minute and Autopilot will not only switch off for the rest of the drive, but (if you continue to ignore it) bring the car to a complete halt. Patel most likely stayed in the passenger's seat for just a brief period, but it's slightly disconcerting that he had any time to crawl around the Model S without Autopilot bringing his experiment to a premature end. Samarkand (Uzbekistan) (AFP) - Coiffed, cheerful and multilingual, identical twins Fatima and Zukhra Rakhmatova do not immediately resemble agents of ex-Soviet Uzbekistan's long-feared security apparatus. But the photogenic 30-year-old pair are frontline members of a newly formed, user-friendly Tourist Police deployed in the famed Silk Road city of Samarkand and other hotspots as a visitor boom sweeps the Central Asian country. The force, established in January, is viewed as part of a broader opening initiated by Uzbekistan's authoritarian government following a long period of self-enforced isolation. More than 2.5 million tourists visited Uzbekistan last year, a 24 percent increase on the previous year, according to the UzDaily news site. "In the past I worked as a teacher and then as a wedding stylist. I even won a national prize as a stylist," recalls Zukhra Rakhmatova, one half of a sister act proficient in English, Russian, Farsi, Turkish and Japanese. "But our grandfather served in the force and our uncle too," Rakhmatova told AFP. "It was always our dream to serve." - Change and continuity - Samarkand -- a former power centre positioned at the epicentre of millennia-old trade routes linking China and Europe -- hosts symbols of authoritarian continuity as well as tentative reform. A short walk from the ceramic and marble dazzle of the three madrasahs towering over the city's old square is the statue of Islam Karimov, who ruled the country from before independence in 1991 until his death in 2016. Laid to rest in a grand mausoleum in Samarkand's historic centre, Karimov is criticised by rights groups as the architect of one of the world's most repressive and closed-off police states. Far from being disavowed, his monument is now yet another photo opportunity for visitors and wedding parties in the city, where he was born in 1938 and remains widely revered. "Everyone makes mistakes but Islam Karimov is a hero. He worked day and night to protect the Uzbek people," said a 22-year-old bridesmaid posing for pictures by the monument. Story continues The young woman, who did not give her name but said she had travelled to Samarkand from the capital Tashkent, refused to say what "mistakes" she thought Karimov had made. - Power struggle - Whether out of political pragmatism or genuine deference to a man he served for 13 years as prime minister, Karimov's successor, 60-year-old Shavkat Mirziyoyev has also continued to honour his mentor in public. In the aftermath of the former leader's death, new strongman Mirziyoyev likened him to a "father", even as he toned down some of the totalitarian excesses that defined Karimov's 27-year rule. Foreign tourism, which grew by around a quarter during Mirziyoyev's first year in office emerged as a key battleground in a power struggle that pitted the new reform-touting president against regime hardliners. In February for instance, Mirziyoyev ordered the introduction of a 30-day visa-free regime for citizens of seven countries -- Israel, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and Japan -- and relaxation of registration rules for citizens of 39 others. In cities like Samarkand, the changes were cheered by a population that endured long stretches of economic stagnation under Karimov. "(We need to) open up of course!" said Malika Shakhimardonova, a chef at a mutton-grilling teahouse in the shadows of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, completed on the orders of medieval conqueror Tamerlane in the 15th century. "Let the tourists arrive to us like brothers and sisters!" said Shakhimardonova, whose kitchen is expanding. - 'Take photos and share them!' - Many saw significance in the fact that Mirziyoyev's relaxation of visa restrictions came days after Rustam Inoyatov, 73, who led the notorious national security service for over two decades, was dismissed. Inoyatov was widely reported to have blocked a previous effort by Mirziyoyev to revamp tourism and to have insisted on retaining long-standing security measures, including a blanket ban on photography in the capital's metro. Such bans, which occasionally saw visitors detained by police, were "rudiments of the Soviet Union" now consigned to the past, said the country's new 44-year-old tourism chief Aziz Abdukhakimov. "We want tourists to take as many photos as possible. Put them on Instagram! It is the best advert for the country," he told AFP. The Rakhmatova sisters, who scoot around Samarkand on two-wheeled, motorised "Segways" and are trained to administer first aid, certainly seem far removed from the grimmer elements of a former communist police state. But Fatima jokes their dual presence on the tourism beat might sometimes give visitors a different impression. "Some tourists will see one of us close to one attraction then move on to another and find the other sister standing there," she explained. "They smile but sometimes give us a strange look. Probably because we are identical they think the police are following them around," she laughed. Handout photo of ASEAN working dinner hosted by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosts an ASEAN working dinner in Singapore April 27, 2018. Asean Organizing Committee/Handout via REUTERS By Jack Kim SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday a mounting trade spat between the United States and China was one of the most pressing worries for Southeast Asian nations as their leaders echoed the concern over rising protectionism. Lee flagged his concerns in remarks made as he opened a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for many of which the United States and China are the top two trading partners. "In particular, the recent trade tensions between the U.S. and China are worrying concerns," he said. Singapore occupies the group's rotating chair for this year. "We are deeply concerned over the rising tide of protectionism and anti-globalisation sentiments," said a statement issued on behalf of the ASEAN chair at the end of summit talks. The U.S. Trump administration has threatened to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion of Chinese imports, and Beijing has vowed retaliation against American exports. On Saturday Lee said the open and rules-based multilateral trading system, which has backed the growth of ASEAN, has come under pressure as the political mood in many countries has shifted against free trade. There was little progress on the push to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, despite a fresh plea by ASEAN leaders for Myanmar to implement the recommendations of an international panel. The situation in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, where hundreds of thousands of minority Rohingya Muslims have fled for neighbouring Bangladesh after a military crackdown, is one of the biggest challenges facing the ASEAN group. Lee said negotiations for a code of conduct in the South China Sea had started last month between ASEAN and China, and there was hope for an early conclusion. Four ASEAN member states have claims to the disputed South China Sea, one of the world's most volatile hotspots and one of its busiest waterways. Story continues "We emphasised the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states...that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea," the chair's statement said. ASEAN, formed more than half a century ago, has struggled with challenges facing the region because it works by consensus and is reluctant to get involved in matters considered internal to its members. Singapore is this year's chair of the bloc, which includes Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. The group is working on initiatives to jointly tackle the threat of extremism and cyber attacks, as well as to promote trade and cross-border e-payment systems. Meanwhile ASEAN welcomed Friday's summit meeting of the two Koreas and their pledge to work for peace and a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, as well as the plans for U.S. President Donald Trump to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Lee said Singapore has not had any request to host the Kim-Trump meeting, despite reports that the island state is on a short-list of potential venues for the talks expected in June. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) SeoulNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would move the countrys clocks 30 minutes forward to unify with the Souths time zone as a conciliatory gesture after Fridays inter-Korean summit, Seoul said Sunday. The two countries on the divided peninsula have had different time zones since 2015 when the North suddenly changed its standard time to 30 minutes behind the South. Pyongyang cited a nationalistic rationale, saying it would return the North to the time zone used before Japans 1910-45 colonial rule of the peninsula to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation from Tokyo. But Kim promised to change the time zone back during the historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Moons spokesman said. The pair held the summitthe third such meeting between the two Koreasat the border truce village of Panmunjom, during which Kim set the foot on the south side of the border for the first time and the two leaders pledged to pursue denuclearisation and a permanent peace. Kim said he found it heartbreaking to see the two wall clocks hanging at the summit room showing different times for the two neighbours, the spokesman Yoon Young-chan said.Since we were the ones who made the change from the standard time, we will go back to the original time. You can announce it publicly, Yoon quoted Kim as saying. Yoon hailed the move as a symbolic move for better ties between Seoul and Pyongyang. The creation of Pyongyang time drew criticism from Moons conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, for further deepening the disparity between the two Koreas whose division was sealed by the 1950-53 Korean War. The two countries have remained at war technically after the war ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty, and Moon and Kim on Friday vowed to seek the formal end of the war. Editor: Peter Cooney + 1 202 898 8310 Picture Desk: Singapore + 65 6870 3775 Graphics queries: + 65 6870 3595 (All times GMT) TOP STORIES N.Korea's Kim to invite U.S. experts for nuclear site shutdown as Trump presses for full denuclearisation SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea when the country shuts its nuclear test site in May, Seoul officials say, as U.S. President Trump presses for total denuclearisation ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim. (NORTHKOREA-SOUTHKOREA/ (WRAPUP 5, PIX, TV), moved, by Hyonhee Shin, 1,083 words) + See also: - NORTHKOREA-SOUTHKOREA/POMPEO (UPDATE 3), moved, by Jonathan Landay, 698 words U.S. concerned by 'destabilising and malign activities' of Iran -Pompeo TEL AVIV - The United States is deeply concerned by Iran's "destabilising and malign activities," new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (MIDEAST-USA/SAUDI-POMPEO (UPDATE 6, PIX, TV), moved, by Lesley Wroughton and Ori Lewis, 1,000 words) Migrant caravan gathers on U.S.-Mexico border before asylum bids TIJUANA, Mexico - Hundreds of people from a Central American migrant caravan rally at the U.S.-Mexico border, many preparing to report to U.S. authorities later in the day to make asylum claims that may land them in detention centers. (USA-IMMIGRATION/CARAVAN (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV), expect by 0000 GMT/8 PM ET, by Delphine Schrank, 650 words) T-Mobile, Sprint say $26 billion deal would give U.S. tech lead over China - T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp say they have agreed to a $26 billion all-stock deal and believe they can win over skeptical regulators because the merger would create thousands of jobs and help the United States beat China to creating the next generation mobile network. (SPRINT CORP-M&A/T-MOBILE US (UPDATE 6, PIX, TV), moved, by Greg Roumeliotis, Sheila Dang and Liana B. Baker, 1,023 words) Story continues ASIA Rohingya refugees tearfully plead for U.N. Security Council help KUTUPALONG REFUGEE CAMP, Bangladesh - Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh make emotional pleas to visiting U.N. Security Council envoys for help in returning safely to their homes in neighboring Myanmar and for justice over the reason they fled - accusations of killings, rapes and arson. (MYANMAR-ROHINGYA/UN (PIX, TV), moved, by Michelle Nichols, moved, 688 words) Myanmar policeman who testified Reuters reporters were framed is sentenced to prison -police YANGON - A police officer who testified that police framed two Reuters reporters has been sentenced to an undisclosed prison term for violating Myanmar's Police Disciplinary Act, a police spokesman tells Reuters, without elaborating. (MYANMAR-JOURNALISTS/, moved, by Thu Thu Aung and Shoon Naing, 601 words) EUROPE UK interior minister Rudd resigns -BBC LONDON - Britain's interior minister, Amber Rudd, has resigned, the BBC reports, after the government struggled to contain the fallout over the way it has treated some long-term Caribbean immigrants who have wrongly been labelled illegal immigrants. (BRITAIN-WINDRUSH/ (UPDATE 3, PIX), moving shortly, by Andrew MacAskill, 500 words) London elections set to leave British PM May down but not out LONDON - Voters in London are expected to punish Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party at local government elections this week that could embolden critics of her Brexit strategy, but are not expected to trigger her downfall. (BRITAIN-POLITICS/ELECTION (PIX), moved, by William James, 931 words) Armenia's ruling party says it will not stop 'people's candidate' becoming PM YEREVAN - Armenia's ruling party says it will not stop protest leader Nikol Pashinyan becoming interim prime minister if all opposition factions in parliament support his candidacy. (ARMENIA-POLITICS/PROTESTS (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved, 250 words) MIDDLE EAST U.S.-backed forces say they regain villages seized by Syrian army AMMAN - U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say they had expelled Syrian troops that briefly took control of a string of villages in oil-rich areas east of the Euphrates river near the Iraqi border. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-EUPHRATES (UPDATE 3), moved, by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, 597 words) Syrian army tightens noose around Palestinian camp AMMAN - Syrian troops tighten the noose around a Palestinian refugee camp held by Islamic State militants in southern Damascus where hundreds of civilians face an uncertain future, state media, witnesses and residents say. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-CAMP (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved, by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, 556 words) Israeli military kills three Palestinians along Gaza Strip border JERUSALEM - Israeli troops shoot and kill three Palestinians along the border with the Gaza Strip in two separate incidents, the Israeli military says. (ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/VIOLENCE, moved, 308 words) Rivals see ruse in Palestinian political forum to be convened by Abbas GAZA - Political rivals accuse Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of pushing ahead with a rare and disputed national decision-making meeting to tighten his grip on power and sideline them. (PALESTINIANS-POLITICS/ (PIX, TV), moved, by Nidal al-Mughrabi, 408 words) AFRICA Islamic State ally stakes out territory around Lake Chad ABUJA/MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - From the shores of Lake Chad, Islamic State's West African ally is on a mission: winning over the local people. Digging wells, giving out seeds and fertiliser and providing safe pasture for herders are among the inducements offered by Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA), which split from Nigeria's Boko Haram in 2016. (NIGERIA-SECURITY/, moved, by Paul Carsten and Ahmed Kingimi, 1,272 words) ENTERTAINMENT Weinstein 'believes he will be forgiven' by Hollywood -Piers Morgan LONDON - Movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, believes he will eventually be forgiven by Hollywood, according to television presenter Piers Morgan. (PEOPLE-HARVEY WEINSTEIN/ (PIX), moved, 277 words) farhanc85 wrote: Hello, I am in the middle of my application. Your article has been really helpful to put some filters in my thought process for my career goals. My current dilemma is related to number of short term career goals. i understand that clarity of goal is required in these essays and I would be taking a huge risk if I write 2 short term goals. One goal is related to an upward movement in my current industry and the other one is a lateral movement in different industry. Honestly, both these options are lucrative for me. I would love to have the flexibility to be in one of these positions. I understand my MBA will be a means to attain the end goal but can it be a means which can give me flexibility of pursuing either of the goals. From most of the articles that I have read online and also websites of my target schools, adcom usually likes to know where you see yourself going post your mba, can it be 2 places? or may be just may be I can figure out the real option during my 1 or 2 year at school. Hi Farhan,It is definitely okay for you to figure out where you want to go during your 1 or 2 year course - in fact, most aspirants look at the MBA as a means to expand the opportunities available to them.However, it is not a good idea to show this ambivalence in your application. This is because admission committees evaluate potential candidates on their employability - and showcasing excellent clarity of goals is one way to demonstrate your employability. (If you don't know where you are going, etc. etc.Therefore, my suggestion is to pick one of the 2 options you have mentioned and elaborate on that in your goals essay. Whatever option you pick, make sure that you bring out the following 3 aspects very clearly:1. Why do you need an MBA to achieve this position (progression or shift)?2. Why is NOW the best time to do this?3. How can B-school X help you get there?As long as you are able to answer these 3 points effectively, you are good.And don't worry about sticking to the goal you mention in your application - B-schools know very well that your goals may change during the program, when you get exposure to many new functions, industries and experiences. So, nobody is going to question you about a discrepancy in what you said you want to do and what you actually end up doing!Gowri N KishoreAdmissions Consultant_________________ ankur9391 wrote: 1. I'm from IT background professionally with 5years of Work-ex but do have some Digital Marketing freelancing exposure and wish to transition to the same industry. Would a 12 month MBA from ESMT (Jan-Dec 19) be helpful in doing the same than upto a 21 month MBA from HHL with a 3-6 months internship option? 2. I've taken German language classes upto A2 though Listening isn't that good as of now. 2. Fee-wise ESMT is on higher side than HHL. Thanks and Regards Ankur Sent from my ONE A2003 using Hi ! I have secured admits from HHL and ESMT with some scholarships and would like to have your valuable advice to proceed further as I have to make an urgent decision.1. I'm from IT background professionally with 5years of Work-ex but do have some Digital Marketing freelancing exposure and wish to transition to the same industry. Would a 12 month MBA from ESMT (Jan-Dec 19) be helpful in doing the same than upto a 21 month MBA from HHL with a 3-6 months internship option?2. I've taken German language classes upto A2 though Listening isn't that good as of now.2. Fee-wise ESMT is on higher side than HHL.Thanks and RegardsAnkurSent from my ONE A2003 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app sagarsabnis wrote: That was great explanation perseverance. You seems to be strong in CR can you provide me some tips?? more actually Thanks sagarsabnis. Although I'm far from an expert in CR, it is definitely my strongest area in Verbal. Here's my approach. Keep in mind this may not work for everyone, but it seems to help me out.I think it's beneficial if you read my thought process with a sample question. As a good example, I'm going to use a question that you posted a few days ago if you don't mind.In the United States, of the people who moved from one state to another when they retired, the percentagewho retired to Florida has decreased by three percentage points over the past ten years. Since many localbusinesses in Florida cater to retirees, these declines are likely to have a noticeably negative economic effecton these businesses and therefore on the economy of Florida.Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument given?(A) People who moved from one state to another when they retired moved a greater distance, on average,last year than such people did ten years ago.(B) People were more likely to retire to North Carolina from another state last year than people wereten years ago.(C) The number of people who moved from one state to another when they retired has increased significantlyover the past ten years.(D) The number of people who left Florida when they retired to live in another state was greater last year thanit was ten years ago.(E) Florida attracts more people who move from one state to another when they retire than does any otherstate.First thing I do is read the question. I've heard various sources argue for and against this method but in my opinion, it's the best thing to read first. So in the question above, I would think to myself that I'm looking for a statement that weakens the argument. This way, while reading the passage, I can begin to come up with some ways I myself would weaken it even before looking at the answers. Then I would read the passage. It seems to me like a lot of these passages have very long, complex sentences to try and bore the reader and make him/her lose concentration. In order to counteract this effect, I then would lay out the argument in a way I understand. (Ok, of the people who retired to a different state, those who retired to FL declined by a %, which caused the FL economy to suffer). How can I weaken that? Well somehow the answer has to do withpeople retiring to FL.Now go to the answers. In my experience, a lot of CR questions can be eliminated by POE and using the 'out of scope' method. In A, distance was never mentioned in the passage. Eliminate. In B, North Carolina?? what?? Out of scope. Eliminate. I get to C. Ah, an increase in the number of people. Good. Leave that. In D, people leaving FL? No good as I'm looking to get more people TO FL, boosting the state's economy. Elimnate. I get to E. Florida attracts more people. Yeah, that's good, but what does 'attract' mean?So now I'm left with C and E. Odds are pretty good. A lot of the time CR answers can be eliminated down to 2. One seems to superficially help you and the other one is the correct answer. I would then compare the affect of the 2 remaining answers on the argument I layed out. In E, that's great that FL attracts more people but the passage clearly states that the percentage whomoved to FL decreased. Now look at C. "The number of people who [actually] moved out of state increased." Sample size is bigger meaning, theoretically, the ACTUAL number of people who moved to FL can be more this year than it was over the past 10 years, even though that number correlates to a 3% drop in TOTAL number of people moving to another state. This would have a positive effect on FL's economy, therefore weakening the argument.The key for me is eliminating the 3 pretty obvious out of scope or stregthening answers and then comparing the affect of the 2 remaining answers.I hope this helps. Please let me know if you'd like me to expand on anything. Sidmehra wrote: Chelsea212 wrote: After I read this problem, answer choice (D) immediately stuck out to me as the correct answer. That said, I've been trying to get into the habit of finding 4 wrongs answers instead of 1 right one and so I wanted to comment on why the answer choice (E) is out of the running. I understand why answer choices (A), (B) and (C) are incorrect; however, I can't completely justify why (E) is incorrect. Quote: (E) Some of the species that are now farmed extensively were not commonly eaten when they were only available in the wild. To weaken the conclusion, we need a statement that suggests that farming fish would not relieve the consumption demand of wild-caught fish. Answer choice (E) states that some of the species that are framed a lot weren't commonly eaten (i.e. in demand) when only wild-caught. When I'm considering answer choice (E), stand alone, it seems the statement does confirm that the demand on wild-caught fish would not be relieved. It's only when I compare it to the relative strength of answer choice (D) that I'm able to eliminate it. GMATNinja is there any chance that you might be able to respond? Hi everyone,After I read this problem, answer choice (D) immediately stuck out to me as the correct answer. That said, I've been trying to get into the habit of finding 4 wrongs answers instead of 1 right one and so I wanted to comment on why the answer choice (E) is out of the running.I understand why answer choices (A), (B) and (C) are incorrect; however, I can't completely justify why (E) is incorrect.To weaken the conclusion, we need a statement that suggests that farming fish would not relieve the consumption demand of wild-caught fish. Answer choice (E) states thatof the species that are framed a lot weren't commonly eaten (i.e. in demand) when only wild-caught. When I'm considering answer choice (E), stand alone, it seems the statement does confirm that the demand on wild-caught fish would not be relieved. It's only when I compare it to the relative strength of answer choice (D) that I'm able to eliminate it.is there any chance that you might be able to respond? GMATNinja wrote: We want to know what happens when we start farming a wild species that is already in demand (i.e. in demand before farming starts). (E) only tells us about species that were not in demand before farming started! So this example is not relevant to the wild fish example. (Mmm... fish.) I hope that helps a bit! Hi GMATNinja , How can we say that they are talking about 'fish already in demand' because the paragraph just mentions 'farmed fish' ?' If the farmed fish is not according to people's demand then they wont eat the farmed fish and the pressure on the wild fish wont be relieved. Please let me know what am I missing HiHow can we say that they are talking about 'fish already in demand' because the paragraph just mentions 'farmed fish' ?'If the farmed fish is not according to people's demand then they wont eat the farmed fish and the pressure on the wild fish wont be relieved.Please let me know what am I missing do do Quote: (D) The feed for farmed ocean fish is largely made from small wild-caught fish, including the young of many popular food species. still The author's goal is to "ease the pressure on wild fish populations," and the solution that he/she proposes to reach this goal is "for people to increase their consumption of farmed fish."So, we need to cast doubt on the argument that if peopleincrease their consumption of farmed fish, the pressure on wild fish populations will be eased.(E) states that some fish that were not commonly eaten when only available from the wild are now farmed extensively. This doesn't particularly impact the author's argument, because we have no idea why the fish were not popular before they were farmed, or why they are popular now. Maybe they were not commonly eaten because they were exceedingly rare, or difficult to catch, or some other reason. The author's reasoning depends on increased consumption of farmed fish reducing pressure on wild fish, and the exact break down of which species are more commonly eaten when farmed, and why that is the case, is irrelevant.Even if you read (E) to imply that people will be reluctant to eat farmed fish, this does not cast doubt on the author's plan -- regardless of people's preferences, the author is arguing for them to suck it up and eat farmed fish. We need to cast doubt on the idea that if people, in fact, increase their consumption of farmed fish, pressure on wild fish populations will be reduced.Compare (E) with (D):Here, people could follow the author's plan perfectly (eating only farmed fish), and yet there wouldbe pressure on wild fish populations, because the young of many wild-caught fish will die in the process.This casts doubt on the idea that increasing consumption of farmed fish will ease the pressure on wild fish populations.I hope that helps!_________________ SEOULNorth Korea promised to close its atomic test site next month and invite US weapons experts to the country, Seoul said Sunday, as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about securing a nuclear deal with the secretive regime. The reported pledge from Kim Jong Un follows weeks of whirlwind diplomacy that saw the leaders of North and South Korea agree to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula during a historic summit between Kim and the Souths President Moon Jae-in on Friday. Kim said, during the summit with President Moon, that he would carry out the closing of the nuclear test site in May, and would soon invite experts of South Korea and the US as well as journalists to disclose the process to the international community with transparency, Seouls presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. Kim said the US feels repulsive about us, but once we talk, they will realize that I am not a person who will fire a nuclear weapon to the South or the US or target the US, according to Yoon. If we meet often [with the US], build trust, end the war and eventually are promised no invasion, why would we live with the nuclear weapons? The remarks are likely to be seen as a sweetener ahead of Trumps own planned summit with Kim, which the US leader said would take place in the next three or four weeks. Trump vowed to do the world a big favor by achieving a nuclear deal with the regime at a campaign-style rally in Michigan to cheers and chants of Nobel! Nobel!. Trump has been eager to play up his role in achieving a breakthrough with Pyongyang through what the White House has called a Maximum Pressure Campaign consisting of tough rhetoric, strengthened global sanctions and diplomatic efforts to further isolate the authoritarian regime. If we would have said where we are today from three or four monthsmonths ago, do you remember what they were saying? Hes going to get us into nuclear war, they said, Trump told supporters in Washington Township, north of Detroit. He added: No, strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not going to get us in! But he also sounded a note of caution, saying he was prepared to walk away if US demands for North Korea to relinquish its atomic arsenal were not met. His remarks came as extracts from an interview with his new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were released. Washingtons chief diplomat told ABC News he had a good conversation with Kim during his secret visit to Pyongyang over the Easter weekend, adding that the North Korean leader was prepared to... lay out a map that would help us achieve denuclearization. Trump held phone calls earlier Saturday with both Moon and Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, declaring things are going very well, as CBS News reported that Mongolia and Singapore are the final two sites under consideration for his meeting with Kim. It was unclear whether North Korea would host US experts at its Punggye-ri underground testing site before or after the summit. Kim slammed speculation during his meeting with Moon that the test site was already unusable after Pyongyang conducted its largest ever nuclear test there last September.Some people are saying that we are terminating a test site that is already useless, but, as they will see once they visit, there are two more tunnels [in the test site] that are even bigger... and they are in good condition, he said, according to the Souths presidential spokesman. Last year, Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. Its actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war. Washington is pressing for the North to give up its weapons in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way. Pyongyang is demanding as yet unspecified security guarantees to discuss its arsenal. On Saturday North Korea described its summit with the South as a historic meeting that paved the way for the start of a new era. The official KCNA news agency carried the text of the leaders Panmunjom Declaration in full and said the encounter opened the way for national reconciliation and unity, peace and prosperity. In the document, Kim and Moon confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But the phrase is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides. Pyongyang has long wanted to see an end to the US military presence and nuclear umbrella over the South, but it invaded its neighbor in 1950 and is the only one of the two Koreas to possess nuclear weapons. When Kim stepped over the military demarcation line that divides the peninsula he became the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the Korean War hostilities ceased in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. He then persuaded Moon to step into the Northa fact reported by KCNA on Saturdayand the two leaders shared a day of smiles, intimate moments, and a half-hour-long one-on-one conversation. In the declaration document, the two Korean leaders pledged to seek a peace treaty this year to formally declare the Korean War over, 65 years after hostilities ceased with an armistice. But agreeing a treaty to formally close the conflict will be complicatedboth Seoul and Pyongyang claim sovereignty over the whole Korean peninsula. Name: Stephen Littrell Hometown: Manhattan, Kansas Resides: Austin, Texas Profession: Librarian Hobbies: Reading and traveling Hipstographer since: 2013 Year of Birth: 1954 Favorite Combo: Akira + BlacKeys SuperGrain Favorite Lens: Beard Favorite Film: AO BW Favorite Flash: Apollo "The past few years Ive traveled to New York City to participate in the 24 Hour Project, a worldwide photo shoot running from midnight to midnight on a set day in early spring. Its one of the highlights of my year; an exhausting yet exhilarating day doing street photography with my New York friends. What better way to discover this marvelous city than walking the citys varied neighborhoods taking pictures along side wonderful friends who live there! " Stephen Littrell Share this: Facebook Twitter Email Google Pinterest Like this: Like Loading... This post is also available in: French Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Kuwait have reached an all-time low. The rescue of distressed Filipino workers from the homes of abusive employers incensed Kuwait who said the Philippine embassy action was a violation of its sovereignty. To show its displeasure, Kuwait expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa. The order for the rescue operations was authorized by DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Sarah Ysmael Arriola. Kuwaiti authorities claimed the rescue operation was in violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations that require coordination with the host country. Philippine Mission to the United Nations staff member Elmer Cato was reportedly also with the rescue team. But how do you deal with a situation that requires immediate response when our citizens are so badly abused their lives could be in danger? One such case that brought this dire consequence was the discovery of Filipino domestic Joanna Demafelis who was left in a basement freezer in Kuwait. Her employera Lebanese man and his Syrian wifefled to their home countries. But even as they had been apprehended, Kuwait was reluctant to extradite the couple. Will justice for Demafelis also be frozen because of Kuwaits indifference? Because of Ambassador Villas expulsion, the Philippines said the Memorandum of Understanding for the protection of Filipino workers in Kuwait has been shelved. President Duterte told remaining Filipinos in Kuwait to leave and return to the Philippines. Three batches of OFWs have already returned to Manila. Those who opt to stay in the Gulf country face the risk of arrest, detention and other acts of arbitrary harassment. There are some people who think the country will suffer from the strain and even the severance of diplomatic relations between Manila and Kuwait. I dont think so. Qatar which has a bitter dispute with Kuwait is willing to take in our displaced workers. There are some 300,000 Filipino workers in Qatar and so far we have not received any report of them being maltreated. Kuwait is only one country that is not going to make a dent in the deployment of our OFWs. We still have workers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and even the strife-torn states of Syria, Libya and Iraq. In Asia our workers are employed in Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Aside from Qatar, the Department of Labor and Employment has been informed by Canada, China and Japan that they require nurses, teachers and other workers that match Filipino qualifications in certain areas. Despite the expulsion of Villa, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Malacanang will send a new ambassador to Kuwait. Such a move would portray the Philippines as groveling before Kuwait because of oil and employment opportunities for our workers. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello will also go to Kuwait to repair the diplomatic row. No one is urging the country to go to war with Kuwait. But let us at least fight for our self-respect so that others in the community of nations would treat our workers well.Isnt it about time we stood proud and refused to let our country be held hostage by Kuwaits oil resources? Without our workers including skilled Filipino engineers in Kuwaits oil fields , who will take care of Kuwait households, their children and cook for them? Let their women, who are treated as second-class citizens, do it for them.After denying former senator Jinggoy Estradas travel petition to the US purportedly for a speaking engagement, the anti-graft court has now allowed him to leave. This, after threatening to cite him for contempt for lying about being invited by the New York-based Pinoy for Good Governance. PGG president Loida Nicolas Lewis said she never invited Estrada who had been indicted for his involvement in the pork barrel funds. There was no ground for allowing Jinggoy Estrada to go. He is a flight risk who might not come back. Nor was there any reason given by the Sandiganbayan for its sudden change of heart. It is cases of this nature and circumstances why our citizens cast suspicion on the countrys justice system. Our own people are partly to blame for this bizarre attitude towards erring politicians. Jinggoys father, former President Joseph Estrada, was convicted of plunder in connection with the misuse of the tobacco excise tax and involvement in jueteng. And yet he was pardoned upon conviction. Erap went on to be voted mayor of Manila. He is now grooming son Jinggoy to succeed him as Manila mayor. The poor people of Manila do not seem to have much of a choice unless another candidate with better qualifications comes up in the political horizon. 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 Posted Sunday, April 29, 2018 5:00 am April 29, 1993 - 25 years ago In apparent defiance of the Webster County Blue Law, the Marshfield Wal-Mart opened its doors for business on Sunday. The Wal-Mart store, which is heading the drive to get the question of a repeal of the decade-old Blue Law on the Aug. 3 ballot, was open for business on Sunday from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Blue Law prohibits the sale of such items as motor vehicles, clothing, clothing accessories, furniture, luggage, tools, housewares, hardwares, clocks, silverware, jewelry, musical instruments, recordings, toys and watches on Sundays. Marshfields Kinderhook Regional Library received a healthy dose of good news last week good news that the library, desperately seeking ways to stay afloat after Februarys devastating election loss, definitely needed. Three children of former longtime Marshfield residents Lester and Nanalee Garst have offered the library a gift of $100,000 if it can be matched by residents of the city, county and all others. Robert and Edith Garst, of Midland, Texas, Kathryn (Garst) and Harold Gray of Midland, Mich., and Gene and Berniece Garst of Sugarland, Texas, offered the $100,000 matching gift. The Strafford High School Marching Band left on two chartered buses for Louisville, Ky., on Wednesday morning after being invited to march in the Pegasus Parade, the third largest parade in the nation. The parade is part of the weeklong Kentucky Derby festival, and will be held on Thursday. The parade will be broadcast on TNN at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, as well as several NBC stations. It will be hosted by Willard Scott of the NBC Today Show. The band was the only one selected from Missouri. Deaths reported in this issue: Ollie Kinser, 100, Fordland; Verna L. Barnard, 88, Springfield. Despite having a track team limited by the schools prom, Marshfields girls track team was able to come up with 49 points and a pair of first-place finishes at the Buffalo Relays held Saturday. Marshfields first places came from Lynnae Sanders in the triple jump and the 400-meter relay team. Sanders had a jump of 29 feet, 9 3/8 inches in the triple jump, beating her closest competitor by just under a foot. The 400 relay team finished with a time of 54.94 seconds, two seconds in front of Bolivars team. The Missouri farm population dropped 36 percent during the 1980s, according to Trendsetter, the newsletter of the University Extensions Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis. Webster Countys farm population dropped 24.6 percent between the years of 1970 and 1980. The county also realized a 22.7 percent decline in farm population between the years of 1980 and 1990. According to 1990 census figures, Missouris farm population was 180,000, about half what it was in 1970. The farm population is 3.5 percent of Missouris total population. April 25, 1968 - 50 years ago The Marshfield FFA chapters judging teams set a record when five of the six judging teams received one ratings in the state contests held at Columbia April 18 and 19. The teams receiving one ratings were: dairy products, poultry, soils, dairy production and farm mechanics. The field crops team received a two rating. Eight individuals received Group I ratings: Gary King, Gerald Wright and Mike Tillman, in poultry; David Young and Joe Atteberry, in dairy products; David Brangan and Steven Buckner in dairy production, and John Eslick in farm mechanics. The Webster County PTA County Council met at Niangua School April 10. Fred Gels, a member of Speakers Bureau at SMS, made a talk on Change of Trends in Education, with discussion afterwards. After lunch, officers installed were: president, Mrs. C.D. Smith; vice-president, Mrs. Bradley Burr; secretary, Mrs. Virgil Young; and treasurer, Mrs. Luther Thompson. Army First Lieutenant Jerry H. Camp, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter C. Camp, Route 3, Rogersville, received the Purple Heart Medal March 27 during ceremonies near Pleiku, Vietnam. Lt. Camp received the award for wounds received in action while serving in Vietnam Feb. 6. Lt. Camp, commanding officer of the 634th Engineer Company, entered the Army in July 1966 and arrived overseas in June 1967. Lt. Camp, whose wife, Joyce lives at 906 E. Normal, Springfield, is a 1962 graduate of Rogersville High School and received his commission through the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Southwest Missouri State College in Springfield. 21 people diagnosed with malaria in Nawalparasi so far Twenty-one people have been diagnosed with malaria in Nawalparasi, said District Public Health Office (DPHO). Forests for prosperity It is ironic that Nepal has to import timber when nearly half the area has forest cover MPs call for renewing constituency budget As the Ministry of Finance starts preparations for formulating budget for the new fiscal year, lawmakers from across the party line have started lobbying for continuation of the Constituency Infrastructure Special Programme (CISP) and Constituency Development Programme (CDP) that give them access to millions of rupees to fund projects of their choice. Muslim leaders take the fight to dowry practice In a bid to end the deeply-rooted dowry practice in the region, Muslim religious leaders in Birgunj have announced that they will not conduct any wedding where bridegroom and bride receive or provide dowry. Saudi Women to get their driving license for the first time will be spending fees six times higher than men. A royal decree last year allowed women to sit behind the wheel as of June this year. The decision has been widely welcomed with forecast estimating 20 per cent of Saudi women willing to drive by 2020. However, head of the Saudi Society for Traffic Safety, Abdulhameed Al-Mejel reportedly told local media Al Watan driving lessons costs will be in the range of $533-800 compared to $120 for men, nearly six-time difference. Women will have to take 30 to 120-hour driving course before taking the driving test, media reports say. One-hour course costs according to new regulations up to $20, both for men and women. The huge cost of the course have forced many women to travel abroad for lessons or even to obtain licenses that can be converted for local use, the media adds. Activist Hanaa Aldhafery launched a hashtag in Arabic with the translation version reading #IAmReadyToTrainYou. Many American higher education officials agree on the need for a more balanced racial, ethnic and cultural mix at universities and colleges. In the past, American colleges and universities placed special importance on minority or international students. But a growing number of private colleges now seek to admit more rural students. Admissions officials believe that such students have a different way of thinking than students from heavily populated areas like cities. Andrew Moe is Associate Dean of Admissions and Director of Access at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He said admitting students from rural areas is a natural extension of the colleges inclusion goals. The fact is, that a sizable proportion of the U.S. population live in rural areasWe found through our research that about 59 million, or 20 percent of the U.S. population, live in rural areas. He added that about 50 percent of U.S. school departments are also in rural areas. Swarthmore is a private liberal arts college near Philadelphia. Moe said that he usually goes to cities to visit high schools and meet students. This is true of most admissions officers, he said. However, he suggested, this can lead to student populations of which many members share the same outlooks and similar opinions. Moe said that Swarthmore wants students from across the country and around the world. The opinions of students from rural areas are, in his words, rich and really different than what I think is representedreally across most private colleges. I think that when youre in a public health class, and youre talking about access to health care delivery, I think a student coming from a more populated area has a very different world view than a student coming from a more rural partSo, we want to make sure that those backgrounds and opinions are represented. Complicated recruiting However, identifying and appealing to students from rural areas can be difficult. You cant simply call up a school, say you want to visit and they have never heard of you, he said. He added that the first step is to build relationships with high schools and their students. Moe said that in rural areas, fewer students have friends and family able to inform them about college or the admissions process. So, it is important for admissions officers to spend time talking with students about how to prepare college admissions forms. The size of the United States means college administrators cannot possibly visit all schools personally. As a result, colleges are exploring technology for answers. Real-time video communication is one such tool to reach large groups of students. Another issue is student preparation. Moe said that studies show almost 50 percent of rural schools do not offer college-level studies, known as Advanced Placement classes. However, such classes are available in more than 90 percent of schools in city areas. Credit in Advanced Placement classes can greatly help students gain admission to competitive schools. At Swarthmore, currently, only 10 percent of rural students seeking admission are accepted. Moe says that it is important for colleges to change their expectations, and understand the issues that rural students are facing. Political blends Most U.S. colleges also want a mix of political thinking among students. Adding rural students could help. Lynn M. Morton is president of Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. She recently told the publication Inside Higher Education that she worries that students do not have enough people around them who disagree with their opinions. Morton said she became concerned after examining results of the National Survey of Student Engagement. She found that only 23 percent of students at her school felt they often or very often spoke with people holding different political ideas than their own. Warren Wilson College is close to Asheville, the largest city in western North Carolina. It is considered a politically liberal city. So, Morton is seeking more students from rural areas, which traditionally are more conservative. Small, but positive results Admissions officers at Swarthmore and Warren Wilson say they have seen small but good changes concerning future student populations. Warren Wilson has seen a 57 percent rise in rural students seeking admission to the school. At Swarthmore, Andrew Moe reported an increase of about 25 percent last year. A recent study of admissions directors found that 28 percent of private and 52 percent of public college admissions directors said they were interested in getting more rural students. I hope its a growing trend, said Moe. I'm Alice Bryant. Im Phil Dierking. Phil Dierking reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Are there many rural places where you live? Do students from there usually go to college? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ QUIZ Quiz - American Colleges Want More Rural Students Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story portion - n. a part of a larger amount, area, etc. access - n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone delivery - n. the act of taking something to a person or place recruit - n. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc. trend - n. a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common A colorful festival in northern Thailand holds deep Buddhist meaning for young boys who are celebrated as beloved princes. The festival is held each year in the mountain town of Mae Hong Son. It ends with a parade in which the boys - some as young as seven - are carried through town on their fathers' shoulders. They are dressed in brightly colored clothes and highly detailed headpieces. Some villagers join the parade. They dance, beat drums and play other instruments. The celebration is part of an ancient ceremony that ends with the boys becoming novice Buddhist monks. The boys belong to the Shan ethnic group, which lives mainly in Shan state in neighboring Myanmar. The group also spreads into parts of Thailand, China and Laos. About 50 boys take part in the festival. It is split into different parts during a one-week period. It takes place just before the traditional Thai New Year in April, during which most villagers are home and children are on a break from school. The ceremony is meant to represent different periods in Buddhas early life as a prince. This is why the boys are called beloved princes. First, the boys have all their hair cut off. Their bodies are washed in flower-scented water. Then, they are dressed in white and have colorful designs drawn on their faces. The makeup is thought to have protective qualities. At this point, the boys are considered to have reached a partly divine state. They are not permitted to touch the ground or walk by themselves until the festival is over. The process is seen as bringing honor to the boys families. Many parents must save money for a long time to pay for costs related to the ceremony. Most families also accept donations from other family members and friends. Kasen Kongtui is a Thai trader. He supported one of the boys, 12-year-old Poo Sit. The boy is a family friend. I was overwhelmed with happiness and was excited about the ceremony, Kasen told the Reuters news agency. He added that the boy told him, Grandfather, I want to become a novice! So we helped him. I did it to make merit. After becoming novice monks, the boys live and study at Buddhist temples for a few months during school holidays. August is an 8-year-old boy who completed the ceremony. He spoke to Reuters about his favorite part. I liked having my head shaved, he said. He was dressed all in red and gold, with a large hat holding fresh pink flowers. When I saw my friends doing this, I decided to become a novice, he said. I want to be the Buddhas representative. I want to be a good person. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn adapted this story for VOA Learning English, based on a report from Reuters. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story drum n. musical instrument made with a thin layer of skin or plastic stretched over a round frame and that is played by hitting the skin or plastic with sticks or with your hands novice n. new member of a religious group who is preparing to become a monk or nun monk n. member of a religious community of men who usually promise to remain poor, unmarried, and separated from the rest of society divine adj. relating to or coming from god overwhelmed adj. having too many things to deal with merit making n. a Buddhist practice in which people perform regular good deeds in order to increase spirituality and become happier in life. Last week, an American court ruled against three members of a militia in the state of Kansas. The jury found the three men Curtis Allen, Patrick Stein and Gavin Wright -- guilty of two charges: plotting to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy against civil rights. They face up to life in prison. Officials say the three planned to bomb a building where Somali refugees live. They said the bombing was supposed to lead to more violence, what one of the men called Crusades 2.0. But their plan was stopped after their arrest, just weeks before the 2016 elections in the United States. Officials say the plot shows the changing enemy of a movement that was launched a generation ago. It began at a time of anti-government activism. But with the election of Donald Trump as president, the desire to fight the government appears to have lost some of its urgency. Many militia members support Trump and his policies. Instead of denouncing the government, militias have instead turned their hatred against new enemies: Muslims, immigrants, and the anti-fascist group Antifa. Some militias have been directing their attention to secondary enemies for the movement," notes Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League civil rights group. Often grouped with other extremist organizations, the anti-government movement comes in different forms. There are "preppers, a term used to describe how they prepare for civil unrest by keeping large amounts of water and food. There are "survivalists," people who learn skills to live off the land after a disaster. And then there are the militiamen who take part in military-style training exercises. Their aim is to resist a government they see as secretly planning to take away their guns and constitutional rights. Start of Modern Militia The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) says the modern U.S. militia movement dates back to a series of events in the early 1990s. Among them was the election of Bill Clinton as president in 1992 and an attack the following year on the Branch Davidian camp in Waco, Texas. The center says militias believe that attack, by federal agents, was evidence of an out of control government willing to attack citizens. During Clintons presidency, the number of anti-government groups rose sharply. But it fell during George W. Bush's two terms as president before rising again to 1,360 under President Barack Obama. In 2016, there were 689 anti-government groups nationwide, including 273 militias, according to the SPLC. The militia movements hatred for Muslims was influenced in part by the 2008 election of Obama, the countrys first African-American president. Some Americans believe that Obama was a Muslim born in Kenya. They accuse him of being a liberal who would take away citizens guns. Adding fuel to anti-Muslim hatred were a series of terrorist attacks in Europe and the U.S. They included shootings, carried out by Muslim extremists, in Chattanooga, Tennessee; San Bernardino, California; and Orlando, Florida. Law Enforcement Takes Notice The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was concerned. As early as May 2015, the FBI warned that militia extremists were "expanding their targets to include Muslims and Islamic religious institutions in the United States." Because of its anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant language, the 2016 election campaign influenced some militiamen to take action. It was around this time that the three men began plotting to blow up the Somali housing complex in Kansas. The men belonged to the Kansas Security Force, which was part of a larger group called the Three Percenters. Along with a few other militiamen, they began meeting on Saturdays and Sundays to discuss ways to remove Muslims from the country. They formed a group to communicate and shared anti-Obama, anti-Clinton, and anti-Muslim memes on Facebook. Using Google Earth, the Kansas militiamen identified Muslim targets in the state. They then decided to attack the Somali apartment building and a religious center. To show just how extreme the three were, government lawyers questioned other members of the Kansas Security Force. One said that he left the militia after hearing about the plot. He said he had concerns that it was turning into something more serious. Another member said that although she hated Muslims, she objected to the plan. Defense lawyers tried to prove the men were just talking. And they asked Amy Cooter, an expert on militias, to give evidence. She is with Vanderbilt Universitys Department of Sociology in Tennessee. After reading statements and social media records and talking to one of the three men, Cooter said that Wright was more of a prepper than a militiaman. She noted there was little evidence that he trained with weapons. Cooter said Wright told her that things got out of control without him understanding what was happening. But the jury failed to accept the argument that all the men were doing was talking. Now the three may spend their lives in prison. I'm Susan Shand. Masood Farivar reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adpated the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story conspiracy n. the act of plotting together; an agreement o carry out a plan or plot defamation n. the act of saying false things in order to make people have a bad opinion of someone or something league n. a group or part of a larger organization fascist adj. a political movement that praises the nation or race above the individual style n. a custom or way of doing things institution n. an established organization; a place where a group takes care of people meme - n. an interesting object, such as a picture or video, that spreads through social media 5 hours ago Most People Who Achieve Their Retirement Goals Are Good at These 6 Things What does it take to save enough for retirement? Does it take Buffett-level knowledge of the markets? An uncanny ability to understand dividend income? Not necessarily. It takes just some basic knowledge and dedication (and a little bit of know-how) to successfully save for retirement. You might wonder where you fall on the grand spectrum of those who save for retirement. Read Article American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Ingredion, Inc. manufactures and sells sweetener, starches, nutrition ingredients, and biomaterial solutions derived from the wet milling and processing of corn and other starch based materials. Its activities include turning corn, tapioca, potatoes and other vegetables and fruits into value added ingredients and biomaterials for the food, beverage, paper and corrugating, brewing, and other industries. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America, South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The North America segment includes businesses in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The South America segment involves businesses in Brazil, the Southern Cone of South America (which includes Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Uruguay), Colombia, and Ecuador. The Asia-Pacific segment pertains businesses in South Korea, Thailand, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and Vietnam. The EMEA segment focuses businesses in Pakistan, Germany, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Westchester, IL. Read More Morocco welcomed the resolution on the Sahara adopted Friday by the UN Security Council, which renews the mandate of the MINURSO for six months, until October 31, urges the Polisairo to withdraw from the buffer strip, and calls on Algeria to contribute towards achieving a political solution to the regional dispute. The Security Council resolution strengthens Moroccos position and resolve in responding to recent Polisario provocations east of the security wall and in the buffer strip in Guerguarat, Moroccos representative to the UN Omar Hilale told the press in New York after the adoption of the resolution. Actually, the UN Security Council has strongly condemned the recent Polisarios provocations including its plans to set up administrative functions in Bir Lahlou, east of the Morocco-built security wall, expressed concern with the presence of the Polisario Front in the buffer strip in Guerguarat and called for its immediate withdrawal. The Security Council was firm in blaming the Polisairo for these actions, which amount, it said to destabilizing actions and stressed the need for a full respect of the military agreements reached with MINURSO. The US-drafted resolution, adopted with 12 votes for and three abstentions, also rebuked the Polisario for hindering the MINURSO from carrying out its ceasefire-monitoring task, in reference to an incident when Polisario militiamen stopped a MINURSO patrol east of the berm after firing warning shots. In this connection, Omar hilale said that the Security Council was uncompromising in condemning the Polisarios ceasefire violations and urged the Algerian-backed militia to immediately withdraw from the buffer strip in Guerguarat. The Security council rejected in the strongest terms the attempts by the Polisario to alter reality on the ground, the diplomat said, adding that the Security Council deemed the Polisarios irresponsible actions as a violation of the ceasefire agreement and a serious threat to the political process which UN Secretary Generals Personal Envoy Horst Kohler is trying to launch. The Moroccan diplomat who deemed the new resolution as a blow to the Polisario separatists said Now either they obey to the Security Council calls or they assume the serious repercussions that may result from their illegal actions. Hilale added that the Security Council recognized the Kingdoms restraint and measured response to the Polisario provocations. This clearly testifies to the degree of responsibility shown by Morocco in recent weeks, and shows the trust that the international community has in the far-sighted leadership of HM the King. The resolution, like previous resolutions, took note of the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the Secretary-General (a reference to the autonomy initiative) and welcomed the credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward. The Security Council also lauded Moroccos human rights steps and initiatives underscoring the role played by the National Council on Human Rights Commissions operating in Dakhla and Laayoune, and Moroccos interaction with Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The resolution called on the parties to engage in a new round of negotiations without pre-conditions and urged neighboring states, Algeria and Mauritania, to contribute to achieve progress towards a political solution. The Security Council reiterated that the status-quo is untenable, noting that a political solution is conducive to regional integration in the Maghreb and to regional peace and stability. A political solution to this long-standing dispute and enhanced cooperation between the Member States of the Maghreb Arab Union would contribute to stability and security, in turn leading to jobs, growth and opportunities for all the peoples in the Sahel region, said the resolution. Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV. Read More 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. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited. 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. Read More Lonmin Plc explores, mines, refines, and markets platinum group metals in South Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The company explores for platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and gold, as well as chrome, nickel, copper, and cobalt deposits. Its flagship property is the Marikana mine located on the Western Limb of the Bushveld igneous complex in South Africa. In addition, the company holds 100% interest in Pandora mine. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Melrose North, South Africa. Read More The UN Security Council adopted Friday resolution 2414 renewing the mandate of the UN mission to the Sahara, MINURSO, for another six months until October 31, and urging the Polisairo to withdraw immediately from the buffer strip, east to the Morocco-built security berm. The resolution, adopted by 12 votes for and 3 abstentions, also calls on Algeria to contribute towards achieving a political solution to the regional Sahara dispute. The UN Security Council strongly condemned the recent Polisarios provocations in the buffer strip, including its plans to set up administrative functions in Bir Lahlou, expressed concern with the presence of the Polisario Front in the buffer strip in Guerguarat and called for its immediate withdrawal. The Security Council was firm in blaming the Polisairo for these actions, which amount, it said to destabilizing actions and stressed the need for a full respect of the military agreements reached with MINURSO. Meanwhile, the Resolution lauded Moroccos measured response to Polisairos ceasefire violations and illegal activities in the buffer strip. The resolution took note of the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the Secretary-General (a reference to the autonomy initiative) and welcomed the credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward. In this connection, the United States reaffirmed before the Security Council that the Moroccan autonomy plan remains serious, credible and realistic and represents a potential approach for the final settlement of the Sahara issue. We continue to view Moroccos autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic, and it represents one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the population in the Sahara to run their own affairs with peace and dignity, Amy Tachco, Political Coordinator of the US Permanent Mission to the United Nations, told the Security Council following the adoption of the resolution. The US diplomat, who insisted on the importance of resuming talks in the framework of the UN process and the mission of the UN Secretary-Generals Special Envoy Horst Koehler, stressed the special and important role that neighboring countries can play in this negotiating process. We also hope that neighboring states will recognize the special and important role they can play in supporting this negotiating process, she said. We call on the parties to demonstrate their commitment to a realistic, practicable, and enduring political solution based on compromise by resuming negotiations without preconditions and in good faith, the US diplomat pointed out, adding that entrenched positions must not stand in the way of progress. The Security Council Resolution also called on the parties to engage in a new round of negotiations without pre-conditions and urged neighboring states, Algeria and Mauritania, to contribute to achieve progress towards a political solution. The Security Council reiterated that the status-quo is untenable, noting that a political solution is conducive to regional integration in the Maghreb and to regional peace and stability. Morocco welcomed the Resolution as positive, saying it strengthens Moroccos position. The Security Council resolution strengthens Moroccos position and resolve in responding to recent Polisario provocations east of the security wall and in the buffer strip in Guerguarat, Moroccos representative to the UN Omar Hilale told the press in New York after the adoption of the resolution. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on his part said in Rabat that renewing MINURSO mandate and condemning Polisairos provocations east of the berm is a fruit of the Kings unrelenting efforts to safeguard Moroccos supreme interests. The initiatives led by the Monarchy and the Moroccan diplomacy in defense of the countrys territorial integrity were echoed in the Security Council, he said, noting that the current resolution comes at a particular context marked by the repetitive ceasefire violations by the Polisario at Algerias instigation. The resolution stressed Algerias involvement in the conflict and urged its effective contribution to find a political solution. It is Algeria which arms and hosts the Polisairo, the Foreign Minister recalled, adding that Algiers uses its diplomatic apparatus to undermine Moroccos territorial integrity. The resolution condemned Polisarios attempts to alter the legal status of the buffer zone east of Moroccos security wall and rebuked the Algerian-backed separatists for defying the Councils calls for respecting international law, he said. Bourita added that the international community wants a relaunch of the political process under the aegis of the UN Secretary Generals Personal Envoy Horst Kohler in good faith. 3 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Premier Oil in the last year. There are currently 2 sell ratings and 1 buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" Premier Oil stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in PMOIY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Premier Oil or view top-rated stocks. Oasis Petroleum Inc., an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through Exploration and Production(E&P), and Midstream segments. The E&P segment engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. The Midstream segment offers midstream services, such as natural gas gathering, compression, processing and, gas lift supply; crude oil gathering, terminaling, and transportation; produced and flowback water gathering, and disposal; and water distribution. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 401,766 net leasehold acres in the Williston Basin; and 24,396 net leasehold acres in the Permian Basin, as well as approximately 152.2 million barrels of oil equivalent of estimated net proved reserves. The company sells its crude oil and natural gas to refiners, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to pipeline and rail facilities. Oasis Petroleum Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Saudi men take the escalator during a cinema test screening in Riyadh on April 18, 2018. The terrorist group ISIS has discussed on private communications about threatening the theater. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images) Internal ISIS Communications Reveal Plan to Threaten to Bomb Saudi Cinema A recent spike in internal communications of the ISIS terrorist group, using social media platforms, allegedly includes a planned threat to bomb a new, co-ed movie theater in Saudi Arabia. An anonymous user on an internal ISIS chat network, translated from Arabic, stated on April 22 that for Muslims near the cinema in the Arabian Peninsula, it is necessary to issue a threat to blow it up because of proximity to it and Muslims are quick to remind you. The communications were intercepted by the scanning tool MORSE used by private darknet intelligence company BOC Intel, which currently logs in real-time the communications of 200 terrorist groups on WhatsApp and gives alerts when chats begin to surgesomething that often takes place ahead of terror attacks or during new terror campaigns. A translator with BOC Intel notes there were other mentions of the movie theater in Saudi Arabia, which appears to be something that got one of them upset. A spokesperson with BOC Intel said in an email that MORSE alerted us yesterday to an increase of Twitter links than normal in terrorist group channels on WhatsApp. He said the terrorists have launched a new strategy on Twitter, in which they use random accounts to post terrorist propaganda as comments on the posts of other users, rather than posting the propaganda as standalone posts. After the terrorists post their comments with the propaganda, they share the link to the comment on their internal WhatsApp and Telegram chat groups. Among the individuals on the internal terrorist chat networks is one who calls himself Abu Walid al-Shami and uses a Swedish phone number. The user writes in run-on sentences, and praises the terrorist social media campaigns, stating that posting the entries on Facebook and Twitter terrifies them and that the platforms try by any means to stop you and spend great money to repel you. The terrorist adds, You have them, O Messenger of Allah, invaded and stormed the means of social communication. The more you enter and the more your number has been useful in reducing the deletion. The BOC Intel translator said the terrorists are posting about running social media campaigns despite having their accounts banned, and that the terrorists are posting that its good to have their accounts banned, as they believe it causes Twitter and Facebook to spend money. The BOC Intel spokesperson noted that a large number of the accounts use Swedish phone numbers, although the spokesperson could not confirm whether they were temporary burner phones. The terrorist group member, Abu Walid al-Shami, states in the internal chats that our loved ones are # media accounts and some fools, and then lists Twitter comments from other members, which he tells the chat group to reply to, to copy, and to repost directly on their own channels. Another member of the group, called Fathers, who was using a New Jersey phone number, sent a message stating, Dear brothers in the Brigades of the invasion and publishing in Twitter within the confidentiality of the certificate to enter the battalions of the invasion tighten the bond and raise the burden and the support of your religion. The post gives links to different users and tools, which includes a bot network users can access. The user, Fathers, describes it as a tool to invade Twitter in the following battalions. Other users post propaganda images for other members to spread. One user calling himself ABD Faqeer published a propaganda image titled For the sake of Allah we will march through the gates of the paradise. Another user, Carol Sanders, posted a propaganda image titled You brought death to yourselves. The other propaganda images are of a similar nature. Other tweets are propaganda on terrorist killingsmainly in Iraq, Egypt, and other countries in the regionmeant to inspire potential terrorists. The BOC Intel spokesperson noted, What is particularly interesting is that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, sat in front of Congress recently and told the world they are doing all they can to protect users data and remove hate/extremist content from their platform. Well, obviously they are not doing enough, as the extremist groups on WhatsApp exceed 200, the spokesperson said, noting that WhatsApp is owned by Facebook. WhatsApp is a well-known platform for human trafficking, drug transactions, fraud, child exploit, as well as terrorists. Tens of thousands of people have marched in northern Spain for a third consecutive day to protest the acquittal of five men on gang rape charges. Local police in Pamplona estimated the size of the crowd at Saturdays march was 35,000. An 18-year-old woman was attacked during the citys famed San Fermin bull-running festival in 2016. The five men, whose members named their WhatsApp group The Pack, were convicted last week on a lesser felony of sexual abuse and sentenced to nine years each in prison. Lawyers say the victim is appealing. Britain: Londoners warned of toxic caterpillars Residents in London are being told to beware the white-haired caterpillars that can cause rashes, vomiting and asthma attacks. The British Forestry Commission says caterpillars that become oak processionary moths have been spotted in and around the British capital since mid-April. The caterpillars are covered in thousands of hairs containing the protein thaumetopoein, which can cause skin rashes, sore throats, breathing difficulties and eye problems. Officials are treating oak trees where the creatures are often found with pesticide to try and eliminate the moths, which were accidentally introduced to Britain in 2005 on plants imported from continental Europe. Romania: President calls on premier to resign Romanias president said Friday that the countrys first female prime minister was unfit for the job and should resign, a call she rejected hours later. President Klaus Iohannis said that Viorica Dancila, who became premier in January, is not up for the job of Romanian prime minister and represented a vulnerability for the country. Dancila said she would not resign because she had the backing of the ruling Social Democrats and was doing a good job. She is the third premier since the Social Democrats came to power in 2016. King Mohammed VI is attending as special guest, the first Summit of Heads of State and Government on the Climate Commission and the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, held on Sunday in Brazzaville in the presence of 15 heads of state of the region. The king is celebrated as a special guest because he is the main international supporter of the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, set up at his initiative at the Africa Action Summit, held in Marrakech in November 2016 on the sidelines of COP22. The Africa Action Summit was meant to put in place a common continental strategy to help Africa take up environmental challenges. The Monarchs participation at the Brazzaville Summit translates his effective commitment to the preservation of the environment at home and in the rest of Africa, which is most adversely affected by climate change. Morocco took part in the signing ceremony of the memorandum establishing the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin in March 2017 in Oyoen, Republic of Congo, and hosted in March this year a meeting of the ad hoc coordination group, under the chairmanship of the Congolese Minister of the Environment and the Moroccan Minister of State for Sustainable Development. The meeting agreed on the terms of reference for a detailed, six-month preparatory study. The study will make recommendations on the financing mechanisms, the operational management and the strategic governance of the Congo Basin Blue Fund, and will draw up a first investment plan. The Blue Fund initiative, dedicated to the Congo Basin Region, considered the second lung of the planet after the Amazon Forest, is presided by the Republic of the Congo. The fund, estimated at 3 billion, aims to develop the economy of this region in the long term. It provides, among other missions to offer other alternatives to deforestation, to strengthen irrigation of farmland in the savannah and to support eco-tourism. In addition to Morocco, the Brazzaville Summit brings together the Heads of State and Government of fifteen countries, namely Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, and Zambia, as well as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. U.S. President Donald Trump has until May 12 to decide whether to perhaps fatally undermine a years-in-the-making nuclear deal with Iran, with the consequences likely to be felt from Middle East war zones to oil markets. If the U.S. refuses to continue to waive sanctions under the six-nation agreement reached in 2015, theres a real threat Iran will also walk away. European powers are scrambling to persuade Trump to preserve the agreement, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington on Friday on the heels of French President Emmanuel Macron. So whats at stake if the U.S. withdraws? Oil markets A snap-back in Iran sanctions by the U.S. would almost certainly reduce Irans oil exports, further stretching an oil market thats seen prices rise 11 percent this year. Whats more uncertain is exactly how far shipments would fall. A recent Bloomberg survey predicted Iranian exports would be cut by 500,000 barrels a day. Iran is currently shipping just over 2 million barrels a day. More than half of that goes to China and India, while European Union nations currently buy about a quarter. Although America purchases no Iranian oil, that might not matter. If U.S. sanctions put banks, shipping companies, refiners, insurers and ports at risk of losing access to the global banking system, they would have little option but to end their involvement with Iran. Much depends on whether Trump offers waivers and exemptions. Doing business A resumption in U.S. sanctions could derail tens of billions of dollars in business deals. While a U.S. exit may not render signed deals illegal, new sanctions would make it risky for international companies to continue working in Iran due to potential ramifications for their U.S. business or banking transactions. Its not just companies involved in Iran that are worried. Privately, business leaders increasingly fret about the growing risk of conflict in the region if Iran resumes uranium enrichment in response to a U.S. withdrawal and what that could mean for world trade. Global power balance On the international stage, the biggest winners from a resumption of American sanctions could be two other signatories to the deal China and Russia, whose influence has gradually spread in the Middle East as the U.S. has scaled back its engagement. Russia is already fighting, and winning, on the same side as Iran in the Syria conflict. And cold feet among European and U.S. investors could herald a new boom for some Chinese companies, already major investors in Iran, where they have signed multi-billion dollar agreements in the oil, industrial and transportation sectors. Nuclear risks The collapse of the accord could hamper denuclearization efforts, and not just in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned this week that if the U.S. exits, his country might resume its nuclear program. Iranian officials have also threatened to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty if the deal crumbles. Iran denies its enrichment was ever intended to build weapons as the U.S., Israel and others had charged. North Korea, which does have a nuclear arsenal, will be watching developments closely. Ditching a deal the U.S. helped shape could undermine American credibility at the negotiating table as it seeks denuclearization in the Korean peninsula. Some analysts say the upcoming talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might be weighing on Trump and leave him more inclined to preserve Irans agreement. Iranian political dynamics A collapse of the nuclear deal would be a blow for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the reformists who championed a diplomatic settlement to the nuclear standoff that had left Iran increasingly isolated. The nuclear deal is a rare concrete achievement for Rouhani, who was re-elected last year but has been weakened by demonstrations, a currency crisis and problems in the banking sector. Hardliners, who warned through years of talks that the U.S. was not a trustworthy partner, would emerge strengthened. There are also signs that the attitudes of ordinary Iranians, many of whom welcomed a deal they hoped would bring prosperity, are hardening. If the U.S. doesnt stick by its obligations then itll go back to before and we will start enriching uranium, Morteza, an unemployed Tehran resident, said. Its Irans right to do so, because theyre the ones violating it, not us. Risk of conflict If the deal collapses and Iran restarts its nuclear program, the risk of confrontation could increase. Washingtons leading Middle East allies Israel and Saudi Arabia are both determined to roll back Iranian influence in their neighborhood. Israel in the past has threatened to bomb Iranian nuclear sites to prevent it obtaining a weapons capability. The potential for a broader conflict is compounded by the war in Syria, which has already drawn in Iran, Lebanons Hezbollah, Russia, the U.S., Turkey and Israel. Defying the US The amount of turbulence, especially for businesses, will depend on how Iran, and other powers, respond to any U.S. exit. If the Americans wind up walking away from the deal but the rest of the world is able to say we are sticking to our approach, then this might not be so catastrophic for investments in Iran, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. Bloomberg Schneider Electric S.E. provides energy and automation digital solutions worldwide. It operates through two segments, Energy Management and Industrial Automation. The company offers busway and cable support products, circuit breakers and switches, contactors and protection relays, electrical car charging, electrical protection and control products, emergency lighting, motor starters and protection components, power monitoring and control products, power quality and power factor correction products, pushbuttons, switches, pilot lights and joysticks, software products, and switchboards and enclosures. It also provides access control, building management, fire detection, network infrastructure and connectivity, sensors and room units, valve and valve actuator, variable speed drive and soft starter, surge protection and power conditioning products, home automation and security, installation materials and systems, light switches and electrical sockets, and uninterruptible power supply products. In addition, the company offers feeder automation, grid automation and SCADA software products, medium voltage switchgears and transformers, outdoor equipment, substation automation products, and switchgear components; solar and energy storage products; and energy access products, such as collective solutions and home systems. Further, it provides critical power and cooling services, data center software, IT power distribution products, prefabricated data center modules, racks and accessories, and security and environmental monitoring products; and human machine interface, industrial automation software, industrial communication, measurement and instrumentation, motion control and robotics, programmable logic and automation controllers, power supply and protection, process control and safety, RFID systems, signaling devices, and other industrial automation and control products. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France. Read More Arconic Corporation manufactures and sells aluminum sheets, plates, extrusions, and architectural products in the United States, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, and the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Rolled Products, Extrusions, and Building and Construction Systems. The Rolled Products segment provides a range of aluminum sheet and plate products for ground transportation, aerospace, industrial, and packaging markets; and roofing, architectural composite panels, ventilated facades and ceiling panels, spacers, culvert pipes, and gutters for building and construction markets. The Extrusions segment offers extruded products, including aerospace shapes, automotive shapes, seamless tubes, hollows, mortar fins, and high strength rods and bars for ground transportation, aerospace, and industrial markets. The Building and Construction Systems segment provides various products and building envelope solutions, such as entrances, curtain walls, windows, composite panels, and coil coated sheets for fabricators and glazing subcontractors under the Kawneer, Reynobond, and Reynolux brands. The company offers its products directly to customers, as well as through distributors. The company was formerly known as Arconic Rolled Products Corporation and changed its name to Arconic Corporation in Arpil 2020. Arconic Corporation was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read More Credit: CC0 Public Domain The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. That's up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data come from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. ADDM researchers pore over medical reports from pediatric clinics, neurologists, child psychologists, speech pathologists and physical therapists, as well as records of special education services provided through public schools. The report for 2014 focused on 42,644 children in 11 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin). Researchers determined that 5,473 of these kids met the definition for an autism spectrum disorder. Since the data come from select sites where researchers are able to conduct a thorough analysis, the findings are not necessarily representative of the nation as a whole. But experts value them because they are more comprehensive than the results from other surveys that rely on interviews with parents. The new study appears in Friday's edition of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Here's a summary of the findings: -ASD prevalence is still increasing Out of every 1,000 8-year-olds in the ADDM study, 16.8 had an autism spectrum disorder. That works out to 1 in 59 kids included in the analysis for 2014, or 1.7 percent. Those figures represent a slight increase from the previous ADDM report, which found that 1 in 68 8-year-olds had ASD in 2012. Six of the 11 sites in the new study also participated in the last one. In these states, the prevalence of ASD was 20 percent higher in 2014 than it was in 2012. Back in 2000, when the first ADDM study began, only 1 out of every 150 8-year-olds was identified with ASD. -ASD is far more common among boys than girls The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders for boys (26.6 cases per 1,000 boys) was four times higher than for girls (6.6 cases per 1,000 girls). This gender gap was seen in each of the 11 study areas, though the magnitude varied by state. In Arizona, the prevalence for boys was 3.2 times higher than for girls. At the other end of the spectrum was Georgia, where it was 4.9 times higher for boys than for girls. -ASD prevalence varies by state Autism spectrum disorders were most common in New Jersey, where researchers identified 29.3 cases for every 1,000 8-year-olds. Minnesota came in second, with 24 cases per 1,000 kids. The state with the lowest prevalence in the study was Arkansas, with 13.1 cases per 1,000 8-year-olds. Four other states were close to that mark: Colorado (13.9 per 1,000), Arizona (14 per 1,000), Missouri (14.1 per 1,000) and Wisconsin (14.1 per 1,000). White children were still the most likely to meet the definition for ASD. In the 11 states combined, 17.2 of every 1,000 white 8-year-olds had the disorder, compared with 16 of every 1,000 black children, 14 of every 1,000 Latino children and 13.5 of every 1,000 Asian and Pacific Islander children. Racial disparities between white and black children were statistically significant in three states (Arkansas, Missouri and Wisconsin). Racial disparities between white and Latino children were statistically significant in seven states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee). New Jersey, the state where ASD was most common, had "almost no difference" in prevalence for white, black and Latino children, the study authors noted. For all three groups, the prevalence ranged from 26.8 to 30.2 cases per 1,000 childrendifferences that were too small to be statistically significant. The researchers took this as a sign that when the accounting of ASD is more complete, differences between groups will either narrow or disappear altogether. That should help make ASD therapies and services available to all children who need them, they added. -Disparities in intellectual ability Nine of the sites examined data on children's intellectual ability. This revealed that 31 percent of the 8-year-olds with ASD had an IQ less than or equal to 70, which qualified them as having an intellectual disability. An additional 25 percent were in the "borderline" range (with an IQ between 71 and 85), and 44 percent had average or above-average intelligence. Overall, girls with ASD were more likely than boys to be categorized as intellectually disabled, while boys were more likely than girls to find themselves in the average or above-average range. Among the 8-year-olds with ASD, 22 percent of white children, 35 percent of Latino children and 44 percent of black children had an IQ at or below 70. -True prevalence may be higher Some records that researchers looked for could not be found. If they had been included in the analysis, the study authors estimate that the prevalence of ASD would have been nearly 20 percent higher in Arkansas and Tennessee, about 8 percent higher in Maryland and up to 5 percent higher in Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey and North Carolina. -Changing definition of ASD Psychiatrists officially changed the definition of autism spectrum disorder when they rewrote the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013. Researchers applied the new criteria to a subset of the children in the study, along with the older criteria they had been using since 2000. The new definition is likely to translate into fewer cases of ASD, the study authors wrote. For instance, estimates based on the new criteria were about 3 percent lower for boys and 6 percent lower for girls. They also were 3 percent lower for white and black children, 5 percent lower for Asian children and 8 percent lower for Latino children. Explore further US autism rate edges up in new CDC report 2018 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life! Vodacom has made a settlement offer to Please Call Me inventor Nkosana Makate, according to a report by the Sunday Times. A previous report from the Sunday Times stated that talks between Vodacom and Makate were taking place, but the parties were not any closer to reaching an agreement. This prompted Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub to get involved to resolve the issue, which has been dragging on for years. The Sunday Times has now reported that Vodacom offered Makate R10 million, which has been described as a pittance. The amount is said to be less than Makates legal fees for his decade-long battle with the operator. Makates disclosure of the R10-million offer was made in complaints he filed with the Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors and the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission against Vodacom and its auditor PwC. The complaint was for alleged reckless management and misrepresentation of annual financial statements, stated the report. MyBroadband asked Vodacom whether it made an offer to Makate as reported by the Sunday Times, but the company declined to comment. It said Makate and his negotiating team signed a confidentiality agreement with Vodacom at the start of negotiations. Vodacom remains committed to upholding its end of the confidentiality agreement, it said. Makate has previously stated that Vodacom must pay him 15c of every rand of revenue that the Please Call Me generated, which could exceed R10 billion. Sources in the company, however, told MyBroadband an actual offer will look very different from the inflated figures quoted in the media. Protracted legal process The offer follows a Constitutional Court ruling in favour of Makate in April 2016 after a protracted legal battle. Makate was fighting Vodacom in a bid to get additional compensation for his invention, which he says he was promised by the company. He filed papers in the Constitutional Court in 2015 after the South Gauteng High Court dismissed his case against Vodacom, with costs. According to Makate, his boss Philip Geissler promised to facilitate remuneration negotiations with the company. Vodacom argued that the rights to anything developed or produced by its employees belong to the company. Makate disputed this, arguing the idea fell outside of his normal duties at Vodacom. Vodacom also said that Geissler did not have the right to promise Makate anything on behalf of the company. Vodacom argued there is a difference between an idea and a working product. The final product, which uses a USSD and SMS system with advertising, may therefore not be what Makate envisaged. After the 2016 ruling, Vodacom initiated discussions between the parties in accordance with the Constitutional Court order. The negotiations between Makate and Vodacom have been hampered by multiple factors, including infighting between Makate, his legal team, and his financial backers. 19302018 Johnny William Crabtree, 87, of Sparks, NV, passed away on April 3, 2018. Johnny was born in Gage, OK, still a very small town near the OK panhandle, to Leo & Florence Crabtree in 1930. His parents/grandparents were tenant farmers and the family endured very tough times due to both the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His family moved to Vallejo, CA when he was 14. Johnny married Bette Weaver of Napa in June, 1952; they were married for 64 1/2 years. While living in Napa/Vallejo, Johnny worked for the US Forestry, Kaiser Steel, C&H Sugar and briefly co-owned a gas station in Napa. During the 60s he worked at a lumber mill in Auburn, CA. In the early 70s, he worked as a HVAC repairman. Thereafter, Johnny worked with his wife in Property Management, as an Apartment Management couple, in Southern & Northern California for over 20 years. They moved to Reno, NV in 2001. He enjoyed fishing, tinkering in the garage and spending time with his family. Johnny is survived by his two daughters, Linda Settas of Sparks, NV and Susan Hopper of Chino Hills, CA and his two grandchildren, Luke Hopper and Kirsten Settas. His wife, Bette, passed away in January of 2017. His 3 older sisters and 2 younger brothers all preceded him in death. One user of incels.me referred to That moment when this random dude killed more people than the supreme gentleman Elliot, as rumors began to spread that Minassian might be one of them. Another anonymous user opined that the women of Toronto deserved to die. It bears repeating that we still dont know the motive in the Toronto attack. The victims are predominantly female, police have said, but have not elaborated on whether the victims were targeted. The incel championing of Rodger and Minassian is a convenient, if disturbing symbol of the aggrieved entitlement that permeates all of incel culture, Haenfler said. Even when women are the victims of violence, incel logic still can blame those women for being victimized. It is women, the logic goes, that drove men like Rodger to do what they did. If you visit an incel community online, youll find a performance, all for the benefit of the wider audience that is paying attention to them. On incels.me, moderators have posted a statement directed at the public saying that Minassian was not a member of that board and that Being incel has no relation whatsoever with violence, aggression, misogyny, or any other negative connotation. The moderators also appear to be banning members who posted some of the more egregious comments about Minassian. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} In the years before Willard Chapel, Tiffany had been doing abstract work for secular settings like private homes and hotels. His window for the Bella Apartments, where he lived (his father owned the building) in Manhattan is an example, and can be viewed online. This abstract work was praised, but churches preferred Biblical scenes. Not until after World War II would abstract art become common in sacred places. It is not a matter of influence, but rather a change in taste and religious sensibility. Along with abstract work, visitors to the chapel will find scenes that look like landscapes, skyscapes and seascapes but with an unexpected twist. These are not the Eden-like, ideal landscapes like the one in Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn (also a Tiffany work), but ones that perturb, amaze or mystify: dark winter afternoons, turbulent night skies, strange forms in flight, exotic island volcanoes. And two in particular feature odd, ambiguous animal forms that amuse and puzzle. Here, Tiffanys work borders on surrealism. And then there is the Elvis window. Napa County supervisors are trying to figure out what to do with a sinking ship of a nonprofit agency that is crucial to providing money for Meals on Wheels and other local senior services. The Napa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday heard about the financial woes facing the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano. Those problems are so bad the group will relinquish its Area on Aging status with the state on July 1. I have to say were lost, Area Agency on Aging Board Member Heather Stanton said. The board is at the point of saying, If its necessary, just arrest us all and put us in jail or take our homes or whatever, because we cant do it. Napa County Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht will work with Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering to look for answers. Napa County Supervisor Ryan Gregory tapped into Stantons gallows humor when he volunteered to be an alternate. For me, it would be a way to learn what youve been working on a little bit better and keep you out of jail and in your homes, Gregory said to laughter. But Tuteur has informed the group that, even in the wake of their request, postage-paid envelopes wont be included with the ballots for the upcoming election for most of the roughly 75,000 voters. I told them its too late for this election, Tuteur said on Thursday. Thats an issue that can be revisited in November. Our envelopes are already printed and ready to go. This election, the horse has left the gate. Registered voters could receive their ballots in the mail from May 7 to May 14. Napa County is one of five California counties going to all vote-by-mail ballots for the June 5 election under the state Voters Choice Act. Tuteur wasnt certain how much postage will cost to return the ballot, but said one stamp could be sufficient. A first-class stamp for one ounce costs 50 cents when bought at the post office, with each additional ounce costing 21 cents. If someone forgets to put postage on their envelope or cant afford postage, the Postal Service will still deliver the ballot and the county will pay, Tuteur said. But thats not the route he wants people to take. The Democrats of Napa Valley Club announced its endorsement of the candidates and key measures, that received the required 67 percent of the members votes, at the Monday, April 16 Endorsement Meeting. Candidates spoke to a packed house at the Napa County Library on Monday, such as Pat Harris for U.S. Senate and Ruben K. Major for Secretary of State. Also, campaign directors/managers spoke on behalf of their candidates: Eleni Kounalakis for Lt. Governor; Malia Cohen for Board of Equalization, District 2; Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for State Assembly, District 4. There was a lively and informational exchange with speakers on several important Measures as well: Napa County Measures C and D, and Regional Measure 3. The Democrats of Napa Valley Club strives to provide opportunities to meet and learn about candidates as well as a forum and information on Initiatives. It was heartening to see so many of our members and engaged citizens take time out of their busy lives to learn how they can help make Napa County, California, and the country better. The following candidates and measures received a minimum of 67 percent of the Democrats of Napa Valley Club Members votes, which is the threshold needed for the Club to make an endorsement: Macron and Blinken discuss tensions between Paris and Washington Kharrazi warns Azerbaijan to not be under any illusion about relying on foreign forces for security Armenia President arrives in Rome on state visit Truck providing for rear of Armenia's army damaged after gunshots fired by Azerbaijan in Yeraskh section of border EU: Facebook outage shows need for more players Digest: Putin-Pashinyan's meeting rumored, quake hits Armenia Armenia PM congratulates teachers on their professional day UK officials hold talks with Taliban in Afghanistan Armenia opposition MP: Ruling party deputy is granting AMD 1,000,000,000 in assistance to Goris, why isn't he arrested? Armenia government intends to tax electronic services provided by non-resident organizations Ohanyan on Iran-Azerbaijan relations: Everything must be done do prevent hostilities in Armenias Syunik Province Aliyev threatens Iran, advises not to pry its nose into Azerbaijans affairs Anti-Corruption Committee chief, US Ambassador discuss justice sector reforms in Armenia (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-defense minister Seyran Ohanyan on detention of Davit Tonoyan Karabakh President meets with relatives of teachers who fell in 2020 war Dollar loses value in Armenia Armenia health minister signs cooperation agreement with Lithuanian counterpart Armenia deputy justice ministers receive EU delegation Baku office of Iran Supreme Leaders representative in Azerbaijan closed Iran closes its airspace to Azerbaijan's air force Armenia opposition MP: There are fears that Armenian authorities could fulfill all demands of Azerbaijan Ships of Georgia and NATO hold joint exercises in the Black Sea Armenia opposition MP: It's hard to expect anything good from the Putin-Aliyev-Pashinyan meeting Armenia legislature supports opposition candidate for post of Public Services Regulatory Commission member Bitcoin price surpasses $ 50,000 for the first time since September 7 Azerbaijan, Georgia sign defense cooperation plan Members of Armenia opposition factions leave session of parliamentary standing committee Kocharyan, Gevorgyan trial: Yerevan court gives defense lawyer 1 week to get familiarized with 128 volumes of case file Khachatryan, Kopirkin discuss Armenia-Russia economic cooperation Earthquake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone Armenia ex-deputy PM, now opposition MP Gevorgyan's lawyer motions court to recognize his parliamentary immunity Kocharyan, Gevorgyan trial: Yerevan court refuses to give new defense attorney few days to study case file State borders not determined by law on administrative-territorial division, says Armenia official Armenia ex-president Kocharyan, former deputy PM and now MP Gevorgyan criminal case court session resumes Armenia parliament passes 2 law initiatives, in first reading Artsakh President: Azerbaijan checkpoint at Lachin corridor is ruled out Armenias Sarkissian to pay state visit to Italy Iran official: We are ready to assist Armenia in building new alternative road 891 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh patrol line of contact Sargsyan to Aliyev: I will come to any Artsakh region once you no longer have Capitulator as your Armenian counterpart Armenia President: School is starting point from which, as well as from family, realization of our identity begins Artsakh President: We must defend our security, together with Russia Catholicos of All Armenians heads for Italy, to meet with Pope World oil prices on the rise Facebook announces reason for system outage Armenia legislature convenes regular sessions Newspaper: How Armenia opposition MPs also traveled to Moscow as part of delegation? Newspaper: Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gently reprimands teammates after well-known parliament brawl Sri Lanka prosecutor's office charges architect of 2019 terrorist attacks UK nurse denies charges of killing 8 newborns Ilham Aliyev personally insults Armenia 3rd President, is embarrassment of MGIMO University Armenia PM's official visit to Lithuania is over France and Spain call on Europe for a coordinated response to rising global energy prices Armenia FM: There was no word or agreement about so-called "Zangezur corridor" Armenia President congratulates 2021 Nobel Prize laureate Ardem Patapoutian Indonesia to partially reopen resort island of Bali to international travelers Armenian, Iranian FMs discuss a broad range of issues related to regional developments Armenia premier: We consider resumption of peace process within scope of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs format necessary Garibashvili, Hasanov discuss 'strategic partnership' between Tbilisi and Baku Lithuania to share experience with Armenia in waste recycling sector Armenia Security Council Secretary, Iran Ambassador discuss regional security issues UAE tries to manage long-standing rivalry with Iran and Turkey through dialogue Azerbaijan President threatens to 'break the heads of Armenians and not care what others say' Armenia revenue committee chief meets with his counterpart in Karabakh 11 horses of resident of Armenia's Shurnukh cross over into territory under Azerbaijan's control Armenia MOD receives EU Ambassador, presents Azerbaijan's destabilizing actions Digest: Armenian PM visits Lithuania; David Julius, Ardem Patapoutian win 2021 Nobel Prize Armenia premier blames former government for fall of Shushi again Kremlin confirms news about preparation for Putin-Pashinyan meeting Armenia PM pays respects to those who fell for Lithuania's independence Vahidi: Enemies do not want good relations between Iran and its neighbors Amir-Abdollahian: Iran will not let foreigners interrupt ties with neighbors including Armenia Armenia Supreme Judicial Council terminates powers of judge due to entrepreneurial activities Russia, Iran FMs to discuss situations in Caspian Sea and Transcaucasia Armenian minister, Russia Ambassador discuss activities of Russian mining companies in Armenia Simonyan thanks Lavrov for his considerable contribution to development of Armenia-Russia collaboration Dollar somewhat steady in Armenia Some unresolved issues remain between Azerbaijan and Armenia, says US ambassador to Baku Ardem Patapoutian, David Julius win Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Iran says has good ties with Azerbaijan, Armenia Armenia Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Ministry on Russia widening road near Lars checkpoint Armenia deputy minister on amendments to law on financial equalization and subsidies for communities Robert Kocharyan on Armenia being entangled in processes and Iran's perception of the country Armenia Parliament Speaker in Moscow pays tribute to those who fell in the Great Patriotic War Russian FM: Russia and Armenia will resume interparliamentary cooperation soon Cmilyte-Nielsen: Lithuania ready to support democratic reforms in Armenia Armenia premier, Lithuania President speak about processes in South Caucasus Ex-president: Armenian authorities are ready to cooperate even with Pakistan - if it helps to stay in power California oil spill kills animals Simonyte: I hope Karabakh conflict will be settled under OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs auspices Pashinyan to Lithuania PM: Armenia will continue taking decisive steps to strengthen democracy Kocharyan speaks on sale of arms to Azerbaijan by Russia: The question is more on a moral plane Armenia ex-Prosecutor General, Investigative Committee former chief to remain in custody Drills kick off in Tbilisi with participation of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia Pashinyan: Lithuania can play important role in promoting Armenia-EU cooperation Armenia ex-president says he never 'disrespected' Azerbaijani ex-president Lithuania premier: Vilnius, Yerevan will soon be connected by direct flights Azerbaijan MFA announces 'positive signals' from Armenia regarding border delimitation Ex-president: I can't imagine the delimitation process in the interests of Armenia YEREVAN.- Armenia's acting Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan and Chief of the General Staff Colonel general Movses Hakobyan inspected a live-fire exercise of the rocket-artillery units of Armenias Armed Forces on April 28. The live fire stage of the exercises included the militaries of both Armenia and Artsakh, and Lt. General Levon Mnatsakanyan, Commander of the Defense Army of Artsakh, was also present at the event. The purpose of the military exercises was to test the opportunities of new, modern military equipment which was acquired within the framework of the modernization program of the arsenal and military equipment, to improve the strategic-professional skills and practical abilities of personnel for excellent and timely implementation of tasks. At the end of the exercise, acting defense minister Vigen Sargsyan expressed certainty that the supplementation of the arsenal will be continuous, contributing to modernization of the Armenian military. During a visit to the 4th Army Unit, the acting defense minister met with the officers and touched upon the domestic political developments of the country. Vigen Sargsyan emphasized that the ongoing mass events can have negative impact on defense processes, namely on mobilization. According to Sargsyan, domestic instability can seriously impact the situation on the border also, the signs of which are already seen. The acting defense minister urged officers to be maximally alert and consistent in fulfilling their tasks and organizing service, by highly focusing on the healthy moral and psychological atmosphere among the military personnel, discipline and statutory relations. Afterwards Sargsyan and Hakobyan visited the Sisian city pantheon and laid flowers in honor of the fallen soldiers who gave their lives while defending the borders of their country. Sargsyan also chaired a consultation in the Zangezur garrison hospital. Issues relating to merging certain civilian and military hospitals, and improvement of medical services were discussed. Home | News | General | Okpe Isoko rainstorm: Ogwah visits victims BY ITEVEH EKPOKPOBE Front line Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for Isoko North Constituency in the Delta House of Assembly, Hon. Mike Ogwah, has paid a visit to victims of Okpe-Isoko rainstorm with a call on relevant agencies of government and philanthropists for immediate support. Ogwah who spoke at Okpe Isoko Community Town Hall, posited that it is not fashionable to play politics with a situation like that natural disaster, stressing the need for expedient measures to cut down on the pains of the affected residents. The State Assembly Hopeful, Ogwah, leading a delegation of Project Ogwah 2019 on the solidarity visit expressed worries over the state and welfare of the victims. According to him, What has happened in Okpe Isoko has affected me. I am pained. People dont understand the magnitude of the destruction. Ogwah, thereafter, immediately ordered the reconstruction of the palace car park which was damaged by the rainstorm, when he led the delegation to the traditional rulers palace, where His Royal Majesty, Agbabe Ekpolo II, The Ovie of Okpe-Isoko kingdom received the delegation. In his address, the traditional ruler, who spoke through the kingdoms spokesman, Chief Daniel Uti, particularly commended Ogwah for his benevolence. The traditional ruler also charged Hon. Mike Ogwah not to be distracted adding that he should continue in the race and also prayed for him to win the election. Hon. Mike Ogwahs entourage was teemed with Ogwahs Campaign Director General, Deacon Sunny Eleuni, Hon. Harryman Okoro, former PDP Chairman Isoko North local Government Area, Hon. Daniel Tutumor amongst others. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Great grandfathers wont call youths lazy, says Obasanjo By Ola Ajayi, Ibadan Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has faulted the comment credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigerian youths are lazy, saying that following the difficult situations the youths are passing through in the United States, Libya and other parts of the world, their great grandfathers would never say our youths are lazy. Obasanjo-Buhari The ex-President spoke in Ibadan, Saturday, when the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) held a Town Hall meeting in Ibadan. Obasanjo said, But let me assure you of one thing. Having gone this far, I will not leave you high and dry, and I know God will continue to be with us. But dont ever think that it will be easy. Men of valour dont run away from challenges and it is the same thing with women of honour, except lazy men and women. But they said our youths are lazy. Recently, I was in the United States and I said our youths have gone through many things in the Sahara Desert, in Libya and the Mediterranean, and somebody would say they are lazy; their great grandfathers would never try to go that far. Meanwhile, the CNM declared that it would tell its over three million members the platform it would use in the forthcoming general elections. The former President said since he had been through several difficult times in the past due to his unshaken belief in the progress of Nigeria, nobody could intimidate him again. The Town Hall meeting attracted many notable Nigerians, including a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is the national coordinator of the movement; a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and two former secretaries to Oyo State Government, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo and Mr Ayodele Adigun. Obasanjo said,Dont be afraid or be discouraged. They will try to intimidate you individually or collectively. For me, I dont think there is anyone that can intimidate me. Let me remind you, I have gone through many things. I have been jailed without committing any offence. Where is the person that jailed me? CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Impeachment: Buhari violated the constitution Urhoghide BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE BENIN THE Senator representing Edo South Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, Senator Matthew Urhoghide has said that he has no regret over the motion he moved on the floor of the Senate that withdrawal of over $400million dollars for the purchase of aircrafts, saying that he would never be cowed by those asking for his head in Edo State Urhoghide and Buhari I dont have any regret for what I said. I stand on it. Where did I embarrass the President? Because of selfish interest here and people want to show to the President that everybody is cowed in Edo. This is not a war I want to fight on partisan basis. I have immunity on what I said at the floor of the Senate. I am being crucified outside for what I said during plenary. I am going to report back to the Senate. All the security agencies must see the threat I am subjected to because I performed my duty as a Senator. They have promised to deal with me. If not for the State Commissioner of Police yesterday, nobody knows what would have happened. I obeyed the Police Commissioner; I remained where I was until the Governor came. We were side by side talking when a boy hit my head. The Governor walked away. Before I left Abuja, I knew what was happening and the person responsible for it. I called him to tell him that it was unnecessary but he didnt pick his calls. It would be cowardice for me to abort the journey. I want to see what will happen, they display their thuggery, I am not cowed by it. I will represent my constituency and do whatever I want to do. I am going to take it to a proper court, Urhoghide said while addressing journalists in Benin Saturday. Speaking further he added, It is a shame that at this time of our political development when other nations are moving in the right direction and the type of representation the eight Assembly has provided since 2015, people could still be cowed and harassed because of the views they have expressed which is defending the constitution. I am not surprised because I know that there still a lot of ignorance that is expressed among the elite and the political class. If this game is not played along the direction that some people want it, then they see you as a deviant. That is what you saw yesterday, asking a riffraff, a boy of no consequence to lay his hands on me, an elected representative of the people, a serving Senator, it is a shame on this country. I want to tell you that the whole world is watching and I have followed the path of the law. Incidentally it happened in the presence of the state Governor, the Commissioner of Police was there and all other security agencies. When the boy hit my head and threw away my hat, they saw it. I was still assuming that the Governor did not see it. It is a shame on the state that an elected Senator of this state that I could be so humiliated in the presence of our own leaders in the state. While insisting that the right thing the President would have done was to present a supplementary budget to the National Assembly for the purchase of the aircraft, he added that the offer for the purchase was made in December 2017 with the expiry date in February 21st, 2018, they did not do so. The request could have come. The action that was taken even though the purpose was noble, the right position was not adopted. They had ample time to bring the requests but they didnt. We could have said more aircraft should be bought. What they have done is mumble jumble. The President has violated the constitution, which is the truth. If anybody is pretending that nothing has been done, the person should go to a mental home. Section 80 has been violated. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | not only the dog, baboon that they intend to soak in blood by Fani-Kayode A DATE AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND NIGERIAS HISTORY OF SLAUGHTER By Femi Fani Kayode Last Friday the United States Government released a damning human rights report on Nigeria, saying grave violations of human rights continued to increase in 2017 while officials who perpetrated them were never prosecuted by the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari. It also said, inter alia, that Nigeria is suffering from ethnic, religious and regional violence. This is the bitter truth and the report is a welcome development. Ethnic cleansing, genocide, mass murder, state-sponsored terror, unprecedented corruption, monumental incompetence, the persecution of opposition figures and their families, the violation of court orders, the intimidation of the National Assembly, the Judiciary and the Fourth Estate of the realm which is the media, the targetting and cold-blooded murder of Christians, Igbo (IPOB) youths and Shiite Muslims, the gradual and incremental Islamisation of the nation, the humiliation of the Church and Christian clerics, the encouragement of murderous Islamist and jihadist terror groups like the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram and so on and so forth are now the cornerstone and hallmark of this govermmemt. Worse of all the government did not have the National Assemblys approval to withdraw $496 million from the Federal Governments Excess Crude Account which it used to pay for the 12 Super Tucano jets purchased from the United States and that are to be supplied to the Nigerian Airforce by 2020. This makes it an illegal expense which, under our laws, is an impeachable offence. It also makes the whole transaction unlawful. Even more troubling is the fact that, as long as Buhari is in power, those jets are as likely to be used against innocent and defenceless Nigerian civilians, including women and children, as they are against terrorists. I sincerely hope that these issues will form part of the deliberations and discussions that will take place in the meeting betwen President Donald Trump and President Buhari in Washington on 30th April. They should also discuss the shameful way in which the President Barack Obamas administration interfered in Nigerias 2015 presidential election and assisted Buhari to come to power and the $500 million that the Buhari administration contributed, through various fronts and companies like the Chagoury brothers, to Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. And now to the meat of this essay. In terms of high level military, intelligence and security operations and what are known in western intelligence agencies as black ops few events in our history come close to the one that took place in Dapchi a few months ago. I am not referring to major or cataclysmic events which also had the imprint and involved the input of numerous foreign and domestic intelligence and security agencies like the murder of General Aguiyi-Ironsi in 1966 and the coming to power of Lt. Col. (as he then was) Jack Yakubu Gowon or the murder of General Murtala Mohammed in 1976 and the coming to power of General Olusegun Obasanjo or again the murder of General Sani Abacha and Chief MKO Abiola in 1998 which led to the release from prison and the second coming to power of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Those are the obvious ones. I am referring to the more subtle ones which had less obvious but equally identifiable motives. I will not go into detail and I will not expose the motives. I will just mention the events and the facts surrounding them. First was the cold-blooded murder of Gloria Okon, an international drug courier, that was working for powerful government officials and men and women in high places Second was the elimination of Dele Giwa, a prominent and highly respected journalist Third was the C130 military plane crash in Ejigbo, Lagos in 1992 in which 158 junior and middle rank army officers were tragically killed. The plane was brought down and those gallant officers were left to die slow and painful deaths in the swamp Fourth was the slaughter of Kudirat Abiola, Chief MKO Abiolas wife, Chief Alfred Rewane, Rear Admiral Omotenhiwa and hundreds of other pro-June 12th and NADECO leaders and operatives by General Sani Abachas military junta between 1995 and 1998. Fifth was the mysterious plane crash in Kano in 1996 in which Ibrahim Abacha, the first son of General Sani Abacha, together with his close friends Bello Dangote, Omieba Princewill and a number of others lost their lives. Needless to say the whole thing was covered up by military intelligence and the truth was buried. Not even General Abacha, who was Head of State at the time, knew what actually happened and who was involved until much later. Sixth was the murder of numerous high profile leaders and political figures during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2000 and 2007 including Chief Bola Ige, Chief Marshall Harry, Chief Dikibo and many others. Seventh was the bombing of Odi town in Rivers state by the military during the course of President Olusegun Obasanjos government in 1999 in which hundreds of civilians were murdred. Eighth was the masscre of dozens of people in Zaki Biam in Benue state by the military during the course of President Olusegun Obasanjos government in 2001. Ninth was the blowing up of the Bellview Airlines plane over Lisa, Lagos state in 2005 in which over 100 people perished and which was passed off as a fatal accident and plane crash. I have said it before and I will say it again: I became Minister of Aviation one year after that crash and I had access to all the relevant security reports and American NTSB documents. According to that NTSB report the plane did not crash but was brought down by what was described as a low-level incendiary device which had been planted on the plane before it took off by unknown elements. Tenth was the murder of Mohammed Yusuf, the founder and erstwhile leader of Boko Haram, whilst in the custody of the Nigerian Police in 2009 during the tenure of President Shehu Musa Yaradua. Eleventh was the blowing up of a building in Prophet TB Joshuas SCOAN Church in Lagos by remote control detonation from a drone as a consequnce of which over 200 people, including many foreigners, were killed in 2013. Even though the whole event was recorded on CCTV, including the drone and the detonation, this was largely ignored by the authorities and no meaningful criminal investigation into what was clearly an act of terror took place. The whole thing was passed off by the Government of the day as an accident due to a faulty foundation even though the intelligence agencies knew better. Despite the Lagos State Attorney Generals simplistic and foolhardy assertion that the State Government would pursue the case against TB Joshua and his Church to a logical end, the truth is that what the government is dealing with is a premeditated and well-orchestrated act of terror carried out by highly proficient, skilled and experienced operatives and not one of involuntary manslaughter which came about as a consequence of negligence on the part of the Church authorities or a faulty foundation. The Lagos State Attorney General, as naive as ever, has no idea that he is being used, that he is on a wild goose chase, that he is helping to shield and protect the real perpertrators of the crime and that he seeks to destroy the legacy and name of an innocent man and Church. The truth is that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has much work to do if he really wants to know what happened because the faulty foundation theory is a brilliant ruse. I challenge him to ask for all the relevant security reports on this matter. They tell a very different story indeed. Twelfth was the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014 which was planned, funded, executed and orchestrated by rogue elements in our intelligence agencies in collusion with some disgruntled northern politicians and key members of the then opposition including three sitting governors. Thirteenth is the secret and cold-blooded mass murder and illegal incarceration of thousands of IPOB youths and members by security forces over the last three years. Fourteenth is the state-sponsored mass murder of Shiite Muslims at any given opportunity and the ruthless persecution of their members, including women and children over the last three years. Fifteenth is activities of Fulani herdsmen who have slaughtered thousands of innocent and defenceless Nigerians, including women and children, over the last three years. Sixteenth is Boko Haram .They have protested publicly when the military hits them hard, insisted that the Army uses kid gloves when fighting them, released their top commanders, refused to target and kill their key leaders and paid them vast sums of protection money and ransoms which the terrorists have then used to purchase more arms. In terms of special ops and secrecy Dapchi falls into this category of events. And the fact that Leah Sharibu, the only Christian amongst the over 100 abducted girls, was the only one that was not released speaks volumes. The message is simple and clear. These complex covert operations are commonly referred to in intelligence circles as black ops, extreme measures and wet work and they are always done in the utmost secrecy and with the full knowledge and sometimes assitance and logistical support of either one or two other friendly and trusted foreign intelligence agencies. The motives for the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be made manifest next year during the presidential election in the event of anyone daring to give Buhari stiff resistance or a hard fight. This time around it will not only be the dog and the baboon that they intend to soak in blood if a strong challenge is presented to Buhari but the whole of Nigeria and the west African countries Now that President Buhari has formally declared his intention to run in the 2019 election and seeks a fresh mandate I fear that what is coming our way is not just an election but a series of cataclysmic events that will change our lives and our country forever. Nigeria, with its incredibly incompetent and carefully hand-picked and selected leaders, has been targetted by the powers that be and the chaos and anarchy that we are witnessing in our country today is contrived. Sadly the Nigerian people have been hoodwinked and appear to be incapable of putting the jigsaw together, asking the relevant questions and demanding the appropiate answers. They cannot see and neither can they fathom or comprehend the evil machinations of the hidden hand or the dark and sinister world of covert operations and black ops. They are more than content and happy to watch Big Brother Nigeria and to see, read and believe the rubbish that the government feeds them through the local media. Saddled with a largely uninquiring press, the truth is that we are more often than not misled and misinformed with a labyrinth and forest of official lies, government cover-ups and disinformation. I have often wondered why such a well-educated and dynamic people are so trusting when it comes to their Governments and I have often asked why some of us are so naive. If we wish to know the truth and get to the bottom of such matters we need to sit up and do far better. I trust God that perhaps one day we will do so: that is if the coming chaos does not consume us all first. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | How I remembered that 92-acre family land could fulfil Dubai dream Oba Akran of Badagry By Fredrick Okopie The ancient, coastal town of Badagry, in Badagry Local Government of Lagos State, has for many years been viewed as a sleepy town. But on Thursday, April 12, 2018, it suddenly came alive as people from all walks of life gathered there for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Oba Akran International Shopping Mall, named after the Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu-Menu-Toyi I. * De Wheno Aholu-Menu-Toyi I. The ceremony was kick-started by Setonji David, a representative of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; when he plastered two blocks together. Five minutes later, he unveiled the foundation stone. With those two significant and symbolic actions came one of the most practical steps towards the realization of a vision which, when attained, will be a major component of the much-advertised Lagos Dream. The 93-acre site is situated at Cemetery Road, along Badagry-Seme Expressway, a mile and a half away from the heart of the town. The ultra-modern and international mall is being handled by Palmnto Nigeria Limited, a consortium of investors and developers in conjunction with the Badagry Royal House and the people of Badagry Local Government Council, the host community. The project is expected to be completed in the next 24 months from commencement. To underscore how important the project is to him, the monarch told a mammoth crowd of investors, government officials, politicians, bank executives, traders and musical groups, who formed a sort of kaleidoscope at the fore-ground of the massive land during the ground-breaking ceremony that the project would be one of the ways he intended to etch his name permanently across the pages of history. According to him: The desire to have a legacy which will serve to immortalize my name, and of course immortalize the historic royal institution of Badagry, has, for a very long time, been nursed by me. At a point in time, I remembered the 93-acre family land on which we are today, and thus, came to the conclusion that such a parcel of land could be used to provide the legacy of my dream. Thereafter, an effective machinery was set up to produce technical, legal and financial partners and in the process, PALMNTO Nigeria Limited emerged, he informed in an address presented on his behalf by High-Chief Hundogan Samuel, the Agoloto of Badagry. Among those who graced the occasion were leaders of the Amalgamated Traders Association, Lagos, ATAL; Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria, ABCON; National Union of Banks, Insurance and other Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE. The project, estimated to cost N18 billion, is envisaged to provide a Dubai-like market. It is also expected to boost tourist attraction in the predominantly Egun-speaking town. Besides the main project, the subsidiary projects include a housing estate, a five-star hotel and school (primary and post primary). Also speaking at the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of Palmnto Nigeria Limited, the company responsible for the construction, K.O Okorafor, an architect, explained: The first phase of the Oba Akran International Shopping Mall is estimated to cost N18 billion; the building structures consist of lock up shops, plazas and offices, warehouses, banking halls, police post, clinic, fire station and the second phase will gulp N458 billion, would be expanded in the construction of a five-star hotel, schools and housing estate. The external facilities of the mall include well-planned road network, paved walkways, external electrification, water supply with treatment plant, refuse disposal system, CCTV camera/ security system and car parking lots. The equipment and facilities that would be provided here in the mall are of world class standard, the environment is serene, aesthetically pleasing with laid out land scape. The intention is to provide a work place that is environmentally friendly in all its ramifications. We are now at a point of executing a project that would be a reference point by professionals in the construction industry/estate management when completed. Jide Adefesowa, a lawyer and director of the outfit, giving further insight into how the project was initiated, introduced a spiritual dimension. First of all, I have to appreciate the Almighty God, because it is through the Almighty God that I came here. It is the intervention of God that brought me here today. Why I say this is that it was through my pastor, Pastor Amos Ade, of the Christian Revival Centre, who said that I should tap into the virgin land of Badagry, that I should put my investment in Badagry Kingdom. Then I told him that I didnt understand. He told me that I will be part of the people that will develop Badagry. It was later that I met Architect Okorafor, he said adding that from that meeting a partnership was struck. Stating that one of the major advantages of the location was its closeness to the ports, he said the coming of the market would make it easy to move goods from all parts of Nigeria, through Nigeria to neighbouring countries and the rest of the world, just as had been seen in the Dubai experience. His words: What I can tell you is that the opportunities are limitless. It is massive and it cannot be quantified. In the coming years, you will be a witness to the massive transformation that will take place in this place. Everybody is committed and there is already massive interest by all the stakeholders and the target market. But everybody is welcome in this dream. Everybody can also invest, just as you have it in Dubai where all sorts of investment opportunities abound. I have no doubt that the hand of God is in this project. And because of this, it is going to be massive. But the project is not going to be for the people outside alone. It is going to benefit the people of Badagry in a lot of ways. Not only will there be investors coming from this place, many of them are going to be employed. We are close to the ports through which goods and services could be ferried to any part of the country. They are very key to this, given their already established talents and way of life. So, they are going to benefit massively. That also goes for the people in neighbouring countries. Investment is not restricted. There will be investments from all over the world, from America, UK, Asia and other parts of the world to invest. Everybody is welcome. The space is large enough for everybody. Okorafo later told reporters that the siting of the project in the location was not only going to create another world for Badagry and its people, but help also open up the space for business in Nigeria, especially with the several investment initiatives of the Lagos government. He explained that the fact that exploration and exploitation of oil was already ongoing in the area meant there was going to be heightened business activities and therefor the imperative to create a robust and viable market environment that would further add impetus to the larger vision. You are aware that within Badagry here, drilling of oil is already going on. You are also aware of the deep sea port, which the government is pursuing. The governor has already signed some documents. Dont forget the 10-lane expressway that passes through here. With the BRT, with the train and other easy transport services, you are in Badagry in 30minutes. So, there is a tendency that in the next seven or 10 years, you may not find a space anymore here with the massive development that is expected, the CEO said. Emphasising that the first phase is programmed to be completed in two years, with an additional six months grace period, he said with the thinking is that the shopping mall and the over 10,000 lock-up shops, plazas and storage facilities, that consisted of the first phase, was all that would be needed to ensure the massive activities that would lead to the influx of people, which in turn, would then make the second phase quite attractive. What we are thinking is not the usual thing you see around. If you see our architectural designs, you will understand. We want to change the face of what you already know and surpass it. It is not going to be like any other market. I dont want to mention names. What we are looking at is market. We are looking at maximum comfort for anybody that comes here to do business or for whatever reason. If we had wanted to build the usual thing, we would have finished it in the next six months. But we are thinking outside the box and looking at something bigger, because of the type of business that is expected and the type of people we also expect, which includes those that are used to maximum comfort and ease of doing business elsewhere, he stated. Remember, this is supposed to be a Dubai-like market. That was what the Kabiyesi told us and that is exactly what we are working at achieving. Even if you are selling yam here, your yam will be a different kind of yam. We are going to package it in a different way. People will come here to buy pepper, but it is not going to be the normal pepper you see because of the handling. This is going to be an organised market. Dismissing any fears of restiveness from the indigenes of the community, he said all the knots were already tied in the manner that all interests were taken care of in the memorandum of understanding, including that of the locals. Palmnto Nigeria Limited, the Kabiyesi and land owners are one in accord. In our MOU, it is a win-win situation for the investors, the land owners and to the people of Badagry. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is already spelt out. It is the indigenes that will occupy a certain layer here in terms of employment. The market itself, the community will have a certain percentage reserved for them. Even if we say the market is for everybody, you know that it is not everybody that will have it. But what is important is that the interest of every stakeholder has been taken care of. First Bank, one of the financial institutions involved in the project, pledged its readiness to see to the attainment of the dream while the Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) promised to provide all the foreign exchange components of the project. Even ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed his support. In a personal letter addressed to the Badagry monarch, he regretted that his schedule would not allow him to be present at the occasion, but prayed for its success. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Okowa calls for commensurate efforts to check effects of population growth DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has said growth in Nigerias population will continue to pose a threat until there are commensurate efforts to provide amenities. A nation that prides itself on number instead of the quality of life of the people is heavily challenged, the Governor said. Governor Okowa spoke on Sunday at the 70th birthday and retirement thanksgiving service organised in honour of Prof. Sam Ukala at Our Saviour s Chapel, Delta State University, Abraka. From left; Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Prof. Sam Ukala; his wife, Mrs. Grace; Hon. Evans Ivwurie and his wife, during the Governors arrival to the 70th Birthday Thanksgiving Service in Hounor of Prof. Ukala, at Our Saviours Chapel, Delta State University Abraka. He asserted, we are celebrating high numbers at a time when our economy is not in the best of state, so, there is a huge problem because, for so many years, there has been dysfunctionality in terms of our economic growth and the growth of the population. Even when our gross domestic product (GDP) tended to be high, it was still dysfunctional because it was GDP that flowed from oil production and sales of oill and oil production does not create jobs comparatively, so, there is something wrong and until we begin to look at all the issues, it will continue to be a problem, he added while calling on Nigerians to reduce the children they bore. The Governor congratulated Prof. Ukala and urged him and other retirees to engage in mentorship A lot of our people are looking for role models, and we need a lot of retirees to guide the younger generation, the Governor said, adding that Clergymen should also pray for God to direct the affairs of the nation. Governor Okowa who was accompanied to the service by top political office holders also decried the level of cultism in institutions of higher learning in the country, saying Christians in such institutions should embark on evangelism to change the minds of such students. Rev. Cannon Obed Chukwuka at a sermon decried unrighteousness in the country which has hindered the growth of the country. Nigeria as a nation is in terrible time, you are not sure of going to church without being killed, more blood have been shed in recent times, nepotism as it exist in this country is corruption and we pray for new breed of leaders, Rev. Chukwuka said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | 10 dead as armed bandits attack mine field in Kaduna - Armed bandits attacked a mine field in Mahanga village, Birnin Gawri local government area of Kaduna state - The attack left nine miners dead, while 13 people were critically injured - The Kaduna state police command said the situation is now under control The Kaduna state police command has confirmed that 10 miners were killed by armed bandits in Birnin Gawri local government area. The commissioner of police in the state, Austin Iwar, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Sunday., April 29 NAN reports that the 10 local miners were working in a mine field in Mahanga village in Birnin Gwari local government of Kaduna state. READ ALSO: Home Of Ohanaeze Ndigbo president reportedly bombed On Saturday, nine miners were killed and were buried, while 13 people were critically injured. Six were hospitalised at the General Hospital, Birnin Gwari, while seven were transferred to Kaduna for treatment. Today, one out of the 13 injured miners died and increased the death toll to 10, he said. He added that the situation was now under control and that security operatives had been posted to flash points to forestall a reprisal attack. We are meeting with stakeholders to see that this incident does not re-occur, he added. Iwar also said no arrest had been made while investigation was ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident . We are investigating to see first the reason why it happened and the immediate cause. This is to enable us identify the culprits and arrest them to face the law, he said Iwar assured the public that the suspects would be arrested and prosecuted. Earlier, NAIJ.com reported that an attack by suspected bandits on Kuru-Kuru and Jarkuka villages in Anka local government area of Zamfara state has reportedly left at least 20 people dead. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Daily Trust, citing account of witnesses reported that the gunmen earlier attacked Kuru-Kuru village and were planning to launch a fresh attack on another village nearby when the residents of Jarkuka village mobilised to offer help to those under attack at Kuru-Kuru. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the bandits attacked a mining site at Kuru-kuru village and also ambushed some people from the neighbouring Jarkuka village as they mobilised to bring help to Kuru-kuru. TY Danjuma, Nigerian army and the herdsmen crisis on NAIJ.com TV. [embedded content] Subscribe to watch new videos Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | President Buhari arrives Washington to hold talks with Trump, others President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday arrived Washington DC ahead of his 4-day working visit to the United States. The presidential aircraft carrying President Buhari and members of his entourage had left the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Saturday at about 11.35p.m. A Presidency twitter handle tagged; @NGRPresident, confirmed the arrival of the President in Washington on Sunday at about 4.20p.m(Nigerian time) USA Arrival photo: President Buhari with Nigerian Ambassador to USA Amb. Sylvanus Nsofor, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Governor Simon Lalung of Plateau State, Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Monsurat Sunmonu and Minister of Foreign Affairs geoffrey Onyeama shortly after arriving Washington DC ahead of his Working Visit on 29th April 2018 It said President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Washington DC ahead of his working visit to the United States. He will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House onMonday. President Muhammadu Buhari will left Abuja on Saturday on an official working visit to the United States of America, on the invitation of President Donald Trump. The Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, had on Friday in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari while in America would hold bilateral meeting with President Trump and would later have a working lunch on April 30. According to Adesina, the meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries. He said the meeting would also advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security. The meeting will further deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigerias economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership. Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry, he added. He said that ahead of the visit by the President, meetings had been scheduled on April 26 and 27, between senior Nigerian government officials and executives of major U.S. companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation. He said that in the area of aviation, the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project. The presidential aide said: On agriculture, they will meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment. In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession. In the interim phase, a substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalized to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated two billion dollars to modernize the rail line from Lagos to Kano (Western Line) and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri (Eastern Line). During the meeting, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed. He further disclosed that Nigerian officials would also meet with US-EXIM Bank and the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements. It is noteworthy that in 2017, Nigerias Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the United States Department of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and encourage commercial and investment ties between Nigeria and the United States. This is with initial focus on infrastructure, agriculture, digital economy, investment and regulatory reforms. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Killings, $496m military aircraft: NASS lacks the power to summon President Nwabueze By Clifford Ndujihe LEGAL Icon and elder statesman, Professor Ben Nwabueze, SAN, has picked holes in the National Assemblys summoning of President Muhammadu Buhari to address it on recurring killings in the country and why he paid $496 million to the United States of America for military aircraft without the legislators approval. Buhari-Dogara-Saraki In a letter to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, dated April 27, Professor Nwabueze said though President Buhari erred in not getting the approval of the lawmakers before paying for the Tucano aircraft, he is not one of those that could be summoned by the Nationa Assembly as provided for in Section 89 (1) (c)of the Constitution. The letter read in part: I commend you (Senate President Saraki) for the courage of the role you play in checkmating the incipient dictatorship of President Buhari. It is, to me, simply unpardonable that he should pay out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the sum of U.S. four hundred and ninety six million dollars ($496,000,000) for the purchase of military aircraft without the authorization of the National Assembly as specifically required by section 80 of the Constitution in the expectation, as he puts it in his letter, that the National Assembly would have no objection. Yet summoning him to appear before the National Assembly to address it on the state of the nation and to answer questions in explanation of his actions raises questions as to whether the National Assembly has the power to so summon him, and whether it is proper for it to do so. The word summon is defined by the dictionary as a command or order by authority to appear. It is true that section 89(1)(c) of the Constitution empowers the Senate or the House of Representatives to summon any person in Nigeria but the President is not covered within the meaning of the term any person under the section because he is also the Head of State so proclaimed by Section 130(2). The term any person must therefore be viewed within the context of the concept of the State and the concept of Head of State. These are very complex concepts which I have tried to explain in one of my books. I quote from it as follows: The next development in the concept of a state was its linkage to the idea of sovereignty, a process of thought which was progressively developed to a point where the state itself was proclaimed sovereign. This is not unintelligible. Legal sovereignty is an attribute of government, and since the state is government transmuted into a corporation, the sovereignty associated with government must inure to the state. Important implications flow from the conception of the state as a distinct corporate entity separate from the organs of government. It creates the necessity for someone to represent it or even to personify and embody it, although the idea of someone personifying and embodying the state is unnecessary and subversive of the concept. Secondly, invested, as it is, with perpetuity, the state does not derive its existence from the constitution of the government; it is independent of it, with the result that the destruction of the constitution and of the organs of government established by it leaves the state unaffected, but this is disputed in some quarters. As the repository of the title and ceremonies of the sovereignty associated with the government, the state has invested in it the symbolic authority and majesty that go with them. The separateness of the state from government is underlined not only by the greater authority and majesty inhering in it (the state) but also by the fact that the headship of the state is a position distinct and different from that of head of government, and carries with it a certain inherent authority and dignity not possessed by the head of government. He embodies the majesty and authority of the state and, as some say, he incarnates the state, i.e. he is the state a rather extravagant assertion The position of head of state has been aptly described by Oppenheim as follows: As a State is an abstraction from the fact that a multitude of individuals lives in a country under a sovereign government, every State must have a Head as its highest organ which represents it within and without its borders, in the totality of its relations.. The Head of a State as its chief organ and representative in the totality of its international relations, acts for his State in its international intercourse, with the consequence that all his legally relevant international acts are considered to be acts of his State. The separateness of the state from the government has tended in practice to be blurred by the union of the two offices of head of state and head of government in the same person in most countries, and, in countries where they are not so united, by the virtual reduction of the head of state to a figurehead, implying that only the government, but not the state, has an effective, significant existence. This should not be so. A head of state is a position that implies more than a figurehead. It is a position that ought conceptually and logically to be, and function as, a moderating agency, as a balance sheet to the constitution intervening when the political authorities or forces seem to be out of alignment with one another. The concept of a head of state as a moderating agency is perhaps best effectuated by the provision in the Constitution of the French Fifth Republic (1958) and the Constitution of Romania (1991) under which the President of the Republic, as Head of State, is invested with power to secure respect for the Constitution, to secure, by his arbitration, the regular functioning of the governing authorities as well as the continuity of the state, and to serve as guarantor of national independence and territorial integrity. To this end, he is to take all such actions as may be required for dealing with a grave and immediate danger threatening the integrity of the state or its institutions and authority. Besides, section 89 of the Constitution specifically provides that the power of the National Assembly to summon any person in Nigeria is subject to all just exceptions. The exemption of the Head of State from the power is surely one of the just exceptions. Whilst President Buhari by his actions and utterances may have brought humiliation and degradation to himself as President, he remains our Head of State, and should be treated as such, and accorded all the pomp and dignity appertaining to the office. He is entitled to appear before the National Assembly whenever he chooses to do so in order to deliver a state of the nation address, but whenever he goes to the National Assembly for this purpose he does so in state. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Nobody Can Intimidate Me Obasanjo Insists On Forming Coalition To Remove Buhari In 2019 Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that nobody can intimidate him on the third force, the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), that he has been promoting across the country in order to rescue the country from collapse. Speaking on Saturday while inaugurating the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) in Oyo state, former President Olusegun Obasanjo says the head of anyone who wants things to continue this way in Nigeria must be examined. He recalled how former Military Head of State, the late Gen Sani Abacha jailed him for an offence he did not commit, asking for the whereabouts of Abacha today. According to Obasanjo, For me, I dont think there is anyone that can intimidate me. Let me remind you, I have gone through many things. I have been jailed without committing any offence. Where is the person that jailed me? Obasanjo, who urged members of the movement, which he said would become a political party soon, not to give in to any form of intimidation from the powers that be either individually or collectively, Though speaking in parables, he inferred that God that made if possible for a sitting president to be defeated in 2015, would also make it possible for another sitting president to be defeated again in 2019, saying it is time for the youths to take over. His words: Some people believe that those that are in position, whether they are doing well or not, they must continue to be there. But when we say they must not be there, they will want to fight back. They will hold many things to wreak havoc, but everybody must be prepared. It will not be easy to wrest powers from them. If you think it will be easy to liberate Nigeria, you are deceiving yourself. But the God that did it yesterday, will do it again today. We have seen this before. In this Nigeria, we have had a situation that we had five political parties and the five parties nominated one person as candidate for presidency. If only his nuclear family has voted for him, he would have won. Our God is wonderful. God laughed. Now, God is laughing. When the time came, God revealed that Hes God. He is the omnipotent, omnipresent and eternal, who can do all things and who can make all things possible. But if we are leaving things to God, we have to do our own side. Obasanjo also made reference to the letter he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari in January, saying he is capable of withstanding any situation. Take note, they will threaten you, but dont be discouraged. It is only cowards who run away from the war front. Having gone this far, I wont leave you dry. Get your PVC. I dont think anybody can threaten me again. Remember I have been to prison for an offence I do not know anything about, he said. I dont think at my age, I should continue to complain and not find solution. It came in my statement on the 3rd of January that CNM was made out of the reality of the situation in Nigeria, deep thought and reasonable consideration. CNM is to find solution to the situation we have found ourselves. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Was the Russia collusion hoax invented to cover up the truth about the DNCs Awan scandal that funneled U.S. intelligence secrets to Pakistan? For the past year-and-a-half, Democrats have been obsessed with trying to convince the American public that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, fueling an endless witch hunt based on nothing but empty conspiracy theories. But it turns out that the whole charade could be serving as a coverup for the Hillary Clinton email server, and particularly the newly-released information about Pakistani Mystery Man Imran Awan. Awan, as we earlier reported, is the foreign agent who was hired by his best friend, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to manage the email server for the House of Representatives. Imrans entire family, in fact, ended up being hired by the Democrats to serve as email server administrators, which the House Inspector general described as giving them the keys to the kingdom in accessing any private file that they wished. It all ties in to Hillary Clintons 33,000-plus deleted emails and other criminal, and potentially treasonous, activity that took place when the Democrats were the dominant party in the House during the Obama years. Its a very serious case that could land many top-level politicians, including Clinton and Obama, in prison, which would explain why the Russian collusion hoax continues to dominate the mainstream media headlines. So what do we now know about Imran that suggests the Democrats are using the Russian collusion narrative as a cover for their own crimes? As covered by The Daily Caller: 1. Imran had worked for Debbie Wasserman Schultz since 2004 and had all of the passwords to her various devices. As revealed by WikiLeaks when searching for the name Awan Imran, this foreign national was actually summoned by the DNC when it needed him to unlock and procure access to Schultzs devices. 2. During the 2016 election, the Houses Office of Inspector General warned that Imran and his family had unauthorized access to sensitive data. A presentation given on September 30, 2016, shows that Imran Awan and his family were still logging into the servers of House members who had previously fired him. It was shown that he was funneling data from the network while taking steps to conceal these crimes. 3. Awan family had full access to House computer network until February 2, 2017, just days after Trumps inauguration. It wasnt until President Trumps crew took the reigns that the Awan family was finally restricted from accessing confidential information that it never should have had access to in the first place. 4. Following the release of the IG report in September 2016, the Caucus server containing primary evidence in the cybersecurity case physically disappeared. In other words, the Democrats appear to have knowingly destroyed evidence in a federal case. 5. Schultz refuses to fire Imran, even after he was accused of committing serious cybersecurity crimes. Even though she had just lost her job as DNC chair, and knowing that Imran was under investigation for committing cybersecurity crimes, Debbie Wasserman Schultz refused to fire Imran Awan. 6. Laptop containing username RepDWS found in phone booth after Imran banned from network. Not long after Imran was banned from accessing the House network, a laptop containing the username RepDWS, pointing to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was found in a phone booth in Washington, D.C. Schultz still refused to fire Imran at this point, insisting that it was not her laptop. 7. Prosecutors arrest Imran at airport after he began liquidating assets. Imran and his wife had wired $300,000 to Pakistan from their federal retirement accounts, prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to arrest Imran at the airport, at which point he was charged with bank fraud. His wife, however, was allowed to leave the country. Read the full report on the Imran Awan scandal at the Daily Caller, and check out Clinton.news for breaking news headlines on the Clinton scandals. Sources for this article include: DailyCaller.com NaturalNews.com Thats terrible. I cant imagine being exposed like that. Must have taken a toll on her. I hope shes gotten better and also doesnt call black folk niggers anymore. Reply Thread Link lmao i like how this comment was overlooked. like mte but fuck you still hilton Reply Parent Thread Link Lmfao mte Reply Parent Thread Link Also all her homophobic comments even though the gays loved her in her hayday. Reply Parent Thread Link Damn I did not expect this comment to end with a bang Reply Parent Thread Link wait....didn't she release that right before the simple life for publicity? or am i making that up? or was it just weird timing? either way, poor that. Edited at 2018-04-29 06:47 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I truly believe Salmon leaked it without her permission to fuck things up. I also truly believe Kim leaked her own video because she knew it will benefit her career. Reply Parent Thread Link It was definitely her ex. Reply Parent Thread Link That's what I thought Reply Parent Thread Link Rick leaked it a few weeks before the Simple Life. She didnt leave her house for a few months after it leaked. The film did get officially released, Paris made no money off of it. Reply Parent Thread Link leaking it is one thing but how is it possible that it was released to dvd and sold in stores without her permission? Reply Parent Thread Link i could have sworn she settled with vivid or whatever company distributed it. again, i could be wrong. the timing was just oddly suspicious. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yeah, i thought she was in on it, but i guess not. Reply Parent Thread Link Rick definitely leaked it without her permission, probably to fuck her over right before her debut. There's video of her from Paris Carriage that shows her or Nicky on the phone with some guy she met through Rick and he's like "yeah idk anything about it but he's a shit he probably did it, also he got me into drugs" and she's like visibly upset that it was out there, and also is like "yeah he got me into drugs too when I was 17" :/ Reply Parent Thread Link thats terrible. and its awful that she still felt she could vote for an actual rapist for president despite her experiences. Reply Thread Link you're missing nothing tbh. the only celebrity sex tapes i'm here for are colin farell's, and sam jones III from smallville with his sexy, big black dick lol Reply Parent Thread Link I couldnt even enjoy Colins cause of his bald head. All I see is Mr. Clean gone bad and not so clean. Then theres the cat in the video that just throws me even more. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Colin saying he could eat the pussy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Colin Farrell seems so sad and uncomfortable when people bring his sex tape up. Reply Parent Thread Link Sam Jones has one??! I never really watched Smallville liked that be he was fine af to me back in the day. Colin Farells Id be here for, since Im assuming it was back in the day? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link bruh wtf Reply Parent Thread Link She literally says that the release of the tape made it feel like she was being raped and you're "curious to watch it?" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link What is wrong with you? Why would you like to watch it? Reply Parent Thread Link Really? In a post where the person in the video talks about wanting to die because the video was leaked? Reply Parent Thread Link maybe read the headline of the post before commenting weird shit Reply Parent Thread Expand Link You continue to be...this. Why? Just WHY Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Literally zero decency. Edited at 2018-04-29 07:26 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Shit like this is why I can't feel bad when people come for you on here. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I hope you're not still curious to watch it after reading the headline/post. I hope you're not still curious to watch it after reading the headline/post. Reply Parent Thread Link Hm Reply Thread Link Is leaking pornography of someone not a form of sexual assault? I think this is one of the rare "like rape" moments where I'll give it to her, I would probably feel the exact same if that ever happened to me. Also re: Simple Life...uh...she's pretty much been playing that character (to a lesser degree) ever since. Is that also calculated or just who she is lol? Reply Thread Link I think because she consented to the video and he technically owned the video he didn't need her permission to release it? I can't remember the details it was so long ago. Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh that's awful Reply Parent Thread Link That's not how it works. At least, not now. You need to permission of everyone in the video to legally post it. Every site has an area where you can file a report demanding videos be taken down if you are in them and did not consent. Of course, if it actually gets taken down or not depends on how ethical the admins are. And, admittedly, this was at least ten years ago so idk if things were different then. He definitely wouldn't have legally been allowed to sell it, though. You need signed contracts from everyone in the video to sell on porn sites, I also don't know if this was ever sold tho, or if it just floated around on tubes sites (or I guess it would've been on shit like kazzaa back then??) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i think it is now with revenge porn laws but it took a while for policy to catch up with reality Reply Parent Thread Expand Link That's the shitty thing. When it happened to her, people blamed her more than the asshole who destroyed her trust and leaked it without her permission. Even now, people will say, "Well. You shouldn't have posted it for that person and you deserve it." Without thinking, "Hey. Maybe the asshole who posted this is a fucking jerk who is not honest and at the first sign of trouble, leaks shit because they're the shitty petty assholes." Reply Parent Thread Link it was disgusting then, and it's still disgusting. i feel bad for anyone who has their privacy invaded like this. Reply Thread Link I totally believe Salomon released it without her consent, in hindsight it was really horrible and disgusting because he was in his 30s and she was just a teenager, but the media really demonized her and blamed her for it because women deserve to be slutshamed at any age right? Fucking gross Reply Thread Link Wasn't she reportedly out of it (i.e., on drugs) during the video? So it's not like she could've consented to any of this. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Its possible. Idt the courts were in her favor honestly. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't remember that tbh Reply Parent Thread Link I remember people saying her family just attempted to use that as a legal defense to block it. Though the cloud of sexism and media reporting, do with that what you will. Reply Parent Thread Link according to some of the leaked tapes in her storage unit rick was the one who got her into hard drugs Reply Parent Thread Link I haven't seen the sex part of the video for obvious reasons but I remember a clip from it of the two of them talking / her talking to the camera was up on youtube or efukt or some similarly dark corner of the internet at one point and she was super super obviously not sober at all. I remember her sounding high af (although this was when I was in high school so I could be remembering wrong but lbr she was on a shit ton of drugs back then). Reply Parent Thread Link No one deserves that happening to them. She was ridiculed for ages about it. Reply Thread Link ok except, we know from other sex tapes that were blocked in court that it can't be released without both parties consent. especially as it was released from a porn studio. idk. Reply Thread Link There weren't revenge porn laws back then, so as long as she was of legal age and consented to the video being taken of her, that was all it took for them to legally distribute it. Reply Parent Thread Link except even wikipedia does state she signed off on it being distributed. this wasn't leaked on the internet like colin farrel's tape, this was a big media release from a porn company and that shit is bound by law. if she regrets signing off on it, that's totally understandable. revenge porn comes under a different heading and dear god those laws were and are overdue. geez peeps, I'm not going haha look at her. I was simply questioning the legality of the distribution. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It's just such a horrible thing to do to someone. I have such trust issues, this would be so crushing. Reply Thread Link trash person and documentary Reply Thread Link mte she was in on the release and she's now capitalising on the me too movement. she has no shame. reality tv existed prior to the simple life. now she's acting like she's some pioneer. the only new side that show failed to show was her racist ass Reply Parent Thread Link Right !fuck this racist pos Reply Parent Thread Link Revenge porn is such an awful thing. I'm glad the laws are catching up. It's such a violation. You put your trust in someone and then they go and do this? There's apparently a site going around my town that has nudes of girls on it and while I don't know the website, I wish it would be taken down. I hope whoever made it gets arrested and charged. Piece of shit. Reply Thread Link Sometimes its not even about trust. Some people (like that disgusting governor) get photos and videos through force and coercion and use that to keep their victims compliant. Reply Parent Thread Link True. I forgot about that. I had these assholes try to have me send them topless pics so they could blackmail me later, but obvi I didn't do it because I knew what pieces of shit they were. I would've been royally fucked if I did. I never was so thankful for low self-esteem before. Who knows what they would've made me do. :/ Reply Parent Thread Link what gov did that? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link No apologies necessary. She wasn't even taking a shot at her looks. Another confirmation that Republicans literally don't understand comedy. Reply Thread Link The problem isn't the Repubs not getting it, it's in their best interest not to. It's MSM that is the real problem here, and why this country has been fucked over with not just '16, but going back to Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry. The vast majority of the MSM continually takes up Repubs false narratives (Michelle Wolfe made fun of the way SHS looks --she's terrible! we're the REAL victims!) and not only doesn't just call it out for the lie it is, they amplify the lie by given it tons of air/ink/internet time. AND as a topper, actually then become complicit it in, by also piling on (did the same with Gore, Kerry, Hillary and now here). They do the latter so they won't be seen as, 'too Liberal.' Which is also a lie created by the Repubs to destroy what the press does, in the few times it actually does its job. And for access, i.e. cash. It's especially funny/sad that the MSM is carrying the water for the Orange Asshole, who continually says they're all liars, wants to do away with the 1st Amendment, tries to get certain ones fired, insults their looks, and with his rhetoric/idiot followers, created an atmosphere that puts them in physical danger. The press was in pens where they were threatened with death at *45 rallies. Certain female reporters had to be escorted to their cars with police, because of the physical danger that Dotard's supporters posed to them. And yet they carried the Repub water against Hillary tirelessly in the run up to '16 election that helped get Orange Asshat "elected," so that Orange jackass could threaten them with even more power. It's typical how Rethugs denigrate the MSM for fake reasons, calling it Liberal, when Liberals are the ones being shafted for it. When worse, it's Liberals that are (wrongly) protecting these nitwits with their dollars (CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE NYTIMES!) and yet have actual factual reasons for hating the press. Harvard, Columbia Journalism studies laid how how they failed in '16 alone. There is a lot more evidence of their previous failures. Reply Parent Thread Link The biggest problem with the MSM is a lot of them are liberals who are terrified of being called the "B" word by republicans - bias. So they often times over-react and get on their sanctimonious high horses when it comes to precisely situations like this so they can look as unbiased as possible and it's annoying as fuck. I'm p. sure they've said worst about Trump, Kellyanne and Sanders in private so them clutching their pearls is a joke. Reply Parent Thread Link Perfect comment! Reply Parent Thread Link Yep...conservatives getting offended is what's expected. But these non-conservative journalists think they are god's gift to earth in 2018 because we are in an age where free press is constantly being attacked by the administration. What they don't understand is that no one would give a shit about them if Trump wasn't president. They are only useful to us because they (attempt to) expose the BS in Washington. That is why it is HILARIOUS to me that they are offended by her comments: because Trump is in the WH, they think they are above criticism and not a part of the problem. One liberal journalist on Twitter said that Michelle's speech helped further the divide between Trump supporters and journalists. Are you fucking kidding me?! How about you shut the fuck up and do your job. You don't get to define what it means to have journalistic integrity only after you've failed to display it. I'm so annoyed rn lmao. This is why I'd rather get half-assed news from late-night shows like Colbert and Kimmel than turn on CNN. Reply Parent Thread Link I dont understand the issue? Like what are journalists upset with? Do they ignore what trump says and does ? Its like with trump and his presidency they send to ignore everything ? Reply Thread Link Jay summed it up tbh Let me clue you into something, Washington press corps. Because you may cover politics, but you have no political sense of self. The people who support what you do are outraged by @PressSec's normal behavior. The people who support @PressSec's normal behavior are outraged by you. Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) April 29, 2018 There is no issue lbr. Michelle called them all out for being complicit in this admin full of pathological liars and propagandists and profiting off of Trump with airtime and books and they didn't like it - so instead they're all going to whine about a joke that had zero to do with her looks. Meanwhile SHS stands up there and gaslights the world every single day for a racist bully sexual predator shithead and they do nothing about it. In a perfect world all of these garbage journalists propping up a horrible administration will be remembered for what they are: spineless cowards who stood by and did nothing while the country burned.Jay summed it up tbh Reply Parent Thread Link mte you beat me to it. Maggie is protesting too much. Reply Parent Thread Link Isnt Maggie anti trump who gets inside sources ? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Haberman is a garbage person and it's pretty clear that SHS is one of the leakers she has access with. I'm also tired of people being like "well Maggie does break some good stories so we have to excuse her" logic that always happens. And not only is she dead wrong but she's always so goddamn condescending about it. She's incapable of admitting mistakes. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Seriously, she's so embarrassing. Reply Parent Thread Link the fact that multiple people asked her what was mean about michelle's comment and she couldnt give a straight answer (or an answer at all) speaks volume. shes a pos. Reply Parent Thread Link She's insufferable. Her sanctimonious tweets lead me to believe she's got thoughts on SHS appearance, not the comedian or the ashes/smokey eye joke. Reply Parent Thread Link lol yep maggie is a damn mess Reply Parent Thread Link drag ha Reply Parent Thread Link lmao she sucks Reply Parent Thread Link The ones complaining are just trying to keep their access to sources at the white house. Reply Thread Link Oh my god they are such baaaaaaaabies damn Reply Thread Link I'm on the no apology crowd. We have a madman in the whitehouse. daily he insults women, minorities, and anyone who annoys him. every single day. he's made legislation that is going to kill people. lots of people. Them acting like they are so offended is so damn insulting when they have no spine and aren't going after the Monster in Chief. Reply Thread Link lol and conservatives think liberals are sensitive special snowflakes and are allowing 'PC culture' to ruin comedy Reply Thread Link Seriously, the hypocrisy is so transparent. Reply Parent Thread Link Rules for thee but none for me Reply Parent Thread Link this is the most frustrating thing Reply Parent Thread Link This is some Grade-Fucking-A horse shit!!! What kind of fuck shit are these jackasses on???? SHS gets white-knighted by a few journalists over Smokey eye shadow while Kellyanne Conway publicly calls April Ryan "Miss Piggy" but yes, defend the deplorables! Edited at 2018-04-29 10:38 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link this is honestly straight up ridiculous. why are they more upset about the smokey eye than about the actual lying part of the joke? everyone's been saying that this is all posturing bc that goblin sarah is the source of WH leaks and i believe it. Reply Thread Link I like Michelle's (and some other people's) responses to mika and maggie basically saying that she DIDN'T comment on SHS's appearance, but the fact that they interpreted it as an insult to her looks says more about what they think of SHS Reply Parent Thread Link I've seen a few people on twitter point this out and it's really accurate. It definitely says way more about them that that's where their mind immediately went Reply Parent Thread Link Lol yup. Reply Parent Thread Link I love Cher. Her tweets re: Trump and the administration are GREAT. Reply Thread Link +1 Cher has been such a light. Reply Parent Thread Link The entire point of this dinner is that people come expecting to be made fun of or to hear offensive things being said. She shouldn't have to apologize, especially considering how the White House operates nowadays. Reply Thread Link Do you think they are conscious of the fact they are infantalizing SHS because she's a woman? Reply Parent Thread Link i wonder why it's shs in particular though. like michelle also called ivanka full of shit, but everyone's focusing on sarah. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link she called it a "perfect smoky eye" so if anything, she was complimenting her appearance while criticizing her ethics and it's totally insane people are trying to say otherwise. Reply Parent Thread Link People are alarmingly bad at identifying the butt of a joke. Too many people kind of suck when it comes to nuance. Alarming is the correct word for it Reply Parent Thread Link Were journalists upset with Obama or Clintons or bushes dinners? It seems wiry trump like its just ok to be fine with he does and move along Reply Thread Link hon, you gotta google this Reply Parent Thread Link I figire Ontd has better answers then google. So its what I do Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Sorry people are rude to you on here. At these dinners, the media has ALWAYS been made fun of. They usually don't get too upset and tend to laugh it off. I think that today's liberal media is offended this time because they think they are god's gift to earth in an age where free press is constantly being attacked by the administration. They think they are above criticism because they try to expose the BS in Washington. But what they don't understand is that just because they're more important now more than ever, it doesn't mean they don't deserve to get called out on their bullshit. Reply Parent Thread Link Hundreds of Rohingya staged a demonstration Sunday as UN Security Council envoys visited refugee camps in Bangladesh where about 700,000 people who have fled Myanmar in the past year have sought sanctuary. Some of the Muslim refugees broke down in tears as they told the ambassadors harrowing stories of murder and rape in Myanmar. The demonstrators waved placards demanding justice for atrocities against the refugees until they were dispersed by police. Senior diplomats from the 15-member Security Council -- including permanent members the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday for a four-day visit to the camps. They will go on to Myanmar where they are to meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar has faced intense international pressure over the military clampdown against the Rohingya launched last August that the United Nations has called "ethnic cleansing". The Security Council has called for the safe return of the Rohingya and an end to the discrimination against them. However, deputy Russian ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy, whose country has supported Myanmar, warned that the council did not have a "magic stick" to resolve what is now one of the world's worst refugee crises. "We are not looking away from this crisis, we are not closing our eyes," the Russian diplomat told reporters. Britain's UN ambassador Karen Pierce said the Rohingya "must be allowed to go home in conditions of safety". "It may take some time but we'd like to hear from the government of Myanmar how they wish to work with the international community," she said. - Safety needed - The UN envoys first visited Konarpara camp, a no man's land between Bangladesh and Myanmar where some 6,000 Rohingya have been trapped on bleak scrubland since the bloodshed began last year. The camp's Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad said council envoys spoke with some women victims of the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, as well as community elders. "We told them that we're staying here to save our lives. We're very much eager to go back to our land, provided our security is ensured by the UN," Mohammad told AFP. Later, the diplomats went to the giant Kutupalong camp where hundreds of Rohingya staged the protest that was dispersed by police before the envoys arrived. A second was later held in the camp. "We want restoration of our citizenship under Rohingya ethnicity. We want security and return of our confiscated land and properties," said Rohingya leader Mohibullah. The council members were "shocked" by the accounts of rapes, murders and torture endured by the Rohingya in Rakhine, according to Mohibullah. Myanmar has said the military operation in Rakhine was to root out extremists and has rejected nearly all allegations that its security forces committed atrocities. The Security Council delegation is to meet with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday before leaving for Myanmar. They are to go on a helicopter flight over Rakhine to see the remains of villages torched during the violence. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the visit was not about "naming and shaming" Myanmar, but that "the message will be very clear for them: the international community is following the situation and has great interest in resolving it." On Friday, Human Rights Watch called for the Rohingya crisis to be referred to the International Criminal Court. "The lack of a UN Security Council resolution has left the Myanmar government convinced that it has literally gotten away with mass murder," HRW executive director Kenneth Roth told reporters in Yangon. Credit: CC0 Public Domain For more than 200,000 years, Neanderthals successfully occupied the cold, dark forests and shores of Europe. Then early humans came along. Archaeological evidence suggests that human migrants from Africa arrived on the European continent around 40,000 years ago. About that same time, the Neanderthals all died off. For decades, anthropologists have puzzled over what factors contributed to this rapid and total replacement of Neanderthals by their modern human cousins. Now, a multi-disciplinary team including mechanical engineers, neuroscientists and physical anthropologists have provided a new clue to this mystery by creating the first digital reconstruction of four Neanderthal brains. By comparing these brains with an average human brain, the authors suggest that different ways of processing information may have helped humans outcompete their hominid cousins. The work was published Thursday in Scientific Reports. To reconstruct a Neanderthal brain, the authors started by measuring the overall shape of the inside of four Neanderthal skulls. Next, they created an "average" digital modern human brain and skull by combining MRI data of more than 1,000 modern humans. Once they had these two measurements, they were able to use a computer program to warp the size and shape of the human brain to match the shape of the interior of the Neanderthals' skulls in a process called deformation. This method is not entirely untested. The authors report that the same process has been shown to effectively re-create the structure of a bonobo brain by morphing a chimpanzee brain, and vice versa. Using this technique, the researchers discovered that while the two types of brains were about the same size, there was a clear difference in shape. In particular, the authors found that the cerebellum, a region of the brain that lies toward the lower back of our heads, was significantly larger in humans than in Neanderthals. This part of the brain is associated with speech comprehension and production, working memory and cognitive flexibility, said Naomichi Ogihara, a mechanical engineer at Keio University in Yokohama, Japan, who worked on the study. And in this region of the brain, size does matter. The researchers demonstrated this by looking at data on brain size and abilities from 1,095 people that showed a clear relationship between the size of the cerebellum and language comprehension and cognitive flexibility. The authors propose that because of their relatively small cerebellums, Neanderthals may have been less able to adapt to changes in the environment compared with the early human invaders, giving the humans a tremendous advantage. However, the team's reconstructions also suggested Neanderthals did have at least one advantage over early humans. The visual processing center of their brains, known as the occipital lobe, was larger than their human counterparts. Ogihara said the Neanderthals may have developed this adaptation in response to the low light levels in Europe compared with Africa, but it could have hindered them from expanding the cerebellum. If that is indeed the case, this volumetric trade-off worked for a very long timeuntil it didn't. Oh, and one more thing: Readers should remember, however, that this attempt to reconstruct the brain inside a fossil skull is new to the field, and perhaps could be improved upon in the future, Ogihara said. "We would like to further elaborate our methodology by exchanging thoughts and ideas with researchers in the related fields working on human brain evolution," he said. He'd also like to use this method to reconstruct the brains of other hominins in the future. Explore further Scientists set eyes on Neanderthal 'brain' More information: Takanori Kochiyama et al. Reconstructing the Neanderthal brain using computational anatomy, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Takanori Kochiyama et al. Reconstructing the Neanderthal brain using computational anatomy,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24331-0 2018 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. "I'm excited to announce that @TMobile & @Sprint have reached an agreement to come together to form a new company," T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced US wireless operators Sprint and T-Mobile will form a new company and push development of a super-fast 5G network, the heads of both firms said Sunday. The announcement came months after the two companies called off merger talks when they failed to clinch mutually agreeable terms. "I'm excited to announce that @TMobile & @Sprint have reached an agreement to come together to form a new companya larger, stronger competitor that will be a force for positive change for all US consumers and businesses!" T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced as part of a series of tweets about the tie-up. T-Mobile, a division of Germany's Deutsche Telekom, and Sprinta subsidiary of Japan's SoftBankare at present the third and fourth largest US wireless operators, respectively. Together they would have about 131 million subscribers, virtually matching second-ranked AT&T and posing stiff competition to market leader Verizon Communications. Sprint chief executive Marcelo Claure also used Twitter to announce "some incredibly exciting news - @Sprint and @TMobile are joining forces." He said they will "combine to create the most disruptive U.S. carrier!" In a video posted online the long-haired Legere and Claure, wearing a T-shirt, appeared side-by-side. Legere said "the New @TMobile will be the ONLY company able to bring a broad & deep nationwide 5G networksomething no US wireless company could achieve alone in the critical early years of 5G." In its first three years, the new firm will be able to invest around $40 billion, "nearly 50 percent more than both of us invested in the last three years," he said. '20,000 lost jobs' Legere announced that he would lead the new company as CEO, while T-Mobile's chief operating officer Mike Sievert would be president. T-Mobile is one of the biggest earners for its German parent. In 2017, it added 5.7 million net new customers compared with 8.2 million the previous year, but the hoped-for merger with Sprint fell through in November. At that time, the Communication Workers of America union had warned that a merger would result in the loss of at least 20,000 US jobs through store closings and other consolidation, while also harming consumers. The two firms had previously held talks in 2014 on a merger but ended discussions in the face of opposition from US regulators. 5G or fifth-generation wireless communication networks would enable services such as smart cities, remote surgery and driverless cars. The networks would allow customers to experience video and virtual reality with greater ease. Claure, who is also a partner in David Beckham's Miami Major League Soccer franchise, said "the difference between 4G and 5G is the difference between black-and-white TV and color TV." The first commercial 5G roll-outs begin this year and next in the United States, Korea and Japan, but industry players have cautioned development of 5G still has a long way to go. In February China's Huawei unveiled what it said is the world's first commercial chipset to meet the standards of 5G wireless networks. An unusual move by US President Donald Trump earlier this year to block a proposed takeover of Qualcomm by a chip rival then based in Singapore highlighted growing concerns about the rise of Chinese competitors. Trump's order made no mention of China, but a letter from the US Treasury Department warned that the mooted takeover by Broadcom might hurt US leadership in 5G. 5G will account for 14 percent of global wireless connections by 2025, according to GSMA, the global mobile operators association. Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Hoettges has estimated the cost of providing 5G networks in Europe alone will be EUR300-500 billion ($363-606 billion). The telecoms industry will invest $275 billion in the United States to develop 5G networks there, Claure said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. 2018 AFP ALBANY In New York state government news, the state wants more large-scale clean energy projects and Cynthia Nixon makes her first visit to Buffalo as a candidate for governor. A look at stories making news: CLEAN ENERGY With climate change and other environmental issues part of the political dialogue in the Democratic primary for governor, Cuomo says the state is again soliciting for large-scare renewable energy projects. The announcement was made two days after "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon participated in a march and rally held in Albany by environmentalists and other activists who are critical of Cuomo's efforts to combat climate change. Nixon took the opportunity to blast the two-term incumbent's environmental policies, saying he's not doing enough to reduce New York's use of fossil fuels. Around the time Nixon was joining hundreds of demonstrators at a rally outside the state Capitol, Cuomo announced he was introducing legislation that would ban all single-use, plastic carryout bags in New York state. Nixon, who supports placing a fee on plastic bags in New York City, was asked about the bag ban issue during her first campaign trip to Buffalo last Wednesday. 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. Read More On a bright and sunny but windy Saturday, 250 athletes gave it one last shot to qualify for the upcoming Summer Games as they tested their strength, stamina and determination at the annual Special Olympics Northern Santa Barbara County Harry Woods Area Games. Athletes from the Central Coast and Kern, Ventura and Los Angeles counties competed in events such as the softball throw, shot put, long jump and the standing short jump at Pioneer Valley High School. 042818 Special Olympics 02.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 01.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 03.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 04.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 05.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 06.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 07.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 08.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 09.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 10.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 11.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 12.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 13.jpg 042818 Special Olympics 14.jpg By Hasmik Mkrtchyan YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia's ruling party will not put up a candidate for prime minister, it said on Saturday, in a bid to ease tensions after more than two weeks of street protests against the ruling elite. Demonstrations against the party and official corruption forced Serzh Sarksyanm, a former president, to resign as prime minister last Monday and parliament is due to pick a new one on May 1. While its majority in parliament means it should be able to choose who that is, the Republican Party has decided not to put forward its own candidate. "By not putting forward a candidate, we will avoid confrontation and an increase in security risks," party spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov told reporters. "We are not putting anyone forward in the state's interest." Protest leader Nikol Pashinyan, a member of parliament who describes himself as "the people's choice", has said parliament should elect him prime minister next week. He then wants snap parliamentary polls under a new election law. On Saturday he called on supporters to continue protests and to organise big, non-violent demonstrations in the capital Yerevan on May 1. "All protest actions, actions of civil disobedience, should be renewed with new force. The victory of the people must be recognised," Pashinyan, 42, told a rally in the town of Ijevan. With the Republican Party's 58 seats in the 105-seat parliament, Pashinyan is unlikely to be elected without their support. However, the second biggest party in parliament, Prosperous Armenia, hinted it might support him. "My team and I will vote for a people's candidate, whether it's Nikol Pashinyan or anyone else nominated by the people," party leader Gagik Tsarukyan told Kentron TV. A junior coalition member, the Dashnaktsutyun Party, said this week it was quitting the government and favoured an early election, but it was unclear whether it would vote for Pashinyan who has a history of political activism and opposition. Story continues Although the demonstrations have been peaceful, the upheaval has threatened to destabilise Armenia, an ally of Russia, in a volatile region riven by Armenia's decades-long, low-level conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan. The next parliamentary elections are not due until 2022. But if parliament fails twice to elect a new prime minister with majority support, early elections must be held. (Additional reporting by Maxim Rodionov in Moscow; Writing by Polina Devitt/Andrew Osborn/Margarita Antidze; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Earlier this year, Cape Town grabbed the world's headlines as it careened towards a water armageddon. Crippled by a three-year-long drought, the South African city braced for a complete shutdown of domestic water supplies. In the event, Cape Town dodged the immediate bullet. But thousands of kilometres (miles) away, another African city has had far less luck -- and much less attention for its ordeal. "We haven't had a drop from our taps for three weeks," said a resident of Bouake, Ivory Coast's second largest city, while she awaited her turn to draw water from from a well. "The situation is catastrophic," said an employee of the state-run water distribution company, Sodeci, who asked not to be named. Located in grassy savanna around 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the Ivorian economic capital of Abidjan, Bouake is a city of more than half million souls, with a million more in surrounding territory. The area has been hit by a double whammy. The dammed lake that supplies 70 percent of the city's water has run dry. One factor is an unprecedented drought that has gripped the region -- a phenomenon in line with expert warnings about climate change. But another, says the territory's director for water affairs, Seydou Coulibaly, is the impact of unregulated sand quarrying, which has altered the course of waterways feeding the reservoir. "We are struggling to get clean water for drinking and cooking," computer technician Eliezer Konan told AFP. "Washing has become difficult. It's a real ordeal." In a bid to bring some relief, the city has begun drilling wells to obtain fresh water. "We have finished a first operation and we'll be moving on to the second site in two to three hours," Hassane Cousteau Cissoko, director of the drilling firm Foraci, said last Thursday in the Houphouetville district. In all, 10 wells will be linked by pipes to a Sodeci water tower, which will then be able to distribute two million litres (more than half a million gallons) of water per day. This will "relieve the population" but is far from enough to replace the usual supply from the Loka dam, Cissoko said. - 'Praying to God' - For now, Bouake hospital is being supplied by tanker trucks, along with the city's two prisons and the university campuses. Heavy rain fell one night last week, to the joy of many. "We collected lots of water that night. The heavy rain allowed us to fill all our receptacles," said Awa Coulibaly in the Belle Ville 1 district. "But once we've used up this hoard, what's going to happen then? We should go on praying to God for rain every day." In the Sokoura district, the owner of a car wash made the most of the downpour, selling jerrycans of 20 litres of water for 500 CFA francs (0.76 euro or $0.93) apiece. He was swiftly overwhelmed. No rain has fallen since, but in any event rainwater and tanks "are insufficient", said another resident, Mariam Konate. "The government must deal with this problem head on." Some people, however, long ago started to take precautionary measures. Aramata Toure, who sells vegetables in Dar-Es-Salam 1 district, has dug her own water supply. "Around here, it's the well water that we use, along with our neighbours," she said. But that is not a long-term solution for everybody. "Even the wells start to dry up when lots of people rush for water," said Amoin Konan of the Ahougnanssou district. The European Union's three largest economies agree on the need to be "ready to react" to trade tariffs imposed by the United States, France's presidency said Sunday. "The EU must be ready to react, if necessary, with efficiency and speed," it said in a statement after telephone talks between French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on the potential impact of new US tariffs. Crippling US tariffs on steel and aluminium are set to take effect on Tuesday, and key trading partners including the EU have urged the White House to exempt them from the additional cost. US President Donald Trump met last week with Macron and Merkel but gave no indication of whether or not he planned to exempt the EU, which last year exported over $7.7-billion of steel and aluminium to the US market. Eurozone powerhouse Germany last week said it expected Washington to impose the tariffs from May 1, although a key economic advisor to Trump hinted Thursday that concessions might be made to the EU. "It's very important that so many of our friends make some concessions with respect to trading practices, tariffs and taxes," National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told CNBC. He pointed to concerns about "equal treatment of automobiles" in the EU as an example. Macron, Merkel and May discussed the tariffs and said they "hope the United States doesn't take measures contrary to transatlantic interests," the Elysee statement said. Trump imposed the tariffs last month on national security grounds, saying cheap imports were undermining US producers crucial to military preparedness, but gave a temporary reprieve to the countries that are the main suppliers to the US market. The measures were targeted primarily at overproduction by China, which has been the key focus of Trump's combative trade policies. The EU has threatened to impose their own punitive tariffs on key US goods if they are not shielded from the steel and aluminium duties. In a state visit to Washington last week, Macron called for cooperation among allies on trade. "You don't make trade war with your allies," Macron warned addressed the US Congress. The three EU leaders also discussed the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump has threatened to scrap, the French presidency said. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is to meet President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, the first African leader to be received by Trump's White House administration. All eyes will be on Trump after he earlier called African nations "shithole" countries, a damaging remark he has since denied. Trump's relationship with the continent suffered a further setback in March when former secretary of state Rex Tillerson was fired while in Nigeria on his first trip to the continent. As a result, the visit revealed little about Trump's Africa policy. Buhari's visit comes after Trump met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday and French President Emmanuel Macron last week to discuss the contentious Iran nuclear deal and biting trade sanctions. According to a White House statement, the talks will focus on fighting terrorism and insecurity, economic growth and democratic development in Nigeria, set to hold presidential polls in February next year. Nigeria is entering its ninth year fighting Boko Haram extremists, who have devastated the northeast of the country and killed over 20,000 people in a bloody quest to establish an Islamist state. Buhari is also battling a so-called herdsmen crisis, a sectarian conflict hardening along religious lines that has claimed scores of lives this year in escalating violence. "I think both sides have a clear agenda in this meeting and it's security and economic issues. They both have something to gain," J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center at the Washington-based Atlantic Council, told AFP. "On President Trump's side, it's definitely putting that controversy behind him," Pham said. "On President Buhari's side, it's having the prominence of being the first African leader received at the White House in this administration." - Improved relations - In spite of Trump's remarks, Nigeria's relationship with the United States has improved since he came into office, according to Lauren Blanchard, African affairs specialist with the Congressional Research Service. "(The visit) is intended to signal that the United States continues to see Nigeria as one of its most important partners on the continent," Blanchard said. "Cooperation has improved over the course of President Buhari's tenure but not as fast as both sides would like," she added. Buhari, who like Trump has a tendency to make gaffes, had lambasted former President Barack Obama shortly after coming into office for refusing to sell Nigeria weapons to fight Boko Haram. "Unwittingly, and I dare say unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the United States government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorists," Buhari said during a visit to Washington. Under the legislation, the US is prevented from offering weapons or training to countries where there is credible information of human rights abuses by authorities. In contrast, Trump's administration has gone ahead with the reported $496 million sale of up to a dozen Super Tucano aircraft, a plane with surveillance and attack capabilities, set to be delivered in 2020. The deal has recently come under scrutiny in Nigeria, a country with endemic corruption, where lawmakers are accusing the president of illegally withdrawing funds to purchase the planes. - Re-election momentum - While no major trade announcements are expected, Trump and Buhari will also be talking about ways to deepen economic cooperation. "There is the security element and the economic element that dovetails with Trump's agenda to push American business," said Pham. Buhari, who is seeking re-election in 2019, is likely to play up his administration's agriculture reforms and underline his commitment to democracy. This trip will also be used by his government to underscore that Buhari is fit for office after a series of health scares during his tenure. "It undercuts the 'Baba go slow' narrative," said Pham, referring to a nickname given to Buhari for his slow pace in office. "It's a build-up to his re-election campaign." The 75-year-old former military ruler was Nigeria's first opposition challenger to defeat an incumbent in a largely fair poll. His election as president triggered a wave of optimism for oil-rich Nigeria, which has Africa's biggest population but wrestles with rampant corruption and poor governance. Singapore has not received any "formal" request to host an eagerly awaited meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the city-state's prime minister said Saturday. Trump said Friday that the list of potential sites for the meeting had been narrowed to two, without saying where. Some reports have said that Singapore, a stable and prosperous financial hub in Southeast Asia, is one of the potential locations. The meeting, expected in the coming weeks, follows a dizzying detente in recent months between the nuclear-armed North and its neighbour, which resulted in Friday's historic summit between Kim and the South's President Moon Jae-in. The leaders agreed to pursue a permanent peace treaty and the complete denuclearisation of their divided peninsula. Speaking at a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dampened speculation about the city-state potentially hosting the Trump-Kim talks. "As for the venue, we've also read the same reports as you in the newspapers about the possible places where a US-North Korea meeting can take place," he told reporters. "We've had no formal invitations, requests from any of the parties. It has to be something agreed by both North Korea as well as the United States. "I doubt very much they have come to any landing yet." A diplomatic source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he was not aware of any request, even informally. Speculation has been rife about where the US and North Korean leaders will meet. Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, and the capitals of China and Mongolia have been mentioned in reports, in addition to Singapore and the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas. Landmark summits have taken place Singapore in the past -- the presidents of China and Taiwan met for the first time ever in the city-state three years ago after decades of estrangement following a traumatic split at the end of a civil war in 1949. China's Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou shook hands for more than a minute and smiled for a mass of reporters before holding talks. Singapore and Pyongyang have diplomatic ties and the North has an embassy in the city-state. In November, Singapore suspended trade ties with the North in the latest move by a country to implement UN sanctions to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. North Korea has promised to shut its atomic test site within weeks and invite American weapons experts to verify its closure, Seoul reported Sunday, as new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington had an "obligation" to pursue peace. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- who may meet US President Donald Trump as early as next month -- also said Pyongyang would have no need for nuclear weapons if it were promised it would not be invaded, according to Seoul. Friday's historic meeting saw Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agree to pursue the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula. Washington's new chief diplomat said he and Kim held in-depth talks about a denuclearisation "mechanism" when they met over Easter. "We talked a great deal about what it might look like, what this complete, verifiable, irreversible mechanism might look like," Pompeo said. "We have an obligation to engage in diplomatic discourse to try and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by Kim Jong Un and his nuclear arsenal," Pompeo told ABC, saying there is a "real opportunity" for progress. He was speaking as the Blue House in Seoul reported Kim told Moon during the summit he would close the North's nuclear test site in May. Kim also said he "would soon invite experts of South Korea and the US as well as journalists to disclose the process to the international community with transparency", Seoul's presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan added. Tensions spiked last year over the North's testing of atomic weapons and long-range missiles, including some capable of reaching the US mainland. "Kim said 'the US feels repelled by us, but once we talk, they will realise that I am not a person who will fire a nuclear weapon to the South or the US or target the US'," according to Yoon. The North Korean leader reported added: "If we meet often (with the US), build trust, end the war and eventually are promised no invasion, why would we live with the nuclear weapons?" Kim also slammed speculation that the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site was already unusable after an underground tunnel there reportedly collapsed. "As they will see once they visit, there are two more tunnels (at the test site) that are even bigger... and they are in good condition," he was quoted as saying. - 'Maximum pressure' - The remarks are likely to be seen as a sweetener ahead of Trump's eagerly-awaited summit with Kim, which the US president said would take place "in the next three or four weeks". Trump touted his ability to achieve a nuclear deal with the regime at a campaign-style rally in Michigan to cheers and chants of "Nobel! Nobel!" The US leader has been eager to play up his role in achieving a breakthrough with Pyongyang through his "maximum pressure" campaign involving tough rhetoric, stronger sanctions and diplomatic efforts to further isolate the regime. "Months ago, do you remember what they were saying? 'He's going to get us into nuclear war, they said,'" Trump told supporters in Washington Township, north of Detroit. "No, strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not going to get us in!" But Trump also sounded a note of caution, saying he was prepared to walk away if US demands for North Korea to relinquish its atomic arsenal were not met. - 'Things are going well' - Trump held phone calls earlier Saturday with both Moon and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, declaring "things are going very well", as CBS News reported that Mongolia and Singapore are the final two locations under consideration for his meeting with Kim. Pyongyang has demanded as-yet-unspecified security guarantees to discuss its arsenal, but Kim could use the Trump meeting to agree on "the range of nuclear weapons and facilities to be dismantled and specific timeframe to do so", said Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification. But Kim's remark about his personal good intentions may be aimed at using Trump's "troubling tendency to take authoritarian rulers at their word," said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. Trump's new National Security Advisor, John Bolton, cited Libya's decision to give up its nuclear programme as a model for North Korea. "We have very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004," Bolton told Fox News Sunday. - New era? - Kim and Moon said at their summit that they had a "common goal of realising, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula." But the phrase is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides. Pyongyang has long wanted to see an end to the US military presence and nuclear umbrella over the South, but it invaded its neighbour in 1950 and is the only one of the two Koreas to possess nuclear weapons. The two leaders also pledged in a joint statement to formally end the Korean War, which ceased in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. And in another conciliatory gesture, Kim said he would move North Korea's clocks 30 minutes forward to unify with the South's time zone. Pyongyang changed its standard time to half an hour behind the South in 2015. North Korea's parliament on Monday adopted a decree to return to the same time zone as South Korea from May 5, the North's official KCNA news agency said. burs-ia-jhw/amz/ska A man was seriously wounded early on Saturday when a gunman opened fire on a vigil in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, where former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is serving time for corruption, his party said. In a statement, the Workers' Party (PT) said a dawn "shooting attack" left one man in serious condition after a bullet struck him in the neck, while a woman was lightly wounded by flying debris. The vigil outside the federal police building began on April 7, when Lula, who is 72, entered the building to begin a 12-year sentence for corruption. The PT, which Lula co-founded, has pledged to continue the vigil until his release. Although the protest began outside the police station, it was later ordered to move to a spot some 800 meters (yards) away. "This is outrageous," tweeted PT president Gleisi Hoffmann, identifying the badly wounded man as an activist from Sao Paulo. "We are expecting tough measures from the security services." Initial information indicated a passerby fired several shots, some of which struck a chemical toilet; flying debris struck a woman in the shoulder causing minor wounds, a security service statement said. It said spent shells from a 9mm pistol were found at the scene. Lula, who served as president from 2003-2010, was jailed earlier this month for accepting a seaside apartment as a bribe. The matter was uncovered during the operation known as "Car Wash," the sprawling Brazilian corruption probe that has engulfed Latin America. Despite Lula's incarceration, polls show him remaining the front-runner for Brazil's October presidential election. He claims he was framed to stop him from running, and the PT has insisted it will keep him as its candidate. MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom he had previously called a "fool", is now the "hero of everybody", after Kim pledged to work with Seoul for "complete denuclearisation" of the peninsula. Duterte said he would "congratulate" Kim, who just became his "idol", if he gets a chance to meet him. He said he would tell the North Korean leader "I admire you. You know how to time (your moves)". "For all of the time, he was pictured to be the bad boy of the community. With one masterstroke, he is now the hero of everybody," Duterte said when asked to comment on the historic meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a news conference after he returned from an ASEAN summit in Singapore. "He appear to be amiable, jolly good fellow, and very accommodating," Duterte said of Kim. Duterte has more than once criticised Kim over his nuclear ambitions. In April last year he questioned his sanity and urged the United States to show restraint and not be baited by a man who "wants to end the world". A few months later, Duterte called Kim a "fool" and held nothing back in rebuking Kim for "playing with dangerous toys". The leaders of North and South Korea agreed on a common goal of a "nuclear free" peninsula during a summit on Friday. Meeting at the Demilitarized Zone that has divided the Koreas for more than six decades, Kim and Moon announced they would work with the United States and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War, and establish a permanent peace agreement. "He (Kim) can treat me as his friend ...The impact is really, there is less stress now in the Korean Peninsula. And maybe, just maybe, we can avoid a war which nobody can win anyway," Duterte said. (Reporting by Karen Lema; editing by Jason Neely) Russian, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers on Saturday talked up their successes in brokering a political solution to the Syrian conflict at a meeting in Moscow. The three nations have been attempting to resolve the Syrian conflict at talks that started last year in Astana, Kazakhstan, in competition with a US and UN-backed Geneva initiative. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the three countries "must help the Syrians finish cleansing their country of terrorists." The ministers emphasised the success of their peace talks in Astana, which Lavrov said are "firmly standing on their feet." The Russian diplomat praised the "unique" alliance between two of Syrian President Bashar-al Assad's key supporters, Moscow and Tehran, and rebel-backer Ankara. "Thanks to it, it became possible to tackle the situation on the battlefield with the Islamic State group and the Al-Nusra Front," he said, as jihadists have lost most of the territory they controlled in Syria. The conflict in Syria has lasted since 2011 and killed more than 350,000 people. Both Russia and Iran have deployed forces to Syria to back up Assad against anti-government rebels. Critics of the Astana talks are "trying to show that they today decide all the affairs in our world, but fortunately their time has passed," Lavrov said. Nevertheless he implicitly criticised Damascus after it blocked UN humanitarian aid to the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, saying Moscow was calling for the regime to be more "flexible." The Russian foreign minister earlier held separate bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and then Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif. Meeting his Turkish counterpart, the Russian diplomat stressed the "great importance" both Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attach to improving relations. - 'Crack in the alliance' - Yet the latest talks in Moscow came as the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma on April 7 has prompted sharply differing responses from Turkey and Russia. "I curse those who carried out this massacre," Erdogan said, welcoming Western air strikes in retaliation as "appropriate". Meanwhile Russia says the attack was staged to discredit Assad. Iran and Russia on Saturday slammed Western strikes on Syria over the alleged chlorine or sarin gas attack. Lavrov said they "set back efforts to promote the political process" and Zarif criticised Washington's "destructive role." French President Emmanuel Macron this month suggested the air strikes had driven a wedge between Ankara and Moscow, prompting an angry denial from Cavusoglu. Alexander Shumilin, a Middle East expert at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies in Moscow, however, said the Douma fallout had "caused a crack in the alliance of three countries". Alexey Malashenko, a specialist in the Syria conflict, said the trio have a "very shaky" alliance and "there's no way they can reach an agreement" over the suspected chemical attack. Nevertheless, the limited nature of US-led strikes suggests the "peak of tensions has passed", he said. The next Syria talks in Astana are set for May 14. Eight rounds of talks under United Nations auspices in Geneva have made little headway, with Assad's government taking little interest. Ankara has called for Assad's removal throughout the war, but has worked increasingly closely with Moscow and Tehran in recent months in an attempt to find a solution to the conflict. In January, Russia held a showpiece conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi with largely pro-regime delegates, which saw boycotts by rebels and made little progress. Lavrov on Saturday said it achieved "breakthrough results," however. Putin hosted a summit on Syria with the Iranian and Turkish presidents in November. They then met again in Ankara this month. DANICA KIRKA | SYLVIA HUI London, United Kingdom | April 28 A lfie Evans, a British toddler with a degenerative brain condition whose parents lost a legal battle to keep him on life support at a Vatican hospital, was mourned with balloons set free in the sky and prayers from the pope after he died Saturday weeks shy of his second birthday. Kate James and Tom Evans said their sons death overnight in Liverpool, England had left them heartbroken. Alfies condition left him with almost no brain function, and multiple courts ruled that keeping him alive was not in his best interests before doctors removed his ventilator five days ago. Tambien te puede interesar: US reaffirms its ironclad commitment to defend South Korea My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30, Evans, 21, wrote in a Facebook post decorated with a broken heart and crying emojis. As news spread in the community, dozens of people laid flowers and mementoes in a park near Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool, where Alfie was treated. About 1,000 people gathered 12 hours after the boy died to release blue and purple balloons in solidarity with the grieving mother and father who had struggled to come to terms with their childs terminal illness. James, 20, posted a message on social media thanking everyone who supported the family through Alfies illness and court fight. Alfies case sparked a medical ethics debate that resonated far beyond Britain. Doctors overseeing his care said further treatment was futile and he should be allowed to die. But his parents fought for months to try to convince judges to allow them to take him to the Vaticans childrens hospital, where life support would have been maintained. About 1,000 people gathered 12 hours after the boy died to release blue and purple balloons in solidarity with the grieving mother and father who had struggled to come to terms with their childs terminal illness. Under British law, courts are asked to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the right course of treatment for a child. In such cases, the rights of the child take primacy over the parents right to decide whats best for their daughters and sons. Pope Francis, who met with Evans and publicly supported the parents campaign to bring Alfie to Bambino Gesu Hospital, wrote condolences that were posted Saturday on Twitter. I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie, Francis said. Today I pray especially for his parents, as God the Father receives him in his tender embrace. Italy granted Alfie citizenship and put a military plane on standby to transport him to Rome, if the courts allowed it. Goodbye, little Alfie. We loved you, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted Saturday. Tensions between the toddlers parents and the hospital had eased in recent days. Evans, who earlier said doctors were wrong about Alfies prognosis and threatened to resume the court battle over his care, pledged to work with hospital staff to give his son dignity and comfort in his final days. Our lives have been turned upside down by the intense focus on Alfie and his situation, Evans said Thursday outside the Liverpool hospital. He thanked the hospital staff for their dignity and professionalism during what must be an incredibly difficult time for them too. Alder Hey issued a statement to express heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfies family. All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them, the hospital said. The Associated Press Beijing, China.- Police in a southern Chinese city detained a man suspected of causing a fire that killed 18 people and wounded five others. Authorities arrested Liu Chunlu, 32, in the city of Yingde, which depends on Qingyuan City, said the citys public security office in Guangdong province. The police had offered a reward of 200,000 yuan ($ 32,000) for the man, whom they accused of starting a fire in a threestory building early Tuesday morning. The suspect had burns on the chains, authorities explained. He did not offer a reason for the fire, but state television China Central Television reported that he had set fire to a karaoke venue after an argument with others. The suspect blocked the entrance of the building with his motorcycle and then set it on fire according to CCTV. The karaoke had only one entry, he added. Police, firefighters and doctors came to the area after being alerted of the fire after midnight, said Qingyuan police. The flames were extinguished at 00:55 and the wounded were taken to a hospital, the office said on its official website of the Sina Weibo microblog platform. Fares Akram GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip.- Hundreds of Palestinians converged on the Gaza Strips border fence with Israel, trying to rip through it before drawing heavy Israeli fire in one of the most violent incidents yet in five weeks of protests. Three Palestinians were killed and dozens were reported wounded. The violence came shortly after a top U.N. official urged Israel to refrain from using excessive force against the protesters. Three Palestinians were killed and dozens were reported wounded At least 38 protesters have been killed by Israeli live fire and more than 1,600 wounded in the weekly protests since they began March 30. Israel has rejected the international criticism, saying it is defending its sovereign border and accusing Gazas Hamas leaders, who are organizing the protests, of using the crowds as cover to carry out attacks. In Fridays unrest, a large crowd gathered a few hundred meters (yards) from the border, with some throwing stones and setting tires on fire in what has become a weekly occurrence. Late in the afternoon, dozens of young men broke away from the larger protest, moving south about 200 meters (yards) and approaching the fence. The crowd then tried to break through the fence with hooks and wire cutters when Israeli forces opened fire. Witnesses said three protesters briefly crossed into Israel and turned around. Hundreds of additional protesters ran to the scene, and the numbers quickly grew to several thousand. Israeli armored vehicles sped to the site and fired barrages of tear gas. As gunfire erupted, the crowd dispersed. A dozen Palestinian ambulances jammed a dirt road lining up to evacuate the wounded. Some in the crowd shouted shahid, or martyr as bodies were taken away on stretchers. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Norridgewock, E.U. | April 28 A man accused of killing a sheriffs deputy was arrested Saturday outside a remote cabin, ending an intense manhunt in its fourth day in the woods of central Maine. A law enforcement team used the slain deputys handcuffs to arrest 29-year-old John Williams in a symbolic gesture, Sheriff Dale Lancaster said. Tambien te puede interesar: China: suspect of fire arrested with 18 dead We can now focus on the important task of respectfully laying our fallen brother to rest. Tonight, the citizens of Somerset County can sleep well and knowing that a dangerous man has been taken off the streets, the sheriff said. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting of Cpl. Eugene Cole early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened road in Norridgewock. Im just glad it ended peacefully, and no one else got hurt Cole became the first law enforcement officer to be killed in the line of duty in nearly 30 years in Maine. Shirtless and shoeless, Williams appeared to be exhausted when he was led out of the woods Saturday. Officers put him into the back seat of an unmarked state police vehicle and detectives whisked him away. Im just glad it ended peacefully, and no one else got hurt, said Tasha Raymond, whose kids have been forced to play indoors for the past four days. The arrest brought some closure to the deputys family and relief to residents whove been on edge, said Larry Tilton, a friend of Coles. The Associated Press Madrid, Spain. The Spanish government is considering whether changes to the law are needed after a court rejected charges of gang rape against five men and convicted them instead on a lesser charge of sexual abuse, an official said Friday. Street protests erupted across Spain on Thursday after a court in the northern city of Pamplona sentenced the five men to nine years each in prison for sexual abuse. Activists described the attack during the 2016 running of the bulls festival in Pamplona as a gang rape. Government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday that the Spanish government respects the independence of courts but added that it has always been, is and will always be on the side of the victims. He called the attack despicable. "Has always been, is and will always be on the side of the victims". Justice Minister Rafael Catala has begun consultations with legal experts to assess whether changes to Spains rape laws are required, Mendez de Vigo said. Also, a top prosecutor in northern Spain said he will appeal the five mens convictions. Jose Sanchez, the top prosecutor in Navarra province, said the attackers who took pride in their actions on a WhatsApp group named La Manada or The (animal) Pack should be punished for sexual assault (rape) and not only for sexual abuse. The verdict by two judges in Navarra and a thirds dissenting vote to acquit the attackers has brought widespread anger and social debate in Spain. Many people are calling for legal reform and criticizing what they perceive as machismo in the judiciary. MATTHEW LEE INTERNATIONAL.- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the start of a Middle East visit that officials said he would use to call on European and other nations to impose further sanctions against Iran. Pompeo reached the Saudi capital shortly after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they had fired eight ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan. The Saudi civil defense directorate said one person had been killed by shrapnel from the attack, which damaged two houses. It said four missiles had been intercepted by the kingdoms air defense forces. Senior U.S. officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. Tambien te puede interesar: Boy whose parents fought to keep life support mourned in UK They said the incident underscored the importance of the Trump administrations push to counter Iranian supported-aggression in the region. Iran has backed the Houthi rebellion in Yemen and is helping Syrian President Bashar Assads government fight rebels. Pompeo planned talks with the Saudi king, crown prince and foreign minister just weeks ahead of several key dates that could further roil the volatile region. After leaving Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Pompeo will fly to Israel and Jordan before ending his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat. The officials said Irans longand medium-range missile programs had to be countered as part of efforts to strengthen the Iran nuclear deal, from which President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian people, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said hed also stress the U.S. commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. The officials traveling with Pompeo said the secretary would also raise Trumps concern about the festering dispute between Qatar on one side and its Gulf Cooperation Council partners Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the other. The dispute, the officials said, is hampering unified efforts to confront Irans increasing assertiveness and giving Iran room to expand its influence. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group. The officials were not authorized to publicly preview Pompeos meetings with Saudi leaders and spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. That will mark a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #17 Posted on 29 April 2018 by John Hartz Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS in the News... Photo of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Video of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus... Story of the Week... Gulf Stream slowing down is bad news for Ireland Ireland lies relatively far north in the Atlantic so the Gulf Streams gift of more temperate waters matters hugely to our climate. All Ireland is washed by the Gulf Stream, said Stephen Dedalus in the opening chapter of Ulysses. He might have added warmed to washed. Ireland lies relatively far north in the Atlantic so the Gulf Streams gift of more temperate waters matters hugely to our climate, as does their interaction with the atmosphere to produce the sea surface temperature. This oceanic movement of waters is known scientifically as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc). It brings warm and salty water from the Caribbean region in a northeasterly current towards the Nordic Seas. As Summer K Praetorius goes on to explain in the April 11th issue of the scientific journal Nature: In the chill of winter, these waters cool and descend with the heavy load of their salinity. This deep convection is a key part of the Amoc which can be thought of as an ocean conveyor belt that releases heat to the atmosphere above the North Atlantic Ocean before travelling through the abyssal ocean to resurface in other areas of the world. The process is linked to and replicated throughout the worlds oceans by the deep colder waters that travel past North and South America. Gulf Stream slowing down is bad news for Ireland by Paul Gillespie, Irish Times, Apr 28, 2018 Note: Also see Graphic of the Week section of this Digest. Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... But the problem with the way geoengineering is discussed today, lamented John Ehrenfeld, former director of the MIT Program on Technology, Business, and Environment, is that it doesnt address the societal issues that got us in this mess in the first place. Its a failure to accept complexity of the system, and the system includes people, Ehrenfeld told me recently over coffee. For decades, Ehrenfeld, who is now retired, researched and promoted the concept of sustainability. But to Ehrenfeld, after all the climate conferences, all the stakeholder roundtables, all the debates on market-driven solutions, the questions and answers being debated never questioned capitalism, civilization, and the notion of progress. Tackling a problem as deeply ingrained as global warming, Ehrenfeld said, will require humanity to face an existential question that geoengineering alone cannot address: Are we willing to sacrifice growth to ensure the survival of our species? Absent decoupling growth from progress, Ehrenfeld said, we wont address the core of the problem. The Dangerous Belief That Extreme Technology Will Fix Climate Change by Aleszu Bajak, Huff Post, Apr 27, 2018 Graphic of the Week... Gulf Stream slowing down is bad news for Ireland by Paul Gillespie, Irish Times, Apr 28, 2018 SkS in the News... The SkS Escalator graphic is embedded and extensively referenced in in Matt Rogers' Washington Post article, Global temperatures have dropped since 2016. Heres why thats normal. Photo of the Week... Floodwaters on the Hawaiian island of Kauai turned orange, a sign of the high iron content in the volcanic soil. (Brandon Verdura / Associated Press) A Hawaiian island got about 50 inches of rain in 24 hours. Scientists warn it's a sign of the future by Heidi Chang, Los Angeles Times, Apr 28, 2018 SkS Spotlights... The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) brings together leaders from government, private sector, academia, and civil society to expand the use of carbon pricing policies. Video of the Week 97% of Climate Scientists Really Do Agree, It's OK To Be Smart, PBS/YouTube, Apr 19, 2018 Coming Soon on SkS... Republicans have so corrupted EPA, Americans can only fix it in the voting booth (Dana) (Dana) TV Meteorologists Warming to Climate Science (greenman) (greenman) Guest Post (John Abraham) (John Abraham) SkS Analogy 11 - Frame of Reference (Evan Whitby) (Evan Whitby) New research this week (Ari) (Ari) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18 (John Hartz) (John Hartz) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #18 (John Hartz) Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... The Australians coverage of Great Barrier Reef study creates perception that scientists are divided Climate Feedback asked its network of scientists to review the article, Not all scientists agree on cause of Great Barrier Reef damage by Graham Lloyd, Health & Science, The Australian, April 19, 2018 Four scientists analyzed the article and estimate its overall scientific credibility to be 'low'. A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Biased Misleading. Review Summary This article in The Australian covers a new study published in Nature that concludes global warming played a key role in the recent large-scale bleaching and mortality of corals in the Great Barrier Reef. Based on the comments of a single oceanographer (Prof. Kaempf), the article was headlined Not all scientists agree on cause of Great Barrier Reef damage. The scientists who reviewed this article found that this sources comments in the story are unsupported by evidence and prior research, and therefore The Australian article misleads readers by emphasizing a debate that does not actually exist among researchers studying the Great Barrier Reef. The Australians coverage of Great Barrier Reef study creates perception that scientists are divided by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, Apr 22, 2018 SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus... Glen MacDonald's bio page and quote source High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide) Former FBI director James Comey dismissed the importance of a House Intelligence Committee report that concluded President Donald Trumps campaign did not collude with Russia, calling it a political document. The Republican-led investigation into the 2016 election was a wreck, Comey said on NBCs Meet the Press. That is not my understanding of what the facts were before I left the FBI and I think the most important piece of work is the one the special counsels doing now, Comey said. Partisanship rancor surrounding the investigation wrecked the committee, the former FBI chief said. And it damaged relationships with the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court, the intelligence communities. Its just a wreck. Advertisement WATCH: Former FBI Director James Comey tells Chuck Todd that partisanship has "wrecked" the House Intelligence Committee #MTP pic.twitter.com/esWzClQe0p Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president had seized on the report issued Friday, saying it vindicated what he has long said House Intelligence Committee rules that there was NO COLLUSION between the Trump Campaign and Russia, Trump wrote on Twitter. As I have been saying all along, it is all a big Hoax by the Democrats based on payments and lies. Democrats quickly criticized the report, saying their colleagues on the other side of the aisle took part in a systematic effort to muddy the waters and to deflect attention away from the President. Advertisement House Intelligence Committee rules that there was NO COLLUSION between the Trump Campaign and Russia. As I have been saying all along, it is all a big Hoax by the Democrats based on payments and lies. There should never have been a Special Counsel appointed. Witch Hunt! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 Comey also said that he would not consider Trump a credible witness if he were to sit down for an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. I have serious doubts about his credibility, Comey said, making clear he had that view regardless of whether Trump were under oath. Sometimes people who have serious credibility problems can tell the truth when they realize the consequences of not telling the truth in an interview or in the grand jury would be dire, Comey said. But you would have to go in with a healthy sense that he might lie to you. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un told his South Korean counterpart President Moon Jae-in that North Korea would be willing to denuclearize in return for a commitment that the U.S. will not invade the country. The New York Times reported Kims offermade Friday during the historic summit between the two countriesand other details of the meeting Sunday via a South Korean government spokesman. The conciliatory meeting at Panmunjom, on the border of the two Koreas, was a dramatic turn for the two countries, which have formally been at war since the outbreak of the Korean war, and was aimed at paving the way for Kims upcoming summit with President Trump. During the meeting, Kim signed a joint declaration affirming a complete denuclearization and a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but did not publicly comment on how, and under what conditions, this process would take place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The question of how far Kim would be willing to go in shuttering his nuclear program and how honest his intentions are for good faith negotiations over the countrys nuclear program have loomed large over not only Fridays meeting, but also the upcoming Trump summit. Skeptics have pointed to past overtures by the Kim regime and the leaders potential desire to ease economic sanctions and rehabilitate his global image without making substantive concessions on his nukes. The Trump administration has been firm that complete denuclearization is a precondition for the lifting of economic sanctions that have been placed on the country for years. The denuclearization question is one of principleis North Korea willing to disarmbut it also raises a number of sticky practical questions, such as inspections and monitoring. Advertisement According to the South Korean governments account of Kims remarks Friday, the North Korean leader said he would invite experts and journalists from South Korea and the U.S. to witness the closing of the countrys only known underground nuclear test site, a concession that skeptics say is merely symbolic since the site may already be too unstable for further testing. In addition, last week, Kim announced an end to nuclear and long-range missile testing. The faith-building measures will continue to raise hopes that the end of the nuclear confrontation with Pyongyang is near, but will likely only be sufficient as a first step for Washington before it commits to billions in economic aid, as expected as part of any denuclearization deal. I know the Americans are inherently disposed against us, but when they talk with us, they will see that I am not the kind of person who would shoot nuclear weapons to the south, over the Pacific or at the United States, Kim told Moon, according to the South Korean government spokesman. Kims rapid de-escalation has been dramatic and his comments at Panmunjom continued that trend. Kim did, however, appear to hedge his bet indicating that denuclearizing his country could be a long process that required multiple rounds of negotiations and steps to build trust, according to the Times. But he laid out a vague idea of what his impoverished country would demand in return for giving up its nuclear weapons. Guns will be banned from the premises when Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a National Rifle Association convention in Dallas on Friday. Before and during the speech, attendees are prohibited from bringing firearms and firearm accessories, knives or weapons of any kind, the NRA wrote as it announced Pences presence at the conference. The NRA is blaming the Secret Service for the prohibition but that didnt stop survivors of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who were quick to criticize the organizations apparent hypocrisy in giving in to demands for a gun-free area. Advertisement Wait wait wait wait wait wait youre telling me to make the VP safe there arent any weapons around but when it comes to children they want guns everywhere? asked Matt Deitsch, a Parkland student who helped organize the March for Our Lives rally. Can someone explain this to me? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wait wait wait wait wait wait youre telling me to make the VP safe there arent any weapons around but when it comes to children they want guns everywhere? Can someone explain this to me? Because it sounds like the NRA wants to protect people who help them sell guns, not kids. Matt Deitsch (@MattxRed) April 28, 2018 Advertisement He was hardly alone. Cameron Kasky, another Parkland survivor noted on Twitter that the NRA has evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself. The NRA has evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself. pic.twitter.com/6Pw6NTQAe6 Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) April 28, 2018 Advertisement Fred Guttenberg, the father of 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg, who was killed in the attack, also highlighted the ban, noting that on so many levels, this is enlightening. The NRA says we should want everyone to have weapons but when they put on a convention, the weapons are a concern? President Donald Trump appears to be worried that he could face impeachment if Republicans lose their majority in the House of Representatives. In a campaign-style rally in Michigan that the president attended Saturday night as an alternative to the White House Correspondents Dinner, Trump said it was very important for his supporters to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. We have to keep the House because if we listen to Maxine Waters, shes going around saying We will impeach him! We will impeach him, Trump said as the crowd booed when he mentioned Waters name. Then people said, He hasnt done anything wrong, Oh, that doesnt matter, we will impeach the president. Advertisement The commander in chief went on to note that the party in the White House usually loses in the midterms so he said supporters shouldnt get complacent just because Republicans control both chambers of Congress. We cannot be complacent. We gotta go out and we gotta fight like hell and we gotta win the House and we gotta win the Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President @realDonaldTrump: "We have to keep the House, because if you listen to @MaxineWaters, she goes around saying, 'We will impeach him, we will impeach him.'" pic.twitter.com/OQHcME4i16 Fox News (@FoxNews) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Trump has frequently mentioned Waters seeming fondness for saying she wants to impeach the commander in chief as a way to rally support. And Waters does talk about the issue a lot. Most recently, she made a point of mentioning impeachment at the Time 100 gala in New York when she was asked about any advice she might have for Trump. Please resign so that I wont have to keep up this fight of your having to be impeached because I dont think you deserve to be there, she said. Just get out. Advertisement Advertisement Its clear though that not all Democrats are on board with Waters. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, for example, warned fellow party members that impeachment talk would not help them win in the midterms. I have said over and over again that I dont think we should be talking about impeachment, Pelosi said on Thursday. Ive been very clear right from the start. The California lawmaker said all the talk about getting rid of Trump only helps the GOP. On the political side I think its a gift to the Republicans, Pelosi said. We want to talk about what theyre doing to undermine working families in our country and what we are doing to increase their payrolls and lower their costs. Advertisement Advertisement .@NancyPelosi: "I don't think we should be talking about impeachment." pic.twitter.com/BgJOBwHrc0 Fox News (@FoxNews) April 28, 2018 At the very least thats the public message from the Democratic leadership. ABC News noted yesterday that sources claim some Democrats are privately debating the issue ahead of the midterms. President Donald Trump reveled in his decision to skip the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, taking to Twitter on Sunday to celebrate all the negative reviews the annual event received. Everyone is talking about the fact that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a very big, boring bustthe so-called comedian really bombed, Trump wrote while also celebrating the big success of his Michigan rally. Although its hardly surprising that Trump would say that the event he refused to take part in was a failure, he was hardly alone in that assessment. Many journalists also agreed the dinner hit all the wrong notes, focusing particularly on comedian Michelle Wolf and her unnecessarily cruel routine, as Politico reporter Kyle Cheney wrote on Twitter. Advertisement While Washington, Michigan, was a big success, Washington, D.C., just didnt work. Everyone is talking about the fact that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a very big, boring bust...the so-called comedian really bombed. @greggutfeld should host next year! @PeteHegseth Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michelle Wolf didnt fail just because she was (spectacularly) one-sided. It was because she was unnecessarily cruel on a night the WHCA was trying to showcase decency and purpose. Undermined an otherwise meaningful night. Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Several in the media agreed with New York Times reporter Peter Baker who wrote that the annual dinner failed to advance the cause of journalism. CNNs Jeff Zeleny linked to Bakers tweet noting the focus should be on the important and amazing journalism this year at a time when truth matters and is needed more than ever. Unfortunately, I don't think we advanced the cause of journalism tonight. Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Couldnt agree more. So much important and amazing journalism this year that should be the focus, when truth matters and is needed more than ever. It was an embarrassment in the room and surely to the audience at home. https://t.co/vhbnG6tn55 Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Others said Wolf struck the wrong tone because her jokes were on the mean side. Politicos Playbook said Wolf took it too far because the annual dinner is supposed to be a light-hearted affair that honors good journalism and raises scholarship money. Although its gotten a bit out of hand theres no reason to be mean. Mean isnt funny. NBCs Andrea Mitchell said that an apology is owed to those who were grossly insulted by Wolf. Advertisement Apology is owed to @PressSec and others grossly insulted ny Michelle Wolf at White House Correspondents Assoc dinner which started with uplifting heartfelt speech by @margarettalev - comedian was worst since Imus insulted Clintons Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) April 29, 2018 Advertisement For some journalists, the night should serve as a wake up call that the current way the annual dinner is set up isnt working. The WHCD should be about honoring the best in journalism. Enough with the comedians, enough with the late-night parties, Mika Brzezinski wrote on Twitter. These are serious times for both the free press and the public they serve. In the Washington Post, Margaret Sullivan writes that while it never has been a particularly good idea for journalists to don their fanciest clothes and cozy up to the people they cover in the current era, its become close to suicidal for the presss credibility. Advertisement Advertisement The WHCD should be about honoring the best in journalism. Enough with the comedians, enough with the late-night parties. These are serious times for both the free press and the public they serve. Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) April 29, 2018 Associated Press journalist Meg Kinnard struck a similar note when she wrote on Twitter that the dinner would make her life as a reporter more difficult. If the #WHCD dinner did anything tonight, it made the chasm between journalists and those who dont trust us, even wider, she wrote. Tim Alberta from Politico Magazine said the dinner seemed to confirm every caricature thrust upon the national press, adding that the dinner is broken. Fix it or end it. Advertisement If the #WHCD dinner did anything tonight, it made the chasm between journalists and those who don't trust us, even wider. And those of us based in the red states who work hard every day to prove our objectivity will have to deal with it. Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) April 29, 2018 Every caricature thrust upon the national pressthat we are culturally elitist, professionally incestuous, socioeconomically detached and ideologically biasedis confirmed by this trainwreck of an event. Journalists, the jokes on us. The WHCD is broken. Fix it or end it. Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though Wolf sought to mock Trump, some were quick to say her jokes would end up helping him. The routine was a political gift to the Trump admin, wrote Jon Ward from Yahoo News. He was hardly alone in saying that the dinner would benefit the president. Mike Allen wrote that the media handed Trump a big, embarrassing win with the diner. I sat there, not laughing and aghast at many of the jokes that took mean spirited personal shots, and knew the routine was a political gift to the Trump admin. https://t.co/egLyvEsNcK Jon Ward (@jonward11) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Not everyone agreed with the negative assessment though. The Nations Joan Walsh likened Wolfs routine with the now-famous monologue by Stephen Colbert at the 2006 dinner. The crowd is scandalized (even some liberals), but a lot of people see it as the right reaction to the scandal that is @realDonaldTrump, Walsh wrote. This is gonna be a 2005 @StephenatHome moment: the crowd is scandalized (even some liberals), but a lot of people see it as the right reaction to the scandal that is @realDonaldTrump. Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement And as Jon Favreau, co-host of Pod Save America, pointed out, Wolf ended her speech by noting that Flint still doesnt have clean water in an attempt to point out Washingtons continued neglect of people who need help. But a day later, Washington responds with a rigorous debate about the tone and civility of the comedians jokes. Perfect. Comedian ends comedy dinner by saying that Flint still doesnt have clean water, an attempt to point out Washingtons continued neglect of people who need help. Washington responds with a rigorous debate about the tone and civility of the comedians jokes. Perfect. Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Wolf took to Twitter to push back against those who say she attacked White House press secretary Sara Huckabee Sanders looks. Why are you guys making this about Sarahs looks? I said she burns facts and uses the ash to create a *perfect* smoky eye, she wrote. I complimented her eye makeup and her ingenuity of materials. She also linked to a tweet by former White House press secretary calling the dinner a disgrace with two words: Thank you! Why are you guys making this about Sarahs looks? I said she burns facts and uses the ash to create a *perfect* smoky eye. I complimented her eye makeup and her ingenuity of materials. https://t.co/slII9TYdYx Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) April 29, 2018 Advertisement When President Donald Trump stepped out of Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland Saturday night after his rally in Michigan, it was raining and the wind was strong. So he took out his umbrella. But the whole process was anything but graceful as the strong wind quickly turned his umbrella inside out. Photographers were on hand to catch Trump grimacing as he tried to control his umbrella until he seemed to accept that he had been defeated and proceeded to walk down the stairs with the umbrella turned inside out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump megafails while trying to use an umbrella upon his return to DC pic.twitter.com/re15WrSOmV Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Twitter had lots of fun with the scene as some called it karma for skipping the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Others made jokes about a Russia connection, saying Trump turned his umbrella inside out to catch the latest broadcast from the KGB. Trump gets off the plane after missing the #WHCD. His umbrella does this. KARMA! pic.twitter.com/a1JiVEMCho MizQue (@MizQue) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement I see he turned his umbrella inside out to catch the latest broadcast from the KGB. WeAreAmerica (@DemocracyValues) April 29, 2018 Advertisement Believe it or not, this isnt the first time Trumps (mis)use of an umbrella made news. Earlier this year, many criticized Trump for hogging a large umbrella while son Barron and First Lady Melania Trump lagged behind. 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Naveen N.D.Gupta president, ICAI My dear Professional Colleagues, In the preface to the first edition of the Code of Ethics of ICAI, the then ICAI President Dr. R. C. Cooper had noted: No booklet of this nature can achieve the object of outlining every possible act which may or may not constitute sound ethical conduct because the practice of professional ethics is largely a matter of conscience and the determination of members to distinguish between what is right and wrong. Ethics provides an understanding to differentiate between our right to do and what is right to do. Very rightly, the Institute urges its members to search their hearts and conscience whenever in doubt, and thereby assist towards the maintenance of high principles of professional conduct, as is expected of the constitution of a regulated profession. In the past, we have witnessed that organisations have sustained and prospered, whenever they opted to put ethics at the top of their strategic priorities. It is not surprising that the curve of ICAIs behemoth stature has constantly grown. Over the years, ICAI members and firms have regarded ethics as a redeeming virtue and acted above themselves for the cause of society. Very interestingly, Albert Schweitzer equates ethics with reverence for life. He records: The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings. ICAI has been committed to its stakeholders, connecting closely with them, working for them and adding the elements of fiscal probity in whatever the profession does. As you know, legal framework of insolvency is emerging and the domain of insolvency is already a new horizon of opportunities for professionals. Bound by their commitment to serve the nation, CA professionals have started showing keen interest in exploring this field. Having competence in accountancy and financial interpretation, and a penchant for statutory and legal compliances, they have an edge in carrying out the insolvency operations effectively. Rightly so, the theme of this issue of the Journal is Insolvency. Now let me brief on some of the significant professional developments that have taken place in the last one month: Representing Profession to Indian Polity and Regulators As part of our strategic priority, we at ICAI have been engaged in taking the Indian polity on board to put our viewpoints and concerns across to them. Following are some important headways made in this regard: Meeting with MCA Secretary: Recently, I along with ICAI Vice-President CA. Prafulla Chhajed and our Central Council colleague CA. Shiwaji B. Zaware visited the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and met its Secretary Shri Injeti Srinivas on 3rd April 2018. We submitted to him the confidential report of our High Power Group with regard to the instance of financial irregularities in Punjab National Bank (PNB). The MCA Secretary has noted and appreciated our efforts in this regard. We also discussed other immediate concerns arising from such emergent instances of irregularities, particularly, in the Indian banking industry. We also met MCA Joint Secretary Shri Anurag Agarwal, who has recently joined the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. We briefed him about various activities of ICAI and our other professional concerns. The discussions included the IFRS Foundation copyright matter and proactive reforms recently undertaken by ICAI such as the constitution of additional benches of Board of Discipline/Disciplinary Committee, Taxation Audits Quality Review Board (TAQRB) and Shell Companies Review Group (SCRG). Meeting with Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, and Civil Aviation: I along with ICAI Vice-President CA. Prafulla Chhajed met the Union Commerce and Industry, and Civil Aviation Minister CA. Suresh P. Prabhu on 9th April 2018 and apprised him of the professional developments, including our upcoming overseas campus placement programmes. We also sought his valuable suggestions on the professional development and positioning to encourage the export of CA services in the area of accountancy and financial services, which have been identified as one of the 12 Champion Services Sectors by the Government. Meeting with Rajya Sabha MP Shri Naresh Gujral: I along with my Central Council colleagues Shri Vijay Kumar Jhalani and CA. Debashis Mitra met the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament CA. Naresh Gujral on 26th March 2018 and apprised him of the steps taken by the ICAI in the PNB matter. Meeting with SEBI Chairman: I along with ICAI Vice-President CA. Prafulla Chhajed and our Central Council colleague CA. Debashis Mitra met the SEBI Chairman Shri Ajay Tyagi on 4th April 2018. We discussed with him the issues of corporate governance and PNB among other matters. Meeting with Delhi High Court Sitting Judge Justice CA. Rajiv Shakdher: I along with my Central Council colleague Shri Vijay Kumar Jhalani met the Delhi High Courts sitting Judge Justice (CA.) Rajiv Shakdher in connection with his interview for Our Achievers feature of the Journal (published in this issue). He spoke very highly of the profession, especially with regard to its compliance with professional ethics and the law of the land. Meeting with ICAI Past President and Former NACAS Chairman CA. Y. H. Malegam: I along with my Central Council colleague CA. Shiwaji Zaware met our past President and former NACAS Chairman CA. Y. H. Malegam on 5th April 2018 and discussed the matter relating to PNB. IFASS Meeting in Mumbai As you are aware, forging global professional partnership and increasing Indian accounting professions role in global standard-setting processes are on the top of our agenda. Towards that, ICAI recently organised the IFASS (International Forum of Accounting Standard- Setting) Meeting in Mumbai. IASB Vice-Chair Ms. Sue Lloyd and IFASS Chair Ms. Liesel Knorr along with the representatives from more than 25 countries and various other accounting bodies across the globe participated in the meeting. IFRS Foundation Trustee and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Shri Vinod Rai as Chief Guest inaugurated the Meeting. Speaking on critical role played by the accounting and auditing profession in certifying the truth and fairness of financial information, Shri Rai stressed on the need to meet the expectation gap of stakeholders at large. In the two-day meeting, various relevant issues, including the consolidation of CSR trusts and accounting for business combinations under common control, were discussed. A report on this meeting is published elsewhere in this Journal. On the sidelines, ICAI organised a series of interactive meetings and seminars bringing the Indian and international accounting/auditing regulators together. Interaction of IASB official with National Regulators was organised on 10th April 2018. IFRS 17 (Ind AS 117, Insurance Contracts) Insurance Industry Outreach, and informal AOSSG meeting and ICAIIASB Joint Stakeholders Seminar on IFRS 9 (Ind AS 109) ECL Model Challenges in Banking Industry were organised on 11th April 2018. CA ANZ Offers Unilateral Scheme of Membership I am happy to inform you that in yet another success in our drive for global professional alliance, the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ), through its Pilot International Pathway Programme, has made a unilateral offer of their membership to our members based in Australia and New Zealand. Under the programme, our members shall have to complete a 40-hour self-study programme and attend a two-day workshop. Then at the workshop, they will be evaluated through oral and written assessment tests. Interested members may check https://resource.cdn.icai.org/49849icai-ia39512.pdf for details. Issuance of New Revenue Standard Ind AS 115 You will be happy to note that ICAIs well-acknowledged status as standard-setter par excellence has recently got a further boost. A new Ind AS in the area of revenue recognition was notified by the MCA that has been formulated based on the recommendations made by ICAI. Key amendments are issuance of new revenue standard Ind AS 115 and withdrawal of existing revenue standards and related guidance. The new Standard, mandatorily effective for the accounting period beginning on or after 1st April 2018, is based on the IFRS 15 Revenue for Contracts with Customers. It will bring in a comprehensive and robust framework (i.e. 5 step model) for the recognition, measurement and disclosure of revenue. Ind AS 115 will improve the comparability of revenue across entities, industries, global capital markets, etc., and bring in clarity in the areas such as multiple element contracts/ bundled products, licensing, royalties for intellectual properties, financing components and variable consideration. Accounting Standards Board (ASB) of ICAI has taken up the task of upgrading the existing Accounting Standards, which is scheduled to be implemented after 1st April 2020. In its meeting held recently, ASB of ICAI has deliberated extensively on the exposure draft of the new standard in financial instruments for SME, which will be issued shortly for public comments. ICAI-CPA Australia Joint Workshops on New Accounting Standards It has been our foremost goal to work closely with the global accounting bodies for the benefit of Indian accountancy profession. In that spirit, recently, ICAI and CPA Australia jointly organised a series of workshops in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. The objective of the workshops was to provide an overview of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, IFRS 16 Leases, and a few more new Accounting Standards. Let me also inform that ICAI has issued Educational Material on Indian Accounting Standard (Ind AS) 103, Business Combinations, capturing all recent amendments in the Ind AS and providing guidance in recognising the business combinations by acquisitions/mergers and combination of entities or businesses under common control. As you know, valuation is being considered as one of the most critical areas of finance and business today. It also plays a key role in the insolvency regulation regime. Rightly so, ICAI had constituted Valuation Standards Board (VSB) in the year 2017-18 to focus on the release of Indian valuation standards, providing interpretations, guidance and technical materials, and implementation of the standards. I am happy to inform that, to standardise the principles, practices and procedures followed by registered valuers/valuation professionals in valuation of assets and liabilities, VSB of ICAI has formulated 8 draft Indian Valuation Standards. These have been developed along with Preface and Framework for the Preparation of Valuation Report in accordance with the Indian Valuation Standards. To ensure transparency, objectivity, independence and greater public participation, the exposure drafts, so formulated, have been hosted at https://www.icai.org/new_post.html?post_id=14681&c_id=240 for public comments with the deadline of 12th May 2018. Finalisation of Report of HPG in PNB Matter I am pleased to inform that High Power Group constituted by ICAI to study the systemic issues in the PNB (Punjab National Bank) fraud matter has submitted its report to the MCA. Accordingly, representations are also being made to other regulatory agencies. The Group so far has had three meetings. Having collected relevant information from the officials of PNB including its Audit Committee Chairman, the Group prepared the report identifying the loopholes in the PNB systems and systemic issues in the bank. The report also suggests remedial measures to strengthen the banking system of India, which include creating awareness among banking personnel about IT and associated risks, increased involvement of independent external auditors, and increased time period for conducting statutory audit. I sincerely acknowledge the timely quality contribution of the Group led by my Central Council colleague CA. Shiwaji B. Zaware and our past President CA. M. M. Chitale who as special invitee has provided his relevant inputs in the report. With our absolute commitment to the well-being of our economy, we will continue to extend our support to the country with our professional skepticism. IT Initiatives at ICAI I am happy to share that ICAI has been leveraging technology to bring its member and student services to their doorsteps. Some of the recent significant initiatives are: e-Sahaayataa at ICAI NOW: ICAIs e-Sahaayataa (i.e. https://help.icai.org) helps its members and students communicate their concerns regarding the functions of ICAI and get a timely resolution. I am happy to inform that e-Sahaayataa is now available on the mobile app ICAI NOW too. Having revolutionised the dissemination of information, ICAI NOW makes available the updated content from ICAI website to its users. Downloaded by more than one lakh users, the app has received a positive feedback from its ten-thousand-plus users with an average rating of 4.2. Also, Grievance Monitoring Committee has been constituted in all the five Regions, which will frequently meet, possibly once a week, and review the grievances of our members and students relating to administrative and regulatory matters. I sincerely hope, these initiatives will go a long way in the timely resolution of our members and students concerns. Online Facility for Change in Email, Mobile and Address: As you know, due to paucity of time, we often tend to rely more on going online and executing our various works and projects using our mobile phones, tablets, etc., to meet multiple deadlines especially in a virtual-office-like situation. To facilitate our members with a hassle-free system, ICAI recently launched an OTP-based online form using which our members can update their mobile number and email id in the ICAI records. ICAI also launched an online service with regard to the change of address for its members, which can now be done without any paper work or manual intervention. All the above facilities are available in the dashboard of members, which is available under the e-Services section at https://www.icai.org. Webcasts Organised: To update its members on the economic and statutory changes, ICAI keeps organising webcasts in all domains of the accountancy profession. In the last one month, ICAI organised a series of webcasts. These topics included varied areas of professional relevance such as Early Signals of Fraud in Banking Sector, Key Amendments by Finance Act, 2018, Capacity-Building Measures of Practitioners with Special Reference to Documentation in the Bank Audit and Fair-Value Measurement under Ind AS, MCAs Initiatives on Ease of Doing Business in India, E and Other Issues in TDS and ICS Compliances and Understanding and Filling New Forms of Income-Tax Returns. Prominent speakers included MCA Regional Director Shri D. Bandopadhyay, former IFAC SMP Committee member Mr. Abdulwahid Aboo and ICAI past Council member CA. Shrinivas Y. Joshi. CPE-Samadhan Implemented: An online query-toanswer platform has been implemented to provide expert responses to member queries pertaining to CPE (Continuing Professional Education) Committee of ICAI, which is expected to go live on technical subjects shortly after a panel of experts is put in place. Using this platform, members can reach out to expert members for seamless information and queryresolution experiences in the select areas of practice as hosted by the Committee. Concerned link has been provided elsewhere in this Journal. Series of Awareness Programmes on Bank Audit To promote quality in bank audits for the financial year 2017-18, a number of training programmes were organised across the country, focusing on the audit of advances and NPAs. A series of interactive seminars was organised for the Central statutory auditors of banks in New Delhi (27th March 2018), Chennai (29th March 2018), Kolkata (2nd April 2018) and Mumbai (4th April 2018). Additionally, training programmes are being organised on the new/revised standards on auditing and on other developments in auditing by our Branches and other PoUs (programme organising units), towards the reskilling of our members. Let us recall that ICAI has tied up with Infosys to provide 7 e-learning modules on Finacle, customised for effective bank audit, to assist the auditors in detective controls. Media Workshops Being Held across Nation To address the perception gap vis-a-vis the CA profession and help media understand the role and responsibilities of ICAI in the economic growth of our nation, we recently launched a series of workshops for media across the country. At the first such workshop organised in New Delhi on 3rd April 2018, I along with my Central Council colleagues CA. Shiwaji B. Zaware, CA. M. P. Vijay Kumar and CA. Sanjay Vasudeva addressed the media on various professional matters. These included standard-setting, ethics, difference between audit and investigation, and oversight mechanism. ICAI Vice-President CA. Prafulla Chhajed and Central Council members CA. Vijay Kumar Gupta and CA. Mukesh Singh Kushwah were also present at the workshop. Senior media persons through an effective dialogue also got to understand various professional issues and concepts. ICAI with World Bank to Train in Procurement Audit and Thereof As you may be aware, ICAI in collaboration with World Bank had organised training programmes in procurement audit and thereof for its members in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The same will now be organised in our Branches as well. To take the matter forward, ICAI has planned to highlight the World-Bank-funded projects (in external/internal audit, procurement audit/postreview, etc.) on the ICAI website so that the members, if interested, could suitably participate in the procurement and tender process of such projects. Overseas Placement and Associated Developments As you know, accounting and financial services have been identified among the 12 Champion Sectors by Honble Prime Minister of India. Since then, ICAI has constantly been in dialogue with its parent Ministry, i.e. Ministry of Corporate Affairs, to draw its action plan to achieve the Vision 2022 given by the Government of India. To promote the export of Indian CA services as well as to provide opportunity to overseas corporate in recruitment of Indian CAs, ICAI will organise Overseas Campus Placement Programme on 24th-26th August 2018. I urge all my overseas colleagues to spread words about this in their respective corporate, firm of accountants, etc., and among other potential employers, requesting them to participate in this special drive to recruit our fresh as well as experienced members. You may also participate in the HR meet, to be organised by ICAI in your country, for which the dates will be announced soon. Interviews will be held in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in person, wherein the corporate may participate. Interviews will also be held through videoconference on these days for the candidates based in Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Separate announcement in this regard will be published on the ICAI website shortly. Further, in order to overcome the language barriers and increase the employability of Indian CAs abroad, ICAI is taking initiatives to tie-up with universities/institutions approved by the foreign embassy abroad. To start with, ICAI is in dialogue with the relevant authorities with regard to French, Spanish and German languages. Visit of Nepalese Delegation On 11th April 2018, a delegation of 21 senior provident fund officers from Nepal visited ICAI and received firsthand information on ICAIs roles, responsibilities and functions, particularly pertaining to its contribution in nation-building. The framework of Indian provident fund was also deliberated and explained to the delegates. A reference was made to our role in the establishment of the accounting institute in Nepal in the year 1997. The reception and efforts of ICAI vis-a-vis the Nepalese delegation was well-appreciated. While interacting with the delegates, I familiarised them with various activities performed by ICAI, including standard-setting, its oversight mechanism and various capacity-building measures for international accountancy profession. Campus Placement (February-March 2018) With the spread of economy, the demand for accounting professionals has also gone up. We at ICAI have been catering to this ever-increasing demand through our campus-placement programmes held twice a year, i.e. in February-March as well as in August-September. Recently, ICAI organised its February-March placement, where 6,029 newly-qualified Chartered Accountants participated across the country. With participation of 130 organisations along with their 221 interview panels, 1,472 candidates got the job offer. Highest salary (cost to company) offered in the domestic-posting category was 22.30 lakh per annum, with average salary (cost to company) offered was 8.40 lakh per annum. Participate in IFAC SMP Survey Last month, I had informed that Small & Medium Practices (SMP) of IFAC is conducting Global SMP Survey 2018 (http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4116452/IFACGlobal-SMP-Survey-2018) on the key issues confronting SMPs and their SMEs (small-and medium-sized entities) clients. Since the response submitted so far from this part of the globe is not very encouraging, I would request all our small and medium practitioners to respond to this small survey in large number so that our local concerns are understood. The deadline to respond is 21st May 2018. Golden Jubilee (50th) Meeting of CASLB I am pleased to inform that the Committee on Accounting Standards for Local Bodies (CASLB) of ICAI, established in 2005 under the Chairmanship of CA. S. C. Vasudeva, convened its Golden Jubilee (i.e. 50th) meeting recently. Chief Guest on the occasion was C&AG DG (Commercial I) Shri Vithayathil Kurian. Officials from CGA and C&AG, and past Chairmen of the Committee also attended the meeting. Committed to contribute to the nation-building, the Committee aims to improve the financial reporting system in the third level of Government, i.e. local bodies of the country. Share Your Concerns With the mandate of Government of India to promote capacity in accounting and financial services for building the accountancy sectors as hub of export promotions, we are supporting the Government in many ways. In view of this, it is important that our overseas members, whether in employment or practice, share their concerns with us so that these can be resolved suitably. These concerns may relate to the ease of employment, extending help to Indian CA students in finding avenues for articleship and industrial training, or their view on skill-gap. A questionnaire to be hosted shorty on the ICAI website, will be mass-emailed to all our overseas members. May I request the members who have had tryst with global exposure to make ICAI more aware about such professional barriers, so that these can be suitably taken up with the Government. ********** While our life is already stressed for a variety of reasons, unorganised and unscheduled work hours bring additional and undue stress to us, affecting our work-life balance. Rabindranath Tagore says: You cant cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. Timely attempts and endeavours need to be made if we want our projects to be completed within deadlines. As we know, incomplete and pending work is a major source of stress in the life of professionals today. Therefore, all we need is to manage our work intelligently, and we can achieve some work-life balance in life, saving ourselves from undesirable longings for extensions. Rabindranath Tagore, whose birth anniversary falls on 9th May, also says: Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it. So, let us first aim to strengthen ourselves and further build our capacities. Work and opportunities are bound to follow, for sure. At ICAI, we have been working day and night to address the challenges and create opportunities out of them. I would request my membership fraternity to take advantage of various post-qualification courses, seminars, workshops, online resources, etc., organised from time to time by ICAI, and re-skill, rediscover and empower themselves in the best interests of their professional life. Best wishes, CA. Naveen N. D. Gupta President, ICAI Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire [] Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc led a delegation of high-raking officials to attend the 32nd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore on Saturday. Following his official visit to Singapore from April 25 to 27, the Vietnamese premier continued his agenda by joining the significant event aimed at tightening unity and cooperation within the bloc. ASEAN is a political and economic organization whose members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Speaking at the summit, PM Phuc stated that ASEAN needs to maintain its central role in the region through strengthening the blocs collective resilience, solidarity, and unity. The association should enhance its role as the locomotive in bolstering economic linkage in the region, he continued. The leader welcomed the positive outcomes of the inter-Korea summit on April 27, considering it an important step forward in the process of denuclearization in the Korean peninsula. Regarding situation in the East Vietnam Sea, the bloc must continue upholding basic principles and making efforts to expedite the establishment of an effective and legally-binding Code of Conduct (COC) for peace and stability in the maritime area, Phuc said. According to Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, ASEAN is entering a new phase of development in the context of rapid changes in regional and international situation, prompting the need to continue strengthening ASEANs unity and reinforcing its central role. Member countries will work together to implement cooperation orientations defined in building a network of smart cities and enhancing cyber security cooperation, he added. On the evening of the same day, PM Phuc and joined other ASEAN leaders at the plenary meeting of the 32nd ASEAN Summit under the chair of Singaporean PM Lee. The delegates discussed cooperation in prioritized fields, noting the need to strengthen intra-bloc partnership in economic matters, trade, and investment, and to expand regional economic links and cooperation with partners. They also agreed to continue fostering a favorable business environment and support small- and medium-sized enterprises and startups, developing regional connectivity, and narrowing development gap within the region. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: Politics - Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the 32nd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore on Saturday following his official visit to the country from April 25 to 27. - A delegation of Ho Chi Minh Citys high-raking officials paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the citys War Martyrs Cemetery on Saturday on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30). Society - Competent authorities have initiated legal proceedings against Colonel Phung Danh Tham, general director of Thai Son Development and Investment JSC under the Ministry of National Defense, for his management oversight that led to economic wrongdoings at the firm. - Le Kim Thai, director of state-own Bao Viet Da Nang Insurance Company, based in the central city of Da Nang, has been accused of appointing 11 of his relatives to important positions in the firm. - Twelve people were killed and seven other injured by traffic accidents across Vietnam on Saturday, the first day of the four-day weekend holiday marking the Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1). - Police in the northern province of Hai Duong are investigating the cause of death of a nine-year-old girl whose body was found next to her mother at their home. The mother was not in a normal state of mind due to her depression at the time of the incident. - Police in the north-central province of Nghe An are looking for a man who was caught riding a motorbike with his feet in a viral video clip. - Two people in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu were fined VND200 million (US$8,800) on Saturday after being caught injecting a type of substance into shrimps in order to make them appear bigger and heavier, thus selling for higher price. Business - Many passengers missed their flights due to long queue lines at the crowded Tan Son Nhat international Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday. - Authorities in tourist cities and provinces across Vietnam have prepared multiple measures to deal with traffic jams and prevent visitors from being overcharged during the long holiday marking the Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Last week an image was posted on the Instagram page of a journalist working with La Voz de Galicia, Paula Vazquez. It showed a woman with blonde hair, walking casually through a field with a hoe over her shoulder and looking off into the distance. After it was posted to social media, that image sparked an international phenomenon, simply because Dolores Leis Antelo bears an uncanny resemblance to U.S. President Donald Trump [VIDEO]. Among the comments to Vazquezs post were remarks such as Trumps sister and Is that our president? Photo of Donald Trump doppelganger goes viral After the image was posted it soon went viral and ended up being republished by Newsweek and Univision. In fact, it caused such a stir that Vazquez has since made her Instagram account private to avoid the neverending commentary. Donald Trump na Costa da Morte pic.twitter.com/HQhAce25yM Paco Marino (@Laboreiro) April 21, 2018 The amazing likeness spawned international reports saying that the woman and Trump were so alike, they could have been twins who had been separated at birth. After the image went viral, Vazquez wrote a report for La Voz de Galicia on Tuesday, explaining how she came across the woman. She wrote that she was putting together a report on how the rain in Galicia had been holding back the annual harvest. While working on the report, she interviewed Dolores Leis Antelo, 64, who hails from Cabana de Bergantinos in the La Coruna province of Galicia, Spain. She also took the photo of Leis, which shows the woman's amazing likeness to Trump. Trump lookalike said, It must be my hair When Vazquez asked Leis about her likeness to Donald Trump, the woman chuckled and said it must be due to the blonde colour of her hair. Reportedly, Leis doesnt own a mobile phone and doesnt have access the Internet, so it was only when her daughters saw the photo online that they let her know how the photo had gone viral, giving her international fame. English translation: Trump has a sister in Galicia. Doppelganger doesnt want to leave home anymore Vazquez published a further report about Trumps doppelganger in La Voz de Galicia on Wednesday, reporting on the huge flood of media coverage over Leis uncanny resemblance to the 45th U.S. President. As noted by El Pais, After all the reports, both in Spain and overseas, Leis has reportedly now had quite enough of her global fame and according to her daughters, she doesnt want any further photos taken of her. One of the daughters said that while all the media people had treated their mother well, they must now understand that after the media flood, Leis doesnt want to appear in public anymore. So far the Donald Trump seems to be unaware of his lookalike, as he hasn't mentioned her on Twitter. ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss-based asset manager Quantum Global accused Angola's sovereign wealth fund of harassment on Sunday after more court-ordered asset freezes in a widening legal row. Angola's $5 billion (3.63 billion pounds) FSDEA fund said on Friday it was sacking Quantum Global as its asset manager because it was concerned about the way its funds were being invested. Quantum Global, which was appointed in 2012 and made most of its investments in 2015, responded by saying all Angola's money under its management was accounted for. On Sunday, the asset manager said a British court had reportedly on Friday granted an FSDEA application "for a worldwide freezing order on several Quantum Global Group companies" although it had not yet been served with court papers. "Quantum Global continues to be dismayed that FSDEA has resorted to intimidation by launching legal action in multiple jurisdictions rather than seeking a negotiated settlement or arbitration in accordance with the contractual arrangements," it said in a statement. It reiterated that it wanted to resolve the situation with the FSDEA in an amicable manner. Mauritius this month froze bank accounts and suspended business licences linked to QG Investments Africa Management following a visit by Angolan officials. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Conservatives rallied in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Saturday, April 28, to voice their opposition to the government and to ongoing peace talks with North Korea. A member of the Korean Patriots Party told Yonhap News that the negotiations were a fraud and that not enough emphasis was being placed on nuclear disarmament when announcing the talks. This video shows protesters marching near the Seoul City Hall, waving US and South Korean flags. At the six-minute mark, protesters can be seen carrying what appears to be a prop coffin. Credit: Changsop Yi via Storyful FILE PHOTO: Former President of Malawi Joyce Banda speaks during a conference on women in development programme in Lagos, Nigeria July 28, 2016.REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye Thomson Reuters LILONGWE (Reuters) - Former Malawi president Joyce Banda returned home on Saturday to a rousing welcome by supporters and vowed to prove her innocence after more than three years in self-imposed exile amid graft allegations. The so-called "Cashgate" scandal in which senior government officials were accused of siphoning millions of dollars from state coffers was uncovered in 2013 while she was president. Donor countries cut off aid, hampered development in Malawi, one of the world's poorest and most aid-dependent countries. Banda, Malawi's first female president, lost elections to Peter Mutharika a year later and immediately faced allegations of abuse of office and money laundering, which she denied before leaving the country. As far as I am concerned I never did anything wrong and there has never been a warrant of arrest and I am back to prove that, Banda told media at the airport. Last July, police issued an arrest warrant against Banda, saying her alleged offences were part of Cashgate. But early this year, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said it had no solid evidence against her, partly clearing her of wrongdoing. Police have not publicly said whether charges had been dropped. A police spokesman said on Monday the police would make no comment on the matter until Banda was back in the country. A former justice minister and attorney general were convicted over Cashgate, along with a number of former high-ranking government officials and business people. Banda was non-committal on whether she would actively engage in politics as the southern African country prepares for next years presidential and parliamentary elections. I have been away for four years now so I need to see whats going on before I can commit to politics, Banda said when asked whether she would be running in the May elections. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by Mark Heinrich) See Also: PARIS (Reuters) - French billionaire Vincent Bollore on Sunday fought allegations that his family-run group corrupted foreign public officials to win port concessions in West Africa. In a op-ed article entitled "Should we abandon Africa?" in the weekly Journal du Dimanche (JDD), the businessman said the accusations were not credible and stemmed from "malicious" and "false" information spread on local leaders on the continent. The article came four days after a French judge placed Bollore, 66, under formal investigation over allegations his conglomerate - a logistics empire in former French colonies across West Africa - undercharged for work on behalf of presidential candidates in Togo and Guinea. The company confirmed this week its African business interests were under investigation over the billing for work carried out in the two countries between 2009 and 2010 by its communications business Havas Worldwide. The group denied any wrongdoing. "How can one imagine that communication expenses of a few hundred thousands euros, accounted for in all transparency by a global and renowned communication group, could have determined investments of hundreds of million euros in port operations...," Bollore said. The executive added his group, which operates 16 container ports in West Africa, invested about 4 billion euros (3.5 billion) in the region over the last 30 years. He said he also pushed French media group Vivendi, which he controls, to invest in the continent. Claiming that he is the target of a "witch hunt," Bollore said the investigation could weaken the ties between France and its former colonies on the African continent. "Isn't there a risk that the France of Enlightenment they had so admired may break this bond through witch hunts and unfair and disproportionate inquisitions...," Bollore asked. Bollore is suspected of corrupting foreign public officials and complicity in corruption, his lawyer Olivier Baratelli said earlier this week. (This version of the story has been refiled to add missing word 'between' in paragraph 8.) (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Iceland is famed for its remarkable geology. The searing heat radiating through the countrys stunning terrain drives volcanoes, hot springs and something you might not expectbread ovens. Sigurur Rafn Hilmarsson is a baker from Laugarvatn, Iceland, a sleepy lakeside town with a population of just 200. For him, baking rye bread, or rugbrau, underground is something of a family tradition. My grandmother used to bake this all the time, and then my mother again and my brother and his family and a lot of other locals in the village, he told Newsweek. 4_27_Lava Bread_01 Chiara Brambilla Trending: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Teenage Brain | Opinion Geothermal activity shapes Icelands terrain; the island itself is really just a peak of the mountains jutting from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and peeping above the ocean. The boundary of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates slices through the heart of Iceland, creating the countrys devastatingly beautiful shape. Forged in earth warmed by Laugarvatns hot springs, this simple rye bread has become something of a national icon. Hilmarsson has even plied the pantry of Icelands president, Guni Thorlacius Johannessonand, of course, the steady stream of tourists traveling the countrys Golden Circle route. Every day, Hilmarsson mixes rye, flour, milk, sugar, salt and baking powder into a dough which he places in a buttered cooking pot. Then, he ventures outside to find his ovena hole dug near the towns lake. About a foot down in the soil, temperatures can approach boiling point. Plastic wrapping protects the bread from the wet soil that oozes around the pot at this depth. Hilmarsson covers the hole with sand to keep in the heat, then lets the pot rest for about 24 hours. Don't miss: Nuclear North Korea No More: Kim Jong Un Promises to Close Test Site Ahead of Trump Summit Story continues Before he leaves, he places a stone above the hole. This signals to other locals that this bread-baking spot is taken. If someone is baking you just aim for another hole and make this mark, he explained. When he returns the next day and digs up his cooking pot, the bread is ready. 4_27_Bardabunga Volcano Bernard Meric/AFP/Getty Images Hilmarssons shop produces six to 10 loaves of rye bread a day, each weighing nearly seven pounds. Slightly sweet, the bread is reminiscent of cake. Hungry customers slather slices with butter and top them with salmon. Most popular: White House Correspondents' Dinner: Five Jokes From the Michelle Wolf Routine That Stunned Washington Growing up, the bread was more of a treat or a special dish for guests, he said. As a kid this...wasnt something to do every day, but if we were expecting someone to come from Reykjavik for a visit. Although Icelands geology is perfect for baking, its weather can halt the magic. The borders of Laugarvatns lake can swell with heavy rain and melting ice after winter. This drowns Hilmarssons bakery, closing it for a week or so at a time. 4_27_Sigurur Rafn Hilmarsson Chiara Brambilla After the rains, he couldnt be more excited to get back to baking. Its the[slow] cooking that makes this bread so special, he said. Its the mixture of the rye and the sugar and...baking powder that comes to life. Hilmarsson thinks his children, captivated by the magic of lava bread, will continue baking it long after he is gone. My children, for example, are crazy about this, he said. I know for sure they will get this from me and they will definitely do this in the future so I have no worries...As long as these holes are alive and we can do thiswe will. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the United States and North Korea (all times local): 11:05 a.m. President Donald Trump says he's had "a long and very good talk" with the South Korean president, who's just had a historic meeting with North Korea's leader. With anticipation growing for a possible U.S.-North Korean summit soon, Trump tweets Saturday that "things are going very well, time and location" of meeting with Kim Jong Un are being set. Trump says that besides talking with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, he's updated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about "the ongoing negotiations." Moon and Kim have pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War by year's end and to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. Trump has said he's looking forward to the meeting with Kim and that it "should be quite something." It is tentatively scheduled for May or early June. ___ 1 a.m. President Donald Trump is claiming credit for a historic South Korea-North Korea summit. But now he faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders' bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Trump must contend with a nagging suspicion about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed. And then there's the question about whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. See Also: New information about Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who infamously promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton to Trump campaign officials in a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting, casts greater doubt on who she has claimed to be and her ties to the Kremlin. Related: Russian lawyer at Trump Tower meeting attended presidents inauguration events Veselnitskaya has denied claims that she is an operative for the Russian government and said she is merely a private attorney, but emails newly released by The New York Times as well as an NBC News interview with her to be aired Friday indicate her links to the Russian government run far deeper than she initially disclosed. Trending: 'Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery' Beginners Guide: Wands, House Points, Characters and More Trump Tower Meeting Veselnitskaya insisted that she did not meet with Trump campaign members Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort as a Kremlin representative, but in a private capacity. I operate independently of any governmental bodies, Veselnitskaya wrote in statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee in November 2017. I have no relationship with Mr. Chaika, his representatives and his institutions other than those related to my professional functions as a lawyer. However, that statement was undermined last fall when her memo for the Trump Tower meeting closely matchedwith some paragraphs verbatima confidential document circulated by Russias Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika. Don't miss: Kim Jong Uns Historic Meeting Was Watched All Over the World, Except in North Korea What Veselnitskaya Said After the Meeting The most eye-catching development is that Veselnitskaya, in the NBC News interview, backtracks on her previous denials. I am a lawyer, and I am an informant, she said, according to the Times. Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general. Story continues 04_27_18_Veselnitskaya YURY MARTYANOV/AFP/Getty Images Emails Shed More Light on Veselnitskayas Kremlin Ties Veselnitskaya has a much closer relationship with Chaika and his office than she originally acknowledged, according to emails released Friday and obtained by the organization Dossier, which was founded by a leading opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Most popular: What Happened to Kaylee Sawyer? Bend, Oregon Murder Featured on Dateline The emails show that Sergei Bochkaryov, a senior prosecutor in Chaikas office, worked with Veselnitskaya to come up with a response to a U.S. Justice Department request for assistance with a civil fraud case launched against the Russian real estate firm Prevezon Holdings Ltd. One of at least emails obtained showed Veselnitskaya addressing Bochkaryov in a familial manner in August 2014. Dear Sergei Aleksandrovich! she wrote. I am sending you the edits in the draft response, as per instructions. I am ready to answer any questions that arise, at any time convenient for you. When NBC News presented Veselnitskaya with copies of the emails, she admitted, Many things included here are from my documents, my personal documents. The revelations raise questions around whether she was representing the Kremlin at the Trump Tower meeting that has become a focal point of special counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek In an advancement that opens avenues for questions about philosophy and bioethics, scientists have achieved a strange feat: they can now keep pig brains alive outside a body for at least 36 hours. The scientists obtained pig heads from slaughterhouses and took out their brains. Then, they used heaters, pumps and a complex artificial blood solution to revive the cells. Shockingly, they managed to revive the brain matter in a way that it was technically alive, MIT Tech Review reported. Pig Sean Gallup/Getty Images Trending: 'Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links Visions of Ice: Every Card in New Mini Box The pigs had been dead for four hours, a significant amount of time between the chopping block and the lab, so the neurons were damaged. Memories and thoughts were, in all likelihood, long gone. Using a version of EEG, the scientists measured brain wave activity but found none, indicating that the brain was not actually conscious. However, one of the scientists noted that there were channel blockers in the artificial blood solution, which are chemicals that can prevent an EEG reading from picking up signs of consciousness. The scientists, from Yale University, found billions of brain cells that were alive and capable of normal activity on an individual level, according to ScienceAlert. This experiment has scientists asking what will happen next, and what kind of ethical guidelines do we need to set? If science ever uses this technology to keep human brains alive, that experiment is a long way away, and would have to pass many legal and ethical hurdles. However, scientists are already looking to the future and talking about whats ethical, even for pig brains. The Food and Drug Administration doesnt regulate use of dead tissue, like body parts from dead humans or animals, but what about undead tissue? If this research ever advances to keep undamaged brains alive in a jar, would that be humane to a pig or human? Does this affect our definition of death? Story continues In response to this experiment, some researchers have published an editorial in the journal Nature regarding how to proceed ethically with such a strange advancement. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Photo: Getty Images Almost half of Adam Bells fellow high school students in Greenville, S.C., voted to crown him prom king last week. The openly gay senior, who loves fashion and makeup, knew his classmates and teachers wouldnt be surprised to see him show up to the dance in a cropped Victorias Secret bustier and a green velvet skirt. Did he expect any extra attention because of his choice of prom wear? I didnt because my school has been so supportive the whole time, Bell told Fox Carolina. Theyve seen it on a daily basis from me, so it was nothing new to them. In photos, you can see him posing happily with Powdersville High School administrators and teachers, the prom queen, and fellow students. He dances in his crown with a boy. The photo has been deleted. (Photo: Facebook/PowdersvilleHighSchool) Wearing a dress is like my version of dressing up, like most guys version is wearing a tux and mine is more feminine, he told the local CBS affiliate WSPA. This is not a story about a prom dress-code violation his outfit didnt violate any rules. It isnt about his peers or the school system failing to support his fashion choices or even his sexuality. Its about what happened after they all did support him. When the school posted photos from prom to its official Facebook page, the negative comments came flooding in. From parents. This young man/woman/it should be ashamed of this ludicrous behavior, one comment said, according to North Carolinas WCNC. My question to admin is he going to be allowed to use the restroom with these young girls, wrote another woman. There must have been worse comments too, but we dont know what they were because the school district opted to take down the entire Powdersville High School Facebook page. This weekend Powdersville High School hosted its annual junior-senior prom, Jane Harrison with Anderson District One told CBS affiliate WSPA. Consistent with the schools long-standing tradition, the students nominated and elected a prom king and queen. This year, the king and queen elected were Aston Irby and Adam Bell. Story continues Bell told WSPA that his classmates have stood by him through this social media storm. [T]he kids were actually the ones standing up to the adults and being more supportive than ever, Bell said. I greatly appreciate all my friends and even people I havent even talked to at the school who were standing up to the adults and even their own parents who would comment. Bell follows in the footsteps of other high school students breaking down gender norms at prom. Last year, Adrian Santiago of Cidra, Puerto Rico, made headlines with his dazzling pink blazer-dress. This weekend, a gay couple in Georgia will attend their high schools prom as part of the royal court after petitioning the school to make the honor gender neutral. With prom behind him, Bell doesnt intend to stop expressing himself freely at school events. He told Fox Carolina that hell be attending graduation in a dress too. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. The Khawam Gallery, located in Florida, is a beacon of contemporary art and culture. Established by Syrian-born artist Tony Khawam and his wife Mirna Asmar, the gallery recently hosted a booth at ArtExpo in New York City in April of 2018. Among the work on display in the gallerys booth were Tonys own paintings which were inspired by the war-torn urban landscape of Syria...which he often renders in color to depict hopefulness amid the war and chaos. Tony was so deeply affected by the events of September 11, 2001, that he stopped painting. He re-established himself as an artist in 2015 and, through his gallery, promotes his work and the work of others. Tony recently discussed his experiences as a Syrian immigrant, his artistic inspirations, his decision to open a gallery, and more via a recent and exclusive interview. Painting, galleries, and Syria Meagan Meehan (MM): You grew up in Syria and came to the United States with your family in 1976. What was it like to change countries and cultures, and do you think the move had any effect on your creativity? Tony Khawam (TK): I was a painter at an early age and enrolled at Aleppo visual arts center when I was in middle school. Also, I was a frequent visitor to the national Museums of Aleppo and Damascus which house the best collections of ancient Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, and Arabic art. I was a teenager when my family immigrated to the United States in 1976 and immediately attended Fair Lawn high school in New Jersey, I knew little French which helped me learn English quickly. I was the only student from Syria among the majority Jewish community of Fair Lawn, and the students were very nice. Every young man in Syria and Lebanon dreams of visiting or immigrating to the US, my dream always been in the arts, influenced by the American culture and cowboy movies and wanted to be an illustrator of Hollywood movie posters especially for Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson movies. The move to the US definitely helped me pursue a career in the arts. After high school, I went to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City, studied and practiced painting and sculpture with the best visual artists in the world which contributed to my creativity. MM: How did you establish yourself as a painter and, prior to 9/11, what themes most inspired you? TK: I hold a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from SVA and continued my education in graphic design, advertising and secured jobs on Madison Avenue which provided me a steady income to have a family and raise three children, also continued painting and exhibiting during the nineties until 2001 which I stopped painting after the 9/11 events and closed my newly established gallery in NJ. MM: After you started painting again in 2015 you have made Syria a focal point of your work and you often include colors to represent hope. What do you wish more Americans knew about Syria, its people, and the conditions there? TK: The focal point of my artwork in the 1990s was the urban and industrial areas around New York City especially New Jersey. The series are named New York Metro Urbanism that meant to convey my perception of the speed and flux of modern life with geometric lines with 3D effects and multi-layer of accumulated brushstrokes to form semi-abstract paintings. The Syrian crisis deteriorated, and many of my relatives and childhood friends residing in Aleppo city were deeply affected by the war, many lost loved ones, their homes either damaged or collapsed and some of the youth left for Europe, Canada, America and left behind their elderly family members. In 2015 I decided to switch my subject from the New York Urban landscapes to Aleppo Urban landscapes which ancient city areas of Aleppo, UNESCO world heritage sites were damaged and in danger of destruction by the fighting, and I used the Aleppo brand as a symbol to represent the Syrian conflict. The recent work showcases paintings of a semi-abstract vision of Syrias urban landscapes in its war-torn cities. My primary focus is of my birthplace the city of Aleppo with urban scenes of collapsed apartment floors, fallen balconies, curved rooftops and punched holes in the building facades. My new direction is expressed primarily through the use of accumulative strokes and the manipulation of paint to create an abstract interpretation. My aim is not to focus on the politics of the conflict, but instead, to raise awareness in the hope of changing the perception from destruction of haunting and disturbing scenes to hopeful, colorful neighborhoods that are filled with life. The debris of the destruction and ruins of haunting scenes were horrific and I wanted to bring them back to life through color and expressionist painting method to construct visual means with human-to-human connection to inspire hope and future through the creation of unique contemporary Works Of Art that can be understood by people from different cultures of all ages in a positive way despite all the negative news and images that the mainstream media injected into the minds of many Americans. MM: What prompted you to open the Khawam Gallery in both Florida and New Jersey? TK: The completion of twenty-four small paintings of Aleppo Urban Landscapes prompted me to communicate with cultural organizations in South Florida to exhibit the works, but due to many scheduled exhibitions the works will not be showcased for at least a year in advance, and I was in a hurry to exhibit them to the public. Ive visited some galleries and was not impressed by their contemporary works of art exhibiting at their galleries or the art fairs and realized the need to open a contemporary art gallery in South Florida and New Jersey. The South Florida Cultural & Arts invited me to participate in Florida Int'l Trade & Cultural Expo 2017 (FITCE) at Broward county convention center in Fort Lauderdale. I showcased some recent Aleppo painting series in front of Int'l trade ministers and government dignitaries from fifty countries which was an inspiring experience based on the audience positive responses toward the work. My wife Mirna Asmar and I decided to open a gallery and contacted several of my artists colleagues to join our gallery and participated in Art Miami week at Red Dot 2017 which coincided with my solo exhibition at Bailey Contemporary Arts near Fort Lauderdale and a catalogue was published showcasing the works from 2015-2017, also participated at Art Palm Beach 2018 and ArtExpo NY 2018. MM: How many artists do you currently represent and what styles of artwork do you prefer to exhibit? TK: We represent between eight and fifteen artists depending on the level of showcasing their artworks at different art venues. We like any style as long as the artists work is contemporary, original and has the artists unique signature style in paintings, sculptures and public art installation. We want to bring Syrian contemporary visual arts into the American art market to help Americans who visit the exhibit to see the richness and beauty of Syrian arts and culture and to continue exhibiting American artists. The combination of cultures and art styles complement our vision to bring unique works of art to the art market. Artist, exhibitions, and ArtExpo MM: Typically, how do you find the artists that you exhibit at the gallery and what can guests expect from your art openings? TK: Every good artist has a story, some more compelling than others and if an artist chooses art to express his/her vision with a contemporary approach than thats what were looking for to exhibit at Khawam Gallery. The story method continuity of these materials and the execution are the differentiating factors in choosing artists that help sets us apart from very crowded so-called art market. Many galleries are commercial and exhibit what sells to the mass audience, KhawamGallery.com exhibits only contemporary creative and unique works of arts that appeal and dazzle collectors, curators, and art lovers. The gallery pricing is between $5,000-$25,000 of mid-career to established artists. MM: You recently had a booth at ArtExpo, so what was that experience like and do you also travel to any other fairs? TK: ArtExpo NY was a great experience for our gallery, people responded positively about all the works that we exhibited, and some collectors acquired half of our exhibition. We featured five contemporary visual artists, two Americans, two Syrian and one Armenian-Lebanese artist. Our plan for future participation is to exhibit at Art Basel, Art Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and in major European and Middle Eastern exhibitions. MM: What are your biggest goals for the future of the Khawam Gallery? TK: To continue improving our exhibitions to reach more Americans and the art market with national and International exhibitions by introducing established artists that make a difference on bringing unique art ideas to advance art history into the future and to be among the top tier of International contemporary art galleries. MM: Do you have any exhibitions and/or events coming up soon and is there anything else that you would like to talk about? TK: Were planning several exhibitions in New York City, Montreal, and South Florida, also weve been contacted by international art fairs in Europe and the Middle East and will be considering the ones that are in line with our vision to bring our gallery artists works to the art world. Ivanka Trump doesn't always use the best choice of words when it comes to expressing herself on social media. She's regularly excoriated for her messages and photos. More of that occurred on Wednesday (April 26), when the first daughter and special assistant to President Donald Trump retweeted a message posted by Kanye West. One simple hashtag is what resulted in the backlash. Trump's hashtag ridiculed as off-base Ivanka wrote the hashtag #truth in her retweet of Kanye's message, which voiced support of her father. The rapper-turned-designer expressed that he can't be pressured by "the mob" to not love him. Although he doesn't agree with everything he does, he views Trump as an individual. He relayed the message in general terms but was pointedly referring to the president. He added that he considers Donald Trump his "brother." While Ivanka Trump may have meant #truth in terms of agreeing with what Kanye West wrote, she was trolled for using a word that doesn't accurately define her father in the eyes of critics. The president is corrected in the press daily for misleading the public on his half-truths when it comes to everything from his scandals to popularity polls and beyond. Kanye's tweet is posted below. You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought. KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 25, 2018 Check out some of the responses Ivanka received after retweeting the post. That is a hashtag that no Trump should be associated with. Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 25, 2018 Truth missed your clan. Richard Gallegos (@ricgallegos) April 25, 2018 Like Ivanka Trump has any idea what truth is. This is laughable. She has zero credibility. K. Harling (@AchillesHeel_17) April 25, 2018 There were a few users who noticed a member of the Trump family was bolstering the opinion of a celebrity. "Funny how team Trump is suddenly pro-celebrity," wrote one. "Daddy! We've got a REAL celebrity now!" another chimed in. Earlier this year, Ivanka Trump posted a photo of her daughter peering out from under her floor-length gown. "My partner in crime," she captioned it. The image instantly drew criticism for her choice of words, considering her husband, Jared Kushner, had his security clearance downgraded due to scrutiny by investigators of past business dealings. Critics rarely give the first daughter a break on social media. If she writes something that comes off as totally oblivious, she's called out on it. It's unknown if she sits around reading the comments, but it's been reported that she's frustrated by the negativity she receives. Kanye West returns from Twitter hiatus Footwear News notes in its coverage of Ivanka retweeting Kanye West's message that the rapper recently returned to Twitter after a long hiatus. In doing so, he posted an image of his autographed "Make America Great Again" hat from the president. Do you think #truth was an inappropriate hashtag for Ivanka Trump to use in her retweet of Kanye West's message? Should she have thought more about the irony of adding the word just for the reaction it would bring? Drax Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation and supply of electricity in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Generation, Customers, and, Pellet Production. It produces low carbon and renewable electricity; and provides system support services to the electricity grid. The company owns and operates Drax Power Station that produces electricity from biomass and coal with an installed capacity of 3,906 megawatts (MW) located in Selby, North Yorkshire; Cruachan Power Station, a pumped hydro storage station, with an installed capacity of 440 MW located in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland; and Lanark and Galloway hydro-electric power stations with an installed capacity of 126 MW located in southwest Scotland. It also owns and operates combined cycle gas turbine power stations, including Damhead Creek power station with an installed capacity of 805 MW; Rye House power station with an installed capacity of 715 MW; Shoreham power station with an installed capacity of 420 MW; and Blackburn power station with an installed capacity of 60 MW located in England. In addition, the company owns and operates Daldowie fuel plant that processes sludge from a wastewater treatment plant and converts it into dry and low-odour fuel pellets. Further, it manufactures and sells compressed wood pellets for use in electricity production; supplies and manages electricity and gas for large industrial and commercial sector customers, as well as small businesses; and provides debt recovery services. Drax Group plc was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Selby, the United Kingdom. Read More Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN. Read More 3 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Sappi in the last year. There are currently 1 sell rating and 2 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" Sappi stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in SPPJY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Sappi or view top-rated stocks. Northwestern moves up one spot in B, Aberdeen Christian out of rankings in latest poll sports More than 25 years ago, Jan Thompson spent an evening rummaging through a suitcase and found insights into parts of her father she had not known well, the parts shaped by war, hell ships and prisoner of war camps. Her discoveries that night sparked an intense interest in World War II in the Pacific and POWs that pushed her to make three documentaries, including 2013s Never the Same: The Prisoner of War Experience, and got her involved with the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society. Thompson is president of the national organization, which is holding its annual convention in Albuquerque Thursday through Saturday. Her father, Robert E. Thompson, a Navy veteran of World War II, was captured by the Japanese and suffered terrible ordeals as a prisoner of war, including transport, on Japanese hell ships. But he survived to come home. My dad hardly ever talked about it, said Jan Thompson, a professor of radio, television and digital media at Southern Illinois University. And when he did, it was only one or two words when I asked a question. But one night, at her parents home in Naples, Fla., Jan went through a suitcase filled with things that had been collected by her fathers mother. My father was an only child and my grandmother kept everything in meticulous order, Thompson said during a phone interview. My father was stationed in the Philippines two years before the war started. In the suitcase, there were telegrams from my father, letters from my father before he was captured, she said. Then, there were about 40 letters from my grandfather and grandmother to my dad, letters that were never delivered and were returned to them. It was as if my grandmother wanted someone to find them. The organization Thompson heads today is the offshoot of a group formed in 1946 by those taken captive on Bataan and Corregidor. But Thompson said that group was disbanded in 2006 as members died off or became too infirm to travel to conventions. The new organization is made up largely of the descendants of those survivors. It has been good for the kids, she said. Theres always that curiosity because we are cut from the same cloth. Some of our fathers didnt talk about (their war experiences), some did and some did not come back at all. Of the more than 26,000 Americans taken prisoner by the Japanese, Thompson said, nearly 11,000 died in captivity. Her father died in 2012. The biggest honor we can give them is to preserve their memory, Thompson said. On average, between 200 and 250 people attend the conventions, and Thompson hopes a few survivors will be at this weeks convention in Albuquerque. They are all in the mid to late 90s, she said. When they do show up, we treat them like kings. Convention highlights include: 10:30 a.m. Thursday: Margaret Garcia of Albuquerque talks about Tell Me Another War Story, her book about her father, Evans Garcia, who fought with the New Mexico National Guards 200th Coast Artillery in the Philippines and was taken prisoner. 3 p.m. Thursday: Panel discussion with former POWs and family members who traveled to Japan last year as guests of the Japanese government. 1:30 p.m. Friday: Caroline Burkhart presents 27th Bomb Group, Evaders in the Jungle. 2:30 p.m. Saturday: The screening of Paper Lanterns, about a Japanese man who survived the Hiroshima bomb and pursued a quest to discover the identities of 12 American POWs killed by the bomb. Screening is free and open to the public. Prev 1 of 6 Next Columbus reigns from his black tricorn hat next to a crowned Burger King mascot. The Italian explorer wields a quill as he divides up a landscape embedded within a hamburger. St. James, patron saint of the Spanish conquest, rides along the background, offering religious justification. One is from history and one is a corporate symbol, artist Patrick McGrath Muniz said. These figures become larger than life and they become symbols of a time of conquest. Its part legend, part real. Munizs Holy Combo I (2016) is one of 50 pieces showcased in GenNext: Future So Bright, an exhibition of works by 20 artists opening at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art on Friday, May 4. The show is the first of its kind for the museum grounded in traditional Spanish artwork. The idea for a contemporary exhibition germinated when curator Jana Gottshalk began talking to young artists at Santa Fes annual Spanish Market. I started asking what they did outside of Spanish Market, she said. They are all inspired by colonial art and they often work using the same composition as traditional retablos and bultos, but theyre using a lot of social and political commentary in their work. Born in New York, Muniz grew up in Puerto Rico before discovering Spanish colonial art when he was in college in (of all places) Georgia. Grounded in Renaissance, Baroque and Latin American colonial painting, his work addresses colonialism, consumerism and climate change. For him, the conquest represented by religious iconography and American commercialism spring from the same roots. Theres a continuous line between the colonial indoctrination and commercial pop culture propaganda, said Munoz, who now lives in Houston. I dont see any break in the past. Espanolas Thomas Vigil recycles battered street signs, then splashes them with classic Spanish colonial art imagery. Vigil spent his childhood enveloped by the traditional Hispanic artwork of northern New Mexico. He discovered graffiti after visiting his brother in Los Angeles. The street art offered a dual appeal. One thing was the fact that it was illegal, he said with a laugh. It was exciting. And Ive always loved art in public spaces. Street artists risk going to jail just to express themselves. Vigil began collecting street signs and license plates he found on eBay and in antique shops. The New Mexico Department of Transportation donated a stack. Virgen de los Dolores (Our Lady of Pain/Sorrows) combines a paint-splattered speed sign with a classic image of the Virgin Mary. Ive gone to church since I was a baby, Vigil said. Its all spray paint work; I use spray paint and stencils. His political commentary has triggered controversy, especially when he combines it with Day of the Dead imagery. Hes working on a piece using a recycled grape box as a canvas emblazoned with an image of civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. Albuquerques Brandon Maldonado pairs the ex-voto or religious offerings to the saints with images lifted from cartoons, graffiti and video games. In Mexico,worshippers place ex-votos often small paintings in a church or chapel to give thanks. El Mojadosm depicts a sun-fried border crosser riding a coyote and lifting a jug of water. Thats the story from the Mexican perspective, the self-taught artist said. El Gringo moves to the opposite side of the border. The image shows a white tourist with a faceted face riding a donkey painted with zebra stripes. I call it my Picasso face series, Maldonado said. The heads are very Cubist-looking. The artist is working on a show slated for Santa Fes Pop Gallery during this summers Spanish Market. Im calling it Neo-Picasso, he said. Ive always had a love for Picasso. He said if you see an eye in the socket, thats normal. If you see it in the forehead, you see it anew. He also said, Good artists copy; great artists steal.' If you go WHAT: GenNext: Future So Bright WHEN: Public reception 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Nov. 25 WHERE: Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, 750 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill, Santa Fe HOW MUCH: $10, under 16 free. Free first Sunday of the month for New Mexico residents with ID. Information, visit spanishcolonial.org. In conjunction with the 8th annual Festival Djudeo Espanyol, the Nahalat Shalom Gallery is hosting Juggling Identities with artwork by Charles Carrillo, Pat Gurule Griego and Carlos Jose Otero through May 12. This is a modest installation in an unpretentious gallery that exudes great emotional and spiritual power and represents more than 500 years of New Mexican and Spanish history. Though filled with contemporary retablos created by living santeros, the works in the show reinforce an almost six-century intersecting practice between Judaism and Catholicism. The three santeros designed the small sacred objects in Juggling Identities to be placed in home shrines or meditation altars. As presented on the bare white walls of the gallery they lose a bit of their inherent intimacy. Carrillo may be the only contemporary santero who earned his Ph.D in anthropology at the University of New Mexico. His award-winning santos, retablos and bultos have been exhibited around the world. Carrillo, who has the most work in the exhibit, celebrates many Old Testament themes and stories in this rare local exhibition. All of his work is high quality and utilizes traditional materials and techniques. Some of my favorites are Hand of Miriam Blue, Rebekah at the Well, Adam and Eve and Moses Receiving the Ten Commandments. In Hand of Miriam Blue Carrillo beautifully balances abstraction and original spiritual intent. The Star of David is juxtaposed to the all-seeing eye and the three fishes. The overall composition exists on a stylized hand that has roots in the earliest marks made by human beings in cave and cliff art. Carrillos Adam and Eve are beautifully rendered and authentic. In Moses Receiving the Ten Commandments Carrillo captures the import of the story within the traditional simplicity of New Mexican sacred art. In another piece he includes ancient Pueblo pottery shards. Carrillo is able to infuse his work with the illusive spiritual emotion that the best santeros are able to convey. Though he is only exhibiting small pieces, straw applique artist Pat Gurule Griego offers stunning craftsmanship and a heart-felt spirituality. I love his Cross Struggling Identities, a small black cruciform with a wave-shaped cross bar sweeping across the composition. Details include a Star of David emblemizing the balanced conjunction of masculine and feminine triangles embellished with gorgeously placed plant forms. Oteros work has great character and skillful means captured in Reina Ester, a complete altar piece symbolizing with its theatrical presentation the distance between the spiritual and earthly realms. His work seems to be as ancient as the stories he depicts. He makes magical retablos. The story of these beautifully made sacred objects reaches back to Spain during the 14th and 15th centuries under the rule of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who were the architects of the Spanish Inquisition designed to purge Spain of heretics, Moors and Jews. Ferdinand and Isabellas Alhambra Decree of 1492 forced the Muslim Moors to exit the Iberian Peninsula after an 800-year occupation and expelled the Jews from all of Spain. Many fled to the New World and emigrated to the Southwest where they lived as crypto Jews practicing Judaism in secret. In northern New Mexico many graveyards feature markers containing both Jewish and Christian symbols. The late photographer Cary Herz authored a beautiful book chronicling those crypto Jewish gravesites titled New Mexicos Crypto-Jews: Image and Memory in 2007. In an act of compassion Spain recently decided to repatriate all living relatives of the original families expelled in 1492. It is now possible for survivors to return to Spain or obtain a dual citizenship. The show is well worth a lingering visit. Enrollment for higher education in New Mexico continues to decline. The most recent enrollment numbers from the New Mexico Higher Education Department show a decrease from 144,294 students in 2014 to 133,830 in 2016. These numbers have college and university officials scrambling to bring enrollment up but point to a larger educational challenge. Some students and families dont realize that a certificate or degree from a college is more important now than ever before to secure higher-paying jobs and ensure jobs come to, and stay in, our state. This enrollment decline comes at a time when more companies are hiring individuals with post-secondary credentials like certificates and two-year degrees. Some students lament the cost of education and dont see the value of continuing because of the rigor of study or lifes challenges. This makes college seem out of reach. However, community colleges offer many scholarships in addition to federal and state aid to make college more attainable. Let me clear up some misconceptions. This is not the junior college of yesteryear with mostly developmental classes serving students who didnt get admitted to a university. There is a misunderstanding of what types of programs are available. So, why attend community college? The real reason students should seek two-year degrees and certificates is to increase their opportunities for higher-paying jobs and careers. Increasingly, higher education degrees and certificates are the minimum credential for companies doing the hiring. A human resources professional from the private sector recently told me that her corporation decided to offer employment to candidates for specific positions who completed a college education. Asked why, she told me it was the easiest way to improve the quality of their workforce. One might argue experience and other factors should be considered when hiring a new employee, but this corporation values higher education as the starting point for entry into higher paying jobs. So, what does that mean to a student? Give us two years, stay focused on studies, graduate on time and earn a credential with an average worth of $31,000 upon entry into a job, according to the College Score Card from the U.S. Department of Education. Some graduates earn more, some earn less, but regardless of the career path they are on, it is a path to a better-paying career. Community colleges such as Dona Ana Community College are rigorous. They offer science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs on the cutting-edge of technology and education innovation such as virtual reality, cyber security, coding for apps and more. They help students overcome barriers and move efficiently through their educational journey. Community colleges also offer programs such as welding, dental hygiene, nursing, creative media technology, water technology and others that support New Mexicos business needs. For those wishing to complete studies at a university after completing high school, one can choose a 2-plus-2 degree program to continue their studies, save money and transfer seamlessly from a community college into a four-year university. In some cases, such as the Aggie Pathway, when you complete a prescribed set of courses with a good GPA, New Mexico State University guarantees admission. On the Pathway there is help via learning communities, tutors and peer mentors to improve chances of succeeding and moving on to NMSU. So, whether you have been out of high school for one or many years or are graduating this spring, it is a smart choice to continue at a community college and prepare for a career or transfer to a university. For more information, visit dacc.nsmu.edu. CHICAGO Its seen by some as just one of the many paradoxes youll find at the border. But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense that about half of the agents in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are Hispanic: Its a steady, government gig with decent benefits and pay in a geographic location with lots of bilingual Latinos looking to gain a foothold in Americas middle class. Ever since President Trump announced he wants to hire 5,000 more border patrol agents, Latinos interested in joining the agency have flocked to citizens academies sponsored by CBP, The Los Angeles Times reported last week. During these academies, participants tour the border and take part in interactive demonstrations on such topics as tracking, search and rescue, self-defense, firearms tactics and inspections for prohibited agricultural items. A Times reporter followed a group of 11 people 10 of whom were Latino who were participating in the El Centro Sector Border Patrol citizens academy. This will be unsurprising to anyone who has traveled to the border lately. The last time I toured the Bridge of the Americas border crossing in El Paso, in 2015, it was difficult to find any CBP staff who werent Hispanic. When asked what their friends and family think of their line of work, most of the border agents Ive spoken with over the years have acknowledged being deft at changing the subject or enduring awkward conversations with grace. But Latino CBP employees also express a lot of pride in being able to create a life for themselves and their family. Not only do agents almost always note that the Department of Homeland Security which oversees the CBP is a great place to build a career, theyll also tell you it is one of the few employment opportunities left in this economy that doesnt require a bachelors degree. Those of us who recoil at the indignities, injustices and, frankly, human-rights violations that happen at the border like to imagine that wed never accept a job for a government bureau associated with work that has been so destructive to Latino communities and families. But a fair analysis reveals that many of us have a lot of privilege that allows us to not have to even consider that line of work. Very few Latinos looking at CBP careers attended college and have enough social capital to launch a white-collar job search. Even fewer CBP employees are like Francisco Cantu, a former Fulbright fellow, four-year border patrol agent and the author of The Line Becomes a River. Cantu was skewered by protesters at his recent book readings for being a sell-out and profiting from recounting the tragic stories he witnessed and took part in while on the job. Cantu left CBP to recuperate from the mental and emotional strain of policing the border and took refuge in completing his master of fine arts degree in nonfiction writing. Hes certainly not the poster boy for the type of working-class people who typically turn to federal jobs to become the first in their family to own a home or to help finance college for the first in their family to attempt a degree. For Cantu, a third-generation Mexican-American, being accused of making his name off the pain of those he was policing on the border is surely unpleasant. But being a highly educated and now award-winning literary figure surely dulls some of the sting. An acquaintance of mine works for CBP in spite of the bad rap and the occasional questions about his ethnic loyalties so he can have a comfortable home and send his kids to college, and so his wife can afford to take a public-school teaching job. In the end, Latinos will as they always do go through whatever painful personal travails are required to make it in this country, lending truth to the stereotype that theyll take any job to scratch out a better life for themselves and their families. Its easy to criticize such choices some people think theres a special place in hell for Latinos who play a part in the American governments border militarization complex but this, too, is a privilege of sorts and should come with a grain of empathy. Latinos should not add to the enmity their fellow officers on the border face until theyve walked in their dusty, not-too-many-other-options shoes. E-mail: estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. District Judge Christina Argyres got it exactly right last week when she ordered Charles Taylor held in jail pending trial on charges of kicking in a womans door in broad daylight before beating her, tying her up and raping her at a Southeast Albuquerque apartment complex. The horrific incident began, allegedly, with Taylor asking the woman to borrow a lighter. The issue is what are we going to do to protect the community from people like Mr. Taylor? Judge Argyres asked during a hearing in which prosecutors were seeking to have Taylor kept behind bars. Are there any conditions that will afford anybody any sense of security? And my answer is absolutely not, Argyres said. Theres only one place for you, Mr. Taylor, while this case is pending, and that is in the Metropolitan Detention Center. Unfortunately, its one case, one brutalized victim and one judge too late. Taylor is the new poster boy in the debate over pre-trial detention, which is aimed at protecting the community from dangerous defendants under terms of a constitutional amendment approved overwhelmingly by New Mexico voters in 2016. But there are other cases that pose similar questions, including Evonne Jaramillo, who was charged with murder and conspiracy this month in the death of her boyfriends aunt. The DAs Office had asked that she be detained after she failed to appear for hearings; the same judge who handled Taylors case released her. She is now in custody after again failing to appear. Voters were especially motivated to approve the amendment by the argument judges lacked the tools to keep defendants like Taylor and Jaramillo behind bars while awaiting trial under the states constitution that guaranteed makeable bail in almost all cases. Critics have blamed the amendment for preventing judges from keeping dangerous suspects behind bars. But recent Supreme Court decisions have made it clear that judges have the tools they need and cannot place impossible barriers in front of prosecutors. And while, yes, the tools are there, the case of Charles Taylor and his latest alleged victim show there is plenty of work to do to make sure they are used properly. It was just April 10 when Taylor had been in front of District Judge Charles Brown on charges of receiving and transferring a stolen vehicle. Prosecutors in that case also asked that he be held pre-trial. Brown denied the request after a pre-trial services assessment based in part on a seriously flawed tool that takes into account only pending charges and convictions, but not other arrests. Taylor had been accused of threatening a homeowner with a knife before stealing his vehicle in January, but the charges filed by APD had been voluntarily dismissed by prosecutors and not yet re-filed. Under those circumstances, the courts risk assessment tool treats the January incident as never having happened. Even so, the pre-trial services report that accompanied the assessment tool should have spelled it out for the judge. And it is a judges job to consider all the relevant facts before making these decisions. (We dont know exactly what was in the pre-trial services report because that is not a public record.) The prosecutor from the office of District Attorney Raul Torrez wont win any advocacy awards for his performance at that hearing, either instead of citing the knife incident specifically, he simply asked Brown to take formal notice of prior incidents. Brown ordered Taylor released, but ordered maximum supervision, which as a practical matter in the case meant nothing. Taylor had been arrested twice already this year for violating provisions of release from pre-trial services, so its pretty clear complying is not high on his to-do list. Incredibly, with all this background, pre-trial services didnt even put the ankle bracelet on Taylor that Brown authorized (but didnt order). Taylor was arrested nine days later for the alleged rape on a fingerprint match. Torrez says there has been considerable pushback from judges on requests for pre-trial detention and he will use new funding to assign an employee to go through files to make sure his lawyers can cite key allegations even though he says the court should already have that information. Thats the right thing to do because the community is tired of excuses and finger pointing over unacceptable outcomes. They are tired of violent people being released only to quickly commit new crimes. The DAs decision should ensure that a judge is presented all of the pertinent facts when making the tough decision on whether to detain a person prior to trial. No more excuses, no more finger pointing. And if a judge then decides to release a suspect a DA has made clear has been accused of a violent crime well, we have elections, including DA and judicial retention, for a reason. 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. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Paloma Sledge-Guba is 4 years old. She likes dogs, music, arts and crafts, and her favorite cartoon, Daniel Tigers Neighborhood. Among her pastimes are singing along to Frozen and going to the zoo. She has had seizures since she was 5 months old. Paloma was diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome and takes doctor-recommended cannabis oil in the morning, at lunch and in the late afternoon to keep the chronic seizures under control. In the event of a seizure, she also has a stronger oil that cuts down how long they last. Her mother and full-time caretaker Lindsay Sledge is gearing up to send Paloma to kindergarten next school year. But Sledge says shes running into problems because of Palomas medicine. State law prohibits medical cannabis on school grounds and on school buses. And Albuquerque Public Schools spokeswoman Johanna King said the district is bound by and follows these statutes, which apply to all schools and students in the district. There is also a drug-free policy within APS, which she cited. Those are rules Sledge is all too familiar with, as the district has sent them to her time and time again. While Sledge ultimately wants to advocate for the law to be changed, she is first asking for the districts help in making sure Paloma can go to school like other children, saying the policy in place is outdated. Id like the school here to stop treating me like a criminal and giving me the runaround. But help me, she said. Emails to APS that Sledge shared with the Journal show that the mother of three has been communicating with both Palomas school, Petroglyph Elementary School, and the district administration. The email responses primarily cite policy. APS isnt alone. Santa Fe Public Schools also confirmed that schools cannot administer any form of medical marijuana because marijuana is illegal under federal law. And Rio Rancho Public Schools referenced similar policies. On APS campuses, students can have prescribed or over-the-counter medicines at the school with provider and parental consent, but it has to be stored in a locked medicine cabinet in the health office, according to the districts policy. And parents can decide whether a student self-administers the medicine, or if the school nurse must administer it. Sledge, who was studying English to one day become a teacher, spends school days from 9 to 11:45 a.m. sitting in her car in the Petroglyph Elementary parking lot, where her daughter attends a pre-K program. She waits to make sure her daughter is consistently dosed. She waits in case her daughter has a seizure, which happens roughly once a week, even with the medicine. When it comes time to give Paloma the oil, Sledge drives her child off campus since the medicine isnt allowed on school grounds. Sledge said the oil, which she either puts under Palomas tongue or rubs into her gums, has to be administered within minutes of a seizures starting. The system monopolizes Sledges time, but it has been working for Paloma. But, come next year, Paloma will go to a full-day kindergarten program. I cant be there all day. I have two other kids, too, Sledge said. Sledge told the Journal that she has requested to send Paloma to school only half a day but APS said thats not allowed. Home schooling seems like Palomas only option, Sledge said. But the 35-year-old mom said she doesnt feel equipped to be both Palomas caretaker and teacher. Paloma also receives services from her school to help with developmental delays. Im not trained to be a special needs teacher. They have the skills to work with kids, she said. Sledge said she also doesnt want to inhibit Palomas ability to socialize or take her away from other resources she can get only at the school. Besides, she said, Paloma looks forward to going to school every day. This is a child that has been through hell in her short life, and we finally found something that helps her, and I feel like we are being punished, she said. Why cannabis? After losing a fight to make medical cannabis legal in Utah, Sledge moved to New Mexico two years ago. Sledges husband quit his 15-year military career to make the move happen. Before coming to New Mexico, Palomas life was a series of emergency room visits with staff who knew her by name. Sledge said doctors were playing a guessing game at that time as they kept upping the doses of Palomas traditional prescription seizure meds. When Paloma was taking Valium, a type of benzodiazepine, it affected her breathing and her ability to walk. Common side effects of the drug include drowsiness, muscle weakness and loss of control of body movements, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Sledge said the Valium didnt help Palomas seizures and has caused her to stop breathing in the past. We then have to call 911 and she needs oxygen, she said. A neurologist recommended that Paloma go the cannabis route, allowing her to get a medical marijuana card. Since Paloma started taking cannabis oil, Sledge said, she has had to call 911 only once and that was after she couldnt get the medicine to her daughter fast enough while Paloma was in school. Before cannabis, her seizures lasted from 30 minutes to three hours. Now they arent as long and after a nap Paloma can go about her day. Its still very hard, but its so much better, she said. Currently, Sledge is working with a lawyer to see what can be done legally to help Paloma. This issue affects more than just Paloma, according to Indy White, executive director of PurLife, an Albuquerque medical marijuana dispensary. White said that, in the two years PurLife has been open, he has seen other minors run into the same problem. And he said parents have told him they either home-school their kids or medicate them before and after class hours. New Mexico law New Mexico enacted its medical marijuana law in 2007, and there are currently 21 qualifying conditions, including epilepsy, for patient enrollment in the program. Lawmakers said not much can be done to address Palomas issue of medical marijuana on school campuses until the next legislative session in January. But Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, said Palomas issue is something he wants to address at upcoming Legislative Health and Human Services Committee meetings. He added that hes open to the idea of allowing medical marijuana on school campuses. We may need to deal with that in the next session, Ortiz y Pino said. And he noted a precedent he thinks is similar. About a decade ago, Robert Jones had been dropped from a federal subsidized housing program over his participation in New Mexicos medical marijuana program for cancer treatment. But ultimately that decision was reversed by the San Miguel County Commission, allowing him to stay in the housing program and take his medicine. Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell, echoed the opinion that any changes in law would have to be handled in the next legislative session. But he also noted that there would be hurdles to clear regarding medical marijuana, saying any changes to the law would require a future governor who would sign off on it. When you start talking about schools, its a different ball game, Pirtle said. He suggested Sledge try to get her issue on the agenda for the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee meeting. The interim committee can endorse legislation, but a bill would still have to go through the official legislative process. National picture The Marijuana Policy Project estimates there are 2,254,782 legal medical marijuana patients in the nation. And the New Mexico Department of Health shows 50,954 active patients in the states Medical Cannabis Program. Medical marijuana is legal in 29 states, with Washington, New Jersey, Maine and Colorado requiring schools to allow students to use their legal prescriptions on campus, according to 2016 information from the education policy team Education Commission of the States. And a recent case in Illinois made waves in the medical cannabis community. This year, a judge ruled that Ashley Surin, whose family sued the school district, could use medical marijuana and cannabis oils for her seizures on school grounds. Surin now gets to take her medicine to school an outcome Sledge is hoping for Paloma. We just want to make it clear we arent going away, she said. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal As a new magistrate judge, Connie Lee Johnston once advised a New Mexico State Police sergeant, just before court was to begin, to stick around. Im sure someone is going to jail, she reportedly said. Asked to whom she was referring, Johnston replied, Whoever gives me lip. Then there was the time Johnston, a former San Juan County sheriffs deputy and undercover detective, lifted up her shirt and asked the presiding magistrate judge if he wanted to pat her down to ensure she wasnt wearing a wire. These incidents and others revealed in court documents paint a bizarre picture of Johnstons transition from street cop to magistrate in the Four Corners town of Aztec. Her stint as a jurist was short-lived and controversial. Johnston, 53, is now awaiting trial this fall on criminal charges filed by the state Attorney Generals Office over hundreds of hours of secret recordings she made before being permanently removed from the bench last October. Her ouster by the state Supreme Court came after she was suspended in December 2015 for ordering the arrest of a court clerk who she claimed was distracting her. Johnston has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges of interference with communications and violating the Governmental Conduct Act. She has maintained she made the recordings to prove there was a conspiracy against her in Aztecs Magistrate Court. The fate of her secret audio recordings, some made inside secured, non-public areas of the Magistrate Courthouse, are at the center of an usual legal battle, bound for the states highest court. Those who claim to be victims of her surreptitious bugging two magistrates and two court staff want the state Judicial Standards Commission to relinquish or destroy the covert recordings, which the commission obtained during its investigation of Johnstons conduct. Without acknowledging that it possesses recordings, the commission has refused the request, citing its mandate of confidentiality. The commission has asked that the Supreme Court block the legal maneuvers seeking the recordings return. Oral arguments in the case are set for May 10. It marks the third attempt by the court officials to obtain the recordings, which they say contain conversations and personal phone calls they never would have shared with Johnston or anyone else. Their Farmington-based attorney told the Journal last week that the private communications shouldnt remain the property of the government now that Johnston is no longer a magistrate. We want the tapes just to safeguard them. We just want the evidence returned like it would be in any other court (after a proceeding is over), said H. Steven Murphy, attorney for the court officials. Judicial Standards thinks theyre above the law, like theyre a star chamber. These secret recordings contain intimate details of personal life, relationship details, family details, marriage details, intimacy, private debts, protected medical information, and other personal details, the court officials motion states. Randall D. Roybal, executive director of the Judicial Standards Commission, wouldnt comment about the case last week. The 13-member commission, which investigates allegations of judicial misconduct against state and municipal judges, is composed of lawyers, judges and seven lay people. Only when the commission files charges are its investigations made public. The Commission has a strong public interest in maintaining the constitutionally mandated confidential status of its files, stated a commission response. If the Court allows Intervenors to pierce the veil of the constitutionally imposed confidentiality of Commission matters, then there is nothing to prevent any person from obtaining information from the Commission on every judge in New Mexico. Johnston is set for trial this fall on the 13 criminal misdemeanor charges that allege she violated state law by recording the unwitting court officials in their offices. New Mexico law permits such recordings so long as one person in a conversation knows it is being done. But the AG says Johnston planted devices that illegally recorded conversations to which she was not a party. Her husband, Brian Johnston, told the Journal his wife has been instructed by her attorney not to comment about the case. Connie Lee Johnston is alleged to have planted recording devices to listen to the oral and telephone conversations of Magistrate Judges Barry Sharer, and Trudy Reed-Chase; court manager Lori Proctor, and employee Amy Verhulst. As with all conspiracies, the target is labeled as unstable, paranoid, or unfit, Johnstons attorney wrote in her defense. The motion said she made the surreptitious recordings as evidence to prove a plot was being orchestrated by her fellow judges to support her removal. To her critics, Johnston posted a long comment on Facebook, stating in part, You should be asking what is on those recordings that is making others go to extremes Removal by Supreme Court The 54 magistrate courts in New Mexico handle cases such as landlord-tenant rights, traffic violations and preliminary felony hearings. They also sign off on search and arrest warrants for law enforcement officers. Theres no requirement in smaller New Mexico towns that magistrates be attorneys. Johnston took office in August 2014 after besting six others in the Republican primary. No Democrat was in the race. During the election campaign, Johnston noted her 14 years experience as a former Farmington Police officer and sheriffs deputy who worked undercover assignments to fight crime. She also pledged to clean up the Aztec Magistrates court. Johnston claimed that, once on the job, she became a victim of invasion of privacy. Johnston complained to courthouse officials that she suspected employees were going through her personal items in her court office and placed two hidden cameras in her office at court to prove her point. Even with videos, she was told that the clerks had done nothing wrong and that there is no right to privacy in a government office, she said in one court record. Magistrate court officials began to suspect they were being recorded in their offices but finally got proof, Murphy said, during a Nov. 2015 incident. According to the criminal complaint against Johnston, she came into court manager Proctors office, knelt in front of her desk and started trying to feel around the bottom of the desk. When confronted, she claimed she was picking up a piece of popcorn, but when she left she was putting something down her shirt in a panic, the complaint stated. Murphy said a black object with two wires was sticking out of the judges shirt. As the courthouse drama unfolded, Johnston was considered erratic and was barred from bringing her concealed firearm to court, court records allege. Tension was high on Dec. 1, 2015, when Johnston held the court clerk in contempt and ordered her arrested after she refused to leave the room. The clerk had been ordered to stay in the courtroom by the presiding judge, but Johnston contended she found the clerks presence distracting. That incident triggered Johnstons suspension by the state Supreme Court. A subsequent investigation by the Judicial Standards Commission recommended her removal, citing her willful misconduct, which included the arrest of the clerk and her informal communications with parties in cases pending in her court. The Supreme Court ordered her permanent removal last October. In March 2017, after court officials sued her, Johnston was sanctioned $12,000 by a district judge in Farmington for failing to submit all of the recordings as ordered. Johnston was found to have doctored some and deleted portions of others, a charge she denied. Attorney Murphy acknowledges that the recordings held by the Judicial Standards Commission are copies, and that Johnston could very well have the originals. He believes Johnston, in retaliation, would use the recordings to try to discredit her former colleagues come re-election time. Johnstons husband of 14 years denied that assertion. Brian Johnston, a retired San Juan County sheriffs deputy, said he and his wife have moved out of state and had to sell property to pay for the $12,000 fine. He told the Journal they regret she ever ran for Aztec magistrate court, adding, theres some strange stuff going on there. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Matthias Alonzo was facing his fourth DWI arrest and prison time when he entered the intensive DWI court program. He has since finished his bachelors degree and is working on his masters. Janevieve Gray, 24, is participating in a specialty court for young adults after being arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer charges. She is attending therapy sessions, is routinely tested for drug and alcohol and successfully living on her own for the first time in her life. Prosecutors, public defenders and court officials all tout the benefits of specialty courts and pre-prosecution diversion programs. They often keep suspects who successfully complete a program from becoming convicted felons, help free up an overloaded court system, and studies have shown that defendants who are successful at completing the programs are less likely to reoffend. But in the 2nd Judicial District Court, specialty courts are not at capacity. More than half of pre-prosecution diversion offers are turned down, and an early plea program that for years ended felony cases has stopped. All those involved cite several reasons for underuse of the programs, but both the district attorneys and the public defenders offices said the programs play a needed role in the criminal justice system. As for the reasons for the lack of participation, there is first the extensive time and strict rules required, as well costs to some of the defendants. Most of the programs are at least 18 months to two years long and require regular court and office visits, individual and group therapy, and frequent, random drug and alcohol tests. That, in some cases, is a longer process for a defendant than just serving their time. And some diversion programs dont necessarily ensure that a defendant can get a felony conviction absolved from their record. Sometimes, the specialty courts are a way for people to get treatment and stay out of custody after they have pleaded guilty. Entering a program also requires that prosecutors and defense attorneys reach an agreement on how a criminal case should be handled. And often thats not easy, especially with what 2nd Judicial District Chief Judge Nan Nash calls the current climate of prosecutors and defense attorneys struggling to reach plea agreements. District Attorney Raul Torrez contends that defense attorneys and public defenders sometimes reject deals for diversion because they know its likely his office will dismiss the charges. His office still cant keep up with deadlines in Albuquerque criminal courts, leading it to drop charges in many cases. The public defenders office contends that Torrezs claims are without merit, that the programs are too costly for many of its defendants and that the office supports diversion programs. What is not in dispute is the fact that the different types of diversion and specialty court programs are being underused at a challenging time for the state of the criminal justice system in Bernalillo County. The programs and specialty courts mean fewer trials for prosecutors, public defenders and judges all of whom face an overwhelming caseload. There are more than 8,000 felony arrests in Bernalillo County annually, plus about 1,500 additional criminal referrals to the District Attorneys Office prior to arrests. Torrez said his office had enough prosecutors to file fewer than 5,000 cases in District Court in the 2017 fiscal year. That leaves thousands of cases that are likely to end in a dismissal. Those numbers should improve with the additional $4 million his office received from the state for next year to help address that gap. But Torrez said he met with court officials last week to discuss diversions and specialty courts and he plans to try to use them more often. We are fully on board, he said. Court openings Nash said last week that 30 of 40 spots are filled in the courts DWI court, 24 of 40 in a veterans court, 14 of 35 in a mental health court and 11 of 20 spots taken in a specialty court for young adults, which is a program launched late last year that allows people 18 to 25 to complete an intensive treatment program in exchange for not getting a felony conviction. What (specialty courts and diversion) do is use the criminal justice system to help enforce treatment with the idea that if folks are ready for and able to get treatment that they will be able to get past the behavior that is having them interact with the criminal justice system, Nash said. One obstacle, she said, is the time it takes for someone to get accepted into a program. Many people who are arrested are quickly released from jail and can then violate conditions of release or pick up additional charges before their case progresses far enough to get them into a treatment court. Another challenge is prosecutors and defense attorneys not agreeing on how to proceed with a case. An early plea program in years past was used to resolve dozens of cases per month. The program allowed for certain defendants to enter into plea agreements early on in their case. Often the defendant would get a significantly reduced sentence or a probation term in exchange for the early plea. Nash said prosecutors and defense attorneys havent recently been able to iron out plea deals early in cases and the court no longer schedules what it calls EPPs, hearings to take a group of guilty pleas. I think in this current climate, the DAs office and (public defenders office) and other defense counsel are less able to reach plea agreements than in the past, Nash said. The court would reinstitute (the program) if there was a reason to. We believe it was a good program. Costly programs Its clear that prosecutors and public defenders have not seen eye to eye. For example, they have different explanations for why the pre-prosecution diversion program in the prosecutors office is underused. The District Attorneys Office says that 65 percent of the suspects defended by a public defender who are offered the choice of entering the program where participants can get the case against them dismissed if they complete the program turn down the deal. In 2017 and the first quarter of 2018, prosecutors offered 214 defendants who were represented by public defenders a spot in the offices diversion program. Most offers were rejected. In comparison, Torrez said those offers are only rejected about 35 percent of the time if the defendant is represented by a private attorney. He said that, because court rules set specific deadlines for how fast cases must proceed, it creates an incentive for defense attorneys to push forward with cases in hopes that deadlines will be missed and cases will be dismissed entirely. I think the way the rule structures work there is some sense that this office and this system will simply run out of time and not do anything with the case and they wont have to go through probation and so I guess they are willing to take that risk, Torrez said in an interview. Its, I think, unfortunate and something that shouldnt be done. I dont think its beneficial, number one, to the community but, number two, to the defendant, who with treatment and supervision might be able to put his life back together. Torrez said the program is rejected far less in other parts of the state. San Juan County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dustin OBrien said that it is rare for people to turn down offers to participate in the program in northwest New Mexico, though exact statistics werent available. Its the best alternative to avoid a felony conviction, OBrien said. Richard Pugh, the district defender in Albuquerque, doesnt dispute the numbers. But he says the reason is that most of his clients cant afford the costs of the program. The diversion program Torrez was referring to requires that the defendant pay between $15 and $85 per month, plus random $20 drug tests and possibly counseling or other educational courses. That can cost $100 or more per month, Pugh said. In order to qualify for a public attorney, a single adult cant make more than about $25,000 per year, and most of the offices clients are unemployed, Pugh said. Pre-Prosecution Diversion is a fine program, theres absolutely nothing wrong with it. However, it costs in order to participate, Pugh said. Were not playing a game of chess just to play a game of chess. We have real people, we have real clients. If a client has an opportunity to better their life and keep this criminal conviction off their record, then were going to advise them of that. Were not going to risk somebody going to prison and having a criminal record solely so we can play some game. There are several diversion programs and specialty courts, which can vary in what defendants qualify and what they have to do to succeed in the program. Most local programs require one to two years of regular drug and alcohol screening, therapy and community service or life skills courses. The Journal spoke to a graduate and a woman currently in one of the specialty courts, who both credited them with helping turn their lives around. Matthias Alonzo, 34, said he calculated that he had to do about 35 things each week for almost two years to complete the judicial district DWI court program. Alonzo in March 2015 was arrested on his fourth drunken driving charge after he was involved in a wreck. He estimated that he had about 30 alcohol-related arrests in his life before he entered the program. I saw that this program was different, and at the same time I was at the point of hitting rock bottom and getting at the end of my rope, and saying This is it. Its either really stop and look at my life or Im going to continue to drink and die, he said. In exchange for completing the program, Alonzo was able to avoid a prison sentence and instead is close to completing a community custody program. He also recently finished college with a bachelors degree and is working on an accounting masters degree at the University of New Mexico. Janevieve Gray, 24, was one of the first people in the county who participated in a specialty court for young adults. She was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer charges, and is doing regular individual and group therapy sessions and drug and alcohol screening each week in hopes that she can avoid a felony conviction. Gray, who grew up on the Navajo Nation in Arizona, said shes living on her own for the first time in her life, writing, practicing dance and planning for college. Ive always needed somebody. I depended on other people to be there for me, Gray said. I wasnt taking care of myself and this program actually gave me the opportunity to do that. I go to therapy and I talk about myself. I go to group therapy and learn how to (live) without drinking. All my problems happened because of drinking. LAS CRUCES A former Trump administration appointee running for Congress in a closely watched New Mexico race said his university has denied his request to extend his leave of absence. Republican Gavin Clarkson told the Las Cruces Sun-News that a hearing officer recently ruled that he must return to his New Mexico State University business professor job or face termination. The Republican said he requested a leave of absence until January 2020 after he was appointed to a Bureau of Indian Affairs position. But Clarkson resigned from the agency last year following a harsh inspector general report into the loan program he directed. Clarkson said he stepped down to run for Congress in southern New Mexico. New Mexico State spokeswoman Minerva Baumann said the university doesnt comment on personnel matters. When Clarkson announced his candidacy, he said New Mexico State rescinded his leave and told him he must either return to work or face termination. That was in violation of the established rules, Clarkson said. All conditions (of the leave) are in writing. It says Im on leave until January 2020, period. It doesnt say, if I leave the administration to run for Congress, Clarkson said. He said that even though they had cancelled his leave, the university took no steps to suggest he was returning to campus. They didnt schedule him to teach classes or put him back on the payroll, he said. They did absolutely nothing until after I announced I was running for Congress, he said. Clarkson said he will appeal the hearing officers ruling to the faculty senate. The congressional race in New Mexico is one of many expected to draw national attention in 2018 since it may help determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats have long targeted the heavily Hispanic district along the U.S.-Mexico border where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. But it has remained in GOP hands largely due to the popularity of incumbent Rep. Steve Pearce, who is stepping down to run for governor. Pearce has attracted support from Hispanics and the regions oil and gas interests. Clarkson, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, is one of four Republicans seeking the seat. The others are state Rep. Yvette Herrell, former Hobbs mayor Monty Newman, and Lovington resident Clayburn Griffin. Las Cruces water attorney Xochitl Torres Small and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Madeline Mad Hildebrandt are seeking the Democratic nomination. TIJUANA, Mexico U.S. immigration lawyers are telling Central Americans in a caravan of asylum-seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego that they face possible separation from their children and detention for many months. They say they want to prepare them for the worst possible outcome. We are the bearers of horrible news, Los Angeles lawyer Nora Phillips said during a break from legal workshops for the migrants at three Tijuana locations where about 20 lawyers gave free information and advice. Thats what good attorneys are for. The Central Americans, many traveling as families, on Sunday will test the Trump administrations tough rhetoric criticizing the caravan when the migrants begin seeking asylum by turning themselves in to border inspectors at San Diegos San Ysidro border crossing, the nations busiest. President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet have been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. since it started March 25 in the Mexican city of Tapachula, near the Guatemala border. They have promised a stern, swift response. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the caravan a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system, pledging to send more immigration judges to the border to resolve cases if needed. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said asylum claims will be resolved efficiently and expeditiously but said the asylum-seekers should seek it in the first safe country they reach, including Mexico. Any asylum seekers making false claims to U.S. authorities could be prosecuted as could anyone who assists or coaches immigrants on making false claims, Nielsen said. Administration officials and their allies claim asylum fraud is growing and that many who seek it are coached on how to do so. Kenia Elizabeth Avila, 35, appeared shaken after the volunteer attorneys told her Friday that temperatures may be cold in temporary holding cells and that she could be separated from her three children, ages 10, 9 and 4. But she in said an interview that returning to her native El Salvador would be worse. She fled for reasons she declined to discuss. If theyre going to separate us for a few days, thats better than getting myself killed in my country, she said. The San Ysidro crossing, which admits about 75,000 people a day into the country, may be unable to take asylum-seekers if it faces too many at once, forcing people to wait in Mexico until it has more room, according to Pete Flores, U.S. Customs and Border Protections San Diego field office director. Flores said earlier this month that the port can hold about 300 people temporarily. The Border Patrol said several groups of people in the caravan have entered the country illegally since Friday by climbing a dilapidated metal fence. It didnt say how many people. Since Congress failed to agree on a broad immigration package in February, administration officials have made it a legislative priority to end what they call legal loopholes and catch-and-release policies that allow asylum-seekers to be released from custody while their claims wind through the courts in cases that can last for year. The lawyers who went to Tijuana denied coaching any of the roughly 400 people in the caravan who recently arrived in Tijuana, camping out in shelters near some of the citys seedier bars and bordellos. Some migrants received one-on-one counseling to assess the merits of their cases and groups of the migrants with their children playing nearby were told how asylum works in the U.S. Asylum-seekers are typically held up to three days at the border and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If they pass an asylum officers initial screening, they may be detained or released with ankle monitors. Nearly 80 percent of asylum-seekers passed the initial screening from October through December, the latest numbers available, but few are likely to eventually win asylum. Mexicans fared worst among the 10 countries that sent the largest numbers of U.S. asylum seekers from 2012 to 2017, with a denial rate of 88 percent, according to asylum outcome records tracked by Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Action Clearinghouse. El Salvadorans were close behind with a 79 percent denial rate, followed by Hondurans at 78 percent and Guatemalans at 75 percent. Evelyn Wiese, a San Francisco immigration attorney, said she tried to make migrants more comfortable sharing memories of the dangers they faced in their homelands. Its really scary to tell these experiences to a stranger, Wiese said after counseling a visibly shaken Guatemalan woman at an art gallery in a building that used to house a drug smuggling tunnel into San Diego. The next time she tells her story will be easier. Nefi Hernandez, who planned to seek asylum with his wife and infant daughter was born on the journey through Mexico, worried he could be kept in custody away from his daughter. But his spirits lifted when he learned he might be released with an ankle bracelet. Hernandez, 24, said a gang in his hometown of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, threatened to kill him and his family if he did not sell drugs. Jose Cazares, 31, said he faced death threats in the northern Honduran city of Yoro because a gang member suspected of killing the mother of his children learned one of Cazares sons reported the crime to police. One can always make up for lost time with a child, but if they kill him, you cant, he said outside his dome-shaped tent in a migrant shelter near the imposing U.S. border barriers separating San Diego from Tijuana. SHEFFIELD, Mont. Montana rancher Fred Wacker had thousands of head of cattle fattening up along the Yellowstone River for export to China when President Donald Trump picked a trade fight with the Asian nation. The dispute threatens a $200 million deal that Wacker helped secure last year to ship Montana beef to China, yet the potential setback to his business plans hasnt diminished his stalwart support for Trump. Im not going to follow him over the cliff, but Ill take a pretty good jump, Wacker said as a small team of cowboys on his Cross Four Ranch herded hundreds of cattle onto trucks headed for summer pasture. Deep in Montanas ag country, ranchers and farmers support of Trump is being put to the test as the presidents bellicose threats of a trade war risk their livelihoods. Its a constituency that voted heavily for Trump and that has a lot to lose, both in existing trade and new deals like the one involving Wacker that could send tens of thousands of Montana cattle to China over the next several years. The conflict faced by Trumps supporters in Montana, where some 28,000 farms and ranches make agriculture a top economic driver in the state, is reflective of the one facing the larger U.S. agriculture industry, which also largely backed Trump but now risks becoming a casualty if a trans-Pacific trade war erupts. Wacker, his white cowboy hat pulled down tight atop his head as he weighed the outgoing cattle, remains firmly in Trumps camp. He views the Republican presidents aggressive stance on China as unsettling but necessary, and hopes it will bring parity to what has long been a lopsided trading relationship between the two nations. That situation was beginning to reverse itself when Trump reached an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year to lift a 13-year ban on U.S. beef exports to China. That opened the door to the deal between Montana ranchers and Chinese e-commerce leader JD.com, Wacker said. Since Trump challenged China on trade, JD.com has gone silent, Wacker said, but he remains confident in the presidents approach. We would not even be talking about this if it werent for the Trump administration, he said of the deal he helped broker during a trip to Beijing last year. This largely rural state, once known for its independence in voting for candidates individual qualities over political party, has grown a deeper shade of red over the past decade as voters increasingly break toward GOP candidates. That trend culminated in 2016 with Trumps 20-point trouncing of Democrat Hillary Clinton in Montana. The GOP now hopes to use that momentum to oust the states Democratic senator, Jon Tester, in this falls election. Trump on Saturday called for Tester to resign for what the president called false allegations that scuttled the nomination of Ronny Jackson to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Tester did not respond directly but said he would keep fighting for veterans. Tester, who is seeking a third term, is himself a farmer from the little town of Big Sandy and has already used the tariff issue to scold Trump. If you put me and my neighbors out of business not you personally, but the administration weve got a major problem here, Tester told Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue earlier this month. Trumps victory paid off for farmers and ranchers in the form of rollbacks of environmental regulations imposed during the Obama administration that farmers and ranchers considered burdensome, including ones that could affect irrigation ditches, biotechnology and pesticides. Trumps tactics on trade have been more unsettling for the industry. First, he announced plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which caused some Mexico importers to look to South America for crops like wheat. Then, he pulled out of a trans-Pacific trade deal that he viewed as unfavorable to the U.S. After his threats to China elicited a proposal for a retaliatory tariff on U.S. beef, wheat and other products, Trump floated rejoining the trans-Pacific deal to get more leverage over Beijing. He abruptly dropped the idea days later. The whipsaw changes roiled agriculture markets, and not everyone who makes a living off the land retained the same fealty to Trump as Wacker. Wheat farmers in particular worry about how tariffs would affect their market, which has gone through a turbulent stretch in recent years. More than 70 percent of Montana wheat is exported, primarily to Asia, according to the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. Although less than 10 percent of that grain ends up in China, farmers say the potential for growth in the nation of almost 1.4 billion people is huge. Larry Johnson, a Montana farmer who grows wheat, barley, peas and mustard on nearly 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) near the small community of Kremlin, said he sells some wheat to China, but thats not his biggest concern. What he worries about is that North Dakota soybean farmers will switch to wheat because of Chinese tariffs on soybeans, putting them in competition with him. All of our crops are intertwined, he said. That directly affects our bottom line. I could see a 10 percent loss of income easily. Johnson described himself as a progressive conservative conservative on financial matters and progressive on social issues. He wasnt in favor of either the Republican or Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, but said the agriculture industrys support of Trump is giving way to the realization that the president doesnt understand the industry. Trumps public comments serve only to create uncertainty in the market at an already uncertain time for many farmers, he said. One day the president puts a tweet out, and the next day the price of soybeans is down 45 cents, Johnson said. It makes you very nervous. The ag industry is keenly aware that Chinas trade policies have kept U.S. products out of the market there, said Montana Grain Growers Association President Michelle Erickson Jones. She said she agrees with Trump that China must be held accountable, but she favors more conventional routes, such as going to the World Trade Organization. About 280 miles (450 kilometers) east of Johnsons Kremlin farm, Buzz Mattelin grows durum wheat, barley, beets and lentils in Culbertson. He said he is unhappy that his commodities are being used as bargaining chips in a potential trade war, and worries farmers like him will end up as collateral damage. Im patriotic, and Im going to do my share. But I dont want to bear all the pain, either, Mattelin said. ___ Volz reported from Helena. The citys embattled Animal Welfare Department is under new leadership again. John Soladay, who took over the department after the resignation of former director Paul Caster, retired at the end of March after around 90 days on the job. Alicia Manzano, a spokeswoman for Mayor Tim Keller, said Soladays retirement was expected as he was serving in an interim status. The nationwide search for a permanent director continues. In the meantime, Danny Nevarez has taken over as the departments acting director. We are very pleased with the work being done under the current acting director, and are in the process of our nationwide search in order to get the most qualified person to continue the Mayors work to clean up the Animal Welfare Department, Manzano wrote in an email. Nevarez is also serving as the acting director of the citys Environmental Health Department. Im working hard and moving very fast, Nevarez said in a Thursday interview. Nevarez said he has made it one of his top missions to fill vacancies in the Animal Welfare field services department, which is struggling with a 38 percent vacancy rate. Thats certainly why the field is the number one priority for the mayor and hes made that my number one priority as well, Nevarez said. Among the options for filling those vacancies are increased salaries and changing the requirements for animal welfare officers. Soladay was brought in by the new administration to evaluate and revamp the department. Employees had complained that live exits of animals seemed to trump all other considerations, including public safety, under former director Caster and associate director Deb Brinkman. Brinkman was placed on administrative leave and an investigation was launched after it was alleged that she was inappropriately transporting dogs to her rescue operation in Colorado. The Animal Welfare Department will proceed with appropriate action when the investigation is complete, Manzano said. Soladay said in a February interview that relationships had largely broken down within the department between executive and lower level staff and the 400-person volunteer force, and he was working to improve communication. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. MOSCOW As the standoff between Iran and Israel threatens to grow out of hand, Russia is apparently seeking a modus vivendi for the two regional enemies. Russias Black Sea resort of Sochi hosted April 25-26 its ninth International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues. The event, organized by Russias Security Council, brought together secretaries of security councils, presidential aides and heads of intelligence services from 118 countries. The meeting is becoming increasingly popular among international high-level security officials: The first year it was assembled, 43 nations attended the conference; last year, 95 states sent delegates. Moscow claims there could have been more countries represented, if not for pressure the United States allegedly applied to talk its allies out of participating. Speaking to the delegates, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, The renewed American [foreign policy and military] doctrines are pierced with ideas for confrontation. Do we need new tragedies, provocations and senseless casualties for some common sense to prevail? Dominating this years agenda were discussions on combating international terrorism, including cutting off funding sources, cybersecurity and the situation in the greater Middle East. During the two-day conference, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held 40 bilateral meetings. However, the two separate meetings with representatives of Iran and Israel have made the most news. The day before the conference opened, Patrushev met with the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani. Later that day, Patrushev sat down with Eitan Ben-David, deputy head of Israels National Security Council. The meetings led to speculation that Moscow had organized an encounter between Israeli and Iranian officials. Rumors also have it that Russia eyes a bigger mediation role for itself in the Iran-Israel standoff in Syria. On April 25, an informed source at the Russian Security Council strongly denounced each allegation to Iranian news agencies. Two Russian diplomats Al-Monitor contacted declined to comment on the situation. Such a reaction stems from Russias caveats on the back-channel talks if they indeed are being held to be successful. They have to remain confidential because a public discussion of such efforts could backfire domestically in both Israel and Iran. In recent months, there have been many claims that Russia is seriously challenged to continue its balancing act between Iran and Israel. The very nature of the growing confrontation on Syria turf between the two archenemies is complicated. Its hard to verify whether in its discussions with Tehran, Moscow is bringing up the issue of Hezbollah and other Shiite militias presence near the Israeli border. Yet the rationale for Russias behavior in the region ultimately stems from attempts to understand and recognize the legitimacy of motivations of certain players even when it does not share them politically or finds them counter to its own interests. Judging from this approach, Moscow may find Hezbollahs presence understandable from Irans perspective. At the same time, Russia certainly realizes that this presence serves as a constant irritant for Israel and is thus an escalation factor that cant be ignored if the Kremlin ultimately seeks to fix Syria for the long term. Russia is indeed having a hard time in its role as a go-between for such die-hard negotiators as the Israelis and Iranians. For now, however, both Iran and Israel need Russia as an "airbag" between one another. Such a status may not and probably will not last too long, but so far it has been providing Moscow with the time necessary to elaborate a status quo of moderation: Iran has to restrain Hezbollah's provocative actions, and Israel needs to restrain its assertive responses and pre-emptive air raids. Hence, we hear the on-again, off-again news about Russia potentially supplying S-300 air-defense systems to Syria which Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has threatened to destroy if they are used against Israel. Russias outgoing ambassador to Israel, Alexander Shein, said he can't imagine such a scenario. "We have coordination and mutual updates regarding Syria. The two countries' defense ministries are cooperating," he said. "Russia constantly takes into account Israel's concerns and interests vis-a-vis preserving its national security. We are, of course, concerned with the state [of] the bilateral relations between Israel and Iran, in light of mutual threats and rejection by both countries. We must also be concerned with Iran's presence in Syria now. It may lead to a worsening of the situation and a conflagration in the entire Middle East," Shein added. In his latest interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif alluded to Tehrans hopes about Russia in dealing with Israel: I believe Israeli aggression has been resisted and will be resisted, and I think it will be best for everybody to advise them to stop aggression against others. Yet the minister fell short of implying what Iran might be prepared to do. Hitting a happy medium between the two regional heavyweights may be an honorary role, and if Moscow can cope with all the associated difficulties, it will make its presence in Syria indispensable. Russian decision-makers are accurately pointing out that the Israelis and Iranians are overestimating the influence Moscow has over the respective parties. Yet Russia itself has done a lot to solidify its image as a new power broker in the region and now has to deliver on these expectations. In fact, it is hard to think of any other power uniquely positioned to cut this Gordian knot. Russia is preoccupied with finding a comprehensive formula to keep the parties from feeling endangered. The diplomatic drive is fueled by the belief that the alternatives to dealing with Iran are force-based scenarios discussed in Washington and Jerusalem that may essentially entail opening a whole new dimension to the Syria war and possibly unleashing a large-scale regional war. Marianna Belenkaya contributed reporting for this story. It seems that Washington has started to realize the global advantages that lie in peacemaking. While Russia is engaged in intense bellicose activity in Syria in coordination with Iran, US President Donald Trump is interested in disengaging from Syria, working with North Korea to achieve a denuclearization agreement and progressing toward Israeli-Palestinian peace. Trump has instructed his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and his regional peace envoy Jason Greenblatt to further engage with the parties in the region in order to advance on the Israeli-Palestinian track. The administration is in constant contact on the matter with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and indirectly with Ramallah. For now, Trump will not take no for an answer from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. A senior PLO official close to Abbas told Al-Monitor that while the Palestinian president refuses any direct contact on a peace process with the administration given its pro-Israeli position and the upcoming move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, Ramallah is open to indirect contact. Abbas is ready to open indirect communication channels with the United States through his Arab partners, principally Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These communication channels will focus on confidence-building measures and even on interim measures to stabilize the situation, prevent violence and recreate a new equilibrium in the international community. In fact, according to the PLO official, there are several areas the Palestinian Authority (PA) is willing to look into. For instance, the leadership in Ramallah is ready to discuss PA rule over the Gaza Strip, accompanied by an international economic relief package. Another subject would be moving East Jerusalem neighborhoods to Palestinian rule (balancing somewhat the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem) and strengthening its religious control of the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif). They are also ready to discuss US-led economic assistance for Palestinian economic growth and activity, including in West Bank Area C, which is under Israeli control. Beyond that, Abbas will work together with his Arab partners, the European Union, Russia and China on UN resolutions regarding Palestinian statehood based on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital. A senior US diplomat in Tel Aviv told Al-Monitor that the White House still intends to move ahead with its peace initiative and is in contact with all partners on the details. He claims that Washington is coordinating with international partners (primarily the EU) on a relief assistance package for the Gaza Strip, provided Gaza is run by the PA and not by Hamas. The EU, according to the US diplomat, is in fact considering an institutional presence in Gaza to monitor humanitarian relief and prevent funds from being channeled to terrorist purposes. The US diplomat expressed concern about Hamas intentions to generate violence in May, marking the Palestinian Nakba Day on May 15 and protesting against the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Obviously, an agreement on moving the East Jerusalem neighborhoods (outside the Old City) to PA rule (as Area B under Palestinian civil rule with Israeli security control) could happen only with Israeli acceptance. And it could take place only in a broader context of an interim agreement. The PLO official said that such an interim agreement must include several elements. It would have to include the move of one or two Palestinian East Jerusalem neighborhoods to Palestinian rule. It would also include stringent anti-terrorism measures in the West Bank and Gaza by the PA in cooperation with Israel. The PA would take over the rule of Gaza, alongside an international economic assistance program. The United States, the EU and Saudi Arabia would offer aid for Palestinian economic development in West Bank Areas A and B, and in cooperation with the Israeli finance minister also in Area C. Most importantly, an interim agreement would mark the beginning of negotiations between Israel and the PA on permanent status issues, including the recognition of Israel as the Jewish homeland. Speaking with Al-Monitor, a senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official reacted to the interim agreement idea with mixed feelings. Israel is in favor of the PA taking greater control over Gaza and supports increased international economic assistance to the West Bank and Gaza, but it will totally refuse a change in the status of East Jerusalem neighborhoods. Still, given the possible outbreak of violence in May, mainly by Hamas, such measures and interim arrangements are of significance. More so, it would be imperative to reach such an agreement before violence also erupts in the West Bank, rather than after. As to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus readiness to an interim agreement, what he is willing to accept seems much too little. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Private sector institutions in the Gaza Strip threatened April 23 to start acts of economic disobedience by closing commercial crossings and refusing to pay taxes to the Palestinian government authorities. The private sector institutions hope to put pressure on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza in addition to pressuring the Palestinian Authority (PA) to cancel the sanctions imposed on the coastal enclave since April 2017, which culminated this month with the suspension of the salaries of public workers. In a statement that Al-Monitor secured a copy of, the institutions said, The Gaza Strip is on the verge of complete collapse in all its vital sectors. There is no longer any room for silence. Gaza is dying. The situation is crumbling down economically, socially and at the health level. The international projects have been disrupted, including projects by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a result of the reduced US aid to Gaza as well as some municipal infrastructure projects. We requested an urgent meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas, but we have yet to receive a response. The statement continued that they have carried out several protests over the past months in a bid to convey messages to all parties, starting with Israel, the neighboring countries and the international communities as well as to the PA and Hamas. Their activities and calls fell on deaf ears. The protest movements in Gaza started on Jan. 22 with a national strike, followed by the suspension of food entry through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south of Gaza for an entire day on Jan. 28. This was in addition to other steps by these institutions to save Gazas economy. For instance, Ali al-Hayek, the chairman of the Palestinian Businessmen Association in Gaza, met with UN Middle East peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov to help "solve the basic problems of Gaza, such as electricity, unemployment and poverty." Alaa al-Din al-Araj, the head of the Palestinian Contractors Union in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that the private institutions hoped to draw attention to the almost paralyzed economic and commercial situation in the coastal enclave. He expressed hope that the concerned parties will heed the warnings before these institutions carry out their threat of economic disobedience. He noted that the authorities are well-aware of the consequences of such a threat, mainly a complete economic shutdown. Araj also stressed that the goal is to put an end to the blockade and the sanctions that have affected every household in Gaza. A Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics report published April 14 shows that the poverty rate in the coastal strip has reached 53%. Khalil Rizk, the head of the Federation of Palestinian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, told Al-Monitor that the federation has been in contact with the PA in an attempt to stop the punitive measures. He expressed hope that the private sector will succeed in pushing the authorities to take the necessary actions to prevent the collapse of Gazas economy. Osama Nofal, the director general of the Planning and Policy Department at the Ministry of Economy in Gaza, stressed that Gaza is facing an economics of war should the private sectors threat be carried out, which entails the closure of crossings, banning the entry of goods and consumables into Gaza, and calling upon all parties i.e., Israel, the PA and officials in Gaza to assume their responsibility and take action to prevent the economic collapse. On April 24, 100 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Gaza Strip called on Abbas to disburse the salaries of public servants in Gaza and called on Israel to lift its siege on the Gaza Strip in order to stop what they deemed as the rapid economic collapse plaguing the Gaza Strip. For his part, Mohamed Abu Jayyab, the editor-in-chief of the local Al-Eqtesadia newspaper, told Al-Monitor that the unprecedented steps that the private sector intends to take reflect the complete economic collapse in the Gaza Strip. He expected these steps to materialize given Israel's refusal to lift its siege and the PAs refusal to lift the sanctions imposed on Gaza. Also, he pointed out that the higher authorities in the PA, who made the decision to impose sanctions and withhold the salaries of public servants, are well-aware that the economy in the Gaza Strip relies on these salaries, and their goal is merely political as they want the Hamas movement to hand over Gaza to the government. While Abu Jayyab said that the aim of the economic disobedience would be to draw international and regional attention to the Gazan economy, he ruled out that these steps would place pressure on Israel and the PA. The Gazan economy, he said, is no longer an important financial income for the PA given the collapse it is suffering from. This is evidenced by the fact that the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing has fallen to less than 350 trucks per day compared to 800-1,000 trucks per day in 2015 and 2016. A report issued April 11 by the Gaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed a 15% decrease in Gazas revenues from the Kerem Shalom crossing in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period last year. Mohsen Abu Ramadan, a member of the network of NGOs and an economic analyst, told Al-Monitor that the Gaza Strip cannot afford more economic shocks amid the depletion of cash, the cessation of vital projects and the heavy losses plaguing the economic sectors. He pointed out that the PA provides $100 million in total to the Gaza Strip per month, $70 million of which is earmarked for the salaries of government employees. The absence of these funds this month paralyzed the financial cycle in Gazas markets and banks. He called on private sector institutions in the West Bank to support their counterparts in Gaza by taking steps to pressure the Palestinian officials to back down from the punitive measures against the Gaza Strip. The Nazis didnt fall out of the sky, there is a deeper racist, xenophobic mindset in German history. Berlin, Germany Mnyaka Sururu Mboro walks through Wedding, a district in the northwest of Berlin, with an expression of disdain. It makes my stomach turn every time I go down these streets, he says. He is in the African Quarter, so-called because the streets have been named in commemoration of Germanys imperial leaders and conquests from the end of the 19th century. One street, Peters Allee, has a particularly negative effect on Tanzanian-born Mboro. It was first named so after Carl Peters, the founder of Germanys colony in East Africa, and a man glorified by the Nazis. For Mboro, who has been living in Germany since the 1970s after arriving on a scholarship, it represents a period of violence and oppression for his family and motherland. As a child growing up in Kilimanjaro, I would often sit outside with my grandmother at night and listen to her tell fairy tales, Mboro recalls. One night she told me to look at the moon, which was full that night. After some minutes she asked if I could see the shadow on it. Doesnt it look like a person, she said. I looked again. That, she said, is a German man called Carl Peters. He was the governor of the Kilimanjaro area and we used to call him Mkono Wa Damu bloody hands. Germanys colonial history Little is known in mainstream German society about figures such as Carl Peters, or the nations role as a coloniser between the 1880s and the early 20th century. Sociologist Serpil Polat says the topic has remained on the margins of analysis. Colonisation has not been the focus of the nations narrative, Polat, who works at a migration academy linked to Berlins Jewish Museum, explains. On the one side, there is a lack of knowledge and if it is talked about, we have a sense of nostalgia mixed with the thinking that what Germany did wasnt as bad as other European colonisers. So a critical approach hasnt really happened so far. However, recent developments in mainstream and civil society suggest that Germanys understanding of its colonial history may be evolving. Much of the pressure is coming from a strong anticolonial grassroots movement, including people like Mboro, who have been raising awareness around the issue and campaigning to have the streets in the African Quarter renamed. Berlin has addressed some of the issues around the renaming of the streets. In the 1980s, Berlin declared that Peters Allee would be named after Hans Peters, an anti-Nazi hero. But activists and campaigners say the city hasnt gone far enough. As the street is still called Peters, the association with Carl Peters remains strong, they say. Alongside this, the prominent Deutsche Historische Museum in Berlin recently hosted its first large-scale exhibition on German colonisation and is planning a permanent exhibition in the next few years. Outside the capital, Hamburg University set up a research centre two years ago to examine the port citys colonial legacy, mapping the cityscape and the buildings from that era. Internationally, descendants of Namibians killed during the colonial period are seeking reparations from Germany after it admitted to a genocide that took place in 1904. Germany is refusing to pay reparations and didnt attend the first hearing in the US in March. Namibian activists are now working towards a second hearing date in October. Find out more about the Namibian tribes and their case against Germany over genocide in this short article and video The stories of Germanys imperial violence are intertwined with these Berlin streets [Gouri Sharma/Al Jazeera] Imperial Germany Germany was an empire for about 30 years after its unification in 1871. But for at least three centuries before, German-speaking predecessor states and private business were profiting from colonial ventures, including the slave trade. Amid the European scramble for Africa, Germany established the colony of German East Africa a region that included present-day Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. It also governed German South West Africa, an area comprised of present-day Namibia, and Cameroon, Togo and Ghana. It only relinquished these territories after its military defeat in World War I. The stories of Germanys imperial violence are intertwined with these Berlin streets. Peters Allee, named in 1939 by the Nazis, celebrates a man who subjected locals to forced labour, high taxes and exploitation. Its a story that 66-year-old Mboro knows well. During colonial rule, his paternal great grandfather was ordered to build a railway line. Fed up with the inhumane treatment, one day he and a few of his co-workers decided to burn their picks sururus, in Swahili to escape work. But they were caught. Mboro, whose middle name is Sururu, says: My grandfather never met his father as he was killed by the Germans while his mother was pregnant. But he was named Sururu after him. I was never told how the Germans executed my great grandfather but I am very proud to have his name. In Tanzania, the Maji Maji war, an armed uprising against German rule, was brutally crushed. According to some estimates, 75,000 people were killed by the Germans over the course of two years. Mboro heads towards Swakopmunder Strasse, named after a town in western Namibia. It was in Namibia that Germany erected its first concentration camps. In 1904, the local Herero and Nama people rose up against German rule and, during four years of fighting, a reported 65,000 Herero people and 10,000 Nama people were killed or starved to death in the camps. It was the first genocide of the 20th century, the tribes of Namibia insist. The streets all meet at one main square, Nachtigalplatz, named after Gustav Nachtigal, the founder of Germanys West Africa colony. Watch this documentary about the efforts of the Namibian people to reclaim the bodies of ancestors taken to Germany for racial experiments Namibia: Skulls of my People (1:07) Germanys identity problem Whats emerging as the topic of colonisation enters the national psyche is a debate around what it means to be German. The countrys post-war identity has been built around the rejection of Nazism. But more and more, activists and historians are finding evidence that links the Third Reich to the German Empire that preceded it. They now argue that German society cannot fully reject the racist ideology of the Nazis without looking at its colonial roots. Historian Jurgen Zimmerer heads the post-colonial research centre at Hamburg University. He explains: Germany has more or less settled into an understanding that you cant justify the Nazis and what they did, so now the debate is, was this an exception within a good German history, or is it a continuation of German history prior to 1933? Pointing to colonial violence, colonial crimes and human rights violations of the Herero people is a strong argument. Tanzanian-born campaigner Mnyaka Sururu Mboro recalls the personal stories of how the German empire affected his family [Gouri Sharma/Al Jazeera] The Nazis didnt fall out of the sky, there is a deeper racist, xenophobic mindset in German history. In his 2005 Yale University paper From Africa to Auschwitz, US historian Benjamin Madley outlines some of the links between the empire and the Third Reich. Settlers and their advocates rationalised taking African land and wealth by claiming inherent German superiority and martial necessity, he wrote. Then they supported these stories with force. It was the same simple, brutal logic Hitler employed in Eastern Europe when he wrote of the right to possess soil, German racial superiority and acquiring Lebensraum (living space) by the sword. Berlin-based human rights activist Joshua Kwesi Aikins says: We could say that Namibia, in important ways, foreshadowed what was to come at Auschwitz. This can lead to very heated debates where some people have asked if I am comparing the genocide in Namibia with what the Nazis did. But to compare isnt the same as to equate and its important to have the category of genocide to understand the depth of the violence, explains Aikins who is a political scientist at the University of Kassel. Other links between the Second and Third Reich include some individuals, such as the father of senior Nazi leader Hermann Goering, Heinrich, who was the first governor of colonial Namibia. Where next? Activists say the time has come for the nation to face up to its colonial crimes. In German discussions, racism is often limited to intentional, individual acts which you can then morally condemn, Aikins says. But during colonialism, Germans were offered the idea that they were white people, that they were superior people, that they were born to rule. Racism has a colonial tradition in Germany, and to limit it conceptually to national socialism means that you are unable to actually address the depths of it. For Mboro, its the reality he sees every time he returns to Tanzania that make it an important issue today. We know the reasons why Tanzania is in poverty. Germany wants to keep this topic under its hat because they only want to show one side of what happened. But history has happened, and it cannot be changed. Al Jazeera revisits a remote village in Mugu district only to find that it remains abandoned by the state. Mugu, Nepal Tell me about the last decade, I asked Gagan Bahadur Rokaya. Where do I start? he said. We were walking towards his village, Murma, through the thick jungle of Rara National Park, in Nepals Mugu district. Many in Nepal believe this district is on the map only because of Rara, a crystalline lake, resplendent against the backdrop of the snowy Himalayas. The rest of Mugu may as well be a black hole. Life in the shadows of Nepal national parks This national park in Nepal has displaced hundreds of villagers who used to live in the area. Now, their livelihood is being put at risk, too. Posted by Al Jazeera English on Monday, 23 April 2018 The other story that came out of Mugu was one of food scarcity. In 2009, a massive drought in the region caused a near famine and affected thousands of people. I had flown in on a World Food Programme helicopter to see how farmers were coping in the aftermath of the 2009 drought. Thats when I met Gagan Bahadur. His village of Murma is a cluster of whitewashed houses huddled together on the side of a mountain, an hours walk from Rara lake. Roads hadnt reached Mugu yet then, and Murma felt a million years away from the modern churning in Nepals capital Kathmandu. What about Rup Bahadur? I asked. Did he go to India? Rup Bahadur, Gagan Bahadurs second-born, was a lean 14-year-old in 2009. Gagan Bahadur and his wife Vaishali Rokaya had nine children to feed aged between 16 years and six months. The youngest were twins and constantly crying for milk, others clung to Vaishali all day. There was next to nothing in their house. Food was running dangerously low. Rup Bahadur and his two brothers, aged 16 and 12, were thinking of going to India to find work. Watch: Al Jazeeras report from the area in 2009 Rup Bahadur Gagan Bahadur paused for a while. He never went to India. And he lost an eye to a bear attack. Of bears and bees To reach Murma, you have to walk up the steep hill. Melting snow had made the village paths muddy and slippery. We climbed up a narrow stair, carved out of a single tree trunk. Gagan Bahadur called out for Rup Bahadur the message relayed from one rooftop to the other. Children started appearing, their faces burned by the harsh sun and caked with dirt and snot. Men and women made themselves comfortable on the mud roofs of other houses, their hands constantly working on a cloud of sheeps wool running down a spindle, yarn emerging at the other end. Murma is one of Nepals remotest villages [Subina Shrestha/Al Jazeera] Rup Bahadur finally appeared. He is now a father of two. Instead of a left eye, he has a slight depression and a scar that has left a jagged mark across his eyebrow, making him look grim and almost angry at times. On April 29th of 2015, four days after Kathmandu was jolted by an earthquake, a bear attacked me, he told me. On that fateful day, Rup Bahadur had gone to herd goats with two of his friends. Almost all the paths in Murma lead through steep hills to the 106km square national park, a protected forest that is home to red pandas, leopard cats, grey wolves, wild boars and Himalayan black bears. At the bottom of the hill is a river that serves as the boundary between the national park and the village. The villagers neither have access to river water nor to resources across it. They have to stick to their side of the valley, in the buffer zone. But wild animals dont have such restrictions, and Rup Bahadur came face to face with a mother bear and her cubs. I dont remember much. I screamed when I was attacked. Then I dont remember anything, he said. Nepal has 12 national parks, a haven for some of the worlds rarest birds and beasts. Since national parks were established in the 1970s, endangered species, including the Royal Bengal Tiger and the Asian One Horn Rhino, have flourished in these parks. The parks have been a great attraction for tourists and nature lovers, but for the people living around them, life changed in unpredictable ways. Two villages with more than 250 families were evicted and resettled several hundred kilometres away when the Rara National Park was established in 1976. The displaced will sometimes trek across the mountains to what used to be their village, now a wilderness, to worship their ancestral gods. Across the country, wild animals from national parks have claimed more than 150 lives in the past two decades. Many more people have been injured and maimed. Rup Bahadurs friends rushed him to the local health post at the bottom of their village. A wound of that nature could not be dealt with there, so he was carried on a stretcher across the jungle, to the national park headquarters. Nepal Army personnel guard the park there, and soldiers took him to Mugus district headquarters of Gamgadhi. The local hospital there didnt have a doctor on call, doctors tending to find excuses to leave their post at the remote, 15-bed hospital. A panicked Gagan Bahadur found the next local bus going to the city of Nepalgunj, 174km away. The doctors [in Nepalganj] said that had we brought him over within a few hours, we could have saved his eye. But it took me three days to get there, says Gagan Bahadur. Apparently, the nerves had died by then. They cut out the eye and threw it away, he said, impassively. Rup Bahadur lost his eye in a bear attack [Subina Shreshta/Al Jazeera] Since 2009, the biggest change in Mugu has been the road. Earlier, it used to take nearly 10 days to walk to the nearest hospital in Nepalgunj. Now, buses and jeeps bump along the Karnali highway, a steep cliff road with blind curves and enormous potholes. Police dont allow vehicles on the highway after dark. Even now, the trip is over two days in a private jeep. Rup Bahadur is amazed that he survived. I dont know how long the journey took, whether I ate or not. But because of the medical attention or maybe I should just say that fate allowed me to see my parents, my village and my people again. That made me very happy. The bear attack was a financial blow too. Gagan Bahadur had to borrow $2,500, at a whopping 36 percent interest, for Rup Bahadurs treatment. National parks can give up to $1,000 for people injured by animals. But the loss of only an eye meant Rup Bahadur qualified for half that amount. I despise the national park, says Rup Bahadur. If it had not been there, I would not have been reduced to this. He doesnt mean only his face. Fire, water and the state you should avoid them all. An old man wearing coke bottle glasses in the village came out with this mysterious pronouncement. He explained that the state could harm an individual the same way fire burns or water drowns. For people in the area, the national park has been a cruel metaphor for the state. Wild boars destroy their crops just when it is ready for harvest. The villagers have tried their hand at beekeeping, but the hives became a magnet for the bears. They tried animal husbandry, but they found themselves losing money. Whenever their animals strayed down to the river, they had to pay a fine of $5 for each cow and $1 for each goat to the national park. The animals have nowhere to graze. To find fodder, the villagers have to walk several hours over the cliffs. Our entire society hates the park, says Rup Bahadur. The mother of all sorrows Gagan Bahadurs wife Vaishali Rokaya cries often. In the nine years since I first met her, she seemed to have aged a century. What hadnt changed was her way of narrating the ordeal. The words flow, lyrical, like poetry, born out of the brutal experience that life in Murma is. What can I tell you? I cry thinking of the suffering of my sons. Hardship fell. What can I say? My 21-year-old son lost an eye. What should I say about that? Vaishali wipes her eyes. My 13-year-old son just died one day. What should I say about that? In 2009, Krishna was small, always following his mother around. The boy was sickly, but nobody knew what was wrong with him. He was thin, but so are most children in Mugu, half of them malnourished. Gagan Bahadur thought he had half a mind, but Vaishali disagreed. It was his body that was not whole. Nepal has 12 national parks, a haven for some of the worlds rarest birds and beasts [Subina Shrestha/Al Jazeera] Krishna was never taken to Nepalgunj or Kathmandu for treatment. Gagan Bahadur says he took Krishna to the district hospital, but whatever treatment was prescribed, it did not work. There was a foreign lady who sent medicines from Kathmandu, but they did not work either. The family is unclear on what went wrong with Krishna, who the foreigner was, and what the medicines did. Gagan Bahadur is not even sure when Krishna died. Its been five to seven years, he said. All of Vaishalis children were born at home, and there are no records of their birth. Less than 40 percent of women have access to a hospital for births in Mugu. All the ages of the children here are approximations. They dont even have a photo of Krishna to remember him by. Preying on the weak The Rokaya family rested their hopes on educating the youngest of their children Dipesh, one of the twins. Gagan Bahadur smiles sheepishly when you ask about the other twin, Kamana, a girl. Only 37 percent of girls in Mugu are literate, compared with 60 percent of boys. Patriarchy runs deep here, and most girls are married off before they turn 18. Just three percent of Mugu girls finish high school. While Kamana attended the local government school, Gagan Bahadur had dreams of sending Dipesh to the city. Early last year, a villager and distant relative, Geeta Budha, who worked in an orphanage in the city, was in Murma to recruit children. Gagan Bahadur saw his hopes taking shape. Other parents in the village were also on board, even when it meant that the children had to pose as orphans. We cant dream of educating our children in Kathmandu on our own. There is a family whose son studied in an orphanage and now works in Kathmandu. He has his own house, said a neighbour, sitting on the roof. We want our children to have that option. Budha, the orphanage agent, told Gagan Bahadur that the arrangement would cost him $400 as a deposit. She said that would guarantee 10 years of schooling, says Gagan Bahadur. In May last year, Gagan Bahadur took his son to the tourist town of Pokhara with $600; $400 for the deposit and $200 for travel. Seven children from Murma had been recruited. But little did they know they had fallen for a scam. The organisation was an illegal operation that extracted money from unsuspecting foreigners. Children from vulnerable homes in remote areas of Nepal were taken to cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, and used as bait to attract volunteers and funding opportunities. According to UNICEF, as many as 85 percent of children in these orphanages have at least one living parent. In Dipeshs orphanage, young foreign volunteers came to play with the children and teach them drama. The children had a set of dos and donts. We had to say that we were fed well and had meat once a week, says Dipesh. Did they have meat once a week? No, said Dipesh. Only sometimes. If anyone asked, they had to say they had no parents. We had to say our father was Shankar [the orphanage owner] and mother Bandana [Shankars wife]. I decided to investigate further. Gagan Bahadur had taken his son to Sunaul, not Pokhara, as he thought. Dipesh was placed in Helpless, Poor, Children Protection Center Our Home, registered as a branch of another orphanage. Gagan Bahadur wasnt given a receipt for the money he paid and doesnt remember the name of the orphanage his child went to. On December 24, 2017, seven months after Dipesh just about learned to say his name and address in English; the orphanage was forced to close. A few children ran away at night from one of the branches. Police found out that they had been physically abused. Investigators from Nepals Child Welfare Board found 89 children in two orphanages. According to Rabi Gautam from the Board, almost all the children were from Mugu, and most of them had parents. Shankar Pyasi was charged with human trafficking. Bandana and Geeta Budha were also arrested. They are out on bail now. Gagan Bahadur, meanwhile, had to spend another $200 to collect his child. Our money went in vain, he says. Even in such a short time, he learned English. If he had stayed for two years or more, he might have done well. Dipesh now goes to the local school with Kamana where classes are often cancelled. The school has few facilities, and Dipesh says he misses learning a lot. Take him, said Vaishali, dragging him by the hand towards me. Maybe you can educate him. I politely declined. The future So, has anything changed for the better? I asked those sitting on the roof, their faces now fogged with smoke from the chimneys. The temperature drops drastically as soon as the sun sets in Murma. People were racing against time to gather up barley that had been drying on the roofs. There is no change except for one or two greenhouses, says Rup Bahadur. There are a few poly-tunnel greenhouses where the locals grow vegetables. The motorable road is still a three to four-hour walk from Murma. Moreover, the villagers have nothing to sell, the vegetables they grow are barely enough to feed them. We had no food to eat when you came; we still dont have any. How will we eat? asks a despondent Vaishali. We work in our fields, grow barley, beans and potatoes. The wild animals ate our crops then; they eat them now. What has changed? Everybody says the state doesnt care about them. Nothing changed in 10 years, says Rup Bahadur. If you come back in another 10 years, you will find us in the same state. Mosul, Iraq If seen from afar, Mosuls old town could be compared with a sandy beach. It has been more than eight months since the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). While rebuilding efforts have begun, Iraqs second-largest city continues to struggle to get back on track. Iraqis have slowly returned to what is left of their homes or shops. Many say the central government is too slow in its reconstruction efforts as it continues to target ISIL fighters still in the region. Mosuls civil defence is coordinating with NGOs to clean up the Old City, but according to Abdel Satar al-Habbow, director of Mosul Municipality, it might take years to fully reconstruct the city. In the areas most affected by the conflict, residents say they are having a hard time trusting the government. Most houses are still without electricity and water. Many homes have not been demined and are unsafe for people to return. The cleanup efforts also include finding and identifying bodies under the rubble. Its hard to know who is whom, Rabie Ibrahim Hassan, the chief of Mosuls civil defence, told Al Jazeera. We dont have the equipment, personnel or access to forensic technologies, he said. When we find a body, we look for an ID close by and assume that it belongs to it. According to Hassan, civilian bodies are given normal funerals, but the bodies of ISIL fighters are usually left behind. Many civilians were executed before ISIL fled or died while trapped between air strikes and snipers from all sides. Hassan estimates that there might be around 5,000 bodies still scattered throughout the city. For decades, Israel has been committing war crimes and the UN has done nothing to stop them. Stanley L Cohen is an attorney and human rights activist who has done extensive work in the Middle East and Africa. This is the part two of the article. Click here to read part one. Throughout its 70 years of existence, Israel has not sought to limit its breach of international law and the law of war to Palestine. In fact, it has a long and well-documented history of human rights violations and war crimes in Lebanon. Here, too, the United Nations has watched largely in silence as Israel has targeted civilian communities and UN facilities, made use of prohibited weapons of war and participated in massacres against defenceless women and children. The 1982 invasion In 1982, the Israeli army invaded Lebanon under the pretext of responding to attacks by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which at the time, was headquartered in West Beirut. The Lebanese civil war provided convenient cover for Israeli violence directed at Lebanese and Palestinian civilians, alike. In order to drive out the PLO, Israel unleashed a barbaric assault on Beirut by air and sea while cutting off food, water supply and electricity. During the two-month siege, Israel hit five UN buildings, 134 embassies or diplomatic residences, six hospitals or clinics, one mental institute, the Central Bank, five hotels, the Red Cross, Lebanese and foreign media outlets, and innumerable private homes. It is estimated that between June 6 and August 25 that year, the Israeli onslaught killed more than 17,000 Lebanese and Palestinians, most of them civilians. At the end of the month, the US President Ronald Reagan called the killings a holocaust in an angry phone call to the Israeli prime minister. While much of the world watched the mass killing with horror, little action was undertaken to intervene. That encouraged the Israelis to go even further. A month after the evacuation of thousands of PLO fighters from Lebanon, the Israeli army occupied Beirut, encircling the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Shatila. On September 16, Christian Phalangists fighters, encouraged by the Israelis, descended on the camps torturing, raping, mutilating and murdering more than 3,000 Palestinian civilians, many of them women, children and elderly. Late in 1982, the UN General Assembly declared the carnage an act of genocide, condemning Israel in the strongest terms for the large-scale massacre of Palestinian civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. However, neither the UN nor any other international body ever took action against Israel or its proxies for the massacre. The Qana massacre In 1985, Israel withdrew its forces to the so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, extending its military presence until 2000. For those 15 years, it continued launching deadly attacks on Lebanon and Lebanese civilians. On April 18, 1996, the Israeli army targeted a UN compound in the village of Qana where some 800 civilians had sought shelter from Israeli bombardments during a battle with Hezbollah. More than a 100 civilians died and another 116 were injured in the assault on the clearly marked compound. The UN expressed its condolences for civilian losses, took no further steps against Israel. Amnesty International described the attack in a report as a callous disregard for civilian lives and a breach of the laws of war on directly or indiscriminately targeting civilians. This is not to suggest that the United Nations was completely indifferent to the shelling of its compound as the General Assembly, by a vote of 66 to two with 59 abstentions, passed a resolution demanding that Israel reimburse it to the tune of $1.7m for the cost of repairs to its compound. Predictably, the United States and Israel voted against the resolution and not surprisingly, the latter ignored the bill. The UN took no subsequent steps against Israel for its refusal. The 2006 war Ten years later, on July 12, 2006, Israel launched another devastating assault on southern Lebanon. Israeli media reported that the Israeli military had used large numbers of banned weapons. One officer who participated in the war described the wholesale use of such weapons against civilians as insane and monstrous. {articleGUID} According to him, the Israeli army fired around 1,800 cluster bombs containing over 1.2 million bomblets. Other soldiers described the wholesale use of banned phosphorous weapons as primary weapons of war. On July 30, the Israeli army targeting a house in the village of Qana whether two extended families had sought shelter. The attack killed 54 civilians, 37 of them children. While the Security Council expressed extreme shock and distress at the bombing and offered its condolences for the deaths, it took no further action against Israel for this atrocity. On August 7, two missiles fired by an Israeli warplane destroyed and damaged apartment buildings in the Shiyyah suburb of Beirut. At least 60 people died. Later that same day, the Israeli army struck another building in the city of Ghaziyeh, killing 16 civilians. The following day, Israel once again struck civilian buildings in Ghaziyeh, killing 13 people. As with the attacks in Qana and Shiyyah, the UN expressed its condolences but did little else. A UN shared by the world None of these atrocities is isolated in time and place, neither are they an historical anomaly. It is very much who we are and what we have become. Long before the Sabra and Shatila massacre, Israel drove upwards of a million Palestinians from their ancestral homeland through conscious and determined ethnic cleansing, accompanied by rape, murder and arson. The history of Deir Yassin, Ramleh and Lydda is well known and documented. Not much has changed in the decades since, as Israeli regulars have added Qibya, Rafah, Jenin, Beit Hanoun and other Palestinian communities to the ranks of those etched among the annals of uncharged and unprosecuted war crimes. Elsewhere, today, in Myanmar, Syria, Kashmir and other warzones, rape, torture, forced displacement, carpet bombing, and prohibited chemicals continue to be the preferred weapons of war with civilians the prime targets. It wasnt always that civilians were so systematically targeted. As a blog on the International Committee of the Red Cross website notes, the 1859 Battle of Solferino during the Second Italian War of Independence caused the death of 6,000 soldiers and only one civilian. Since that time, we have seen the expansion of the law of war and the passage of the Convention for the Amelioration of the Wounded in Time of War which serves as the precursor to the Geneva Conventions. Both hallmarks of international law were designed to safeguard people and property that did not contribute to warfare and to protect civilians and civilian communities from unnecessary destruction and hardship. Yet, despite evolving principles and efforts to insulate non-combatants from the horrors of war, now more than ever, they have become the prime victims of its intended death and destruction. {articleGUID} Indeed, according to UNICEF, during the 20th century, the proportion of civilian to military casualties has increased from 15 percent in World War I to 65 percent in World War II to 90 percent in the conflicts over the last few decades. Most civilian casualties are children and women. Can it be mere coincidence that the dramatic increase in violence and civilian casualties parallel the establishment and growth of the United Nations? Does the fact that five permanent members of the Security Council ultimately dictate where and when the UN acts with independence and certainty all but guarantee that it will never be more than a political playground dominated by the few as they pursue their own unique partisan agenda? In 2018, it is simply not enough to issue press releases or pound the speakers podium, exalting lofty UN ideals to those foolish enough to buy the sale. Toothless resolutions condemning war crimes, crimes against humanity or violations of any of the other hundreds of UN covenants and prohibitions remain but a tease unless and until that world body acts with resolve to ensure international promise and equal application of law become reality. It is long past time to permit a world body to be shared equally by a world community. For more than seven decades, the hallways of the UN have served as exciting field trips for young students and world visitors. I know I was one. Awed by the majesty of the General Assembly, with its impressive French murals, green marble desks, matching lecterns and UN emblem on a gold backdrop, tourists escape the reality of the moment with an inspiring recorded narrative of its accomplishments. Yet, in real time, in real places, hundreds of millions of the worlds poorest, most frail, and vulnerable pay the price daily for the hollow promise that is the UN. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari prepares to meet his US counterpart in the White House on Monday, analysts are wondering whether this engagement could mark the belated beginning of the Trump administrations Africa policy. Most observers did not expect US President Donald Trump, who was elected on a promise to always put America First, to immediately focus his efforts on Africa after taking office. Yet they also did not expect him to completely disregard an aggregate mass of 55 nations that make up over a quarter of the globes sovereign political entities. Unfortunately, this has largely been the case so far. It took the Trump administration seven months to attempt filling the position of assistant secretary of state for African affairs, with the current occupant being given only an acting role and a one-year term. Also, the US president himself did not try much to engage with Africa. The only direct engagement Trump has had with leaders from sub-Saharan Africa was at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January this year. He met up with some leaders on the sidelines of the summit, and he also had a one-on-one meeting with his Rwandan counterpart, the then-incoming president of the African Union, Paul Kagame. {articleGUID} Yet these meetings have not been perceived by many as genuine attempts by the US president to reach out to African nations, mostly because the Davos summit came only days after Trumps alleged sh****le countries remark which generated furore in Africa and beyond. Some African leaders even threatened to boycott Trumps headline speech at the summit in protest of his alleged disrespectfulness towards the continent. So, most discerning observers classified Trumps meetings with African leaders at the summit as damage control efforts and nothing more. In the following days, the administration continued with its attempts to ease Africas concerns about US attitudes towards the continent, with Trump penning a flattering open letter to African leaders, designed to mollify them before the January summit of the African Union. In the letter, Trump laid out some general parameters for his administrations future relations with Africa. The US president said that he wants to underscore that the United States deeply respects the people of Africa and that he is committed to strong and respectful relationships with African states as sovereign states. He also made reference to American soldiers fighting side by side with their African counterparts in combating extremism on the continent, and that he is committed to expanding free, fair and reciprocal trade with Africa and ensuring better safeguards for legal immigration. While generally well received, the letter was criticised for being vague and not revealing any specific policy plans. The only concrete commitment in the letter, after all, was the announcement that the then-Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, would make an extended visit to the continent in March. However, Tillersons African tour also failed to be a turning point in the Trump administrations relations with the continent. He had to cut the trip short after finding out that he was to be dismissed from his position. {articleGUID} In light of this problematic history, all eyes are now on Buhari, who will be the first leader from sub-Saharan Africa to meet up with Trump in the White House. So far, the limited information we have on the nature of the upcoming meeting suggests that Trump and Buhari plan to mainly discuss the future of bilateral relations between the two countries. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement about the meeting issued on April 15 that President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to enhance our strategic partnership and advance our shared priorities. The priorities include promoting economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security, and building on Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region, she said. While it is understandable for the two leaders to focus on their respective countrys interests, Africa expects Buhari to not only represent his country, but also use this opportunity to remind the US president the importance of US-African relations and the necessity for a clear, proactive Africa policy. Rather than exclusively addressing his own trademark three-point agenda of fighting corruption, tackling Boko Haram and kick-starting the Nigerian economy, the Nigerian leader should also make the bigger case for policies that affect all of Africa during the visit. In this regard, he has good precedence in another former Nigerian leader, General Murtala Muhammad, who had spoken truth to Western power at the extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of African Unity in 1976. When I contemplate the evils of apartheid, my heart bleeds and I am sure the heart of every true blooded African bleeds. Africa has come of age. It is no longer under the order of any extra-continental power. It should no longer take orders from any country, however powerful, Murtala had said. Now, Africa expects Buhari to follow his predecessors steps and speak for Africa in front of a US president who has managed to not only ignore, but also offend, an entire continent in the short time that he had been in office. Not many people, however, are convinced that Buhari is up to this task. Only a few weeks ago, the Nigerian leader snubbed African leaders who gathered in Kigali, Rwanda to sign the most ambitious self-help economic growth initiative in recent African history the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. Buhari said in a statement that he decided not to attend the signing ceremony to allow time for broader consultations. Yet, his decision was seen by many African leaders as a stalling strategy signalling that Buhari believes Nigeria will be worse off under the deal. In other words, Mondays meeting will be between a US president who puts America first and a Nigerian president that puts Nigeria first. Yet the reality is that the only way for Nigeria, and any other African country, to stand up to Trumps America is to band together. For the sake of not only Nigeria, but also all of Africa, Buhari needs to step up to the task and use this meeting as an opportunity to demand respect, attention and most importantly a well-articulated policy towards Africa from the US president. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Alfie Evans: British toddler at centre of legal battle dies Alfie Evans rare condition lead to a divisive court case that attracted international media attention, as well as the support of Pope Francis. Analysis: Will Pompeo end the GCC crisis? Al Jazeeras senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, breaks down Mike Pompeos visit to the Middle East and the ongoing GCC crisis. Republican Party says it will not put forward a member against protest leader Nikol Pashinyan in a bid to calm tensions. Armenias ruling party said it would not stop protest leader Nikol Pashinyan becoming interim prime minister if all opposition factions in parliament support his candidacy. More than two weeks of anti-government protests forced the resignation of Republican Party veteran Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister, and the party said it will not put forward one of its own members to replace him in a bid to calm tensions. Pashinyan, a former journalist turned lawmaker, has said parliament must elect him prime minister on Tuesday when it votes. He is so far the only person to put himself forward and, as of Sunday, had received the support of all opposition parties in parliament that hold 47 seats of the 105-seat legislature, where the Republicans have a majority. After talks with Pashinyan on Sunday, parliamentary leader of the Republican Party, Vahram Baghdasaryan, said the party would not impede the election of the peoples candidate if all three opposition factions in parliament supported him. Demonstrations resume The announcement coincided with the resumption of protests in the capital, Yerevan, after a two-day moratorium during which demonstrations against the Republican Party and official corruption were held in smaller cities. About 5,000 people gathered in a square in the centre of the capital on Sunday before setting off on a march. In the streets of Yerevan, flag-draped demonstrators blocked intersections, sang songs, played music and chanted slogans, accusing the ruling party of clinging to power against the peoples will. Sargsyan, who became prime minister on April 17 after serving a decade as president in what was seen by opponents as a power grab, resigned on Monday after 10 days of protests. Protester Vigen Arabyan said the Republicans had no choice but to throw in the towel and back the hugely popular Pashinyan, 42. We simply cannot continue on this path, the 51-year-old engineer told AFP news agency. The country is going towards complete destruction if we keep going this way. Rats from a sinking ship Arut Khachatryan, a 17-year-old high school student, said: We are witnessing a decisive moment. Pashinyan, who heads the small Civil Contract party, is the only candidate in the running for the premiership so far and insists only he can rid Armenia of corruption, poverty and nepotism. He needs the backing of at least six lawmakers from the ruling Republican Party, which has 58 seats in parliament, to clinch victory on Tuesday. Some analysts said they expected a number of Republicans to defect and give their votes to Pashinyan, sealing his victory. I am sure that at least six people from the Republican Party like rats from a sinking ship would vote for Pashinyan, said analyst Ervand Bozoyan. Armenias ruling party will not nominate candidate for PM In an effort to avoid stoking more tension in the region, ruling party will not nominate a candidate for prime minister, spokesperson says. Australia pledges $400m to save Great Barrier Reef The Australian government hopes its conservation efforts to restore the embattled natural wonder will inspire other countries to follow its lead. Government luxury housing project draws ire of northern Thais with one of the largest protests since 2014 military coup. More than 1,000 people demonstrated in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai against the building of a government luxury housing project on forested land one of the largest protests during the nearly four years of military rule. Thailands military seized power following a 2014 coup and the ruling generals imposed a ban on public gatherings of more than five people. The restrictions have largely curbed freedom of expression in the Southeast Asian nation. Images of the housing project for judges, circulated on social media over the past few months, showed construction has carved into the forested foothills of Chiang Mais popular Doi Suthep mountain, inciting public anger. Protesters, many wearing green ribbons, demanded the government demolish the new buildings, said the military government must comply in seven days or face more protests. Demonstrators shouted te-kwang a word in the northern dialect that means demolition before dispersing after about two hours, the Bangkok Post reported. Around 1,250 people took part in the protest, police Colonel Paisan, deputy commander of Chiang Mai Police, told Reuters news agency. The protesters were focused on environmental issues and not politics, and they cleaned the street afterwards, he said. Organisers made a proper request for the gathering beforehand and so the protest was allowed to proceed, said Paisan. Return the forest Public officials have defended the housing project, pointing out construction was legal and on state-owned land, which does not encroach into the national park that covers the mountain. But the arguments have failed to mollify opponents. We want the demolition of the houses and a return of the forest, the rallys organisers said in a statement on Sunday. Bring back the forest to Doi Suthep. Bring back the forest to the people. Thai officials said protesters could face legal action if the housing is demolished, and the homes should be used for 10 years before the public can reassess any environmental impact. Construction started in 2015 and has faced opposition from local environmental groups who regard the mountain as sacred for Chiang Mai and as a natural lung for the norths largest city. The military government, which has promised to hold an election next year, has faced a growing number of public protests in recent months, including a pro-democracy demonstration in Bangkok last month demanding the military withdraw support for the ruling generals. Women are among 560 arrested for joining and supporting the armed group that was defeated last December. A court in Baghdad sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters in the country. A Central Criminal Court ruling determined on Sunday the Russian women were guilty of joining and supporting ISIL, AFP news agency reported. The women, many accompanied by their children, addressed the court through a translator a Russian -language professor at Baghdad University hired by the Russian embassy. A Russian diplomat at the hearing said the families of the women will be contacted and informed of the verdict. Another six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also given life sentences. Most of the women on trial claimed to have been misled into making the trip to Iraq. I did not know we were in Iraq I went with my husband and my children to Turkey to live there and then I suddenly discovered I was actually in Iraq, one of the accused said on Sunday. Mass arrests ISIL fighters surprised Iraqi forces with a lightning-quick offensive in 2014 and captured about one-third of the country, including the second-largest city Mosul, among others. Since declaring victory over ISIL in late 2017, Iraqi authorities have arrested more than 560 women and 600 children identified as either as members of the group or relatives of fighters. Earlier this month, an Iraqi court sentenced French national Djamila Boutoutaou to life imprisonment for joining the armed group. {articleGUID} Boutoutaou told authorities at the time she travelled with her husband thinking they would go on a holiday, but soon realised once in Turkey that her husband was a jihadist. Her husband was later killed in a military operation near Mosul along with their son. Boutoutaou subsequently surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq. Experts estimate Iraq has detained more than 20,000 people over suspected ties to the group and has sentenced more than 300 people to death so far. Twelve ISIL widows were given the death penalty in February. Iraqs anti-terrorism laws empower courts to convict people who are believed to have helped ISIL, even if they were not directly involved in fighting. Spring has arrived and temperatures have risen steadily across much of North America after a prolonged winter of unrelenting cold and snow in some major cities. Minnesotas twin cities Minneapolis and St Paul staggered into April with snow on the ground and daytime temperatures around freezing. A final mass of snow piled up mid-month with 30cm on the ground to greet commuters on Monday, April 16. Then came the thaw. It took five days to melt, but no snow was reported at the measuring station in the twin cities on April 22. Temperatures peaked at 22 degrees Celsius two days later and have remained in the teens ever since. Melted snow brought the spring floods. Moderate flooding is expected on the Mississippi River near St Paul and Hastings, Minnesota, in the coming week. Flooding was also expected along the Missouri River in South Dakota. Flooding was ongoing or was forecast to develop on numerous rivers in the Midwest and northern Plains, thanks to runoff from Aprils snowmelt. No heavy rain events coincided with the thaw, so widespread major flooding was not expected. The late, quick thaw and flood created saturated soil conditions and delayed the planting of the spring wheat crop. Farmers in South Dakota had planted only two percent of their spring wheat crop by April 22, according to agweek.com. That compares poorly with the five-year average (2013-17) of 50 percent by that date. The current benign weather conditions may not last. Severe thunderstorms may develop next week, which may worsen flooding, at least from Minnesota southwards. With thanks to wunderground.com New secretary of state and Israeli prime minister denounce Iranian aggression and threaten nuclear deal withdrawal. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at Iran during a tour of the Middle East in advance of a crucial White House decision on whether to quit the nuclear deal with Tehran. Pompeo on Sunday accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, including through its support for Syrias President Bashar al-Assad and Houthi rebels in Yemen. We remain deeply concerned about Irans dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Irans ambition to dominate the Middle East remains. The United States is with Israel in this fight, Pompeo said, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after their two-hour meeting in Tel Aviv. He reiterated US President Donald Trump will withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran if we cant fix it. Trump is set to decide on May 12 whether to re-impose sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 nuclear accord. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the nuclear deal to either be altered or scrapped, though most world powers see it as key to preventing Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons. Iran is trying to gobble up one country after the other. Iran must be stopped. Its quest for nuclear bombs must be stopped. Its aggression must be stopped, Netanyahu said. Non-negotiable Irans President Hassan Rouhani responded on Sunday by saying the historic nuclear agreement was not negotiable. The nuclear deal or any other subject under its pretext is not negotiable in any way, he told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call, quoted by the presidencys website. Iran will not accept any restrictions beyond its commitments, Rouhani said. Britain, France and Germany all remain committed to the deal, saying it is the best way to keep Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and the US Middle East allies argue the deal approved by Trumps predecessor Barack Obama was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Irans missile programme. No decision In Washington, US National Security Adviser John Bolton also said Trump was still considering his options. He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out, Bolton told Fox News. Absent from Pompeos agenda were any meetings with the Palestinian leadership, which is boycotting the White House over its decision to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, expected to occur on May 14. {articleGUID} Pompeo said in Tel Aviv that we are incredibly proud of the decision. Senior Palestinian official Ahmed Majdalani told AFP news agency the policy of boycotting Trumps administration would continue. Pompeo made mention after meeting Netanyahu of the White House wanting a lasting and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but other issues took centre stage. He later flew to Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Irans most fervent foes in the region, including Saudi leaders. Pompeo will conclude his first diplomatic trip on Monday after talks with senior Jordanian officials, then fly back to Washington. Mike Pompeo calls for unity in the Gulf during a visit to Saudi Arabia, his first in his new role as top US diplomat. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for unity in the Gulf region during a visit to Saudi Arabia, his first foreign trip in his new role as the US top diplomat. Speaking at a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Sunday, Pompeo said, Gulf unity is necessary and we need to achieve it. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, cut diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar nearly one year ago, accusing the country of supporting terrorism. Doha strongly denies the charge. In advance of Pompeos visit, US officials told reporters the US secretary of state would urge Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and King Salman to resolve the Gulf crisis in a series of meetings on Saturday and Sunday. US President Donald Trump initially appeared supportive of the Saudi-led initiative, while Pompeos predecessor, the recently removed Rex Tillerson, blamed Saudi Arabia and its allies for the stalemate in resolving the crisis. Officials said Pompeo called for an end to the blockade because the US believes it has enabled Iran to exploit disunity in the Gulf by enhancing its influence in Yemen and Syria, The Associated Press news agency reported. Iran missiles Speaking at the press conference, Jubeir called the meeting fruitful. He said the US and Saudi Arabia had identical viewpoints on regional challenges, including Irans behaviour in the region. He called for extra inspections of Iranian nuclear sites and imposing new sanctions on the country for violating international law. Pompeo arrived in Riyadh on the heels of a missile attack by Houthi rebels that killed one person in Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. Senior US officials said they blame Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, US officials told reporters the administration is seeking to counter Irans missile programme as part of a strengthened Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump has previously said he will withdraw the US from the JCPOA which he has called the worst deal in history unless a better option is presented to him by May 12, which is when the US president faces a deadline to decide whether or not to renew the agreements prescribed sanctions relief for Iran. Pompeo on Sunday called Iran the greatest sponsor of terrorism in the world. Iran destabilises this entire region. It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iran conducts cyber-hacking campaigns. It supports the murderous Assad regime, as well, he said. The former CIA director was sworn in as the US top diplomat on Thursday and flew to Brussels for a visit to NATOs headquarters on his first full day on the job. On Saturday, he started a brief tour of the Middle East. Pompeo will depart Saudi Arabia for Israel on Sunday for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will visit Jordan afterwards. Myanmar violence: Thousands flee renewed fighting in Kachin state Thousands of people have fled fresh fighting between government forces and ethnic Kachin rebels in the countrys northernmost state. Nadal will aim to win his 11th and record-breaking title in Barcelona, where he has never lost a final. After a comprehensive victory over Belgiums David Goffin on Saturday, Rafael Nadal will meet Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sundays final in Barcelona. Nadal will aim to win his 11th and record-breaking title in Catalonia, where he has never lost a final. The clay-court specialist dominated with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over the 10th-ranked Goffin, and cruised into the finals to retain his number 1 ranking. The Spaniard out struck Goffin, who held a 2-0 lead initially, after a slow start in the semi-final. Nineteen-year-old Tsitsipas, who will play his first ATP final after defeating Spains Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-3, is excited to be taking on the legendary Nadal. The last Greek to make an ATP final was Nicholas Kalogeropoulos, in Des Moines back in 1973. The teenager has also become one of the youngest players to reach the Barcelona final, only beaten by Nadal who was 18, in 2005. The 63rd-ranked Tsitsipas broke Carreno Busta, 27, for a third time to pull out 4-2 ahead in the second and eventually served out the match, falling to the ground as he won on his second match point when the Spaniard hit beyond the baseline. Scoring his 18th successive win and 400th overall on the surface, Nadal hopes to play at the highest level possible against the young player. With a record of 400-35, Nadal has the best winning percentage and a world record of 54 titles to his name. Earlier in the tournament, the young Tsitsipas himself marked an historic win in his career as he dominated the world number 7 Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals 6-3, 6-2 on Friday, his 18th straight victory on a clay surface. In the Sunday encounter, the Greek teenager is set to face the 31-year-old Nadal, who entered the tournament fresh from his 11th Monte Carlo title last weekend. Be it a win or lose on Sunday, when the latest mens rankings are released on Monday, Tsitsipas will become the first ever Greek player to make it into the table of worlds top 50 players. Closure of test site will be done in public, under supervision of foreign experts, South Koreas presidency says. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he would close the countrys nuclear test site in May in full view of the outside world, Moons office said. North Koreas state media has said ahead of the summit that Pyongyang would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace. Confirming the report, Kim told Moon that he would invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea to ensure transparency of the dismantling of the facilities, the Blue House said. The event may serve as a dramatic setup to Kims nuclear negotiations with President Donald Trump that may take place in the next few weeks. Kim also expressed optimism about his meeting with Trump, saying the US president will learn hes not a person to fire missiles towards the US, Moons spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. Moon and Kim during the summit promised to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, but made no references to verification or timetables. {articleGUID} Seoul had also shuttled between Pyongyang and Washington to set up a potential meeting between Kim and Trump, which is expected next month or early June. Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States, Yoon quoted Kim as saying. If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would we need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons? Yoon quoted Kim as saying. North Korea this month announced it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Kim reacted to scepticism that the North would only be closing down the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the countrys sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. In his conversation with Moon, Kim denied that he would be merely clearing out damaged goods, saying that the site also has two new tunnels that are larger than previous testing facilities, Yoon said. The Friday summit between Moon and Kim kicked off a global diplomatic drive to deal with the Norths nuclear and missile threats, which after a flurry of weapons tests last year involve purported thermonuclear weapons, developmental ICBMs and quick-fire solid-fuel missiles. While the meeting ended with no new concrete measures on the nuclear standoff, the more substantial discussions on the Norths denuclearisation including what, when and how it would occur were always going to be reserved for a Kim-Trump summit. {articleGUID} The new round of nuclear negotiations with North Korea comes after a decades-long cycle of crises, stalemates and broken promises that allowed the country the room to build a legitimate arsenal. Seoul has said Kim 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 US definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the Korean Peninsula and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. Re-adjusting time zone Yoon said Kim also revealed plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the Souths. The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own Pyongyang Time by setting the clock 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. North Korean then explained the decision as an effort to remove a legacy of Japanese colonial rule. Local time in South Korea and Japan is the same nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It was set during Japans rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Yoon said that the Norths decision to return to the Seoul time zone was aimed at facilitating communication with South Korea and also the US. Pashtuns continue to rally for greater rights in Pakistan The protest movement began in February against an extrajudicial killing, but now its been transformed into a wider call for ethnic rights. Bureau of Land Management plan would severely cut the number of wild horses through sales, sterilisation and euthanasia. The US government has unveiled a plan to reduce the number of wild horses and burros (wild donkeys) on public ranges from 100,000 to 27,000 through methods such as sales, sterilisation and euthanasia. The plan (PDF) was requested by US Congress and drafted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a government agency tasked with administering about 100 million hectares (247.3 million acres) of public lands, including protecting animal populations and resources. BLM presented the plan on April 26 and said it aimed to achieve long-term sustainable populations of these wild animals and called for politicians to end the prohibition of sales of wild horses and to ease limits on euthanasia. BLM estimated that there were 83,000 wild horses and burros in 10 western US states in 2017, more than three times the number of animals 26,715 that the agency believes the land can sustain. The agency expects the number to jump to 100,000 by 2019. The plan caused outrage among US advocates for wild animals. Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), called the plan a roadmap for destruction of Americas wild free-roaming horse and burros by virtually eradicating their populations on our Western public lands in a press release. The release decried one version of the plan, which called for the mass killing or sale for slaughter of 100,000 mustangs and burros, including those currently in holding facilities and those who would be removed from the range. AWHC said the BLMs accepted number of wild horses was unscientific and absurdly low. The group pointed to New Mexico, which has about 5.6 million hectares (14 million acres) of BLM-managed land but will have 83 wild horses, saying it is the equivalent of having three horses in the entire state of Rhode Island. AWHC has long criticised BLM for its treatment of wild horses. Another point of contention for AWHC is the agencys use of roundups, a technique that involves helicopters corralling the horses into traps so they can be kept in captivity. BLMs website said there were over 45,000 wild horses living under its care as of April 2018. BLM, the agency whose terrible mismanagement of this programme has brought us to this place, is now proposing more bad ideas, including mass roundup and slaughter to cover for their incompetence, AWHCs executive director said. The agency has failed to deliver the humane and politically viable options that Congress had requested, Roy concluded. AWHC will deliver a detailed reaction to BLM plans in the coming days, the group promised. BLM acknowledged criticisms in its report, saying those who speak out regarding the BLMs wild horse and burro programme are generally interested in the well-being of the horses. Rohingya refugees have demanded guarantees for a safe return to Myanmar during a visit to refugee camps in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district by a United Nations Security Council delegation. Representatives from the 15 member countries of the UN organ on Sunday spoke with some of the 700,000 people who fled what the UN has called ethnic cleansing in neighbouring Myanmar in a visit aimed at giving representatives a glimpse of the situation firsthand. At Kutupalong, hundreds of refugees staged a protest. Some carried placards reading We want justice. Rohingya representatives gave the visiting diplomats a charter with demands, including an international security presence in Rakhine State, repatriation under UN supervision and the restoration of their citizenship in Myanmar, news agency DPA reported. Russias ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, told reporters that the diplomats would not look away from the crisis, but added that finding a solution would be no easy task. Its very necessary to come and see everything at place here in Bangladesh and Myanmar. But there is no magic solution, there is no magic stick to solve all these issues, The Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying. {articleGUID} Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford, Reporting from Coxs Bazar, said female refugees in tears had told the representatives about being raped and losing family members. The representatives were also shown a presentation that included very graphic photographs of what they were told were Rohingya refugees who had been killed as they tried to escape Myanmar. Todays events have been a big eye-opener for this delegation, Stratford said. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees started arriving in Bangladesh in August last year, after Myanmars army launched a violent crackdown on Rohingya in Rakhine State. Myanmar security forces were accused of rape, murder, torture and setting Rohingya homes on fire. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that in the first month of the crackdown, 6,700 mostly Muslim Rohingya were killed. On Monday, the diplomats will continue on to Myanmar for a meeting with State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi and a tour by helicopter of Rakhine State. Shares in firms controlled by Oleg Deripaska have plunged after the US imposed sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs. Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska is loosening control of two of his companies that have been hit by US sanctions against Russia. He agreed to sell down his majority ownership in EN+ Group PLC, the UK-listed holding company that owns 48 percent of aluminium giant United Company Rusal. This move by Deripaska could help Rusal and EN+ escape US Treasury sanctions. Deripaska was among a handful of Russian tycoons and corporate assets targeted in the latest US sanctions. The measures affect seven oligarchs, 12 companies they own or control, as well as 17 senior Russian government officials. Rusal produces seven percent of the worlds aluminium, according to the US Treasury. The imposed sanctions caused aluminium prices to spike dramatically and sent Rusals shares crashing 57 percent in Hong Kong, where the company is listed. EN+, the largest shareholder in Rusal, has lost 50 percent of its value. At the end of last year, Deripaska owned more than 76 percent of EN+, according to Rusals annual report. {articleGUID} EN+ raised $1.5bn from international investors when it went public in a first initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in November 2017. The IPO was the largest Russian listing since 2012. The companys chairman, Lord Barker, is a former UK climate change minister who now sits in the House of Lords. Earlier this week, the US Treasury Department said it would consider easing the sanctions on Rusal if Deripaska divests. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said that the US would extend the deadline for companies that do business with Rusal to untangle themselves from the company. They have until October 23. The sanctions effectively prohibit most firms with any US businesses from dealing with Rusal. Rusal is worlds second-largest aluminium producer after Chinas Hongqiao and was the second-biggest supplier of aluminium to the US market after Canada. Analysts worry that US consumers will pay for this as domestic producers and other exporters raise prices. Additionally, the US also imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports that target China earlier this month. Alongside Deripaska, others targeted by US sanctions appeared to be a selection of people picked from various groups around the Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the option of Rusals nationalisation due to the companys hurdles is currently not under consideration. {articleGUID} He also added that Rusals owners have not voiced any related proposals. No, the option is not under consideration. The cabinet of ministers is tackling issues related to rescue of companies facing illegal restrictions imposed by a number of countries, including the US, at presidents request. No decisions have been made, various options are under consideration, Peskov said on Saturday. The list of oligarchs affected by the US sanctions includes Suleiman Kerimov, a senator whose family owns Polyus, Russias largest gold producer, Viktor Vekselberg, who owns Switzerland-based Sulzer, an engineering group, and Alexei Miller, the chief executive of state-owned gas export monopoly Gazprom. Rwandan leader says The Hague-based court has failed to mete out justice in any other part of the world except Africa. Kigali, Rwanda Rwandan President Paul Kagame has repeated his harsh criticism of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for what he calls open bias against Africa, saying it has failed to mete out justice in any other part of the world. The ICC was supposed to address the whole world, but it ended up covering only Africa, Kagame said on Saturday at a meeting with British-Sudanese telecoms tycoon and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim in Rwandas capital, Kigali. From the time of its inception, I said there was a fraud basis on which it was set up and how it was going to be used. I told people that this would be a court to try Africans, not people from across the world. And I dont believe I have been proven wrong. Disproportionate targeting? The permanent court in the Netherlands was established by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court treaty in 1998 in order to prosecute and punish individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. {articleGUID} It entered into force in 2012. But in recent years a number of African countries have threatened or announced plans to withdraw from The Hague-based court over what they call its disproportionate targeting of the continent. To date, all but one of the ICCs 10 investigations have been in Africa and its five convicted suspects are from Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Mali. There are many people across the world who should be tried by the court, Kagame said. Some leaders from African countries who are being tried by the ICC, whatever they are being tried for, [their crimes] have been committed in partnership with other countries, which the ICC dont try. Controlling tool Rwanda is not a party of the Rome Statute and Kagame himself has been a consistent and long-standing critic of the ICC, calling it in 2008 a fraudulent institution. In later years, his stance was interpreted by some as a means to protect military commanders over their alleged support of rebel groups in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However, Lonzen Rugira, a Rwandan political analyst, said Kagames criticism of the ICC was because of its politicised agenda. The ICC has become a tool for controlling Africa, he said. Kagame believes that there should be a mechanism for victims to seek justice but that is not present with the ICC. Moreover, just because the ICC has a few black judges doesnt mean theyre not susceptible to manipulation, rather their blackness is a tool used to circumvent any criticism against the ICC, and thats what Kagame is getting at. Follow Al Jazeeras Faisal Edroos on Twitter: @FaisalEdroos At least 43 people are killed in two separate attacks in remote villages near the Mali-Niger border, local sources say. Suspected rebel fighters in Mali have killed dozens of people belonging to the ethnic Tuareg community in two attacks near the countrys border with Niger, according to local sources. Daouda Maiga, governor of Menaka region, said on Saturday that motorbike-riding gunmen staged the attacks in the remote northeastern villages of Awakassa on Friday and in Anderanboucane, a day earlier. He said Fulani members of Islamic State Greater Sahara likely attacked in retaliation for military actions supported by Tuareg in the region bordering Niger, The Associated Press news agency reported. In recent months, Tuareg civilian defence groups, supported by French soldiers, have fought against al-Qaeda-linked fighters in northeastern Mali. The attacks in the villages may also be an attempt to further exploit tensions between Tuareg and Fulani herdsmen. There have been 43 deaths in two days, all civilians, from the same community, tribal leader Sidigui Ag Hamadi told AFP news agency from the regional capital, Menaka. Our fighters are destroying their bases and wiping them out. They are targeting innocent civilians, he added, saying he viewed the bloodletting as a reprisal for attacks by armed Tuareg groups. Peace deal The Tuareg group National Movement for the Salvation of Azawad also put the death toll from the two attacks at 43. It urged the governments of Mali and Niger to take steps to ensure that an immediate end is put to these abominable crimes and added that it would not give in to any intimidation. Mali has been struggling with lawlessness in the north since Tuareg rebels and al-Qaeda-linked fighters sought to take control there six years ago. Tuareg rebels declared independence in April 2012, just a month after President Amadou Toumani Toure was pushed out in a coup. But three months later they lost ground to Ansar Dine, a group with links to al-Qaeda that imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law on the local population, carrying out amputations and executions. In early 2013, France intervened militarily to assist Malian government forces to take back the region. Two years later, Malis government and Tuareg rebels signed a peace deal. Get Tuareg fighting again Speaking to Al Jazeera, analyst Nii Akuetteh said he believed the latest attacks were an attempt to provoke the Tuareg into a larger conflict. The Tuareg have had conflicts and disagreements with whichever government has been in Bamako ever since independence in 1960, because they, as a separate ethnic group, have always argued that they want to separate, they want their own country, he said. They have always agitated for this. A few years back, they signed the most recent peace deal with the government which so far appears to be holding. [So,] why would the terrorists target them? It would seem that they are trying to get the Tuareg to once again pick up the guns and destabilise the government of Mali. I think that may be the reason why they are trying to target the Tuareg and get them fighting again. US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) repelled a Syrian government attack on a string of villages along the Euphrates River in the eastern Deir Az Zor province. A statement by the Kurdish-led SDF said on Sunday its fighters mounted a counter-offensive against troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, adding they were driven far away from the villages they had momentarily captured earlier in the day. Syrias official SANA news agency announced on Sunday that Syrian government forces seized four villages east of the Euphrates River. A US army statement sent to Reuters news agency confirmed the attack on SDF forces by what it called pro-regime forces near Deir Az Zor city, and said the coalition used established de-confliction channels to de-escalate the situation, without elaborating. The coalition remains committed to our SDF partners in the campaign to defeat Daesh [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] in eastern Syria, the statement said. US air support? The SDF statement, however, did not specify if the US coalition partook in the military operation. US forces have established a strong presence in eastern Syria, where much of the countrys oil and gas reserves are located. A Western diplomatic source told Reuters that US coalition fighter jets participated in the counter-offensive against the Syrian troops, which included Iran-backed militias operating in the area. This was later confirmed by an SDF source. The SDF, led by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), have assumed control of much of the territory east of the Euphrates since its recapture from ISIL. The two sides have rarely clashed with one another as much of the attention had been directed at defeating ISIL, which dominated much of the area since it declared its caliphate in 2014. Avoiding confrontation The Russian-backed Syrian army has avoided direct confrontation with SDF forces in its campaign against ISIL and kept away from their areas east of the Euphrates, focusing on regaining territory from ISIL fighters west of the river. {articleGUID} Earlier in February, US air strikes resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of pro-government forces, including Russian defence contractors who were advancing towards one of the largest SDF-controlled gas fields in the city of Deir Az Zor. SDF forces accuse the Syrian government of attempting to disrupt US attempts to resume an imminent offensive against ISIL in several areas along the Euphrates River that are still under the groups control. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday his country was looking to re-energise efforts against ISIL fighters in eastern Syria in the coming days. Washington has said in recent days SDF soldiers were returning to the area to launch new operations aimed at defeating the armed group. Meanwhile, SANA reported on Sunday that a deal had been reached for the evacuation of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, where ISIL fighters have been holed up in southern Damascus. The transfer of terrorist groups to rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria would begin on Monday, said SANA, without naming ISIL. There was no confirmation from armed groups in the area. Syrian government forces continue to launch air strikes on ISIL-held pockets in Hajar al-Aswad, one of the neighbourhoods of the besieged Palestinian refugee camp. Bombardments come as Syrian government forces continue to push rebel groups from last strongholds near Damascus. Syrian government forces continue to launch air strikes on ISIL-held pockets in Hajar al-Aswad, one of the neighbourhoods of the besieged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. The strikes on Sunday are part of a campaign to retake the last rebel-held towns on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus, which has seen a dramatic increase of violence over the last weeks. Since the beginning of the campaign on April 19, at least 18 civilians have been killed, activists in nearby rebel-held towns told Al Jazeera. The ongoing bombardments have prompting fresh warnings by the United Nations about a looming humanitarian disaster in the area. As Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces battled to retake Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun, areas that make up a considerable chunk of Yarmouk, the Syrian army said on Saturday it retook control of the Qadem district, state-run news agency SANA reported. Before the Syrian war started in 2011, Yarmouk was home to Syrias largest Palestinian refugee population. In the years that followed, most of its 160,000 residents fled to other parts of Syria or to neighbouring countries. In 2015, Yarmouk came under control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group at the height of its power. It has over the past week seen a dramatic increase in violence. According to the United Nations, 1,200 civilians remain trapped inside, mostly in the basements of their homes, without access to food or medicine. Yarmouk and its inhabitants have endured indescribable pain and suffering over years of conflict. We are deeply concerned about the fate of thousands of civilians, including Palestine refugees, after more than a week of dramatically increased violence, Pierre Krahenbuhl, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, said in a statement. The camp has been under a government-imposed siege since 2012. At least 180 civilians have died of hunger in 2014, while others suffered illnesses including salmonella poisoning, kidney failure and typhoid fever, according to activists and medics. Aid groups have decried the situation of Palestinian refugees and Syrians in the area, as activists accuse forces loyal to Assad of using surface-to-surface missiles, barrel and cluster bombs, as well as mortar fire. UK-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria estimates that 60 percent of Yarmouk has been destroyed and many have fled the camp. Areas under attack The offensive on Yarmouk comes after government forces captured Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb and one of the last rebel-held strongholds in the war-torn country. Syrian forces allegedly used chemical weapons during a seven-week standoff that resulted in an evacuation deal between Russia and Jaish al-Islam, the last armed opposition group to have remained in Eastern Ghouta which was under rebel-control since 2012. In the northwest, Syrian and Russian warplanes are also bombarding the last major rebel-held city, Idlib, which is controlled by a coalition of rebel forces, including the Free Syrian Army and Ahrar al-Sham. Idlib is housing an estimated two million people, including thousands who became internally displaced from other parts of Syria. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has warned of a humanitarian disaster in the city. Syria has been in a state of war since 2011 after authorities used lethal force to crack down on nonviolent protests against the Assad government. The conflict later escalated into a regional proxy war that has killed at least 500,000 people, displaced millions and created a refugee crisis. The Syrian government and allied forces are also attacking ISIL in the Deir Az Zor region, where the group holds several pockets after being pushed out of the regional capital in late 2017. Thousands of Nicaraguans demand justice for killing of protesters At least 43 people have been killed in the largest street demonstrations since the civil war in the 1990s. Trump snubs White House correspondents dinner for Michigan rally It was to be the second White House Correspondents Association dinner in a row without the US president. M Neelika Jayawardane M Neelika Jayawardane is Associate Professor of English at the State University of New York-Oswego, and a Research Associate at the Visual Identities ... more in Art and Design (VIAD), University of Johannesburg (South Africa). She is a recipient of the 2018 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant for a book project on the Afrapix, a South African photographers' agency that operated during the last decade of apartheid. She is a founding member of the online magazine, Africa is a Country. Along with academic publications, her writing is featured in Transition, Aperture, Contemporary&, Contemporary Practices: Visual Art from the Middle East, and Even Magazine. You think the issue of the baby in England is just another story of individuals dealing with a personal tragedy? You're wrong. The story involves all of us. It involves all of us in a very serious manner. It is part of the thus far nonviolent civil war we fight here in America a war, again, like the first Civil War, for the soul of our country. It is the war between Western, liberal Judeo-Christian values and the values of leftism. It's a war between the individual as the focus of our lives and culture and the big state as the focus. Just look at the stark realities that have played out in England. Its health care system is now completely absorbed by the state. (Ours is well on the way.) The focus was the state, faceless, unaccountable, a massive bureaucracy armed with tremendous power shared with the politicians up in their distant offices, the unelected judges with their lifetime appointments, and the government employee doctors all on one side, and the individuals Mom, Dad, and the baby on the other. Who do you suppose won this give-and-take, this health care transaction? Talk about inequality. Those on the left are livid if the guy next door has a BMW and themselves only a Toyota, but they don't blink an eye at the truly massive inequality inherent in state versus individual power. The state in England crushed Mom. The state eliminated Dad. And the state has told the baby his life is up, and he's ready to die. But of course, keep in mind that all the state actors wrap their actions in words of kindness, compassion, and what is best for all concerned, serving the will of the people, and acting for the common good all their usual regressive Marxist claptrap. Now, if this is the soul of America one is fighting for, I say a plague on your house. But this, indeed, is the soul the American left is battling for the glorious state as the center of American life. This is what the Democratic Party, our N.Y. Times op-ed writers, our mainstream media and tech elites, our university professors, leftist clergy, and Hollywood stars are all lined up rallying for: government big, controlling, iron-fisted power centered in Washington. They fight for this because no matter how smart, no matter the Yale or Princeton degree, no matter how sweet and well intentioned, American men and women of the left are now almost completely unmoored from the wisdom and liberalism of our great Western American Judeo-Christian values. They have bought into what all humans tend to be attracted to, the child in us all, the world of "take care of me forever, Mommy and Daddy." And government is, for them, that forever Mommy and Daddy of their fantasies. Those of us who have retained control of that child within; channel instead the free adult inside; and have learned from our great Bible, from Western traditions, and from the American Founders we fight this poison. It is because we know that though the state can bring some good to life, when it becomes the center of life, the dominant force in a society, when it overwhelms what should be the center namely, the individual great evil comes of that. That evil has come hard to England, and now it has moved on to America through our civil war between Americanism and leftism. What comes of losing to the left is a child kidnapped by state actors for "his own good." What comes of losing to the left is the government standing in every examining room in America, every operating room, every emergency bay, unseen but present and powerful and demanding. It is an entity that knows nothing of you, that knows nothing of your life and family and desires and needs, but is there nonetheless saying loud and clear, "You will see the doctor I demand, have the test I think best, undergo the procedure I assess proper, accept the payment I think socially just, swallow the pill I approve, deal with your family member in the manner I prescribe, and if you disagree or push back, or do not comply, the fury and massive power we hold will be unleashed to confront you." So, men and women of the left, cheer on your Obamacare, single-payer, Medicare for All, and Medicaid. Cheer on the child inside you. Cheer on socialism and all the degradation of life that comes with it. But if at the end of this civil war in America and you the left wins, keep in mind there is much to pay for this utter foolishness. Mom and Dad in the guise of the state are a demanding and controlling thing. Brace yourselves to live the degrading lives of children, as subjects of this raw and oppressive power. Keep in mind that it never, ever turns out well. Ask the parents in England, or their child. Ask the thousands who will die this year in England waiting to get the care they need. Ask the millions in socialist Cuba about not having an aspirin available in their hospitals. Leftism poisons everything it touches, from our health care to our economy, our schools, universities, arts, sports, religious institutions, and even the Boy Scouts. The child in Great Britain has no chance of ever even becoming a scout of any sort. The state in England is done with him and his parents. That's what Hope and Change are all about. More information came to light this week about the extensive, illegal operations of Obamas rogue bureaucratic corps. Like the Attorney General, the President, Professor Alan Dershowitz, Joe DiGenova, former Clinton pollster Mark Penn and millions of others, we think this is taking far too long, and the Mueller investigation needs to close its bunker door and fade away. Im with them. Moreover, if indictments of the Obama Bureaucrats who confected this nonsense and tried to cover it up dont follow quickly on the release of the Inspector Generals report -- now due May 8 -- it is hard to imagine how much more contempt we will have for claims that we must respect the judicial system. Having seen the criminal justice system misused as a vicious political weapon against Lewis Libby, Ted Stevens, and now General Michael Flynn while manifest lawbreakers, including both the Clintons, McCabe, and Comey waltz home free, inspires depths of distrust that only the enemies of a democratic state could hope to accomplish, Here are some of the highlights of this weeks many disclosures. The House Intelligence Committee Report The House Intelligence Committee released its report, and as Sara Carter reports in detail (read it all), it cleared the President of colluding with the Russians. The DOJ and FBI continue to redact much of the cited evidence -- and its apparent why. It has more to do with the protection of those who tried to interfere with and later upset the result of the election than it did with national security. Three things stand out even in the heavily redacted material: General Flynn did not lie; DNI head James Clapper leaked the dossier to reporters and lied under oath about having done so; Senator Dianne Feinsteins former aide was given a huge sum of money to continue to pay GPS Fusion to continue this baseless smear after the election. 1. Dianne Feinstein In January, in an unusual departure from Senate protocol and precedent, Sen. Feinstein released the transcript of the 315-page testimony taken in a closed door hearing of Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS before the committee without notifying Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee of which she is a member. When called on it, she offered by a series of bizarre, contradictory explanations: FEINSTEIN says shes sorry to Grassley for not giving him a headsup about the release of the Fusion GPS transcript. I meant to tell him, and I didnt have a chance to tell him, and that concerns me, she told us. I just got pressured, and I didnt do it. Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 10, 2018 A sitting U.S. senator was pressured to do this? By whom? Thats a pretty alarming admission, no? CNNs Manu Raju followed up, and Feinstein recanted the remark about being pressured. And her office tried to clean it up even more later. Thats not all. Feinstein also told NBC yesterday her decision, with potentially serious legal and national security ramifications, was regrettable in part because of a bad cold: Feinstein to @MariannaNBCNews RE: releasing the Glenn Simpson transcript: "The one regret I have is that I should have spoke with Senator Grassley before. And I don't make an excuse but I've had a bad cold and maybe that slowed down my mental facilities a little bit." Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) January 10, 2018 But wait, theres more! She was asked about her pressured comment again today, and she denied ever saying it: Just asked Feinstein about her comment yesterday about being "pressured" to release the Simpson transcript. "I made no statement to that effect," she said. Me: but there are recordings of you saying you felt pressured I don't believe there are. I don't believe I said that." -- Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) January 11, 2018 This week we learned why she probably did it. Turns out 7 to 10 wealthy coastal donors had handed over $50 million dollars to her former staffer, Daniel Jones, after the election to push the anti-Trump collusion narrative. Joness contributors seem awfully like the kind of moguls who fund Feinstein and certainly he had her ear to pressure her for assistance. Joness name first came out in a footnote to a Grassley letter respecting the Steele post-election efforts to promote the dossier. Feinstein was not the only senator shilling Steeles work. Theres Senator Mark Warner: His name also came up in leaked texts between Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Adam Waldman, a registered foreign agent for Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska: Chris Steele asked me to call you, Waldman wrote to Warner on March 16, 2017. That text touched off a back-and-forth conversation about how Warner could get access to Steele, a key witness in an ongoing congressional investigation. According to Waldman, Steele demanded a bipartisan letter from Warner and Burr requesting that he present himself for questioning. I spoke w Steele, Waldman wrote on April 25, 2017. He repeated the same position which is that he wants to be helpful but is fearful of the triumvirate of cost, time suck and reputation. He asked me what your concern was about a letter first and I explained it but he would still like as a first protective step from you and [Sen. Richard] Burr asking him and his partner to assist w the investigation by answering questions, Waldman added. He said he will also speak w Dan Jones whom he says is talking to you. I pointed out there is no privilege in that discussion although Dan [Jones] is a good guy and very trustworthy guy. I encouraged him again to engage with you for the sake of the truth and of vindication of the dossier, he wrote. It is not known how many members of Congress Jones worked with during the course of multiple congressional investigations into Fusion GPSs involvement in the 2016 election and its simultaneous work on behalf of a Kremlin-linked company previously charged by U.S. authorities for money laundering and evading U.S. sanctions against Russia. 2. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Leaked and lied and was rewarded by CNN for leaking to Jake Tapper at the network. Zerohedge writes: Former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) turned CNN commentator James Clapper not only leaked information related to the infamous "Steele dossier" to CNN's Jake Tapper while Clapper was in office -- it appears he also lied about it to Congress, under oath. Clapper was one of the "two national security officials" cited in CNN's report -- published minutes after Buzzfeed released the full Steele dossier. The revelation that Clapper was responsible for leaking details of both the dossier and briefings to two presidents on the matter is significant, because former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey wrote in one of four memos that he leaked that the briefing of Trump on salacious and unverified allegations from the dossier was necessary because CNN had them and were looking for a news hook. -- The Federalist So Comey said that Trump needed to be briefed on the Dossier's allegations since CNN "had them" -- because James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence at the time, provided that information to the same network he now works for . And who's idea was it to brief Trump on the dossier? JAMES CLAPPER -- according to former FBI Director James Comey's memos [emphasis in original] According to the Daily Wire: The Federalist's Sean Davis notes that the revelations about former DNI James Clapper were made in a new 253-page report from the House Intelligence Committee. Clapper flatly denied discussing[ing] the dossier or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists,' the committee found. Clapper explicitly told Congress that he had never discussed the dossier with any journalists. As Davis notes, Clapper later changed his story when he was confronted about his communications with Tapper. Clapper subsequently acknowledged discussing the dossier with CNN journalist Jake Tapper, and admitted that he might have spoken with other journalists about the same topic, the report states. Clappers discussion with Tapper took place in early January 2017, around the time IC leaders briefed President Obama and President-elect Trump, on the Christopher Steele information, a two-page summary of which was enclosed in the highly-classified version of the ICA. The reason why he leaked word of the meeting and lied about it under oath is even more odious. The Comey-Trump meeting was a set up by Clapper to spark the appointment of a special prosecutor. So Comey, at Clappers expressed behest, told Trump that CNN was looking for a news hook to publish dossier allegations. He said this in the briefing of Trump that almost immediately leaked to CNN, which provided them the very news hook they sought and needed. This briefing, and the leaking of it, legitimized the dossier, which touched off the Russia hysteria. That hysteria led to a full-fledged media freakout. During the freakout, Comey deliberately refused to say in public what he acknowledged repeatedly in private -- that the President of the United States was not under investigation. He even noted in his memos that he told the president at least three times that he was not under investigation. Comeys refusal to admit publicly what he kept telling people privately led to his firing. That led to Comey leaking multiple memos in order to get a special counsel appointed out of revenge. That special counsel has utterly distracted multiple agencies and embroiled all three branches of government at the highest levels. All over a document that was secretly funded by Hillary Clinton and the DNC, contracted by a Democrat research firm with ties to the Kremlin, and authored by a shady foreign spy whose relationship with the FBI was terminated because he lied to them. Worse, the suggestion to the press was that the information leaked had been verified by the Intelligence Community, when it never had been. It was unverified nonsense by a man the FBI knew was a liar. D. Hawthorne, writing for American Greatness, reveals that the apparatchiki at the Department of State were also involved along with the key members of the intelligence committee, the Department of Justice, and the FBI in spreading the lie of Russian Collusion. The House Intelligence Committee this week confirmed there never was any official intelligence to justify starting the collusion investigation, but the colluders were desperate to hide how, in at least 11 specific ways detailed by the author, they colluded in lawbreaking to stop Donald Trump. If you think this outrageous, unlawful behavior by the bureaucrats is a problem only for the president and his cabinet, think again. George W. Bushs failure to act when the triumvirate Comey, Mueller, Fitzgerald colluded to target Vice President Dick Cheney when they knew Colin Powells deputy Richard Armitage was the leaker, made worse when he inexplicably failed to pardon Lewis Libby, only emboldened this kind of misuse of the federal offices and courts for partisan effect. This is a dangerous threat to every one of us. There is a camp that believes that the attorney general has allowed the Mueller investigation to continue only as a public distraction while his own team has been amassing evidence and securing indictments of the bureaucratic miscreants. Im not fully in that camp, but there is one good thing to be said for the long walk through the nomenklatura: the table has now been well-set for their fall. Had it come earlier, it might have simply been dismissed as a tit for tat counter-series of political prosecutions. Jeez, I wish American politics would stop imitating William Shakespeare already. Now we have Robert Mueller acting like a Roman assassin, and I just heard Victor Davis Hanson on YouTube say, "Mueller is an honorable man." Hanson knows where that phrase comes from. It's from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, all about the assassination of Caesar by Brutus and the other conspirators in the Roman Forum. Shakespeare lived in and around the Court of Queen Elizabeth, where traitors were routinely sent to the Tower of London to be executed. Some of the traitors were real, some victims of paranoid court politics. The queen and her counselors made up their minds about Walter Raleigh, for one, and decided he had to die. The survival of the monarch was all-important, and killing the wrong guy was just too bad. Today, the United States is seeing its first real coup d'etat, plotted by Hillary and the Democrats along with the top swampies. While half the country believes that Donald Trump conspired with Vladimir Putin to steal the last election, the sane half keeps watching this lynch mob behavior. The long knives have been out for POTUS Trump for the last 18 months or longer. This is unprecedented in U.S. history, with the exception of the Civil War after Lincoln's election caused the South to secede. More than half a million people died then, and today, the tinfoil hat brigade is led by the Big Media (which are mostly owned by foreign billionaires like Carlos Slim). Hillary is refusing to accept the election results because she is a radical leftist who never believed in the Constitution. When she briefly served on the Senate Watergate Committee staff, she demanded that Richard Nixon be deprived of his constitutional rights. They fired her from that job, but the Democrats went lefter and lefter until now, Hillary got endorsed by the CPUSA and never said a word. So this is not the America you thought you know. There is a reason why Julius Caesar is being replayed in D.C., and it has to do with the return of leftist totalitarianism in America. Our people are not that way, but the Democrats are. Obama said it in so many words: the Constitution is out of date, and the control freaks in D.C. want more absolute power. Obama violated the U.S. Constitution left, right, and center, and the swamp went along with him. We are seeing totalitarian politics in D.C., or, if you want to be optimistic, we are seeing an enormous split between left totalitarians in the Democratic party and what constitutionalists we have left. That's how important this is. This is not high school English anymore. It's real. Shakespeare placed the events in Rome two millennia ago, but he was thinking about Elizabeth's court, where the usual human dynastic insanity was playing out. The U.S. Constitution was carefully written to avoid totalitarian madness which the Founders understood. Right after the assassination of Caesar, Brutus and the other conspirators get out of town, fast. Mark Antony gives the funeral speech, and the crowd members are reminded how much they owe Caesar. Just as in Elizabeth's court, nobody really knows who is a conspirator. Everybody is paranoid, people are accusing each other, and death is hovering in the air. The crowd is scared and paranoid and turns into a lynch mob after Antony gives the funeral speech. The people have decided that Brutus is the bad guy. Antony keeps repeating, "But Brutus is an honorable man!" The more he repeats it, the more the crowd turns against Brutus, until the whole paranoid mess turns into civil war. Shakespeare read his histories, and he also saw it happen in real life. That's where we are today. We keep hearing that "Mueller is an honorable man." Rudy Giuliani said it the other day. But count me as a skeptic. Mueller may have been honest at some point, but I don't think he's honest anymore. There are many telltale signs. If Mueller is an honorable man, why would he pick one hundred percent Hillary lawyers for his posse? Why would he leak highly secret information to the media, as he obviously keeps doing? If Mueller is an honorable man, why would he be totally deaf and dumb about decades of Hillary and Bill history of bribery and corruption? Why would he carefully step around Obama and Hillary's Uranium One deal? Then there is the "surreal" Hillary email scandal; which implicates the Clintons; the Obama State Department; probably the White House; the DOJ; and the Three Stooges: Comey, Clapper, and Brennan. And why did Mueller, as head of the FBI, agree to indoctrinate new FBI agents in Muslim Brotherhood ideology? But Mueller is an honorable man. Or... maybe not? California's flag, with its Russian bear, little red star, and defiant 'CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC' written above the red bar at the bottom, isn't quite the work of commies, although these days it may seem so. It was just something created by early gold-rush pioneers with scraggy beards and maybe some whisky in flask who slapped together image that made sense at the time. It does however reveal the quirky self-governance of the state, which right now, is a one-party state run by leftists whose political practices and results seem more redolent of 1970s Mexico's PRI than those of the world's seventh-largest economy. or whatever it has since fallen to under this bunch. Not surprisingly, this much one-party-state rule has created conditions for a correction of course. Two Republicans are running in the upcoming governor's race and they actually have growing support. One is Travis Allen, a conservative assemblyman with a sunny demeanor, and the other is John Cox, an old Reagan guy with Jack Kemp-style free market ideas, but a very non-Kempian rough demeanor. Either of them would be a significant improvement as governor. Together, they have the support of 34% of the voters (and I am sorry to say I can't find the link to the report from the political analyst who pointed this out). That's more than the support of any of the zoo-full of Democratic candidates trying to take the governor's spot, even put together. Which means Republicans have it in the bag, right? Nope. Back to California Republic's democracy (and yes, it goes as a democracy because anyone can gather petitiions to put to the voters to create actual law, which is why out-there laws get passed here). A few years ago, California instituted a runoff system. Top two vote-getters get on the final ballot for races such as governor (but also Senator, which is why we could not vote for a Republican in that one). While Cox and Allen together win hands down on the governor's race, apart, they lose even the chance to try. Two leftists will go on the ballot instead, probably former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The Sacramento Bee noted the problem here: The California GOP is at risk of something unprecedented this year: With two serious candidates for governor competing for a shrinking share of the electorate, there may be no Republican standard-bearer on the ballot in November. The distinct possibility has unnerved party officials and political consultants who worry that it could have severe consequences for down-ballot candidates in a year when Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress and claw back from super-minority status in the Legislature. "The first thing that people see when they open their ballot is the top-of-the-ticket race, and we don't want Republicans to be discouraged," said Dave Gilliard, who represents candidates in several House districts that national Democrats have targeted as prime pickup opportunities because voters chose Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Seriously, imagine it. We Reagan-country Republicans have been voting Republican for years, knowing full well that our votes would probably just go into the ether as Democrats gerrymander things, and now we won't even have a chance to be counted as Republicans if two leftists make the top of the final ticket. What Cox and Allen need to do is united behind one candidate, probably Cox, because he seems to have stronger support. He comes off as rough and aggressive, and perhaps Republicans are reading that as 'fighter.' Last summer at the American Freedom Alliance's excellent conference on the state, titled 'From Gold to Dust,' I got to hear Cox and Allen speak. Allen came off as optimistic and sunny in his bid to run for California governor, and spoke of the well of support he had gathered, which was precisely what California voters might need to hear about to get motivated to vote. Cox spoke similarly but invoked a far sharper Reagan-Republican, Jack Kempian well of knowledge, conveyed more energy, and frustratingly, harshly attacked his opponent. It didn't seem to make sense to attack Allen at the time because the problem for those of us just paying attention was that the left was the problem and worse still, it had us under water. But it looks as though the method to his madness was that the GOP really did need to unite, and Cox seemed to be the stronger and more fighterly of the candidates, even if he came off slightly dinosaurish and using the templates of the past. Bottom line here is that the Republicans do need to unite because the signs are out there that a red renaissance is possible. The local voters are upset about the illegals and polls show it, Just the fact that none of the Democratic candidates are bringing the matter up pretty well suggests they know it's an electric third rail that with their stances would cost them votes. Then there is the issue of the cities and counties rising up in rebellion at California's sanctuary state law. Again, another sign of a red revolution. Now there's support for a Republican governor, an amazing thing, given the mess Arnold Schwarzenegger made durng his time as California governor, turning state almost seemingly permanently blue. Democrats as I have noted here, have been very good at edging out unviable candidates from their primary lineups, that's what they do well as a well-oiled political machine with bad ideological ideas. Republicans, not so much. So now, we have this death-match, where the two candidates will only succeed in taking each other down. And here's another problem: The top Democrats in this race, Villaraigosa and Newsom, are coming off as friendly moderates. One, both have records of confronting leftist local lunatics and their mad schemes during their times as mayors, usually over fiscal discipline issues. That is going to help them. Two, both are genuinely nice people, and I say that from firsthand experience: Seriously, Tony Villar is a nice guy - he's always been extremely polite and respectful to me even though he knew I was a hard conservative editorialist who's written harsh things about him. If he's nice to me, you can bet he's nice to a lot of people. Newsom is very similar. This isn't to suggest that I would vote for either, only that they are capable of winning over wide swaths of the public, including dispirited Republicans, simply because they are not jerks. That means the Republicans better get their act together, because either of these candidates will be a challenge. Victory is possible this time. But the Republicans have got to unite instead of take each other down like a couple of swamp things drowning in the deep. Back in 2012, the despicable Senator Reid said on the floor of the U.S. Senate that Governor Romney had not paid his taxes. Sadly, the media, in the tank for President Obama, never cornered the senator and demanded an explanation. After all, it was the majority leader of the U.S. Senate who said that. Who told him such information? Did someone at the IRS illegally leak it to the majority leader? In the end, Governor Romney lost, and it passed. A few days ago, Dr. Ronny Jackson, the man whom President Trump nominated to run the V.A., was accused of bad behavior. The accusation can't be backed up, as we see in this report from The Hill: The accusation against Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician, was one of the more serious allegations the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee examined as part of his confirmation process this month. A summary of the allegations released earlier this week by Democratic staff on the committee claimed that Jackson "wrecked" a government vehicle after becoming intoxicated at a Secret Service going-away party. The story also reports that Senator Tester of Montana never questioned Dr. Jackson about the allegations. President Trump should re-nominate Dr. Jackson and call out the people who tried to destroy this good man. I was always skeptical of the whole story. First, we heard nothing but praise when Dr. Jackson was President Obama's physician. Second, no personal physician of the president could get away with such reckless behavior anyway. It worked for Senator Reid in 2012. I guess it worked for Senator Tester in 2016. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Image: Center for American Progress via Flickr. Have you ever wondered how people of the caliber of James Comey ever rose to the lofty heights of the Department of Justice and the FBI? After all, these are two of the premier agencies of the federal government, known for attracting talented and dedicated people. It should now be evident that Comey never should have been entrusted with serious law enforcement powers and responsibilities, based on his sneaky, partisan, weaselly behavior, his lack of candor, and his willingness to bend the rules. Recall that Comey was presented to the American people as enjoying wide bipartisan respect, with sterling reputation, and was easily confirmed as FBI Director by a shocking (in retrospect) 93-to-1 vote. (It probably will be no surprise to you that the only senator willing to oppose the next FBI chief and stand against the tide of adulation was Rand Paul.) So how does a self-righteous prick get so far in life? The answer, I am afraid, is based on the iron law of bureaucracy. No matter how noble ostensible the goal of any bureaucratic agency helping the victims of natural disasters, for instance inevitably the organization ends up serving the interests of the members of the bureaucracy. Self-interest comes first, and those who best protect those who make decisions on career advancement rise to the top. A very valuable clue about Comey (and his close allies) comes from Andrew McCarthy, writing in National Review. You probably know that McCarthy was a career prosecutor working as an assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, widely considered the most prestigious and influential of the US Attorneys offices. In that capacity, McCarthy led the prosecution of the first World Trade Center Bombing and obtained a convection of the Blind Sheikh. McCarthy is a man that I admire greatly. In an article very critical of Comey, in the interest of full disclosure, he writes: I am fond of Jim Comey and have been for 30 years. (snip) No doubt because of my personal regard for him and respect for his high-end ability, I am inclined to cut the former director slack. He was thrust into a no-win situation: It is not his fault that Democrats nominated a criminal suspect, or that Republicans nominated an irregular politician heedless of the norms of discretion and distance that a president should maintain when dealing with his law-enforcement subordinates. Comey aside, I had no better friends in nearly 20 years as a federal prosecutor in New York than Dan Richman, the Columbia Law School prof through whom Comey transmitted information to the New York Times, and Pat Fitzgerald and Dave Kelley, Comeys lawyers. These arent just former colleagues of mine; they are old friends. I havent tried to speak to any of them about this matter, but my esteem for them weighs on me as does my duty to be an honest analyst. How well I resolve that tension is not for me to say; I can just tell you it is real. Comey almost certainly earned this regard through a combination of factors. Personal affability, a willingness to help others, hard work, and of course native intelligence and an accumulation of expertise, all tend to earn respect, admiration, and friendship from colleagues. These qualities also serve an executive well in dealing with those in a position to help with career advancement. At senior executive levels in private industry, the board of directors, who must approve top executive appointments, and critical outside constituencies, such as key customers, suppliers, and regulators, as well as media, must be cultivated using these same qualities. In the federal government, it is legislators, media figures, and pressure groups that must be won over, spreading the impression of competence, honesty, diligence, and other desirable qualities. But there is another, less sunny, side to the equation: ruthlessness in ridding oneself of rivals or obstacles to persona advancement, or to the preeminent goal of the organization its self-interest. Comey demonstrated his calculating mind when he admitted that the likelihood (as everyone saw it at the time) that Hillary Clinton would win the presidency affected his decision to not prosecute her for obvious violations of the law in her handling of classified emails. He was helping out his DOJ boss, Loretta Lynch, by doing her dirty work, even though she had not formally recused herself (an embarrassment) after being caught in a covert airport tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton, exercising powers that he did not possess, but which a willing media and many GOP pols were willing to overlook, having been convinced that he was a man of integrity. The combination of affability and ruthlessness is one of the most useful tools for advancement in any large and hierarchical organization. Comeys mistake was in believing that Hillary would win, and once Trump became president, believing that the deep state, within which he had flourished, would succeed in defending its own interests by casting him out of office, with James Comey in the lead. Corporate lore is full of examples of ruthless executives who end up badly when the market no longer rewards their talents, and their karma comes due. The smiling cobra and the smiling barracuda are two such instances. Comey deserves his own expression, The smiling weasel. Sounds like the basis for a deal to me. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un told South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he would give up his nuclear arsenal if the US were to negotiate a formal end to the Korean War and promise not to invade. New York Times: In a faith-building gesture ahead of a summit meeting with President Trump, Mr. Kim also said he would invite experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States to watch the shutdown next month of his countrys only known underground nuclear test site. The comments by Mr. Kim were made on Friday when the leaders of the two Koreas met at Panmunjom, a village on their shared border, the spokesman, Yoon Young-chan, said on Sunday, providing additional details of the meeting. I know the Americans are inherently disposed against us, but when they talk with us, they will see that I am not the kind of person who would shoot nuclear weapons to the south, over the Pacific or at the United States, Mr. Kim told Mr. Moon, according to Mr. Yoons account of the meeting. It was another dramatically conciliatory statement by Mr. Kim, whose country threatened to do exactly those things during the height of nuclear tensions last year. Mr. Yoon revealed more details of the daylong talks between Mr. Kim and Mr. Moon as many have expressed skepticism about the friendly gestures made by the North Korean leader, and whether they would turn out to be empty promises aimed at lifting sanctions on his isolated country. On Friday, Mr. Kim and Mr. Moon signed a joint declaration recognizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and complete denuclearization as a common goal of the two Koreas. But during the summit events, some of which were broadcast live around the world, Mr. Kim never publicly renounced his nuclear weapons. Even in the additional details released on Sunday by South Korean officials, Mr. Kim appeared to hedge his bet, indicating that denuclearizing his country could be a long process that required multiple rounds of negotiations and steps to build trust. But he laid out a vague idea of what his impoverished country would demand in return for giving up its nuclear weapons. This sort of quid pro quo is exactly what the US is looking for. The only reason the US would invade the North is if Kim were to threaten us or the South Koreans with nuclear weapons. But he can't threaten us with nukes if he doesn't have any. In short, the US gives up relatively little while Kim gives up nearly everything. That's why we should be skeptical of this offer. At this time, it's impossible to discern Kim's endgame. There must be some confidence building measures carried out by Kim before the US would commit to such a course of action. If those steps are taken, we can be reasonably sure that Kim is sincere about giving up his nukes. But Kim is nothing if not complicated. Can it really be this simple? A man with zero credibility has just offered to disarm. Caution is still called for until Kim proves with his deeds that he can be trusted. Truth is not arbitrary, relative, or subjective. It isn't determined by gender, ethnic, or social status. It is not subject to changing morals, customs, or laws. Truth cannot be true for you and untrue for me, nor can what is true become untrue. The essential characteristic of truth is truth. The Democratic Party would have us reject truth and embrace error, because a large segment of the party's constituents has done so. Their leaders seem to be more interested in pacifying aberrant behavior than in correcting it. Their lust for power tolerates what has always been intolerable; therefore, the 21st-century Democratic leadership has become both the megaphone and the procreator of a false reality. If I were a Democrat, I would be expected to agree that an obvious man is a woman, simply because he decided to identify as a woman. Instead of foreseeing the inevitable cultural destruction such parasitic ideas spawn, Democrats are enacting laws compelling us to accept biological untruths as reality. For example, in New York City, a person and or business can be fined for refusing to call an individual by his preferred sex, irrespective of their unalterable biological reality. Today's Democrats require the suspension of free speech and religion if either conflicts with the newly accepted false reality. Just like subjects of the unclothed emperor, we are encouraged to vocalize a lie and pretend not to observe our crumbling society. The same Democrats who demand that we deny the apparent differences between men and women would never accept us demanding unsubstantiated monetary claims. If any of us were to walk into a bank self-identifying as a millionaire, he would be required to prove that he has at least a million dollars on deposit. His absurd financial identity claims would grant access only to his true balance. No Democratic leader would ever support his contention of being a millionaire based on how he feels. Even Democrats would demand absolute proof. Democrats can foresee the financial collapse of our economy rooted in the claims of delusional self-proclaimed millionaires. They just cannot foresee the collapse of our society stemming from the abandonment of biological truth. Donald Trump told an enthusiastic, cheering crowd in Michigan that US immigration laws were "corrupt" and that he would shut down the government in September if the $1.6 billion proposed for the border wall isn't appropriated. The laws are so corrupt, they are so corrupt. One of the reasons they do it is because the Democrats actually feel and they are probably right, that all of these people pouring across are going to vote for Democrats. They will vote no matter what we do. So there is a theory they do it for that. They do it for a lot of reasons. A lot of times they dont even know what they are doing or why they are doing it. But we have to have borders and we have to have them fast. We need security and we need the wall. And, again, that wall has started. We have $1.6 billion. We come up again September 28. If we dont get border security we have no choice, well close down the country because we need border security. Our immigration laws may be corrupt, but worse, they don't work. Worse still, they make a mockery of border security and our sovereignty. Congress has a duty to reform the broken, ineffective immigration system but are stymied by extremists who either want to close the border entirely, or open it completely. As long as that's the reality, we will continue to limp along with the current system we have. Trump's other big applause line during his speech was when he mentioned his North Korean diplomacy and the crowd began to chant "Nobel" as in the Nobel Peace Prize. TRUMP: "So we have to renegotiate these deals. If you look at China, last year with China, and look, hes been a great help. President XI is a friend of mine, but he likes China. I like the usa. But hes a friend of mine. But you know what? Hes been a great help on the border with North Korea and a lot of good things are happening there. A lot of good things. Im not going to give you whats going to actually happen because we dont really know. But I will tell you one thing, were not playing games. And I remember, you know, it was very rough three, four months ago thats very nice, thank you. Thats very nice. I just want to get the job done. So if we would have [AUDIENCE CHANTS 'NOBEL!'] TRUMP: "If we would have said where we are today from three or four months months ago, do you remember what they were saying? Hes going to get us into nuclear war, they said. No, strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not going to get us in. We're a long way from peace, but he's right. We're closer now than we were 4 months ago. Google is currently rolling out Chrome OS 66 to supported devices running the stable version of the operating system. This operating system upgrade brings a number of new features and security enhancements to Chrome OS devices. One of the new features is the ability to record videos using the Chrome Camera app. Before this feature was rolled out, Chromebooks can only record video using third-party Android or Chrome OS applications. Chromebooks should be capable of recording video clips with a frame rate of 30fps, as long as the device supports the operating systems MediaRecorder APIs. Another feature that is coming to Chrome OS devices is the introduction of new keyboard shortcuts that make it easier for users to transfer windows between the internal display of the Chromebook and the external displays connected to the device. In order to move windows between displays, users only need to press the Search + ALT + Arrow keys. For example, to move the active window to the left-most connected monitor, users may press on the Search + ALT + Left keys in order to transfer the currently active window. Upon updating their devices to Chrome OS 66, users will now be able to zoom in a portion of the display by as much as 20x through the Chrome OS screen magnifier and people can also adjust the magnification level through the pinch gesture. Moreover, the operating system now supports screen sharing of Android applications installed from the Google Play Store, and the software update also introduces improvements made to the window maximization of Google Play apps. Furthermore, the Google Play on Chrome OS has also been modified to support the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. Chrome OS 66 enables Google Play applications to utilize the operating systems native printing functionality, and it also permits more devices to support the Magic Tether feature. Aside from new and improved features, Chrome OS 66 also brings the Kernel Page-Table Isolation (KPTI) mitigation to Intel devices running kernel version 3.8. This means that all supported Intel devices running Chrome OS are now protected from the Meltdown vulnerability. Just last month, Google rolled out the security fix to Intel devices running kernel version 3.14. It is important to note that the software update is being deployed in stages and it may take several days before all devices receive the operating system update. COP26 may be a cop-out in the making COP26 is just about a month away. Delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference has built up even more expectations and momentum during the intervening months As its name states, the center will allow Porsche customers and fans to better get acquainted with the companys cars. The building which will house it will spread on three floors and will include event spaces, conference and meeting rooms, a Porsche Selection Shop, a Porsche Classic Lounge as well as a restaurant and cafe.At a later date, Porsche will also add to the complex exhibition areas for its vehicles, as well as a rapid charging infrastructure for electric cars. The carmaker also says the requirements of the Porsche Mission E will also be taken into account.The Porsche Experience Centres allow our customers and fans to experience the performance of our vehicles as well as the fascination of the brand at first hand, said Detlev von Platen, Porsches head of sales and marketing.We are extending this unique offering by constructing this new site near our main plant in Zuffenhausen.Being located just a short distance from the Hockenheimring track means that those interested in testing first hand the vehicles Porsche makes can do so very easy.Currently, Porsche has similar experience centers in six locations on three continents: Leipzig, Le Mans, Silverstone, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Shanghai. In all these location track test drives are permitted.Porsche will build the new center together with emodrom-group, the company in charge with the Hockenheimring. The group selected Porsche as a long-term tenant for the redesigned Hockenheimring because it was the preferred candidate for the job.The carmaker did not say how much money would be invested in the new center. Canadian authorities are urging the U.S. government to help curb the influx of Nigerian asylum claimants who are entering the country from upstate New York, reports the Washington Post. Why it matters: Officials reportedly want the Trump administration to more rigorously vet Nigerians who are granted U.S. visiting visas to ensure they return to their home country as required. What theyre saying: A State Department representative told the Post that the U.S. has a strong working relationship with Canada and that its screening process is constantly improving. However, the agency won't make any changes to our visa application process. The backdrop: Benn Proctor, a researcher at the Wilson Centers Canada Institute, told the Post that the U.S. grants visitor visas more willingly than others. As the Post notes, violence by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram and other civil problems have triggered the uptick of Nigerian refugee claims. In Canada, Nigerians were the largest group of asylum claimants in 2016. Scores of Central American migrants have made their way through Mexico arriving at California's San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego, seeking asylum in the U.S. by turning themselves in to authorities, the AP reports. Flashback: The caravan prompted President Trump to unleash a barrage of tweets this month, warning that the migrants pose a threat to America's national security. In anticipation of their arrival, demonstrators lined along both sides of the border. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. The details: Most of the migrants are reportedly women and children who fled from poverty and violence. Some of the migrants who traversed for more than a month won't immediately seek asylum in the U.S but plan to apply for protection in Mexico or other countries, reports The New York Times. Greek government and military officials on Saturday signed-off on a $1.45 billion deal (1.2 billion euro) to upgrade over half of the country's American-made F-16 military fighter planes, the Associated Press reports. The details: Over 80 F-16s in Greece's fleet will receive similar capabilities to that of the more sophisticated F-35, without the stealth technology, according to the AP, adding that Greece will pay for improvements through 2027. The U.S. has reportedly agreed to cap payments to $182 million annually after that. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is set to make a visit to the White House this coming October. The White House Correspondents' Dinner ended with a barrage of vulgar anti-Trump jokes by comedian Michelle Wolf, who attacked the appearance of White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who was sitting with her at the head table. What they're saying: White House officials in the audience thought Wolf's patter went too far, and thought the attacks on Sanders and Kellyanne Conway were too personal. Be smart: That creates a new hurdle for the White House Correspondents' Association to lure President Trump, who has snubbed the dinner the last two years. The reaction: ABC's Jon Karl, a WHCA board member, said on "Good Morning America": "I think the comedian crossed the line and this went from poking fun to being mean-spirited." a WHCA board member, said on "Good Morning America": "I think the comedian crossed the line and this went from poking fun to being mean-spirited." Drudge's banner headline: "SMUT STAND-UP SHOCKS DC!" "SMUT STAND-UP SHOCKS DC!" Trump tweets: "While Washington, Michigan, was a big success, Washington, D.C., just didnt work. Everyone is talking about the fact that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a very big, boring bust...the so-called comedian really bombed. [Fox's] @greggutfeld should host next year! @PeteHegseth." Why it matters: If the dinner can only attract liberal presidents and liberal comedians, the conclusion is inevitable. Reality check from Jon Favreau, Crooked Media co-founder and "Pod Save America" co-host: "Comedian ends comedy dinner by saying that Flint still doesnt have clean water, an attempt to point out Washingtons continued neglect of people who need help. Washington responds with a rigorous debate about the tone and civility of the comedians jokes. Perfect." comedy dinner by saying that Flint still doesnt have clean water, an attempt to point out Washingtons continued neglect of people who need help. Washington responds with a rigorous debate about the tone and civility of the comedians jokes. Perfect." "I really dont know if I can handle a week of fighting over a comedy speech at a dinner." How things went off the rails: The Gridiron Club, which hosts another major dinner for Washington reporters, has a rule for its roasters: "Singe, don't burn." which hosts another major dinner for Washington reporters, has a rule for its roasters: "Singe, don't burn." And one guest told me a good rule of thumb for comedy is not to attack how people look or who they are. told me a good rule of thumb for comedy is not to attack how people look or who they are. Wolf an alumnus of "The Daily Show" who has a Netflix talk show coming May 27 didn't follow either of those, and said after an anatomical joke: "Should've done more research before you got me to do this." an alumnus of "The Daily Show" who has a Netflix talk show coming May 27 didn't follow either of those, and said after an anatomical joke: "Should've done more research before you got me to do this." She made several uses of a vulgarity that begins with "p," in an audience filled with Washington officials, top journalists and a few baseball legends (Brooks Robinson, Tony La Russa and Dennis Eckersley). Among the printable jokes: Just a reminder to everyone: Im here to make jokes. I have no agenda. Im not trying to get anything accomplished. So everyone who's here from Congress, you should feel right at home. Im here to make jokes. I have no agenda. Im not trying to get anything accomplished. So everyone who's here from Congress, you should feel right at home. "I'm 32 years old, which is an odd age: 10 years too young to hostthis event, and 20 years too old for Roy Moore. which is an odd age: 10 years too young to hostthis event, and 20 years too old for Roy Moore. "It's 2018 and I'm a woman, so you cannot shut me up [applause] unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000. Michael, you can find me on Venmo under my porn-star name: Reince Priebus." so you cannot shut me up [applause] unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000. Michael, you can find me on Venmo under my porn-star name: Reince Priebus." "It is kind of crazy that the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia when the Hillary campaign wasnt even in contact with Michigan. Wolf was panned by journo-twitter: CNN's Jeff Zeleny: "It was an embarrassment in the room and surely to the audience at home." "It was an embarrassment in the room and surely to the audience at home." N.Y. Times' Maggie Haberman: "That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive." "That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive." N.Y. Times' Peter Baker: "I would vote to leave the comedy acts to comedy shows and stick to journalism at journalism dinners." Trump held a counter-programming rally in Washington Township, Mich., where he said: "You may have heard I was invited to another event tonight, the White House Correspondents' Dinner. But i'd much rather be at Washington, Michigan, than in Washington, D.C., right now that I can tell you." [Cheers] I was invited to another event tonight, the White House Correspondents' Dinner. But i'd much rather be at Washington, Michigan, than in Washington, D.C., right now that I can tell you." [Cheers] Something new from the rally ... In addition to "Lock her up" (still a thing at Trump rallies), the crowd chanted "Nobel!" when Trump talked about North Korea. Correspondents' association president Margaret Talev standing under a banner that said "CELEBRATING THE FIRST AMENDMENT" began the evening by saying: "The journalists were celebrating tonight help keep our democracy healthy." were celebrating tonight help keep our democracy healthy." "We reject efforts by anyone, especially our elected leaders, to paint journalism as un-American, to undermine trust between reporter and reader, to cast doubt on the relevance of facts and truth in the modern age. An attack on any journalist is an attack on us all." efforts by anyone, especially our elected leaders, to paint journalism as un-American, to undermine trust between reporter and reader, to cast doubt on the relevance of facts and truth in the modern age. An attack on any journalist is an attack on us all." "This isnt about protecting the business of journalism. Its about protecting the rule of law." The bottom line: Watch for big debate whether to end the dinner as we know it, and whether some news organizations announce they will no longer attend. Get more stories like this by signing up for our daily morning newsletter, Axios AM. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly told South Korean President Moon Jae-in "that he would carry out the closing of the nuclear test site in May," reports AFP citing Moon's spokesman. The details: The spokesman told reporters that North Korea will invite experts from South Korea and the U.S. to witness the closure "to disclose the process to the international community with transparency." Kim is sticking to a promise made earlier this month when he announced the country would stop nuclear missile testing and had plans to close a testing site, explaining that [t]he nuclear test site has done its job. In a closed-door meeting with heads of Jewish organizations in New York on March 27th, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) gave harsh criticism of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), according to an Israeli foreign ministry cable sent by a diplomat from the Israeli consulate in New York, as well three sources Israeli and American who were briefed about the meeting. The bottom line of the crown prince's criticism: Palestinian leadership needs to finally take the proposals it gets from the U.S. or stop complaining. According to my sources, the Saudi Crown Prince told the Jewish leaders: "In the last several decades the Palestinian leadership has missed one opportunity after the other and rejected all the peace proposals it was given. It is about time the Palestinians take the proposals and agree to come to the negotiations table or shut up and stop complaining." MBS MBS also made two other points on the Palestinian issue during the meeting: He made clear the Palestinian issue was not a top priority for the Saudi government or Saudi public opinion. MBS said Saudi Arabia "has much more urgent and important issues to deal with" like confronting Iran's influence in the region. Regardless of all his criticism of the Palestinian leadership, MBS also made clear that in order for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to normalize relations with Israel there will have to be significant progress on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. What we're hearing: A source who was briefed on the meeting told me the attendees were stunned when they heard the Saudi Crown Prince comments on the Palestinian issue. "People literally fell off their chairs," the source said. Why it matters: In the last year, the Trump administration has been drafting a plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The White House peace team, led by Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Jason Greenblatt, has basically finished drafting the plan and is discussing how and when to launch it. Trend: The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has decided not to put forward its candidate for the position of prime minister, following consultations with Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and former President Serzh Sargsyan, Vice President of the Armenian parliament Eduard Sharmazanov said Saturday, Sputnik International reports. "Today at the meeting of the RPA faction members with party chairman Serzh Sargsyan and first deputy chair Karapetyan, the decision was made to avoid putting forward a candidate for the position of prime minister," Sharmazanov said. The vice speaker of the parliament added that the goal of the move was to avoid conflict. " This was a unanimous decision, we all agreed that this was the right decision for the moment," Sharmazanov said. Earlier this week, Sharmazanov, who is an RPA member himself, said the party would meet to choose its candidate by Monday. The European Union warned about the costs of a trans-Atlantic trade war while bracing for one to erupt after the U.S. signaled it will reject the blocs demand for an unconditional waiver from metals-import tariffs, Bloombergreports. A trade war is a losing game for everybody, Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt told reporters in Sofia. We should stay cool when were thinking about reactions but the basic point is that nobody wins in a trade war so we try to avoid it at all costs. Donald Trumps administration is asking Europe, Canada and other allies to accept quotas in exchange for an exemption from steel and aluminum tariffs that kick in May 1, when a temporary waiver expires. We are asking of everyone: quotas if not tariffs, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Friday. This puts the EU in the difficult position of either succumbing to U.S. demands that could breach international commerce rules or face punitive tariffs. Forcing governments to limit shipments of goods violates World Trade Organization rules, which prohibit so-called voluntary export restraints. The demand is also contrary to the entire trade philosophy of the 28-nation bloc, which is founded on the principle of the free movement of goods. The White House last month temporarily shielded some trading partners including the EU from the duties, at 25 percent for imported steel and 10 percent for aluminum on the grounds of protecting national security. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is negotiating with countries seeking permanent exemptions. So far, South Korea is the only nation to be spared from the duties, after reaching a deal to revise its bilateral free-trade agreement with the U.S. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said he is "crystal clear" he will not sign any agreement with the United Kingdom which does not tackle the issue of the border on the island of Ireland. Writing in the Irish Sunday Independent ahead of a visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland next week, Mr Barnier wrote the EU remains "fully committed to having a safety net in our agreement - the so-called 'backstop' option - in case the overall future relationship between the EU and UK does not in itself solve the border issue". This option would prevent any future return of a border on the island of Ireland, Mr Barnier writes, and would ensure the future of the Good Friday Agreement, as well as the future of north-south cooperation. "In case there is any doubt whatsoever about our commitment to this, let me be crystal clear: we will not conclude the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK unless we have such a solution included in the text of the agreement. We will not sign any agreement with the UK unless we together with the Irish Government are satisfied with the solution found for Ireland." Mr Barnier's visit to Northern Ireland was first made public last week by Sinn Fein's Foyle MP Elisha McCallion, whose constituency he will visit. As well as Londonderry, he will also visit Newry and Dungannon, and make stops south of the border. On Monday he will be in Dundalk, where he will speak at the All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit event. The fact the visit was first announced by a Sinn Fein MP drew the ire of Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson and DUP MEP Diane Dodds. In a joint statement, the pair said: "The challenge for Mr Barnier now will be to demonstrate that he will hear views from right across Northern Ireland. Whilst visits to Londonderry, Newry and Dungannon will be useful, there are companies and representatives from right across Northern Ireland with views that should be heard in this process." Speaking on Thursday before the House of Commons Brexit committee, David Davis said a deadline for progress on the issue of the Irish border by June - laid down by Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney - was "artificial". A story from a Scottish editor about breast feeding her child on a flight from New York while sitting next to Rev Ian Paisley has resurfaced online, after a call-out for low-key celebrity encounters. Mandy Rhodes, editor of Scottish current affairs magazine Holyrood Daily, was responding to a request from author John Moe who asked for for people to come forward with: "Your most boring, mundane, inconsequential celebrity encounter. Go!" In a tweet on Sunday morning, Ms Rhodes wrote: "Breastfed my baby on a plane to New York sitting next to a most uncomfortable looking Rev Ian Paisley who asked to be moved!" Breastfed my baby on a plane to New York sitting next to a most uncomfortable looking Rev Ian Paisley who asked to be moved! https://t.co/8CtYqOfiLU mandy rhodes (@holyroodmandy) April 29, 2018 Following enquiries from curious Twitter users, Ms Rhodes pointed to an article she penned for Holyrood Daily from June 2017 in which she examined the fallout from the Conservative party's coalition with the DUP and recounted her meeting with the party's founder. In the article Ms Rhodes said her take on the DUP is "coloured, no doubt" by the incldent. "The Protestant evangelical minister, and then leader of the DUP, was an enormous bulk of a man whose inevitable invasion of my personal space I only endured because in breastfeeding my baby son, it must have been such an anathema to his senses, trapped as he was between his own questionable convictions and my right to use my breasts for what his god intended, that I took some twisted pleasure in the situation," she wrote. "He asked to be moved but the plane was full so there he sat, consumed by an obvious discomfort of his own making." In the article she goes onto reflect on the influence enjoyed by the DUP, and what it meant for the Scottish Nationalist Party. In 2016 DUP MP Sammy Wilson came under fire after saying women breastfeeding in the House of Commons was "voyeuristic" and was not motivated by the need to feed the baby. The DUP has been contacted for comment. 20:39 India imported about 2.4 million dollars worth of iron and steel, iron and steel products, copper and zinc from North Korea last year and exported precious metals and stones worth USD 578,994 to the country in violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning such trade with North Korea, according to a report by an UN panel of experts. According to a March report of the Panel of Experts established by the Secretary General regarding implementation of the sanctions and UNSC resolutions relating to North Korea, the country exported a total of USD 62,184,815 in iron and steel between January and September 2017 to Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India, Ireland, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines and Russia. "All exports after September 4, 2017 violated paragraph 8 of resolution 2371 (2017), while those before September 4 2017 violated paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016) unless an exemption was made under paragraph 26 (c) of the same resolution," the report said. Specifically, India imported USD 1.4 million worth of iron and steel from North Korea from January to September 2017, iron and steel products worth USD 234,759 and copper worth USD 242,997 in the January to September 2017 period. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea exported a total of USD 373,926 in copper to India and Mexico between January and September 2017 in violation of paragraph 28 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report said. Further, India imported zinc from North Korea from January to September 2017 worth 526,018 dollars. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea exported a total of $526,018 in zinc to India in January 2017 in violation of paragraph 28 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report added. It further said that according to UN Comtrade, from January to June 2017, India exported precious metals and stones worth USD 578,994 to North Korea. The largest commodity exported from January to June 2017 was diamonds worth USD 514,823. "The Panel reiterates that the jewellery items listed in paragraph 1 of annex IV to resolution 2094 (2013) correspond to HS codes beginning with 71 and calls upon Member States to exercise vigilance with regard to any exports of goods classified under that code," it said. The report also includes a letter dated July 14, 2017 from the Permanent Mission of India to the UN that states that "During the period of March 2 2016 (date of adoption of resolution 2270) to November 30 2016 (date of adoption of resolution 2321), there was no clarity regarding the scope of the measures related to iron and iron ore since there was on elaboration/explanation of the word iron' and iron ore'. Till date there is no implementation assistance notice issued by the UN that stipulates a practice for identifying an item as iron' or 'iron ore', " the Indian Mission said in the letter. The mission further wrote that "pending clarity on this issue", national implementation of the measures contained in UNSC resolutions 2270 and 2321 relating to iron and iron ore was nevertheless carried out by the Government of India through a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade on March 21, 2017. -- PTI Helen McKendry lays flowers near to where her mothers body was found in 2003 Dolours Price with sister Marian (on left) in prison after they were convicted of bombing the Old Bailey Former IRA woman Dolours Price is heard describing the abduction, murder and secret burial of Jean McConville in unprecedented detail in a new documentary. I, Dolours, which premieres this weekend at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto, features a video-recorded interview that journalist Ed Moloney conducted with her. It includes new revelations about the 1972 murder of Mrs McConville, the Belfast mother-of-10 whom the IRA alleged was an informer. In previous interviews Price confessed her role in driving Mrs McConville across the border and handing her over to a Dundalk IRA unit. It was believed those republicans then murdered the Belfast woman, whose body was found in Shelling Hill beach, Co Louth, in 2003. But Price reveals that while the Dundalk IRA members had dug a grave for Mrs McConville, they refused to shoot her. Price and two other members of a secret Belfast IRA unit, the 'Unknowns', then returned across the border and took Mrs McConville to the grave, where she was shot dead by one of them. Price also repeats claims Mrs McConville was an informer and details an alleged incident in a west Belfast barracks where she identified IRA members to the security forces from behind a blanket with eye slits in it. It is alleged that the suspects were in turn able to identify Mrs McConville from her slippers, which weren't hidden by the blanket. Mrs McConville's children last night dismissed Price's claims that their mother was an informer and said the story about the barracks was "nonsense". But they said they did accept parts of Price's testimony which were supported by other independent accounts. Price had previously alleged that Gerry Adams ordered Mrs McConville's murder, a claim the former Sinn Fein president has strongly denied. Price was found dead at her home in Malahide, Co Dublin, in 2013 from a toxic prescription drugs mix. The 61-year-old was the former wife of actor Stephen Rea, with whom she had two sons. She was born into a staunchly republican family in Belfast. Along with her sister Marian, she joined the IRA as a teenager. Their father Albert was a prominent 1940s IRA man and their mother Chrissie had been in Cumann na mBan. Along with Gerry Kelly, now a Sinn Fein MLA, the sisters were part of the IRA unit that bombed the Old Bailey in 1973. They were arrested making at Heathrow Airport. The sisters were force-fed hundreds of times in Brixton Prison where they had gone on hunger strike as part of their campaign to be repatriated to Armagh Prison. Before Dolours Price was arrested in London she had been a very active member of the Belfast IRA. In I, Dolours, her videotaped interview with Moloney in Dublin in 2010 is interspersed by director Maurice Sweeney with historical re-enactments of her IRA career in which Price is played by an actress. Price told Moloney that the Unknowns were selected on the basis that they "could be trusted with very specific jobs, obeying orders without question". The unit was run by IRA man Pat McClure, who reported to the Belfast Brigade OC (officer commanding). One of Price's duties was to drive people the IRA believed were informers across the border to be killed. She repeats the story that the IRA had discovered a radio transmitter in Mrs McConville's home, which she was allegedly using to supply information to the British Army. Price also told Moloney that IRA members arrested and taken to Hastings Street Barracks in the lower Falls were "identified by a person concealed behind a blanket" with eye slits. But it "stopped short of her feet" and the republicans identified the informer as Mrs McConville, because they "recognised the slippers". Price claims that under IRA interrogation Mrs McConville confessed to becoming an informer "for money". A 2006 Police Ombudsman report found no evidence to suggest she was an informer. Price says when she picked her up, Mrs McConville wasn't frightened for her life because she had been told by the IRA that she wouldn't be killed, but would be moved to another area by the Legion of Mary. Price realised Mrs McConville was a mother when she asked if her children could join her. Price says the Dundalk IRA men had "a grave dug" but "couldn't bring themselves to execute" Mrs McConville "probably because she was a woman". So Price, McClure (who died in the US in 1986) and a third member of the Unknowns - whom the Belfast Telegraph has been told is still alive - took Mrs McConville to the grave where she was "shot in the back of the head by one of the volunteers". There was one pistol but Price indicates the trio all fired it separately so they took shared responsibility for the execution and "no one would say that they for certain had been the person to kill her". However, only one bullet was recovered and a post-mortem found Mrs McConville had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Republican sources have told the Belfast Telegraph that Price and McClure fired to miss, but the third IRA member did not. Asked how she felt about the IRA "disappearing" people, Price says: "I think it's a war crime." She admits being haunted by her role in the deaths. "I think back on those who I had responsibility for driving away. "I'm not a deeply religious person, but I would say a prayer for them," she states. Mrs McConville's daughter Helen McKendry said: "During the dig for my mother in Shelling Hill beach, local republicans told us the Dundalk IRA had no part in our mother's murder. Dolours Price's account is in keeping with that. "Her story about my mother at Hastings Street barracks is ridiculous. My mother was abducted from our home by the IRA, wearing slippers. "But while we had very little money, my mother would never have gone out to a barracks or anywhere else in slippers. And what information would a mother-of-10 have had on the IRA anyway?" Mrs McKendry said she was angry that the informer allegations persisted. "Repeating these claims about my mother is very hurtful. She died over 40 years ago and should be allowed to rest in peace. I don't think this film should have been made." Mrs McConville's son Michael said: "There is some truth in what Dolours Price said, but other bits are fantasy. "She was deeply troubled by her part in my mother's death and clearly needed help to deal with that. "The story about my mother in the barracks makes no sense. When the IRA spoke to me, they told me my mother had given information which led to a gun being seized, but that was later proved to be untrue. "The IRA never at any stage mentioned anything about a blanket in a barracks." Mr McConville added: "I know the name of the person who killed my mother. It is not Dolours Price." Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney has arrived in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, located in the West Bank, to address a meeting of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). He will speak before the 23rd meeting of the Palestine National Council (PNC), the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) which meets sporadically, and is responsible for electing the PLO's Executive Committee. Ahead of the event, Mr Kearney said: "I will be addressing the Conference on behalf of Sinn Fein and will extend solidarity at this time when Israeli aggression continues to hamper a real peace and reconciliation process." Sinn Fein was invited to the event by chair and speaker for the PNC Salim Al-Za'noon. It is the first meeting of the Council in nine years, and it is expected discussions will focus on ending the recognition of Israel, and other key parts of Palestinian politics. The PLO, considered to the representative body for Palestinian people, has recognised the right for Israel to exist in peace since 1993. It is also expected a new 18-member Executive Committee for the PLO will be elected at the meeting. Since the start of March there has been unrest at the Gaza border, with estimates of more than 10,000 regularly turning out in a protest calling for the 'right of return' for Palestinians who were displaced after the creation of the state of Israel. Forty-one Palestinians have been killed in the protests since the start of March, with more than 5,000 wounded. The conference will be attended by representatives from more than 80 countries. James White (48) and Jason Lydiard (26) - also known as Alexis Guesto - pictured on a bench in Mullaghbawn Police hunting two men who were on the run in south Armagh say the pair have been taken to hospital after being assaulted in Mullaghbawn. A PSNI search operation had been ongoing for James White and Jason Lydiard - also known as Alexis Guesto. The pair are believed to have travelled to Northern Ireland from the Republic. They were wanted in Northern Ireland for a number of offences, including breach of licence and warrants. Police say they were located in the Mullaghbawn area of south Armagh on Saturday evening following reports of an assault in the area. Footage and images shared on social media appear to show the men on a bench with their hands tied behind their backs and covered in grey paint. Police say the two men have sustained injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment. Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie, from PSNI Public Protection Branch, said: I understand that feelings in the area have been running high over the search for these men, however, there can never be an excuse for violence or people taking the law into their own hands. We will be investigating the assault and working to identify anyone involved. Read More Earlier the PSNI had thanked the public for its help, and confirmed there had been a "number of positive sightings" of the two men in south Armagh and Newry, Co Down. The search was launched after a member of the public raised concerns about a blue Peugeot parked in a car park on the Chancellors Road area of Mullaghbawn on Thursday afternoon. Health Minister Simon Harris has said he hopes to establish on Monday if all those affected by the cervical smear controversy have been informed. However, he does not know how many women may have died and said everyone who has had a smear test could have a re-check if they wanted it. Speaking on RTEs The Week In Politics programme, Mr Harris also described as wrong the treatment of Vicky Phelan, the terminally ill mother whose legal battle cast light on the issue. He said: It is wrong that any terminally ill woman would be dragged through the courts. Earlier this week Ms Phelan, a 43-year-old mother of two from Co Limerick, settled a High Court action for 2.5 million euro after being incorrectly told in 2011 that her smear test had given a negative result for cancer. In 2014 she was diagnosed with cancer but only told of the false negative last September. Mr Harris said he would not be found wanting in changing the system. We need to change the lawSimon Harris He added: One of the reasons it went to the courts was because Vicky wasnt told what she had a right to be told years ago and I am going to make sure that never happens again. We need to change the law. An unpublished audit of cervical checks discovered in 2014 found that 206 women with cervical cancer who had undergone smear tests should have received earlier intervention. The minister has already announced a number of actions including a major review and set up a helpline for those who fear they may be affected by the controversy. He said the screening programme had saved lives but that it would be arrogant and complacent to suggest it could not be improved. On Saturday Dr Grainne Flannelly, the clinical director of CervicalCheck, Irelands national screening programme, announced she was stepping down and apologised for any distress and worry caused to women. A senior Conservative minister has appealed to ethnic minority voters not to abandon the party in this weeks local elections over the Windrush scandal. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan in the 1960s, said his first reaction when he heard people were being wrongly threatened with deportation was that it could have been his family. However in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph he said the Government was committed to put things right and he urged ethnic minority voters to look at the bigger picture when it came to Thursdays vote. I thought that could be my mum ... my dad ... my uncle ... it could be me.Sajid Javid His intervention came as Labour called for a full inquiry into whether Home Secretary Amber Rudd had breached the Ministerial Code over government targets for removing illegal immigrants. In a letter to Theresa May, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said Ms Rudds explanations as to why she had told MPs there were no such targets when in fact there were stretch credulity to the limit. In his interview, Mr Javid said it had felt very personal when it came to light that Commonwealth citizens who came to the UK legally in the post war decades the so-called Windrush generation were having their immigration status challenged. I thought that could be my mum my dad my uncle it could be me, he told the paper. However he praised the way Mrs May and Ms Rudd had acted decisively, setting up a taskforce to ensure those people affected had their cases resolved quickly as possible and promising a compensation scheme.He urged ethnic minority voters not to let it affect the way they voted in the local council elections taking place in England. I do accept that there may be ethnic-minority voters (for whom) that will cause them concern, he said. But he added: Please look at the response to Windrush, and the apology, in terms of trying to put things right. And, secondly, the bigger picture about how this Government has been committed to trying to deal with the injustices in society, some of which matter more to people from ethnic minorities. Labour however made clear that there would be no let up on the pressure on Ms Rudd who apologised on Friday in a series of late night tweets for not knowing the Home Office did use immigration targets, when she had previously said it did not. She said she had not seen a memo, leaked to The Guardian, referring to the targets even though it was copied to her office. Ms Abbott said Ms Rudd had lost control of her department and lost the trust of the public and should either resign or the Prime Minister should sack her. The Windrush scandal has exposed something rotten at the heart of Theresa Mays Government and serious questions remain over what the Home Secretary was told about targets for removals, she said. The Prime Minister must launch a full inquiry to get to the bottom of who knew what and when, including whether Amber Rudd breached the Ministerial Code. The Home Secretary has clearly lost control of her department and lost the trust of the public and must either resign or be removed by the Prime Minister. Rather than hiding behind process or blaming civil servants yet again, the time has now surely come for the Home Secretary to resign.Sadiq Khan Labour mayor of London Sadiq Khan also joined the calls for Ms Rudd to go say it beggars belief she did not know what was going on in her own department. What the Home Secretary and Prime Minister dont appear to understand is that the Windrush scandal is the direct consequence of their policies and not just another example of the administrative chaos at the Home Office, he wrote in an article for The Observer. It is about a generation who have lived all their lives here suddenly feeling they are not wanted here. Rather than hiding behind process or blaming civil servants yet again, the time has now surely come for the Home Secretary to resign. Some of the Windrush generation had been threatened with deportation (PA) More than 200 MPs have written to Theresa May urging her to enshrine promises made to Windrush generation migrants in law. The letter, which is predominately backed by Labour MPs, also accuses Amber Rudd of making up immigration policy on the hoof in a bid to overcome the scandal. The Home Secretary is facing a barrage of calls to resign, with critics blasting her handling of the Windrush row and apparently being unaware of the Home Offices use of targets for removing illegal immigrants. The letter has also been signed by politicians from the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party. Expand Close POLITICS Windrush Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp POLITICS Windrush Calling for the pledges to be written into law without delay, the letter also carries the signature of a Conservative MP, the BBC reports. Addressed to the PM, it says: We are calling on you to do this by bringing a statutory instrument before Parliament to ensure that the measures are implemented as quickly as possible. Some of the so-called Windrush generation have been threatened with deportation, refused access to public services such as healthcare or lost their jobs as a result of hostile environment immigration policies. The Government has offered free citizenship to people from all Commonwealth countries who arrived in the UK before 1973, including individuals who have no current documentation. Children of the Windrush generation are also included, as well as Commonwealth migrants who already have leave to remain and want to advance their status. Ms Rudd said some individuals may be eligible for compensation. I thought that could be my mum ... my dad ... my uncle ... it could be meSajid Javid The letter emerged as a senior Conservative minister appealed to ethnic minority voters not to abandon the party in this weeks local elections over the Windrush scandal. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan in the 1960s, said his first reaction when he heard people were being wrongly threatened with deportation was that it could have been his family. However in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph he said the Government was committed to put things right and he urged ethnic minority voters to look at the bigger picture when it came to Thursdays vote. Expand Close EMPIRE WINDRUSH : 1954 PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp EMPIRE WINDRUSH : 1954 In his interview, Mr Javid said it had felt very personal when it came to light that Commonwealth citizens who came to the UK legally in the post-war decades the so-called Windrush generation were having their immigration status challenged. I thought that could be my mum my dad my uncle it could be me, he told the paper. However he praised the way Mrs May and Ms Rudd had acted decisively, setting up a taskforce to ensure those people affected had their cases resolved quickly as possible and promising a compensation scheme. He urged ethnic minority voters not to let it affect the way they voted in the local council elections taking place in England. Labour, however, made clear that there would be no let up on the pressure on Ms Rudd who apologised on Friday in a series of late night tweets for not knowing the Home Office did use immigration targets, when she had previously said it did not. She said she had not seen a memo, leaked to The Guardian, referring to the targets even though it was copied to her office. Ms Rudd faces scrutiny over whether she breached the Ministerial Code over the targets. In a separate letter to Theresa May, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said Ms Rudds explanations as to why she had told MPs there were no such targets when in fact there were stretch credulity to the limit. Ms Abbott said Ms Rudd had lost control of her department and lost the trust of the public and should either resign or the Prime Minister should sack her. The Windrush scandal has exposed something rotten at the heart of Theresa Mays Government and serious questions remain over what the Home Secretary was told about targets for removals, she said. The Prime Minister must launch a full inquiry to get to the bottom of who knew what and when, including whether Amber Rudd breached the Ministerial Code. Rather than hiding behind process or blaming civil servants yet again, the time has now surely come for the Home Secretary to resignSadiq Khan Labour mayor of London Sadiq Khan also joined the calls for Ms Rudd to go, saying it beggars belief she did not know what was going on in her own department. What the Home Secretary and Prime Minister dont appear to understand is that the Windrush scandal is the direct consequence of their policies and not just another example of the administrative chaos at the Home Office, he wrote in an article for The Observer. Former speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin has died (PA) Tributes have been paid to Lord Martin of Springburn, former speaker of the House of Commons, who died on Sunday. The 72-year-old died in the early hours after a short illness, his son Paul Martin confirmed. He said: He passed away early this morning after a period of short illness. He passed away peacefully with his family. We would be grateful for our privacy to be respected at this difficult time. Very sorry to hear of the death of Michael Martin. We first met as organisers in the National Union of Public Employees, campaigning for decent public sector pay and the national minimum wage. Michael loved his community and family, our thoughts are with them at this sad time. Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 29, 2018 Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn offered his condolences, saying he was very sorry to hear the news. John Bercow, the current House of Commons Speaker, said: Im very sorry to hear this news. Michael was a decent, public-spirited man who had a real care and concern for Members, their staff and the staff of the House. He was a good campaigner and both passionate about and proud of his roots. He also had a great sense of humour. On a personal level, he was always very kind to me I still remember the lovely letter of congratulations he sent to me after my election as Speaker. My deepest sympathies go out to Mary, his children and grandchildren. Michael Martin will be sorely missed. No matter the position he occupied, he never forgot the debt he owed to his upbringing and the people he had been elected to serve - GB Gordon Brown (@GordonBrown) April 29, 2018 Ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Lord Martin will be sorely missed, adding: I knew him as a successful young trade union organiser, a dedicated member of Parliament, a conscientious Speaker of the House of Commons and latterly as a member of the House of Lords and no matter the position he occupied, he never forgot the debt he owed to his upbringing and the people he had been elected to serve. Michael Martin latterly Lord Martin of Springburn after the Glasgow constituency he represented from 1979 to 2005 was Speaker from 2000 to 2009. In October that year, the former Labour MP joined his predecessor as speaker, Baroness Boothroyd, on the crossbenches. Although by tradition speakers are elevated to the Lords, the decision to grant Lord Martins peerage proved controversial, with some speculation the honour should be withheld. Im saddened to hear the news of Michael Martin's passing. He was an authentic working-class voice in Parliament for many years. He never forgot where he came from, the community he served and the trade union movement, which gave him his education. My thoughts are with his family Richard Leonard (@LabourRichard) April 29, 2018 When he was speaker, he was criticised for leading efforts to block the publication of MPs expenses, and for his handling of the affair once the revelations began. He was the first Commons speaker to be forced to resign in 300 years. Lord Martin was succeeded by John Bercow. Tony Blair said he personally valued Lord Martin for his common sense and sound political instinct. He added: Michael Martin was a breed of MP relatively rare nowadays, someone from a very poor background who worked their way up through trade union and Labour Party activity, and never lost touch with their roots and their keen sensitivity to the views and priorities of their constituents. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is greeted by Saudi King Salman in Riyadh (Saudi Press Agency via AP) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes. He also urged Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to resolve a dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Mr Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had affected Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. Secretary Pompeo: A political solution is the only way to advance a long term stability in #Yemen and end the suffering. pic.twitter.com/PJTtSNmhFA Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior US officials travelling with Mr Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administrations push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Iran destabilises this entire region, Mr Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Mr Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was essential. Mr Al-Jubeir said the kingdom supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran. Secretary Pompeo: Saudi Arabia's vision for 2030 & reform agenda are inspiring initiatives - they promote tolerance, respect & econ development & inspire women. We support this important work & the leadership the Crown Prince has shown to advance our shared econ interests. pic.twitter.com/lhxELuTiAj Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 Mediation efforts on the Qatar issue led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran room to play and hampers co-operation on a wide array of other issues, including combating violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, officials said. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, is Joe Biden lying to us? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices T-Mobile and Sprint reached a $26.5 billion merger agreement Sunday that would reduce the U.S. wireless industry to three major players a that is, if the Trump administration's antitrust regulators let the deal go through. The nation's third- and fourth-largest wireless companies have been considering a combination for years, one that would bulk them up to a similar size as industry giants Verizon and AT&T. But a 2014 attempt fell apart amid resistance from the Obama administration. Consumers worry a less crowded telecom field could result in higher prices, while workers unions are concerned about potential job losses. In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure acknowledged that getting regulatory approval is "the elephant in the room," and one of the first things the companies did after sending out the deal's news release was to call Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The companies stressed that they plan to have more employees following the combination, particularly in rural areas, than they do as stand-alone companies now. They also emphasized that the deal would help accelerate their development of faster 5G wireless networks and ensure that the U.S. doesn't cede leadership on the technology to China. And they said the combination would allow them to better compete not only with AT&T and Verizon but also with Comcast and others as the wireless, broadband and video industries converge. "This isn't a case of going from 4 to 3 wireless companies a there are now at least 7 or 8 big competitors in this converging market," T-Mobile chief executive John Legere said in a statement. He would be the CEO of the combined company, which would be called T-Mobile. The all-stock deal values each share of Sprint at slightly more than 0.10 T-Mobile shares. Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent, would own about 42 percent of the combined company. Japan's SoftBank, which controls Sprint, would own 27 percent, and the remainder would be held by the public. The leaders of Germany, France and the UK are ready to push back if the Trump administration does not permanently exempt the European Union from new import taxes on aluminum and steel imports, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. Mrs Merkel said in a statement today that she has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Theresa May since returning from her Friday talks in Washington with US President Donald Trump. Update 7.08pm: Health Minister Simon Harris has said he hopes to establish tomorrow if all those affected by the cervical smear controversy have been informed. However, he does not know how many women may have died and said everyone who has had a smear test could have a re-check if they wanted it. Speaking on RTE's The Week In Politics programme, Mr Harris also described as "wrong" the treatment of Vicky Phelan, the terminally ill mother whose legal battle cast light on the issue. He said: "It is wrong that any terminally ill woman would be dragged through the courts." Earlier this week, Ms Phelan, a 43-year-old mother of two from Co Limerick, settled a High Court action for 2.5m after being incorrectly told in 2011 that her smear test had given a negative result for cancer. In 2014, she was diagnosed with cancer but only told of the false negative last September. Mr Harris said he would "not be found wanting" in changing the system. He added: "One of the reasons it went to the courts was because Vicky wasn't told what she had a right to be told years ago and I am going to make sure that never happens again. "We need to change the law." The Minister also spoke about plans to offer free retests for women who have had CervicalCheck smear tests and whose GP feels further testing would provide reassurance. Speaking on RTE, Minister Harris said: "I made the decision yesterday that any woman that is at home today and is worried - 'I had a smear test, should I have a repeat smear test?' - they'd normally have to wait..." "How could they not be worried?" said presenter Aine Lawlor. "Does that mean every woman who's had a smear test is entitled to have it redone at the moment?" "Absolutely," said Minister Harris. "And this is a very important message. Any woman today who needs a smear test, that repeat smear test will be paid for by the state, as will the cost of going to the doctor." An unpublished audit of cervical checks discovered in 2014 found that 206 women with cervical cancer who had undergone smear tests should have received earlier intervention. The Minister has already announced a number of actions including a major review and set up a helpline for those who fear they may be affected by the controversy. He said the screening programme had saved lives, but that it would be "arrogant" and "complacent" to suggest it could not be improved. On Saturday, Dr Grainne Flannelly, the clinical director of CervicalCheck, announced she was stepping down and apologised for any distress and worry caused to women. Update 4.04pm: Labour Party criticises lack of clarity around Cervical Check controversy The Labour Party has said that it is "unacceptable" that it is still not known if the women affected by the Cervical Check controversy have been contacted. The comment comes after reports a number of women have died in the wake of the scandal. The HSE says it will not be in a position to give full details until a review, being carried out this weekend, is complete, Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin says the situation is wholly and completely unacceptable. "The shocking disclosure that there are potentially a number of women who have died - we don't know had they ever been contacted - there are other tests where people have been given reassurances that there was nothing to worry about, and that subsequently those tests were shown to be suspect, and they haven't been contacted yet, or at least we don't know if they've been contacted or not yet," he said. "What's wholly and completely unacceptable." Earlier: Health Minister doesn't know how many women have died since getting incorrect smear test results The Health Minister Simon Harris cannot say how many women have died after receiving incorrect smear test results. Terminally ill woman Vicky Phelan, who won a High Court action last week, has said she was told that at least three women who had earlier got an all-clear smear result have since died. "If Vicky Phelan hadn't done what Vicky Phelan has done we wouldn't know and I wouldn't know what we now know," Mr Harris admitted. The HSE are currently reviewing the cases of 206 women who may have been given false negative results by the national cervical cancer screening programme. Speaking this afternoon, Mr Harris said he "truthfully doesn't know" how many women have died after developing cervical cancer despite the all-clear from CervicalCheck programme adding: "I am not going to get into making glib comments that I cannot stand over here. "I have sent in a senior team to CervicalCheck, they have pulled the files of all 206 women, these are women that would have been in 15 different hospitals around the country, a lot of different clinicians." He said this team has been asked to find out if each of these women were told about the discrepancies. He said: "I will know that by tomorrow and we will then immediately make arrangements for any woman who needs follow-up or wasn't told to meet a clinician." Mr Harris has vowed that "no stone will remain unturned" and is to establish an international independent review team to carry out a "root and branch" examination of the cervical cancer screening system. Mr Harris said he had not been aware that other women were involved when he was first told about Ms Phelan's case as it neared an end last week. "I got an information note that told me there was a legal process underway and that a women who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer was taking a case, that she had smear test in 2011 that had given her effectively the all-clear. "Then in 2014 she had another smear test which showed that this wasn't the case and that she was now taking action against the lab and the HSE. At no stage was any flag raised that there were any other women involved in this as well, this was an information note about one case. He said he does not want to see any other women having to go to court over the issue. "I don't want to see the Government or the State or the HSE in court against these women. "We are going to ensure that no woman ever finds herself in Vicky Phelan's place again," he told RTE's the Week in Politics. Update 3.16pm: The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has called on the Government to make contraception available from a community pharmacy without prescription and without charge, regardless of eligibility. A motion on the topic was passed at the organisations AGM today and the IPU will actively advocate for Government to implement it. Pharmacists also called on the Department of Health to improve patient care and address serious problems in health service capacity by expanding the range of healthcare services pharmacies can offer. Earlier this month, the IPU welcomed the Minister for Healths proposal to introduce free contraceptive care and provided his department with a detailed submission on how this could be achieved. Speaking following the vote today, IPU President Daragh Connolly said: We know from HSE research that almost half of women would prefer to access contraception through their pharmacy. Many pharmacists have been surprised at the strong support for this plan from their female patients and customers. Addressing concerns on the proposal expressed by some GPs, Mr Connolly said: The oral contraceptive pill is one of the safest and well-studied medicines available. Pharmacists would undergo appropriate training on the selection and supply of the most appropriate contraception and therefore there is simply no clinical cause for concern. Providing convenient and affordable access to birth control should be a public health priority. Providing women with this choice will make it easier and more convenient to get contraception safely, meaning more women will use it, which should result in reduced rates of unintended pregnancy. Earlier Pharmacists will vote on a motion later today which would call on the Department of Health to allow women access to contraception without a prescription. It's one of a number of proposals before the AGM of the Irish Pharmacy Union in Wexford. IPU President Daragh Connolly explains why they are voting on it. He said: "What we are proposing in the IPU is that we have some international best practice, these models which work very well in states like Oregon and California in America, or maybe in a country the size of Ireland, like New Zealand. "In these places, women now, if they so choose can go directly and have a private consultation about their contraception and about their general health." An IRA unit which conducted a secret investigation into the murder of a German backpacker could hold vital clues about her killer. No one has ever been convicted over the death of Munich teenager Inga Maria Hauser in 1988. However, republican paramilitaries considered passing information about the alleged murderer to the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary)at the height of the Troubles. They had identified somebody that was responsible from the Loughgiel area and we believe they had a debate amongst themselves about whether that information should be passed in one way or another to the police, a source said. Ms Hausers death remains among the most high- profile unsolved murder cases in Northern Ireland. The 18-year-olds body was found dumped in a remote part of Ballypatrick Forest outside Ballycastle, Co Antrim, 14 days after she was last seen alive on a ferry from Scotland. Detectives believe a number of people may have been involved either directly or in the cover-up, and have previously said they only need fractional pieces of evidence to bring the chief suspects to justice. A man in the rural area east of Ballymoney, Co Antrim, was seen soon after the murder with scratches on his face, sparking concern in the community that he was involved. It is understood at least one of those involved in the IRAs clandestine investigation may be dead. However, the source added: There may well be other people who were privileged to the debate that was held. We are now 30 years down the line. A lot of things have changed. A lot of water has gone under the bridge. These people may still have that knowledge. That debate indicates that they wanted this resolved. The fact that they were debating it in 1988 highlights that they thought this was something different. Police have a male DNA profile from the crime scene, but have yet to secure a positive match. A number of years ago, in one of the largest DNA screenings ever undertaken in the UK, 2,000 samples failed to produce a definitive match to a male genetic profile found at the murder scene. However, officers have recently conducted further testing including a trawl of updated familial DNA samples. Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray, the officer leading the murder hunt, said: We have been aware of this account of events for some time and I would reiterate my appeal for anyone with information to come forward. It is not too late to tell us what you know. Prior to her death, Ms Hauser travelled through England and Scotland and according to diary entries intended to travel south to Dublin when she docked at Larne, Co Antrim. However, for reasons as yet unexplained, she ended up going in the opposite direction, to meet her death. Mr Murray said: Inga Marias family deserve to know what happened, deserve closure after 30 years. Her father died not knowing who killed his daughter and her mother has been ill for many years. The family have been tortured by her murder and we have been in close contact with Ingas heartbroken sister in the run-up to this anniversary. Do the decent thing for Ingas sister and mother. Think of the fear and pain she felt, think of her family not having justice. After 30 years, its time to tell us what you know. - PA The remains of Irishman David Gavin have been recovered in Canada. The 26-year-old Mayo man had been missing since last June after he got into difficulty jumping from a bridge in British Columbia. Several searches were carried out last summer before being stood down for the winter months. His local GAA club Breaffy have tweeted to say "It is great relief and a lot of sadness that David Gavin's remains have been recovered from Kinbasket Lake". "Water levels had reduced greatly in recent weeks to allow a search to be resumed." It is great relief and a lot of sadness that David Gavins remains have been recovered from Kinbasket Lake. Water levels had reduced greatly in recent weeks to allow a search to be resumed. Davids family wish to thank everyone for their continued support. #DG3 pic.twitter.com/1f2jBUkFUf Breaffy GAA (@BreaffyGAA) April 29, 2018 A memorial service was told last August that his parents have endured every familys worst nightmare. Local priest Fr John McCormack recounted last August how the tragedy had struck at the lake resort, during a packed service at the Church of the Holy Rosary in Castlebar. Last February, David and his girlfriend, Ciara OMalley, set out for Canada, he said. They were in love with each other and they quickly fell in love with Canada. This vast country, with its varied landscapes and climates, provided almost limitless opportunities for sport and recreation. David was an outdoors person and he loved all these chances to ski, swim, surf, and mountain climb. He was working on Ciara so that she would love them too. Fr McCormack said that the couple, who had been together for nine years, had loved Canada and their life had been as near to perfect as they could hope for since moving to Vancouver. Then, on the last day of June, tragedy struck. David and some of his GAA club- mates were on their way to Calgary, playing a tournament, said Fr McCormack. They stopped off at Kinbasket Lake a tranquil place surrounded by mountains, rivers, lakes, and trees. They decided to go for a swim to cool off. "David was the first to jump but something went wrong. He hit the water, resurfaced, and then disappeared. His friends responded immediately but were unable to save him. What went wrong we dont know, and we will never know unless David is found. He said news of the tragedy reached Mr Gavins parents, Michael and Angela, and his sister, Aoife, at around 2am on July 1. That terrible news quickly spread throughout this community and, just as quickly, this community mobilised and offered unbelievable support to the family, both financial and spiritual, he said. Amber Rudd has resigned as UK Home Secretary amid claims she misled the British Parliament over targets for removing illegal migrants. Ms Rudd telephoned Prime Minister Theresa May to tell her of the decision amid intensifying opposition demands for her to quit. A No 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has tonight accepted the resignation of the Home Secretary." Ms Rudd was thought to be preparing to tough it out, insisting she genuinely did not know about the targets when she gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee last week. However having seen mounting evidence in the paperwork about the extent of the knowledge within the Home Office about the targets she decided that she should take responsibility and go. Her decision to stand down will come as a major blow to Mrs May who publicly declared her "full confidence" in her as recently as Friday. Even before she was accused of misleading MPs, she had been under fire for her handling of the Windrush scandal which saw Commonwealth citizens who came to Britain in the post-war decades being wrongly threatened with deportation. Labour said she was effectively acting as a 'human shield' for Mrs May whose policy when she home secretary of creating a 'hostile environment' for illegal immigrants was blamed for causing the problems they now faced. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Sir Ed Davey said: "It's clear that Amber Rudd has ended up, at least partly, being the fall guy to protect the Prime Minister. Theresa May must face questions now given these dreadful failures largely took place under her watch as Home Secretary." Ms Rudd's departure will also upset the delicate balance within the Cabinet between Leavers and Remainers ahead of a crucial meeting of the Brexit "war cabinet" on Wednesday to discuss Britain's future customs relationship with the EU. Environment Secretary Michael Gove - one of the Cabinet's leading Brexiteers - was being touted as the front runner replace her at the Home Office. - PA Debra Mesiti has waited four months for a tablet she ordered in December. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Sick in hospital, Debra Mesiti ordered a $743 tablet from Android Enjoyed on December 28. Four months later, she has no tablet, and has all but lost hope of getting her money back. This business has really wound me up, just the moral implications of all of this, she said. Mrs Mesiti, from Sydenham in Melbourne, was undergoing cancer treatment when her old tablet broke. Her brother suggested using Android Enjoyed, as he had bought phones through its website with no issue. I initially ordered this tablet because the turnover was apparently so quick, and because I wasnt able to go anywhere, she said. It's the most successful Australian musical ever, has played in hundreds of countries and is enjoying a 10th anniversary national tour. And in a quirky twist of luck, I was invited to climb on board the bus and join a performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical. But my stage jaunt was far from the most fascinating thing I experienced when I was given unprecedented access to the hallowed corridors of the Regent Theatre, Melbourne. What I discovered is what the audience sees through the proscenium is only half the show going on behind the scenes. 3) Intimacy leading to partnership Over a period of days, months or years, individuals move toward exclusivity: partnership can range from being in an open relationship with established guidelines, to marriage. Wed been in a fight and he came over, unannounced, and I was in the kitchen putting the kettle on, and when I turned around he was down on one knee, holding a handcrafted Mentos wrapper ring. Did you hit your head? I asked, as hed been at a martial arts class. No, he said, I realised on the drive over, that I want, more than anything, to marry you. We moved in together and less than a year later, I was dancing with him in my grandmothers wedding dress on a boat on the Yarra; Leonard Cohen, singing, Dance me to the children who are asking to be born Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn Dance me to the end of love According to a recent Australian study, regardless of whether married or cohabiting, living with a partner is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. At this juncture, I was writing regular columns for Fairfax, and had an agent and a book deal for what was eventually titled Sex Drive about womens changing libido across the life course. The research took years. Meanwhile, I got pregnant, so I filed off articles to my editor about the instant I felt conception; and the impact of the early baby years on couple intimacy. Two years later, I got pregnant again. As the deadline for my book grew closer, my husband became my enforced weekend research assistant; one of the many obstacles of being married to a sexual anthropologist. I was working on a chapter about the future of sex drugs that treat low libido, and was having a hard time deciphering some of the more technical aspects. Since hubby had a science background, I gave him the task of reading dozens of articles about the effects of sex drugs when administered to rats. Oh, the fodder for cocktail conversations. 4) Disillusionment ** where all couples eventually arrive/often coincides with parenthood At this stage, most couples, bereft of romance, face each other and silently think: Is this it? Where has the person I fell in love with gone? For us, raising two wildly passionate and creative children without any extended family, whilst both trying to have meaningful, stimulating careers was tough. Is tough. The Australian satisfaction study reveals that contentment following the birth of a child initially rises but then declines steadily for the next five years. Oh, shit. Life satisfaction, they concluded, is at its lowest between the mid-30s to the early 50s. My columns changed focus. I started writing about date nights, how to keep the spark alive, and gender norms in regards to housework. Husband, horrified, would open Sunday Life magazine from newspaper and ask, What have you done? This is private? Poor man. 5) Power struggle stage Repeatedly throughout any relationship, couples confront power struggle imbalance. At this juncture, three outcomes occur. A) They break up (or cheat). In Australia, the median age at divorce for males is 45 years of age and the median ages of females is 42. B) Their relationship survivesjustbut heads toward emotional/sexual flat line. Or... C) 6) True love, or something like that For me, the hot guy I saw across the crowded bar, is now the resident doctor in our house, extracting splinters from my childrens muddy feet, he is the master brainstormer, pancake-flipper, funniest and sexiest man I know, who, despite leaving his shite around the house, starts everyday with a clean slate as far as I'm concerned. When things get so crazy I want to pull my hair out, I give him the evil eye and intone, Power struggle imbalance. High-rise CBD buildings will be reduced to rubble and replaced with parkland as a developer prepares the land for the next development. Charter Hall and Investa Commercial Property Fund submitted a development application to Brisbane City Council in March proposing four buildings, including Mineralogy House, which was formerly owned by Clive Palmer, be demolished to make way for a 40-storey commercial tower. Temporary parkland proposed for 360 Queen Street. About a month later a second development application was submitted seeking approval to demolish the existing building to ground level as soon as possible. There are four buildings on the site including a 10-storey office tower with ground floor retail, a four-storey office building, a seven-storey office building and an 11-storey office building. Rankins on the Mall owner Ross Petersen is fighting City Hall, with the help of more than 5000 supporters, to save his landmark newsagency stand. On March 29 Brisbane City Council officially notified the Queen Street Mall newsagency, which has been operating for 35 years, they would be evicted. Ross Petersen, owner of Rankins on the Mall. Credit:Jorge Branco The kiosk is to be demolished as part of a council redevelopment of the area. It has been about one month since Mr Petersen received the news, but his devastation at having his business lease terminated and kiosk marked for demolition was yet to ease. "The figures we already have are scary and shocking, but we don't actually know the full extent of it," she said. "Since we have raised so much awareness over the last three years, we have seen an amazing increase in the demand for domestic violence services and we know that many victims do not report the violence. "A campaign like this is so important so those victims don't feel like they have to hide, don't feel like there's no support and don't feel like they can't say anything. "We want to know how many victims there are in this situation so we know how much support they need. "If you know somebody, if you think somebody is a victim of domestic and family violence, please do your bit - it's everybody's responsibility. Chair of the Domestic and Family Violence Taskforce Kay McGrath said the violence was on the rise, as seen in the continuous media reporting on "senseless deaths and endless suffering". "I've learned that there are a number of good initiatives that are in place or being put in place and countless good people, professionals and volunteers, who are working in this space." But there are many things we can all do. It can be as simple as asking a friend, are you ok? How can I help you? Or ask others around to support you in a non-violent way. Channel Seven presenter Kay McGrath is leading the media involvement in the campaign. Credit:Tammy Law Implementation council member Darren Lockyer said, as a soon-to-be father of four, he planned to teach his children to respect every member of society. "There's a saying in sport, 'the standard you walk past is the standard you set'," he said. "It's not going to change overnight, but if we are to make a difference then everyone needs to do their bit," he said. MATE Violence Prevention Program director Shaan Ross-Smith said she hoped that the program would inspire, for example, people on a train to take action if they saw someone being violent towards their family member or partner. "The MATE program we run at Griffith University isn't focused on the victim and perpetrator so much, it's focused on how we, as a society, have enabled this type of behaviour because of the things we do and don't say that get in the way of this," she said. "We want people to recognise that what they are and are not doing is having an influence on our society." A man is accused of leading police on a wild chase through Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, allegedly driving on the wrong side of the Gateway and with sparks flying from damaged tyres. It will be alleged police pulled over a red Holden Commodore on the Bruce Highway in Glass House Mountains just before 5.30pm on Saturday before the driver sped off heading south. Polair vision allegedly shows the car driving on the wrong side of the road and weaving between oncoming traffic. Credit:Queensland Police Service Police said the car sped along the Gateway Motorway in Hemmant, with Polair watching as it crossed onto the wrong side of the road at Runcorn. It will further be alleged the driver stopped the Commodore in Hillcrest about an hour after first fleeing from police and stolen a Mazda ute. In 2015, Angela Merkel allowed more than one million refugees from the Middle East into Germany without vetting. The result: the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, went from no presence in the legislature to being the largest opposition force. Fear and anger is most apparent in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands; where anti-immigrant parties are on the ascendancy. In Poland and Hungary, they have even won power. Many Brexiteers associate immigration with disorder and social decay. Remarkable though he may seem on the American political scene, Donald Trump is no aberration: he reflects trends across Europe; where a surge in support for nationalist movements underscores the growing resentment of a governing class many voters feel has been oblivious to their concerns over lax border controls. The contrast with Australia is striking. Whereas high anxiety over immigration helps carry nationalist themes from the fringes to the centre across Europe, support for closed-door movements is confined to the margins of our body politic. Hansonism, as the Western Australian and Queensland elections showed, is a spent force. Compulsory voting plays a role, but so does our successful large-scale, non-discriminatory immigration policy that commands broad bipartisan and public backing. It is against this background that Malcolm Turnbulls lecture in Germany last week is best understood. In an address to a Berlin audience of academics and diplomats, the Prime Minister said Australias success as a multicultural nation depends on assert[ing] your sovereign right to control your own borders. Reiterating points that Tony Abbott made in his Margaret Thatcher lecture in London in October 2015, Turnbull said the public needs to trust the government to determine who comes into the country. The difference between the two speeches is that the former prime ministers remarks attracted widespread criticism in the Australian media while the incumbents lecture has suffered no rebuke. Uncontrolled immigration in Germany helped propel the anti-immigrant AfD to being the largest opposition party at the last federal elections. Credit:AP In any case, Turnbull and Abbott are right: Australia is the clear immigration leader among other major developed countries. With 28 per cent of our population foreign-born - double the OECD average - and given our reputation as a nation with a relatively harmonious ethnic mix, we are one of the worlds most vibrant and tolerant multiracial societies. The Home Affairs department has wrongly claimed it would have to fund a pay rise for staff with massive job cuts that could expose Australia to threats at its borders, former Labor government figures Wayne Swan and Craig Emerson say. They rejected the claim in submissions to the industrial umpire as it arbitrates a fight over pay and conditions that has left staff without a wage rise in more than four years. Former Treasurer Wayne Swan and Former Trade Minister Craig Emerson in 2012. They have said job cuts are not needed at Home Affairs to fund a pay rise for staff. Credit:Andrew Meares Home Affairs has told the Fair Work Commission that pay growth advocated by the Community and Public Sector Union would force it to cut more than 1900 jobs to offset the wage rises, including 1640 positions in the first year of the umpire's determination. The department says its own proposal would require cutting 657 staff through natural attrition. Riyadh: As Saudi Arabia considers digging a moat along its border with Qatar and dumping nuclear waste nearby, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Riyadh on his first overseas trip as the nation's top diplomat with a simple message: Enough is enough. Patience with what is viewed in Washington as a petulant spat within the Gulf Cooperation Council has worn thin, and Pompeo told the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, that the dispute needs to end, according to a senior State Department official who briefed reporters on the meetings but who was not authorised to be named. In June, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates led an embargo by four Arab nations of Qatar, accusing the tiny, gas-rich nation of funding terrorism, cozying up to Iran and welcoming dissidents. Years of perceived slights on both sides of the conflict added to the bitterness. Pompeo's predecessor, Rex Tillerson, spent much of his tenure trying to mediate the dispute, which also involved Egypt and Bahrain, but without success. The Saudis, keen observers of Washington's power dynamics, knew that Tillerson had a strained relationship with President Donald Trump and so ignored him, particularly because Trump sided with the Saudis in the early days of the dispute. In the case of The Advertiser, the newspaper did not endorse lynchings, but expressed an understanding for why they happened. After three black men were lynched in the fall of 1919 two of them were accused of assaulting white women, one of killing a police officer The Advertiser wrote an editorial that blamed the men for the crimes without any evidence that they were guilty. "All right-thinking people deplore lynchings," the editorial said, but later added that "as long as there are attempts at rape by black men, red men or yellow men on white women there will be lynchings." This was typical of The Advertiser's tone, and the editorial published last week was blunt about the newspaper's failings. Bro Krift, the executive editor, said the decision to look inward as part of its coverage of the new memorial emerged from a simple question: How could the newspaper ask people to reflect on their roles during a period of injustice if it did not do the same? "We proliferated that idea of white supremacy," said Krift, who has been the executive editor for nearly two years. The Advertiser, which began publication in 1829 and now has a daily circulation of around 20,000, has served as an influential voice in a city that was central to America's civil rights struggle. Its record of coverage of black people and civil rights was decidedly mixed. The newspaper opposed secession in 1861, but took up the cause of white supremacy after the Civil War, according to The Race Beat, a book about press coverage of the civil rights struggle by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff, both veteran journalists. The Advertiser won a Pulitzer Prize in 1928 for editorials that attacked the Ku Klux Klan. But decades later, its coverage of the Montgomery bus boycott of the 1950s and the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 was indifferent and antagonistic. It criticised activists and their causes. In one story, The Advertiser misattributed and misquoted Martin Luther King Jr.'s message at a mass meeting, according to The Race Beat. Even in recent years, The Advertiser has struggled at times with its reputation in the city's black communities. The memorial commemorates 4400 black people who were slain in lynchings and other racial killings between 1877 and 1950. Credit:AP Wanda Lloyd became the paper's first black executive editor in 2004. When she took over, Lloyd said black residents complained that they did not feel accurately represented by the paper. Some felt that they appeared only in stories about crime and other negative things. She said she tried to press for deeper coverage of stories in black communities that had been overlooked. Black people "felt like it wasn't their paper," said Lloyd, who left The Advertiser in 2013. "On the other hand, I encountered people who were white who thought we were going overboard with our coverage of black people." She said she was surprised that The Advertiser had apologised for its coverage of lynchings but hoped that it would help build trust with black residents. Krift, the current editor, who is white, said he felt there was a present-day lesson to be learned from the past missteps of The Advertiser, which has historically leaned politically to the right. While the newspaper failed to properly cover issues like lynching and the bus boycott, he said he did not want to squander the chance to lead the national discussion surrounding the opening of the memorial. "I think the takeaway for us is that we need to be conscious of the words that we choose and how we characterise people in our newspaper," he said. "One-hundred fifty years from now, there might be a historian that looks back on how we covered these events and Montgomery in 2018." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he'd assessed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting over the Easter weekend and concluded that there's a chance for the US to strike a denuclearisation deal. "My goal was to try and identify if there was a real opportunity there," Pompeo said during an interview that will air on ABC's This Week on Sunday. "I believe there is." President Donald Trump said on Saturday he expects his historic meeting with Kim will take place "over the next three or four weeks" and that details of the summit are still being ironed out. Pompeo was CIA director when he met with Kim and was confirmed by the Senate as the top US diplomat on April 26. He said he found Kim to be "well prepared" and ready to talk about how to achieve the US objective of "complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation". The tourism ministry handed over maintenance responsibilities for the Red Fort to Dalmia Bharat group after the corporate house entered into an agreement with the government. In the wake of the handover, Congress raised questions over how a private entity was given the mandate to maintain a national heritage site. The Dalmia group, under the memorandum of understanding, would maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it and has committed a sum of Rs 25 crore for the purpose over a period spanning five years. "They are handing over the iconic monument to a private business. What is your commitment to the idea of India, to the history of India? We know you have no commitment, but we still want to ask you," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters here. "Do you have dearth of funds. Why funds for the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) lapse, why do they lapse. See the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reports. If they have paucity of funds, then why do they lapse?" he asked. IndiGo Airlines and the GMR group were also in the race to bag the project. The Dalmia Bharat group has agreed to provide certain basic amenities at the 17th century monument within six months. These include providing drinking water kiosks, street furniture-like benches and signages to guide the visitors, according to the ministry. The entity has also agreed to put up within a year tactile maps, upgrade toilets, light up the pathways and bollards, carry out restoration work and landscaping and build a 1,000-square-foot visitor facility centre. It will also provide a 3-D projection mapping of the fort's interior and exterior, battery-operated vehicles and charging stations for such vehicles and a thematic cafeteria. Responding to Khera's remarks, Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons said under the scheme started last year, the ministry is looking at public participation to develop heritage monuments. "The companies involved in these projects will only spend and not make money. They will create amenities such as toilets, provide drinking water for the tourists so that their footfalls increase. They might put up signs outside to say that they have developed the amenities. If they are spending money, there is nothing wrong in taking credit for it," he said. "I want to ask the Congress what they did for the past 70 years. All the monuments and facilities around them are in terrible shape. In some places, there were no facilities at all," he said. As of March this year, 31 prospective 'monument mitras' (friends of heritage sites) have been shortlisted by a oversight and vision committee for developing tourist-friendly amenities at 95 monuments, heritage and other tourist sites including the Red Fort, Qutub Minar (in Delhi), Hampi (Karnataka), Sun Temple (Odisha), Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra), Char Minar (Telangana) and Kaziranga National Park (Assam). India has electrified all its villages 12 days ahead of a deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government said on Sunday, which could give the ruling party a boost ahead of a general election in 2019. Asia's third-largest economy has been held back for years by a power shortage, with industries having to cope with blackouts and hospitals forced to rely on diesel-run generators for backup. But Modi said on Sunday that April 28, on the evening of which a remote village in the northeast became the last to be connected to the grid, would be remembered as a "historic day in the development journey of India". "Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever!" Modi wrote on Twitter, as various ministers in his government took to social media to congratulate him. Government data showed that all of India's 597,464 census villages have now been electrified. When Modi took office in 2014, there were some 18,452 villages without electricity. But just because all villages are connected to the grid does not mean all Indians have access to power. The government considers a village electrified if it has basic electrical infrastructure and 10 percent of its households and public places including schools, local administrative offices and health centres have power. Some people, however, said on Twitter their villages had yet to be electrified despite the government's claim. "No. Not every village yet," said Twitter user Dilip Gupta, identifying his village in a district of Uttar Pradesh in the north. "Over the course of years my native place has been expecting electricity every year, but it hasn't arrived yet." The World Bank said in a report last year that globally 1.06 billion people had no electricity, with India and Nigeria topping the list of most power-deficient countries. Theres a reason people on all sides of the political spectrum balked at the Trump administrations solar tariffs. For starters, it nearly guaranteed higher prices for business and residential customers. Meanwhile, it was hailed by the solar industry as an absolute job killer. Yet solar remains the future of energy. You dont have to drill into the ground, run a pipeline under farms, or otherwise mangle the landscape in order to take advantage of it. Once you have a way to harness it, solar continues returning on your investment for as long as you live. However, elected officials in some states never got the memo, and they continue to miss out on the energy savings as well as the jobs that come with the industry. To find out what sunny places have missed the boat, we ran through each states potential in Googles solar mapping project and matched the worst with the grades each got for solar-friendly policy. Here are 15 states that are completely missing out on solar power in 2018. 15. Indiana Theres a ton of untapped solar potential in Indiana. According to data collected by Google, 75% of rooftops in Indiana could benefit from solar installations. However, fewer than 1,000 existed as of February 2017. Meanwhile, state policies leave little incentive for homeowners to install panels, and theres no minimum for electricity production. If Indiana tapped its potential, it could avoid producing 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Next: In Arkansas, the solar industry hasnt even gotten started. 14. Arkansas Its fair to say solar hardly exists in Arkansas. While an impressive 76% of roofs in Arkansas could generate power, only 238 existed in the state as of 2017. Looking at the states report card for 2018, you can see whats going on here. In brief, there is almost no incentive for Arkansas residents to install panels and begin utilizing this energy source. Thats a shame, because a state with such a high rate of lung cancer could use all the clean air it can get. Next: The sun shines on South Carolina, but no ones taking advantage. 13. South Carolina Clean air and cheap energy are South Carolinas for the taking. According to Google data, 77% of roofs in South Carolina can take advantage of solar power. However, a small fraction are doing so. As of 2017, a paltry 1,300 installations were online. Even with an increase in solar power usage in the past few years, South Carolina isnt close to tapping its potential. According to a Solar Power Rocks analysis, available tax credits here are the only thing going for the state. Next: Some 80% of buildings in Tennessee could use solar panels. 12. Tennessee Major solar potential combines with paltry implementation. In Tennessee, 80% of buildings could be using solar panels, but the statewide numbers (1,300 installations) are pathetically low. Overall, state policy doesnt do much to help, though the Tennessee Valley Authority does buy back solar energy from homeowners. If the number of installations reached its full potential, the state could take 18.7 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the energy production mix every year. Next: While Michigan isnt Hawaii, there so much sunlight going to waste here. 11. Michigan At 70% viability, Michigan is a lot sunnier than many would guess. While no one thinks of Michigan as a tropical paradise, the state actually ranks No. 8 in solar potential, a Center for Biological Diversity analysis found. Thats better than Georgia. However, Michiganders have not yet tapped into this power source. As in many other places, state policy is to blame, and the potential job growth falls by the wayside. Next: Like the stars, plenty of sun falls on Alabama, too. 10. Alabama Sunny Alabamas solar policy could hardly be worse. Close to 80% of Alabama buildings could be harnessing energy from the sun. Yet a mere 549 installations existed as of the first half of 2017. Looking at the state report card, its clear Alabama government policy deserves the blame. Stagnant wages across the state could surely use the boost solar could supply. Next: Theres massive solar potential in Missouri. 9. Missouri What would Missouri air be like with 16.7 million fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide? As is the case with so many states in the Midwest, Missouri hasnt come close to realizing its solar potential. Going by Google data, 78% of buildings state-wide could effectively use solar. However, only 2,900 installations were in place at the latest count. Instead of dropping 2.7 million metric tons from energy production, Missouri has continued with the status quo. Given the chaos in the state legislature, we dont expect things to change anytime soon. Next: While Oklahoma has gotten on board with wind, the solar industry is still a dud. 8. Oklahoma Sunny Oklahoma has nearly no solar industry. In a state where wages have stagnated and air quality leaves much to be desired, Oklahoma has not tapped one of its best resources (i.e., the sun). Put another way: Of the 88% of buildings in the state that could use solar energy, a sad 800 had installations in 2017. That makes Oklahoma one of the sunniest states in America. (Oklahoma City ranked No. 8 among cities for top solar potential.) State energy policy, which retains the influence of Scott Pruitt, is clearly to blame for the lack of solar energy use here. Next: Even with notoriously cold winters, Wisconsin has a great deal of solar potential. 7. Wisconsin Chilly Wisconsin ranked 16th for solar potential but 30th for use. Even a place famous for snowy winters would get major benefits from solar energy. According to Google mapping data, some 72% of buildings in Wisconsin are solar-viable. However, fewer than 2,000 installations existed as of 2017. In a state where joblessness and declining industries remain a problem, its hard to understand why Scott Walker and his legislature havent turned to solar. Next: With 91% of buildings ready for solar, New Mexico is missing the boat. 6. New Mexico Even with decent solar policy, New Mexico isnt close to realizing its potential. There are several things New Mexico has done well with solar, beginning with the minimum it requires for state energy production (4%). However, that hasnt helped enough in a state where 91% of buildings could access this energy. Altogether, it makes New Mexico one of the states with poor wages that could do much better by turning to a growing industry. Next: While the solar industry could do a lot for Mississippi, state policy stops it in its tracks. 5. Mississippi You still find Mississippi at the intersection of low wages and bad air quality. If we told you a very sunny state had a total of 356 solar installations in 2017, would you believe it? Sadly, thats the case in Mississippi, a place not known for forward-thinking policy. Thats a shame, considering 77% of buildings are ready for solar installations. Meanwhile, we estimate 100% of Mississippi workers are ready for the sort of good-paying jobs the solar industry brings. Next: Kentuckys state government makes it hard on anyone who wants to put a solar installation in place. 4. Kentucky Dirty air and stagnant wages make Kentuckys poor solar policy sting. Going by new lung cancer cases, no state is worse than Kentucky. Since wages are also bad, youd think elected officials would explore some cleaner forms of energy especially if they brought jobs with them. That hasnt happened in Kentucky, where 83% of buildings could make use of solar power. In 2017, Google counted a paltry 707 installations across the state. Next: Terrible state policy leaves sunny Louisiana in the dark on solar. 3. Louisiana For state policy, it doesnt get worse than Louisiana. Out of the 51 states (including D.C.), industry analysts put Louisiana in dead-last (51st). There is simply no state policy that supports the installation and use of zero-emissions solar power. In a state where 84% of buildings could use solar effectively, Louisianas basement-level wages could certainly use the boost the industry would bring. Next: Its hard to find a sunnier state doing less than Florida. 2. Florida The Sunshine State has massive solar potential it has yet to tap. As far as solar potential goes, Florida is nearly unparalleled. Only California and Texas have more possibilities for harnessing the energy source. (Some 88% of buildings could use it effectively.) Unfortunately, state policy under Governor Rick Scott and the state legislature has utterly languished. (This group did outlaw plastic bag bans, though, so maybe Floridians can find a way to cool their homes with them?) According to Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Florida doesnt even rank in the top 10 for solar installations per capita. They should probably change the state nickname if this continues. Next: You can mess with Texas when it comes to solar power it doesnt use. 1. Texas The Lone Star State has the greatest untapped solar potential in America. With San Antonio (No. 4) and Houston (No. 1) at the top of U.S. cities for solar potential, its impossible to ignore what solar could do for Texas. Some 85% of buildings in the state are ready to use sunlight for power here. Unfortunately, the state hasnt begun to tap its enormous potential: Just 14,000 installations existed in Texas as of 2017. (In this oil-and-gas state, places like El Paso actually tax people who install solar panels on their homes.) In a state second only to California for overall solar potential, you wont find a more backwards place than Texas. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center unveils new programs, improvements The Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center in Pueblo, Colorado, announced new programs and facility improvements ahead of the fall season. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment (Part 1: Excerpted from this sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF0N2VPhX3g&t=1788s) Recently, I was interviewed by Fox News on whether Christian pastors should speak out about politics from their pulpits. (More at WCFAV.org.) The amount of support I've received from that interview has been incrediblebut the amount of criticism has been astonishing. I don't think I've ever been called more cuss words and names in all my lifejust for declaring what God's Word says. I have been told by many peoplewithin churches and withoutthat I shouldn't be talking about this. I agree that it's a difficult topic, and many churches don't want to hear about it at all. Yet there comes a time when certain things need to be said. Like Jeremiah, God's word is in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones (Jer. 20:9), and I can't hold back. I must speak on these issues that are so important not only to us but to God. Amid this "politically correct" world that we're living in, it's important for those of us who do talk about controversial issues to stay encouraged. When you know what God has called you to do, it's crucial to discern between the valuable constructive criticism and wise instruction from godly people who care about you, and the critical comments and opinions of those who don't. It's true; there are some who do not like this message. And worse, most Christians are apathetic because it doesn't affect themyet. About ten years ago, a friend and I butted heads on this issue. But I recently emailed him and asked, "Now that you've had a few kids, have your thoughts changed on this?" His reply? "Oh boy, has it ever!" Remind the Next Generation Psalm 78 says: For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God. (Ps. 78:5-8) God commands us to remind our children, to teach the next generation what we know about Him, His deeds, and His word. We read in Judges that "another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done" (2:10). In other words, that new generation departed from Godand that's what we are on the brink of today. Once upon a time, the pulpit set the tone for the nation; now there are those who would try to silence the outcry. If we don't talk about these things, if we don't warn from our pulpits, then the next generation will forget what God has done for this country. In fact, they are already forgetting. Please listen to the sermon referenced at the top of this article. Daniel Webster, secretary of state in the mid-19th century, said: There is no nation on earth powerful enough to accomplish our overthrow. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence. Nevertheless, there is hope for where our nation is. There is hope for where the church is. And there is hope for your personal lifebut it comes at a cost. Jesus Wouldn't Run for Office Some people will say, "What does this have to do with the gospel? Politics shouldn't be talked about from the pulpit." But when a person is born againwhen their heart changesthey now yearn to expose the unfruitful works of darkness. They want to bring the light to all areas of life. They have a desire to proclaim God's truth from the mountaintops. And that's what this has to do with the gospel. Many make the argument that Christians should not be involved with politics at all. However, did you know that the word politics means governing or leading a group of people? Do you think God's Word has anything to say about that? I will submit to you that it has quite a bit to say about it. We often hear, "Jesus wouldn't run for office." Of course notHe is the Office. Do you not know that the government rests upon His shoulder (Isa. 9:6)? He will tread them with the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God; He has a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:1516). Of course He's not going to run for office. He doesn't need three branches of governmentHe is the Branch. Jesus Christ doesn't need separation of powersHe is the Power. He is the governing authority. He is sovereign, and all governments sit under His control. So does it not stand to reason that He is concerned about what this government represents? Spirit-Filled People Speak Truth Where does this "don't get involved" mentality come from? Unfortunately, it comes from men and women who are cowards or who are ignorant to what God's Word saysthey stay camped out in the "love verses" but not on the totality of Scripture. However, men and women who are filled with God's Spirit must speak truth. If we don't, what will we tell our children? Sorry, I was too busy on Facebook, I was too engrossed with Candy Crush, and I couldn't wait to retire and buy my motorhome and get out of here and leave you this mess. No, when you're filled with the Spirit of God, you have to say something. Leonard Ravenhill once said: "You must weep before you whip." I've cover my sermons in tears before preaching them. Just like JesusHe wept for Jerusalem. When the Spirit of God moves you, you have to say something, but cover it in tears first. I get emails regularly from government officials, school teachers, chaplains in the military and the like who say, "This is ridiculous. We're being restrained. We can't say anything. We can't do anything. Why isn't anybody saying something?" Who has the moral authority and responsibility to speak out if not the church? Yet we don't, because we're too scared. We're cowards. We don't want to lose our 501(c)(3) status, as if God is concerned about nonprofit status. We don't want to lose our job. We don't want to be bold. We're afraid of what people may think of us if we stand up and speak truth. We enjoy comfortable Christianity. We sheepishly remain silent while people accuse all of the nation's founders of being racists and bigots and Deists and say that America was never about putting God first. We can't look to the public schools to teach truth eitherthe very schools that were founded on biblical principles have taken a drastic turn into darkness. Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence, in 1790 said, regarding the public schools: "But the religion I mean to recommend in this place is that of the New Testament." How far we have fallen. "The church must be reminded that is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. . . . If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority" (Martin Luther King, Jr.). Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment I was heart-broken to hear of the passing of Dr. James Cone, a legendary theological professor. Having taken many classes with him at Union Theological Seminary in New York, having taught his work at New York Theological Seminary, Cone's theological vision has permeated my own evangelical theology. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was brutally murdered on April 4, 1968, James Cone was mad as hornets. Cone went down into the basement of his brother Cecil's church Union A.M.E. in Little Rock, Arkansas and wrote Black Theology and Black Power (1969) in six weeks. Cone writes of this experience, "It seemed as if a transcendent voice were speaking to me through the scriptures and the medium of African American History and culture, reminding me that God's liberation of the poor is the primary theme of Jesus' gospel." Liberation is the heart and soul of the Gospel. White evangelicals have demonstrated a commitment to thinking carefully about Christ and culture; now is the time to have an honest conversation about race in American society that includes the Evangelical Church, and Cone's life's work and death offer us the opportunity to reflect more deeply and deliberately during difficult days. Anointed by the Holy Spirit, Jesus inaugurated his ministry proclaiming "Good News to the Poor" (Luke 4:18,19). From the perspective of the poor in ancient Palestine, Jesus' message of justice, freedom and hope was heard as "good news." Connecting Jesus' preaching to the poor with the poverty and oppression of Black people in America, Cone reimagined Christian theology in the context of an America that continued to struggle with racism as its original and ongoing sin. Drawing on the Exodus narrative where God liberated Israel from the Egyptians, Cone discerned God's liberating activity in the Black Freedom movement as he spoke out boldly for every black person in America who was trying to survive in a white supremacist regime. Cone experienced racism first-hand, growing up in the segregated South down in Bearden, Arkansas in the 1940s and 1950s, and witnessed how Black folks suffered as marginalized people in a white world. In order to testify to the liberating power of the Gospel, Cone sought to interrogate the white supremacy that was preached and taught in white churches, colleges and seminaries. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s announcement of a "world freedom revolution", Cone wanted to usher in a theological revolution. Like Jesus' suffering as a marginalized Jew in a Roman world, Cone's A Black Theology of Liberation (1970) highlighted the realities of black suffering and struggle in the field of Christian theology and ministry. A minister and theologian in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Cone offered a courageous challenge to pastors and churches to confront America's racist past in order to press on toward a more just and equitable future. Among Cone's students is Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, Senior Minister of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, a pulpit formerly held by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Warnock argues in The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety and Public Witness, that the faith of the black church has been shaped and characterized by two complementary yet competing sensibilities: "revivalist piety and radical protest." Dr. King and the Black Christian leadership of the Civil Rights Movement were able to bring together these two streams in a fierce, faith-rooted movement for justice. Many white evangelicals shared this history of revivalist piety, but they were often resistant to participating in radical protest, and approached the problem of racism through personal piety, focusing on personal compassion. However, being an ethical individual is not enough for a problem like systemic racism that includes personal prejudice and power that has been institutionalized in a white supremacist system. So while many white evangelical's hearts may be in the right place, they have been tone deaf to the blue note of black suffering played in Cone's theology. Cone's challenge to white evangelicals to confront racism demands more than becoming anti-racist individuals; it challenges us to acknowledge and repent the ways in which we are participating in a system of white supremacy that benefits white people, while harming Black and brown people. The only way to change the white supremacist system is to understand the system and work collectively to dismantle it. To that end, 50 evangelicals met at Wheaton College last week for a two-day symposium to discuss how evangelicalism could begin to confront its racist past and chart out a path toward a prophetic intercultural future. Chaired by Rev. Claude Alexander, senior pastor of the Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, and Jenny Yang, a vice-president with World Relief, the meeting provided an important space for evangelical leaders to have an honest conversation about public Christian witness, addressing racism, sexism and immigration in the evangelical world. A rift emerged between the young leaders of color and older white leaders like Dr. Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, who decided not to return for the second day of the gathering. Instead of walking out, Dr. Cone would exhort white evangelical leaders to stay at the table. It's vital that we as white evangelical leaders stay at this increasingly diverse evangelical faith table. Only through honest conversation, vulnerable prayer and collective action can we heal racism and work for a better tomorrow. Now is the time for evangelical pastors and theologians to think, speak out, repent and work together. U.S. evangelicalism has been complicit in a rigged system of white supremacy in America whose victims are Black, but also Brown folks, First Nations, Asians, Jews and Muslims. Ultimately white supremacy harms everybody. As President Trump prepares to meet with over one thousand conservative evangelical leaders in June, a group of courageous evangelicals of color are meeting May 4-5 at the "Voices Conference" in Philadelphia to offer a prophetic alternative. Gatherings of forward-thinking prophetic evangelicalism are happening on the periphery in places like Philadelphia, challenging the center in places like Wheaton, with evangelical leaders like Leroy Barber, Amena Brown, Micah Bourne, Mark Charles, Elizabeth Conde-Frazer, Kathy Khang, Mike McBride, Latasha Morrison, Soong-Chan Ray, Andrea Smith and Gabe Veas who represent the new face of evangelicalism. Theology is not primarily about interpreting the world, but about constructing a more just and equitable world through bearing prophetic witness to Christ and the Kingdom. Forged in the fires of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, James Cone's Black Liberation Theology offers a courageous critique of the whiteness of American evangelical theology, a prophetic Christian theology relevant to black existence in a nation dominated by white supremacy. After Cone, evangelical Christians can and should be unapologetically Black and unapologetically Christian. The beating heart of Christian Theology is Black Liberation. May Dr. James Cone's Black Liberationist vision be resurrected in a new generation of evangelicals committed to racial justice, prophetic integrity, and large-hearted love. James Cone's heart for Liberation Love, lives on in the Jesus-led movement for faith-rooted justice, radical hospitality, and revolutionary love. When white evangelicals stay at the table with Christians of color, a brighter day will dawn in the evangelical world. Author of Jesus and Justice: Evangelicals, Race and American Politics (Yale Press), Rev. Peter Goodwin Heltzel, Ph.D. teaches theology at New York Theological Seminary and is an Auburn Senior Fellow. Larry Harvey, an Oregon farm boy who lit a wooden skeleton on Baker Beach in San Francisco, igniting the cultural force that is Burning Man, died Saturday. A messianic figure known for wearing a felt Stetson and smoking Marlboro Lights, Harvey was the founder and guiding light of the annual Burning Man bacchanalia in the Nevada desert, which attracts 70,000 campers the week before Labor Day. Harvey, who last appeared in public March 29 at the opening of a Burning Man art exhibition at the Smithsonian in Washington, died after suffering a massive stroke on April 4. He was 70. We resolutely held out for a miracle, Marian Goodell, CEO of the Burning Man Project, said in a statement. If there was anyone tenacious, strong-willed and stubborn enough to come back from this challenge, it was Larry. He was surrounded by family members in San Francisco when he died peacefully Saturday morning, Goodell said. What started on the Summer Solstice, 1986, with maybe a dozen people torching a 9-foot effigy at the beach, has grown into a year-round $30 million-a-year enterprise with 70 full-time employees at its San Francisco headquarters and satellite art events everywhere. As chief philosophic officer and Burning Man Project president, Harvey was plainspoken and good-humored about the spiritual command he held over his disciples, who call themselves burners. To the end, he designed and scripted the annual art theme, and when he gave his keynote address on the playa each year, he was listened to with deep rapture. People out here build whole worlds out of nothing, through cooperating, Harvey said in 1988, during a speech in which he encouraged the burners after an early Burning Man festival to go back out into the mainstream and live each day as if they were still in the desert. Weve been civilized from the beginning, he said. In the desert, its a baroque city like Paris or Rome. Burning Man takes place the week leading up to Labor Day, in a mystical and completely temporary metropolis called Black Rock City, which probably functions better than Paris or Rome. There is a street grid, neighborhoods, a police force, competing daily newspapers and radio stations, cocktail parties, dinner dances and high opera. As the event has gotten more mainstream and ticket prices more expensive, an unavoidable class system has evolved. Silicon Valley millionaires are the middle class, just like in San Francisco, and billionaires at the top of the heap are in luxurious motor homes with generators cranking out the air conditioning. Harveys own camp, named First Camp, was original and understated, with 70s-style RVs. The toughest invitation to score at Burning Man is for the nightly dinner there. The meal is prepared by a celebrated chef and guests sit at long tables, with Harvey in his hat usually at one end. Everybody is expected to pitch in. Google co-founder Sergey Brin was supposedly spotted there last year washing dishes. It is all part of being a participant. There are no spectators at Burning Man. For the price of a ticket, which ranges from about $200 to $1,200, you are expected to be part of the show. If you need an introduction to Burning Man, the San Francisco Public Library carries 18 nonfiction titles and five documentary films on it. Larry could be lovable and ornery all in the same sentence, said Chip Conley, founder of the Joie de Vivre hotel chain and a Burning Man board member. Often, his brilliance was more subliminal and profound than most people could fathom. Harvey was born Jan. 28, 1948. In a 2011 interview with The Chronicle, he said he and his brother Stewart were adopted by parents who moved West from the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl. They settled on a farm outside Portland, Ore. In some sense, I was raised in the 19th century, he told The Chronicle. As a child, I craved sophistication and culture. My parents didnt know what to make of me. Harvey served in the Army during the Vietnam War, stationed in Germany doing clerical work. After his discharge, he briefly attended Portland State University on the GI Bill before moving to San Francisco in the 1970s. He married Patricia Johnson and they had a son. Harvey supported them by working a series of jobs he described as romantically menial, while pursuing performance art projects with groups like the Cacophony Society. In the early 1980s, Johnson and Harvey separated and he moved into a rent-controlled apartment on the first floor of a mid-rise unit on Alamo Square. It was here that Harvey, who had worked as a cabdriver and bike messenger, got the inspiration to call up a friend, Jerry James, and state simply: Im tired of this. Lets burn a man, Jerry. They built the effigy in a Noe Valley shop and trucked it down to Baker Beach. With a crowd of about a dozen friends, they doused it with gasoline and torched it. When it flamed up, it was like a second sun brought down to this Earth, Harvey said, in a 1997 speech. It was just ... it transfixed us, but ... thats where the story begins, in fact. Within two years, the Man was 40 feet, nearly as tall as it is now. They posted flyers, and Harvey officially named the effigy and the event Burning Man. We didnt worry about getting a venue or asking permission. We started out guerrilla. We were illegal, going down to the beach to burn this thing, Harvey later said in a lecture at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The event grew year by year until, in 1990, 350 people came to the beach to watch the 40-foot sculpture burn. Also on hand was a park ranger who refused to let the torching happen. The sculpture was loaded back onto a truck and driven out to the Black Rock Desert, a dry lake bed northeast of Reno, where the first burn happened over Labor Day weekend. Harvey designed the effigy and wrote blueprints from which the Man has been designed and built every year, before it burns to the ground on Saturday night. Once it goes, everything else that will burn is also torched, and the festival finally ends on Labor Day. Harvey always enjoyed the flames, the chaos, the anarchy, the noise, even the heat and wind and rain on the playa. Once he described how a roller rink operated until 3 a.m. and the disco music had just died down when an artist started work on an ice sculpture. I was trying to get some sleep at 4:30 in the morning, and the chain saw woke me up, he said. I wouldnt exchange that for the world. According to a recent tax return, Harvey was paid about $200,000 a year, but he still kept the rent-controlled apartment on Alamo Square, where he lived alone. He was always of the people, friendly and talkative with his neighbors. His only visible change was when he finally retired the Stetson Open Road. It had been the style of hat his father wore. Im in territory today I could never have imagined, he said in 2011. Im 63, and I finally dont have to justify my existence to my father. Harveys survivors include his son, Tristan, and his brother, Stewart. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF Instagram: @sfchronicle_art Tax day has already come and gone. But what if you still haven't filed or paid? Regardless of how behind you are, it's time to address it. This isn't a problem that will go away on its own and it's only going to get worse the longer you ignore it. Here's what you should know: The rules It's true, not everyone has to file federal income taxes, but most adults do. People whose income falls above a certain threshold for their age and filing status are required by law to file. In general, those who are not required to file are lower income. If you are unsure whether you meet the threshold, check the IRS website. Not filing a federal return means you may face a "failure to file" penalty. It is normally 5 percent of the unpaid taxes for each month that a filing is late. It won't exceed 25 percent of your unpaid taxes. If you owe money and have not paid on time, you also face a "failure to pay" penalty. This is 0.5 percent of your unpaid taxes and may be up to 25 percent of your unpaid taxes, too. Interest will also accrue on the money owed the IRS over time. In general, the IRS is willing to work with you if you are behind. If you can show reasonable cause for not filing or paying on time, you will not have to pay a late-filing or late-payment penalty. But, in more extreme cases, if the IRS believes you are evading taxes, it can seek criminal charges. "If you don't file a tax return it's a crime, so there's potential jail time," said Allen Madison, associate professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law. "So it's not just penalties, it's also your personal freedom that is at stake." The options It's important to file as soon as possible, even if you owe and cannot pay, to limit your penalties. Contact the IRS for one of several options. If you aren't able to pay now but can soon, the IRS offers up to 120 days to pay in full, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent part of the IRS dedicated to helping taxpayers. It's not a formal payment option, so there's no application or fee, but interest and any penalties will continue to accrue until it's paid off. You can also apply for an installment agreement, which sets up a fixed monthly payment. Or you can request an "Offer in Compromise" that allows you to pay less than the full amount you owe, although experts say these are not widely granted. If you and the IRS agree that you cannot pay your taxes and also pay your living expenses, it may place your account in "Currently Not Collectible" status. The IRS will not seek to collect payment from while you are in this status, but the debt does not go away, and penalties and interest will continue to grow. "They will work with you if you are cooperating," said Damien Martin, director at BKD CPAs and Advisors in Missouri. Finally, a reminder: if you got an extension on your taxes, it only gives you added time to file, not to pay. The upside Here's a bit of good news: if you haven't filed in the past you may actually get some money back. The IRS reports they had about $1 billion in unclaimed refunds last year, so don't leave that money on the table, said Lisa Greene-Lewis of Turbo Tax. If you have a refund due, there is no penalty for failing to file your tax return by the deadline. But you only have three years to file and claim, or you'll forfeit your refund. It's typically students, part-time workers and others with low to moderate income who overlook filing and are due a refund. They may not even meet the threshold that requires them to file. But to collect the money they are owed, they must file a tax return. The help There are a number of places you can turn to if you are behind and need help. The first stop should be the IRS website or to reach the agency directly. The Taxpayer Advocate Website also has helpful information on your rights and options; it also has offices in every state. You may want to reach out to an accountant or tax attorney for help. And if you feel like you need help from a tax professional but cannot afford one, there are Low Income Taxpayer Clinics that can help with tax disputes for free or a low fee. Police have identified the two people shot early Saturday inside a home in Texas City. The incident was reported about 3:45 a.m. in the 3500 block of Palm Avenue. Police say Amy Brown, 37, of League City, was shot and killed; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Texas City resident Clint Felder, 46, was also shot, police said. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition Sunday afternoon. The motive and circumstances of the shooting are still unclear. On Sunday, Texas City police said in a statement that detectives "believe the shooting is going to be domestic related." They are still investigating. At the end of May, we will celebrate Memorial Day and honor our military men and women who have given their lives serving our nation, so that we might live free. Here are five things happening around your state this month: 1. Sunset Commission Hearing The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission recently held its first hearing of the interim. The Commission ensures state agencies are meeting their mission and purpose by making recommendations for which state agencies should be continued, how they can operate more efficiently and better serve the public. The hearing focused on the states Behavioral Health Boards, including Marriage and Family Therapists, Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Psychologist, the Texas Medical Board, Texas Veterans Commission and Texas Historical Commission. Final decisions for these entities will be made in May, but no recommendations can be put into law without final approval by the Legislature. To learn how to become a part of the process by attending a hearing or sending in comments, please visit www.sunset.texas.gov . 2. Special Education Funding The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has announced a new plan to address inadequacies in Texas when it comes to special education in Texas schools. The proposal includes special education professional development system for educators, resources for parents of students who may need special education services, funding for school districts providing services to students who may have previously been denied services. It also includes additional staffing and resources at TEA to help support education services and increase oversight to ensure all school districts in Texas are meeting special education laws. While TEA has designated $212 million to be spent over the next five years on this plan, they do plan to request additional funding during the 86th Legislative Session for local special education needs. 3. Redistricting in Texas The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments at the end of April to determine whether the district maps for two Texas congressional districts and nine Texas House districts, which were adopted in 2013, discriminate against minority voters. Last year, a lower court stated the districts were unconstitutional and violated the Voting Rights Act. Texas then took their case to the Supreme Court, asking for the decision of the lower court to be overturned. Depending on the decision made by the Supreme Court, Texas could be forced to come back and redraw the district lines for these specific districts. 4. Senate and House Education Hearings The House Public Education Committee met earlier this month to discuss the implementation of bills from the 85th Legislative Session including HB 21, which created a financial hardship grant for school districts, HB 22, which updated the A-F accountability system, and SB 179, which added cyberbullying to the Education Code provision of bullying. They also received an update on how school districts are doing after Hurricane Harvey. The Senate Education Committee also met this month to discuss virtual education, which offers supplemental classes through school districts, as well as a full time program, and if it should be expanded. They discussed how to expand access to high quality education opportunities, and received an update on the federal E-rate program. Texas participates in this program through state matching funds to help bring in and support high-speed broadband access to public schools across Texas. 5. Texas Armed Services Scholarship My office is currently accepting applications for the Texas Armed Forces Scholarship Program on which encourages students to participate in Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs at universities in Texas. To be eligible, must meet two of the following requirements: Be on track to graduate high school in a Distinguished Achievement Program or International Baccalaureate program. 3.0 or higher GPA Rank in the top third of graduating class. SAT score of 1590 or ACT score of 23. To receive the scholarship: Submit an essay explaining why you believe military service is important and how you would fulfill the requirements of the scholarship Enroll in an eligible Texas institution and an eligible ROTC program Commit in writing to: Remain in ROTC for four years. Graduate within six years. Enter Guard service or accept a commission with the armed services within six months of graduation from college. A San Antonio pediatric trauma surgeon, who treated victims of the deadliest shooting in Texas history, shows an HBO correspondent graphic images of how huge and horrific the wounds were from the assault rifle used by a gunman who opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Dr. Lillian Liao of University Hospital and UT Health San Antonio goes on to say that these shootings have become an epidemic, a public health hazard, and the nation needs to stop being divided and work together on a solution to stop these massacres. The half-hour Vice story, The Parkland Effect, airs at 6:30 and 10 tonight on HBO. It repeats at various times, including at 4:15 p.m. Saturday on HBO. RELATED: Sutherland Springs conspiracy theorists charged, released It also will be available, after Fridays initial airing, on HBO On Demand, HBO Now and HBO Go. Correspondent Gianna Tobonis interview with San Antonios Liao is part of a larger, cross-country investigation into arguments around arming teachers and whether the National Rifle Associations good guy with a gun narrative can solve gun violence. The show offers a look at those on the front lines of such mass shootings, exploring the nationwide debate around whether trained law enforcement should protect our schools and ways teachers are being equipped to respond to a mass shooter. In Parkland, Florida, Toboni speaks with still-shaken students during their first day back at Stoneman Douglas High since the shooting. Just a few hours away in Polk County, she embeds with the School Sentinel Program, a group of teachers going through 132 hours of firearms training and learning to hit the right target with assault rifles. Toboni also engages in a lengthy discussion with Dallas-based NRA-TV anchor Grant Stinchfield, who rejects the argument that weapons such AR-15s are a safety hazard and supports the idea of turning educators into good guys with guns. In the segment filmed in San Antonio, Dr. Liao recalls that tragic day last November, when the church massacre left 26 dead and 20 injured. Many of those killed were children and teens. RELATED: Air Force admits it failed to send Sutherland Springs gunman's records to feds We actually started receiving children first, Liao tells Vices Toboni. And I had a child he was internally bleeding. The reported firearm used was an AR-15. He was shot in the pelvis in the left leg and left arm. The firearm was a variant of an AR-15, the Ruger AR-556, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Looking at the X-rays of that child, Toboni notes: This isnt a bullet hole. Part of his leg was blown off. Yes. Its a cavity, Liao says. We call it gaping holes. To illustrate just how much damage the rifle does, Liao called up color photos on a computer of what a victims wounds looked like. Toboni warns viewers that the images shown will be disturbing. This was two weeks out, Liao explains. We dont take pictures in real time because were trying to save a life.. The force that hits the body is so fast, Liao notes. If anybodys been hunting and knows what it looks like after successfully killing the animal, this is how it looks. She goes on to elaborate on the sizable contrast between these wounds and those caused by a handgun. (That) most likely wont look like this, she says, explaining that some skin and tissue may be missing, but the wound essentially looks like a circular hole. People may not understand that and feel a firearm is a firearm, but they arent really the same, Liao adds. Toboni then asks the doctor what she wants to share with the general public as someone whos been in this situation. We have a public health crisis, Liao says. An increase in the number of firearm-related injuries as much as 20 percent since 1999. She went on to say she isnt just speaking as a doctor, but Im speaking as a person living in this country. We shouldnt have two divisive teams of people. Instead, she added, there should be one group of people working together. We need to do something. Jeanne Jakle's column appears Thursdays and Sundays in mySA. Read more of her columns here. | jjakle@express-news.net | @JakleJ After James Miller retired from the Austin Police Department, he took up guitar, strumming the instrument at a nearby musicians' bar, trying to put together a jazz band and getting together at the house of David Spencer, a 32-year-old neighbor and a saxophonist who shared his passion. In September, 2015, after a night of music and drinking at Spencer's house, Miller testified, his younger neighbor made a fatal mistake: He moved in for a kiss. "We were playing back and forth and everything, and I just let him know - Hey, I'm not gay," Miller, 69, said in an affidavit, according to Austin NBC-affiliate KXAN. "We been playing. We're musicians and all that kind of stuff, but I'm not a gay guy. Then it seemed like everything was all right, and everything was fine. When I got ready to go - it seemed like [expletive] just started happening." SENDING A MESSAGE: Police Department's rainbow cruiser raises eyebrows Then, he said, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Spencer two times. Miller showed up at a police station a few hours later, at 3:45 a.m., according to a police report obtained by the Austin American-Statesman: "I think I killed someone. . . . I stabbed him." He was charged with murder. Three years later, the former police officer claims the killing was self-defense, and he was in a "gay panic" after being hit on by another man. Such claims are legitimate, viable defenses in all but two states - California and Illinois - despite the work of LGBT advocates and a resolution by the American Bar Association to have the defense banned. In Miller's case the defense was successful. Jurors did not find him guilty of murder or manslaughter, and while he was convicted of criminally negligent homicide, he will not spend a day in prison. The former police officer was sentenced to six months in jail. He will have to complete 100 hours of community service, pay $11,000 in restitution to Spencer's family and use a portable alcohol monitoring service for at least a year. He will also be on probation for a decade. The case's disposition outraged LGBT advocates, who say the law gives non-straight people second-class citizen treatment. "It's hard to believe that something like this exists," D'Arcy Kemnitz, the executive director of the LGBT Bar Association, told The Washington Post. "This is something from the very darkest of ages, based on the idea that if a gay guy hits on a straight guy, then the straight guy gets to do whatever he wants to do to him, including a homicide." Defense attorneys have an obligation to provide a "zealous defense" of their clients, Kemnitz said, but such defenses are "playing on the fact that LGBT people are considered 'others' or outside what is normative or not as valued as others in society." Miller, who is 5 feet 4, at least eight inches shorter than Spencer was, testified he felt threatened in Spencer's home. "He had height advantage over me, arm length over me, youth over me," Miller said, according to the Austin-American Statesman. "I felt he was going to hurt me." "It was so uncharacteristic of Mr. Miller that for him to engage in this behavior clearly had to be an act of self-defense," said Charlie Baird, Miller's defense attorney. Prosecutors argued the argument was bogus because Spencer never threatened the older man or had any intention of hurting him. Miller told the court he and Spencer never fought. Miller did not have "so much as a scratch on him," prosecutor Matthew Foye said, according to the newspaper. The American Bar Association's resolution urged lawmakers across the U.S. to "curtail the availability and effectiveness of the 'gay panic' and 'trans panic' defense." Kemnitz said there is active legislation in several states to stop defense attorneys from being able to use a gay panic defense. She said the defense re-victimizes a person who has been attacked, but also sends a message to other marginalized members of society. "If there's a secondary chilling effect, when an individual gets to attack or indeed murder someone and walk away with a slap on the wrist or scot free, it tells us that we're still vulnerable," she said. A teenage girl was rushed to the hospital late Saturday after a crash with a wrecker truck north of Houston. The 16-year-old pulled out into traffic from Brenda Lane onto FM 1486 near Magnolia just before 10 p.m., and was hit by a wrecker driver, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg compared his citys upcoming weeklong celebration of its 300th birthday to a lifetime milestone of a beloved family matriarch a time to celebrate everything about her, and to wish many more. Commemorative Week begins Tuesday with a slew of nearly 150 events across San Antonio. Its also a catalyst, the mayor said, for San Antonios future, touching on issues ranging from transportation, housing and social equity to environmental and economic sustainability and historic preservation. There are specific events for residents and visitors to truly understand the city weve become, he said. We recognize San Antonios history and its preservation as interwoven with the citys future identity. Tuesdays 300th anniversary of the May 1, 1718, founding of the Mission San Antonio de Valero will be a Day of Reflection, with a historical re-enactment in the morning and music, prayers, ringing of church bells and illumination of a Commemorative Flame that will burn all week. This is meant to be an educational celebration with a focus on our history and our future, said Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of the Tricentennial Commission and Texas A&M University-San Antonio. We get one day of rest between Fiesta and Commemorative Week. And its going to be a lot of activity. The celebration continues with History and Education Day on Wednesday; Founders Day on Thursday; and a celebratory Arts for All Day Friday, leading into weekend events that include the opening a newly improved stretch of San Pedro Creek and activities at Fort Sam Houston, which will be open to the public for the first time since 9/11. Birth of San Antonio Aside from jacales, huts made of mud and tree branches, there were few signs of what now is civilization 300 years ago. The largely nomadic hunter-gatherers who encountered early friars and Spanish soldiers had lived off the land for more than 10,000 years, killing deer and other wildlife for meat, fishing at the creek and nearby river, and eating nuts and fruits from trees. The arrival of Europeans put this place on a path that, while often painful, has been recorded for posterity. Those who lived at the first mission were primarily the Payayas one of many factions of Native Americans collectively known as Coahuiltecans. The naming of San Antonio dates to June 13, 1691, when a Spanish expedition found a rich landscape of streams and lagoons filled with fish and alligators, and plentiful roaming buffalo. Because it was the feast day of St. Anthony, Father Damian Massanet named this place San Antonio, after the saint who gave up a life of wealth to minister to the poor and is remembered as the patron of those who have lost things of temporal or spiritual value. A 1709 expedition encountered flowing springs and named them Aqua de San Pedro at todays San Pedro Springs Park. Father Isidro Felix de Espinoza wrote in 1716 that the springs could support a mission, and were near a river that was very desirable and favorable for its pleasantness, location, abundance of water and multitude of fish. That same year, the Marques de Valero, viceroy of New Spain, approved a plan to move the mission of San Francisco Solano from Guerrero, Coahuila, near the Rio Grande. Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares was sent to start the new mission, accompanied by Martin de Alarcon, governor of Coahuila and Texas, with military protection. Olivares, portrayed in history texts as an aging and sometimes irascible priest, had visited what was known as San Antonio in 1709, and was determined to start a mission here. Olivares and Alarcon were often at odds. They traveled separately from present-day Guerrero, Mexico, bringing about 90 people, more than 500 horses and a herd of cattle. Mission San Antonio de Valero was founded near the creek on May 1, 1718. The nearby San Antonio de Bejar presidio and villa were founded four days later on May 5. Those two landmark dates, widely considered the birth of San Antonio and Bexar County, are the whole reason for the Tricentennial a celebration with nearly 700 events or activities and backed by a $21.1 million budget funded by the city, county and 160 private sponsors. Unique cities After the 1700s mission era, San Antonio was at the center of the first Texas revolution and deadliest battle in Texas history in 1813, followed by Mexican independence from Spain in 1821 and Texas independence in 1836. Arrival of the first railroad in 1877, establishment of Brooks and Kelly fields during World War I and 1939-1941 construction of the downtown River Walk further shaped the citys identity. But even before the now-popular River Walk, Will Rogers grouped San Antonio, San Francisco and New Orleans in a class by themselves. In a 1926 column published in the San Francisco Chronicle, he called San Antonio one of the three unique cities of America or at least it was, he said, before progress hit it. He decried the presence of a filling station in connection with the Alamo the iconic church at the third and final site of the Mission de Valero that became the legendary 1836 battlefield. In a 1931 column that ran in the Houston Chronicle, Rogers wrote of old San Antone, one of the last surviving unique cities of our country, where history has been made, and tradition and beauty preserved. The progress that Will Rogers had referenced, in a city now with about 1.5 million people, has caused growing pains crime, traffic congestion, economic disparity, environmental concerns and the loss of historic structures. But Teniente-Matson said Commemorative Week will stimulate ideas for moving forward, with themes such as friendship, service, health and fitness, environmental stewardship, access to education and economic development. Its something that will help us think about the foreseeable future. We say the next 300 years, but realistically, the next 10- to-25-year horizon, she said. shuddleston@express-news.net twitter.com/shuddlestonSA Almost five years after images surfaced of a mentally ill inmate wallowing in a cell full of human waste and bugs, the Harris County jail has cut in half its use of solitary confinement. The decrease is due in part to a decision to stop putting rule-breakers in solitary, officials say, and in part to the creation of two rehabilitative mental health units that provide a path out of isolation. Its a step in the right direction, said Anthony Graves, a death row exoneree who has spoken out against the use of solitary confinement since his release. It says that people are now getting serious about criminal justice reform. In the fall of 2014, the jail had 240 inmates isolated in so-called administrative separation. By March of this year, that number had plummeted to 122, or just over 1 percent of the jails population, according to data from the office of Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Thats a good indication that the sheriff is making a difference, said state Sen. John Whitmire. I would only urge them to continue. Declines due to drop in disciplinary cases Inmates in administrative separation - or ad sep, as detention officers call it - are locked alone in their cells 23 hours a day. They can still have visits, commissary and phone calls, but theyre only let out for an hour of recreation alone. The average length of stay is around 130 days, according to the sheriffs office. While some jails isolate inmates for rules violations, the Harris County jail reserves its use of administrative separation for safety and security issues, as in high-profile cases or for inmates with a history of assaulting officers or other prisoners. One of the most noticeable decreases in the past four years is in the number of inmates isolated due to an extensive disciplinary record - a category that fell 73 percent from 37 inmates in fall 2014 to 10 in March, according to sheriffs office data. Also, the number of prisoners tossed in solitary in light of high-profile cases fell from 84 to 0. Although the data shows that the solitary population has decreased since 2014, its not clear how that fits into longer-term trends, as the jail couldnt provide numbers going further back. Weeks before the jail started tracking monthly data about how many people are in solitary, why and for how long, ABC-13 aired photos of the fetid cell where jailers had left mentally ill inmate Terry Goodwin for a number of weeks the year before. Goodwin - who was being held in administrative separation at the time of the incident, officials confirmed was eventually awarded a $400,000 settlement and at least six jailers lost their jobs in the aftermath. In October 2014, the jail started its more detailed tracking, but sheriffs office Major John Martin said that the change was spurred by an interest in best practices and the timing in relation to the Goodwin case was just a coincidence. Theres a nationwide trend where correctional facilities are moving away from the use of administrative separation and in keeping with best practices and current practices, and also trying to do whats best for the inmates themselves, Martin said. There are a lot of studies out there that suggest keeping them confined by themselves might not be best so gradually we started changing a lot of our practices. I think a difficult part is changing mindsets - just getting people to think differently. Two pilot programs aid inmates The following year, in an effort to shift mentally ill inmates out of isolation, the jail launched the first of two pilot programs. The 2015 initiative, now known as the Social Learning Program and housed in the 2L unit at the 1200 Baker complex, holds just under two dozen inmates who get 16 hours of out-of-cell time per day. They were in the hole but now theyre not because of the program, said Major Mike Lee, who oversees the jails mental health and diversion programs. In the 2L unit, arrestees get programming and cognitive behavioral therapy-based groups twice a day. Groups focus on communication skills, medication management and anger management. Its so they wont resort to the same behaviors when they get out, said Sean McElroy, the jails mental health program administrator through The Harris Center. But part of the goal is also that, after some time spent in the program, the inmates can be transferred back to general population. Its something we feel is in everybodys best interest, Martin said. Michele Deitch, a criminal-justice expert and senior lecturer at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Austin, concurred, adding that mentally ill inmates are often at a higher risk for landing in solitary. Its well-established that solitary confinement is detrimental to the health of people, especially people with mental illness, she said. People with mental illness are far more vulnerable than other populations in the jail. They are more likely to be exploited by other inmates, theyre less likely to be able to follow directions, they are more likely to deteriorate under the conditions of confinement in the jail and, because of their frequent inability to conform their behavior to the rules, they are disproportionately likely to end up in solitary. With an eye toward rehabilitation, in summer 2017 the jail launched another solitary-reducing program this time in the nearby 2K unit targeting inmates with more serious and persistent mental illness. In 2K, detainees get 2.5 hours per day out of their cells, closely supervised by jailers in the common areas. The men are let out in groups of five, but even during the hours spent locked in theyre given TVs to help stave off boredom. We do want them to have something to occupy themselves with and to mark the passage of time, Martin said. But also you have a lot fewer disciplinary problems when they have a TV in the cell. Two weeks ago, the jail started offering group sessions four days a week for 2K inmates, Lee said. To figure out whos a good fit for the 2K and 2L units, jail officials do administrative rounds twice a week to look for inmates who might be eligible. Then, theyre referred to security for clearance and transferred to 2K or 2L that same day. Were trying to get as many people out of ad sep as we can, Martin said. Im not sure that well ever get to nobody in ad sep but the goal is to reduce that as much as possible. Solitary not used as punishment Aside from mental health programs, the jail has also reduced its solitary population by halting the use of solitary for rule-breakers the kind of change the corrections officers in some systems have resisted. We dont use ad sep as a punishment for violating jail rules - but previously that was an option, Martin said. Just discontinuing that practice has reduced the number of people in ad sep. He couldnt pinpoint exactly when the practice changed, but said it had been about four or five years. Now, the jail relies on other loss of privileges like commissary, visitation or good time credit to punish rule-breakers. The Texas state prison system made a similar shift last fall, eliminating the use of solitary for punitive purposes, as originally reported in the Houston Chronicle. The step back from isolation in Texas comes as jurisdictions across the country are reducing their reliance on solitary confinement. In 2015, New Yorks Rikers Island jail banned the use of solitary for inmates under 21. And Maine, Colorado, California and New York are just a few of the states that have limited or reduced their solitary confinement populations in recent years. Theres no national data on the percent of jail inmates held in solitary, but according to Scott Paltrowitz of the nonprofit Correctional Association of New York, the national average for prisons is around 4.4 percent. In the Harris County, its just over 1 percent. Thats roughly on par with the use of isolation in Rikers Island, but there are no national statistics tracking broader isolation trends in county jails. Mind sets are changing in Texas about the purpose of jail and incarceration, said sheriffs office spokesman Jason Spencer. Theres an understanding even among strong conservatives that people who are in jail or in prison are going to be back out and be in society at some point, and were better off if weve treated them like human beings and armed them with skills and strategies for becoming productive members of our community. keri.blakinger@chron.com twitter.com/keribla A San Antonio police officer working the scene of a fatal wreck was hit late Saturday by an alleged drunk driver in a pickup truck on the Southwest Side, according to police. The driver, 55-year-old Jesus Gonzalez Rodriguez, now faces charge of intoxication assault on a peace officer and endangering a child. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $70,000 bond. Last month, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, coauthored a special report in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled Balancing Safety and Innovation for Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine, in which they outline new regulations designed to expedite approval of stem-cell therapies to treat various diseases and disorders. Encouraging innovation is consistent with the direction that the FDA has taken under Gottlieb. These policies, however, especially concerning stem cells, represent an unfortunate entrenchment of the status quo. Stem cells have numerous therapeutic uses, some of which have been controversial. One of the simpler treatments involves autologous stem cell transplants: a doctor extracts stem cells from a patients body and uses them to treat a medical problem in the same patient. The procedure can be done in a day or over the course of several visits if the doctor chooses to multiply the patients cells before reinjecting thema process dubbed cell culturing. One key objection to unregulated autologous stem cell transplants is that transplanted cells may multiply, migrate, or metastasize in unanticipated ways. You get treated for a bum knee, the argument goes, and two years later, you have a tumor in your lung. In other words, like prescription drugs, stem-cell transplants come with the potential for unforeseeable, harmful side-effects, and as such need to be studied, approved, and fitted with an FDA warning label before being used. But as Manhattan Institute senior fellow Peter Huber has noted, theres no way to make one-size-fits-all determinations about the safety and efficacy of treatments engineered using a patients own cells, which are ultimately controlled entirely by the patients own unique code. A standard hip-to-knee stem-cell transplant may work wonders for one patient but have a nasty side-effect for another. As with any procedure, autologous stem-cell treatment is a matter of informed choice. The procedure was relatively uncontroversial until the FDA filed suit against Regenerative Sciences, a group of physicians in Colorado that had been treating orthopedic injuries with autologous stem-cell transplants. At issue was the cell culturing: according to the FDA, once a patients cells had been multiplied by a doctor, they now constituted a drug, subject to FDA regulation, even though the altered cells were being returned to the patient from whom they were taken. After an extended legal battle, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against Regenerative Sciences in 2012, effectively upholding the FDAs sweeping definition of what constitutes a drug. Many objected to the decision, claiming that it allowed the FDA to meddle in the practice of medicine. In the Wall Street Journal, a onetime FDA official wrote that the FDA had stretched that definition of a drug to the point where a reasonable limit no longer exists, and that the consequences could be deadly. The official was Scott Gottlieb, later to rejoin the agency when President Trump appointed him to head it. When the FDA began regulating autologous stem-cell transplants like a drug, it set a dangerous precedent for federal overreach in the practice of medicine. To put it in perspective, consider the fact that the FDA does not regulate organ transplants, which involve a second party (and a host of potential complications). By furthering this precedent in his capacity as FDA commissioner, Gottlieb has come close to embracing the purely oppositional attitude he once rightly criticized as an impediment to medical innovation. Gottlieb remains a huge improvement on his predecessors, who dragged their feet on approving stem-cell treatments, but this is a crucial moment in the new era of FDA regulation. Time will tell whether we see more of Scott Gottlieb, forward-thinking and unapologetic innovator. Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images The market for electric scooters is booming, with companies like LimeBike, Spin and Bird appealing to consumers in big cities who are looking for quick, convenient and environmentally friendly transportation. Investors are pouring money into these companies, especially as public transportation woes snare urban consumers. LimeBike and Bird have both pulled in over $100 million in funding, while earlier this month, Uber acquired Jump, which offers both bikes and scooters. Users call up an app to find a scooter nearby and unlock it. When the rider is done, the scooter can be left and locked anywhere. Depending on the length of time a user needs them, the scooters are also affordable: LimeBike, Bird and Spin are rentable for anywhere between 15 cents and $1 per minute. In the last few months, these scooters have popped up everywhere but not everyone is on board with their growing popularity. Last week, a headline in The Wall Street Journal blared that San Francisco was being "terrorized" by the trend. Indeed, a casual stroll down San Francisco's Market Street offered glimpses of unattended e-scooters on virtually every block. While commuters have embraced the ease and convenience the e-scooters provide, their ubiquity has been met with grumbles and, in some cases, government intervention. Recently, the San Francisco City Attorney's office slapped cease and desist letters on all three major e-scooter companies, taking them off the streets for now but the companies are still attracting interest from investors. As funding and consumer interest grows, companies are anxious to get their vehicles back on the road. In the coming weeks, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency should notify companies when electric scooter operators can resume business. For now companies like Bird, Lime and Spin are applying for permits to operate under the one-year pilot program in the city. Back in April, Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden, who is also an alum of Uber, issued a letter supporting more oversight. Bird "applaud[s] city officials efforts to work with us in ensuring that we can bring environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives to San Francisco, and we support... legislation to regulate e-scooters and are eager to continue the conversations around these regulations," VanderZanden wrote. A combination photo shows a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) handout of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un released on May 10, 2016, and Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump posing for a photo after an interview with Reuters in his office in Trump Tower, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., May 17, 2016. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday a meeting with North Korea could happen over the next three to four weeks. "I think we will have a meeting over the next three or four weeks," Trump said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Migrants in a caravan of Central American asylum-seekers board buses in Mexicali, Mexico, Thursday, April 26, 2018, for a two-hour drive to Tijuana to join up with about 175 others who already arrived. A caravan of asylum-seekers from Central America arrived at Mexico's border with the United States on Sunday, numerous reports showed, with supporters on either side of the fence separating Tijuana and San Diego rallying in sight of each other. Some demonstrators even climbed the border wall that runs right into the Pacific Ocean, sitting and waving as U.S. Border Patrol agents kept careful watch. Dozens of supporters also watched on the American side, where they were held about 20 yards away. Twitter was awash with posts of the developing situation. People scale border fence in Tijuana as migrant caravan prepares to seek asylum in U.S. http://on.nbc7.com/eEeaxM WATCH: Members of migrant caravan gather at U.S.-Mexico border, expected to seek asylum in U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been calling the caravan a threat to American, has been tracking the progress of the group, which began the journey on March 25 in the Mexican city of Tapachula, near the Guatemala border. Many of the migrants, said to be fleeing gang violence and poverty in their home countries, are looking to enter the U.S. by seeking asylum. Some of them plan to seek asylum from Mexico. Disparaging the caravan multiple times during his campaign-style in Washington, Michigan on Saturday evening, Trump called the developments a "mess." He added: "Are you watching this?" He then said, "Our laws are so weak, there's so pathetic, given to us by Democrats, they're so pathetic." Last week, Trump tweeted about the caravan, while making his case for the tighter border security, and the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that's he's been promising since the 2016 presidential campaign. Despite the Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and the Border being so bad and one sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL The Central Americans may provide a test for the Trump administration when they begin seeking asylum at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the San Ysidro crossing may be unable to take the crush of asylum-seekers all at once, forcing people to wait their turn in Mexico. Immigration lawyers, who say they want to prepare the migrants for the worst, are warning them they could face possible separation from their children and detention for many months while their petitions for asylum are reviewed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. China's securities regulator has released new guidelines for foreign investment in Chinese security joint ventures in which it eased some restrictions and launched an application process for more foreign ownership. The consultation period for the new rules that began in March is now over and the final regulations have been officially released for immediate implementation, the regulator said in an announcement on its website late on Saturday. During the review, restrictions limiting single foreign investors to a 30 percent stake in securities ventures, either directly or via a partner, were removed, according to the state-backed China Securities newspaper. Foreign bankers had expressed concern over this particular restriction, saying it might have required Western banks to include a third partner in deals which might stymie broadening international participation in China's domestic securities markets. Foreign firms that wish to make changes to their equity ownership in local securities joint ventures or that wish to establish a new joint venture can now apply to the regulator, it said in a question-and-answer published online. The move is one part of China's pledge to ease foreign ownership curbs to allow major international banks to bolster their presence in the securities business from underwriting to trading in the world's second-largest economy. Previously, Western banks could only own up to 49 percent of their Chinese securities joint ventures. That lack of control and limited contribution to revenue have long been a source of frustration. Below is the transcript of an interview with CNBC's Middle East anchor, Hadley Gamble and Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group & Chairman, Virgin Hyperloop One and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman & CEO, DP World Hadley: Sultan, Richard thank you so much for joining CNBC. Now you have just had a very exciting announcement DP World Cargo speed Sultan, what is DP World Cargo Speed? Sultan: It is the future of cargo basically. The idea is how do we move cargo with air speed at the price of land speed or land transportation, this is the ultimate and this is the future and DP World as an enabler of trade we are concerned all the time about how do we move things faster, more efficiently and become enablers in logistics for the intermodal trade and then we are adding another intermodal method which is the cargo speed. 2 Hadley: Sir Richard, when you think about what is happening in the transportation space globally there are a lot of worries about potential trade wars about the rhetoric between world leaders what is something that you think could move a cloud into that space? Branson: Well I do think that the Virgin Hyperloop can play a big role. I mean the reason I became Chairman and Sultan and the others they asked if I would you know come out and be Chairman of this company which actually I haven't been Chairman of a company for some time and I have let other people do it was because I found this ridiculously exciting I think that if we can build Virgin hyperloops in quite a number of different countries connecting countries and maybe Saudi to the Emirates or India to Pakistan or wherever, that will bring the world much closer and when you are talking about the pods going at about 6, 7, 800 miles an hour, both with people and with cargo that is tremenduously exciting it means that people can avoid the misery of sitting in traffic jams for 2 hours going one way and 2 hours going another way they can jump in a pod and from a freight point of view, it is fantastically exciting which is why you know we are doing this announcement today. Hadley: Talk to me a little bit about what this means going forward. In terms of that speed, the timeline for putting this all together because what you are trying to do as well isn't it is keep up with the changing nature of consumers right. But if you have to put this on a timeline which is years to get this done and billions to spend, isn't there the fear or the worry that you will have a changed consumer by the time you get it all done? Branson: Well we are going to be breaking ground in India in months. We are going to be breaking ground in other countries which we will be announcing in months so I think we are talking 2 to 3 years away. We are not talking about many years away and my children and my grandchildren are going to want the same things as I'm going to want. They are going to want to be able to get to places quickly they are not going to want to sit in traffic jams and they are going to want their Amazon packages that come from America now and so think these things can happen quite quickly. Sultan: Well the cargo speed or even the passenger speed is really selling time. That is what we are selling. We are selling time people don't want to stay in place. Another interesting thing I think is the construction of this is non-invasive when you come in a city because if you build a train, you have to build a bridge on top of it. But this is a simple construction. A tube that everything can go under or over and people wouldn't even notice the high speed train is going through because this is using magnetic cushion which means there is no friction, there is no noise and things can be moving from one place to another. And it is environmentally friendly, there is no emission. And imagine just how many tonnes and tonnes carbon monoxide you are going to save by people using this light of speed. So you talk to me about anywhere in the world actually today and instead of days will be maximum from end to end and anywhere in the world, 48 hours. So from China to Europe could be 10 to 12 hours. This is basically light of speed at affordable prices when you compare technology. ] Hadley: Talk to me a little bit about the security. How do you plan to secure the Hyperloop because this is something that oil pipeline space, people who are worried about security concerns particularly across the region, what are you planning to do to keep this secure? Sultan: I believe this is no different than having a train but this is actually better security because nobody can put anything in it because in a tube once the door is closed, nothing can come in and it is very easy to scan and to make sure that whatever goes in there, is safe. But once it is closed, the door, it is like an airplane. So I believe security wise security wise this will be much more secure than train or trucks or anything and also when you talk about smuggling the problem with the train is that it enters cities it has to stop in case something has been added or brought in or smuggled in this will go through borders faster, easier and more secure. Branson: And you don't need passports when you go through borders because nobody is getting off. I'll just give you a quick taste of what is going to happen if you say take 2 airports let's say they are 70km apart from each other and you connect them with a Virgin hyperloop you know so you arrive at one airport and your connection is 70 miles away from the other airport. It is going to take you 6 minutes to get straight there. No customs, no passports and then the pod you can get in the JFK pod, it will go straight to the JFK gate, with your baggage which will then go straight on the plane. Another pod will go straight to another gate, the cargo will go straight to the plane, so you don't then have the 2 hours since you are going through the airpod and all the misery that that causes so you know it is a futuristic world that we are talking about, a really exciting futuristic world. Hadley: And you saying this will make things actually more secure? Branson: Much more secure. Sultan: Absolutely. And so in reality, one of the biggest I think headache for people is really going through airports and the waiting and the long time it takes and the security it is a nightmare to go through before. But as Richard has explained you basically enjoy as if you are flying a private plane. Because you can go from wherever you are in the city, in your pod and this pod will go to each gate this is a game changer on the air transportation which will make it much easier for the passengers and the airport company. Because airport companies would be increasing the number of people flying with airplanes that carry 540 passengers, there is a limit to how much they can expand. This is a solution to a problem that is coming to become difficult. Hadley: So there are a lot of hyperloop technologies floating around. What makes this one different? Branson: Let me say why I became Chairman of this particular company. And whether we actually keep the name hyperloop is something we are questioning because I think this company is way ahead of all the others. The reason I joined is because there is a brilliant person called Josh Giegel who is the engineer the genius behind it who got 200 engineers together and they have created something completely unique something that goes faster than anybody else, something that we believe will be a lot safer than anybody else and they are way ahead of anybody else. So we are proud to put the Virgin brand on it and you know we have tothe proof will be in the pudding and i think that we will get the main contracts, we will deliver fantastic service and I think Virgin Hyperloop will build that around the world. Sultan: The interesting thing for us when we started is really how advanced the technology developed since we started. For example in the beginning the idea was when we looked at first that containers would be traveling and then passenger so they'll have a loop for passenger a loop for cargo. Now we're developed in such a way that actually the same loop the same path will carry a pod with passengers will carry another pod with cargo. This is if you think about it just like the airlines, the airline carries passengers and the airline carries cargo. This is really very appealing to us as people in the cargo business not necessarily we're going to have pods for cargo this loop is coming anyway. That is efficiency and cost effective when you're building something only for cargo can be cargo as well as passenger. Now this is very interesting for us. The other thing is also why we've been studying this from the cargo side we were faced with an interesting challenge. How do you put a container every six seconds in a loop? Which Hyperloop technology is good at putting the loop but to put it from the ship in six seconds is a different thing. And it took us a year and a half as DP World to come up with an idea that we learned a new technology created by us at DP World to allow us to do that which is a by product of joining the technology with Hyperloop. So now today we can be 500 percent more efficient in a terminal. And that idea is being going to be implemented in our terminal. So this is something we learned from the challenge of having to put every 6 seconds apart. The beauty of this technology also is that trains do stop in stations. But this one no pod stops if there is a divergent to an airport, all of them are continue and the one to divert will just go and everybody will continue in their way. And that is the beauty of the console the technology people Josh and his team are very bright people that come up with ideas advanced so I don't care really who says oh I have an idea of hyperloop. Maybe it's an idea seven years old but I am sure it is not the idea that we have today where we have invested a lot of money and we develop and perfect it. Hadley: You mentioned that you had thought about potentially changing the Hyperloop name. Is that because you think that branding and brand allegiance is changing with the changing consumer. I mean is brand allegiance essentially dead in some ways? Branson: I think that the Virgin brand is quite a strong brand and it's been around for 50 years. And I think that's the key differentiator perhaps than than that with the other Hyperloop brands. But you know I personally feel that this particular concept has got so many so many different factors from the others the technology which we obviously can't reveal. But you know it is so exciting that it deserves it most likely deserves a new brand a new name. And it's something which we're seriously going to consider and maybe we'll be doing another interview a few weeks time. Hadley: Fantastic. Talk me through a little bit about why Dubai. Why do you find Dubai so particularly exciting when it comes to brand awareness and the ability to be creative and different? Branson: Dubai are open to new things. I mean they want to be the first the first in the world with anything exciting and new. And there's nothing more exciting than Virgin Hyperloop. So we're a marriage made in heaven. And you know the fact that the ruler of Dubai is coming here to the QE2 today says a lot about this man Sultan. Also I think it says a lot about the whole concept and how excited Dubai are about what the Virgin hyperloop is working on and doing. Hadley: Sultan give me a little bit about.. You've had the interest in bringing the QE2 here which is an icon of really British past but also obviously you're very interested in technology and moving the story forward as well. How do you how do you kind of bring both to the fore? Sultan: Well this ship has a lot of history and Dubai is a Maritime Center. And so it is really something we are proud of that we have acquired this vessel and brought it back to its original condition we haven't had anything else and we are patching through it a maritime museum. People will learn about advances in maritime so that is something important for us to preserve our heritage and to contribute to preserve the Maritime Heritage worldwide. As far as technology and Hyperloop I think Dubai existence came out of innovation to be honest with you. Dubai is a small place we have a very small coastline we don't have a lot of land that is why you see people building high rises in Dubai. It is not by choice. It is a necessity we have no way of going horizontally. Development of Dubai as a maritime city today the Port of Dubai is one of the most important. Jebel Ali Port in Dubai today handles 50 percent containers for the whole state say 50 million. And Jebel Ali alone is 50 something million containers. When we started to develop our logistical reach around the world and rebuild a fantastic company acquiring XX company which is P&O which is a maritime icon. Not only did we take it as a small company but we expand it. So from 25 terminal we have 78. So the network of ports around the world the logistic ability and reach combined with this new technology is going to be what will make us survive in the future. Branson: Sorry I was just going to say I think what Sultan has done then with the QE 2 is as a somebody was born in Britain has a British accent. It's nothing short of miraculous. I mean it's wonderful that to bring a ship that has so much history back alive again. As a musing aside I was once crossed the Atlantic on a boat and we sank. I was in a rubber dinghy radioing for help and I was told that the QE 2 was coming to my rescue. And I never, never got there but I never got there in fact the banana boat got there first. So this is my first time on the QE2 but it very nearly meant a lot to me as well. Hadley: So Richard you're sort of the barometer for what's cool in terms of what's cool to invest in, in terms of what's the next big thing what's coming next? Branson: Oh well obviously we know we like to be. We like to do cutting edge cutting edge things. And as you may have seen about 10 days ago we had a very successful flight of our spaceship in the next three or four weeks we'll have a hopefully another very successful flight of our spaceship. And then you know where we're on the cusp of the cusp of fulfilling our dream which has taken 13 years. I mean we're you know we're willing to invest in the long term. There we've had eight hundred engineers working for you know for 13 years on this project. But you know we hope that in the not too distant future to be starting to send people into space. I'm sure that some people might. Sultan of course is going to sign off on the go. But. But the lovely thing is that a lot of people want to go to space. I think that you know we've also got something called Virgin orbits which is going to put bigger satellites around the earth and connect the four billion people who are not connected. So there's an awful lot of exciting things going on out there and you know Virgin likes to be part of part of these exciting exciting developments Hadley: Sultan when you look at the future distribution the future of transportation. What do you see next on the horizon? Sultan: Well let me tell you. Today, our vision is evolving and unless we are able to adapt to the evolution we will be missed. One of the reason we got interested in Hyperloop is I noticed three years ago when I first heard that they were talking about city to city there is no port in between. That scared me. That's to me that's disruptive to us. And so we looked at it but today the business is changing. For example you look at Uber as an example it is passenger with a driver and nobody in between cargo will have the same. So we have expanded our role as a port operator. Our role today traditionally is from the key to the gate. Now our role is from the factory floor to the consumer door. We have to be involved in that. We're not going to buy trucks, we are not going to buy planes but we're going to make sure we are involved. So we invested in logistics huge logistics operation in India. Both campaigns we have huge logistics in Peru and other areas to make sure that we connect everybody and not only that we are investing in technology and blockchain. And many think that today it's going to be very critical. We are very proud that Richard joined because he believes in technology not only he believe he practice technology. He is attempting space travel. So it's a good fit of somebody who knows and he has the knowledge and he believes in it because you cannot succeed in something unless you really believe in it and I think it is a good marriage for both of us to make sure this company becomes one of the main intermodal both for passenger and cargo Hadley: Finally gentlemen before I let you go I want to ask you. We've been talking about the future of technology. We've been talking about the exciting innovations that are coming on the horizon. What's something that keeps you up at night. Is it geopolitics. Is it how the world is changing is it climate change? Sultan: Let me tell you. You were asking before about trade wards and if you look today I was in China Hainan where this year there was some tension between U.S. and China and the Chinese president in the speech committed to reduce the custom duty to open China more. A few days ago the Koreans for the first time started to agree to a peaceful relation. So I believe that trade war is out of the past. I think I know whether Richard agrees with me or not but when you look at Trump people think he's a champion of trade war. He is is it his view is he wants to see fair trade. He doesn't believe free trade is answer. He says I open my market. I expect others to open their market if you close your market. Then I will retaliate. And I think what happened at the end of the day is everybody is committed to open their markets. Everybody will benefit when everybody opens their market. That is I think what's happening. But what keeps us awake in my view for me is technology. What tends to come in technology that we haven't thought of that will disrupt our business. This is what keeps us on our toes, that we have to be proactive. We have to watch. We have to see. We have attempt. We have to learn. You know we have to try and unless we do that we could be facing a problem in technology that we cannot fix. Hadley: Do you agree? Branson: Yes I think I agree with all that. I mean what keeps me awake I think we have a couple of organizations. One called The Elders and another one called Carbon War Room and another one called the B team that all are working on climate change issues. And you know it was magnificent that 192 nations signed up at Paris. But to get to carbon neutrality by 2050 we've got to work really hard to get there. And you know obviously something like Virgin Hyperloop which is carbon neutral. And we'll be using this sun to power it and battery to power it will play its part. It will take a lot of lorries off the road. You know for freight it'll take an awful lot of cars off the road so. So it's up to us entrepreneurs to come up with entrepreneurial ways of getting on top of these problems. Hadley: Gentlemen, we'll have to leave it there. Thanks so much for joining CNBC. South Korean president, Moon Jae-in (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) are hugging after issuing a joint statement in the Peace House building at the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea on April 27, 2018. Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps | Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to close the country's nuclear test site in May in full view of the outside world, Seoul officials said on Sunday, as U.S. President Trump pressed for total denuclearization ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim. On Friday, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal. North Korea's state media had said before the summit that Pyongyang would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace. Kim told Moon that he would soon invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea to "transparently open to the international community" the dismantling of the facilities, the Blue House said. "Kim said if the United States holds dialogue with the North, they would realize that he's not the kind of person who would fire a nuclear missile toward the South, over the Pacific or targeting the United States," Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a news briefing. "If the United States meets often and builds trust with us and promises an end of war and non-aggression, why would we lead a difficult life?" Yoon reported Kim as saying. Kim said there were two additional, larger tunnels that remain "alive and well" at the Punggye-ri test site beyond the existing one, which experts have said had collapsed after repeated explosions, rendering much of the site useless. Kim's promise shows his willingness to "preemptively and actively" respond to inspection efforts to be made as part of the denuclearization process, Yoon said. To facilitate future cross-border cooperation, Kim pledged to scrap the unique time zone Pyongyang created in 2015. He said the North would move its clocks forward 30 minutes to be in sync with the South, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kim also reaffirmed that he would not use military force against the South and raised the need for an institutional mechanism to prevent unintended escalations, Yoon said. Next steps Late Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump told Moon in a phone call that he was pleased the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearization during their summit, Seoul officials said on Sunday. Moon and Trump agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and Kim, and explored two to three potential locations, the Blue House said. A senior U.S. official has said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim summit. "Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realizing a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearization," South Korea's presidential Blue House said. "Trump was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result." Trump, who called the 75-minute chat "a long and very good talk" on Twitter, said his summit with Kim would take place sometime in the next three to four weeks. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," he said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, on Saturday. The White House said Trump and Moon during the call "emphasized that a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." Trump had also informed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he would urge North Korea to promptly resolve its abductions of Japanese citizens, the White House said. Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration signed by Kim and Moon focused on inter-Korean relations and did not clear up the question of whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. North Korea's state media on Saturday released the joint statement as part of a multi-page spread with more than 60 photos from the visit, lauding Friday's summit as a turning point for the peninsula. It made rare mentions of the denuclearization discussion, but did not go into detail, instead highlighting the broad themes of peace, prosperity, and Korean unity. The Doha Skyline at the Sheraton Grand Hotel on November 17, 2016 in Doha, Qatar. New U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Riyadh and told the Saudis that the United States has had enough of its blockade of Qatar, the New York Times reported over the weekend. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last year led a group of Arab states in an embargo against Qatar, accusing the country of being too close to Iran and of funding terrorists. Qatar denies that it supports terrorism. Pompeo told Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on Saturday that the dispute needs to come to a close, the Times said, citing an unnamed senior State Department official. The administration of President Donald Trump regards the spat between the Arab nations as a distraction while it tries to tackle what it sees as bigger problems, including an increasingly likely confrontation with Iran. Pompeo is also in the Middle East to discuss the Iran nuclear accord, which Trump is widely expected to scrap this month. Under that 2015 deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear energy program in exchange for an end to sanctions that have crushed the country's economy. The Iran pact was signed by most of the world's major powers. This week, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany separately visited Washington to try to persuade Trump to preserve the accord. For the full New York Times report, click here. Hyperloop tubes are displayed during the first test of the propulsion system at the Hyperloop One Test and Safety site on May 11, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hyperloop One stages the first public demonstration of a key component of the startup's futuristic rail transit concept that could one day ferry passengers at near supersonic speeds. John Gurzinski | AFP | Getty Images Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson wants to see hyperloop become a reality, and he wants it fast, he told CNBC from Dubai on Sunday. The British billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist chairs Virgin Hyperloop One, one of a few companies racing to develop the technology that it's hoped will revolutionize transportation of people and goods. And he sees it becoming operational in the next two to three years. "The reason I became chairman of this company, I found this ridiculously exciting," Branson told CNBC's Hadley Gamble in an exclusive interview. "I think if we can build Virgin Hyperloops in a number of different countries, connecting countries, that will bring the world much closer." First envisioned by Tesla founder Elon Musk in 2013, hyperloop transport promises to be faster than air travel but at a fraction of the cost. The concept is designed to propel pods through a large tube underground at speeds of 750 mph using magnets. Its developers hope to implement the technology around the globe. Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been invested in designing the systems. "When you're talking about the pods going at 6, 7, 800 miles an hour, both with people and cargo, that's tremendously exciting," he said, describing the ability it will allow people to avoid traffic jams by "jumping into a pod." The conversation took place as Virgin Hyperloop One and its major investor, Dubai-based port operator DP World, announced a joint collaboration to launch DP World Cargospeed, which plans to develop hyperloop transport for cargo. Branson also discussed his plans to break ground in India as well as announce projects in new countries within the next few months. In terms of making hyperloop travel a reality, this isn't a long term dream anymore, the CEO said. "We're talking about two to three years away, not many years away. My children and grandchildren are going to want the same things as I'm going to want they're going to want to get to places quicker." Up next: space travel Six questions for Rudd over illegal immigrants, and claims that she wants a new liberal system She feels hung out to dry by May Mail on Sunday Khan says she should quit Observer Lewis knew a Jamaican grandmother was wrongly held at an immigration centre Sun on Sunday Javid says his family could have been unfairly targeted in the scandal Sunday Telegraph Nokes is being investigated by the Conservatives over planning and council tax claims Sunday Times Cable drags Meghan Markles name into Windrush row Mail on Sunday Robots understand May, dont understand Bercow claim Sunday Times Sunday Times: She must get a grip or get out The documents outline plans to create a labour mobility partnership with Brussels in which EU migrants would be given preferential access to benefits, healthcare and the UK jobs market undermining claims that free movement would end when Britain leaves the EU. Details of the plans emerged with Rudds career hanging in the balance after she misled parliament about Home Office immigration removal targets. The leaked document, drawn up by Rudds team and officials in the Cabinet Office, was presented to Theresa Mays Brexit war cabinet last month. Sunday Times Ms Rudds defence that she had not read a June 2017 memo she was copied into which referred specifically to a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18 looks wobbly. There is something wrong with a department that did not warn its cabinet minister she was wading into deep trouble with her repeated insistences. Even if she had not read the memo it is also odd that this policy was not drawn to her attention by junior ministers, including the then immigration minister Brandon Lewis and special advisers. Sunday Times Her position is surprisingly strong; she could still be Prime Minister John Rentoul, Independent on Sunday Rudd and Thornberry; useless, both Nick Cohen, Observer We are all guilty over Windrush Dan Hodges, Mail on Sunday > Today: ToryDiary Rudd fastens the hatches as Davis stalks the deck Davis told Barwell: sack Robbins Green to fellow former Remainers: dont bring May down and risk a Corbyn Government over the Customs Union Sources told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Davis had rung No 10 Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell to call for the dismissal of Brexit adviser Olly Robbins, who is trying to drive through plans for a controversial new customs partnership with Brussels. Friends of Mr Davis say that he is growing increasingly frustrated at being squeezed out of crunch Brexit discussions by Mr Robbins, with Mrs May increasingly dismissing Mr Daviss advice on how to handle the EU negotiations in favour of suggestions from her adviser. Mail on Sunday I would urge those who share my broad views on Britain and the EU to start contributing to the debate in more practical terms. Britain can thrive in the post-Brexit era, but maintaining close links with our neighbours will make a significant contribution to national success. What would undoubtedly be a national disaster would be any political action which made it more likely that a hard-Left Corbyn Government came to power. That would not just wreck our economy, but, looking at the way dissident Labour MPs are being hounded and abused, damage our whole democracy. Mail on Sunday Crunch time for May Andrew Rawnsley, Observer Local elections week. Labour pushes in London. More colourful candidates. More anti-semitism. Scottish Tories turn heat up on Scottish Health Secretary Time on the campaign trail suggests the wind is driving hard into Labours sails ahead of polling day. Yet there is a nervousness. Fear of falling just short is competing in the minds of party activists with excitement at the prospect of winning. What could be a great night in Wandsworth and other urban areas could just as easily turn into one of deflation and dejection. An opinion poll on Friday suggested Labour would gain a large number of seats on Thursday but still fall short of taking the two great London prizes of Wandsworth and Westminster. Observer This week the Health Secretary will be told she is on her final warning when the Scottish Conservatives demand urgent action to sort out the problems facing the NHS. Robison is already facing calls for her resignation from Labour and the Lib Dems with talks taking place behind the scenes between the parties over whether she should face a no confidence motion. With her fate now in the hands of the Scottish Conservatives and Greens, the Health Secretary faces a crucial week at Holyrood. Scotland on Sunday New system for handling bullying and abuse claims against MPs outlined. Is it a kangaroo court? Claims against Elphicke and against the Whips latest Mail on Sunday The handling of the case has been deeply unfair to all concerned Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times Woodcock inappropriate texts claim; theres a Labour disciplinary hearing Sun on Sunday Janners son prepares legal action against Nick, accused of inventing false claims against Heath and others Sunday Times Jong-Un says foreign observers will watch the dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear test site Politicians would be sanctioned if on the balance of probabilities the incident occurred. An alleged victim will be able to use the system even if they dont want to go to the police or if prosecutors dont proceed with the case. Witness statements from any alleged victim and colleagues would be used in the case against the accused politician. All parties would be kept anonymous with the MPs identity only being revealed at the conclusion if found in breach of rules. MPs could be suspended from the Commons or face being losing their job under plans being drawn up. Sun on Sunday Concluding the summit, the leaders agreed on a commitment to sign a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War by the end of the year and to achieve the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula. The North Korean leader also expressed optimism about his anticipated meeting with Donald Trump, saying the US president will learn hes not a person to fire missiles toward the United StatesNorth Korea this month announced it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Kim reacted to skepticism that the North would only be closing down the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the countrys sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. Sunday Telegraph Peace in our time? Not very likely Janet Daley, Sunday Telegraph Trump renews attack on lousy and horrible new London U.S Embassy location Mail on Sunday He deserves a proper welcome in Britain Sunday Telegraph Editorial Putin fears the glare of exposure John Penrose, Sunday Telegraph Dominic Lawson: A lesson from the tragic tale of Alfie Evans. The state doesnt protect the rights of parents. No wonder we disgust the Poles and Italians. That truth is about to be put before the courts in another case, in which my wife is involved. With two other mothers whose adult children, like our younger daughter, have what nowadays is called learning difficulties, she is bringing a test case before the Court of Protection. As the law stands, the parents of such adults, whether in residential care or not, have no right to a decisive role in how their children are treated. The carers would be obliged to give the parents such a right if the mother or father were appointed by the courts to be their adult childs welfare deputy. But the current code stipulates that this can be agreed by courts only in the most difficult cases. Sunday Times > Yesterday: ToryDiary Look wider than the tragic tale of Alfie Evans. And ask if the balance of power is right between families and the state. Rob Wilson is a former Minister for Civil Society, and was MP for Reading East from 2005 2017. The Prime Minister recently reaffirmed her commitment to a bold programme of social reform, making Britain a better place for everyone, not just the privileged few. She personally chairs the Social Reform Cabinet Committee, and has taken responsibility for delivering a new housing plan, which will provide more affordable homes for families. And therein also lies the problem for the third sector. Unless a social problem has the Prime Ministers and Number Tens direct and personal attention, very little progress can be made across Whitehall departments. Under the current system, the contribution that the third sector could make to social change will never get the attention it deserves. My personal experience, particularly when in the Cabinet Office, is that government is too big and fragmented to get much done that involves any level of co-operation or consideration from other departments. There is mind-boggling departmental territorialism to overcome, a civil service that is ultra-cautious and resistant to change and ministerial colleagues with either a lack of entrepreneurial spirit or a torpor induced by multiple failures to make progress. The system works as a roadblock to change, and is a master at setting traps against radical reform. Which isnt to say a determined minister who knows what they really want within a department cant be successful. One only has to look at Michael Gove, although he had to fight a long and protracted battle internally. The Big Society vision that David Cameron was initially so passionate about should have been a big step forward for government and changing power structures across the UK by giving citizens, communities and local government the power and information they need to come together and solve their problems. The Big Society was about disrupting the current cosy system. It wanted society the families, networks, neighbourhoods and communities that form the fabric of so much of our lives to be bigger and stronger than ever before. The governments Big Society document said: Only when people and communities are given more power and take more responsibility can we achieve fairness and opportunity for all. Cameron was absolutely right but there was one big strategic mistake, as indentified in the original document: Building this Big Society isnt just the responsibility of just one or two departments. It is the responsibility of every department of government Unfortunately, central government is almost entirely incapable of this type of co-ordinated action. Joint ministerial committees were generally regarded as tiresome, and passed down from senior ministers to junior ministers as quickly as possible. There was never any decision-making at meetings and no accountability for progress. It would have taken huge personal will from the Prime Minister, little or no political resistance, big encouragement from the third sector and entrepreneurial ministers with cross-departmental powers. None of which were forthcoming, and government moves on quickly to the next shiny object if something absorbs too much political capital. We still have a newish Prime Minister who wants to deliver fairness and justice for all, but if she is to succeed a big change in government structure will be needed as radical social reform will not be delivered by the current model. Three things need to happen; first, a new Department for Social Change needs to be set up under a Deputy Prime Minister it should have overall responsibility for health, education, universities, communities, housing, civil society and be closely linked to Department for Work and Pensions. This way, the Prime Minister can set out her vision for social change and have it delivered by an integrated ministry and a trusted and experienced deputy such as Jeremy Hunt. He would act more like a chairman of a board, with secretaries of state accountable on a daily basis for delivery of the plan for social reform, as would their civil servants. Within the structure, there would be a Secretary of State for Communities and the Third Sector bringing together local and national government closely with charitable and social endeavour. If delivered properly, it would lead to more streamlined government and decision-making. If the structural obstacles to social reform across government can be fixed, it means that delivery becomes possible. This is where the second change needs to take place how things are delivered. Most big government programmes are still delivered without much success. They are large, bulky, fail to be customer focused and have little or no local knowledge, hence they are largely inefficient at best and monumental failures at worst. Many billions of taxpayers money are routinely wasted across multiple programmes. My second change responds to this by introducing new blood to the civil service system to constructively challenge it. The Department for Social Change would need to be allowed to make more political appointments of people who are not civil servants and have a combined commercial and political understanding. Currently there are enormous skills gaps in all departments on the commercial and contracts side, a complete lack of grip of how much things should cost, getting the best value and understanding the quality of products and services being delivered. There is a huge gap between ministers and the commercial coalface that needs to bridged, where they have no line of sight or control on value and costs. Incredibly, most Secretaries of State do not have a grip on this, thats why they need to appoint their own people to ensure there is always a pressure everywhere within the system on value for money. Third, the relationship between government and the third sector needs to be fixed once and for all. The new Department for Social Change needs to bring the third sector into its centre to complete the reorientation of government. Through the Big Society, Cameron wanted power devolved and responsibility for action owned within communities. Working alongside local government and other partners, its the third sector that can deliver this mico and local level of social change. The Social Value Act should be at its heart, the acid test of the new departments huge spending power each pound of hundreds of billions it spends annually would now have the added impact of social good attached to its mission. The new appointees will be tasked to find ways to implement social change through social value in contracts, spread best practice within government, encourage the growth of charities, social enterprises and mutuals that deliver high-quality local services, and look for positive ways for the private sector and the third sector to collaborate. This will involve some re-prioritisation of spending so that the third sector is assisted with the delivery of the change government wishes to achieve. For example, the budget to support mutuals is woeful, yet should be a key part of the change in delivery taking place. I have previously written about how the third sector needs to change, but I have always argued it is not a one-way street: there are big failings with government.These three measures would provide the necessary level of disruption to begin to change the way social policy is delivered by government. Undoubtedly, more action will be required as it will be a significant challenge to convince both ministers and the civil service the resistance to change is a very powerful force within the system. But, although the EU referendum has split the country, it has demonstrated that people are desperate for real social change and something new. It is our duty to respond or we will all face the consequences of failure. This article first appeared in Third Sector. CORNWALL, Ontario Canoeing, Kayaking, and spectating followed the Raisin River as racers for the annual timed competition made their way from St. Andrews to Williamstown on April 22, 2018. I think we really lucked out with postponing the race to this weekend! We got the perfect day, exclaimed Lissa Deslandes, organizer of the race. In comparison to last weekends snowstorm, the sunny weather was amazing. Most people bring their own canoes and kayaks but some rentals were available. The race is approximately 30 km long with a dame in Martintown that is either portaged or competitors can risk capsizing their canoe. This year, the race had approximately 164 boats competing with kayaks and canoes. Many volunteers came through to help the race run as smoothly as it did with firefighters and medical crews standing by. We still recommend to everybody to portage but those that really want to shoot the damn and that is what the spectators come to see, said Lissa. The new Mein Schiff 1 from TUI Cruises has made its first port call in Germany. The ship arrived in Friday morning in Kiel, accompanied by water cannons from local tugboats. The ship was built at Meyer Turku in Finland and handed over to TUI Cruises last week. The new Mein Schiff 1 was welcomed by Mayor Hans-Werner Tovar and the managing director of the Kiel seaport, Dirk Claus. Both presented Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises and Kjell Holm, captain of the new Mein Schiff 1, the plaque for the first port call made by the ship. The new Mein Schiff 1 will be christened on May 11 by beach volleyball Olympic champions Kira Walkenhorst and Laura Ludwig in Hamburg. The first cruise for the Mein Schiff 1 in a six-day trip to southern Norway with stops in Bergen, Stavanger and Copenhagen. It is the fifth vessel built for the German line by Meyer Turku, and ushers in a new era for the Mein Schiff platform, as the ship class was lengthened by 20 meters for additional capacity, allowing the ship to carry 2,900 guests. Facts and Figures: Mein Schiff 1: Commissioning: May 11, 2018 Length> Width> Draft: 315.7 m> 35.8 m> 8.0 m Surveying: 111,500 GT Number of decks: 15 Flag: Malta Crew size: approx. 1,100 Passengers: 2,894 (on a 2-bed basis) Cabins: a total of 1,447 Restaurants & Bistros: 12 Bars & Lounges: 15 The 2017-built MSC Meraviglia officially made her maiden call at the port of Hamburg today, marking the start of her new season in Northern Europe. MSC Cruises also announced that MSC Grandiosa will be christened in Hamburg in Nov. 2019. MSC Cruises Executive Chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago commented: We are delighted to announce the christening of MSC Grandiosa here in Hamburg. Since our last christening in Germany of MSC Magnifica in 2010, as a company we have embarked on a journey of strong growth and the German cruise guest has embraced our brand and our offering in a strong way so it is only natural that we would look to christen in Germany our next flagship and the first of the Meraviglia-Plus ships to come into service, MSC Grandiosa. We hold a special relationship with Germany overall and we are looking forward to celebrating with our German partners next November as well as welcoming our international guests to this historic port, rich in Maritime tradition and heritage. This summer, MSC Cruises is opening up Northern Europe to even more cruise guests and with the addition of MSC Meraviglia, offering four ships, 36 different itineraries and six possible embarkation ports across Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Denmark. While traveling far from his Westport home on Pepperidge Farm business, Carlos Abrams-Rivera says he hears hotel staff reminisce from time to time as they check him into his room about the cookies and crackers they grew up on. With Pepperidge Farms parent adopting late last month a major new snack giant, there is plenty more fodder for Abrams-Rivera to hear. In March, Campbell Soup spent $6.1 billion to acquire Snyders-Lance, whose snack brands include Snyders of Hanover pretzels, Cape Cod and Kettle Brand potato chips, Emerald nuts and Pop-Secret popcorn among others. As president of the Campbell Snacks division of Camden, N.J.-based Campbells, Abrams-Rivera now oversees both Pepperidge Farm and Snyders Lance, which maintain their respective corporate offices in Norwalk and Charlotte, N.C. Last year, Pepperidge Farm marked its 80th anniversary as a Connecticut-based brand, employing about 250 people today at its Norwalk offices and food research center. Margaret Rudkin created the company in her Fairfield kitchen after coming up with a bread recipe for a child who suffered food allergies, and opened her first bakery in Norwalk in 1947. Campbells acquired Pepperidge Farm in 1961, with Goldfish crackers debuting the following year after Rudkin drew inspiration from a snack she tried while on vacation in Switzerland. According to revenue estimates published by Statista, Goldfish sales alone totaled more than $500 million last year, making it the second-best selling cracker after the Cheez-It brand owned by Kelloggs. All packaged food brands are confronted today with a new generation of moms and dads who bring a different perspective on food shopping from their own parents, as pointed out in February by Campbells CEO Denise Morrison in comments at a Florida conference sponsored by the nonprofit Consumer Analyst Group of New York. Millennials sit somewhere between resistant and impervious to advertising, Morrison said. One of the only things that attracts their attention and connects them to your brand is if you can forge a common and meaningful bond with them one that is based on purpose and values. From the home of the Oreo Abrams-Rivera has led Pepperidge Farm since 2015, joining the company from food giant Mondelez International which has a huge share of the cookie and cracker market with names like Nabisco and Oreo both billion-dollar brands in their own right, according to Mondelez and Ritz, third in cracker sales after Goldfish, according to the Statista study. Growing up in Puerto Rico, Abrams-Rivera attended Carnegie Mellon University then worked in the Puerto Rico governors office for a few years before going on to an MBA at the University of Michigan. He joined Kraft Foods, starting at Oscar Mayers former headquarters in Wisconsin, and would spend more than 20 years in a range of positions with Kraft. That included stateside assignments such as with Nabisco in New Jersey, as well as overseas posts including in China. After Kraft split to form Mondelez, Abrams-Rivera ran Mondelez operations in Mexico and then candy for all of Latin America before joining Pepperidge Farm. Abrams-Rivera obviously had been familiar with Pepperidge Farm and said he had admired them from afar, making it an easy choice to join. Real food and real stories Pepperidge Farm of late has invoked both its founders Connecticut heritage and the real food vow of its corporate parent with its Pepperidge Farmhouse Thin & Crispy Cookies, a new cookie straight from 1937, with each variety baked from no more than a dozen ingredients. Farmhouse cookies ... was an opportunity for us to take this idea of real food snacks to the category of cookies, Abrams-Rivera said. It has been the biggest success we have had in snacks in more than a decade. ... We modified our bakeries so that we actually mix the ingredients for the cookies the same way you would at home. Abrams-Rivera said Snyders-Lance enhances further that stance with the companys deep understanding of the part played by organic and natural foods in the packaged goods industry. If Abrams-Rivera were forced to subsist on just one Pepperidge Farm cookie variety for the rest of his life, he says he might go with Chessmen, hearkening to the butter cookies he loved growing up, with Abrams-Rivera also partial to the Royal Dansk brand owned by Campbells. But everyone has their own favorite. Its always a happy memory associated with it, he said. People see I am with Pepperidge Farm and they want to tell you stories. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman BRIDGEPORT Monday could finally bring some closure to the two-year fight over changing the citys liquor laws. The Zoning Commission may, after multiple delays, vote on a proposal from the planning department to halve the required distance between package stores and sensitive uses schools, day cares, houses of worship, hospitals from 1,500 feet to 750 feet. The commissions meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace. If approved, the distance change would be a victory for Michael DeFilippo, whose fledgling North End liquor store, Vitros, was shuttered by a Superior Court judge in early 2016. The judge tossed out the zoning variance the young, politically connected businessman had received in late 2015. DeFilippos operation, at 1044 Brooklawn Ave., is within 1,500 feet of houses of worship and a day care, but those entities did not oppose him and he received substantial support from local Democratic politicians when he sought his 2015 variance. Vitros is also across the street from a pizza restaurant owned by Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa, for whom DeFilippo tended bar. Restrictions at issue After the court ruling, DeFilippos attorney, Charles Willinger, tried and failed to alter the 1,500 foot rule to help his client re-open. Willingers and DeFilippos persistence resulted in Lynn Haig, Bridgeports city planner, deciding last year to take a look at the existing liquor rules and try to find a happy medium where the applicant gets some of what he wants, but only if it works citywide. Haig signaled at that time that she had problems with the status quo. Bridgeport, when compared to 13 large or adjacent Connecticut municipalities, is the most restrictive in its zoning regulations for liquor control, she said. Haig subsequently produced amendments reducing the 1,500 feet to 750 feet but, she argued, the changes would also give zoning officials more power than they now have when it comes to issuing liquor store approvals. If that passes (Monday), then Michael would have to reapply (to re-open Vitros), but at least hed be conforming to the distance requirements, Willinger said last week. He added: And it makes good planning sense. If Bridgeport wants to join the 21st century and be comparable to other municipalities, they should be done with this archaic (1,500-foot) rule. DeFilippo, Willinger and now Haig have faced intense opposition from other package stores, city education officials and some City Council members. Late last October, when the Zoning Commission held a public hearing on Haigs proposal and members of the public attending in opposition were asked to stand, 30 people in the audience got to their feet. No one rose in support. So why do Haig and the planning department seem so intent on getting something passed, rather than dropping the matter? That is what Joel Green, an attorney representing 22 liquor stores fighting the changes, wants to know. Green argued that amending the booze laws had never been a stated priority of current Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim a close ally of Testas or of other city elected officials, past and present. So its difficult to understand what is motivating the Office of Planning and Economic Development to spend the time and effort that it has put in on this issue, Green said. Obviously the suspicion is this is all to benefit a single property owner. Tweaking amendments Haig refuted allegations last September that she had gotten involved in the liquor rules fight because of politics. Ive never met Mr. Willingers client (DeFilippo), she said. I do not know Mario Testa. I was not politically pressured in any way. I am making a proposal as a professional planner and doing my job to the best of my ability. Haig, in a brief email for this story, wrote that she recently adjusted her amendments to address criticism from the community. For example, a change in ownership of a package store would trigger the need for a new zoning approval and stores that break the law like serving booze to minors could lose their zoning permit. Anne Pappas Phillips is a veteran Zoning Commission member. She admitted in an interview Friday that everybody believes its Mario Testa who wants the zoning change made for DeFilippo. But, Phillips said, she will likely back Haigs proposal to send a signal out to the public that the city is open for small businesses to come in. Our tax rate is based on the commercial tax base, Phillips said. If this package store was applied for by Joe Schmoe (and not DeFilippo), there would have never been a problem. Green countered that new rules would drive existing liquor sellers out of business and would likely be successfully appealed in court. Theres immense competition, price pressure. Were all aware of the presence of megastores invading the Connecticut market, Green said. All this amendment will do is hurt small businesses in Bridgeport. Dont try to sleep it off get up! As the BJP juggernaut moves ruthlessly towards 2019, middle class India virtually treats victory as a fait accompli. However, there are dangers in this fatalistic acceptance of a majoritarian democracy. Brute majorities are rarely catalytic or creative in politics. The need for a creative Opposition becomes much more urgent and persistent. Yet, there is sadness here. Downplayed idea The idea of a powerful Opposition has been downplayed. Watching the current musical chairs parody of the setup, one wonders whether the word Opposition should be used for the motley assemblage of Mayawati, Mamata, Naidu, Stalin, and Yechury. Their behaviour is virtually hysterical, without any sense of strategic networking. The recent meetings of the CPM despite Yechurys efforts are indicative of this trend. Indian democracy is far from realising that Opposition is critical to its life blood. In a majoritarian era, the idea of an Opposition is almost treated as anti-national. At one level, one needs to reiterate the theoretical and historical possibilities of an Opposition in a multiparty world. While in a two-party system, where the loser is the Opposition, an Opposition in a plural frame is a many-layered drama. An Opposition is a trustee to the varieties of dissent, marginality, radicalism, eccentricity even to the dream of alternative imagination in a society. It sustains the dream of difference arguing differences need a variety of representation and that it is differences that sustain the dynamics of a democracy. In this sense, an Opposition is an act of memory, an ethical reminder of possibilities beyond the currently conventional and victorious. In sustaining the ethics of representation, an Opposition is a reminder of all the possibilities a regime needs to explore. One realises that what has been spelt out abstractly needs the drama of the concrete. How does one keep such an anarchic gang of politicians together? The necessity of a manifesto, a vision, becomes urgent. Unfortunately, each party is obsessively focused on itself. There is no clear critique of the BJP and, therefore, little debate. What little debate that exists has been triggered by the recent tussles between north and south after the Finance Commission. A north-south Opposition is too stark and dualistic. It provides a pretext for an Opposition, not a text. What it critically raises is the question of federalism and finance, the question of how each state can be more autonomous in a federal world. Here the emphasis is on a plural world of choices, which the BJP has little understanding of. While this triggers the debate on the Opposition, one realises that the everyday raw material for difference has to be sourced elsewhere. A north-south Opposition is too stark and dualistic. Layered world A civil society is a many-layered world which can provide the diversity an Opposition requires. It is not just a question of minorities. The minority-majority Opposition is only one drama of difference. India is a diverse marginal world, where our margins have large geographies and larger imaginations. An Opposition has to bring a network of marginalities ways of life together. Dissent is a major intellectual activity and the dissenting imaginations of the last few decades need to be put in some kind of syncretic touch with each other. Imagine if tribal groups, the MKSS in Rajasthan, the anti-Narmada dam movement, the coalition of peasants fighting drought, the NGO battling the imposition of biotechnology in agriculture were to get together to rework an idea of agriculture. These networks would anchor an Opposition whose vision goes deep into the future. The future as an Opposition to the majoritarian present is an idea that one must develop. The BJP, pre-occupied with inventing the past and claiming ownership of the present, has little sense of the future as a different world. By using the future as an imagination, as a heuristic of new possibilities, an Opposition, as it turns creative, can demonstrate the impoverished status of the current majoritarian world. Unfortunately, each party is obsessively focused on itself. Knowledge base The university as a knowledge base aids social movements as a trail of critique and experiments becomes critical to the next step. An Opposition has to argue that the emasculation of the university affects more than the university. It destroys the knowledge systems and economies of a society. Amartya Sens legendary creature, the argumentative Indian is a native of the university, as an institution. In many ways, the university as a plural domain of ideas is oppositional by preference. India desperately needs ideas, alternatives, and more inventive imaginations as we are being out-thought and outfought as the BJP celebrates its mediocre ideas. A university articulating an Opposition to a mediocre regime can be the basis of a different debate. Unfortunately, ideologies have turned the university a pluralistic entity into a dualism of right and left. An Opposition, which is instrumentally political, will be inadequate in the long run. As Gandhi argued, the political without the ethical is emasculated. It is reduced to a short-run imagination. One of the real tasks of an Opposition today is to revive and invent the Gandhian imagination, rescue it from the museum and the mothball. Gandhi offers possibilities, a sensitivity to suffering beyond the current language of politics. Politics recharged as a lifestyle, an ethic and an experimental imagination is what the idea an Opposition needs. If one does not move to such fundamentals, one will get embroiled in the superficialities of party politics, pursuing the logic of a desperate electoral arithmetic. An Opposition with a vision of India will find the right opportunities. The current lot will keep stumbling in a fatalistic way having already accepted BJP victory. One needs to desperately go beyond such an unquestioning acceptance of the future. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: What's being cooked for Yogi Adityanath in Dalit homes? The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. 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KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd.. Wall Street analysts have given Concord Medical Services a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Concord Medical Services wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. King Mohammed VI arrived Saturday in Brazzaville to take part in the first Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Climate Commission and the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin as special guest. After the summit, which will take place on Sunday, the King will pay a working and friendship visit to the Republic of Congo during which he will have bilateral talks with President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the Royal Office said in a statement. The King will also chair the signing-ceremony of several agreements between Morocco and the Republic of Congo, the statement added. The Monarch is accompanied by his advisors Fouad Ali El Himma and Yassir Zenagui, and a large ministerial delegation The Blue Fund for the Congo Basin Commission was set up on the initiative of King Mohammed VI at the Africa Action Summit, held in Marrakech in November 2016 on the sidelines of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 22). This Brazzaville summit is a recognition of the pioneering role played by Morocco in defending the environmental interests of the African continent, combining humanism, sustainable development and good governance. This summit aims to collect resources to finance programs and projects in the areas of the blue economy, the green economy and the fight against climate change, including the fight against poverty in accordance with the spirit of the Marrakech Declaration (COP22). The Blue Fund, with a capital estimated at 3 billion, aims to develop the economy of the Congo basin in the long term, through several initiatives, including offering other alternatives to deforestation, strengthening irrigation of farmland in the savannah and supporting eco-tourism. In March this year, Rabat hosted a meeting of the ad hoc coordination group, under the chairmanship of the Congolese Minister of the Environment and the Moroccan Minister of State for Sustainable Development. Experts at the meeting agreed on the terms of reference for a detailed, six-month preparatory study. The study will make recommendations on which the crucial decisions on the financing, the operational management and the strategic governance of the Congo Basin Blue Fund will be taken and draw up a first investment plan. Ten countries have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Congo Basin Blue Fund: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Morocco, Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. Mullen Group Ltd. provides trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The company operates through three segments: Less-Than-Truckload, Logistics & Warehousing, and Specialized & Industrial Services. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products. The Logistics & Warehousing segment offers multimode transportation services, such as full truckload, specialized trucking, intermodal, and transload to customers through a network of terminals and transload facilities; and warehousing and distribution services. The Specialized & Industrial Services segment provides production services, such as well servicing, production fluid transportation, transportation of fluids for disposal, frac support, and industrial cleaning and turnaround services; and specialized services comprising dredging and dewatering services, large diameter pipe stockpiling and stringing services, water management, environmental services, civil construction, municipal development and emergency services, hydrovac excavation services, hydrostatic testing services to the pipeline industry and midstream sector, and transporting of oversize and overweight shipments. This segment also offers drilling and drilling related services, consisting of transportation, handling, and storage of oilfield fluids, tubulars, and drilling mud; drilling rig relocation; general oilfield hauling; well disposal facility; core drilling; setting surface casing; and conductor pipe setting services. Mullen Group Ltd. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Okotoks, Canada. Read More King Mohammed VI of Morocco pointed out Sunday that safeguarding the African continents biodiversity is a collective responsibility as the depletion of that common heritage has a far-reaching impact on peoples daily lives and is detrimental to the socio-economic development of the communities, which depend on it. Addressing the first Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Climate Commission and the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, which opened on Sunday in Brazzaville, King Mohammed VI has called for a collective awareness of the devastating effects of global warming on the planet. Collective mobilization is crucial. And this Summit shows that it is possible, the Monarch noted. In the task of building the Africa of the future, environmental preservation is the cornerstone of African co-emergenceIt is the bedrock on which the Continents inclusive economic growth will be built, the Sovereign pointed out. The King underlined, in this regard, the need to work together to tackle global warming and its risks, and transform economies to promote sustainable development, stressing the importance of reconciling the need to achieve development in the African Continent with the awakening of ecological consciousness. Africa has irreversibly embarked on a path towards profound change. With each passing day, our Continent is asserting itself more and more, looking to the future with confidence and serenity, yet, he said, we do realize there are plenty of challenges. Our meeting today sounds like an urgent wake-up call for us all. It is vitally important for our Continent indeed for humankind because it implies a collective awareness of the devastating effects of global warming on the planet, the Monarch noted, insisting that safeguarding biodiversity is a collective responsibility. The Congo Basin is at the heart of this concern. This is the worlds second most important region for global carbon storage and the second largest river basin. It is also one of the largest forest areas on the planet a region which is home to more than half of the Continents animal species. This regulator of the planets climate makes Africa the worlds second lung. It is here, and now, that the future of this vital asset is being shaped, the Monarch said. King Mohammed VI added that he decided to support the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin because this program is based on a new paradigm that fulfils current and future needs. It is centered on integrated, inclusive, solidarity-based programs offered by the new blue and green economies, he said, adding that this decision is also justified by the human dimension, which is a pivotal component of the project, a project that is based on an inclusive, participatory approach involving the regions inhabitants. Aside from the consequences of climate change, food shortages and dwindling water reserves can lead to significant population migration flows, weaken states and create precariousness, the Sovereign said. The Sovereign made it clear, however, that the establishment of the Blue Fund must go hand in hand with the mobilization of economic stakeholders and civil society organizations so that tangible mitigation and adaptation measures may be taken, and climate-resilient development guaranteed. Financing is the main challenge facing the implementation of the project: we must innovate and come up with mechanisms that will help us identify and raise financial resources. We need to convince bilateral and multilateral donors public as well as private of the pertinence of the project, he said. The King voiced confidence that this Blue Fund project will inevitably trigger a positive dynamic, with projects that will boost and benefit Member States economies. I am thinking, in particular, of measures to improve inland waterways, develop secondary ports, promote sustainable fishing practices, fight river water pollution and upgrade irrigation systems with a view to increasing agricultural productivity. This new water-centered economy will be the main driver of development, he said renewing Moroccos determination to work resolutely and unremittingly for the implementation of the Continents large-scale development projects. The Blue Fund for the Congo Basin was set up at Moroccan Kings initiative at the Africa Action Summit, held in Marrakech in November 2016 on the sidelines of COP22. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Read More Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. Rockwell Collins, Inc. designs, produces, and supports communications and aviation systems worldwide. The company's Interior Systems segment offers commercial aircraft seats; galley structures, food and beverage preparation equipment, and water and waste systems; oxygen and passenger service equipment; cabin lighting systems; and business jet and general aviation interior products. Its Commercial Systems segment provides cabin management systems; data link, frequency, very high frequency, and satellite communications systems; landing, radio navigation, and geophysical sensors, and flight management systems; situational awareness and surveillance systems and products; integrated flight controls; simulation and training systems; maintenance, repair, parts, and after-sales support services, and aftermarket used equipment. The company's Government Systems segment provides communications systems and products; radio navigation products, global positioning system equipment, and multi-mode receivers; avionics systems; precision targeting, electronic warfare, and training systems; simulation and training systems; space wheels; visual system products; maintenance, repair, parts, and after-sales support services, and aftermarket used equipment. Its Information Management Services segment offers voice and data communication services; flight support services; airport communications and information systems; train dispatching and information systems; mission critical security systems; and cabin connectivity solutions. The company serves original equipment manufacturers of commercial air transport, business and regional aircraft, commercial airlines, U.S. Department of Defense, other ministries of defense, other government agencies, defense contractors, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and passenger and freight railroads, as well as airport, critical infrastructure, and business aircraft operators. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Read More Bolton may want to brush up on U.S. foreign policy during the Obama administration. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images President Trumps new national security adviser, John Bolton, floated the idea of using the Libya model to denuclearize the Korean peninsula on Sunday, despite the fact that North Korea has previously cited Libyas disarmament and subsequent destabilization as a reason to distrust the U.S. Bolton was referring to the process by which the U.S. and its allies relieved Libya of its weapons of mass destruction starting in 2003. Appearing on Fox News Sunday and CBS News Face the Nation on Sunday, he explained that the White House has very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004, a process which moved quickly after the U.S. was able to confirm Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafis intentions and verify his regimes full disclosure about their weapons programs. Like in Libya, the U.S. will look to dismantle North Koreas nuclear, chemical, and biological weapon programs, he added. But Bolton, one of the architects of the Iraq War, did not acknowledge what happened in Libya after it gave up its weapons of mass destruction. Several years later, in 2011, the country was destabilized by a civil war, during which the U.S. and its allies intervened militarily against Gaddafi, directly leading to the end of his 42-year rule as well as his capture, beating, and death and hands of rebel fighters. And the country has been in crisis ever since. Gaddafis experience subsequently became the ultimate cautionary tale for any regime considering disarmament, and that was especially true in North Korea. It has been shown to the corners of the earth that Libyas giving up its nuclear arms, a Kim spokesperson said in 2011, was used as an invasion tactic to disarm the country by sugarcoating it with words like the guaranteeing of security and the bettering of relations. On Friday, Kim Jong-un reportedly agreed to abandon nuclear weapons in exchange for an official end to the Korean War and a promise from the U.S. to not invade North Korea. Such security assurances would undoubtedly be the center of any possible deal, particularly since giving up nuclear weapons would mean giving up the most effective deterrent of foreign invasions in world history. The regime in Pyongyang is not known for sticking to its agreements, however, and its still not clear what, precisely, denuclearization means to them to begin with. One thing is certain, however, and that is that Kim has no interest in ending up like Qaddafi, which Bolton may want to remember that the next time he casually refers to the Libya model on television. The following companies are subsidiares of Crane: "CPI-Kiev" LLC, ARDAC Inc., AeroHose, Alfa Laval - The Industrial Flow Group, Armature d.o.o., Automatic Products (UK) Ltd., Automatic Products international - Assets, B. Rhodes & Son Ltd., Barksdale GmbH, Barksdale Inc., CA-MC Acquisition UK Ltd., CR Holdings C.V., CashCode Co - Assets, Coin Controls International Ltd., Coin Holdings Ltd., Coin Industries Ltd., Coin Overseas Holdings Ltd., Coin Pension Trustees Ltd., Conlux Matsumoto Co. Ltd., Consolidated Lumber Co, Corva Corp, Crane (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Crane Aerospace Inc., Crane Australia Pty. Ltd., Crane Canada Co., Crane Composites Inc., Crane Composites Ltd., Crane Controls Inc., Crane Currency, Crane Electronics Corporation, Crane Electronics Inc., Crane Environmental Inc., Crane European Financing LLC, Crane Fengqiu Zhejiang Pump Co. Ltd., Crane Fluid & Gas Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Crane Global Holdings S.L., Crane GmbH, Crane Holdings (Germany) GmbH, Crane International Capital S.a.r.l., Crane International Holdings Inc., Crane International Trading (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Crane Ireland Ventures Designated Activity Company, Crane Ltd., Crane Merchandising Systems Inc., Crane Merchandising Systems Ltd., Crane Merger Co. LLC, Crane Middle East & Africa FZE, Crane Ningjin Valve Co. Ltd., Crane North America Funding LLC, Crane Nuclear Inc., Crane Overseas LLC, Crane Payment Innovations GmbH, Crane Payment Innovations Inc., Crane Payment Innovations International Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Pty Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Sarl, Crane Payment Innovations Srl, Crane Pension Trustee Company (UK) Limited, Crane Process Flow Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies GmbH, Crane Process Flow Technologies Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.P.R.L., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.r.l., Crane Pumps and Systems Inc., Crane Resistoflex GmbH, Crane SC Holdings Ltd., Crane Stockham Valve. Ltd., Crane Yongxiang (Ningbo) Valve Company Ltd., Croning Livarna d.o.o., Cummis-Allison Corp, Delta Fluid Products, Delta Fluid Products Ltd., Dixie Narco, Donald Brown (Brownall) Ltd., ELDEC Corporation, ELDEC Electronics Ltd., ELDEC France S.A.R.L, Edlon - PSI division, Environmental Products USA, Etex Group - Business, Flow Technology Inc., Friedrich Krombach GmbH Armaturenwerke, General Technology Corp., Hattersley Newman Hender - Assets, Hattersly Newman Hender Ltd., Hydro-Aire Inc., Inta-Lok Ltd., Interpoint S.A.R.L., Interpoint U.K. Limited, Kessel (Thailand) Pte. Ltd., Kontron America - Mobile Rugged Business, Laminated Profiles - Assets, Lasco Composites, Liberty Technologies, MCC Holdings Inc., MEI Australia LLC, MEI Auto Payment System (Shanghai) Ltd., MEI Conlux, MEI Conlux Holdings (Japan) Inc., MEI Conlux Holdings (US) Inc., MEI Payment Systems Hong Kong Ltd., MEI Queretaro S. de R.L. de CV, MEI de Mexico LLC, MOVATS - Nuclear Valve Division, Merrimac Industries, Merrimac Industries Inc., Mondais Holdings B.V., Money Controls, Money Controls Argentina SA, Money Controls Holdings Ltd., Multi-Mix Microtechnology SRL, NABIC Valve Safety Products Ltd., Nippon Conlux Co. Ltd., Noble Composites, Noble Composites Inc., Number One Supply, Owens Corning - FRP Panel Business, P.L. Porter, P.T. Crane Indonesia, Pegler Hattersly Ltd., Resistoflex, Sequentia Holdings, Signal Technology, Sperryn & Company Ltd., Stentorfield, Streamware, Telequip, Terminal Manufacturing Co., The Dow Chemical - Plastic-Lined Piping Products division, The Krombach Group, Triangle Valve Co. Ltd., Unidynamics / Phoenix Inc., Ventech Controls, Viking Johnson Ltd., W.T. Armatur GmbH, Wade Couplings Ltd., Wask Ltd., Westlock Controls, Xomox, Xomox Chihuahua S.A. de C.V., Xomox Corporation, Xomox Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Xomox France S.A.S., Xomox Hungary Kft., Xomox International GmbH & Co. OHG, Xomox Japan Ltd., Xomox Korea Ltd., Xomox Sanmar Ltd., and Yilme Holdings B.V.. Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim speaks at a press conference on April 25, 2017, in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images When Joon Kim became Preet Bhararas deputy in July 2015, a few weeks after Donald Trump announced his presidential run, he did not do so imagining that less than two years later hed be running the office following Bhararas controversial dismissal by the former reality-TV star. After his own eventful ten-month tenure as acting U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of New York, Kim left the job in January when Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Geoffrey Berman on an interim basis. Since Trump never formally nominated anyone for the position, this week the judges of the Federal District Court in Manhattan voted to make Berman U.S. Attorney. Unlike his media-savvy friend Bharara, the more reserved Kim doesnt tweet, has no plans to get into the podcast business, and is back at his old Manhattan firm, Cleary Gottlieb, where hes now a partner. In this wide-ranging interview, Kim talks about his time leading the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York which covers City Hall, Donald Trumps business empire, and is now in the throes of a criminal investigation involving the presidents longtime fixer, Michael Cohen. The burning question in New Yorkers and Americans minds is: Will Joon Kim open a Twitter account? [Laughs.] My expectation is my social-media presence will be quite boring. I have a Twitter account, mostly to follow others. I dont think I have any followers. Its not immediately traceable to me. I lurk. I think right now the oval shape is a good image [for a profile picture]. It captures my best side. You and Preet go way back and have been a dynamic duo for some time. He has told the story of how, when the two of you were young U.S. attorneys, an agent you used to work with would refer to you as Harold and Kumar, the title characters of the stoner movie classic. Please tell me that episode was totally in good fun. Yes, it was. Very much a good-natured joke. And I can confirm to you for the record that I was Harold. And it was a joke by a federal agent who was a good friend of ours. All in good fun, and we didnt mind because it was a pretty good movie. But I think the more serious point is that its a joke that works, because there were not that many of us meaning Asian-Americans at that time in government or law enforcement or prosecutors offices. The more serious point is about the value and the importance of increased diversity in government and in the legal profession generally. Its important for public agencies and prosecutors offices to reflect the communities that they serve. By now its no secret that the way Preet left the office was unceremonious. Did he give you any parting advice as you were thrust into this role? I dont recall any specific, singular pieces of advice. The reality is, I had spent every working day with him for many years leading up to that. I had spent the entire weekend as [Trumps firing] was happening. There was not a need to tell me one particular thing. We talked about, generally, the importance of the offices work. The importance of maintaining the offices independence and continuing to ensure that the important work of the office that was pending and that would come would continue in the way that the office is known to do things in many respects. And I think [Preet] may have said this: The way he left and his decision to initially resist the request to resign was based in part on his belief in the importance of the independence of the office. So he didnt need to say anything to me in that regard. We lived the work of the office together and I saw in his decisions and his example and the importance of maintaining the independence of the office. On a personal level, did it make you angry the way Preet was fired? Angry is not the right word. Because I respected Preet and I knew from personal experience that he was doing a tremendous job as a U.S. attorney in the ways that Ive described, the way in which his term ended was sad and, I thought, unfortunate. But I quickly understood that the moment he left I was the acting U.S. attorney. So the immediate focus was to make sure that the offices work continued, that the morale of the office remained high. And so thats what I did, I tried to do, and I think the office did continue to do great work and does so today. One of the first decisions you made as acting U.S. attorney was the decision to not bring charges against Mayor Bill de Blasio or subordinates over pay-to-play allegations. What was that like? And what do you make of the mayors read of the decision as a vindication? We obviously thought long and hard about the decision not bring any federal charges. And we thought carefully about the statement we issued. Can it be viewed as vindication or a clean bill of health? The statement speaks for itself. But I dont think that is even the right question to ask. A federal prosecutors job is to look at the facts and the law, and determine whether theres evidence that is admissible in court, sufficient to prove guilt of a federal crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors dont ask and we do not answer the questions: Is this conduct appropriate? Was this conduct ethical? Was this conduct something wed like to see or condone or promote in leaders? We dont ask and we dont answer those questions as prosecutors. Prosecution is a blunt tool you either prosecute someone or you dont. And the fact that you dont prosecute someone doesnt mean that everything is hunky-dory. Your office suffered a big blow when the Supreme Court overturned the corruption convictions of former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell. As a result of that ruling, many of your own cases, including the convictions of Dean Skelos and Sheldon Silver, were called into question. How bad is the state of the law as a result? The McDonnell case obviously had an impact on public corruption cases. I personally disagreed with the ruling, but I understand it. It was unanimous and its a Supreme Court decision and its the law of the land. I dont think that and in many parts of the decision they signal this its not as broad a decision as some people would make it out to be. The decision went out of its way to narrowly limit the decision to the unique facts of that case. That doesnt mean that it didnt have an impact on pending cases. But I wouldnt want the fact that it impacted pending cases to be interpreted as, Oh, therefore its a huge change in the law. The timing of the decision was such that it came down shortly after convictions after trial in a couple of significant Southern District of New York cases Dean Skelos and Sheldon Silver. The appeal is pending, and its true the jury instructions would now be different after McDonnell. It doesnt mean that, therefore, it had a huge impact substantively. And obviously its an important decision that provided greater guidance about what the law is in that area. The fact that it resulted in a retrial [for Silver and for Skelos, whose retrial is expected later this year] is in large part a result of the timing of this. My personal view is the result wouldve been the same. After you left, the New York Times ran an article about your tenure and used this quote from you: What we realized was that independence meant more than just resisting interference from other parts of the U.S. government, but also having the ability to withstand criticism and attacks from anywhere, including foreign governments. What did you mean by interference from other parts of the U.S. government? What I meant there was this: The Southern District of New York has a long and proud tradition of independence. And what that meant and means its a highfalutin word, independence. But what does it really mean in the day-to-day work? It means we need to follow the facts and the law wherever they lead. And also theres a proud tradition of the Southern District of New York handling its own cases. Being an organization, obviously, within the Department of Justice. But one that is semi-autonomous. Independent. With as little input from outside. But interference is a strong word. Right, interference is a strong word. So I didnt mean to suggest that, you know, I wasnt referring to any particular form of interference. But that view and that commitment to independence is not necessarily uniformly prioritized by everyone. And independence means doing the right thing based on the facts and the law, and making as many of your own decisions as possible. So thats what I meant by resisting interference from outside the ability to make the decisions for yourself. This is a yes or no question: Preet has gone on the record that during his time as U.S. attorney he got phone calls from President Trump. Did you ever get a phone call from the White House? No. While were on the subject of independence, your former office is back in the spotlight with the bizarre Michael Cohen case. Is he in a lot of trouble? Without getting into any specifics, let me just say this: The Southern District of New York is a very serious place that takes its work seriously, does it well, and has a long track record of success. And by that I mean handling investigations both high-profile and ordinary with the same level of integrity and thoroughness. Its a serious place that I would not want to mess with. This is more of a hypothetical, not necessarily Cohen-specific: Whats your take on the use of taint or filter teams to go through potentially privileged attorney-client materials? Civil libertarians and other folks are questioning whether prosecutors can be trusted with the process. This is a procedure that has been tested over a long period of time by many, many courts. So people can have different opinions on whats the proper procedure or not as you can on any issue when you have to balance the interests of law enforcement and the interest of privacy and other values. A society its always a balance. And it is a balance that gets struck and determined ultimately by a court. And here you have a court that is very, it appears, intimately involved in the process and would ultimately decide on a process thats proper in [the judges] view, and I have confidence that the judge will do that here, as will the prosecutors. (Since this interview was conducted, the federal judge overseeing the Cohen controversy appointed Barbara Jones, a retired judge and former prosecutor, to sort out the tricky privilege issues.) Your former office is taking a very aggressive approach to this investigation not even the president of the United States has gotten a pass. What do you make of this aggressiveness? I think it shows what I know and many people have come to see about the Southern District of New York, which is an office that has a long history of independence and an unabiding commitment to the rule of law. And making sure that matters are handled properly and in a way that gives the world confidence that all the relevant evidence will be followed and judgments will be made on the facts, evidence, and the law alone. The eyes of America are on this case. Theres a lot of pressure on prosecutors to get it right. There always is in any case, big or small pressure on the prosecutors to get it right. Its the pressure that that office is used to, and Im sure that they will do the right thing in this investigation, as they do in all matters. Is this it for you and public service? Would you go work for a future Attorney General Preet Bharara? I always take Preets calls. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Comerica, Inc. engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Bank, Retail Bank, Wealth Management, Finance and Other. The Commercial Bank segment involves in the middle market businesses, multinational corporations, and governmental entities by offering various products and services such as commercial loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services. The Retail Bank segment includes small business banking and personal financial services, which consist of consumer lending, consumer deposit gathering, and mortgage loan origination. The Wealth Management segment offers fiduciary services, private banking, retirement services, investment management and advisory services, investment banking and brokerage services. The Finance segment comprises corporation's securities portfolio and asset and liability management activities. The Other category consists of income and expense impact of equity and cash, tax benefits, charges of an unusual or infrequent nature that are not reflective of the n Read More AK Steel Holding Corporation, through its subsidiary, AK Steel Corporation, produces flat-rolled carbon, and stainless and electrical steel products in the United States and internationally. It produces flat-rolled carbon steel products, including coated, cold-rolled, and hot-rolled carbon steel products; grain-oriented specialty stainless and electrical steels; and carbon and stainless steel tubing products. The company also buys and sells steel and steel products, as well as other materials; and produces metallurgical coal from reserves in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It sells its flat-rolled carbon steel products, primarily to automotive manufacturers and their suppliers; customers in the infrastructure and manufacturing markets, including the manufacturers of power transmission and distribution transformers, who produce equipment for the electrical grid, as well as electrical motors and generators; and manufacturers of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, and appliances. The company also sells its carbon steel products to distributors, service centers, and converters. AK Steel Holding Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in West Chester, Ohio. Read More Hypoport SE operates as a technology-based financial service provider in Germany. The company operates through four segments: Credit Platform, Private Clients, Real Estate Platform, and Insurance Platform. It offers EUROPACE marketplace for independent distributors to process their financing transactions with the product suppliers they represent. The company also provides mortgage finance, personal loans, insurance, and current and deposit accounts through distribution channels, including online and branch-based sales. In addition, it offers advice and customized solutions in the areas of financial management, portfolio management, and insurance for business customers; PRoMMiSe, a software that helps banks with the analysis and reporting of securitized or collateralized loan portfolios; Software as a Service for banks and housing companies; and property valuation services, as well as supports issuers with the provision of information technology and a range of services. Further, it develops and operates software solutions for the sale and management of insurance products; operates SMART INSUR, a web-based B2B platform for advice, comparison of tariffs, and the administration of insurance policies; and provides support services to small and medium-sized financial product distributors in relation to the brokerage of insurance policies. The company is headquartered in LAbeck, Germany. Read More 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. Read More Salzgitter AG, together with its subsidiaries, engages in steel and technology businesses worldwide. It operates through five segments: Strip Steel, Plate/Section Steel, Mannesmann, Trading, and Technology. The Strip Steel segment manufactures branded and special steels, such as hot-rolled strip steel and steel sheets, sections, tailored blanks, and components for the construction industry. The Plate/Section Steel segment produces various high-grade heavy plates for engineering, shipbuilding, and mechanical engineering, as well as trades in scrap. The Mannesmann segment is involved in the manufacture of line pipes, HFI-welded tubes, precision and stainless-steel tubes, and spiral-welded and longitudinal-welded large-diameter pipes; and seamless and welded tubes for the energy, automotive, and mechanical engineering sectors. The Trading segment operates a European sales network, as well as trading companies and agencies worldwide. The Technology segment engages in the provision of machinery and plants for the filling and packaging of beverages, as well as special machinery engineering for shoe manufacturing and elastomer production. The company also provides IT, facility management, logistics, automotive engineering, and research and development services, as well as supplies raw materials. Salzgitter AG was founded in 1858 and is headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany. Read More Reid during her extended apology segment on Saturdays show. Photo: Screencap/AM Joy/MSNBC MSNBC host Joy Reid offered a complicated on-air apology on her show on Saturday over homophobic rhetoric she is alleged to have used in posts on a now-defunct blog. She didnt apologize for writing the posts; in fact, she didnt admit to writing them at all, oddly explaining that, I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things, because they are completely alien to me, while also acknowledging that there is no evidence to prove she didnt write them. Instead, she apologized for having once held homophobic views and making other hurtful and insensitive remarks as a result. Reid, a staunch liberal, then tried to reframe the debate around the importance of evolving as a person, learning to be a better progressive and ally, and recognizing the power of discriminatory speech. Reid clearly hoped her remarks would lead to an important debate devoting the rest of her show to precisely that. But her statement was also a confusing, incomplete admission that is unlikely to dissuade concerns about Reids journalistic credibility, and that undercut an otherwise revealing lesson. The Backstory and Hacking Claim Reids statement was addressing homophobic remarks which were discovered in posts she published on her Reid Report blog from the mid- to late 2000s. The first trove of posts was revealed late last year by an anonymous Twitter user, quickly prompting an apology from Reid, though she also launched an investigation into the authenticity of the posts. Last week, when a new batch of her old posts came to light, Reid claimed that the offensive and hateful references had been fabricated as part of an effort to taint my character with false information by distorting a blog that ended a decade ago. Now that [the Reid Report site] has been compromised I can state unequivocally that it does not represent the original entries, she also said. Looking back at the posts, Reid wrote in one that most straight people cringe at the sight of two men kissing, and that she wouldnt see the film Brokeback Mountain because she didnt want to watch the two male characters having sex. She also admitted that her discomfort probably meant she was homophobic. In other posts, she mocked gay celebrities, and at one point perpetuated one of the most damaging unfounded fears about gay men by suggesting they tend to be attracted to very young, post-pubescent types. Tweets that Reid sent in 201o and 2011 mocking conservative commentator Ann Coulter with transphobic insults have also resurfaced as a result of the scandal. To say that Reids bold hacking claim has not stood up to scrutiny would be an understatement. None of the explanations offered by Reid, a consultant she hired, nor her supporters seem plausible. There also appears to have been an attempt to, in effect, destroy the evidence, as last month someone modified her old blog so that it would no longer appear in the Internet Archives Wayback Machine. So far, Reid has faced no known consequences from MSNBC over the posts or her subsequent comments, and network executives appear to be standing by her following Saturdays show: MSNBC had basically been silent on Joy Reid. Here's statement from MSNBC spokesman today: "MSNBC executives remain supportive of Reid. They believe she did well in her statement on her show on Saturday and have noted the large outpouring of positive support shes received." David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) April 29, 2018 The Daily Beast, meanwhile, suspended Reids column there until they can complete an investigation into the matter, and the LGBT advocacy group PFLAG rescinded an award they were going to give Reid next month for her work as a straight ally. Reids Remarkable But Maddening Mea Culpa With one crucial exception, Reid was laudably transparent in her apology on AM Joy on Saturday. She said that after being stunned by the offensive comments attributed to her last year, she did a lot of soul searching, but also cybersecurity searching, hiring investigators to prove that the posts had not come from her. They were unable to do so, she confirmed on-air, but Reid offered no additional explanation for how the posts came to be, other than to say she did not believe she had written them. She also acknowledged that, I can definitely understand, based on things I have tweeted and I have written in the past, why some people dont believe me. Reid then went on to admit that she had once held homophobic views, explaining that she grew up in a household with conservative views about the LGBT community. She also said that earlier in her life, she had not been as understanding or supportive of LGBT friends as she should have been, and she apologized for making transphobic remarks about Ann Coulter. I have not been exempt from being dumb or cruel or hurtful to the very people I want to advocate for, she explained. I own that. I get it. And for that, I am truly, truly sorry. I look back at the ways I talked casually about people and gender identity and sexual orientation and I wonder who that even was, she added, and later tried to emphasize how she has evolved since: I can only say that the person I am now is not the person I was then. I like to think I have gotten better as a person over time, that I am still growing, that Im not the same person I was 10 or five or even one year ago and I know that my goal is to try to be a better person and a better ally. Now the reality is I have to own the things that I have written and tweeted and said and Im hoping out of all of this theres an opportunity to talk about the ways in which hurtful speech does imperil marginalized communities. Watch the full statement here: .@MSNBC's Joy Reid addresses homophobic blog posts: "I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things ... But I can definitely understand, based on things I have tweeted and have written in the past, why some people don't believe me." pic.twitter.com/PWjdPfs5KB MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 28, 2018 The Reaction After her extended apology, Reid hosted a panel of LGBT activists and invited them to grill her over the controversy. The resulting discussion, which covered a range of issues affecting the LGBT community, was more sympathetic than adversarial when it came to Reids remarks, however. Many have rallied to Reids defense over the past week, particularly like-minded liberals who champion Reids criticism of the right and her efforts to elevate marginalized perspectives using her show and social-media accounts. But some attempts to refute the old blog posts have amounted to little more than partisan defensive crouching. Others have emphasized that the Trump administration, not Reids homophobic comments or alleged hypocrisy, is the real threat the media should be focused on. That sentiment came up more than once among the AM Joy panelists on Saturday: Here are some of the ways @JoyAnnReid's guests defended her -- slammed "the media" -- and changed the subject pic.twitter.com/yzdo6ndbmk Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 28, 2018 Others have made a point to publicly forgive or excuse Reid, or to celebrate her bravery, like fellow MSNBC host Rachel Maddow did after Reids show on Saturday: Brains, guts, heart and soul -- beloved Joy Reid has always been a treasured and brilliant colleague, but I've never been prouder to work with her than I am now. https://t.co/J95uL3CjMv Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) April 28, 2018 Former attorney general Eric Holder also praised Reid on Saturday, calling her apology appropriate and heartfelt before insisting that this unique and compelling voice for tolerance and equality should not be silenced. We learn and change from our mistakes. She has. But others have remained skeptical, noting that they are far more concerned about whether or not Reid lied, than what remarks she may have made a decade ago: The reason this all matters now is because we live in a terrifying post-truth world, and many of us are still clinging to the belief that facts matter. When you take obvious fabrications at face value because someone is politically aligned with you, that hurts us all. Louis Peitzman (@LouisPeitzman) April 28, 2018 Harsher critics of Reid and MSNBC, like the Intercepts Glenn Greenwald, have pointed to the episode as an example of double standards on the left and in the media, noting that if a conservative official or media figure had been caught lying about old blog posts, the calls for their dismissal would be deafening. Reid gets a pass, Greenwald and others believe, because journalists personally like her and share her ideology. Many on the right, like Washington Examiner columnist T. Becket Adams, have also argued that media support of Reid only exacerbates the industrys preexisting credibility problem: In the past 24 hours, big league journalists and pundits have rallied to the defense of Joy Reid, who is clearly lying, and Tom Brokaw, who stands accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct. It's a real mystery why people don't trust wider media to be fair and impartial. T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) April 28, 2018 On Sunday, AM Joy was back to its standard fare, offering criticism of the backlash to Saturday nights White House Correspondents Dinner. The Larger Lesson and Missed Opportunity British author and LGBT activist Greg Hogben was one of the people who said on Saturday that they accepted Reids apology and welcomed her continuing support. He also endorsed the larger lesson Reid sought to illustrate about how peoples personal beliefs can evolve for the better. Whats the point of successfully changing the hearts and minds of people if were just going to throw their 10-year-old comments back in their face? he asked. Under different circumstances, that issue how problematic views are formed, changed, and ultimately forgiven could and should have been the most revealing and meaningful takeaway from this controversy. People changing their minds, and being transparent about why and how that happened, is an essential part of social progress. Thats especially true when it comes to public figures, and applies to card-carrying members of the trying-to-stay-woke media as much as it does to politicians or other people of influence. Frank discussion of past prejudices or evolving views is rarely rewarded, however. In American politics, and through the lens of political media, changes in opinion or position are ridiculed and attacked at least as often than they are unpacked and appreciated. There is no incentive to reveal embarrassing or abandoned views, unless they are part of a redemption arc or political strategy. If more people like Reid were more open about how and why their views have evolved, especially if it didnt require a precipitating scandal, most public debates would be more honest and productive. Its difficult to understand why Reid seems to be both accepting and avoiding full responsibility in this case, but its possible she didnt realize that most of her viewers and readers would give her the benefit of the doubt, or could benefit from learning about her experience, until it was too late. The other lesson is that its always worth interrogating political rhetoric from the recent past. As the Nations Richard Kim pointed out on Friday, anybody who was reading the liberal blogosphere during the George W. Bush administration if they were paying attention would have encountered a lot of casually homophobic rhetoric and harmful arguments about the LGBT community. Underlying homophobia within liberal discourse was unremarkable at the time of Reids blog posts, whereas such remarks would clearly lead to pitchforks and hashtags now. The right doesnt have a monopoly on hurtful speech. For a glaring example of this disparity, watch this old Daily Show clip, in which Jon Stewart mocks Dennis Kucinich with a punch line that most liberals would now recognize as blatantly transphobic: mainstream liberals mocked Kucinich in 2003 for what is now acceptable conventional wisdomnotably on LGBT rights. pic.twitter.com/Z8CKnGTdUZ Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) April 9, 2018 These attitudes undoubtedly slowed the progress of the movement for LGBT rights, just as more evolved attitudes were an essential part of the recent sea change regarding marriage equality. The #MeToo movement is another example of widespread change as a result of a great many people reexamining their perceptions and experiences, then rethinking how to best support others. Though it clearly wasnt Joy Reids first impulse, and may only be part of an effort to turn the page from a scandal, her subsequent admission about her former views and actions can still be instructive, and not just about latent or forgotten homophobia. Many of us have held deplorable views in the past, or may end up considering our current views to be such in the future. Figuring that out often requires getting dragged into the light, or watching somebody else get dragged there first, but it can also be a choice. For whatever reason, Reid missed an opportunity to lean into this controversy from the start, and to leverage and expand, rather than damage, her credibility. Hopefully, some of her fans and supporters will nonetheless take advantage of this chance to do some soul searching of their own and then share their experiences and uncomfortable realizations. And for the influential people at the center of the scandals yet to come, hopefully theyll recognize that learning out loud goes hand-in-hand with leading by example. New Jersey Resources Corp. is a holding company. The firm provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. It operates through the following segments: New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR Clean Energy Ventures, NJR Energy Services, NJR Midstream, and NJR Home Services. The New Jersey Natural Gas segment provides regulated retail natural gas service to residential and commercial customers in central and northern New Jersey. The NJR Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns and operates solar projects. The NJR Energy Services segment manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services in the U.S. and Canada. The NJR Midstream segment serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers. The NJR Home Services segment provides heating, ventilation and cooling service, sales and installation of appliances services to its customers, as well as solar installation projects, and is the primary contributor to home services. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wall, Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Quaker Chemical: AC Products Inc., Applied Surface Concepts Holdings Ltd. , Binol AB, Binol Biosafe OY, Commonwealth Oil Corporation, DA Stuart India Private Limited, DA Stuart Shanghai Co, ECLI Products LLC, EFHCO LLC, Engineered Custom Lubricants, Engineered Custom Lubricants GmbH, Epmar Corporation, G.W. Smith and Sons, GH Holdings Inc., GHG Lubricants Holdings Limited, GHGL London Ltd., GHI Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Global Houghton Ltd., Houghton (Shanghai) Specialty Industrial Fluids Co. Ltd, Houghton Argentina S.A., Houghton Asia Pacific Co. Limited, Houghton Australia Pty. Ltd., Houghton Benelux BV, Houghton CZ s.r.o, Houghton Canada Inc., Houghton Denmark AS, Houghton Deutschland GmbH, Houghton Europe BV, Houghton Holdings Limited, Houghton Iberica S.A. , Houghton International, Houghton International Inc., Houghton Italia S.p.A., Houghton Japan Co. Ltd., Houghton Kimya Sanayi AS, Houghton Magyarorszag Kft, Houghton Mexico S.A. de C.V., Houghton Oil (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., Houghton Polska Sp. Zo.o., Houghton Romania S.R.L., Houghton S.A.S., Houghton Sverige AB, Houghton Taiwan Co. Limited, Houghton Technical Corp., Houghton Ukraine ToV, Houghton do Brazil Ltda., Houghton plc, Internationale Metall Impragnier GmbH, Lubricor Inc, Lubricor Inc., Lubricor Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Lubricor USA Inc., MIH Acquisition Company LLC, MX Systems International Ltd, Maldaner GmbH, NP Coil Dexter Industries, New Houghton Brazil Inc., Norman Hay Engineering Ltd., QH Chemical Limited, QH Europe BV, QH Holdings Limited, QH International Limited, Quaker (Thailand) Ltd., Quaker Australia Holdings Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (Australasia) Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical B.V., Quaker Chemical CV, Quaker Chemical Canada Holdings Inc., Quaker Chemical Canada Limited, Quaker Chemical Europe B.V., Quaker Chemical Holdings South Africa (Pty) Limited, Quaker Chemical India Private Limited, Quaker Chemical Industria e Comercio Ltda., Quaker Chemical Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. 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Ltd., Ultraseal Asia Limited, Ultraseal Chongqing Limited, Ultraseal Germany GmbH, Ultraseal International Group Ltd, Ultraseal Machinery Dongguan Ltd, Ultraseal Shanghai Limited, Ultraseal USA Inc., Unitek Servicios De Asesoria Especializad S.A de C.V., Verkol S.A.U., Verkol SAU, Wallover Enterprises Inc., Wallover Oil Company Incorporated, Wallover Oil Hamilton Inc., and Wuhan Quaker Technology Co. Ltd. The following companies are subsidiares of Stryker: ActiViews, Aimago SA, Alcott Indemnity Company, Arrinex Inc, Arrinex Inc., Ascent Healthcare Solutions, Berchtold, Berchtold + Fritz GmbH, Berchtold Consulting GmbH, Berchtold Corporation, Berchtold GmbH & Co. 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Ltd., Physio-Control UK Sales Ltd., Pivot Medical, PlasmaSol, Porex Technologies, SSI Divestiture Inc., SYK Costa Rica Services Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, SafeAir AG, SafeWire, Sage Products, Sage Products Coperatief U.A., Sage Products Holdings II LLC, Sage Products Holdings III LLC, Sage Products LLC, Scopis GmbH, Sightline Technologies, Small Bone Innovations, SpineCore, Spirox Inc., Stanmore Implants Worldwide, Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited, Stanmore Inc., Stryker (Barbados) Foreign Sales Corporation, Stryker (Beijing) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co Ltd, Stryker (Thailand) Limited, Stryker AB, Stryker Acquisitions BV, Stryker Asia Holdings CV, Stryker Australia LLC, Stryker Australia Pty. Ltd., Stryker Austria GmbH, Stryker B.V., Stryker Berchtold BV, Stryker Beteiligungs GmbH, Stryker Canada GP ULC, Stryker Canada Holding Company, Stryker Canada Manufacturing ULC, Stryker Canada ULC, Stryker Canadian Management ULC, Stryker Canadian Sales Holding Company ULC, Stryker Capital BV, Stryker China Limited, Stryker Colombia SAS, Stryker Communications Inc., Stryker Corporation (Chile) y Compania Limitada, Stryker Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Stryker Customs Brokers LLC, Stryker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stryker Delaware Inc., Stryker EMEA Supply Chain Services BV, Stryker Employment Company LLC, Stryker European Coordination Center BV, Stryker European Holdings Cooperatief U.A, Stryker European Holdings I LLC, Stryker European Holdings II LLC, Stryker European Holdings LLC, Stryker European Holdings V LLC, Stryker European Operations B.V., Stryker European Operations Holdings I BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings II BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings III BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC, Stryker European Operations Limited, Stryker European Technologies C.V., Stryker Far East Inc., Stryker Foreign Acquisitions Inc., Stryker France Holding SNC, Stryker France MM Holdings SAS, Stryker France SAS, Stryker Funding B.V., Stryker GI Services CV, Stryker Global Technology Center Private Limited, Stryker GmbH, Stryker GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Grundstucks GmbH & Co KG, Stryker Grundstucks Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Holdings BV, Stryker IFSC Designated Activity Company, Stryker Iberia SL Unipersonal, Stryker India Private Limited, Stryker International Acquisitions BV, Stryker International Holdings BV, Stryker Investment Holdings B.V., Stryker Ireland Holding Unlimited Company, Stryker Ireland Limited, Stryker Italia S.r.l. S.U., Stryker Japan Holdings BV, Stryker Japan K.K., Stryker Korea Ltd., Stryker Lebanon (Offshore) S.A.L., Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Stryker Luxembourg Sarl, Stryker Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Mauritius Holding Ltd., Stryker Medical London LP, Stryker Medtech K.K., Stryker Medtech Limited, Stryker Mexico Holdings B.V., Stryker Mexico SA de CV, Stryker NV Operations Limited, Stryker Nederland BV, Stryker New Zealand Limited, Stryker Osteonics AG, Stryker Pacific Limited, Stryker Performance Solutions LLC, Stryker Polska Sp.z.o.o., Stryker Portugal - Produtos Medicos Unipessoal Lda., Stryker Professional Latin America S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Puerto Rico Limited, Stryker Romania SRL, Stryker Sage Inc., Stryker Sales Corporation, Stryker Servicios Administrativos S.de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Singapore Private Limited, Stryker South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Stryker Spine SAS, Stryker Spine Sarl, Stryker Sustainability Solutions Inc., Stryker Tibbi Cihazlan Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Stryker Turkish Holdings BV, Stryker UK Ltd, Stryker Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Vietnam Company Limited, Stryker do Brasil Ltda, Surpass Medical, Synergetics, TG SP Holdings Corp, TSO3 Corp, TSO3 Inc, Trauson, Trauson (China) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Trauson (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (BVI) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings Company Limited, VEXIM SA, Vexim, Waterloo Bedding Co., Wright Medical Group, ZipLine Medical Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ZipLine Medical Hong Kong Limited, ZipLine Medical Inc., and eTrauma.com. Kim continues to make surprising statements and promises. Photo: KimSujin/Getty Images Kim Jong-un reportedly told South Koreas president Moon Jae-in that he is willing to abandon his regimes nuclear weapons in exchange for a formal end to the Korean War and a U.S. promise to not invade North Korea. He also invited outside observers to come monitor the shutdown of his countrys one known underground nuclear test site next month. Kim apparently made the private assurances at his historic meeting with Moon on Friday at the border village of Panmunjom. Kim made no public announcements at the time about his supposed willingness to renounce nuclear weapons, however. North Korea has also said nothing about any kind of possible timeline for denuclearization, or even explained what it thinks the term means. According to South Korean officials, Kim who has repeatedly threatened to launch missiles at the U.S. said that, I know the Americans are inherently disposed against us, but when they talk with us, they will see that I am not the kind of person who would shoot nuclear weapons to the south, over the Pacific or at the United States. If we meet often and build trust with the United States and if an end to the war and nonaggression are promised, why would we live in difficulty with nuclear weapons? he reportedly also said. The Trump administration had already been briefed on Kims comments. Related Stories The Campaign for Donald Trumps Nobel Peace Prize Has Begun Grand overtures, private conciliatory statements, and historic photo ops aside, it is far from clear that the upcoming summit between the two Koreas and the U.S. will amount to lasting change. North Korea has broken its nuclear program promises before, and the U.S. is about to break its latest one too, assuming President Trump tries to cancel the Iran nuclear deal next month. The Hershey Co. engages in the manufacture and market of chocolate and sugar confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America; and International and Other. The North America segment is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada. The International and Other segment is the combination of all other operating segments which are not individually material, including those geographic regions where the company operates outside of North America. Its brands include Hershey's, Reese's, and Kisses. The company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 and is headquartered in Hershey, PA. Read More USG Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells building materials worldwide. The company's Gypsum division manufactures and markets gypsum and related products to construct walls and ceilings of residential, nonresidential, and institutional buildings; and agricultural and industrial customers. This segment offers gypsum wallboards and compound portfolios, as well as corner beads, joint tapes, and plasters under the USG Sheetrock brand; glass mat sheathing portfolios under the Securock brand; construction plaster products under the Red Top, Imperial, Diamond, and Supremo brands; and lightweight gypsum panels under the USG Sheetrock brand, as well as ultralight panels, USG Sheetrock brand ecosmart panels, and industrial gypsum. Its Performance Materials division manufactures and markets products for interior and exterior building applications of residential and nonresidential buildings, as well as industrial applications. This segment provides cement boards, backer boards, shower systems, performance floorings, air barrier systems, roof board portfolios, and structural panels under the USG Durock, Fiberock, Levelrock, Securock, ExoAir, Securock, and USG brands. The company's Ceilings division manufactures and markets ceiling tiles under the Radar, Eclipse, Mars, and Halcyon brands; ceiling grids under the Donn, DX, Fineline, Centricitee, and Identitee DXI brands; specialty ceilings under the Curvatura, Compasso, Radians, Illusions, Multiples, Runways, Barz, Planx, Mirra, Corniche, Wallforms, and Parti brands; and acoustical drywall ceilings under the Ensemble brand. Its USG Boral Building Products division manufactures, distributes, and sells building products, mines raw gypsum, and sells natural and synthetic gypsum under the USG Boral Sheetrock, USG Boral NextGen, Elephant, Jayaboard, Durock, and Donn DX brands. The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Yum China: AIR BP-PBF DEL PERU SAC, BELFAST STORAGE LTD, CANADIAN ULTRAMAR COMPANY, COLONNADE TEXAS INSURANCE COMPANY LLC, COLONNADE VERMONT INSURANCE COMPANY, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY LLC, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OF CANADA INC., DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL HOLDINGS LLC, DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL LLC, DIAMOND K RANCH LLC, DIAMOND OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING COMPANY L.P., DIAMOND UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., DSRM NATIONAL BANK, ENTERPRISE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT INC., GCP LOGISTICS COMPANY LLC, GOLDEN EAGLE ASSURANCE LIMITED, HAMMOND MAINLINE PIPELINE LLC, HUNTWAY REFINING COMPANY, MAINLINE PIPELINES LIMITED, MAPLE ETHANOL LTD., MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT GP LLC, MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT L.P., MRP PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, NECHES RIVER HOLDING CORP., NORCO METHANOL LLC, OCEANIC TANKERS AGENCY LIMITED, PARKWAY PIPELINE LLC, PENTA TANKS TERMINALS S.A., PI DOCK FACILITIES LLC, PICKARD PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, PORT ARTHUR COKER COMPANY L.P., PREMCOR USA INC., PROPERTY RESTORATION L.P., PURE BIOFUELS DEL PERU S.A.C., PURE BIOFUELS HOLDINGS L.P., Parkway Pipeline, Premcor, Pure Biofuels Del Peru, SABINE RIVER HOLDING CORP., SABINE RIVER LLC, SAINT BERNARD PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, SUNBELT REFINING COMPANY L.P., THE PREMCOR PIPELINE CO., THE PREMCOR REFINING GROUP INC., THE SHAMROCK PIPE LINE CORPORATION, TRANSPORT MARITIME ST. LAURENT INC., ULTRAMAR ACCEPTANCE INC., ULTRAMAR ENERGY INC., ULTRAMAR INC., Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, V-TEX LOGISTICS LLC, VALERO (BARBADOS) SRL, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS GP LLC, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS LIMITED, VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ARUBA ACQUISITION COMPANY I LTD., VALERO ARUBA FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA HOLDING COMPANY N.V., VALERO ARUBA HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA MAINTENANCE/OPERATIONS COMPANY N.V., VALERO BROWNSVILLE TERMINAL LLC, VALERO CANADA FINANCE INC., VALERO CANADA L.P., VALERO CAPITAL CORPORATION, VALERO CARIBBEAN SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO COKER CORPORATION ARUBA N.V., VALERO CUSTOMS & TRADE SERVICES INC., VALERO EAST BAY LLC, VALERO ENERGY (IRELAND) LIMITED, VALERO ENERGY ARUBA II COMPANY, VALERO ENERGY INC., VALERO ENERGY LTD, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS GP LLC, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS LP, VALERO ENERGY UK LTD, VALERO ENTERPRISES INC., VALERO EQUITY SERVICES LTD, VALERO FINANCE L.P. I, VALERO FINANCE L.P. II, VALERO FINANCE L.P. III, VALERO FOREST CONTRIBUTION LLC, VALERO GRAIN MARKETING LLC, VALERO H2 PIPELINE COMPANY LLC, VALERO HOLDCO UK LTD, VALERO HOLDINGS INC., VALERO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., VALERO LIVE OAK LLC, VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY (PANAMA) LLC, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPY INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO MARKETING IRELAND LIMITED, VALERO MKS LOGISTICS L.L.C., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEW AMSTERDAM B.V., VALERO OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONS SUPPORT LTD, VALERO PARTNERS CCTS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS EAST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS WEST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS EP LLC, VALERO PARTNERS HOUSTON LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LOUISIANA LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LUCAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MCKEE LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MERAUX LLC, VALERO PARTNERS NORTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PAPS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PORT ARTHUR LLC, VALERO PARTNERS SOUTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS TEXAS CITY LLC, VALERO PARTNERS THREE RIVERS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WYNNEWOOD LLC, VALERO PAYMENT SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE LLC, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD, VALERO PLAINS COMPANY LLC, VALERO POWER MARKETING LLC, VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL PARTNERS LLC, VALERO REFINING AND MARKETING COMPANY, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-ARUBA N.V., VALERO REFINING COMPANY-CALIFORNIA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-OKLAHOMA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-TENNESSEE L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-MERAUX LLC, VALERO REFINING-NEW ORLEANS L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-TEXAS L.P., VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC, VALERO SECURITY SYSTEMS INC., VALERO SERVICES INC., VALERO SKELLYTOWN PIPELINE LLC, VALERO TEJAS COMPANY LLC, VALERO TERMINAL HOLDCO LTD, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO TEXAS POWER MARKETING INC., VALERO ULTRAMAR HOLDINGS INC., VALERO UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., VALERO WEST WALES LLC, VRG PROPERTIES COMPANY, VTD PROPERTIES COMPANY, WARSHALL COMPANY LLC, and ZELIG COMMERCIAL INC.. Come at me, bro. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images On Saturday night, during a raucous Trump campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, that served as direct counterprogramming to the White House Correspondents Dinner (get it? The president was speaking from a more authentic Washington), President Trump went off on his usual array of targets, including James Comey, trade deficits, the media, and so on. It was typical Trump red meat delivered before an adoring Middle America crowd, with a new target or two tacked on to his usual list of grievances. (Apparently Trump is no fan of the American embassys location in London.) Politically speaking, perhaps the most noteworthy thing Trump said is that he has damning information on Montana senator Jon Tester, whom he blames for torpedoing the nomination of Ronny Jackson to become Veterans Affairs secretary. Previously all but ignored by the president, Tester, who faces a tough reelection battle this fall, has become a frequent target of Trumps wrath in the last week. Tester started throwing out things that hes heard. Well, I know things about Tester that I could say, too, Trump said. And if I said them, hed never be elected again. The president is upset because Tester, in his role as ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, informed the public about a wide array of allegations against Jackson, which include drinking on the job and handing out prescription drugs. Those allegations were corroborated by media sources, and also authorized for release by Testers Republican counterpart, Georgia senator Johnny Isakson*. No matter: Trump has decided that its Tester alone who is solely to blame for ruining the reputation of Jackson, whom he has called an American hero. Trump did not give any further hints about the nature of his supposedly damning information about the senator, but if its anything like Trumps proof that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, Tester may not have too much to worry about. *The post has been updated with the correct spelling of the name of Georgia senator Johnny Isakson. Quartier Mantonge club has been added to Kansangas map, thanks to the big Congolese community in Uganda. Mantonge, owned by Devis Bahati Kayumbu, is where Congolese catch up with their latest music, culture and friends. The club opened on April 20, with great ambiance, live music video mixing of Congolese music, and the mostly Congolese patrons looked impressed with their slice of home. Kayumbu said: Since Congo is not good for this kind of business, we find Uganda is the best for hospitality. Matthew Musoke, the procurement and logistics manager, said they have employed people of different nationalities to handle non-Congolese clients that love the vast countrys food and culture. Devis Bahati Kayumbu (L), the executive director, Quartier Mantonge club, with a guest alfredodcho@gmail.com 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... Rising input costs due to strengthening of the US dollar and increase in oil prices will make price hikes of consumer durable products inevitable from June, Godrej Appliances said. New Delhi: Rising input costs due to strengthening of the US dollar and increase in oil prices will make price hikes of consumer durable products inevitable from June, Godrej Appliances said. "With the rise in US dollar and oil prices, inputs costs for the companies has gone up.. price hike (of consumer durables) is inevitable," Godrej Appliances Business Head and Executive Vice President Kamal Nandi told PTI. When asked about the quantum of hike by Godrej Appliances, he said: "We are observing the price movements... the quantum of price hike will depend on how the US dollar and oil prices move... US dollar at over Rs 66 against rupee is already high...Price hike will happen after June, when we have to order for new inventory." Nandi said the percentage of imported components in a finished product can range from 10-15 per cent to as high as 50-60 per cent. Godrej Appliances, the consumer durables division of the Godrej Group, is eyeing 25 per cent increase in revenue at Rs 5,000 crore in the current fiscal. The company's revenue in the financial year 2017-18 stood at over Rs 3,900 crore. Nandi said the consumer durables industry made representations to the Finance Ministry for slashing the GST on products from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. "If the government brings down GST on consumer durables, it will help the industry register good growth in this financial year. It also help offset higher input costs due to US dollar and oil prices," he added. The company is also looking at expanding its distribution network this year by adding more exclusive brand outlets (EBO) and number of outlets through which it sells its products. "We open EBOs in tier II to tier IV and not in metros. We have 80 EBOs at present and in this financial year we will add another 20 to take it to 100. We also plan to expand our distribution channel and add 7,000-8,000 outlets this year," said. At present, Godrej Appliances sells its products through 22,000 outlets across the country. Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar Paginas vistas en total 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Dolar USA Vs Euro Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? USA TODAY USA HOY 6 USA HOY 5 USA HOY 4 USA HOY 3 USA HOY 2 USA HOY (1) Insaciable Cronologia de un agresor Guarimbear en USA Mexico hoy Bolivar y Chavez Primero Amargado Dios los cria y ellos se juntan USA hoy (III) USA hoy (II) USA hoy Mexico hoy Mexico hoy Mexico hoy Obama La verdad sea dicha Los ricos Que no nos vea Obama Pobre Obama SOS PALESTINA VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN Archivo del blog Archivo del blog marzo (4) abril (9) mayo (8) junio (10) julio (11) agosto (10) septiembre (17) octubre (11) noviembre (15) diciembre (10) enero (9) febrero (10) marzo (8) abril (5) mayo (6) junio (8) julio (13) agosto (10) septiembre (7) octubre (12) noviembre (8) diciembre (15) enero (17) febrero (11) marzo (11) abril (12) junio (6) julio (11) agosto (15) septiembre (5) octubre (15) noviembre (14) diciembre (11) enero (13) febrero (9) marzo (10) abril (8) mayo (7) junio (12) julio (12) agosto (8) septiembre (8) octubre (4) diciembre (8) enero (35) febrero (20) marzo (29) abril (19) mayo (21) junio (27) julio (21) agosto (28) septiembre (40) octubre (47) noviembre (21) diciembre (34) enero (62) febrero (81) marzo (117) abril (141) mayo (114) junio (111) julio (126) agosto (98) septiembre (160) octubre (234) noviembre (493) diciembre (319) enero (219) febrero (267) marzo (230) abril (291) mayo (347) junio (223) julio (179) agosto (191) septiembre (239) octubre (350) noviembre (406) diciembre (353) enero (284) febrero (202) marzo (274) abril (250) mayo (232) junio (251) julio (188) agosto (249) septiembre (230) octubre (178) noviembre (141) diciembre (164) enero (187) febrero (147) marzo (211) abril (190) mayo (199) junio (164) julio (162) agosto (174) septiembre (182) octubre (225) noviembre (114) diciembre (132) enero (223) febrero (147) marzo (133) abril (108) mayo (387) junio (465) julio (785) agosto (748) septiembre (485) octubre (681) noviembre (754) diciembre (805) enero (708) febrero (896) marzo (735) abril (831) mayo (723) junio (555) julio (658) agosto (619) septiembre (457) octubre (455) noviembre (295) diciembre (269) enero (534) febrero (556) marzo (205) abril (119) mayo (194) junio (255) julio (294) agosto (182) septiembre (207) octubre (340) noviembre (351) diciembre (281) enero (114) febrero (128) marzo (216) abril (195) mayo (116) junio (141) julio (182) agosto (181) septiembre (50) octubre (72) noviembre (104) diciembre (88) enero (168) febrero (102) marzo (151) abril (207) mayo (43) junio (72) julio (35) agosto (146) septiembre (54) octubre (8) Chavez Cuanto te queremos! Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! The labour ministry has extended the dateline for receiving comments from stakeholders on its proposed labour code on safety and working conditions of workers until May 31, 2018. New Delhi: The labour ministry has extended the dateline for receiving comments from stakeholders on its proposed labour code on safety and working conditions of workers until May 31, 2018. Earlier, the comments were invited by April 22, 2018. The date for giving comments on 'Labour Code on Occupation Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2018' has been extended up to May 31, 2018, the labour ministry said in a notification. As per the recommendation of the National Commission on Labour, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has been taking steps for simplification, amalgamation and rationalisation of central labour laws. On this, various existing acts are being proposed to be subsumed in four labour codes -- on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety and health and working conditions. The labour ministry had prepared a preliminary draft on Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2018 by amalgamating 13 labour laws relating to safety, and health standards, health and working conditions, welfare provisions for the employees and leave and hours of work. "Your specific input/suggestions are requested on the various aspects of the code including threshold/applicability, the registration/licensing and processes there of, ...the broad aspects on working and health conditions, safety standards, welfare measures, enforcement mechanism, penalties, rule making powers of the central and state governments," Labour Ministry said. As per the draft code, it will be the responsibility of the employer for maintaining health and working conditions of its employees related to cleanliness and hygiene, ventilation, temperature, humidity, dust and noxious free environment, potable drinking water, adequate lighting, among others. "The employer shall be responsible to provide and maintain in his establishment welfare facilities for the workers of such standard as may be prescribed by the Central Government," says the draft code. On work hours, it suggests that no worker shall be required or allowed to work for (i) more than forty-eight hours in a week; (ii) nine hours in a day subject to hours of work specified in clause (i); and (iii) the periods of work in each day shall be so fixed that no period shall exceed five hours and there shall be half an hour of interval after each such period. For those working in mines, the persons employed below ground in a mine shall not be allowed to work for more than eight hours in any day, as per the draft and that no work shall be carried on below ground in any mine except by a system of shifts and the period of work for each shift is not spread over more than the daily maximum limit. "No person employed in a mine shall be allowed to be present in any part of a mine below ground except during the periods of work shown in respect of him in the register maintained under subsection (1) of section 33," it added. Mumbai: Hansal Mehta's "Omerta" tracks the story of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and the director says through this film he wants to provoke a thought among people about state sponsored terrorism. Sheikh, a British terrorist of Pakistan descent, was involved in the 9/11 terror attacks and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl. He is currently in prison in Pakistan serving the life sentence. "There are some standard emotions that a film leaves you with like happiness, sadness, this (film) would leave you angry. We live in a world where a villain like this exists and yet we are silent about it," Mehta told PTI. "There is deadly silence about the truth surrounding state sponsored terrorism. It exists yet we do not talk about it. Governments don't talk about it because the business of war keeps the government solvent," he says. Today everyone is busy in their own lives and do not care about things happening in the world until something affects them directly, Mehta points out. "...Only when something happens we react. I am hoping the film will tell people to think we need to react. It is in government's interest to maintain status quo they are in the business of war, fighting because governments and politicians make their money from oil and defence," he adds. The film features Mehta's frequent collaborator Rajkummar Rao playing the part of the terrorist, but before he came on board, there were a few actors who were approached for the role. "...That is much before I met Rajkummar. With 'Omerta' I was not able to find the producer initially for the film. I even pitched the story of 'Omerta' to the producers of 'Shahid' but they wanted to make 'Shahid' first as it seemed more manageable. I think everything happens at the right time. Rajkummar and me met and that changed things for us," he says. Given the fair bit of violence and tone of the film, Mehta did envisage the problem in getting a smooth clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). When the director first went to the examining committee seeking an 'A' certificate, the board ordered several cuts which Mehta felt were "unjustified" and he approached the revising committee, hoping they would understand the context of the film. "The examining committee had asked for cuts which were completely unjustified. I had gone for the screening asking A certificate. I requested them give us an A certificate, I was surprised why the cuts. I had to take the film to revising committee that's why the delay in release date. "The revising committee suggested two cuts and I could have taken to tribunal but it is unfair to producers who have invested money in the film as the tribunal would take time. There were two cuts and we did it," he says. The two cuts ordered by the revising committee were - a sequence where Omar is urinating during the national anthem and the other was sexual in nature, Mehta says. "...It is an offensive scene and it is suppose to make you angry. There is one scene where he is having a violent sex before he carries out an operation," he adds. The director believes every film faces some difficulties but the challenge that "Omerta" posed was how to make a film on an antagonist, without glorifying anything. "...For us it was about doing this film without making him look like hero. It is about a film on an antagonist and let him be an antagonist. Let somebody loathe or hate him," he says. The film is set to release on May 4. Strange are the ways in which destiny works. Sreeram Ramachandran debuted 10 years back through the very popular serial Chumma, where he played Anand, who aspired to be an actor. Cut to the present he has returned to the mini-screen through the serial Kasthooriman, where he plays a popular actor Jeeva. Sreeram laughs and says, Jeeva was Anands dream. Incidentally, he associated with Pramod Mohan during the making of Chumma and it was the same Pramod who gave him a good role when Pramod debuted as a director through the recently released Orayiram Kinakkalal. Coincidences aside, Sreeram is happy with the way his career graph is peaking. The actor, known for his roles in films like Malarvadi Arts Club, Thattathin Marayathu and Artist is now basking in the warm glow of adulation from a thousand fans. Jeeva the actor has caught the fancy of the mini-screen viewers. And Sreeram cannot be more surprised, I do not have any big dreams; I just want to do good characters. Incidentally, when I was offered the role of Jeeva, truth be said, I was slightly apprehensive because he has negative shades. I wondered if I would be perceived in a negative manner, but till date, I have not faced one negative reaction from any viewer, he happily gushes. Jeeva is someone who is slightly arrogant and has no qualms about playing with the emotions of a girl he marries. Sreeram has slipped into the skin of his character effortlessly but it was not an easy task. He explains, I am the exact opposite of Jeeva, so it was very difficult initially to mouth the negative dialogues. But the acceptance by the audience slowly made me shed my inhibitions. Sreeram reveals that it was the treatment and the freedom to act the way he desired along with a well-known director at the helm that made him foray back to the telly tube. He adds, I also had the permission to act in Orayiram Kinakkalal while I was doing this serial. Though many film actors have made the transition to the mini-screen, it does bring its own set of challenges. The tag of a serial actor is not something most actors boast of, but Sreeram begs to differ. It has been 10 years that I have been active in the film industry and I know how the industry works. I dont think acting in serials is seen as a downside. In any case, I am not just concentrating on serials but am doing films as well. What matters is the characters I do, he finishes. Sreeram also feels the migration of more big-screen actors to the mini-screen will dispel any wrong notions. Coming to the acting methodology, he feels the two mediums are poles apart. Serials require more melodrama and dramatics whereas films are more realistic. But the acceptance of serial actors is huge. He has a role in the upcoming Anjali Menon film starring Prithviraj and Nazriya as well as one in an Indo-American film Across the Ocean. Actress Sanjjanaa is all set to campaign for the Congress party in the coming Karnataka Assembly elections. Over the last few weeks, her tweets have been in support of the party. According to a source, the actress is gearing up to join the Congress party in the presence of AICC Chief Rahul Gandhi. She was supposed to join during Rahul Gandhis Hubballi visit but it got postponed due to some unknown reasons, says a source. According to the source, Madhu Yashki and G. Narayana, both Congress members from Telangana, worked to get Sanjjanaa into their party. Once the actress officially joins, she will be seen campaigning. Interestingly, popular actor Prakash Raj too is campaigning for the Congress party. When asked if she would join the party, she says, It is too early to comment about it. But I wish that the Congress party comes into power in Karnataka. Samantha Akkineni has had a dream start to the year. The actresss recent film Rangasthalam became a blockbuster and the actress, too, was appreciated for her performance in it. Now, she has some very interesting projects lined up for release and the actress is going to be right up there this year. Her film Mahanati is up for the release next, where she is playing a journalist; her look is completely different as the story is based in the 80s. Also, for the first time the actress will attempt to give her own voice to the film. I am still trying to dub in my own voice, but the process is still on, says the actress. She is also shooting for the film U Turn, which is another woman-oriented film. It is a remake of the Kannada hit with the same name. Samantha has also signed opposite her husband Naga Chaitanya in a film and she also has a few Tamil films lined up for release. The centre would create awareness on birth defects and disorders, but also provide timely access to patients who need diagnosis, intervention and treatment for these diseases. CHENNAI: To provide relief to the patients suffering from rare diseases in Tamil Nadu, a Centre of Excellence for rare disorders (CERD) has been launched at Voluntary Health Services (VHS). The CERD has been launched to provide comprehensive health care services to rare disease patients to support the department of maternal and child health of VHS. Dr J. Radhakrishnan, health secretary of Tamil Nadu launched the centre, actor Karthi Sivakumar, Dr S Suresh, secretary, VHS and Dr Sujatha Jagadeesh, head of the department of clinical genetics, Mediscan were also present at the event. The centre will provide the treatment for rare diseases, give supportive treatment, monitor the patients' conditions regularly and also provide rehabilitation services. The centre would create awareness on birth defects and disorders, but also provide timely access to patients who need diagnosis, intervention and treatment for these diseases. With the lack of such a facility, a majority of the patients were at a loss as to how to cope with these critical conditions they are born with. However, now, with the launch of this centre, patients can undergo timely treatment which would improve their quality of life, said Dr Sujatha Jagadeesh. The research project was first initiated by Barbara York Main in 1974, who monitored the long-term spider population for over 42 years. (Photo: Pixabay) Australian researchers have discovered what is thought to be the world's oldest recorded spider, unlocking key information about the mysterious eight-legged creature. The research, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, suggests the 43-year-old Giaus Villosus trapdoor matriarch, who recently died during a long-term population study, had outlived the previous world record holder, a 28-year old tarantula found in Mexico. Lead author Ph.D. student Leanda Mason from the School of Molecular and Life Sciences at Curtin University said the ongoing research has led to new discoveries about the longevity of the trapdoor spider. "To our knowledge this is the oldest spider ever recorded, and her significant life has allowed us to further investigate the trapdoor spider's behaviour and population dynamics," Ms Mason said. "The research project was first initiated by Barbara York Main in 1974, who monitored the long-term spider population for over 42 years in the Central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. "Through Barbara's detailed research, we were able to determine that the extensive life span of the trapdoor spider is due to their life-history traits, including how they live in uncleared, native bushland, their sedentary nature and low metabolisms." The team at Curtin University continued Barbara's research, now aged 88, and were able to gather information regarding the spider's age, cause of death, and a better understanding of its life history. Co-author, Associate Professor Grant Wardell-Johnson, from the School of Molecular and Life Sciences and the Deputy Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Mine Site Restoration (CMSR), explained how the spider's behavioural characteristics contributed to its survival in the Australian outback. "These spiders exemplify an approach to life in ancient landscapes, and through our ongoing research we will be able to determine how the future stresses of climate change and deforestation will potentially impact the species," Associate Professor Wardell-Johnson said. The recent death of the 43-year-old trapdoor spider, not only breaks the record for the world's oldest spider, but also demonstrates that long-term research is essential to understand how different species live in the Australian environment. In this Monday, Nov. 2, 1987 file photo, Britain's Diana, the Princess of Wales, is pictured during an evening reception given by the West German President Richard von Weizsacker in honour of the British Royal guests in the Godesberg Redoute in Bonn, Germany. (Photo: AP) MIAMI: John Hoatsons home is a shrine to Princess Diana, with everything from a wedding day portrait to a plush doll and miniature replicas of her wedding shoes. Hoatsons passion for all things Diana began when he was 8 and shows no signs of fading at the age of 45, with Dianas son Prince Harry scheduled to wed retired American actress Meghan Markle on May 18 at Windsor Castle. The wedding will give Hoatson the opportunity to add to a collection that numbers 13,000 items. A museum valued it at about $500,000 in 2011, he said. As a child, Hoatson was an American history buff, collecting antiques related to the first U.S. president, George Washington. He became hooked on the royal family and Diana after seeing her wedding to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles on July 29, 1981. My mother woke me up the morning of the royal wedding of Charles and Diana and told me I needed to watch it for historical reasons, he told Reuters during an interview in his home surrounded by objects from his collection. I was fascinated how they still used all the carriages and still had all that pomp and pageantry even after so many centuries, said Hoatson, who is single. One wall in his small Pompano Beach, Florida, home is covered by a black-and-white photo of Diana gazing into the camera. A wall-covering portrait of Diana and Charles from the wedding day hangs nearby and a National Geographic documentary about her life plays on a loop on his television. Other items include signed cards, handwritten notes to her staff, porcelain trinkets bearing the Windsor family crest, the tiny replica shoes, the plush doll in a powder blue satin dress and sparkling tiara, and coffee mugs, plates, and bowls bearing Dianas image. He even has a bar of soap Diana used on a Caribbean vacation. Hoatson considers his prized possession a sliver of fruitcake in its original box from the wedding day, which he acquired in 2004 from an auction house for $300. That was when Diana became a member of the royal family, he said. Now, Hoatson is organizing an office watch party for Prince Harrys nuptials and plans to begin adding mementos from the day as soon as they become available. People have time and again tried to find new ways to slip sneak contraband or other objects without authorities noticing. There have also been shocking accounts of people ending up with bizarre objects in their bodies with mind boggling explanations. Now police in Missouri have arrested a 27-year-old for possession of drugs she had stashed in her bra. But what shocked them was the fact that she had a loaded gun hidden inside her vagina. The Kimber .380 caliber handgun in Witts vagina had a gun in the chamber and she now faces 10 years in prison for possession of a weapon and 15 on drugs charges. Bengaluru: Three fake Income Tax officials, including two BE graduates, were arrested after they demanded a ransom of Rs 10 crore from a priest to avoid a raid at his house. They were arrested red-handed by the Yeshwanthpur police on Friday, based on a complaint filed by the priests wife Veena Ganesh. The accused have been identified as Venkatesh (24), a resident of Yeshwanthpur, and his friend Vivek (22), a native of Nanjangud in Mysuru district, both BE graduates from a city-based engineering college and unemployed, and Kumar (44) from Adugodi. According to police, the engineering graduates stayed near the priest Ganeshs house in Yeshwanthpur and were looking out for a job. As they were unable to clear the interviews they attended, they hatched a plan to pose as I-T officials and extort Ganesh. They assumed he may have amassed a fortune by conducting puja services for VVIPs. The duo ganged up with Kumar and made a ransom call to the priest on last Wednesday. Veena, who answered the call, was shocked on being told that case file has been opened against her husband for having disproportionate assets and there is will be an I-T raid soon. The accused also suggested that if she was willing to pay Rs 10 crore, the impending raid, to be conducted in next two days by a special team from Delhi, can be averted. Veena informed her husband about the call and lodged a police complaint. Later, on the instructions from the police, Veena expressed willingness to pay the ransom amount. The accused told her that they would be coming in a Zoom Car (self-rental car) near her house to collect the money. When they reached the decided place in Mathikere on Friday night, a special police team nabbed the trio. The police recovered two mobile phones and the car in which they were travelling. During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused were first time offenders. They were booked under various sections of the IPC and remanded in judicial custody. One of the alert passengers dialled 100 seeking help and RR Nagar police landed at the spot. (Representational image) BENGALURU: Four unidentified miscreants, alleged recovery agents of a private money-lending company, waylaid a Kerala-bound private bus posing as policemen and hijacked it on Friday night. They drove the bus with 42 passengers to a godown on the pretext of conducting a check and illegally detained the passengers for hours near RV College in RR Nagar police limits. One of the alert passengers dialled 100 seeking help and RR Nagar police landed at the spot. But by the time they arrived, the miscreants had fled. The police, however, have detained security guards at the godown and are questioning them to establish their role in the hijacking. The bus, belonging to Lama Travels (KA01, AG636), left Kalasipalyam around 9.45 pm and was headed to Kerala. Before it crossed the city, four miscreants on two bikes waylaid the bus on Mysuru Road near RV College. The driver got down and enquired with the fake policemen, who told him that they were part of a special election squad to check transportation of illegal cash, jewelry and goodies and wanted to check the bags of the passengers. The driver obliged and let the miscreants in. But instead of checking the bags, they took over the bus and drove it to the godown. There they told the passengers that the bus was not going anywhere and locked the godown, the police said. The shocked passengers then threatened to call the police, but the miscreants refused to budge. A passenger informed the police about the incident, following which the RR Nagar police rushed and rescued the passengers. DCP (West) Ravi D. Channannavar told Deccan Chronicle that the miscreants fled before the police arrived at the spot. We suspect them to be recovery agents of a private money-lending company. We have detained the security guards of the godown to check whether they were involved. We will soon arrest the culprits, he said. A case has been registered at the RR Nagar Police Station under Section 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code. Three cases were booked and three persons were detained for storing banned gutka products. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: Rachakonda police conducted cordon and search operations at Yadadri and LB nagar zones on Friday night and detained eight suspects with past criminal history. At Yadadri zone, under the supervision of DCP E. Ramchandra Reddy, 150 police personnel conducted searches at Bhoodan Pochampally mandal. During the searches, 56 bikes and two cars without valid documents were seized. Five LPG cylinders which were stored illegally were also seized. One belt shop was sealed and a case was booked against the owner. Police also detained five persons with past criminal history to verify their movements. At LB Nagar, 400 police personnel under the supervision of DCP M. Venkateswar Rao conducted searches in which 27 bikes, three autos and one car was seized. Three cases were booked and three persons were detained for storing banned gutka products. The police also seized 8o illegally stored liquor bottles during the operation. DCP Venkateswar Rao said that the search was aimed at tracking the movements of anti-social elements if any taking shelter in this area. The operations will be conducted at regular intervals to ensure a safe atmosphere in the residential colonies. he said. Hyderabad: SHE Team officials nabbed four students for passing lewd comments on girls in a park at SR Nagar. The officials were on regular rounds at Krishna Kanth park where they found students, identified as Mohd Osman Khan, 20, Shaik Navid Ahmed, 20, Mohd Aleem, 19, and Mohd Khadar, 19, following a group of girls and passing comments at them. They were caught on camera teasing the girls and later brought to She Team office, where a case under section 70 (C) of CP Act was registered against them for creating nuisance, said ACP Shikha Goel, adding that the four were arrested and produced before a magistrate. Man threatens to kill friends husband She Teams police have nabbed a man for threatening to kill his friends husband and extorting money from her by showing their previous chats and messages. The victim approached She Teams through her father, with a complaint stating that Durgam Sunil Kumar, her former friend, was troubling her by harassing and threatening her and asking her to desert her husband. He is demanding money and is threatening that he will disclose all the chats between them to my sisters- in-law, said the victim in the complaint. She had recently shifted to USA and is living there with her family now. He threatened the victim that if she did not talk to him, he would kill her husband through his friends in USA and involve her husband in a drugs case. This way he extorted Rs 10,000 from her and then started demanding huge money. He paid a visit to her house on April 20 and threatened to kill her husband's parents too, said the Additional Commissioner of Police, Crimes and SIT, Shikha Goel. She Teams made a discreet enquiry in the case and apprehended Sunil Kumar, who was then handed over to Malkajgiri police. When customers returned, he took their finger prints and Aadhaar number once again on the pretext that previous prints were not good enough. (Representational image) Hyderabad: A mobile shop owner was arrested by Amberpet police for fraudulently using a customer's Aadhaar card details to activate SIM cards for other persons. The accused was identified as Mohammed Rahamatullah, alias Sajid Ullah, 36, owner of Yaseen Mobiles, whom the police booked for cheating and committing forgery by activating illegal SIM cards and giving to one Zahed for the purpose of illegal call routing. The arrest was made based on a complaint from Prasad, a junior telecom officer, stating that one Rehmatulla had been activating SIMs of various service providers in association with persons running an illegal telephone exchange. They had been conducting international call routing through illegal setups, resulting revenue loss to the TSP and the central government and a threat to national security, the complainat said. Rahamatullah used to inform customers who bought SIM cards to come later to collect the activated SIM cards. When customers returned, he took their finger prints and Aadhaar number once again on the pretext that previous prints were not good enough. Those SIMs were sold to Zahed and Ashraf, alias Doctor Saab, for large sums. He sold about 300-400 illegal pre-activated SIMs, said Malakpet division ACP K.Narsing Rao. The accused was produced in court for judicial remand. Efforts were on to arrest the absconding accused Zaheed and Ashraf. Three accused, identified as Saurabh Chakravarty, Pramod Chakravarty and Honey Chakravarty, have been arrested. (Representational Image) Jabalpur: A 14-year-old girl was gangraped repeatedly by five people for more than two months in the Gorakhpur area in Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur, a senior police official said on Saturday. The girls parents approached the police Friday night alleging that five people, aged between 18 and 21, gangraped their daughter, Gorakhpur Superintendent of Police Arjun Uike said. The parents approached the police after the news spread that the girl underwent an abortion two days ago, the official said. Three accused, identified as Saurabh Chakravarty, Pramod Chakravarty and Honey Chakravarty, have been arrested, he said. Two others, Rahul Chakravarty and Bantu Sonker, are on the run, Uike said. The SP said two of the accused would allegedly ask the minor to cook food at their residence for a nominal sum. The five would take her home and gangrape her repeatedly, the official alleged. The SP said the family lives in a slum, and the girls parents and her brother work as daily wagers. The police were also trying to locate the doctor who carried out the abortion. Terminating pregnancy of a rape victim without the courts sanction is illegal. We are going to arrest the doctor, the official said. He said that a case had been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. This comes on the heels of a series of cases of rapes and murders which have taken the country by a storm. It is to be noted that on April 21, the Union Cabinet approved the amendment in POCSO Act, putting a stamp on awarding death penalty to the rapists of children below 12 years of age. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment was 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 ordinance gained significance in the wake of huge outrage over Kathua and Unnao rape cases. Two fire mishaps that destroyed 20 houses and several shops in a market in West Tambaram. (Photo:DC) Chennai: In two fire accidents on the outskirts of the city, 20 houses and 25 shops were damaged on Saturday. According to police, a fire alert call was received by fire personnel at 12.30 am on Friday from a market located on Shanmugam Road in West Tambaram. There are nearly 100 shops, selling vegetables, fruits, coconuts and other provisions. During the midnight, some vendors had noticed smoke from one of the shops and all of sudden the flames started to engulf the shop and nearby shops, the police said. More than 25 shops were damaged in the fire. Sparks from electricity cable over the market may have caused the fire, police added. The Tambaram police have registered a case and are investigating the reason. Tambaram MLA S.R. Raja visited the spot and consoled the vendors. Ironically, many shops in the market were damaged on the same day of last year. In another incident near Pallikaranai, an LPG cylinder burst on Saturday noon damaging 20 huts. The incident happened when the construction workers had gone to work leaving their children behind. The home alone children might have opened the cylinder resulting in the fire. Although all the children escaped unhurt, properties worth Rs 10 lakh lost in the fire, the police said. The Pallikaranai police have registered a case and are investigating. The incident took place when the patient in coma, Parminder Gupta, was shifted to the general ward from the ICU for two days. (Photo: Representational/File) Mumbai: The father of a comatose patient alleged that his son's right eye was nibbled by a rat at civic-run Bal Thackeray Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari on April 23. "We saw blood over his eye in the morning. We had seen rats in the general ward earlier, but we didn't witness the incident. He was admitted in the hospital with a blood clot in the brain, following a road accident," the father said. The hospital administrator, however, denied the incident, claiming it as an 'alleged conspiracy' to malign their reputation. The incident took place when the patient in coma, Parminder Gupta, was shifted to the general ward from the ICU for two days. The condition of the patient is quite delicate at present. Further investigation is underway. After standing in the queue for nearly 20 minutes, the staffer after verifying my account informed me that my Aadhaar linkage is successful., Geetha Naik said Hyderabad: Geetha Naik, 52, of Vahini Nagar, Sikh Village, received a message on March 12, 2018, from Axis Bank with a header saying Government Mandate, Your Aadhaar linkage has failed, to avoid blocking of your Axis bank account by 31/03/18, visit your branch. Following this, the 52-year-old said, I took my grandson along to Bowenpally (centre point branch). After standing in the queue for nearly 20 minutes, the staffer after verifying my account informed me that my Aadhaar linkage is successful. Unverified bulk messages like We regret to inform you that your attempt to update Aadhaar has failed due to a difference in your details updated with the bank & UIDAI. We request you to visit the nearest branch at the earliest from certain banks are proving a hassle to customers. But in reality, many of these customers accounts are already linked with their Aadhaar. An insider of a regional bank said such messages were programmed months ago and are being sent now. Another Ms Ananya (name changed) who received a similar message from Standard Chartered bank, said, The text read my Aadhaar card linkage has failed and I need to update it to avoid transactions being blocked. I rushed to the regional branch the same afternoon only to hear the banker say my Aadhaar has been linked and there is no issue. Such messages panic account holders, especially senior citizens living on a pension who fear even that personal revenue being blocked. Another problem prevailing at the banks was that staffers hesitate to link accounts with Aadhaar cards if the customers full names are not printed on their cards. Those having initials printed instead of full name have a tough time answering several questions. Thogota Arvind Reddy of Erramanzil faced a tough time as the bank employee did not accept his Aadhaar card as his name read T Arvind Reddy. I have been a longtime customer of SBI through which I'm currently drawing my pension, even then they asked my details out of suspicion, said Mr Reddy. An insider from a regional bank said, These messages were programmed when the banks starting asking for Aadhaar card account, linkage and few more messages were structured to inform customers if their linkage has failed, however since the messages are sent in bulk, they end up reaching those whose linkage is successful. Messages are sent through shortcode gateways to all customers registered with the bank. In case the customer has linked his/her Aadhaar and there is no block in transactions, this message should be ignored or reported to the bank. The signal system in Hyderabad was improved after officials visited countries like Singapore and America to study its implementation there. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The South Zone Traffic Police of Hyderabad city organised a traffic awareness programme at Bandlaguda and Chandrayangutta in Hyderabad on Saturday. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar requested the people to extend their co-operation to make Hyderabad an accident-free city. He further stated that Hyderabad traffic police ranked no. 1 in the country in using technology. The signal system in Hyderabad was improved after officials visited countries like Singapore and America to study its implementation there. He requested the gathering to follow the traffic laws to make Hyderabad no.1 city in the country by reducing fatal accidents. The efforts and the scientific steps initiated by the Hyderabad Traffic Police have already reduced the accidents by 25 per cent. Anil Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, said that all city residents must discourage minors from driving by explaining to them the risks involved Temporary signals and a photo exhibition put up to educate the gathering, stole the show. People present on the occasion interacted with the police and clarified their doubts pertaining to traffic laws. A 'license mela' organised by traffic police at the event received a good response and 27 learners' licenses were issued to applicants. At the end of the programme, the gathering was administered an oath on traffic discipline. According to Russian media, the plane with seven people onboard. (Photo: ANI/Representational) New Delhi: An Indian Navy plane, IL-38, which was on a test flight in Russia made an emergency landing on Saturday. According to Russian media, the plane with seven people onboard -- four pilots and three technical specialists crash-landed at Zhukovsky Airfield outside Moscow after a chassis failure. The Indian Navy said that no crew was onboard during sortie. However, the Navy said the aircraft was on initial test flight with Russian crew. The aircraft which was in Russia for Overhaul and Mid Life Upgradation, is being assessed for the extent of damage. Russia has been one of Indias key suppliers of arms and ammunition. Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America. As he spoke at the event, Rahul Gandhi attacked the centre over the Rafale deal and PM Modi's promises to end corruption in the country. (Photo: Twitter/@INCIndia) New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public rally, his first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the PM has made "hollow" promises to the nation. He said as he travelled across the country, he witnessed that the people were not happy with the government at the Centre. Hitting out at PM Modi on the Punjab National Bank scam, he said the money of the people of the country has gone into the pocket of Nirav Modi. As he spoke at the "Jan Akrosh Rally", Rahul Gandhi attacked the Centre over the Rafale deal and PM Modi's promises to end corruption in the country. He said the prime minister bought the Rafale deal at double the price it was done earlier. "PM Modi snatched away the Rafale deal from an experienced PSU like HAL and gave it away to an inexperienced private entity owned by his friend," Gandhi said. Claiming that unemployment has reached its peak levels, Rahul Gandhi repeated that demonetisation and "Gabbar Singh Tax" hurt the national economy. Gandhi accused Union Minister Piyush Goyal of making dubious business deals benefitting companies linked to him through his position. However, PM Modi doesn't utter a single word on this, he said at the rally. The Congress had earlier on Saturday demanded the removal of Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a company owned by him were a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest", charges dismissed as "baseless and malicious" by the BJP. Invoking the January 12 incident, wherein, four senior judges revolted against Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, Rahul said under Modi's reign, even the Supreme Court judges have had to reach out to people for justice. Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Rahul said the RSS was slowly taking over the democratic institutions and destroying them from within while PM Modi watches silently. Mocking Modi's "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao", Gandhi alleged that the members of his own party were assaulting women. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising the country's defence and strategic interests, Gandhi said, "The Chinese are aggressively pursuing militarisation in Doklam. Despite this, all that PM Modi does is hold a 'no-agenda' meeting with the Chinese President". Sounding the poll bugle, Gandhi said only the Congress Party can support the farmers of India and protect their interests. Congress united all sections of society, spread love in 70 years unlike the BJP, he said. Exuding confidence in his party, Rahul Gandhi said Congress would emerge victorious in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh assembly polls and 2019 general elections. "The Congress will win every election from now on and will also emerge victorious in 2019," he said. The rally was earlier addressed by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Addressing the rally, Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the Centre stating that Narendra Modi-led BJP government has destroyed the Indian economy. She attacked PM Modi saying roots of corruption became stronger in his regime. Gandhi said the BJP government was muzzling dissenting voices, weakening institutions, and dividing communities eyeing poll gains. Asserting that the country was passing through a sensitive phase, Gandhi promised that the Congress will combat on behalf of people. Opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI(M) and the TMC, slammed the government for virtually handing over the symbol of India's Independence to a corporate. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: With opposition parties denouncing the government for "handing over the Red Fort to a private entity", the Ministry of Tourism clarified on Saturday that the agreement signed with the Dalmia Bharat Limited was "only for development, operations and maintenance of tourism amenities" in and around the 17th century monument and envisaged limited "access" to non-core areas. The Dalmia Bharat Group, under a memorandum of understanding, would maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it and has committed a sum of Rs 25 crore for the purpose over a period spanning five years. Opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI(M) and the TMC, slammed the government for virtually handing over the symbol of India's Independence to a corporate. "The MoU is only' for the development, operations and maintenance of tourism amenities in and around the Red Fort. It envisages limited access' of non-core areas and no handing over of monument' is involved," the ministry said. It is clarified that The Adopt a Heritage' is essentially a non-revenue generating project. It is part of responsible tourism where the Monument Mitra' essentially spends its CSR funds for upkeep and maintenance and gets limited visibility. "The agency was selected on the basis of unique concept of vision bid and no financial bid is involved," a ministry statement read. An MoU has been signed between the Ministry of Tourism, the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) and the Jammu and Kashmir government for Mt Stok Kangri, Ladakh. An agreement was inked by "the Ministry of Tourism, the ATOAI, and the Uttarakhand government for trail to Gaumukh. MoUs were also signed between the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Dalmia Bharat Limited for Red Fort in Delhi, and the Gandikota Fort in Andhra Pradesh, it said. "Under the project, 31 agencies referred as 'Monument Mitras' have been approved so far to adopt 95 monuments/ tourist sites located across India. The project aims to involve public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through development, operation and maintenance of world-class tourist infrastructure and amenities at ASI/state heritage sites and other important tourist sites in India," the statement read. The project primarily focusses on providing basic amenities including cleanliness, public conveniences, drinking water, ease of access for differently abled and senior citizens, standardised signage, illumination and advanced amenities such as surveillance system, night viewing facilities, tourism facilitation center and an enhanced tourism experience. Accusing the BJP, the Congress asked how the government could lease out a heritage place to a private entity. "After handing over the Red Fort to the Dalmia group, which is the next distinguished location that the BJP government will lease out to a private entity? #IndiaSpeaks," the party's Twitter handle posted. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday came down heavily on the Center for leasing out the the historic Red Fort in New Delhi and the Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh to a corporate house. Describing the Red Fort as the "symbol of the nation" and the day as the "sad and dark day in our history", Banerjee questioned why the central government was unable to take care of the historical fort. "Why can't the Government even take care of our historic Lal Qila? Red Fort is a symbol of our nation. It is where India"s flag is hoisted on Independence Day. Why should it be leased out?," Banerjee tweeted on Saturday evening. 'Nitish Kumar has been the chief minister for over a decade. The statistics speak volumes about his commitment towards the depressed classes,' Manjhi told reporters in Patna on Saturday. (Photo: AP) Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has alleged that the Bihar government headed by Nitish Kumar is "shedding crocodile tears" on Dalit issues and said that the state has an abysmally low rate of conviction in cases lodged under the SC/ST Act. Claiming that a number of steps aimed at the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) were taken during his brief tenure, Manjhi claimed the chief minister's recent pro-Dalit stance was "aimed at deriving political mileage at a time when the Lok Sabha elections are just a few months away". "A total of 25,943 cases, lodged under the SC/ST Act, was pending in Bihar till 2017. Out of these, convictions were made in only 89, which is a mere 0.34 per cent. Nitish Kumar has been the chief minister for over a decade. The statistics speak volumes about his commitment towards the depressed classes", Manjhi told reporters in Patna on Saturday. Manjhi became the chief minister in 2014 when Nitish Kumar resigned owning responsibility for the debacle of the JD(U) in the Lok Sabha polls. He stepped down less than a year later and floated his own party Hindustani Awam Morcha or HAM. The party contested the state Assembly elections a year later as a constituent of the NDA, but performed poorly with Manjhi emerging as the sole candidate to win a seat. However, less than a year after Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA, Manjhi switched sides and joined the truncated Grand Alliance comprising the RJD and the Congress. His son Santosh Manjhi was elected to the state legislative council with the RJD's support last week. The former Chief Minister's outbursts came in the backdrop of Nitish Kumar declaring that all people belonging to the Scheduled Caste would enjoy the benefits extended to "Mahadalits", his recent emphasis on timely disposal of cases lodged under the SC/ST Act and approval of a scheme by the state cabinet for economic uplift of those traditionally involved in manufacture and sale of country made liquor and toddy. A vociferous critic of Nitish Kumar's prohibition policy, Manjhi has been alleging that the ban on alcohol in Bihar has hit the Dalits hard as most manufacturers of country made liquor and toddy belong to the community. Manjhi, along with the RJD, has also been alleging that most people arrested and awarded punishment by courts under the stringent anti-liquor law that came into force in 2016 were from the depressed classes. "The government is shedding crocodile tears with a view to gaining the sympathy of the sizable Dalits ahead of the general elections due next year. This is yet another example of the NDA's anti-Dalit mindset", he claimed. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal Group which has interests in the renewable energy sector. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday again demanded the removal of Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a company owned by him were a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest", charges dismissed as "baseless and malicious" by the BJP. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal Group which has interests in the renewable energy sector. He cited company filings of Piramal Estates Private Limited to make the claims. Piramal Estates Private Limited refuted the charges made by the Congress. Khera alleged that Goyal did not disclose this in his assets made public on the PMO website soon after becoming a minister and this was a "clear case of conflict of interest". Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. "It's no secret that CA Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has pried open the doors of every major corporate house for PM Modi. How then will the PM act against this Minister, caught red handed, misusing his power for 48 Cr. of personal gain?" he tweeted with the hashtag "GoyalMustResign". Piramal Estates Private Limited said that it had purchased Flashnet Info Solutions Private Limited ('Flashnet') in July 2014. "The purchase consideration paid was the fair value of the underlying investments (movable and immovable assets) and the same was paid in July, 2014 itself. This was based on an independent chartered accountant valuation. Piramal Group has a long track record of acquiring businesses that complement, scale up or grow our existing business offerings and also constantly evaluates any new opportunities to grow in new space," the company said in a statement. "The allegation that this transaction was done for undue benefit to the Piramal Group, is totally baseless and devoid of any merit," it said. Khera during a press briefing said this was a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest involving one of the senior most Cabinet ministers of the Modi government. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives sermons of 'na khaunga, na khane doonga'. Will the Prime Minister answer as to why are former BJP's treasurer and his favourite Cabinet minister as also Karnataka in-charge Piyush Goyal and his wife intertwined in a murky web of financial dealings? Will he answer that to the people of India?" he asked. Reacting to the allegations, the BJP in a statement said, "In the last month, the Congress party made Piyush Goyal a target by hurling malicious allegations against his bona fide business dealings to insinuate wrongdoings and irregularity. The modus operandi of the attack has been to gain cheap political mileage by indulging in a baseless campaign against him with no sound facts to back them but with the only intention of creating false controversies." It also pointed out that the facts exposed the Congress for blatant misrepresentations using falsehoods and malicious propaganda against the minister who was carrying out his professional work through his companies, which were also holding his investments, prior to his becoming minister in May 2014. "He stopped all professional/ business activities the day he became a minister, resigned from all directorships and started the process of selling all his investments," it said. The Congress leader alleged that though the net worth of 'Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited' (even 6 months after the sale, according to statutory filings pertaining to the financial year ending March 2015) is only Rs.10.9 crore, the company filings of 'Piramal Estates Private Limited' reflect that a whopping Rs. 48 crore was provided to Goyal Family owned shares in 'Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, which translates into a astronomical price of Rs.9,586 per share. The BJP, however, said that the "sale of Flashnet shares took place in July 2014 before the declaration of assets and liabilities was submitted on July 25, 2014 and not on September 29, 2014 as falsely alleged by the Congress". The BJP said that Goyal was being targetted to divert attention from the series of scandals of its leaders for which they have no answers. "Congress has nothing to attack the Narendra Modi government and its leaders and is resorting to manufacturing controversies using malicious falsehoods which are completely baseless," it said. In his over 30-minute address, Modi touched on a number of topics, including Indian athletes', especially women's achievement in the Commonwealth Games, people's response to his call for fitness and also paid tributes to Prophet Mohammad and Lord Buddha ahead of the month of Ramzan and 'Buddha Purnima' respectively. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked youngsters to join the 'Swachh Bharat Summer Internship 2008' launched by his government and announced incentives, including credit point by the UGC, for participants, saying it is an opportunity for those who want to make a change in the society. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast, Modi also pitched for water conservation, saying it should be everyone's responsibility and asserted that his government has spent Rs 32,000 crore annually outside the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) budget and 150 lakh acre land have benefitted from it in the last three years. In his over 30-minute address, Modi touched on a number of topics, including Indian athletes', especially women's achievement in the Commonwealth Games, people's response to his call for fitness and also paid tributes to Prophet Mohammad and Lord Buddha ahead of the month of Ramzan and 'Buddha Purnima' respectively. Noting that India had carried out nuclear tests on Buddha Purnima on May 11 in 1998, when BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister, Modi said youth need to imbibe Vajpayee's mantra of 'Jai Vigyan' (hail science) to make India modern and strong. Giving a call to students to join the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign during their summer vacation, he said three ministries of his government have launched an internship programme and it is an opportunity for those who want to work for the society, contribute positively and bring about a change. "The best of the interns who have strived in schools and colleges with excellent work will be rewarded with recognition at the national level. Not just that, those interns who accomplish their tasks well will be awarded two credit points each by the UGC ," Modi said. It will also boost the cleanliness campaign, a signature project of his government, those who participate in it will feel "a sense of fulfillment" when the country celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, he said. Turning to water conservation, he said India has traditionally done it and cited examples of many temples and other historic places that have done so and noted that some rivers in states like Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have been revived recently. "(We are) Leaving no stone unturned for water conservation," he said. Modi also hailed the performance the Indian squad in the Commonwealth Games, saying they made every Indian proud and especially lauded woman athletes for their show. Many of them have come from small towns and overcome to several hurdles to reach where they are today, he said. The programme also shared recorded messages of some of the athletes. He also asked people to think about ways to make the Yoga Day on June 21 memorable. The prime minister drew from the teachings of Prophet Mohammad and said he believed in knowledge and compassion. His life taught people to walk the path of equality and brotherhood, Modi said. "Lord Buddha believed in peace, harmony and brotherhood and these values are needed the most in the world today," Modi said. India is developing infrastructure to boost Buddhism tourism, he said, and working to connect easily with the Buddhist countries of the south east Asia. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was also inspired by Buddha in his work for empowering the marginalised sections of society, he said. Modi also paid tributes to Rabindranath Tagore, whose birth anniversary falls on May 7, and said he would regularly listen to 'Rabindra Sangeet' when he was a child. The rally is expected to be addressed by top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others. (Photo: Twitter/File) New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally, his first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, at the Ramlila Ground on Sunday. At the national-level "Jan Akrosh Rally" which comes ahead of the crucial Karnataka elections on May 12, Gandhi is expected to attack the BJP government at the Centre over its "unfulfilled promises and divisive politics". Gandhi would seek to give voice to public anger over misgovernance, corruption, unemployment, economic situation, crimes against women, attacks on Dalits and the Judiciary, and social unrest. The rally is expected to be addressed by top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others. A day ahead of the rally, Gandhi tweeted in Hindi saying that in the four years of the Modi government, the youth haven't got jobs, women haven't got security, farmers failed to get a fair price for their crops, and Dalits and minorities their rights. He appealed to people to join the rally to express their discontent and anger. "There is anger among all sections of society, the poor, the elderly, the youth, farmers, women. Hence, the name Jan Akrosh Rally', AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot told reporters. He said Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh would address Congress leaders and urge them to unite to oust the BJP, "which is causing social unrest and dividing society". Congress's communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala said a clarion call would be given to root out the BJP from Karnataka. The rally would ensure a "decisive victory for the Congress in the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and many others. It will culminate in uprooting the misrule of Modi ji in 2019." "The battle will start tomorrow. A new revolution will start tomorrow. To fight for people, Congress leaders and workers will fan out in every nook and corner of the country to spread this message," he said. Surjewala said Congress's state presidents, CLP leaders, chief ministers, former chief ministers, MPs, and MLAs would be in attendance at the rally. "It will be a historical day for the nation. A new era will begin for transforming politics in India," he said. Surjewala said the entire India is outraged over "corruption, bank scams, Rafale scams, rampant unemployment... the way businesses are going down by the day. There is hatred all around under Modi ji's rule. People are angry over atrocities against Dalits, tribals, and backward people. The judiciary is under attack," he said. The Congress said that four years ago, PM Modi led an entire nation into believing that he would change the face of India, but did nothing except furthering a hidden agenda . "Four years ago, people believed you. Now, they see through your lies. Your silence is also an answer which the nation has heard and rejected. But this anger has now been channelized," the Congress said in an article on its website. Hyderabad: In January of this year, Telanganas biggest gurudwara, Darbar Saheb of Gurudwara Saheb Barambala, was inaugurated at Attapur, Kishanbagh. In all the pomp and splendour, what many of the attending devotees may have missed is a fascinating, clearly historical little structure tucked away next to the large new one. That small structure is, in fact, the earliest gurudwara in the Deccan, dating back more than 150 years to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the famed Lion of the Punjab. Likewise, a small gurudwara in Sikh Village, established by Sardar Kushal Singhji and Sardarni Kundan Kaur in 1930, is remarkable for the fact that it encloses a small temple of Hanuman and Ganesha, which remains as one unit. Most probably built under a tree to begin with, the gurudwara seems to have been incorporated into the temple complex later, and those devotees who know about it come here often, firm believers in what they believe are the magical powers vested within this little complex. The second reason why this gurudwara is special is that a rare Lahore lineage lithograph of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, is kept here. The Sikhs in and around this region, now known as Deccani Sikhs, trace their lineage back to the Punjab through two legends. One is about Guru Nanak who, reportedly accompanied by his disciples Bala, a Hindu, and Mardana, a Muslim, were crossing the Deccan, and stopped in Hyderabad. This first visit opened the doors of history and, in September 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, then travelling in the South, drew his last breath at Nanded. Upon his death, some of his entourage of 300 men left for home, while the others made Nanded their home by marrying into local families. The descendants of these men are known as Deccani Sikhs. The second legend has it that in 1832, the fourth Nizam of Hyderabad, whose kingdom consisted of 16 provinces, was facing trouble from the provinces, including Mahbubnagar, Nargunda (Nalgonda), Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Nanded, Purbani, Beed, Usmanabad, Aurangabad, Gulburga, Raichur, and Bidar. Since he could not reach out to the distant provinces, he could not work out a way to control them. Eventually, his Punjabi Khatri Prime Minister, Chandu Lal, advised him to seek the help of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Nizam sent his advocate Darvash Mohammed to the Maharaja, who acceded to the Nizams request, on condition that the Nizam should help in the construction of a gurudwara at Nanded, where Guru Gobind Singh had been laid to rest. The Nizam readily agreed, and the gurudwara was built between 1832 and 1837. Maharaja Ranjit Singhs 14,000- strong army, flying 14 holy flags and led by risaldars, was sent to Hyderabad from Lahore, with instructions that not one man should return to Punjab until recalled. The army reached Hyderabad in four months, and was given land by Maharaja Kishen Pershad to set up a cantonment at Mir Alam Tank, Attapur, on Rajendranagar Road. Many Sikhs, whose forefathers were part of that army, continue to live here to this day. Four chhavnis (barracks) were also established during this time, at Barambala, Uppaguda, Kishanbagh and Sikh Village. Once they had controlled the revolt, the grateful Nizam graciously asked the Sikh soldiers to stay back, since Ranjit Singh had died in the meanwhile. Thus, the soldiers now entered the Nizams service and, having married into local Rajput families of Hyderabad and adjoining districts, became known as Deccani Sikhs. It is also said that the Nizam offered the whole of Nirmal to the Sikhs, but they refused because it was a forested area and not a very safe one in which to set up home. The Sikhs aided in tax collection, spread the Nizams rule and were, by all accounts, a strong peacekeeping force, until the regiment was abolished after Indias Independence. Today, the Deccani Sikhs think of themselves as locals, they feel this is their home and that Telangana has treated them well. The small Gurudwara Sahib in Sikh Village was once spread over seven acres, but now barely has room to breathe, with buildings cropping up on all its three sides, with a wall on the fourth. The only good thing here is that branches of the founding family live around the gurudwara and are able to take care of it, also hosting a langar every Sunday. Sukhpal Singh, who knows a lot about the gurudwara because his father was one of the principal builders, says, Praying at the gurudwara for 21 days and at the Hanuman and Ganesha temple for 40 days have solved a lot of problems for a lot of people. Subir Singh, founder Kushal Singhs grandson, who lives next door, adds, Kishen Pershad would pay maintenance money in those days and the land belonged to the Nizam, which was donated to the Sikhs. People must have had a lot of land then, but since we had left our homeland, we had to marry the locals and had to sell land for such expenses, so we lost most of it. The increasingly cosmopolitan nature of the area today has forced the gurudwara to be hidden away in a side lane, off a huge thoroughfare. Some parts of the original structure were razed and additions made, including the Hanuman and Ganesh temples, along with a couple of rooms. Some part of the land was sold to a missionary, under whose purview is the baoli or stepwell, now more or less used as a garbage dump. Clearly a marvel of stone masonry, the stepwell once resonated to the laughter of children swimming in it, and was apparently home to water snakes. A huge wild badam tree is now a thing of the past, too, chopped off to get rid of its falling leaves and branches. Subirs mother adds, There were a lot of tamarind trees and the place was well shaded, but people started building and the trees had to be cut down. Having and maintaining the mandir here is also significant to us, says Subir, a well-known shooter and state champion in 2012 in clay pigeon shooting. Sikhs do not believe in idol worship, but we adopted the local culture and accepted the temples existence. In fact, during Ugadi, we also serve pachadi if it coincides with the day of the langar. At present, they receive no funds from the governments endowments department or any other association. We spend money from our own pockets, says Subir, who boasts a sizeable collection of swords in his house, belonging to his father. Theres a sense of devotion and contentment about this gurudwara. Small and hidden but full of history. Hyderabad: Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday made interesting remarks on his prospective Federal Front during a media interaction in Chennai after his meeting with DMK leaders. Mr Rao, who proposed to forge a new front minus the Congress and the BJP all these days, said he did not rule out the possibility of aligning with Congress when a reporter questioned him whether he would approach the Congress high command because a Third Front without the Congress would only benefit the BJP. He also termed his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu as his best friend and that he would certainly approach him to forge the new front. We are neither saying we will associate with the Congress or desert them. We dont propose any such thing now. We will have discussions among ourselves for the next two-three months and then arrive at a consensus on what we need to do and what we shouldnt, he said. The dismal data on school learning outcomes five years after RTE act is a rude reminder that mere legislations do not lead to better welfare outcomes. Our Education System Is broken. Education should be the breeding ground for brilliance, optimism, and new thinking. More Indians are attending schools than ever before. But they are not learning much. The consequences of failure are profound. Education should become accessible and affordable. India has made primary education universal. The world's biggest school system is also one of the worst. The quality of schools remains a scandal. Quality of basic education is very poor. The Right to Education Act is the buzzword, and I feel in many ways it could have been better. Its main focus is on inputs to the education- enrollment rates and infrastructure, and not quality of education. There is no focus on pre-school engagement. India, with more than 1.4 million schools and more than 230 million enrolments, is home to one of the largest and complex school education systems in the world. Kids are not just numbers. A major problem faced by the Primary Education sector is the barrier in language. Educating in their respective mother tongue is the best option. Parents think that English should be the prime language. By law, pupils are automatically shoved up to the next grade each year. Teachers have little incentive to help them grasp the curriculum. India's 17,000 teacher-training institutes are low-grade degree shops. There is a massive shortage of teachers -3 million. ICT for Education projects are limited to providing band aids without addressing the real issues. Corruption level is high. Lack of accountability is a major issue. Teachers should be recruited for their talents, not their connections. The lack of learning in schools calls for changes to teacher education. Upgrade teacher education both in terms of curriculum and pedagogy by collaboration facilitated through technology, collaborative research projects, teacher exchanges, and subsidized online courses for teachers. ASER 2016 mentions that learning levels remain depressingly low across the country. While 97% of children aged 6-14 years across India are enrolled in a school, only 13% of the children in grade two can read. Studies show that reading and arithmetic learning levels in schools have not improved over the years. There is decline in learning outcomes. The educational system has simply stopped working. It is aged and is broke. 2017-Students assessment survey has stated that 36 lakh students were surveyed from 50,000 schools. 10 lakh students- required remedial classes in all subjects, 4.5 lakhs- needed remedial classes in science and mathematics and more than 50% fifth-grade students in India cannot read second-grade texts. There is a shift in enrolment towards private schooling, and within private schools, a surge in English learning levels. The 2009 Right to Education Act, with its fixation on inputs, appear out of tune with the parental demand for English and with the rapid changes in communication technology unleashed by the internet. The school system in Finland is extraordinary; they have consistently come at the top for the international ranking for education. There are no "bad teachers". Finland only accepts 10% of its applicants. 66% of students go to university, 93% graduate. The school system is 100% state funded. The dismal data on school learning outcomes five years after RTE act is a rude reminder that mere legislations do not lead to better welfare outcomes. Policy of "Some education is better than no education", massification of education with poor quality outcomes should be done with. It needs to set benchmarks for teachers and measure success by learning outcomes. Over time, teacher and student absenteeism in government schools is rampant, accountability all but vanished, and rigid teaching methods failed to encourage students to develop problem-solving skills. Yet government teachers are typically better paid than their private-school counterparts. Political connectedness makes them free from accountability. Hire teachers who want to teach and let them teach. Do not interfere! Rather than erecting roadblocks for private schools, the Indian government ought to leave them alone and focus on making government schools more competitive by attracting top-quality teachers. Reward effective teachers and fire the inept ones. Why fix what's not broken?" is a common refrain. But let's be honest - education is broken. Redefine the classroom with the use of pedagogy and digitization. Redefine teachers. Teachers are quickly becoming facilitators, guides and mentors. grasp the concept of "any time, any place" learning Redefine assignments. Communication abilities have expanded; students are finding an enormous amount of material at their fingertips. In a country where we expect free Wi-Fi with our coffee, why not in schools for children's education? Way forward. Full and equitable funding for public schools, Teacher / student ratios that allow students to get the attention and support they need. A challenging curriculum that encourages all students to reach their full potential Explicit focus on student learning outcomes Have inclusive schools with a culture of excellence for children to succeed. Reform curricula to focus on building 21st century skills and holistic development of children. Select school principals based on merit and train them for leadership. The conversation in education has started moving away from the infrastructure and inputs to improving quality in terms of outcomes. Design policies that are student-centric and teacher-centric to catalyze a learning revolution in the country. We still have a long way to go. Technology provides quality - that promotes both excellence and equity in school. Teacher's role changes from being the provider of information, facilitating students' access to, and interpretation of information. The journey to an excellent education system for all of India's children must be driven by strong political will and resolute leadership at the highest levels of Government. It must be based on an ambitious vision and well defined goals for the entire school system. The path to establishing an excellent education system in India is complex but the future of our country demands that we give it our best effort. Although there are still lots of work to be done, I'm quite optimistic about the future of our education. I'm excited to see a world where we can bring back a system of education that allows students to find and use their natural talents and inclinations to make the world around them a better place. Dr. N. Prabhu Deva is Vice Chancellor, Bangalore University When Prime Minister Narendra Modi tears himself away from this curiously timed course correct to China and gets back to the reality of reeling Karnataka back into the BJPs net, everyone believes, even in the BJP, that the saffron moment may have passed. From here on, it won't be the cakewalk that it could have been, even a week ago. In fact, the BJP is looking at a potential war zone, a mine-field, and not the expected gold mine for more reasons than just having a mine baron Janardhan Reddy back in the electoral money game. Asking Reddy to campaign, away from the public eye, while you skip Ballari altogether and head to Koppala to address a crowd of a few thousands? How does that help change the perception that you are in cahoots with the men who brought your government down, back in 2011? Everyone knows hes out there, hair implants or is it a toupe and bag of tricks, in place for his big day in the sun, when he brings in the promised 15-16 seats that will include not just his two brothers but his star and possible future chief minister and tribal face of the BJP, the genial Boya Sriramulu. This is the man who has gone from humble son of an ordinary cop living in a row house in Ballari civil lines to Sushma Swarajs campaign driver extraordinaire, and now the suave face of the BJP across a swathe of districts, from Ballari, Koppal, Raichur and Chitradurga to Bagalkot. The only threat in Molakalmuru, posed by Ramulus own man Thippeswamy has fizzled out. He is now reported to have succumbed to the Reddy brand of charm, which has ended any challenge posed by the potential division of the tribal vote between Thippeswamys Myasa Nayakas whom even the Vijayanagara kings were unable to defeat - and his own Ooru Nayakas. Why Ramulu abandoned his old hunting ground of Ballari for Molakalmuru, of course is a mystery, with some saying his Muslim support base in Cowls Bazaar had abandoned him. More importantly, what Janardhan Reddy does with this cornucopia is a whole other question. And if he does knock Chief Minister Siddaramaiah out of Badami as some in the Congress predict, there will be no looking back Whats the trade-off going to be? Has Ashoka Road thought this through? B.S. Yeddyurappa bringing in the Lingayat vote or not and then deflected into taking the Advani-Yashwant Sinha margdarshak route to semi-retirement, while the 46 year old from Ballari, the Reddy protege, and an extension of the real force in Ballari, is installed as the closest thing to a Dalit face of the BJP, here in the south? Ramulu as a future chief minister? Edging out B.S. Yeddyurappa! Except... winning Karnataka is vastly different from grabbing a shambolic Uttar Pradesh from under Akhilesh Yadavs nose; or losing Goa by a whisker to Manohar Parrikar, or for that matter, winning the north-east that the Congress had neglected to the point of embarrassment. Gujarat may have been the course correction, when a Congress in transition from the old to the new, heeded the voice of an experienced hand like Ashok Gehlot and gave the BJP a scare in its own backyard; no secret that both the political face of the BJP and its prime executor and the new team of top secret experts operating out of the BJPs war room call Gujarat home. But does this saffron brains trust from the north - or should that be the west - get Karnataka at all? Here, unlike the north and before social media - hate and money and invective has always been left at the door, and politicians, despite their deep-seated rivalries and ideological differences treated each with a modicum of respect, attended each others family weddings and even ate from the same table. Some say that the embrace of the culture of the north has been so complete, that respect is now at a premium; its only money and deals and counter-deals that talk. The JD(S) accused of doing a deal in far away Singapore with the BJP, and the JD(S) accusing the Congress of doing the same!! Either way, most concede that even they were shocked at the manner in which the Lingayat face of the BJP, B.S. Yeddyurappa was treated. Clearly, the Varuna slap in the face has not gone down well in the Yeddyurappa camp, all protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. From the shock and consternation at the very public humiliation when BSY heard his son had been denied a ticket with the letter signed, sealed and delivered by J.P. Nadda, to the curt, six minute meeting with the BJP president on Friday and the strange interact with the media thereafter, where he said he was only getting one chance to share a podium with the prime minister in the backrooms where guards and journalists are privy to conversations that no-one else hears, the cold vibes that marked Mr Yeddyurappas interaction with the BJP strategists was noted. It adds up to the whispered chit-chat that if Mr Yeddyurappa could not get his own son and close aides, tickets, would he even get to be chief minister, and if he did, would he be allowed to call the shots? The secret census that Chief Minister Siddarmaiah conducted and which showed that the Lingayat numbers had indeed gone down, and that the Kurubas across the state were just as determined to bring their icon back to power is the other persistent narrative that is said to influence strategy, both in the Congress and the BJP. Would a hurt BSY do the unthinkable again and take his Lingayat vote elsewhere? Redux 2013? Clearly, the BJP doesnt seem as sure-footed or as instinctive as it is, north of the Vindhyas. Many are using a tongue-twister of a phrase in Telugu to sum up the twin bungles in Varuna and the Reddy induction, saying the BJPs fare is vanta chediapiandi- way too much salt, way too much spice, virtually inedible. Again, while Siddaramaiahs task to stitch together a rural- urban kambali the shawl woven by his Kuruba community has been meticulous (his own numbers are 115, the BJP equally confident at getting to 111, and the JD(S) bluster at 50) , his enemies are legion. Within the party every senior leader wants to deny him a shy at a second term as chief minister when he could become even less accommodating than he is today; Theres no secret whos gunning for him, from without. In a state peopled by politicians who rarely raise the tempo, let alone spar openly, Karnataka which is normally easy to read, has everyone foxed. For the insider, as much as for the outsider. The author is Resident Editor, Deccan Chronicle New Delhi: Sounding the bugle for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday tore into the BJP-led Central government at the partys Jan Aakrosh Rally here. Addressing his first rally in Delhi as Congress president, Mr Gandhi said that Mr Modi had been too nervous to raise the issue of the Chinese occupation of Doklam during his Wuhan visit and charged the Prime Minister with sipping tea without a single agenda which he said was unthinkable by any previous Prime Minister. Talking about farmers, Mr Gandhi said: Without the Congress, the farmers of India cannot live. If the Congress wasnt there, all lands of Indians would have been snatched by Modiji. He also said note ban and the hasty implementation of GST had broken the back of small businesses. Party on comeback mode Sounding the bugle for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday tore into the BJP-led Union government at the partys Jan Aakrosh Rally here. Launching a blistering, personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress president oozed confidence at the Ramlila Maidan rally and said one has to search for the truth in the speeches that are given by Mr Modi. Predicting that the Congress was in a comeback mode all over the country, Mr Gandhi claimed that his party would not only retain power in Karnataka but also wrest it from the BJP in the coming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and of course in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The name of this rally is Jan Aakrosh (public anger). Wherever I go these days, I ask a simple question to the people: Are you happy? and I get the same answer: No, Mr Gandhi said. Hitting back at the Congress, BJP president Amit Shah in a series of tweets accused it of practising dynastic politics, and termed the partys Jan Akrosh Rally as a Parivar Akrosh Rally. Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday made interesting remarks on his prospective Federal Front during a media interaction in Chennai after his meeting with DMK leaders. We are only trying for betterment of the country, its economy and better opportunities for the youth of this country. Don't make this political, This is not a mere political front, Mr Rao said. Asked whether he would meet AP CM Mr Naidu, Mr Rao replied, "Certainly, why not? Chandrababu and myself are very good friends, colleagues. We worked for so many years together." At one point, Mr Rao denied setting up a Third Front. We have not proposed any Third, Fourth of Fifth Front. The so called front is a creation by media. Our Front is not a mere alignment of political parties. It is alignment of the people of India, farmers, unemployed youth etc. We will discuss further. We are not in a hurry. He added, "Nothing in haste. We are discussing. We will continue to discuss. After attaining consensus, we will let you know about all the things on our Front. Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said that it would take at least two to three months to forge his Federal Front at the national level ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as he will have to consult all regional parties to arrive at a consensus on who should be with included in the front and who should be left out. Mr Rao on Sunday held meetings with DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Karunanidhi and his son and DMK working president M.K. Stalin in Chennai to discuss on his proposed Federal Front. Mr Rao reiterated that the proposed Front would not be a mere political front but would be a peoples front. Our front is not about alignment of political parties but alignment of people, farming community, unemployed youth. It is aimed at bringing qualitative change in Indian politics and governance, which has not happened in the past 70 years, he said. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Rao said, No decisions have been taken today. We have only started consultations and will hold further discussions in the coming days before deciding who should join us and who should not. This is neither the beginning nor the end. He further said centralisation of power within the Centre and the dictatorial attitude of Central governments over the years had to end and it was time true federalism and true secularism prevailed in the country, for which the new front would work. VIJAYAWADA: The BJP is desperate about its survival in the state ever since TD severed its ties with the NDA. Now the party has accused its former ally of distorting Prime Minister Narendra Modis election speech delivered in Tirupati in 2014. BJP MP from Narsapur Gokaraju Gangaraju said that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been trying to play with the sentiments of the people in Andhra Pradesh by playing the speech of Modi, delivered in Nellore, as the one done in Tirupati. When asked whether Modi had never promised or uttered about Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, during his visits to the state during the 2014 polls, the BJP MP said that the Prime Minister had said so at a Nellore election meeting and not at the meeting in Tirupati. TD is trying to mislead the public by twisting facts and distorting Modis speech in Tirupati. Nowhere in his Tirupati speech, Modi had uttered about Special Category Status. He spoke about Special Category Status in his Nellore speech. But to their convenience, TD and Naidu has planned a Deeksha in Tirupati. This is nothing but playing with the sentiments of the people, Gangaraju told mediapersons. He added that Naidu had failed in delivering all his poll promises, be it the waiver of Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) loans, farm loans, houses to poor, monthly stipend to unemployed etc . He said that the State Government is fully corrupt. Gangaraju said that Naidu had planned the deeksha to divert peoples attention from the State Governments failures. Hyderabad: Leaders of the TRS party tore into N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, terming his criticism of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao the rhetoric of a loser. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy made a prediction that the Congress party would not manage to win even a single seat in the 2019 Assembly elections. He said that during the Congress rule, the Secretariat had been an adda of pyravikaars (hub for ?), while Pragathi Bhavan was a reflection of the development in Telangana under the TRS government. Mr Jagadish Reddy asked Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy to think about his involvement in the Telangana statehood movement before criticising the Chief Minister and his family. Uttam Kumar Reddy made no contribution to the Telangana movement, and now he poses as an important leader of the state. During the agitation for statehood, all of us resigned from our posts as MLAs, but Uttam chose to remain a Minister under a Chief Minister from Seemandhra, he said. Uttam should realise that Pragathi Bhavan is not Mr Raos personal residence. It will be occupied by whoever holds the post of Chief Minister, he added. Mr Jagadish Reddy asked why the Congress was shying away from elections if it was confident that it had peoples support. Congress MLAs are going to court for the revival of their membership of Legislative Assembly. If they have the guts, they should face bypolls in Nalgonda and Alampur. The fact that they are trying to avoid elections shows that they know that they wont win those two seats, he said. Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao slammed leaders of the Congress for filing cases in court to obstruct the progress of the Kaleshwaram Project and the Palamur-RR Project. The Chief Minister voiced the same opinion while addressing a meeting at Telangana Bhavan. Congress leaders from Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar who lost to TRS candidates in the 2014 elections are filing cases against irrigation projects at the High Court, the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. We have released evidence of this, but Uttam still pretends that the Congress does not obstruct projects, Mr Rao said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had no qualms as he borrowed Prime Minister Narendra Modis slogan Mann ki Baat to describe his partys manifesto for Assembly elections in Karnataka as the Mann ki Baat of the people of the state. He added critical value by invoking the name of 12th century reformer Basavanna to drive home the point that the party would implement all pre-poll promises. The key focus areas remain solutions to problems encountered by farmers and creation of new employment opportunities for the youth, given the states exalted status as the countrys tech hub. An initiative for developing sustainable agribusiness through an Agricultural Corridor for Karnataka, stems from views of experts on how to increase the income of farmers and thus prevent a repeat of suicides witnessed in the state a couple of years ago. Through a new strategy to charm rural and urban voters alike, in particular those in Bengaluru who elect as many as 28 legislators to the 225 member Assembly, the party pitched the manifesto first from the coastal city of Mangaluru through Mr Gandhi, followed by telecom guru and entrepreneur Sam Pitroda in the tech hub a day later. A Bengaluru-focus promise: IT will be made an important driver of the state economy by increasing the sectors contribution from $60 billion now to $300 billion in five years! On governance, the manifesto lists elimination of corruption as one of its targets albeit by making good for a folly of the present government by restoring the power of Lokayukta to take up cases suo motu. Whether these promises cut ice with voters on May 12 to give the Congress another opportunity to hold the reins is the big gamble. Fresh from his victory at the CPI(M) party congress in Hyderabad, where he was re-elected for a second term as general secretary, Sitaram Yechury says the removal of two words no understanding, from the official draft political resolution opens the door for a policy-based support to a non-BJP government, which may include the Congress, after the 2019 elections. In an interview to Sreeparna Chakrabarty, he says the Congress doesnt need to take a leadership role in the Opposition at the national level as of now as everything will depend on the outcome of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. At the Party Congress in Hyderabad, the words no understanding with Congress were removed. How does it affect the political scenario as far as CPI(M) is concerned? Yes, these two words were removed, and it changes the picture in two ways. First, as far as post-poll arrangement is concerned, there is an absolute clarity now that we will extend issue-based support to the non-BJP government. No understanding clause left that ambiguity whether we will be able to support if the Congress is there. There is no ambiguity now. Second, in the pre-poll scene, suppose we are going ahead with a particular regional formation, which has an alliance with the Congress looking at the scenarios of the past, in Tamil Nadu we may support the AIADMK or the DMK depending on who is not going with the BJP and if that particular party is already in an alliance with the Congress the no understanding clause could create a problem for us. When we are making electoral adjustments in the seats we fight, no understanding means no consultation. So this opens the door for seat adjustments with Congress? Though at present this is all speculation, various possibilities exist. There can be mutual no contest where there would not be any joint campaigning, no entering into an alliance, say, for two-three seats we contest, that is one possibility. I am not saying though that this will happen. This is just a possibility. Only one year is left for 2019 polls. Where does the Opposition stand? There is a mistaken discourse that is taking place that coming together of all the Opposition parties is the answer. The reality is that elections are a summation of specifics. It is not an electoral monolith for India as a whole. Different political parties have different degrees of influences in different parts of the country. It is the actual objective of coming together of all these forces that defines the index of the Opposition unity in India and that is region-specific not country-specific. So the general discourse in the country, which says whether all the Opposition parties will come together or not, is a meaningless concept in India. Take, for example, Uttar Pradesh, if the SP-BSP come together then neither the Congress, nor the Left are of much consequence. In Bihar, if the RJD and the Yadav-Muslim combination works, the other parties are inconsequential. What is happening is the coming together of various parties at various regional levels. The beginning of that you have seen in the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh and the subsequent by-election results, as well as in Bihar. But this is what regional satraps like Mamata Banerji and Chandrababu Naidu are saying. They talk of a Federal Front. Thats immmaterial... This is the Indian reality. You look at our own history. I am not going back to the time of Janata Party or V.P. Singh government. Take from 1996, the United Front was formed after the elections. The Vajpayee government was sworn in, it worked for 13 days and that government was defeated on the floor of the House. Then the United Front came after the formation of a Common Minimum Programme (CPM). The formation of the United Front itself was post-election. In 2004, the UPA was formed post-election. Again in the UPA, on the basis of the CMP, we extended our support. Our support is always policy-based. So the Congress doesnt need to take a leadership role at the national level? Not now. It will depend on which party emerges as the largest party after the results. The Congress lost the election in 1996, and had to support from outside. In 2004, the Congress was the single largest party that could form the government. It all depended on the numbers. So who will become the leader will depend on the numbers and the peoples support they receive. Where is the CPI(M) in this scheme of things? The CPI(M) is clear that this RSS-BJP government has to be ousted. That was the main call of our party congress. We have said we will not enter into any political alliance with the Congress. That has been our historical truth. We were neither part of the United Front government nor the UPA government. We do not believe in intellectual property rights, but if there is one, then we have a trademark for outside support. So the question of entering into alliance doesnt arise. At the time of elections, appropriate electoral tactics would be worked out to maximise anti-BJP votes. For example, in Karnataka, we are fighting 18-19 seats. In the rest of the seats, where the Left candidate is there, we will support it, where a Left candidate is not there we will support the party that has given a call to defeat the BJP. It could be JD(S) or Congress. We will work out our tactics. We firmly believe that this government has to go. The CPI(M)s scheme of things goes much beyond elections. We are determined to further strengthen our party and our political intervention capacity. Our objective is to consolidate CPI(M) as a revolutionary party with a pan-Indian mass influence. We will work for strengthening the unity of Left forces and forge a unity of Left and democratic forces to offer a policy alternative to the people. This will be done through unleashing national popular struggles. HMD Global, after a binge of its new Nokia smartphone launches, the company is also considering to launch yet another smartphone with the most controversial iPhone X-like notch and it happens to be called Nokia X (earlier rumours suggested that it was supposed to be Nokia X6). Whatever, the name might be the company seems to be joining the notch bandwagon with this new model. Nokia X announcement on the company's official Weibo profile (Photo: Weibo) According to the Chinese microblogging site Weibo, Nokia had officially revealed the launch date of this new Nokia X, which happens to be on May 16, this is coincidentally same with the upcoming OnePlus 6 launch, which also happens to be coming with this notch-like design. On the design front, the post showcases the notch display and a chin at the bottom with the Nokia branding. The display seems to be bezel-less and we can expect it to be coming in 19:9 aspect ratio with 5.8-inch Full HD+ display. Other leaked photos of this upcoming smartphone also appears to be boasting dual cameras at the rear with the fingerprint sensor mounted beneath the camera line-up. (Photo: Baidu) (Photo: Baidu) (Photo: GSMArena) In terms of specifications, the Nokia X is expected to feature Qualcomms Snapdragon 636 chipset followed by 6GB of RAM and an octa-core 1.8GHz processor. Theres also another variant expected which is to be powered by MediaTek P60 SoC. The dual cameras are expected to have 12MP sensors and a 5MP front camera sensor. The Nokia X is also expected to ship with Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box matching the earlier released Nokia phones line-up. (Source) Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Seven firefighters were trapped by large fallen objects as they tried to search for people inside the factory. (Photo: AP | Representational) Taipei: Seven people five of them firefighters died in a fire that broke out late Saturday in an electronics factory in northern Taiwan, the local fire department said. The inferno raged through the eight-floor building of a circuit board maker, located in an industrial district in Taoyuan City. Seven firefighters were trapped by large fallen objects as they tried to search for people inside the factory. They were rescued early on Sunday but only two survived. The two others killed were factory workers from Thailand. Seven other firefighters were injured, five of them suffering burns from an unidentified liquid, according to the fire department. Traces of diesel and toxic chemicals were also found at the scene, it said. The disaster follows a string of recent accidents in Taiwanese factories, raising questions about safety standards. A huge fire broke out at a refinery of the state-run CPC Corporation in January, also in Taoyuan. There were no injuries in that incident. In December, six Vietnamese workers were killed in another Taoyuan factory blaze that erupted in the middle of the night. The workers were found to have been staying in an illegal dormitory at the factory, highlighting the often sub-standard living conditions for migrant workers on the island. 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 The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. (Photo: AP) Riyadh: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. Hes also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo was meeting on Sunday with Saudi King Salman, whose country along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior US officials travelling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administrations push to counter Iranian supported-aggression in the region. Iran has backed the Houthi rebellion in Yemen and is helping Syrian President Bashar Assads government fight rebels there. The officials, who were not authorized to preview Pompeos discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Irans long- and medium-range missile programs had to be countered as part of efforts to strengthen the Iran nuclear deal, from which President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw by mid-May. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian people, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said hed also stress the US commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. As part of the anti-Iran push, the officials said Pompeo would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. The crisis erupted last summer, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE blocked the country, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran room to play and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combating violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. Pompeos meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that have potential to further roil the volatile region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the US plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. That will mark a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the nabka, or catastrophe, when they fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent violent protests along border between Israel and Gaza. On Friday at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, the first stop on his trip, Pompeo repeated Trumps pledge to withdraw from the Iran deal unless it is significantly strengthened. He said the US was unlikely to stay in if that was not done. Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May, Pompeo said. Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trumps policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces from the country and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. India plans to split state-run gas utility Gail by March next year to create two companies: one marketing gas, and another operating pipelines that can be used by consumers who buy direct from producers, the head of the sector's regulator told Reuters. Gail (India) is the country's biggest gas marketing and trading firm and owns most of the nation's pipelines, giving it a stranglehold on the market for the fuel. By splitting Gail, the regulator of India's oil and gas sector hopes to increase the number of gas consumers and attract the billions of dollars needed to expand the pipeline network and build more liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. "All this un-bundling should be done within this fiscal year (to March 31, 2019)," D K Sarraf, chairman of India's Petroleum and Natural Gas Board, said. GAIL already keeps separate accounts for its gas pipeline and marketing businesses, making it easier to split them into two entities before a change of ownership, he said. Sarraf did not say which business GAIL would retain. India's Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in January said the company should focus on laying pipelines, suggesting it is the marketing side that would be hived off. By unbundling GAIL and opening the sector, the government hopes to increase gas use and meet its objective of raising the share of a cleaner, cheaper fuel as a part of the energy mix to 15%, from 6.2%, in the next 12 years. Many power plants and small industries like ceramic, glass and cement makers rely heavily on more expensive or dirtier fuels such as naphtha, diesel and coal. In future, though, even small companies will be able to buy gas via pipelines, without having to go through GAIL. Only a handful of companies - including Petronet LNG, Indian Oil Corp and Gujarat State Petroleum Corp - currently import and sell gas in India. The gas regulator hopes by July, however, to draft norms for allowing end-users to bid for using LNG terminals to import gas. "We are planning to put LNG terminals on public access to the extent of 20%," Sarraf said. The regulator was also looking at how to open access to the pipeline network for smaller buyers. India's gas demand is constrained by low domestic output, a small number of LNG terminals - just four - and a pipeline network that does not reach enough customers. GAIL owns more than two-thirds of India's existing 15,000 km (940 miles) of pipelines, but the government wants to more than double the network to expand gas deliveries. While the new pipeline company created by the division of GAIL would be expected to lead the way, the government also wants other companies to bid for rights to build and operate pipelines. Three LNG import facilities are also under construction, and there are proposals for many more. Domestic gas production is also expected to rise. Sarraf estimated an investment of nearly $20 billion would be needed over the next several years for laying pipelines. Only the western state of Gujarat has an extensive city gas distribution network, though some other major cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai have been hooked up to gas. A minor accident caused by a member of the Namma Metros emergency response team (ERT) has raised doubts on the BMRCLs decision to use such personnel in case employees go on a strike. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has trained personnel deployed in maintenance and project wings to run trains and perform other functions necessary to keep the Namma Metro running. The more than 130-member team is supposed to take over the operations if the regular employees resort to strike. Sources in the BMRCL said on April 21, a member of the ERT was shunting a train when the vehicle hit the barrier placed to prevent trains from going past the end of the track at Byappanahalli depot. The incident has led employees to question the eligibility of the ERT to run trains. Interestingly, the incident took place days before the BMRCL Employees Union called for a strike, which was later put in abeyance by the Karnataka High Court. The collision was minor and the BMRCL need not spend for any damages. Necessary action will be taken to ensure such incidents will not happen again, an official said. Vice president of the employees union Suryanarayana Murthy said two such incidents have taken place previously but have not come to the public notice. Playing with peoples life We have repeatedly told the BMRCL management that using an ERT that has people who are not eligible to run trains will violate the safety of the passengers. Deploying such personnel is nothing less than playing with the lives of people, he said. Another source said the ERT member, responsible for the mistake, did not inform the superiors, which may have led to the possibility of train operators taking the blame. Murthy said there was no use in taking action against the ERT member. Those in the ERT do not have proper training in train operations. We will urge the management to abolish such teams keeping in mind the safety of passengers, he said. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte today said the temporary ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait is now permanent, intensifying a diplomatic standoff over the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf nation. Duterte in February imposed a prohibition on workers heading to Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in the Gulf state. The crisis deepened after Kuwaiti authorities last week ordered Manila's envoy to leave the country over videos of Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employers. The two nations had been negotiating a labour deal that Philippine officials said could result in the lifting of the ban but the recent escalation in tensions has put an agreement in doubt. "The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for, especially domestic helpers. No more," Duterte told reporters in his hometown in the southern city of Davao. Around 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, nearly 60 percent of them domestic workers, according to the Philippines' foreign department. Last week the Philippines apologised over the rescue videos but Kuwaiti officials announced they were expelling Manila's ambassador and recalling their own envoy from the Southeast Asian nation. Duterte today described the situation in Kuwait as a "calamity". He said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse as he appealed to workers who wanted to stay in the oil-rich state. "I would like to address to their patriotism: come home. No matter how poor we are, we will survive. The economy is doing good and we are short of our workers," he said. About 10 million Filipinos work abroad to seek high-paying jobs they were unable to find at home, and their remittances are a major pillar of the Philippine economy. Duterte said workers returning from Kuwait could find employment as English teachers in China, citing improved ties with Beijing. Describing China as a "true friend", he said he would use Chinese aid to fund the workers' repatriation. Duterte added that he was not after "vengeance" against Kuwait and did not "nurture hate". "But if my people are considered a burden to some of them, to some government mandated to protect them and uphold their rights, then we will do our part," he said. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi back home after his two-day China visit, the Congress on Saturday came out with seven posers, asking him to apprise the nation of the outcome of the visit. Accusing the BJP government of playing with national security, Congress communication chief Randeep Surjewala asked the Prime Minister, Is it not true that China is regularly carrying out incursion in our bordering areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Did the Prime Minister raise the issues of Doklam, One Belt One Road, China Pakistan economic corridor, the presence of Chinese military in Pakistan's Gwadar port, Chinese airforce buildup in Tibet and border incursions by China into Indian states. What was the reaction of Chinese President Xi Jinping? What was the outcome of talks? How did he assertively discuss the issues related to our national interest, Surjewala asked? In a controversial episode, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has rejected the motion moved by the Opposition MPs to impeach Chief Justice of India Justice Dipak Misra. There has been some discussion about the legality of the rejection of the motion in the context of the provisions of the Constitution and the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968. It has been argued that the chairman should not have pre-empted the result of the inquiry by requiring a high burden of proof before the inquiry begins. Here, we will not discuss whether the decision was technically legal. Even if Naidu acted legally, he used poor judgement and misunderstood that the threat to democracy does not emanate from the motion to impeach but rather from his refusal to admit the motion. A constitutional government envisages a system of mutual checks and balances among the different branches of government as a self-regulatory mechanism. No one branch of government enjoys absolute supremacy over the others. And, no branch of democratic government can be insulated from public discussion. Going by our constitutional structure, the bi-cameral Parliament has a major role in ensuring judicial accountability. Undoubtedly, independence of the judiciary is a fundamental value. But this does not mean that judges should not be answerable when abuses of power are alleged. The premature rejection of the motion prevents Parliament from exercising this role. By unilaterally rejecting the motion, the chairman essentially assumed that parliamentary deliberation on the impeachment had to be approved by him. He made a determination of the merits of the case and deprived the MPs from voting and exercising their right to hold the judiciary accountable. Now, according to the decision, investigation, discussion and voting on the alleged misconduct of judges can only happen with the previous consent of the chairman. This decision is even more problematic when seen through the lens of the rights of parliamentary Opposition. While impeaching a judge requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the motion to impeach which leads to the formation of an investigatory committee only requires the support of 50 members of the Rajya Sabha. Since the motion to impeach does not require a majority, it can be brought forward solely by Opposition parties, as happened in this case. In a parliamentary system where the government depends on the trust and confidence of Parliament, the Opposition must be able to act by itself. This is required to uphold the separation of the executive branch from the legislative. Naidus decision sets a dangerous precedent curtailing the exercise of the rights of the Opposition in India. It is worrying that this also affects the ability of the Opposition and Parliament to scrutinise the government. What makes this fear acute are related incidents in which Opposition rights have been disregarded. In February, the Opposition boycotted a session in the Rajya Sabha after the House had been adjourned for several days without allowing for the discussion of urgent matters or for the questioning of ministers. In March, the Lok Sabha passed 99 funding demands from government ministries, 218 amendments, the Finance and Appropriation Bills in just 30 minutes without any discussion at all. Curtailing their rights leads to a weakened Opposition that is no longer able to control and hold accountable neither the government nor the judiciary. It undermines the system of checks and balances that constitutional democracy rests upon. What is at stake here is the difference between two versions of democracy: A constitutional version of democracy and a majoritarian version of democracy. The majoritarian version of democracy works under the winner takes it all principle. An electoral victory should not mean majoritarian monopoly of political power. The constitutional version is a more sophisticated and pluralistic version of democracy. It recognizes that there are others who did not vote for the winner, but whose standing as equal citizens has to be respected. Views of the majority should not be arbitrarily imposed on the minority. The majority cannot simply preclude discussion and public scrutiny. Democracy means more than periodic voting. We should reject popular majoritarianism in favour of constitutional democracy as the structure of the Indian Constitution demands. But the problem remains that Indian politics is deeply influenced and affected by the majoritarian version. The rejection of the impeachment motion bears the latest testimony to this. An important part of constitutional democracy is its commitment to deliberative democracy. Deliberative democracy invariably means that citizens from different walks of life engage in mutual discourse to debate their views. Deliberation and the willingness to change ones position facilitate quality and legitimacy of the decision-making process. Public discourse, either inside or outside Parliament is vital to deliberation. Wherever the discussions take place, in universities, public libraries or elsewhere, political debate performs a larger moral function in a polity. It secures effective participation of the public and enables government accountability. As professor Conrado Mendes identifies, deliberation entails a basis for political legitimacy. The decision to reject the motion cuts short the debate on the allegations against the chief justice of India. The allegations will not be investigated and the topic appears to be removed from the political agenda. Even more concerning in this background is a petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking to virtually ban public discussion in the media concerning impeachment motions. As a counter-majoritarian institution, the court ought to have dismissed the petition for otherwise, it could have a lasting impact on public deliberation and free speech. However, the fact that the court has instead sought the assistance of the Attorney General in the case is seriously disturbing. Checks and balances and public scrutiny apply to all branches of government. The judiciary is not exempt from this, but it has to be very much subject to it. The controversy should sharpen our attention to the protection of the parliamentary procedures that enable the democratic process. -- (Thulasi K Raj is a lawyer at the Kerala High Court and Bastian Steuwer is a doctoral student in Philosophy at the London School of Economics) One of the first areas to develop without a plan, Shivajinagar, is home to all kinds of markets. People in the minority-dominated constituency have been living a quiet life despite the poor infrastructure. The (re)entry of former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu as the main opponent from BJP has queered the pitch against sitting MLA and Urban Development Minister Roshan Baig, with many looking forward to a close fight. Naidu had represented Shivajinagar twice in 1999 and 2004 before he shifted to Hebbal, post-delimitation in 2008. Baig, who was representing Jayamahal, switched to Shivajinagar as the former ceased to exist. When the two were contesting from these constituencies, there were rumours of a secret pact that they were helping each other. But now, it's a pitched battle. Naidu did not contest from Hebbal in 2013 after being jailed in a land scam. He is contesting after being discharged by the high court. He has taken up development as the election plank, raising issues of corruption and poor sanitation. Baig said he was open for evaluation. People know what I have done and what my opponent has done, he said. He cited the Rs 200-crore worth works on Bowring medical college and additional faculty at Gosha hospital as his achievements. Except Vasantnagar, the Congress holds sway over all the other six wards. Two BJP leaders, M Gopi and former corporator Saravana, have joined Congress, a ruling party corporator said. While Saravanas entry is expected to bring in Tamil votes, Gopi has the potential to draw BJP votes, it is said. Some residents said the BJPs anti-minority image was a cause for worry. Even if we seek a change, the news about condition of minorities in BJP-ruled states is a concern, said Abdul Nazeer of Jayamahal. People in the constituency say they don't expect any major development as many problems remain unresolved. Shivajinagar, the centre of the segment, is yet to lose its stink, thanks to poor garbage management at its markets. Residents said the area around Russel Market turns a dumping yard every night as animal waste is thrown away by shopkeepers. Mohammed Idrees Chowdury, general secretary of Russel Market Traders Association, said the animal waste and wet waste was dumped by shopkeepers in the markets in Bharati Nagar ward (91) as there is no dumping yard. Residents in Benson Town expressed frustration over Bank Board Road, dug up thrice in eight months. Joel Samuel, founder of Benson Town RWA, said they have drawn up a common manifesto for the leaders. Last time, poll percentage was just about 50%. We want to increase it by 20%, he said. Speaking to DH, Baig admitted garbage management was an issue, but said the solution was not simple. It includes infrastructure and good workforce. The government has raised the pourakarmikas salary and more reforms will follow, he said. Abdul Azeez, president of Vasant Nagar Resident Welfare Association (RWA), said unchecked encroachment of footpaths by vendors and college students for parking bikes had made the area unsafe for pedestrians. Last year, residents of Bamboo Bazar had protested against the plan to acquire a part of Madina Masjid Grounds for a Metro station. Activist Rajkumar Dugar said he had requested all candidates to push for the Metro station at the original location near Cantonment railway station. PHOENIX Arizona teachers' walkout over pay and education funding appears headed into a second week as major school districts say schools will remain closed Monday. The unprecedented statewide job action began Thursday and continued Friday, resulting in closures of schools that educate the vast majority of the state's 1.1 million public school students. Recent teacher protests in Arizona and Colorado have followed similar job actions in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Arizona districts whose websites on Saturday displayed notices saying schools will be closed include several in Phoenix and its suburbs and others in cities across the state, including Tucson, Flagstaff and Sierra Vista. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP legislative leaders said Friday they had reached a budget agreement to boost teacher pay by 20 percent by 2020. "This plan benefits our children's education across the state, and we are working through the weekend to introduce a budget early next week and pass it shortly thereafter," Ducey said in the statement with Senate President Steve Yarbrough and Speaker J.D. Mesnard. Leaders of teacher groups said Saturday the announced agreement at this point is only a press release and that their other concerns remain unaddressed. "We have no bill. We have no deal. The devil is in the details," Joe Thomas, Arizona Education Association president and Noah Karvelis, Arizona Educators United organizer, said in a joint statement. Walkout organizers from the start haven't said how long it would last, and some parents knew of the possibility of demonstrations continuing. Physician's assistant Brooke Morrow, 37, was able to take time off from work Thursday and took her 9-year-old daughter to an indoor trampoline park in Phoenix. But things would get trickier if schools remained closed Monday, she said. "My husband will have to find some flexibility. We'll use grandma. We'll use neighbors," Morrow said. The Sierra Vista Unified School District in southeastern Arizona said its schools "will reopen when administration can verify we have sufficient supervision in our schools for safe operations, or when the state walkout has been concluded." "We realize our closures are causing inconveniences for our parents and community. We thank you for your patience as we work through this time," the district's notice added. Scottsdale Unified in suburban Phoenix said its schools would remain closed Monday but reopen Tuesday. Teachers not planning to return Tuesday will need to use leave time. "This is an historic moment in Arizona and we will continue to support educators who have united to demand better for our children. We are hearing from teachers and other staff who wish to return to work and from families who are anxious to know when students can return to school," acting Superintendent Amy Fuller said in a statement . ___ Associated Press writer Terry Tang contributed to this report. Fine Gael councillors have urged members of the public to make their voices heard before May 11 on proposed major transport infrastructure projects in the county. Donegal County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are currently running a public consultation on the Trans-European Transport Network, or TEN-T, road networks being planned for three key corridors on National Primary Roads in Donegal. The road infrastructure projects are being proposed for the N15/N13 Ballybofey/Stranorlar Urban Region; the N56/N13 Letterkenny to Manorcunningham; and the N14 Manorcunningham to Lifford/Strabane/A5 Link. Fine Gael councillor for Letterkenny Jimmy Kavanagh said: These opportunities to influence decisions on big transport projects are vital and the people on the ground have much-needed knowledge of what could work best. The people who regularly use these roads and who live and routinely travel in these areas need to engage with the public consultation. Motorists who are on these routes every day of the week and people who live in these communities know these areas best. The N13, N14 and N15 (N56) have been specifically selected and prioritised for improvement to address safety and operational issues. The work has the potential to make a huge difference to the area and people need to have their say before May 11." The Trans-European Transport Network, or TEN-T, are a selection of strategically important transport corridors throughout the European Union (EU). Public consultation remains open and interested parties can contact Donegal County Council and ask for an information booklet and feedback form to be posted out or they can go online at http://www.donegal-ten-t. ie/ Cllr. Kavanagh discussed the infrastructure projects at the AGM of the Fine Gael Letterkenny Michael Collins/Dr McGinley branch on Thursday night. He said: These are exciting times ahead for Letterkenny with many new projects on the horizon, not least the plans for a City Region Status for Derry, Strabane and Letterkenny to help drive economic development in the North West and allow the area to reach it's true potential. Fine Gael in Government is delivering for Donegal. The road projects are a priority in the Governments National Development Plan and one of many examples of the focus on Donegal. Cllr. Jimmy Kavanagh Fine Gael TD for Donegal Joe McHugh said: Donegal is the only county in Ireland where the diggers and construction teams are already on the ground at three major road projects. Now we have the opportunity to take our investment in transport infrastructure in the county one step further but we need the public to get on board and add their local knowledge to the mix in order to make these ambitious proposals a success. Ronald A. Wolk, a pioneer in education journalism whose publications and passions helped inform and elevate the conversation about K-12 schooling in the United States, died on April 28 at age 86. Wolk, who lived in Warwick, R.I., had been in and out of the hospital frequently in recent months and died of congestive heart failure and kidney failure in East Sandwich, Mass., said his daughter Suzanne Wolk. Wolk was the founding editor-in-chief and publisher of Education Week, which launched with a splash in 1981 by running a scoop about efforts by President Ronald Reagans administration to downgrade the U.S. Department of Education, which was then still in its infancy. The administrations efforts fizzled. Wolk had been an editor of the alumni bulletin at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore when he became instrumental in an effort among college magazine editors and publicists to establish a national newspaper. That was the Chronicle of Higher Education , founded in 1966. In 1978, when the Chronicle was sold to its editors and became a for-profit publication, Wolk took over as president of the nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education Inc. , which had started the Chronicle. He soon began efforts to study the possibility of a similar national publication to cover precollegiate education. That led to Education Week, as well as later EPE endeavors such as Teacher Magazine and the annual Quality Counts report, which grades the states on a number of metrics of their education systems and has helped foster the standards-based movement to improve schools. There was no source of information like Education Week when we started, Wolk said in January 2018 during an interview for an oral history. Most of the people who were getting any information in education were getting it from their local newspapers. Besides newspapers, there were just a few national and professional magazines that provided some larger perspective on K-12 education, such as Time magazine, Phi Delta Kappan, and Educational Leadership, Wolk said in the interview with Bethany Rogers, an education history professor at City University of New York College of Staten Island. And none of those was providing the kind of information that we thought people who were making decisions in public education need, Wolk said. So, we provided it, and it was an instant critical success. Today, Education Week provides in-depth news, analysis, and opinion on pre-K-12 policy and practice to 1.4 million unique visitors each month through edweek.org , live and virtual events, and its weekly print publication. Wolk retired from Education Week and EPE in 1997 and moved to Rhode Island, where he remained active in efforts to improve public education nationally and in the state, such as serving as chairman and later chairman emeritus of Big Picture Learning, based in Providence, an organization devoted to creating small, innovative schools. But to merely detail Wolks professional resume does not quite capture the forceful personality of a man with a booming, baritone voice who rarely minced words when it came to dealing with his reporters, policymakers, or anyone else. He was a gentle bear in many ways, but we always knew when he was in the house because he would be barking out orders, said Virginia B. Edwards, who succeeded Wolk as editor and publisher of Education Week and as president of EPE in 1997. He really demanded intellectual rigor from his colleagues, from his opponents, from anyone he wanted to engage in verbal sparring with. He had his foot in the education policy world, but he was also a journalist, added Edwards, who retired from that position in 2016. He really appreciated the role of the public square, and the role of journalists feeding strong data and information into the policymaking arena. An Intellectual Awakening Wolk was born in 1932 in Pittsburgh, to a steelworker father who left the family when Wolk was about 10 years old, and a mother who also worked in steel mills and other hardscrabble jobs. Wolk didnt expect to attend college, but his high school English teacher encouraged him to apply to Westminster College, a small religious institution in New Wilmington, Pa., and she even paid his application fee and helped arrange his room and board. I lived with a wealthy widow, and for my room, I cut her grass and drove her, Wolk told Rogers for the oral history. You know, chauffeured her around in her car, which turned out to be a real blessing to me because I had a new Buick most of the four years I was in college. Wolk said that a watershed moment for him occurred when an art history professor was giving an impromptu lecture drawing parallels between the worlds of art, literature, and the real world. I sat there for an hour, and I could feel the gooseflesh, you know, the goose pimples rising around my neck, Wolk said. For the first time in my life, I could really see how things connected. It was like a light went on. Wolk said he had gone to the college thinking that he might become a newspaperman because he loved to write. But when this happened, I was really trying to figure out how the hell I could combine being a journalist with being a learner, a lifelong learner. Wolk earned a bachelors degree from Westminster in 1954 and a masters degree in journalism from Syracuse University in 1956. He served in the U.S. Army, assigned to an Army intelligence school at Fort Holabird in Baltimore, from 1955-57. After serving as the education editor of the Endicott Daily Bulletin, a small newspaper in New York state, Wolk joined the alumni magazine at Johns Hopkins. He later told an interviewer that he had some misgivings about joining an alumni magazine, since he had grand ambitions to edit a publication such as LIFE or Look, the massively popular photo newsmagazines of that era. But Wolks outlook changed after he spent a summer combing the files of the alumni publication. There were letters in there from some of the countrys greatest photographers and editors, complimenting the Johns Hopkins Magazine, he told the magazine in a 2000 recollection. I realized, somewhat belatedly, that I had joined a pioneering magazine. The editor was Corbin Gwaltney, himself a Johns Hopkins alum who in 1950 had launched his concept of a university magazine that offered not just alumni news and notes but substantive articles and crisp photography. Time magazine would later praise Gwaltney for creating a model of lively thought. Wolk joined the magazines staff in 1958, the same year that Gwaltney and a core group of alumni magazine editors from around the country had launched the Moonshooter Report, which was designed to provide a national perspective about higher education and be included as a supplement in those magazines. By the second year, there were orders for more than 2 million copies of the report. The annual reports continued, and in 1961, Gwaltney left Johns Hopkins to become the head of Editorial Projects for Education, which later became Editorial Projects in Education. Wolk, who succeeded Gwaltney as the editor of Johns Hopkins Magazine, was the informal board chairman of EPE in those early years. In 1962, Wolk took a leave from Johns Hopkins, and with a $25,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, visited higher education leaders around the country for eight months about the issues they faced and the information they had. Wolk wrote a report noting that members of the horse-racing fraternity, fans of baseball, investors in stocks receive complete daily statistics within hours, a number of persons reminded us, while persons in education must wait for months, and sometimes years, for the data they need. Wolk told Patricia Baldwin for Covering the Campus, a 1995 book detailing the history of The Chronicle of Higher Education, that one of the recommendations of his report was for a communications vehicle for college and university trustees. The initial newsletter that resulted, called The 15 Minute Report, would lead by 1966 to the debut of the Chronicle, with Gwaltney at the helm. With Governors and Kings Wolk, meanwhile, had returned to Johns Hopkins to become a special assistant to the institutions president, Milton S. Eisenhower, a brother of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Wolk had initially helped Eisenhower shape a manuscript he had written about his eight years as a special ambassador in Latin America during his brothers presidency. The book, The Wine Is Bitter, was well-received, and Eisenhower asked Wolk to become his special assistant. At about the same time, Gwaltney tried to talk Wolk into joining EPE full time. Wolk opted to accept Eisenhowers offer. I have to confess that I just was so seduced by the prospect of working with Eisenhower because his brother had just left office, Wolk said. The next seven or eight years I got to sit, you know, in the councils with senators, and governors, and kings, and queens, and princes as a fly on the wall. One such heady moment came in 1964, at the Republican National Convention at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The GOP was poised to nominate the ultraconservative Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona as its standard-bearer to go up against President Lyndon B. Johnson. Milton Eisenhower was head of a moderate, 24-member panel called the Republican Critical Issues Council, which sought to steer the party toward the center with papers on a series of issues, including civil rights. The paper on that topic called for stronger voting rights laws, job creation, equality of educational opportunity, the enforcement of legal protections, and an end to segregation and discrimination, Wolk recalled in a widely published op-ed last year. At the convention Eisenhower was determined to nominate the moderate Gov. William Scranton of Pennsylvania for president. I shall never forget the experience of writing that nominating speech, Eisenhower wrote in his 1974 memoir, The President Is Calling. I had scrawled some rather complete notes on a pad on the trip to San Francisco, but they were far from satisfactory. My assistant at Johns Hopkins, Ron Wolk, an able writer who had helped me with the Critical Issues papers (despite his being a Democrat), arrived in San Francisco a few days after I did, and I asked him to expand my notes into a draft. Eisenhower recalled Wolk and another operative being called to Scrantons hotel suite, where the governors aides began rewriting the speech as a committee. Wolk sat quietly in a corner, refusing to participate in drafting a speech that he knew would trouble Eisenhower. For example, the Scranton aides wanted their man mentioned right off the bat, which Wolk and Eisenhower knew would set off a raucous response in the Cow Palace. Still, Wolk delivered the draft to Eisenhower, who threw it away, and the two went back to making some final changes to their original effort, which is what Eisenhower delivered at the convention that night. The speech wasnt enough to derail Goldwater, who won the nomination on the first ballot, Wolk wrote last year. But Eisenhower wrote that Chet Huntley and David Brinkley of NBC News lauded the speech as a highlight of the convention. A Chronicle of Lower Education Wolks career took what he called a series of forks in the road. In 1968, he went out west to work for Clark Kerr, who had recently been fired as president of the University of California system by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan, on the Carnegie Commission on the Future of Higher Education. Wolk spent 11 months in the job before moving back east to rejoin Milton Eisenhower on a new project, the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. Wolk was special assistant to Eisenhower on that panel, created by President Johnson after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. The commission issued extensive findings about crime, poverty, education, and the media. Wolk envisioned the commission post leading to a job in the administration had Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey won the 1968 election. He disappointed me and let [Richard M.] Nixon win, Wolk wryly said in the oral history. Wolk instead took an offer to become a vice president at Brown University in Providence, R.I., charged with raising national awareness about an institution that was not nearly as well-known as its fellow Ivy League colleges. In 1978, Wolk joined EPE as its president soon after the nonprofit organization had sold the Chronicle of Higher Education to its editors. He toyed with ideas such as a Chronicle-type publication for the health-care field, and a TV newsmagazine for college-owned public television stations. For various reasons, those didnt pan out. So, the third idea was a Chronicle of Lower Education, and thats what we called it, Wolk said. It was the working title. Wolk acknowledged frequently that he was no expert on K-12 schooling despite his wide experience in higher education. But with intellectual ferment growing about how to improve precollegiate education, and with signs of interest from funders, Wolk and co-founder Martha K. Matzke set out to create a new publication. Matzke, a veteran journalist who had worked with Wolk at Brown, would eventually become the executive editor of Education Week. In 1980, while foundation grant requests were pending, Wolk says he and Matzke began planning the nuts and bolts of the publication. When Education Week did get on track, the founders had to consider one seemingly mundane but financially significant factorpostal rates. The founders learned that to qualify for the most advantageous rates, they would need to produce a minimum of 24 pages of content, not 12 pages as they had originally planned. That would mean busting their first-year budget and hiring more reporters, which they decided to do. The editors also let writers run free with story lengths, and they also employed databanks and ran the full texts of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on education cases (in a pre-web era, when such texts were not easily accessible) to help fill those pages. An Inaugural Issue Scoop Wolk was not keen on hiring experienced education reporters from daily newspapers. Most of them were jaded, theyd been there, they werent very excited about this, he said. One exception was Peggy Caldwell, an education writer from the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky. She knew a lot of the people in school finance, the people who were making policy around the country, Wolk said. She saved our bacon many times in those early years because she read every word and corrected most of the mistakes we were making just because she had the experience and the knowledge. As Education Week was preparing for its inaugural issue, published on Sept. 7, 1981, reporter Eileen White obtained a 91-page Reagan administration memo that called for downgrading the year-old Education Department to sub-Cabinet status and shifting key federal responsibilities to the state and local levels. Just days before the deadline for that first issue, White phoned Wolk and said, I got it. I said, You got what? Wolk recalled. She said, I got the report that [then-Education Secretary Terrel H.] Bell did for Reagan. I said, Get your ass over here right now! I slammed the phone down. She came over, and she had it, and we did a front page, copyrighted exclusive. The scoop rated mentions for the debut of Education Week in the newsmagazines and on network TV news. We broke the story nationally, Wolk said. We had the report. Reagan was going to dismantle the department, and Bell was recommending something like the National Science Foundation to replace it. And that made us. I mean we justboom, we just landed. Continued Influence Education Week came along just two years before the release of A Nation at Risk, the groundbreaking federal report that helped spur the school improvement movement. It chronicled the many developments in that movement while keeping its news pages free of opinion and publishing vibrant opinion essays in its Commentary section. In 1989, EPE launched Teacher Magazine, a monthly designed to treat the fields frontline educators as the professionals they were. The magazine eventually transitioned to a web-only presence. In 1996, Education Week began work on Quality Counts, an annual report on the progress of the states toward improving their school systems. Wolk recalled with some satisfaction in 2016, on the 20-year anniversary of the launch, that both Education Week and U.S. News & World Report had been considered by foundation funders to publish such a report. (The idea grew out of a 1996 summit led by President Bill Clinton.) U.S. News eventually dropped out of the bidding for the project grant, and the Pew Charitable Trusts awarded the grant to EPE. When the Quality Counts report came out in January 1997, Wolk went on what was then PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and said, I think you have to start worrying about a nation in which fewer than half of its students can read proficiently, and fewer than that can do math proficiently. These kids are going into a high-tech information society. ... And if we cant get a higher percentage of our students achieving, I suspect that this nation is in for real trouble. In September 1997, Wolk retired from full-time work with EPE and moved to Warwick, R.I. He remained as board chair of EPE until 2011, when he was named chair emeritus. Wolk remained a participant in the debate over education reform and wrote commentaries in Education Week and elsewhere . Michele J. Givens, the president and CEO of EPE, said Wolk was a larger than life man whose influence was felt far and wide. He had an incredible intellect but also a sharp wit, she said. It could be biting at times. Givens said that Wolk held certain values that we have continued to carry through, such as a dedication to journalism and those who carry out the craft, as well as a commitment to presenting both the panoramic as well as the straight-arrow view of developments in the field of education. Wolk is survived by Mimi McConnell, of Cotuit, Mass.; their three children, Suzanne Wolk of Roslindale, Mass.; Lauren Wolk and her husband, Richard Hall, of Centerville, Mass.; Cally Wolk and wife Denise of Attleboro, Mass.; grandchildren Ryland and Cameron Hall and Ashley Wolk; a sister, Carol Westphal, of Ft. Smith, Ark., and numerous nieces and nephews. Another grandson, Dylan Wolk, died in 2010. Articles by Ronald Wolk Far-Reaching Shift in Federal Role Urged by Bell Ron Wolks first article for Education Week. (September 7, 1981) Ron Wolks Contributor Page . A collection of articles written by Ron Wolk for Education Week. To Change Education, Change the Message (Commentary) Laurene Powell Jobs investment in model schools is not enough to alter the education landscape, writes Ron Wolk. (January 5, 2016) Why Were Still at Risk (Commentary) Ronald A. Wolk writes, We will make real progress only when we realize that our problem in education is not one of performance but one of design. (April 20, 2009) The Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate tumbled from a four-month high last week as the pairing was rocked by the release of the UKs latest GDP figures. Pound (GBP) Plummets as UK Growth Slows After a relatively slow start to the week the Pound began to the make some notable gains against the New Zealand Dollar on Tuesday. While this was largely due to the broad-based weakness of the Kiwi, Sterling was also supported by the UKs latest borrowing figures, which revealed that government borrowing was well below target in the 2017/18 financial year. Despite a lull in notable economic data, the GBP/NZD exchange rate was able to build on its momentum to strike a four-month high during the middle of the week, before the pairing appeared to consolidate its gains on Thursday. However some abysmal growth figures from the UK saw much of the Pounds gains erased at the tail end of the week. According to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK economic growth slowed to just 0.1% in the first quarter of 2018. This was down from 0.4% in the final quarter of 2017 as was significantly below forecasts that GDP would have seen a more modest slowdown to 0.3%. Economists also warned that the Beast from the East may have only had a minor impact on the UK economy at the start of 2018, prompting fears that the slowdown may prove to be more than a slight blip. Rob Kent-Smith, head of national accounts at the ONS said; Our initial estimate shows the UK economy growing at its slowest pace in more than five years, with weaker manufacturing growth, subdued consumer-facing industries and construction output falling significantly. While the snow had some impact on the economy, particularly in construction and some areas of retail, its overall effect was limited with the bad weather actually boosting energy supply and online sales. New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Suffers as Risk Appetite Evaporates Meanwhile the New Zealand Dollar struggled throughout much of this weeks session as it was meet by limited risk appetite. Markets increasingly shunned riskier currencies such as the Kiwi this week amid a resurgence in the US Dollar (USD). Investors flocked to the US Dollar throughout the session, attracted by rising US treasury yields as they rose pass 3% for the first time since 2014 and speculation that the Federal Reserve may be plotting a more aggressive path of monetary tightening over the coming months. Also weakening the New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rate last week was the release of domestic trade figures, as New Zealand posted an unexpected trade deficit of NZ$86m in March, well below forecasts of a surplus of NZ$270m. GBP/NZD Exchange Rate Forecast: GBP Investors Hopeful for a Rebound in UK Private Sector Activity Looking ahead to next weeks session the GBP/NZD exchange rate could tick higher again if the UKs latest PMI figures reflect positively on the Pound. After private sector activity slowed dramatically in March due to the effects of the Beast from the East analysts are optimistic on the chances for a rebound this month, with expectations that the Services PMI will rally from 51.7 to 54.0 possibly going some way towards lifting Sterling sentiment. Meanwhile the New Zealand Dollar may suffer next week, with the publication of New Zealands latest labour report. The figures are expected to show that New Zealands unemployment rate ticked up from 4.5% to 4.6% in the first quarter. However it wont be only data release possibly weighing on the Kiwi next week, with another decline in dairy prices as the latest Global Dairy Auction also likely to impact the NZD exchange rate. Biodiversity studies should include not only indigenous species but also the contributions of introduced species, both positive and negative, says a study by the University of Geneva (UNIGE). Indices currently used to measure progress towards international conservation and sustainability goals focus only on the native component of biodiversity, says the study, published in the journal PLOS Biology. But non-native species, while they may have harmful effects, can also contribute to the local environment. Study author Martin Schlaepfer, a researcher at UNIGEs Institute of Environmental Sciences, argues that current indicators give a biased view, and that all species should be included. This is not only consistent with definitions of biodiversity but also will promote the idea that long-term, sustainable, human well-being is intricately tied to benefits derived from nature, he argues. Biologists generally favour the protection of native species. Introduced species, however, are viewed as undesirable by the conservation community because some can generate undesirable effects. But around 88% of species introduced to Europe are not problematic, says Schlaepfer. And among those that do create a problem, we generally only look at their flaws, without factoring in the positive features they can also generate. Examples given in the study include the giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea), a species of plant introduced from North America. It is considered invasive in Switzerland because it can dominate environments bordering agricultural land. However, it is also appreciated for its ornamental and medicinal properties, and serves as a resource for insects. Similarly, American crayfish which are invasive in European lakes provide the catering industry with an important source of food. If you focus on trees in the Canton of Geneva, there are 88 indigenous species. But there are 597 introduced tree species in the canton! Schlaepfer points out. If we want to remain relevant for political institutions, we now need to consider nature in its entirety. Swiss salaries are a draw for cross-border workers. But Switzerlands job market doesnt always live up to expectations. In Montpellier, we have sunshine but no jobs.Back in the South of France, Thibault Torres worked as a technician developing medical diagnostic equipment. When he was fired because of budget cuts, he was unable to find a new job. Desperate, he left the coasts warm weather to try his luck in Switzerland. For the past two weeks, he has been staying with a friend in the Swiss-French border town of Saint-Julien-en-Genevois. He spends his days applying for jobs, to no avail. Id like to get a job in watchmaking because I enjoy all the beautiful mechanisms, but the employers all require previous experience,he says. Hell keep on looking for a while longer before giving up and returning to the sunshine. One of my friends ended up finding a job here, on the French side of the border. But she went back to Montpellier because it was not financially viable. On this particular day, Torres is wandering around the Salon des transfrontaliers, an annual cross-border workers fair organized in Annemasse, a French town near Geneva, by the European cross-border workers group GTE. I was hoping to meet Swiss recruiters but there are none,he says, disappointed. Changing economies Around 30 stands provide information on cross-border issues: jobs, pensions, insurance, trade unions and even leisure. No Swiss companies are recruiting at the fair. The French National Railway Corporation and the Annecy Geneva hospital centre, on the other hand, are recruiting. The latter even boasts two separate stands for its Annecy and Saint-Julien sites. Theres a shortage of nurses and caregivers in neighbouring France, partly a result of Genevas tempting high wages. More than two-thirds of the nurses at the Geneva University Hospitals are of French origin. The Salon des transfrontaliers TheSalon des transfrontalierstook place between 22 and 24 March, 2018, in Annemasse in neighbouring France. Each year, the cross-border workers fair is organised by theGroupement transfrontalier europeen (GTE). Some 30 exhibitors, specialised in cross-border issues, advise visitors on questions that are worrying them, whether about employment in Switzerland, social welfare coverage, taxation, or services specially adapted for cross-border workers. The GTE looks after the interests of over 100,000 cross-border workers in Geneva. Its hard convincing people to stay in France for 1,450 Euros a month,says Thierry Maupin, senior health officer at Saint-Julien. The situation is especially critical in geriatrics, his department. In our elderly welcome care unit, we had to reduce the number of beds from 60 to 40. French institutions offer training opportunities to compete with Swiss hospitals. For example, we offer courses; after five years of work as a nurses aid, the person can train as a nurse,says Maupin. Free parking and creche places are other perks. These benefits appear to be working: We recruited a nurse and two nurses aides today. A couple years ago this fair was ripe with jobs opportunities. But weve decided to end it because Swiss companies no longer come. Swiss recruiters do not want to be visible in France,says Laurence Coudiere, communications officer for GTE. Its a reflection of the state of cross-border relations, she believes. Theres a negative anti-immigration mood that has spread because of populist party ideologies. Its the same pattern as with the National Front in France. Reality check Such tensions arent likely to discourage jobseekers to Switzerland though. Switzerland is still attractive,Coudiere says, adding however that interest in cross-border work has dropped off somewhat after peaking between 2008 and 2010. During that period the Geneva job market improved and many French were recruited, some coming from Paris or northern France. The role of the cross-border workers fair is also to educate jobseekers about the situation in Switzerland. Some people imagine theyll double or triple their salary. But they dont take into account the taxes, social security contributions, health insurance premiums or travel expenses,says Coudiere. Landing a job in Switzerland can also end in disillusionment. Forty-year-old Alain lives in greater Annemasse and has been working in hospitality for ten years. Im thinking about changing my job, maybe to security or transport, because working conditions have deteriorated. With Swiss contracts you can be sacked for saying the wrong thing. He isnt ruling out returning to his home country, which would save money on travel. With Swiss contracts you can be sacked for saying the wrong thing Alain Yacinthe agrees. He has worked in the Geneva hospitality industry for three decades, but he is getting ready to retire. Salaries are definitely better than in France but in terms of human relations the situation has deteriorated. Workers come from further and further afield, especially South America, and put up with everything. Its a way of getting rid of cross-border workers. Back at the fair, French pension firm Carsat clearly has the busiest stand. Retired graphic designer Jacques is among the stands visitors. A resident of Annemasse, he worked in France for five years then spent the next 43 years in Switzerland as a designer for Le Temps newspaper. I should have received my French pension at the start of the year but I still dont havent received anything. Ive come here to try and solve the problem. I almost feel more Swiss than French Jacques Despite his administrative problems, he does not regret having spent most of his career across the border. As well as the attractive wages, he feels Switzerland has many benefits. For me, Switzerland is great. I always felt welcome, respected. I was part of a pleasant work atmosphere. In fact, I almost feel more Swiss than French,he says, eyes shining. Michel Charrat, the head of the cross-border workers fair is also convinced that Switzerland remains an attractivedestination. He cautions however, that the job market in France is improving. Switzerland needs to be careful in how it treats cross-border workers. Otherwise, at some point, it will have to go further to find workers. And this time, the employees wont speak the same language. Translated from French by Jessica Dacey, swissinfo.ch The Swiss defence ministry says it has not found missing documents related to a covert Cold War-era army unit, and is closing its search for them. We have transmitted all the documents to the federal archives, defence ministry spokesman Renato Kalbermatten told Swiss broadcaster SRF on Saturday. The secret army unit, called Projekt 26 or P-26, had roots in the 1950s when the Swiss military began assembling a guerrilla-style force to resist a Communist invasion. P-26 was disbanded in 1990 after revelations of its existence prompted a public scandal. The Control Delegation, which oversees the management of state intelligence and security matters, expressed concern in its annual report that the defence ministry could not find 27 unpublished folders and dossiers from an investigation into P-26 three decades ago, known as the Cornu report. Critics fear the documents were destroyed or intentionally misplaced to hide embarrassing details about neutral Switzerlands surreptitious advances toward NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or clandestine ties to foreign spy agencies. Control Delegation president Claude Janiak told parliament this spring that the oversight group is determined to find the missing documents. Now that the government has closed its search, the delegation will decide what to do next in May, he told the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS. The Federal Council this week published an edited and anonymized version of the Cornu report. The full version has been filed with the federal archives and remains classified until 2041. SDA-ATS/jc Guatemala's former police chief Erwin Sperisen was slapped with a 15-year prison sentence on Friday after being reconvicted for the deaths of seven inmates in his home country. Sperisen, who holds dual Swiss and Guatemalan citizenship, had been sentenced to life by a Geneva court in 2014 over his role in the deaths of 10 prisoners. But the Swiss Federal Tribunal set aside the conviction last year, saying the Geneva court relied on faulty evidence and did not give Sperisens lawyers sufficient opportunity to confront his accusers. Prosecutors in the canton of Geneva retried the case this month. The court on Friday found him guilty of complicity in the murders of seven people in Pavon jail in September 2006. He was however cleared in a separate case involving the alleged summary executions of three prisoners who had escaped from El Infiernito jail in 2005. Sperisen resigned as Guatemalas police chief in 2007 and moved to Geneva, where his father Eduardo Sperisen-Yurt serves as Guatemalas ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2008, several Swiss rights groups acting on behalf of Sperisens alleged victims began lobbying for his arrest, under rules that allow Swiss citizens to be tried at home for crimes committed abroad. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have reiterated their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal "as the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran", Downing Street said Sunday. Prime Minister Theresa May talked by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and Sunday when they agreed the current deal also left out some important elements, it said. Our priority as an international community remained preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it said. They agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover but which we need to address including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Irans destabilising regional activity. They committed to continue working closely together and with the US on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses including those issues that a new deal might cover. Both Macron and Merkel held talks in Washington this week with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to quit the 2015 pact with Iran negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama. The pair tried to sell Trump on the idea of the deal being a stepping stone to a longer-term, broader agreement, pitching a four pillars solution. The first column is Irans nuclear program under the current accord. The others would target the countrys nuclear activities after 2025 when so-called sunset clauses kick in, beef up global leverage against its regional influence and curtail its ballistic missile program. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday that Trump had not yet decided whether or not to scrap the pact. He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out, he told Fox News. French President Emmanuel Macron's ambitious plans for an EU digital tax targeting US tech giants faced strong headwinds on Saturday from small member states eager to defend their strong ties with Silicon Valley. Finance ministers from the EUs 28 member states were to discuss a controversial proposal aimed at claiming a bigger share of billions of euros from mainly US multinationals that shift earnings around Europe so as to pay lower tax rates. It must be discussed with the Americans, because if we do this all by ourselves as the EU, this digital tax will be very ineffective, said Luxembourg Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna as he arrived for talks in Sofia, Bulgaria. Luxembourg hosts the EU headquarters for Amazon and along with Facebook and Apple hub Ireland, is loathe to see US tech giants head for the exit. Getting all countries on board is crucial as tax reforms in the EU require unanimity. The special tax is the latest measure by the European Union to rein in Silicon Valley giants and could also further embitter the bad-tempered trade row pitting the EU against US President Donald Trump. It is not an anti (US tech giant) tax, it is not an anti US tax, it is not a protectionist approach, it is something which it is in interest of all Europeans wherever they live, said EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who is driving the plan. The transatlantic shot across the bow has been championed by Macron who believes the measure would be a popular accomplishment for the EU ahead of European elections next year, in which anti-Brussels populists could do well. The most controversial part of the plan is to slap an emergency tax on digital companies with worldwide annual turnover above 750 million euros ($924 million), such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, Airbnb and Uber. EU members would adopt this tax unilaterally, without cooperating with the US and other countries from the OECD, the club of developed countries that has coordinated major corporate tax reforms worldwide. On the European level I doubt its going to be soon because to have consensus on tax issues is not easy, said Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir. We are ready to do it (but) on a national level in line with OECD recommendations, he added. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday urged the world to keep up the fight against chemical weapons on the anniversary of an international convention banning their use. On the 21st anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and following Douma and Salisbury, Theresa May and I call with one voice for the world to join us in upholding the vital global prohibition on chemical weapons use, Macron tweeted in English and French, referring to recent chemical attacks in Syria and Britain. Mays office tweeted a similar statement, also in both languages, saying we should never go back on ending the production, stockpiling and use of these terrible weapons. Chemical weapons, such as mustard gas, were first used on the battlefields of World War I and also in 1988 by late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein against civilians in Halabja, Iraq. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) convention, which oversees the destruction of such arms, came into effect on April 29, 1997. Macrons and Mays statements came two weeks after the United States, France and Britain carried out missile strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime over its suspected use of chemicals in an attack near Damascus on April 7 in which over 40 people died. Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which oversees the application of the 1997 convention, are currently in Syria to probe the assault, which Syria and Russia say was staged. Russia has also denied accusations that it used a Soviet-made nerve agent to poison a former former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Western countries expelled scores of Russian diplomats over the attack. sl/cb/spm France's President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday won German Chancellor Angela Merkel's backing for reforms aimed at bolstering the eurozone against crises, including a vaunted budget for the bloc. But its size remains vague and its creation could still face resistance from other members. We are beginning today a second step in the life of our common currency, said Macron, after talks in Germany with Merkel. The eurozone budget will have its own governance structure, and be a real budget with annual revenues and spending, he said, adding that Paris and Berlin hoped to have it in place by 2021. It will fund investments in the bloc, and go towards helping poorer members, allowing the eurozone to respond to the .. divergences between our economies. He would however not be drawn into giving a figure for the budget, saying that its size would be discussed with other members of the bloc. How it would be funded was also up for discussion with other eurozone members, said Merkel, suggesting that it could involve regular transfers made by individual countries, a tax on financial transactions or funds from the EU. Let me be pragmatic. When (a proposal) is too detailed, that can be counter-productive, noted Macron. The French president, who had won power on a pro-European platform, has championed an overhaul of the bloc to reinvigorate it at a time when populist and eurosceptic sentiment is gaining ground across the continent. He had initially sought a common eurozone finance minister as well as a common budget. But ideas for a minister of the bloc had been shot down by Berlin. Mindful of Germans fear of funding eurozone laggards, Merkel had initially appeared lukewarm to the idea of a budget for the bloc. But in a recent interview she offered a key concession, saying she could back a budget with a total sum at the lower end of the double-digit billions of euros range. Some wont be happy While he now has Merkels backing in hand, Macron still has an uphill struggle to convince the other members of the 19 member eurozone to sign off on the budget. In Brussels, a high-ranking official speaking on condition of anonymity said: Some countries wont be happy about the plan. While the official did not cite countries, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has already previously voiced his opposition. Beyond calls for a common budget, Berlin and Paris are also seeking to expand the remit of European Stability Mechanism (ESM) the firefighter for eurozone countries with serious debt problems. The twin EU engines now want the ESM to become a European version of the International Monetary Fund that could provide emergency loans to countries that fall victim to crises not linked to their debt levels. Among other reform proposals detailed in a joint paper is the plan to harmonise corporate taxes within the bloc, as well as reach an EU agreement on a digital tax by the end of 2018. Ireland and Luxembourg, however, are vehemently against a digital tax that could hurt their competitiveness in attracting big tech multinationals, unless the tax is broadened to include OECD countries such as Switzerland or the United States. An art museum in the south of France has discovered that more than half of its collection consists of fakes, in what the local mayor on Sunday described as a "catastrophe" for the region. The tiny 8,000-strong community of Elne just outside Perpignan re-opened its Etienne Terrus museum, dedicated to the works of the local artist who was born in 1857 and died in 1922, on Friday after extensive renovation work. But an art historian brought in to reorganise the museum following the recent acquisition of around 80 paintings, found that nearly 60 percent of the entire collection was fake. Etienne Terrus was Elnes great painter. He was part of the community, he was our painter, said mayor Yves Barniol on Friday. Knowing that people have visited the museum and seen a collection most of which is fake, thats bad. Its a catastrophe for the municipality. Eric Forcada, the art historian who uncovered the counterfeits, said that he had seen straight away that most of the works were fake. On one painting, the ink signature was wiped away when I passed my white glove over it. He alerted the regions cultural attache and requested a meeting of a panel experts to confirm his findings. At a stylistic level, its crude. The cotton supports do not match the canvas used by Terrus. And there are some anachronisms, Forcada said. In all, out of the 140 works that make up the collection, 82 were fake. Elnes mayor Barniol insisted that the investigation would be continue until the culprits had been found. Were not giving up, he said. Forcada said that prior to the scandal, paintings by Terrus could fetch up to 15,000 euros ($18,200) and drawings and watercolours would sell for up to 2,000 euros. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill celebrated mass in Tirana on Sunday, the highlight of his first visit to the mainly Muslim Albania. We, Orthodox Christians living in various countries, share the same values, and we must follow them, Kirill told hundreds of faithful in Tiranas Orthodox cathedral. In a country of 2.9 million known for its religious tolerance, Orthodox Christians make up seven percent of the population, behind the 10 percent who are Catholic and the majority Muslims who account for 56 percent, according to the 2011 census. Kirill, 71, is the spiritual leader of more than half of the worlds 250 million Orthodox Christians. Kirill hailed the Albanian churchs resistance during a half-century of communist rule, when more than 100 members of the clergy including seven bishops died in detention or were executed for their religious conviction. More than 1,800 churches were destroyed between 1945 and 1985. Kirill also praised the renaissance of faith the country has seen since the fall of communism in the early 1990s. Our Church is marked by the spirit of peaceful coexistence among all religious communities, and the visit by Patriarch Kirill is an affirmation of these values, said Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, the head of the Albanian Orthodox Church. Kirill, who arrived in Tirana on Saturday, was to meet Albanian President Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday. Iraq on Sunday sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of heavy verdicts against foreign women linked to the jihadists. The head of Baghdads Central Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, said the women were found guilty of joining and supporting IS, according to an AFP journalist at the hearing. Six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also condemned to life in prison Sunday on the same charge. The women, who have the right to appeal against the sentences, entered the court one-by-one dressed in black headscarves and pink blouses, most of them accompanied by their children. They addressed the court through a translator, a Russian-language professor at Baghdad University hired by their embassy for the trial. We will contact the parents to inform them of the verdict, a Russian diplomat at the hearing told AFP. IS took over nearly one third of Iraq in a blistering 2014 offensive, seizing control of the countrys second largest city, Mosul, among others. Baghdad declared military victory over the jihadists in December, after expelling them from all urban centres. It has detained at least 560 women and 600 children identified as jihadists or relatives of suspected IS fighters, and is wasting no time in putting them on trial. Most of the women on trial Sunday claimed they were tricked into going to Iraq. I did not know we were in Iraq, said one of the accused. I went with my husband and my children to Turkey to live there, and then I suddenly discovered that I was actually in Iraq. Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership. There is no official figure. Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS, judicial sources said earlier this month. Iraqs anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Britain Sunday that "the time has now come to resolve the contradictions" over the Northern Irish border, ahead of a visit to the island. Barnier, who will spend Monday and Tuesday on either side of the Irish divide, reiterated that the EU will not conclude an agreement with Britain until it details how there will be no post-Brexit return to a hard border. In case there is any doubt whatsoever about our commitment to this, let me be crystal clear: we will not conclude the withdrawal agreement with the UK unless we have such a solution included in the text, he wrote in an article for Irelands Sunday Independent. We will not sign any agreement with the UK unless we together with the Irish government are satisfied with the solution found for Ireland. EU leaders will assess the thorny question of how to avoid border checks between British-ruled Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state, at a summit in June. Britain is set to leave the bloc at the end of March 2019. All sides have vowed to avoid the return of customs checks to the former flashpoint divide, but London has yet to offer solutions accepted by the Europeans. It has not even signed up to the June deadline, with Brexit Secretary David Davis last week claiming it was an artificial deadline in ongoing negotiations. Barnier called on Britain to give details now. It wants full regulatory autonomy and an independent trade policy, but at the same time it does not want a border on the island of Ireland, he added. The time has now come to resolve the contradictions. Brexit created a specific problem in Ireland, so it is the UKs responsibility to also come forward with workable solutions. The EU and Britain have agreed a backstop that Northern Ireland would remain part of the EUs customs union in the absence of a final deal governing future trade. But that is vehemently opposed by pro-Brexit politicians in Prime Minister Theresa Mays own Conservative Party and Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party which props up her minority government. The head of Telecom Italia has said he will resign if a US hedge fund wins a power struggle this week with French telecom giant Vivendi, its largest shareholder, according to reports in Britain. Amos Genish, director and general manager of Telecom Italia (TIM), told the Daily Telegraph his position would become untenable if Elliott, a fund that holds an 8.8-percent stake in the company, succeeds in shaking up the board at a Friday shareholders meeting. Vivendi, which owns 24 percent of TIM, has de facto control thanks to its stranglehold on board and executive positions, and opposes Elliotts aim to replace six board members though not Genish, whom it has said it would retain. TIM is set to elect a new board at this weeks investor gathering, following the resignation last month of eight members in a bid to pre-empt the funds move. If the Vivendi slate does not get the majority of votes, because this is clearly the only slate to support our long-term industrial plan, I firmly believe my position () would be untenable, Genish told the Telegraph. Elliott, sometimes called a vulture fund, proposed a motion last month to replace the board members, in the latest salvo in a simmering stand-off with Vivendi over TIMs governance. It has repeatedly blasted the companys performance since Vivendi nominees joined the board in December 2015 and last month offered its own list of six independent replacements, well known to the Italian business community. The move prompted the resignations of the eight TIM board members, which Elliott called Vivendis cynical new attempt to avoid accountability and delay the shareholder vote. The comments by Genish, a well-respected figure who won the support of an overwhelming majority of shareholders at another meeting last week, will be seen as a blow to the fund as it tries to convince investors to back its agenda. jj/pg/spm The European Union's three largest economies agree on the need to be "ready to react" to trade tariffs imposed by the United States, France's presidency said Sunday. The EU must be ready to react, if necessary, with efficiency and speed, it said in a statement after telephone talks between French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britains Prime Minister Theresa May on the potential impact of new US tariffs. Crippling US tariffs on steel and aluminium are set to take effect on Tuesday, and key trading partners including the EU have urged the White House to exempt them from the additional cost. US President Donald Trump met last week with Macron and Merkel but gave no indication of whether or not he planned to exempt the EU, which last year exported over $7.7-billion of steel and aluminium to the US market. Eurozone powerhouse Germany last week said it expected Washington to impose the tariffs from May 1, although a key economic advisor to Trump hinted Thursday that concessions might be made to the EU. Its very important that somany of our friends make some concessions with respect to trading practices, tariffs and taxes, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told CNBC. He pointed to concerns about equal treatment of automobiles in the EU as an example. Macron, Merkel and May discussed the tariffs and said they hope the United States doesnt take measures contrary to transatlantic interests, the Elysee statement said. Trump imposed the tariffs last month on national security grounds, saying cheap imports were undermining US producers crucial to military preparedness, but gave a temporary reprieve to the countries that are the main suppliers to the US market. The measures were targeted primarily at overproduction by China, which has been the key focus of Trumps combative trade policies. The EU has threatened to impose their own punitive tariffs on key US goods if they are not shielded from the steel and aluminium duties. In a state visit to Washington last week, Macron called for cooperation among allies on trade. You dont make trade war with your allies, Macron warned addressed the US Congress. The three EU leaders also discussed the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump has threatened to scrap, the French presidency said. Sunday, April 29, 2018 Overall High Income Inequality and Low Social Mobility are both important parts of the high military spending empire theory. Between the great Roman Empire and the modern American Empire lies the doldrums of Europe in the Middle Ages. Medievalism is a special case of empire, characterized by the relative economic stagnation of the high military spending empire, with little scientific advancement and excessive church domination. Medievalism has widespread social inequality as there were many serfs dependent on their lords for protection with expensive castles with moats and knights in shining armor. The militarism is obvious in this situation. Traveling is dangerous, too, with the need to be armed and preferably with sufficient companions and not alone. Legends like the Three Musketeers with many roving bands that survive by their arms and wits. This fear based economy is very inefficient and unproductive. America History In the modern era, income inequality robustly correlates inversely to the top income tax rate. With a high income tax rate over 90% in the fifties and over 70% in the seventies, all income quintiles doubled their income from 1945 to 1980. Since Reagan brought down the top tax bracket to 28% the top 1% have more than quadrupled their incomes, while the other 99% have had no material net increase in income for nearly forty years. Yes, the famous study by the non-partisan congressional research office from 1979 to 2007 shows the top 1% quadrupling their income while even the rest of the top 5% show no progress. Fool's Gold A recent study of American attitudes shows that 12% of us think that we are in the top 1% and 23% of us expect to be in the top 1% sometime in our lifetime. That 35% total matches the 35% support for President Trump, otherwise known as the Republican base. Of course the there are Democrats who think this way and Republicans that never expect to get rich, yet this delusion of the general public says a lot about our politics today. If 12% believe they are in the top 1%, then clearly 11% are deluded. And the thought that 23% expect to be in the top 1% shows how much we are a nation of aspirational fools. Thanks to the Occupy movement of 2011 we have increasingly come to our senses, with polls last year showing 70% opposed the Republican health care repeal plan and 70% opposed the tax cut that mainly went 70% to the real top 1% not the deluded many aspirants. This is what seems to be fueling the coming Blue Wave in American politics. Plus the insults to women and immigrants and shootings of our school children, and we are all getting tired of the tweets and 2000 lies in the first year alone. Yet the purveyors of fake news have done a good job persuading many that real news is fake, so we remain a deeply divided nation. To the extent the Russians have aided this division, they must be delighted. Seventy years of empire since the last World War and the drying up of social mobility in America have all aided this process. Convenient Excuses One of the leading convenient excuses to get us to accept our situation is that the new divide is between those with a college education and those without. Yes, in many ways the college degree is the new equivalent of the high school degree in generations past. But the US, once a leader in college degrees, has fallen behind many European countries. The 1% have put today's students deeply in debt and threatened to take away Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid rather than restore high taxes on the rich to easily make these many problems disappear. Too many experts get into the class divide argument of college versus no college degree rather than recognize the real main cause of many problems that the top 1% (really the top 0.1%) are hogging all the benefits for themselves. These experts excuse their union busting in the eighties and the spiral up of top executive salaries in the last forty years. It used to be that top CEOs earned fair wages. Then the practice became commonplace to try to outbid others by 20%, leading to an endless spiral upwards. CEOs in America earned 120 times their workers in 1980, compared to 35 or 50 to one in Japan or Europe. Then a PBS show by Bill Moyers reported fortune 1000 CEOs averaging $37 million while their workers made $38,000 in the year 2000. Almost 1000 to one. Most figures reported since then are lower, probably by including all stock exchange companies, not just the top 1000. That this is unearned is shown by the Chrysler buyout by Mercedes Benz, where the CEO of the failing US company was paid $33 million while the successful German CEO was only paid $7 million, one fifth as much. Clearly top wages in America were way out of line and not based on performance or real results. False Justification The idea that cutting taxes of corporations and the rich will help the economy is problematic. Businesses need customers even more than they need capital. About a third of the corporate tax cut is being used to buyback stock, which supports the price of stock, but does little to boost the economy. Tax cuts for the middle class will lead to increased sales for the businesses and will boost the economy. Unfortunately, the Trump tax cut will go 70% to the top 1% and only 30% for the middle class or the bottom 99%. Actually widening income inequality will only aggravate national health and social problems like low social mobility, high homicide rates, high mental illness rates, high obesity, high teenage birthrates, and high imprisonment rates as shown by the "Spirit Level" authors in 2010. Community versus Private Sector There has long been an imbalance between utilities run by government compared to those investor owned utilities. Public utilities charge 60% of the investor owned utilities overall in these United States. Europeans with health care for all pay about 60% as much as people in the United States pay for less health care coverage. Occupied countries like France in the early forties and East Germany during the Cold War also seemed to operate at only 60% economic levels of comparable unoccupied countries. Why keep paying this 40% for overpaid executives and dividends and profits to investor owned utilities? Why keep paying unnecessary middlemen like health insurance companies and plan administrators and specialized medicine rather than general practice medicine? Why keep paying this 40% to occupying forces? None of these imbalances make sense. Collapse Rate The award winning Eugene Register Guard newspaper of Eugene, Oregon, USA, had an editorial in the early eighties about how rural economies collapsed at an 8% rate absent new business development moving into an area. Coincidentally or maybe not, 8% was the average percent of the economy on military spending from 1945 to 1980. Military spending depletes capital and research from all good producing industries like manufacturing, construction, mining, and agriculture, hence is a major cause of the agricultural decline of that period. Eight percent was the average drop per year during the 1929-1933 start of the Great Depression. Eight percent a year was the long term decline of the cigarette tax in Oregon I learned in the 1981 legislative session. Eight percent per year was the annual decline in the Wisconsin Dry Cleaner Tax started in 1998. Eight percent per year seems to be the rate economic sectors decline in general, unless new industry replaces the old as is common in capitalism in normal times. The 2009 US economy dropped 6%, but for just one year (about nine months). For the chapter on various social conditions under empire theory: https://www.academia.edu/11421799/MILITARISM_CONTROL_Empire_Social_Decay 6p Please cite this work as follows: Reuschlein, Robert. (2018, April 29), "Income Inequality Theories", Madison, WI: Real Economy Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.expertclick.com/NewsRelease/Income-Inequality-Theories,2018156909.aspx Dr. Peace, Professor Robert Reuschlein, Real Economy Institute Nominated Vetted 2016, Given Odds 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Possible Favorite in 2018 Nobel Peace Prize October 5th. Contact: bobreuschlein@gmail.com, Info: www.realeconomy.com Three hundred years after the Spanish Empire established a remote Catholic mission near San Pedro Creek, church bells across San Antonio will ring in unison Tuesday evening as the city celebrates the tricentennial of its founding with song, dance and prayer. The Day of Reflection at Main Plaza is a free event beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday to commemorate San Antonios 300-year anniversary of May 1, 1718, when Mission San Antonio de Valero was founded. The free, 2 hour ceremony will be a time to recognize the power of faith in San Antonios history and its future. Everybody is going to have a part in this, said the Rev. Ann Helmke, faith liaison for the city of San Antonio who helped organize the event. Its something that I would definitely bring children and families to, she said. What theyre going to be seeing is an expression of faith in San Antonio that we have not seen before. The history of religion in San Antonio is complicated. The Catholic mission at San Pedro Creek which was later relocated and renamed the Alamo was built during an age of conquest, when Spain sought to convert souls to one single faith and solidify its position as a world power. More Information Schedule for the Day of Reflection 6 p.m.: Musical and dance performances 7 p.m.: Program honoring San Antonio's native population and lighting of a commemorative flame in Main Plaza 8:15 p.m.: Candlelight vigil in Main Plaza 8:18 p.m.: Citywide ringing of church bells 8:30 p.m.: Program ends 9:30 p.m.: "The Saga" light show plays at San Fernando Cathedral after the Day of Reflection See More Collapse Centuries later, San Antonio is a very different place, one where Catholicism still has a strong presence but where many residents also believe in a wide spectrum of faiths or no faith at all. Read more: San Antonio's 'birthday week' begins Tuesday Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller said everyone will be welcome at the Day of Reflection when the Catholic Church joins a diverse gathering of people from two dozen religions and denominations. A gospel choir will sing. Buddhists will chant. A member of Temple Beth-El will raise a shofar a Jewish ceremonial rams horn and make a deep, brassy sound of worship in Main Plaza. More than a dozen brief religious ceremonies and performances are planned. It will be a very beautiful thing to see, said Garcia-Siller, who is scheduled to speak at the Day of Reflection. In practices and traditions, we are very different. But this is an expression of unity. Its the first event of Commemorative Week, a series of Tricentennial educational programs and celebrations running through May 6. The Tricentennial Commission wanted to start the week focusing on faith for the citys 300th birthday on May 1, said Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio and a chairwoman of the commission. We know that was the day when the Franciscans arrived in San Antonio to build the mission, she said. And it seemed like a perfect time to reflect on all that has occurred over the last 300 years, and what we hope is a very bright future for the city of San Antonio and Bexar County. Part of Tuesdays program will honor San Antonios historic roots in the sacred lands of native people who lived in South Texas long before the Spanish arrived, and it also will feature the lighting of a commemorative flame that will remain in Main Plaza all week. At 8:18 p.m. thats 20:18 in military time to mark the year of the Tricentennial church bells across the city will begin chiming together for one minute. Archbishop Garcia-Siller said about 85 Catholic churches in San Antonio will ring their bells in unison. Organizers arent sure how many other churches will participate, but theyre inviting every church in Bexar County to join in. Together, Garcia-Siller said, hopefully well make some noise. John Tedesco is a San Antonio Express-News investigative reporter. Read more of his stories here. | jtedesco@express-news.net | @John_Tedesco Nearly two years after the deadliest hot air balloon crash in U.S. history killed 16 people near Lockhart, the U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve a measure that would mandate medical exams for commercial balloon pilots. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-San Antonio, said he wrote the legislation after the Federal Aviation Administration refused to strengthen regulations governing balloon pilots even after investigators discovered that pilot Alfred Skip Nichols had suffered from medical ailments that should have raised red flags at the FAA before the deadly crash. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Nichols had been on a cocktail of prescription drugs that included Prozac, Valium and the painkiller oxycodone when his balloon struck high-voltage power lines and caught fire July 30, 2016, killing everyone on board. Unlike other aircraft pilots, balloon pilots arent required to undergo medical screenings. Since 2016, I have repeatedly urged the FAA to adopt a safety measure long recommended by the NTSB to help avert tragedies like this, Doggett said during a speech Wednesday on the House floor. As he displayed a large photograph of the charred wreckage of the wicker balloon basket found near Lockhart, Doggett said: After that crash, this was all that was left. The House approved Doggetts amendment to a bill that authorizes funding for the FAA. Doggett said his amendment is a bipartisan measure that mirrors legislation in the Senate authored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is also calling for stronger regulations of balloon pilots. If the House approves the entire funding bill Friday, lawmakers will iron out any differences with the Senates version of its own bill. I am just ecstatic, said Patricia Morgan, an outspoken critic of the FAA whose daughter and granddaughter from San Antonio, Lorilee and Paige Brabson, both died in the balloon crash. I think at least were making some kind of headway, Morgan said. I just dont want nothing to happen. That was my fear, that all those victims would have been forgotten. In a past statement, the FAA praised a voluntary program launched by the Balloon Federation of America, an industry trade group, that would require pilots to submit to drug and medical tests and safety seminars. But pilots have to be willing to participate in the program. Before the crash, Nichols had let his membership lapse with the balloon federation. NTSB board Chairman Robert Sumwalt criticized the FAA for shirking its responsibility to protect balloon passengers. They are abdicating their responsibility to provide oversight, Sumwalt said. Morgan and family members of other victims said theyre outraged by the lack of federal oversight of balloon pilots. Despite the tranquil image of the balloon industry, hot air balloons arent any safer than other aircraft. An investigation of the hot air balloon industry published last year by the San Antonio Express-News found that the balloons suffer similar fatality rates when compared with privately owned planes and helicopters. And the overall crash rate is twice as high for balloons 15 crashes per 100,000 flight hours, compared with seven crashes per 100,000 flight hours for other types of general aviation aircraft. The NTSB primarily blamed the Lockhart crash on Nichols poor decision to fly in cloudy and foggy conditions with low visibility. The NTSB concluded that Nichols medical ailments and medical prescriptions were a contributing cause of the crash, along with the FAAs policy exempting commercial balloon pilots from medical screenings. Six victims in the Lockhart crash were from the San Antonio area: Lorilee and Paige Brabson, newlyweds Matt and Sunday Rowan, and Brian and Tressie Neill, who were married for 23 years and celebrating their anniversary. All the victims had children back home. John Tedesco is a San Antonio Express-News investigative reporter. Read more of his stories here. | jtedesco@express-news.net | @John_Tedesco Not even an injury could keep Mary Alvarado from the electric energy, glittering lights and booming sounds of the Fiesta Flambeau night parade Saturday. Earlier in the day, Alvarado tripped and fell, causing her ankle to swell. When her family said she needed medical care, she refused to go to the hospital. I didnt think shed be able to come, but shes a trouper, her daughter, Cynthia Cuellar said. Nothing can stop us from the parade. Attending the night parade is such a strong family tradition that each year, one family member, for instance her husband, Daniel, shows up early along the 2.6-mile parade route to save front-row seats for the family. Cuellar, 49, a fourth-grade teacher at Hope Elementary School, said they look forward to the blizzard of confetti, rhythmic dancers and an occasional stop by a parade participant with the gift of a Fiesta medal. She said theres nothing like being able to almost reach out and touch the passing pageantry. Pictures dont do it justice, Cuellar said. You have to come and experience it. The family was among the masses of Fiesta faithful who had staked out seats for the 70th anniversary celebration of Flambeau, which the Fiesta Flambeau Parade Association calls the nations largest illuminated night parade with an estimated crowd of more than 500,000. This year the theme was Three Centuries One City, in keeping with the citys Tricentennial. Above Broadway, on the second floor of the Rodeway Inn, Teresa Trevino relished the parade, as she has for the past 38 years, from the same room. Its a tradition her mother, Elisa V. Jimenez, started and repeated yearly until her last Fiesta Flambeau in 2000 before dying. Each January, Trevino pays for the room that overlooks the parade route. Since her mothers death, Trevino and her family always proudly display in the hotel room a large photograph of the matriarch, watching the festivities from the balcony. Dont let it go, she recalled her mother saying. Thats what Im leaving for my babies. Before the parade, people gnawed on their chicken-on-sticks as work crews blocked the intersection of Third Avenue and North Alamo Street. Annissa Lizcano, a teacher at Little Flower Catholic School, helped parents and volunteers arrange rows of chairs as clusters of parade watchers swarmed around her. Lizcano said the school sells tickets for the chairs to raise money for an educational Spring Break trip to Washington, D.C., for eighth-graders. Its like a community event and we even let our middle-schoolers do it to get their service hours, she said. And, we get to watch the parade afterward, so its great. The illuminated parade passed a spot near Broadway and East Jones Street, where Richard Jackson and John Gonzales, both 41, played dominoes all day while holding the space for their families. Jackson arrived at 5:45 a.m., followed by Gonzales four hours later, to continue a tradition started 30 years ago by late family member Ruben Tovar. The pair started the dominoes tradition two years ago while they reserved the curbside viewing spot. Jackson said they had to switch to white plastic pieces because the sun made the black tiles as hot as an oven. Over the decades, Gonzales said, from their regular spot on the parade route, theyve seen old buildings torn down and new structures replace them. If you sit here long enough, youll see the changes, he said. Its like the old San Antonio and the new San Antonio. vtdavis@express-news.net President Donald Trump has invited members of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, the site of the deadly mass shooting that claimed 26 lives in November, to the White House on Thursday. Frank and Sherri Pomeroy, the churchs pastor and his wife, along with shooting survivor David Colbath, his son Morgan Colbath, and Sherri Pomeroys sister Sylvia Timmons, are to join the president for a prayer service at 11 a.m. for the National Day of Prayer. We did not expect a personal invitation to the White House from the President, Sherri Pomeroy said by a text message. When I received that email, I confirmed the legitimacy of the invitation and accepted, of course! This will be her first time in the nations capital, much less at the White House and, later that evening, the U.S. Capitol. The five Sutherland Springs visitors will be attending the National Day of Prayers evening services at the Capitols historic Statuary Hall. The Pomeroys will be interviewed by Pastor Ronnie Floyd, president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, and Frank Pomeroy will lead a short prayer all live-streamed across the country. Theyll also attend a private banquet the night before hosted by the task force. One of the 26 killed in the massacre was the Pomeroys 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle. We are very honored that we are invited to the White House and asked to pray for our nation in this historic place, Sherri Pomeroy said. While this invitation is bittersweet because of the events that brought us to this place, may we never turn down a forum to share the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever it takes us. Silvia Foster-Frau is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF For more than four years academics and activists have been advocating for a Mexican American Studies course before the Texas State Board of Education. The Republican-controlled board heard appeal after appeal for Mexican American Studies coursework for high school students as an elective. It even approved the development of standards for a course of that name. Board members have witnessed protesters outside its Austin chambers holding signs that refer to Mexican American Studies and MAS. It heard that acronym a lot as it considered and eventually rejected two textbooks, one for racist content. Both books used that acronym. The term Mexican American is, after all, a preferred term for many Texans, along with other labels theyre free to choose for themselves. No one outside the group gets to decide what they should call themselves. Mexican American Studies is also an established field of study recognized by institutions of higher learning. The academy has accepted the work of fellow scholars of MAS and how theyve chosen to self-identify that scholarship: the books, research projects and classroom work. Yet despite all of this at a crucial moment when the state board of education was set to vote, obviously reluctantly and for the first time, it made a sly, spiteful and separate decision to the Mexican American Studies class. It renamed it, a people and a field of study. The board could have taken a bow for the historic vote, especially for listening to research that shows MAS and other ethnic studies courses improve academic outcomes for all students, not just those who belong to the group. But board members just couldnt fully allow the win for longtime opponents. It had to mar their victory. It was deliberate, political and probably a result of backroom negotiations. The courses name was changed to Ethnic Studies: An Overview of Americans of Mexican Descent, which identifies a group by a clumsy term it doesnt use and renames a nationally recognized field of study. Public comment on the change will continue to be taken online and in person for several months. It was a surprise move led by Republican David Bradley, who said the use of Mexican American would be divisive. He said he doesnt subscribe to hyphenated Americanism and that he finds hyphenated Americanism to be divisive. Bradley also described the academics and education activists who immediately opposed the name change in this way: They just can't figure out how to say thank you. Marisa Perez-Diaz, San Antonios representative on the state board, said the decision rises out of a fear of diversity and the rising tide of change. Its coming in waves. More than half of the state's 5.4 million school-aged children are Mexican American or of other Latino backgrounds. By 2050, that will grow to almost 70 percent. The time for cloaking bigotry under the guise of 'patriotism' and 'Americanism' is over, Perez-Diaz says. My experience is as American as apple pie, because guess what, my ancestors were on this land well before it was conquered and named America. Bradley is also wrong about the use of Mexican-American. Its not divisive. Many other groups use hyphenation to self-identify by embracing both their nationality and ethnicity at the same time. Others dont get to decide those phrases. Using what they prefer is a sign of respect. The State Board of Education didnt extend that respect. It never has. It has responded only to protest, which they will receive. The public will have the summer to comment online and at public meetings and the board will take a final vote on establishing MAS standards in September. The boards underhanded move now raises concerns it will chip away at the integrity of the course. Juan Tejeda, retired from leading Palo Alto Colleges Mexican American Studies program, noted some people think he should not get hung up on the name, that whats important is the course. He returned the volley: If the name change wasn't important, why did the board propose it in the first place, and why did it pass with all nine of the Anglo Republican board members voting in favor, along with the one lone-wolf Latina Democrat Georgina Perez from El Paso? It was obviously important to lessen a long-sought victory, and it will be important to reverse this petty decision. Elaine Ayala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | eayala@express-news.net | @ElaineAyala AUSTIN Gov. Greg Abbott, who has made it his mission to squeeze local governments into falling in line with his Texas vision, is targeting a city-by-city initiative to require businesses to offer paid sick leave to employees who earn it. These policies will be crushing, especially for small businesses, by imposing a heavy-handed mandate that will cause these small businesses to have to pay even more out of their own pockets, Abbott said when I asked him about the issue. I believe it will lead to many small businesses having to shut down and will cause a reduction in employment opportunities for so many Texans, said Abbott. But backers say 40 entities around the country including cities, counties, states and Washington, D.C. have mandated paid sick leave without ill effects on the business environment. In a study of New York Citys policy by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, close to 85 percent of employers reported no effect on their business expenses overall after more than a year. Eighty-six percent expressed support for the law. A University of Washington study of Seattles ordinance found that employers initially feared it would increase their labor costs by a substantial amount and cause staffing shortages. After a year, the study said, most of these initial fears had faded, and workers typically used much less leave than employers expected. Its a false choice to say that its either we take care of working families, or we take care of businesses. It doesnt have to be one or the other, said Michelle Tremillo, executive director of the Texas Organizing Project, which is pushing to put the issue on the November ballot in San Antonio. Tremillo said her group is on pace to get the 64,000 signatures needed to do so. Read more: Latino voting group snubs Lupe Valdez, backs Andrew White for governor Austin this year became the first city in Texas to approve mandatory paid sick leave for employees of businesses, with a vote by its city council. Under Austins ordinance which is being challenged in court by business groups and the Texas Public Policy Foundation employees will be able to earn an hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours they work. If they work for companies with more than 15 employees, they will be able to earn up to 8 days. Those who work for smaller companies will be able to earn up to six when the ordinance takes effect. Its up to Governor Abbott to decide that he stands with working families and voters, or that he doesnt, Tremillo said. We wont be intimidated by the threat of future legislation. Abbott said such ideas are good policies for employers to adopt on their own, but I think its completely wrong for a government mandate to impose high-cost policies affecting employers ability to manage their budgets. Its a familiar position for Abbott, who has long taken aim at local policies that he said were leading to Texas being California-ized. Abbott signed a bill in 2015 to prevent communities from barring fracking in their areas, a win for the oil-and-gas industry after the North Texas city of Denton approved such a policy due to concerns over issues like earthquakes. Last year, he signed into law a sanctuary cities ban that was opposed by police chiefs, including San Antonios William McManus. He also signed measures to trim local authority over management of trees and to curb annexation ability. His efforts havent all been victories; Abbott unsuccessfully backed measures to impose new limits on how much cities and counties can increase property taxes, and to restrict transgender peoples ability to use the public restrooms that align with their gender identity. Looking ahead, besides targeting mandatory paid sick leave, Abbott has promised a new effort to restrict local property tax revenue increases. Democrats vying in the May 22 runoff election to face Abbott in November took issue with his position. Related: Out-of-state travel tab for Abbott's security tops $1 million Governor Abbotts weird crusade to tell Texas cities what they can and cant do whether on paid sick leave, bathroom bills, tree ordinances or fracking doesnt fly. Whats next? Telling us where we can worship, shop and when to mow the lawn? asked Houston businessman Andrew White in a statement. How Texas politics have changed: Democrats support local governments making their own decisions while extremist Republicans want to take this freedom away. Former Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez said in a statement, Governor Abbott and his Tea Party Republicans are all for local control except when local communities decide to take actions to help working families. We've seen them use the government to push their shameful agenda that hurts the Texas brand, she said. Now, as a local community has tried to pick up the slack for families and provide dignity and opportunity to workers, Abbott wants to slam the door on progress. We should be passing paid sick leave across Texans, not shutting it down. Peggy Fikac is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | pfikac@express-news.net | @pfikac TRUMBULL Eight new purebred Shropshire lambs made program history this spring when they were born at Trumbulls Agriscience and Biotechnology Center. Its the first year in which Shropshire ewes there were bred to a purebred Shropshire ram, according to animal sciences teacher Tom Piekarski. Also a first: the program, which includes high school students from Trumbull and a number of area towns, is looking to take the lambs to shows around the state. Its all part of the excitement spring has brought to the 17 juniors and seniors in the program majoring in animal science. (The students) biggest thrill of the year is when they are lambing, said Piekarski, who has been at the center for 20 years. The students have been tracking the lambs development using an Excel program, and many were present for the births. This year, there were 15 lambs born from eight ewes seven sets of twins and one single over the course of 11 days and weighing around 10 pounds each. The farm has 30 sheep in total. Junior Sam Yankocy, of Easton, stopped by after school one Wednesday in April to help halter break a lamb helping it learn to walk on a line. The mother of the lamb, known as 1602, was one of Yankocys favorites, she said, so when it was ready to give birth, she immediately drove over to assist bringing the lamb, now known as 1805, into the world. I love farm life and this is what I want to do when Im older, so I thought, what better place to start than the school farm? Yankocy said. Since then, she has been working with the animals in preparation of upcoming shows. The students plan to start local, looking into shows around Connecticut. The Trumbull Agriscience and Biotechnology Center is designed to give students like Yankocy specialized instruction in biotechnology and animal, plant and equine science. Many students go on to pursue those subjects in college, Piekarski said. The center, which enrolls about 200 students, considers itself to be a working farm where students combine classroom learning with hands-on experience. Students enrolled at the Center are considered Trumbull High School students, though students come from Trumbull, Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Orange, Shelton and Stratford. Students take care of the animals feeding, cleaning and other tasks related to their care, Piekarski said. For many, its a labor of love. Theyre here on days off, holidays, weekends, they take care of the farm under my supervision, he said. Freshmen and sophomores take a variety of introductory classes to learn about animal science, plant science, biotechnology and agricultural mechanics. Juniors and seniors concentrate on their major and immerse themselves in all aspects of farm life. The ag program is a program, Piekarski said. Its not come-and-leave-and-whatever. Youre supposed to be here for four years. Place Your Advert Thousands of Active jobseekers are looking for new agricultural positions in 2020. Call us now to discuss the options for advertising your vacancy in our job section. Labour crisis: Scottish farmers urged to complete survey NFUS survey wants to find out scale of crisis Summary Company Announcement Date: May 02, 2018 FDA Publish Date: May 08, 2018 Product Type: Food & Beverages Allergens Food & Beverage Safety Reason for Announcement: Recall Reason Description Allergens - Milk and Wheat Company Name: Van's Foods Brand Name: Brand Name(s) Van's Product Description: Product Description Waffles Company Announcement Vans Foods is voluntarily recalling Vans Gluten Free Waffles with a lot code date of #A640234710WL2, BEST BY AUG 22, 2018 and UPC 0 89947 30206 4. The products are being recalled because a limited number of the wrong packaging were used during the production of Vans Belgian Waffles. The product inadvertently packaged in the Vans Gluten Free Waffle box contains gluten, undeclared wheat and undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, wheat or gluten run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. These products could also cause a serious autoimmune reaction to people with celiac disease if consumed. The products were distributed solely to food retailers in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. To date, Vans Foods has received no reports of illnesses or adverse reactions associated with the effected products. The effected retail packages are labeled as Vans Gluten Free Original, Item number 30206, Product Lot #A640234710WL2, BEST BY AUG 22, 2018. No other Vans branded products are affected by this voluntary recall. Pkg SKU Brand Product Description Code Date 30206 Van's Van's Gluten Free Original BEST BY : AUG 22 2018 A640234710-WL2* *Van's Gluten Free retail packages with a code containing WL1 are NOT subject to this recall. Consumers who have purchased these products or have questions are requested to contact Vans Consumer Relations department at 1-866-886-8456 (Monday Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM CST) for additional information and/or reimbursement. News media and health department officials who have questions should contact Caroline Ahn at 312-614-6047 (Monday Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM CST). Company Contact Information Consumers: Van's Consumer Relations 1-866-886-8456 Media: Caroline Ahn 312-614-6047 MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has given preliminary approval to a bid by U.S. oilfield services giant Schlumberger to acquire up to 49 percent of Russia's Eurasia Drilling Co (EDC), an unexpected decision given a chilling in U.S.-Russian relations. Washington has introduced a number of sanctions, including restrictions on financing for Russian companies over Moscow's role in Ukraine's crisis and alleged meddling in the U.S MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has given preliminary approval to a bid by U.S. oilfield services giant Schlumberger to acquire up to 49 percent of Russia's Eurasia Drilling Co (EDC), an unexpected decision given a chilling in U.S.-Russian relations. Washington has introduced a number of sanctions, including restrictions on financing for Russian companies over Moscow's role in Ukraine's crisis and alleged meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential election. RIA news agency cited Igor Artemyev, head of Russia's anti-monopoly body (FAS), as saying the regulator would quickly start talks with Schlumberger, the largest oilfield services company by revenue. "We (will) immediately start the talks with Schlumberger and hope that we are moving to the final stretch," he was quoted by RIA as saying after a Russian government meeting on foreign investments. The FAS said later on Saturday that the government investment commission had decided to extend the time frame for examining the deal, but it was not immediately clear how long that could take. Schlumberger had initially planned to buy 51 percent in EDC, but decided to scale down its bid. The deal has faced difficulties as relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated. This is a second attempt by Schlumberger to acquire Russia's leading oilfield services provider. In 2015, Schlumberger agreed to buy 45.65 percent of EDC for $1.7 billion, but the deal fell through after the FAS repeatedly postponed its approval. Later that year, EDC delisted its shares on the London Stock Exchange. For Schlumberger, the investment would mean access to the Russian oil market, one of the world's largest, at a time of rising crude prices. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Additional reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Helen Popper) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The BMC's new development plan for Mumbai has two incredulous assumptions: one, that by allowing builders to build more and repopulate the island city, homes will become more affordable and two, that more commercial buildings will mean more jobs Mumbai: The last one year has been ghastly for Mumbai a stampede at a railway station, ravaging infernos in shops and eateries, and crushing building collapses resulting in over 100 lives being snuffed out. All these reiterated why crumbling has become a default prefix for any mention of the citys infrastructure. Hence, all eyes are now on the citys most ambitious planning document in recent times, its development plan (DP) that was finally approved by the Maharashtra government early this week. The DP is a key document that acts as a blueprint for Mumbais growth; while it plans for the next 20 years, its execution leaves an indelible mark on the citys fate for many years after. While the plan is yet to be released in its entirety, the glimpses that bureaucrats have so far offered have garnered diverse reactions urban planners and academics have been cautiously critical while the real estate industry has been buoyant. Homes and jobs The blueprint has noble aims: it seeks to create more affordable homes, more jobs and ensure a good quality of life. All these seem pertinent. Last year, the UN-Habitat named Mumbai as the second most crowded city after Dhaka. In Mumbai, 31,700 people exist on one square kilometre of space, three times the number in Singapore. While the details are yet to be spelled out, the document, at its core, has two incredulous assumptions: one, that by allowing builders to build more and repopulate the island city, homes will become affordable and two, that more commercial buildings will mean more jobs for Mumbai. The DP says it will create 10 million affordable homes and 8 million jobs, through this plan. For this, it has now decided to allow buildings to go higher; in the island city, builders can double their construction for residential structures and can build four times more for commercial structures. The floor space index (FSI), a ratio which dictates how much a builder can construct vis-a-vis the plot area, has been hiked from 1.33 in the island city to 3 for residential constructions and 5 for commercial ones. The same has been increased from 2 in the suburbs to 2.5 for residential properties and for commercial, it has been doubled from 2.5 to 5. These numbers seem incredulous because a closer reading of Mumbais situation will tell you that it isnt the lack of either homes or commercial properties that are hampering access to them. It is affordability. In January this year, a report buttressed this point better than anything else. The economic survey, released by the Centre showed that Mumbai had nearly 500,000 homes in Mumbai lying vacant. This, in a city where over 5 million people live in slums. Clearly, supply isnt the issue. The DP tries to address that. The authorities have proposed to allow 3100 hectares, marked as no development zones till now, to be opened for construction of affordable homes. Since a big chunk of them are privately owned, it has even devised a formula under which the owner of the land can develop one-third of the land with an FSI of 3 on surrendering 66 percent of the land for cheap homes and public amenities. Apart from the fact that such an approach relies solely on the volition and willingness of these private players towards wanting to develop their lands, such a formula also reminds the city of the tragedy of the mill land sale, reiterating how laws, especially around Mumbais real estate, can be changed at will by the powerful to benefit the powerful. In the 1990s, bureaucrats and politicians drew up a formula for dividing the citys defunct textile mills into three equal parts, two of which were to see the creation of public amenities and cheap homes. However, the formula was altered in 2001; from the nearly 400 acres promised, the citys share dropped to 60 acres. On the rest, builders built gleaming shopping malls, gated housing complexes, and restaurants. This time around, the land at stake is five times more. More buildings = more jobs? In addition, the plans insistence on creating more commercial spaces by allowing builders to reach the skies with their towers might not be grounded in data. A report by Colliers, a global real estate research and consultancy firm, published last year said that 13 percent of commercial space in the city remained vacant, adding that the number was likely to rise in the future. This reality also does not reflect in the plan. In fact, the plan seems to assume that creating more commercial complexes will lead to higher employment, a fact reiterated by Vivek More, deputy head of the DP department on Friday. Listing out proposed infrastructure projects in the city, he simply added, We are also creating better connectivity and that will bring jobs. Many are flummoxed at this link between more construction leading to more jobs, calling it disingenuous. Hussain Indorewala, assistant professor at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies, says that only allowing builders to construct more commercial spaces cannot create jobs. To go along with such planning, we need programmes specifically targeted towards creating jobs, which seems to be missing here. In addition, the plan does not seem to have prioritised innovative ways of achieving a better standard of life news reports say that the plan has decided to not even match the living standards for public amenities prescribed nationally. Welcome moves Beyond these, however, the plan promises to offer holistic social developmental elements like, in a first, creating multi-purpose housing centres exclusively for women. These centres will have housing options for working women as well as offer facilities like childcare centres and coworking spaces. It has also envisaged a new authority dedicated to tackling parking issues in the city, from approving parking lots to conceptualising policies around the issue. While these might be welcome additions, the challenge will be in preparing systems which make sure that these plans are implemented. Controversial plan The plan, from its conceptualisation in 2012 has been ridden with controversies and has faced opposition from various groups including urban planners, academics, neighbourhood citizen groups and non-governmental organisations. It has controversially left out the citys slums and has not mapped them. It has also made serious gaffes, like showing roads that end in the sea or marking schools, colleges, religious places wrongly. The errors forced the State government to step in and scrap the plan in 2015, sending the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) back to the drawing board. There is little doubt that the final plan, on its release, will be scrutinised thoroughly by many eyes. Amidst this scrutiny, almost everyone will be asking the same question will the plan revive Mumbai, or will it accelerate the crumble? Brahmos, the fastest missile in the world co-developed by India and Russia, will be breaching the Mach 7 barrier to be a 'hypersonic' system in the next decade, a top official said Mumbai: Brahmos, the fastest missile in the world co-developed by India and Russia, will be breaching the Mach 7 barrier to be a 'hypersonic' system in the next decade, a top official said. "We will require seven to ten years from now to become a hypersonic missile system," Sudhir Mishra, the chief executive and managing director of the joint venture company Brahmos Aerospace, told PTI in Mumbai over the weekend. He said the missile, which currently travels at Mach 2.8 or 2.8 times the speed of sound, will touch Mach 3.5 soon and Mach 5 in three years. The current engine will have to be "tinkered" to achieve Mach 5 and will have to be replaced to achieve hypersonic speed, he said. The intent is to come out with a missile that will be able to deliver to the next-generation warfare, Mishra said. He said Indian institutions including the DRDO, IITs and Indian Institute of Science are working on technologies which will help it achieve the goals and added that Russian institutes are also doing similar work. He said the company, which has a majority 55 percent holding by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the remaining with Russia, has an order book of over Rs 30,000 crore at present. Over the years, the basic missile system has been modified in a such a way that it can be fitted on various platforms, including ships, submarines, the Sukhoi-30 aircraft as well as land, for launch, he said. Sharma claimed at present the missile system is 5-7 years ahead of the nearest competition from a development perspective. "Today, this is the fastest cruise missile in the world. nobody including the US has such a missile system," he said. Mishra said the engine, propulsion technology and seeker are developed by the Russians, while Indians do control systems, guidance, software, airframes and fire control systems. Over 70 percent of the components are manufactured using private industry's help, he said. Mishra, however, also conceded that the missiles will be relevant for only 25-30 years and warfare will shift to newer tools like "high power lasers and high power microwave weapons" which will not require "kinetic weapon" systems. India and China will enhance policy coordination in their cooperation with neighbouring countries following the just-concluded informal summit in Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a top Chinese official has said Wuhan: India and China will enhance policy coordination in their cooperation with neighbouring countries following the just-concluded informal summit in Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a top Chinese official has said. Modi and Xi concluded their first ever two-day India-China informal summit on Saturday raising hopes of improving relations in light of last year's tensions on a host of issues including the Doka La military standoff. The two sides will enhance policy coordination in their neighbourhood to discuss cooperation in the form of China-India plus one or China-India plus X, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said briefing newsmen in Wuhan on Saturday about the summit outcome. Kong did not elaborate but his comments come in the backdrop of India's concerns over increasing presence of Chinese investments in India's neighbourhood especially infrastructure projects like ports. China has been stepping up its investments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives besides Pakistan where it is investing heavily in the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India did not endorse the Belt and Road Initiative at the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Beijing on 24 April which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also attended. "The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan reiterated their support for the BRI proposed by China," said a statement issued by the SCO foreign ministers at the end of their one-day meeting. India's name was conspicuously absent from the list of countries that endorsed BRI of which CPEC is a part. Significantly, Kong has played down India-China differences on the BRI stating that Beijing will not be too hard on it (BRI) as we feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and India on the issue of supporting interconnectivity," he said. He referred to India's participation in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which is also part of the BRI. When it comes to connectivity our impression is that China and India do not have principle disagreement. Actually, the two countries are working on the BCIM which is an important part of BRI and for the BCIM corridor, India does not oppose it. Actually, it is an important partner in this cooperation. At the same time BCIM is progressing very smoothly," he said. Kong also referred to India's participation in the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in which India is the second largest shareholder after China. Kong said the two countries indeed are expanding their cooperation on connectivity. After the summit, the two countries have agreed to develop a project jointly in war-torn Afghanistan, officials sources said after the summit. This could send a strong signal of their cooperation in the neighbourhood. The Delhi High Court has sought from the civil aviation regulator, DGCA, the latest position regarding air safety, probe into aircraft accidents and recruitment of flight operations inspectors. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought from the civil aviation regulator, DGCA, the latest position regarding air safety, probe into aircraft accidents and recruitment of flight operations inspectors. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked for the information after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) claimed that it has been following all precautions to ensure flight safety in the country. With the direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on 2 August. The court was hearing a PIL alleging that private airlines are violating and circumventing mandatory provisions for air safety and air worthiness issued by the DGCA. The plea has also claimed that the regulator has no mechanism to effectively check the non-compliance and blatant violation of the provisions. Refuting the allegations made in the public interest litigation, the DGCA said that it has safety oversight and surveillance programmes for airworthiness management and aircraft maintenance. It told the court that all of the civil aviation planes in operation in the country are following the aircraft maintenance programme. The regulator also claimed that there are no shortage of flight operation inspectors. However, the petitioner, Alok Kumar, has claimed that there are 72 vacant posts of flight operation inspectors in the DGCA. The task of taking electricity to every village of India has finally been achieved, PM Narendra Modi said on Sunday One of the biggest election promises the Bharatiya Janata Party made before coming to power in 2014 the promise of ensuring access to electricity for every village in India was achieved on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed on Sunday. 28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2018 "Leisang village in Manipur, like the thousands of other villages across India has been powered and empowered! This news will make every Indian proud and delighted," he said on Sunday. Leisang was the last village to receive electricity on Saturday. A village is recognised as electrified if it has basic electrical infrastructure and 10 percent of its households and public places including schools, panchayat office and health centre have access to electricity, an NDTV report said. In his speech from the Red Fort on Independence Day in 2015, the prime minister promised that all villages where electricity was yet to reach, will have power within a thousand days, the report pointed out. Sharing multiple pictures of the work underway to ensure better access to electricity in Indian villages, Modi said, "I salute the efforts of all those who worked tirelessly on the ground, including the team of officials, the technical staff and all others, to make this dream of a Powerful India a reality. Their efforts today will help generations of Indians in the coming years." The prime minister quoted a Livemint report on Twitter which said that all of Indias 5,97,464 census villages have been electrified, according to government data. At the onset of the Rs 75,893 crore Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for village electrification, there were 18,452 un-electrified census villages when the project began. During the project work it was found out that an additional 1,275 villages also didnt have access to electricity, the report added, all of which have now got electricity access. "We are just absolutely thrilled, excited and delighted. We have fulfilled our mandate, our promise and the work allotted to us by the government and the prime minister, PV Ramesh, chairman of Rural Electrification corporation, told Livemint. The government will issue an ordinance to uphold the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes if the Supreme Court does not go back on its judgment deleting the provision of immediate arrest on complaints from Dalits, says Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who asserts that the Constitution too will be amended if need be. New Delhi: The government will issue an ordinance to uphold the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes if the Supreme Court does not go back on its judgment deleting the provision of immediate arrest on complaints from Dalits, says Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who asserts that the Constitution too will be amended if need be. He acknowledged that the government had a problem of perception on the Dalit issue but felt this can be set right in no time if sufficient steps were taken. "This anti-Dalit perception of the government can be changed in mere two days. The matter will be heard on 3 May in the court. I have said that if the court's verdict will not be in favour (of those who demand retention of the original provisions), we (government) will go for an ordinance and that too without a change of comma and full stop in the original Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," Paswan told IANS in an interview. Asked whether the government will seek to nullify the court verdict if it does not change its order, he said: "Yes. We will not allow the dilution of the Act at any cost. Even a comma and full-stop will be retained as in the Act. The Act will continue in its original form. We will do whatever needed to protect the rights of SCs and STs. If need be, we will go for constitutional amendment too." Paswan, the Dalit face of the NDA government, has been leading a campaign in pushing the government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the March 20 two-bench order that a government official or a civilian cannot be immediately arrested if FIR is filed by a person belonging to SCs and STs. The Supreme Court had said that arrest under the Act was not mandatory and recourse to coercive action would be taken only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority. The court said the arrest should be cleared by an official of the Superintendent of Police after a complaint is filed. The government filed a review petition earlier this month seeking an immediate stay of the judgment but the court refused to grant any relief saying the ruling had been misunderstood. Paswan, a key member of the Group of Ministers on the issue headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said the government would adopt a similar approach on reservation in promotions in government and public sector organisations. "We are going to do the same for reservation in promotion. In this case, the Supreme Court has not said that reservation in promotion is unconstitutional but has put three conditions of backwardness, efficiency, and representation. "All the three conditions do not apply. No one can charge any SC/ST Class I officer that he is not efficient. I have asked the AG to go to court and put forward these points. Even if the court does not agree, we will not hesitate to bring an ordinance. If need be, we will bring amendments to the constitution." Paswan had campaigned strongly for reservations for Other Backward Classes in the late 80s as part of the V.P. Singh government. "When I speak, the message goes that I am speaking as I am a Dalit." He said the government had done a lot for the SC and ST communities but the perception that should have been there in public mind was not there. "V.P. Singh was from a royal family and an upper caste leader. But after nine months as prime minister, the perception about him changed. There were slogans in his favour like 'Raja Nahi Fakir Hai, Desh Ki Taqdeer Hai'. He became a leader of Dalits, poor and backward classes. "This government is working a lot but is not able to propagate its work properly among the SC/ST communities. During the Una incident in Gujarat in 2016 (in which Dalits associated with disposing of dead cattle were lynched, the state government took action. They replaced the Chief Minister. Around 36 officials were transferred but they didn't put these things before the public properly. If Indira Gandhi would have been there, she would have spoken loudly about it. I did this and I did that for Dalits. "Modiji belongs to the weaker section of the society. He is from Most Backward Caste (MBC). He is also from a very poor family, economically and socially. But the kind of perception should have been there for him is not there. Just because he has a tag of being from RSS and the BJP. As a result, the perception about him is not changing. All his good work gets washed away when someone says something unwanted and unwarranted." Paswan said it was Mayawati who as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had issued an order in October 2007 against the misuse of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and said that police should register a case only after probing a complaint. "It was she who weakened the Act and despite that, she calls herself a Dalit leader." Asked why the government reacted late in filing the review petition, Paswan said: "Every department has its own style of functioning. If I get a work, I call the officials concerned and take decisions without delay... The court's verdict came on March 20 and the review petition was filed in April due to weekend holidays and other reasons." He said the law minister should have discussed the issue in a day or two with the Attorney General. "I met the Prime Minister with other MPs over the issue. A GoM also met under Rajnath Singh where I put up my concerns." He said the Prime Minister told everyone clearly to file a review petition. Paswan said the Supreme Court had "broken the teeth" of the Act. The court said the accused can get anticipatory bail before his arrest. (V.S. Chandrasekar can be contacted at chandru.v@ians.in while Brajendranath Singh can be reached at brajendra.n@ians.in) The military exercise will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation New Delhi: In a first, arch rivals India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries. The military exercise will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-dominated security grouping which is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO, officials said. They said the military drill will be held in the Ural mountains of Russia and almost all SCO member countries will be part of it. They said the main aim of the exercise, Peace Mission, will be to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries. The officials said India's participation at the exercise was confirmed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting of SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Beijing last week. It will be for the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan will both be part of a military exercise, though the armies of the two nations have worked together in UN peace keeping missions, they said. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc last year. India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China. With expansion of the grouping, SCO now represents over 40 percent of humanity and nearly 20 percent of the global GDP. India feels that as an SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. It is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India has been holding military exercise with China. The two countries are likely to resume their bilateral military exercise in September. Last year the drill was suspended following a tense standoff between their troops in Doka La. An Indian Navy aircraft, which is in Russia for a mid-life upgrade, made an emergency landing at the Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow after its chassis malfunctioned, Russian media reported on Sunday. New Delhi: An Indian Navy aircraft, which is in Russia for a mid-life upgrade, made an emergency landing at the Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow after its chassis malfunctioned, Russian media reported on Sunday. An Indian Navy official said the IL-38 aircraft was on initial test flight and that the extent of damage to the plane in the incident is being ascertained. The Russian-built IL-38 is an anti-submarine warfare aircraft. "The aircraft is in Russia for Overhaul (OH) and Mid-Life Upgradation (MLU). No Indian Navy crew was onboard during the sortie though they are present in Russia. The aircraft was on initial test flight with all Russian crew," the official said. The incident had taken place on Saturday. According to Russia Today, the plane, which was bracing for the emergency landing, emitted quite dense smoke and was seemingly dumping fuel in order to reduce the chances of catching fire. It said all the peoplefour pilots and three technical specialistson board the aircraft walked away unharmed. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was in Moscow during which she held extensive talks with her Russian counterpart General Sergei Shoigu. The two sides had agreed to significantly step up defence cooperation. Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition. However, it has been a long-standing grievance of the armed forces that supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from that country. Officials said Russia has agreed to speed up implementation of various projects including mid-life upgrade of various platforms supplied by it to Indian armed forces. Majority of India's weapon systems are of Russian origin. Despite the Finance Ministry's objections, Indian Railways is pushing ahead with a proposal to involve the private sector in redeveloping 600 stations. New Delhi: Despite the Finance Ministry's objections, Indian Railways is pushing ahead with a proposal to involve the private sector in redeveloping 600 stations on an extended 99-year lease - as opposed to the 45-year lease proposed earlier for 400 stations. The Railways will seek Cabinet approval for its amended proposal at a time key initiatives of the national transporter, such as 100 percent electrification, installation of European train control systems and free Wi-Fi at all stations, among others, have not found favour with the Prime Minister's Office. The initial proposal for redevelopment of 400 stations on a 45-year lease was made when Suresh Prabhu was Railway Minister. However, the proposal did not receive a good response in terms of bidders. After Prabhu relinquished charge to Piyush Goyal last year, the Railways, this January, circulated a draft cabinet note to various ministries seeking comments on making significant changes such as extending the lease period from 45 years to 99 years in the station redevelopment project that now involves an expenditure of over Rs 1 lakh crore. While the comments from the NITI Aayog and the Urban Development and Law Ministries were in favour of the Railways proposal, Finance Ministry objected to the 99-year lease period and observed that the "lease period should be limited to 60 years". "We have suitably explained to justify the 99-year lease period and are hopeful that the proposal will get approval from the Cabinet next month," said a senior Railway Ministry official. Responding to the Finance Ministry's observation, the Railways has explained in a note that the changes it sought were "essential to attract the major real estate players into such transit-oriented development (TOD) programmes in the urban sector". TOD is a type of urban development programme which maximises the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. The Railways' note has details about the TOD which aims to increase public transport ridership, reduce automobile travel, and promote sustainable urban growth. The basic purpose is to leverage the commercial potential of railway land while at the same time upgrading basic amenities at stations, the official, said adding: "The government aims to use the redeveloped stations as catalysts of economic activity in the surrounding areas." The redevelopment of 600 stations envisages opening of shopping plazas, office complexes, hotels, multiplexes and parking lots, among other commercial activities, on rail land, and making provisions for improved passenger amenities at stations. While the Railways aims to earn about Rs 50,000 crore over the next 10 years from commercialisation of rail land near stations, the ambitious project is expected to involve expenditure of over Rs 1 lakh crore Rs 80,000 crore in commercial exploitation and Rs 35,000 crore in station redevelopment. The Cabinet had, in 2015, approved the proposal to redevelop 400 railway stations using a contract method called the "Swiss Challenge" with a 45-year lease period. However, the proposal did not get a good response, prompting the currently proposed changes. Besides, earlier only General Managers (GM) of zonal railways were authorised to undertake the exercise. Now it has sought the involvement of states, the public sector, public-private partnership (PPP), and the engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) models as well. Besides, the India Railway Stations Development corporation Ltd (IRSDC) and NBCC have been roped in to carry out the station redevelopment exercise. In Jammu, even forensic evidence in the Kathua rape case is being interpreted differently by people based on the communities they belong to. Editor's note: This piece contains graphic details. Reader's discretion advised. Jammu: In Jammu, rumours and counter-rumours are swirling about the gruesome rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakarwal girl in Rassana village of Kathua district. The extent of polarisation can be gauged from the fact that the medical examination of her vaginal swabs, hair strands, and viscera are being subjected to different interpretations depending on which community the individual belongs to. Forensic evidence Four glass slides smeared with the deceased girls vaginal secretion were sent for examination to Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat, scientific officer who heads the Bio/Serology Division of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Srinagar. Bhats report given to the Medical Superintendent, Government Hospital, Kathua on 30 January 2018, states specifically that 'no spermatozoa were detected on the exhibit M-01-/2018. Similar vaginal swabs of the deceased girl were sent to the Jammu Medical College and were examined by Dr Navneet Noz, a lecturer in the Department of Pathology. Dr Noz sent a report to the medical superintendent of the Government College, in which he stated that the 'hymen was not intact. However, he did not elaborate on this. Responding to this statement, Ankur Sharma the lawyer defending the main accused Sanji Ram has said that this could have been the result of horse riding. The Bakarwals are nomadic herdsmen who spend the winter months in the foothills around Jammu and migrate to the meadows of the Kashmir valley on horseback in the summer months. However, Shah Mohammad Choudhary, a Jammu-based advocate said that Bhat's findings do not indicate in any way that the girl was not raped. Choudhary, who belongs to the Bakarwal community, is a member of the Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars and Bakarwals. He is also related to the girl's family. Choudhary pointed out, "According to medical toxicology, the life of a sperm is 48 hours. The FSL reports have confirmed that the girls clothes were washed by those who committed the crime. The Crime Branch has, in its chargesheet, stated that it has proof that the girl was both raped and murdered. Rather than politicise her murder, we must all work towards providing justice to her." A report in The Indian Express stated that forensic officials received two hair strands with roots. One of them is said to have pinned the accused, while the other has matched with the deceased girl. Commenting on this report, Choudhary said, "The girls hair was found in the temple located one-and-a-half kilometres away from the Rassana village. It is known to be a secluded place. However, Ankur Sharma questions this observation. He says that the devi sthal where the girl was reported to have been kidnapped and kept captive for a week, is a place where prayers were conducted at regular intervals. "The devi sthal consists of one room. The festivals of Lohri and Makar Sakranti were held there and attended by a large number of villagers. Then how is it that this girl was not spotted by any of the attendees?" asked Sharma. Lawyer for accused questions state government role According to Sharma, there are key questions pertaining to this case which the state government needs to explain. "Why were two SITs formed to investigate this case ? Why was the Jammu Crime Branch not allowed to investigate the case and why were officers from Srinagar brought in to investigate it?" Sharma asked. A disturbing feature of this case, according to him, is that two of the officers who investigated this case and filed the chargesheet are "tainted" and have criminal charges against them. Sharma also questioned Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftis decision to hold a meeting this February, in which she directed that tribals living on forest land should not be evicted till such time as the government would form a tribal policy. "Due to this order, hundreds of acres of land was being encroached upon by this community," Sharma claimed. Sharma also asked why the demand of the Hindu Ekta Manch for a CBI inquiry should be seen as being anti-secular. "During the last two decades, there have been several demands by different individuals and groups asking for a CBI inquiry. We want an organisation that is independent to probe this entire incident," said Sharma. On the other hand, Choudhary lamented that this death was being used by political parties to polarise the Hindu and Muslim communities. "The 1931 Census clearly showed that 56 percent of Jammus population consisted of Muslims, the majority of whom later migrated to Pakistan. Today, the Muslim population in Jammu is down to 4 percent. And yet, we keep hearing about how the state government is trying to bring about a demographic change by bringing in more Muslims into this region," he said. He further said, "I met the girls mother shortly after her body was found. She spoke about how she had just got her school uniform stitched. She was planning to take her to the market to buy her a pair of shoes and a new school bag, as she was entering Class III. Obviously, the family is devastated by the death. The mother told me that if her daughter had died of a snake bite or some other accident, she would have reconciled herself to her death. But the circumstances that caused her death have left her shattered." Minority community unhappy over the stay on trial If the town of Jammu is filled with acrimony over this case, the Supreme Courts decision on Friday to stay the trial and adjourn the matter till 7 May has also not gone down well with the minority community in Jammu. The Jammu and Kashmir government has opposed the transfer of the trial, saying that the state has a different penal code. It has also contended that transferring the trial would inconvenience witnesses. The Union government is a respondent in a related petition and is seeking transfer of the probe to the CBI. This move has been opposed by the deceased girls family. Indira Jaising, who appeared for the rape victims father before the Supreme Court on Friday, believes the demand for a CBI probe is being made to derail the good work done by the Jammu and Kashmir Police Crime Branch and is an attempt to prevent filing of the chargesheet in order to enable the accused persons to get bail by default. The Hyderabad Traffic Police recently earned praise on Twitter for its sense of humour while taking a biker to task for not wearing a helmet. In order to take a biker to task for riding his vehicle without a helmet, the Hyderabad Traffic Police recently posted a picture of him on his bike and said an e-challan was on his way. The biker, identified as Hari Krishna Reddy, had the phrase "No Helmet. I die like real men" inscribed on the motorbike's rear mudguard. The traffic police, evidently unimpressed with his statement of bravado, took a photo of it and posted it on Twitter saying: #HYDTPweCareForU We r extremely Sorry Mr. Krishna Reddy Sir. We won't let U die. We will see that U "LIVE LIKE REAL MEN". Please wear helmet & ride. @AddlCPTrHyd pic.twitter.com/Q9NFcD4hva HYDTP (@HYDTP) April 25, 2018 The tweet earned generous praise from several Twitter users, with many lauding the Hyderabad Traffic Police's style of humour. If it was me in place of Krishna Reddy, I would be wearing a helmet by now especially after reading such a sweet tweet.. I am sure, he too must have bought a helmet by now ... Applauds to your sense of humor and style of correcting people... All hearts!! Rafia Sultana (@rafiasultana117) April 25, 2018 Department is doing great job sir.. We proud with TS police KAMMALA UPENDAR (@kammala1234) April 28, 2018 A very smart way to delivered right message to their citizen. Hope Mr krishna reddy sir follow on he's way. #talangana traffic police Mohammed Afroz Ali (@MohammedAfrozA6) April 29, 2018 According to The News Minute, Reddy is a serial traffic offender and has been caught at least seven times for driving without a helmet. He has a total of Rs 2,615 in fines pending against him. Acknowledging the viral tweet, the Hyderabad Traffic Police responded saying that they hoped the message would encourage other citizens to wear helmets while driving. Maharashtra government is set to release Rs 1,100 crore for cultivators in the next few days, an official said. Mumbai: Under fire from the Opposition over delay in financial aid to farmers for crops damaged by pests, the Maharashtra government is set to release Rs 1,100 crore for cultivators in the next few days, an official said. Bijay Kumar, the principal secretary, agriculture, said on Sunday that a sum of Rs 1,100 crore will be released in the coming week to provide relief to the affected farmers. The details will be announced soon as 30 April and 1 May are government holidays and banks would not be functioning on those days, he said. "The state government has prepared a detailed list of the beneficiary farmers and their bank accounts. The money will be disbursed into their accounts only," a senior official from the state relief and rehabilitation department said. As per the state government's primary survey, the pink bollworm and other pests last year affected cotton crop on 34 lakh hectares of land as against the total cultivation on 43 lakh hectares. Many of the areas in eastern parts of Vidarbha were affected by other pests which damaged the rice and other kharif crops. This prompted the government to increase its coverage of compensation. Subsequently, on 17 March, the state government made changes into its compensation policy and submitted a proposal of Rs 3,373 crore to the Centre, and is awaiting response. "The state government, however, decided to go ahead and disburse its share in the financial assistance to farmers, instead of waiting for the Centre to release its contribution. The state is going to disburse Rs 1,100 crore to farmers," the relief and rehabilitation department official said. The funds will be given to district collectors who will further transfer the amount into the accounts of farmers, he said. The beneficiary farmers' land records, cultivation crop entries on revenue document and bank accounts will be verified before the transfer of funds, the official added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address several key issues including crimes against women and children in the 43rd edition of Mann Ki Baat, a monthly radio programme, today at 11 am Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation as part of the 43rd edition of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday. The prime minister, who launched the programme in 2014, is expected to address several key issues. The programme will be aired live on various television news channels as well as Doordarshan, and on All India Radio. One can also listen to the programme online by logging on to the website, pmonradio.nic.in as well as the YouTube channel of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP government at the Centre had drawn flak from the Opposition as well as civil society groups both in India and abroad, with the involvement of BJP leaders in Kathua and Unnao rape cases. Earlier, Modi has maintained that the culprits in the Kathua and Unnao rape cases won't be spared. I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice, he said at an event to inaugurate the BR Ambedkar memorial in New Delhi. Over 600 academicians and scholars from India and abroad have written an open letter to the prime minister expressing their deep anger and anguish over the events in Kathua and Unnao, News18 said. On Saturday, following his return from a two-day visit to China, Modi had tweeted about the radio programme. The programme will be first aired in Hindi, then followed by broadcasts in regional languages. In his previous address, Modi had urged the people to be more conscious about preventive healthcare because prevention was not only beneficial for a person but also for his or her family and society. Modi had also said the government has set a target to free India from tuberculosis by 2025 and that the government and insurance companies will jointly provide Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to about 10 crore families per year. "Preventive healthcare is the least costly and the easiest one as well. As much as we are conscious about preventive healthcare, it will be beneficial for the person, his family and society," Modi had said, adding, "A healthy India is as vital as clean India". With inputs from IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organised by the ministry of culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) on 30 April New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) on 30 April, according to a statement. A conglomerate of Buddhist institutions will come together to showcase the various facets of Buddhist traditions. "The PM and other dignitaries will pay their respects to the sacred relics specially brought for the occasion from the National Museum to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. He will also offer Sangha Dana to the venerated Sangha," the statement said. Modi had in 2015 announced that Buddha Jayanti Day would be commemorated and celebrated as an annual event by the nation. Accordingly, an organising committee was set up to oversee the celebrations under the chairpersonship of Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma with Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju as co-chairperson. Ven Dr Dhammapiya, secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a global umbrella Buddhist body headquartered in New Delhi, is the convener of the organising committee in India. Madhya Pradesh minister Balkrishna Patidar landed in hot water when he tried to downplay the issue of farmer suicides in his state. Madhya Pradesh minister Balkrishna Patidar landed in hot water on Sunday when he tried to downplay the issue of farmer suicides in his state, suggesting that people pursuing other occupations commit suicide too. According to ANI, the BJP leader, who is also the Madhya Pradesh minister for labour, farmer welfare and agriculture development, said to the press in Indore that suicide was a "global problem." He was reported to have said, "Traders do it (commit suicide). Police commissioners have also done it. Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) also end up doing it, and so do the labourers...Suicide is not something only we (farmers) face. It is a world problem." "Only the person who commits suicide knows the cause behind it. We can only speculate what their reasons were," Patidar added. According to NDTV, Madhya Pradesh has seen a 21 percent rise in farmer suicides since 2013. The report says Union agriculture minister Purushottam Rupala had informed the Lok Sabha about this rise in farmer suicides in Madhya Pradesh in March. A report in The Indian Express mentions a number of measures taken by the government to alleviate farm distress, including the modification of the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana and announcement of farm loan waivers. With inputs from agencies Home Minister Rajnath Singh said constitutional posts must be respected and their propriety should not be questioned, amid a raging debate over a demand by a few Opposition parties to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Mirzapur: Home Minister Rajnath Singh said constitutional posts must be respected and their propriety should not be questioned, amid a raging debate over a demand by a few Opposition parties to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. "Our government gives full respect to constitutional posts and their jurisdictions. We must respect their decisions", he said in response to a question by a reporter. His reaction came in the backdrop of a notice submitted to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on 20 April by seven Opposition parties led by the Congress to impeach CJI Misra. The unprecedented petition against a sitting chief justice had listed five allegations of "misbehaviour". On 23 April, Naidu rejected the notice, saying the petition lacked "substantial merit". He had held consultations with legal and constitutional experts before taking the decision. The home minister, who was in Mirzapur to attend a wedding, also said that India's relations with China "is moving in the right direction" and Beijing has assured full cooperation. "Hence, the preparations going on in areas bordering China will continue", Singh said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from China Saturday after holding their first-ever informal meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping. The meeting has raised hopes of bilateral relation improving following tensions on a host of issues, including the Doklam military standoff last year. On the Kashmir issue, Singh said the "military action in Kashmir is moving in the right direction and we will continue with this action". "We do not believe in expansionist policy and there is no change in our Kashmir policy". Candidates appearing for a medical test for the constables job in Dhar of Madhya Pradesh were allegedly marked with SC on their chests to facilitate identification according to their castes The Madhya Pradesh Police has come under the spotlight after photographs of their newly-recruited constables sporting markings of 'SC', 'ST', 'OBC' on their chests went viral, according to media reports. News18 reported that the medical tests were conducted at the local district hospital in Dhar, which is 60 kilometres from Indore. According to sources, the officers resorted to this method to segregate recruits and ensure they were given the benefit of relaxation in selection norms. Sources from Dhar claimed that the minimum height of the candidates from general and OBC categories should be 168 centimetres while for SC/ST categories should be 165 centimetres, News18 reported. Birendra Kumar Singh, Dhar superintendent of police, admitted that the recruits were marked, but denied that there was any such authorisation to conduct a medical exam this way, Financial Express reported. He added that a probe has been ordered, according to the report. Hindustan Times reported Director General of Police (DGP) Rishi Kumar Shukla, while taking cognisance of the matter, clarified there were no "bad intentions" behind the move. Shukla said the step was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure that there was transparency in the norms for physical measurements of these categories, according to the report. With inputs from agencies Three CRPF personnel were suspended and an FIR was registered after a 24-year-old woman alleged she was wrongfully confined and then raped by one of them inside a camp in Jammu Jammu: Three CRPF personnel were suspended and an FIR registered after a 24-year-old woman alleged she was wrongfully confined and then raped by one of them inside a camp in Jammu, officials said on Sunday. The woman alleged that accused filmed the sexual assault and threatened to release the video on social media if she disclosed the incident to police or someone else, they added. The woman, who hails from the Poonch district, had lodged a written complaint at Domana police station on Saturday, alleging she was taken inside the camp by a group of three CRPF men, and raped by one of them on 10 March, a police official said. I had alighted from a bus around 7.30 pm and was on my way to a relative's home. I lost my way and was intercepted by three personnel in uniform outside their camp half an hour later. They took me inside on the pretext of helping me but then one of them raped me, the woman alleged in her complaint according to the official. The official said a case under relevant sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, including charges of rape and wrongful confinement, was registered against unidentified personnel and an investigation initiated. Based on the outcome of the investigation, more charges, including those under the Information Technology Act, would be added, he said. Reacting to the development, CRPF spokesperson Ashish Kumar Jha said three accused CRPF personnel were placed under suspension and the force was rendering full cooperation to the police in the probe. On 10 March at around 22:00 hours, a girl along with two CRPF personnel was found inside Group Centre, CRPF, Bantalab Campus which prima facie seemed to be a case of security breach. Accordingly, the matter was informed to local police who also examined the woman and CRPF personnel as molestation was alleged," Jha said. Two CRPF personnel were suspended, nevertheless, as it appeared to be a security lapse, he added. A video of the episode was circulated on social media after which the woman lodged the complaint alleging outraging of her modesty by CRPF personnel, Jha said. The CRPF personnel who circulated the video have also been suspended by superior authorities. The matter is being investigated by the police, Jha said. The CRPF is a very disciplined and professional force and does not tolerate any act by its personnel that could malign its image, the spokesperson said. Two NCP workers were shot dead on Saturday in Jamkhed town of the Ahmednagar district, three weeks after two Shiv Sena leaders were brutally murdered in the same district Two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers were shot dead on Saturday evening in Jamkhed town of the Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. The incident took place just three weeks after two Shiv Sena leaders were brutally murdered in Ahmednagar. The two NCP youth wing workers, Yogesh Ralebhat (29) and Rakesh Ralebhat (28), were shot at by three bike-borne assailants around 6.45 pm, reported The New Indian Express. A total of eight bullets were fired from a small countrymade firearm when the two deceased were sitting outside a shop in the evening. According to Zee News, the two NCP workers were rushed to the local hospital but succumbed to injuries. The police identified one of the attackers and said that the shooting was a result of a fallout the two NCP workers had with some people a day before the attack, reported The Indian Express. The report further mentioned that the police recovered nine bullet casings and one live cartridge from the scene of the crime. "Prima facie, the incident does not seem to have any political angle. We have identified one of the suspects. Arrests are yet to be made, Ranjan Kumar Sharma, superintendent of police of Ahmednagar, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Saturday's incident comes three weeks after motorcycle-borne assailants killed two Shiv Sena leaders, Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Anand Thube (40), in Ahmednagar, hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced. The police had arrested Ahmednagar NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap and three others, including a suspected shooter, in connection with the crime. After the twin murders, a mob had vandalised the office of the Ahmednagar superintendent of police (SP). "This (shooting) seems to be (an outcome of) political rivalry. Serious action has been taken. Those concerned have been arrested. We will not show any daya-maya (mercy) in dealing with this issue," Maharashtra Director General of Police Satish Mathur had told reporters in Thane on 10 April. With inputs from PTI Uttar Pradesh recently earned the appreciation of UNICEF India for its initiative to immunise children against encephalitis. In the past few months, Uttar Pradesh's fight against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has largely led to grim headlines, most notably the BRD Medical College tragedy in Gorakhpur in August 2017. However, the state recently earned the appreciation of UNICEF India for its initiative to immunise children against the disease. What the campaign entailed The Dastak campaign, for which the UNICEF has lauded the Uttar Pradesh government, was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 2 April. Government officials went door-to-door in 38 districts affected by the disease to spread awareness and ensure timely vaccination, according to a report in Financial Express. The programme ended on 16 April. At an event to announce the beginning of the campaign, Adityanath also said that doctors would be provided training with respect to treating ailments found, particularly in children, a report in Patrika said. A report in The Times of India mentioned an example of an innovative way to spread awareness about encephalitis: A variant of a snakes and ladders game which helps children understand healthy behaviour which can help prevent the disease. For example, maintaining cleanliness in and around the house leads the player to a 'ladder,' while ignoring fever leads her/him to a 'snake.' According to a video released by the state government, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers were roped in to visit over 26,00,000 homes to spread awareness about the disease. As part of the campaign, 32,03,785 children were immunised. Rising cases in recent years The BRD Medical College tragedy in August 2017, in which 30 children died in 48 hours, brought the issue of the prevalence of encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh into national focus. However, cases of AES in Uttar Pradesh have been rising for several years. According to this report, 12,578 people were affected by AES in India in 2017, which constitutes a rise of over 243 percent since 2010. Uttar Pradesh bears the highest burden, and 6,000 children have died in Gorakhpur region since the virus was first detected in 1978. Why eastern Uttar Pradesh is more prone to encephalitis JE is caused by rice field breeding mosquitoes (primarily the Culex tritaeniorhynchus group) that become infected with the virus. The mosquitoes, in turn, are infected by the virus by feeding on domestic pigs and wild birds which are infected. A report mentioned above quotes S Vijaya, who is in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, as saying that such diseases are more prevalent in Uttar Pradesh due to "local socio-political conditions, civic facilities, overcrowding, poverty, corrupt government health systems etc". The topography of eastern Uttar Pradesh may also be a major factor causing the spread of this disease. A BBC report pointed out that this region, which is at the foothills of the Himalayas, is prone to flooding, which leads to making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Nature of the disease AES is an umbrella term for a range of symptoms which cause inflammatory brain diseases. The bacteria, fungi or viruses which cause these diseases are difficult to individually identify, due to which the World Health Organisation has coined the term AES to refer to a range of ailments. The Japanese Encephalitis virus (JE) is the most common cause of encephalitis in India, accounting for about a quarter of all the cases. A informative page by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme lists the symptoms of severe JE as "quick onset, headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions (especially in infants) and spastic (but rarely flaccid) paralysis". The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) is set to release the results of the UP Board Class X and Class XII today after 12.30 pm The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) released the results of the UP Board Class X and Class XII on Sunday on its official websites: upresults.nic.in and upmspresults.up.nic.in. The UP Board Intermediate (Class XII) Examination 2018 results were announced at 12.30 pm, while the UP Board High School (Class X) Examination 2018 was declared at 1.30 pm on Sunday. The Class X exams were held between 6 February and 22 February whereas the Class XII exams were held from 6 February till 14 March. According to reports, 72.43 percent of all students who appeared for the Class XII board exams cleared it with Rajni Shukla (93.20 percent) from Fatehpur topped the exam. The second rank went to Ananya Rai from Ghazipur who scored 92.6 percent marks, whereas the third rank went to Abhishek Kumar from Moradabad and Ajeet Patel from Barabanki who scored 92.2 percent. As for Class X Board exams, the pass percentage was higher at 75.16 with more girls (78.8 percent) clearing the exams as compared to boys (72.3 percent). Anjali Verma topped the exam scoring 96.33 percent, the report added. According to Hindustan Times, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma has ordered the board to display answer sheets of top 15 students on the official website of UP board to ensure transparency in the evaluation process. Here is how you can check your results on Sunday: - Visit the UP board result portal by News18 Hindi or visit the UPMSP website. - Click on the result link to your respective board (Class X or Class XII) - Enter your mobile number and email ID and press submit - Take a printout of the result for future reference - Alternatively, students can also get the UP Board Class X results 2018 and UP Board Class XII results 2018 on their mobile phones via SMS. - SMS UP10ROLLNUMBER to 56263, or for Class XII students SMS UP12ROLLNUMBER and send it to 56263. A total of 66,37,018 students registered to appear in 2018's Uttar Pradesh board exam. These include 36,55,691 appearing for Class X exams and 29,81,327 students for Class XII exams. In 2017, the overall pass percentage for Class X was recorded at 81.18 percent and in Class XII, 82.62 percent students were declared successful. Over 60.61 lakh candidates 34.04 lakh for Class X and 26.56 lakh for Class XII were registered for the high school and intermediate exams in 2017. However, due to strict measures 5.94 lakh candidates left the exams and 1,862 examinees were caught copying. With inputs from agencies Daniel Humm, the chef and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, the world's Number 1 restaurant, on his approach to matters culinary Daniel Humm is standing directly in front of The St Regis Mumbai elevator bank, casually FaceTiming with his daughter, in the lobby. Hes facing to the left and leaning on a column for support. Steps away, is Paresh Maitys Wheeling the World, which consists of a four human-headed creature on an elongated body with wheels for legs. If the phone werent in front of Humm, youd be forgiven for thinking he was in conversation with the artwork. Humm is worried that the boxes of produce have not arrived from New York, where he is the chef and co-owner at Eleven Madison Park (EMP). The restaurant, which he joined as a chef in 2004, was voted number one in the world for 2017 at the Worlds 50 Best Restaurant Awards in Melbourne. During the course of our interview he asks Sachin Mylavarapu, executive assistant manager Food and Beverage at the St Regis Mumbai first, All the boxes are here? Every box is here? Then, about 22 minutes later, as Natasha McIrvin, director of creative projects at Make it Nice, the company that owns EMP brings Humm a chefs coat for his next photo-shoot, he once again asks her, Hey, umm, the boxes are here? Hes concerned about his team there are 14 chefs travelling with him to cook two dinners as part of The World Series presented by American Express, the first in Mumbai on Sunday, 22 April, and the next in Delhi on Saturday, 28 April. Drinks for the event are in partnership with Hennessy and Cloudy Bay Wines. Humm describes his food as elemental and is very articulate when describing his culinary outlook. I needed to create a recipe for future recipes, he explains. Soon he elaborates, Something amazing happened two years ago. Ive been cooking for 25 years, 26 years, and I feel like as a chef, I have only found myself recently. As he describes it, my dream was always to cook food with two ingredients, that a dish has two ingredients, but for the longest time I was never able to do it. Two years ago, he finally created his first dish with only two ingredients. Humms dish, the one thats made up of two ingredients, is celery root braised in pigs bladder. On the one side I was very happy, on the other side I felt a lot of pressure, because now I felt, after 25 years of cooking, I only have one dish, he says. The plate led to the four fundamentals for his cuisine, which as Humm says, all have to be present, in every dish [I create]. Listed, they make for an anodyne checklist, but when you hear him speak about them, you can tell that Humm has drilled down to the core of what he wants his cuisine to be. Humms list of fundamentals, as he enumerates them are, Number one: its delicious. Delicious is something that is instant; you dont need to think about it. It is, or it's not. Number two: it has to be beautiful. For me beautiful is, it has to be minimal and it has to feel effortless. I dont want it to look like it took 20 chefs with tweezers, it's not who I am. Number three: it has to be creative. It has to add something to the dialogue, have an element of surprise, a new technique, a new flavour combination or something. The last one is: intention. It has to have a story; it needs to make sense why it exists. It could be two ingredients grown next to each other on the same farm that could be so basic. It could be a personal story, a historical story, it just needs to make sense. He calls this, a language that I havent even fully started using yet. Humms kitchen at EMP has 11 words or phrases that hang on the wall. One of them is Endless Reinvention. By way of explanation he says, You know my favourite artists are Robert Ryman for example who paints just with white, Lucio Fontana and Piero Manzoni. Its all these artists who work with very little, who are quite minimal, and my dream was always to cook with two ingredients. But its so difficult, so difficult to impress someone with two things on a plate. Because the dish still needs to blow you away. Humms dinner that he cooked in Mumbai featured a host of dishes, all of them with more than two ingredients. About 70 percent of the boxes with ingredients he was waiting for arrived, and for the rest the team improvised. Says Humm, I think cooking is an art form, for sure. Like being a musician is an art form. Most of my friends are artists, and we are doing the same thing, were just using a different medium. BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday described the Congress as power hungry. Ahead of Congress' Jan Aakrosh rally on Sunday, BJP president Amit Shah described the party as power hungry. "A dynasty and their courtiers, who were voted out of state after state by 'Jan Aadesh' (people's mandate), now pretend to represent 'Jan Aakrosh' (people's anger). Sunday's Congress rally is nothing but a 'Parivar Aakrosh rally' which highlights their increasing irrelevance", Shah tweeted ahead of the Congress rally. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his party's "efforts to trample every institution" of the country just because of their "power hungry nature". "If the Congress wants to see Jan Aakrosh' they should see the results of election after election where their party has been comprehensively defeated across the length and breadth of India. People are not tolerating Congress lies, empty promises, corruption and communalism", Shah added. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reacting to the rally, described it as one held in the "quest of power", News18 reported. Taking strong exception to Rahul's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad said that Rahul was trying to galvanise his party members that was "skeptical of his leadership, having faced loss after loss ever since he has taken over the reins of his party". BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Sunday dubbed the Congress manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly poll as an insult to Kannadigas, saying it was full of 'absurdities' and replete with language errors. Bengaluru: BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Sunday dubbed the Congress manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly poll as an insult to Kannadigas, saying it was full of 'absurdities' and replete with language errors. The BJP MP also demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tender an unconditional apology to the people of Karnataka for not rectifying the mistakes in the manifesto. "The Congress manifesto is full of absurdities and language errors. The party has insulted Kannadigas and their language," she told reporters. Alleging that the manifesto had been outsourced to a PR agency, she said it only showed how bankrupt the Congress was of ideas. "Had Chief Minister Siddaramaiah read the manifesto, he would not have allowed it to be released. He should sincerely admit he had not read it and tender an unconditional apology to the people of Karnataka," she said. The BJP leader said the manifesto also does not speak of the five-year Congress rule. Instead, its leaders have been launching personal attacks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah, she said. "The Congress has never been serious in running the government and hence there have been failures on many fronts. It continued to show a casual attitude in such an important step of preparing a manifesto," she said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday addressed the Jan Aakrosh rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi. On Sunday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, addressing the Jan Aakrosh rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi, launched a scathing attack on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Whenever I ask people whether they are happy, they say they are angry and afraid of the government", Rahul said. "Our prime minister keeps making speeches and false promises. He talks about corruption and farmers but there is no honesty". "BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka has gone to jail", said Rahul. "And on the other hand, Narendra Modiji keeps saying that he is fighting against corruption", he added. The Congress president then attacked the government over graft allegations against Amit Shah's son Jay Shah. He also said that it was because of the government interference that the Supreme Court judges were asking people for help. "For the first time in 70 years, four Supreme Court judges came in front of the people and asked for justice. Modiji was silent", Rahul said. "People in the Supreme Court took the name of judge Loya and said that the court was under pressure. Narendra Modi ji was silent", he added. "People from the RSS are being posted in all institutions in India", Rahul further said. "It's been four years. In the last eight years, unemployment has never been higher. Demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax destroyed the economy". Rahul also said that the government was not doing a lot for the farmers and it was the Congress because of which farmers had support in the country. "Narendra Modi ji does not increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) but then talks about farmers. Arun Jaitley ji says loan waiver for farmers is not an option... without the Congress party, farmers in this country wouldn't survive. Their land would be grabbed by the Narendra Modi government". Rahul attacks PM over Kathua, Unnao "For the first time in 70 years, the Indian prime minister had to go abroad to speak about an issue in which a BJP MLA attacked a woman and a small child was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir", Rahul said. Rahul also said that the prime minister could not face China. "In Doka La, China is making helipads. And the Indian prime minister is having discussions in China without any agenda", Rahul added. Rahul then said the Congress was going to win the 2019 Lok Sabha election. "Congress has worked to unify this nation. It has worked to protect the minorities of this nation", he said. "You stood up to this government in Gujarat. The press was saying that Congress could not get more than 50 seats in Gujarat. All Congress workers stood up in Gujarat and Narendra Modi had to run away in a sea plane. Now, you should see what we do in Karnataka", he added. "Congress workers have given their lives for the truth. We will show them in 2019. Narendra Modi is worried now. He is hiding behind power", he added. Referring to Salman Khurshid speaking against call for impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Rahul said, "In our party, we welcome different opinions. A few days back, Salman Khurshid expressed a different opinion. I want to say: I will be the first one to protect Salman Khurshid. But when we are fighting RSS, we have to be united". Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh has resigned ahead of Monday's reshuffle of the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet, according to several media reports. Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh has resigned ahead of Monday's reshuffle of the state cabinet, according to several media reports. ANI reported that Kavinder Gupta will be sworn in as Singh's replacement. On Sunday, Governor NN Vohra extended a formal invitation for the event. The swearing-in of new ministers in Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's cabinet by the governor is scheduled to held at noon at the Convention Centre instead of Raj Bhavan, as all government offices in Jammu shut down on Saturday ahead of a six-month sojourn in summer capital Srinagar. Vohra extended invitation to state ministers, legislators and the media for the event. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sources said that no new faces from the party will be inducted in the council of ministers. One ministerial berth that fell vacant after the dropping of then Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from the council of ministers will not be filled by the ruling party now. The sources, however, did not rule out minor reallocation of portfolios among the PDP ministers. Its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to induct some new faces and also withdraw some of its ministers from the council of ministers. The names doing the rounds for ministerial berths include BJP state unit president Sat Sharma, Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Sukhnandan Choudhary, Shakti Parihar, Rajesh Jasrota, and Ravinder Raina. BJP's junior minister Sunil Sharma is likely to be elevated to cabinet rank. The reshuffle was due ever since two BJP ministers Choudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga were asked to resign due to a controversy over their participation in a Hindu Ekta Manch rally in support of the accused in the Kathua rape-murder case. The BJP sought and received resignations of all party ministers in the council of ministers, though only two were forwarded to the chief minister. With inputs from IANS Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on Sunday, the party's Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken said Auto refresh feeds Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on Sunday. Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken said that the 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' Gandhi's first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, will be "historic". He also called Congress a "power hungry" entity and said the nation was tired of party's "arm twisting tactics." "I also hope the Congress President apologizes to the nation for the Partys efforts to trample over every possible institution in the country just because of their power hungry nature. The country is tired of these negative and arm twisting tactics of the Congress," Shah added. The BJP chief, Amit Shah, on Sunday demanded Congress provided answers over why they didn't allow the Parliament to function during the Budget Session. "If the Congress really wants to know why is there Jan Akrosh, they should answer in todays rally why did they disallow Parliament to function. They should answer why has the Congress prevented the formation of an OBC commission that gives justices to backward sections?" he tweeted. Amit Shah accuses Congress of not allowing Parliament to function, says nation tired of party's arm twisting tactics Ahead of the Jan Aakrosh rally, party chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted that "Four years of Modi government no jobs for youths, no protection for women, no right MSP for farmers, no rights for Dalits and minorities. Join the "mass-outrage" rally at the Ramlila grounds tomorrow morning at 9:30 am to reveal the huge outrage spread from this disappointment." The Congress party on Twiitter said, "The Modi Govt's tenure has so far been a disturbing saga of violence, betrayal and failures on every front. Every section of the society is suffering and is angry. The nation stands united today to voice its anger against this insensitive regime." Nearly 10,000 have gathered at Ramlila Maidan. People are raising slogans on a range of issues. 'Stop Rape' banners can be spotted at the rally. Several party workers have already arrived at the spot, including Sharmishta Mukherjee. The Jan Aakrosh (public anger) rally of Gandhi is seen as the virtual launch of Congress' campaign for next year's Lok Sabha polls. "I am convinced that your voice will bring about change in the country," she said. "Everyone is suffering under this government," said former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "Democracy is a gift of the Constitution. We will have to work together to protect it," Singh said. "The no-confidence motion which the Opposition wanted to bring about in the Parliament was suppressed," said former prime minister Manmohan Singh. "Piyush Goyal could not declare his own company. For the first time, the power minister sold his company to another power company. Nirav Modi took your money and ran away. This government put you in lines just so you could access your own money, all in the name of black money," he said. "BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka has gone to jail," said Rahul Gandhi. "And on the other hand, Narendra Modiji keeps saying that he is fighting against corruption." "For the first time in 70 years, the Indian prime minister had to speak about an issue in which a BJP MLA attacked a woman and a small child was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir," Rahul Gandhi said. "Rohit Vemula committed suicide. Minorities are being targeted in most states. And Narendra Modiji is silent," he said. "Without the Congress party, farmers in this country wouldn't survive. Their land would be grabbed by the Narendra Modi government," said Rahul Gandhi. "Narendra Modiji does not increase the MSP but then talks about farmers. Arun Jaitleyji says that loan waiver for farmers is not an option," the Congress president said. "While in Karnataka, the plane nosedived 8000 feet and I thought, its over. As I thought that, it struck me I want to go to Kailash Mansarovar. And I'll need 10-15 days leave from you after the Karnataka elections," Gandhi said. Rahul Gandhi talks about plane incident, says he wants to go to Kailash Mansarovar "I respect differences of opinion and will protect any dissenters. However, the BJP neither appreciates different opinions nor does it respect its own elders," said Gandhi. Office bearers and workers of Mumbai Mahila Congress Committee at the Jan Aakrosh rally said that they would put a united fight against the Narendra Modi government and bring back Congress under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. Workers of Mumbai Mahila Congress Committee raised slogans in favour of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. They demanded women safety and fast track courts to bring justice to the families of rape victims. "He (Modi) had promised employment to two lakh people every year. People trusted him. But after four years what we have is widespread unemployment. Measures like demonetisation and the Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) have broken the back of the informal sector," the Congress chief said on Sunday. Unemployment widespread in country after four years of Modi government, says Rahul Gandhi Salman Khurshid: I have said before and will say again that my party is a party of truth and we are not scared of the truth. Today we know that the party respects the truth. pic.twitter.com/Fj2g8hPJIe "Just like our country, there will be a difference in beliefs and opinions and we respect everyone. In the same way, we might have different opinions in the party but when we talk about Congress, we all are one and that is the beauty of our party," said Salman Khurshid. 'We might have different opinions, but when talking about Congress, we are all one': Salman Khurshid "Now is the time for change". Former Union Minister and LS MP @JM_Scindia shares his thoughts on the #JanAakroshRally pic.twitter.com/xgKR9geXqh "Now is the time for change. This government has ruined the aspirations, hoeps and desires of the common man. Today, every farmer is disgruntled, every youth is unemployed, every woman feel unsafe. The BJP has worked towards maligning this country's principles, values and culture. The independent institutions have been defamed by the government," says Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia. Jan Aakrosh Rally LIVE updates: Speaking at the Jan Aakrosh rally, Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP forces and said, ""I respect differences of opinion and will protect any dissenters. However, the BJP neither appreciates different opinions nor does it respect its own elders." In a dramatic speech, Rahul Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hiding behind power and Congress was going to win in 2019. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed the rally and said that the Narendra Modi government had made false promises to the people. BJP chief Amit Shah called Congress a "power hungry" entity and said the nation was tired of party's "arm twisting tactics." "I also hope the Congress President apologizes to the nation for the Partys efforts to trample over every possible institution in the country just because of their power hungry nature. The country is tired of these negative and arm twisting tactics of the Congress," Shah added. Ahead of the Jan Aakrosh rally, party chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted that "Four years of Modi government no jobs for youths, no protection for women, no right MSP for farmers, no rights for Dalits and minorities. Join the "mass-outrage" rally at the Ramlila grounds tomorrow morning at 9:30 am to reveal the huge outrage spread from this disappointment." Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on Sunday, the party's Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken said on Friday. Maken said that the 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' Gandhi's first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, will be "historic". The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief in a statement said that 40,000 forms for identity cards from party workers have been received, while around one and a half lakh to two lakh Congress workers are expected to participate in the rally. "Full preparations have been made for the Jan Aakrosh Rally to be addressed by Gandhi. Delhi will sound the bugle for Rahul ji's triumphant journey to the 2019 parliamentary elections," Maken said in the statement. Delhi has seven Lok Sabha seats. In the last elections in 2014, the BJP had won all seven seats, as it stormed to power at the Centre putting to an end the 10-year rule of Congress. He said 14 water dispensing stalls will be setup for the rally taking into consideration the prevailing hot weather. Maken said proper arrangements would also be made for the parking of vehicles coming from Delhi and outstation areas, and various committees have been formed, who have been meeting regularly. Meanwhile, Maken also welcomed back former NSUI and Delhi Youth Congress president Amit Malik, former DPCC secretaries Jaikaran Choudhary and Parvinder Sharma into the party fold. He said it was a matter of happiness that these leaders have returned to the Congress, adding that with the return of Malik, the party will be further strengthened in Delhi. With inputs from PTI With less than a month for the bypolls to the Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur Assembly constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh, political parties in the state are making all-out efforts to win the seats and carry the momentum to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Lucknow: With less than a month for the bypolls to the Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur Assembly constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh, political parties in the state are making all-out efforts to win the seats and carry the momentum to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant due to the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February, while the bypoll to the Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident the same month. Both the bypolls are crucial for ruling BJP as well as Opposition parties, as they may set the tone for the 2019 parliamentary elections. The BJP will make extra effort to retain both the seats to try and send a message to voters, party cadresas well as opposition partiesthat the drubbing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections were a closed chapter now, and that it was still strong in western Uttar Pradesh. Opposition partiesthe Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Congressare perceiving this as another opportunity to send a signal to the voters that the saffron fortress has been breached. Exuding confidence that his party will win both the by-elections, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, "Both the leaders who had represented the seats (Kairana parliamentary constituency and Noorpur assembly constituency) were immensely popular among the masses, and worked for the cause of the public. And, hence the people of the region have an emotional bond with them." He added, "The massive improvement on the law and order front, especially in the western region of the state, where a number of encounters took place and criminals were arrested, has ushered in a positive environment. Apart from this, the timely payment to sugarcane farmers will also go in the party's favour." Taking a dig at Opposition parties, the spokesperson said, "There are doubts over the unity among them." The Congress rebutted the claims, with state unit spokesperson Ashok Singh saying, "The bypolls will act as a perfect occasion to defeat the BJP ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and send a strong signal across the country." "Strategy in this regard is being worked out by the party's central leadership. And, I am confident that the BJP will be defeated and its fortress breached." When contacted, SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said his party has already done its poll preparations till the booth level. "We are ready to take on the BJP on both the seats. Whether it will be a Samajwadi Party candidate supported by other parties or any other party candidate supported by the Samajwadi Party will be decided by party president Akhilesh Yadav." Voting in the bypolls for Kairana and Noorpur seats will be held on 28 May. The counting of votes for both the constituencies will take place on 31 May. The notification will be issued on 3 May and the last date for filing of nomination is May 10. Scrutiny will be taken up the next day, while the last date of withdrawal is 14 May. Kairana parliamentary constituency comprises five assembly segments: Shamli, Thanabhawan, Kairana (all in Shamli district) and Gangoh and Nakur (Saharanpur district). The Election Commission will set up 883 polling centres in these five assembly constituencies. More than 15 lakh voters (of Kairana) are likely to exercise their franchise in the bye-elections. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Hukum Singh had bagged 5,65,909 votes as he defeated Nahid Hasan of the Samajwadi Party who got 3,29,081 votes. S Sudhakara Reddy was unanimously re-elected the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) for a third time in a row while former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar found a place in the national council Kollam (Kerala): S Sudhakara Reddy was unanimously re-elected the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday for a third time in a row while former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar found a place in the national council. Ahead of Reddy's unanimous election at the 23rd party congress in Kollam, a 125-member national council was also elected. It included Kanhaiya Kumar, a former president of the JNU Students Union who was at one time jailed after being charged with sedition. Reddy, a two-time former Lok Sabha member, first became the general secretary in 2012. While the 76-year-old Reddy's re-election took place without any issues, the selection of the 15 members from Kerala to the CPI's highest decision-making body saw some hurdles after veteran party leader C Divakaran was not featured in the list. The CPI is divided between state party secretary Kanam Rajendran and veteran KE Ismail. Sunday's revamp saw six new members to the national council, all of whom owe their allegiance to Rajendran. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attacked the Narendra Modi-led government for 'not fulfilling' its several poll promises and said the state Assembly elections among other things will also be about 'broken promises' of the BJP Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday attacked the Modi-led government for "not fulfilling" its several poll promises and said the state Assembly elections among other things will also be about "broken promises" of the BJP. The Assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled on 12 May while the counting of votes is to be taken up on 15 May. "This election is also about broken promises of the Narendra Modi government. 1. Black money didn't become white. 2. People didn't get Rs 15 lakh in their accounts. 3. People's money lost value due to demonetisation. They were made to stand in line to get their own money," he said in a series of tweets. This Election is also about broken promised of the @narendramodi Govt. 1 Black money didnt become white. 2 People didnt get Rs 15 lakh in their accounts. 3 Peoples money lost value due to demonetisation. They were made to stand in line to get their own money. Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 29, 2018 "Modi also failed to provide employment and asked job aspirants to sell pakodas and check the increase in fuel prices despite international crude oil prices plummeting," Siddaramaiah said. "4. Unemployed are asked to sell pakodas 5. International crude oil prices have fallen drastically but petrol/diesel prices keep increasing. 6. Corruption free Govt was promised, but banks are being looted," he further tweeted. 4 Unemployed are asked to sell Pakodas 5 International crude oil prices have fallen drastically but petrol/diesel prices keep increasing. 6 Corruption free Govt was promised, but Banks are being looted. We are fighting election on these issues. #CongressMathomme Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 29, 2018 The mission in this election is also to defeat anti-development and communal BJP, besides opportunist JD(S), who are working together and also to protect the Indian Constitution from BJP who have plans to change it, the chief minister said. "This #KarnatakaElection2018 the mission is to defeat anti-development and communal BJP and opportunist JDS, who are working together. This election is also about protecting our Constitution from BJP whose declared intention it is to change the Constitution," he tweeted. Siddaramaiah said his government is fighting the election for 'your mandate' to continue its good work in the last five years and wants to make the state number one in all major sectors. "We are also fighting this election for your mandate to continue our good work in the last five years. We have made Karnataka number 1 in many sectors. We will now make Karnataka number 1 in all major sectors. We will specially focus on sustainable jobs and infrastructure," he tweeted. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said the democracy of the country is in danger with the Modi government consistently undermining its Constitutional institutions. New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday sought support for the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi, saying the democracy of the country is in danger with the Modi government consistently undermining its Constitutional institutions. Launching an all-out attack on the government, he said it has failed to fulfill all its promises it made before coming to the power and it's the time it should give an account of its works to the people of the country. The former prime minister claimed the anger among all sections of the society has shot up in the last four years due to the rising threat to the safety and security of the people and the vanishing employment opportunities, which has left the youths worried. Singh said the pessimism is on the rise across the country, the law and order situation is bad and the atrocities against the minorities, the Dalits and the women are rising, but the Modi government seems hardly perturbed. "The manner in which the Modi government is functioning, it can also pose a threat to democracy in the country. In the last few days, what happened in Indian Parliament is before the people of the country (to see)," he said, addressing the 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. Accusing the Modi government of thwarting the Opposition's 'No Confidence Motion' in Parliament, Singh said it did everything possible and conspired to stop it from being taken up in Parliament. "It is clear from this that if the Parliament does not function, it can pose danger to the democracy in the country. Democracy is a gift of the India's Constitution and we should all strive to strengthen it. "Today such an atmosphere is being created where the Constitutional institutions are being insulted. I talked about the manner in which Parliament was not allowed to function and how the Budget was passed." "The way the 'no confidence motion' by the Opposition was not allowed to be taken up..., all this is posing a danger to India's democracy," he said. The former prime minister said what has happened in the banking sector with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi having taken thousands of crores of loans and run away from the country, is for everybody to see. "This is affecting the health of our banks," he said. He said the price of crude oil across the world was falling while in India the prices of petrol and diesel were constantly rising. He asked why this government was not working towards reducing the oil prices, which have put common man in great distress. "The time has come that we support Rahul Gandhi in making this country a better place," he said. Talking about unemployment, he said it was on the rise as the Modi government has not created the much-promised two crore job opportunities, leaving youths and students, who had taken study loans, a worried lot in absence of jobs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has summoned Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb over his controversial statements. Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has summoned Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb over his controversial statements. A senior BJP leader on Sunday said Deb has been summoned to meet Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on 2 May in the national capital. Deb, who took charge of Tripura last month, has made several remarks which have been triggered widespread criticism. He had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He also questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997. The chief minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should. He has also asked the educated youth to set up paan shops instead of running after political parties to get government jobs. He also asked youth to explore a career in the dairy field and keep cows. "Senior party leaders are miffed over the controversies triggered by Deb's statements. Deb is just saying anything and everything. Modi will talk to him," said a senior party leader on Sunday. The Congress 'Jan Aakrosh Rally at Ramlila Maidan seems to be an earnest beginning by the party president Rahul Gandhi ahead of the Karnataka polls. The Congress 'Jan Aakrosh Rally (public anger rally) at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday seems to be an earnest beginning by the party president Rahul Gandhi. Through it, the party appears to have sounded the election bugle, not just for the upcoming Karnataka assembly polls, but also the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Rahul Gandhis best bet to win an important election remains the simmering public anger on some vital issues. If the Congress wins the upcoming Karnataka polls, it can pave the way for the party's rejuvenation. The Congress president, in his address on Sunday, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on one of these burning topics. He said, "Modi ji speaks about Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. However, in the history of India for the first time in 70 years Indias prime minister has been questioned abroad. He was told that women in India are not safe... women are being attacked. Besides the Congress president, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also attacked the Narendra Modi government on declining safety of women in India. The horrific Unnao and Kathua rapes and the equally shocking handling of the matter by the government has handed the opposition a concrete issue with which to confront the government, especially because it concerns half the population of this country. With the Jan Aakrosh rally, Congress seems poised to turn this public anger to its advantage, if it plays all its cards right. The enthusiasm of the Congress workers at the rally both men and women was palpable and they seemed to see promise in their leader to deliver on the burning issues. Workers, especially women from several places across the country were seen holding large placards and posters with Rahul Gandhi's photo and the message Rapes not my New India. Besides farmers, labourers, small traders and youth, its the women this time who are exasperated by the atrocities against them. We have seen how rape accused had been openly supported. This has brought down the trust among women for the BJP and Modi government, Sharmistha Mukherjee, president, Delhi Women Congress told Firstpost. A large group of office-bearers and workers of Mumbai Women Congress Committee registered its strong presence in the rally with flags, banners and placards. Atrocities against women have increased across the country since 2014. Recently, we witnessed heinous rapes in Kathua and Unnao. A BJP MLA is accused of involvement in a rape case. The government should order fast track courts to deliver justice to rape victims and their families. Congress has consistently been raising these issues, Dr Anjali Jadhav, president, Mumbai Women Congress Committee told Firstpost. Womens security has become a major concern. Small traders in localities and suburbs are facing harassment from government authorities. Congress must come back and we all are working together to ensure that our party wins in the 2019 general election, said Conny Dsouza, member of Women Congress Committee (Ward 86, Mumbai) said. A women Congress team from Mumbai planned to meet the party president in the evening and hand over a memorandum and details of their work. We reached on Sunday morning from Mumbai to attend this rally. Weve planned to meet Rahul ji in the evening before leaving for Mumbai and also apprise him about our work and our faith on his leadership, added Manjushree and Bella Sheikh, party members from Andheri (East). Besides the units of the Congress party, several other organisations working with farmers, labourers, sanitation workers, etc participated in the rally and expressed their allegiance to the Congress. The women members of Rashtriya Valmiki Sena from Ghaziabad who have extended their support to Congress party said after the rally that Congress should come to power to restore to them their traditional employment which they lost due to the BJP government. The people from Valmiki Samaj work as sanitation workers, and on clearing of garbage, etc. We had a lot of hopes after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014. But things have become worse for us since then. Under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, the municipal corporation has introduced a mechanised system of collecting garbage by using vehicles. Earlier. this was our traditional job. But now, we all have been rendered unemployed, Rajo Devi, representing the Rashtriya Valmiki Sena told Firstpost after the rally. What next for Congress women workers? Weve decided to take forward the message of Rahul ji to grassroots. Besides disseminating the message, well plan various activities at various levels district, block and village. Weve to fight united against the BJP government and ensure the Congress victory in forthcoming Assembly polls and 2019 Lok Sabha election, Sharmistha Mukherjee added. A caveat Sonia Gandhi concluded her address by saying, Janata humara saath dene ko taiyyar hai (People are ready to support us). This Jan Aakrosh rally however, has handed an inbuilt caveat to Rahul Gandhi. His success in the forthcoming elections will depend on his ability to turn this anger into votes. If this doesnt happen this public anger rally will become just another futile road show like so many others in the past. tech2 News Staff Google's Fuchsia OS is an operating system that was first announced in 2016. The OS can run on embedded devices, smartphones and PCs. The OS is based on a microkernel that Google is called Magenta Kernel, now Zircon, whereas Android OS is based on open source Linux code. As reported earlier, Google's new operating system is expected to come with a re-imagined UI, which is based on Flutter, a heavily optimised, mobile-first 2D rendering engine (with excellent support for text). A tweet by XDA Developer's Editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman suggests that Fuchsia OS will come with support for native Android apps. The tweet mentioned that Fuchsia OS has been spotted on Android Open Source Project (AOSP). AOSP is an initiative created by Google for the development of the Android mobile platform for open source use cases. The OS has been spotted in the Android Runtime branch, which is an application run-time environment, suggesting that Google might bring the support for Android apps on the new OS. Fuchsia OS just showed up in AOSP, but most importantly, in the ART (Android Runtime) branch. Looks like they're building Fuchsia with ART...which would suggest native Android app support.https://t.co/2BzpvTxf9d pic.twitter.com/xZaktz1wcp Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 26, 2018 According to a report on ExtremeTech, since Fuchsia OS was built from scratch and isn't based on Linux, like Android, there is no app catalog for the OS. This also makes software testing difficult on the platform, and to solve this problem, Google is planning to provide support for Android app on the new OS. They're going to do this by integrating ART (Android Runtime). Earlier reports also suggested that Google is planning to integrating support for Apples Swift programming language into Fuchsia. There is no report of the release date of the Fuchsia OS by Google. We can expect more information to be revealed by the company at the annual Google I/O Conference that will start from 8 May 2018. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian police were investigating a shooting in which one person was injured at a camp-out of supporters of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in front of federal police headquarters in Curitiba. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian police were investigating a shooting in which one person was injured at a camp-out of supporters of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in front of federal police headquarters in Curitiba. Security authorities for the state of Parana said in a statement "an individual on foot fired shots against a camp-out of former president Lula's supporters" and that "one person was injured and taken to the hospital". The names of the injured supporter and the hospital were not released. Forensic experts found an unspecified number of 9 mm bullet shells at the site and local police are investigating. Gleisi Hoffmann, a senator from Lula's Workers Party, said more than 20 shots were fired and that the supporter, a union leader, was shot in the neck. The Workers Party said in a statement the camp-out was the target of a "fascist attack" for political reasons. Lula, sentenced to 12 years for corruption and money laundering, has been detained at the headquarters of the federal police in the southern town of Curitiba since April 7. [nL1N1RS05U] (Reporting by Alexandre Caverni; Writing by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A bomb exploded on Sunday at the office of a hydroelectricity project in Nepal developed with Indian assistance, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Kathmandu: A bomb exploded on Sunday at the office of a hydroelectricity project in Nepal developed with Indian assistance, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a media report said. The compound wall of 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Khandbari-9, Tumlingtar, nearly 500 km from Kathmandu, suffered minor damage after the explosion, My Republica reported. The project is slated to come into operation by 2020. The power plant is scheduled to be inaugurated by Modi on his upcoming visit to Nepal on 11 May, the report said. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on 25 November, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian prime minister Modi, the report said. The wall on the south side is slightly damaged due to the bomb explosion, Police Inspector Bed Prasad Gautam said. The investigation is going on about the incident. However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added. This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On 17 April, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a warm boost of support to Israel in its standoff against Iran, saying 'the United States is with Israel in this fight.' Tel Aviv: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday gave a warm boost of support to Israel in its standoff against Iran, saying "the United States is with Israel in this fight." Pompeo has been using the West Asian leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. The tough line was welcomed in Israel, which considers Iran its greatest threat and has been leading calls for the international community to revise its 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. He arrived after visiting Saudi Arabia, another fierce rival of Iran. "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said after a nearly two-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Israel has called for tough international action against Iran, citing its hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. It also has complained the 2015 nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability and expressed growing concerns about Iran's involvement in the civil war in neighbouring Syria. It says it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, fearing the Iranians will launch attacks. President Donald Trump is to decide by 12 May whether to remain in the nuclear deal. Pompeo repeated the Trump position that "if we can't fix it, he is going to withdraw." Netanyahu welcomed the tough US line. "Iran must be stopped, its quest for a nuclear bomb must be stopped, its aggression must be stopped and we're committed to stopping it together," he said. Netanyahu also welcomed the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and the scheduled move of its embassy from Tel Aviv on 14 May. Pompeo said the US is "incredibly proud" of the embassy move. The Palestinians, who claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, have harshly criticized the US move and all but cut off ties with the White House. Earlier in Saudi Arabia, Pompeo also took aim at Iran. "Iran destabilizes this entire region," Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. He also urged the Saudis and their neighbours to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo on Sunday met with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. "I think they would all agree that it's in everyone's best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together," Pompeo told reporters as he travelled to Israel. "We've got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognize that. We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them." The ex-CIA chief arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior US officials travelling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to be followed by discussions in Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a 12 May deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said that she discussed the deal with her French and German counterparts. It said they agreed that the deal should remain intact, even while addressing shortcomings. The countries "agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran's destabilizing regional activity," the statement said. On 14 May comes the US Embassy move, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The next day the Palestinians will mark the anniversary of what they term the "catastrophe," when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that surrounded Israel's creation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent protests along the border between Israel and Gaza. Those protests, spearheaded by the Islamic militant Hamas movement, are expected to peak on 15 May. Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trump's policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. Pompeo also is taking a leading role in Trump's preparations for an expected summit in May or early June with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Pompeo, while en route to Israel, was asked whether a US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal would complicate negotiations "I don't think Kim Jong-un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, 'Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I won't talk to the Americans anymore.' There are higher priorities, things he is more concerned about than whether the Americans stay" in the accord, Pompeo said. Japan a key US ally in Asia has long maintained a hardline position on negotiations with Pyongyang, but has found itself left on the sidelines of the recent whirlwind diplomatic activity. Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is ready for dialogue with Japan "any time", Seoul's presidential office said on Sunday, as concerns grow in Tokyo that it is being sidelined from the reconciliation drive with Pyongyang. Kim met South Korean president Moon Jae-in for a historic summit on Friday at the border truce village of Panmunjom - becoming the first leader from the North to set foot in the South after the 1950-53 Korean War. The summit only the third-ever between the leaders of the two neighbours came ahead of Kim's planned meeting with US president Donald Trump after months of tensions sparked by North Korea's nuclear and long-range missile tests last year. Japan a key US ally in Asia has long maintained a hardline position on negotiations with Pyongyang, but has found itself left on the sidelines of the recent whirlwind diplomatic activity. Hawkish Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe had earlier informed Seoul of his intention for talks with the North - a message Moon relayed at Friday's summit with Kim, the South Korean president's spokesman said. "President Moon told Kim that Prime Minister Abe had an intention talk to the North and... normalise diplomatic ties between the North and Japan," Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters. "And Kim said that the North was willing to talk to Japan any time," he said, adding that Moon told Abe about the North Korean leader's response in a phone conversation on Sunday morning. Abe said Tokyo would seek to create "an opportunity to talk to the North", with Moon's help if necessary, and the South's leader said he would be "happy to build a bridge" between the two nations, according to the spokesman Kim. The Japanese premier had cautiously welcomed the inter-Korea summit but urged Pyongyang to take "concrete action" toward nuclear disarmament. Tokyo had also earlier called for Seoul to address at the inter-Korea summit the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the North a major domestic issue in Japan but Moon's office did not mention the topic on Sunday. Japan has demanded that Pyongyang provide information about its abducted citizens, believed to have been taken to provide language training to North Korean spies. The two Koreas share resentment toward Tokyo's brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the peninsula, and the North has regularly threatened to attack Japan, which is well within the range of Pyongyang's missiles. Pope Francis on Sunday lauded the agreement reached at the recent inter-Korean summit regarding denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and urged the two countries to continue to collaborate for the sake of their people and the entire world. Vatican City: Pope Francis on Sunday lauded the agreement reached at the recent inter-Korean summit regarding denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and urged the two countries to continue to collaborate for the sake of their people and the entire world. During an address at St Peter's Square after the Regina Coeli prayer, the Pope praised the positive result of the summit between North Korea and South Korea held on Friday, Efe news agency reported. "I add my prayers to the positive result of Friday's inter-Korean summit and the brave commitment by the leaders of the two parties to push for a process of sincere dialogue for a Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons", he said, eliciting applause from the faithful gathered there. "I pray to the Lord so that the hope of a future of peace and fraternal friendship does not disappoint, and that the collaboration may go on to bear fruit for the beloved Korean people and the entire world", he added. On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in concluded their historic summit with an agreement for the total denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he had previously called a fool, is now the hero of everybody, after Kim pledged to work with Seoul for complete denuclearisation of the peninsula Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he had previously called a fool, is now the hero of everybody, after Kim pledged to work with Seoul for complete denuclearisation of the peninsula. Duterte said he would congratulate Kim, who just became his idol if he gets a chance to meet him. He said he would tell the North Korean leader I admire you. You know how to time (your moves). For all of the time, he was pictured to be the bad boy of the community. With one masterstroke, he is now the hero of everybody, Duterte said when asked to comment on the historic meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a news conference after he returned from an ASEAN summit in Singapore. He appears to be amiable, jolly good fellow, and very accommodating, Duterte said of Kim. Duterte has more than once criticised Kim over his nuclear ambitions. In April last year, he questioned his sanity and urged the United States to show restraint and not be baited by a man who wants to end the world. A few months later, Duterte called Kim a fool and held nothing back in rebuking Kim for playing with dangerous toys. The leaders of North and South Korea agreed on a common goal of a nuclear free peninsula during a summit on Friday. Meeting at the Demilitarized Zone that has divided the Koreas for more than six decades, Kim and Moon announced they would work with the United States and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War, and establish a permanent peace agreement. He (Kim) can treat me as his friend ...The impact is real, there is less stress now in the Korean Peninsula. And maybe, just maybe, we can avoid a war which nobody can win anyway, Duterte said. Seven people five of them firefighters died in a fire that broke out late Saturday in an electronics factory in northern Taiwan Taipei: Seven people five of them firefighters died in a fire that broke out late Saturday in an electronics factory in northern Taiwan, the local fire department said. The inferno raged through the eight-floor building of a circuit board maker, located in an industrial district in Taoyuan City. Seven firefighters were trapped by large fallen objects as they tried to search for people inside the factory. They were rescued early on Sunday but only two survived. The two others killed were factory workers from Thailand. Seven other firefighters were injured, five of them suffering burns from an unidentified liquid, according to the fire department. Traces of diesel and toxic chemicals were also found at the scene, it said. The disaster follows a string of recent accidents in Taiwanese factories, raising questions about safety standards. A huge fire broke out at a refinery of the state-run CPC Corporation in January, also in Taoyuan. There were no injuries in that incident. In December, six Vietnamese workers were killed in another Taoyuan factory blaze that erupted in the middle of the night. The workers were found to have been staying in an illegal dormitory at the factory, highlighting the often sub-standard living conditions for migrant workers on the island. A UNSC delegation is in Bangladesh for a firsthand look at the plight of some 7,00,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar to escape military-led violence Cox's' Bazar (Bangladesh): A United Nations Security Council delegation is in Bangladesh for a firsthand look at the plight of some 7,00,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar to escape military-led violence and are seeking UN protection to return home. The team will meet some of the refugees, including victims of rape and torture, on Sunday. The delegation will also visit Myanmar after concluding its three-day visit on Monday. Representatives from the five permanent Security Council members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent member states have joined the delegation in the coastal town of Cox's Bazar, where the camps are located. The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on 25 August on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by UN and US officials as "ethnic cleansing," Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed. Bangladesh's acting foreign secretary, M Khurshed Alam, said the delegation's visit is "very significant," with international pressure on Myanmar continuing to mount to ensure the safe and voluntary return of the refugees, who are seeking protection from the United Nations. "This council can make a difference by putting pressure on Myanmar and creating a situation to start the repatriation in full swing. It has that influence," Alam said. He said the team will return to Dhaka on Sunday and is expected to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday morning before leaving for Myanmar. Britain's UN ambassador, Karen Pierce, said in New York that the most important thing is that the body charged with maintaining international peace and security "can see for itself the situation on the ground in a very desperate case of alleged human rights violations and abuses and crimes against humanity." Lord Nazir Ahmed, the British minister of state for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, told reporters earlier in the week that Myanmar's agreement to the council visit and a previous visit by the UN special envoy for sexual violence in conflict "demonstrates the glimmer of hope in what has been a very dark chapter in human history in that part of the region." He stressed the importance of direct engagement, which "sends a very strong signal to those in Myanmar, both the civilian but more importantly military authorities who have been responsible largely for what we've seen, which has been ethnic cleansing and nothing short of that." Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in December to begin repatriating the refugees in January, but there were concerns among aid workers and Rohingya that they would be forced to return and face unsafe conditions in Myanmar. A UN Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised on Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in neighbouring Myanmar. Kutupalong: A UN Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised on Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in neighbouring Myanmar. The diplomats, who visited the sprawling camps and border points where about 7,00,000 Rohingya have taken shelter, said their visit was an opportunity to see the situation firsthand. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, said he and his fellow team members would not look away from the crisis after their visit, though he warned that there are no simple solutions. "It's very necessary to come and see everything at place in Bangladesh and Myanmar. But there is no magic solution, there is no magic stick to solve all these issues," he said at a news conference at the Kutupalong refugee camp in the coastal town of Cox's Bazar. The diplomats will conclude their three-day visit to Bangladesh on Monday, when they leave for Myanmar. The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on 25 August on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by United Nations and US officials as "ethnic cleansing," Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed. The diplomats, comprising representatives from the five permanent Security Council membersChina, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United Statesand 10 non-permanent member states, talked to some 120 refugees, including rape victims. Peru's ambassador to the United Nations, Gustavo Adolfo Meza Cuadra Velasqez, said he and his fellow team members were ready to "work hard" and were "very concerned" about the crisis. "I think we have witnessed the magnitude of the refugee crisis and very tragic situation of some of the families," he said. The refugees are seeking United Nations protection to return home. The UN refugee agency and Bangladesh recently finalized a memorandum of understanding that said the repatriation process must be "safe, voluntary and dignified ... in line with international standards." Karen Pierce, the UK's ambassador to the United Nations, said that the Security Council would continue to work on enabling the refugees to return to Myanmar, but that the Rohingya must be allowed to return under safe conditions. "The problem there lies in their expulsion, treatment and the fact that they had to flee to Bangladesh," she said. Rohingya are denied citizenship in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar, where they've faced persecution for decades. They're derided as "Bengalis," and many in Myanmar believe they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Most of them live in poverty in Myanmar's Rakhine state, next to Bangladesh. Thousands of refugees gathered amid scorching heat at the Kutupalong camp to welcome the visiting delegation. They carried placards, some of which read "We want justice." "We are not Bengali, we are Rohingya. They have killed my family members, they tortured us, they will kill us again," said one of the refugees, 29-year-old Mohammed Tayab, standing in front of a tent where he was waiting to meet the UN team. Tayab, who was using crutches, said he was shot by Myanmar troops in his right leg. He said he lost a brother, an uncle and a nephew after Myanmar soldiers shot them dead. "I am here to talk to them, we want justice from them," he said of the diplomats. "I will tell them my stories. They should listen to us." Magnum Moon, winner of the Arkansas Derby and Rebel Stakes, looks like a great value to win this year's Kentucky Derby with a payout potential of just over $70 for every $10 bet . Magnum Moon, along with Justify, must overcome the Curse of Apollo. It stems from the fact that no unraced juvenile has won the Derby since Apollo, way back in 1882. While many "Derby rules" have fallen by the wayside in recent years, the Apollo Curse has proven rather ironclad. Don't tell this to his trainer Todd Pletcher. We always thought a lot of him, from early on when was at my dad's training center as a yearling and as a 2-year-old, trainer Todd Pletcher said after the colts Rebel Stakes win. Mike Curry of AmericasBestRacing.net writes: Magnum Moon exceeded expectations in the Rebel, pulling away impressively in the stretch after stalking the pace and rolling to a 3 -length win over what was considered a deep, talented field. All 2018 Kentucky Derby payout odds appear below - Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com This is how you can block ads in Chrome on your Android Features lekhaka-Vishnu Sasidharan The feature that enables you to block ads in Google Chrome. Google has become an integral stop of the daily grind, we use their search engine when we need to find something out and take advantage of the countless tools made available by the tech giant. The weird thing is that most of these services dont charge a dime. And if we havent been paying them for everything that they provide for us, how did they become what they are today? The Answer is Ads. About 67-68% of Googles annual revenue was made up by ads till 2016, with the inclusion of the advertising network, this has gone up to 90%. So, when Google made an announcement in April 2017 about their plan to add an inbuilt ad blocker to their browser, this was a move that surprised a lot of people. The ad-blocker became available on the 15th of February, the blocker will not remove every ad on the site, only the ones that do not meet the Better Ads Standard. This was set up by the Coalition for Better Ads. Twelve types of ads fall under the category of intrusive and fail to meet the Better Ads Standard. Pop-up ads, auto-play videos and full-screen ads fall under this category. If you do your browsing on Android and have grown tired of ads hounding you all the time, all you need to do is the following: 1) Access the settings of Google Chrome by tapping on the three-dot menu available on the home screen. 2) After this has been done, select the Site Settings and then choose Ads. 3) There will be a toggle available here which can be disabled if you do not wish to see ads. As it was mentioned before, this function blocks the sites that have failed to fulfill the Better Ads Standards. After this announcement was made, about 42% of sites that did not meet the standard before have updated their use of advertisements to do so as of February 12, Google expects more websites to start conforming to the standards soon. Google communicates with the sites with ads which violate standards set by them through its Ad Experience Report tool. If they do not meet the standards, the ads on the websites can be blocked by Google, even if they happened to be owned or served by Google. All the ads from that particular site will be blocked for a period of 30 days. After this period, if the sites wish to use their ads again, they will need to submit for a manual review. People usually tend to use ad-blockers which blanket blocks all ads if they become plagued by irrelevant content, the ad-blocker is an attempt by Google to ensure that the relevant ads still reach the user and continue to provide them with revenue. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications GREENWICH The Nathaniel Witherell is unveiling a new facet of its operations and to take advantage of it, its clients will not even have to leave their own homes. Bringing the concept of house calls to short-term rehabilitation, the town-owned facility has launched Witherell At Home, which it will do in partnership with DanielCare Caring Choice. The service is for newly discharged short-term rehabilitation residents from Witherell and provides at home and personal care for those who still need it. This includes services such as 24-hour live-in care, homemaker and companion care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, errands, grocery shopping, transportation, grooming and dressing supervision and recreational activities. Witherells Executive Director Allen Brown is pleased the At Home service has become a reality after a year of planning and preparations. We started thinking about this service for the patients because many times after they leave Witherell they dont know what to do next, Brown said. They have a lot of questions and concerns about what they have to do and things theyre not physically able to handle. And sometimes people are concerned about having people in their house or their kids think it would work out with their parents and the health aides. Now this is something we will be able to take care of. Brown said it will bring a much-needed service for Witherells clients. The town-owned facility offers both long-term care and short-term rehabilitation. The At Home service, he said, builds upon an existing partnership to make sure clients have the kind of care they need even after leaving Witherell. We have a long-standing relationship with the team at DanielCare, and feel they are the best organization to extend our commitment to excellent care to the home setting, Brown said. This new partnership lets us expand our services beyond the walls of the Witherell so that our seniors are well-cared for once they are back home, too. Brown said the service could be helpful for people after having surgery or after having medical problems. He said it could be useful for those who are frail or elderly and need assistance that cant be provided by family members. It is not only very much needed, he said, but its also something that people who have stayed at Witherell had been requesting. This program will allow Witherell to better monitor the quality of care people receive after their stay, Brown said. Stamford-based DanielCare Caring Choice will provide the personnel who will go to clients homes. Witherell trusts the service, Brown said, because it has previously referred patients to DanielCare for post-stay health care. Now, they have a formalized partnership and formally launched it last week. Weve worked with The Nathaniel Witherell for many years, and welcome the opportunity to make our flexible and highly personalized care available to its clients, said Daniel Kraus, DanielCares executive director. Our approach to home care is very synergistic to the person-centered care provided by the Witherell, so clients will continue to get the same individualized care they have come to expect in the comfort of their own home. According to DanielCare, the service begins with an in-person assessment at home by Kraus as well as a field supervisor, to make sure the perfect match has been made of client and caregiver. And beyond the physical help the program can provide, there is also a sense of peace of mind, Brown said. Quality at-home care is important to a successful recovery, he said. When our clients know that they will be safe and supported at home, it lets them focus on the important task of healing and recovering. As a municipally owned long-term care and short-term rehabilitation center, Witherell is the last of its kind in Connecticut. The towns Board of Estimate and Taxation is examining Witherells operations because it has been operating at a loss. Art Norton, chair of the committee looking at Witherell, was hopeful about the new service. Witherell is competing in a very big market and making additions that can enhance what Witherell already offers can be very beneficial, Norton said. He praised the move to add services in a changing market. The committee had suggested the idea to Witherell leadership through its meetings, Norton said, because the committee was concerned that Witherells management wasnt doing enough to compete in the changing health care market. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com GREENWICH When he was sworn in for a record sixth term as Greenwichs first selectman, Peter Tesei insists he had no idea, let alone intention, that he would be looking for a path to reach Hartford fewer than five months later. And yet Tesei surprised many last Tuesday when he announced his first run for state office. He will seek the Republican Partys nomination for lieutenant governor as part of a ticket with New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, who is looking to become Connecticuts next governor. In an interview the day after he made his announcement, as Greenwich contemplated the idea of a Town Hall without him in the corner office, Tesei said the idea to run was not his. He was approached by Stewart and her team and was offered the spot on the ticket. For a few weeks, Tesei considered the possibility, purposefully keeping his deliberations private. I really was somewhat surprised, he said. I wasnt planning to be active as a candidate. But I thought more about and talked to the people who are in her team. I kept it very close to the vest because I wanted to talk it over with my family first and I wanted to talk it over with people who arent necessarily in politics. While the decision was mine to make, the decision to announce it was hers and I didnt want to upstage it. Tesei did not make his final decision to run until last weekend. He said he had spoken to many of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor and it became increasingly clear to him that in order for the GOP to win, the candidate must appeal to a broad cross-section of the states voters. And that candidate, to him, is Erin Stewart. There are a number of good candidates, Tesei said. Its not a matter of a lack of abundance of candidates, and its not a lack of proposals they want to initiate if elected. But the key point I came to realize is that its all for naught if you cant get elected. I think weve seen the challenges weve had in putting forth certain candidates that have to overcome name recognition, acceptance and so forth. Being wooed by the Stewart camp got Tesei thinking about electability. Tesei said Stewart could bring the talent together necessary to not only get elected but to also advance solutions for the state that he feels are necessary. I did my homework, and I felt I could make a difference by being part of a team to advance a different direction for the state, Tesei said. And that direction, I think, is pretty clear. I dont think its necessarily novel to any one candidate. Clearly, there has been a focus to restructure the way we deliver services at the state with the goal of reigning in costs. There is also the need to be more competitive with our neighboring states in terms of attracting businesses and people to reside here and that means a conversation about tax policy. Clearly, we have to do something differently. He praised Stewarts ability to unite people, which he said is something he found appealing. Throughout the tickets young life, Tesei has noted Stewarts ability to win elections as a Republican in New Britain, a city with more registered Democrats than Republicans. And he said the pride he has seen in Stewarts ability to fight for the city and its residents, just like he has done for Greenwich, speaks to her ability to connect with voters. Pointing to his own record, Tesei said he feels the sound financial and budgeting practices he has shown in Greenwich will be attractive to voters choosing the next leadership in Hartford. There have been no conversations yet about the role he would play in the development and implementation of policy in a Stewart administration, Tesei said. The immediate job is to win the 15 percent of delegates they need at the Republican Partys convention on May 11 to qualify for the August primary ballot. That process will include answering some difficult questions. Tesei joined the Stewart ticket after having previously endorsed Westport businessman Steve Obsitnik for the Republican nomination for governor. Tesei had also supported Obsitnik in his 2014 run against U.S. Rep. Jim Himes for Congress in Fairfield Countys Fourth District. Tesei said he called Obsitnik personally on Monday to tell him about his decision to join Stewarts ticket before the public announcement. Tesei said Stewart had not formally entered the race at the time he made the endorsement for Obsitnik, and the decision to change came down to electability. Theres no way to measure the question of how electable are you other than his run for Congress, Tesei said. The state is bigger than the Fourth District, and in looking at all the candidates and looking at their track records, not all of them have a measurement you can use because they have never held office. The ones who have, you have to look at how strong they are in their towns, just like people can do with me. In (Stewarts) case, she is coming from an overwhelmingly Democratic town, and shes prevailing. Theres clearly a cross appeal there, and in a nominating process you want someone who is most electable. It was a difficult decision,Tesei said, because he personally likes Obsitnik. But Tesei did not want to passively sit by because he felt locked in by a previous endorsement in the fluid world of politics in which shifts of support are common. I dont want to say, Oh, let someone else figure it out and let the chips fall where they may, he said. I had to make a difficult and conscious decision to reassess my support for (Obsitnik) and join with her. Im trying to articulate to my fellow Republicans that, lets think astutely and wisely about how youre going to elect a Republican governor in a state where 22 percent of the voters are registered Republicans. Youve got to really think about that and look at who best can carry forward the banner. Obsitnik confirmed Tesei called him on the Monday before the announcement, and said he understood the decision. But he disagreed with the contention that Stewart is the most electable of the Republican gubernatorial candidates. Electability is a personal definition and everyone has their own personal view of what that means, Obsitnik said. I believe I am the most electable because my platform is to restore fiscal stability to Connecticut, create a jobs engine in the state and reinvent the culture of Connecticut. But Tesei returned to the immediate goal for Stewart to get a spot on the ballot for the August primary. I am partnered with Mayor Stewart because I think we represent the best combination for our party, Tesei said. If youre looking at electability with broadest cross-appeal from gender, geography and generationally (Stewart is 30, Tesei is 49). I think she and I cover that. I dont believe that would be the same case if I were to be paired with another of the lead candidates that are out there. But that led to another question for Tesei to answer, after political blogger Kevin Rennie posted a six-second clip of Stewart speaking in New Britain last year about finances, in which she says sarcastically, God forbid we took a little bit more from Greenwich to give to New Brit. Cant do that. On Thursday, Tesei said he had not seen the clip but was aware of the comment. He said people should look at the demographic breakdown for such things as the percentage of residents on supplemental nutrition assistance in New Britain and in Greenwich. Given the wide disparity, Tesei said it was fair to say Stewart, in her role as mayor, was advocating on behalf of her residents just as he would for Greenwich. I have no issue with the mayors comment that clearly there is a need for the funding in her city, Tesei said. Throughout his time in office, Tesei has frequently noted the diversity in Greenwichs population and pushed back against the notion that it is an elite town populated only by the rich and powerful. He said he made a point of discussing that with Stewart, and that when they were in town last week at Carens Cos Cobber, he pointed out that it was across the street from Kids in Crisis, underscoring the need for human services help in Greenwich. The father of two young children, Tesei said he first sought his familys support before making his decision. The sacrifices that go along with being first selectman, including the many nights out of the house, have been a part of his childrens entire lives. But Tesei said he has the full support of his family, including his wife, Jill, for this run for state office. I think we have a typical modern household in that were two parents working, and its emblematic in what a lot of families in this state are facing as well, Tesei said. It certainly is a sacrifice and a challenge to do, but anything worthwhile in life is going to be. If this is successful, then weve shown weve been able to adapt and make things work. Jill Tesei could become one of the delegates supporting her husband at the convention. The Greenwich Republican Town Committee will send 20 delegates to the convention, the largest number of any municipality in the state. She is a backup delegate. Greenwichs RTC Chairman Richard DiPreta said the choice of Tesei would help Stewart win Greenwich delegates, but he said the local group would not vote at the convention as a bloc. Tesei has his full support, DiPreta said, but added he would not endorse a gubernatorial candidate before the convention. There are a lot of good candidates, DiPreta said. Tesei also said that a run for state office will not distract from his work as Greenwichs chief elected official, any more than the coming contests will distract other candidates, in both parties, who are running for state office. Many also are current officeholders. He also said residents should not read his run for lieutenant governor as a signal that he has ruled out trying to build on his record tenure as first selectman. Tesei won his first five terms in Town Hall by landslides, but his victory this past November saw his vote share fall to 54 percent, a sharp drop from the 74 percent he commanded in 2015. Regardless, Tesei said that, should he and Stweart come up short in their bid for Hartford, he has not ruled out a run for a seventh term in Greenwich next year. Ive not made any decision on that, he said. I think 2018 comes before 2019, so until such time I need to make a decision Im going to do what I was elected to do for the term. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Published on 2018/04/29 | Source South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands after reading a joint statement in the truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. /Newsis Advertisement President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday evening ended their historic summit with a broad commitment to work toward "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The agreement came in a joint statement that was strong on principles but vague on details after the two leaders had spent most of the day deep in discussion. "There will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and a new age of peace has opened", they said before sitting down to dinner in the truce village of Panmunjom. The two leaders agreed to push for multilateral talks involving the U.S. and possibly China to replace the armistice that halted the Korea War with a proper peace treaty within this year. The two Koreas technically remain at war. Efforts to reduce military tensions will include a complete halt to hostilities, including a stop to propaganda broadcasts and distribution of leaflets. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un take a walk in the truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. The two sides also vowed to hold further talks on humanitarian matters like reunions of families separated by the Korean War on the occasion of Liberation Day on Aug. 15. They also pledged to set up a liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. At 9:30 a.m., Moon welcomed Kim, who walked across a graveled strip of border and briefly invited Moon to step over the line into North Korea as the two leaders held hands. They inspected an honor guard decked out in historical costume before sitting down for talks with a small entourage in a specially refurbished meeting room. At the end of the day, which also saw the two leaders plant a pine tree symbolizing peace and prosperity and take a walk together out of earshot of the press and other officials, Moon said their agreements will be a "great present to the entire world". "The two leaders held serious and honest discussions on ways to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, establish permanent peace and develop South-North Korea relations", said presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan. Moon will visit Pyongang in the fall to reciprocate Kim's visit and Kim also said he could visit Cheong Wa Da if he is invited. The South and North Korean leaders pose with their wives before dinner in the truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. /Newsis The evening is given over to a dinner attended by both leaders and their wives. Kim's wife Ri Sol-ju arrived at Panmunjom around 6:15 p.m. with another score of North Korean officials, including Hyun Song-wol, the head of the Samjiyon Orchestra that staged performances in South Korea during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February. Attendees including the South and North Korean leaders react after watching a performance at a dinner party in the truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. /Newsis The menu features dishes symbolic of the two leaders' personal history, including rosti from Switzerland, where Kim went to school, and fish from Moon's hometown of Busan. The dessert will be adorned with a map of the Korean Peninsula in turquoise icing. Korean Movie | 2009 Comedy Directed by Lee Ha () Written by Lee Ha () 108min | Release date in South Korea: 2010/04/08 Also known as "Looking for My Wife" Synopsis Popular music critic Seong-hee (Ji Jin-hee) publicly requests a divorce from his wife Yeong-sim during a live radio show. He sets off on a trip with his old friend Dong-min (Yang Ik-joon), but heads back home, worried that Yeong-sim may be in shock. But he discovers a letter from Yeong-sim, who had already left him before his radio show. He forces Dong-min to help him track down his wife, guided by a cell phone Yeong-sim used 10 years ago and clues provided by a fortuneteller and a conman (Lee Moon-sik) who claims to be her brother. Source Published on 2018/04/29 Artist and photographer Ina Jang deconstructs the image of women in 'soft-core' magazines in The New Yorker, see the DMZ with new eyes with these fascinating photographs from two Reuters photographers, Elijah Hurwitz captures life along the border between China and North Korea, and the "Welcome to Joseon" festival transports visitors back to Korea's beloved Joseon era. Advertisement "The Passive Silhouettes of Women in Asian Soft-Core Magazines" Ina Jang, an American-based artist and photographer, has a new exhibition called "Utopia" that's currently on display at the Foley Gallery, New York. After noticing that most of the female figures in Japanese and Korean "glamour" magazines were depicted as "passive and helpless", Ina recreated some of the iconic poses but removed all details of their body, leaving "just their outer contours, empty from edge to edge, flatly colored in pale peaches, yellows, and pinks, on pastel and neon backgrounds". Writer Katie Ryder has more on Ina and her provocative counter-cultural work in this New Yorker feature... ...READ ON THE NEW YORKER "Photographers captured these dismal scenes along the border area between North and South Korea" Catch these striking images of Korea's infamous DMZ from Reuters' photographers Jung Yeon-Je and Kim Hong-Ji on Business Insider. Over the past two years, Jung and Kim have visited the restricted zone and captured rare scenes from one of the most policed borders in the world today. "The world is watching the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) [...] with bated breath", writes Melia Robinson, just ahead of renewed talk efforts between the political powers that be. ...READ ON BUSINESS INSIDER "A GLIMPSE OF LIFE ALONG CHINA'S BORDER WITH NORTH KOREA" Wired features 17 incredible photographs by Elijah Hurwitz following his visit to Dandong, China, where he captured life along the icy Yalu river (a natural barrier between North Korea and China). "I wanted to understand how these tensions and expanded UN sanctions might be impacting tourism, trade, and everyday life". You've seen snaps of the DMZ between North and South, now get a window onto North Korea's chilly northern border with China... ...READ ON WIRED "[Photo News] Back to the Joseon era" The Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is running an interesting festival until late June. The "Welcome to Joseon" festival will transport you back to Korea's most iconic era. The first event started back in 2013 and recruited part-time actors to roam the square kilometre space to the delight of visitors as they explore the 270 old buildings around the village. Today, in addition to the various performances that take place throughout the day, "visitors can participate in stamp tours, traditional clothing experience and traditional crafts making sessions". Click on through to The Korea Herald to spy some fun pictures of the event... ...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD Published on 2018/04/29 | Source President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are avoiding the exchange of lavish gifts at Friday's summit amid international sanctions against the regime. Advertisement UN Security Council sanctions resolutions ban the export to North Korea of luxury goods including jewelry, carpets, high-end dinnerware, expensive liquor and many other items. The list is so comprehensive that there is very little Moon could legitimately give Kim. During the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000, President Kim Dae-jung gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-il two dogs of the Jindo breed, a 60-inch TV, three video tape recorders, and an electronic organ. Kim Jong-il gave Kim Dae-jung two dogs of the Pungsan breed, and three bottles of blueberry wine to each of 130 South Korean officials who accompanied the president. During the second inter-Korean summit in October 2007, then President Roh Moo-hyun gave Kim Jong-il an eight-panel lacquerware folding screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl from Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, a tea set inlaid with rose of Sharon patterns, and tea from Jeju and Boseong, South Jeolla Province. Kim Jong-il gave Roh 4,000 kg of pine mushrooms. Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg 13 die from COVID in Franklin County. Here are numbers from the region Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes Arjun Kapoor, who will be sharing screen space with Sanjay Dutt for the first time in Panipat, said he is excited to be working with the actor in the Ashutosh Gowariker-directed film. I am excited. I will be nervous only after I reach the sets. When such films are announced, you look forward and as an actor you have grown up wanting to do these things. Sanjay sir is a benchmark when it comes to action genre and to do a film a proper action film with him is very exciting. I hope to enjoy more, Arjun told reporters here at the 19th edition of the IIFA awards Voting Weekend. The poster of the film was released last month and it is expected to hit the theatres in December next year. Arjun Kapoor at promotional video shoot to support to the Girl Rising moment in Mumbai on Monday. (PTI) The period drama, which also features Kriti Sanon, is based on the third battle of Panipat that took place in 1761. Recently, the teaser of Rajkumar Hiranis Sanju was unveiled and Arjun feels that there can be no better director than Hirani to make the film on Dutts life. I am sure there is a lot of pressure. Looking at the teaser I can say that the film will make you laugh and cry. The film will tell everything that we have either read or heard about his life, Arjun said. We are assured that everything will be shown in the film. Every chapter of the mans (Dutt) life, he added. Arjun also praised Ranbir Kapoor, who plays the role of Dutt in the biographical drama. Ranbir is a very good actor and he has done an amazing job, I am sure there is a pressure in doing such roles. It looks promising and I hope it turns out to be even better than the teaser, he added. Follow @htshowbiz for more Kareena Kapoor Khan belongs to a very talented family and she knows it quite well. The Bollywood actor was asked about her cousin Ranbir Kapoors upcoming film, a biopic of actor Sanjay Dutt, and if he is the right choice for it and the proud sister said shes sure he is. Kareena was in Delhi for a promotional event for a jewellery brand that she endorses when she was asked about the upcoming Sanjay Dutt biopic, Sanju, starring Ranbir in the lead role. According to a report in DNA she said, Who better than Ranbir Kapoor to replicate the life of Sanjay Dutt. I dont think theres anyone better than him. Kareena Kapoor at the launch of a jewellery showroom in New Delhi, on April 27, 2018. (IANS) The trailer for Sanju, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, was released on April 24. Ranbirs several looks from the film were appreciated for their resemblance to Sanjay. When asked about how he could recreate Sanjays life on screen, Ranbir said, I have always been a Sanjay Dutt fan. For me, it was a fan trying to play his icon. So I think the hardest thing I did was to give myself the confidence that I can play this man. Indian Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor (C) looks on next to film Director Rajkumar Hirani (L) and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra during the teaser launch of his upcoming Indian biographical drama Hindi film Sanju. (AFP) When Raju sir told me about this film, I didnt have the confidence because I thought I wouldnt be able to do it. I dont have the courage, dont have the understanding or the acting chops to do it. This is not an acting gig for me. I havent tried to show good acting, bad acting or showcase my talent. I think it was just the opportunity to be part of a story of a person who I consider to be my icon, he said. Presented by Fox Star Studios, the film will release on June 29. Follow @htshowbiz for more Twinkle Khanna on Sunday responded to a message by an enraged citizen who wrote to her about her decision to auction off a piece of costume worn by her husband Akshay Kumar in the film, Rustom. The message ended with a threat of violence, to which Twinkle responded by saying that she will consider taking legal action. The original message was shared by Sandeep Unnithan, a journalist who identified and claimed that the author, Lt Col Sandeep Ahlawat, was one of the finest men in uniform he knew. It was to Unnithans tweet that Twinkle responded. As a society do we really think its all right to threaten a woman with bodily harm for trying to raise funds for a charity by auctioning a uniform used in a movie, a piece of film memorabilia ? I will not retaliate with violent threats but by taking legal action! Twinkle wrote. As a society do we really think its all right to threaten a woman with bodily harm for trying to raise funds for a charity by auctioning a uniform used in a movie,a piece of film memorabilia ? I will not retaliate with violent threats but by taking legal action! #JaiHind https://t.co/OF7e5lTHel Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) April 29, 2018 Here is the message: Dear Twinkle Khanna I am not on Instagram so giving you a rebuttal on Facebook. Your idea of auctioning the costume your husband donned in the movie Rustom for raising money for your NGO is as sick as your funnybones jokes/book/blog. Your Instagram post on the following idea is flawed on the following grounds. 1. What your husband wore in movie Rustom was a costume and not uniform. 2. Indian Armed Forces wives (Army, Navy, Airforce) do not auction their husbands uniforms. 3. Uniform is not a piece of cloth that a producer hands over to cinestars for enacting roles and make some quick bucks. The permission to wear the uniform comes from the office of the President of India. Uniform is earned with your blood, toil and sweat which is placed on the mortal remains of a soldier along with the tricolour. 4. If you even make a feeble attempt to auction this piece of costume in the garb of UNIFORM then I will drag you to the court. You may like to check my credentials. You touch our honour and we will give you a bloody nose. Warm regards, An enraged citizen!! Hi all I'm thrilled to announce that you can bid to win the actual naval officer uniform I wore in Rustom! Auction's proceeds will support the cause of animal rescue and welfare. Place your bid at https://t.co/6Qr0LRnTFm! pic.twitter.com/FF23tlogs1 Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 26, 2018 Twinkle and Akshay had announced that they would auction the costume for the cause of animal welfare. The announcement was met with criticism on social media. Rustom is a 2016 period thriller about the Nanavati murder case. Follow @htshowbiz for more Jaunti village near Kanjhawala in outer Delhi, is unlike other urbanised villages of the capital. The village has at its heart a crumbling 17th century shikargah or hunting lodge that will now be restored by the archaeology department of Delhi government. The move comes after Delhis divisional commissioner Manisha Saxena asked the department to draw a feasible plan for restoration of the 370-year-old structure. The remains of the fortress fluted sandstone columns, halls, arches, lakhori brick walls and pyramidal roofs will be strengthened as part of the plan for integrated development of the village. It is just a beginning. We may rope in agencies like National Urban Livelihoods Mission for skilled development. Setting up of district culture centre with financial assistance from the Centre is another option. Let us start with preservation of the ancient structures, said Saxena, who also holds the charge of the archaeology department. The shikargah in Jaunti village was built by Shahjahan in outer Delhi. The village now falls on Delhi-Haryana border, about 10km from Mundka Metro station. Besides its historical heritage, the nondescript Jaunti village was also the epicentre of Green Revolution in 1960s. At least 69 families have lived in and around this Mughal era royal forest house for years. However, a recent spate in construction activity has damaged its original architecture. In 2010, a court order declared these families legal residents but pronounced that the land was vested in gram sabha. As per the order, they cant be moved out. But, the structure can still be preserved. It has been decided that the gram sabha will send a proposal for conservation and we will undertake the work, said Vikas Maloo, head of the archaeology department. Towards a tourism hub The plan for redevelopment of Jaunti village was initiated three years ago when north-west Delhi MP Udit Raj adopted it under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) was engaged to prepared a project report for its development into a tourist spot. However, the DUAC plan that envisioned plazas, cafes, performance areas, space for street arts, interpretation centre, and exhibition gallery, failed to take off. Aam Khas which was once a hunting lodge built during Shahjahans time. (Anushree Fadnavis/HT Photo) Rekha Vohra, the director of the Jaunti project, said the plan is expected to achieve its target this time as the district administration is on board. The project was stuck because of multiplicity of authorities. We are hopeful now as the administration has got involved. We are moving in the right direction now, she said. Saxena and a battery of government officials, including Kanjhawala sub-divisional magistrate Veditha Reddy, visited the hunting lodge, an old Mughal-era pond, and an ancient Shiv temple last week. Following this, the DC also asked the fisheries department to explore the possibility of using the pond for aqua culture and boating. A separate pond can be developed for livestock. In the existing pond, we can introduce angling and boating facilities, she said. Decades of Change According to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Jauntis hunting palace was built by emperor Shahjahan around 1650s. It is identical to another hunting lodge in Hastsal village near Uttam Nagar which is also believed to have been built by Shahajahan during 1650s. Standing on an elevated land, Shahjahans shikargah was once a double-storeyed fortress surrounded by a wall. Only a part of the fortification remains now and the main gateway has collapsed. Its remains comprise brick masonry work with generous use of red sandstone. A section of the fortress central vaulted chamber with domed pyramidical roof has survived but major elements have caved in. The domed compartment is now used to stash cow dung cakes. Adjoining this block is a series of courtyards with decaying walls. Wide courtyard openings are spanned with foliated arches and supported by decorative columns, which are still intact. According Rann Singh Chhikara (72), who lives in the vicinity, it is almost two decades since the last repair work was conducted at the dilapidated building (also known as Aam-Khas locally). An extension, being used as short cut to a row of houses in another lane, is called Andheria. Apart from doubling as a thoroughfare, the foyer also serves as a cattle shed. Locals said a southern courtyard also had a tehkhana (basement) with an underground passage connecting the place to the pond and a well in the vicinity. It is believed that when kings and queens would return to Delhi from Kashmir, they took a break here. The queens would bathe in the pond and rest and then proceeded towards the city, Saxena said. Jauntis rich past The village shot to limelight in 1964 when it was chosen for high-yielding seed development programme by MS Swaminathan, the father of green revolution. On September 26, 1967, then prime minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Jawahar Jaunti Seed Cooperative here. Our village was selected as it had vast agricultural land and the farmers agreed to the programme. In 1967, Indira Gandhi came to the village. However, the society closed in 1980s. The building has a dispensary now, said Raj Singh Chhikara (66). He said the Chhikara (Jat) clan migrated to Jaunti from Rajasthans Dadreda village around 200 years ago. The population of the village now is approximately 8,000. There were two brothers, Kanha and Jaunpal, who set two villages in this region. The settlement created by Jaunpal became Jaunti and the other one, known as Kanaunda, is in Rohtak district, said Raj Singh. Mera Jaunti, a dossier for SAGY project, says the Mughal ruler zeroed in on the village to build shikargah as the place was a dense forest. The village was surrounded by a thick forest and agricultural land. I have seen deers, neelgai and wolves in the forest. The entire village was then settled inside the fort. As families grew, people started constructing new houses outside, said Maan Singh Chhikara (90), a retired school teacher. Meenu Kumari (40), a volunteer at a local skill development centre, said if the administration preserves this heritage, locals are ready to cooperate. It will be good if it is restored. Our village will certainly get good name and tourists, she said. The informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, which the Chinese are describing as a milestone in bilateral relations, was all about the big picture. The summit was a pragmatic response to recent changes on the international stage, with the two sides rightly choosing to set aside issues that have bedevilled their relationship in recent months and years to look at ways to reduce tensions and forge greater cooperation. Leaving the talks open-ended and ensuring most of the discussions were held in a one-to-one format would have allowed the two leaders to adopt a more realistic approach without any unnecessary pressures. Though Chinas economy is almost five times the size of Indias, Mr Xi realises the importance of having Indias support for a multipolar world at a time when the US is talking about protectionism and threatening an all-out trade war with China. Mr Modi, on the other hand, understands the importance of a balanced and tension-free relationship with China as India heads towards a general election next year. Thus all the talk from both sides has been all about building on convergences, showing respect for each others sensitivities and concerns and building an open and participatory world order. The decision by the two leaders to direct their militaries to strengthen communications to build trust is a reflection of their desire to avert and avoid Doklam-like situations, at least in the short term. The agreement on jointly implementing a development project in Afghanistan signals their willingness to work together in the war-torn country. These are also important signs of their desire to use their political and economic influence to shape developments in the region and around the world. The agreement on having more such informal meetings will give the two sides a platform that can handily be used to address sensitive issues. But one should not walk away from this summit with the impression that the much-talked rebooting of the bilateral relationship has been completed. Far from it. This meeting was, at best, only the beginning of that process. Differences, and serious ones at that, remain between the two countries. They will need to be managed and controlled through dialogue and more contacts, so that we do not have incidents such as last years military standoff, which have the potential to throw the relationship off the tracks. India has given enough indications that it is willing to address Chinas concerns on issues such as Tibet and the Dalai Lama, and China will have to demonstrate it will not use its iron brother ally Pakistan as a factor to needle India. Girls gained a slight edge over boys in the Secondary School Certificate Examinations (Class 10) conducted by Board of Secondary Education, Andhra Pradesh in March this year. Andhra Pradesh minister for higher education Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Commissioner of School Education K Sandhya Rani released the results in Visakhapatnam on Sunday evening. Heres how you can check the results Out of 6,17,484 students who appeared for the SSC examinations this year, as many as 6,13,378 students were regular students and the remaining wrote the examination as private candidates. Among the regular students, 94.48 per cent were declared passed. While boys recorded a pass percentage of 94.41, girls achieved a slightly better result with 94.56 per cent pass percentage. The performance of students in AP is much better than last year which recorded a pass percentage of 91.92 per cent. Among the students who appeared in private, 78.35 per cent of them passed the examination, including 77.68 per cent of boys and 79.43 per cent of girls. The exams were conducted from March 15, 2018 till March 29, 2018. In 2018, a total of 57,127 candidates had appeared for the SSC examination. The regular students from 11,358 schools appeared for the SSC examination this year. Of them, 5,340 schools achieved 100 per cent results and only 17 schools registered zero per cent results. AP SSC results 2018: Download official app to view marks now Out of 13 districts, Prakasam with a pass percentage of 97.93 stood at the top and the neighbouring Nellore got the last position with 80.37 pass percentage. The minister said out of the total number of students who cleared the examination this year, 29,921 students could get 10 GPA (Grade Point Average). They include 26,475 students from private schools and 3,446 from government schools. The supplementary examination for failed students will be held from June 11 to 25 between 9.30 am and 12.15 pm. The last date for payment of fee for the supplementary examination is May 30. Students of GD Goenka Public School in Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow were confident on Sunday of clearing JEE Main 2018, the entrance test for admission in engineering colleges across the country, ahead of the announcement of the result on Monday. Click here and register to receive alerts about the results on your mobile and email. Jayanshi Tripathi, a Class 12 student, said she is positive of clearing the exam and has already started preparing for JEE Advance 2018. My preparation for the Mains exam had been thorough. I am certain that I will rank under 8,000, Yashi Agarwal, another student, said. Raveen Pande, principal of the school, said some of the students struggled to complete JEE Main 2018 paper on time. The difficulty level of the exam was a bit high than the previous years just like any other competition, Siddhant Srivastava, a student, said. Students will be ranked on the basis of their JEE Mains 2018 score and there will be no weightage for Class 12 marks, unlike last year. The All-India Rank is used for admissions to National Institute of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Centrally Funded Technical Institute (CFTI), Self-Financed Institutes (SFIs), and other institutes. This it is not easy to secure a rank among them but Im confident of my performance, Aniket Bisen said. Live Updates : UP Board Class 10th and 12th result 2018 Nearly 12,00,000 students applied for the exam conducted by the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) and only 220,000 will be eligible for the next phase of JEE Advanced for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other top engineering institutes. The board said more than 10,00,000 students appeared in the JEE Main 2018 offline exam held on April 8 and more than 200,000 candidates took the online exam on April 15 and April 16. The JEE Mains was held in 112 cities across the country and abroad with exam centres set up in Bahrain, Dubai, Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, Qatar and Dhaka. Read: What 10th and 12th students across UP said ahead of results announcement The JEE Main result 2018 was declared by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on its official website on Monday. The result has been released only for JEE Main paper I. The score of the JEE Main 2018 Paper I, students ranks as well as the list of top 220,000 candidates eligible for JEE Advanced 2018 have been announced by the education board. JEE Advanced 2018 is for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other top engineering institutes. Here is the direct link to check the JEE main 2018 result. LIVE UPDATES: Here are the latest updates on the JEE Main 2018 result 9:58: Kota has once again proved its mettle in the Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) 2018, with a large number of students from different coaching institutes in the city bagging the top ranks. 9:52pm: Students from the two Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana bagged five of the top 10 ranks and eight of the first 20 ranks at the all India level in the IIT JEE Main 2018 8:51pm: Cut-off for OBC-NCL list is 45 8:44pm: 1,80, 331 boys and 50,693 girls have qualified for JEE (Advanced) 8:30pm: Atulya Kumar Verma of Bihar is state topper with All India Rank (AIR) 17 under general category. He obtained 338 marks out of 360. In the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, Ravi Kumar Suman, a student of Abhyanand Super 30 secured All India Rank 35 scoring 229 marks, while Satyesh Raj of the same institute secured All India Rank 30 scoring 142 marks under the person with disability (PwD) category. 8:15pm: The cut off for common rank list is 74 8:13pm: 2,31,024 candidates have qualified for JEE (Advanced) 2018 7:53pm: Bhaskar Arun Gupta, who has secured AIR Rank 7, is also a Chess champion. Bhaskar was born in Mumbai but his parents belong to Jaipur (Rajasthan). 7:57pm: Gattu Mytraya of Telangana gets AIR 5 7.43pm: Pranav Goyal of Haryana gets AIR 4 7:36pm: KVR Hemant Kumar Chodipilli of AP bags AIR 2 7:33pm: Bhogi Suraj Krishna of AP has secured AIR 1 7: 16pm: Son of doctors from Nander (Maharashtra), Parth Satish Laturia (18) of Allen Career Institute of Kota has secured All India Rank 3 7:09 pm: Google has provided a window to check JEE main result 2018. Just go on google search and type JEE main result to see it. JEE main result 2018: Steps to check Candidates can check their result on CBSE website by clicking at cbseresults.nic.in They can enter their roll number, date of birth in dd/mm/yyyy format and click on submit. The JEE Main result 2018 will be displayed on the screen. Candidates can download it on a computer and take a printout for future reference. Students across the country were anxious but confident of clearing JEE Main 2018, the entrance test for admission in engineering colleges across the country, on Sunday ahead of the announcement of the result on Monday. The Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) will on Monday announce the score of JEE Main 2018 Paper 1, students ranks as well as the list of top 220,000 candidates eligible for JEE Advanced, for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other top engineering institutes. The All-India Rank is used for admissions to National Institute of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Centrally Funded Technical Institute (CFTI), Self-Financed Institutes (SFIs), and other institutes. Students will be ranked on the basis of their JEE Mains 2018 score and there will be no weightage for Class 12 marks, unlike last year. Aritra Srimani of South Point High School in West Bengals capital Kolkata said that he is quite confident of cracking JEE Main 2018 this time but was tensed a day before the results were to be declared. But I am trying to divert my attention from the tension and accept whatever be the fallout tomorrow. To bring down my stress level I am chatting with my friends and watching television, Srimani said. Srimanis schoolmate Tannishtha Das, who found the mathematics section difficult, also said she will clear the tough exam. What I am worried about is the ranking. So I am praying to god a day before the results. As a stress relief exercise, I am spending time with my parents on Sunday, Das added. A fan of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team in the Indian Premier League, Arko Dutta of Saidabad MCV & Collegiate School in Berhampore in the states Murshidabad district was equally nervous. Today there is a match of KKR but I am unable to enjoy the same because of the tension. I am preferring to stay at home with my parents, he said. Manas Kashyap, JEE Main 2018 candidate from Patna in Bihar, said he has worked very hard for the exam and was very much excited I have matched my answers with the answer keys and I am hoping to score good marks in the paper. It was my fathers dream to see his son as an engineer and this examination will be a turning point for me, Kashyap said. This examination matters to me the most. More than me, my parents are excited to see my result of this two years of hard work, Uddept Shandilya, another student in Patna, said. Jayanshi Tripathi, a Class 12 student of GD Goenka Public School in Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow, said she is positive of clearing the exam and has already started preparing for JEE Advance 2018. My preparation for the Main exam had been thorough. I am certain that I will rank under 8,000, Yashi Agarwal, another student, said. Raveen Pande, principal of the school, said some of the students struggled to complete JEE Main 2018 paper on time. The difficulty level of the exam was a bit high than the previous years just like any other competition, Siddhant Srivastava, a student, said. Aniket Bisen said it is not easy to secure a good rank among lakhs of students who compete for seats in good institutes but added that he was confident of my performance. Many of the students in Madhya Pradeshs Bhopal spent Sunday with their parents and friends as they tried to keep themselves calm. I spent the day with my friends as after IIT JEE Mains result there will be immense pressure on me in either situation. If I am selected, I have to start preparations for the advance and if not, I have to look for other options so today I am enjoying to the fullest, Ayan Khanna of Kendriya Vidyalaya said. I spent the whole day with my parents. I helped my mother with household chores and also will go out for a dinner with parents. My parents discussed many career options with me which I understand they did it to help me get relieved of stress, Jawaharlal Nehru Schools Akshat Pandey said. Nearly 12,00,000 students applied for the exam and only 220,000 will be eligible for the next phase of JEE Advanced 2018 for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other top engineering institutes. The board said more than 10,00,000 students appeared in the JEE Main 2018 offline exam held on April 8 and more than 200,000 candidates took the online exam on April 15 and April 16. The registration process for JEE Advanced 2018 will start from May 2 and the exam will be held on May 20. (With inputs from Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri in Kolkata, Nandini in Patna, Rajeev Mullick in Lucknow and Shruti Tomar in Bhopal.) In an attempt to discourage rote learning and to test the analytical abilities of students, a four-member committee on exam reform has recommended an open book examination for engineering courses. The panel, which was formed in January, has submitted its report on the examination and other recommendations to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex regulator of technical education. According to a senior official, the report is being examined by the AICTE and the human resource development (HRD) ministry following which a decision on its implementation will be taken. The recommendation, if accepted, will be applicable to engineering and technical institutes regulated by the AICTE. Open book exams would allow students to take notes, text book and resource materials into an exam hall. Students would be able to consult the material when answering questions, which are structured to test their understanding of concepts rather than merely the ability to memorise facts and figures. Experts welcomed the move but cautioned that such reforms need to be implemented with care. Exam reforms cannot be done in isolation; it has to go with teaching reforms, said Pradipta Banerji,a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. Unless we do that we cannot achieve much... Some of the other recommendations by the committee include devising question papers at various levels of difficulty in line with the differing capabilities of students. The committee has recommended the use of the so-called Blooms taxonomy framework to set examination papers that are well balanced, testing the different cognitive skills of students without the papers being perceived as either tough or easy. Blooms taxonomy is a tool to help develop learning objectives, which are classified as cognitive, sensory and affective. It is recommended that at institution/ University level, upper limit need to be arrived for lower order skills (for example, no more than 40% weightage for knowledge oriented questions). It is important to note that, as nature of every course is different, the weightage for different cognitive levels in the question papers can also vary from course to course, said the report, a copy of which has been reviewed by Hindustan Times. The concept of open book examination has been proposed to overcome the deficiencies of traditional written examinations, which the committee said often tend to encourage rote learning and superficial application of knowledge. According to the report, such exams are particularly useful in testing skills in application, analysis and evaluation. Open book examination is similar to time constrained written examinations but designed in a way that allows students to refer to either class notes, textbooks, or other approved material while answering questions so they are less demanding on memory and hence less stressful, questions can emphasise on problem solving, and higher order thinking, it said. However, in a programme, the courses or the curriculum areas that are best suited to an open book exam are to be carefully chosen, it said. According to the report, while examinations/student assessments play a critical role in deciding the quality of education, the academic quality of examinations and question papers in Indian engineering education system has been a matter of concern for a long time. Some of the measures suggested by the committee include introducing educational experiences to teach and assess professional outcomes including open-ended experiments in laboratories and project-based learning modules, mini/minor projects, internship experiences among others. A wide range of assessment methods (example; term papers, open ended problem solving assignments, course/lab project rubrics, portfolios) need to be employed to ensure that assessment methods match with learning outcomes, it said. UP Board Results 2018 for high school or Class 10 and intermediate or Class 12 board examinations were declared on Sunday. You can also check your result by clicking here. Students who have appeared in the examination can check their results by visiting the official website of UP board results at upresults.nic.in Steps to check the results: 1) Visit the official website of UP Board results 2) Click on link for result 3) Key in the desired details and submit 4) Results will be displayed on the screen Read: Anjali Verma is UP board Class 10 topper with 96.3%; Rajneesh Shukla, Akash Maurya top Class 12 with 93.2% There were 664,000 candidates, including 366,000 for high school and 298,000 for intermediate exams, who registered for the exams conducted by the UP Board High School from February 6 to March 12. However, more than 11,27,800 students dropped out of the exams due to strict anti-copying measures and 1,146 were caught using unfair means. Police lodged 136 complaints against students for indulging unfair means as well as invigilators and centre superintendents for helping them to cheat. The exams were held under closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras for the first time this year and state polices special task force was also roped in to check copying. Evaluation of over 5,00,00,000 answer sheets of began on March 17 at 248 centres in the state by around 140,000 teachers under CCTV with personnel of the special task force and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) keeping a watch in different parts of the state. Note: Visit official website of UP Board for latest news and updates. Live Updates : UP Board Class 10th and 12th result 2018 Anjali Verma, a student of Brij Bihari Sahai Inter College in Allahabads Shivkuti, topped the UP Board 2018 high school or Class 10 board examination with 96.35% marks. Verma got a surprise call from the states deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya congratulating her on her achievement. She belongs to Yerki village near Subedra ka Puwa in Ambedkar Nagar district of the state. She shared the details of her preparations and her future plan with Hindustan Times Kenneth John. Here are the excerpts: Q. Did you think you would get the top spot in the board exams? A. I studied hard and wrote the exams well. However, I never thought I would top the board exams. It was a pleasant surprise and a great feeling but yet to sink in. Q. How did you parents react to your success? A. My father Asha Ram Verma has always pushed me to excel in studies as well as extracurricular activities. My mother Chakravati Devi is the head teacher at a primary school. Both my parents took the decision to live with my elder sister Diksha, a final year student at Allahabad University, for the sake of my studies. They are very happy that their sacrifice and my efforts bore fruits. Q. Are you satisfied with your marks? A. I scored 578 out of 600 marks and am happy. The fact that I got cent percent marks in mathematics and 99% marks in English and science, three of my favourite subjects, is greatly satisfying. The surprise call from deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya congratulating me on the achievement was really inspiring. Q. How did you prepare for the exams? A. I attended my school regularly and remained attentive during lectures which greatly helped. Rather than last minute preparations, I started for the board exams early by devoting seven to eight hours every day to studies. My school teachers repeatedly made us to revise our lessons besides organised seminars in which I actively participated. This really helped me cover the syllabus and get a proper revision done before the start of the exams. It also gave me time to clear my doubts with my teachers, who were always very supportive and encouraging. Q. Whats your plan for the future? A. I love science and admire former president APJ Abdul Kalam for his wisdom, dedication and excellence in all fields. I too dream of following his footsteps and become a scientist to serve my country and humanity. Seventy-two per cent students have cleared cheating-less board examinations in Uttar Pradesh and the government will take the state ahead by tapping the potential of the youth, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday. The state government is coming up with a scheme of residential schools for children of poor and labourers, he added. Adityanath was speaking at an event where he blessed 678 couples, including 24 Muslim couples, during a mass marriage ceremony on the campus of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University. Taking a jibe at the previous SP and BSP regimes in the state, Adityanath claimed during those times, the effect of corruption was seen in all government policies. Things are different now, he said. Adityanath said a 72% result has been achieved in a cheating-less UP board examinations (for class 10th and 12th). It is a good sign and we are marching towards development, he said. We will use the energy of youth and students by tapping their potential to take UP ahead, he added. Earlier in the day, the Class 10 and 12 results of the UP board were declared. The pass percentage for Class 12 was 72.43% while the same for Cass 10 was 75.16%, officials said. The chief minister said his government had introduced many welfare schemes for every section of society including farmers, women, youth, poor and students. Earlier a large section of SC/ST students was deprived of scholarships, but today over 23 lakh students belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are being awarded scholarships, he said. Similarly, the UP government is coming up with a scheme of residential schools for children of poor and labourers, in which a suitable environment for academics will be provided, he said. The chief minister also enumerated upon various policies of the Centre. The benefits of various schemes of the Centre is reaching to people and the state is also working to ensure that benefits of schemes reach the poor, famers, women and youth without any discrimination, he said. He lauded UP labour minister Swami Prasad Maurya for his efforts in organising the mass marriage programme. Girls did better than boys in the high school or Class 10 and intermediate or Class 12 board examinations in terms of pass percentage as officials announced the UP Board 2018 result on Sunday. Click here to check results. Officials said 75.16 per cent students were declared successful in Class 10 and 78.81 per cent girls cleared the exam as compared to 72.27 per cent boys. There were 30,28,767 students, including 16,89,877 boys and 13,38,890 girls, who appeared for the exam this year. Class 10 Toppers Anjali Verma of Brij Behari Sahai Intercollege in Allahabad was the topper in Class 10 with 96.35 percentage. Second rank was secured by Yashasvi of Fatehpur s Vikas VMIC College with 94.5 percentage. Vinay Kumar Varma of Sitapal VMIC, also in Fatehpur, and Sunny Varma of MPS Intercollege in Gonda were placed third with 94.17 percentage. In Class 12, 72.43 per cent students cleared the exams and girls with a pass percentage of 78.44 did better than boys with that of 67.36. The intermediate exams were written by 26,04,093 candidates, including 14,12,519 boys and 11,91,574 girls this year. Class 12 Toppers Rajneesh Shukla of Sarvodaya Intercollege in Fatehpur and Akash Maurya Shri Sai Intercollege, Barabanki, were the joint toppers in Class 12 with 93.2 percentage marks. The second rank went to Ananya Rai, a student of Model Convent in Ghazipur, with 92.31 percentage marks. The third rank was also claimed by two students - Abhishek Kumar of DPS Intercollege in Muradabad and Ajeet Patel of Barabankis Shri Sai Intercollege - with 92.2 percentage marks. There were 664,000 candidates, including 366,000 for high school and 298,000 for intermediate exams, who registered for the exams conducted by the UP Board High School from February 6 to March 12. However, more than 11,27,800 students dropped out of the exams due to strict anti-copying measures and 1,146 were caught using unfair means. Police lodged 136 complaints against students for indulging unfair means as well as invigilators and centre superintendents for helping them to cheat. The exams were held under closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras for the first time this year and state polices special task force was also roped in to check copying. Evaluation of over 5,00,00,000 answer sheets of began on March 17 at 248 centres in the state by around 140,000 teachers under CCTV with personnel of the special task force and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) keeping a watch in different parts of the state. Last year, the overall pass percentage for Class 10 was recorded at 81.18 and girls did better as 86.50% cleared the exam against 76.75 per cent boys. In Class 12, 82.62 per cent students were declared successful and girl outshined boys in the exam with a pass percentage of 88.80 as compared to 77.16 for boys. Note: You can check UP Board results by clicking here. The percentage of students who cleared the high school or Class 10 and intermediate or Class 12 examinations witnessed a dip in comparison to last year, UP Board 2018 result announced on Sunday showed, even as girls outperformed boys in both the exams. Click here to check results. Director of the state-run education board Awadh Naresh Sharma said 75.16% students were declared successful in the high school exams and 72.43% cleared the intermediate exams. The pass percentage in high school exams registered a decline of 6.02% as compared to 2017 and there was a 10.19% dip in intermediate results this year. The pass percentage for high school was 81.18 and that for intermediate 82.62 last year. Read: Anjali Verma is Class 10 topper with 96.3%; Rajneesh Shukla, Akash Maurya top Class 12 with 93.2% Anjali Verma of Brij Behari Sahai Intercollege in Allahabad was the topper in high school with 96.35% marks. She was followed by Yashasvi of Fatehpur s Vikas VMIC College with 94.5% at the second spot. Vinay Kumar Varma of Sita Bal VM Inter College in Sitapur and Sunny Varma of MPS Intercollege in Gonda were placed third with 94.17% marks. Rajneesh Shukla of Sarvodaya Intercollege in Fatehpur and Akash Maurya Shri Sai Intercollege, Barabanki, were the joint toppers in Class 12 with 93.2% marks. Ananya Rai, a student of Lourdes Convent Girls Inter College in Ghazipur, got the second rank 92.3%. The third rank in the intermediate exams was also claimed by two students - Abhishek Kumar of DPS Intercollege in Muradabad and Ajeet Patel of Barabankis Shri Sai Intercollege - with 92.2%. Numbers Sharma said 36,56,272 students registered for the high school exams, out of which 30,28,767 appeared and 22,76,445 cleared it. In the intermediate exams, 29,82,996 students registered but 26,04,093 appeared and 18,86,050 were successful. In the high school exams, girls secured a pass percentage of 78.81 maintaining a lead of 6.54% over boys as 72.27% of them cleared the exam. The pass percentage of girls in the intermediate exams was 78.44 or 11.08% higher than that of boys or 67.36% passed. The results show 1,849 students, including 1,062 boys and 787 girls, secured 90% and above marks in the high school exams. In intermediate exams, 137 students - 90 boys and 37 girls - scored 90% and above marks. Out of the 25,856 high school under UP Board, 170, including 98 government schools, eight aided non-government schools besides 64 non-aided schools, secured less than 20% results. In intermediate exams, out of the 15,990 colleges in the state 167 secured less than 20% results. These include four government schools, 42 aided non-government schools and 121 non-aided schools. Special measures More than 11,27,800 students dropped out of the exams from February 6 to March 12 due to strict anti-copying measures and 1,146 were caught using unfair means. Police lodged 136 complaints against students for indulging unfair means as well as invigilators and centre superintendents for helping them to cheat. The exams were held in nearly 17,000 centres under closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras for the first time this year and state polices special task force was also roped in to check copying. Evaluation of over 5,00,00,000 answer sheets of began on March 17 at 248 centres in the state by around 146,000 teachers under CCTV cameras with personnel of the special task force and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) keeping a watch in different parts of the state. A 35-year-old man was gunned down by unidentified persons in Rohtaks Karor village on Friday evening, once again reviving the decade-old gang war in this infamous village that had forced over 30 families to leave their homes. The incident occurred hours after new SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa took charge in the district and promised crackdown on criminals. The deceased, Anand Singh, was the youngest among the seven brothers, four of whom had previously been shot dead in a gang rivalry that begun in 2002. One more brother had died of illness, leaving just one brother alive in the family. Anands wife Mukesh said they were going to their fields in a car when a vehicle hit them from the rear. Soon after, another vehicle rammed into our car from the front and some men with their faces covered opened fire on us, she said, adding, I buckled under while my husband got out and started running towards our fields while carrying his licenced pistol. Around 10 men followed him. I heard noise of several gunshots. Once it got over, I stepped out and found my husband lying dead, Mukesh said. The police said 10 bullets were pumped into Anands body, thus killing him on spot. They are suspecting the case to be of gang war and have booked 20 members of the rival gang. The accused include Chippi and Sombir, sons of Ram Niwas, who was allegedly killed by Anands eldest brother Shri Bhagwan. As per police, Chippi was currently lodged in jail, though investigation was on to find out if he plotted the killings from inside the prison. Villagers said Anand was the 18th victim of the gang war that ensued between the families of Shri Bhagwan and Ram Niwas after a dispute in 2002. The gang war had hit headlines in 2012 when Shri Bhagwan and his brother Dilbagh were shot dead in police custody, allegedly by the Chippi gang. The police said these seven brothers had over two dozen cases of murder, extortion and dacoity registered against them. Mukesh said Anand had come out jail around a year-and-a-half ago. He was attacked in last December as well. The police had registered a case, but no arrest was made, she added. Even as a controversy rages over the government signing a memorandum of understanding with the Dalmia group for the maintenance of the Red Fort, experts say it is common for corporates to sponsor the development and upkeep of cultural heritages across the world. Opposition parties have questioned the governments move to allow the private entity to maintain the iconic Red Fort after the corporate house signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) under the tourism ministrys Adopt a Heritage project. The ministry has clarified that its project does not involve a financial bid and is only for the development and maintenance of tourism amenities. Consumer products and cigarette company ITC Ltd and a company that is part of infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group are also in the race to adopt Indias most iconic monument, the Taj Mahal, under the governments Adopt A Heritage scheme. Many European countries are known to involve private companies and societies for the maintenance as part of efforts to promote tourism. The scheme that the ministry of tourism has started is an internationally accepted practice where the conservation and restoration work remains with the expert body of the government as it involves scientific work and maintenance and operation of basic facilities are given to private players to enhance the overall experience of visitors, said Rajeev Kohli, former senior vice president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators. Italy has long sought sponsors to fund the restoration and maintenance of its archaeological sites, statues and ancient palazzos. The Colosseum went through a round of restoration recently after it was sponsored by a luxury hotel located nearby. The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Florences Uffizi gallery and several other heritage sites have also undergone facelifts with help from business houses and the fashion industry in their respective countries. Rakesh Mathur, former president, ITC Welcome Heritage Hotels Group and Founder of Eco Tourism Society of India, said: In some countries, boards are constituted or institutions are formed to control the destiny of the heritage. They look after all the aspects of the heritage. So I think its a very good initiative of the government to involve private players. In Egypt, a pilot project was launched to upgrade buildings in Cairos heritage areas. A bank from Kuwait was reported to have provided $3 million to draw up a detailed maps of the countrys ancient sites. Another tourism expert, SK Mishra, who was former secretary in the ministry of tourism, said: These private companies are adding to the infrastructure, landscaping, other facilities, etc. A German company that makes power-washing equipment also claims to have cleaned more than 100 monuments across the globe as part of its cultural sponsorship programme. As cleaning specialists we have been actively involved in supporting the preservation of historical monuments and buildings for over 30 years, says the website of the company, Karcher. The company recently cleaned Indonesias national monument, an obelisk named Monas, for the first time in more than two decades. It has also power-washed Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty in the United States. Under the agreement signed for the adoption of the Red Fort on April 24, the Dalmia Bharat group has agreed to make available certain basic amenities at the monument within six months. These include providing drinking water kiosks, street furniture-like benches and signages to guide the visitors, according to the ministry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to mortgage Indias symbol of Independence, the Red Fort to corporates. Does Modiji or BJP even understand the importance of Lal Quila? Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. Responding to the allegations, minister of state for tourism KJ Alphons said that under the scheme started last year, the ministry is looking at public participation to develop heritage monuments. BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday attacked Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah over the Hublot watch issue, alleging that funds disbursed by the central government were used by the chief minister for personal gains. Addressing a rally in Hiriyur in Chitradurga district, Shah claimed that while the central government had increased the outlay of funds to the state government in accordance with the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the money did not reach the people. From Rs 88,000 crore under the United Progressive Alliance government, we increased the funds disbursed to the state to around Rs 3 lakh crore, Shah claimed and questioned if any of this money has reached the people. Shah has repeatedly targeted the Congress government over the alleged corruption in his rallies ahead of the May 12 assembly polls in the state. On Sunday, he again accused the state government as the most corrupt. Siddaramaiah keeps accusing me of not giving any evidence to prove the charges of corruption. But I have only one question, does anybody present here have a watch worth Rs 40 lakh? He was referring to a Hublot watch Siddaramaiah reportedly used to sport before a controversy broke out. While the CM maintained that the watch was gifted to him, he later handed it over to the assembly Speaker in March 2016. To date, Siddaramaiah has been unable to tell me where he got the watch from and who gifted it to him, Shah said. Shah also held two road shows in Davanagere and Tumakuru. Congress spokespersons could not be reached for comments. Optics are certainly not everything in diplomacy. But they do play a part in international relations. The just concluded informal summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, and even the first visit by Xi to India in 2014, were not short on optics. They showcased the personal chemistry shared by the two leaders. Xi, the strongest Chinese leader in many years, has gone out of Beijing only twice to receive a visiting dignitary in his five years as president -- once to his home province Xian in 2015 and now to Wuhan. On both occasions, it was to host Modi. On his part, Modi accorded a public reception to Xi in his home state, Gujarat, in 2014 -- something Indian leaders had been wary of doing, smarting under the 1962 military debacle. With their lakeside walk, boat ride together and effusive praise for each other, Modi and Xi have yet again demonstrated the personal chemistry they have established. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping shaking hands along the East Lake, in Wuhan. (AFP Photo) The informal summit was fraught with some political risks. But the happy outcome to the meeting shows why it was a necessity and why the practice should be continued. The two countries could no longer have clung to the mechanisms of the past to take bilateral ties to the next level. Last years military standoff in Doklam, at the India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction,served as a wake-up call. The way Doklam played out tested one of the foundational pacts of the modern-day India-China relationship: the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA). The BPTA by and large ensured two countries contained their disputes. It was a leap of faith both sides took to sign the pact in the early 1990s. Border incidents which could have spun out of control in 1986-87 in Sumdorong Chu in Arunanchal Pradesh forced two sides to work on the pact that was eventually signed early in the next decade. India and China are both expanding their footprint in their region. This often leads to inevitable friction between two large and populous countries growing simultaneously and seeking to assert themselves.Bilateral engagement between the two sides needed strategic guidance that required the two leaders go into a huddle to share their visions on issues -- bilateral, regional as well as global. The huddle was also needed for a reiteration of their positions on how to go about addressing the longstanding border dispute and how to manage their differences on the issue pending a final resolution. A press release issued after the summit reiterated a key principle that went into the sealing of the 1993 pact. The two leaders further directed their militaries to earnestly implement various confidence building measures agreed upon between the two sides, including the principle of mutual and equal security, and strengthen existing institutional arrangements and information sharing mechanisms to prevent incidents in border regions, said the statement. Chinese President Xi Jinping and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi sit as they take a boat ride on the East Lake in Wuhan, China on April 28. (REUTERS) The principle of mutual and equal security was amply stressed by the leaders in their talks. Incidentally, the concept was suggested by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he was in the opposition and it was readily accepted by the then government. The two leaders have strengthened the principle by giving strategic guidance to their respective militaries to strengthen communication in order to build trust and mutual understanding and enhance predictability and effectiveness in the management of border affairs. A conversation of this sort doesnt ensure that all the issues that exist between two countries are resolved in the near future. However, it was necessary to look at a new framework of engagement, factoring in the domestic and foreign policy priorities of the two countries. It was all the more necessary at a time when the international order is going through major realignment and US President Donald Trump is shaking up the known certainties of multilateralism. India and China need a new template to chart their course ahead. And there is no better alternative to their leaders meeting in an informal summit, unburdened by the expectations of a pre-negotiated outcome, in going about the task. Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh resigned from the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, paving way for a new BJP face for the post in a cabinet reshuffle. I have resigned as the deputy chief minister of the government, Singh said. His decision came after he reportedly met BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi. State assembly speaker Kavinder Gupta will be the new deputy CM, a BJP leader said, according to news agency PTI. BJPs state unit chief, Sat Sharma, and the MLAs from Kathua and adjoining Sambha --- Rajiv Jasrotia and Devinder Kumar Manyal --- are among the BJP leaders who will be inducted into the state government as cabinet ministers on Monday, officials told PTI. The BJP will elevate Sunil Sharma, at present the minister of state for transport, to the rank of a cabinet minister, the officials said, adding the ruling Peoples Democratic Party will have Pulwama MLA Mohd Khalil Band and Sonwar MLA Mohd Ashraf Mir as cabinet ministers. Shakti Raj, the BJP MLA from Doda, will be sworn in as a minister of state at the oath-taking ceremony, which will be attended by senior BJP leaders, including national general secretary Ram Madhav and minister of state in the Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh, PTI reported. Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to those being inducted into the council of ministers on Monday noon, an invitation for the ceremony read. The BJP had on April 17 asked all its nine ministers in the coalition government to submit their resignations to bring in new faces in the two-year-old Mufti cabinet. The party, however, had not forwarded the resignations to the governor. Two BJP ministers -- Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga -- who took part in a rally in support of those accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, had to resign from the government earlier this month. The state can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP. A bomb exploded near the office of a power project in eastern Nepal being developed with aid from India, just weeks ahead of its foundation laying by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The office of Arun III hydroelectric project in Tumglingtar, being developed by Indias state-owned Sutluj Jala Viduyt Nigam (SJVN), was targeted by an unidentified group at midnight, said Shiva Raj Joshi, chief district officer of Sankhuwasabha, adding that some parts of the office wall was damaged. No one was injured and police has started a manhunt for those behind the blast, Joshi said, adding that no group has claimed responsibility. The explosion occurred hours after a panel led by Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli awarded the generation licenses of the project to SJVN. A meeting of Investment Board Nepal, which is chaired by Oli, decided to award the generation licenses to SJVN ahead of its foundation laying by Modi and Oli on May 11. This was the second blast in a month targeting Indian facilities in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian embassys field office in Biratnagar, damaging the walls of the premises. Arun III, a 900 MW run-of-the-river project, is funded by India and is slated to be operational by 2020 as per the agreement. But it is unlikely to meet the deadline due to delay in financial closure and other troubles. A Project Development Agreement was signed with SJVN on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Modi. Nepal is currently facing a power shortage and the production of electricity from the project will mainly serve its domestic needs. The project is expected to bring in $1.5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people. (With inputs from agencies) The BJP government in Tripura has handed over all the 74 chit fund cases from the SIT to the CBI to probe the unlawful collection of money from the people by the illegal chit fund organisations during the tenure of the previous Left Front government, chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb announced here on Sunday. We have recently proposed to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to ask CBI to probe all the 74 cases pending against various chit fund and NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Organisations). The DoPT accordingly agreed to the state governments proposal, the Chief Minister told the media. The previous Left Front government in various ways backed the unauthorised chit fund organisations and NBFCs to loot huge amount of money from thousands and lakhs of people. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led government was averse to give all the cases related to chit fund organisations and NBFCs to CBI, he said. Deb said his governments vision was to make Tripura a corruption and drugs free state as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had envisioned for the country. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week questioned former Left Front Finance, PWD and Health minister Badal Chowdhury and former Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Bijita Nath in connection with a Kolkata-based Rose Valley chit fund scam case. The CBI in June last year questioned Nath and CPI-M central committee member Gautam Das in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. The central agency on Thursday also separately interrogated two former private secretaries of Badal Chowdhury -- Sekhar Datta and Manik Lal Dey -- at the CBI office here over the same chit fund scam. CPI-M central committee member and partys state secretary Bijan Dhar said it was widely known that the CBI had been used by the ruling parties at the Centre. No CPI-M leader and former Left Front ministers were involved with any chit fund organisations, Dhar told the media adding that if CBI wants any information from the party leaders they would share, there is no problem in it. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) charged the previous Left Front government with promoting illegal chit fund organisations and unauthorised NBFCs in Tripura. The erstwhile Left Front government in Tripura had enacted a law in 2000 to deal with the illegal NBFCs and chit fund organisations and since 2016 began confiscating all movable and immovable properties of the Rose Valley chit fund organisation in the state. The Rose Valley is now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, and its sole proprietor and Chairman Gautam Kundu was arrested in Kolkata in 2015. The Tripura High Court had in 2015 asked the state government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the activities of unlawful NBFCs and chit fund organisations. In May 2013, the earlier Left government had referred 37 cases related to chit fund companies and NBFCs to the CBI. The central probe agency, however, took up only five cases. --IANS sc/qd/bg The government will issue an ordinance to uphold the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes if the Supreme Court does not go back on its judgment deleting the provision of immediate arrest on complaints from Dalits, said food minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who asserts that the Constitution too will be amended if need be. He acknowledged that the government had a problem of perception on the Dalit issue but felt this can be set right in no time if sufficient steps were taken. This anti-Dalit perception of the government can be changed in mere two days. The matter will be heard on May 3 in the court. I have said that if the courts verdict will not be in favour (of those who demand retention of the original provisions), we (government) will go for an ordinance and that too without a change of comma and full stop in the original SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Paswan told IANS in an interview. Asked whether the government will seek to nullify the court verdict if it does not change its order, he said: Yes. We will not allow the dilution of the Act at any cost. Even a comma and full-stop will be retained as in the Act. The Act will continue in its original form. We will do whatever needed to protect the rights of SCs and STs. If need be, we will go for constitutional amendment too. Paswan, the Dalit face of the NDA government, has been leading a campaign in pushing the government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the March 20 two-bench order that a government official or a civilian cannot be immediately arrested if a FIR is filed by a person belonging to SCs and STs. The Supreme Court had said that arrest under the Act was not mandatory and recourse to coercive action would be taken only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority. The court said the arrest should be cleared by an official of the Superintendent of Police after a complaint is filed. The government filed a review petition earlier this month seeking an immediate stay of the judgment but the court refused to grant any relief saying the ruling had been misunderstand. Paswan, a key member of the Group of Ministers on the issue headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said the government would adopt a similar approach on reservation in promotions in government and public sector organisations. We are going to do the same for reservation in promotion. In this case, the Supreme Court has not said that reservation in promotion is unconstitutional but has put three conditions of backwardness, efficiency and representation. All the three conditions do not apply. No one can charge any SC/ST Class I officer that he is not efficient. I have asked the AG to go to court and put forward these points. Even if the court does not agree, we will not hesitate to bring an ordinance. If need be, we will bring amendments in the constitution. Paswan had campaigned strongly for reservations for Other Backward Classes in the late 80s as part of the V.P. Singh government. When I speak, the message goes that I am speaking as I am a Dalit. He said the government had done a lot for the SC and ST communities but the perception that should have been there in public mind was not there. V.P. Singh was from a royal family and an upper caste leader. But after nine months as Prime Minister the perception about him changed. There were slogans in his favour like Raja Nahi Fakir Hai, Desh Ki Taqdeer Hai. He became a leader of Dalits, poor and backward classes. This government is working a lot but is not able to propagate its work properly among the SC/ST communities. During the Una incident in Gujarat in 2016 (in which Dalits associated with disposing of dead cattle were lynched, the state government took action. They replaced the Chief Minister. Around 36 officials were transferred but they didnt put these things before the public properly. If Indira Gandhi would have been there, she would had spoken loudly about it. I did this and I did that for Dalits. Modiji belongs to the weaker section of the society. He is from Most Backward Caste (MBC). He is also from a very poor family, economically and socially. But the kind of perception should have been there for him is not there. Just because he has a tag of being from RSS and the BJP. As a result, the perception about him is not changing. All his good work gets washed away when someone says something unwanted and unwarranted. Paswan said it was Mayawati who as as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh issued an order in October 2007 against the misuse of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and said that police should register a case only after probing a complaint. It was she who weakened the Act and despite that she calls herself a Dalit leader. Asked why the government reacted late in filing the review petition, Paswan said: Every department has its own style of functioning. If I get a work, I call the officials concerned and take decisions without delay... The courts verdict came on March 20 and the review petition was filed in April due to weekend holidays and other reasons. He said the Law Minister should have discussed the issue in a day or two with the Attorney General. I met the Prime Minister with other MPs over the issue. A GoM also met under Rajnath Singh where I put up my concerns. He said the Prime Minister told everyone clearly to file a review petition. Paswan said the Supreme Court had broken the teeth of the Act. The court said the accused can get anticipatory bail before his arrest. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Chinas decision to temporarily back off from convincing India to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping could be based on carefully considered reasons. Beijing has realised that New Delhi will not budge from its position that one of the flagship projects under the BRI, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) violates its sovereignty as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India has officially put forward this position far too many times to back out now. Second, Beijing has recognised that it is possible to have economic cooperation with India outside the BRI. Bilateral trade, for one, reached a record high of $84.4 billion, up 20.3% from 2016, the fastest growth for five years. According to official Chinese data, trade in Q1 of the current year hit $22.1 billion, up 15.4 percent year on year. Only last Monday, India was the only country not to express support for the BRI at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting in Beijing. India and Pakistan joined the SCO last year. External affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj did not express support for the BRI the joint communique released after the foreign ministers meeting. Seven other foreign ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed support for Chinas Belt and Road proposal, the communique said. In the air of bilateral bonhomie created by the Modi-Xi informal summit, Chinese vice-foreign minister Kong Xuanyou told reporters that China does not think it is important whether India accepts Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure project and China wont force it to. He also played down differences over the BRI and said China wasnt concerned by India not supporting it as long as they both shared common interests on connectivity. When it comes to connectivity my impression is that China and India do not have any principled disagreements, Kong said. According to Kong, Modi and Xi did not talk about the specific wording or expression of the Belt and Road. But many things China and India are planning to do are in keeping with what the BRI stands for, he said, including the industrial parks China is building in India. Kong also mentioned the Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar (BCIM) corridor that predates the BRI but which Beijing has included as one of the six flagship economic corridors under the BRI. Kong said China sees the BCIM as an important part of the BRI. India does not oppose the BCIM and in fact is cooperating with us on it, and it is progressing very smoothly. China will be happy of course that all other south Asian countries are either part of the BRI or have expressed support for it. For Beijing and New Delhi, the tough task will be it to set aside the differences over BRI and look for convergences in other economic sectors and connectivity projects. P Muralidhar Rao, 53, the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) national general secretary, is the in-charge of election-bound Karnataka for the party. A former volunteer of the Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS), the Telangana-born leader worked with the Swadeshi Jagran Manch before the RSS sent him to the BJP. A tech-savvy politician, Rao has operated out of a guest house in Bangalore for the last four months, closely monitoring every minute detail that may influence the outcome of the May 12 polls for the 224-member assembly of the only southern state that the BJP has won in the past. Before starting an action-packed day, Rao spoke to Kumar Uttam on the BJPs prospects in the state and its challenges. Edited excerpts: How is the BJP doing in Karnataka two weeks ahead of polling? There is no doubt that the BJP will form a government. The Congress has given us so many issues to highlight, and several reasons to the people of Karnataka to vote them out. The performance of the previous BJP government in Karnataka and the trust that the people have in Narendra Modi are working in our favour. Compared to this, there is sheer confusion in the Congress. Its leadership is divided. How will the people trust chief minister Siddaramaiah when he doesnt enjoy the confidence of his own party? The rampant corruption under his nose is a big issue. You have made corruption a big issue. How does the BJP defend its decision to field some tainted faces? We do not have tainted faces. The BJP has given ticket to Reddy brothers from Bellary who are accused in the mining scam. Will it not impact the partys anti-corruption plank? The BJP has not given a ticket to Gali Janardhana Reddy. Gali Karunakar Reddy and Gali Somasekhara Reddy are workers of the party and have been elected representatives in the past. They do not have cases against them. Where is the question of fielding tainted faces? The Karnataka government has recommended a separate religion status for Lingayats, who have been loyal to the BJP. Will it hurt your prospects? The community understands the politics behind it. Why was it not made an issue four years ago by Siddaramaiah, and raised only before the elections? If they were genuinely committed to it, why was it rejected when the Congress was in power at the Centre? It is a brainchild of Siddaramaiah to divide the people of Karnataka. Even the Congress does not subscribe to his opinion on this. If the Congress is united on this, why hasnt Rahul Gandhi spoken about the issue? Why havent leaders such as Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge spoken on this? They know this has backfired on the Congress and now want to maintain a safe distance from the issue. Do you think that the community will desert BS Yeddyurappa because someone else (Siddaramaiah) is trying to play tricks? But Yeddyurappa is reported to be angry over ticket distribution. Is it not detrimental to the BJP? Who told you that Yeddyurappa is unhappy? This is speculation. There were protests after the BJP denied ticket to Yeddyurappas son from Varuna. Ticket distribution has been done carefully. A worker of the BJP has got the ticket there. The BJP gave tickets to two MPs, Yeddyurappa and B Sriramulu. The third Lok Sabha MP, Shobha Karandlaje, who is a close confidant of Yeddyurappa, was denied a ticket. Will that not upset him? She did not ask for a ticket. Where is the question of denying ticket to her? She is working for the party. There are allegations that the BJP is clipping the wings of BS Yeddyurappa even before the elections. Is he going to be the chief minister after the results are declared? The BJP has declared BS Yeddyurappa as the chief ministerial candidate of the party. We have announced on several occasions that he will be the chief minister after the BJP wins the election. He will be the chief minister for a full five-year term. Where is the confusion in this? Any controversy or confusion in this regard is unnecessary. The BJP is winning the election and Yeddyurappa will be the next chief minister. It is very clear. There are some reports that the RSS is also unhappy over distribution of tickets in the coastal region. Will it affect the outcome of the election? There is no truth to these allegations. Siddaramaiah has played the sub-nationalism card through decisions to have a separate flag for Karnataka and on the language issue. Will it not put the BJP on the back foot? These are desperate bids by the chief minister to arrest the rapid decline of the Congress. The Congress has been in power for most of these years. They did not wake up to these issues when in power. Now suddenly he is trying to invent some issues. People can see through it. Just on the eve of the election, you are trying to make a non-issue into an issue. These things do not work. Still, will it not affect the BJP? It would affect only if the BJP had a different stand from the Congress on the issue of Kannada pride. Is there any difference? No. We respect the sentiments of Karnataka. We are equally sensitive about the language issue. We respect the sentiments about Kannada pride. But remember, Karnataka is not a state where regionalism can be promoted. Kannada pride is a different subject. Regionalism is different. What is your biggest advantage in Karnataka? Narendra Modis popularity and the trust the people of the state have in him. When is he going to start his campaign? From May 1. There are reports that he will address only 15 rallies. Is the Prime Minister trying to distance himself from Karnataka sensing a trouble? Where is the question of distancing? He has already held about half-a-dozen pre-election rallies, covering most parts of the state. Now that election dates have been announced, he is going to hold more rallies. You cannot compare the number of rallies he held in bigger states such as Uttar Pradesh with what he will have in Karnataka, which has about half the number of assembly seats than Uttar Pradesh. His rallies are going to change the mood in the state and give a big boost to the partys campaign. When will the BJP declare its manifesto? Very soon. What are its main highlights? You will come to know when the manifesto is released. What I can tell you now is that there will be many game-changers in it. Will the BJP announce a loan waiver for farmers like it did in Uttar Pradesh? Farmers have suffered in Karnataka under the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. Cases of suicides by farmers have increased in the state because of the insensitivity of the state government.We have plans to change this situation after coming to power. There will be relief for the agrarian community. There has been a protest by the Scheduled Castes over issues like the alleged dilution of the SC/ST act and statue vandalism. How will the BJP deal with it? The atrocities against the SCs have been on a rise in the present government. Incidents like rapes and murders are rampant. The Scheduled Castes are not going to vote for the Congress. They want a change. In one of his sharpest attacks on the National Democratic Alliance governments policies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the countrys watchman is silent on graft and predicted his partys victory in the upcoming round of assembly elections and next years Lok Sabha polls. Addressing his first public gathering in the national Capital since taking over as the party president last December, the 47-year-old accused Modi of making hollow promises and speaking lies during his nearly 35-minute speech in Hindi at the well-attended Jan Aakrosh (public anger) rally at Ramlila Maidan. The rally, held with the Red Fort as a backdrop and attended by a battery of senior Congress leaders, including former party president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was seen by experts as the flagging-off of the partys 2019 campaign. I will tell you why Congress will win the elections because our workers give their blood and sweat, stand in the heat for the party. Woh sher ka bacha aur satya ka sipahi hai (he is a lions cub and a soldier of truth). You kill him, beat him, break his legs, fire at him, but he will not leave the fight for truth, Gandhi said. Assembly polls are due this year in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Among other allegations related to corruption, Dalits, the Supreme Court, unemployment and rural distress the Congress president questioned Modis meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last week, accusing the PM of not putting forth Indias point of view. People have a hard time in finding the truth in what Modi-ji says. He did not speak a single word on Doklam. What kind of Prime Minister is he? He tasted tea with Chinese president and held meeting without a single agenda, Gandhi said. Chinas army is entrenched in Doklam, they are making helipads, extending airport and the Indias Prime Minister held discussions without any agenda. What does this mean? None of the Prime Ministers had done such a thing but only Narendra Modi can do this. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the Congress rally as farce, with party chief Amit Shah calling it a Parivar Akrosh (family anger) rally that highlighted increasing irrelevance of a dynasty and their courtiers who have been sent out of power from one state after another. People are not tolerating the Congresss lies, empty promises, corruption and communalism. If the Congress really wants to know why there is Jan Akrosh, they should answer why they disallowed Parliament to function and why it has prevented the formation of an OBC (other backward castes) commission that gives justice to backward sections, Shah tweeted. In his speech, Gandhi alleged that the Modi government was willing to waive off ?2.5 lakh crore loans of a few industrialists but was not ready to do the same for farmers, who were being forced to commit suicide. The farmers cannot survive without the Congress. If the Congress had not stood up, all the land of farmers would have been snatched by Narendra Modi, he said. Addressing the gathering, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi accused the Modi government of betraying the people by not keeping its promises and alleged that corruption had taken deeper roots since it came to power in 2014. She also alleged that the government has left no stone unturned in targeting political rivals and undermining institutions, saying a serious crisis had gripped the top judiciary for the first time ever. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that democracy was in danger with the Modi government consistently undermining constitutional institutions. Its the time the Modi government should give an account of its work to the people of the country, he said. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday directed party leaders to not speak out of turn and take a united stand against the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress chief, however, assured the gathering at Delhis Jan Aakrosh rally that differences in opinions within the party will be respected and dissenters will be protected. Gandhis remarks came days after senior Congress leader and former law minister Salman Khurshid had opposed the partys decision to move a motion for the removal of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Khurshid had courted another controversy last week when while addressing students at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) he said Congresss hands were too stained with the blood of Muslims. Making a direct reference to Khrushid, Gandhi said: Sometimes, there are different opinions in our party. I will give you an example. A few days ago Salman Khurshid who is sitting here gave a different opinion. I am ready to accept from this stage that there will be divergence of views in our party and I will ensure that various opinions grow, he said. Gandhi, however, was quick to call upon party leaders to speak in one voice when it came to taking on the RSS. I will protect Salman Khurshid. But I must tell you that whenever our party is fighting the RSS we have to fight them together and in one voice, he said. Echoing Gandhis views, Khurshid said unity was a hallmark of the Congress although its leaders might have different views on certain issues. Just like our country, there will be difference of opinions in our party. But when we it comes to Congress, we all are one and that is the beauty of our party, he said. Congress leaders hailed Gandhis comments with partys senior Bihar leader, Kishore Kumar Jha, stating: He has given a strong message at the right time. All of us have to fight the BJP together and as one team if we want to win the 2019 elections. The Congress chief also warned of action against those who disrespected partys leaders and workers and reiterated that both senior and young Congress members will be given their due place in the organisation. This party belongs to the nation and all of us. There are both experienced leaders and young people. Everybody will be respected and given a place in Congress. Whether a leader or a worker is 90 years old or 18, all will be respected. If anybody does not respect them, I will take action against the person, he said. Read | I thought its all over: Rahul Gandhi to go on pilgrimage after flight scare Political observers said Gandhis comments reflected his aim to maintain order in the Congress and not let discordant voices within the party eclipse the larger narrative at the time of elections. No party can afford to be disorganised and pulling in different directions. He (Gandhi) doesnt want public display of any infighting and resentment. In the election period, it is important to speak in one voice, said Delhi-based political analyst Professor Balveer Arora. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants students to utilise their summer vacations by taking up a special internship in the flagship cleanliness campaign, Swachh Bharat. In his monthly radio broadcast Mann ki Baat, the PM asked the youth to enrol for the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship 2018, which would earn them incentives, including credit points from the University Grants Commission. Ahead of Ramzan and Buddha Purnima, the PM hailed Prophet Muhammad and Lord Buddha, asking people to remember their teachings. This is an opportunity to remember the teachings of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his message. It is our responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from his life, Modi said in his radio programme on Sunday. He underlined that Ramzan is celebrated with reverence and respect throughout the world. The PM said: He did not possess an iota of ego and preached that knowledge alone defeats ego. Prophet Mohammad Sahib (peace be upon him) believed that if you possessed anything more than your requirement, then donate it to the needy. Prophet Muhammad Sahib believed that a person is rich because of his inherent spirituality, and not materialistic wealth. I wish all the citizens an auspicious month of Ramzan and I hope this opportunity will inspire people to follow the Prophets message of peace and goodwill. Modi said once a person asked the Prophet about the best thing in Islam and the reply was feeding a poor and needy and meeting everyone cordially, whether you know him or not. He also told his listeners to be proud that India was the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The very synonym of power of compassion, service and sacrifice, who guided millions of people around the world, he described Buddha and said that it was our obligation to emulate Lord Buddhas teaching as well as, pledge ourselves to follow his footsteps. Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood. These are human values, which are most desired in the world today. The speech, which lasted over half an hour, also touched upon Indias success at the Commonwealth Games, the demonstration of the countrys scientific and military might at Pokhran 2 and other issues. Apart from the cleanliness drive, the PM also turned his focus on water conservation in his radio show at the beginning of summer. Emphasising that the government was not leaving any stones unturned, Modi said that his government pumped Rs 32,000 crore annually outside the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) budget and 150 lakh acres of land has benefitted from it in the past three years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked youngsters to join the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship 2018 launched by his government and announced incentives, including credit point by the UGC, for participants, saying it is an opportunity for those who want to make a change in the society. In his monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, Modi also pitched for water conservation, saying it should be everyones responsibility and asserted that his government has spent Rs 32,000 crore annually outside the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) budget and 150 lakh acre land benefitted from it in the last three years. In his over 30-minute address, Modi touched on a number of topics, including Indian athletes, especially womens, achievement in the Commonwealth Games, peoples response to his call for fitness and also paid tributes to Prophet Mohammad and Lord Buddha ahead of the month of Ramzan and Buddha Purnima respectively. Noting that India had carried out nuclear tests on Buddha Purnima on May 11 in 1998, when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister, Modi said youngsters need to imbibe Vajpayees mantra of Jai Vigyan (hail science) to make India modern and strong. Giving a call to students to join the Swachh Bharat campaign during their summer vacation, he said three ministries of his government have launched an internship programme and it is an opportunity for those who want to work for the society, contribute positively and bring about a change. The best of the interns who have strived in schools and colleges with excellent work will be rewarded with recognition at the national level. Not just that, those interns who accomplish their tasks well will be awarded two credit points each by the UGC , Modi said. It will also boost the cleanliness campaign, a signature project of his government, those who participate in it will feel a sense of fulfillment when the country celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, he said. Turning to water conservation, he said India has traditionally done it and cited examples of many temples and other historic places that have done so and noted that some rivers in states like Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have been revived recently. (We are) Leaving no stone unturned for water conservation, he said. Modi also hailed the performance the Indian squad in the Commonwealth Games, saying they made every Indian proud and especially lauded woman athletes for their show. Many of them have come from small towns and overcome to several hurdles to reach where they are today, he said. The programme also shared recorded messages of some of the athletes. He also asked people to think about ways to make the Yoga Day on June 21 memorable. The prime minister drew from the teachings of Prophet Mohammad and said he believed in knowledge and compassion. His life taught people to walk the path of equality and brotherhood, Modi said. Lord Buddha believed in peace, harmony and brotherhood and these values are needed the most in the world today, Modi said. India is developing infrastructure to boost Buddhism tourism, he said, and working to connect easily with the Buddhist countries of the south east Asia. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was also inspired by Buddha in his work for empowering the marginalised sections of society, he said. Modi also paid tributes to Rabindranath Tagore, whose birth anniversary falls on May 7, and said he would regularly listen to Rabindra Sangeet when he was a child. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Union ministers on Sunday celebrated what they claimed as powerful India after the target to bring electricity to all villages was achieved ahead of its deadline. On Saturday, Leisang in Manipur became the last village to be added to the national power grid. The rural electrification scheme to supply power to 18,452 census villages that have never seen power since Independence has been one of the pet schemes of PM Modi. This and the free LPG connection scheme has potential to improve his popularity in the rural sector ahead of elections. I salute the efforts of all those who worked tirelessly on the ground, including the team of officials, the technical staff and all others, to make this dream of a #PowerfulIndia a reality. Their efforts today will help generations of Indians in the coming years, he tweeted. In his 2015 Independence Day speech, Modi announced that his government would supply power to all the remaining villages in the next 1,000 days but fulfilled the target in 987 days. 28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2018 BJP president Amit Shah saw an opportunity to take jibes at the Congress and tweeted: Today, the entire nation is celebrating power for every single village while the Congress is mourning the loss of power for one family. But critics took a cautious tone and said it is too small a target to be proud of. Any infrastructural addition or benefits earn credit for the party in power. But in the rural electrification scheme, only the remaining 3% of villages have been provided power. Also, most of the remaining villages are not densely populated, said Himangshu, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University here. The Congress hit back and its chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: Dear Amit Shahji, India has 6,49,867 villages. Congress connected 97% with electricity. During UPA (2004-14), Congress electrified 1,07,600 villages. In 60 yrs, Congress average is electrifying 10,000 villages per year. Congress created #PowerfulIndia but didnt boast! But senior NDA ministers continued to focus on the completion. After 70 years of independence, #Electricity now reached all Indian villages because of 4 years focused efforts of @narendramodi Government, tweeted Prakash Javadekar. Power minister Piyush Goyal wrote: Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia. According to a Bloomberg report, a village is considered electrified if 10% of its households, as well as public places, are connected. The Indian Air Force (IAF) concluded the biggest exercise in its history Gaganshakti-2018 last week, involving more than 1,100 aircraft testing its readiness to fight a two-front war. HT looks back at Operation Brasstacks which took place in 1987. Context It was in Operation Brasstacks in 1987, when the army moved tens of thousands of troops to the western border, along with armoured columns, artillery and rocket systems, in an overwhelming show of military. Operation Brasstacks, the brainchild of then army chief, the flamboyant General Krishnaswami Sundarji, was intimidating and spectacular in equal measure. It also asserted Indias superiority over Pakistan in conventional warfare. Sundarji believed in mechanisation on a massive scale with multiple core offensives supported by armour, artillery and airpower, said military affairs expert Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (retd). This was part of a strategy to capture large swathes of territory as a means of deterrence, punishment and holding a strong negotiating position post conflict. Significance In some quarters, Operation Brasstacks was seen as a full dress rehearsal for a war with Pakistan. Our mechanised forces had come of age and we wanted to see how they would behave in a real war. It was about mobilising forces with speed and precision in a no-holds-barred exercise, said Oberoi, who was then a brigadier looking after combat training at army headquarters. The big takeaway from Operation Brasstacks was the capability of Indian forces to launch a swift offensive campaign. The exercise took place during a particularly sensitive period when tensions between India and Pakistan were high, and tested Indians readiness to meet any eventuality on the western front.Pakistan found itself on edge. It is no secret that Islamabad feared an Indian invasion. Soldiers board a C-130J aircraft. (Picture courtesy: Indian Air Forc) The exercise made the Pakistan armys hackles rise, said Kak. They saw it as a means to virtually break up Pakistan. The exercise had a shock effect, he added. Like Brasstacks, Gaganshakti-2018 too was closely tracked by Pakistan. In a recent interview to HT, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa suggested that the western neighbour was rattled by the sheer scale and complexity of Gaganshakti-2018. What Happened The mock war was conducted in four phases. It all began with a secret tabletop exercise or a war-gaming scenario in Delhi Cantonment in 1986, followed by drills for large-scale mobilisation and deployment of forces at the Command level and, finally culminated in a full-scale combat exercise covering a wide range of military operations in Rajasthan. India had seen nothing like that in peace-time. Though it was purely a training exercise, United States and Pakistan viewed it as aggressive military posturing by the Indian military, said former army vice chief, Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi (retd). He wrote and planned the first phase of the operation. Oberoi said then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was among the top leaders who were briefed on the first phase of the exercise. The high-tempo military exercise simulated a full-fledged war between Blueland and Redland, two opposing corps-level forces consisting of more than 75,000 soldiers each. Backed by formidable air support and destructive firepower, the army carried out rapid armoured assaults and deep strikes into Redland to destroy its war-fighting capabilities and capture territory. In a first, India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries. The military exercise will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-dominated security grouping which is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO, officials said. They said the military drill will be held in the Ural mountains of Russia and almost all SCO member countries will be part of it. Officials said the main aim of the exercise, Peace Mission, will be to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries. Indias participation at the exercise was confirmed by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting of SCO defence ministers meeting in Beijing last week, officials added. It will be for the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan will both be part of a military exercise, though the armies of the two nations have worked together in UN peace keeping missions, they said. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc last year. Indias membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistans entry into the grouping was backed by China. With expansion of the grouping, SCO now represents over 40% of humanity and nearly 20% of the global GDP. India feels that as an SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. It is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India has been holding military exercise with China. The two countries are likely to resume their bilateral military exercise in September. Last year, the drill was suspended following a tense standoff between their troops in Dokalam. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) The Rohingya influx from Myanmar to Bangladesh is a serious common security challenge for the entire region, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla said in Agartala. Rohingya influx from Rakhine state of Myanmar to Bangladesh is a serious and common security challenge not only for Bangladesh but for the entire region, Shringla told IANS during an interview. Bangladesh has engaged itself to address the issue. They have taken up the issue with the UN. The Bangladesh government is also working through multilateral agencies besides bilateral negotiations with Myanmar. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement to repatriate the Rohingya Muslims. This is a humanitarian crisis even though the issue posed a common security challenge not only for Bangladesh but for all the countries of the region. Over 1.15 million registered Rohingya have been residing in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh, known as the Coxs Bazar region, after they fled Rakhine to escape a military crackdown on their villages last August. To a question about extremist activities in Bangladesh, the visiting Indian envoy said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pursued a zero tolerance policy on terrorism. After the terror attack in Dhakas Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in July 2016, law and order agencies have been active against terror activities. No major incident has taken place since. The issue cannot be resolved overnight. This is a continuous process, Shringla said. The High Commissioner came here on Thursday and held a series of meetings with Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Governor Tathagata Roy and other senior officials. The visiting diplomat during his meeting with Deb discussed various issues like connectivity, people to people contact, hassle free movement of Indians to Bangladesh, trade and economic activities. The Indian envoy said that Bangladesh has been promoting peace and security not only within its territory but ensuring regional and international peace and security. About Chinas rising cooperation with Bangladesh and investment in Dhaka, the diplomat said that Indias relations with Bangladesh were enduring and sustainable. Indias relationship and partnership with Bangladesh was based on cooperation, mutuality of benefit and respect for each other. People to people contact is very important, Shringla said. The High Commissioner said that 111 agreements have been signed between India and Bangladesh in the last ten years in different sectors. India has given $8 billion in three Lines of Credit to Bangladesh. According to the envoy, total trade between the two countries in 2016-17 was $7.5 billion while $3.3 billion worth Indian investment proposals are registered with the Bangladesh government. He said that India is currently supplying 660 MW of power to Bangladesh from West Bengal and Tripura. India has spent Rs 19.14 crore to create the infrastructure for the third International Internet Gateway in Agartala to get the 10 gigabit bandwidth from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited. For this, an optical fibre cable link has been established between Akhaura (along Agartala) and Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh. Regarding the 2019 Bangladesh parliamentary elections next year, the Indian envoy said it was the countrys internal matter. Bangladesh has a vibrant democracy like ours. The country is holding periodic elections. We look forward to a very free and fair process of election in Bangladesh. He said that India-Bangladesh relations were based on common history, language, culture besides a common border of over 4000 km. Today we are enjoying the best ever relations. During the past 10 years, relations have improved enormously. Cooperation, friendship and partnership are beneficial for both the countries. The countries have invested significantly to develop infrastructure along the borders to promote trade among the two neighbours. The border infrastructure is being further developed to enhance trade and economic activities between the two nations. Currently 36 land customs stations (LCS) are operational along the India-Bangladesh border. Further upgradations were being done along the Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura besides West Bengal borders, he added. Shringla said that to further improve the ongoing bus services between Dhaka, Kolkata, Agartala, Shillong and Guwahati, more steps would be taken to make the bus services more effective as it is inexpensive for people of both the countries. Five Indian states - West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share the 4,096-km border with Bangladesh. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) After establishing annual events in London and in Boulder, Colorado, the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is set to expand its international footprint with a permanent presence in Toronto, where the inaugural festival is expected to be held in September. JLFs co-founder and festival producer, Sanjoy Roy, announced he is looking at making the festival a fixture in Canadas largest city, as he appeared on a panel along with Indias envoy to Canada, Vikas Swarup, during the annual Canada-India Partnership Summit. What were hoping to do is in September, this or the next depending on how or when we are able to find the resources, do a three-day festival at (the) Distillery (district in Toronto), Roy said on the sidelines of the summit organised by the Canada-India Business Council (C-IBC). JLF moved beyond Jaipur, where it was founded in 2006, to London five years ago and then expanded to Boulder two years after that. One reason for bringing Indias biggest show in literature to Canada was Roys co-panelist, since Swarup, also an acclaimed author, was bullying JLF to bring its act to the country. As Swarup said, I think its a great idea. Canada needs a JLF because Canada is a model of diversity and JLF is a festival of diversity. And Toronto, which now has the reputation of being the most diverse city on the planet, is the perfect fit for a festival like JLF. While JLF was considering a pop-up event in Toronto earlier, along the lines of its one-day debut at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art last year, the plan, now in an advanced state, is of going the whole hog with a three-day celebration of the arts that will return to the city each year. Canada was not necessarily on our radar but the more weve been in the US, the more weve understood that Canada as a culture and a country is so completely different, Roy said. And Toronto appeared to be an apt destination, when the organisers asked themselves the question: Wheres the largest catchment area where we can find a niche? The intent is to make JLF integral to Torontos landscape, not just an import from India, by involving talent from within Canada, including those from the First Nations or indigenous communities. Among those delighted with the prospect of JLFs imminent arrival in Toronto is Kasi Rao, CEO and president of C-IBC, who moderated the discussion between Roy and Swarup. He said, At a time when we all seek to project soft power, the JLF offers a model perspective on how to do it. It is a projection of Indias soft power with a direct connect to literary Canadian giants like Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. For this remarkable festival to put Toronto on its radar would be terrific. It would yet again show Torontos prowess and materially advance our economic interests with India. That enthusiasm will be shared by many in the city hoping JLF becomes a permanent feature of its cultural landscape, which is exactly the plan, as Roy said, When we come in we dont come in for one-offs, we come basically to stay. A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to death by a city court for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Bengaluru last year. 54th City Civil and Sessions Judge M Lathakumrai held Anil Balagar guilty of rape and murder and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and death respectively for the crimes. In her order on Saturday, the judge also directed the Karnataka government to pay Rs 2 lakh to the victims parents. According to the prosecution, Balagar had raped and killed the girl on April 21 last year and kept her body hidden in his house. The girl was reported missing since April 20 and on the basis of a complaint from her grandfather, the local police had registered a case. The girl had come to her grandfathers house. Balagar, a neighbour of the victims grandfather, lured the girl and took her to his house, where he raped and killed her, the prosecution had said. A few days after the girl went missing, a foul smell had started emanating from Balagar locked house. The neighbours had broken open the door and found the highly decomposed body of the girl under a cot, the police said. A case was registered under the POCSO Act and Anil was arrested, they added. Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has come up with yet another advice. He said the youth of the state should milk cows instead of running after politicians for a government job. There should be a cow in every house. Why run after netas for government jobs? Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre. Graduates should get cows and milk them to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years instead of running after political parties, said Deb, who has been in the news over the last week for his critique on model-actor Diana Hayden and views on existence of internet during Mahabharat. Deb was speaking at a seminar organised by the Tripura Veterinary Council at Agartala. He went further to suggest that if milking cows does not work, opening a paan shop, too, could be a good career choice. Youths should not run after government jobs but focus on generating employment of their own. Here, the culture of seeking government jobs and running after political parties has grown for two decades. Youths waste the vital time of their life. Had the same youth opened a paan shop instead of running after political parties, he would have a bank balance of Rs 5 lakh by now, Deb said. Read | Diana Hayden says she is proud of her brown skin as Biplab Deb says didnt intend to hurt anyone Deb said that the PM Narendra Modi-led government offers several bank loans for micro-businesses under the MUDRA scheme to help people gain self-employment. Deb said educated youths are running away from agriculture, piggery and poultry as they think it is beneath their status. Educated youths narrow-minded ideas dont allow them to opt for farming or poultry farming... This has led to a rise in unemployment, he was quoted as saying. Of late, Deb has been in the news for his unusual pronouncements. On Friday, the chief minister had said that mechanical engineers should not choose civil services. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday announced that he would take a 15-day break from politics immediately after the May 12 Karnataka elections to go on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar . Addressing a well-attended Jan Aakrosh rally at Delhis Ramlila Maidan, Gandhi narrated the incident of a technical snag in a chartered aircraft in which he was flying to poll-bound Karnataka from New Delhi. The incident happened during landing of the flight at Hubballi in north Karnataka on Thursday. Two-three days ago when I was going to Karnataka, the plane nosedived 8,000 feet and I thought its all over. As I thought that, it struck me I want to go to Kailash Mansarovar, he told the gathering of hundreds of Congress workers who responded with uninterrupted applause. And I need 10-15 days leave from you to go to Kailash Mansarovar after the Karnataka elections, said Gandhi who had finished his speech but came back to seek permission from the workers. Kailash is a mountain peak located near Manasarovar lake in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China and is considered holy by the Hindus as the abode of Lord Shiva. It also holds religious significance for Jains and Buddhists. The Kailash Mansarovar yatra, one of the toughest pilgrimages in the world, draws hundreds of pilgrims every year. The Congress had said there was intentional tampering with the plane, and demanded a probe into the suspicious performance of the 10-seater Falcon 2000 aircraft. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already initiated a probe into the incident. Gandhi had often come under attack from his critics for his periodic leave of absence from active politics at critical times since he became the Congress vice-president in January 2013. In March this year, Gandhi celebrated Holi with his aged grandmother in Italy. The visit coincided with the poll results in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland. A probe was ordered on Sunday after photographs surfaced of newly recruited constables with markings of SC, ST and O for OBC on their chests during their medical examination in Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district, triggering accusations of caste-based segregation. Dhar superintendent of police Birendra Kumar Singh said there was no instruction to mention the caste of a candidate on his chest. An inquiry has been initiated. Those found guilty will be punished, he said. District officials, who did not want to be named, explained that the initials SC for scheduled caste, ST for scheduled tribe and O for OBC, or other backward class were put on the chests of male candidates from these categories as they have different selection norms under the reservation policy. This, they said, was done to identify one section of candidates from the other and avoid any mix-up. State director general of police (DGP) Rishi Kumar Shukla acknowledged as much, saying there was no bad intention in the move but should have been avoided. It was a precautionary measure to ensure there was transparency in the physical measurements for these categories, he said. I have given instructions to the district police to remove the markings, if any, and to ensure there is no recurrence. People familiar with the mandatory medical examination pointed out that a candidate belonging to the general category, OBC and SC should be 168 centimetres tall. ST candidates should be 160 centimetres tall and there is also a relaxation in their chest measurement norms. According to state health department sources familiar with the matter, the medical examination of more than 300 recruits to the district police and special armed force in Dhar began at the government hospital on Wednesday. Apparently, none of the candidates lodged a complaint. But photographs of candidates with the chest markings leaked on Saturday and reported by the media, causing a flutter in the administration. RC Panika, the chief medical and health officer of Dhar, said they were trying to find out how this happened. The test was conducted by a medical board headed by Dr Sushil Kumar Khare, a civil surgeon at the district hospital. Khare said the markings were not put by the health department. We conduct medical examination of the candidates sent by the police department. We sit in a hall and each candidate is taken before a doctor as per schedule and he is accompanied by a constable, the civil surgeon said, giving the specifics. I pointed out when I saw the O written on the chest of a candidate. I was told by the policeman that O is for OBC. I think it was done by the police department to identify the candidates from different sections and avoid a mix-up, Khare said. Indresh Gajbhiye, president of the Ambedkar Shodh Sansthan, said the markings violated human rights and are also a criminal offence under the SC/ST prevention of atrocities act. Such branding amounted to atrocities on the constables. The guilty must be punished, he demanded. Additional chief secretary (home), KK Singh, said he was not aware that such a thing had happened. (With input from Chhotu Shastri from Dhar) Enemys enemy is my friend The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the Popular Front of India (PFI), which had said it would contest about 25 seats in the Karnataka elections, has decided to withdraw candidates in all but three. The SDPIs decision is said to prevent the division of minority votes that might help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party has said that except for Narsimharaja (Mysuru), Gulbarga North (Kalaburagi) and Chickpet (Bengaluru), where it fancies its chances of winning, its candidates will withdraw from contest. This is expected to benefit the Congress. With Owaisis AIMIM deciding to back the JD(S) in Karnataka, the SDPIs move will be bring a sigh of relief for Congress, especially in close contests where every vote counts. Sweating it out in summer Temperatures in some districts such as Kalaburagi, Bagalkote, Vijayapur and Raichur are touching 40 degrees Celsius even before the month of May, considered the hottest in these parts, yet to arrive. Such is the impact of weather that most offices, colleges and business establishments typically close in the afternoon. The government has issued an advisory to non-essential services to start early at 8am and close by 1.30pm. Establishments such as medical and kirana stores start reopening from 4.30pm. However, with the political temperature reaching boiling point this year, party workers and candidates have no choice except to trudge through the heat. Cooling liquids and summer fruits like watermelon and musk melon have become the edible of choice to help keep oneself motivated. A party worker canvassing for a national party in Raichur, though, philosphised saying If the candidates bear the heat for one time now, they can enjoy the cool confines of Vidhana Soudha for next five years. Will the diamond shine? One party which has hardly got any attention despite fielding candidates in all 224 assembly constituencies is the All India Mahila Empowerment Party. It is led by Hyderabad-based Shaik Nowhera who prefixes her name with doctor. The burkha-clad Shaik, who operates mainly out of the confines of Hotel Leela Palace in Bengaluru, says she has visited and canvassed in all the districts across the state. She also says she is a businesswomen who runs the Heera group of companies which have interests in multiple areas. The symbol of the party appropriately is a diamond (heera). While some analysts say that the AIMEP, which has been advertising extensively, has been propped up by other political players interested in dividing minority votes, Shaik dismisses those theories. We represent all sections of society and we are confident of winning a number of seats, she says. The day the votes are counted, May 15, will decide whether this diamond has any lustre. Three persons were arrested from Canacona village of south Goa on Saturday for allegedly raping a six-year-old daughter of a constriction worker over last four months, police said today. The accused trio were working as security guards at a site where the father of the victim is working as a construction worker, said Canacona police inspector Rajendra Prabhudesai. They are identified as Manoj Kumar (20), Jaidip Ree (24) and Ravi Ree (25), he said, adding that while Kumar hailed from Madhya Pradesh, Jaideep and Ravi are from Assam. They were arrested on Saturday after receiving a complaint. The victim disclosed that the accused had raped her on several occasion in the last four months by offering her sweets, he said. The trio were booked underappropriate sections of the IPC and provisions of the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the inspector said. Police have arrested three security guards in South Goa district for raping a six-year-old girl, police said on Sunday. The girl, daughter of a construction worker in Canacona village, was raped on three different occasions over four months, said Rajendra Prabhudessai, Police Inspector in-charge of the Canacona Police Station. Manoj Kumar, 20, of Madhya Pradesh, Jaidip Ree, 24, and Ravi Ree, 25, from Assam, who worked as security guards at the construction site where the victims father was employed, have been arrested, Prabhudessai told reporters. According to the official, the accused used to lure the victim on the pretext of offering her sweets. The accused were arrested on Saturday and remanded to police custody by a magistrate on Sunday. They have been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Prabhudessai said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Tripura governor Tathagata Roy has triggered yet another controversy by writing to chief minister Biplab Deb for a government job for a BJP leader from West Bengal which the opposition CPI (M) said was unprecedented. Roy, in his letter of March 14 had mentioned about one Sarvadaman Ray, a former colleague in the BJP. Ray is a chartered accountant and had worked in private firms. He has shown interest in serving the state government by interacting with possible entrepreneurs and examining accounts as well, the letter suggested. In the letter, the governor spoke about his long association with Ray in Bengal politics since 1990 as BJP members and recalled his verbal recommendation for him to Deb after the swearing-in ceremony of after the swearing-in ceremony of BJP government on March 9. The chief ministers office is said to have received the letter on March 23. Debs officer on special duty Sanjay Mishra said that he could not say about the letter without confirmation from his office which is close for three days. The governors secretary Samarjit Bhowmik said that he is not personally aware about the letter. But late Saturday night, Roy himself owned by that he had indeed written the letter. Of course I wrote the letter! It isnt even confidential because it is a normal letter for a perfectly bona fide purpose. But, as I said, if you are feeling the way Columbus felt on discovering America go ahead and make bigger fools of yourself, he tweeted after the letter triggered an uproar following a report in a pro-Left Bangla daily. The state unit of the BJP refused to comment without seeing the letter. The CPI (M) termed the recommendation as unprecedented. Nothing like this has happened before in the state, said the partys state unit secretary Bijan Dhar. Roy is no stranger to controversy and his tweets regularly raise the hackles of the opposition who have often accused Roy of working more as a BJP member than a governor. Indian agencies have shown energy and attention to detail in the extradition case of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, who faces a final hearing in a London court on July 11 after several since April last year. India has presented a litany of charges backed by evidence and has even removed a joint secretary in a ministry to speed up things. This is significant in the context of previous cases failing due to poor paperwork, which did not hold in British courts. The Indian effort to make the Mallya case watertight has led the judge in Westminster magistrates court to describe its various facets as a jigsaw puzzle. The task before a judge in extradition cases is not to rule on the criminality or otherwise of a person sought. But to examine whether the person has a prima facie case to answer in the country requesting the extradition and to ensure that there is no threat to life, if extradited. Mallya is facing charges of financial irregularities and bank loan fraud to the tune of more than Rs 9,000 crore in India. He allegedly fled to the United Kingdom (UK) in March 2016 to avoid investigation and trial in India. The case documents mention that the alleged amount of loans obtained dishonestly is Rs 1,500 million, Rs 2,000 million and Rs 7,500 million during October and November 2009. Indias case is that Mallya, in conjunction with senior officials of his Kingfisher company and officials of IDBI bank, dishonestly agreed to and secured the disbursement of loans on a false basis. Indias affidavit says: Mallya, in his capacity as chairman was instrumental in getting (the loans) sanctioned. India also put supplementary money-laundering charges against Mallya in October 2017. The new charges, presented with supporting evidence, sought to show where the money went. For instance, it was alleged that some of the funds ended up with his Force India racing team. Mallyas team has mentioned four grounds to oppose the extradition: the absence of a prima facie case, extraneous considerations, human rights, and abuse of process. The Indian side represented by the Crown Prosecution Service refuted these contentions. According to the defence, Indias case is based on deliberate misrepresentations, crucial misunderstandings and basic errors. The underlying reason, it has alleged, is that the businessman is the victim of a high-profile witch hunt conducted by Indias government supported by politicians of every stripe, the courts and a public baying for his conviction and imprisonment as the embodiment of all the ills of capitalism in contemporary India. The defence raised questions about the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) independence and the alleged failings of Indian courts, prisons and the political system. The objective has been to highlight the possibility of human rights violation and Mallya not receiving a fair trial once extradited to India. The case is argued by two top lawyers with Queens Counsel status: Mark Summers for India and Claire Montgomery for the defence, which also includes Anand Doobay. The three have co-authored a book on extradition law. If Mallya loses in Westminster, he has the option to appeal in the high court and the British top court. And depending on the timing and how Brexit negotiations proceed, he could also approach the European Court of Justice, which is known to be lenient on human rights. Besides, there is this precedent of Tiger Hanif, wanted for two bomb blasts in Gujarat in 1993. He lost legal bids to avoid extradition, the last in April 2013, but made a final representation to the United Kingdom home secretary, who is yet to take a decision. The Mallya case is significant in the context of the 1993 India-UK extradition treaty. Only one individual has been extradited so far Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, wanted for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, in October 2016. A Kota-based engineer is on an arduous task for a year to get a refund of Rs 35 from the Indian Railways which charged him the amount as service tax despite him cancelling the ticket prior to the implementation of GST. The ticket was booked in April last year, before the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and subsequently cancelled. It was booked for a journey on July 2, a day after the new tax regime came into force. Sujeet Swami, a 30-year-old MTech, had moved a petition in Lok Adalat, which issued notices to the Railway Board Chairman, West-Central Railways General Manager, IRCTC General Manager and Kota Divisional Railway Manager. The matter is slated to be heard on May 28. The ACJM court of Mahendra Kumar Agarwal, after admitting the petition, issued notice to the respondents in the matter. The next hearing is scheduled on May 28, counsel of the petitioner Rohit Singh Rajawat said. Swami had booked a ticket from Kota to New Delhi in the Golden Temple Mail in April, 2017, for a journey on July 2. As the ticket, priced at Rs 765, was wait listed, he cancelled it, but received only Rs 665 as refund. Rs 100 were deducted instead of Rs 65 against cancellation of a wait listed ticket. I filed an RTI with IRCTC in July last year and also lodged complaint with the IRCTC immediately. I was informed that the amount would be refunded, but to no avail, Swami said. The IRCTC in its reply to the RTI informed the applicant that as per the commercial circular no. 43 of the Ministry of Railways, it was decided that for tickets, which were booked in advance before the implementation of GST, and cancelled after implementation, service tax charged at the time of booking shall not be refunded. So, Rs 100 (Rs 65 as clerical charge and Rs 35 as service tax) was charged against the cancelled ticket. The RTI reply further said that it was later decided that the tickets booked prior to July 1, 2017, and the same is cancelled, in that case total amount of service tax charged at the time of booking shall be refunded. So, a sum of Rs 35 will be refunded, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said in its reply to the RTI query. Swami is not the only sufferer as another RTI query filed by him, in its reply, found that there were over 9 lakh passengers who booked their tickets before implementation of GST and cancelled ticket from July 1 to July 11 when service tax was charged. It is shocking that over 9.55 lakh passengers were charged Rs 35, which amounts to over Rs 3.34 crore. Most of the passengers did not even know about it and must have forgot, Swami said, quoting the reply his RTI query received from the IRCTC. PTI AG CK CK Thoda serious ho jaayein aaj? As much as I would always like this column to sound happy with a smattering of humour, a readers mail has left me kinda speechless and numb. Reproducing it as is... Dear Sonal, Ive been a regular reader of your column and simply love the way you write. Always wanted to mail you but never thought it would be under these circumstances. Im Diksha (name changed), 33-year-old and a mom of two kids. Today, its been exactly two months that my husband Ankur died of sudden cardiac arrest. He was a chartered accountant, and just 35 years old. Ours has been a fairly well-to-do, upper middle-class nuclear family, and even though I am well qualified, I chose to be a homemaker to take care of my daughters who are eight and three years old. The day Ankur died so suddenly, my near-perfect world came crashing down. I went numb with grief and stress. Everyone told me itll get better with time. But in the last two months, my stress has only increased with each day. Ankur was a tech-savvy person, very active in online banking and transactions. Hed also made investments in insurance policies, mutual funds, chit funds etc and also given out some money to friends on interest. We were happy and busy, and it never occurred to either of us that I should be made aware of all his finances. Frankly, it was never even discussed at home. Ten days after Ankur died, his dad, who lives in Chennai, asked me if I knew the details of the home loan and car loan instalments. There were EMIs to be paid. It might sound shameful but I then realised that I didnt even know his bank account number. He only got e-statements for his bank and credit card transactions ... and that threw me into an unending maze of passwords. Passwords that I did not know. He used to tell me that he keeps a record of financial details on his phone, but even that had a password. I contacted the bank and they were helpful but wanted me to produce certificates right from the marriage certificate, to the medical reports to a death certificate. All of which again required me to furnish details that I didnt have. Both his laptops were locked with secure passkeys that I didnt know. To make things worse, I realised that Ankur had been busy enough to not even change his nominee details in his bank account after marriage, and the nominee continued to be his mom, who had died six years back. There was no question of him having written a will because no one anticipates or likes to even discuss death at such a young age. The last two months have been hell for me, and instead of getting to grieve peacefully, Ive been running from pillar to post (have even had to hire a professional hacker), to get access to the rightful finances and savings of my husband. Do you have calmness tips for such a stress? Well, I have goosebumps, Diksha, at trying to imagine your situation, and at the realisation that a majority of us are living the same life as yours, and that of your late husband. A life that is utterly unpredictable ... and more utterly disorganised. Those who read my column range from 16-60, maybe older, men and women alike, and none of them wants to discuss or prepare for death at any stage. Our lifestyle is putting us at higher risk of sudden deaths with each passing year, but our culture still prohibits us from talking about the repercussions, least of all financial, on those who are left behind. Even if we are working day and night like crazy to earn and save so that our loved ones feel secure, we dont get around to spending just a little bit of time in telling them how to access those savings if we were to suddenly disappear from the face of this earth. I dont know about calmness tips, but here are some learnings that, at least, I plan to follow, from Dikshas ongoing nightmare. Sit for half an hour today with the closest adult in your family (whoever it is, based on your circumstances). Take a pen and paper and write down, in front of them, the key details of your financial assets and how they can access them in case something were to suddenly happen to you. I know some of you would be stupidly thinking of your white and black assets, and whether its risky to put down everything on paper. Yaar, apne do number ke paise ke chakkar toh aap hi jaano, I just know that no money number 1, 2 or 30 will help your family if only you know about it and God decides to fall in love with you and take you away in an instant. Mutually decide with your partner where to safely keep these details, and try to use language which is understandable enough to your partner, but not to the whole world. Unless you want your naughty Chintu to get hold of that paper and announce your locker details at the next family function. Spend half an hour next week to check if the nominee details on all your financial savings are up-to-date. Trust me, you dont want your loved ones to run around producing certificates after youre gone. Its an avoidable torture. I know sharing passwords is a tricky thing. These days, spouses can touch each other but cant touch each others phones. But, use easily available apps to securely e-vault all your passwords under one key which is made available to your nominee in case of your sudden death. A simple Google search will give you hundreds of options. Finally, if you are over 30 and working, WRITE A WILL. Hate me for reminding you that death comes suddenly for a lot of us, but do it nonetheless. Its a great parting gift. Sonal Kalra wants someone to remove her browser history the moment she dies. Who wants to be a nominee for that? Mail her at sonal.kalra@hindustantimes.com or facebook.com/sonalkalraofficial. Follow on Twitter @sonalkalra In the cookbook world, you need just need two words for a surefire best seller: Instant Pot. The pressure cooker-style device, specifically the six-quart, seven-in-one model, has dominated the world of home cooking since Amazon.com Inc. featured it during Prime Day in 2016. In November, CNBC reported that 5 million Instant Pots had been sold in a three-year period. Two of the top 10 cookbooks in 2017 were devoted to the appliance, according to Publishers Weekly. Melissa Clarks Dinner in an Instant (Clarkson Potter, $13.93) has sold 150,000 copies since its October release; the New York Times columnist estimates that her latest hit outsold her previous 39 cookbooks, combined. Mention the appliance to chefs and youre most likely to draw a blank stare. Whats an Instant Pot? asks Alex Stupak, chef and co-owner of Empellon in New York. Officially, the device shouldnt be in professional kitchens at all. Our current products are designed and certified for household use only, Yi Qin, vice president of product management at Instant Pot in Ottawa, Ontario, told Bloomberg by email. One obvious reason the appliance hasnt been embraced by the restaurant community is scale. The largest Instant Pot holds 8 quartsa drop in the (stock) pot for most restaurants. One of the few professional chefs who admits to having an Instant Pot in his restaurant is Jonny Hunter of the Madison, Wisc.-based Underground Food Collective. In fact, he has five. Hunter is a fan of the compressed cook times and precision that the device offers. Traditionally, it takes about 40 days to make black garlic, he says, referring to the intensely sticky Asian flavoring. I can do it in six hours. Most dishes cant be sped up so rapidly by the Instant Pot, but Hunter argues that even modest time savings will add up for a busy cook. Take hard-boiled eggs, for example: It takes you eight minutes in an Instant Pot; the regular way takes 12 minutes, he says. Chefs say, Who cares about that difference? But I save four minutes each time, and theyre perfectly cooked. Garrison Price, of New Yorks il Buco Alimentari, routinely does 250 covers a night, yet he still finds the low-yielding appliance useful for making goat-milk yogurt. He serves it as an accompaniment to leg of lamb with wild watercress and anchovies, as well as spice-roasted spring carrots with green almonds. Making yogurt the traditional way is tricky, Price says. You dont have to baby sit yogurt youre making in an Instant Pot. Price believes chefs dont use the Instant Pot because of the message they associate with it. I think its the infomercial-ness, he says. In Houston, James Beard award-winning chef Chris Shepherd is experimenting with an Instant Pot to create batches of pho dressing for a carpaccio dish at his upcoming 80-seat restaurant, UB Preserv. I got the idea from my manicurist; shes a big Instant Pot fan, says Shepherd. He first used one at a previous restaurant when he ran out of Korean-braised goat and dumplings. My cook said: We should bust out that Instant Pot we have in storage. We had more goat ready in 45 minutes. At the Latin restaurant Publico in St. Louis, Mike Randolph cooks almost everything on an open hearth. Yet his Instant Pot has been used to produce items ranging from vegan chorizo stock to dulce de leche. Randolph agrees that a drawback for some chefs is perception. Theres a hesitation in having a brand name like that in your kitchen. A lot of chefs want to keep things more traditional, with a stovetop, says Randolph. Why indeed doesnt Instant Pot create a bigger model for professionals? The company appears to have already asked the same question. We are looking into all opportunities to expand the electric pressure multi-cooker market. Currently, we dont have a commercial offering. But nothing is impossible, said Qin by email. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Two members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were shot dead by three unidentified men in Ahmednagar on Saturday evening. The deceased were identified as Yogesh Ambadas Ralebhat, 30 and Rakesh Arjun Ralebhat, 23. The incident comes only three weeks after two local Shiv Sena leaders were killed in a similar manner in the district. The two were standing on the main road of Jamkhed town, when three assailants came on a motorcycle and fired about eight rounds, the district superintendent of police, Ranjankumar Sharma, said. Yogesh was the district vice president of the NCPs youth wing and Rakesh was an executive committee member and office-bearer of the partys Jamkhed unit in Ahmednagar. No arrest has been made so far, Sharma said, adding that a case under relevant sections has been registered. The police is yet to ascertain the identity of the assailants and the motive behind the killings. District guardian minister Ram Shinde visited the government hospital on Saturday night. Angry supporters of the two deceased NCP members shouted slogans against the minister outside the hospital premises. In the run-up to the general elections next year, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has appointed its senior leader Jayant Patil as the chief of the partys Maharashtra unit. This is seen as a tactical move by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to retain a grip over the party and ensure there is no parallel rise of leadership challenging his daughter and party MP Surpiya Sule, who is believably set to play a major role in state politics in the coming years. In addition, by replacing Sunil Tatkare, another senior leader, who is an OBC (Other Backward Class) leader, Sharad Pawar is also attempting to woo the Maratha community, which had deviated from the party in recent local body polls. The leadership within the party believes its strong base is the Maratha voters, especially from western Maharashtra. By appointing a Maratha leader from Western Maharashtra, the party has attempted to revive its traditional vote bank. In addition, Tatkare, who is close to Ajit Pawar, also faces allegations in the irrigation scam. Patil is close to senior Pawar and Sule, who believably played a key role in new replacement. Pawar and Sule held a couple of meetings with Patil in the past few days before an official announcement on Sunday in Pune. The party convention was held at Pune, Patils name was announced by Dilip Walse Patil, who was appointed returning officer in the internal elections process. Before the official announcement, a meeting of key leaders of the party was held at Sharad Pawars residence in Pune. The convention was attended by all top leaders like Ajit Pawar, Dhananjay Munde, Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Awhad and Rajesh Tope. The announcement of re-election of Sharad Pawar as the partys National President for the seventh consecutive term was also made at the convention. According to political experts, the whole exercise has been undertaken with an eye on the 2019 elections. Sharad Pawar wanted a person with a clean image untainted by scams and Patil filled the space perfectly. In addition, Patil is a well-known orator and also has a suave image, said political expert Surendra Jondhale. Similarly, Pratap Asbe, another expert, said it was more to maintain regional balance. Patil belongs to Western Maharashtra and this was one of the considerations, said Asbe. Patil beat various leaders like former speaker Dilip Walse Patil, former minister Shashikant Shinde and leader of opposition in council Dhananjay Munde to the post. According to a senior NCP leader, Pawar senior wanted to send a message to the party workers that he was firmly in the drivers seat. Sharad Pawar wanted to cut Ajit to size and also ensure the field is cleared for Sule, said a NCP leader, on condition of anonymity. Patil, who is the son of politician Rajarambapu Patil, a noted name in the cooperation movement, has been representing Islampur constituency in Sangli district since 1990 and is considered one of the top leaders in the NCP mentored by Pawar. Patil is known to be articulate and has served as state finance minister from October 1999 to December 2008 and also as home minister from December 2008 to November 2009 in the erstwhile Congress-led government. Sharad Pawar, in his speech after being appointed national president, taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on vital issues. Modi keeps quiet when he is supposed to react. In the past, he would criticise Manmohan Singh for not speaking much, but here Modi does not speak when it is required, said Pawar. Stating that militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was his friend, BJPs Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy on Sunday claimed that the former never demanded Khalistan. Swamy, while addressing a seminar organised by Vishav Samvad Samiti, an organisation affiliated to RSS, here said, I closely watched what happened in Punjab in the nineties. This was a conspiracy of external forces to disintegrate the nation. He said Bhindranwale, who led the Sikh militants holed up in the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar, never raised the separatist demand. Show me a recording of any speech in which he raised such a demand, he said when he was told by a scribe that a video is available on Youtube, in which Bhindranwale is seen saying Army attack on Golden Temple would lay the foundation of Khalisan. He said, As per my conversation with him, he did not demand Khalistan, but said he wont reject it (Khalistan) if anybody gifts it to them. Terming Operation Bluestar as a blunder, Swamy said the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the force behind it. Condemning the anti-Sikh riots, he termed these as genocide. However, the Sikh hardliners in western countries like Canada use this term to support their separatist demand, he pointed out. Stating that DNA of all the people who take birth in India is the same, Swamy said all Indians are Hindus genetically, irrespective of their faith. Make rapists impotent through surgery Replying to a query on the Kathua rape case, he sought stern action against the accused. Capital punishment is not enough. The rapist should be made impotent through surgery so that he cannot rape any woman again. Swamy said disinformation is being spread through social media against Hindus with the help of external forces. Notably, the seminar was also addressed by Prafull Ketkar, editor of RSS mouthpiece Organiser. The event was organised on the occasion of Narad Jayanti. Senate to give final nod to move in its meeting on May 6 Panjab University (PU) Syndicate has approved 10% increase in the annual fee for the 2018-19 session in the teaching departments of the university and constituent colleges. The matter will now go to the Senate that will give the final nod in its meeting on May 6. Speaking after the Syndicate meeting on Sunday, member Ashok Goyal said, The 10% hike has been approved for the tuition fee and user and maintenance charges in traditional and professional courses for new admissions. The same hike will also apply to courses offered by the University School of Open Learning (USOL). For self-financed courses, the fee has been hiked by 10% for new admissions and 5% for ongoing classes. The fee hike will mean a minimum increase of Rs 750 in all traditional and professional courses. Earlier, the minimum increase was suggested at Rs 1,000, which was reduced to Rs 750 after the intervention of two senators. For the MBA course in the University Institute of Applied Management Sciences (UIAMS), an annual fee hike of Rs 6,000 has been approved. An increase of 10% in the examination fee for all courses has also been approved, with a maximum increase of Rs 200. The total fee of Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) course from the date of enrolment to submission of fee has been hiked to Rs 5,000 from Rs 4,000. The examination fee of PhD, Doctorate in Literature (DLit), Doctorate in Science (DSc) has been increased from Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000. The Senates decision to hike the fee from 40% to 1100% in 2017 had invited resentment from students, who had also clashed with the police while holding a protest. Sedition charges were slapped against at least 66 students, but were later dropped. After the angry response from students, the Senate rolled back the fee hike and stuck to 10% fee hike. Strict action recommended in sexual harassment case The Syndicate has recommended before the Senate strict action in the cases of sexual harassment against assistant professor Komal Singh. Sources said while one member tried to suggest leniency towards the teacher, majority of Syndics said such a person didnt deserve any, as there had been several complaints against him, and he had even come drunk to a meeting of PU committee against sexual harassment. The matter will be discussed in a special Senate meeting on May 27. Tension prevailed in Phagwara on Sunday after a Dalit teen, who was critically injured in the April 13 clash on renaming a crossing on National Highway 1 as Samvidhan Chowk, died at a hospital in Ludhiana. Yashwant Bobby, 19, received a bullet injury during the clash between Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups. He succumbed to injuries at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana in the wee hours of Sunday. Four other people were also injured in the clash. The authorities also suspended internet services in the entire Doaba region and Ludhiana at 11pm on Saturday for a period of 24 hours. The traffic on NH-1 between Ludhiana and Jalandhar was also diverted through link roads to prevent entry to Phagwara. Bobbys body reached the town in the morning after postmortem by doctors under tight police security. A team led by assistant inspector general (AIG intelligence) Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh and Kapurthala superintendent of police (headquarters) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja were assigned the task to maintain law and order in the town. Though tension gripped Phagwara, Bobbys cremation passed off peacefully. Heavy police force, personnel of Rapid Action Force, BSF and anti-riots squads fortified the town by blocking all entry and exit points during the cremation. Markets also remained closed. Vehicular movement was restricted and police did not allow anybody to go towards the Banga road, where the cremation took place. Earlier, members of the Dalit community carried the bier on their shoulders on Banga Road demanding naming of Gol Chowk as Samvidhan Chowk and even placing a memorial of Bobby at the point. But they were persuaded by AIG Khakh after which the body was taken to cremation ground. Bobbys younger brother lit the pyre amid slogans against the Hindu right-wing outfits. The accused should be punished and police should arrest all the right-wing leaders involved in the clash, said Bobbys father Charanjit Laddi. Political leaders, including Congress Punjab SC cell in-charge and Chabbewal MLA Raj Kumar, district Congress chief Joginder Singh Mann, Shiromani Akali Dals Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu and local councillors were present during the cremation. Murder charges slapped The police of Sunday added murder charges in the FIR registered against arrested right-wing leaders. A day after the clash, around 100 people, including 33 by name, were booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 295A (hurting religious sentiments), 392 (robbery), 353 (assault), 186, 427, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Arms Act and the National Highways Act. In the FIR, besides Hindu right-wing leaders, police had also included names of Lok Insaaf Party leader Jarnail Nangal and Ambedkar Sena (Mool Niwasi) president Harbhajan Suman. Four people, including Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) senior state vice-president Inderjit Karwal, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti state president Deepak Bhardwaj, Shiv Sena leader Shivi Batta and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Rajiv Chahal were arrested on April 14. Must read | HT Spotlight: Doaba flashpoint: Phagwara on the edge over caste faultline Jaswant Bobbys cremation took place in Phagwara on Sunday. (Pardeep Pandit/HT ) Family gets Rs 5 lakh relief Kapurthala DC Mohammad Tayyab handed over the cheque for Rs 5 lakh to Bobbys mother and promised a government job to a member of the family on Sunday evening. But the family demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh. The DC assured to take up their demand with the state government. (The story has been updated) Andrea Jeremiahs next films poster was released on Sunday on Twitter. The actor shared our first look at Ka: The Forest and said the film was an exercise in reinventing herself. Its been a long wait, but my new film #ka is finally going on floors its definitely WAY out of my comfort zone, but whats life if you dont constantly try to reinvent yourself #newbeginnings #backtowork #girlpower she tweeted with the poster. The film went on floors in Chennai on Sunday and speculation in the industry suggests that Andrea will play the role of a wildlife photographer. Her look is fierce as she holds a sharp knife in her hand pointing it towards her forehead. Her rugged appearance suggests she has had a rough day in a forest fighting villains. A few stills of Andrea riding a bike was released earlier. Its been a long wait, but my new film # #ka is finally going on floors its definitely WAY out of my comfort zone, but whats life if you dont constantly try to reinvent yourself #newbeginnings #backtowork #girlpower pic.twitter.com/WzzMCViTOJ Andrea Jeremiah (@andrea_jeremiah) April 29, 2018 It must be noted that Andrea has stayed away from roles that are not performance-driven. Be it the true-blue horror film Aval, in which she was paired opposite Siddharth, Taramani in which she played a single working mother or Thupparivaalan, she has impressed people with her performance. After this track record, Ka - The Forest will be something to watch out for. The movie is directed by Nanjil and the cinematographer for this project is Arivazhagan. The film, bankrolled by Ravikanth and John Max Jones under Shalom Studios banner, will have music scored by Amresh Ganesh. Andrea is also playing a pivotal role in Dhanush-starrer Vada Chennai directed by Vetrimaaran. She will also be seen alongside Kamal Haasan in Viswaroopam 2. Author tweets @Priyanka_S_MCC Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop During a six-month backpacking tour of Southeast Asia, Maximo and Sebastian Tuscano pit-stopped for four nights at the Andaman, a 178-room Luxury Collection resort on a lush bay in Langkawi, Malaysia. They marvelled at the fauna in the surrounding rainforestthe flying lemurs, dusky leaf monkeys, more than 300 species of butterfliesand swam in the lagoon-style swimming pool. They hunted hermit crabs, helped a marine biologist feed specimens at an on-site coral nursery, and participated in pirate-themed games and crafts. In all, it was the perfect way for Maximo and Sebastian, twin brothers, to celebrate their 4th birthday. I wanted the children to be stimulated and engaged. No video games or TV, please! recalls Darcy Tuscano, one of their moms. And while they spent plenty of family time, it was nice to be alone as a couple, knowing the kids were safe and having a blast without us. As family travel has evolved into a $500 billion industry, based on numbers from the Family Travel Association, properties are catering to their littlest guests in ways that reflect their locales, just as for adults. Hotel kids clubs used to be windowless rooms with crayons, says Julie Danziger, director of luxury travel services at Ovation Vacations, a travel agency based in New York. Now, she says, theyve become interactive training grounds for budding global citizens. Take LApogee Courchevel, a ritzy ski resort in the French Alps, where the Mini VIP 1850 clubnamed for the towns altitude, in metersoffers perfume- and chocolate-making workshops for kids. Gleneagles, in Scotlands Highlands, stocks a fleet of quarter-sized Land Rovers just for little ones. And at Chewton Glen in Hampshire, aspiring chefs can learn to bake cinnamon buns in the English countryside. Unlike Walt Disney Co or Club Med SAS resorts, none of these properties are intended to solely (or even chiefly) appeal to families. For high-net-worth parents, thats exactly the point. After 9/11, people werent willing to leave their kids at home anymorethey wanted to be with them, says Melissa Rosenbloum, a luxury-travel designer at SmartFlyer. Family time became a priority for travellers, making it one for hotels, too. A New Spin on Family Friendly Today, 88% of parents say theyre likely to travel with their child or children in the coming year, according to the 2017 US Family Travel Survey, a joint effort from the Family Travel Association and NYUs Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism. Seventy percent of the surveys 1,599 respondents indicated that amenities for children were a key factor in deciding where to stay. Thats true for Long Island-based Mozelle Goldstein, a nurse, mother of three, and one of Danzigers clients. Kids clubs have driven several of her vacations, including one to the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., where her 4-year-old son built a teddy bear that still reminds him of the Sunshine State. It made him feel like the vacation was for him, not that he was just tagging along with the adults, she recalls. The mere existence of a kids club can make seemingly non-family-friendly vacations work for both parent and child. Consider the Brando, a cluster of 35 villas on the private island of Tetiaroa, near Tahiti in French Polynesia. Would you ever think to go to French Polynesia with your 6-year-old? Rosenbloum muses. But with the resorts Lagoon Schoolwhere kids can learn about life on an atoll through snorkeling, treasure hunts, and whale-watching excursionssomehow even an ultra-sexy bucket-list destination in the South Pacific becomes appropriate for tots. The mere existence of a kids club can make seemingly non-family-friendly vacations work for both parent and child. (Shutterstock) Dollars and Cents The Brandos Lagoon School costs about $81 per child per half-day session, pocket change for guests spending upward of $2,200 per night for a private pool villa. According to Danziger, guests can typically expect to pay $30 to $60 for half a day, or rarely more than $100 for full days, at kids clubs with daily rates. (Most cater to children aged 4 through 12.) Its not a revenue play, says Rosenbloum. Hotels are doing this to compete. Otherwise, theyre not going to get business from the parents. Every Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton property now includes entry-level access to the kids club in the room rate, as does the Andaman in Langkawi. If the kids are in the club, chances are the adults are spending money at the spa, points out Danziger, who routinely books her clients at properties with complimentary kids clubs such as Nizuc Resort & Spa in Cancun, Mexico; Acqualina Resort, just north of Miami Beach, Fla.; and Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Mayakoba, Mexico. Best Brands for Families For companies with brand-wide initiatives, kids clubs dont just drive demand. They also cement loyalty. Hyatt was the earliest adopter. It introduced Camp Hyatt in the 1980s and revamped the program in 2009 in partnership with National Geographic Kids. Among the best examples of Camp Hyatts educational programming are the offerings at the new Park Hyatt St. Kitts, where children can take Zumba classes set to Caribbean soca music, learn about the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, or create their own petroglyph drawings on volcanic rocks. At Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Mayaa Hyatt property in Mexicokids can learn to make pinatas and Huichol crafts, go on eco-themed boat tours, and even take Spanish lessons. Four Seasons once shunted its Kids For All Seasons clubs into underutilised hotel spaces, but Scott Taber, global senior vice president of rooms, says that this amenity has lately become a very important part of the design and construction process. The Mansion at the Four Seasons Orlandoeffectively a kids-only castlehas a volcano that can be climbed and erupts with the touch of a button. Not every property has something so elaborate, but every Four Seasons is on board with the program in some fashion. Newest on the scene is Ritz-Carltons Ritz Kids, which rolled out in December 2014. Its programming was developed in partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteaus Ocean Futures Society. Sessions can include a class with a Bedouin falconry master at the Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah in the Al Wadi Desert outside Dubai, or coconut leaf weaving and educational walks through rice fields near Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. By learning from nature and taking influences from local culture, kids learn how to take care of themselveseating healthy and where their food comes fromas well as the stars, insects, and nature, says Mandapa General Manager Ana Henriques, who helped develop Mandapa Camp. What Comes Next Ultimately, says Danziger, millennial and Gen Z travellers are more willing than their parents to put kids needs and desires ahead of their own: They think: This is my kids trip, and if we make it amazing for them, we make it amazing for us. Even Aman, one of the most exclusive hotels in the world, will be getting on board. Amangiri, the brands remote hideaway in Canyon Point, is starting to offer paleontology-themed fossil hunts for guests aged 5 and up. US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to shut down the federal government in September if Congress did not provide more funding to build a wall on the border with Mexico. That wall has started, we have 1.6 billion (dollars), Trump said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan. We come up again on September 28 and if we dont get border security we will have no choice, we will close down the country because we need border security. Trump made a similar threat in March to push for changes in immigration law that he says would prevent criminals from entering the country. The government briefly shut down in January over immigration. A $1.3 trillion spending bill, which Trump signed last month, will keep the government funded through the end of September. A government shutdown ahead of the November mid-elections is unlikely to be supported by his fellow Republicans who are keen to keep control of the US Congress. Trump cited the hundreds of Central American migrants travelling in a caravan as one of the reasons for strong border security. Watch the caravan, watch how sad and terrible it is, including for those people and the crime that they inflict on themselves and that others inflict on them, said Trump. Its a horrible dangerous journey for them and they come up because they know once they can get here they can walk right into our country. Migrants, who include women and children, have said they fled their homes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras because of death threats from gangs, the murder of family members or political persecution. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Phantom voters, electoral roll tampering, mysterious power blackouts during recounts -- Malaysian activists are gearing up to battle widespread cheating at what they fear will be the dirtiest election in the countrys history. Prime Minister Najib Razak is facing a tough test at the May 9 poll due to a corruption scandal surrounding state fund 1MDB, discontent over rising living costs, and a challenge from veteran ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad. While vote-rigging has plagued previous Malaysian elections, observers fear the high stakes mean that cheating by the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will be more rampant than ever before. In response, opposition and civil society groups are training poll monitors to prevent fraud, while leading electoral reform group Bersih has set up an online platform to report instances of alleged rigging. This election is not just dirty, it is filthy, Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert from John Cabot University, told AFP. Najibs insecurity is delegitimising the electoral process. Even before a single ballot has been cast, Bersih lamented the poll had descended into an open auction with votes for sale due to local leaders -- mainly from BN but also the opposition -- giving out cash and gifts such as TVs and food hampers. Concerns have been raised about the electoral roll, with Bersih saying that it had so far received over 80 complaints from the public. These include reports of so-called phantom voters, such as people who have died but still appear on the list, or people whose names have appeared without them registering. At the last election in 2013, when BN lost the popular vote for the first time since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957, there were numerous allegations of cheating. There were reports of dubious voters including foreigners being flown into key constituencies in Malaysia to vote for BN. Supposedly indelible ink, used in a Malaysian general election for the first time and touted by the government as a guarantee against multiple voting, was found to wash easily off peoples fingers. Sudden electricity blackouts at polling centres were also experienced during vote recounts, fuelling suspicions of ballot tampering -- something the ruling coalition denied. - No contest, but a beating - In the hope of stemming what they expect to be a tsunami of cheating, Bersih and other groups are training volunteers to monitor voting on polling day. At a recent session in a Kuala Lumpur hall, about 100 volunteers were being given pointers by Invoke, a think-tank linked to opposition group the Peoples Justice Party. They gathered around trainers who were pretending to be polling agents and teaching them how to check for suspicious activity. Were doing this to ensure nothing funny happens on polling day, Invoke official Matthew Lai told AFP. There are too many avenues to cheat. Despite their efforts, Bersih -- which led massive protests against Najib at the height of the 1MDB scandal -- is not confident that reports of alleged violations will be taken seriously, and says complaints made at the last election were not. There are some instances of alleged poll rigging that it is already too late to fight. In March the government pushed a redrawing of electoral boundaries through parliament, in a move that critics say unfairly favours the ruling coalition by creating constituencies dominated by their Muslim Malay supporters. - Even the opposition can win - BN however insists that Malaysian elections are conducted fairly. Theres no such thing as cheating here... In our system, even the opposition can win, Information Minister Salleh Said Keruak told AFP. Najib is tipped to retain power at the election. Critics say this will be partly due to vote rigging but admit other factors such as a robust domestic economy will help him. Still the presence of 92-year-old Mahathir, who is heading the opposition, has made life more difficult for him. Mahathir came out of retirement to take on Najib, his former protege, in response to the 1MDB scandal, which allegedly saw billions looted from the state fund in a campaign of fraud and money-laundering. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. While Mahathir has predicted enormous cheating, critics say this is rich coming from a man who faced numerous accusations of fraud at polls during his own time in office. However, Welsh from John Cabot University said that vote-rigging has become more serious under Najib: Elections are supposed to be a contest -- Najib wants it to be a beating. An Indian-origin driver who switched on his cars autopilot function and moved to the passenger seat on a busy motorway has been slapped with a driving ban for 18 months, ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay 1,800 in legal costs. Bhavesh Patel, 39, was caught on camera in the passenger seat and the car on autopilot. The Tesla S series car moved on the M1 motorway, with Patel sitting with hands behind his head. Nottingham-based Patel last week pleaded guilty in the St Albans Crown Court to dangerous driving over the incident that was recorded on the motorway near Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire, at around 7.40pm on May 21 last year. Investigators were told by a Tesla engineer that the autopilot function, including traffic-aware cruise control and auto-steer, is intended to provide assistance to a fully attentive driver. Reports quoted Patel as telling the police that he knew what he had done was silly, but said the car was capable of something amazing and that he was the unlucky one who got caught. Kirk Caldicutt, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire road policing unit, said: What Patel did was grossly irresponsible and could have easily ended in tragedy. He not only endangered his own life but the lives of other innocent people using the motorway on that day. This case should serve as an example to all drivers who have access to autopilot controls and have thought about attempting something similar. I want to stress that they are in no way a substitute for a competent motorist in the driving seat who can react appropriately to the road ahead. I hope Patel uses his disqualification period to reflect on why he chose to make such a reckless decision on that day.Bhavesh Patel, Passenger seat, Autopilot, M1, motorway, UK, Hertfordshire, Tesla, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cruise Control, car on autopilot, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump welcomed the inter-Korean summit as a positive move for denuclearisation and a historical step towards peace and stability in northeast Asia, Abes office said on Sunday. The leaders of North and South Korea pledged at a historic summit on Friday to work for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. However, Trump said he would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Abe and Trump spoke on a 30-minute phone call on Saturday and also agreed on the importance of concrete steps towards denuclearisation by Pyongyang, the Japanese premiers office said in a statement. The important thing is whether North Korea will take specific actions in the future, Abe told reporters late on Saturday, according to remarks released by his office. Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in also agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump has said would take place over the next three to four weeks. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) US President Donald Trump tamps down expectations from the upcoming Korea talks but has claimed credit for making it possible. Supporters agree, and demanded a Nobel Peace Prize for him at a rally in Michigan on Saturday night. Nobel! Nobel! they chanted, cutting off Trumps typically freewheeling update on his efforts on Korea. Nobel, an amused Trump said with a chuckle. He waited patiently for the chanting to end. Thats very nice, thank you. Thats very nice. Nobel, he said, and chuckled again. It wasnt clear if he was chuckling because he found the idea ridiculous or because he thought it wasnt a bad idea. While the outcome of the Korean peace talks remains mired in decades of distrust, missed opportunities and suspicions involving all the great powers in the region and outside, there is new hope that started with a charm offensive from all sides at the Winter Olympics in February, and continues to surge with a meeting of the Koreas last week and Trump agreeing to a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Calls have followed for the Nobel Peace Prize for Trump, Kim and South Koreas Moon Jae-in. According to a leading London bookie, the Korea reconciliation initiative is currently the favourite for the prize in 2018, with Kim and Moon front-ending it. Trump is the next favourite. If Trump does indeed land the Nobel, he will be the fifth US president to win it, following Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. It couldnt be immediately ascertained if Trump, Kim and Moon all three together or separately were among the 329 candidates on the Nobel peace prize shortlist for 2018 216 are individuals and 113 are organizations. Trump might have chuckled at the Nobel chants, but he does like to remind everyone that the thaw in relations have been because of his efforts. On Friday, he said at a White House event: When I began, people were saying that was an impossibility and now we have a much better alternative than anybody thought even possible. Supporters like those at the Michigan rally agree. And so do a few lawmakers, some of whom are known to have been bitterly critical of him in the past. Donald Trump convinced North Korea and China he was serious about bringing about change, Republican senator Lindsey Graham once a staunch critic of Trump tweeted. Were not there yet, but if this happens, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Ian Bremmer, a leading expert on international relations who has been critical of Trumps foreign policy, has weighed in on the presidents side as well. Trump, Xi, Moon and Kim together get my vote for the Nobel Peace Prize, he tweeted last week, with the preceding post saying he has been a Trump critic. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. Hes also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo was meeting on Sunday with Saudi King Salman, whose country along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior U.S. officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administrations push to counter Iranian supported-aggression in the region. Iran has backed the Houthi rebellion in Yemen and is helping Syrian President Bashar Assads government fight rebels there. The officials, who were not authorized to preview Pompeos discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Irans long- and medium-range missile programs had to be countered as part of efforts to strengthen the Iran nuclear deal, from which President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw by mid-May. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian people, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said hed also stress the U.S. commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. As part of the anti-Iran push, the officials said Pompeo would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. The crisis erupted last summer, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE blocked the country, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the U.S., including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran room to play and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combatting violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. Pompeos meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that have potential to further roil the volatile region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. That will mark a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the nabka, or catastrophe, when they fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent violent protests along border between Israel and Gaza. On Friday at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, the first stop on his trip, Pompeo repeated Trumps pledge to withdraw from the Iran deal unless it is significantly strengthened. He said the U.S. was unlikely to stay in if that was not done. Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May, Pompeo said. Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trumps policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces from the country and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. North Korea promised to close its atomic test site next month and invite US weapons experts to the country, Seoul said Sunday, as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about securing a nuclear deal with the secretive regime. The reported pledge from Kim Jong Un follows weeks of whirlwind diplomacy that saw the leaders of North and South Korea agree to pursue the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula during a historic summit between Kim and the Souths President Moon Jae-in on Friday. Kim said, during the summit with President Moon, that he would carry out the closing of the nuclear test site in May, and would soon invite experts of South Korea and the US as well as journalists to disclose the process to the international community with transparency, Seouls presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. Kim said the US feels repulsive about us, but once we talk, they will realise that I am not a person who will fire a nuclear weapon to the South or the US or target the US, according to Yoon. If we meet often (with the US), build trust, end the war and eventually are promised no invasion, why would we live with the nuclear weapons? The remarks are likely to be seen as a sweetener ahead of Trumps own planned summit with Kim, which the US leader said would take place in the next three or four weeks. Trump vowed to do the world a big favour by achieving a nuclear deal with the regime at a campaign-style rally in Michigan to cheers and chants of Nobel! Nobel!. Trump has been eager to play up his role in achieving a breakthrough with Pyongyang through what the White House has called a Maximum Pressure Campaign consisting of tough rhetoric, strengthened global sanctions and diplomatic efforts to further isolate the authoritarian regime. If we would have said where we are today from three or four months -- months ago, do you remember what they were saying? Hes going to get us into nuclear war, they said, Trump told supporters in Washington Township, north of Detroit. He added: No, strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not going to get us in! But he also sounded a note of caution, saying he was prepared to walk away if US demands for North Korea to relinquish its atomic arsenal were not met. His remarks came as extracts from an interview with his new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were released. Washingtons chief diplomat told ABC News he had a good conversation with Kim during his secret visit to Pyongyang over the Easter weekend, adding that the North Korean leader was prepared to... lay out a map that would help us achieve denuclearisation. Things are going well Trump held phone calls earlier Saturday with both Moon and Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, declaring things are going very well, as CBS News reported that Mongolia and Singapore are the final two sites under consideration for his meeting with Kim. It was unclear whether North Korea would host US experts at its Punggye-ri underground testing site before or after the summit. Kim slammed speculation during his meeting with Moon that the test site was already unusable after Pyongyang conducted its largest ever nuclear test there last September. Some people are saying that we are terminating a test site that is already useless, but, as they will see once they visit, there are two more tunnels (in the test site) that are even bigger... and they are in good condition, he said, according to the Souths presidential spokesman. Last year, Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. Its actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war. Washington is pressing for the North to give up its weapons in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way. Pyongyang is demanding as yet unspecified security guarantees to discuss its arsenal. New era? On Saturday North Korea described its summit with the South as a historic meeting that paved the way for the start of a new era. The official KCNA news agency carried the text of the leaders Panmunjom Declaration in full and said the encounter opened the way for national reconciliation and unity, peace and prosperity. In the document, Kim and Moon confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But the phrase is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides. Pyongyang has long wanted to see an end to the US military presence and nuclear umbrella over the South, but it invaded its neighbour in 1950 and is the only one of the two Koreas to possess nuclear weapons. When Kim stepped over the military demarcation line that divides the peninsula he became the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the Korean War hostilities ceased in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. He then persuaded Moon to step into the North -- a fact reported by KCNA on Saturday -- and the two leaders shared a day of smiles, intimate moments, and a half-hour-long one-on-one conversation. In the declaration document, the two Korean leaders pledged to seek a peace treaty this year to formally declare the Korean War over, 65 years after hostilities ceased with an armistice. But agreeing a treaty to formally close the conflict will be complicated -- both Seoul and Pyongyang claim sovereignty over the whole Korean peninsula. Two members of the minority Shia Hazara community were killed by motorcycle-borne gunmen in Pakistans restive Balochistan province, police said, the fourth attack on the community in a month. The two Hazara men were killed at their electronics shop, the police said. The killing of Jaffar Ali and Muhammad Ali led to widespread protests by the members of the community in Quetta, the provincial capital. Two masked men on the motorcycle came to the electronics shop and opened fire on them killing them on the spot after which they fled away, police officer Abdullah Afridi said. They had bullet wounds in their head, he added. Members of the minority Shia Hazara community which reside in large numbers in Quetta have frequently been the victims of sectarian attacks in recent times. This is the fourth attack in a month on the members of the Hazara community in Quetta. Last week, two members of the minority community were killed in a similar attack in Quetta. Earlier this month, an auto parts dealer was also gunned down in his shop by men on a motorcycle and in a separate incident, a man was killed and another injured in a targeted attack in Quetta. Following the attack, the Hazaras staged a protest to denounce the governments failure to provide security to Balochistans marginalised community. The community has asked the government to prove its seriousness in the security matters pertaining to the ethnic group. The Migos have grown into mega superstars since the masses were introduced to them through their single, "Versace." Within the past year, they've released two massive albums with Culture I and II and have been touring around the globe. However, not everything has been smooth since reaching this level of success. The trio and their entourage were reportedly involved in a brawl in Las Vegas which resulted in them getting kicked out of the hotel. TheBlast reports that Migos and their crew were involved in an altercation at Encore Hotel and Casino that left them booted from the hotel. The trio were performing at Drai's in Las Vegas and went straight to their hotel after the set. Their sources say that it kicked off after a hotel employee requested Quavo to move his car. Quavo and the valet then got into a war of words before the valet got punched. However, it's said that Quavo nor any other Migo member were responsible. Cardi B was also there and performed with them earlier at Drai's. They say security swiftly took her to safety inside of the hotel lobby. Police later showed up and diffused the situation after they responded to a call about the alleged assault. One man was taken into custody by the hotel's at the Encore lockup before police arrived. He was reportedly cited and then released. Peep footage of the scuffle here. Nothing fails like success. The Republican Party of Texas should have remembered that, at some point. I was thinking about that last week, as the U.S. Supreme Court held oral hearings in Abbott v. Perez, which concerns the states current congressional and state house district maps. Those maps were adopted in 2013, as a replacement for the maps adopted in 2011 after the 2010 Census. Q&A: Battle over redistricting about more than just a map A federal district court in 2012 had ordered the state to replace the 2011 maps, after a series of individuals and organizations alleged that a number of the congressional and state house districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Last year, district courts found that the 2013 maps maintained some of the discriminatory features of the 2011 maps, and should therefore be redrawn, too. The state is appealing that ruling to the Supreme Court, which is expected to give its answer by June. All of this gives me a headache, and an appreciation for the lawyers and voting-rights advocates who have kept track of the details of this battle for the past seven years. The thing is, you dont need to be a legal expert to see that Texas congressional and state house districts are gerrymandered. You just need to look at the maps. And although the gerrymandering is constitutional, in some cases, it clearly has ill effects. A look at the congressional district lines that crisscross Travis County shows what I mean. In that case, the gerrymandering was presumably intended to dilute the voting strength of Austin-dwelling progressives, rather than Latinos or African-Americans. Thats why Austin, the capital of Texas, is partially represented by five different members of Congress, only one of whom, Lloyd Doggett, is a Democrat. And none of the five represent what one might call a coherent district. Thats a shame, in my view, because coherent districts often have notably good representation, in the sense that they end up with a representative, of either party, who prioritizes the concerns of the actual district. Read more: Rural Texans need more than a maverick doctor An Austin-centric district, for example, would no doubt elect a Democrat but one who would naturally take an interest in issues that matter to residents of this major American city, such as the tech industry, or higher education. A couple of real-life examples can be found in West Texas. The 16th Congressional District, which covers El Paso, is represented by a Democrat, Beto ORourke. The neighboring 23rd Congressional District, which covers the southwestern region of the state, is represented by a Republican, Will Hurd. Last year ORourke who is now challenging incumbent Ted Cruz for the U.S. Senate seat worked with Republicans on a bill improving access to mental health care for veterans, which was signed by the president, Donald Trump. Hurd, for his part, who will face the winner of a Democratic primary runoff, has joined with Democrats in opposing Trumps call for a physical border wall. In gerrymandered districts, by contrast, its hard to hold a representative accountable if they lose focus on local issues. In 2016, for example, there were eight Republicans who faced no Democratic opponent at all in the general election, and a number who faced only token opposition. Similarly, the Democratic incumbents in the states congressional delegation were effectively re-elected by default. Texas has 36 congressional districts, and none of them flipped in the 2016 cycle. In an odd coincidence, both U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Tyler Republican, won the general election with 74 percent of the vote. This time around, however, Democrats are contesting every congressional district. Republicans are not, and the gerrymandering that persisted in the 2013 maps is such that they were inevitably going to be on defense in a midterm election cycle like this one. Read more: Texas voters arent used to having so many options The 7th Congressional District is widely considered to be in play, for example. But the neighboring 2nd Congressional District will be as well, I suspect. And although there are runoffs pending in a number of districts the Democratic slate is surprisingly strong. Many of the the Democratic nominees will be first-time candidates for political office, of course. And most of them will be underfunded, relative to their opponents. But the Republicans they are facing arent necessarily experienced when it comes to competing for votes. Hurd, in fact, is arguably the most vulnerable of the Republican incumbents running for re-election this year, because his district is purple. In 2016, he narrowly edged Democrat Pete Gallego, who held the seat prior to him. On the other hand, Hurd is also one of only a relative few Texas Republicans who has won a competitive general election. And, of course, he wont be caught off guard by the challenge; he was surely expecting one. Some of his colleagues in the delegation, however, have gotten complacent. And, in fairness, Texas Republicans arent entirely to blame for how energized Texas Democrats are right now. But the GOP shouldnt blame its losses solely on the national political climate, or Trump. They outkicked their coverage, with the 2013 maps; the voters will tell them that, even if the Supreme Court doesnt. erica.grieder@chron.com twitter.com/ericagrieder The three sisters sat in a row at the back of the cramped, stifling room on the first floor of Hogg Middle School in the Heights. Their mother hovered behind, checking their progress, tossing compliments, keeping a watchful but respectful distance. All around them, other girls leaned forward in front of small canvases propped up on table-top easels. Paintbrushes in hand, they dabbed bright swabs of red, yellow and browns to create reproductions of the famed Rosie the Riveter poster. Each one with its own flair, its own unique touch. Some Rosies were light-skinned; others shades of deep caramel or mocha. Some wore polka dot kerchiefs; others simple head scarves. At the top of every painting was a slogan, chosen by the girls to reflect their own personal mantra: I am brave. Lets do this. Wow! Power! We are cool. Girls are the best. Girls never give up! Maya Webb considered her Rosie. Above the bicep-flexing symbol of female strength, the 11-year-old had written: I am pretty. It was a reminder to herself of something that she hasnt always believed, something that has been especially hard to hold onto in the last 12 months. A year ago this week, her father died in a car accident. Since then, said her mother, Sonya Webb, her three daughters have struggled to find themselves. She wants them to know they are loved and special and pretty, that they are strong enough to get past the pain. Thats why she brought them to the We Are Girls Houston conference on Saturday. Maybe here, at an event dedicated to imbuing girls with resilience and self-esteem, they could start to heal. ***** There was no escaping the message of girl power. It leapt from signs plastered on walls throughout Hogg Middle: Be bold. Be brilliant. Be you. Your voice is important. You are unstoppable. Remember that. It whooped at the opening pep rally, where the approximately 1,600 girls in attendance danced to Miley Cyruss Party in the USA and Alicia Keys Girl on Fire before exiting to chants of We. Are. Girls. It echoed on T-shirts sayings like Im a girl, whats your superpower? and in the 70-plus workshops that covered everything from Female Superheroes of Science to Healthy Living for Queens. Even the name of this years conference, the 11th staged by the Girls Empowerment Network and the third in Houston, roared with ferocity: Become Unstoppable. Inside packed classrooms, third- through eighth-graders practiced traditional African dances that usher girls into womanhood and celebrate the bounty of village fishermen, learned methods for countering negative self-talk, jockeyed for space in workshops about female scientists and attended Spanish-language sessions that taught how to make limonada out of limones. Some girls, like Maya, searched for quiet answers amid the tumult. ***** The Webb sisters Maya, her twin Mackenzie, 13-year-old Madison and their mother climbed up to the third floor of Hogg and their second session of the day. None of them were quite sure what the I Am Project for Girls was, but it promised glue, glitter, bedazzles and positive words. Paula Ramirez, all exuberance and warmth, greeted them at the door of Room 316. Here, she told those who entered, they would make a vision board. This project is all about positive thinking, all about positive mindset, she explained. Its to discover your light within. On a table in front of scattered desks were examples of what they would make: a board with a mirror surrounded by uplifting quotes and words and decorated with flowers, gemstones, shimmering butterflies and other frills. By looking into the mirror, Ramirez said, the girls could see who they are and who they can be. Sonya Webb nodded. Her daughters needed this. They quickly set to work, first making a list of attributes that describe them. Creative, suggested Maya. Confident, said Madison. Unique, offered Mackenzie, who prefers to go by Kenzie. Thats a good one, their mother commented with each word. I like that. Then they fashioned their boards, gluing strips of paper with slogans and adjectives onto a canvas. Kenzie framed hers with gold tape. Madison fastened a white butterfly to the corner. Maya wrote about those she loves in the center of a heart: My fam. My dogs. Myself. They had come to the conference before, but this year was different. Every activity contained added significance, every word added to the vision board had extra weight. All three of their boards had the same phrase, a thought that Sonya Webb wants them to carry deep inside: Loved by lots of people. After the session, she stood in a hallway with her daughters, Madisons head resting on her shoulder. She wants her girls to know they will be OK, even if they do not yet believe that. Perhaps this day will take them a step closer. monica.rhor@chron.com twitter.com/monicarhor How many bubbles are in a bar of soap? African-Americans in a bygone era recalled being denied the right to vote because they couldnt answer questions like that at polling places. Written tests administered in Louisiana required certain voters to figure out brain teasers like Print the word vote upside down, but in the correct order. The South has an unpleasant history of conjuring up clever tricks that have discouraged people of color from voting. White clerks conveniently disappeared when black citizens turned up to register. Black voters were verbally abused at polling places. And yes, African-American voters were sometimes beaten, sometimes lynched. Of course, that sort of thing doesnt happen in the 21st century. Today, they do things differently in Fort Worth. EDITORIAL: Blatant injustice for mistaken voters in Fort Worth In Tarrant County, Texas, the criminal justice system sends this message: If youre a black or Hispanic woman, youd better make damn sure your vote is legal. If not, your children might have to grow up without their mother, because you might go to prison for a long, long time. Whats happened to three people accused of violating election laws in the Fort Worth area during the past three months represents a shocking throwback to a shameful era. A black woman and a Hispanic woman have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for violating election laws they say they didnt understand, while a white man who deliberately committed an act of fraud to win himself an elected office will go free without spending a day in jail. This injustice calls for action not only from Tarrant County voters, but also state lawmakers. First came the case of Rosa Maria Ortega, a 37-year-old mother with a sixth-grade education and four children, a Mexican citizen with learning disabilities whos lived in this country legally since she was a baby. She said she mistakenly thought her green card status gave her the right indeed, the civic duty to vote, so she cast ballots five times over the course of a decade. (For what its worth, she considers herself a Republican, and she says she voted for Mitt Romney.) Attorney General Ken Paxtons office reportedly tried to work out a plea bargain, but her lawyer says Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson quashed the negotiations and took the case to trial. A jury convicted Ortega in February and slapped her with a stunning sentence: Eight years in prison. EDITORIAL: Gov. Abbott should pardon a woman whose punishment for a voting offense is extreme Next came the case of Crystal Mason, a 43-year-old woman who was on supervised release stemming from a tax fraud conviction when her mother told her she should vote in the 2016 presidential election. A poll worker who couldnt find her name on the voting rolls reportedly handed her a provisional ballot and gave her instructions on filling it out. Neither Mason nor the poll worker apparently realized she was ineligible to vote because she technically hadnt completed her term from that tax fraud case. Last month, a state district judge convicted Mason and meted out yet another severe sentence: Five years in prison. Mason is African American. Ortega is Hispanic. We would like to think these harsh sentences for two minority voters are a coincidence, but its hard to ignore what just happened in the same county to a white man who deliberately violated election laws. Russ Casey turned in petitions bearing forged signatures to secure himself a place on the primary ballot in a fraudulent effort to win re-election as a Tarrant County justice of the peace. Casey dropped out of the race and pleaded guilty after the scandal came to light. Last week, he was sentenced to five years on probation. No jail time for the white judge. EDITORIAL: Trump's 'Election Integrity' Commission is a waste of time and a waste of taxpayer money. The draconian sentences dealt to Ortega and Mason make it clear that state lawmakers need to reduce the range of penalties for casting illegal votes in Texas. An eight-year prison sentence for this offense is such a severe punishment it borders on medieval. Its also clear that Tarrant County voters need to hold accountable Sharen Wilson, the district attorney whose office prosecuted these cases, and Ruben Gonzalez, the judge who decided to throw a woman in prison for five years for casting an illegal vote. If Tarrant Countys message to non-white voters isnt clear enough, Mason certainly understood it, and she articulated it perfectly: I dont think Ill ever vote again. Thats being honest. Ill never vote again. Thats the way it works today in Fort Worth. If threats of harsh prison sentences scare enough minority voters away from the polls, nobody has to bother asking how many bubbles are in a bar of soap. Youve got to wonder if they call it Dezhou Chai in Shanghai. Thats Mandarin for Texas Tea, by the way, and traders in China have set up their own pricing market for the stuff crude oil. This news should have those in the black gold industry seeing green. The establishment of a new trading price shows how the growing Asia-Pacific markets are becoming a key part of the global energy business at least on the consumer end. With oil nearing $70 per barrel and the 50th Offshore Technology Conference kicking off at NRG this week, booming growth in Asia offers yet another reason to feel good about Houstons energy future. EDITORIAL: From gadgetry to gabbing, OTC offers an unrivaled stage for energy creativity Domestic exports have set a 25-year record and are expected to skyrocket over the summer. The United States is on path to be the worlds largest producer, and China has replaced us as the top importer. And whether the guys buying oil relax after work with a Lone Star or a chai tea, you can bet that Houston, as the energy capital of the world, played a role in the process somewhere along the way. How long until the roles are reversed? It isnt hard to imagine a future in which the energy industry is defined less by oil and gas than by renewables and batteries. Even some top producers are predicting that peak global demand for petroleum is only a few decades away. BP is pointing to the 2030s. Shell is predicting the late 2040s. Oil expert Daniel Yergin says that one-third of all U.S. cars will be electric by 2040. Global campaigns to prevent climate change will only accelerate the transition. Decades may seem like a long time until you imagine trying to convince 1980s coal country that it needed to worry about natural gas. MORE OTC: The Offshore Technology Conference reflected changes in the market, but what's next? At the rate things are going, eventually the energy capital of the world will move across the Pacific. An extensive 2017 report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis described how the Asian nation will certainly be very comfortable providing technology leadership and financial capacity so as to dominate fast-growing sectors such as solar energy, electric vehicles and batteries. By that point, you wont be able to turn on a light switch, drive a car or run a modern economy without China playing a role in the process. Houstons expertise in oil and gas becomes an outdated skill-set our city goes Rust Belt. For the time being, Houston is still the energy capital of the globe, and probably will be for some time. We sit at a nexus of oil plays, pipelines, refineries and ports. But its more than mere physical location. Were also the global center for technology and managerial experience in the energy industry. Its a position that keeps our economy humming, and city growing, in a changing world. MORE: OTC reflects shades of NASA So consider this a friendly warning that things can change quickly, and Houston needs to ensure that we remain a global economic nexus. It means leveraging the skills and talents we already have to keep up with new industries, like retooling deepwater rigs for offshore wind power. Projects like the TMC3 with its focus on biomedical research, and the Midtown innovation districts promotion of tech startups, show that city leaders are moving in the right direction. The failure of the University of Texas data science center shows that its two steps forward, one step back. And were still waiting for local investments in battery research, wind, solar and other new energy resrouces that can match international competitors. Theres plenty for Houston to celebrate at the 50th annual OTC. If we prepare now, well be able to say the same after another half-century. Imperial Valley News Center Joint Statement of the 2018 U.S.-Japan-Mongolia Trilateral Meeting Washington, DC - The United States, Japan, and Mongolia held a trilateral meeting in Tokyo on April 26, 2018. The participants reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan-Mongolia trilateral meeting as an important mechanism for the exchange of views on regional and multilateral cooperation and on mutually beneficial economic development. During the meeting, the United States and Japan detailed their vision for a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region in which all countries are free from coercion and can maintain their sovereign right to choose their own paths. Japan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to their increased bilateral relationships with Mongolia in line with Mongolias third neighbor policy, and the three countries discussed potential avenues of cooperation to promote connectivity, good governance, and a rules-based international order throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The three sides welcomed the recent positive developments on the Korean Peninsula. They reaffirmed their commitment to maintain global pressure on North Korea, including the full implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions with the view to securing the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The three countries emphasized the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns, including the immediate resolution of the abductions issue. Japan and the United States expressed their great appreciation for Mongolias contributions to UN peacekeeping operations and continued stability operations in conflict zones worldwide. The participants affirmed their shared intent to promote trilateral and multilateral security and peacekeeping cooperation. The three countries also pledged to promote increased cooperation in multilateral institutions and coalitions, including the Community of Democracies and the UN Human Rights Council, in support of their shared values and international norms. Mutually beneficial economic development remains a key theme in the trilateral relationship. The three countries discussed opportunities to increase trade and make Mongolias business and investment climate increasingly attractive to Japanese and U.S. firms, particularly through improved transparency and predictability. Japan reconfirmed its continuing intention to engage in the international assistance package formulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and expressed its hope for Mongolias steady efforts to keep its fiscal discipline. Japan also reiterated that the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport could be a new symbol of Japan-Mongolian cooperation and enhance connectivity between Mongolia and international community. Mongolia and Japan agreed to exert their joint efforts to accelerate the process to put the Airport into operation as early as possible. The United States looks forward to the signing of a second compact between the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Government of Mongolia to increase bulk water supply and improve water sanitation in the city of Ulaanbaatar. The United States is pleased to have facilitated access to credit for Mongolian small and medium-sized enterprises through the USAID-funded REACH project and supported the development of Mongolias next generation of democratic leaders through the USAID-funded Leaders Advancing Democracy (LEAD) program. The participants also recognized the importance of Mongolias fully implementing the recommendations of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering to strengthen its ability to prevent money laundering and proliferation finance, and the three countries discussed expanding cooperation in this area. Imperial Valley News Center Vesak Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I extend our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Vesak Day around the world. "As Buddhist communities everywhere celebrate the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, we pause to reflect on and honor the universal values of peace, tolerance and compassion the founder of Buddhism embodied. "The United States is proud to host a vibrant and diverse Buddhist community, as it joins Buddhists around the world in celebrating Vesak Day. Buddhisms spiritual and cultural contributions have enriched our shared human heritage over more than two millennia. "We wish you all a joyous and peaceful Vesak." Wanted Fugitive Captured by CBP To Face Charges in Canada Atlanta, Georgia - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from Office of Field Operations at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) took a man into custody to face charges in Canada. CBP officers were at the gate on March 31, when Hamid Chekakri, 47, an Algerian national arrived on a flight from Costa Rica. CBP officers working with Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals confirmed his identity and verified active warrants for assault, and burglary charges in Montreal, Canada. Today, he was extradited back to Canada to face charges. CBP officers and U.S. Marshals transfer Hamid Chekakri to Montreal Police We continue to work closely with all law enforcement agencies to ensure wanted criminals face justice, said Carey Davis, CBP Port Director for the Area Port of Atlanta. Our work is vital to protecting the homeland and officers consistently do an outstanding job of taking people off the street that may pose a concern to any community. CBPs Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nations ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the U.S. while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. CBP conducts inspection operations and intercepts currency, weapons, prohibited agriculture products and other illicit items, and on average arrests 21 wanted persons a day at U.S. ports of entry nationwide. Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Border Patrol Agents in Vermont Arrest Illegal Alien Wanted for Child Molestation Alburgh, Vermont - U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended Remy Amon, 41, an Ivory Coast national with an extraditable felony warrant for molestation of a child. At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Border Patrol agents in Alburgh, VT encountered Amon walking in the rain on Rt. 2 wearing a large coat and carrying a backpack. This area is in close proximity to the international border and agents routinely encounter subjects who have illegally entered the U.S. in this area. During questioning, the agent attempted to identify Amon, however, he stated his identification documents had been stolen. Agents transported him to the Swanton Station where biometric record checks revealed that he had initially provided a false name to agents and not only had no status or documentation to allow him to legally enter or be present in the United States, has an extensive criminal history including a warrant for arrest. This arrest is a great example of why the work of our Border Patrol agents along the northern border is so important, said Swanton Station Patrol Agent in Charge Matthew Sherman. The agents diligence in identifying this individual means we were able to remove a dangerous criminal from our community. Border Patrol contacted the King County Sheriffs Office in Washington State who will extradite Amon based on the warrant for molestation of a minor. The Swanton Sector is responsible for securing the land border between ports of entry in Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New York. The coordination with assistance of citizens is invaluable to the Border Patrol's border security mission and we welcome community members' help to keep our nations borders safe. Please report suspicious activity at 1-800-689-3362. Republic of the Marshall Islands Constitution Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer congratulations to the people of the Marshall Islands on their 39th Constitution Day, May 1. "With our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and our strong, enduring partnership, the United States and the Marshall Islands have achieved significant progress advancing common goals in the region and beyond. We look forward to continuing our close cooperation both bilaterally and at the United Nations on issues such as promoting human rights, increasing education and health levels, bolstering maritime and regional security, and countering transnational crime. "Our close partnership is notably about our two governments working together, it is also about our two peoples looking to the future together. We honor those Marshallese men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces, ensuring a safe, secure, and free world for all. "Please accept my warmest wishes on this special day. Samantha Akkineni: Everything You Need to Know About the Actor Who Announced Separation from Naga Chaitanya Harvey Weinstein believes he will be eventually forgiven by Hollywood, Piers Morgan has said. More than 60 women have come forward with accusations of sexual assault and harassment by the Hollywood producer. He has said that all sexual acts were consensual, while his legal team have called a number of the other allegations false. Ive spoken to Harvey in the clinic in Arizona (where Weinstein is seeking treatment), for about an hour. Hes fighting, Morgan told GQ. Hes a fascinating character. The apocalyptic symptom of the whole thing the casting couch finally brought to judgment. I cant express the same level of shock as some people in Hollywood. Listen, this has been the system since Hollywood existed, he continued. Its been a moral cesspit since the Twenties, and the idea that Harvey Weinstein is the only villain? Do me a favour. Look at Mel Gibson: ultimately Harvey believes he will be forgiven. Gibson faced major controversy with an antisemitic rant following a drink driving arrest in 2006, but has since been welcomed back to Hollywood, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for Hacksaw Ridge in 2017. Weinstein is currently under investigation by police in London, New York, and Los Angeles, with the NYPD reportedly close to an arrest. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Show all 42 1 /42 Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein Harry Weinsteins reputation as one of Hollywoods leading executives was long cemented in stone. The acclaimed movie mogul, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, clocked up box office successes and accolades aplenty. But this has quickly changed since a chorus of women have come forward to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexual harassment and assault. Since the New York Times bombshell report disclosed sexual harassment and rape allegations against the film mogul dating back decades, Weinstein has been fired from his namesake company, expelled from the Oscars and has had his wife leave him. Weinstein has apologised for having caused a lot of pain but has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Annabella Sciorra The Sopranos actor alleged Weinstein raped her after shooting The Night We Never Met, a 1993 movie that Weinstein produced. Similar to the stories told by other women, Weinstein drove the actor home, only to reportedly burst into Sciorra's apartment and start unbuttoning his shirt. He shoved me onto the bed, and he got on top of me, Sciorra said. I kicked and I yelled. Weinstein then allegedly locked her arms and forced sexual intercourse on her. After the incident, Sciorra found it increasingly hard to get work, many filmmakers saying 'We heard you were difficult', something the actor claims was because of the 'Weinstein-machine'. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Natassia Malthe The model and actress, who has appeared in around 50 films, said she met Weinstein at a BAFTA after party in 2008 while she was working as a spokeswoman for LG. She told a press conference in New York that she felt pressured into telling Weinstein she was staying at the Sanderson Hotel after being put on the spot. Malthe, now 43, said after her shift on February 10 she went back to her room and went to sleep, but was awoken by "repeated pounding" on her door, from someone yelling: "Open the door Natassia Malthe, it's Harvey Weinstein." Feeling humiliated, she said she opened the door. She alleged Weinstein began implying sex would get her a role in an upcoming film while semi-undressed and then he began to masturbate. "I was sitting on the bed talking to Harvey when he pushed me back and forced himself onto me. It was not consensual. He did not use a condom," she said. AP Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sean Young The actor, best known for her role in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, said that Weinstein exposed himself to her in the early 1990s, when she was starring in the Miramax-produced Love Crimes - a production company that Weinstein headed at the time. "I personally experienced him pulling his you-know-what out of his pants to shock me," she said. "My basic response was, 'You know, Harvey, I really dont think you should be pulling that thing out, its not very pretty.'" Young never worked with Weinstein again after the incident. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lupita Nyong'o In an op-ed for The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said she was invited to Weinsteins family home in Connecticut on the premise of watching a film shortly after they met in 2011. But she said shortly after it started he "insisted" in front of his children that she follow him and she was led to his bedroom. The Kenyan-Mexican actress, now 34, said she felt pressured into giving him a massage after he offered her one. "Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants," she wrote."I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that." Over the years that followed, he continued to get in touch, Nyong'o said, and when she declined another proposition she felt her career was threatened. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lena Headey Writing on social media, the Game of Thrones actor claims she first met Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 where, after taking her for a walk by the water, he made some suggestive comment and gesture. Headey claims she bumped into Weinstein years later where he kept asking her questions about her love life. She alleges that, when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room to show her a script, the "energy shifted. The actor notes how, after saying she was not interesting in anything but the work, Weinstein was furious, apparently marching her back to a lift, "grabbing and holding tightly to the back of [her] arm." She claims that, after paying for her car, he whispered in her ear: "Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent. Headey finished the post, writing: I got in the car and I cried. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Laura Madden Madden, a production assistant who worked at Miramax for a decade, told the Times that Weinstein allegedly prodded her for massages at hotels, a common theme among the sources the Timess reporters spoke with. On one occasion, she claims she locked herself in his hotel bathroom, sobbing Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Judd recounted for the Times how Weinstein allegedly harassed her while she was filming Kiss the Girls in 1996, inviting her to his hotel room and asking her for a massage, then inviting her to watch him shower. Judd first went public with the allegations in a 2015 interview with Variety during which she discussed the experience without naming the producer involved. She described Weinsteins alleged behaviour as coercive bargaining; I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask, she told the Times AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rose McGowan McGowan reportedly reached a previously undisclosed $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, over an incident that occurred in a hotel room Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emily Nestor Nestor had been temping at the Weinstein Company for only one day in 2014 when Weinstein allegedly offered to boost her career in return for sexual favours, according to the Times. She declined and reportedly complained of his behaviour to colleagues, who later passed the information on to senior executives. An internal Weinstein Company document cited by the Times describes Nestors encounter with Weinstein as follows: She said he was very persistent and focused though she kept saying no for over an hour Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ambra Battilana In March 2015, Battilana, an aspiring model and actress, was reportedly summoned to Weinsteins office on a Friday night to discuss her career. According to a police report cited by the Times, Battilana claimed she was assaulted by Weinstein, who grabbed her breasts after asking if they were real and put his hands up her skirt. Weinstein later claimed that Battilana had set him up, according to colleagues of his who were interviewed by the Times. The Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, later declined to press charges, and according to the Times, made a payment to Battilana. On 5 October, the International Business Times reported that after Vance dropped the charges, he received $10,000 from Weinsteins lawyer Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lauren OConnor Lauren OConnor, an employee of the Weinstein Company, penned a memo to executives alleging a toxic environment for women at the company. The memo cited numerous incidents of Weinstein harassing or coercing women who worked for him. She expressed fear that Weinstein was using her and other female employees to facilitate liaisons with vulnerable women who hope he will get them work. That same year, Weinstein allegedly reached a settlement with OConnor Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Kate Beckinsale The actor, who starred in the Weinstein Company films Serendipity and The Aviator, alleges that she was invited to Weinsteins hotel room at the age of just 17. When she approached the door, the producer reportedly greeted her dressed in just a dressing gown. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him, she wrote on Instagram. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Gwyneth Paltrow The actor alleges that after he cast her in the title role of the film Emma when she was 22, he took her to his hotel room, placed his hands on her and suggested massages. I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, Paltrow told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Asia Argento Italian actress Asia Argento has alleged that in 1997 Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop. When I see him, it makes me feel little and stupid and weak, Argento told The New Yorker. After the rape, he won. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Cara Delevigne The British model and actress penning an Instagram post claiming that Weinstein had ordered her to kiss another woman in his hotel room, and tried to kiss her on the lips. AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Ashley Judd said she rebuffed Harvey Weinsteins unwanted sexual advances by offering to consent only after she had won an Oscar. When she was initially invited to a meeting with Weinstein, Judd said, she was surprised to learn the producer was in his hotel room - a tactic that recurs in other womens accounts. Echoing the accounts of other women, Judd said Weinstein suggested she give him a massage and then invited her to watch him shower. After a volley of nos she said she would only after she wins an Oscar, fleeing after making the comments. Reuters/Mike Segar Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Judith Godreche French actress Judith Godreche said when she was 24 Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked to give her a massage. The next thing I know, hes pressing against me and pulling off my sweater, she told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mira Sorvino The Oscar-winning actor said she found herself in a hotel room with Weinstein in 1995 where he started massaging my shoulders, which made me very uncomfortable, and then tried to get more physical, sort of chasing me around. According to an interview in The New Yorker Weinstein subsequently arrived at her apartment late at night and she had to call a friend to come over to pose as her boyfriend in order to get Weinstein out of the house. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Katherine Kendall The actress said Weinstein undressed and chased her around a living room when she was just 23. She subsequently felt that telling others meant Ill never work again and no one is going to care or believe me, she told the New York Times. WireImage Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Tomi-Anne Roberts As an aspiring actress and working in a restaurant in New York, Tomi-Ann Roberts encountered Weinstein who encouraged her to audition for one of his films back in 1984. She subsequently went to meet him and found him naked in the bath and invited her to get naked and get into the bath with him, she told the New York Times. She said she left feeling manipulated. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Myleen Klass It has also been alleged that the disgraced film producer propositioned Myleene Klass with a sex contract at Cannes Film Festival in 2010. One of the singer and television personalitys friends reportedly told The Sun, Klass had told Weinstein to f*** off. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sophie Dix Sophie Dix, best known for her role as Captain Sadie Williams in Soldier Soldier, described her encounter with Weinstein when she was 23 as the single most damaging thing thats happened in my life. She told The Guardian Weinstein had pushed her to her bed and was tugging at her clothes. She rushed to the bathroom to escape, but when she came out she found him standing there masturbating. I quickly closed the door again and locked it, she said. Then when I heard room service come to the door I just ran. Rex Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lea Seydoux The actor and director claims she had to fight off Weinstein after he brought her to his hotel room during what she remembers to be 2012. He suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. Hes big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. I left his room, thoroughly disgusted, she wrote in The Guardian. AFP/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Claire Forlani British actress Claire Forlani wrote on Twitter that she had evaded Weinsteins advances on five occasions at the age of 25. At meetings with the Hollywood a-lister, she says massage was suggested, and that Weinstein had boasted of all the women hed had sex with. Mark Douet Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Florence Darel French actress Florence Darel claimed Weinstein relentlessly pursued her in the mid 1990's and propositioned her while Eve Chilton, his wife at the time, was in the hotel room next door. I was astonished, she told People magazine. When you have someone so physically disgusting in front of you, continuing and continuing as though this was all perfectly normal What happened to me may not be illegal but it was inappropriate. Very inappropriate. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lysette Anthony Lysette Anthony, who starred as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks, has claimed Weinstein raped her in the late 1980's after turning up to her London home in the late 1980s. She described the disgraced film producers alleged attack as pathetic and revolting and said it left her feeling disgusted and embarrassed. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Dawn Dunning Dunning said she met Weinstein in 2003 when she was 24-years-old and the disgraced film producer suggested she have a threesome with him and someone else. She told the New York Times Weinstein got angry when she refused. Youll never make it in this business, she said he told her as she left. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Arquette was already well known for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan, when she said she met Weinstein at his hotel to pick up a script in the early nineties. Weinstein was dressed only in a dressing gown, and tried to put her hand on his erect penis. Speaking to the New York Times, Arquette said as she left she told him: I will never be that girl. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emma de Caunes Caunes, a French actor, claimed Weinstein took her to his hotel room in 2010 supposedly to retrieve a book he was making into a film, but once there he went into the bathroom. De Caunes said he then emerged naked, with an erection and told her to lie on the bed. She fled the room. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Zoe Brock Model Zoe claimed that she had to lock herself in a bathroom at Weinsteins hotel in 1997, after the mogul had sent all of the assistants out of the room, and then appeared naked. I was alone with Weinstein, she told ITVs This Morning programme. He very quickly left the room and came back naked. He chased me naked. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Barth Actress Jessica Barth described an encounter with Weinstein in 2011 in an interview with The New Yorker in which she said Weinstein veered between offering her roles in films and demanding a naked massage. She alleges the producer said to her: So, what would happen if, say, were having some champagne and I take my clothes off and you give me a massage? When she tried to leave, he then promised to give her the number of a female executive at the company. He gave me her number, and I walked out and I started bawling, Barth said. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Romola Garai The actress told The Guardian she felt violated after she went to a meeting with Weinstein at the age of 18 and he met her in his hotel room wearing nothing but a dressing gown. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Heather Graham Graham claimed that during a casting opportunity in the early 2000's Weinstein had told her he had an open relationship with his wife. He could sleep with whomever he wanted when he was out of town. I walked out of the meeting feeling uneasy, Graham told Variety. There was no explicit mention that to star in one of those films I had to sleep with him, but the subtext was there. Graham was never hired to work in a Weinstein film. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Hynes Spaced and W1A star Jessica Hynes tweeted about an encounter with Weinstein earlier this week, but subsequently deleted the tweet. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louisette Geiss The former actress said she met Weinstein to pitch a film script she was working on. During the meeting, Weinstein allegedly went out and reappeared naked and got into a jacuzzi where he masturbated in front of her and said he would make the script into a film if she stayed and watched. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Liza Campbell Liza Campbell, a British writer and artist, alleged that Olympically ugly Weinstein asked her to join him in the bath and began getting undressed at a hotel. In a piece for The Times, Campbell claimed she was forced to sprint to the door to escape. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louise Godbold Writing in a blog post, Louise Godbold, a non-profit director in Los Angeles, said her encounter with Weinstein took the form of an office tour that became an occasion to trap me in an empty meeting room. She said then Weinstein was begging for a massage, his hands on my shoulders as I attempted to beat a retreat. In November, an NYPD official said authorities were building a rape case against Weinstein based on credible and detailed allegations from actress Paz de La Huerta, as well as four others, including those brought by Lucia Evans, who alleged that Weinstein forcer her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more. Larry Harvey, founder of the Burning Man festival, has died at the age of 70. Mr Harvey died on Saturday morning at a hospital in San Francisco, surrounded by family, Burning Man Project chief executive Marian Goodell said. The cause was not immediately known but he suffered a stroke earlier this month. Longtime friend Stuart Mangrum posted on the organisations website that Mr Harvey did not believe in any sort of existence after death. Now that hes gone, lets take the liberty of contradicting him, and keep his memory alive in our hearts, our thoughts, and our actions, Mr Mangrum wrote. As he would have wished it, let us always Burn the Man. Burning Man takes place annually in northern Nevadas Black Rock Desert. The week-long festival attracts 70,000 people who travel to a dry lake bed 100 miles east of Reno, where temperatures can routinely reach 37.8C during the summer. In this 31 August 2013 photo, the 'Man' burns on the Black Rock Desert (AP) There they must carry in their own food, build their own makeshift community and engage in whatever interests them. On the gatherings penultimate day, the giant effigy or man as it is known is set ablaze. Friends and family toasted Mr Harvey on Saturday as a visionary, a lover of words and books, a mentor and instigator who challenged others to look at the world in new ways. The sun sets on the 2017 Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada (Reuters/Jim Urquhart) Burners, as they are called, left comments on the organisations website thanking him for inspiring them as artists and for creating a community. Thanks for everything. (No, really, pretty much everything in my life right now is a result of Burning Man), read one post. While tickets now sell out immediately, Mr Harvey described in a 2007 interview how he had much more modest intentions when he launched Burning Man on San Franciscos Baker Beach in 1986. Burning Man Festival 2014 Show all 14 1 /14 Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man People gather around the art installation Embrace during the Burning Man 2014 'Caravansary' arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada REUTERS/Jim Urquhart Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Burning Man participants walk on the play a at the annual Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Artist Christina Minor paints on one of the panels around centre camp at Burning Man AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man An aerial view during the Burning Man 2014 'Caravansary' arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada Reuters/JIM URQUHART Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Art cars are lined up to be registered at the Black Rock DMV AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Burning Man participants bike on the playa during the annual Burning Man event AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man A Burning Man participant's bike is surrounded by art cars that are lined up at the Black Rock DMV AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man A pirate ship cruises the Playa during the Burning Man 2014 'Caravansary' arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada REUTERS/Jim Urquhart Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Karen Carner and her husband Mark Lee decorate a bike Tuesday at a Wal-Mart in Reno, Nev. The couple are providing concierge service for two women from Pittsburgh who are first-timers at the festival AP/Cathleen Allison Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man People interact with art installations during the Burning Man 2014 arts and music festival REUTERS/Jim Urquhart Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Eddie Southerden, of London, loads supplies at a Wal-Mart in Reno, Nev. Southerden is one of many Burners delayed after a rare rain storm temporarily closed the entrance to Burning Man AP/Cathleen Allison Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Burners, from left, Corbin Stinson, Beth Rademacher and Kaleb Acklin, all of Hawaii, restock their supplies AP/Cathleen Allison Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man An art car is driven to the Black Rock DMV to be registered at the annual Burning Man event on the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nev RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL/Andy Barron/AP Burning Man Festival 2014 Burning Man Burner Suzie Wyld, of Australia, stocks up at a Wal-Mart in Reno, Nev. after a rare rain storm temporarily closed the entrance to Burning Man. The Playa reopened early Monday morning for the weeklong counter-culture festival that draws 70,000 people to the Black Rock Desert AP Photo/Cathleen Allison I called a friend and said, Lets go to the beach and burn a man, he told the website Green Living. And he said, Can you say that again? And I did and we did it. It was not until afterwards, Mr Harvey recalled, that he had the epiphany that led to Burning Man. Within a few years the event had outgrown Baker Beach and moved to the desert. Recommended Burning Man festival horror as man dives into flames While Mr Harvey would speak frequently about Burning Man in the years that followed, he would reveal little about himself and it was often hard to discern truth from fiction. He believed he was conceived in the back of a Chevrolet by parents who abandoned him soon after his birth, he once told the Reno Gazette-Journal. His brother, Stewart Harvey, said in a post on Saturday that the two were adopted by farmers Shorty and Katherine Harvey, and grew up outside of Portland, Oregon. The brothers, who were not related by blood, were extremely close. After that first fire in 1986, Burning Man flourished as Mr Harvey meticulously oversaw its every detail from the various communities that would spring up overnight to its annual arts theme to the beautifully crafted temple that accompanies Burning Man and is also burned. Recommended Pulsating heart and giant jellyfish among art on show at Burning Man He eventually formed a limited liability corporation to put on Burning Man, converting it in 2013 to a nonprofit with 70 employees and a budget of $30m (22m). He was president of its board and chief philosophic officer". Although known for retaining its joyful atmosphere as it grew from a small gathering to one of gigantic proportions, Burning Man occasionally had its problems. In 2017, a man ran into Burning Man's flames, suffered burns over almost all of his body and died. In 1996, three people were injured when a drunken driver ran over their tent. That same year a man was killed when his motorcycle collided with a van carrying people to the festival. In 2007, a prankster set fire to Burning Man four days early and it had to be frantically rebuilt while the man was charged with arson. He is survived by his son Tristan Harvey; brother Stewart Harvey; and nephew Bryan Harvey. Some of the most diverse untouched habitats remaining in Europe are threatened by a tsunami of dam building which will divert and dry up swathes of previously pristine rivers. New documentary Blue Heart aims to highlight how 3,000 hydropower plants planned across the Balkans will decimate some of the last wilderness areas in Europe in a bid to hit sustainability goals. The projects will heap pressure on more than 30 species which are on the endangered species list, and many more threatened fish species. From Slovenia to Greece, the documentary follows local communities which have depended on the rivers for centuries for food, water and farming and their fight against the projects being planned. The film premiered on Saturday with a screening on the walls of the Idbar Dam in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nearly half of the projects are intended [to lie] within protected areas such as national parks and most face no requirement to conduct an environmental impact assessment", said Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor clothing company Patagonia, which funded the film. These dams could destroy the largest and last untamed river in Albania, drive the already threatened Danube salmon to extinction in Bosnia and Herzegovina, jeopardise the survival of the critically endangered Balkan lynx in Macedonia and displace communities across the region. Its not too late to stop these disastrous projects. The Balkans has some of the healthiest waterways in Europe, with a major hydrological assessment finding 30 per cent are pristine with no signs of pollutants and 50 per cent are in very good health. This is the opposite of central Europe, where years of intensive farming and industrialisation have threatened the once vibrant streams and rivers that support thousands of species and millions of people. Recommended Record 200 activists murdered globally for defending the environment While a handful of the dams will be large scale and involve the flooding of existing rivers to form lakes, 91 per cent of the dams planned in the Balkans will have a capacity lower than 10 megawatts per hour, according to the Save the Blue Heart of Europe project. Below this level there is no requirement to provide an environmental impact assessment, but the combined effect of repeated damming along the course of small waterways causes the lower levels of the river. According to campaigners, This kills the habitats that depend on it, increases the risk of flooding and prevents nourishing sediment and carbon trapped in plant matter reaching the sea. Many Balkan countries are also investing heavily in coal, upgrading and replacing existing power stations, but are considering how they will meet Paris Climate Agreement targets on renewable energy. Those looking for EU membership will also be under pressure to deliver against sustainability targets, with the bloc aiming to have 27 per cent of energy coming from sustainable sources by 2030. Dams are already common in the region, with around 1,000 active and 100 being built, but the new development will increase this by 300 per cent. 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 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of the agencies funding new hydropower projects in the region, and has a plan to help governments transition to low-carbon economies. In conjunction with the World Bank's International Finance Corporation and the European Investment Bank, more than 727m (641m) has been poured into hydropower in the Balkans since 2005, analysis by Bankwatch Network and Save the Blue Heart found. Activists are calling for these major funders to focus on less destructive forms of energy generation, and hope to prevent 1,000 other planned projects from receiving the backing they need. The Balkan rivers are of outstanding value within Europe. The dam tsunami is threatening biodiversity and local communities, says Ulrich Eichelmann of Riverwatch, a society aimed at conserving and restoring rivers globally. He added that commercial European banks are supporting even the worst projects, many of which would not meet environmental impact standards required in their own European countries. They have to stop the financing of hydropower in the Balkans, he added. Modern cities are brimming with objects that receive, collect and transmit data. This includes mobile phones but also objects actually embedded into our cities, such as traffic lights and air pollution stations. Even something as simple as a garbage bin can now be connected to the internet, meaning that it forms part of what is called the internet of things (IoT). A smart city collects the data from these digital objects, and uses it to create new products and services that make cities more liveable. Although they have huge potential to make life better, the possibility of increasingly smarter cities also raises serious privacy concerns. Through sensors embedded into our cities, and the smartphones in our pockets, smart cities will have the power to constantly identify where people are, who they are meeting and even perhaps what they are doing. Following revelations that 87 million peoples Facebook data was allegedly breached and used to influence electoral voting behaviour, it is ever more important to properly scrutinise where our data goes and how it is used. Similarly, as more and more critical infrastructure falls victim to cyber-attacks, we need to consider that our cities are not only becoming smarter, they are also becoming more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Smarter cities Across the world, cities are rapidly becoming smarter. Cities as different as Singapore, London and San Francisco use technologies such as urban sensing (which captures how people interact with each other and their surroundings), geotracking (which records the movement of people), and real-time analytics (which processes the vast amount of collected data). Smart cities use these technologies to better manage energy and water supply, reduce contamination and traffic jams, optimise garbage collection routes or help people park their cars. A good example is Chicagos Array of Things project. The Array of Things project in Chicago collects real-time data on the citys environment (Shutterstock) Smart city initiatives dont just have the potential to help make life more liveable, they can help us better the world. In 2013, the Greek academic Vassilis Kostakos introduced interactive LCD screens, which encouraged people waiting at a bus stop to help identify malaria-infected blood cells. Big data and privacy concerns In the last few months, following the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook revelations, concerns over how companies use accumulated data has grown exponentially. Back in 2009, experts were already aware that stakeholders could collect personal information from unaware users. Opaque privacy policies and complex data-sharing agreements allowed companies to bypass data protection law and use collected data for undeclared purposes. Because of the huge and detailed information collected by internet of things (IoT) devices, smart city projects could lead to similar worries. Take for example, the Cityware project, which demonstrated the possibility of mapping not just digital but also physical encounters between Facebook friends. Cityware was able to track the movement and interaction of 30,000 people using their Facebook profiles and smartphone bluetooth signals. Most people tend to underestimate that the smartphone they carry around is a very powerful sensing tool. In order to function, your phone continuously shares data about your location, digital and physical interaction, and more. When this data is matched with further information collected from IoT devices and smart grids electricity supply networks that rapidly detect and react to local changes in usage it raises serious implications for peoples privacy and right to self-determination. Just as you give Facebook the right to own anything you post on your profile, the data collected by online sensors across smart cities will be owned by a variety of corporations, including internet service providers (ISPs). Last year, the US Congress overturned internet privacy protection by granting ISPs the right to sell users information, such as browsing history, to third parties. Once most of your gadgets are connected to the internet, the same objects could inform companies what brands and products you like and how and when you use them. This means that all the data that IoT gadgets will collect, whether in your home or in your city, can potentially be sold to third parties. Smart phones collect huge amounts of data risking your privacy (Shutterstock) Cybersecurity worries As cities get smarter, our digital information becomes even more vulnerable to cyber attacks. For example, ransomware, which encrypts information and then asks for a ransom to free it, can hit even the biggest data holders, such as the UK National Health Service (NHS). Stakes are extremely high when viruses hit local authorities. The recent cyber attack on the city of Atlanta crippled several critical systems across the city, including the police department. Europols No More Ransom! initiative gives good advice on how to deal with this type of threat. Hackers can take control of entire buildings or systems. The power blackout that left more than 225,000 people without light in Ukraine in December 2015 is an example. Working out who is responsible for a cyber attack is always challenging but Russia was indicated as a potential suspect. Ultimately, even with these concerns, embedding IoT into cities is a growing trend. To take control of what that means, people need to become better informed and more involved. The business models of stakeholders need to be scrutinised and their use of data needs to be accountable. Most of all, citizens need to be listened to on how they want their cities to develop. Sara Degli-Esposti is a research fellow at Coventry University and Siraj Ahmed Shaikh is a professor of systems security at Coventry University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article Police are hunting for six puppies stolen from a house in Greater Manchester. Officers were called to reports of five intruders forcing their way into the property in Partington Street, Rochdale, at about 9.40pm on Saturday before before making demands for mobile phones. The group then searched part of the house, took the six French bulldogs, and left. Recommended The reptiles and amphibians stolen from the wild and sold as pets Fortunately no-one was hurt during the incident. An investigation is on-going to find the offenders and the missing puppies named Don, Django, Brutus, Scarface, Savage and Queenie. Detective Sergeant Richard Shelton of Greater Manchester Polices Rochdale Borough urged people to study the photos released of the dogs. Although no-one was hurt during the incident we need to make sure the puppies are safe and returned to their home as soon as possible, he said. 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 Dogs can very much be members of our families and I cant imagine the pain of not knowing where they are or when they will be seen again. Take time to study the photos weve released of the dogs they are pure pedigree and all under one-year-old. I need people to be on alert and call us if they either noticed something unusual last night or if they have been offered one of the puppies. The descriptions of the dogs are as follows: Don is lilac/tan coloured and is eight months old Django is chocolate/tan coloured and is eight months old Brutus is chocolate coloured with green eyes and seven months old Scarface has a white/grey merle coat and six to seven months old Savage is lilac/tan coloured and two months old Queenie is grey coloured with short legs and seven months old Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 4810 quoting reference number 2351 of 28/04/18 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Amber Rudd is facing fresh calls to resign after a new leaked document revealed she had openly discussed deportation targets, appearing to contradict claims she was unaware of them. In a letter sent to Theresa May, Ms Rudd boasted of allocating more resources to immigration enforcement teams with the aim of increasing deportations of illegal immigrations by 10 per cent a target she said was ambitious but deliverable. The revelation raises fresh questions over Ms Rudds insistence that she was unaware her department was using targets in relation to deportations. The home secretary was already facing intense pressure over suggestions she misled parliament on the matter. Quizzed about the Windrush scandal by the Home Affairs Committee of MPs, she had insisted the Home Office did not impose targets for deportations. When it was later revealed that enforcement teams were using internal targets to assess performance, she denied having been aware of the policy. However, the claim she did not know of any specific targets was further undermined when a leaked memo showed she had been sent details of plans to increase deportations by 10 per cent. After a nine-hour delay in responding, Ms Rudd tweeted late on Friday night to say she had not seen the document. The latest leak will come as a damning and potentially final blow to the home secretary as she battles to cling on to her job. It suggests that not only was Ms Rudd aware of the 10 per cent target, but that she had openly discussed it with the prime minister. In the letter, published by The Guardian, she wrote: I will be reallocating 10m (including from low-level crime and intelligence) with the aim of increasing the number of enforced removals by more than 10 per cent over the next few years: something I believe is ambitious, but deliverable. Ms Rudd is due to address MPs on Monday and will likely face a barrage of questions about why she claimed to be unaware of any deportation targets. Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Show all 15 1 /15 Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947 PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I cant face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice." PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948. Getty In a tweet posted in response to the first leaked memo, Ms Rudd said: I wasnt aware of specific removal targets. I accept I should have been and Im sorry that I wasnt. I didnt see the leaked document although it was copied to my office as many documents are. Defending his Cabinet on Sunday, Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis admitted Ms Rudd was aware of the 10 per cent figure but claimed this was an overall ambition rather than a specific target. He said Ms Rudd was correct in denying being aware of targets, because she was referring to the specific, internal targets immigration enforcement officials were using to assess performance. There is no evidence the home secretary was aware of these. Brandon Lewis says Amber Rudd wasn't aware of illegal immigrant removal targets Labour reiterated calls for Ms Rudd to resign in the wake of the latest leak. Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, said: The Tories shameful attempts to cover up their mess must end. Clearly there were targets, and Amber Rudd was aware of them. Theresa May has sent minister after minister out to protect her cruel legacy, misleading parliament and the public in the process. With each new revelation, we get more of an insight into the Tories heartless Home Office policies which have led to the Windrush scandal. This chaos has gone on for far too long. Its time for Rudd to go and for the government to rethink its whole approach. Ministers have announced plans to clamp down on a century-old business loophole that they say is being used by foreign criminals to launder dirty money through the UK. The government said Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs), which were introduced in 1907 to help Scottish farmers, are being exploited by overseas criminal gangs. One laundering scheme used 100 SLPs to shift $80bn in Russian money in just four years, according to government research. The proposals are the latest in ministers attempts to crack down on dirty money as part of a wide-ranging response to Russia in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Recommended Knowledge gap leaves Britons vulnerable to money laundering criminals Under plans designed to ensure SLPs are being used only by legitimate businesses, users will have to prove they have a genuine connection to the UK and are running a company or maintaining an address in Scotland. Under the current rules, anyone in the world is able to register an SLP. The changes being put to consultation by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy will also mean anyone setting up a limited partnership will have to pass anti-money laundering checks. While many SLPs are owned by legitimate businesses, government research suggests others have been part of complex attempts to launder the proceeds of criminal activities. One scheme is reported to have used 100 different SLPs to move $80bn out of Russia, while other partnerships were found to have been exploited by international criminal networks based in Eastern Europe and used in arms deals. Announcing the changes, business minister Andrew Griffiths said: The UK has taken a leading role in the fight against money laundering and is known internationally as a great place to work, invest and do business. How is money laundering done through property? But as we are seeing especially with Scottish Limited Partnerships, is that they are being abused to carry out all manner of crimes abroad from foreign money laundering to arms dealing. This simply cannot continue to go unchecked and these reforms will improve their transparency and subject them to more stringent checks to ensure they can continue to be used as a legitimate way for investors and pension funds to invest in the UK. The government has taken a number of steps to stem the flow of dirty money through the UK. Laws due to be introduced this summer will establish a public register of foreign-owned property, while law enforcement agencies have already been given greater powers to identity and recover dirty money. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters Unexplained wealth orders have also been introduced to compel people suspected of laundering money to prove the source of their earnings. Ministers believe that cutting the amount of laundered money in the UK is one way to reduce Russian influence amid ongoing tensions following the poisoning of former MI6 spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. According to Transparency International, 4.4bn worth of properties in the UK were purchased with criminal money, and more than one in five of these were owned by Russians. Minsters have already tightened the regulation of SLPs. Last year, new laws were introduced requiring users to declare who owned the partnership and publish more details about the ownership structure. The government said this resulted in a 80 per cent drop in the number of new SLPs. The latest changes will apply to all limited partnerships in the UK. Scottish limited partnerships give users more powers than standard limited partnerships, such as the ability to take on debts or own property in the name of the partnership. Last month, the Scottish National Party (SNP) urged ministers to stop SLPs being used for criminal purposes. Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss said: The Sanctions and Anti Money-Laundering Bill currently going through parliament is an opportunity for the UK Government to crack down on the scourge of Russian money laundering via Scottish Limited Partnerships and similar structures in England." Researchers say they do not know who was behind Russia-linked Twitter bots that churned out messages supporting Jeremy Corbyn and attacking the Conservatives in the run-up to the general-election. Matt Hancock, the digital and culture secretary, expressed concern over the suggestion that state actors were behind automated accounts that shared praise of Labour policies, details of rallies and urged Mr Corbyns supporters to turn out on polling day. Responding to analysis by Swansea University and The Sunday Times, the Tory minister said it was absolutely unacceptable for any nation to attempt to interfere in the democratic elections of another country. But experts cautioned that it was impossible to prove who was behind the networks, their motives or what impact they had in the murky world of information warfare. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, dismissed the assertion that Russians tried to swing the election in Mr Corbyn's favour as a classic Sunday Times smear campaign. This is ludicrous, he told Sky News. If I remember rightly, the Russian Embassy was putting out supportive noises towards the Tory party. If theres an issue here about anything with Russian influence in our society, its about Russian oligarchs funding the Tory party lets have an inquiry into that. Oleksandr Talavera, a professor of finance at Swansea University who researches social media in elections, monitored thousands of tweets using hashtags related to the 2017 general election, political parties and leaders. General Election 2017: The final results In the two months either side of the 8 June vote, he found more than one million posts in support of Labour but fewer than 388,000 backing the Conservatives and other parties far behind. When looking only at accounts that tweeted in English but appeared to originate in Russia, he found 21,448 tweets on British politics were created in 30 days leading up to the election. Most Labour-hashtagged tweets were positive but most Tory ones were negative, and thats interesting coming from Russian accounts it indicates some sort of direction, Professor Talavera told The Independent. Recommended Russian bots pounce on Florida school shooting to hijack gun debate It is difficult to know how many people saw the tweets, but we are only looking at 1 per cent of all tweets so theoretically the numbers can be multiplied up. As for who is behind this, we dont know. He pointed at a study suggesting that sentiments expressed on Twitter could affect the stock market as an indicator of the potential impact but that there was currently no measure of how tweets affected voting. Many of the Twitter bots studied by The Sunday Times shared 15-character alphanumeric usernames and English-sounding womens names, despite listing their first language as Russian. Much of their activity was conducted in unison, retweeting official Labour accounts, Momentum and unions. Around 80 per cent of the automated accounts had been created after Theresa May called the snap election and became more active at key points including the launch of the Conservative Party manifesto, Manchester Arena bombing and television debates. The vast majority of accounts have now been suspended or removed by Twitter and it is impossible to view their full output, but it seems some were not exclusively political. Twitter works to detect and remove spam accounts (AFP/Getty) One bot in the survey, under the name Denis, also sent out pornographic images and positive messages about Donald Trump. Ben Nimmo, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, told The Independent that the dates the accounts were created pointed to their purpose but they could be used for several aims. For me the key question is: are these commercial bots that someone hired to amplify political messaging in the UK, or are they dedicated bots that someone set up to generate the political effect themselves? he asked. What weve seen before is Russian-language botnets [networks] that start posting on different themes but are primarily there to make money for the bot herder [manager]. Bots can be used for a variety of purposes, including monitoring, marketing or allowing people to buy fake social media followers. Others are governed simply by traffic and interaction, causing them to share tweets on topics that are dominating social media at any given time, as Labour was during the general election. Owners of the networks can be paid to change what bots are programmed to do, seeing some switch between advertising cars and jewellery to political parties, for example. Even the Russian governments own Internet Research Agency, known as the troll factory for its influence operations, periodically hires external botnets to amplify chosen messages. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images Its a very murky world and the nature of data from Twitter means you can say this is probably a Russian botnet, but to go from that to saying who is responsible is very difficult, Mr Nimmo explained. If you look into the data enough you can get a probability, [but] its very hard to get a certainty. Professor Talavera said that although Twitter does a good job at removing malicious bots, it could help users distinguish tweets by flagging whether they were automated and increasing transparency around advertising. A Twitter spokesman said the firm was working to improve its own systems and to educate the public. Our work to fight both malicious bots and misinformation goes beyond any one specific election, event, or time period, he added. Weve spent years working to identify and remove spammy or malicious accounts and applications on Twitter. We continue to improve our internal systems to detect and prevent new forms of spam and malicious automation. The research comes following persistent allegations of Russian influence in foreign elections, which the Kremlin denies, and wider cyber warfare. An unprecedented joint technical alert issued by British and American security services earlier this month said Russian hackers were targeting millions of devices around the world to spy, steal information and build networks for potentially devastating future cyberattacks. The government has announced 150m funding to bolster the NHSs cyber defences after the devastating WannaCry virus, and intelligence agencies say other parts of Britains critical national infrastructure, including energy networks, have been targeted in the past. Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on the location of the new US embassy in London, calling it "lousy" and "horrible", ahead of a planned visit to the UK this summer. The US president also attacked the European Union over trade, threatening to "take on" the bloc which he said was "formed to take advantage of the US". In wide-ranging remarks during a campaign-style rally in Michigan, Mr Trump said a meeting with North Korea could happen over the next three to four weeks. His comments followed a phone call late on Saturday with South Korean president Moon Jae-in, during which both leaders agreed on the need for an early summit with Kim Jong-un and discussed possible locations for the summit, rumoured to be Singapore or Mongolia. Mr Trump's remarks on the location of the US embassy in London follow three months after he cancelled a scheduled trip to the British capital blaming the Obama administration for building the new embassy in an "off location". Speaking at Saturday's rally, the US president, who is visiting the UK on 13 July, lashed out again at the move from Grosvenor Square in the centre of the capital to a new location south of the Thames. Mr Trump told a crowd of supporters the Nine Elms site was in a "lousy" and "horrible" location and cost too much. "In the UK, in London, we had the best site in all of London. The best site. Well, some genius said, we're gonna sell the site and then we're going to take the money and build a new embassy..." he said. "They go out and they buy a horrible location. And they build a new embassy. That's the good news. The bad news is it cost over a billion dollars." Mr Trump blamed his predecessors for the project, calling it a "Bush-Obama special", adding later: "Hopefully we'll have many years of success with that embassy." The US announced plans to move to the new site in October 2008 - when George W Bush was in the White House. On Thursday, Downing Street confirmed Mr Trump would conduct his first presidential visit to the UK in July. The long-awaited trip following months of speculation over a potential date is expected to be a working visit rather than a full-blown state occasion. Donald Trump 'working visit' to UK confirmed Announcing the contentious plans, Sir Kim Darroch, the the UKs ambassador to the US, said he was delighted that Mr Trump will visit the UK. On the subject of trade, Mr Trump said the EU "sounds so nice" but was "formed to take advantage of the US". He said he did "not blame them [the EU]. I blame past presidents", adding: "Long-term you're going to be so happy... or we are not doing business with these guys." Donald Trump has urged Republicans to fight to keep control of the House of Representatives to save him being impeached by the Democrats. Republicans currently hold a 235-193 advantage in the lower chamber of the US Congress. But some Democrats believe that with Mr Trumps low approval rating and strong enthusiasm among its grassroots supporters, they can flip the 24 Republicans they would need to retake control in the November midterm elections. Speaking to his supporters in Michigan at a rally he held in preference to attending the White House correspondents dinner in Washington, Mr Trump said it was vital to retain control of the House. We have to keep the House because if we listen to Maxine Waters, shes going around saying, We will impeach him, we will impeach him, he said. But then people say, Hes done nothing wrong. But she says, Oh that doesnt matter. We will impeach the president. Congresswoman Waters of California is among those Democrats who frequently call on Mr Trump to resign or face impeachment. The Hill pointed out that, at the recent Time 100 gala in New York, she urged Mr Trump: Please resign. So that I wont have to keep up this fight of your having to be impeached, because I dont think you deserve to be there, she said. Just get out. Recommended Conservatives walk out of event as Trump and aides brutally ridiculed However, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi has warned against Democratic efforts to impeach Mr Trump, saying it would end up harming the party before the midterms. On the political side I think its a gift to the Republicans, she said on Thursday. We want to talk about what theyre doing to undermine working families in our country, and what we are doing to increase their payrolls and lower their costs. A Quinnipiac poll released last Thursday showed that if Democrats win control of the House, more than 70 per cent of their supporters want them to begin impeachment proceedings. Yet for all the talk of a Democratic wave in November, it is far from clear they will get the votes to seize the House. Many observers believe there is a better chance to take control of the Senate. Donald Trump issues scathing attack on US embassy in London Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report recently wrote: If a so-called blue wave is about to hit in 2018, why isnt the generic ballot showing a bigger margin for Democrats? The latest Real Clear Politics average shows Democrats with a 6.5 per cent lead. The FiveThirtyEight.com average has Democrats with a 6.9 per cent lead. If Democrats are cruising to victory in the fall, why does the generic not look more like it did over the summer when it showed Democrats with a double-digit lead? Ms Walter believes that while some Republicans may feel disgruntled with Mr Trump, many are coming home to the party and will vote Republican in November. Even in a terrible year for the GOP, they are not going to perform much worse in the national vote than 43-44 per cent, she wrote, saying a deciding factor could be independent voters. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty In Michigan, Mr Trump cited several Democrats who he believes will lose their seats in November among them was Democratic senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. After saying Ms Stabenow was standing in the way of protecting US borders and had voted against tax cuts, Mr Trump said: And you people just keep putting her back again and again and again. Its your fault. Earlier on Saturday, Mr Trump had tweeted criticism of Democratic senator Jon Tester of Montana over his role in the failed nomination of White House doctor Ronny Jackson to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, calling for Mr Tester to resign or at least not be re-elected in November. It was reported that Mr Trump railed against the allegations Mr Tester aired against Mr Jackson, and suggested that he could take a similar tack against the senator. He added: I know things about Tester that I could say too. And if I said em, hed never be elected again. Ahead of the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was important for presidential staff to attend. She may today be wishing she herself had not bothered. Donald Trumps press secretary was subject to an astonishing barrage of mockery by comedian Michelle Wolf during the black tie event for members of US media and government. And the brutal roasting which attacked both her job performance and appearance has caused controversy and divided opinion. Recommended Conservatives walk out of event as Trump and aides brutally ridiculed We have Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the 32-year-old comedian said a few minutes into her routine. We are graced with her presence. I love you as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaids Tale. The reference Aunt Lydia is an evil disciplinarian in the show was arguably one of Ms Wolfs kinder barbs. From there things went downhill. Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited, the skit continued. Im not really sure what were going to get, you know? A press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams. Its shirts and skins, and this time dont be such a little bitch, Jim Acosta, a reference to a CNN correspondent who has clashed with the press secretary. Amid equal groans and laughs and with Ms Sanders sat stony-faced Ms Wolf continued: I actually really like Sarah. I think shes very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Like maybe shes born with it, maybe its lies. Its probably lies. An in an apparent critique of Ms Sanders' feminist credentials, she asked: What's Uncle Tom, but for white women who disappoint other white women? Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner (Getty) The prestigious annual dinner, held at the Hilton hotel for 3,000 people, regularly sees severe political roastings - normally of the current president who generally attends. But with Mr Trump refusing to turn up for a second year running, many felt the attacks on Ms Sanders went too far. Former press secretary Sean Spicer called the performance a disgrace, and presidential assistant Mercedes Schlapp walked out. Maggie Haberman, the New York Times White House correspondent, tweeted: That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive. Comedian Tim Young said the routine went beyond comedy and showed hatred. White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Show all 16 1 /16 White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Comedian Michelle Wolf attends the Celebration After the White House Correspondents' Dinner Getty White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Comedian Michelle Wolf performs at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner Getty White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Comedian Michelle Wolf performs at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Comedian Michelle Wolf performs at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on stage Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Comedian Michelle Wolf attends the Celebration After the White House Correspondents' Dinner hosted by Netflix's The Break Getty/Netflix White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Former White House advisor Gary Cohn arrives on the red carpet Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures White House Correspondents' Association President Margret Margaret Talev speaks at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Jonathan Karl Getty White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Country musician Ty Herndon performs the National Anthem Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures CNN's Jake Tapper, Evan Perez and Jim Sciutto accept the Merriman Smith Award from ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Todd J Gillman and Michelle Wolf Getty White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Reuters White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Comedian Michelle Wolf laughs during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner REUTERS White House Correspondents Dinner: in pictures Michelle Wolf attends the Celebration After the White House Correspondents' Dinner hosted by Netflix's The Break Getty/Netflix But others felt Ms Sanders was fair game. New York Times commentator Wajahat Ali questioned why people should be offended Are you kidding me he tweeted. They were solid, cutting jokes. Sarah can dish it, so she should be able to take it. For 90 seconds. He added: "These are grown adults who defend & promote a President & administration that has said vile things. " North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to invite experts and journalists to witness the dismantling of his nations nuclear test site, officials in the South have said. Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had pledged to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula at a historic summit on Friday. The secretive communist state agreed before the meeting to immediately suspend its nuclear and missile tests in pursuit of economic growth and stability on the Korean peninsula. However, Mr Kim has also promised to keep the destruction of the Norths atomic facilities open to the international community, South Koreas presidential Blue House said. The United States, though inherently hostile to North Korea, will get to know once our talk begins that I am not the kind of person who will use nuclear weapons against the South or the United States across the Pacific, Mr Moons press secretary Yoon Young-chan quoted Mr Kim as saying. There is no reason for us to possess nuclear weapons while suffering difficulties if mutual trust with the United States is built through frequent meetings from now on, and an end to the war and non-aggression are promised. Mr Kim revealed there were two larger tunnels that remain in a very good condition at the Norths Punggye-ri nuclear test site, after experts concluded part of the complex had collapsed due to repeated explosions. Mr Yoon said the North Korean leaders overtures proved his willingness to respond preemptively and actively to expected inspection attempts as part of a denuclearisation process. Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting Show all 25 1 /25 Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in raise their hands after signing on a joint statement Korea Summit Press Pool via AP Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting Kim Jong-un heads towards Moon Jae-in to shake his hand between the military demarcation line, at the Joint Security Area on the Demilitarized Zone in the border village of Panmunjom in Paju EPA Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold hands as they cross the military demarcation line EPA Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Koreans react while watching a screen reporting the Inter Korean Summit Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chat as they arrive at the Peace House Reuters Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un was escorted by bodyguards from the North to the Military Demarcation Line that divides the two Koreas to meet with his South Korean counterpart at the truce village AFP/Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crosses the military demarcation line to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in AP Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in shake hands Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands after Kim crossing the military demarcation line Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Joint Security Area EPA Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un speak with two South Korean children who presented Kim Jong-un with a bouquet of flowers EPA Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting Moon Jae-in Kim Jong-un pose for photographers at the Joint Security Area (JSA) EPA Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signs the guest book as South Korean President Moon Jae-in looks on Getty Images Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns entry in the guestbook. The writing reads A new history starts now. An age of peace, from the starting point of history Korea Summit Press Pool/Pool via Reuters Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-In and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talk during their summit meeting at the Peace House EPA Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un smiles AFP/Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un poses with South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a photo inside the Peace House AP Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un talks with South Koreas President Moon Jae-in AFP/Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in prepare to plant a pine tree near the military demarcation line AP Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un applaud after planting a tree at the truce village Korea Summit Press Pool/Pool via Reuters Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un and South Koreas President Moon Jae-in take a walk after they planted a tree AFP/Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un talks with South Koreas President Moon Jae-in at a bench on a bridge next to the military demarcation line at the truce village of Panmunjom AFP/Getty Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sign on a joint statement Korea Broadcasting System via AP Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in embrace each other after signing on a joint statement Korea Summit Press Pool via AP Korea Summit: Kim Jong-un crosses border for historic meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands after their joint announcement AP Mr Kim reaffirmed that he would not use military force against Seoul and raised the need for an institutional mechanism to prevent unintended escalations, Mr Yoon added. Pyongyang has also agreed to realign its clocks with the South as a display of unity by scrapping the unique time zone it created in 2015, moving forward 30 minutes to synchronise time on the Korean peninsula. Donald Trump told Mr Moon in a phone call he was pleased the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearisation during their summit, officials in the South said on Sunday. Both presidents reportedly agreed on the need for an unprecedented meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Kim to take place swiftly, discussing two or three potential locations. The Blue House would not be drawn on exact venues discussed, but confirmed neither the United States, North Korea, nor the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on the border of the two Koreas were being considered. A senior US official has said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim meeting. Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realising a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearisation, Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a separate briefing. Moon told Trump that Kim said he and Trump would get along with each other and Trump was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result. Additional reporting by Reuters More than 500 people were evacuated from a university in Melbourne, Australia after the smell of a rotting durian fruit was mistaken for a gas leak. Emergency services crews dressed in specialist masks carried out a comprehensive search of the building at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology university campus library on Saturday afternoon, after receiving reports of the smell of gas. Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade said students and staff were asked to leave the building as a precaution while firefighters investigated, as the building was known to store potentially dangerous chemicals. But nothing except an extremely smelly fruit was found. After a comprehensive search, firefighters identified the smell was not chemical gas, but gas generated from rotting durian, an extremely pungent fruit which had been left rotting in a cupboard, the fire service said in a statement. It turned out that the famously strong smell of the durian, which has been compared to everything from onions to sewage, had made its way through the building via the air conditioning system. Student news in pictures Show all 34 1 /34 Student news in pictures Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain a student demonstrator during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain student protestors during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. The protesters demanded that the parliament takes steps to impeach President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures Filipino demonstrators face off with anti-riot police during a protest near the US Embassy in Manila, Philippine EPA Student news in pictures Hundreds of protesters including Indigenous People, students and militant groups marched towards the US Embassy to protest against the presence of US military troops and condemning the violent dispersal which left at least forty people hurt including twenty police officers and three people who were run over by a police van EPA Student news in pictures A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students Student news in pictures A man holds up a photograph of a missing student with a caption reading 'We are missing 43,' during a meeting marking the 25-month anniversary of the disappearances of 43 students in the southern state of Guerrero, in Mexico City. A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students AP Student news in pictures Miguel Perez, an intern student from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, puts away his cell phone before walking into the operating room at the Dr. Isaac Gonzalez MartInez Oncological Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Once they complete their general surgery training, many residents are moving to the United States in search of better wages, one of the main factors linked to the current shortage of specialists in the Island Student news in pictures Fewer EU students have applied to start university courses in the UK next autumn. There was a 9% fall in the numbers who had applied for courses, according to admissions service UCAS. PA wire Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela. Masses of protesters jammed the streets of Venezuela's capital on the heels of a move by congress to open a political trial against Maduro, whose allies have blocked moves for a recall election AP Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela AP Student news in pictures Thousands, most of them high school students, march during a demonstration in Madrid, Spain, on a one day strike to protest about the country's education law that increases the number of annual exams AP Student news in pictures Students gather on the west mall to confront the Young Conservatives of Texas student organization over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action Student news in pictures Donald Parish Jr, right, confronts Electrical and Computer Engineering senior Dewayne Perry over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action AP Student news in pictures Brigham Young University announced that students who report sexual assault will no longer be investigated for possible violations of the Mormon-owned school's strict honor code that bans such things as alcohol use AP Student news in pictures Students of secondary education march to protest against the final examinations and LOMCE (The Improvement Quality Education Law) law, after a call by trade unions, in Murcia, Spain EPA Student news in pictures South African police have used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters who had marched to the parliament building to call for free university education, where the finance minister was giving a budget speech AP Student news in pictures Police break up student protests outside the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures South African Policemen fire rubber bullets at student protestors in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures A student protestor is hit by a rubber bullet in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures An injured student is helped by colleagues during protest outside the parliament during South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's medium term budget speech in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures Plaintiffs and bereaved families of elementary school students killed in the tsunami that followed a major earthquake in northeastern Japan in 2011, show banners that say 'victory in a suit filed with the Sendai District Court' in Sendai. A Japanese court ordered municipalities to pay $13.7 million dollars to families of school children who were swept away to their deaths by the 2011 tsunami Getty Student news in pictures A group of student at Ewha Womans University calls for a thorough investigation into those involved in years of engagement with state affairs backstage by Choi Soon-sil, a personal confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the school's front gate in Seoul, South Korea EPA Student news in pictures Students raise placards during a strike action called by the student union, in Madrid against university entry exams Getty Student news in pictures Libyans throw a newly graduated student into a fountain as they celebrate during the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Thousands of Thai Catholic students take part in mourning tributes and in singing the Thai Royal Anthem to honour late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Saint Dominic School in Bangkok, Thailand EPA Student news in pictures Students of Silpakorn University paint portraits of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures A student of Silpakorn University paints a portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend PA wire Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend, an annual tradition where student 'parents' inflict tasks on the unfortunate first-years they have adopted as 'children' as part of a mentoring scheme PA wire Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) take part in a practice in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) wait in line to enter a classroom in Havana, Cuba Reuters The fruit, which does not need to be rotten to offend with its odour, is commonly banned across hotels and public transport across southeast Asia. The Environment Protection Authority will oversee the removal and storage of the waste, the firefighters statement added. They have since given the university the all clear. The Australian government has unveiled controversial plans to construct a new monument commemorating the day British explorer Captain James Cook arrived on the continent. A memorial is set to be built at Botany Bay in Sydney, the site where Cook and his crew on the ship Endeavour made landfall in Australia on 29 April 1770, meeting Aboriginal people for the first time. But the move has already prompted a backlash, amid the backdrop of a national debate as to whether commemorations to British colonial figures are offensive to the countrys indigenous population. Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has stressed the monument, due for completion in time for the 250th anniversary of Cooks landing in 2020, will be inclusive. He insisted the Cook memorial would be used to mark the meeting of two cultures and would be subject to community consultation. This was the first encounter between Europeans and Aboriginal Australians here on the east coast, he said while announcing the plans on Saturday. What this offers us is the opportunity to show the view from the ship and the view from the shore. Pastor and Aboriginal activist, Ray Minniecon, who has helped to organise Invasion Day protests on Australia Day in January, said the decision to build the monument was upsetting. Its still an invasion and its still an unwanted invasion, he added. Cook, who at the time of the Australian expedition was a lieutenant but is better known by his later title of Captain Cook, claimed the continent as a British territory in August 1770. Colonialisation brought prosperity, but also began a period of discrimination against Aboriginal people, who had lived on the land for around 60,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. Indigenous Australians only acquired equal voting rights during the 1960s and were not counted as part of the population on censuses until 1971. 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 countrys colonial past has sparked multiple protests in recent years. A complaint was made last year over a Captain Cook statue erected in 1879 in Sydney, because the engraving on the monuments base contained the words: Discovered this territory, 1770. The statue was vandalised along with those of other prominent early British settlers such as Lachlan Macquarie, the fifth governor of New South Wales. Mr Turnbull said at the time that calls to replace or modify statues of colonists, including Captain Cook, were tantamount to a Stalinist revision of history. Additional reporting by Reuters Angela Merkel has suggested Europe could enter a trade war with the US if Washington does not continue to exempt the EU from import tariffs it has placed on much of the rest of the world. The German chancellor said she had the support of both Theresa May and French president Emmanuel Macron. Europe has so far been let off steep aluminium and steel tariffs imposed by the US on countries including China and Canada. But the temporary exemption ends on Tuesday and visits from both Ms Merkel and Mr Macron in the last week appear to have failed to convince US president Donald Trump to extend it. In a statement released on Sunday after she arrived back from Washington, Ms Merkel said Europe was resolved to defend its interests within the multilateral trade framework." She added she had spoken to both Ms May and Mr Macron by phone and that all three agreed that the US ought not to take any trade measures against the European Union," The chancellor's statement did not outline specific steps that might be taken. But, in April, China hit back against the policy by placing 70bn worth of its own tariffs on more than 120 American goods including rolled steel bars, scrap aluminium, pork and wine. 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 Speaking last week ahead of his now-famous visit to the US, Mr Macron also urged Mr Trump not to include Europe in the tariffs. You don't make trade war with your ally," he told Fox News Sunday. It's too complicated if you make war against everybody. You make trade war against China, trade war against Europe, war in Syria, war against Iran. Come on, it doesn't work. You need allies. We are an ally." Two men wanted by police were tied to a bench by vigilantes and covered in paint. James White, 48 and Alexis Guesto, 26, were also kicked and beaten with iron bars after being captured in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. Photos and videos of the pair with their hands bound behind their backs were shared on social media, with one Twitter user declaring "Welcome to bandit country". The Police Service of Northern Ireland are now investigating what they described as "a serious assault" in the village of Mullaghbawn. Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie said: "Unfortunately, now, due to the violent actions of a small number of people, we have had to redirect resources and efforts towards investigating a serious assault. "There is no excuse for individuals taking the law into their own hands nor for the violent scenes that we witnessed last night. Police mugshots of James White (left) and Alexis Guesto (right) (PSNI) A PSNI spokesman confirmed that both men were wanted for breaching the terms of their licences and warrants. The search for White and Guesto first began two weeks ago after it was reported that they were in County Limerick and County Cork in the Republic of Ireland. Sightings of the pair in County Tipperary on 17 April were said to have spread panic and fear among local villagers. Guesto was arrested later the same day but was released on bail. On Friday the PSNI Public Protection Branch said it was believed the two men had travelled to Northern Ireland. Detectives appealed for information about their movements after seizing a blue Peugeot from a car park in Mullaghbawn but did not give details of their offences for fear of arousing emotions in the local community. Last night police were called to reports of an assault in the village and found the two men tied to a bench. We believe the two men, James White and Alexis Guesto, who were wanted by police for a range of offences, including breach of licence and warrants, were discovered by a group of males on Saturday evening as they attempted to evade an ongoing police search for them," said DCI Duffie. "White and Guesto were kicked and beaten with iron bars before being taken to Mullaghbawn village, where they were further assaulted by a number of individuals and covered in paint. Both men were taken to hospital by police, one of the males has been arrested and the other remains in hospital being treated for his injuries. Both men will be brought before the court at the earliest opportunity in relation to the matters for which they were being sought." 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 photo of the aftermath in the village today showed the bench and the area around it splashed with blue-grey paint. DCI Duffie added: "I understand that feelings in the area have been running high over the search for these men, however, there can never be an excuse for violence or people taking the law into their own hands." Iran has confirmed that a professor who works at Londons Imperial College has been arrested on security charges. British-Iranian academic Abbas Edalat was reportedly detained by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in mid-April, according to the New York-based Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). Today, Iran has confirmed his detention for the first time. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi told reporters in Tehran: I confirm his arrest on security charges, but I am unable to give details, according to state broadcaster IRIB. Semi-official news agency Fars reported on Thursday that Edalat was part of an infiltration network affiliated with Britain whose members had been detained. A Foreign Office spokesperson told The Independent: We are urgently seeking information from the Iranian authorities following reports of the arrest of a British-Iranian dual national. Imperial College confirmed that Prof Edalat has been employed by the University since 1989 and said it is concerned for his welfare. The university issued a statement which said: "Professor Abbas Edalat is a valued colleague who has worked for Imperial College London since 1989. He is a Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics who has made many important academic contributions throughout his career. Iran protests in pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Iran protests in pictures Iran protests in pictures University students at an anti-government protest inside Tehran University, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests in pictures A university student at a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by anti-riot Iranian police, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests in pictures University students at a protest inside Tehran University, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests in pictures University students run away from the police during an anti-government protest inside Tehran University, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests in pictures An image grab taken from a handout video released by Iran's Mehr News agency reportedly shows a group of men pulling at a fence in a street in Tehran, 30 December 2017 AFP/Getty Iran protests in pictures Demonstrators gather to protest in Tehran, 30 December 2017 AP Iran protests in pictures Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran, 30 December 2017 AFP/Getty Iran protests in pictures Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran, December 30 2017 Iran protests in pictures Iranian clerics take part during a state-organized rally against anti-government protests in the country, in the holy city of Qom, south west Iran, 3 January 2018 EPA Iran protests in pictures In this photo provided by the Iranian Students' News Agency, a clergyman takes a picture of a pro-government demonstration in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, 3 January 2018 ISNA via AP Iran protests in pictures Pro-government demonstrators gather at the Massoumeh shrine in Iran's holy city of Qom, some 130 kilometres south of Tehran, 3 January 2018 AFP/Getty We are understandably concerned for his welfare following reports of his arrest in Iran and we are urgently seeking further information." Prof Edalat is a founder of the US-based Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII), an advocacy group that opposes foreign intervention in the Islamic Republic, according to CHRI. The group said the academic had travelled to Iran for academic purposes and added that notebooks, a computer and CDs had been confiscated from him after his arrest, quoting an unnamed source. Prof Edalats family posted bail for him earlier this month, according to the CHRI, but the Revolutionary Court in the country's capital Tehran, did not release him, citing problems with documentation, a statement from the group added. The Revolutionary Guards have arrested at least 30 dual nationals since 2015, most for alleged espionage. According to former prisoners, families of current ones and diplomats, in some cases the dual detainees are being held for use in prisoner swaps with Western countries. Iran denies this. At least three other British-Iranian dual nationals are currently being held in Iran, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The charity worker has been held for more than two years in a prison in Tehran after being arrested at the airport in April 2016 on her way back after a holiday with her young daughter Gabriella. Boris Johnson faced widespread condemnation after mistakenly telling MPs that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been teaching journalists when this was not the case as she had actually been on holiday. Iranian media took the comments as an accidental confession that she was a spy leading to Mr Johnson being forced to apologise for the gaffe and vowing to leave no stone unturned in securing her release. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said his wife was being used as a bargaining chip. Reuters contributed to this report. The Syrian army says its forces have captured a string of villages in the east of the country from US-backed rebels. Syrian state television said on Sunday that government troops had gained control of several settlements east of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US-supported militia, mainly comprised of the Kurdish YPG, had taken much of the territory in Deir el-Zour province as part of a major campaign last year that drove Isis forces out of eastern Syria. Earlier on Sunday, the SDF said they were engaged in heavy clashes with Syrian army troops on the outskirts of the village of Janin near the Euphrates. British-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the offensive had left six SDF fighters dead and 22 wounded. Adding government forces had also suffered casualties. The SDF accused the Syrian authorities of seeking to disrupt preparations by the US-led coalition to resume an imminent offensive against Isis in several pockets of territory they still control along the Euphrates. "We affirm that we are determined to eradicate terrorism from its roots and to assert our right to self-defence," SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel said in a statement. "We consider this aggression by regime forces to be a support for terrorism and falls within the attempts to impede the war on terrorism." The Russian-backed Syrian army led by president Bashar al-Assad has rarely clashed with SDF forces in its campaign against Isis, generally keeping clear of areas east of the Euphrates. Government troops have instead focussed on regaining territory from militants west of the river. There have been elaborate "deconfliction lines" separating the US-led coalition forces present on the eastern side of the river from the Russian and Iranian backed forces on the western side to prevent clashes, according to US army officials. Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Show all 10 1 /10 Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution The reconstructed Khaled Bin al-Waleed Mosque is framed by a damaged building, in the old city of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Sumaya Bairuty, 38, an English-language teacher who works in the capital Damascus, speaks with The Associated Press while as she walks to her parents house in the war-damaged Bab Dreib neighborhood of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Bairuty walks to her parents house AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A family that returned to live in their apartment inside a heavily damaged building hang their carpets in the sun AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A car drives through a devastated part of the old city AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A pigeon keeper watches his pigeons fly from the roof of his home AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Two people carry goods on a bicycle in the war-damaged neighborhood AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Children play football in the street AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution It has been almost four years since the last rebels and civilians withdrew from the remaining strongholds in the ancient heart of Homs in Syria AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A man rides his bicycle past a banner showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad AP Earlier on Sunday, the SDF said they were engaged in heavy clashes with Syrian army troops on the outskirts of the village of Janin near the Euphrates. They accused the Syrian authorities of seeking to disrupt preparations by the US-led coalition to resume an imminent offensive against Islamic State in several pockets of territory they still control along the river. In February, US air strikes killed and wounded hundreds of pro-Assad troops in western Syria, including Russian paramilitary contractors, who were advancing near the city Deir al-Zor. The government forces had been closing in on one of the largest gas fields currently in the hands of US.-backed groups. Additional reporting by AP There's nothing quite like travel to put any relationship to the test, no matter whether you and your SO are adventure-seekers, lovers of luxury, or old-school romantics. From surfing in Bali to spa treatments in the rainforests of Costa Rica, here are the trips you and your honey should have on your bucket list. Cappadoccia, Turkey Take your love to new heights in Cappadoccia, Turkey, which is famous for its surreal landscape, and best viewed by hot air balloon. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland Can you imagine a more romantic setting than snuggled up in the middle of the Finnish wilderness, toasty in your private glass igloo, staring up at the starry night sky and the incredible Northern Lights? No? Neither can we. Bangkok, Thailand Check out the incredible Damnoen Saduak (a floating market) by day, and learn to cook Thai delicacies by night at one of the city's many culinary schools, such as the Blue Elephant Cooking School. Then, spend the rest of your trip lazing on beaches and island hopping around Thailand. Paris, France Paris is always a good idea, and it's not known as the City of Love for nothing. Grab a baguette, some Brie, and a bottle of wine, and have a romantic picnic by the Seine yes, drinking outside is legal. Zanzibar, Tanzania Situated on a rock that was once a fishermans post, you have to wade to get to one of The Rock Restaurant's 12 intimate tables (or use their boat service). But once you're eating flopping fresh fish in the middle of the Indian Ocean as the sun sets, you'll realise it's worth it. Udaipur, India Known as the most romantic city in India, Udaipur features multiple lavish palaces that seem to float atop the city's multiple artificial lakes. The Taj Palace on Lake Pichola was built in the 18th century and has been turned into a five-star luxury hotel. Klevan, Ukraine Head to the aptly named Tunnel of Love near Klevan, Ukraine. The lush and leafy tunnel a section of an industrial railway is completely overgrown, and a favourite place for couples to take long, romantic strolls. Nihiwatu, Sumba, Indonesia This little known island in Indonesia is home to the best hotel in the world, according to Travel + Leisure. Once a simple surf hotel, thanks to the area's legendary swell and left-hand breaks it was recently turned into a seriously luxurious, totally off-the-grid resort and spa featuring private villas with private pools, as well as empty, untouched beaches. Surfing at world's best hotel? Sheer perfection for the adventurous couple. Santorini, Greece Spend hours wandering through Santorini, a Greek island whose narrow streets are bordered by bright white and blue cyclades. The islands look like they're straight out of a postcard thanks to the fact that they're built along cliffs that jut out into the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Waiheke Island, New Zealand Go wine tasting on Waiheke Island, which is a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland and considered New Zealand's version of the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard. Kerala, India Test your relationship's mettle by renting a houseboat in Kerala, India, slowly drifting along its lagoons, canals and rivers. Provide your own dinner by diving for mussels. Chefchaouen, Morocco Marvel at the all-blue city of Chefchaouen, a medieval town situated in the Rif Mountains. Its cobblestone streets went undiscovered for centuries, and although it's more well-known now, it's still an authentic, off-the-beaten path destination. Amalfi Coast, Italy With its rugged coastline and colorful fishing villages built right into cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean, the Amalfi Coast is an Italian gem. There are beaches to lounge on, stone streets to explore, and plenty of tasty seafood to eat. Maldives Why wait until the honeymoon to enjoy private villas and real-life paradise? Savannah, Georgia Nicknamed the "Forest City" thanks to its abundance of live oak and ample Spanish moss providing shade, Savannah is super romantic by any standard. It's got cobblestone streets, cute bed and breakfasts galore, and 21 lush public squares ringed by beautiful old homes, but you can take the romance up another notch by riding a horse-drawn carriage through the historic district. Amtrak cross-country There's something timelessly romantic about rail travel. For only 170 ($213), you can take a 3,218-mile cross-country adventure from San Francisco to New York passing through the Rockies, across the Mississippi River, and into the Sierra Nevada. Lake McKenzie, Australia Dip your toes into the sparkling waters of Lake McKenzie, located on Fraser Island. The water, which is freshwater, is said to be so pure, many species are unable to survive in it. Venice, Italy Julia took her mum to Venice, and got something back in return (Pedro Szekely) It might be cheesy, but there's nothing like floating down Venice's many labyrinthine waterways on a gondola. The city has a mysterious aura, and is filled with secret passageways and stunning palaces. Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort, Arenal, Costa Rica Lounge in the waters of Tabacon, a spa and resort built in a lush rainforest reserve right at the base of the Arenal Volcano. The volcano's magma is what heats the mineral springs that gush through Tabacon. The spa's bungalows are ideal for couples and offer treatments that range from facials to massages. Istanbul, Turkey Get lost together in the wondrous Grand Bazaar, taking in the heady scents of spices. Istanbul also features incredible historical sites like the Hagia Sofia, as well as an infamous nightlife on rooftops all along the Bosphorus. Zermatt, Switzerland Hit the snowy slopes of Zermatt and enjoy views of one of Switzerland's most majestic peaks, the Matterhorn. If you're not into winter sports, explore the resort's many boutiques and then retreat to the fireplace in your cosy cabin with a glass of wine. Blue Lagoon, Iceland Iceland is this year's hot destination, and no trip to the country is complete without a stop at the Blue Lagoon. The geothermal spa is Iceland's most visited attraction, which is no surprise considering its bright blue healing waters. Havana, Cuba Drive a classic car around Havana, Cuba, listen to some salsa, and sip on local cocktails like mojitos, daquiris, and Cuba libres. Dubrovnik, Croatia The busy city is known for its distinctive Old Town and stone walls (Shutterstock) A picturesque city bordering the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik is a historical gem, featuring limestone streets and architecture ranging from baroque to renaissance to Gothic. The Old Town is surrounded by stone walls that date back to the 1500s. Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil You and your SO will be entertained for days by the elaborate floats and costumes at Rio de Janeiro's carnival, which is held very year in February and is considered the largest carnival in the world. Plus, samba is sexy. The Seychelles Visit one of the Seychelle's more remote islands (there are 115), and feel like you have the white sand beaches, nature reserves, and coral reefs all to yourselves. Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa There's nothing like a little impending danger to bring you and your partner closer together. Spend a few nights in a luxurious lodge smack dab in the middle of the African bush, sharing a view with animals ranging from leopards to elephants. It'll be both thrilling and romantic. Amazon Rainforest, Peru The Amazon rainforest (Getty) Glide down the Amazon River to Lake Sandoval, a jungle lake nestled in Peru's rainforest. Perfect for adventurous travelers, there are a couple of stunning lodges along the lake, and visitors will most likely catch a glimpse of turtles, monkeys, and exotic birds. Alberta, Canada Hike through one of Alberta's most beautiful national parks, Banff National Park. The pristine lakes, tall pines, and snowy cliffs will blow you both away. Darby, Montana Ride on horseback through the snowy or green fields of Darby, Montana, which is home to Triple Creek Ranch, a hotel that's consistently rated one of the top in the country. Grenada, Spain Take a step back in time and explore the medieval, Andalusian town of Grenada, which is nestled into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It's home to the Alhambra, a massive palace and fortress complex that dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Bwindi Forest National Park, Uganda Trek the jungles of Uganda in search of gorillas. Every couple needs some thrill in their relationship. How much the best paid workers in 20 professions earn Seven outdated mens style rules that you can now ignore 16 skills that are hard to learn but will pay off forever Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. Travellers going through Amsterdams Schiphol airport today are being warned to expect serious delays after a total power outage overnight forced officials to close the airport. Passengers with morning or delayed overnight flights are enduring long queues at desks to rebook or check luggage, which are expected to last all day, as the electricity failure meant all check-in systems were down. The outage, shortly before 1am, affected around 18,000 households and required Schiphol terminals to be evacuated and incoming travellers by road and train to be halted because of the security risk. At 4.20am the airport advised passengers to leave the airport while it tried to restore check-in and paused all incoming flights until 9am. The delays have caused long queues on roads into the airport as well, with traffic officials warning anyone coming by car or bus to leave plenty of time. Some passengers have abandoned the queues and headed to the terminal on foot instead, Sousan Atta tweeted: Nice walk into Schiphol Several airline operators have delayed flights, or cancelled them entirely; and the airport warned all incoming flights would face "reduced capacity from 9-11am local time. Royal Dutch Airlines KLM is directing its passengers to services for rebooking and refunding their flights. Amid the confusion passengers with connecting flights to America or Canada have been left stranded. The city had just celebrated Kings Day, a major public holiday, on Friday and the airport had previously warned Sunday was a "peak day" and would be exceptionally busy as a result of school holidays. Schiphol Airport said on its website: "Due to a power failure in the Amsterdam region, our airport was hit with a temporary power outage. The check-in processes have been out of use for some time. The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Show all 10 1 /10 The worst airports in the world, according to pilots The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Los Angeles (LAX), US Rex Features The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Kathmandu (KTM), Nepal The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), France The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Philippines The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Chicago (ORD), US The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Heathrow (LHR), UK The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ), North Korea The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Sao Paulo-Congonhas Airport (CGH), Brazil The worst airports in the world, according to pilots La Guardia Airport (LGA), New York City, US The worst airports in the world, according to pilots Madrid-Bajaras (MAD), Spain "Departing flights may therefore be cancelled. Due to this failure, the access roads and train to Schiphol were blocked temporary." The Dutch power grid administrator, Tennet, said it was investigating the cause of the outage. Protesters in Venice have dismantled turnstiles designed to separate locals from tourists, a day after they were erected. Chanting Free Venice, around 30 activists attacked the checkpoints at Piazzale Roma the bus terminal and main point of entry to the city. We refuse the idea of having checkpoints to get into the city. We own our city, said protestor Marco Baravalle in a video they later posted on social media. Its not the mayor who owns the city. Its not the police or the tourists either. Venice is dying, he added. The mayor putting in the turnstiles is demonstrating that he is giving up. He wants Venice to become a city with no inhabitants. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro introduced the checkpoints as a safety measure this weekend after fears that the bank holiday footfall would render the city unsafe as well as unliveable. Gates would be erected at Piazzale Roma and outside the train station, he said, to free up the most choked thoroughfares. Locals and regular visitors in possession of a Venezia Unica card would be allowed through, but anyone without the correct documents would be directed along other streets. As The Independent reported from Venice yesterday, the checkpoints were in place by Saturday morning, with police manning them, although the gates were open and no checks were being made. One officer told The Independent that they were monitoring numbers, and were ready to close the gates when footfall reached a certain level. But the activists dismantling the barriers today led by Tommaso Cacciari, a leading activist in the anti-cruise ship protests made impassioned speeches in both Italian and English, saying that the measures were not the answer. We dont need checkpoints, we need effective housing policies, they posted on social media. Venice is not a theme park. One banner read: Venice is not a reservation, we are not on the way to extinction. The authorities sought to play down the protest. We will put it back together as soon as possible, the chief of municipal police Marco Agostini told Il Gazzettino. The barriers were later reinstated. But Cacciari told The Independent that the protesters will be back. "We will do it again. We cannot resign ourselves to being cooped up in a theme park," he said. "We did it this morning because the gates appeared the day before yesterday, and this was the minimum amount of time we needed to organise ourselves." Tensions between locals and tourists in Venice reached boiling point last summer as up to 60,000 visitors descended on the city every day, swamping the resident 55,000 population. Up to 30 million tourists arrive each year. Paola Mar, in charge of tourism for the city, told The Independent last year that during summer it can be like war in the city. Following a bumper Easter weekend which locals described as untenable, the authorities had set up the gates as a way of controlling footfall and dispersing people along lesser used thoroughfares. Addressing tourists through a loudspeaker, Baravalle told visitors that the measures are not tackling the problem. We have the right to a free city with free entrance, he said. The problem is not to limit entrance to tourists; the problem is to give more houses, more apartments to the Venetians and the people who want to live here. The mayor wants the city to become a city with no inhabitants. Cacciari, well known locally for his political activism, later told The Independent: "For me, the most important thing for Venice would be to treat it like a real city and defend it from the selling off of public heritage, and from her daily rape by cruise ships and mass tourism. We need to prioritise housing policies and incentivise economic growth." Locals and longtime visitors expressed concern over the plans. Resident Enrico Greifenberg, 46, said: Its clear that this is a bid to limit freedom of movement. It will not keep people safe, and we are not in a state of war. JoAnn Locktov, an American whos been visiting Venice for the past 20 years and publishes books about the city, called the turnstiles a terribly misguided move. She said: The mayor did this ostensibly to support residents, but it was nothing more than a distraction from the critical issues that are killing Venice. The protestors today used the occasion to make sure tourists entering the city understand the reality. Today magnified the perfect storm that is taking place in Venice: uncontrolled tourism, uncontrolled hospitality development, zero infrastructure strategy for residents, tourists or the environment. Theres a lack of housing and a complete absence of respect for Venetian residents. The local elections that take place in much of urban England on Thursday have been widely presented as a severe test for Theresa May. Failure to retain control of two Conservative citadels, Wandsworth and Westminster, has been portrayed as a potential precursor of renewed restlessness about her leadership on the Tory backbenches. However, this weeks ballot could prove as much of a challenge for Jeremy Corbyn as it does the prime minister. Much of the speculation about the elections has focused on the contests in London, where all of the seats on the capitals 32 boroughs are up for grabs. London has become increasingly difficult territory for the Conservatives, not least thanks to the partys difficulty in appealing to the capitals growing ethnic minority population. (The partys vote fell by nearly two points in the capital in the last general election, even though it was increasing by nearly six points across Britain as a whole.) Meanwhile, polling of voting intentions for the borough elections suggests there could be a swing of some 4-5 per cent from Conservative to Labour on Thursday. However, there is another set of elections taking place on Thursday in 118 district councils outside London, including in most of Englands major cities from Plymouth to Newcastle. These contests look less exciting because, in most cases, only one third of the council seats are available, inevitably making it less likely that control of the council will change hands. Yet they may prove the more important guide to the standing of the parties, 12 months on from last years snap election. Recommended Labour set for best performance in London local elections in 40 years Most of the seats being contested on Thursday, both in London and elsewhere, were last fought over four years ago, when the local elections took place on the same day as elections to the European Parliament. Commentators took the parties local performance and applied it at a national level: Labour was estimated to be a couple of points ahead of the Conservatives, similar to the position in the opinion polls at that time. This is the baseline against which seats and councils will be gained and lost on Thursday. Crucially, it is a better baseline for Labour than is to be found in the Britain-wide polls at present. These polls, on average, put the Conservatives narrowly ahead of Labour. So, if Theresa Mays party is losing ground in the capital, it must be gaining ground elsewhere. One reason for this divergence lies in the way the Brexit referendum has helped reshape Britains electoral geography. In last years general election, Conservative support typically decreased in those places that voted heavily for Remain, whereas there was a net swing from Labour to the Conservatives where voters had heavily backed Leave. A similar pattern had emerged in the county council elections a few weeks earlier. That pattern largely explains why the Conservatives did so badly last year in London, which voted by three to two in favour of Remain, and why the party is still struggling in the borough elections now. But outside of London, Thursdays elections are taking place in districts where, on average, only around 45 per cent voted Remain, a figure that matches the outcome of the EU referendum across provincial England as a whole. Making progress in these elections looks like a much tougher test for Labour. 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 Given how well entrenched Labour is in many of the councils it currently controls, a modest swing against the party outside of London could leave its tally of controlled councils largely undiminished. But any such movement could cost it gains that the party might otherwise be expected to make, such as in Leave-voting Amber Valley, Kirklees and Walsall. At the same time, a swing in their favour could help take the Conservatives over the line in, for example, Basildon, Pendle, Peterborough and Rugby, thereby helping to counterbalance any losses the party suffers in London. Even if there is a swing to Labour in London, it might not cost the Conservatives that dearly. The only low-hanging Tory fruit available for Labour to pick is control of Barnet. However, at 15 per cent, the boroughs Jewish population is the largest anywhere in the UK and Labour must be concerned that the row about alleged antisemitism within its ranks might cost the party dear. Otherwise, Labour needs substantial swings of 7.5 per cent or more to make any council gains. Such a swing is, perhaps, more likely to occur in Wandsworth or Westminster than in another of Labours targets, Hillingdon, where, unusually, Leave came out ahead. But, even so, picking up either of the Tory citadels looks like a tall order. Jeremy Corbyn has to hope he does not look rather embarrassingly empty handed when the results come in on Friday. John Curtice is professor of politics at Strathclyde University There is no better visual than the wind turbine to illustrate climate change campaigns all over the world. It has become the go-to image for every graphic designer, including those employed by our government, when addressing one of the defining challenges of our time. In December 2017, Theresa May even sent a victorious tweet about the UKs climate leadership, alongside an image of an onshore wind farm. But for those of us paying attention, this was a curious choice: Mays government has effectively banned onshore wind farms in England. In 2015, seeking to shore up their right flank against defection to UKIP in the upcoming general election, the Conservatives pledged to halt the spread of onshore wind farms, which, they said, often fail to gain public support. Once in power, uniquely stringent planning conditions were immediately placed on new wind energy developments by ministerial diktat, with no public consultation and no parliamentary scrutiny or debate. This new guidance is so vague and ambiguous that only one in four planning officials say they are confident they understand it. And although ministers insist that there is no ban, just four wind turbines have been allowed since the new guidance came into force, according to the governments planning database. England has seen a 94 per cent collapse in new planning applications for wind energy. These barriers to onshore wind are about to be set in stone, as they turn from guidance to formal status as part of the planning framework. This week, the government released the latest instalment of their public opinions tracker survey, marking five full years of official data collection on the British publics views on climate change and energy. The most recent data shows that public support for onshore wind is now at a record high of 76 per cent but it has never fallen below 64 per cent since the survey began. Exploring the full five years of data also lets us look in detail at the very small proportion of people who are strongly opposed to onshore wind (3.5 per cent of us across the whole dataset); the current planning policy has been written for a tiny minority. Its interesting to look closer at the demographics within the data. Hostility to wind turbines is almost unheard of in the under-45s; the over-65s are seven times more likely to oppose onshore wind. This contrast jars awkwardly with one of the key justice issues at the heart of societys relationship with climate change: it is a profoundly dangerous problem which is being caused predominantly by older generations, while younger people will have to live with the consequences. That older generations are also blocking the solutions to this problem seems perverse and vindictive. While some people may not like the look of wind turbines, young people really need more of them, and fast. Worse, the data shows that the more inaccurate someones views about climate change are, the more likely they are to oppose onshore wind. This might seem obvious, but reflect for a moment: national planning policy is being tailored for a very small proportion of Brits who disproportionately reject the scientific consensus on climate change. We are fortunate in the UK that these people are themselves at odds with official government policy; climate minister Claire Perry has signalled that Britain may soon move to a net zero emissions target, and her colleague Mark Field recently described climate change as an existential threat. But this sentiment isnt being reflected on the ground. It is fair to say that multinational utilities foisting industrial-scale developments on unwilling rural communities who saw little or no direct benefit was never going to end well. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan But evidence shows that there is a political solution to winning public consent for new onshore wind projects: local community ownership. As smart grids spread, communities could be rewarded for hosting their own wind farms with lower energy bills as well as financial returns. Experience shows that initial suspicion of onshore wind turbines is often short-lived, with opponents warming to the rotating blades after living with them in the landscape for a while. The village of Hockerton in Nottinghamshire went from opposing a local wind farm in 2001 to developing their own community wind project in 2008. This spring, local residents attached a picture of it on their village gateway sign. Instead of blocking communities from building Britains cheapest source of new electricity, the government should be working to empower people to take a stake in the exciting energy transition of which wind turbines are just the most visible part. From a practical perspective, the ban on onshore wind is making the urgent challenge of decarbonisation more difficult and expensive. Symbolically, its even worse: the ban on onshore wind reads as a ban on action on climate change. And that, increasingly, is not a good look for our government. Leo Murray is director of strategy at 10:10, a charity that tackles climate change. You can sign the petition against the wind ban here The announcement of the imminent opening of the Chinese market is to be welcomed. My sources in the beef industry inform me that one of the things the Chinese delegations liked about Irish beef is the fact that it is mostly produced on family farms. This is an attribute of our production system that needs to be safeguarded. But I couldn't help having a feeling of deja vu. We heard all the same kinds of things being said about the opening of the US a few years ago. It's obvious now that the optimism for that market was seriously overstated. I hope we are not saying the same about China in a few years' time. But, as livestock farmers, I think we have to stand up for ourselves. Most of the news reports were talking about how it is a market that will add value to the carcase. If this new market doesn't deliver a price increase at the farm gate, we will need to ask questions and get answers from those who are taking the plaudits now. All our stock are now out, except for the few beef heifers that will be finished in the shed. The reason they are now all out is that there is nothing left for them inside. The underfoot conditions outside are horrendous but at least the grass is starting to come to them. This is, without doubt, the longest winter that I can remember. We'd usually have all our stock out to grass by April 1, whereas this year they were all inside on that date. I really found the last few weeks extremely difficult emotionally. We would always have ample supplies of silage and straw but, like a lot of farmers, we found ourselves sparing to make it last. I love my animals and felt bad that I was struggling to look after them as well as I would want to. But, hopefully, the worst of the bad weather is now behind us. All the grazing ground has now got to have two applications of 18-6-12, at 2cwt/acre. From here on in, we will use nitrogen. All our slurry tanks are full to the brim. So, every chance we get this year, we will have to spread slurry. Also, we have a lot of farmyard manure, as a consequence of the stock being in for six weeks longer than usual. We succeeded in letting up our ground for first cut silage at the usual time. Our plan is to take an early cut of maybe 25pc of it that will hopefully be close to 80 DMD, which will be fed to the fattening cattle next year. We will let the remainder grow on for another 7-10 days and hopefully that will have a DMD in the mid-70s, which will be fed to the suckler cows. Our ground that's earmarked for spring barley is still quite wet and I can't see anything being done there for quite a while. Our winter barley got its second application of fertiliser last week, bringing it up to a total of 140 units N per acre. At the moment, it looks clean from a disease point of view and has a good colour. If it gets a bit of warmth and sunshine, I'd say it's ready to take off. It was sprayed for weeds in the autumn but, as soon as the weather settles, we will put a good fungicide spray on it. Hopefully that will be done this week. We are halfway through the sales of our beef heifers. The weights are holding up around 365kg on average, with a good fat cover, mainly 4s. A good few of the heifers left are younger and lighter but will still be finished in the next month out of shed so that will bring the average down a bit. One of the reasons we finish them out of the shed is that it simplifies our system insofar as the only animals we have out grazing are cows and calves, stock bulls and replacement heifers. I found over the years it was a case of swings and roundabouts. We used to let these heifers out to graze and finish them off grass at the back end of the year. But, generally what happened, we had heavier heifers and were getting less per kilo for them at that time. I think we are doing just as well by sending them to the factory at lighter weights and hopefully a better price per kg. A job we will do in the next couple of weeks is wean the calves off the cull cows and the empty cows, with a view to having the cull cows finished by the end of May/early June. Also a bit of good news last week - our cow that was inconclusive in the herd test went clear on her re-test. Robin Talbot farms in partnership with his mother Pam and wife Ann in Ballacolla, Co Laois Q I have been following the case which was taken against the ESB about entering private lands. As a landowner and farmer I am concerned about what state bodies may have access to my land without my consent or knowledge. It is not that I want to stand in the way of progress, I would just like to know who can enter my land without warning me. A The recent Supreme Court hearing involving the ESB and the procedure that it uses to serve a notice to enter private lands to carry out works on electricity lines has raised interest in the access that landowners give. The ESB has won its Supreme Court appeal of a court finding that a procedure under which the Board served a notice to enter private lands to carry out works on electricity lines is unlawful. Any landowners who have power lines running through their lands are affected but may not be aware that the 1927 Electricity (Supply) Act gives power to the ESB to place any electric line above or below ground across any land which is not a street/road/railway or tramway. Before placing an electric line across any land, they must serve on the owner and occupier of the land a notice in writing stating its intention to place the line and give a description of the nature of the line or fixture, and of the position and manner in which it is intended to be placed. If the owner of the land consents to the placing of the line or consents with some conditions attached which are acceptable to the Board, the ESB may proceed and place the line across the lands in the manner which was outlined in the notice. However, if the owner does not consent within 14 days, the Board can decide to install the line without the consent of the landowner. The issue in the recent case centred around the procedure that the ESB had used when giving power to authorised officers (by the CEO of ESB) to sign the notice which was issued to a landowner on whose lands upgrading works would be carried out. The Supreme Court found that there had been no breach of the 1927 Act by the ESB in the procedure that they used. The 1927 Act, under the same provision, gives power to the ESB to enter and undertake repairs etc on lines which are placed on lands. Therefore if you have a power line running through your land, for which the ESB complied with the notice requirements, effectively, there is a wayleave over your land for the repair and maintenance of the lines. Proper notice should be given, however emergency circumstances do allow repair work to be carried out without notice. Read More What is a wayleave? A wayleave typically involves the running of pipes and services over, through or under land which is not owned by the person who needs the pipes or services ran. A wayleave should be registered on the folio of your land. Compensation The 1927 Act which gave these powers to the ESB did not provide for compensation to be paid to landowners in circumstances where power lines were placed on land. This became a bigger issue as larger power lines and pylons were required to be placed on land. The lack of compensation was legally challenged in 1985 in the ESB v Gormley case, in which the Supreme Court Judge described the right of the ESB to acquire a wayleave or easement over land to facilitate the construction of power lines, pylons and masts as a "burdensome right over the land". This opened the door for a legislative change which provided for compensation to landowners for damage done by electricity power lines, poles and pylons etc. There is now a recognised entitlement to compensation for damage to property as a result. However, issues still remain around devaluation of land as a result of the placement of lines etc. If your lands are affected by proposed power lines, you should seek professional advice in relation to your individual circumstances. Department of Agriculture Landowners who make an application to the Basic Payment Scheme and other schemes give consent to Officers of the Department of Agriculture to enter the lands which make up the application for the purpose of inspecting for scheme eligibility. This generally does not cause a problem for farmers as they are notified of the inspection and may accompany the inspectors as they carry out the inspection. The EU regulations which provide for this power to enter lands and carry out inspections also details the proper procedure the officers must follow when carrying out an inspection under the schemes. Just because a farmer has made an application to the schemes does not give the Department officers an entitlement to enter the lands 'nilly willy'. They only have the power to enter the lands to carry out a legal inspection. A legal inspection is one which follows the regulations which are set out in EU law. This raises questions for a large number of farmers who did not receive 'Control Reports' for on-the-spot inspections which were carried out in recent years on their lands. A control report allows the farmer to review the details of the checks that the inspector carries out and draw conclusions on his/her compliance with the eligibility criteria, commitment and other obligations. The farmer must be given an opportunity to sign the control report during the inspection to attest his presence at the inspection and to add his/her observations. For all on-the-spot checks, the Department must produce a report. This means the farmer should be aware of any entry by a Department officer on to his lands and can expect that if the officers are entering their lands it will be to carry out an inspection which follows all the legal requirements set out in EU and adopted into Irish law. This article is intended as a general guide only. You should seek professional advice in relation to individual circumstances. Theresa Murphy is barrister at law based in Ardrahan, Co Galway. A unionist farmer who counts Sinn Fein among his backers has been elected to the Irish parliament's upper chamber, the Seanad. Ian Marshall is a former president of the Ulster Farmers' Union who is opposed to Brexit and is pro-choice on the abortion issue. He becomes one of a small number of Northern Ireland unionists to ever sit in the Seanad in Dublin. That his candidature was supported by Sinn Fein makes his election more remarkable. The farmer from Markethill, Co Armagh, who topped the poll in the vote by fellow senators and TDs to fill two vacated Seanad seats, describes himself as a "pragmatic" unionist. He says he is willing to listen to economic arguments in favour of a united Ireland, but insists he does not believe the case for reunification is a compelling one. He was approached to run for one of two vacant seats on the Seanad's agriculture panel by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and will sit as an independent. Mr Marshall said the idea of taking a seat in the Seanad was something he had never envisaged. "It actually came about by virtue of a conversation and call from the Taoiseach," he said. "It was something I had never anticipated so to the Taoiseach I am hugely grateful for the opportunity." Mr Marshall said it was important in the context of building relations across the island that a northern unionist voice was heard in Dublin. "I think it's hugely important that the voices and the opinions are shared," he told RTE. Mr Marshall said he had serious fears for the economy if Brexit happened but he said he was not convinced that the UK would actually leave the European Union. He said many people in the 2016 referendum voted on the basis of "incorrect and misleading" information. "The people probably in many cases have a slightly different perspective of this now," he said. Mr Marshall added: "I haven't conceded the fact that we are going to leave - it looks so complex and so difficult at the moment that I believe there is a lot of discussion we still have to have. "I think If we are truly serious about this, that this should possibly go back to the people and the people it will impact most will have the chance to voice their opinion again. I firmly believe if that opportunity arises I think the people will say maybe this isn't the right idea for the UK to Brexit." Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald was among those on hand to congratulate Mr Marshall when his election was announced. "Ian is a unionist. I am an Irish republican," she said ahead of the vote. "As I have stated repeatedly, the Ireland I want to see is one where one can comfortably be Irish or British, both or neither. I believe Ian can bring a new and interesting voice to the discussion surrounding a new Ireland." The other seat was won by a former Fine Gael TD, Anthony Lawlor. Central Bank governor Philip Lane is waving a big stick over the tracker scandal, but hes unlikely to crack heads this time around. Photo: PA The Central Bank maintains that it is keeping all angles open in its enforcement investigations into the behaviour of the main banks on tracker mortgages. These angles include examining "individual culpability" in the tracker scandal the Central Bank said during week. Enforcement investigations have begun into Permanent TSB, Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland, KBC Bank, AIB and EBS. It is a relatively new area for the Central Bank. If it makes findings against the banks and fines them, will it have clear evidence of individual bankers making those decisions that deserved the fines? Presumably, it will, because companies don't make decisions, the people who run them do. In the case of the tracker scandal, which now looks like being a 1bn tracker customer rip-off, if the banks deserved to be fined, then surely individuals behind those decisions should be personally held to account. It isn't that simple. The fact that the Central Bank, the Financial Ombudsman, and even sections of the courts, were so slow to find in favour of customers in all of this, means actions against individual bankers might be fought very hard. The banks might even pay their legal costs, given they would argue they were representing the bank's interest in their actions. It seems more likely that the Central Bank will give a big warning and a financial shot across the bows by taking enforcement action against the banks, collect some money and warn about banker behaviour for the future. This is akin to the referee giving lots of yellows but never a red card. The tracker investigation is being presented as something of a regulatory and political success now. The banks are admitting to more cases, which now number 34,100 and close to 500m has been paid out. But it remains stubbornly slow. Of the cases identified and where sums of money are due to be awarded in compensation and redress, what percentage of victims have been paid in full? According to the latest Central Bank update, for those due to receive between 10,000 and 50,000, just 48pc of them have been paid in full. For those due to receive in excess of 100,000, less than one in five of them have been paid in full. And we don't know how many plan to challenge their level of compensation. The Central Bank is talking the talk about enforcement and even individual culpability, yet its update doesn't even identify the individual banks that have made the least or most progress. It retreats to referring to how 'Bank A' has made 97pc progress on redress and compensation but 'Bank E' is on just 48pc. This doesn't exactly set the tone for going after culpable individuals within banks when the progress update won't identify how each bank is doing. So much for naming and shaming. If the Central Bank did go after individuals it can fine them up to 500,000 for breaches made before 2013 or 1m for those afterwards. It is much more likely if actions against individuals were pursued, it would cover how they handled the co-operation with the Central Bank in making full disclosures, as opposed to the decisions that left so many people stranded in the first place. The regulator can also ban a person indefinitely from acting as a manager in a regulated firm. Would the person be fired? If they were, would the bank give them a big payoff, presumably to help cover the personal fine? It is quite possible and depends on their employment contracts. Central Bank governor Philip Lane did remind a recent Oireachtas committee sitting that while an investigation is going on, "the board members and senior personnel of lenders have significant legal obligations to report potential regulatory breaches to the Central Bank". Lane's predecessor Patrick Honohan once said that regulators need to talk softly but carry a big stick. Lane is waving the stick at this point, but I don't think he is going to start cracking a few heads with it this time round. It's a case of 'all duck or no dinner' for bankers' bonuses Irish bankers won't be getting bonuses any time soon if the chairwoman of the ECB Supervisory Board, Daniele Nouy, has anything to do with it. And apparently she does. Her board regulates bonuses in eurozone banks. Nouy believes Irish bankers should not get bonuses until the last vestiges of the financial crash are dealt with. The bonus culture in banking is blamed for helping to create the financial crash. Unfortunately for Irish bankers, the bonus culture has been replaced with no bonuses at all - 'all duck or no dinner' as they used to say down the country. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has shot down AIB's share bonus plans but offered a review of pay policy for later this year. If the consultants conducting the review conclude a new pay structure, including bonuses, is warranted, the report will have to be sent over to Nouy in Frankfurt. We could end up with a government minister in control of 71pc of AIB on behalf of the taxpayer, believing bonuses are now appropriate and a senior executive in the ECB, which overstepped its legal reach during the crisis in my view when it threatened to pull liquidity funding to the banks, saying 'no they shouldn't'. What politician would go out to bat for bankers' bonuses? The solution may reside in Nouy's belief that front line staff dealing with troubled legacy loans are more deserving of bonuses. So instead of a bonus scheme for the top 100 employees, it may stretch to the top 5,000. But wasn't the AIB staff pension fund bailed out by the State to the tune of 1.1bn after the crash? Banker bonuses may yet dredge up some old wounds. Finance mandarins get good deal on Apple's 13bn cash deposit There must have been tough competition between fund managers, administrators and custodians to land the 13bn escrow account that will house Apple's back taxes to the Irish state pending a European Court challenge. That is a lot of zeros and some very fat fees. The contracts were won by a raft of blue chip institutions including Bank of New York Mellon, Amundi, BlackRock Investment Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management International. The tricky bit here is who owns the money - Apple or the State? The State needed to ensure it gets a good return on investment in the event Apple loses the case and we keep the money. Apple needed to ensure it gets a good return in case it wins the action. But who carries the can if the investment managers made a mess of things, or there was another big financial crash, and the amount of money falls below the 13bn due to be put in by Apple? Well, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe alluded to this when he announced the winners of the tender last week by saying the agreement with Apple would protect the Irish Exchequer from any loss on the investment. "Any loss on the fund will reside with the fund not with the taxpayer," Donohoe said. It appears to suggest that the fund managers will have to make good on any losses in the fund, which looks like a good deal for the State. The cash is due to start flowing into the account by the billion in the coming months, with all 13bn in there before this winter. The managers have only to decide on the best place to invest the cash for a solid but low-risk return. Apple shares might be a bit risky at current levels. Why not buy some Irish Government bonds? They look pretty safe. Galmoy Mines in north Kilkenny is set to reopen for zinc extraction after a mining company applied to resume operations at the facility. Shanoon Resources has applied to Kilkenny County Council for permission to recommence underground mining at the site. In 2008 it was announced that the mine would close over the following three years and that more than 200 workers would lose their jobs. The closure of the mine as the recession was kicking off was a huge blow to the local area. It's estimated that recommencement of mining would create around 50 new jobs. At the time the closure was announced, management at the mine - which was then owned by the Canada-based Lundin Mining Corporation - blamed dwindling zinc resources at Galmoy and a drop in metal prices worldwide. The mine was sold to Tipperary company AQS Environmental Solutions in 2017. There had been local speculation that it was planning to develop a waste-management facility at Galmoy. Apart from underground activities, the proposed development at Galmoy will also involve the refurbishment and retention of a number of surface structures, and the construction of a wheel-wash and water-conditioning pond. Last week, the former zinc mine at Lisheen close to Thurles, Co Tipperary, was also given a new lease of life with the announcement of a 30m bio-economy research project led by Glanbia Ireland. The former mine site, which has been designated as a green energy hub, is said to have the potential to create 300 permanent jobs. A Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) report last year found that extractive industries have a direct economic impact of 940m. Ireland accounts for nearly a quarter of European zinc mine output, but has recently lost its status as the biggest extractor in Europe for the first time in many years, With zinc prices recovering much lost ground in recent years - despite a recent U-turn in the metal's price - further expansion is also under way at the biggest contributor to the zinc industry here, Boliden Tara Mines. The GSI report found that more than 4,000 people were employed in mining and quarrying, down 2,000 since 2009. What do you do if you've been working for over 25 years as a skilled and experienced furniture maker but then the work suddenly dries up? That was the situation facing Wicklow man Brendan Lawless when the last recession hit. Others in the same situation may have opted to skill up in another trade, change career completely or scrape a living doing odd-jobs, but Brendan's response was to start building and selling chairs. Not just any old chair, of course, but one based on an ancient Irish design dating back to 1830 and with a fascinating back story. A couple of years previously he had bought an original version of the chair off a man at a furniture show in the RDS in Dublin, who had referred to it as the 'Famine Chair'. "What caught my eye was the curves, the arms on it," says Lawless. "It was on this gentleman's stand, and it was covered with old blankets and cushions and stuff. It was just its simplicity; I thought it was just very attractive, and the construction of it is quite simple. They are all traditional woodworking joints and there are no metal fixings." He bought it with the intention of making a version of it for his wife as an anniversary present. He did some research on it, and discovered it had originated on the southern shores of Lough Neagh and had evolved from an earlier boat-builder's chair, similar in size and design. Critically, the design involves steam bending, a technique still used by boat builders to create strength. Lawless had learnt his craft some 30 years ago as a cabinet-maker before becoming self-employed and dabbling in different areas of the furniture-making industry, most notably in producing high-end cosmetic retail display units for the likes of L'Oreal, Clarins, and Elizabeth Arden. "I always had work. I never advertised. I was just a small operative, with one other part-time girl I had working with me at the time. And when the recession came I just ... I had no work. For the first time in the 26, 27 years I had nothing to do. It took about two years for it really to hit me." But rather than change tack, the recession prompted him to go deeper into furniture-making, "but with a more hands-on approach and at a slower pace". So he took out his boat-builder's chair and decided to have a go at making a few reproductions of it. He had some experience of steam-bending as he had done some work in furniture restoration in the past, but had to re-acquaint himself with the technique, as well as in wood-turning, in order to perfect the production process. Lawless offers the chair in a number of different finishes with names from Achill to Inis Oirr, and includes the Baidin, which is two chairs that interlock together to make a platform for a Moses basket. Then he went to a few shows and farmers' markets and has now built up the brand as a side-business to his day-to-day work in custom-built furniture, such as built-in units. With the help of the Wicklow Enterprise Board and the Crafts Council of Ireland, he sells direct from his website and has sold chairs to the USA, Canada, Europe and the UK, as well as local shows and markets. He also sells them to the Irish Design Gallery in Dun Laoghaire and a number of other craft shops. "So normally what I do is, I do my day-to-day stuff, and every so often I will take a week off work, and I just focus on the chairs. I will make a batch of chairs and bring them to a certain level and then I will kind of assemble them as I need them." He acknowledges, however, that like most furniture, you are unlikely to buy one unless you've had the chance to sample it. "You need to sit in it. It's very tactile. Like people can't walk past the chair without feeling the ribs, the curved ribs on the chair. And they are kind of in disbelief because it's so fine. They think it's metal." As a result, he is finding that he is selling to locals a lot mainly because they can get the opportunity easily to see and sit in the item before buying. It's popular as a wedding or birthday present, and Lawless has noticed a distinct trend in buyers looking for something a bit special and willing to pay more for it, even if it means waiting for a couple of months to get the funds together (the standard chair sells for 295). "Like, last weekend, there was a lady bought one, she came from Monaghan and she had sat on the chair in the RDS at a show three years ago. And her husband just fell in love with it. I think if somebody has a kind of a nautical background, or their grandfather was a sailor or a shipwright, or if there's a connection to the sea, they will buy them." Given what he acknowledges as the need to sample the product, what about using in resellers in other countries? He did try one in Germany for a while, but "it didn't work". "Any chairs that I have sold abroad, it's because of the Irish connection. So they have either emigrated or their parents emigrated previously, and it's just that little bit of home. They just want a bit of Ireland, like an Irish chair, made by an Irish person." But he is planning to wind down his day-to-day work to devote more time to the Boat Builder Chair business, including travelling to more shows and exhibitions around the country and selling overseas. He has recently added to his product range an American-styled patio chair called the Adirondack, which in turn has already helped to generate sales of the Boat Builder's chair. He is also hoping to turn out an earlier version of the Boat Builder's chair with two rather than three curved ribs. That said, while he hopes to go full-time with the chairs, he has no plans to scale up production or hire an apprentice. "I can manage. I don't want to kind of create a monster as we say." He believes 10-15 chairs a month is the natural limit given the hands-on and intensive nature of the building process. Each chair takes between two and three days to build. "When I'm working on the chairs I kind of feel like I'm cheating. It doesn't feel like work to me." But the business has also allowed him to combine his craft with a people focus. "I just love meeting the people and just talking about the chair. A day at a market is like another day off for me, you know. I mightn't have sold a chair on the day but I might have met two customers that I have worked for in the past and all of a sudden you are getting a phone call looking for a bit of work that needs doing. So it has generated work for me during the recession." irishboatbuilderschair.com Former Bus Eireann chairman Paul Mallee has certainly not been resting on his laurels since he moved on from the semi-state transport company. Now based in Dubai, Mallee's new company, MaisonPrive, has just secured $4m in private investment to help it fulfil its plan to be the leading alternative accommodation provider in the United Arab Emirates. MaisonPrive, which was founded a year ago by Mallee and his business partner Rami Shamaa, is a 'virtual hotel' operator that manages luxury apartments and villas, offering them to business and leisure visitors. The company is understood to have a pipeline of over 100 units with an average value in excess of $1m. It aims to reach 500 properties in the next three years. Guests are offered the opportunity to live in their own private penthouse or villa in some of the swankiest parts of Dubai such as the artificial Palm Jumeirah archipelago. The identity of the investor has not been disclosed, but Ergo understands that it is from within the hospitality sector. Mallee told me that the investment signalled confidence in the company's growth strategy and that it is positioned for rapid growth. "This initial funding round recognises the potential of the business model we have built. It allows us to develop the infrastructure to support our scaling targets in the short run," he said. NTR swoops on Mayo wind project in 50m move It's been pretty quiet over at toll road operator turned renewables business NTR of late. Ever since Tom Roche and family effectively took the wind business private a couple of years back, spinning out legacy assets into a separate company, there's been a marked absence of drama. It's all most unlike the very public shareholder spat that was manna from heaven for business journalists back in 2014. Instead NTR has been going quietly about its business and it has just added a 28-megawatt project in Mayo to its portfolio, that's expected to cost 50m, all told. This is the last project for NTR's 'Wind 1' fund, and it is also looking to add projects to another fund which will invest in wind and solar assets. NTR has had difficulties with solar assets in the US in the past so let's hope it's a brighter outcome this time around. Paddy whiskey to step out of shadow in distribution switch One of the biggest whiskey deals in Ireland over the last couple of years was US company Sazerac's takeover of Paddy whiskey from Irish Distillers in 2016. Sazerac is owned by a colourful businessman, William Goldring, dubbed the cheap liquor billionaire. He made his fortune by buying cheap brands, going big on marketing and stacking them in liquor stores across the US. When the big drinks companies chased luxury, with price tags to match, he chased volume. Goldring, now in his mid-70s, has said little of his plans for Paddy - which was not a cheap purchase - and we can only assume the whiskey is taking full advantage of the demand for the spirit in the US. Back in Ireland, Dublin-based Hi-Spirits Ireland, a Sazerac subsidiary, will take over distribution of Paddy from Irish Distillers this July. Sazerac bought Hi-Spirits in Ireland and UK in 2016 and Paddy will join a portfolio which includes Southern Comfort and Antica Sambuca. No doubt Sazerac hopes Paddy will shine when it steps out of the shadow of Jameson, Irish Distillers' brightest star. The family of beef baron Larry Goodman has failed to win over Dublin city planners with its first version of an ambitious 100m redevelopment of the citys Setanta Centre. Ternary Ltd has lodged planning for an eight-storey office block, while Setanta Centre Unlimited is owner of the site and lists Goodman and his eldest son Lawrence, who heads the familys property interests, as directors. In a notice published last week, planners said: There are very serious concerns regarding the proposed development in the context of its overall height, scale, bulk, and massing. The building in its current form will likely have a dominant and overbearing impact on adjacent properties and the immediate streetscape, including the setting of protected structures. The note said that significant revisions and setbacks are required to address concerns. This will be music to the ears of the Kilkenny Group, headed by Marian OGorman, which is among the objectors to the works. The Setanta Centre houses its flagship Dublin shop. Before Aryzta sold its Cloverhill business in the US, wages were turning into a big issue. After immigration raids forced out 800 employees, one of its problems was replacing them. Upskilling workers might be a manageable challenge, but meeting the pay expectations of local US workers is another challenge altogether. Now that Aryzta has sold out of Cloverhill, taking a considerable financial hit in the process, that problem is solved but I see wages in some of its European bases are on the rise. The Hungarian-based bakery and frozen pastry franchise chain Fornetti owned by Aryzta is to bring in a pay rise of between 10pc and 15pc on May 1. Fornetti has over 800 employees in Hungary and it is one of the biggest employers in the Bacs-Kiskun county. As prime minister Viktor Orban was keen to proclaim during his recent election campaign, wages are surging in that economy. Indeed this will be the fourth wage hike at the firm since Aryzta bought it in 2015. New Aryzta CEO Kevin Toland must be wondering when enough will be enough. The quarry is described as a landfill opportunity (stock picture) Glenveagh Properties and Panda Waste are among a number of parties who have expressed interest in buying a West Dublin quarry with a guide price of 3.5m. The site is being sold by Knight Frank and is located at Bay Lane in Dublin 15, close to Dublin Airport. Bids are due to be submitted next month. It spans 36 acres and is located near the M50 and M1 motorways. It is zoned for general employment, a status designed to provide "opportunities for general enterprise and employment". It is being marketed by Knight Frank as a "landfill opportunity" - likely to be attractive to a housebuilder such as Glenveagh for disposing of building waste rather than generating fresh materials. The quarry has previously been the subject of legal action as to whether materials supplied from it contained excessive pyrite, with the subject raised in the Dail. Meanwhile, Glenveagh expects to have over 700 units in construction this year, according to a statement delivered to the market. The company, which arose out of a partnership between developer Bridgedale and private equity firm Oaktree, said last month that its land bank had capacity for almost 7,500 units. It also said it was looking to acquire fresh land for more units. Glenveagh chief executive Justin Bickle, who previously held a senior role at Oaktree, said: "The current market conditions in Irish residential are among the most attractive I have seen globally in my career to date. "The sector in Ireland is in need of institutional quality product, safely delivered and well designed by institutional quality homebuilders with broad experience and the ability to listen, learn and innovate." Earlier this month, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said some local authorities are not doing enough to provide social housing. Murphy said that there was a "mixed picture" when it came to local authorities. "Different local authorities are moving at different paces," he told the Irish Independent. "There are some outliers who aren't doing enough," he added. Murphy said that junior minister Damien English had been tasked with "going to each local authority and actually getting on top of the problems and then bringing what resources we can to help them". Guwahati, April 29 : The troops of Assam Rifles apprehended three militants if banned outfit group NSCN-K in Nagaland's Dimapur area. The Dimapur battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (North) conducted an operation alongwith police representative based on specific information in general area Purana Bazar and general area Green Park 4th Mile Dimapur. During the operation Assam Rifles troops apprehended three militants and recovered one point 22 mm Rifle with magazine, one point 32 mm pistol with magazine, nine live rounds, Rs 10,1922 cash, nine mobile phones, one yearly tax rate slip, three pages arms and ammunition details, three pages detail of Sumi Task Force with nominal roll, twelve pages document containing details of gen enrolment and seven SP capsules. The apprehended militants were identified as Eska Chisi alias Yeshika alias Alex, Kito Chisi and Kheio Sema alias Toki. The apprehended militants alongwith recovered items were handed over to Dimapur and East Police Station for further investigation. Ulster Banks Irish HQ in Dublin last week customers found that money that had previously been lodged to their accounts had disappeared. Photo: Bloomberg Tens of thousands of Ulster Bank customers got a nasty shock last week when their money vanished from their accounts. This was the latest in a string of IT glitches that have hit all the major Irish and UK banks in recent years. Last Monday startled Ulster Bank customers found that money that had previously been lodged to their accounts had "disappeared". Salaries went walkabout, direct debits remained unpaid and credit cards were declined. By Wednesday Ulster Bank was assuring worried customers that the issue had been "resolved". According to sources at the institution, the problem was caused by "human error", with a payment file not being processed when it should have been. If the problem at Ulster Bank had been an isolated incident one could perhaps write it off to experience. But it wasn't. At the same time as Ulster Bank customers were having problems with their accounts, those of TSB Bank in the UK were experiencing far more serious difficulties, when a scheduled IT upgrade went terribly wrong last weekend. At one stage both TSB's internet bank and its mobile app were virtually completely out of action and even as late as last Wednesday its internet bank was operating at only 50pc of capacity. Last month, some Bank of Ireland customers found that their money was apparently temporarily missing from their accounts. According to Bank of Ireland, the problem was caused by a "technical processing issue" rather than a cyber-attack. AIB customers were hit when the bank suffered IT problems in August 2016, with customers unable to withdraw money from their accounts in branches. The online banking service was also affected. Across the water a computer server problem resulted in tens of thousands of Barclays customers being unable to withdraw cash or use their debit cards in February 2017, while customers of Lloyds were similarly discommoded in February 2014. However, when it comes to bank computer crashes the biggest one was undoubtedly the June 2012 fiasco at RBS and its Irish subsidiary Ulster Bank. A botched software upgrade on June 19 left millions of customers on both sides of the Irish Sea effectively bankless. It wasn't until July 16, almost four weeks later, that things finally got back to normal. The UK regulators threw the book at the bank, fining RBS 56m (64m). The bank's chairman, Philip Hampton, conceding that the crash "revealed unacceptable weaknesses in our systems". Not surprisingly, Ulster Bank spokespeople were anxious to stress that last week's problems bore no resemblance and were "completely separate" to those of 2012. With all of the banks determined to get us do most of our banking electronically rather than in a branch, it is absolutely vital that customers have implicit confidence in their IT systems. Repeated failures threaten to undermine that confidence. They also beg the question, while one or two system failures could be blamed on human error, are the repeated failures across the entire sector the symptoms of a deeper problem? Not to put too fine a point on it, did the banks scrimp on their IT investment in the aftermath of the crash and are we now witnessing the consequences of that under-investment? "My sense is that issues such as that experienced are not one-off events," says Thomas Conlon, associate professor of banking at UCD business school. "In many cases, banking systems have their origins in multiple mergers over many years, resulting in legacy systems that are difficult to integrate. Moving to a modern centralised system is appealing, but not without costs and potential integration issues." "Another huge concern for banks in terms of system automation is any potential for data privacy issues, brought firmly into view from all corners by the incoming GDPR [the EU's stringent new data protection regulations that come into force on May 25] framework". For their part the banks are adamant that cutbacks in their IT investment have not caused the recent problems. An Ulster Bank spokesman points out that RBS' total IT investment runs at over 1bn a year. "We benefit from the huge amounts RBS invests in IT. It is not correct to say that we are under-invested," he says. The other banks also point to the large sums that they have invested in new and improved systems. "AIB has a made a serious investment in its IT infrastructure. Over the last three years we increased our IT investment by 50pc. This investment is focused on the customer and on the criticality and reliability of our service," says Seamus Murphy, AIB's chief digital officer. AIB's total IT investment in recent years runs to around 870m and includes a 150m replacement of its payments platform, a new treasury platform and modernising its mainframe computer. Bank of Ireland has also been investing heavily, and will spend 900m on a project to upgrade its IT systems and replace its core banking platform. All well and good but will it be enough? No matter how much one spends on IT, as the events of the past week have demonstrated yet again, the weakest link is the people operating them. Even the best system is no guarantee against human error. The challenge for banks is to design their systems so that the potential for human error is reduced to an absolute minimum by automating their processes to the greatest possible extent and that, when something does go wrong, to have well-developed protocols in place to deal with the situation. In the electronic banking era the key to minimising the impact of occasional IT glitches is to ensure that, if one channel goes down, another channel remains open to serve the customer. However, no bank is an island. Every bank repeatedly interacts with every other bank, processing tens of thousands of transactions with its rivals every day. While individual banks can upgrade their IT systems to the nth degree, they remain at the mercy of other banks with less robust systems. When it comes to IT the entire banking system is no stronger than its weakest link. So much for #DeleteFacebook. The social media giant released its financial results last week. We all wanted to know how many users it lost over the global scandals gripping the company for months. Imagine our surprise when it emerged that Facebook's user base grew in the last three months. And by almost the exact same amount it had the three months before that. It turns out that outrage on Twitter and from traditional media companies on how Facebook connects your data to advertisers, apps and even political consultants wasn't enough to make ordinary people rethink their use of the service. It also wasn't enough to stop new people signing up to the service. They basically didn't care. Or if they did, it was nowhere near enough to affect their usage inclinations. "That's too cynical," I hear you say. "People may have been reassured by Facebook's announced changes around app API access." Ah come on. Get real - 95pc of people have no idea what an API is. And even after weeks of explaining the changes that Facebook has made, most people still have no real handle as to how the whole thing actually works. Other than that Facebook's core business model - assembling your personal profile as an ad magnet - is basically unchanged from before the controversy. So have media companies been wrong to focus so prominently on Facebook over almost any other tech firm in the last six months? Maybe not. The firm has, as its founder and chief executive says, made big mistakes in not tightening up its own platform for fake news and media manipulation. And with two billion users (and some two million Irish users), Facebook is now a quasi-utility for a great many of the world's population. Indeed, it's the only place some people will see news. As such, Facebook now deserves to be under much greater scrutiny than before. But the situation is complicated by the animosity that traditional media companies have developed towards the social platform. Many publishers are torn between their natural instincts to treat Facebook like any other story and bitterness over Facebook as a competitive rival. This is understandable, if unfortunate. On one hand, Facebook (together with Google) has sucked most of the online advertising away from what traditional media companies hoped they could count on. For this, media firms are increasingly angry. That anger probably shows in the intensity of coverage that Facebook's failings get and particularly in the columns and comment pieces that accompany the news stories. On the other hand, media companies can't quite let Facebook go from their own plans. Some of the harshest critics of Facebook are also its most dedicated users for distribution. Channel 4, for example, is one of the strongest performers on Facebook for virality, having twigged that a formula of 'gotcha' videos with reporters doorstepping unpopular figures delights many on social media. As such, it punches well above its weight on Facebook, often matching much bigger media organisations such as the BBC or The New York Times for reach. In Ireland, Independent.ie - which carries articles from the Sunday Independent and the Irish Independent, as well as generating much of its own original content - is another star performer on Facebook. Last week, an analysis by the UK research company Indivigital showed that Independent.ie sits fifth among global media brands for its level of 'engagement' on Facebook, meaning the degree to which Independent.ie posts are shared, discussed and generally consumed on Facebook. That's quite a stellar achievement for the Irish brand (and editors such as Brian O'Reilly and Fionnuala O'Leary who ultimately steer the online social media strategy), especially considering that the media brands immediately above and below it include Buzzfeed, CBS and the Daily Mail. Rightly, the ranking is being assessed as such, indicating that the Independent.ie team has a very developed sense of what a Facebook-using audience is interested in seeing, sharing and discussing. But it also highlights the challenge that a company such as Independent News & Media, the biggest publishing group in the country, has in figuring out its approach to Facebook. Do we regard the social media outfit as a parasite, draining resources away from verified publications such as our own? Or is it a distribution platform that, for us, can substantially extend the reach and relevance of the group's output, especially to audiences who appear unlikely to ever again buy a physical newspaper? As anyone who works in a professional media company will tell you, the answer to this question is complicated and cannot be separated from self-interest. If you believe Facebook's ad juggernaut shrinks your potential digital revenue into minuscule proportions, it can suddenly seem like a malevolent force that's bad for society. Right now, that's probably the reaction of 80pc of traditional media companies, most of which haven't yet come up with a compelling online business model to match Facebook or Google. Media animosity aside, Facebook is not out of the woods, by any means. It still faces significant threats in the form of regulatory moves, especially here in Europe. That could, down the line, mean some sort of enforced functional separation between Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. This would cost the company time and money, even if it might ironically entrench the company's services against newcomers. But it's now clear that there is nothing like the kind of popular disaffection with the social media network that has been portrayed by some. We journalists, in particular, ignore this reality at our peril. 'Because of the speed of technological change and the dramatic growth in professional services companies, we are all regularly bombarded with new concepts' (stock picture) Every single day, we see example of change in our world. Whether it's driven by technological advancements, people and society, by the economy or by political and legislative changes, we have to cope with it. For some industries, this change is hugely disruptive and stressful, yet for others it's a tremendous opportunity. While all of these change-drivers are interwoven and impact on each other, we have to give special attention to the change driven by technology. Gordon Moore, one of the founders of Intel, predicted in 1965 that the processing power for computers would double every two years (known as Moore's Law). Think about the exponential growth we've seen, such as the comparison between the power of a giant supercomputer back then and the smartphone of today. That has created the need for specialisation of professional services companies which focus perhaps on a technology or an industry to provide specialized support and expertise. Guestline Guestline is one such tech company, specialising in hospitality software solutions. It's an expert in cloud-based property management, distribution and digital marketing technologies for the hospitality industry. Siloed technology and the absence of coherent and meaningful data are real issues in the hospitality software sector. Hotels tend to have lots of standalone systems that don't talk to one another and therefore they cannot rely on the accuracy or completeness of data when making business-critical decisions. An efficient property management system brings them all together in a way that eases a lot of pain for the hotelier, improves efficiency, saves cost and greatly enhances the customer experience, all done in compliance with data protection regulations. Clio O'Gara is Ireland country manager for Guestline. "Because we know the industry so well, we don't just focus on our customers, ie the hotels. We also put huge emphasis on knowing the behaviours and expectations of our customer's customers and integrate them in all we do." Clio knows the industry inside out, having spent many years in marketing roles. A classic 'kitchen table' startup company founded 25 years ago, Guestline is now leading the field in cloud property management system technology available across most of Europe and South East Asia. Challenges with tech in the hospitality industry In general, hoteliers have had no resistance to investing in technology to improve their business. That includes accounts packages, programming of TVs in bedrooms and reservations systems. The challenge is more about what technology to invest in. The industry, like many others, is in a state of flux and confusion given the various technological advances over the years. Additionally, there is a mine of information at their fingertips. However, in my experience, it is not being exploited in a way that will drive sales and add value. I believe there are three reasons for that. One is that 'serving guests' is their core business and therefore their comfort zone; tech is not a natural comfort area. Two, they tend to have many tech suppliers which do not share their data, so they have baskets of what seems like unrelated information. And three, hoteliers don't always know what actual data is most relevant or indeed what to do with that data. Change tips Because of the speed of technological change and the dramatic growth in professional services companies, we are all regularly bombarded with new concepts. We might read about them in trade press, see them at exhibitions or be exposed to them through various media. But just like a child in a sweet shop, we can't have them all. Even my large corporate clients have budgets to work to. 1. As a first step, we have to be open to change and listen out for new trends. For example, we know that omni-channel is penetrating B2C industries like retail and hospitality. Customers want a seamless experience at all touch-points - and we have to explore how to do that. 2. When those small tech companies knock on your door wanting to tell you about their expertise, maybe you should find time for them. I know that is a time-management nightmare, but it might just give you a competitive edge. 3. Acknowledge that tech is not your core expertise, so don't be embarrassed about not keeping up. But do partner with a key tech supplier to help make sense of trends in the industry and your changing needs. For hoteliers, the property management system sits at the heart of the business. Guestline is solutions-focused and have the expertise to ensure independent hotels and groups of any size exploit their tech investments to the maximum. That, of course, requires trust and a long-term partnership. Summary Just this week I was in London working with a startup tech company doing amazing things in the digital payments and loyalty space. On their behalf, I interviewed several retailers and coffee chains to get their views on how they see the industry changing and what their changing needs are. In summary, I discovered that their customers 'don't know what they don't know'. That means retailers, hoteliers, coffee shops and so on have a core business doing what they do which is usually buying, selling and serving customers. They are neither data analysts nor tech experts and therefore can and need to be led by responsible professional services partners. Furthermore, data is just a set of numbers that is of no value without insights being drawn out. Finding the right partner will ensure your tech investment reaps the rewards that you deserve. Egypt can claim to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, export markets in the world. Photo: Reuters In an era in which there is much talk of emerging markets for exporters, Egypt can claim to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, export markets in the world. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt governed a nation that imported huge quantities of wood, metal and precious stones from neighbouring kingdoms. Today, as throughout history, Egypt is a key geographical gateway with a land connection to the continent of Africa and the Middle East and, through the Suez Canal, the sea lanes of Asia and the Mediterranean. Ireland's trading relationship with Egypt is more recent, developing in the 1970s and 1980s with the export of cattle and beef, evolving into a market worth over 100m for exporters today. Much of this trade collapsed in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and the period of political turmoil that followed. However, with the devaluation of the Egyptian Pound in late 2016, and a sustained period of economic liberalisation, Egypt's economy rebounded. It is now growing at 5.5pc, the fastest in the Arab world. Egypt is attracting renewed interest, with over 30 Enterprise Ireland-supported companies attending a 'Doing Business in Egypt' event in Dublin on April 16. Clearly, there is optimism that Ireland can reclaim lost exports and widen its portfolio into sectors such as food products, ICT, life sciences, education services, travel tech and agritech. Cork's Mervue Laboratories are active in the Egyptian animal nutrition market, aiming to double exports over the next three years. Commercial director William Twomey says: "Egypt has massive potential and must be a target market for any serious animal health company. It can also be used as a gateway to surrounding markets, which is very attractive." While Irish eyes tend to focus on South Africa and Nigeria as Africa's biggest economies, Egypt is the continent's second-largest economy. This status was buoyed by the discovery of the offshore Zohr natural gas 'superfield' in 2015. Egypt's economy should be understood within a wider context. It is a lower middle-income country akin to Vietnam and Indonesia, with a population of over 100 million. Unique in the Middle East, it has a sophisticated industrial base producing white goods, textiles, industrial goods, electronics and components, and an emerging automotive sector. Within these sectors lie strong opportunities for Ireland's industrial sub-supply and services sectors. Openet and Openmind Networks from Ireland's telecoms cluster already sell to Egyptian mobile operators, and with Egyptians spending $6.1bn per annum on media and recreation, there is scope to expand our digital content solutions. Egypt maintains a strong position in the fast-growing global halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics sector. It is the fourth-largest Muslim consumer food market, behind Indonesia, Turkey, and Pakistan. Egypt has already been targeted as a key market for Irish dairy product exports, and the rapid expansion of its retail sector, including large scale shopping malls and the emergence of hyperstore operators, will potentially generate opportunities for the wider Irish food sector. Thomas Cook brought its first tourists to Egypt in 1869. The country's rich cultural heritage and beach resorts contributed a record 19.5pc of GDP in 2007. Since then, its tourist sector has suffered shocks, due to terrorist attacks and the downing of a Russian Metrojet airliner in 2015. That triggered the cancellation of flights from key markets such as Russia and the UK. As the security situation stabilises, tourism has started to recover, with revenues jumping 123pc in 2017, and higher-spending German and Russian tourists set to return in 2018. The tourism sector is ripe for modernisation, presenting a clear opportunity for the Irish tourism and travel tech cluster. Enterprise Ireland's own travel plans include sectoral visits for Irish companies in autumn 2018 with the goal of re-establishing Egypt as an important Irish export destination. The US pre-clearance facility in Dublin Airport a stop-off on a trip to the holding area Regular readers will know that your columnist is no fan of visas for foreign travel. Background checks, sure. Rigorous security, ditto. But visas are time-consuming, often money-making, exercises with little value, and are a barrier to trade and business productivity. The little known US I Visa is one such obstacle to travel. Foreign media travelling to the US, and deemed to be there working - even for something as innocuous as a hotel or theme park review - must have a visa, and are ineligible for the standard visa-waiver scheme Esta enjoyed by most other travellers, including Irish tourists. Obtaining an Esta is pretty much idiot-proof if you don't have a criminal record. But getting your hands on an I visa involves a convoluted application process, the production of supporting documents from employers and so on, a scheduled interview at the US embassy visa office in Dublin, and handing over $160 every five years. It's a tiresome (and hated) process - and other visitors, including guest speakers and business people teeing up deals Stateside - need similar visas to 'work', even though they're not earning money from a US employer, taxable there, or have any intention in living in the US full-time. So you've paid the fee, had your background checked and are a regular visitor to the States - meaning immigration should be a cinch compared to first-timers or non-regular visitors to the land of the free? Not so fast - visas usually guarantee more questions, and slower processing at border security, which is a double whammy. And sometimes being in the visa system can land you with unexpected problems. A very recent trip to Mexico for an international conference involved a change of planes in Atlanta from Dublin. Cue a stern look from the pre-clearance official at Dublin Airport and a swift trip downstairs to a holding area. A little-known part of our capital's airport, it's got the sort of ambience you'd find in an A&E waiting room, with grim-faced people waiting for their turn to be called. One was a dad with his children heading out on holiday, another a young woman meeting friends on a trip in San Francisco, others from foreign countries changing planes in Dublin. All waiting to be called, and nervously looking at their watches. Turns out - after a near-hour wait, and the clock ticking to my plane's departure, that my non-immigrant visa entitles me to work in America, but not change planes in America. Go figure. Simple Irish logic prompted my response that if I wrote at some point later about the delights of Atlanta airport - the world's busiest - during my two-hour stay there, ergo I would be working. That's up to the supervisor, I was told. In the meantime, why didn't I have an Esta? Guys, I would jump at the chance to get one, except for the simple fact that I am ineligible for one. Who says so? Try the US Embassy's web page in Dublin for starters. Factor in countless trips to the US (and returns home), plus my registration on the US Transport Security Administration's pre-check programme (ineligible to foreign citizens, but allowed to me in a one-off test-it-out programme in Newark Airport last year), and it's clear that there's a track record there. Yup, a cast-iron guarantee that the two-hour trip to Atlanta will be just that. To be fair, I was offered the chance to complete an Esta - and was given a walk of shame to the departure gate with an airline employee. The normal processing time is 72 hours. I had 15 minutes. Within 13, and with the aircraft doors about to close, it was a case of mother's maiden name, father's name, passport image uploaded and $14 administration fee paid over my mobile. Hey presto, the world's fastest Esta - as the plane door shut. Fifteen minutes later, and with some sensational rebooking speed by the helpful airline staff, we dashed to a flight a few gates away to JFK, with an onward connection to Mexico City. The sting in the tail was that by missing the Atlanta flight, some computer algorithm deemed me as a no-show, so I wasn't allowed on the original return flight home via Paris with Aero Mexico (fantastic in-flight experience, so-so customer service). I was left stranded in Benito Juarez airport, in a city of 25 or so million people, with no Spanish, no ticket home, a bank card eaten in an ATM and no wifi or roaming left. Luckily, back in Starbucks wifi land, I got the travel management team on the case to book a hotel and offer a tour of the city for as long as I was stuck there. While Donald Trump talks of walls with his southern neighbour, the US of A inadvertently gave me a longer stretch abroad to enjoy the Spanish Colonial delights and Aztec ruins of North America's biggest metropolis. And finally, a flight home via Amsterdam. So, in a roundabout way, thank you, Mr President, for the leisurely ending to a business trip. It has been a frightening time for British retail. Last Thursday, Poundland became the latest in a slew of major players to announce materially bad news, with around 100 stores set to close. A fortnight ago, Debenhams issued its second profit warning in four months, saying it had got its Christmas strategy wrong. Electronics retailer Maplin has gone into administration, while Carpetright is closing 90 stores and cutting around 300 jobs. Clothes retailer New Look is closing 60 stores and cutting around 1,000 jobs. Expand Close Smartbox chief executive John Perkins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Smartbox chief executive John Perkins It's tempting to blame it all on Brexit and, indeed, it may be partly responsible. Figures out last week showed that though the UK economy is growing, it posted its worst performance since 2012 in the first quarter of this year, with a 0.1pc expansion. But if growth is present at all there must be something else happening on the high street. Unsurprisingly, it's the shift to digital that's the prime suspect. An auction of a Birmingham shopping centre last month is a case in point. Abbeygate Shopping Centre near the Midlands city was sold off for 4.3m (4.89m), a fraction of the 17m it fetched 13 years ago. "These kind of shopping centres have shown a dramatic drop in value over the last 10 to 15 years," Acuitus auctioneer Richard Auterac said in an interview before the sale. "It has taken some owners a long time, but we're now seeing more acknowledgment that it's a difficult market to be in", which prompts them to accept lower prices. The auctioneer sold another centre, Callendar Square in Falkirk, Scotland, for 1m in October, according to its website. That property had an estimated value of almost 26m in 2006. Retail groups here acknowledge that the acceleration of online shopping has had a negative impact on the sector. Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) released figures for the first quarter last Monday which put like for like sales 0.2pc behind the prior year. Minor year-on-year growth in January and February was offset by a decline in March - perhaps due in part to the snow. REI deputy chief executive Lorraine Higgins said a number of REI members had reported losses in the first quarter as a consequence of the shift to digital. "Those retailers with an omnichannel offering managed to offset the losses in their bricks and mortar stores because they were able to enhance their digital strategy to reach out to consumers. But that's not something that's possible for all retailers," she added. Patchy broadband is one reason for that of course. There's also a case for lifting the amount available to businesses under the State trading online voucher scheme. The scheme allows SMEs to get a 2,500 grant to develop digital capability. But Higgins estimates it takes at least 10,000 to have a fully functioning ecommerce website. Despite the sense of gloom, suppliers still see value in traditional retail channels. Smartbox chief executive John Perkins, an Apple veteran of the Steve Jobs era, told the Sunday Independent that "online hasn't killed all the retailers, but it will kill some of them". His company provides gift experience vouchers, both online and in retail. "What we see overall on the high street is that the number of retailers has shrunk, but there's still a lot of retail consumers out there." In the US, usually at the forefront of consumer trends, the idea of the "retail apocalypse" has become so pervasive that it has its own Wikipedia entry. But it's not simply that Amazon has been eating everybody's lunch. Many chains have been loaded up with lots of debt - often from leveraged buy-outs. The debt coming due, along with excess floor space and the continued growth of online, has led to a perfect storm, with the prospect of continuing job losses for workers at the lower end of the income scale. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that at the last count, US store closures announced this year reached a staggering 77 million sq ft. That's according to data on national and regional chains compiled by CoStar Group. Retailers are well on their way to surpassing the record 105 million sq ft announced for closure in all of 2017. And even though retailers have been retreating for years, the US still has about 24 sq ft of shopping space per person, many times more than any other developed nation, according to research firm Green Street Advisors. But where there is chaos there is opportunity and, in an Irish context, businesses are starting to move away from a negative view of online towards embracing the possibilities, according to Thomas Burke who leads Ibec's retail arm Retail Ireland. The shift to digital means that Irish retailers are no longer dependent on their local catchment area - instead they can start selling products further afield and reach far more customers. REI characterises Irish retail as being in a state of flux and its hard to disagree. Anecdotally, many Irish retailers are seeing first hand how shopping patterns are shifting to online. Online sales are growing strongly for those which have developed good websites, while shop owners are having to go the extra mile to get people through the door. Dublin retailer Arnotts, owned by the Selfridges Group, is spending 11m on upgrading its business and a chunk of that will go on technology to integrate its bricks and mortar systems with its website. And internationally, retail giants are scrambling to meet the fast changing demands on consumers. Zara, owned by Spanish group Inditex, is moving on to the next level of digital retailing with the launch of an augmented reality app. Rival retailer H&M recently reported a 60pc fall in first-quarter profit. Its chief executive, Karl-Johan Persson, said there had been "mistakes" in not adapting quickly enough to the internet. Unfortunately for Irish companies, the prospects for those who fail to pay attention to the woes of international retailers are unlikely to be good. (Additional reporting by Bloomberg) 'Thanks to the European Central Bank's money-printing, the cost of borrowing for governments across the eurozone has fallen to historic lows.' (stock picture) The numbers are in. The 2017 public finances data for all countries in the EU were published last week. Thirteen of 28 members of the bloc were back in the black. As the chart shows, they included the usual fiscally responsible suspects in northern Europe: Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden. Alas, Ireland was not in this group of surplus-running countries, despite enjoying a better economic performance than quite a few them. Last year the Government spent 1,000 million more than it took in, the tenth year of deficit in a row. In the first major publication of the 2019 budget cycle, published two weeks ago, the Department of Finance not only confirmed that it will continue to run a deficit in 2018, it revised upwards the size of the deficit for this year. Last October, when Budget 2018 was unveiled, Finance minister Paschal Donohoe expected the widest measure of state spending to exceed revenue by 500m. Now he is pencilling in a deficit of 800m. As if that was not bad enough, the tide of red ink spills into next year. Yet another deficit is being budgeted for. An imbalance of 350m is expected. That will be the 12th consecutive year in which the government has failed to balance its books. These on-going deficits are being run, despite three big developments which should have driven the public finances well into the black at least two years ago. The first is the unexpected windfall gains from corporation tax, receipts of which are far ahead of official projections of a few years ago. Last year, companies paid taxes on profits of 8.2bn - an increase of 12pc. That was an all-time record amount, which represented an astonishing near-doubling in just three years. Nobody expected these receipts to mushroom, least of all the Government and its forecasting officials. There is considerable uncertainty whether this level of inflow will persist. No matter. The cash was spent and committed anyway. A second windfall came from much lower debt servicing costs. Thanks to the European Central Bank's money-printing, the cost of borrowing for governments across the eurozone has fallen to historic lows. That has saved billions of euro annually in debt-servicing costs. Again, these billions were spent, not used to balance the books. The Government also remains in the red despite officially having the strongest GDP growth rate in Europe in three of the past four years. Although the GDP figures exaggerate Ireland's recent rates of growth, all comparative indicators show that Ireland is indeed growing well above the average rate across Europe. And it has been doing so for half a decade. Running deficits in good times leaves very little scope for stimulus in the event of a slowdown. Worse still, it increases the likelihood of tax hikes and spending cuts if that happens, measures which exacerbate any slowdown. Even in mild downturns, revenues slow sharply or contract. Spending pressures also tend to rise. Recent experience shows this. The crash of 2008 clearly blew a hole in the public finances. But one only has to go back a few years earlier to see what a normal type of slowdown can do the public finances. In 2000, the economy was booming and tax receipts were pouring in. The then government ran a surplus in that year of 4.5pc of GDP. It then ramped up spending, which coincided with a slowdown in economic growth in Ireland and internationally. By 2002 the public finances were in the red. A swing in the budget balance of 5.4 percentage points took place in just two years. If that happened now Ireland would be running a deficit of almost 6pc in 2020. Such an imbalance would be twice the size of the deficits permitted under the EU's budgetary rules. That would provoke Brussels' wrath and necessitate the sort of fiscal tightening which would be exactly what a slowing economy would not need. But even more seriously it would quickly raise fresh questions about the State's solvency. The biggest danger of going back into deficit is the impact it would have on the dynamics behind the outstanding stock of accumulated government debt. A decade of deficits and the cost of the bailing out the banks has led to a massive national debt, which now stands at over 200bn. That amounted to 68pc of GDP last year. By this measure the debt is now below the average for EU countries. But because GDP is so inflated, it is not a good measure. The State's statisticians estimate that Irish economic output is about one third lower than the headline rate when adjusted the factors that puff it up. That means the outstanding amount of government debt is roughly equal to all the wealth created in the economy in a single year. Public debt levels of that magnitude are high by historical standards. They lump Ireland in with the Mediterranean group of countries which top Europe's public indebtedness league. Ireland, along with these countries, will soon no longer have the benefits of the ECB's bond-buying safety net. The bank is due to halt its purchases of government debt at the end of this year. "When the tide goes you can see who is swimming naked," said financier Warren Buffet. When civil servants in Frankfurt stop buying bonds and the only purchasers are financiers, it will be much clearer how sustainable public debt levels are - in Ireland and elsewhere. SIX, which runs Swiss franc clearing and post-trade services alongside its stock exchange, is in the process of selling its cards payments business and generated 1.9 billion Swiss francs (1.58bn) of revenue in 2017 (stock picture) In an industry undergoing consolidation, privately-owned Swiss exchange SIX sees potential takeover targets in Iberia and central Europe and has itself been approached by potential buyers, according to CEO Jos Dijsselhof. SIX, which runs Swiss franc clearing and post-trade services alongside its stock exchange, is in the process of selling its cards payments business and generated 1.9 billion Swiss francs (1.58bn) of revenue in 2017. Dijsselhof expects a decision will be made in the second quarter on the payments business, which had three bidders including a consortium of French bank Natixis and buyout fund Warburg Pincus. On potential acquisition targets, Dijsselhof said he was not considering anything large but was looking at independent exchanges and financial data firms in Europe, including Iberia, and not ruling out acquisitions in central Europe. "I think there are many targets out there," Dijsselhof said. He said SIX itself has been approached by bigger players looking for acquisitions. The industry is in the process of widespread consolidation. Exchange operator CME Group agreed to buy Britain's NEX Group for $5.5bn last month. Dealmaking was not showing any signs of slowing, despite adaptation to new European market regulations MiFID II taking a chunk out of exchanges' profitability, said Dijsselhof, who took the helm at SIX in January. Cross-Atlantic M&A may be coming back to the fore, he said, especially as big European mergers are more difficult due to competition rules. Last year a planned merger between the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse fell through due to regulatory concerns. Adapting to the European Union's Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II), a sweeping regulatory change implemented at the start of this year, has been costly for many firms, said Dijsselhof. "Everybody has spent a lot of money on this, it has impacted profitability left right and centre. Even we have over-invested in projects in IT because of the regulation," he said. But the increased need for investment into technology and systems to deal with reporting requirements could be an opportunity for SIX, he added, saying the exchange had seen a high take-up of MiFID reporting services. The CEO said regulations have not always had the desired impact, noting some trading post-MiFID II has shifted from dark pools to bank-run systematic internalisers - dealing platforms which reveal much less information about impending transactions - instead of onto transparent exchanges. "Overly regulated markets are not good," he said. "It needs to be contained to the core of where you want to protect the integrity and safety of the markets." Negotiations between Britain and the European Union have led to another headache. The bloc has taken a more aggressive stance towards non-EU member Switzerland, and made the issue of equivalence - the bloc's approval of different regulatory regimes - more contentious, Dijsselhof said. He called the EU's decision in December to grant SIX equivalence only on a one-year horizon "totally inappropriate", saying it creates unease among listed companies and hampers the free flow of capital. Reuters SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to shut down his country's nuclear test site in May and disclose the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul's presidential office said Sunday. Kim also told South Korean President Moon Jae-in during their historic summit on Friday that the North would have no need to keep nuclear weapons if Washington commits to formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War and signs a non-aggression pact with Pyongyang, the presidential Blue House said. While there are lingering questions about whether North Korea will ever decide to fully relinquish its nukes as it heads into negotiations with the United States, Kim's comments qualify as the North's most specific acknowledgement yet that denuclearization would constitute surrendering its weapons. Seoul, which shuttled between Pyongyang and Washington to broker talks between Kim and President Donald Trump that are expected in May or June, has said Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But there has been skepticism because 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 and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. The closure of the nuclear test site would be a dramatic but likely symbolic event to set up Kim's summit with Trump. North Korea already announced this month that it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. During their summit at a border truce village, Moon and Kim promised to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, but made no references to verification or timetables. Kim also expressed optimism about his meeting with Trump, saying the president will learn he's not one to fire missiles toward the United States, Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. "Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States," Kim said, according to Yoon. "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would we need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?" Yoon quoted Kim as saying. Adam Mount, a senior defense analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, said Kim's comments were significant because they're his most explicit acknowledgement yet that denuclearization means surrendering his nuclear weapons. "Questions remain about whether Kim will agree to discuss other nuclear technology, fissile material and missiles. However, they imply a phased process with reciprocal concessions," Mount said in an email. "It is not clear that the Trump administration will accept that kind of protracted program." Kim reacted to skepticism that the North would be closing down only the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. In his conversation with Moon, Kim denied that he would be merely clearing out damaged goods, saying the site also has two new tunnels that are larger than previous testing facilities, Yoon said. Some analysts see Moon's agreement with Kim at the summit as a disappointment, citing the lack of references to verification and time frames and also the absence of a definition on what would constitute as a "complete" denuclearization of the peninsula. But Patrick McEachern, a former State Department analyst currently with the Washington-based Wilson Center, said it was still meaningful that Moon extracted a commitment from Kim to complete denuclearization, which marked a significant change from Kim's previous public demand to expand his nuclear arsenal quantitatively and qualitatively. A new book offers a suitable riposte to the clouds of xenophobia in Europe and celebrates our own openness towards immigration. Declan Kiberd, my UCD English teacher and chronicler of immigration, used to say that, far from Ireland being an 'Ourselves Alone' hard rock isolationist island, it was actually more like a sponge, absorbing different influences and waves of immigrations and throwing off its clothes of identity as quick as new ones come along. Just look at how so many of us have abandoned the Catholicism with which Ireland had been so synonymous. The reason for this rather harmonious transformation has, in my opinion, been for a number of reasons - the labour demands of the economic boom (now being repeated), the almost total collapse of existing Irish concepts of religion and nationalism, which increased our openness to immigration and change, unlike say the UK or France. However, it was also because of our general openness and fluidity, as described by Professor Kiberd. Part of this was our own experience of emigration as a people, and the millions of Irish who were given shelter and opportunity in the US, UK and Australia. Fanning also deals with the return to Ireland of some of this Irish diaspora. Those of us who believed that the only key ethnic difference ever spoken of in Ireland was between Catholic and Protestant haven't reckoned with the fact that actually we are all formed from waves of Celts, Normans, Vikings, and, according to Bryan Fanning in his valuable and comprehensive book, any other waves of migrants who come to our shores, albeit on a smaller level. In many ways, his book is a trip down memory lane. He describes the arrival of the Vietnamese boat people in the early 1980s, as they fled Communism. I well remember during my South Dublin teenage years, a chip van that some boat people parked outside the local pubs at closing time - and the abuse they would often get from uncomprehending and inebriated locals, as they tried to make a living ("Vietnamese, Chinese - sure they're all the bleeding same!"). Fanning also describes the arrival of Bosnians in the 1990s, again fleeing political persecution, this time from the former Yugoslavia. Some years ago, I went with my family to a wonderful party in the Bosnian community centre in Blanchardstown, celebrating (if that's the word) the arrest of Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic, who terrorised Bosnian Muslims. I had urged Irish and EU action in this newspaper. Interestingly, the establishment of the Jewish community here has many parallels in the recent developments in Ireland's Muslim population, and the author reminds us of the ungenerous response of the Irish State to the predicament of Jews in Germany and elsewhere. The impact of the anti-Semitic views of civil servants such as diplomat Charles Bewley and Peter Berry at the Department of Justice was considerable. But these are only some of the recent arrivals in what is a wide canvass of migration described and analysed by Fanning, with some fascinating details and stories. He goes right back to the origins of what might be called the first 'Irish' settlements, as well as right up to the huge levels of migration during the Celtic Tiger, so it's a wide canvass. To be honest, this influx of immigration dwarfed anything seen in the country previously, and had a huge impact with the country more or less going from monocultural to multicultural. This has mostly been a harmonious and indeed hugely enriching experience, even if it has not been without problems and some racial tensions. Fanning focuses on this but one wonders if he focuses too much on such tensions, as is often the nature of these studies: the positive stories and successes are less highlighted than the challenges. It is the same with quangos and special interest groups - by their very nature. It is worth reflecting on the level of this transformation. When the EU enlarged in 2004, the Irish State began to permit migrants from the 10 new East European member states to live and work in Ireland without visas and in doing so, immediately accelerated the pace of immigration. Video of the Day In just one year, 2004-05, approximately 85,000 workers from those new EU states were issued with Irish national insurance numbers. This amounted to more than 10 times the number of new work permits admitted to those countries in the preceding year. The non-Irish national population rose from 419,733 in 2006 to 544,357 in 2011. The 2011 census showed 122,585 Poles living here, with Polish overtaking Irish as the second most spoken language in the state. I see this transformation in my own area of north Dublin and it is fantastic, with Croatians, Somalis, Sudanese and Lithuanians walking the streets where once it was just boring 'white bread' Irish. In my kids' school, over 60pc of the pupils are foreign and they enrich the school with music, culture and a useful sort of competitive ambition. It is a credit to the teachers to be dealing with this huge change as well as the changeover from an essentially Catholic-ethos education system to a secular one. However, there are always lessons to be learned. There is still a lot of controversy about the Direct Provision system which replaced the Refugee Agency in 2000. But then something has to be done to address the merit of asylum seeker applications, which too often are stuck in a conveyor belt of endless appeals that only enriches lawyers. The great James Joyce picked Leopold Bloom, a Jewish ad-seller of Hungarian parentage, as his modern 'Everyman' as well as his quintessential Irishman and Dubliner. In Ulysses, the wise Bloom declares that "a nation is the same people living in same place". It is a wonderfully easy, 'live and let live', non-judgmental and generous view of what a country should be, and a suitable riposte to the toxic xenophobes who are on the rise in Europe today. Fanning charts just how rich this experience can be. September 22, Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co Tipperary: Feile is back. And so are the Irish bands that became incredibly well known in the 1990s because of it - Something Happens, The Stunning, Hothouse Flowers, An Emotional Fish, The 4 of Us, The Frank and Walters. There isn't one music act on that list that doesn't deserve its place in the Irish Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, and not one act that doesn't have songs played on Irish radio. Rebranded as Feile Classical, the festival will no doubt be a different beast in 2018 - time and tastes have moved on, and the way we expect open-air events to be organised has radically altered. For starters, as Feile Classical is a one-night-only event, there will be no camping. It is fully seated. There will be 2018-style toilets, gourmet food tents, including options for vegetarians and vegans. The range of alcohol on sale will include a prosecco 'area', a bespoke gin bar, and pints poured from a keg. It is called Feile Classical because the Irish Chamber Orchestra will accompany the bands on stage. It is (as any veteran of those Trip to Tipp shows held at Semple Stadium will tell you) very far from where we were raised. But let's not get too cynical. Event organiser and host, Newstalk presenter Tom Dunne (himself a veteran of the classic Feile events as a member of Something Happens), knows that the early to mid 90s was a time of great optimism for Ireland and Irish music. Irish bands were doing good work, releasing highly accessible and radio-friendly tunes, Italia 90 had engaged the country in the beautiful game, and the Feile shows introduced a rite of passage for music fans that had never before been experienced in Ireland. Describing Feile as Ireland's Woodstock or Glastonbury might be overstating it, but Dunne is correct when he says Feile was special and (in retrospect) iconic. And look where those Trips to Tipp led to: Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, and every two/three-day music festival in Ireland since. Feile didn't necessarily epitomise the golden age of Irish music festivals, but it was certainly the beginning of something new. There was an excitement and energy to the Semple Stadium events that could never have been - and never was - replicated. There was also a sense of the unknown, untried, untested - the usual rules didn't apply because they weren't there to begin with. Feile Classical will certainly be good fun, of course, but it will be good, organised, focused, comfortable fun, and so much more sophisticated than anyone who went to Thurles from 1990-1994 could ever have imagined. Let the memories be mucky, then, and not much else. Five best Feile moments 1. Feile 1990: a triumphant debut Expand Close Irish influence: Brendan Murphy from The 4 of Us at Feile / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Irish influence: Brendan Murphy from The 4 of Us at Feile There wasn't one specific moment here - it was the full weekend. The number of Irish acts on the line-up (15 out of 20) was indicative of a moment in Irish rock music where you sensed that homegrown talent was finally given a stage big enough to make a difference. While U2 were 'resting' between albums (1988's Rattle and Hum, and 1991's Achtung Baby), other Irish rock acts were in the wings, waiting their turn, flexing their muscles. It may sound overly nostalgic to say this now from a distance of - holy moley! - 27 years, but there was no small amount of pride at watching the likes of Something Happens, That Petrol Emotion, An Emotional Fish, The 4 of Us, The Stunning and Hothouse Flowers belting out big songs on a big stage. 2. Feile 1991: The Saw Doctors Video of the Day If you look at the line-up for Feile 1990, you will see close to the bottom of the bill on the third day was a band called The Saw Doctors. By 1991, the Tuam band were way up the bill on Saturday. The festival's line-up had almost doubled in size (approximately 36, of which about 19 were Irish acts) and its international reach was expanding. The Saw Doctors grasped the opportunity and shook Semple Stadium by the neck, ferret-like, until it submitted. Even sceptics had to admit that for this Feile (and the 1992 event, which saw the band placed second from the top on Saturday night, delivering a far more raucous set than the nominal headline act, Simply Red), The Saw Doctors ran away with the top prize. 3. Feile 1992: Cup throwing with David Byrne Year three of Feile and it was well in its stride with more international acts and some Irish bands (the virtually invincible Saw Doctors, closely followed by The Stunning and The 4 of Us) slugging it out with major acts such as Bryan Adams, The Beautiful South and Simply Red. The highlight of this one, however, was the left-of-centre display of showmanship by David Byrne, who somehow caught what for many was a defining Feile moment when, during his set, the crowd synchronised the throwing of paper cups into the air. It was, like, beautiful, man. 4. Feile 1993: Irish acts rule This was the first Feile to have an additional stage. Aside from the main stage acts (which included Iggy Pop, INXS, Madness, and Chris de Burgh), Hot Press had its own standalone tent. Memories of this event included De Burgh's crowd-pleasing performance (arguably his final large-scale gig in front of an Irish audience) and yet another range of great Irish acts (including A House, The Frank and Walters, The 4 of Us, The Fat Lady Sings, That Petrol Emotion, My Little Funhouse, Sultans Of Ping). The writing, however, was on the wall, especially outside Semple Stadium, which was covered with the detritus and general shenanigans of more people than Thurles could handle. 5. Feile 1994: Rage Against the Machine Feile's final year at Thurles was a two-day event, filmed by MTV. The GAA's arrangement with promoters MCD had run its course, a decision compounded by numerous objections from the local community. The tenor of the line-up was also changing from rock and pop (Crowded House, Elvis Costello) to dance and hip-hop (Primal Scream, The Prodigy, Paul Oakenfold, House of Pain, Cypress Hill, Ireland's Sound Crowd Orchestra), and with fewer Irish acts (Bob Geldof, Aslan, and Feile stalwarts The Stunning). A personal highlight was Rage Against the Machine, whose search-and-destroy, guitar-shredding approach seemed at odds, sonically and politically, with an audience whose previous Feile experience had included singing along to the chorus of 'Patricia the Stripper'. Time to pack up, time to leave. What came next (in 2000) was Witnness, which morphed into Oxegen. But that, as they say, is a different story altogether. Filming sex scenes in front of a crew of sound technicians, gaffers, and cinematographers has never been easy. In fact, most actors seem to have numerous bad sex scene war stories. Or at the very least, can recall how uncomfortable they felt on set that day. Jamie Dornan, who starred as Christian Grey in the 50 Shades franchise, said filming the BDSM scenes could be heinous. In the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, directors, actors, and producers are keen to find out what exactly the correct etiquette is when shooting risque scenes. Ita OBrien, whose family are from Clonmel, is one of the UKs leading Intimacy Directors. Ita worked as an movement director before specialising in choreographing sex scenes. Expand Close Ita O'Brien / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ita O'Brien Her job is to ensure everyone on set is safe, protected, and clear of what they can, and cannot, touch. You need to safe guard simulated sex. Fight scenes in films are carefully choreographed and rehearsed, she says. Sex scenes should be approached the same way. Ita thinks it would be beneficial if health and safety authorities conducted risk assessments in advance of filming sex scenes. There is an inherent risk in un-choreographed sex scenes; a risk of trauma, and a risk of sexual harassment.... Video of the Day Any scenes involving fights or stunts are discussed in advance and mapped out to avoid anyone sustaining injury. It could be argued the emotional and physiological injury sustained in a poorly directed sex scene could have much longer lasting implications, and cause much more hurt, than any physical injury. During the filming of a sex scene there is an inherent power imbalance; the actors are often in a state of undress, while the crew remain fully clothed. Drawing up terms and conditions or a 'Sex Scene Code of Conduct' would ensure actors do not leave feel violated. According to Ita, these T&C's should address how much nudity the actors feel comfortable with, what areas of their bodies they are willing to be touched, and an analysis of the physical interrelationship between the characters. After the filming of the scene, particularly if it is depicting sexual abuse or rape, actors should be allowed to avail of aftercare or take part in a 'debrief' session so they can talk through the experience. Its says that some directors prefer to stick their head in the sand rather than deal with the mechanics of directing a sex scene. Often times actors will be told to improvise sex scenes. She warns against this as it can leave individuals open to being groped or handled in a way they may not feel comfortable with. By abdicating professional responsibility, directors are also expecting actors to rely on their own personal sexual vocabulary and repertoire. This can often leave them feeling extremely exposed afterwards, like they revealed too much of themselves in the process. So many actors have talked about this idea that a director might say: You guys do your own thing and well have a look. A director couldnt say that about a fight scene and shouldn't be able to treat a sex scene in that manner. On Monday, Screen Training Ireland will hold a free course for industry professionals outlining acceptable codes of practice while working on scenes of an intimate nature. Regarded director Shimmy Marcus chairs a panel discussion on the subject of intimacy on-set. Fr Ray Kelly, a Meath priest with the voice of an angel, spoke of his frustrations at being cut by his record label in 2015. After a clip of singing Hallelujah in church in 2014 went viral, he landed a record deal which lasted for 12 months. After two albums, his deal wasn't renewed and it was back to normal for him - that is, before taking another leap of faith by auditioning for Britain's Got Talent last week where he earned a standing ovation for his version of Everybody Hurts. But he still feels the sting of his professional singing career ending so abruptly. "I recorded an album with them. It was a good album but they stopped producing them after that. They basically told me to p**s off. 'We've had enough of you. Nah, singing priests, we've had enough of that kind of stuff'. I suppose that I wasn't Ed Sheeran or Hozier or one of those guys who sells in the millions," he told the Irish Sun on Sunday. He says he was "scouted" to appear on Ireland's Got Talent on TV3 but had already committed to the British version of the show. "The producers didn't work with me. I rehearse my singing in front of the mirror at home but the best practice I get is from saying mass, baptisms and funerals. So I'm well used to appearing in public." During his emotional turn on BGT last week, he told the he chose the REM classic because the song is "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]." 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. Expand Close Singing priest Fr Ray Kelly / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Singing priest Fr Ray Kelly 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. Bono has said that, in his children, he sees hope for the world. Although quiet on this side of the water, in the US, Eve and Jordan are becoming well known in their own right for their business, acting and social activism - regularly posting photos from marches for women's rights. So it was probably only a matter of time before they lent their voice to the Repeal campaign. In recent days, Jordan Hewson touched down in Ireland and immediately stepped out to back the pro-choice movement ahead of next month's referendum. Wearing a Domino Whisker-designed navy blue jacket with a 'Vote Yes' sign stitched under a picture of a pair of praying hands, Jordan left voters in no doubt about her views. Her post was immediately backed by supermodel Christy Turlington and The Edge's daughters Blue and Hollie Evans. Julian Lennon, son of the late Beatle John, quickly followed suit. Bono has not ruled out taking to the campaign stage in Ireland ahead of the vote but he has already made his feelings known in several interviews. In a wide-ranging one-to-one late last year, when speaking about the united fight he sees in women - given the recent marches and movements, he growled approvingly "Get out of the f****** way!" He also gave his thoughts on the fact that Ireland is set to hold a referendum on abortion: "My daughters are swinging from the rafters," he said about the vote, planned for May 25. "Telling women what to do with their bodies is unacceptable, and I think Irish people know that." Asked if he will make his voice heard nearer the time, Bono said: "I don't know," adding, "they may not want my placard up there. 'It's OK, Bono, we've got this one!'," he said in joking reference to his daughters and other women telling him they can handle the campaign without him. He has previously described how he was "embarrassed" that abortion was still illegal in Ireland. And speaking about women fighting for their rights, he said: "It's women who are really grabbing a hold of the protest. It is women who are leading the protest movement. It is the women who are leading the dissent." Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Jordan said: "As a country we now understand that we should always seek and respect a woman's consent. Our consent to sex, our consent to marriage, our consent to motherhood is the most fundamental freedom we can protect in this world. It is worth voting for, and I will be voting yes." Meanwhile, speaking about Jordan modelling her Repeal jacket, Domino Whisker said: "Jordan is a good friend of mine and she was doing a photo shoot in the city. I was wearing the jacket and she said: 'Oh my God, can I wear that tonight?' She had already been wearing a Mazer-styled Repeal jumper." On the jacket design she said: "Using fashion as a way to protest peacefully about such a personal subject is beautiful while effective," adding, "I see praying hands as a sign of hope and for me hope is everything." On the use of a needle and thread to power a movement, Whisker said: "Women have been using sewing and embroidery in their activism for over a hundred years. From the Suffragettes to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, the needle has been used as a political tool rather than that of domestic ladyhood. Louise Bourgeois once said 'sewing is an act of emotional repair' - and for me, that's just what this country needs." In 2016, Jordan launched a tech company Speakable, and says it is "on a mission to connect people to the power of their civic voice". Speakable's first product, Action Button, allows readers of news stories to "participate in the outcomes of those stories - whether by donating, signing a petition or emailing a policymaker," said Jordan. Jordan has previously spoken about the importance of giving "women in Ireland equal access to healthcare and human dignity". She has also posted her support for planned parenthood - a non-profit organisation that provides sexual health care in the United States and globally. Meanwhile, this weekend the Tanaiste has expressed concern that those campaigning to retain the Eighth Amendment may try to frighten undecided voters into voting 'No' if they have any doubts about the proposal. Simon Coveney predicted that undecided voters, estimated as being about 30pc of the electorate, would decide the outcome on May 25. Children with serious mental health problems are being kept in "dungeon-like" conditions in adult psychiatric wards, a Fianna Fail TD has warned. The party's mental health spokesperson James Browne also revealed he was recently contacted by a family whose 16-year-old son was forced to spend six full weeks in an adult ward. The Sunday Independent previously revealed the shocking case of a bullied teenager, who was forced to spend at least two weeks in an adult ward along with grown up patients with severe mental health problems. "These places can be like dungeons, they are in the basements of hospitals and not suitable for children. I wouldn't like an adult relation to be in some of these wards, they are horrible places to be," Mr Browne said. Mr Browne also revealed the HSE told him it does not hold any records detailing the length of time children are forced to stay in adult wards. The disturbing description of the State's mental health facilities comes as Fianna Fail prepares to ramp up pressure on the Government to address the on-going crisis faced by thousands of families. The party will bring forward legislation which will give equal status to people suffering mental health illness as those suffering with physical conditions. Fianna Fail will also use the Dail to force the Government to outline its solution for resolving the massive shortage of beds for children with mental health issues. Meanwhile, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has warned ministers there are currently 500 nursing vacancies in mental health facilities and the union expects more than a third of its members to retire in the next five years. In a letter sent to ministers last week, PNA general secretary Peter Hughes said services will "get worse" and conditions will "deteriorate further" if the Government does not act immediately. Mr Hughes's warning comes as new figures show the HSE spent a massive 34m in six months hiring agency nurses and doctors for mental health services. Last week, the parents of Milly Tuomey, who took her own life at the age of 11, called on the Government to urgently address the ongoing crisis in mental health services for children. Fiona Tuomey, Milly's mother, said more families will face the same trauma as they did after their daughter's suicide, if more is not done to improve services. "We need better resources and that means people sitting up and taking action. If there isn't a change in the way things are, our story is going to continue in another family, in another home, in another loved one." Mrs Tuomey was speaking on RTE's Young and Troubled documentary which highlighted the plight of children with mental health problems and their experience of dealing with State services. According to figures supplied to Fianna Fail by the HSE, there were 6,181 children waiting for primary care psychology appointments at the end of January 2018. Of the young people waiting, 1,635 were waiting over a year to be seen. This effectively means that these children spent all of 2017 waiting for an appointment. Meanwhile, 2,579 children and young people are waiting for an appointment with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) in Ireland. "The latest figures obtained show that while the Government has repeatedly claimed to be improving the capacity of Camhs nationwide - close to 250 more children have been added to the list in the past year," a party spokesperson said. "This is disappointing, in itself, to say the least but to have over 250 vulnerable young people waiting longer than 12 months for an appointment is particularly shameful," she added. The Government has committed to increasing mental health funding under the confidence and supply arrangement with Fianna Fail. Pictured is the site where work has stopped at Eureka Secondary School, Kells. Inset: Niall Reynolds Photo: Barry Cronin A sub-contractor working on an Irish school affected by the Carillion collapse claims that he is still owed thousands of euro for work done on the school. Sub-contractor Niall Reynolds (65) from Navan, Co Meath was working on the Eureka Secondary School building in Kells, Meath which is now 90 per cent completed. Expand Close Niall Reynolds Photo:Barry Cronin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Niall Reynolds Photo:Barry Cronin Eureka Secondary School is one of the schools that was being built by the Sammon Group, which got into difficulty over the collapse of UK construction giant Carillion. Speaking to Independent.ie, Niall Reynolds said that the sub-contractors have been "hit worst" by the Carillion collapse. "We were working for months on the schools and now we want to get paid. "I'm owed 16,000 but some of the sub-contractors are owed more than 200,000. We want to be paid the money that we are owed. We are very angry and frustrated. Expand Close Pictured is the site where work has stopped at Eureka Secondary School, Kells Photo: Barry Cronin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pictured is the site where work has stopped at Eureka Secondary School, Kells Photo: Barry Cronin "I began working on the schools last August and my invoice was left outstanding in November. I was paid my December invoice and then the payments stopped again so I ceased working on January 25." Earlier this year, Irish group Sammon sought the protection of the courts as it is owed some 8m by an entity involving Carillion. Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton Ireland was appointed interim examiner to Sammon as the court was satisfied after an independent expert's report stated the companies have a reasonable prospect of surviving if certain steps are taken. These steps include the examiner putting together a scheme of arrangement with the group's creditors. Expand Close Pictured is the site where work has stopped at Eureka Secondary School, Kells Photo: Barry Cronin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pictured is the site where work has stopped at Eureka Secondary School, Kells Photo: Barry Cronin Niall said that the financial stress has put a huge strain on the sub-contractors. "We feel completely let down by the Government and by the Sammon Group. This work is our only source of income. "I'm 65-years-old. I'm not looking for sympathy. I just want to go out and work and get paid for it. It's as simple as that. "It's our time and money that went into building those schools." Niall said that the Eureka secondary school has been "left to go to waste". "We will place pickets on the schools if we have to. Some of the schools are nearly finished. It's an incredible waste to leave them." Fianna Fail spokesperson on Education and Skills, TD Thomas Byrne, said that he has "huge sympathy" for the sub-contractors. "The Eureka secondary school is almost finished but there are doubts that it will open in September. The Sammon Group has been appointed an examiner in the courts and so far that has brought little comfort to the sub-contractors. I've no doubt that they are owed thousands of euro." Deputy Byrne said that the school is much needed in the community. "The school was originally good news for the community, but it has turned into bad news for the sub-contractors in the area. I have huge sympathy for them. Hopefully some of them will get more work finishing off the schools but it's difficult to say how the results of the examinership will fair. "It's not just Eureka, there are a number of schools left unfinished across the country due to the collapse of Carillion." Minister Helen McEntee, who has met with some of the sub-contractors in Kells, said she will ensure that their concerns are heard in the Dail. I met with a number of sub-contractors in Kells in my office on Tuesday evening who have been impacted by difficulties surrounding the Public Private Partnership bundle 5; that includes Eureka Secondary School. Their particular concerns are unfortunately now a matter for the courts and it is not possible to intervene in this process. "However I fully understand their concerns and I am extremely empathetic with their situation. I have been engaging with the NDFA, Department officials and will continue to work with the sub-contractors involved to offer them support and ensure that their concerns are heard at the highest level of Government. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Sammon Group said: "The difficulties which the company has faced are as a direct cause of the collapse of Carillion (where Sammon was the builder/supplier engaged by Carillion for the Schools Bundle 5 PPP project). "Sammon has secured the funding required to support the company through this process and looks forward to progressing these plans and exiting examinership as quickly as possible. "We are working closely with all of our industry partners to ensure the long term viability of the business and are continuing to trade as usual during the period of examinership." The spokesperson added that they will work closely with all sub-contractors who have been affected. "Any sub-contractors that we have on our current sites, have been paid in full and to date for works ongoing since April 6 - the entry day of examinership, in line with our contractual obligations to them. "Any unpaid claims that sub-contractors or suppliers have (with reference to the period before the examinership) will form part of the examiners review of the business. The examiner and the company have been in contact with creditors to keep them updated on progress. "It is very regrettable that we had to seek an examinership, but we are confident that this will provide a framework in which the company will be able to continue its business in the future. We are very grateful for the patience and understanding of our creditors and industry colleagues as we continue our business recovery programme." In a statement to Independent.ie, the Department of Education said: "Carillion Construction Ltd went into liquidation in January of this year. As a consequence of this liquidation, the construction works contract relating to the PPP Project is being retendered. The tender process in this respect is being undertaken by infrastructure fund manager DIF on behalf of Inspiredspaces. "In their progress report at the end of December 2017, Inspiredspaces provided confirmation from Carillion Construction Ltd. that Sammon Contracting Ireland Ltd had been paid in full in accordance with their sub-contract to that point and that there were no issues arising." The Department of Education added that it is a matter for sub-contractors and suppliers to agree terms and conditions and a schedule of payments with the main contractor as their direct employer or customer. "Contractual/payment issues arising under these and any other sub-contracts are for the relevant contracting parties to resolve. As an examiner has now been appointed to Sammon Construction Ireland Ltd, the examiner will also have a role in this regard. "The Department of Education and Skills is not party to the construction or other sub-contracts relating to Schools Bundle 5 and does not have any authority to intervene." Butwal, Nepal: Prime Minister KP Oli has said that government is working to seek aviation right from the Bhairahawa based Gautam Buddha International Airport with India. I have already raised the issue during my state visit to India last month, Primer Oli said while addressing the provincial assembly of Province 5 in Butwal on Sunday. Province 5 could be more prosperous by utilizing the potential of tourist destinations including Lumbini in the state, Prime Minister Oli said. A MAN who survived a suicide attempt, alleged sexual abuse, addiction and homelessness is now using his harrowing experiences to try to help others saying, "don't give up, there's always someone who cares." Bernard O'Hehir believes that the Government can't delay improving our supports services for people affected by mental health issues and addiction - because lives depend on it. The 35-year-old had a troubled upbringing - he was allegedly groomed and sexually abused by a teacher from age 11, he then started self-harming, excessively using alcohol and drugs, getting into fights and attempted to take his own life several times. But Bernard has now turned his life around. He is sober, a dedicated volunteer with various homeless support groups and is passionate about raising awareness about mental health. Speaking to Independent.ie, he said he feels we aren't doing enough as a nation to support those who might be struggling. "A lot of facilities here for people with mental health issues don't want to know you once you mention drink or drugs, so people might not get the support and help when it matters," he said. "Mental health has been swept under the carpet in this country for so long that there is a real blindness towards it but we can't keep sweeping our problems under the carpet. "You hear of seriously mentally unwell teenagers and children getting beds in adult wards, or medicine being handed out willy-nilly." Expand Close Bernard O'Hehir / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bernard O'Hehir He continued to say: "I don't have much faith in Health Minister Simon Harris to change things, the Government seems like they're playing musical chairs - ministers taking jobs for six months or a year and then there's a reshuffle and they've made no real changes. "The HSE also seems like a sinking ship, I think that the sooner it can be ripped apart and redesigned the better. "People are disillusioned, there doesn't seem to be any willingness by our leaders to tackle issues affecting the public and they just seem to be throwing money down the drain. "You can feel like you're scraping yourself off the ground and are reaching out for help just to be told that it could take 12 months, 18 months for you to access services, but not everyone has the 18 months, sometimes they don't even have 18 minutes. "Even if they knew there would be help available in a couple of weeks it would be something but 18 months is just too long." He feels that a lot of his issues stem from when he was allegedly sexually abused as a child by a teacher. Bernard, who is originally from Sligo, said: "I was eleven and I didn't even really know what drugs and self-harm but it started with things like pinching and punching myself, I'd do anything to hurt myself, I would fall out of trees on purpose and when people asked I would tell them it was an accident and I was just clumsy. "It sounds so strange but I was such a young age and trying to make up these lies to cover up what was going on. "People say abuse victims are embarrassed but it goes so far beyond that, there was a shame there. "I found it hard to trust teachers, I was always acting up, getting in trouble and I got kicked out of two schools," he continued. "I couldn't see the responsibility on my side, I just threw away my education, I got kicked out of those schools and I wasn't allowed into any others in the north-west, I went to YouthReach but got myself kicked out of there too. "I first smoked a joint when I was around 13, I was always pushing myself to the limit, I just couldn't cope," he added. He says his drug and alcohol intake became excessive when he was around 16 as he attempted to block out his past. "I did a lot of things out of anger, I don't want to blame it all on the abuse though, I know there were times that I could have been a better son or brother or friend - I lied, I stole, I cheated, I cause so many problems. "The abuse is where the majority of problems in my life come from though, it made me feel dirty and ashamed, I thought it was my fault and I couldn't talk to anyone about what happened. "I didn't know how to fit in any more and I kind of lost touch with reality, I was angry and I'd start fights with people," he explained. By September 2010 Bernard, then 28, says he was a "complete mess", he was severely depressed and suicidal and addicted to alcohol and drugs. He was due to attend a religious-run rehabilitation facility in Italy but while he was waiting for his express passport to arrive he attempted to take his own life. Bernard said: "I wanted to go, I felt ashamed and my head would tell me I was worthless. "There was no doubt in my mind the night I tried to kill myself that I wanted to go, when I woke up the next morning I was so disappointed, I had no will left to live. "When I got up I saw my passport had arrived, I travelled to Italy three days later." He credits Italy as the "turning point" in his life and says that carrying out manual labour in the peaceful surroundings and being away from narcotics gave him clarity. He stayed there for eight months and when he returned to Ireland in May 2011, he moved to Cork City for a fresh start. Bernard enjoys volunteering with Penny Dinners - an organisation which provides thousands of fresh meals every week to vulnerable people who may be experiencing problems like homelessness, mental health issues or poverty. He said that his work has given him an "outlet", he has also helped to set up a volunteer group called Reaching Out, which provides hot food, clothes and supplies to rough sleepers. Bernard claims that volunteer organisations are being forced to step up as he feels that the government aren't doing enough to help. He said: "There's some amazing groups out there, the lads on the streets can see that, we're picking up the slack for the government. "The House Minister or local representatives often don't want to interact with local groups, who are breaking their backs for donations and support. "The people who really care about the homeless issue are the volunteers who are sacrificing so much to do their best to help." He is urging anyone who might be suffering from mental health issues to reach out and speak to someone. Bernard said passionately: "Just keep believing in yourself, try to just figure out who you are and what's causing your problems. "I feel there is still a definite stigma surrounding mental health in this country and that's why I'm telling my story, to let other people know that they shouldn't feel ashamed. "You should never feel like you're all alone, there's always someone who cares, see your GP, contact Pieta House, don't be afraid to ask for help." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out a summer general election but remains open to the possibility of an election to seek a "mandate" for the Government's negotiation position on Brexit, the Sunday Independent understands. The speculation comes as the European Union's chief negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier, to be "crystal clear", says that the EU will not sign any agreement with the UK unless there is a solution to the issue of a border on the island of Ireland "included in the text of the agreement". In an article published exclusively in the Sunday Independent today, Mr Barnier writes: "We will not sign any agreement with the UK unless we - together with the Irish Government - are satisfied with the solution found for Ireland." Last week serious tensions emerged between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail on a number of issues, including the Brexit negotiations, which have given rise to speculation that Mr Varadkar may call an election after the abortion referendum next month. However, the Sunday Independent understands that Mr Varadkar has told close associates he has "never been enthused by the idea of an opportunistic election" based on good opinion poll results or good timing. A Fine Gael source familiar with Mr Varadkar's thinking said: "If there is an early election it'll be because Fianna Fail pulls the plug - or if the Taoiseach needs a mandate for something." This opens the possibility that the Taoiseach may seek a mandate on the Government's negotiation position on Brexit, after the Budget in early October and an EU summit on October 18-19, when a Brexit withdrawal agreement is scheduled to be clearer or even reached. Last weekend, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin expressed doubts over the Government's negotiation stance on Brexit in a set-piece speech which caused annoyance in Fine Gael. Citing the emergence of a "major problem" in the negotiations, Mr Martin said: "Instead of being dealt with as a separate and priority strand, Ireland was attached to negotiations on the overall EU/UK relationship. Reports show a complete lack of progress and a rising belief that there is no breakthrough likely in the coming months. "In fact, the situation today is that less than a year before the UK leaves the European Union, there is no proposal on the table from anyone which can deliver both Brexit and a soft border in Ireland. "A rising concern is that Ireland is now being pushed later and later in the negotiations - leaving a real risk that we will face enormous pressure to accept whatever is proposed so that the financial settlement with the UK will not be lost." However, in the Sunday Independent today, Mr Barnier writes: "I want to underline that the EU is fully committed to having a safety net in our agreement - the so-called 'backstop' option - in case the overall future relationship between the EU and the UK does not in itself solve the border issue. "This 'backstop' solution will be there to prevent the return of a border on the island of Ireland, and to protect North-South cooperation and the Good Friday Agreement, whatever the future relationship between the EU and the UK holds in store. "In case there is any doubt whatsoever about our commitment to this, let me be crystal clear: we will not conclude the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK unless we have such a solution included in the text of the agreement. We will not sign any agreement with the UK unless we - together with the Irish Government - are satisfied with the solution found for Ireland." Mr Barnier, who is to visit Ireland tomorrow and Tuesday, also says the 'backstop solution' needs to be negotiated now: "The EU side has put a solution on the table, which would entail Northern Ireland being aligned to those rules of the single market and customs union which support North-South cooperation, the all-island economy and protect the Good Friday Agreement. This option would apply unless and until another solution is found." Vicky Phelan, the terminally ill woman whose incorrect cancer test result has shone a light on the CervicalCheck programme, has revealed that Minister for Health Simon Harris called her personally to apologise. Ms Phelan revealed on the Ray D'Arcy Show on RTE 1 last night that Minster Harris rang her to personally apologise for what happened to her. "As soon as I heard the voice I knew who it was and he said 'hi Vicky, it is Simon Harris here'," Ms Phelan explained. "'I just wanted to call you personally to apologise for what has happened to you but he also wanted to thank me for still encouraging women to go for smears and for promoting the Cervical screening programme' he said. "I said to him basically look, what has happened to me is awful. I do believe in the programme, cervical smears do save women's lives and what I don't want to happen is more women diagnosed with cervical cancer and I thought it was important that I come out and say that because I think people would listen to me rather than the HSE at the moment." During Ms Phelan's interview the news broke that the Clinical Director of CervicalCheck, Dr Grainne Flannelly, was to resign her position. Ms Phelan made a clenched fist while the crowd broke out into spontaneous applause. Dr Flannelly said she had decided to step aside to allow the service continue its important work. "I would like this evening to announce that I have taken a decision to stand aside from my role as Clinical Director of CervicalCheck with immediate effect. "I am sorry that recent events caused distress and worry to women. I have decided to step aside to allow the Programme to continue it's important work. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the doctors, nurses and programme staff of CervicalCheck for their continued hard work and commitment towards delivering a first-class service for the women of Ireland." Earlier the Minister Harris said he had lost confidence in senior management in CervicalCheck. The 317m Celebrity Eclipse cruise arrives on her maiden call to Dublin on Wednesday, 10th May 2017. File Photo: Conor McCabe Photography. Pictured at Dublin Port were tourists Candace Ling from Pennsylvania and Clare Vail from Texas with Dublin Port entertainment Artastic. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. Pictured beside Celebrity Eclipse was VJ on stilts. The 2,850 guest Celebrity Eclipse has arrived in Dublin to become the first ever cruise ship to be based from the port. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. Celebrity Eclipse arriving in Dublin Port on April 29 to begin its first ever season of cruises from the city. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins A cruise ship more than twice the length of Croke Park is docking in Dublin today (Sunday) - and it will 'home port' in the city for several weeks. Celebrity Eclipse is scheduled to arrive at Dublin Port at 9.30am this morning, ahead of an inaugural sailing with up to 2,850 guests tomorrow. The 317m ship is billed as one of "the most stylish at sea", with passengers enjoying Lawn Clubs with real grass (below), 19 bars and restaurants, a Canyon Ranch SpaClub and a duty-free Michael Kors boutique among other indulgences. The playing field at Croke Park measures a mere 145m by comparison. Expand Close Pictured beside Celebrity Eclipse was VJ on stilts. The 2,850 guest Celebrity Eclipse has arrived in Dublin to become the first ever cruise ship to be based from the port. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pictured beside Celebrity Eclipse was VJ on stilts. The 2,850 guest Celebrity Eclipse has arrived in Dublin to become the first ever cruise ship to be based from the port. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. "This is the first time in three years that weve added a new European homeport to our itineraries and Dublin has exceeded our expectations," said Jo Rzymowska, VP and managing director for Celebrity Cruise in Ireland, the UK and Asia. "We're blown away by the welcome." The ship will now base itself in Dublin for five cruises, carrying over 14,000 people on tours of Ireland and Iceland, and the Norwegian fjords. It will return to the city on May 10, 19, 27 and June 6. Expand Close Celebrity Sihouette's Lawn Club cabanas. Photo: Celebrity Cruises / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Celebrity Sihouette's Lawn Club cabanas. Photo: Celebrity Cruises The 'home-porting', as it's known, is a big step in Dublin's development as a cruise port. Last year, 127 cruise ships and 210,000 visitors arrived in the city - a figure expected to rise to as many as 150 over the 2018 season. Dublin Port has capital investment of 1 billion planned over the next decade, including a redevelopment of the Alexandra Basin - which will allow the biggest ships in the world to dock as far upriver as the East Link Bridge by 2020. Expand Close The main dining room on Celebrity Eclipse / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The main dining room on Celebrity Eclipse Each 'turnaround' by Celebrity Eclipse is estimated to be worth 1 million in knock-on economic benefits to the capital, the cruise line says. "This is an exciting opportunity for the city following years of investment, and a great milestone in the success of our expanding cruise port, commented Lord Mayor of Dublin, Micheal MacDonncha. The Port of Cork has also been investing heavily in cruise, with over 70 cruise ships expected to dock in Cobh during during 2018 - meaning Dublin and Cork now rival such famous European cruise ports as Naples and Monaco. Expand Close Liz Benedetto from Florida with Dublin Port Mascots. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Liz Benedetto from Florida with Dublin Port Mascots. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. Celebrity plans to return in 2019 for a second mini-season, with the 3,000-capacity Celebrity Reflection offering several departures between April and June. "Modern luxury" is Celebrity's USP - the line distinguishes its 12 ships from other mainstream liners through multi-million dollar artworks, a crew to guest ratio of 1:2 and plush 'Suite Class' staterooms, among other premium experiences. The line's hotly-anticipated 'Edge' Class ships is set to launch this year. Read more: I am very much looking forward to spending the next two days in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is an opportunity for me to take stock with the Irish Government on the Brexit negotiations and meet those directly affected by the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union. I negotiate on behalf of the 27 countries of the EU - and that means that I defend Ireland's interests. From very early on, it was clear to all in the EU that Ireland was in a unique situation and that a lot of imagination and creativity would be needed in order to mitigate the impact of the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union. In this respect, part of Ireland's strength in these negotiations comes from being part of a wider family of EU countries. No matter how big or small a country is in the EU, we stand by each other through thick and thin. The UK's sovereign decision to leave the EU, and the UK government's decision to leave the single market and the customs union, creates unique problems for the border with Northern Ireland. Following the UK's withdrawal (and subject to any transitional measures), part of the island of Ireland will be inside the EU's single market - and will continue benefiting from the advantages that go with it - while another part of the island will be outside the single market. This will inevitably create challenges for both jurisdictions on the island, as well as for trade between Ireland and the UK, and Ireland and the rest of the EU. But no matter how challenging this will be over the coming months, I want to underline that the EU is fully committed to having a safety net in our agreement - the so-called "backstop" option - in case the overall future relationship between the EU and the UK does not in itself solve the border issue. This "backstop" solution will be there to prevent the return of a border on the island of Ireland, and to protect north-south cooperation and the Good Friday Agreement, whatever the future relationship between the EU and the UK holds in store. In case there is any doubt whatsoever about our commitment to this, let me be crystal clear: we will not conclude the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK unless we have such a solution included in the text of the agreement. We will not sign any agreement with the UK unless we - together with the Irish Government - are satisfied with the solution found for Ireland. So, where do things stand right now in the negotiations? We have a few more months ahead of us to wrap up the terms of the UK's withdrawal and agree on the framework of the future relationship. We can use this time to continue looking for a solution for the Irish border, as part of that new relationship. The UK has chosen to leave the single market and the customs union. It wants full regulatory autonomy and an independent trade policy, but at the same time it does not want a border on the island of Ireland. The time has now come to resolve the contradictions. Brexit created a specific problem in Ireland, so it is the UK's responsibility to also come forward with workable solutions. The "backstop" solution needs to be negotiated now. The UK agreed in December that there should be such a solution, and Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated her commitment to this in March. And while we have agreed in principle, we have yet to agree in detail. The EU side has put a solution on the table, which would entail Northern Ireland being aligned to those rules of the single market and customs union which support north-south cooperation, the all-island economy and protect the Good Friday Agreement. This option would apply unless and until another solution is found. This is the "safety net" I mentioned earlier. It is a straightforward, pragmatic solution, aimed at solving a difficult question. If the UK has a different idea, I am happy to look at it, but so far we have not received any workable solutions. Over the coming weeks, we will continue our discussions with the UK. We will quite clearly need to have made substantial progress by the June European Council. Time is of the essence. And the UK must use that time to engage with the EU on the issues that are identified in our "backstop" solution. Tomorrow, I will be in Dundalk, where I will speak at the All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit - an excellent example of people on the island of Ireland working together to face the common challenges posed by Brexit. I will also visit Northern Ireland, to which I am very much looking forward. Michel Barnier is the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Premium Colm McCarthy Opinion UK is not alone in its Covid failures New cases, hospitalisations and deaths from the virus have all risen somewhat in the UK over the last week. Given the rapid roll-out of vaccination, the best in Europe, this should not have been happening. The reason seems to be the so-called Indian variant, more infectious and more widespread in Britain, and some experts are worried the government may be forced to pause, or even reverse, the lifting of restrictions. Premium Gene Kerrigan Opinion Taking the credit like only Fine Gael can There was a time when Fine Gael wasnt arrogant and aggressive. Hard to believe, after listening to Regina Doherty blowing the partys trumpet last week. God be with the days when you could have a bit of crack with a Fine Gaeler. Some of them were snobbish, some were reactionaries, and there was the odd conniving gobdaw but there were plenty of them who lived in an Ireland familiar to the rest of us. U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) raise their linked hands in the air while on the Truman Balcony during the official arrival ceremony for the Macrons on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron (unseen), for a State Dinner at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, DC, April 24, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / ludovic MARINLUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images U.S. first lady Melania Trump (R) and French first lady Brigitte Macron (L) participate in a state arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House April 24, 2018 in Washington, DC French President Emmanuel Macron kisses the hand of U.S. first lady Melania Trump, during an arrival ceremony at the White House April 24, 2018 in Washington, DC U.S President Donald Trump, and U.S. first lady Melania Trump wait for the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron, French first lady Brigitte Macron at the North Portico for before a State Dinner at the White House April 24, 2018 in Washington, DC U.S President Donald Trump, and U.S. first lady Melania welcome French President Emmanuel Macron, French first lady Brigitte Macron after their arrival at the North Portico for before a State Dinner at the White House April 24, 2018 in Washington, DC United States President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder HIGH HEELS ON THE SOUTH LAWN: Donald and Melania Trump walk the rough road with Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. Photo: AP US First Lady Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron, wife of the French President, tour the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, April 24, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEBSAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images French first lady Brigitte Macron said she feels for US first lady Melania Trump because of the intense scrutiny around her life. The 65-year-old visited the White House with her husband, French president Emmanuel Macron, in a two-day visit to the Washington D.C. last week, further building on her existing friendship with Mrs Trump. They even donned matching white ensembles for a tour of the National Gallery of Art and the Trump administration hosted its first state dinner to welcome the Macrons. Expand Close Politically correct: Brigitte Macron and Melania Trump seem to have hit it off personally and fashion-wise. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Politically correct: Brigitte Macron and Melania Trump seem to have hit it off personally and fashion-wise. Photo: AFP/Getty Images "We have the same sense of humour, we laugh a lot together," Brigitte told French newspaper Le Monde. "Melania can't do anything, she cant even open a window at the White House. She cant go outside. Me, I'm out in Paris every day." And she said there may be misconceptions about her personality by the public, describing her as "kind, charming, intelligent, and very open", saying she can empathise with the pressure to behave a certain way. "Everything is interpreted, over-interpreted. Shes someone who has a strong personality, but works hard to hide it. She laughs very easily, at everything, but shows it less than I do," she added. Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) raise their linked hands in the air while on the Truman Balcony during the official arrival ceremony for the Macrons on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) raise their linked hands in the air while on the Truman Balcony during the official arrival ceremony for the Macrons on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque "I have the impression that every word is a word too many, Im constantly holding myself back. Thats the hardest part: theres never really any time off, never a moment when you can be completely calm." Ms Macron said she doesn't "feel like a first lady" and that her 11-year marriage is as strong as ever. For 10 unbearable months, Jung Gwang-il was hung upside down or waterboarded until he confessed to being a spy, before being forced into hard labour at North Korea's notorious Yodok detention camp for three years. "In that first 10 months, I dropped from 75kg to 36kg," he said. "In camp 15 I worked from 4am to 8pm every day, either logging or farming maize. We were given daily three lumps of corn mixed with beans, and slept on the floors of tiny cells crammed with 40 prisoners." Mr Jung survived and escaped to South Korea in 2004. Yesterday, he and other North Korean defectors expressed sorrow that their homeland's ongoing dire human rights situation was ignored in an unprecedented summit between Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in. Their meeting last Friday had been an overt display of brotherhood. Disarmingly friendly and self-deprecating, Kim ditched his strongman image to pledge to work with Mr Moon towards denuclearisation and peace. North Korea's state news agency yesterday called the summit a turning point for the Korean peninsula. But, amid the astonishing scenes of hand-holding and mutual praise, it was easy to forget that Kim's regime stands accused of oppression and cruelty that includes execution, torture, arbitrary detention and rape. That fact has not been overlooked by former victims like Mr Jung, who plans to appeal personally to US president Donald Trump to raise human-rights violations at his own summit with Kim, expected in May or June. Mr Jung, who represents the Association of North Korean Political Victims and their Families, once smuggled flashdrives of a Trump speech denouncing North Korean "tyranny" into the reclusive state. The president thanked him for doing so when the two men met in the White House in February. A second meeting between the two is slated for May. Mr Jung will give the president the names of 10 North Korean prisoners, urging him to ask Kim for their release. Rights groups estimate that about 130,000 prisoners are currently languishing in gulag-like penal camps. Mr Jung's horrific tale began in 2000, when he was accused of collaborating with a South Korean while on business in China and arrested as he returned home to his wife and two young daughters. Detained without trial, he was tortured daily by electrocution, and put in the "pigeon position" where hands and legs are tied before being hung from the ceiling. "I tried to hold out for my family as I knew they would be punished if I confessed," he said. But after almost a year he could bear it no longer. His torturers promptly shipped him to Yodok, 65 miles north of Pyongyang. "We willed each other not to die, to believe that we might make it out," he said. Three years later he was released, and casually told he had been found not guilty. By that time his home had been destroyed and his family hounded into hiding. They were finally reunited in China after he swam across the Tumen border river to escape. Mr Jung warned that Kim should not be trusted. "It [summit] was a political show, and nothing has changed," he said. "Human rights have been sidelined by politics." Sokeel Park, from Liberty in North Korea, a group assisting defectors, said it risked sending the message that human rights were a political tool when expedient, and "dropped like a hot rock when inconvenient". "The smiles are fake. I feel sad that South Korea and the international community are falling for it," said Paek Yosep, 34, a defector among more than 1,000 who had gathered in Seoul's Hansarang church to pray for those left behind. For now their hopes for advocacy rest with President Trump. Telegraph US president Donald Trump claimed credit for last weeks historic inter-Korean summit but he now faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to seek a formal end to the Korean War by the end of the year and to rid their peninsula of nuclear weapons but didnt specify how it would be achieved. Now the pressure to deliver results, at least on the allies side, has shifted to Trump. The US-North Korea summit is tentatively scheduled for next month or early June. The choice of summit venue has narrowed to two as yet unnamed locations. Trump has pushed back against critics who say that hes being manipulated by Kim, who abruptly shifted to diplomacy after last years full-scale push to become a nuclear power that could threaten the US mainland. I dont think hes ever had this enthusiasm for somebody, for them wanting to make a deal, Trump said in the Oval Office. Were not going to be played, OK. Were going to hopefully make a deal. The United States in the past has been played like a fiddle. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] A British-Iranian university professor on security charges, justice officials in Tehran have confirmed. Abbas Edalat, a computer scientist and mathematician at Imperial College London, was reportedly arrested earlier this month by the Revolutionary Guard, which has detained several dual-nationals in recent years. Irans official IRNA news agency on Sunday quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi as saying Mr Edalat had been detained on security charges, without elaborating. Fars News, IRGC media, says detained British-Iranian math professor Abbas #Edalat was part of an "infiltrating spy network" connected to opposition & #UK.#_ Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) April 26, 2018 It was the first official confirmation of his arrest. On Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency said Mr Edalat was one of several people arrested by the Guard over accusations of being part of a network affiliated with Britain. Mr Edalat had actively campaigned against Western military action targeting Iran. British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a news conference to mark the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Marlborough House in London, Britain, April 20, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have agreed the Iran nuclear deal is the best way of stopping Tehran from gaining nuclear weapons, British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said in a statement on Sunday. May had phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel where they agreed the deal may need to be broadened to cover other areas such as ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran's destabilising regional activity, the statement said. "They committed to continue working closely together and with the U.S. on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses including those issues that a new deal might cover," the statement said. This comes as a deadline looms next month for President Donald Trump to decide on whether to restore U.S. economic sanctions on Tehran. Trump has criticised a 2015 agreement which effectively lifted some Western sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. Amber Rudd has resigned as Home Secretary amid claims she misled Parliament over targets for removing illegal migrants. Ms Rudd telephoned Theresa May to tell her of the decision amid intensifying opposition demands for her to quit. A No 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has tonight accepted the resignation of the Home Secretary." Ms Rudd was thought to be preparing to tough it out, insisting she genuinely did not know about the targets when she gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee last week. However having seen mounting evidence in the paperwork about the extent of the knowledge within the Home Office about the targets she decided that she should take responsibility and go. More to follow President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House in Washington (Susan Walsh/AP) The leaders of Germany, France and the UK are ready to push back if the Trump administration does not permanently exempt the European Union from new import taxes on aluminum and steel imports, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. Mrs Merkel said in a statement on Sunday that she has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Theresa May since returning from her Friday talks in Washington with US President Donald Trump. The three European leaders "agreed that the US ought not to take any trade measures against the European Union", which is "resolved to defend its interests within the multilateral trade framework". The chancellor's statement did not outline specific steps the 28-nation EU might take. The EU's temporary exemption from the tariffs expires on Tuesday. The tariffs are aimed primarily at overcapacity among state-backed firms in China that have flooded global markets with cheap steel. European leaders have argued their countries should not be held responsible for China's practices. Visits to the White House by President Macron and Mrs Merkel last week produced no immediate change in the expiration date. A Downing Street statement said Mrs May, Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron "pledged to continue to work closely with the rest of the EU and the US administration with the aim of a permanent exemption from US tariffs". In March, President Trump imposed duties of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium. The step drew retaliation from China and has led to fears of a wider trade war that could hold back the growth of the global economy. North Korea plans to shut its nuclear testing site in May and reveal the process to experts and reporters from South Korea and the US, Seoul has said. Revealing the pledge, South Korea announced Kim Jong Un said Donald Trump will get to know the North Korean leader is not a person to aim missiles at US. Seouls presidential spokesman, Yoon Young-chan, said Mr Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean president Moon Jae-In on Friday. Referring to preparations for a summit between himself and Mr Kim, expected in May of June, the US president earlier tweeted that things are going very well. Seoul also said that North Korea plans to match time zones with its southern neighbour and historic adversary. The North created its own Pyongyang Time in 2015 by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. Mr Trump has claimed credit for the historic South Korea-North Korea summit. But now he faces a burden in helping turn the Korean leaders bold but vague vision for peace into reality after more than six decades of hostility. Mr Trump must contend with a nagging suspicion about his own suitability to conduct that kind of war-and-peace negotiation and succeed where his predecessors have failed. And then there is the question about whether Mr Kim really is willing to give up the nuclear weapons his nation took decades acquiring. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to shut down the countrys nuclear test site in May and open the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seouls presidential office has said. The event may serve as a dramatic set-up to Mr Kims crucial nuclear negotiations with President Donald Trump that may take place in the next few weeks amid widespread scepticism on whether the North will ever fully surrender its nuclear weapons. Mr Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday at a border truce village, where he also expressed optimism about his meeting with Mr Trump, saying the US president will learn hes not a person to fire missiles toward the United States, Mr Moons spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. Mr Moon and Mr Kim during the summit promised to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, but made no references to verification or timetables. Seoul had also shuttled between Pyongyang and Washington to set up a potential meeting between Mr Kim and President Trump, which is expected next month or early June. Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States, Mr Yoon quoted Mr Kim as saying. If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would be need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons? Mr Yoon quoted Mr Kim as saying. Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in over the military demarcation line (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in over the military demarcation line (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP) North Korea this month announced it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Mr Kim reacted to scepticism that the North would only be closing down the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the countrys sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. In his conversation with Mr Moon, Mr Kim denied that he would be merely clearing out damaged goods, saying that the site also has two new tunnels that are larger than previous testing facilities, Mr Yoon said. The Friday summit between Mr Moon and Mr Kim kicked off a global diplomatic drive to deal with the Norths nuclear and missile threats, which after a flurry of weapons tests last year involve purported thermonuclear weapons, developmental ICBMs and quick-fire solid-fuel missiles. While the meeting ended with no new concrete measures on the nuclear stand-off, the more substantial discussions on the Norths denuclearisation including what, when and how it would occur were always going to be reserved for a Kim-Trump summit. The new round of nuclear negotiations with North Korea comes after a decades-long cycle of crises, stalemates and broken promises that allowed the country the room to build a legitimate arsenal. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. Mr Pompeo arrived in Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, after a stop in Saudi Arabia. Both countries are fierce rivals of Iran, and have welcomed the Trump administrations hard line toward the Tehran government. Iran destabilises this entire region, Mr Pompeo said before he flew to Tel Aviv. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Prime Minister @Netanyahu before their meeting @IsraeliPM office. pic.twitter.com/Vd5HAQTjM6 U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) April 29, 2018 Ahead of their meeting, Mr Netanyahu called the US Secretary of State a true friend of Israel and said their talks would focus on Irans growing aggression in the region and the international nuclear deal with Iran. President Donald Trump is set to decide by May 12 whether to remain in the deal. Israel considers Iran to be its greatest threat and has been an outspoken critic of the 2015 nuclear deal. In Saudi Arabia, Mr Pompeo urged the Saudis and their neighbours to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Mr Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that has hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. Watch Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's full remarks with Saudi Foreign Minister @AdelAljubeir in #Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/zXKQk1Bhon Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 I think they would all agree that its in everyones best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together, Mr Pompeo told reporters. Weve got a common challenge in Iran, I think they all recognise that. Were hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them. The ex-CIA chiefs meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to be followed by discussions in Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the US plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the nakba, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that attended Israels creation. Mr Pompeo also is taking a leading role in President Trumps preparations for an expected summit in May or early June with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He told reporters he did not think a US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal would complicate negotiations. I dont think Kim Jung Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I wont talk to the Americans any more. There are higher priorities, things he is more concerned about than whether the Americans stay (in the accord), he said. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have gathered at a camp in Bangladesh to welcome a UNteam that is getting a first-hand look at the plight of refugees who have fled military-led violence in Burma. The refugees at the Kutupalong camp carried placards, some of which read We want justice. Some 700,000 refugees are seeking UN protection to return home. #HappeningNow UN Security Council arrives in Cox's Bazar to bear witness to the Rohingya refugee crisis. This is an historic visit. Welcome Excellencies pic.twitter.com/33NNuMKkZv Mia Seppo (@MiaSeppo) April 28, 2018 The UN team plans to meet some of them, including victims of rape and torture, before continuing to Burma after concluding its three-day visit on Monday. Representatives from the five permanent Security Council members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent member states have joined the delegation in the coastal town of Coxs Bazaar, where the camps are located. The recent violence in Burma began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on August 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by UN and US officials as ethnic cleansing, Burma security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed. Desperate Rohingya refugees have been rejecting Burmas proposed ID cards, called the national verification cards, saying they want citizenship something theyve been denied by the government in the Buddhist majority nation. Burma authorities consider Rohingya to be Bengali immigrants from Bangladesh, and are even refraining from using the word Rohingya, even though the protesting refugees said on Sunday they belong to Burma where they have been living for centuries. We are not Bengali, we are Rohingya. They have killed me family members, they tortured us, they will kill us again, Mohammed Tayab said, standing in front of a tent where he was expecting to meet the UN team. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are building waterproof shelters that can resist strong winds. You contribution can help Rohingya families to survive the monsoon season: https://t.co/EOEhiit7AB pic.twitter.com/yXBzAQHQdR UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) April 28, 2018 He said he was shot by Myanmar troops in his right leg and was using a crutch. I am here to talk to them, we want justice from them, he said. Mr Tayab, 29, said he lost one brother, an uncle and a nephew after Burma soldiers shot them dead. The UN refugee agency and Bangladesh recently finalised a memorandum of understanding that said the repatriation process must be safe, voluntary and dignified in line with international standards. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday ratcheted up the Trump administrations rhetoric against Iran and gave warm boosts of support to Israel and Saudi Arabia in their standoffs with Tehran. Pompeos comments in Riyadh and then Tel Aviv came as he neared the end of the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat. He has called for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes and other actions that he said destabilise the region. The tough line was welcomed by his hosts, particularly in Israel, which considers Iran its greatest threat and has led calls for the West to revise or reject the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. We remain deeply concerned about Irans dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region, and Irans ambition to dominate the Middle East remains, Pompeo said after a nearly two-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The United States is with Israel in this fight. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Prime Minister @Netanyahu before their meeting @IsraeliPM office. pic.twitter.com/Vd5HAQTjM6 U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) April 29, 2018 Israel has cited Irans hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. It also has complained the nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability, and expressed concerns about Irans involvement in the civil war in neighbouring Syria. Israel says it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, fearing the Iranians will use it to launch attacks. Iran must be stopped, its quest for a nuclear bomb must be stopped, its aggression must be stopped and were committed to stopping it together, Netanyahu said. President Donald Trump is to decide by May 12 whether to keep the US in the nuclear deal. Pompeo repeated the Trump position that if we cant fix it, he is going to withdraw. Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran. Netanyahu also welcomed the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital and the scheduled move of its embassy from Tel Aviv on May 14. Pompeo said the US is incredibly proud of that forthcoming move. Pompeo had no meetings planned with any Palestinian official and it was not clear whether there had been any outreach to the Palestinians about his trip, which was to end in Jordan on Monday. Watch Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's full remarks with Saudi Foreign Minister @AdelAljubeir in #Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/zXKQk1Bhon Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 In Riyadh, Pompeo said Iran destabilises this entire region and he also urged the Saudis and their neighbours to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar. US officials say Iran is exploiting it to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had undermined Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. I think they would all agree that its in everyones best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together, Pompeo told reporters as he travelled to Israel. Weve got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognise that. Were hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them. New Delhi, Apr 12 (IBNS): Every Indian village now has electricty with electrification of Leisang village in Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. Modi on Sunday confirmed that one of the major election promises made by his party BJP before coming to power in 2014, that of reaching electricity to every village in India, has been achieved on Saturday. Modi tweeted on Sunday as he confirmed the success of his government to countrymen. Modi said Apr 28, 2018 will be remembered as a historic day as every single village in India are having access to electricity now. He said lives of several people across the nation will be changed forever after his government fulfilled the promise it had made. "28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity," Modi tweeted. Leisang village in Manipur was the last one to receive electricity on Saturday. "Leisang village in Manipur, like the thousands of other villages across India has been powered and empowered! This news will make every Indian proud and delighted," Modi tweeted. Already in India, a growing numbers of families in remote areas had started using solar energy or other non conventional sources to heat their homes, cook their meals and study at night. Indian business daily Mint reported : "According to the government data, all of Indias 597,464 census villages have been electrified. This assumes importance given that at the onset of Rs75,893 crore DDUGJY for village electrification under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, there were 18,452 un-electrified census villages." "During the project work it was found out that an additional 1275 villages also didnt have electricity access. As of 28 April, all these villages have got electricity access either through the national grid or off grid solutions. Also, 1,236 villages are uninhabited and 35 have been notified as grazing reserves," read the news report. We are just absolutely thrilled, excited and delighted. We have fulfilled our mandate, our promise and the work allotted to us by the government and the honourable Prime Minister, P.V. Ramesh, chairman and managing director, REC told Mint. During his Aug 15 Independence Day speech in 2015, Modi had said his government will electrify all un-electrified villages within 1000 days. The government made the move a year before the country is set to host the general elections. Know what electrification of a village in India means: A village would be declared as electrified if: 1) Basic infrastructure such as Distribution Transformer and Distribution lines are provided in the inhabited locality as well as the Dalit Basti/ hamlet where it exists. (For electrification through Non Conventional Energy Sources a Distribution transformer may not be necessary). 2) Electricity is provided to public places like Schools, Panchayat Office, Health Centres, Dispensaries, Community centers etc. and 3) The number of households electrified should be at least 10% of the total number of households in the village. The data contains details on the progress made towards village electrification for the month. The detail includes the cumulative achievement, percentage of villages electrified along with the number of unelectrified villages. New Delhi, Apr 29 (IBNS): Union Minister Piyush Goyal faced social media trolls after he shared satellite images of India, taken at night, to showcase the milestone touched by his government by the electrification of all villages in the country. Through the image, it seems that the minister tried to showcase the before-and-after scenario following the achievement of the Centre. He captioned the image as:"Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With the elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia." NDTV reported, "The images Mr Goyal tweeted were genuine images of India released by US space agency NASA. The trouble is, they did not portray the situation before and after Saturday's electrification of Manipur's Leisang village. The US space agency had released the first photograph in 2012. The second was released last year but is from 2016 and aims to highlight the patterns of human settlement." Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With the elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia pic.twitter.com/TJ8irmx4tk Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 29, 2018 Twitter users soon trolled him and contradicted the image. The post attracted 900 replies and 2.9 K retweets within hours. Satirist Akash Banerjee tweeted: "Congrats on this massive achievement Sir!But @PiyushGoyal, do ask ur Social Media team to double check the source & date of image used to showcase #PowerfulIndia Looks suspiciously as bright as the image #NASA released in 2012 -that was before India emerged from the dark ages." Congrats on this massive achievement Sir!Y But @PiyushGoyal, do ask ur Social Media team to double check the source & date of image used to showcase #PowerfulIndia Looks suspiciously as bright as the image #NASA released in 2012 -that was before India emerged from the dark ages. pic.twitter.com/DAc4x7LAfZ Akash Banerjee (@akashbanerjee) April 29, 2018 One Twitter user, who calls himself Amit Shah, tweeted: "#Hoax Piyush Goyal sir the pictures you posted are old..Pic1- Released by NASA in 2012Pic2- Released by NASA in 2016." Another Pooja Gianchandanisaid: "NASA had long ago clarified that they haven't released any such pictures." One Ansh said: "Uncle have u ever heard about photoshopped pictures ??" Every Indian village now has electricty with electrification of Leisang village in Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. Modi on Sunday confirmed that one of the major election promises made by his party BJP before coming to power in 2014, that of reaching electricity to every village in India, has been achieved on Saturday. Modi tweeted on Sunday as he confirmed the success of his government to countrymen. Modi said Apr 28, 2018 will be remembered as a historic day as every single village in India are having access to electricity now. He said lives of several people across the nation will be changed forever after his government fulfilled the promise it had made. "28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity," Modi tweeted. Leisang village in Manipur was the last one to receive electricity on Saturday. "Leisang village in Manipur, like the thousands of other villages across India has been powered and empowered! This news will make every Indian proud and delighted," Modi tweeted. Already in India, a growing numbers of families in remote areas had started using solar energy or other non conventional sources to heat their homes, cook their meals and study at night. Indian business daily Mint reported : "According to the government data, all of Indias 597,464 census villages have been electrified. This assumes importance given that at the onset of Rs75,893 crore DDUGJY for village electrification under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, there were 18,452 un-electrified census villages." "During the project work it was found out that an additional 1275 villages also didnt have electricity access. As of 28 April, all these villages have got electricity access either through the national grid or off grid solutions. Also, 1,236 villages are uninhabited and 35 have been notified as grazing reserves," read the news report. We are just absolutely thrilled, excited and delighted. We have fulfilled our mandate, our promise and the work allotted to us by the government and the honourable Prime Minister, P.V. Ramesh, chairman and managing director, REC told Mint. During his Aug 15 Independence Day speech in 2015, Modi had said his government will electrify all un-electrified villages within 1000 days. The government made the move a year before the country is set to host the general elections. New Delhi, Apr 29 (IBNS): After several comments made by him in recent times triggered controversies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ha summoned Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, media reports said. "Many BJP leaders are miffed, for Deb is just saying anything and everything. Modiji will talk to him regarding his frequent comments," a senior BJP leader, who do not wish to be named, told The Economic Times. "In the recent elections in Tripura, people have given a massive mandate in favour of the BJP-led alliance. People want the government to focus on development and not create unnecessary controversies. There is huge resentment following the chief minister's comments," the BJP leader told the newspaper. It was under Deb's leadership that BJP registered victory in Tripura Assembly polls this year. Meanwhile, Deb has once again triggered a controversy by saying that graduates should 'milk cows' to earn money rather than searching for jobs for 10 years. "Every household should have a cow. Milk sells at Rs. 50 per litre. So, instead of being jobless for 10 years, if these people sold milk, they would have then had a bank balance of Rs. 10 lakh by now," Deb was quoted as saying by media in an event in Tripura. Deb's remarks have triggered controversies in recent times. Former Miss World Diana Hayden has hit out at Biplab Deb for making controversial comments on the former's looks, media reports said. Deb said he didn't understand the beauty of Hayden, who won the Miss World competition in 1997. Reacting to the comment, Hayden said Deb's comment is "shameful". The former Miss World even said she is proud of her "exotic brown skin colour". Hayden has been quoted by NDTV, "With regards to me winning the Miss World, it's a pity and shame, that when you win the biggest and most respected beauty pageant in the world, you get criticised and put down as opposed to being appreciated and respected for bringing more accolades back home and further appreciation of our Indian brown exotic beauty." Deb regarded Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the Indian beauty. The CM has been quoted by NDTV, "We see women as goddess Laxmi, Saraswati. Aishwarya Rai represents the Indian women. She became the Miss World and that's all right. But I do not understand the beauty of Diana Hayden." However, this is not the first time Deb triggered a row after assumption of power in 2018. Earlier Deb claimed internet services were available even during the period of the fictional epic Mahabharata. Deb had said: "India has been using internet since ages. In Mahabharata, Sanjay was blind but he narrated what was happening in the battlefield to Dhritarashtra anyway." "This was due to internet and technology. Satellite also existed during that period." Image: BJP Live Twitter page New Delhi, Apr 29 (IBNS): Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the people on the eve of Buddha Purnima. In a message, he said that all of us must commit ourselves to follow the principles of universal love, compassion and tolerance shown by Lord Buddha. Following is the text of Vice President's message: ''I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima. Buddha Purnima marks the birthday of Lord Buddha. The eternal message of peace, truth and compassion bestowed by Lord Buddha would forever inspire humanity to follow the path of righteousness and respect for all in their day to day conduct and actions. On this happy occasion, let us commit ourselves to follow the principles of universal love, compassion and tolerance shown by Lord Buddha''. Mumbai, Apr 29 (IBNS): Veteran actress Mumtaz's daughter Tanya Madhvani on Saturday dismissed internet hoax that claimed her mother has passed away. Tanya dismissed the reports and posted an image on Instagram to say that her mother was 'doing well'. "My mother doing well enjoining rome today. Happy and healthy. aiaiaiaiaiai #mumtaz #actress #bollywood#rome #legend @marcocilianyc," Tanya captioned the image. In the image, the actress could be seen, assuring fans that she is 'healthy'. Tanya also posted an small video on the issue and captioned it on Instagram as: "Rumor about my mothers death ! Not true. #mumtaz #bollywood#press #actress #mumtazactress." Mumtaz is considered as one of the most popular actors to work in several Bollywood movies over the years. Her memorable movies include names like Dushman, Do Raaste, Aap Ki Kasam and Roti. Image: Tanya Madhvani Instagram page Kabul, Apr 29 (IBNS): At least three people were killed as a rocket exploded in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday, media reports said. Attaullah Khogyani, the governors spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the rocket had been fired by Taliban sometime back but remained unexploded. The incident reportedly left eight others injured. Two women and a child were reportedly among the deceased. The injured people were rushed to hospital for treatment, reports said. The Taliban has not commented on the incident so far. Lahore, Apr 29 (IBNS): Police have arrested a teacher from Lahore for allegedly raping a 14-year-old boy student in the hostel of a private cadet school in the Pakistani city, media reports said on Sunday. Police took action after the parent of the child registered a case against him. The suspected school teacher has been identified as Azhar Iqbal. While speaking to Geo News, the boys father Zaheer Ahmed said: I appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to ensure justice for my child. This issue is not just about my child but all our children. The student's mother demanded justice for his child. I just want justice for my child, she told Geo News. Kabul, Apr 29 (IBNS): A blast near a voter registration center at Jalalabad area in Afghanistan injured at least seven people on Sunday, media reports said. The blast took place at 9:00am in Shanzda Famili locality, reports said. Governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told Pajhwok Afghan News the blast was carried out thought a Zaranj type vehicle near a mosque. According to reports, children and policemen were injured in the incident. The injured people were rushed to hospital for treatment. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. Terrorism-hit Afghanistan in 2018: Afghanistan has witnessed several terrorism-related attacks this year. Armed conflict in Afghanistan killed 763 civilians and injured 1,495 in the first three months of this year, the United Nations mission in the country said recently. All parties to the conflict in Afghanistan must do everything in their power to protect civilians from harm, said Ingrid Hayden, the Secretary-Generals Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. Afghan civilians continue to suffer, caught in the conflict, in ways that are preventable; this must stop now. The 2,258 civilian casualties, documented from 1 January to 31 March by the UN Assistance Mission in the country, known as UNAMA, are at the similar levels recorded in the first three months of 2017 and 2016. Anti-Government elements caused 1,500 civilian casualties, up six per cent from the same period last year. Suicide improvised explosive devices (IED) and complex attacks were the leading cause of civilian casualties a new trend. The Mission found that combats on the ground were the second leading cause, followed by targeted and deliberate killings, explosive remnants of war, and aerial operations. This year, Cannes Film Festival is going to be different. A helpline for women to report sexual harassment at the Cannes Film Festival will be set up following four alleged attacks at the event in the past by Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood movie mogul. Marlene Schiappa, Frances gender equality minister, said industry grandees would be warned to watch their behavior when they arrive at the worlds most prestigious film festival, which takes place in the Riviera resort next month, reports telegraph.co.uk. AP Weve gone into partnership with the Cannes Film Festival to tackle sexual harassment and set up a helpline, Schiappa said. One of the rapes that Harvey Weinstein is accused of happened at Cannes, and so the festival cannot fail to act. She said the measures were aimed at protecting not only actresses but all women working in or around the film industry. ALSO READ: Harvey Weinsteins Company Declares Bankruptcy, Will Sell Assets To A Dallas-Based Equity Firm The Cannes festival has come under fire in the past for alleged sexism, notably over the obligation for women to wear high-heeled shoes on the red carpet. Weinstein is accused of four sexual assaults at Cannes in recent years including the alleged rape of a 21-year-old Italian actress Asia Argento. AP Apart from this, Weinstein has also been accused of sexual harassment by several other women from the industry. Harvey Weinstein faces over 60 charges of sexual assault against him. Following the accusations, the Hollywood producer was removed from his own company, The Weinstein Co. With the #MeToo movement in the headlines, the Cannes film festival organisers face heightened scrutiny over the role of women at the festival, which runs from May 8-19. ALSO READ: Harvey Weinsteins Ex-Assistant Breaks NDA, Says He Paid Her Money To Keep Quiet First, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb said that there were internet and satellite communication during the era of Mahabharata, and stood by his claim, despite being trolled savagely. Then, he said that Mamata Banerjee needs "mental treatment". And now even after PM Modis warning to his leader to not give masala to the media by making irresponsible statements, he recently added another bizarre comment to his set of outrageous claims. "Diana Hayden is not an Indian beauty, but Aishwarya Rai is, he said questioning the culture of beauty parlours in India and saying that beauty pageant organisers are international marketing mafias. pinimg.com Miss World 1997 Diana Hayden has reacted to the comment, and she says, she is deeply hurt. I am fighting this brown skin bias since my childhood. And I have succeeded. People should be proud of my achievement, rather than belittling it. I am a proud brown-skinned Indian, she told News 18. BCCL Whoever contested the international beauty pageants won. For five consecutive years, we won the Miss World/Miss Universe awards. Diana Hayden won it too. Do you think she should have won the title? They make the girls walk with fabric on the ramps. Those who give the certificates are all international textile market mafia. They plan beforehand who will get the award and this is 100 per cent true, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb had said. Also Read: After Internet During Mahabharata Remark, Tripura CM Now Questions Diana Haydens Miss World Win Dr Kafeel Khan, who had been in jail since September 2017 for alleged negligence at Gorakhpur's BRD hospital, is out on bail now and wants to resume work. However, his chances of him returning depend on the state government that suspended him following the allegations. There were times when I used to think that what wrong have I done to be in jail. My future plans depend on CM Yogi, if he revokes my suspension I'll join the hospital again & continue serving people, said Dr Kafeel. After his wife released the letter by him in a Delhi, the campaign to free Dr Kafeel gathered momentum. "Kafeel Khan was freed from jail this evening. Although he was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court on April 25, the delay was due to some other procedures," jail superintendent Ramdhani said. After coming out of jail, Kafeel hugged his wife and daughter and said, "The honourable high court has clearly said that there is no evidence against me. You know what my family went through in the last eight months. I do not know what my fault is". Over half-a-dozen gunmen waylaid the car of a newly-wed couple on NH-58 late on Friday and shot 18-year-old bride Mehvish Parveen. Along with the groom, Mohammed Shahzeb, 22, and three other members of the family, she was returning to Shahzeb's house in Muzaffarnagar barely hours after their wedding in Ghaziabad's Nahla village on Friday. Parveen, a resident of Ghaziabad, died on the spot. The men fled with cash, jewellery and the car from the spot in Meerut's Mataur village in Daurala area. Representational Image "When one of the men pointed a gun at me, Mehvish screamed in fear. They instantly shot her in the chest. Maybe, they feared her screams would alert passersby on the busy stretch of the highway," Shahzeb told TOI. The incident sent shockwaves in the region even as police forces of three districts Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Ghaziabad have been pressed into action. A few hours after their marriage was solemnised at the brides house in Ghaziabad, the couple left for the grooms native place. They were an hours drive away from their destination when tragedy struck them on the highway. toi I saw a man pointing a gun at my brother-in-law who was sitting in the front seat of the car. We heeded to their demands and gave away all the jewellery and cash we had, Shahzeb, the groom, said. Moments later, his wife, Mehvish, was dead. The family buried Mehvish at her native village in Ghaziabad on Saturday. In the CCTV footage accessed from a toll plaza in Daurala, we have spotted a car closely following the victims vehicle. As of now, we are taking it as a robbery-cum-murder case, Meerut SP (city) SP Dwivedi said. According to police, the car which was following the victims vehicle bore a Delhi registration number plate. The number was found to be registered in the name of Meerut-based businessman Pradeep Bansal, Meerut SSP Manzil Saini said. 1. Now You Can Intern With PM Modi, As He Announces A Summer Stint In Swachh Bharat Abhiyan On Sunday, the PM asked youngsters to join the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship 2008 launched by his government and announced incentives, including credit point by the UGC for participants, saying it is an opportunity for those who want to make a change in the society. Read More 2. Doctor Who Found Osama For US Forces Gets Death Threats In Peshawar, Shifted To Another Jail The Pakistani doctor who had helped CIA locating Al Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, in Abbottabad in 2011 has been shifted to an undisclosed location from Peshawar jail citing security concerns. Dr Shakil Afridi had been kept in the central prison of Peshawar for almost seven years after he ran a phoney vaccination campaign in Abbottabad city to help the CIA track down the kill Osama Bin Laden on May 2, 2011. Read More 3. Venezuela Offers India Crude Oil On 30% Discount, Only If It Agrees To Pay In Cryptocurrency Venezuela has offered India a 30 percent discount on crude oil purchase provided India uses the countrys blockchain technology-based currency petro. According to the story by Business Standard, the South American country has offered in India this. Read More 4. Shock And Fear Grips Ghaziabad After Highway Robbers Rob & Kill Newly-Wed Woman Over half-a-dozen gunmen waylaid the car of a newly-wed couple on NH-58 late on Friday and shot 18-year-old bride Mehvish Parveen. Along with the groom, Mohammed Shahzeb, 22, and three other members of the family, she was returning to Shahzeb's house in Muzaffarnagar barely hours after their wedding in Ghaziabad's Nahla village on Friday. Read More 5. This Engineer From Kota Chased Railways For A Year, To Get Refund Of Rs 35! A Kota-based engineer is so strong, that he followed up for an entire year just to obtain a refund of Rs. 35 from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation or IRCTC. On cancellation of a train ticket from Kota to Delhi he received only Rs. 665 as refund for a ticket worth Rs. 765. Rs. 100 were deducted instead of Rs. 65 against cancellation of a waitlisted ticket. Read More 6. Indian And Pakistani Armies Will Come Together For Anti-Terror Military Exercise In a first, India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries. The military exercise will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-dominated security grouping which is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO, officials said. Read More University of California RNs Plan To Strike in Sympathy with Other UC Employees May 8-9 by California Nurses Association Sunday Apr 29th, 2018 1:48 AM April 27, 2018 - University of California registered nurses throughout the state voted by 98 percent to engage in a sympathy strike and join their co-workers on picket lines May 8 and May 9, at the Universitys five major medical centers and 10 student health centers, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United announced today. The sympathy strike votes were conducted at all the medical centers this week. For the UC RNs this will be a sympathy strike, called in solidarity with members of AFSCME Local 3299 who are striking over their collective bargaining contract dispute with the UC administration. A third union, University Professional & Technical Employees/CWA members at UC facilities also plan to sympathy strike. CNA represents more than 14,000 RNs at the five major UC medical centers, 10 student health centers, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. UC Davis Medical Center nurses support our fellow UC workers in their demands for a strong contract and justice in the workplace, said UC Davis RN Melissa Johnson-Camacho, RN. As nurses we know that in order to provide the safe patient care our communities need we count on our co-workers and they count on us. Nurses at UCLA are standing strong with our sisters and brother co-workers, said UCLA RN Marcia Santini. We work side by side in the units and together we deliver the highest quality of care for our patients and our communities. We demand that UC show them the respect they deserve for the hard work that they do every day. AFSCME is bargaining for its service and patient care members, many of whom work alongside CNA members at the UC health facilities. UC officials are demanding cuts in retirement security and health benefits for those workers, contracting out of jobs, and unsafe working conditions, among other concerns. UC Student Health nurses are ready to sympathy strike to support our fellow UC service workers, said Michelle Kay, a Nurse Practitioner at the UC Berkeley Tang Center. We all play a critical role in making UC the institution it is. All UC workers deserve job security, safe working conditions, economic and retirement security and we stand united with all UC workers demanding justice and fairness from UC administration. A sympathy strike happens when one union agrees to participate in a strike called by a union representing other workers who have a union contract with that same employer. At UCI nurses voted overwhelmingly to strike in sympathy with our co-workers, said UC Irvine RN Marlene Tucay. We will stand with them in their fight for justice, economic, retirement, and job security. UC needs to know that if you take on one of us, you take on all of us! CNA represents 100,000 RNs throughout California, and is the largest affiliate of NNU, with more than 150,000 members nationwide. CNA/NNU plays a leadership role in safeguarding the health and safety of RNs and their patients and has won landmark legislation in the areas of staffing, safe patient handling, infectious disease and workplace violence prevention. Photo: UCLA RNs after vote this week What Is Estate Planning? Estate planning is the preparation of tasks that serve to manage an individual's asset base in the event of their incapacitation or death. The planning includes the bequest of assets to heirs and the settlement of estate taxes. Most estate plans are set up with the help of an attorney experienced in estate law. Key Takeaways Estate planning involves determining how an individuals assets will be preserved, managed, and distributed after death or in the event they become incapacitated. Planning tasks include making a will, setting up trusts and/or making charitable donations to limit estate taxes, naming an executor and beneficiaries, and setting up funeral arrangements. A will is a legal document that provides instructions on how an individuals property and custody of minor children, if any, should be handled after death. Various strategies can be used to limit taxes on an estate, from creating trusts to making charitable donations. Understanding Estate Planning Estate planning involves determining how an individuals assets will be preserved, managed, and distributed after death. It also takes into account the management of an individuals properties and financial obligations in the event that they become incapacitated. Assets that could make up an individuals estate include houses, cars, stocks, artwork, life insurance, pensions, and debt. Individuals have various reasons for planning an estate, such as preserving family wealth, providing for a surviving spouse and children, funding children's or grandchildrens education, or leaving their legacy behind to a charitable cause. The most basic step in estate planning involves writing a will. Other major estate planning tasks include the following: Limiting estate taxes by setting up trust accounts in the names of beneficiaries Establishing a guardian for living dependents Naming an executor of the estate to oversee the terms of the will Creating or updating beneficiaries on plans such as life insurance, IRAs, and 401(k)s Setting up funeral arrangements Establishing annual gifting to qualified charitable and non-profit organizations to reduce the taxable estate Setting up a durable power of attorney (POA) to direct other assets and investments Writing a Will A will is a legal document created to provide instructions on how an individuals property and custody of minor children, if any, should be handled after death. The individual expresses their wishes through the document and names a trustee or executor that they trust to fulfill their stated intentions. The will also indicates whether a trust should be created after death. Depending on the estate owners intentions, a trust can go into effect during their lifetime (living trust) or after their death (testamentary trust). The authenticity of a will is determined through a legal process known as probate. Probate is the first step taken in administering the estate of a deceased person and distributing assets to the beneficiaries. When an individual dies, the custodian of the will must take the will to the probate court or to the executor named in the will within 30 days of the death of the testator. The probate process is a court-supervised procedure in which the authenticity of the will left behind is proved to be valid and accepted as the true last testament of the deceased. The court officially appoints the executor named in the will, which, in turn, gives the executor the legal power to act on behalf of the deceased. 1:42 Estate Planning Basics Appointing the Right Executor The legal personal representative or executor approved by the court is responsible for locating and overseeing all the assets of the deceased. The executor has to estimate the value of the estate by using either the date of death value or the alternative valuation date, as provided in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). A list of assets that need to be assessed during probate includes retirement accounts, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, real estate property, jewelry, and any other items of value. Most assets that are subject to probate administration come under the supervision of the probate court in the place where the decedent lived at death. The exception is real estate, which must be probated in the county in which it is located. The executor also has to pay off any taxes and debt owed by the deceased from the estate. Creditors usually have a limited amount of time from the date they were notified of the testators death to make claims against the estate for money owed to them. Claims that are rejected by the executor can be taken to court where a probate judge will have the final say as to whether or not the claim is valid. The executor is also responsible for filing the final personal income tax returns on behalf of the deceased. After the inventory of the estate has been taken, the value of assets calculated, and taxes and debt paid off, the executor will then seek authorization from the court to distribute whatever is left of the estate to the beneficiaries. Any estate taxes that are pending will come due within nine months of the date of death. Planning for Estate Taxes Federal and state taxes applied to an estate can considerably reduce its value before assets are distributed to beneficiaries. Death can result in large liabilities for the family, necessitating generational transfer strategies that can reduce, eliminate, or postpone tax payments. During the estate-planning process, there are significant steps that individuals and married couples can take to reduce the impact of these taxes. AB Trusts Married couples, for example, can set up an AB trust that divides into two after the death of the first spouse. Education Funding Strategies A grandfather may encourage his grandchildren to seek college or advanced degrees and thus transfer assets to an entity, such as a 529 plan, for the purpose of current or future education funding. That may be a much more tax-efficient move than having those assets transferred after death to fund college when the beneficiaries are of college age. The latter may trigger multiple tax events that can severely limit the amount of funding available to the kids. Cutting the Tax Effects of Charitable Contributions Another strategy an estate planner can take to minimize the estates tax liability after death is by giving to charitable organizations while alive. The gifts reduce the financial size of the estate since they are excluded from the taxable estate, thus lowering the estate tax bill. As a result, the individual has a lower effective cost of giving, which provides additional incentive to make those gifts. And of course, an individual may wish to make charitable contributions to a variety of causes. Estate planners can work with the donor in order to reduce taxable income as a result of those contributions, or formulate strategies that maximize the effect of those donations. Estate Freezing This is another strategy that can be used to limit death taxes. It involves an individual locking in the current value, and thus tax liability, of their property, while attributing the value of future growth of that capital property to another person. Any increase that occurs in the value of the assets in the future is transferred to the benefit of another person, such as a spouse, child, or grandchild. This method involves freezing the value of an asset at its value on the date of transfer. Accordingly, the amount of potential capital gain at death is also frozen, allowing the estate planner to estimate their potential tax liability upon death and better plan for the payment of income taxes. Using Life Insurance in Estate Planning Life insurance serves as a source to pay death taxes and expenses, fund business buy-sell agreements, and fund retirement plans. If sufficient insurance proceeds are available and the policies are properly structured, any income tax on the deemed dispositions of assets following the death of an individual can be paid without resorting to the sale of assets. Proceeds from life insurance that are received by the beneficiaries upon the death of the insured are generally income tax-free. Estate planning is an ongoing process and should be started as soon as an individual has any measurable asset base. As life progresses and goals shift, the estate plan should shift in line with new goals. Lack of adequate estate planning can cause undue financial burdens to loved ones (estate taxes can run as high as 40%), so at the very least a will should be set upeven if the taxable estate is not large. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. What Is the London Business School? The London Business School is the graduate business school of the University of London. Founded in 1964 and located in the Marylebone neighborhood of London, the London Business School is routinely ranked among the top business schools in the world. Key Takeaways London Business School is a world-renowned graduate business school based at the University of London. Its MBA program is known for its emphasis on cultural diversity and international perspectives, and is consistently ranked among the top five MBA programs in the world. In recent years, London Business School's MBA graduates have pursued careers principally in the management consulting, finance, and technology sectors. 1:58 London Business School Understanding the London Business School The London Business School is well-known for its Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, which places a high level of emphasis on international business. It is commonly ranked among the best MBA programs in the world by leading publications, such as Businessweek, Forbes, and the Financial Times. Today, London Business Schools MBA program is home to about 500 students, consisting of 66 nationalities, of whom nearly 40% are women. In fact, only 10% of the MBA class of 2021 hail from the United Kingdom. The schools faculty is also highly cosmopolitan, with members hailing from more than 30 countries. These faculty members are spread across the schools seven major subject areas of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management Science and Operations, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, and Strategy and Entrepreneurship. The London Business School also operates several dedicated research centers, including the Aditya Birla India Centre, the AQR Asset Management Institute, the Centre for Corporate Governance, the Deloitte Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Leadership Institute. In addition to its London location, the London Business School also operates a second campus in Dubai, which offers an Executive MBA and maintains partnerships and programs with various universities throughout the world. One notable example of such partnerships is its participation in the EMBA-Global Asia program with Columbia Business School and The University of Hong Kong. Real World Example of the London Business School In 2019, the London Business School's full-time MBA program was rated by Forbes as the best international MBA program in the world. It received similar ratings from BusinessWeek and the Financial Times, who both rated it as the world's third-best program. The popular rankings website, Poets & Quants, cited it as the world's second-best international MBA program in 2019. With annual tuition of around $115,000 USD, London Business School MBA grads saw an average starting salary of just over $100,000 USD in 2019, of which over 90% accepted their offers within three months of graduation. In recent years, these grads have found employment principally in the financial services, technology, and management consulting sectors; with Goldman Sachs (GS), Amazon (AMZN), and McKinsey & Company being among their largest individual employers. The latest opinion poll out today shows a considerable lead for the 'Yes' campaign. However, with four weeks to go to the referendum on repeal, there is still a significant percentage of undecided voters. A Cruise liner twice the length of the pitch of Croke Park sailed into Dublin today. Celebrity Eclipse is going to be the first cruise ship ever based in the city. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today ratcheted up the Trump administration's rhetoric against Iran and gave warm boosts of support to Israel and Saudi Arabia in their standoffs with Tehran. Pompeo's comments in Riyadh and then Tel Aviv came as he neared the end of the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat. He has called for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes and other actions that he said destabilise the region. The tough line was welcomed by his hosts, particularly in Israel, which considers Iran its greatest threat and has led calls for the West to revise or reject the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region, and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said after a nearly two-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Israel has cited Iran's hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. It also has complained the nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability, and expressed concerns about Iran's involvement in the civil war in neighbouring Syria. Israel says it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, fearing the Iranians will use it to launch attacks. "Iran must be stopped, its quest for a nuclear bomb must be stopped, its aggression must be stopped and we're committed to stopping it together," Netanyahu said. President Donald Trump is to decide by May 12 whether to keep the US in the nuclear deal. Pompeo repeated the Trump position that "if we can't fix it, he is going to withdraw". Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran". Netanyahu also welcomed the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the scheduled move of its embassy from Tel Aviv on May 14. Pompeo said the US is "incredibly proud" of that forthcoming move. Pompeo had no meetings planned with any Palestinian official and it was not clear whether there had been any outreach to the Palestinians about his trip, which was to end in Jordan on Monday. In Riyadh, Pompeo said Iran "destabilises this entire region" and he also urged the Saudis and their neighbours to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar. US officials say Iran is exploiting it to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had undermined Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. "I think they would all agree that it's in everyone's best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together," Pompeo told reporters as he travelled to Israel. "We've got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognise that. We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them." Samsung spent a fortune buying market share in recent years, but we always found its TVs wanting. Now we find ourselves wanting its TVs. Has Samsung suddenly made the best TV on the market? A short, recent history of TVs A short, recent history of the TV market reads like this. LG invented OLED TVs and they were amazing with their genuine, true blacks and vibrant colours. Meanwhile, everyone else created flavours of LCD TV, which couldn't compete for quality, but often could on price. The notable exception here was the original, generation-one version of Hisense's Series 7 ULED TV which somehow managed to produce stunning colours while maintaining almost-true blacks all at a giveaway price. But that's gone now. However, then the TV manufacturers decided that High Dynamic Range (HDR) was the most important thing in the TV world and many LCD TVs got worse. Most seemed to think the best way to improve contrast was to ramp-up the brightness to achieve higher details in dark areas. In doing so they ruined true-black performance and set the TV world back a year or so. During this time, LG's OLED has ruled supreme and even licensed its technology to the likes of Panasonic and Sony. The same manufacturers continued to release rear-lit TVs throughout this period but all of them had a habit of creating distracting halo-effects over-illuminating small areas of detail on the screen to create bright patches where there shouldn't be any or illuminating letter-box bars to the detriment of top-quality movies. In all this time, Samsung didn't seem to care much about contrast and achieving true blacks. Its top TVs got super-bright but looked bad in dark rooms. Why is all of this relevant? Because Samsung may have just made the best TV in the world. What about LG OLED? It's still borderline-impossible to pick flaws in LG's picture performance. But now there are reports of the TVs suffering from image burn-in a killer flaw which seriously afflicted its predecessor technology, the plasma TV. While it's hard to quantify and doesn't yet appear to be widespread, it's certainly appeared on some TVs and that suddenly makes people think twice about investing heavily in a long term member of the household. Meanwhile Samsung is offering a 10-year no burn-in guarantee with its new QLED TVs. That's a comforting thought if you're going to spend so much. Top quality tests Our favourite tests for putting a TV through its paces involve the opening scenes of The Martian including the pre-film, studio credits. From the opening of the Fox Searchlight segment and seeing that there was virtually-no light-bleed into the letterbox bars, we knew that the contrast we saw at the product launch was no fluke: they stayed black despite blooming light right next to them. . The Samsung Q9 got off to a good start: fending off searchlights and maintaining true-black letterbox bars. On occasions where a solitary, bright object was present on an otherwise-black screen, there was some (inevitable) light bleed, but it's probably the least weve seen from any rear-lit LCD TV and wasn't distracting. A very minor issue was panning through space, on some viewings and not others, when remote star clusters exhibited some very-minor fluttering as the 480 backlight-zones worked out what they were supposed to do. However, this only appeared in one picture mode out of the many we tested. It's very difficult to photograph this icon in a dark room. The camera has actually exaggerated the low-grade halo effect caused by the backlighting. And that's a first issue. Samsung has many "default" settings on this TV, but also many Expert Settings. We actually found that our favourite picture appeared when turning most of the "enhancements" off or to "Low" settings, but much will depend on personal preference. Some listed 'improvements' made motion a bit juddery while others washed out colours or contrast. This generally happened to very minor degrees and most people will happily stick with out-of-the-box settings but enthusiasts will want to tinker to get the picture just-so. At this point, it's worth remembering that LG's OLED is pretty-much perfect out-of-the-box whatever you watch. Colours popping on a background that's essentially true-black with minimal, significant halo effect. Nonetheless, it was very rare to be able to detect any detrimental effect on the true-black nature of letter-box bars: whether it was with the latest 4K Blu-ray movies or on 4:3, 480p movies which positioned them at the sides. In short it's the best contrast performance we've seen from any top-end LCD TV. The Expert Settings are extensive and allow a great deal of tinkering. Colour performance We've been very impressed with the colours that QLED can display. Essentially the whole gamut is capable of popping off the screen only now it does that right next to true-blacks. Even the most technical 4K showreels looked amazing in terms of saturation and vibrancy. The 4K 60fps Costa Rica show reel in YouTube is a great way to show off colours, motion and detail. Upscaling An old Achilles heel of Samsung's has been its upscaling prowess. If you only ever watch Standard Definition TV or movies which is not normally through choice, but availability in Australia then there are better TVs to be had. But while Samsung's rivals have bunched into an ever-more-cramped pack at the front of the race, Samsung is now just a couple of steps behind. It could still be better, but It's not bad. As to whether it matters much nowadays, what with so much High Definition and Ultra-High Definition content available across broadcast TV, Blu-ray, Netflix and Amazon Prime, depends on the reader. Samsung's upscaling still isn't quite as sharp as with competitors, but it's not far off as this 480p screenshot on a massive 75-inch, 4K TV demonstrates. Apps One place where Samsung has come to excel in recent years is its app support. While the likes of Sony's Android TV apps technically offer much more choice, Samsung has almost all of the important, Australian apps built-in to a very-usable navigation bar. That said, Foxtel appears to have gone missing meaning that those wanting to watch occasional sporting or HBO content will have to stream it from another device. Nonetheless, Samsung's automatic-assigning of relevant icons to different input ports is continually getting better so there's increasingly-less likelihood that you'll need to scroll through multiple inputs to find the one you want. Samsung has almost all of Australia's main TV apps easily accessible. Samsung's automatic icon selection helps make choosing inputs simple. It's also worth noting the three new game modes which reduce HDTV lag to 21.8ms, 15ms and 6.8ms depending on what levels of image processing you want to keep or remove. There's also a Steam Link app available. Ambient mode One of the real wow factors of the TV is Ambient Mode which impressed pretty much every technology journalist who saw it at the launch. The launch event pictures speak for themselves. However, when we reviewed the TV we were reminded that the effectiveness of the translucent effect depends greatly upon the quality of the photo of the wall. If you're attaching your TV to a wall, for pity's sake take a very good picture of that wall first. If you use a low-resolution, badly-lit, upscaled picture then the effect is ruined. Good Ambient Mode. Bad Ambient Mode. Remote TV companies like to rave about their voice control and Sony (via Android) and LG have impressed us in the past with their accuracy with complex searches. Samsung's voice assistant technology is still some way behind as anyone who has used the company's recent phones would testify. The Samsung One remote has basic features, but the TV's menus are easy to navigate. This is a shame because the 'One remote' offers minimal features to the extreme. Manufacturers say that this keeps things ultra-simple, but this is countered by the difficulty of finding any setting out of the norm. Fortunately, Samsung's on-screen navigation is very good and intuitive so this wasn't much of an issue. Connectivity That Samsung has now got only one, tiny cable (called the 'One Clear cable') connecting power and all inputs to such a massive TV is very impressive. We saw the Teflon-coated cable at the launch and were impressed at how power was transmitted without heat generation or signal interference the latter is due to images being transmitted via optic fibre. Samsung Q9 connection box The Teflon-coated power/signal cable is barely perceptible. The connection box can subsequently be easily hidden no matter what size or shape dwelling you have. Sound At some point during our testing we switched off the sound bar that was attached to the TV. That we didn't realise we'd done it demonstrates just how impressed we were with the built-in speakers. Audio fidelity is well-rounded and punchy with some decent, booming bass yet dialogue remains consistently-clear. A good surround sound system will always beat it, but a regular or cheap one probably won't. Value Samsung's top-end Q9 QLED models aren't cheap at $10,499 (RRP) for the 75-inch model and $6,999 for the 65-inch model. The latter represents significantly-better value. While it will be tricky to negotiate big discounts early-on, potential buyers would do well to keep an eye on any upcoming sales as prices plummet when later models appear. That won't be for a while, but there's only so much better next-year's product-line refresh can be. Conclusion So, is LG still the king of the TV hill? For day-to-day use, we'd say it's still best-in-show thanks to practically-unbeatable image quality and usability. However, if image burn-in is a widespread thing, then that short-term gain could come at a massive long-term loss and Samsung is waving around that 10-year no-burn in warranty (which we suspect some buyers may try to engineer 9.9-years down the line to get a free, new TV) in an enticing manner. How important this is to you will depend from person to person: the anxiety factor might be enough to sway some. Nonetheless, LG OLED's flawless facade now has a crack in it, and if you want to be sure of top-reliability, the new Samsung 2018 Q9 potentially provides that at very-little detriment to quality. While we suspect that Hisense's original Series 7 TV was the best all-round LCD TV that we've reviewed, that doesn't exist anymore. Perhaps its recently-launched successor, the P7 will soon wow us once more? But regardless of that, Samsung's 2018 Q9 QLED is the best top-end LCD TV we've ever seen. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Reddit Email 181 Shares Newly minted secretary of state Mike Pompeo held consultations Saturday in Riyadh with Saudi officials, according to ABC. Pompeos program, like the foreign policy of Trump in general, was full of unlikely projects and ideologically driven impracticalities. An obsession with Iran drove most of these unlikely plans. Pompeo pressured the Saudi government to stop boycotting neighboring Qatar. From the point of view of Pompeo and his fellow cabinet member secretary of defense James Mattis, the rift inside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) weakens US allies vis-a-vis Iran in the crucial Gulf region, from which 22 percent of world petroleum is shipped. The GCC, founded in 1981, grouped Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. It had functioned to integrate the economies, infrastructures and foreign policies of the six Sunni oil monarchies. On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain (later joined by Egypt) launched a blockade of Qatar and apparently considered invading it and putting a puppet on the throne. Trump initially supported this move, backed by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. But over time the blockade failed to have a dramatic effect and Qatar regrouped and convinced the elites in Washington that the case made by Saudi Arabia was a flimsy pretext for aggression. Qatar had supported the Arab Spring youth revolts of 2011-2013, which Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy, absolutely detested. It also tilted toward the Muslim Brotherhood and other parties of the Muslim religious right that were interested in entering parliamentary politics, a development that the Saudis were determined to crush. Qatar has correct but no warm relations with Iran because the two countries share a gas field and need to negotiate over it, but Saudi Arabia wanted Doha to cut off diplomatic relations with Iran. The charges Saudi Arabia launched against Qatar were without foundation, such as support for Lebanons Hizbullah (Qatar gave south Lebanon redevelopment aid after the 2006 war, which is not the same as supporting Hizbullah. Qatar has not supported Hamas in Gaza, but has sent aid and development funds to Gaza with the cooperation of Israel, using Israeli banks.) My own guess is that Saudi Arabia wanted to get hold of some of Qatars wealth and that the blockade was a bank robbery. Pompeos demand that the Saudis cut it out is welcome, but perhaps not practical. Saudi Arabias ultimatum to Qatar was such that it is hard for Riyadh to climb down from it without losing face. Qatar is certainly not going to compromise by closing down its Al Jazeera network (Saudi Arabia wants to end freedom of the press everywhere in the Middle East) or by changing its foreign policy. So it remains to be seen if Pompeo can shore up the Gulf alliance against Iran, about which not only Qatar but Oman and Kuwait are diffident. Pompeo also appears (according to NYT) to have pressured the Saudis to find a negotiated end to the Yemen war, which the Saudis and their allies launched in 2015 and which is an embarrassing humanitarian disaster with few military victories. Pompeo will be preparing Saudi Arabia and Israel for Trumps withdrawal from the 2015 Iran deal curtailing Irans nuclear enrichment program. He wants to ratchet up boycotts of Iran again, which the deal had attempted to end. I predict that Saudi Arabia will be all in with regard to the Pompeo crusade against Iran, but that Riyadh will drag its feet with regard to its blockade of Qatar and its dreadful war on Yemen. Bonus video: Euronews: Pompeo visit Saudi leaders as part of three-day trip Not for Dissemination in the United States or over United States Newswire Services TORONTO, April 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V:MON) (Montero or the Corporation) is pleased to announce that, further to its news releases dated February 5, 2018 and April 10, 2018, it has completed a non-brokered private placement (the Offering) of 3,440,849 units (the Units) at a price of $0.24 per Unit, for gross proceeds of approximately $825,803. Montero intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for mineral exploration and working capital purposes. Each Unit consists of one common share (Common Share) and one common share purchase warrant (Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.32 per common share until the date which is (18) eighteen months following the closing date of the Offering. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration provision whereby if the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture exchange (TSX-V) closes at a minimum of $0.32 per share for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days, the Corporation may, at its option, accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to the date which is 30 days following the date upon which notice of the accelerated expiry date is provided by the Corporation to the holders of the Warrants. In connection with the Offering, a finder received a commission of $16,704, payable as to 69,600 Common Shares priced at $0.24 per Common Share. All securities issued or issuable pursuant the Offering including the commission are subject to a hold period of four months and one day. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to persons in the United States absent registration or an exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Related Party Transaction Global Mining Services Limited (Global) is controlled by Antony Harwood, the President, CEO and a director of Montero, who is an insider under applicable securities laws. Global acquired 125,808 Units in the Offering for gross proceeds of $30,194. ARO Consulting Inc. (ARO) is controlled by Sheri Rempel, the interim CFO of Montero, who is also an insider under applicable securities laws. ARO acquired 7,906 Units in the Offering for gross proceeds of $1,897. The participation in the Offering by Global and ARO are related party transactions as defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101), requiring the Corporation, in the absence of exemptions, to obtain a formal valuation for, and minority shareholder approval of, the related party transaction. The Corporation is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements set out in MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the participation in the Private Placement by Global and ARO does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Corporation, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. Development of Lithium Exploration Montero is actively seeking to acquire and evaluate new lithium and cobalt properties in Africa to develop its new battery metals strategy. About Montero Montero is a mineral exploration and development company engaged in the identification, acquisition, evaluation and exploration of mineral properties in Africa. Currently these include Lithium, Tantalum and Tin in Namibia, Phosphates in South Africa and Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Tanzania. Montero is reviewing and evaluating other opportunities from its operating base in South Africa. Montero trades on the TSX-V under the symbol MON. For more information, contact: Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. Dr. Antony Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: +1 416 840 9197 | Fax: +1 866 688 4671 www.monteromining.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Offering. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, approval and completion of the Offering whether or under the terms described above or not, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Monteros mineral properties, and Monteros financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Monteros activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Monteros forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Meghan Murphy writes: I grew up working class, and proud. My father was a Marxist who was active in the labour movement, campaigned for Canadas left-wing New Democratic Party, and educated me about the harms of capitalism. Throughout my teen years and young adulthood, I never questioned which side I was on. To this day, I remain steadfast in my belief that everyone deserves access to affordable housing, free health care, and advanced education. I believe that poverty is unacceptable and that wealth is unethical. I believe racism and sexism are embedded within our society. Im pink, through and through. But politics arent just about words and ideas. Theyre also about ethics and actionboth personal and political. And though I remain a leftist in my principles, I can no longer stand in solidarity with former fellow travellers whose ethics are dictated by social convenience, who prioritize retweets over free inquiry, democracy, and debate, and who respond to disagreement with calls for censorship (or worse). So what is it that caused Murphy to feel so estranged from others on the left? In my experience, it isnt the threats, insults, smears and verbal abuse you get from random trolls online that is most upsetting. Rather, its the betrayal from those who you thought were on your side: colleagues, friends, community members, political allies. If Mens-Rights Activists tell me Im a man-hating, anti-sex, cuntthats just another day at the office. But what may surprise some readers is that the bulk of the abuse I receive onlinelurid demands that I should be variously guillotined, curb stomped, drowned, or bludgeonedcomes from those who claim to be leftists. By way of background: I am sometimes smeared as a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (or TERF) because, as a feminist, I believe that gender is imposed on people through socialization, rather than innate factors; that trans-identified males have different life experiences than those of females; and that people who were born male, and have spent most of their lives as men, should not automatically be admitted to every space that is otherwise reserved for women. How dare she. In May 2015, Maggies Torontoa lobby group that supports the legalization of prostitutionlaunched a petition against me, with the intended audience being my bosses at rabble.ca. The petition claimed (falsely) that I had published material that dehumanizes and disrespects women with different experiences and perspectivesin particular Black women, women in the sex industry, and trans women. I also was accused of racism, whorephobia and transmisogyny. Whorephobia! I love these new words. A review performed by rabble editors and board members concluded that the claims of racism and transphobia were false, and that the allegations were rooted principally in the petitioners disagreement with my views about the sex industry. In other words, this was a political argument that my detractors had transformed into a personal campaign against my livelihood as an editor and writer. All too common. We see this in NZ. If you (for example) disagree that the Maori seats are a good way to enhance Maori representation, you get called a racist. As my own experience shows, it has become common to simply smear and misrepresent a fellow leftists position, even to accuse her of hate speech, based on differences arising from matters of policy or ideology. All of this is defended under the guise of creating a safe space to protect the marginalized from hurtful perspectives. But who decides who is and who is not marginalized, or which perspectives are worth listening to, and which must be dismissed out of hand as hateful? As in all movements, those with the most power tend to identify contrary opinions as dangerous heresies that must be silenced. This pattern has played out countless times, in countless places, throughout history. In its most general form, its called political persecution. Yep. Unlike a younger version of myself, I no longer believe that the positions taken by leftist parties and groups should be taken as automatically correctnor that positions argued by centrists (or even conservatives) should be immediately rejected, without due consideration. Experience has taught me to value independent thought more than blind allegiance. To put it bluntly, the Left has become cowardlythough you wouldnt know it from the heroic postures and hashtags that activists adopt on social media. The fear of dissent has made many progressives utterly incapable of self-critique or critical thought. A very good article. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More Reddit Pinterest Print Tumblr Pacomen / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young This is the third in a series of articles covering restaurants specializing in authentic international cuisine, produced in collaboration with Todd Sample and Sara Park of food consulting brand ToddSample Eats that recommends authentic international cuisine in Korea. Authentic here doesn't mean sticking to the way things should be, it's about representing the "heart and soul" of a culture. This monthly "dine & talk" journey explores food from different regions and the people who are making them. _ ED. By Yun Suh-young In the "Midnight Diner," a Japanese TV series made into a film, the main character who is the owner-chef of a restaurant, known as "The Master," serves whatever food the customer feels like eating when they enter the store, anytime between midnight till morning. The restaurant is a soul-soothing go-to place for those who want healing comfort food after a hard day at work. The place not only comforts one's stomach with delicious food but also warms the heart with care and attention coming from the Master himself, who interacts with his customers, imparting insight or being a good listener. The Master is like a "messiah," as in the eponymous name of the restaurant, to those seeking a soulful refuge in the bustling city of Tokyo. Take the same setting into Seoul and there's a restaurant tucked away in the alleyway near Hapjeong Station emitting a similar vibe. The name is "Ozawa." Seoul's 'Midnight Diner' From the outside it just looks like one of the many Japanese restaurants in Seoul, selling some of the popular Japanese home-style dishes. But what makes it different is beyond the visible. Chef Tetsuji "Ted" Ogawa, who refused to put his name on the store and modified it to "Ozawa," gives you a warm fatherly smile as you walk in. The artist-looking chef is the Master-equivalent in Seoul, serving Seoul diners with soul-comforting food till past midnight. Anyone who sets foot into the 10-seat restaurant will have the honor of being treated with whatever food they feel like eating that day -- even if it's not on the menu. Chef Ogawa will whip up a meal based on request, with whatever ingredient he has in the store. Chef Tetsuji Ogawa poses in front of a painting hung in his restaurant by American artist Jean Michel Basquiat. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young "I want my restaurant to be frequented by customers who come and say 'I want to eat this.' Then I'll say, 'Okay I'll make it for you.' That kind of style. Like 'Midnight Diner.' I can make whatever they want because they're coming to eat my food," said Ogawa, during an interview with The Korea Times. "Now, after I quit a department store project, I can do that. So they can order food that is not on the menu -- whatever they want -- as long as the ingredients are here. That's why I put the sign up saying from March, after regular time, people can order whatever they want. If they make reservations, I can make particular dishes." Story of 'don' Ozawa serves a variety of "don" (rice bowls) and "men" (noodles) whose culinary history is defined by fusion and improvisation. Signature dishes at Ozawa are "oyakodon" and "tantanmen." "About 150 years ago, there was a Japanese casserole 'nabe' (hot pot) store. One day, the chef noticed that customers would eat the chicken but leave the broth untouched. So he got rid of the broth, put an egg into the sauce and made 'oyakodon,' which became the beginning of the dish we know today," said Ogawa. "The word 'oyako' means parent and child in Japanese. Because egg and chicken are like parent and child, that's where the name came from." Oyakodon / Courtesy of ToddSample Eats There are an unlimited number of "dons" in Japan, according to Ogawa. "Don means 'bowl.' If we put rice and something on it, that's don. Udon is not the same as don. It has different character," he said. Tantanmen, which was initially Chinese, was revised by the Japanese to fit their own taste. "It was made by the Chinese living in Japan so the soup is Chinese style. Japanese love soup. So the Chinese lady who created the dish made it like that for Japanese people," said Ogawa. The "pacomen," with fried pork placed on top of noodles, is another invention by the innovative Japanese. "The Chinese meaning is 'pork rib fries.' The pork is marinated with Chinese-style sauce. Instead of chashu (grilled pork), they started putting fried pork into ramen. This is relatively new -- maybe it started about half a century ago," he said. Pioneer of Japanese 'jipbab' Ozawa has been running for 10-years now, mostly occupied with regular customers who find comfort in his food. "Ozawa is on record for re-tweets (over 5,000) on our account. (I guess) everyone was looking for real Japanese-style jipbab (home food). Now gajeongshik (home-style meal) is quite popular. Japanese food is (defined by) either a few ramen restaurants with Japanese chefs or sushi places. We thought that the idea of what is Japanese jipbab is not well defined in Korea. Everything else -- like izakaya, sushi, ramen -- people know, but not jipbab," said Todd Sample, explaining why this restaurant was a perfect place to experience Japanese jipbab. "Considering the proximity of the two countries, there's a disproportionate amount of authentic non-sushi, non-ramen places. I think that's why the response on twitter was so huge. The Japanese owner adds a premium to it. It's where the authenticity comes in," he said. Japanese home cooking is defined as "fusion," according to the chef. "Now we have Japanese families making every country's food in the house, so it's fusion. For traditional ones, they go outside to eat because it's hard to make it. But inside the house, they make everything -- mixing every country's style, not only Japanese style," he said. "Here, I'm making real Japanese home-made style that is affordable, popular dishes, not traditional high-end Japanese cuisine." Ogawa wanted to be a pioneer in jipbab. When he first opened 10 years ago, people didn't know what "donburi" was. "First I was thinking a ramen shop. Donkatsu ramen was getting popular. But I wanted to be the frontier. So I was thinking about what I should do. Then I came up with the idea of donburi. Back then people didn't know the name 'donburi.' So I said 'Japanese-style deopbab' (Korean rice bowl with toppings). Then right after I opened the donburi shop, the trend, the boom was donburi. Other donburi shops in Seoul opened," he said. Interior of Ozawa / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young Commemorative stamp for NK-China summit: A stamp to commemorate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping was released by Pyongyang's State Stamp Bureau, April 19. Kim met Xi during his China trip from March 25 to 27 in what was seen as a bid to secure diplomatic leverage before his summit with President Moon Jae-in, April 27, and one with U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or early June. / Korean Central News Agency Apr 29, 2018, 1:18pm ET Alfa Romeo ending MiTo production in July? The Giulietta will become Alfa\'s entry-level model. Alfa Romeo's model line-up will shrink again in the coming weeks, according to a recent report. The Italian brand will stop production of the MiTo, its smallest and most affordable model, during July. The news comes from Spanish website Motor. If the time frame is accurate, the MiTo (a portmanteau of Milan and Torino) will have spent a little over a decade on the European market. The writing has been on the wall for a while now. Motor adds Alfa Romeo sold just 33 examples of its Mini-fighting model in Spain during the first quarter of the year. European sales totaled 11,000 last year, down from a peak of 62,000 in 2009, the car's first full year on the market. So, what's next? Nothing, at this point. As of writing, a direct successor to the MiTo isn't in the pipeline. It's too small to sell in global markets like the United States and China and its two-door body style is becoming a tough sell even in hatchback-crazy Europe. "If there is a MiTo [in future] I don't think it will be in the [current] shape. The market has shrunk; two-door B segment hatchbacks is a very shrinking market," Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) boss Sergio Marchionne told Auto Express last month. The decision to deep-six the MiTo makes the Giulietta, a four-door hatchback launched in 2010, Alfa's new entry-level model. It competes in the same segment as the BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3. It's getting long in the tooth, too, but it stands a better chance of spawning a successor than its smaller sibling. We'll learn more about Alfa Romeo's plans for its hatchbacks in June when Marchionne publishes a five-year plan for each one of the group's brands. The Leinster Express as exclusive Laois Rose media partner is delighted to introduce you to each and every Laois Rose 2018 entrant, ahead of the Laois Rose Selection night on Sunday May 6. Every day we will profile two more of the contestants. Today give a big welcome onto our virtual stage for 19 year old, Jennifer Connaughton sponsored by Mon Amie Hairdressers. Jennifer Connaughton lives in Vicarstown, Co. Laois and is studying Business Studies in GMIT in Galway. In my spare time I love to do Irish dancing with Buggie School of Irish Dancing and play music with Ratheniska comhaltas, where I help to teach the beginners, she said. I work in a petrol station in Stradbally. I love chatting and meeting new people all the time as well as participating in as much as I can in my community, she said. This Vicarstown lady would love to travel and become involved with charities. Id love to travel and see different cultures around the world. Two places Id love to see are Belarus and Calcutta. Id also love to go around and meet various charities around Ireland. I am extremely honoured to be given the opportunity to take part in the Laois Rose and would like to thank my family, friends, neighbours and especially my sponsor Mon Amie Hairdressers for their love and good wishes, she said. Read about all of the Laois Rose 2018 entrants, and latest news on the event, on our Laois Rose website page here. Two projects from Leitrim were exhibited at Aldi Foroige Youth Citizenship Awards in Dublin last week. Foroige clubs in Ballinamore and Carrick-on-Shannon exhibited their local community events. Ballinamore Foroige Club, Leitrim held a sleep out in aid of the homeless. The Hideout Club were aware of the great work of the North West Simon Community and North West Focus Ireland who had ensured that 60 families did not become homeless in 2017. They decided to support the work of both organisations and help them to fundraise for their work in the local area. The group decided to hold a sleeping-rough event to raise much needed funds and awareness of homelessness. As part of the event the group painted banners and t-shirts, applied for a fundraising license and held a bucket collection. The Musehyper/Gamechangers Foroige Club in Carrick-on-Shannon created an animation to tackle litter. The young people of Musehyper worked with a local artist to create a DVD to tackle littering in the area. They created storyboards of the journey of litter from buying chips to the litter ending up in the sea. The group composed the text for the DVD. The DVD includes an animation including a rubbish monster and is now being shown to schools in the area. To reinforce their work against litter the group participated in a litter pick. (Jill Murray, Foroige and Noel Cronin, Aldi Ireland present Aaron Gunning and Aaron Rogerson, Musehyper/Gamechangers Foroige Club, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim, with a Certificate of Achievement at the Aldi Foroige Youth Citizenship Awards.) Commenting at the Awards, Sean Campbell, CEO of Foroige said, The Aldi Foroige Youth Citizenship Awards programme is designed to empower young people across Ireland to use their skills and talents to make a positive contribution to their local community. The programme involves young people researching the needs of their community, organising practical action in response, evaluating the effectiveness of their work and reflecting on what theyre learning along the way. The projects entered were all about solving social isues in the community for the community. Local Foroige clubs try to make a positive contribution to their area and teach young people responsibility in a entertaining environment. The Awards were opened by Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton T.D. Today FM presenter Alison Curtis hosted, while Seo Linn and DJ Claire Beck provided music throughout the day. On this date in ... 1918: Marie Hastings of Albany shot and killed Ignatius Hantow in 1914 after he questioned her about hurting his baby in their shared backyard. She was declared mentally incompetent and sent to Mattewan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane from 1915 until she successfully petitioned for her release in January 1918, leading to the current criminal trial on the murder charge. Her mental fitness continued to be an issue and the latest testimony by a fellow inmate at the Rensselaer County Jail, her place of confinement before the hospital, cast more doubt on her sanity. According to Bertha C. Grant, Hastings had claimed "that she was no prisoner at the Troy jail, but only a guest who was about to receive a pension for a great service she had done for the city." 1968: Albany County announced it would hold its first "bonus day" sales of tax delinquent properties May 6 through 8 in the County Legislature Chambers in the courthouse where 190 parcels would be auctioned in 84 individual units. Many of the parcels had been grouped together to make them desirable for developers. Bids would start at $200 for lots in Onderdonk Street and $3,600 for lots at 12-16 Bancker Street. 1993: Rabies was stalking Coeymans. Animal Control Officer Michael Byerwalters had been called 160 times since the end of February to kill raccoons, possums, coyotes and wild dogs suspected of having rabies. In 31 cases where he caught and killed the animal, they tested positive for the potentially deadly disease that strikes people as well as animals. Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/ The "They Marched for Us .. .We Walk for Them" veteran walkathon sponsored by the Albany County American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion took place April 21 at Cook Park in Colonie. The group raised money to support veterans hospitals and assisted living homes in the state, as well as Albany Fisher House. AKRON, Ohio - At a breakfast with African-American pastors here, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Richard Cordray answered question after question about the A rating he got from the National Rifle Association when he was attorney general. But his answer on weapons like AR-15s raised eyebrows. "Actually, if you go around the state of Ohio, there's a lot of people who like that gun," said Cordray, who has promised a pragmatic approach to tightening gun laws. "It's a very popular gun." A half-mile away stood a billboard from the campaign of opponent Dennis Kucinich, who touts his own F rating from the NRA: "Protect Our Kids. Ban Assault Weapons" is its starker message. Throughout the country, increasingly contentious primaries for governor are emerging as central battlegrounds in the broader struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party. While House and Senate primaries have focused on electability and the goal of winning the two chambers, these state-level races are home to debates on a range of core policy questions on guns, education, health care, the economy and marijuana legalization. And unlike congressional races, where the parties' campaign committees have intervened in primaries, there's no national group that takes sides in choosing the nominee. In many cases, establishment candidates and incumbents are being pulled to the left by an energized party base and surprisingly strong liberal challengers. In New York, actor and activist Cynthia Nixon has mounted a credible challenge to Gov. Andrew Cuomo by arguing that he seems to "work for the Republicans" rather than govern as a Democrat. Cuomo has responded by moving to restore voting rights for parolees and signaling openness to marijuana legalization. In Florida, where Democrats haven't won a governor's race since 1994, the three leading candidates spent much of a televised debate last week debating their liberal bona fides. Former congresswoman Gwen Graham, who spent her one term crafting a moderate record, defended herself against accusations that she didn't vote closely enough with President Barack Obama. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine discussed how they would move the state to the left. In Michigan, a wealthy entrepreneur entered the race and branded himself "the most progressive Democrat" on the ballot, backing statewide single-payer health care and a $15 minimum wage. Shri Thanedar now is ahead in polling and name recognition over former state senator Gretchen Whitmer, the clear favorite of party leaders and labor unions. Colorado has a crowded field, with a congressman, former state treasurer and lieutenant governor all in the race. There, candidates aren't battling over whether to provide universal health care but how to do it. In similar fights last year in New Jersey and Virginia, the Democratic Party's preferred candidates in gubernatorial races prevailed against challenges by insurgents from the left. In both cases, Democrats went on to handily best the GOP candidate. Liberal candidates have suggested that their states can become laboratories for left-wing policy and bulwarks against Trump policy. The wide-open primaries have shown how candidates from the left can energize the party's restive base, and the races have previewed fights in what looks to be a large field of candidates for the party's presidential nominee in 2020. Democrats who had not anticipated the size of the 2010 Republican wave have invested early in governors' races. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which started work in 2017 to prevent Republicans from drawing most of the new maps after the next census, has raised more than $17 million to work to flip legislative chambers and governor's mansions. "If we elect Democrats to these seats now, we can begin to unrig the Republicans' power on the system and restore fairness to our electoral system," said former attorney general Eric Holder, who chairs the NDRC. But neither the Democratic Governors Association nor the NDRC are getting involved in primaries. In Ohio, Cordray tried to run on "kitchen table issues," rolling out policies like free in-state tuition for some colleges, and arguing that it was pointless to run on gun-control policies that would die in the state legislature. His campaign centered on his work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which he led from 2012 until his decision to enter the race last year. The pitch was simple: He wasn't flashy, but he had spent years getting justice for consumers. "What is achievable? What will actually raise the level of peoples' lives?" Cordray said in an interview after the session with African American pastors at the Akron Family Restaurant. "People can throw things that are pie in the sky, and they don't have to worry about how to pay for it. I think that's irresponsible." Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who first proposed the CFPB that Cordray led, came this month to Ohio to campaign for "my friend Rich." Warren, a frequent target of President Trump, helped Cordray release a policy to combat opioid addiction. Cordray's style has also been a challenge with some voters. While Cordray has won the bulk of labor support, the Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsed Kucinich as the candidate "most likely to challenge Statehouse inertia," praising his style over Cordray's laconic search for compromise. Cordray's backers readily concede that their candidate is not much of a backslapper. "Let's just face it: Rich is a nerd," Warren said in an interview before heading to Ohio. But while local and national Democrats had viewed Cordray as their strongest possible candidate for governor in Ohio, Kucinich argued that "the establishment" had selected a dud when the state wanted a bold shift to the left. "The Democrats haven't won statewide elections because they offer candidates who want to blur the differences," said Kucinich in an interview after an LGBT event at an Akron nightclub. "If you're so interested in being elected, why not just run as a Republican? Let the rest of us lead on banning assault weapons, on the legalization of marijuana, against the fracking of oil." Kucinich has been backed by Our Revolution, the political group founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to promote "progressive" candidates. Sanders has pledged to stay out of the race. Kucinich has created openings for Cordray whenever the topic veered from core issues. At an early April town hall, he startled one supporter by saying that it should be "up to parents" whether children received vaccinations; when pressed, he said that the science was not settled. Two weeks ago, Cordray's campaign attacked Kucinich for not revealing a $20,000 honorarium from a Syrian lobbying group - with "ties to the so-called 9/11 Truther movement," as former Governor Ted Strickland, D, put it. Kucinich fought back, saying that the "cowardly, hysterical and outrageously untrue statements" reflected a panic among "State Capitol power-brokers" about his candidacy. But after a week of brutal attacks, amid early voting, Kucinich returned the money. In an interview, asked if he enjoyed the experience of campaigning, Cordray said that he liked only the substantive aspects. "I like dealing with people," he said. "I like hearing their stories. And I like figuring out how we can put our perspectives together to solve problems." During one quiet moment of the pastor breakfast, Cordray's newest TV ad splashed onto a nearby screen. It started with an image of Barack Obama, then cut to an image of Cordray, the man Obama hired when he "needed someone to have your back." "There I am!" said Cordray. Washington President Donald Trump lost no time hailing the historic nature of Friday's meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea. But the gauzy images and vows of peace by Kim Jong Un and his counterpart from the South, Moon Jae-in, have complicated Trump's task as he prepares for his own history-making encounter with Kim. While the two Korean leaders pledged to rid the heavily armed peninsula of nuclear weapons, they put no timeline on that process, nor did they set out a common definition of what a nuclear-free Korea would look like. Instead, they agreed to pursue a peace treaty this year that would formally end the Korean War after nearly seven decades. The talk of peace is likely to weaken the two levers that Trump used to pressure Kim to come to the bargaining table. A resumption of regular diplomatic exchanges between the two Koreas, analysts said, will inevitably erode the crippling economic sanctions against the North, while Trump will find it hard to threaten military action against a country that is extending an olive branch. To meet his own definition of success, Trump will have to persuade Kim to accept "comprehensive, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of North Korea something Kim has shown no willingness to accept in the past, and few believe he will accede to in the future. "This summit has put even greater expectations, greater hype and greater pressure on Trump," said Victor D. Cha, a Korea scholar at Georgetown University who was considered by the Trump administration to be ambassador to Seoul. "He hyped this meeting with his tweets, and now the entire focus is going to be on his negotiating prowess." Characteristically, Trump betrayed no anxiety in recent days as he discussed the challenges of the summit meeting, which is scheduled for late May or early June. He took much of the credit for the diplomatic thaw on the Korean Peninsula, and he said he would not commit the mistakes of his predecessors. Trump reiterated that he was prepared to cancel the meeting, or walk out in the middle of it, if his diplomatic efforts were not making any headway. But some of his aides say privately they worry the president, with an eye on the history books and a flair for the theatrical, is determined to emerge with a victory, even if it falls short of his stated goals. On Saturday, Trump said he had a "very good talk" with Moon. "Things are going well," he tweeted. "Time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set." The price of failure would be high for Trump. The United States could face a split with its ally South Korea, which is deeply invested in ending its estrangement from the North. Tensions could flare with China, North Korea's main trading partner, which only grudgingly signed on to the sanctions and would likely balk at keeping them in place if Kim is talking about peace. Trump is also moving on other fronts that could undercut his negotiations with Kim. He appears more likely than ever to rip up the Iran nuclear deal as he faces his next deadline of May 12 to decide whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Walking away from one nuclear disarmament deal while trying to strike another would be a trick, even for a self-proclaimed dealmaker like Trump. There is little question, senior officials and analysts said, that the U.S.-led sanctions, combined with Trump's bellicose vows to rain "fire and fury" on North Korea if it threatened the American homeland, helped bring Kim to the table. But Trump is only one of three actors in this drama, and perhaps not the most crucial one. Moon, a progressive former human rights lawyer, ran for office on a platform of conciliation with the North and has moved aggressively to deliver on that promise. He, not Trump, has set the pace and terms of the negotiation with the North, though U.S. officials say that Seoul is closely coordinating with Washington. Kim's motives for seeking a rapprochement are open to debate. Skeptical analysts said the advancements in North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile program as much as sanctions or threatened military strikes made the timing right. Others say he is replaying the cycle of provocation and conciliation pioneered by his father and grandfather. Though Kim made gestures of his own a pledge not to test bombs or long-range missiles, and an end to the North's insistence that U.S. troops withdraw from the peninsula he has not made any tangible concessions on his nuclear weapons. The language in his joint statement with Moon about denuclearization was vague and familiar to veterans of past negotiations with North Korea. "He's gotten all these meetings with world leaders without making any concessions," said Jung H. Pak, a former CIA analyst who is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for East Asia Policy Studies. "So far, everything has been no-cost for Kim." Given the warmth of the Moon-Kim meeting, few analysts are predicting that Trump's meeting with Kim will be sour. The most likely situation is an encounter that produces more riveting imagery and results in a broad agreement to negotiate disarmament in return for an easing of North Korea's economic isolation. The challenge for Trump will be embarking on a protracted negotiation with Kim that, if the past is any guide, will bog down in technical discussions about inspections of nuclear sites, the dismantling of installations and removal of nuclear fuel. Some question whether Trump's hawkish new national security team led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John R. Bolton will have the stomach for that. Others note that Trump may face pressure on the right if it looks as if North Korea is playing for time. With the North seeking to re-establish diplomatic and economic ties to the South, Trump will find it difficult to play the cards he used during his first year in office. Some analysts said Kim's outreach to Moon amounted to a kind of insurance policy against Trump. "It becomes awfully hard for Trump to return to the locked-and-loaded, 'fire and fury' phase of the relationship," said Jeffrey A. Bader, a former Asia adviser to President Barack Obama. Administration officials acknowledged the risk that Trump could find himself out of sync with Moon. They said their job was to remind the president of the proper sequence of negotiations with North Korea: tangible steps toward denuclearization, followed by an easing of sanctions, and then a peace treaty. As always, the wild card is Trump himself. "He sees this as a Nixon-in-China moment, and he will want to move quickly, where patience is the order of the day," said Kurt M. Campbell, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs. TOKYO - The South Korean government is trying to keep up the momentum in diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear question, announcing Sunday that the North would dismantle its main nuclear test site next month and that its leader, Kim Jong Un, was prepared to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The South's presidential Blue House also revealed a symbolic step of goodwill from the North Korean leader: It would move its clock forward half an hour to return to the same time zone as Seoul and Tokyo. This came two days after the historic summit between South Korea's Moon Jae-in and Kim, which resulted in a joint statement containing a vague agreement to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Kim pledged to dismantle its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, in the north of the country, in May, a Blue House spokesman said Sunday. "Some say that we are terminating facilities that are not functioning, but you will see that we have two more tunnels that are bigger than the existing ones and that they are in good condition," Moon's chief press secretary, Yoon Young-chan, quoted Kim as saying. There have been reports that the test site, buried under Mount Mantap, was suffering from "tired mountain syndrome" and was unusable after September's huge test, which caused an earthquake so big that satellites caught images of the mountain above the site actually moving. But numerous nuclear experts have cast doubt on that theory, and Kim apparently did, too. Kim said he would invite security experts and journalists to the North to observe the closure of the site, Yoon said. In Washington, National Security Adviser John Bolton said the Trump admnistration isn't "starry-eyed" about Kim's promises. The United States, he said on "Fox News Sunday," isn't ready to ease sanctions or offer other concessions to North Korea before Pyongyang fully commits to denuclearization. The White House, though, continues to prepare for an upcoming meeting between Trump and Kim, and Bolton said Sunday that the details are being negotiated. "We need to agree on a place, and that remains an issue," he said. "But if, in fact, Kim has made a strategic decision to give up his entire nuclear weapons program, then I think deciding on the place and the date should be fairly easy." There are other issues, Bolton said, that the administration wants to press, if not immediately, soon: "ballistic missiles, chemical and biological weapons, the American hostages, the Japanese abductees." Secretary of States Mike Pompeo, in an interview with ABC Sunday, also brought up the issue of three Americans who are being held by North Korea. Pompeo, who secretly met with Kim in North Korea in March, said while on a visit to Israel Sunday that Kim would not be alarmed about American intentions even if the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. This is not the first time North Korea has invited outside experts to witness the shutting down of some aspect of its nuclear program. In 2008 Pyongyang invited international journalists to film the destruction of the cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, from which it had been harvesting plutonium to make its first bombs. All the while, it turned out North Korea was building a separate uranium enrichment facility so it could continue to produce fissile material even without Yongbyon. Kim reportedly said while meeting with M0on that he had no intention of using his nuclear weapons against neighboring countries. "Although I am inherently resistant toward America, people will see that I am not the kind of person who fires nukes at South Korea, the Pacific or America," Kim said during the summit, Yoon told reporters in Seoul Sunday. "Why would we keep nuclear weapons and live in a difficult condition if we often meet with Americans to build trust and they promise us to end the war and not to invade us?" Yoon quoted Kim as saying. That will certainly be viewed as disingenuous, to say the least, given that Kim's representatives and state media outlets repeatedly threatened last year to fire nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States and to detonate a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. But this is a new year, and Kim, in a strong position having obtained demonstrably functional nuclear weapons and missiles, appears ready to deal. Kim also said he would turn the clocks forward in North Korea to put them back in sync with South Korea and Japan, Yoon said. In 2015, on Aug. 15 - the day the Koreas mark their independence from Japan's colonial rule - the Kim regime put the clocks back half an hour to create the "Pyongyang Time" time zone. It framed the decision as a rebuke to Japan. South Korea's progressive president wants to use his summit with Kim as a springboard to improve Pyongyang's relations with Tokyo and, particularly, with Washington. Moon and President Donald Trump spoke on the phone for 75 minutes on Saturday night Seoul time, and agreed that South Korea and the United States should continue to closely coordinate "so that the planned U.S.-North Korea summit generates an agreement on concrete measures to realize complete denuclearization," the Blue House spokesman said. Trump tweeted afterward that he "had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea." "Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set," Trump said. "Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations." Moon also spoke with Abe over the weekend and "offered to lay a bridge between North Korea and Japan," another Blue House spokesman said. Moon and Chinese premier Li Keqiang are expected to meet in Tokyo for a trilateral meeting with Abe - itself a significant breakthrough in the frosty relations in the region - on May 9. Moon will then travel to Washington for a meeting with Trump about the latter's summit with Kim, expected to take place at the end of May or beginning of June. Influential members of Congress expressed some doubts Sunday about relations with North Korea. "A lot of what they are agreeing to now they have agreed to in the past. And as it has turned out, they have something very different in mind when they talk about denuclearization," said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, during an appearance on ABC News' "This Week." Speaking on CNN, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said he would not have described Kim as "honorable," as Trump did last week after months of mocking the North Korean leader. "I think (Trump) is better to be able to just call him 'rocket man' and to be able to stick with that than honorable just because he is a ruthless dictator that does public executions of anyone who disagrees," Lankford, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told "State of the Union." --- The Washington Post's Tony Romm in Washington and Carol Morello in Tel Aviv contributed reporting. --- Video Embed Code Video: In the first inter-Korean summit that South Korea has hosted, South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on April 27. Here are key moments from the historic talks.(Sarah Parnass,Joyce Lee/The Washington Post) Embed code: Two arrested after car theft Two people were being held in the Morgan County jail Saturday after a car was stolen in Beardstown. Christopher E. Davis, 40, of Litchfield and Tiffany L. Mayes, 35, of 820 North St., Beardstown, were booked into the Morgan County jail between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Friday on charges of theft over $10,000 and possession of another persons credit card. Beardstown Police Chief Shane Hunt said a report went out that a car was stolen in Beardstown. He said the car was found in Athens, where Davis and Mayes were detained by Menard County authorities until Beardstown police could arrest them. Morgan County Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS William R. Stout, 49, of 4 Harmony Drive was arrested about 1: 20 a.m. Saturday on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer. Anstin A. Elliott, 36, of 830 S. Church St. was arrested about 8:45 a.m. Saturday on two counts of violating an order of protection. Jeffrey L. Kuhn, 59, of 1411 Beard St., Beardstown, was cited about 4 p.m. Saturday on charges of following too closely and illegal transportation of alcohol after a two-vehicle crash at South Main Street and Morton Avenue. Accident information was not available. South Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Christian M. Hazelwood, 27, of 242 S. Elm St., Winchester, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 5 a.m. Saturday on a charge of illegal transportation of alcohol and on a warrant accusing him of driving while license is suspended. Murrayville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS David R. Eyrse, 61, of 1253 Sunnyside Road, Chapin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:07 p.m. Friday on charges of driving while license is suspended or revoked and illegal transportation of alcohol. Cass County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Adrian Guerrero-Favela, 19, of 1406 Bay St., Beardstown, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:27 a.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of a fictitious or unlawfully altered identification card. Compiled by Greg Olson Going wire to wire, Euchred bottomed the field in the $2,500 Preferred Handicap Pace on opening night at Charlottetown Driving Park Saturday, April 28, winning by three lengths in 1:56.2. The six-year-old Shadow Play gelding trained and driven by Terry Gallant grabbed control through a :28.4 opening quarter over Mr Irresistible sitting the pocket. Adkins Hanover, after breaking at the start, moved first over heading to the half, timed in :58.4, and lost stride while pursuing pacesetter Euchred into the backstretch, forcing Czar Seelster to fan wide off his cover. Leading by two lengths past three-quarters in 1:27.4, Euchred turned for home and expanded his lead over Mr Irresistible despite broken equipment. Czar Seelster, after interference moving into the final turn, closed for third. Owned by Kayla Walker, Euchred won his fourth race in 10 starts this season and his 33rd in 105 starts overall, earning $73,446. He paid $8.80 to win. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park. TEL AVIV - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday as a "true friend of Israel," and both men affirmed that the U.S.-Israeli relationship has never been stronger. Pompeo noted that he has yet to visit his office at the State Department since being sworn in Thursday. Pompeo expressed pride in the administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv, a decision that prompted a lopsided vote of condemnation at the United Nations and spurred a handful of nations to move their own embassies to Jerusalem. "By recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and seat of its government, we are recognizing reality," he said. Both Pompeo and Netanyahu used their meeting to tear into Iran, characterizing it as an international menace whose ambitions have been unleashed by the 2015 nuclear deal, a view shared as well at Pompeo's previous stop, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. "People thought Iran's aggression would be moderated as a result of signing the deal," Netanyahu said. "The opposite has happened. Iran is trying to gobble up one country after the other. Iran must be stopped." Pompeo said Iran aims to dominate the entire Middle East, adding, "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Although Netanyahu praised the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as bold and historic, he met Pompeo in Tel Aviv, not in Jerusalem as originally planned. Pompeo had no plans to meet with any Palestinians, who have stopped talking to U.S. officials since the Jerusalem decision. Nor did he plan to visit the site in Jerusalem that the administration is upgrading into an embassy. Pompeo was accompanied by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and while posing for photos before the meeting, Netanyahu congratulated Pompeo on his new position. "We are very proud of the fact that this is your first visit as secretary of state," Netanyahu said. Pompeo replied, "You're an incredibly important partner (and) occupy a special place in my heart, too." Apart from updating Netanyahu on the looming decision on whether to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and coordinating ways to contain Iran in Syria, the Pompeo visit serves to set him apart from his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. During his 14-month tenure, Tillerson never visited Israel solo, only accompanying Trump. Under Tillerson, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was largely removed from the oversight of the State Department and added to the portfolio of Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. "Pompeo's early and quick trip to the region, particularly to Israel, is also a form of station identification that the new secretary of state intends to become a dominant force in Middle East policymaking," said Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official specializing in Middle East issues who is now at the Woodrow Wilson Center. In Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said he wanted to bring the "swagger" back to the State Department, and this trip is a step toward the goal. Under Tillerson, the voice most Americans heard on U.S. foreign policy was that of Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who is believed to harbor larger political ambitions for herself. The trip allows Pompeo to reclaim that role for the top U.S. diplomat, even as he has assiduously mentioned Trump's name in every public appearance he has made. "Year Two in Trumpland may be a very different place on the foreign policy side," Miller said, hastening to add, "with one exception - Trump will still sit at the center of it all." The May 12 deadline for Trump to decide whether to stick with or leave the Iran nuclear deal was the backdrop to every discussion Pompeo had. Talking to reporters on the plane en route from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, Pompeo brushed aside concerns that a decision to withdraw from the agreement could derail nuclear negotiations with North Korea. "I don't think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, 'Oh, goodness, if they get out of that deal, I won't talk to the Americans anymore," Pompeo said. "There are higher priorities, things that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay" in the Iran deal. Pompeo is the highest-level U.S. official to have spoken with North Korea's leader. Pompeo has repeatedly warned that Trump will walk away from the Iran deal if it is not strengthened with "fixes" that address Iran's ballistic missile testing and other issues. Potential talks with North Korea about Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons were expected to be an incentive for Trump to remain in the Iran deal, so as not to make Kim distrustful of U.S. intentions. Pompeo's dismissal of that notion, however, suggests that Trump won't consider it much of an obstacle, either. "I am confident that Kim Jong Un is looking for more than a piece of paper," Pompeo said. Rather, he added, Kim is "going to look for aligning our interests, right? Setting up what we talk about as concrete, irreversible actions, assurances that ... if we are able to be successful achieving this, that it will be lasting." In Riyadh, Pompeo proclaimed the Iran deal - which was negotiated by the Obama administration and included five other world powers - a failure. "The nuclear deal has failed to moderate the regime's conduct in many areas," Pompeo said, reading from written remarks and taking no questions from reporters. "In fact, Iran has only behaved worse since the deal was approved." The International Atomic Energy Agency has said repeatedly that Iran has complied with the terms of the agreement. Citing Tehran's support for Houthi rebels in Yemen and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, Pompeo added at Riyadh's airport, "Unlike the prior administration, we will not neglect the vast scope of Iran's terrorism." Pompeo meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman on Monday before returning to Washington. Authorities on Sunday arrested a man they say led them on a slow speed chase through the Northwest Side. A San Antonio police officer found the man driving around 5 mph on Loop 410 near Jones Maltsberger Road around 12:30 a.m. and attempted to pull him over. AUSTIN The two Democrats running for Texas governor were confronted Sunday during a town hall forum over their positions involving immigration, putting them on the defensive at an event that was expected to be friendly. A second surprise: Hours after the forum, the Latino group sponsoring it snubbed Lupe Valdez, the first Latina running for governor, and endorsed Houston entrepreneur Andrew White. Injecting drama into a race that so far has mostly been a snoozer, former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez was questioned about why she cooperated with federal immigration detainers while she was in charge of the Dallas County Jail. The forum that attracted about 200 people was staged Sunday by Jolt The Vote, a civic-engagement organization working to mobilize Latino millennials in the 2018 elections. Only Democratic statewide candidates appeared. In its endorsement, the Jolt group said White he had shown his "commitment to improving the lives of Latinos." The group also endorsed Beto O'Rourke for Texas Senate for the same reason. Valdez took exception with the suggestion in a question by Karla Quinones, a Dallas student, that she had a legacy of supporting "anti-immigrant policies" while she was sheriff from 2005 until last December, a reference to her surrendering detainees to federal immigration officials for deportation. Quinones said some participants at a community forum at the time turned their backs on Valdez and walked out in protest of her position. Valdez, insisting that she is a strong believer in comprehensive immigration reform, said the questioner was referring to "several things that were quite misunderstood." She said a few attendees at the forum, where she had arranged for federal immigration officials to explain the law, walked out rather than listen to the presentation. She offered no further details. Pressed by reporters after the forum ended, Valdez told reporters that she had stood up to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who demanded she comply with the federal immigration detainers. She said she could not discuss details because litigation on the issue is still pending in Dallas. "I think there's a misunderstanding of the track record," she said. Pressed further, she seemed to bristle at the continued questions: "OK, I've given you your answers. You wanted some answers. I've given them to you, OK? Now, let us do what we love to do best and (greet) some of the voters and go on to the other things we have to do. OK?" White was confronted over his longstanding ownership of Geovox Security Inc., a company that sells electronic devices that can detect heartbeats and is used in border security to detect the presence of undocumented immigrants inside semi-trailer trucks at Texas checkpoints near its border with Mexico. White said the technology is being used by several countries to curb sex trafficking along with border interdiction "to protect people's lives" by detecting them inside trucks, rather than have them die in summer heat. "I call it smart security, where you're making smart decisions to protect people's lives," he said, comparing it to Republican leaders' decision to send National Guard troops to the border. Both White and Valdez have supported de-funding the state-funded $800 million border-security program supported by Abbott and the GOP-controlled legislature, and using that money to pay for improvements in public education, healthcare and other initiatives. White's ownership in Geovox has been an issue for months, first raised by immigration reform groups who questioned whether he was profiting from federal immigration policies that he was criticizing. He said he got into the company in the 1990's with his late father, former Gov. Mark White, and that it makes up "a very small part" of his business portfolio. Texas' prison system bought the technology years ago to detect convicts trying to escape in delivery trucks, and federal officials have said it has been effective in busting human-smuggling rings. Valdez on Sunday offered no comment on White's ownership in the firm. White, though, told reporters that Valdez needs to answer questions about her policies as sheriff: "She didn't really answer. She put it off. The young lady who asked it deserves an answer." In addition to Valdez and White, who discussed their campaign goals and then answered questions, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke who is running to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Land Commission hopeful Miguel Suazo also appeared Sunday. Mike.ward@chron.com Twitter.com/@ChronicleMike Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked a question Tuesday that goes to the heart of the Texas redistricting case before the U.S. Supreme Court: Are you ending the litigation, or are you ending the possibility of a court stopping you from discriminating? And the answer, of course, is that Texas intent, in appealing lower court findings that the maps were racially gerrymandered, was to continue denying minority voters representation of their choosing. In other words, Texas is running out the clock until, perhaps, even the 2020 elections so Republicans can stay in power. Sotomayor posed the question after the U.S. solicitor general, inexplicably taking Texas side, argued that the state was proceeding in good faith to end the litigation without discriminatory intent. The Texas Legislature did this by adopting maps in 2013 that a federal court in San Antonio crafted hastily in time for the 2012 election, though they were clearly meant as interim and still contained racially gerrymandered districts from the 2011 maps that were under legal challenge. In our view, there are three questions before the Supreme Court in this case. Did the state intentionally discriminate in its redistricting? Should Texas be compelled to redraw the maps as soon as possible? Should Texas, because of its history of voter discrimination, again be forced to submit to federal preclearance of changes to voting laws, including redistricting? Yes, yes and yes. But, instead, Supreme Court justices seemed to be more concerned about whether they should be hearing the case at all. In ruling that the maps were discriminatory, the lower federal court didnt issue an injunction on the maps use but asked Texas to return to court so the maps could be redrawn. The state didnt, appealing instead. So, now, as the Texas Tribunes Ross Ramsey expertly noted recently, even if Texas loses this case, it will have, in a very real sense, won. If a court majority rules that the maps are constitutional, it wins outright. And if a court majority rules the courts are unconstitutional, this, Ramsey wrote, would mean the mapmakers got to hold at least three elections and rule for six to eight years before being ordered to stop. And this cynical strategy to cling to power, while denying the fastest growing groups in Texas fair representation, demonstrates precisely why the court should require the state to get its changes in voting laws precleared by the federal government. This was the rule before the Supreme Court in 2013 gutted a key section of the Voting Rights Act, saying that preclearance was no longer needed because of gains in voting rights. Texas demonstrates why that ruling was just plain wrong. And Texas will demonstrate this time and again until it is stopped, either by the courts or by voters who have tired of all this. February 3, 1917, was long remembered as the day of the big flood, which carried away the Bone Mill Bridge in Warkworth. By late afternoon the sloping streets were awash. Water roared down Hill Street, making a deep pool at the junction of Matakana and Great North roads (State Highway 1). At the hitching post, outside the Warkworth Post Office, it was deep enough for swimming. The main street did not escape Mr Follet (the baker) could not get from his shop to the bakehouse. The Bone Mill Bridge, which was located upstream from the town bridge, at the next ford above Tutts Falls, was a wooden structure that dated from colonial times. Although it had been condemned for use by heavier traffic, locals still found it a convenient river crossing. On this occasion, however, the ominous creaking and swaying of the timbers led to a hurried departure of some boys who were standing on it. At 7pm, the bridge crashed into the river below. A small crowd had gathered downstream on the town bridge to watch as sections of the old bridge were carried along by the raging waters. Some lodged against the under-structure while others were quickly sent crashing over the dam into the seething Mahurangi. The wharf, at Drivers Canning Factory, was also a casualty, as the debris collided with it and carried it away. In the aftermath of the storm, widespread damage was found in the district. Adam Dawson, who ran a launch service on the river, was employed to retrieve any timber found floating or beached in case it could be used to repair culverts and small bridges. There was much discussion about the need to replace Bone Mill Bridge, but no action was taken. In 1925, the natural ford where it had stood, was declared a stock route to be used by drovers, thus preventing the menace of stock being driven through the main street. As children in the 1940s we sometimes crossed the river at this point, dabbling our feet in the holes where the bridge piles had been driven into the rock. Since the Browns Road bypass was built in 1953, this part of the river is hidden from view, but walkers who take the river bank path can still enjoy Tutts Falls and the keen observer may note the site where the Bone Mill once stood. Signs of the old trench which conveyed the water to the waterwheel to power the mill can still be seen. Mr Dennis, who once worked at the mill, gave some details of its history when he revisited Warkworth in 1928. In the 1870s severe drought conditions in Australia led to stock being killed and many tonnes of bones being shipped to New Zealand. These were ground into bone dust at the Warkworth Bone Mill. Later the mill building burnt down and the millstones were removed to be used in the manufacturer of hydraulic lime. Judy Waters, Warkworth & District Museum www.warkworthmuseum.co.nz Chriss Kavanagh is a Hello World travel broker, who has visited more than 100 countries. She lives in Warkworth when she isnt on a plane to somewhere and recently bought a house in Spain. Mahurangi Matters asked Chriss to list the top 10 countries that would be on her ultimate trip. Argentina South America is my favourite continent because it has everything. Its safe as long as you use common sense, though I would recommend being part of a travel group or learning some basic Spanish if youre going to visit. In Argentina, I like the contrast between the vast deserts in the north and the ski fields in the south. Like New Zealand, the scenery is always changing, but on a bigger scale. Cuba It isnt a destination on many peoples itinerary because of a lack of easy access, but the jazz theme in Cuba is fantastic. Its not uncommon to walk up the street and see people playing a double bass or trombone on the side of the road. It also has a fantastic social history. Chriss recommends visiting Machu Picchu as a must do for any traveller. Peru If there is one place you should put on your bucket list, its Machu Picchu. Its an amazing experience. You have the option of completing a three-day Inca trail on foot or catching a train, so its accessible to everyone. Vietnam Vietnam is all about the food. Everything is fresh and Vietnamese cooking involves the use of a really great mix of herbs as well. For Kiwis who like their coffee, they produce the best in the world in my opinion. Spain I finally brought a house in Spain because it is one of my favourite destinations. The two drawcards for me are the language and the climate, which is hot and dry. Bolivia Its one of the less touristy places in South America and has quite a low socioeconomic status. Travelling there is all about the people, though, who despite their poor circumstances are unbelievably nice and helpful. The salt lakes are also amazing to visit. Croatia provides a rich history from its civil war. Croatia Croatia is becoming increasingly popular with tourists because it provides something quite different to a lot of other popular European destinations. The highlight there is the history, especially around the Croatian War of Independence. Guatemala If youre an adventurous type of traveller then Guatemala is a great destination. There are a lot of cycle trips and some fantastic lakes to do activities on. Italy Much like Vietnam, cuisine is a real highlight in Italy with the likes of fantastic cheeses and pizzas on offer. Its also home to a lot of stunning scenery. New Zealand As cliche as it will always sound, once youve travelled to half the places on the globe, you realise how great things are where we live. I visited England before I had even gone to the South Island, but its worth making sure you check out our backyard as well as trying all the other overseas options. An aerial photo of the residential development at 20 Link Crescent. Work begins on the site this week. Neighbours of the residential development at 20 Link Crescent in Whangaparaoa will see fences go up and trees felled on the land, starting this week. The undulating and waterlogged site is being developed by McConnell Property in partnership with Panuku Development Auckland and will eventually contain 60 homes, an internal road, public reserve where a Family Centre is to be built, and childrens playground. The development was given Special Housing Area status in February of this year and obtained resource consent in June. The site was blessed on August 12 by manu whenua, Ngati Manuhiri, before a small gathering of contractors, engineers and McConnell Propertys development manager Matt Anderson. Mr Anderson says that Panuku Development has kept neighbours up to date with progress on the development this included a meeting in Whangaparaoa Library on Monday, August 15. The initial work that gets underway this week will include putting an accessway across the stream and felling more than 20 tall pine trees. Earthworks, including piping the stream underground, will begin on October 1 and the first houses should be built around the middle of next year. One of the main things that sets Marvel Cinematic Universe movies apart from any other superhero movies is the fact that they're the perfect balance of serious and hilarious. It's hard to find that kind of balance, but it surely exists. Moreover, when you have such incredible actors in your movies which Marvel obviously does sometimes the most memorable scenes and lines don't even need to be in the script. There are so many scenes from the movies that fans remember to this date, it doesn't matter if they watched the movie yesterday or ten years ago; and it's kind of surprising and impressive at the same time that some of them were improvised by the cast. Here are some of the best unscripted scenes because what else can we write about these days, other than Avengers and Marvel? 1. Tony Stark And His Blueberries A lot of fans are aware of the fact that Robert Downey Jr gets hungry easily and, therefore, likes to hide food all over the set. Well, one of his snack breaks actually made it onto 'The Avengers' when he got hungry while filming a scene with Mark Ruffalo and pulled out blueberries. No one can ever say no to Robert Downey Jr, now can they? 2. Thor Hanging His Hammer On A Coat Rack As the name suggests, 'Thor: The Dark World' is supposed to be a little gloomy and serious but that doesn't mean that some jokes can't make it into the movie. One such hilarious scene, as it turns out, was improvised by the man himself. When Thor enters an apartment, he's quite confused as to what to do with his hammer. So, what does he do? He hangs it on the coat rack, of course. Apparently, Chris Hemsworth came up with the idea while goofing around during takes, and he just thought it was funny. 3. The Avengers Eating Shawarma Marvel loves those post credit scenes and the one featured in 'The Avengers' might be the best one. This one features all the Avengers sitting silently at a shawarma place after saving the world. The scene was inspired by any guess Robert Downey Jr, of course. In the end, Tony Stark almost loses his life right before the Hulk breaks his fall. Then, while he's surrounded by all the Avengers, he opens his eyes to ask what's next before suggesting that they all go out for shawarma after. 4. Star-Lord's Introduction Everyone always knew Iron Man and The Hulk, but Guardians Of The Galaxy? Not so much, at least not until the movie became such big hit. Because of this, director James Gunn and star Chris Pratt decided they could have some fun with the character's relative unpopularity by making a little joke when Star-Lord is first captured. In the scene, he is deeply disappointed that his captors don't recognize his superhero name. Well, that was a great way to get the audience to sympathise with this superhero that no one can forget now. 5. Iron Man's Dialogues I'm sure a lot of hardcore Marvel fans are aware of this already but I'm still putting this on the list because this probably is the biggest improvisation that has come out of all the MCU movies. When director Jon Favreau started filming the first 'Iron Man' movie, he went on with more of a framework than an actual script, and there was no other option to take an improv-heavy approach. Luckily for him, he had an amazing cast who was up for the task, mainly Robert Downey, Jr. and Jeff Bridges, who improvised most of the dialogues in the movie that started it all. 6. Hawkeye's Funny One-Liner Hawkeye and Quicksilver had somewhat of a love-hate relationship, where they constantly kept challenging each other. But, that came in handy when we got one of Hawkeye's funniest lines in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'. At one point in the movies, Quicksilver is speeding away and then Hawkeye to draw his bow and take aim at him, while quietly saying Nobody would know 'last I saw him, Ultron was sitting on him!'. That was a line Jeremy Renner actually came up with himself. 7. Odin's Growl Remember that scene in 'Thor' where Asgardian ruler Odin banished Thor from the realm and even took away his hammer? Well, turns out that Anthony Hopkins was so into the scene that when Loki tried to step in to defend Thor's actions, Hopkins let loose with an incredible snarl to shut him up. That was actually completely unscripted and the shock on Tom Hiddleston's face is totally genuine. Well, when you get an incredible actor like Anthony Hopkins to improvise, the result will be nothing short of amazing. 8. Peggy Carter Meeting Captain America Captain America literally went from zero to hero in 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and we weren't the only ones shocked and also in awe of his transformation. When Peggy Carter first met him in the movies, he was still the scrawny kid too weak to get into the army, but we all know that changed soon. When the new and improved Steve Rogers came, Peggy couldn't help but be distracted by his enviable physique, even going as far as to touch his bare chest. It does seem like a natural response to having a shirtless Captain America standing so close to you, and it turns out, it actually was! Heyley Atwell admitted that when the cameras rolled during that scene, it was the first time she'd seen Evans without his shirt on and she just couldn't help herself. 9. Thor Noticing Captain America's Beard In Wakanda 'Infinity War' was not only the biggest and most anticipated movie of the year, but it was also the big debut of Chris Evans' beard (which has now turned into a pornstache because good things don't last long). Remember Thor's epic entrance in Wakanda, after which the whole theatre started cheering? Well, after that he had a mini-reunion with Captain America, where he says that Cap here copied him. Turns out it was all Chris Hemsworth. 10. Tony Being Strict With Peter Parker After their battle with Ebony Maw and plenty of pop culture references, Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, and Peter Parker are regrouping when Peter proclaims that he's backup, and Tony quickly retorts by stating that the adults are talking. It was a nice comic relief moment during an intense scene, but it turns out that it wasn't a part of the script. Robert Downey Jr has been playing the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man for ten years now and looks like he's reached a point where he doesn't need small things like scripts to hold him back. He knows exactly what Tony would say or do and he's almost always right. 11. That One Scene In Infinity War It's not only Tony Stark who's teaching Peter Parker well, but it also seems like Robert Downey Jr is also teaching Tom Holland a thing or two. As everyone knows, this was 1. The most heart-breaking line in the entire movie and 2. It was completely improvised by Tommy here. Such pure talent at such a young age, fill props to Tom Holland. Also, let's move on to the next one because I'm done reliving Spider-Man's death scene. 12. Drax Being Drax In Infinity War Yes, everyone knows about this one also, but I had to put, it's one of the funniest lines in the movie and it increased my love for Drax and Dave Bautista tenfold. "Why is Gamora?" - Such a simple line yet it had the power to make everyone laugh out loud. Good job, Drax. Also, if he's not back in the next movie, get ready for my own Infinity War with Marvel. Also, I'm pretty sure it was at this point when Tony lost all hope of surviving. M Sivaguru Prabhakaran wanted to pursue engineering after his class XII exams but couldn't because the situation at home demanded that he work and support his mother and sister. I couldn't continue my education after Class XII because of my family's financial situation, said Prabakaran while speaking to TOI about how he managed to secure 101 rank in the UPSC exams despite all odds. Sivaguru's father was an alcoholic and therefore his mother and sister had to support the home financially. Watching them work day and night, Sivaguru also decided to leave his eduction and work as a sawmill operator. I worked as a sawmill operator for two years and did a bit of farming. Whatever money I could muster, I spent some towards my family and saved some for my education. I wasn't prepared to let go of my dreams, he said. In 2008, Sivaguru decided to get himself an education too after having already paid for his brother's engineering and marrying off his sister. He enrolled in civil engineering at Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology in Vellore. My English language skill was not good. I studied in Tamil medium, Prabakaran said. But this was not enough for Sivaguru who decided to go to Chennai in the hopes of clearing the IIT entrance. A friend referred me to a tutor in St Thomas Mount who trained underprivileged students like me, he said. It was not easy at first as Sivaguru studied during the weekend and took shelter at the platforms of the St Thomas Mount railway station. He would then return to vellore for his college during the week and worked part time to support himself. After clearing IIT and finishing his M.tech as the top ranked student in 2014, Prabhakaran decided to pursue this dream of becoming an IAS. In his fourth attempt, he cleared the exam with flying colours. His inspirational journey to push himself and his family out of poverty by getting an education is incredibly heartwarming. When such hard working people get into the civil services, you know that they'll build an India of tomorrow that is much stronger and better than what we are now. Ever since Southwest Airlines first announced its plans to start flying to Hawaii, everyone has wondered exactly which routes it will fly, when the service will start, and what it will cost. This week, the company answered a part of the first question but none of the others. In discussing Southwest's first quarter financial results, CEO Gary Kelly revealed that the airline will fly to four Hawaiian airports: Honolulu on Oahu, Kona on the Big Island, Kahului on Maui, and Lihue on Kauai. TravelSkills with Chris McGinnis sponsored by See More Collapse But he didn't say which mainland cities would get the new service, or when it would start, or what it would cost to fly to the islands. The four airports Kelly mentioned aren't exactly a surprise, since they are the destinations for most flights to Hawaii. "The California gateway cities news is still forthcoming," a Southwest spokesman told us, and so is fare and schedule information. He also said he couldn't share any information on speculation that Southwest might begin inter-island flights in Hawaii as well. At least his reply suggests that all of Southwest's initial flights to Hawaii will be from California airports. And in that case, the most likely candidates would be those where Southwest has the bulk of its operations in the state Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and San Jose. As for when it might start, Kelly reiterated that Southwest still expects to begin selling tickets to Hawaii sometime this year. In January, he had said that the goal was to start flights by the end of 2018. The airline is still working with the FAA to gain certification for its aircraft to operate the long over-water flights. Ever since Southwest announced its intentions to fly to Hawaii last year, roundtrip fares have tumbled well below the $400 or so average that held for years. In a few rare cases, fares went as low as $200 round trip in recent months. Southwest is likely to begin the Hawaii service with its existing 737-800s, but soon transition the flights to new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Those planes have a greater range, and could permit service from Southwest strongholds outside California, like Denver. Kelly also confirmed that Southwest will be increasing its East Coast operations thanks to airport slots it is acquiring from Alaska Airlines, including 12 at New York LaGuardia and eight at Washington Reagan National. But he didn't say how the airline will use those slots. "These opportunities complement our network and fit within our 2018 growth plans," Kelly said, "with available seat-miles expected to increase in the low five percent range year-over-year." Will you fly Southwest to Hawaii? Why or why not? Please leave your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here 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. When it comes to mansions in the Hamptons, Christie Brinkley has decided that two is too many. The former supermodel has relisted both (yes, both) of her homes on Long Island for a combined total of $49.5 million. The Bridgehampton estate and the Sag Harbor home, both listed in 2016 but later taken off the market, are currently listed for $29.5 million and $20 million, respectively. Christie Brinkley is listing two Hamptons houses: one in Bridgehampton, NY, (top) and one in Sag Harbor, NY (bottom). Brinkley's primary residence is the more pricey of the two properties, the Bridgehampton estate called Tower Hill. But she plans to move into whichever home does not sell, according to the listing agent for both homes, Enzo Morabito. "She's not leaving the Hamptons," he says. We'd be tempted to stay put too, in a place like Tower Hill, a lush 20-acre compound that contains a four-bedroom, five-bath main house; a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath guesthouse; a separate barn/artist studio with living quarters; and a 50-foot observation deck, perfect for taking in the beauty of the Atlantic coast. And just in case you're hoping it's been relisted at a lower price, since no one bit last time? No dicethe $29.5 million asking price is exactly what it was back in 2016. Christie Brinkley currently lives in her Bridgehampton estate. realtor.com The other shorefront home in trendy Sag Harbor was built in 1843 and overlooks 327 feet of private beach on the open bay. The 5,500-square-foot house boasts five bedrooms, five baths, and a panoramic view of the harbor. Back in 2010, Brinkley listed this place for $16 million, then listed it again in 2016 for $25 million. So in this case at least, its current $20 million price tag could be seen as a bargain ... of sorts. Morabito thinks the home in Sag Harbor will be the first to attract a buyer. Why? The alluring location: This pad is just half a mile from Main Street. "Sag Harbor is a hot town. It's like downtown Manhattanvery eclectic, very desirable, just as ideal as it can be," Morabito says. "You can meet anyone there, from locals to billionaires." Christie Brinkley is looking for the right buyer for her Sag Harbor home. Does relisting a luxury home tarnish its image? While Brinkley's homes are plenty palatial, we have to wonder: Are these multiple relistings a sign something's wrong with these properties, or that they aren't worth those stratospheric price tags? Most experts say Brinkley has no reason to worry. "We received quite a few offers last year, when we first put the Sag Harbor home on the market, but we're trying to find the right buyer," Morabito tells realtor.com, without getting into specifics of why those deals didn't go through. "It's a very special place." When it comes to the luxury real estate market, relisting is just par for the course. "The higher the price point, the longer it takes any home to sell. This leads to an increase in the number of homes taken off the market and relisted later," explains Glenn Phillips, CEO of Lake Homes Realty. "Sometimes this is a sales strategy, sometimes it is just a change of mind by the seller." But whatever the reason, it's all OK when you're dealing with multimillion dollar homes. "These homes are discretionary purchases. No one has to buy one," Phillips continues. "You just have to match up with the person who has the means and who is actually wanting to buy that house now." Why relisting can be rough for the rest of us For those of us who aren't unloading eight-figure homes, selling a relisted home is traditionally difficult. "The perception is that something's wrong with it, it's defective or damaged somehow. It's like day-old breadno one wants to even touch it," says Brian LeBow, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Temple City, CA. He says 45 days on the market is about the time that the listing loses its luster. "In my experience, the formula comes down to price + condition + exposure = a sale," says Damian Hall, a real estate agent from Greenville, SC. "If one of those is off, it could easily create a situation where the home doesn't sell and needs a fresh strategy." You'll know your home is priced right if you receive offers within the first two weeks, the time LeBow refers to as the "golden-listing window time frame." "That's where the most offers are received if the home is marketed and priced correctly," he says. Tips on relisting your home If you do have to relist your home, all hope is not lost. "Most sellers think they need to drop the price, and that isnt always true," says Joseph Skurkis, a real estate agent in northeastern Pennsylvania. He recommends identifying your previous agent's strategy and then finding an agent who will bring a new approach, whether it's using different marketing strategies, taking new listing photos or video, or offering up incentives like a free home warranty. Adam Mahfouda, CEO of Oxford Property Group in New York City, agrees that the most important thing to do is something different. He suggests renovating, painting, restaging the interiors, lowering the price, or offering financing options. Sellers should also have a clear narrative on why the house didn't sell the first time around, what was done differently this time around, and why, he says: "There are a million things that can be done, but the most important thing is do something different." The post Christie Brinkley Relists Her 2 Homes in the Hamptons: Why Haven't They Sold Yet? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. For the first time in five years, all three components of the Air Force achieved both their recruiting goals and end strength... Key List of minerals for each chemical element References Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A) Hitchcock, Edward (1832). Report on the Geology of Massachusetts examined under the direction of the Government of that State during the years 1830 and 1831. American Journal of Science 22, 67. Nason, Elias (1874). A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts (Boston: B. B. Russell), p. 404. Nason and Varney (1890). A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts, pp. 534-536. Hurd, Duane Hamilton, ed. (1890). History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Vol. III, p.246 External Links Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality North America Plate Tectonic Plate This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary. An attempt to mine gold and silver started by Joseph Heald ca. 1780.Heald surmised that the deep gorge through which a brook flowed into what is now called Heald Pond showed indications of a "gold pocket", and began to tunnel into the side of the ravine. He eventually dug about 60 feet into the rock at a height of about 6 feet. Heald abandoned the project, with no record of any gold or silver actually being found.Around 1880, Daniel Bates of Fitchburg MA studied the location and decided it was worth resuming mining operations at the site. He constructed a crushing mill and once again the search for gold and silver began. After about three years he was in need of capital, and thus formed the "Fitchburg Gold and Silver Mining Co." After another two or three years, Bates abandoned his operations.It was noted in 1890 that fresh attempts to find wealth in the mine had begun. (Hurd, 1890)"A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts" (1890) states "... Heald's Pond, and at the southern opening of the canon is Heald's Mine, penetrating the rock more than 100 feet. This work was done about or soon after 1780... The geological structure of the town is the St. John's group, or Andalusite slate. The soil in general is clayey."This is probably the same site reported by Hitchcock (1832): "In Pepperell an individual has been engaged for several years, in pushing a drift into the rocks, which he has penetrated eight or ten rods; although individuals who have visited the spot, (I have not) can discover nothing but iron pyrites ." Mineral List Rock Types Recorded Note: this is a very new system on mindat.org and data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information! Select Rock List Type Alphabetical List Tree Diagram Regional Geology Historic gold mine. The country rock is pumiceous rhyolite tuff, hosting oxidised, abundant pyrite, rubbly quartz reefs with sparse Au-Ag. The Footwall of the reef is well defined, dipping 45 degrees south, while the Hanging Wall gradually merges with the country rock. The reef is described as segregated vein formations, and lenticular pipes within mineralised breccia bands, with erratic mineralisation.The deposit was discovered by McIsaac and Meickle (spelt variously in the newspapers) above the head waters of the Kapowai River, two kilometres east of the Welcome Jack Mine, and about 15 kilometres south of Coroglen. The Mindat co-ordinates are very approximate, with no clear access into this thickly forested rugged area.The Kapowai Gold Mining Company operated the mine between 1899-1903, then Michael O'Connor 1903-1906. The mine has produced 4182 tonnes of ore yielding 3408 ounces of gold. The mine contained an eight stamp battery, 2 adits, and a shaft to 133 feet deep. O'Connor formed another Kapowai Gold Mining Company in 1906, and activity by the company was found until 1911.Meanwhile in 1899, George Lindsay and Henry Brett had registered the Golden Reefs and Perseverence claims. The Kapowai company amalgamated the Golden Reefs, Perseverence, and Kapowai claims, and appointed George Lindsay as mine manager.The Kapowai Amalgamated Gold Mines Limited took 77 tonnes of ore out yielding 52 ounces after three weeks work in 1933. The following year the company was wound up, having exhausted its funds.3 valid minerals. This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found. Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org Cenozoic volcanic rocks Age: Pleistocene (0 - 2.588 Ma) Lithology: Ignimbrite(s); felsic volcanic rocks; rhyolite Reference: Chorlton, L.B. Generalized geology of the world: bedrock domains and major faults in GIS format: a small-scale world geology map with an extended geological attribute database. doi: 10.4095/223767. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5529. [154] Whitianga Group rhyolite lava and related deposits Age: Neogene (2.588 - 11.62 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Whitianga Group Description: Rhyolite lavas and dome complexes with associated breccia and tuff; minor obsidian and intense hydrothermal alteration locally. Comments: Zealandia Megasequence Extrusive and Intrusive Rocks (Neogene) Lithology: Rhyolite, breccia, tuffite Reference: Edbrooke, S.W., Heron, D.W., Forsyth, P.J., Jongens, R. (compilers). Geology Map of New Zealand 1:1 000 000. GNS Science Geological Map 2. [12] Coroglen Subgroup ignimbrite (Whitianga Group) of Coromandel Volcanic Zone Age: Miocene (5.333 - 11.62 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Coroglen Subgroup Description: Ignimbrite flow sheets and local rhyolitic and obsidian-rich pumice breccia deposits and tuff. Comments: Neogene igneous rocks. Age based on K-Ar and FT Lithology: Major:: {ignimbrite},Minor:: {rhyolite, tuff, breccia} Reference: Heron, D.W. . Geology Map of New Zealand 1:250 000. GNS Science Geological Map 1. [13] Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary. References How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image) Controls - all media types Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device. Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen. < and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys. < and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys. > in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys. ? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key. Other keyboard shortcuts: 1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons Scalebar If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular. Controls - Video Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key. Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation) Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys. The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types. The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control. Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways: - without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method - with stereoscope - with anaglyph glasses. - on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system) For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them. Controls - photo comparison mode If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu. Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder. Summary of all keyboard shortcuts Many people are worried about the large number of "unlinked" cases. But they worry for the wrong reason. It does not really mat... Veteran reliever Francisco Rodriguez has reached an agreement with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, Jon Heyman of FanRag tweets. The 36-year-old Rodriguez had been without an employer since the Phillies released him in March after a failed bid to crack their Opening Day roster. The right-hander previously inked a minor league deal with the Phillies, who took a flyer on him in the wake of a dismal season for the longtime closer. As a member of the Tigers in 2017, Rodriguez pitched to a 7.82 ERA/7.38 FIP and logged an unappealing groundball rate (30.1 percent) across 25 1/3 innings before they released him in June. Odds may be against K-Rod ever pitching in the majors again, but its clear he hasnt abandoned that goal. For now, hes set to serve as one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Atlantic League, which has seen some household names come and go over the years. Also a former Angel, Met, Brewer and Oriole, Rodriguez ranks fourth all-time in saves (437) and owns a 2.86 ERA over 976 major league innings. Interventions: A commitment to second chances Incarceration of non-violent offenders is expensive, and arguably less effective to stem mischievous and poor choices made by individuals who... READER FEEDBACK Respect hard work! The number of people in Lapeer County who hold college degrees is not that many, but that... SOUND OFF Many important people in schools every day It was nice of the newspaper to acknowledge that other school employees besides... Quantsapp FY18-19 kick-started with a positive momentum as Nifty50 erased streak of negative closing and ended the series with a gain of 5 percent. Geopolitical worries were put to rest as institutional investors resumed their buying spree. IT and Infrastructure sectors remained top performers for April month. Strong rollover was witnessed in both Nifty and Bank Nifty. The Nifty roll stood at 72 percent compared to 67 percent recorded in the last expiry while Bank Nifty roll was 82 percent compared to 72 percent in the last expiry. Pharma and Infra sector witnessed strong roll-over with positive price action. IT witnessed relatively low roll-over as traders resorted to profit booking by leaving the position on the expiry post stellar rally of 12 percent in the Nifty IT Index. The Nifty May series options data suggests highest congestion at 11000 CE with OI of 51 lakh and 10500 PE with OI of 37 lakh suggesting upward shift in option band from 10500-10700 to 10500-11000. With relatively less congestion across strikes of Call and Put indicates option seller are cautious and directional momentum may kick in May series. Bank Nifty is also poised for upward trajectory as Put writers are aggressive at 25000 strikes while call writing is muted at the higher end and spread across 25500 and 26000. Short covering in beaten down Private banks and PSU banks could provide decent upsurge to Index. Participant activity suggests FII had squared off major short position in April series and bias has turned positive. FII Index Long to Short ratio has increased dramatically from 0.22 last expiry to 1.31 at the start of May expiry. Clients Index Long/Short Ratio has fallen from 1.61 to 1.36. In the Index Options, FII Synthetic Long (Call Long + Put Short) to FII Synthetic Short (Put long + Call Short) ratio has moved up from 0.64 to 0.84 strengthening their positive bias. Bank Nifty witnessed strong rollover and positive weekly closing. Beaten down stocks are showing sign of reversals. Options data too is suggesting upward shift in the band to 25500-26000 level. With overall Bank Nifty breaking out from the range of 24850-25400, it is advisable to go for a bullish strategy Bull Put Spread which is a net credit strategy. As it is a truncated week, going with a hedged strategy could be beneficial. Bull Put Spread is a net credit strategy that can be executed when one expects the underlying to find support and move higher. The lower strike put outflow is funded by higher strike In the money Put. Under this strategy, we need to buy 1 lot of ATM option and sell 1 lot of ITM option. Maximum profit is earned when the stock closes above higher strike In the money Put resulting in both the strikes expiring worthless and pocketing entire inflow. If the Index closes below lower strike Put, one can lose money but limited. The author is CEO of Quantsapp. The views and investment tips expressed by brokerage firms 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. The cost of investing in the stock markets has reduced drastically over the last decade. Numerous factors have affected this change, but none as important as innovations in technology that have allowed brokers and regulators to improve efficiencies in every aspect of their businesses. There are a few basic charges that make up the bulk of trading and regulatory costs that apply to the Indian scenario. Listed below are some of the main points. Novel technology and architecture have greatly reduced the need for sales and support staff, thus allowing market participants to offer their services at a fraction of the cost than they could earlier. While better trading and self-service platforms have reduced the technical support burden, introduction of form-filling and account opening online etc. have greatly reduced the manpower that would've otherwise been necessary. Discount brokers have especially leveraged technology and automation to reduce the number of brick and mortar offices and manpower required for the running of the business. The banking sector, for example, has seen enormous strides in digitising the sector, cash withdrawals and chequebooks, for example, are completely obsolete now, these advances in technology will definitely drive costs even lower. Speaking specifically of trading costs the advent of online trading has been the biggest factor in reducing trading costs, the ease with which transactions are conducted and cleared online has reduced the cost per transaction to less than a fragment of what it used to cost a decade ago. Another significant development in this sector has been increased ease in accessing the internet. Accessibility to Smartphone's and lower internet tariffs have played a huge role in connecting investors to the various online brokers and platforms that are available out there. This has opened the markets up for brokers to compete on a level playing platform, without necessarily investing huge amounts towards building an extensive distribution network. This, in turn, has also helped the broking ecosystem become more efficient and reduced costs for retail investors. The author is Co-founder & Head of Trading, Zerodha. The views and investment tips expressed by brokerage firms 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. As electricity reached Manipurs Leisang village on the evening of Saturday, India, after over 70 years of Independence completed the electrification of all of its villages. Leisang village, located in the Senapati district of Manipur with its 65-strong population (2011 census), now joins the other 597,463 census villages in the country who have access to electricity. The idea of electrifying every village in India was conveyed by PM Modi in his August 15 speech in 2015 where he promised electrification all un-electrified villages within 1000 days. The task which took 988 days (as on April 28, 2018) to complete is being attributed to an effective implementation of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) through Rural Electrification Corporation by the Ministry of Power. 28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2018 Prime Minister Modi also tweeted about the development this morning. As per government records, by April 1, 2015, India had about 18,452 unelectrified villages. Since then until April 28, 2018, India managed to electrify close to 16 and a half villages every day. As per the DDUGJY website, there were 1275 additional villages that had no electricity. These villages have also been included in the national power grid or have been electrified by off-grid solutions. Prime Minister Modi, in another tweet this morning, credited all those who worked tirelessly on the ground, including the team of officials, the technical staff. I salute the efforts of all those who worked tirelessly on the ground, including the team of officials, the technical staff and all others, to make this dream of a #PowerfulIndia a reality. Their efforts today will help generations of Indians in the coming years. pic.twitter.com/t8WjZgpNuT Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2018 As per data from the World Bank, about 79.17% of India had access to electricity in 2014. An electrified village as per the government definition, has the following: (i) provision of basic infrastructure such as distribution transformers and lines in the inhabited locality, (ii) provision of electricity in public places like schools, panchayat office, health centers, dispensaries, and community centers, and (iii) at least 10% of the total number of households in the village are electrified. Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With the elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia pic.twitter.com/TJ8irmx4tk Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 29, 2018 BJP leader and current Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal, who was at the helm of the power ministry between 2014 and 2017, tweeted to express his contentment. Aviation The Delhi High Court has sought from the civil aviation regulator, DGCA, the latest position regarding air safety, probe into aircraft accidents and recruitment of flight operations inspectors. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked for the information after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) claimed that it has been following all precautions to ensure flight safety in the country. With the direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on August 2. The court was hearing a PIL alleging that private airlines are violating and circumventing mandatory provisions for air safety and air worthiness issued by the DGCA. The plea has also claimed that the regulator has no mechanism to effectively check the non-compliance and blatant violation of the provisions. Refuting the allegations made in the public interest litigation, the DGCA said that it has safety oversight and surveillance programmes for airworthiness management and aircraft maintenance. It told the court that all of the civil aviation planes in operation in the country are following the aircraft maintenance programme. The regulator also claimed that there are no shortage of flight operation inspectors. However, the petitioner, Alok Kumar, has claimed that there are 72 vacant posts of flight operation inspectors in the DGCA. Shree Pushkar Chemicals & Fertilisers Q1 | Profit at Rs 1.01 crore versus Rs 6.35 crore, revenue at Rs 63.8 crore versus Rs 92.1 crore YoY. (Image: Reuters) Under fire from the opposition over delay in financial aid to farmers for crops damaged by pests, the Maharashtra government is set to release Rs 1,100 crore for cultivators in the next few days, an official said. Bijay Kumar, the principal secretary, agriculture, said today that a sum of Rs 1,100 crore will be released in the coming week to provide relief to the affected farmers. The details will be announced soon as April 30 and May 1 are government holidays and banks would not be functioning on those days, he said. "The state government has prepared a detailed list of the beneficiary farmers and their bank accounts. The money will be disbursed into their accounts only," a senior official from the state relief and rehabilitation department said. As per the state government's primary survey, the pink bollworm and other pests last year affected cotton crop on 34 lakh hectares of land as against the total cultivation on 43 lakh hectares. Many of the areas in eastern parts of Vidarbha were affected by other pests which damaged the rice and other kharif crops. This prompted the government to increase its coverage of compensation. Subsequently, on March 17, the state government made changes into its compensation policy and submitted a proposal of Rs 3,373 crore to the Centre, and is awaiting response. "The state government, however, decided to go ahead and disburse its share in the financial assistance to farmers, instead of waiting for the Centre to release its contribution. The state is going to disburse Rs 1,100 crore to farmers," the relief and rehabilitation department official said. The funds will be given to district collectors who will further transfer the amount into the accounts of farmers, he said. The beneficiary farmers' land records, cultivation crop entries on revenue document and bank accounts will be verified before the transfer of funds, the official added. India and China will enhance policy coordination in their cooperation with neighbouring countries following the just-concluded informal summit here between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a top Chinese official said. Modi and Xi concluded their first ever two-day India-China informal summit on Saturday, raising hopes of improving relations in light of last year's tensions on a host of issues including the Dokalam military standoff. The two sides will enhance policy coordination in their neighbourhood to discuss cooperation in the form of China India plus one or China India plus X, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said. Kong did not elaborate but his comments come in the backdrop of India's concerns over increasing presence of Chinese investments in India's neighbourhood specially infrastructure projects like ports. China has been stepping up its investments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives besides Pakistan where it is investing heavily in the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India did not endorse the Belt and Road Initiative at the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Beijing on April 24 which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also attended. "The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan reiterated their support for the BRI proposed by China," said a statement issued by the SCO foreign ministers at the end of their one-day meeting. Significantly, Kong has played down India-China differences on the BRI stating that Beijing will not be too hard on it (BRI) as we feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and India on the issue of supporting interconnectivity," he said. He referred to India's participation in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which is also part of the BRI. When it comes to connectivity our impression is that China and India do not have principle disagreement. Actually the two countries are working on the BCIM which is an important part of BRI and for the BCIM corridor, India does not oppose it. Actually, it is an important partner in this cooperation. At the same time BCIM is progressing very smoothly," he said. Kong also referred to India's participation in the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in which India is the second largest shareholder after China. Kong said the two countries indeed are expanding their cooperation on connectivity. After the summit, the two countries have agreed to develop a project jointly in war-torn Afghanistan, officials sources said after the summit. This could send a strong signal of their cooperation in the neighbourhood. In the fall of 1973, the Arab oil embargo rattled the American economy, energy sources and sense of security. Forty-five years later, the country continues to face geopolitical threats but there is a far different energy environment because of the shale revolution centered in the Permian Basin. There is no question the Permian is the most active producing basin in the world and will ultimately be the worlds third largest source of crude oil, said Gary Sernovitz, a managing director at Lime Rock Partners. He was among speakers at the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute distinguished lecture on Shale and Texas Energy: Past and Future, which was Thursday at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. He said Wall Street investors are also watching the Permian Basin and how it addresses the challenges -- such as infrastructure and water -- posed by growing so rapidly into such a significant source of energy. Im quite confident those issues are being handled, he said. Christi Craddick, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, in addressing the issue of a national energy policy, that Texas energy sources from crude oil and natural gas to wind, solar and even geothermal -- are a benefit because those choices help ensure reliability and control energy costs. She said states should be free to tailor their own energy policies to their individual energy sources rather than adhere to a one-size-fits-all policy. She said the industry has changed markedly in just the nearly four years since crude prices peaked above $100 a barrel and began to slide to a 13-year low of $26 a barrel. Todays technology of longer laterals and pad drilling means the commission is issuing one drilling permit for every four it issued in 2014. The commission in March issued more than 600 drilling permits for the first time since early 2015, she said. And yet, Texas production continues to rise, and the Permian is forecast to surpass 3 million barrels per day in the very near future. She praised the current administrations policy of reducing regulations. For eight years (during the Obama administration) we were tracking over 200 regulations. Now were tracking seven, she said. Americas energy resources will help the country navigate the challenges facing the country, according to Amy Myers Jaffe, an expert on global energy policy, energy and sustainability and geopolitical risk with the Council on Foreign Relations. She said President Trump has a lot on his plate -- from deciding to recertify the nuclear deal with Iran, which could reinstate sanctions on Iranian oil, to reaction to the May 20 elections in Venezuela, which could result in sanctions barring Venezuelan oil imports, to the intensifying conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Its very important to explain to Trump about energy and trade, Jaffe said. Americas energy resources are already playing a role in trade talks with other nations, she said, pointing to Chinas purchase last year of six cargos of liquefied natural gas and energys role in trade talks with that country. Texas natural gas production and refined products are playing a role in efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, she said. Mexico and Latin America are significant purchasers of natural gas and refined products from America, and that has enhanced our standing among some of those nations, she said. We have the most significant global position because we export, Jaffe said. During a discussion of energy independence, Craddick said she believes the nation is already there. She pointed out that the nations refineries are primarily configured to process the heavy crudes being brought in from the Middle East, Latin America and Canada rather than the light crudes coming out of Americas shale plays. Thats where the heavy crudes come in, Craddick said. Thats why we must have a vibrant market so we can process our oil and gas. Like Sernovitz, she sees challenges ahead as the Permian Basin is expected to raise its production to record highs. Craddick also agrees with Sernovitz that infrastructure is a challenge from pipelines to roads to ports to railroads to electricity. She currently serves on a committee of the National Petroleum Council that will examine energy infrastructure. Another challenge is manpower, and the areas very low unemployment will be a challenge. Craddick said that in order to attract the next generation of workers, the industry needs to tell the story of what it does and how it does it. An important part of that story, specifically for Texas, is how Texans benefit from the tax revenues property, severance, sales paid by the industry, Craddick said. She pointed to the states multi-billion dollar rainy day fund, which is funded largely by those oil and gas revenues. With voter approval, portions of that fund are being tapped for transportation needs and to develop water resources, Craddick said. If you dont tell your story, youll have others telling it for you, she said. Peeling back the layers of the Earths rocks can bring surprises for even the most seasoned geologist. The same can be said when researchers look into the history of the profession. That was the experience of researchers looking into the history of women working as petroleum geologists. It was a surprise to all of us, looking at the history of women petroleum geology, that it goes back 100 years, said Robbie Rice Gries, founder of Priority Oil & Gas LLC. She is also the first woman to graduate from Colorado State University with a degree in geology and the first woman to serve as president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Gries was in Midland Tuesday as part of the Arlen Edgar Distinguished Lecture Series at the Petroleum Museum, discussing her book, Anomalies: Pioneering Women in Petroleum Geology 1917-2017. The project began last year when the AAPG celebrated its 100th anniversary, she said. On a lark, we tried to identify the first 100 women in petroleum geology, she said. By a stroke of luck, it was discovered the AAPG had its membership cards from day one. Reviewing the early membership, she said it was shocking to learn about these people and what they did early in the industry. Theyve been long forgotten and unheralded. They had been lost to history. The book was written and an accompanying documentary made, so people could discover the contributions these pioneering women made and, second, to make sure their history was not lost again, she said. The stories are just so compelling, Kitty Milliken, senior research scientist with the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, told the Reporter-Telegram by telephone from her Austin office. She noted that the University of Texas educated a number of these early women geologists. She said she had researched the schools graduate program and was interested to find women are among the schools earliest recipients of masters degrees in geology. In fact, three of the first four masters degrees went to women, she said. In researching the history of women in petroleum geology, Gries identified three waves. The first wave began a century ago during World War I when companies needed to replace male workers who had gone off to war. World War I was a big force that pushed companies into hiring women. They were losing help to the war and were desperate, she said. Some of the most prominent, well-known, smartest companies were hiring women geologists. Surprisingly, female geologists found a welcoming atmosphere because their male counterparts had experienced prejudice against geologists, she said. It was only recently that geology had begun being accepted as integral to the oil and gas industry, said Gries. After both world wars, women were let go to make room for the men returning from war. But also, companies largely followed the rule that, when women married, they could no longer work outside the home. One exception was Amerada, which had a woman geologist who was so talented they wouldnt lose her. She ran their Midcontinent operations, found lots of oil and oversaw a department of 100. When she married 13 years into her career, they didnt let her go. She hired married and unmarried women geologists, Gries said. Between the two wars, three women geologists discovered a new technology that gave a huge economic benefit to the oil and gas industry: micropaleontology, which worked to correlate well-to-well data and help with the drilling of wells and finding the right reservoirs. Dry holes fell dramatically, and within five years, 75 percent of the wells drilled were using this technology, according to Gries. And it was done at a time before electric logs and seismic surveys. So important was that technology that every oil company needed a micropaleontologist or they werent competitive, she said. And yet, those women ultimately had the credit taken away from them and they were written out of history, she said. Hiring rose again, drastically, during World War II as women stepped in to replace the men who were off fighting, she said. A number of them went into the military in one form or another, and a lot went into the industry and found oil and gas, she said. This marked the second wave of female geologists. From the early days of the 20th century through the 1920s, even the 1930s, there were a number of women pursuing graduate degrees at the school, said Milliken, estimating women comprised 20 to 30 percent of the graduate students in geosciences, about the same as today. But from 1942 to about 1945, during World War II, she said there were almost no degrees awarded because both men and women were working on the war effort. After World War II, there was a huge purge of women from the industry, according to Gries. One reason was to create jobs for men returning from war. But another reason was the Cold War. (Anti-communists such as) Sen. Joe McCarthy decided it was a point of U.S. pride that they didnt have women working outside the home, she said. Moscow would display 18,000 female engineers and the U.S. would display 100 and say we were better because we could make the women stay at home. It was a difficult time for women who wanted to work in the industry between the 1940s and 1973. After the war, thanks to the GI Bill and the booming economy, men came back to the graduate program in droves, said Milliken, who said women students didnt match pre-war numbers until the 1970s. And it wasnt until the 1980s when there was a big uptick in women participating in the doctorate program, she said. I was surprised; I thought it would be steady, she said. During that 30-year period, said Gries, the women who went into the industry were special because they had to buck so much social prejudice. They had to know someone who knew someone who knew someone just to get a job. Theyd often have to start off with grunt work and they were never given equal pay or equal opportunity for advancement. Those women were tough cookies if they stayed in the industry. Its fair to say that 30-year disruption colored our view of women in the sciences, said Milliken. (Women in science) was seen as odd, but it was not odd. That disruption was odd. Gries said she has talked to some of those women and, across the board they said they loved their job, they loved what they did and they would suffer any of that to do what they loved to do. Affirmative action, begun around 1973 as the government sought to force companies to offer equal pay and opportunity, launched the third wave identified by Gries. The government had managed to get the steel industry and companies such as AT&T to offer equal pay and equal opportunity, but couldnt find a way to get the oil and gas industry on board, she said. Then someone had the bright idea of saying all government contractors must offer diversity, and if you take an offshore lease, you are a government contractor and you need to offer diversity. Overnight, the oil and gas industry began to diversify, she said. In 1973, everyone began meeting quotas, which was a nasty term, but in late 1973 we had the Arab oil embargo and soon everyone was hiring geologists, no matter the gender or handicap. When she joined Texaco in 1973, her supervisor was open about her being a token hire. She said her nickname became Token. But within five years, she said those female geologists didnt realize affirmative action was a factor in their being hired. They were convinced they were hired because they were so good, she said. The struggle has taken years, but generally, women hired as geologists today have equal pay, equal opportunity for advancement and recourse if theyre mistreated. Many have risen to high levels in their companies, Gries said. She said studies show diversity benefits corporate bottom lines and a mixture of men and women results in a better product because of the new brain power and out-of-the-box thinking from the female perspective. Women tend to be more intuitive and that can be a big asset in exploring for oil and gas, she said. Oil and gas explorers need that intuition and out-of-the-box thinking, Gries said. Oil companies across the Permian Basin host female students from junior high through college in an effort to interest them in a career in geology and engineering. Gries said her career has fulfilled her dreams. Ive gotten to travel, Ive gotten to make a difference, Ive gotten to provide energy, she said. Though todays female geologists may not face the same obstacles as those a century ago, Gries said they need to share the same traits. Those women in 1917 knew they werent going to win. The best they could do was have a career, she said. Todays female geologists should build your skills, persevere, never give up and keep a sense of humor. 3 1 of 3 Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Michael Ciaglo, Staff / Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of 3 No county in the state of Texas produced more oil during the month of February than Midland County, according to information from the Railroad Commission. The RRC reported Midland produced 7.649 million barrels. Other Permian Basin counties in the top 10 included Reeves, Loving, Upton, Martin, Andrews, Reagan and Howard. Whats new at Jacksonville Public Library: . ADULT FICTION A Long Way From Home by Peter Carey: The Redex Trial is breakneck car race whose course covers the Australian outback. Hell-bent on claiming the titles, a husband and wife team up with a failed schoolteacher and quiz show champion as their navigator. On the brink of disaster throughout the race, Carey offers a hilarious tale of what happens when people are forced out of their comfort zone. ADULT NON-FICTION Advanced Home Wiring by Black and Decker: This fully illustrated, step-by-step guide is a must for experienced DIY home wirers. If you already know how to change out a light fixture and want to tackle a larger project, this is the book for you. DVD Advanced American Sign Language: This 3-disc series will help the basic signer take their language skills to the next level. JUVENILE FICTION The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani: It is 1947 and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims. Half-Muslim, half-Hindu 12-year-old Nisha does not know where she belongs. Told through letters to her mother, this book is a heartfelt story of one girls search for home, for her own identity and for a hopeful future. JUVENILE FICTION Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans: Your name is Fidge, you are nearly 11 and you have been hurled into a strange world with three companions: two are weird and the third is your awful cousin Graham. You have to solve a series of clues, deal with a cruel dictator and 3,000 Wimbley Woos, and the whole situation is your fault. DID YOU KNOW? You can support the Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library just by shopping on Amazon. When you designate the Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library (make sure you are choosing Jacksonville, Illinois) as your charity of choice with Amazon Smile, 0.05 percent of eligible purchases go directly to supporting the library. LITCHFIELD Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Raymond) recently announced the winners of her Illinois bicentennial-themed art contest. The art contest, which had more than 150 submissions, was open to all children who live or learn within Illinois 95th House District. It was held to promote the arts and recognize the artistic talents of local students. Our annual art contest just keeps growing, Bourne said. This year we had a record number of entries and I was extremely impressed by the talent of these local students. First-, second- and third-place winners were selected in two groups, kindergarten through fourth grades and fifth through eighth grades. Winners by name, grade, school and title of their work are: K- through fourth-grade winners first place, Anna Cloninger, fourth-grade homeschooler from Plainview, Beaver Dam; second place, Klaire Cole, fourth grade, North Mac Intermediate School, Abe Lincoln; third place, Makenna Harding, second grade, Carlinville Primary School, Happy Birthday, Illinois. Fifth- through eighth-grade winners first place, Malerie Eyer-Mayberry, sixth grade, North Mac Middle School, Birthday Cake; second place, Mady Landreth, sixth grade, Wolf Ridge School in Bunker Hill, U.S. Flag in Illinois; third place, Ryan Kleckner, fifth grade, Zion Lutheran School, Staunton, Illinois Flag. The first-place winners in each group won the opportunity to attend a regular session day at the Statehouse on the day that their artwork is presented in the House Chambers. All first- through third-place winners in each group were to be invited to Bournes district office in Litchfield for pizza. Photo provided The Illinois Farm Bureau and Affiliates Youth Conference was April 16-17 in East Peoria, and more than 300 state FFA members from 78 counties attended. Participants, all high school juniors, gained leadership, teamwork and communication skills. The conferences Opportunity Fair also gave students a chance to network with nearly 20 colleges, universities and agricultural organizations. Those attending from this area include Hannah Krause (from left) of Virginia, Rebecca Ring of Virginia, Shelby Donaldson of A-C Central, Austin Dufelmeier of Jacksonville, Abigail Critchelow of A-C Central, Illinois FFA Vice President Rob Janssen, and Chasey Tabit (right) of Jacksonville. Parental neglect cause of indiscipline in ... A Midland man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly assaulting two deputies, according to court documents. Ryan Matthew Hebert, 22, was being held Friday on two $50,000 bonds for two counts of first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault against a public servant and a $500 bond for a Class A misdemeanor of evading arrest. Midland County deputies were dispatched Wednesday in reference to a man threatening to kill a woman. The woman told deputies she went next door to give clothes to the kids at the residence when Hebert came out and threatened to kill her, according to the arrest affidavit. Hebert, who had fled the scene, was located in an alley behind his residence. He picked up two stones and threatened to throw them at one of the deputies, according to the affidavit. A deputy deployed his Taser but it didnt have any effect on Hebert, who then proceeded to throw a rock at the deputy, according to the affidavit. As deputies attempted to place Hebert in custody, he charged toward them and threw the second stone, hitting one of the deputies on the face, according to the affidavit. If convicted of the second-degree felony charge, Hebert could face up to 20 years imprisonment. Buddhist community attended different religious programmes marking the Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhists. This picture was taken from Bashabo Buddhist Temple yesterday. Championing their small German town as the "Key to the Hills," Boerne's Chamber of Commerce once lured visitors with brochures promising 65-degree summers and "the healthiest climate in the U.S." RELATED: Coolest map of the Hill Country captures the essence of Central Texas Regardless of whether those mild summers were a tall tale, Boerne has bubbled with quaint small town appeal full of quirky characters for generations. Click through the archived photographs in the gallery above to see how this Hill Country community next to Cibolo Creek has ambled along with Kendall County Fair parades, Boerne Burgess Fests and Camp Alzafar barbecues and dances. Over recent years, Boerne has experienced a boom in development as the more laid-back alternative to San Antonio. These photos date back to the 1930s when even then new Texans farmers and business men were tempted to build their homes in the hills. RELATED: Boerne ranked best Texas town to raise a family jmscott@mysa.com Editor's note: This story is one in a continuing series celebrating the 150th anniversary of the San Antonio Express-News. To commemorate the milestone, mySA.com is looking back at the city's rich history with stories, photos, video and graphics, remembering some of the most noteworthy events that have taken place or were covered by this publication during those 150 years. To read more stories like this, visit the 150th anniversary section of mySA.com or the 150th anniversary section of ExpressNews.com. For the pioneering citizens of the remote Big Bend, the chaotic decade that began about 1910 brought cross-border intrusions, murderous raids and near constant insecurity. Much of it was the side-effect of the bloody and chaotic Mexican Revolution in which as many as a million people died that occasionally spilled across the international border. In response to the threat, the U.S. Army dispatched 10 cavalry units, four National Guard units and four infantry units which rotated through more than 40 outposts in the Big Bend to protect the vulnerable region, and occasionally strike in Mexico. In his book, The Old Army in the Big Bend of Texas, San Antonio-based historian Thomas T. Smith provides the first thorough study of that military effort, which would provide the last theater for the Armys vaunted cavalry. Based largely on archival records, and replete with footnotes, photos and a long bibliography, this is a volume that history and military buffs will relish. That said, there is also plenty of good narrative and high drama for the general reader. Take, for example, Pancho Villas attack in early 1914 on Ojinaga, then held by Mexican government forces. At ready across the border in Presidio were troops of the 14th and 15th Cavalries, under the command of Major Michael McNamee, with more troops in reserve in Marfa and Sierra Blanca. More Information The Old Army in the Big Bend of Texas: The Last Cavalry Frontier, 1911-1921 By Thomas T. Smith Texas State Historical Association, $35 See More Collapse And when Ojinaga fell to Villa on Jan. 10, 1914, thousands of Mexican troops along with their families, horses and mules flooded Presidio. Major McNamee organized the Mexican soldiers and families, and started the pitiful column on the march to Marfa on June 16. He struggled to find enough food and water to keep his prisoners, and his own men, alive, wrote Smith. After a three-day desert march covering 60 miles, the woeful parade reached Marfa, where they were soon loaded onto trains and sent to Fort Bliss in El Paso. In another bizarre cross-border misadventure, in 1919, two Army airmen flying a patrol along the border mistakenly followed the Conchos River instead of the Rio Grande. After their plane crashed deep inside of Mexico, they were taken prisoner by a notorious one-legged bandit named Renteria, known to ride a white horse. He offered their safe return for $15,000, terms which the Army eventually accepted. After much negotiation, Capt. Leonard Matlack headed into Mexico to rescue the pilots. By this time, the flyers kidnapping and ransom demands were making the headlines of East Coast newspapers, brewing an international incident complete with tense exchanges between Washington D.C., and Mexico City, Smith notes. Crossing the Rio Grande at Candelaria, Matlock rode about a mile into Mexico, handed over $7,500 and returned with the first pilot. On the second trip, however, fearing he would be ambushed after the exchange, Matlock grabbed the second pilot, kept the money and made a dash to safety, using a different route. The next day, the Army began a massive cross-border effort to capture Renteria and soon, an armed U.S. spotter plane flying about 15 miles inside of Mexico was fired upon by three Mexicans, one on a white horse. It was Renterias last mistake. As the aircraft passed, Lt. Cooper in the back seat swung his twin Lewis machine guns around on the mount, sending a stream of bullets at the man on the white horse. Rider and horse went down, both lying dead still, wrote Smith. By 1921, hostile activities along the Mexican border had ceased. Troops were being withdrawn from the Big Bend and smaller outposts abandoned. Camp Marfa was the last frontier cavalry post, wrote Smith, but within a few years it had become a regular Army base, with wives, kids and families. Hundreds of Fiesta faithful lined downtown streets Saturday afternoon, hours before for the arrival of the Fiesta Flambeau Parade in a tradition almost as old as the parade itself. People had arrived in the early pre-dawn hours to stake out a spot for the 70th anniversary of America's largest illuminated night parade. According to the Fiesta Flambeau Parade Association, more than half a million people attend the event later Saturday evening. This year the theme was Three Centuries One City, in keeping with the city's Tricentennial. Above Broadway, on the second floor of the Rodeway Inn, Teresa Trevino relished the parade, as she has for the past 38 years, from the same room. It's a tradition her mother, Elisa V. Jimenez, started and repeated yearly until her last Fiesta Flambeau in 2000 before dying. Each January, Trevino pays for the room that overlooks the parade route. Visit our subscriber site for exclusive photos of the Flambeau Parade from Express-News photographers. Since her mother's death, Trevino and her family always proudly display in the hotel room a large photograph of the matriarch, watching the festivities from the balcony. "Don't let it go," she recalled her mother saying. "That's what I'm leaving for my babies." The illuminated parade passed a spot near Broadway and East Jones Street, where Richard Jackson and John Gonzales, both 41, played dominoes all day while holding the space for their families. Jackson arrived at 5:45 a.m., followed by Gonzales four hours later, to continue a tradition started 30 years ago by late family member Ruben Tovar. The pair started the dominoes tradition two years ago while they reserved the curbside viewing spot. Jackson said they had to switch to white plastic pieces because the sun made the black tiles as hot as an oven. Over the decades, Gonzales said, from their regular spot on the parade route, they've seen old buildings torn down and new structures replace them. "If you sit here long enough, you'll see the changes," he said. "It's like the old San Antonio and the new San Antonio." Click though the Gallery for scenes from the parade. George H.W. Bush paid a touching final tribute to his late wife, Barbara Bush by wearing socks with books on them to her funeral on Saturday, April 21, but the viral moment wouldn't have been possible without John Cronin. It was the fall of 2016 and John a young man with Down Syndrome was in his last year of school when he told his father he wanted to be in business with him. LASTING LEGACY: Former President George H.W. Bush dies at age 94 John's dad, Mark Cronin, told Chron.com they thought of many potential business ideas, including a food truck, but ultimately decided on a sock business. "Right before Thanksgiving John came up to me and said, 'Dad, we should sell socks.' He came to me with a business name and even a drawing of what the website could look like," Cronin said. "John had always worn crazy socks because they are colorful and fun, and let John be John." So on Dec. 9, 2016, John's Crazy Socks was born. The pair decided to skip creating a business plan and just started selling a few pairs in their home state of New York to gauge the response. In the first month alone they made over $16,000 in revenue. "We learned a few things from that," Cronin said. "People like to buy socks, and people like to buy socks from John." From there the business grew into a thriving "crazy sock" empire, with over 1,900 styles from different suppliers and several charity and awareness socks designed by John himself. In 2017 the business' first full year in business John came across an article about Bill Clinton gifting H.W. Bush some crazy socks and decided that he wanted to send Bush 41 socks as well. "John loves sending people socks, he has even sent some to J.J. Watt and Odel Beckham after they got hurt. We sent the former president a box of socks that John picked out," said Cronin. "In March, Bush's office called us back looking for more socks, so we sent another box. This time Bush sent a lovely thank you note and sent a pair of socks back. John was over the moon." Bush wore John's socks on several occasions including on World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), which featured a superhero John personally designed, but the most viral moment was for the funeral of Barbara Bush. "That Thursday before the funeral, we got a call from H.W. Bush's office asking for socks that would pay homage to the former first lady," Cronin said. "The call was short notice, so we didn't have time to personally design a pair, but after careful thought, John picked out 20 pairs of socks for him and his family that would honor Barbara Bush." They knew he would likely wear the socks, but they never expected to get as much attention as they have. "As soon as we realized how popular they were getting, we immediately made it so that 100 percent of the profits from those socks would go to the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation," said Cronin. "We sold about 1,500 pairs of book socks. The demand was so high that we wiped out the supplier, and the socks won't be back in stock until mid-August." While the book socks may be sold out, there are thousands of others to pick from on their website, and profits go to a variety of charities and organizations like The Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, Autism Speaks, Autism Society of America, and many more. "It may seem counter-intuitive, but the more we do for others, the more we give away, the better it is for our business," Cronin said. "We want people to look at what John is doing and see what is possible. We want the world to know that when you give people a chance, they can produce." Take a look through the gallery above to see other crazy socks George H.W. Bush has worn. Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli. Opponents of a plan to remove the Cenotaph from Alamo Plaza held a rally beside the nearly 60-foot-monument Saturday. The large crowd protested the City Councils approval earlier this year of an Alamo master plan, which calls for a major makeover of the plaza and relocation of the granite Cenotaph possibly to a small park by Market Street, near a site where Alamo defenders bodies are said to have been burned. This sits in in the correct spot, Lee Spencer White, president of the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association, which organized the rally. Why would you think it needs to go to a funeral pyre site? This is an empty tomb. Its commemorating the defenders. I dont want it moved an inch. Its right where it needs to be. RELATED: Controversial Alamo master plan gets council approval Many in the crowd held Dont Move the Cenotaph and Save the Alamo placards. The Alamo master plan seeks to bring reverence and historical authenticity as well as aesthetic and pedestrian improvements around the Shrine of Texas Liberty. The plans approval begins a review process for the closure of portions of Alamo and Crockett streets and the Cenotaphs relocation. The plan was developed by the city, Texas General Land Office and nonprofit Alamo Endowment. The Cenotaph is always going to remain, Lori Houston, assistant city manager, said in an interview Friday. But no final decision on its location has been made. The Cenotaph was commissioned during the centennial of the Battle of the Alamo. Italian-born sculptor Pompeo Coppini conceived and executed the sculptural parts of the Spirit of Sacrifice monument. Bryan Preston, spokesman for the General Land Office, which manages the Alamo, said the master plan is part of the effort to recapture the battlefield and creating as close as possible what it was like in 1836. But the final resting place of the Cenotaph is really going to be up to the city, Preston said Friday. Those attending Saturdays rally say relocating the Cenotaph messes with Texas history. OPINION: Reimagine the Alamo? ... OK, but this master plan doesn't Its time to replant our boots in the ground and say enough is enough leave our history alone, said Brandon Burkhart of the nonprofit This is Texas Freedom Force, which is focused on protecting the states history. Dont remove this Cenotaph. Leave it right where it stands. Rick Range, chairman of the Save the Alamo Committee, said the memorial to the Alamos defenders is in the perfect spot. Cenotaph means empty tomb, Range told the crowd. Its like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It has nothing to do with burning bodies or any of that other hokum. Where they want to put it is not where the bodies were burned anyway. If youre going to put it down where they were really burned, youd be hanging it mid-air over the San Antone river extension. So thats just a lot of hooey. Stephen L. Hardin, a Texas historian who teaches at McMurry University in Abilene, said the Cenotaph has become part of the Alamo story given that it has been at the plaza for more than 80 years. The fact that it wasnt here in 1836, OK, we acknowledge that, Hardin said. But so what? This is where people can see it when they visit the Alamo. Click through the gallery to see scenes from the rally, and renderings of proposed changes. pdanner@express-news.net Express-News archives contributed to this report. AUSTIN After expressing dissatisfaction with Lupe Valdezs answer when she was quizzed about her allegedly anti-immigrant policies as Dallas County sheriff, a Latino voting group Sunday instead endorsed Houston businessman Andrew White in the Democratic runoff for governor. Latino youth have spoken. As a child of immigrants and the first in my family to go to college, I know our endorsed candidates will work to protect the rights of all Texas families and make sure that young Latinos like me will be able to afford to go college and fulfill our dreams, said Jamileth Ortega, president and founder of the Jolt chapter at Texas State University. Jolt, which describes itself as a civic engagement organization working to mobilize Latino millennial voters, also backed Democratic congressman Beto ORourke in his race against Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. But its endorsement of White could be more important since the two Democrats are battling in the May 22 runoff for the party nod to face Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Its significant since a key selling point for Valdez is her groundbreaking image as the first woman and first Hispanic elected Dallas County sheriff. The immigration issue took a critical turn during the forum in the question to Valdez, whose work as sheriff on the matter is typically presented in light of her tangling with Abbott. Valdez was among law enforcement officials who opposed the anti-sanctuary cities law championed by Abbott last year. She also drew Abbotts wrath in 2015 for saying she wouldnt comply with all federal requests to detain unauthorized immigrants past their release date if the immigrants only were accused of minor offenses. But Valdez said she still had cooperated with the federal government, a point that was important at the forum. While Valdez was sheriff, a federal lawsuit was filed against her and the county alleging peoples constitutional rights were violated when they were held for immigration officials. Jolt student leader Karla Quinones of Dallas prefaced her question to Valdez by saying her legacy as sheriff seemed to be one of supporting anti-immigrant policies that expanded immigration enforcement. Quinones said Valdez had complied with warrantless detentions and cited an instance in which people walked out of a meeting with the then-sheriff and Immigration and Customs Enforcement saying Valdez had turned her back on them. Why should we trust you today? asked Quinones, seeking a commitment to issues including a stand against unconstitutional ICE warrants. Valdez told the crowd she would love to explain some issues but only had a very short time at the forum. Of course, look at me, Im going to fight for as much immigration as I can, but immigration is a federal issue. And there are certain things that we have to do, Valdez said, adding that several things were quite misunderstood. Valdez emphasized her work against the anti-sanctuary cities measure and said she wished those who had walked out the ICE meeting would have stayed to get information they needed. On Twitter afterward, Jolt said it would have liked to see Valdez go more in detail on her record. Later, Valdez was asked by reporters about the question of trust and about her record. I think it was one persons opinion, Valdez said. I think there is a misunderstanding of the track record. The governor actually sent me what I call nastygrams because of my position of defense of the people that were being deported, she said. Valdez generally described the lawsuit against her and the county as one focused on ICEs authority. I have to be real careful how I discuss that. The lawsuit is still going on, Valdez said. After addressing several questions from reporters, Valdez said, Ive given you your answers. You wanted some answers. Ive given them to you, OK. Now, let us do what we love to do best and deal with some of the voters and go on to the other things we have to do. White said Valdez had dodged the question and said he shares the concerns that prompted the immigration query to her. Lupe needs to answer those questions, and today, she didnt really answer those questions, White said. White, who also was asked about immigration at the forum, initially bypassed a question about his company, Geovox Security, which sells heartbeat technology that is used to find people in vehicles. The Houston businessman previously has answered questions about Geovox from the San Antonio Express-News, saying it sells its technology around the world. The technology is used in the United States at nuclear stockpiles, military facilities and federal prisons. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice also is a customer. Whites company has demonstrated the technology to the Border Patrol but he said the technology isnt used on the U.S. border. At the forum, White emphasized his opposition to a militarized zone on the border, his backing for a pathway to citizenship that makes sense and his support for Dreamers brought here without documents as children. When asked a second time about the security company, White said it is an example of smart border enforcement that has saved lives. He said it has been used in other countries to fight sex trafficking and to make sure people dont die hidden in the back of trucks. Im sure this issue might be used against me, that I have a quote border security business, White said. But the reality of it is, its used to protect peoples lives. Peggy Fikac is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | pfikac@express-news.net | @pfikac Bhabna`s novel to be used for making telefilm Sheikh Arif Bulbon : Viewers choice popular actress Ashna Habib Bhabna written her first novel Gulnehar was published in last Ekushey Book Fair. Already the novel attracted the readers attention and also created hype among them. As a result, she was inspired to write new novel. Though she yet not started to write new novel but she has concentrated everything with script from her Gulnehar novel. On the occasion of coming Eid, Animesh Aich is going to make a telefilm from the story of Bhabnas written her first novel. But who will play the title role yet not confirmed. According to Animesh Aich, he is now searching an actress who will act in role of 80-year old Gulnehar. While sharing her feelings to make the telefilm from her written novel Bhabna told this correspondent, While working in Banglavision its programme head Tareq Bhai inspired me to make a telefilm from my written first novel after reading it. Then I showed my keen interest to write its script from my novel because from the beginning of my career Banglavision played a significant role in my career. Therefore, it will be directed by Animesh Aich who is also my best friend and he knows me well. So, I want the telefilm to be made from the story of my written first novel for Banglavision. Bhabna also informed that in the beginning of May she will go to Bangkok. Then after returning to Bangladesh artistes will be selected for the telefilm and shooting will start. Till yesterday she took part in shooting of Morsalin Shuvo directed play Ekdin Protidin against Zahid Hasan. Against same actor she also acted in Sagor Jahans seven-episode serial Dulu Baburchi. In another expression of his xenophobia and racism, President Donald Trump last month decided to include a question in the 2020 census asking whether the respondents are U.S. citizens. Congress must overturn this decision, as the potential consequences will significantly deteriorate American democracy by sending us back to a pre-civil rights era. This question will lead to an underrepresentation of immigrant (authorized or not) populations. Surveying Latinos is already a challenge, and this move will likely increase suspicion and fear of anti-immigrant policies, leading to decreased participation. The tactic is clear: The Trump administration is actively suppressing the voice and inherent rights of fellow humans. This goes against an April 2016 decision by the Supreme Court regarding legislative districts in Texas. The court ruled that districts in Texas, like all other states, must be drawn on the basis of total population versus voter-eligible populations. In their decision, the court referenced constitutional history to show that the framers endorsed allocating House seats to States based on total population (and) the use of a total-population baseline served the principle of representational equality. The census should continue to count people, regardless of citizenship status, for the purposes of determining legislative representation. Counting all Americans is democracy, and to interrupt the processes that have been codified into the very veins of our functioning democracy is an affront on us all. Another possible consequence of adding the citizenship question to the census is inaccurate data, which would potentially result in funding implications for federal programs. In September 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau published a working paper on the uses of census data in federal funds distribution. The authors outlined the value of accurate Census Bureau data for the public, saying that data enables federal programs to fund initiatives by using population counts and characteristics to target and distribute those funds. In essence, data serve as the foundation for many federally funded programs, and interrupting the objectivity of census data would have consequences on services to Americans, especially the most vulnerable. It is important to note that in 2015, some of the top areas of federal assistance distributed using census bureau data included the Medical Assistance Program; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. During that same year, more than 132 programs used Census Bureau data to distribute more than $675 billion in funds. Many of the states that receive federal funding have a higher proportion of immigrants and metro areas with diverse populations. The top two states where roughly half of the nations immigrants live are California and Texas. Meanwhile, federal Pell Grant distributions for 2015-16 were highest in Texas, California, New York and Florida. Even when distributions are measured on a per recipient basis, the largest states receiving funds host some of the top 20 metro areas with large concentrations of immigrants and people of color. If it uses this question, the bureau will conduct a census that will not yield accurate results and deteriorate the quality of the data used for programs to help underrepresented individuals. Next month, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will host the first public testimony from U.S. Census Bureau and Commerce Department officials. We must urge Congress to make the right decision and protect the stability established by the law of the land and reinforced by our highest court to preserve our American democracy. Coda Rayo-Garza, M.A., is a political partner with Truman National Security Project and a San Antonio resident. Views expressed are her own. I wouldnt mind a world where facts sometimes slip free, so long as the stories we share have lasting value. Fighting back fake news is one thing. We also have to take the offensive in telling stories that bring us back to life. The story of the mothers and fathers who gave birth to the MLK generation is worth telling every spring. Along with the better-known life and work of Martin Luther King Jr.s father, known as Daddy King, two lesser known fathers are worth recalling. First, we should remember the Rev. Dr. James Leonard Farmer, father of civil rights leader James Farmer Jr. The elder Farmer, like the elder King, was born before the turn of 20th century, within earshot of relatives who could tell firsthand stories of enslavement. Daddy King and Farmer Sr. faced hostile forces, yet both fathers dedicated their lives to building schools, colleges and churches. Daddy King labored to establish Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church as a fulcrum of social uplift. Farmer Sr. worked hard in education, dedicating his energies across the South to develop institutions of higher education in Atlanta, Mississippi, Texas and Washington, D.C. Farmers work at Wiley College in Marshall, in East Texas, was memorialized in Denzel Washingtons film The Great Debaters. But the great educator was also influential in building the Austin institution today known as Huston-Tillotson University. The Rev. Howard Thurman is the third hero of our story and the reason we choose the month of April to tell this story. When he came to Texas in April 1948 at the invitation of Farmer, Thurman was pastor of an experimental church in San Francisco, dedicated to interracial community. Prior to his San Francisco work, Thurman had taught with Farmer at Howard Universitys School of Divinity. Both shared a scholarly interest in the historical interpretation of Scripture. When Thurman arrived in Austin, he brought with him five lectures that he had been working on for nearly 10 years. The lectures were a long answer to a question he had been asked during a 1935 visit to India. How could Christianity overcome its reputation as a religion that supported slavery and segregation? Insights that Thurman delivered in the Austin lectures of April 1948 are today available under the title Jesus and the Disinherited. The lectures present what the teachings and the life of Jesus have to say to those who stand, at a moment in human history, with their backs against the wall. The book memorializing Thurmans Austin addresses was first published in 1949. Although we are not exactly sure how the book came into the hands of Martin Luther King Jr., we can be sure that he was reading it about the time he turned 21 as he was working on a paper for seminary. Kings father was a fraternity brother of Thurmans. Kings mother was a sorority sister of Thurmans wife. It is not difficult to imagine how the gift of the book would arrive in time for the young Kings birthday. But here is precisely where the facts slip away and we resume our story. The young King would soon take up graduate studies at Boston University. A few years later, Howard Thurman would move to take the post as BUs dean of March Chapel. The two men would get together, likely in October 1953, to watch the World Series on television, featuring Jackie Robinson. The rest, as we say, is history. As I say, I dont mind so much when facts cant be pinned like flies to cork in every detail so long as the story has worth to it. And so, for me, the story behind Jesus and the Disinherited is a story you hold on to. Its a story of fathers and mothers who heard firsthand accounts of enslavement, who kept their faith in education, and who lived to see their daughters and sons rock the world against oppression. Greg Moses is author of Revolution of Conscience: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Philosophy of Nonviolence. He lives in Austin and is a member of the Texas Civil Rights Collaborative. Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos says his Blue Origin space venture is targeting the next test flight of its New Shepard suborbital spaceship for Sunday morning. Word of the launch came today in a tweet. And yes, there will be streaming video: Like the seven previous test flights, this one will take place at Blue Origin's spaceport in West Texas. "Shine up your boots, Team Blue," the company said in a follow-up tweet. If this launch follows the playbook for past outings, a reusable booster will send an uncrewed capsule up, up and away. After separation, the booster will descend and fire its rocket to touch down on its landing legs, while the capsule will float down on the end of a parachute. MORE FROM GEEKWIRE: The most recent test came last December, when Blue Origin tested a capsule that had actual windows in it for the first time. Bezos reported afterward that a test dummy nicknamed "Mannequin Skywalker" had a great ride. Scientific payloads have flown on past launches, and will fly on this one as well. But so far, no people have climbed aboard. Last week, Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith told GeekWire that he and his team are aiming to start flying test astronauts by the end of the year. Paying passengers would eventually follow, riding the rocket to the edge of space higher than 100 kilometers, or 62 miles and experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness in the process. Blue Origin hasn't yet set a timetable, or a price tag, for those commercial flights. Blue Origin is also moving ahead with a separate orbital launch program that will make use of a more powerful but yet-to-be-built rocket known as New Glenn. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory about potential Blue Origin launch activities this week, but it's not clear whether or not the company took advantage of that opportunity to conduct preparatory tests. It's already been quite a week for Bezos, thanks to amazingly positive first-quarter financial results for Amazon, the other company he founded. But Blue Origin has the potential to be even bigger than Amazon. Bezos often says he'd like to see millions of people living and working in space a scenario that's aimed at shifting heavy industry off the planet and preserving Earth for "residential and light industrial" zoning. Last year, Bezos said that he sells a billion dollars' worth of Amazon stock annually to back Blue Origin. And this week, during a visit to Berlin to pick up a business innovation award from Axel Springer, Bezos said Blue Origin is "the most important thing I'm doing." Love space and science? Sign up for our GeekWire Space & Science email newsletter for top headlines from Alan Boyle, GeekWire's aerospace and science editor. POLICE in Bulawayo have reportedly foiled a plot by secessionist Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) activists to demonstrate against President Emmerson Mnangagwa during the official opening of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) today. Southern Eye heard MRP activists were planning to doorstep and embarrass Mnangagwa during his address to register their concerns over his failure to address the 1980s Gukurahundi mass killings. MRP president Mqondisi Moyo yesterday confirmed that they were summoned and cautioned by police, but denied reports that they intended to protest against the President. We did not and we do not have any such plans to demonstrate at the ZITF. In any case, we never publicise our plans. However, it is true that senior police officers called us on Tuesday questioning us on the planned protest, he said. The senior cops in attendance, such as Chief Superintendent Mthokozisi Manzini, said they had gathered information that we wanted to protest. I would like to think it was more of fear on their part that we had such plans. They were saying the protest, if any, will soil the countrys image during such a prestigious event when the country is looking for investors. In December last year, MRP activists were arrested and detained at the then Brady Barracks on the outskirts of Bulawayo after they confronted Mnangagwa during a church meeting at ZITF and demanded an explanation of his role in the Gukurahundi massacres. Another Gukurahundi protest was held in Pretoria, South Africa, where Mnangagwa was addressing Zimbabweans based in the neighbouring country. The MRP activists claimed Mnangagwa had a hand in the mass killings that left over 20 000 people dead in the Midlands, Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces. The activists recently disrupted National Peace and Reconciliation Commission public hearings public hearings in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North, demanding the release of the Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry report into the Gukurahundi massacres. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has been plunged into a fresh storm after it emerged that board chairperson Willia Bonyongwe ordered that their meetings should not be digitally recorded in what insiders said came as a slap in the face for the anti-corruption drive adopted by the same board. In an e-mailed response to the latest accusation, Bonyongwe admitted to giving the directive to Zimra staff to switch off digital recordings, saying the decision was taken after realising that digital recordings were stifling debate. Proponents of digital recordings argue that minute-takers have the challenge of keeping up with taking notes as accurately as possible. They say while using some form of shorthand seems very natural and easy, important resolutions or points may not be fully captured. A missed point or a rephrased statement can cause an incomplete record or a disputable record of proceedings. In a recent interview with the Daily News, former Zimra Commissioner-General Gershem Pasi said he introduced electronic recording of board meetings to ensure accountability and good corporate governance. In 2015 and following Pasis resignation, Bonyongwe directed Zimra to abandon the electronic recordings of board meetings in what insiders said contradicts its claims to upholding transparency and accountability. The tax collector is currently fighting to ward off allegations of corruption, bad governance and dishonest dealings. A seven-page letter was recently sent to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission chair Job Whabira by concerned Zimra employees accusing Bonyongwe of dominating board meetings and ensuring board members rubberstamp her wishes. Bonyongwe has responded to the concerned Zimra employees saying it was an insult to the rest of the board members to say they cannot raise their voice against her. She said in all Zimra board meetings, they have become unpopular for their zero tolerance to corruption especially from powerful smugglers who are losing millions of dollars from the boards stance on corruption. You see, our term is coming to an end this June and so the mud throwing season has apparently started and the idea is to throw (dirt) as much as you can and hope some of it will indeed stick. Good luck to them, Bonyongwe told the Daily News. She said it was strange that an issue which happened in 2015 had become newsworthy now. You must be aware that the Zimra board was tasked to fight tax corruption when we got appointed. This was due to the public perception that Zimra was corrupt. This perception was actually backed by a survey, which management had done through a consultant, she said. So I called for a special board meeting to brainstorm corruption and to find strategies to combat it. It was at that meeting that we found the recording machines on the table in the boardroom. I asked why the board was not consulted or advised because it was a board meeting. We were also told that the previous board meetings were recorded. As the chairman of the meeting I was taken aback, at the timing and also did not appreciate the manner they did it, it was an ambush as if meant to stifle free debate of the issue. That days meeting was recorded if my recollection serves me right. In our board, we have a member who was in the previous board and I inquired with her afterwards if indeed they had been recording previous meetings as we had been made to believe and as you again allege. She indicated to us that they had not been recording and I thereafter, stopped the recordings. However, we do have very good secretaries and our board minutes are quite good. They are sent electronically to everyone at the same time for correction. I have never asked, but you might want to ask management if they are recording their executive meetings since 2015, said Bonyongwe. Bonyongwe, however, insisted that Zimra board was very committed to its mandate, saying their performance thus was instructive. She said when her board started, revenues were dwindling and targets were not being met, but the situation has since changed. The government was failing to pay civil servants and pay was being staggered. By the grace of God we managed to plug the leakages and now government finances have improved tremendously, civil servants are paid on time and service delivery is improving slowly. We are proud of our record and are very excited that the upward trend will certainly continue after we have gone, the momentum is there already. Our sincere hope is that there would be significant surplus, after recurrent expenditure for government to fund capital development projects once all the strategies are implemented. We have so many mineral resources, good land, wild life, flora and fauna and human capital we cannot fail to develop our nation endogenously with relative ease. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Pompeo, in Saudi Arabia, talks tough on Iran, Gulf dispute U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, (left) talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir, in Riyadh. AP, Riyadh : U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. He's also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met Sunday with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior U.S. officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. "Iran destabilizes this entire region," Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was "essential." Al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Senior U.S. officials, who were not authorized to preview Pompeo's discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the U.S., including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran "room to play" and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combatting violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian individuals, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said he'd also stress the U.S. commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. Some Zimbabweans and political observers say it is likely that President Emmerson Mnangagwa will win the forthcoming presidential election, to be held between July and August this year, as the countrys opposition is in disarray though they doubt that the southern African nation will hold a free, fair and credible election. The Zimbabweans, who were panelists at an event Thursday organized by the Global Press Institute hosted by the Newseum in Washington DC focusing on political issues in Zimbabwe, said they are convinced that Mnangagwa will romp to victory in the forthcoming presidential election. One of the panelists Linda Mujuru of Global Press Journal says the opposition is too weak to challenge Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa is likely to win because there is no strong opposition and there is so much confusion within the opposition parties such that Mnangagwa is the likely option for most people and is the one in power and they say that there is a lot of effort from Mnangagwa to change things. People are more receptive to that. She adds that Nelson Chamisa, who is currently locked in a battle with vice president Thokozani Khupe over the leadership of the MDC-T, once led by the late Morgan Tsvangirai, may lose the presidential poll even if he is attracting a large number of people at his election rallies. The thing is that with rallies there are people who are coming to see him talk about his political party and what he is promising people. But does that translate to a real vote and have those people registered to vote? Thats a question that needs to be answered and what we are seeing on the ground is that Mnangagwa is more organized and Chamisa has just come in after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai and we dont know that the people that are coming will vote for him. Her views were echoed by Wadzanai Mhute, a multimedia producer, author and reporter with the New York Times, who says the disjointed opposition is giving Mnangagwa a win on a silver platter. What I am seeing on the ground like with how he is more organized and also looking at all Zanu PF candidates have all been rolled out this week and all the primaries will be held this week and so we know who the candidates are and it looks like they know what they are doing whereas the MDC-T we dont know who the candidates are and there seems to be infighting The MDC-T led by Chamisa recently filed an urgent court application to stop Khupe from using the party name and logo, which was dismissed with costs by High Court judge Justice Francis Bere. Another court case is pending in which Khupe is challenging her withdrawal from parliament by the Chamisa group, which claims that she is no longer a member of the opposition party. Charles Mutuma, executive director of the United States-based Zimbabwe Diaspora for Democracy, says apart from this, it is likely that the opposition will be disadvantaged by lack of electoral reforms and related issues. Based on the electoral environment and electoral mechanisms the situation and the environment is heavily tilted in favor of the incumbent. So, the oppositions chances of winning are next to nothing if we do not address the unresolved issues of the government of national unity on the issue of security sector reforms, judiciary reforms and electoral reforms. He says Zimbabwe is heading for another disastrous election. We are heading towards a shameful election and once again a disputed election My justification is Deputy Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi ruling out the diaspora vote. It means the election wont be inclusive. Its not honoring the rights of Zimbabweans to vote according to Section 67 of the Constitution and when we look at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission its not impartial. Human rights lawyer Irene Petras says the opposition should unite if it wants to defeat Zanu PF in the forthcoming general elections. There is need to have a united force and there is need to have and a need to have an organized force in the opposition and there is need to invest heavily and ensure that people are registered to vote. Some nations like Britain are already attempting to strengthen relations with Zimbabwe following a fallout with former ruler Robert Mugabe, who was removed from power last year by Mnangagwa aided by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in what the former president has described as a military coup. Award-winning British journalist Paul Kenyon, host of the BBC Panorama program, says Mnangagwa is expected to win the election, which is expected to be almost free and fair. He knows that the world is watching. I think it will be subtle the manipulation but everyone I spoke to on the ground says is it conceivable that Mnangagwa wont win No its not conceivable he will win part of that is because the opposition is in, its not a lot of time to organize. They dont have the root there that they built up over generations, over decades where people have the, you know, they are not used to using opposition power, they are not used to exercising opposition power. They are not used to understanding how you go campaigning, putting those messages out there. All those things which are lost when you have an authoritarian regime of people like Mugabe. He says Britain will always relate well with nations creating democratic space for its citizens. I think the British will go to any country realistically saying we are changing the way we behave we are becoming more democratic. The British will go there and yes they will be looking for trade deals but they will also be interested in exercising some kind of diplomacy to make Zimbabwe come out of this a better place. The British and then President Mugabes government clashed in 2000 when the ruling party grabbed white-owned commercial farms under its land reform program widely condemned for causing a near-collapse of the agricultural sector. VOA Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is steering clear of a suspected multi-million illegal deal involving a new airline, Zimbabwe Airways (ZimAirways), which is linked to former president Robert Mugabes family, amid fresh evidence of lies by government officials and their associates. Government reportedly established ZimAirways six years ago as a parallel airline to Air Zimbabwe (AirZim), a public enterprise that was inherited from the colonial Rhodesian government at independence in 1980, but has been facing severe financial and operational problems for more than a decade. The new airline largely remained on paper through the tenure of two transport ministers Nicholas Goche and Obert Mpofu, respectively only to become a public controversy after the current minister, Joram Gumbo, took over in 2015. Gumbos anchor plan was to get ZimAirways operating as a supplementary entity to AirZim under the guise that it was a private concern and leasing planes to the national carrier to avoid seizure of its aircraft by international institutions and groups of evicted white farmers who the Zimbabwean government owes millions of dollars. ZimAirways is renting offices at a property owned by Gumbos niece, Mavis, in Gletwyn, a plush northern suburb in the capital. There was an outcry over the lease of the property to AirZim amid accusations of nepotism, but a bigger controversy surrounding the airline has evolved around the purchase of four planes worth $70 million from Malaysia with the direct involvement of Mugabe, who set off negotiations with his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, in 2016. According to Gumbo, the used Boeing 777-200-ER planes, which were purchased with the help of Mugabes son-in-law, Simba Chikore, a pilot who was working as the AirZim chief operating officer at that time but resigned late last year, were initially supposed to replenish the ailing airline. However, he claims, there was a change of plans after realising that the planes would be seized on international flights, hence the decision to re-route them to ZimAirways through another government entity, Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (Zalc) that was also reportedly set up in 2012. At one time, Gumbo claimed the decommissioned planes were bought for ZimAirways by a consortium of Zimbabweans living and working in the diaspora, but of late, he and Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa are insisting that they are government property belonging to the new entity, which they say is also a public enterprise. There have been loud calls from aviation experts, politicians, civil society and citizens to investigate the deal amid suspicions that the new airline was meant to benefit the Mugabe family and its close associates prior to the November 2017 military coup that ushered in a new administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Investigations by The Standard, working in collaboration with the Information for Development Trust (IDT), have unearthed a deliberate plot by Gumbo and connected individuals to mislead the nation on the tenancy of ZimAirways and Zalc The minister denied any nepotism in the fact that his niece, Mavis, is Zalcs and ZimAirways landlord, claiming that the two went through an estate agent in a manner that was above board. Mavis is my niece. She has her house and she wanted to lease it out through estate agents. The ZimAirways guys stumbled on the house without her or my knowledge and they liked it. It was a purely business deal, Gumbo told The Standard. Mavis claimed in a brief interview that the two entities got the lease through an estate agent called Letbill Realty, but checks revealed that this was false. Letbill Realty folded in 2017 upon the death of one of its directors and a surviving co-director, Clemence Chidziva, confirmed this. Chidziva dismissed claims that their now-defunct agency had facilitated the lease of Maviss property to ZimAirways and Zalc. The only time the real estate company had dealt with Mavis was some years ago when she sought to sell a different property, but the deal did not materialise. We closed the business and are not collecting any management fees from any property as we speak, Chidziva said. We briefly dealt with Mavis Gumbo many years ago when she wanted to sell one of her properties along Enterprise Road (Harare). The deal fell through and thats all I remember. He said he had never dealt with ZimAirways or their representatives in any way. Mavis, who has been largely media-shy on the purported lease agreement, refused to shed more light on the deal with ZimAirways and Zalc. Even though Gumbo says both ZimAirways and Zalc were formed in 2012, the available paper trail shows that they were incorporated only last year. The ZimAirways file has mysteriously disappeared from the Registrar of Companies records, but the CR14 company registration form obtained during investigations lists three top civil servants and a local lawyer as the directors. They were appointed on January 18, 2017, according to the document, some five years after the initial establishment of ZimAirways. Andrew Ndaamunhu Bvumbe, who has since resigned, Angeline Karonga (Transport ministry legal advisor), Mufaro Eric Gumbie (ministry principal director) and Anne Farirayi Mutswiri, who works at Matsikidze and Mucheche legal practitioners, are listed as directors of the company. Intriguingly, Mutswiri said she had no idea why she is listed as a director. That cannot be, I think its incorrect. If my name appears it is possibly because we did some work for ZimAirways, but I do not work for them, she said. Documents show that Matsikidze and Mucheche legal practitioners presented ZimAirways papers for filling at the Companies Registry. More mystery surrounds the registration of Zalc. The certificate of incorporation for Zalc numbered 4069/2017 shows that the company was registered by the Registrar of Companies on June 22 last year. Its directors are named as Phillipa Phillips, Phillips Law and Dacyl-Ray Rambanepasi. The first twos given address is Suite 100, Sanlam Centre, Newlands in Harare, while Rambanepasis is Number 6, Bray Close, Greystone Park, Borrowdale in Harare. Gumbo maintains that directors of both Zalc and ZimAirways are government employees but the leasing company directors, like Mutswiri, are private individuals. According to a statement jointly issued by Chinamasa and Gumbo recently, Air Zimbabwe approached the State Procurement Board (SPB) seeking authority to purchase the four Boeing 777 second-hand planes. In November 2016, the SPB under BPR 1067B approved Air Zimbabwes request to purchase the four Boeing 777 planes from Malaysia. Government, through the ministry of Finance and Economic Development, took a decision to secure funding for the procurement of the four planes together with eight Embraer aircraft, which would be used as feeder planes, reads the statement. However, the SPB approval of the purchase was a rubber stamp. In an interview, Gumbo indicated that the decision to buy the planes was made hastily when his team travelled to Malaysia with Mugabe, who was on his way to Singapore for treatment. Mugabe, Gumbo said, engaged the Malaysian leader Razak and introduced the transport minister. At that stage, the Malaysian PM said they couldnt enter into a partnership with AirZim on whose behalf the Zimbabwean team was negotiating. Instead, he offered to sell four decommissioned planes to them, and the Zimbabwean delegation promptly took up the offer of $70 million. The delegation negotiated with the London-based PriceWaterhouseCoopers which was acting on behalf of the Malaysian government, and the Zimbabwean team quickly wrote a letter of intent to buy the planes after agreeing on the $70 million price. That means Gumbos team returned home with a deal already in the bag and processes that followed were mere formalities, in violation of tendering regulations. Former Transport secretary Munesu Munodawafa was excluded from the Malaysian deal under unclear circumstances. I was never involved in any negotiations with Malaysia Airlines (the owners of the planes). Beyond that, I have no comment, he said. Instead, Gumbo jointly signed the deal with former Mines minister Walter Chidakwa. It was not clear how Chidakwa, who was removed from his post after Mugabes forced exit, got involved in the deal. He is closely related to Grace Mugabe, the ex-first lady, through marriage. Gumbo, on the other hand, is related to Mugabes late mother, Bona. He has been linked to Mnangagwa, but, according to sources, has also maintained close ties with Mugabe, and Chikore is reported to be a regular visitor at his office. Gumbos close involvement in operational issues at ZimAirways has generated discomfort among his critics. He described himself as a consultant in the deal, but was quick to point out that, like Chikore, he did not receive extra payment for his role. The SPB has been replaced by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe after recurrent complaints of corruption over the years. Its acting CEO Nyasha Chizu, in response to questions from The Standard, defended the Boeing purchase deal, which he said was done in accordance with the repealed Procurement Regulations Statutory Instrument 171 of 2002. Any direct procurement required that the accounting officer be cleared by the State Procurement Board before contract. As reported in other media, it is a fact that the procurement of 4 x Boeing 777s was cleared by the State Procurement Board at their meeting No. 84 of 2016 on 17 November 2016, he said. The accounting officer, before the clearance, was requested to clarify issues relating to costs, life span and spare parts. The submission by the accounting officer was then found to be reasonable by the State Procurement Board. The request for the purchase of planes involved the ministry and Air Zimbabwe, he said, but did not shed light on whether the SPB requested for information on other suitors for a fair award of the tender or whether it was being treated as a special case. He admitted that the SPB was not privy to the finer details of the agreement of sale with Air Malaysia, since the role of the SPB back then was limited to the award of contracts. While Chikore did not avail himself for an interview despite numerous attempts. he is on record saying he did not benefit personally from the ZimAirways deal. Gumbo told The Standard that he advised Chikore to resign from his post at AirZim in September 2017 in order to take up more roles in setting up ZimAirways. Chikore raised eyebrows recently when he flew in the first Boeing 777 bought from Malaysia and registered as Z-RGM as a full pilot even though aviation experts maintain he is still junior. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe [RBZ] governor John Mangudya added more confusion to the unfolding mystery regarding the purchase of the planes. Gumbo, who has revealed that Mangudya is the ZimAirways trustee, is on record saying the governor directly facilitated payment of at least $45 million for the four Boeings. However, Mangudya said: The RBZ does not process commercial transactions. You may, therefore, wish to contact the relevant authorities or the sources of your information for the details that you need on your inquiry. Gumbo shockingly claimed that, by 2016, government had removed AirZim from its books and replaced it with ZimAirways. According to government books, there was no longer Air Zimbabwe. Instead there was ZimAirways. Contrary to that, AirZim has never ceased to operate, constantly flying Mugabe and other officials to regional and international destinations in addition to servicing domestic routes. Former finance minister Tendai Biti said the ZimAirways deals might have breached a litany of the countrys procurement regulations and laws as well as the constitution. We never saw any advertisement to the effect that Air Zimbabwe wanted to lease any planes and the government never invited bids for the lease of the planes, but the procurement regulations require that, he said. If it is correct that government made a payment for the planes, then Parliament needed to be involved. All government payments are from the Consolidated Revenue Fund whose custodian is the legislature and I do not think Parliament was ever asked to approve this deal This means Gumbo is in breach of sections 303, 304 and 305 of the constitution relating to state expenditure. Government could seek condonation from Parliament under section 307 of the constitution, but this has not happened either. Biti called on Parliament to investigate the deal, but the legislature has been folding its arms. Former parliamentary committee on transport chairperson Dexter Nduna said the legislature had adopted a wait-and-see attitude over the developing scandal. Nduna was reportedly removed as chairperson after numerous clashes with Gumbo over investigations by the committee in most parastatals under the ministers purview. Zacc has decided to watch the unfolding scandal from the terraces despite swelling allegations of nepotism, fraud and violation of public procurement procedures. Zacc has not received any report with regard to the ZimAirways (sic) and neither do we know of the existence of such a company. Zacc advises you to check with the Ministry of Transport for more information, said commission spokesperson Phylis Chikundura. The constitution and the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, however, do not limit Zacc to being a passive recipient of graft-related reports. Section 12 (a) of the Act provides that the commission shall monitor and examine the practices, systems and procurement procedures of public and private institutions, while, under subsection (f), it must investigate any conduct of any person whom the commission has reason to believe is connected with activities involving corruption. In the past, Zacc has avoided probing politically-sensitive cases and stands accused of working on orders from the elite. The Standard Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Zimbabwe is, indeed, now open for business. If anyone doubted this, then the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) left them without any shadow of doubt. For the first time in its 50-year-long history, ZITF attracted members of the oldest profession who exhibited at the premier event. Loved and hated in equal measure the se_x workers took up space at the showcase, turned heads and were quite an attraction. Under the thoroughly discredited government of former president Robert Mugabe, this would have been impossible as this was considered a taboo. But under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his administration has been going to any lengths to prove that Zimbabwe is now open for business. Se_x workers have taken heed of that call, resulting in social media going haywire after news broke out that some of the members of the oldest profession were exhibiting at ZITF. While respected lawyer and a prominent opposition figure, David Coltart, questioned the logic, a visit to the stand proved otherwise, as the se_x workers stand was swamped with all kinds of visitors from the young to the old. What made their exhibition unique was that they distributed male and female cond0ms while demonstrating their correct use. The Daily News witnessed a number of men and women making enquiries at the stand while also collecting fliers and booklets that contained information on se_x education. While some might have seen it funny to be associated with the stand, interestingly the ladies at the stand showed enthusiasm and vigour as they educated people about their trade, particularly on the health side of it. The se_x workers got support from organisations such as Women Against All Forms of Discrimination (WAAFD), the Zimbabwe Aids Network (Zan), Se_xual Rights Centre (SRC) and the National Aids Council (Nac), among others. SRC legal support officer Sipho Khumalo said they were at the fair to do advocacy and not sell se_x as has been widely portrayed in some sectors. We are here as Se_xual Rights Centre at the exhibition not to sell se_x; we are advocating for health rights of se_x workers, can that be corrected please, Khumalo said. We are saying these people are here; they should be known that they are here. Can the health facilities treat se_x workers the same as anyone else. Do not discriminate them according to their job description. We are not wearing miniskirts at the ZITF, Khumalo said. Hazel Anesu Zemura, the communications, health research and advocacy officer at Zan said they took advantage of the fair to do their advocacy, which she said had received overwhelming response. We are here to defend and reclaim the rights of se_x workers and prisoners who are also called key populations in HIV/AIDS, Zemura said. We call them key populations because these are the people who are at high risk of contracting as well as transmitting the virus. So, what we are doing here is amplifying their voice advocating for friendly health services. We want them to be treated in non-discriminatory and non-stigmatised ways. When they get to a local clinic, they are supposed to get health care services regardless of what they do, she said. Zemura said they were worried about the trend whereby se_x workers are denied their right to health at various clinics and hospitals in the country. In some areas, where they are known to be se_x workers they can be denied health care services. We are saying give them treatment because if you do that we also know that the community is safe. We are also saying lets leave no one behind in our effort to curb HIV because you might not know that your partner is also buying se_x. She added: We are also saying we want to end gender-based violence because we realise that people hire se_x workers and they dont even pay for their services. By yesterday Zemura said they had distributed more than a dozen of cond0m boxes each containing about 200 cond0ms. Its been very hectic here people are just interested in the stand and there has been a lot of cond0m and lubricants distribution since the beginning of the Trade Fair. Boxes and boxes have gone and each box contains 200 cond0ms and dont forget that in each pack there are four cond0ms. We are distributing quality cond0ms with different flavours not those blue ones known as MaDeMbare that people hate. Our advice is that people should not just collect cond0ms but they should use them. Jerry Manyika the key populations coordinator for Nac said their target was to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS through the exhibition. We are intensifying target interventions for the key populations and these populations are key in terms of them being vulnerable to HIV infections because of the conditions of their work hence they become key to our response, Manyika said. We prioritise them because of the nature of their job. You must realise that the longer you stay in se_x work the more the chances of acquiring HIV, so we want them to stay long in se_x work but stay HIV free, he said. Helen Chaitezvi, the provincial chairperson for WAAFD said they were a voluntary organisation where se_x workers pay a small fee to be a member and we make them pay monthly subscription. We have opened netball teams for se_x workers only in the city where we have various competitions, she said. We are still working on our papers to open funeral policies for our members such that we become organised like any other profession. We also teach them how to negotiate for safer se_x, she said. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News - The senator said he only called for invoking of a relevant section of the constitution and not impeachment - The section quoted, he said, would make it imperative for President Buhari to explain his decision carried out without National Assembly contribution - The Senator said an impeachment is a much larger process than what he called for Senator Matthew Urhoghide has denied calling for President Muhammadu Buharis impeachment. The lawmaker representing Edo South senatorial district in the Nigerian Senate, who moved the motion question the legality of President Buhari's withdrawal of $496m from the Excess Crude Account to by military aircraft from the United, said he was misquoted. Punch reports that the Edo lawmaker said this in a chat with pressmen at the Benin Airport in Edo state. Urhoghide said he never called for President Buhari's impeachment but only urged the Senate to invoke the relevant section of the Constitution so that President Buhari could explain why he took the decision to purchase the 12 aircrafts. READ ALSO: Lai did a good job - President Buhari finally reacts to Obasanjos letter He said: The President had a good intention of buying the equipment but the procedure was wrong. And he too has accepted that it was wrong. We (lawmakers) swore to uphold the Constitution. An impeachment, if you check Section 143, is a long process. The first thing is you have to do an investigation and then correspondences will be entered into; the President has to be written by the President of the Senate, who is the chairman of the National Assembly. Then, of course, he (Buhari) too will reply and this has to go on for a long time. We have not reached this issue of an impeachment. Nobody on the floor of the Senate mentioned that the President should be impeached. He added: So if the papers said that somebody said that the President should be impeached, it is out of ignorance. I am very proud to be a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Edo South senatorial district. As the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, all revenues and expenditure fall on my table. So, this is part of it. So, they (critics) should be proud that this is what it is. The Constitution is above every person. So, we have not reached the point of impeachment. He noted further that it would be ignorant and stupid of him to call for President Buhari's impeachment outright without following due process. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigerias #1 news app That was why the Senate President said that we should refer it to the judiciary, so that it would advise on what to do. So, an impeachment is not the first thing; if I come and even say that the President should be impeached, I am ignorant. Section 143 is a very long section. So, if you look at the processes, you will know that it will take a lot of actions. So, if I moved a motion that the President should be impeached, then I must be stupid. I only said, Invoke Section 143 so that processes will be followed; the President will still explain and the National Assembly will still have do some enquiries, Senator Urhoghide added. Legit.ng had reported that some senators on Thursday, April 26, called for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buharis for not seeking National Assembly approval before the withdrawal of the $496 million used for the purchase of aircraft from the United States. Senator Matthew Uroghide moved the motion, claiming that President Buharis move was a violation of the constitution and thus, he should face the consequences. He urged the Senate to invoke Section 143 to start the impeachment process of the president. Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have arrested four suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Yobe state - The suspects were arrested by soldiers of the 233 Battalion during a raid in Mingel and Damagun in Fune Local Government Area of the state - Items recovered from the suspects whose ages ranged from 20 to 40 years include four phones and N150,000 Troops of 233 Battalion deployed in operation Lafiya Dole while on raid operation to Mingel and Damagun in Fune local government area of Yobe state nabbed four Boko Haram terrorists. In a statement announcing the arrests, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, the director, army public relations, said they were arrested on Friday, April 27, with their collaborator. The suspects who are all from Borno state include, Chari Masaa 40 years, Gonbuzu Abar 30 years, Modu Moduchollo 20 years and Titta Masawa 20 years. READ ALSO: The real reason Obasanjo, Banangida are against Buharis re-election bid - Governor Ganduje The suspects are all from Borno state. Photo credit: Facebook, Armed Forces Radio 107.7 While their collaborator is Gambo Idrisa 30 years. Items recovered include, four Techno phones and cash of N150,000.00 only. Similarly, troops of Forward Operation Base, Potiskum on April 26 while on routine patrol arrested a suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Sailsu Musa - 30 years of Sabon Gari Duddaye village in Nangere local government area. . The general public is hereby advised to report any suspicious movements to the security agents for necessary action. Legit.ng previously reported that troops of 28 Brigade on Operation Lafiya Dole on Wednesday, April 11, while on clearance patrol in conjunction with hunters and vigilantes in Borno state had an encounter with some Boko Haram terrorists. Troops of 233 Battalion deployed in Ops Lafiya Dole on a raid nabbed 4 suspected Boko Haram terrorists with their collaborator. Photo credit: Facebook, Armed Forces Radio 107.7 PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app According to a statement sent to Legit.ng by the director army public relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu, three members of the Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised during the exchange of fire. The troops also rescued 33 family members of Boko Haram terrorists comprising 15 women, 6 boys and 12 girls. However, their houses and property were also destroyed. Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram on Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit.ng - The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, visited members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Kwara state today, Sunday, April 29 - Saraki was in the camp to commiserate the NYSC members over the death of a female corps member - He however used the opportunity to praise Nigerian youths, for their resourcefulness and capacity The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki visited NYSC members serving in Kwara state earlier today, Sunday, April 29. Saraki was in the camp to commiserate with the NYSC members over the death of a female corps member identified as Miss Hilda Amadi Ichechukwu, recently. Saraki addressing the corps members during the visit. Photo source: Twitter READ ALSO: World Vaccination Week: Saraki counsels women on protecting their children According to the Senate President, one of his major priorities in office is to understand the needs of young people and ensure that the Senate in its capacity, strengthens the institutions that enhance their capacity. He praised the Nigerian youths for their hard-work and resilience, stressing that for Nigeria to thrive, youths must be supported because they make up the majority of our population. Saraki exchanging pleasantries with the corps members. Photo source: Twitter The Senate President also used the opportunity to inspect facilities in the camp, after which he promised to contribute to the renovation of the facility. He stated that there was a definite need for government to improve upon the medical and other facilities in the camp. Saraki inspecting facilities at the NYSC camp in Kwara. Photo source: Twitter While lamenting the demise of the corps member, Miss Hilda Amadi Ichechukwu, Saraki said Nigerian youths can match their counterparts anywhere in the world in terms of creativity and government must do everything to ensure they fulfil their dreams. He later led a minute silence in honour of the late corps member and described his visit as part of a process of immortalising her. Saraki pose for a selfie with one of the youth corps member. Photo source: Twitter He then promised the corps members that he will use his persuasive influence to ensure that Kwara state government begins to pay local monthly allowance to corps members serving in the state. Earlier, state director of the NYSC, Mr. Amaefule Remigius had described the late Miss Amadi as a young lady, full of life, intelligent, beautiful and very active in all camp activities while alive. Many of the corps members were excited to see the Senate President in their camp. Photo source: Twitter READ ALSO: OPINION: The president versus democracy and Nigerian youth by Segun Awosanya Meanwhile, a large delegation of the The Not Too Young To Run movement paid a courtesy visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday, April 19. The visit is in line with the movement's consistent advocacy to ensure that the age reduction bill sees the light of the day. Speaking during the visit, leader of the delegation and co-convener of the movement, Samson Itodo, demanded for youth inclusion in Nigeria's political process. Not Too Young to Run Bill: Nigerian youths march to Aso Rock in support (Nigeria News) on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Kenyan government has reportedly banned night prayers in churches - The session known as Kesha has been stopped following the rise in early pregnancy among teenagers in Narok county - The move was taken in a bid to curb teenage pregnancy as reported by Narok County Commissioner, George Natembeya Reports claim Kenyan government has put a ban on night prayers held in churches in a bid to curb teenage pregnancies. The Narok County Commissioner, George Natembeya revealed in a recent interview that the move was taken following the rise of early pregnancy among teenagers in the county. Natembeya who was speaking at the campaign against child pregnancy shared that 17 girls from Suswa Girls Secondary School in Narok County were found pregnant just a month ago. The alarming rise in such despicable act led to the decision to ban evening prayers held in churches, known as Kesha. There's the belief that the night prayers are an excuse for the young girls to get out of parental protection, living them exposed to the sinful world of unprotected intercourse, which consequentially, leads to a generation of baby makers. READ ALSO: Photos from homecoming party for the top 5 BBNaija housemates To arrest such negative development, necessary steps have been taken to stop such practice. There's been several reactions following the decision of the Kenyan government with some speaking against the move. Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier shared interesting details on what every woman needs to know about eating garlic during pregnancy. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Nigerian youths reply to President Buhari over 'lazy' comment trailer. on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Readers will recall that a near-allergic reaction to the word innovation is one of my crotchets, and this article from Modern Health Care Only two payment models from the CMS Innovation Center have survived, GAO says confirms me in all my priors. First, Ill look back to when the [cough] Innovation Center was started; next, Ill look at the GAO report, and finally Ill look at the implications of the Centers failure for neoliberalism, at least in heatlh care. First, from Modern Health Care: Eight years into its existence, CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation has recommended further development of only two of the 37 models the center has created, with testing completed on 10 of them, according to a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The Affordable Care Act set aside $10 billion for the Innovation Centers activities for fiscal 2011 through 2019 and $10 billion per decade beginning in fiscal 2020. By Sept. 30, 2016, the last period for which data are available, $5.6 billion of its initial $10 billion appropriation had been spent. The report is silent as to what fault the agency found with the other 35 models. Generally, to be candidates for continuation models must produce savings and maintain or improve quality of care. A CMS spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. What do we mean by model? Lets turn to the FAQ at CMS, and Im gonna have to quote some indigestible slabs of bureaucratic prose here: The Innovation Center develops new payment and service delivery models in accordance with the requirements of section 1115A of the Social Security Act. Additionally, Congress has defined both through the Affordable Care Act and previous legislation a number of specific demonstrations to be conducted by CMS. The Innovation Center also plays a critical role in implementing the Quality Payment Program, which Congress created as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) to replace Medicares Sustainable Growth Rate formula to pay for physicians and other providers services. In this new program, clinicians may earn incentive payments by participating to a sufficient extent in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) . In Advanced APMs clinicians accept some risk for their patients quality and cost outcomes and meet other specified criteria. The Innovation Center is working in consultation with clinicians to increase the number and variety of models (PDF) available to ensure that a wide range of clinicians, including those in small practices and rural areas, have the option to participate. Our Innovation Models are organized into seven categories And clicking through to the linked PDF we find: An APM is a payment approach, developed in partnership with the clinician community, that provides added incentives to deliver high-quality and cost-efficient care . APMs can apply to a specific clinical condition, a care episode, or a population. This is a broad definition of an APM. All APMs and payment reforms that seek to deliver better care at lower cost share a common pathway for success: providers, payers, and others in the health care system must make fundamental changes in their day-to-day operations that improve quality and reduce the cost of health care. Making operational changes will be viable and attractive only if new APMs and payment reforms are broadly adopted by a critical mass of payers. When health care providers encounter new payment strategies for one payer but not others, the incentive to change is weak. When payers align their efforts, the incentive to change is stronger, and the obstacles to change are reduced. So, broadly, the CMS Innovation Center was a $10 billion-dollar effort to fix health care by dickering with payment systems, because markets. What could go wrong? And things started out looking so good. From Reuters, in 2010: CMS innovation center to improve care, payment efficiency The agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid on Tuesday established a new center it says will drive ideas on how to improve patient care in and out of hospitals, while streamlining payment systems. CMS Administrator Donald Berwick said on Tuesday new models for care delivery and payments will help drive down costs across the health care system. Berwick who has been a source of controversy for comments made in favor of the British publicly funded health system[1] on Wednesday will try to sell lawmakers on the virtues of the new innovation center and other Medicare reforms when he testifies in front of the Senate Finance Committee. Medicare reform is a main plank in the health reform legislation championed by President Barack Obama. I think everyones really interested in getting better efficiency in the system, said Amy Thornton, a health policy analyst who follows CMS for Washington Research Group. (The center) really could be a big highlight of the health reform bill. Five years on, the bloom seemed to be coming off the rose. (All the material I can find from NEJM is paywalled, sadly.) In 2015, Modern Healthcare commented on one of the Innovation Centers projects, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs): Successful Pioneer ACO journey leaves faint trail for followers Touting $380 million in savings from the Affordable Care Acts first test of accountable care, Medicare says the pilot did well enough to expand. But its unclear how the participants got the savings and to what extent others can replicate the success . Dr. Patrick Conway, head of the CMS Innovation Center, and his colleagues announced the savings this week in JAMA. They detailed medical spending for Medicare patients who received care from 32 accountable care organizations during the first two years of the Innovation Centers Pioneer ACO program. PNHPs Kipp Sullivan expands on why the source of the savings is unclear: The problem is the failure of ACO proponents, including CMS, to define ACO. L&M [on whose research the JAMA article was based] summarized the problem on page 1 of their report: The ACO treatment under investigation is not a prescribed set of activities or interventions. Rather, it is a financial arrangement in which provider organizations attempt to reduce expenditures below a set target while maintaining high quality metrics in exchange for bearing risk for reducing expenditures. Its hard to imagine a definition more devoid of meaning. Lets begin with the lead noun, arrangement. Is it possible to choose a more abstract word? What does it mean to say provider organizations are in an arrangement and, once in, they attempt to reduce expenditures while maintaining high quality metrics? How do they attempt? We dont know. We dont know because ACO proponents have never set forth a prescribed set of activities or interventions, as L&M put it so precisely. The refusal of ACO proponents to state clearly what it is ACOs are supposed to do means ACOs are under no obligation to employ any particular intervention, to hire any particular type of staff, to follow any particular protocol, or to focus on any particular type of patient. And that in turn means contractors such as L&M, researchers such as Dr. Guterman, and reporters such as Melanie Evans (the author of the Modern Healthcare article) cant make any sense of the outcomes of the Pioneer [ACO] program. In other words, the ACO model was not defined with precision such that it could serve as object of study. In fact, its not clear that this could ever be done, for any CMS model. Benjamin L. Howell, Patrick H. Conway, and Rahul Rajkumar write in Jama, Guiding Principles for Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation Model Evaluations: CMS models are not static is, I think, another way of saying that the results of CMS model testing cannot be replicated. At which point, one might ask, why are we even running these studies? Why dont we look sixty miles north of Burlington, Vermont and hire some Canadians to tell us what to do? I think you know the answer to that question. And now we arrive at the present day, and the GAO report, CMS INNOVATION CENTER Model Implementation and Center Performance (PDF). Page 6: The Innovation Center Implemented 37 Models That Test Varying Delivery and Payment Approaches, and Obligated over $5.6 Billion And: The Innovation Center used evaluation results in recommending two models be certified for expansion. According to Innovation Center officials, the evaluation of each model adequately demonstrated that the delivery and payment approach tested reduced Medicare spending while maintaining or improving quality of care. Based on these results, the Innovation Center formally requested that CMSs Office of the Actuary analyze the financial impact of a potential expansion of each model. The two models were: Pioneer ACO. Pioneer ACO tested an ACO delivery and payment approach that gave providers an opportunity to be paid a relatively greater share of savings generated, compared to participants in other ACO models, in exchange for accepting financial responsibility for any losses. In year 3 of the model, ACOs that met certain levels of savings in the first two years could elect to receive a portion of their Medicare fee-for-service payments in the form of predetermined, per beneficiary per month payments. YMCA of the USA Diabetes Prevention Program (Diabetes Prevention Program). The Diabetes Prevention Program applied a lifestyle change program recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce to the risk of Type 2 diabetes for atrisk Medicare beneficiaries. The Diabetes Prevention Program was a part of the Health Care Innovation Awards Round One model. (Given the weaknesses of the Pioneer Valley ACO model results described above, one can only wonder how weak the results of the other innovations were. One might also, less charitably, wonder if the entire enterprise was concocted to put over the ACO idea, ACOs being HMOs, rebranded and uglier. Footnote 22: The Office of the Actuary conducted its assessments [to certify the models for expansion] prior to the availability of final evaluations for both models.) Beyond noting that only 2 of the 37 Innovation Center models were worth expanding, GAO assessed the Center by the three goals it had set up for itself. Page 54 et seq: Goal 1: Reduce the growth of healthcare costs while promoting better health and health care quality through delivery system reform This goal has three performance measures that focus on ACOs. As shown in table 3, the Innovation Center has reported mixed results in achieving the targets set. For the remaining measurethe percentage of ACOs that shared in savingsthe center did not meet its target during either of the two years for which data were available. (As a sidebar, see note [2] where I pick apart some bafflegab re: Goal #1.) Goal 2: Identify, test, and improve payment and service delivery models. This goal has one performance measure, which identifies the number of models that currently indicate (1) cost savings while maintaining or improving quality or (2) improving quality while maintaining or reducing cost. As of September 30, 2016, the Innovation Center reported that four [of 37] section 1115A model tests have met these criteria (see table 4). Goal 3: Accelerate the spread of successful practices and models. For this goal, the first performance measure focuses on the number of states developing and implementing a health system transformation and payment reform plan. The second measure focuses on increasing the percentage of active model participants who are involved in Innovation Center or related learning activities. As shown in table 5, the Innovation Center reported meeting its target for the first measure for both fiscal years 2015 and 2016, but not meeting its target for the second measure. And concluding, with the woo-woo noises at last becoming audible: Looking forward, officials told us that the Innovation Center has developed a methodology to estimate a forecasted return on investment for the model portfolio , and is in the early stages of refining the methodology and applying it broadly across the portfolio in 2018. As part of the development efforts, the Innovation Center expects to utilize standard investment measures used in the public and private sectors . Whatever that means. Since we dont know what a model is, what on earth is the use of creating a portfolio of them? * * * Philip Mirowski has an excellent intellectual history of the neoliberal thought collective in the current issue of American Affairs; I recommend you read it in full. Ill pull out just one quote: While it is undeniable that neoliberals routinely disparage the state, both back then and now, it does not follow that they are politically libertarian or, as David Harvey would have it, that they are implacably opposed to state interventions in the economy and society. Harveys error is distressing, since even Antonio Gramsci understood this: Moreover, laissez-faire liberalism, too, must be introduced by law, through the intervention of political power: it is an act of will, not the spontaneous, automatic expression of economic facts. From the 1940s onward, the distinguishing characteristic of neoliberal doctrines and practice is that they embrace this prospect of repurposing the strong state to impose their vision of a society properly open to the dominance of the market as they conceive it. You will note that this is exactly what the Innovation Center is doing. And you will note the results after a decade and $5 billion dollars of spending: 35 of its 37 exercises of state power turned out to be meritless, and of the remaining two, one (ACOs) is both intellectually suspect and if one is the suspicious sort the horse that was picked to win anyhow. This is a terrible track record. It may be that there are areas of human endeavor one thinks of the military, the church, the family, teaching, the communism of everyday life, as I believe Graeber puts it where the market is either not present at all or doesnt dominate. When one looks at the exceptionally bad results of our health care system, at least if health care be the standard for judging, its hard to believe that health care, which is, at its heart, a social relation between patient and caregivers (doctors, nurses, etc.) is not one such area. Neoliberal drunks are looking for their keys to health care under the lamp-post of the marketplace (the streetlight effect), and theyre not doing very well, are they? Perhaps they should be led gently away, and we should, as Ive said, simply ask the Canadians to tell us what to do. Why not learn from success? NOTES [1] See Berwicks speech to the NHS here. For example: [P]lease dont put your faith in market forces. It is a popular idea: that Adam Smiths invisible hand would do a better job of designing care than leaders with plans can do. I do not agree. I find little evidence anywhere that market forces, bluntly used, that is, just consumer choice among an array of products with competitors fighting it out, leads to the health care system that you want and need. Oh, and awful reporting by Reuters; Britains NHS isnt a publicly funded health care system, like Canadian single payer. Rather, British medical personnel are or were, until the Tories began sawing across the NHSs windpipe with a dull knife public servants, employed by the government. #MedicareForAll advocates are, by world standards, centrist. [2] Page 28: Lambert here: For the world richest elite, the British peerage seems to be doing a p*iss-poor, Bertie Wooster-level job of noblesse oblige. I think Ive plated this before, but: By Paula Gobbi, CEPR Research Affiliate, and Marc Goni, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Vienna. Originally published at VoxEU. Inheritance practices have long attracted the attention of economists. Adam Smith was scathing in his criticism of primogeniture and entailment of the land.1 He argued that these laws increased inequality, making beggars of all but the first-born (Smith 1776). Recent studies that suggest that wealth inequality and the incidence of inherited wealth are both rising have once more highlighted the impact of inheritance practices (Piketty 2011, Atkinson 2013, Saez and Zucman 2016). The economic effects of any inheritance scheme depend on fertility choices (Stiglitz 1969, Atkinson and Harrison 1978). Most importantly, they depend on the production of an heir. Despite this, modern studies of inheritance ignore both the effects of inheritance rules on fertility choices in the extensive margin, and how fertility concerns may determine the type of inheritance used. Our recent research finds new evidence of a two-way link between inheritance and fertility for the British peerage, the worlds richest elite. The Worlds Richest Elite It is hard to exaggerate the riches of the 300 families in the peerage (Cannadine 1990).2 For example, while the average member of the top 1% in the US earns $1.3 million a year (Wolff 2012), peers earned $2.5 million (in 2008 US dollars) in the 19th century (Goni 2018). Though in decline, the peerage remains rich: 68 peers were included in the 1,000 richest in Britain in 2000 (Cahill 2002). The peerage was not pre-destined to be at the top of the distribution. Demographics were not on their side: around 1600, between 30% and 40% of married women in the peerage were childless. For the average commoner, the corresponding rate was only 10% (Figure 1). This threatened the survival of aristocratic lineages. Figure 1 Childlessness rates, by marriage decade Notes: * sample: married women whose father is a peer; ** sources: Wrigley et al (1997), Anderson (1998). So, how did these aristocratic lineages survive? As suggested by Adam Smith, inheritance practices helped British aristocrats to consolidate their wealth, and their position at the top of the distribution. This is only part of the picture. In a recent paper (Gobbi and Goni 2018) we show that the inheritance practices of the aristocracy boosted fertility decisions in the extensive margin (in other words, having children or not). Inheritance rules contributed to the perpetuation of the British elite not only by preventing family estates to break, but also through changing fertility incentives. An Inheritance Scheme that Boosts Fertility From 1650 to 1882, inheritance in the British aristocracy was regulated by settlements. Settlements combined male primogeniture with a one-generation entail of the land. In the textbook case, the family head and the heir signed a settlement by which the heir committed to passing down the estate, unbroken, to the next generation (Habakkuk 1950). The social convention was strong. Few heirs refused to sign a settlement with their fathers (Stone and Stone 1984). Importantly, settlements were signed upon the heirs marriage, as they also included provisions for the wife (Bonfield 1979). Why would settlements affect fertility? When an individual was subject to a settlement, he could not break the family estate, sell it, or mortgage it. He may choose to have children, if he preferred the large, untouched inheritance to go to his offspring. Otherwise a distant relative would have inherited the estates. For the settlement to change fertility incentives, however, the family head had to survive until his heirs marriage. If he did not, the settlement was not signed, and the heir could have sold parts of the family estate. To estimate the effect of settlements on fertility we used genealogical data collected by Hollingsworth (1964) from peerage records. These data do not state who signed a settlement. We can nevertheless identify families in which the father died after the heirs wedding, and hence, in which a settlement was signed, and families in which the father died before wedding, and in which the heir would not have signed a settlement. Figure 2 summarises the results. Families signing a settlement had significantly lower childlessness rates. The magnitude of the effect is larger when we control for variables that potentially affected childlessness, such as the age of the spouse at marriage, or the number of stillbirths. Our results are robust to including family fixed effects, which capture any genetic, cultural, religious, or socioeconomic predisposition towards childlessness. In contrast, we do not find an effect of settlements on the intensive margin of fertility (births conditional on having at least one child). Figure 2 Effect of signing a settlement on the extensive and intensive margin of fertility for aristocrats Note: We assume that a family signed a settlement (did not sign a settlement) if the father died after (before) his heirs wedding. It is possible that individuals may have chosennot to sign a settlement by delaying marriage until their fathers death. To address this, we exploit the birth order of the heir. Since families could not control the gender of their children, a male heir might not have been born until the second or third birth. In these families, the father is older, more likely to die before the heirs wedding, and hence, exogenouslyless likely to sign a settlement. Instrumenting settlements with the heirs birth order, we find that signing a settlement increased the extensive margin of fertility by 83.5%, pushing childlessness rates close to the natural rate of 2.4% (Tietze 1957). In other words, settlements contributed to the survival of noble family lineages. Permanent Entails in Scotland In Scotland, peers could use permanent entails (Habakkuk 1994), unlike in England. Because these entails did not have to be renewed every generation, it should not have mattered for fertility whether the father died before or after his heirs wedding. Our estimates for Scottish peers are close to zero, and significantly different from our benchmark results. This strongly suggests that we have captured the causal effect of settlements, rather than confounding factors correlated with the father dying before or after his heirs wedding. Why Would an Heir Sign a Settlement? A settlement restricts an heirs powers to manage the family wealth, so to answer this we develop a simple model of inheritance and fertility. We relax the assumption of exponential discounting across generations, commonly used in bequest models (Barro 1974). Instead, we introduce dynastic preferences, so that individuals would value their childrens well-being similarly to that of the future generations. This type of discounting is appealing for two reasons: Dynastic preferences are well-suited for the aristocracy and other wealthy elites. Dynastic preferences rationalise inheritance schemes that restrict successors. In the model, the family head prefers to use such a scheme to provide for his grandson. For the heir, signing a settlement even if this restricts him in managing the estate is a credible commitment to have children, which ensures that his father would pass down a larger share of the estate. In sum, our model predicts that concerns over the production of an heir may shape inheritance rules in particular, rules that restrict successors. Lessons for Today British peers were the wealthiest elite on earth. However, from 1650 to 1882 they did not freely dispose of their estates. On their marriage, they signed a settlement, renouncing to sell or mortgage parts of the family estate before passing it down. We find that such arrangements reduced the high rates of childlessness in the aristocracy, ensuring its survival. Should we care about an elite who spent their time in debutanteballs and fox-hunting, and who lived on money that were invested they hardly knew where? (Orwell 1968). In light of the recent surge in inequality and the importance of inherited wealth, we argue that history can teach important lessons. We show that inheritance models treating fertility as exogenous can be misleading, because inheritance schemes affect fertility decisions which, in turn, can shape inheritance practices. In addition, the study of settlements allows us to understand inheritance practices that restrict successors, which are increasingly popular. For example, trusts are likely the most popular inheritance scheme among the top 0.1% in the US (Wolff and Gittleman 2014). Since Adam Smith, many have argued that inheritance schemes that restrict successors can perpetuate elite lineages. We suggest that they can so not only by consolidating wealth, but also through changing fertility incentives. Endnotes [1] Land entails are arrangements that restrict the successors capacity to break the family estate; i.e., sell parts of the land, mortgage it, etc. [2] After 1900, the size of the peerage grew to 900 families. References available at original (Natural News) For the past year-and-a-half, Democrats have been obsessed with trying to convince the American public that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, fueling an endless witch hunt based on nothing but empty conspiracy theories. But it turns out that the whole charade could be serving as a coverup for the Hillary Clinton email server, and particularly the newly-released information about Pakistani Mystery Man Imran Awan. Awan, as we earlier reported, is the foreign agent who was hired by his best friend, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to manage the email server for the House of Representatives. Imrans entire family, in fact, ended up being hired by the Democrats to serve as email server administrators, which the House Inspector general described as giving them the keys to the kingdom in accessing any private file that they wished. It all ties in to Hillary Clintons 33,000-plus deleted emails and other criminal, and potentially treasonous, activity that took place when the Democrats were the dominant party in the House during the Obama years. Its a very serious case that could land many top-level politicians, including Clinton and Obama, in prison, which would explain why the Russian collusion hoax continues to dominate the mainstream media headlines. So what do we now know about Imran that suggests the Democrats are using the Russian collusion narrative as a cover for their own crimes? As covered by The Daily Caller: 1. Imran had worked for Debbie Wasserman Schultz since 2004 and had all of the passwords to her various devices. As revealed by WikiLeaks when searching for the name Awan Imran, this foreign national was actually summoned by the DNC when it needed him to unlock and procure access to Schultzs devices. 2. During the 2016 election, the Houses Office of Inspector General warned that Imran and his family had unauthorized access to sensitive data. A presentation given on September 30, 2016, shows that Imran Awan and his family were still logging into the servers of House members who had previously fired him. It was shown that he was funneling data from the network while taking steps to conceal these crimes. 3. Awan family had full access to House computer network until February 2, 2017, just days after Trumps inauguration. It wasnt until President Trumps crew took the reigns that the Awan family was finally restricted from accessing confidential information that it never should have had access to in the first place. 4. Following the release of the IG report in September 2016, the Caucus server containing primary evidence in the cybersecurity case physically disappeared. In other words, the Democrats appear to have knowingly destroyed evidence in a federal case. 5. Schultz refuses to fire Imran, even after he was accused of committing serious cybersecurity crimes. Even though she had just lost her job as DNC chair, and knowing that Imran was under investigation for committing cybersecurity crimes, Debbie Wasserman Schultz refused to fire Imran Awan. 6. Laptop containing username RepDWS found in phone booth after Imran banned from network. Not long after Imran was banned from accessing the House network, a laptop containing the username RepDWS, pointing to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was found in a phone booth in Washington, D.C. Schultz still refused to fire Imran at this point, insisting that it was not her laptop. 7. Prosecutors arrest Imran at airport after he began liquidating assets. Imran and his wife had wired $300,000 to Pakistan from their federal retirement accounts, prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to arrest Imran at the airport, at which point he was charged with bank fraud. His wife, however, was allowed to leave the country. Read the full report on the Imran Awan scandal at the Daily Caller, and check out Clinton.news for breaking news headlines on the Clinton scandals. Sources for this article include: DailyCaller.com NaturalNews.com Melania Trump's life is full of restrictions: French first lady People : After traveling to the White House with her husband French President Emmanuel Macron for President Donald Trump's first state visit this week, Brigitte told French newspaper Le Monde that Melania was "actually really fun," according to a translation from The Guardian. "We have the same sense of humor. We laugh a lot together," Brigitte continued, adding that she found Melania to be "kind, charming, intelligent and very open."But the French first lady, 65, also added that Melania, 48, faces a tremendous amount of restrictions surrounding her day-to-day life. She "cannot do anything," Brigitte told Le Monde. "She can't even open a window at the White House. She can't go outside."Brigitte went on to address the public's take on Melania, saying everything she does "is interpreted" and "over-interpreted." Brigitte added, "She's someone who has a strong personality, but works hard to hide it. She laughs very easily, at everything, but shows it less than I do." President Trump raised eyebrows on Thursday when he revealed that he only got his wife a card for her 48th birthday. Calling in to Fox & Friends for an interview, the president admitted, "Maybe I didn't get her so much." "Singing Happy Birthday to the First Lady in 2013," Souza captioned a shot of the 44th president serenading his bride. Dozens of people with a wide range of opinions on guns met at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose Saturday for the first-ever summit on firearms and safety. The event was set up to open up a fair and balanced discussion on firearms and to hopefully find a common ground. "Guns are so prevalent and so easily obtained that they've created the bad social conditions," said Ann Duwe from Los Altos. Other attendees, like Will Bailey, say they think the root caused to all types of violence need to be explored. "I'm a strong supporter of the second amendment," Bailey said. "I don't believe that adding more laws placing the burden on law abiding citizens is going to solve these issues." The event covered issues like school safety, gun violence and suicide prevention. "The communication has been so broken in the issue around firearms violence has so polarized people arent even talking about basic commonalities," said Supervisor Dave Cortese, who helped organize the event. The crowd included a few high school seniors whose voices have grown louder with school walkouts and activism. "Our group was talking about how us student should have a summit like this coming from all different school or even just our school," said student Brianna Williams. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday ratcheted up the Trump administration's rhetoric against Iran and gave warm boosts of support to Israel and Saudi Arabia in their standoffs with Tehran. Pompeo's comments in Riyadh and then Tel Aviv came as he neared the end of the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat. He has called for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs and other actions that he said destabilize the region. The tough line was welcomed by his hosts, particularly in Israel, which considers Iran its greatest threat and has led calls for the West to revise or reject the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. "We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said after a nearly two-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The United States is with Israel in this fight." Israel has cited Iran's hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles. It also has complained the nuclear deal does not do enough to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear-weapons capability, and expressed concerns about Iran's involvement in the civil war in neighboring Syria. Israel says it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, fearing the Iranians use it to launch attacks. "Iran must be stopped, its quest for a nuclear bomb must be stopped, its aggression must be stopped and we're committed to stopping it together," Netanyahu said. President Donald Trump is to decide by May 12 whether to keep the U.S. in the nuclear deal. Pompeo repeated the Trump position that "if we can't fix it, he is going to withdraw." Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Netanyahu also welcomed the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the scheduled move of its embassy from Tel Aviv on May 14. Pompeo said the U.S. is "incredibly proud" of that upcoming move. The Palestinians claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital. They have criticized the U.S. move and all but cut off ties with the White House. Pompeo had no meetings planned with any Palestinian official and it was not immediately clear whether there had been any outreach to the Palestinians about his trip, which was to end in Jordan on Monday. In Riyadh, Pompeo said Iran "destabilizes this entire region" and he also urged the Saudis and their neighbors to resolve a festering dispute with Qatar. U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting it to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had undermined Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. "I think they would all agree that it's in everyone's best interests that the Gulf states all figure out how to be together," Pompeo told reporters as he traveled to Israel. "We've got a common challenge in Iran I think they all recognize that. We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them." The ex-CIA chief had arrived in the kingdom a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel, to be followed by discussions in Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump is facing heavy pressure from European and other parties to stick to the Iran nuclear deal. British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said she discussed the agreement with her French and German counterparts and they believe it should remain intact, even while addressing shortcomings. Trump's new national security adviser John Bolton, a hard-liner like Pompeo on Iran, suggested Trump was unlikely to stay in. "He certainly said very negative things about the deal, which implied that these other steps wouldn't really address that concern, but, look, it's possible in the discussions with our European allies that we'll be able to see some possibility there," Bolton told "Fox News Sunday." Also hanging over the trip is the uncertainty about Trump's policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. A driver suspected of DUI was arrested in a fiery crash Saturday in South Los Angeles that left three family members dead on the scene and another two hospitalized. A man in his 30's, his daughter and a six-month-old baby could not be saved. The mother and a nine-year-old boy were rushed to the hospital and remained in critical condition, LAPD said on Sunday. Jose Garcia, 30, of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and suspected of DUI. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney. Moments after the fiery explosion and crash, people were screaming and running for help trying to rescue people in a blue Dodge Caravan that was struck by a black Nissan Xterra sport utility vehicle that apparently went through a red light at the intersection. "It was terrible. I had to see these two little boys," witness Bobby Arredondo said. He watched it all unfold around 7:30 Saturday. He said he saw the black vehicle westbound on Hoover Street speed up trying to make a traffic light. "As he gassed on it, the blue van looked like it was going to make left on Hoover, and he broadsided it," Arredondo said. He said the van was dragged down the street about 25 feet, hitting a curb, when it burst into flames. Twenty-five firefighters were on scene along with four rescue ambulances. Another woman who lives down the street said minutes before the deadly crash the same vehicle hit her neighbors van. "We screamed at him, 'Hey!' and he just took off," Alma Munoz said about the minor incident that occurred moments before the fatal crash. The Xterra driver suffered critical injuries. A four-day manhunt for a man accused of fatally shooting a Maine police officer ended Saturday, with a seven-man capture team arresting the suspect using the slain officer's handcuffs. Sheriff Dale Lancaster told reporters Saturday that using Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole's handcuffs to arrest 29-year-old John Williams felt "fitting." "He killed my deputy and he was brought to justice using Cole's handcuffs," he said during a 4 p.m. press conference providing details on the capture. Cpl. Cole's brother, Tom Cole, said it made him smile when he heard of the symbolic gesture. Exclusive video from WCHS shows 29-year-old John Williams, who allegedly shot and killed Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole, being taken into custody on the fourth day of the manhunt. "Today is a very good day," Lancaster said to start the press conference. "Today at 12:43 p.m., John Williams was taken into custody at a camp located off of Route 139 in Norridgewock." State Police Lt. Col. John Cote added that Williams offered "limited resistance" to his arrest. A photo taken by the capture team shows Williams with his head being lifted up by authorities. The State Police Lt. Col. said they needed to take a facial picture to confirm the suspect's identity and that he would not cooperate to raise his head to the camera, forcing them to physically pull his head up. Sheriff Dale Lancaster and State Police Lt. Col. John Cote held a 4 p.m. press conference Saturday to provide updates on the capture of 29-year-old John Williams, who allegedly shot and killed Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole. Williams was transported to the Waterville Police Department after being checked out by EMS. He was transferred to the Maine State Prison in Warren around 5:30 p.m. Saturday where he was screened by medical staff and placed into secure housing. Police interviewed Williams after his arrest, which may help them answer their biggest question: why? Williams is being held at the Maine State Prison at the request of the Somerset County Jail, a process routinely utilized when an inmate requires additional security precautions while awaiting trial or sentencing. He is expected to make his initial court appearance early in the week. The suspected cop killer was captured during the fourth day of the manhunt in the area of 807 Norridgewock Road. Lancaster said his first call was to the Cole family to personally notify them of the arrest. "They were relieved, thankful and very grateful," Lancaster said. Tom Cole says he is feeling relieved and is offering forgiveness to his brother's accused killer. "I would tell him that I forgive him, and I would like to have him say he was sorry, and see sincere remorse for what he has done," Tom Cole said of Williams. Lancaster said he is also extremely relieved and cannot express in words his gratitude to everyone who has helped in some way. The multi-day manhunt for Williams included helicopters, armored vehicles, and police cruisers. Local schools had been in lockdown as federal, state and local law enforcement poured into the region to help. "Tonight, the citizens of Somerset County can sleep well knowing a dangerous man has been taken off the streets," Sheriff Lancaster said Saturday afternoon. Cote said starting with their initial response on Wednesday, they were confident they had contained the suspect to a large wooded area. "Each day we assembled teams to slowly and methodically search the difficult terrain," he said. Teams encountered critical evidence and signs of activity several times which gave them confidence Williams was still contained in the area. Throughout the multi-day hunt, law enforcement found fresh tracks that led to the area Williams was found, in a camp outside the area of Lost Brook. Maine Gov. Paul LePage thanked law enforcement in a Tweet Saturday for their "outstanding teamwork." Thank you to all law enforcement from federal, state, county & local agencies & those from neighboring states for bringing this manhunt to an end. Outstanding teamwork. I thank Mainers for their support. Now its time to ensure justice is served on behalf of Cpl Cole & his family Paul R. LePage (@Governor_LePage) April 28, 2018 LePage had said Friday that all hunting was to be suspended in portions of Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Fairfield. That included the start of youth wild turkey season Saturday. The shooting of Cole on Wednesday in Norridgewock triggered an intensive search for Williams in and around the heavily wooded rural community about 60 miles west of Bangor. He was considered armed and dangerous. Police urged the community to keep homes and cars locked. Cole was gunned down between 1 and 2 a.m. Wednesday on Route 2 in Norridgewock. Williams then allegedly stole Cole's marked cruiser and robbed a Cumberland Farms store on Waterville Road. He was last seen fleeing in the stolen cruiser. The cruiser was found abandoned around 5 a.m. off of Martin Stream Road in Norridgewock. Investigators believe Williams then fled on foot, sparking the manhunt. Cole was 62 and a 13-year veteran of the department. Sheriff Lancaster called him an "outstanding employee, one of the finest deputies." Kimberly Sirois told NBC10 Boston she found Cole's body on Wednesday morning. She said Williams was like a son to her and lived with at her Norridgewock home from 2003 until last Christmas, when she kicked him out for doing drugs. He moved in when he was in high school after a falling out with his parents. "He was certainly struggling with addiction and it seemed to have gotten progressively worse since September," Sirois said. Sirois, an education technician at Mill Stream Elementary School in Norridgewock, said the last few days have been a nightmare. She said she woke up to the sound of helicopters overhead around 7 a.m. Wednesday and when she went outside she found Cole's body in her backyard and alerted police. "As I lowered my eyes, I saw him," she said. "I asked him, 'Officer, are you OK?' and didn't get a response." "I'm screaming, yelling, crying. I started screaming and waving my arms, and when I caught their attention, I said, 'I found your officer. He's in my yard.' They all came running over." She said police later searched her property and found body armor and a gun in her car. They don't belong to her, and she said she's not sure if they belonged to Williams. Sirois said she doesn't know what brought Cole to her property, and police have not commented on a motive. "We have no idea what transpired," she said. With the manhunt now over, Lancaster said the Somerset County Sheriff's Office now has the opportunity to pause and grieve the loss of their friend and colleague. "We can now focus on the important task of respectfully laying our fallen brother to rest," he said. "He was an outstanding officer, paid attention to detail. He really epitomized community policing before there was community policing." A viewing for Cole will be held May 6. A funeral is planned for May 7. A wind-fueled brush fire that grew to 73 acres in Lake Elsinore Saturday has been fully contained, firefighters said. The hillside fire was reported at 2:26 p.m. next to the southbound side of Interstate 15 near Main Street, where flames reached a height of 7 feet, Tawny Cabral of the Riverside County Fire Department said. The fire was burning in a grassy field and spreading at a moderate speed, according to Cabral. No structures were threatened and no injuries were reported. By 10 p.m., crews reported 100 percent containment was reached by clearing a ring of vegetation around the fire. A California Highway Patrol incident report indicated that the blaze may have been sparked by utility wires. High rent in Los Angeles causes people to question rent control laws in California. In a 2017 report, the California Department of Housing found that incomes of people living in the state are not keeping pace with the soaring housing cost, NBC4's media partner KPCC reports. California's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, enacted in 1995, prohibited local policymakers from capping rent increases on buildings built after that year. The consequences of that state law included banning vacancy control, allowing exemptions to rent control and also exempting single-family homes from rent control. Members of the Eviction Defense Network and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation are pushing for a repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Act. The change would expand rent control to newer buildings and single-family homes. "We need for tenants to be protected," said Elena Popp, executive director of the Eviction Defense Network. Critics of that change say would likely discourage new construction. "This will pour gasoline on California's housing crisis," said Steve Maviglio, a political consultant for Californians for Responsible Housing. Read more at KPCC. One person is dead and another injured after a mysterious car accident on Route 18 in Colts Neck, New Jersey. The Monmouth County Prosecutor confirms that shots were fired into the car, a 2009 Mercedes Benz C350, just before 2 a.m. Sunday in Colts Neck. Lloyd Sanders, 54, of Neptune, was killed. A passenger in the car, also from Neptune, was being treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Part of Route 18 in Colts Neck was shut down both ways for nearly 10 hours Sunday morning as the prosecutor rushed detectives to the scene in a search for evidence as they tried to sort out what happened. They even used a drone in that search and are asking for anyone who might have information on the shooting and crash to call the Monmouth County Prosecutor. What to Know Gov. Andrew Cuomo flew to Puerto Rico on Sunday to launch a home-rebuilding initiative The initiative will recruit student volunteers and professionals to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Maria last year Cuomo also criticized the federal government's response to the catastrophe Gov. Andrew Cuomo flew to Puerto Rico on Sunday to launch an initiative that will recruit students and professionals to rebuild homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Maria last year. Around 500 student volunteers from SUNY and CUNY will team up with building professionals and Puerto Rico-based not-for-profits to aid reconstruction efforts on the island, Cuomo said in a press conference at John F. Kennedy International Airport ahead of his third trip since the hurricane. Half a million homes were damaged during the September catastrophe, and the crisis is ongoing, the governor said. When we were there the morning after the Hurricane, we said this was going to be a long road," he said. "New Yorkers are going to walk with Puerto Rico every step of the way." Upon his arrival, Cuomo took part in a round table with Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rossello, a bevy of local partners and his own tactical assessment team when he landed on the island, according to his office. He also toured homes in Toa Baja volunteers and workers are in the process of repairing homes that were flooded by the storm, his office said. The governor had harsh words for the federal governments response to the crisis on the island, during the conference, calling it a political response that feeds into their anti-immigrant, anti-diversity political philosophy. The problem there is that the people of Puerto Rico are not immigrants, they are American citizens and I think that is a fact that has been lost on this federal administration, he said. Palestinian congress to convene as Abbas seeks to strengthen hand Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas\' rhetoric has become more agitated as relations with the US have worsened since Trump\'s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\'s capital AFP, Ramallah : The parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organisation convenes for the first time in decades Monday, as ageing President Mahmud Abbas seeks to strengthen his hand ahead of the US embassy move to Jerusalem. Analysts said the three-day meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in the West Bank city of Ramallah is unlikely to produce major policy shifts, but it will elect the 18 members of the PLO's executive committee that effectively forms Abbas's cabinet. More than 100 of the 740-member body will be absent, including dozens allied to Islamists Hamas-the largest Palestinian party behind Abbas's Fatah-who have signed a letter opposing the meeting. On Saturday Hamas called on Abbas to postpone the assembly until unity was reached between rival factions. The meeting comes as relations between Abbas and US President Donald Trump's administration have broken down ahead of the controversial relocation of the US embassy, which is set to open in the divided holy city of Jerusalem on May 14. In Hamas-run Gaza, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30. The PNC has not held a regular session since 1996, and last held an special session in 2009. The session is expected to begin Monday night with a lengthy speech from Abbas in which the 82-year-old is likely to address the embassy move, among other topics. His rhetoric has become more agitated as relations with the US have worsened since Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. That move broke with a decades-old international consensus that the holy city's status should only be determined in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestinians see annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. In March, Abbas called US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, a Trump appointee and long-time supporter of Israeli settlements, a "son of a dog". His position is weakened by the ongoing split with Hamas, which rules Gaza, after a reconciliation deal collapsed. Analysts say Abbas, elected to a four-year term in 2005, is seeking to further centralise power within the institutions he controls. Hugh Lovatt, a regional expert at the European Council for Foreign Relations, said he expected the meeting to "mark a further milestone in Abbas's consolidation of power and marginalisation of political rivals". The names selected for the executive committee will be seen as a key indicator of who is in favour in moderate Palestinian politics, Lovatt added, and even "provide an indicator of frontrunners in the race to succeed Abbas". What to Know Police shot and wounded a mother they said attacked them with a knife in a home in Mamaroneck on Saturday afternoon The officers shot the woman after finding a 2 1/2-year-old who was later pronounced dead; the extent of the child's injuries weren't clear The department said the officers "acted within departmental guidelines and training" during the call UPDATE: Dead Toddler Was Supposed to Be Removed From Mother's Care, Lawyer Says Police shot and wounded a knife-wielding mother in a domestic call that also ended with the death of the woman's 2 1/2-year-old daughter, according to authorities in Westchester County. It's not clear what led to the death of the child, who police found in need of medical attention while responding to a call on Chestnut Avenue in Mamaroneck about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, according to village police. "I would call this a tragedy," said Sgt. Sandra DiRuzza of the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department. Police in the village said officers responding to the 911 call at the home administered aid to the child and called an ambulance before shooting the mother, who they said disobeyed orders to show her hands before attacking them with a knife. Authorities said the officers attempted to subdue her with a stun gun. When that effort proved unsuccessful, one of them opened fire. A law enforcement source told News 4 earlier Saturday that the girl had been in cardiac arrest when she was taken to the hospital; police later said she was pronounced dead. Medical examiners will perform an autopsy to determine how she died. The girl's mother was also taken to the hospital. Her condition was not made available. Village police said the mother injured two of the officers, and two others were taken to the hospital for evaluation. All four are expected to survive their injuries. Village police said in a statement that the officers "acted within departmental guidelines and training" and that it appears to be an isolated incident. No charges have been announced in the case. A Philadelphia man is accused of holding his blind brother captive inside a trailer in deplorable conditions. Richard Moreton, 74, is charged with neglect of person, unlawful restraint and other related offenses. Thomas Stevens told NBC10 he frequents the area of the 4700 block of James Street where Moreton lived with his 66-year-old blind brother in a trailer. I seen his eyes were sinking more into his eye sockets, Stevens said. The notches on the belt were going further. Stevens said he often noticed the terrible conditions the victim lived in. That was an above ground dungeon is what it was, he said. No other words. Stevens said the victim was often left outside for hours and he would bring him food. Stevens told NBC10 the conditions were so bad when he saw the victim Monday however, that he called police. I went to feed him and the buckets were gone and there was a big pile of crap on the floor, Stevens said. When police arrived at the trailer they discovered it had no running water, bathroom or electricity. The victim was taken to Frankford Hospital for treatment and Moreton was arrested. Hes going to get what he deserves on this one, Stevens said. Thats family. Family dont leave family like that. Thats the work of the devil. Something like that. Less than 200 Central Americans, part of a caravan of asylum seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego, left a cross-border rally Sunday afternoon, prepared to turn themselves in to U.S. authorities. Before they could cross the border, however, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the border was at capacity for people without appropriate entry documentation. "Depending upon port circumstances at the time of arrival, those individuals may need to wait in Mexico as CBP officers work to process those already within our facilities," CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said. "As sufficient space and resources become available, CBP officers will be able to take additional individuals into the port for processing. CBP will communicate with Mexican authorities for operational awareness on this issue of capacity within CBP facilities as appropriate." Late Sunday afternoon, however, 50 people were allowed into the San Ysidro Port of Entry. They are still on the Mexico side of the facility and have not entered the U.S. side for processing, according to CBP officials. BREAKING: Supporters of Migrant Caravan preparing to cross #USmexico border to seek asylum climb to the top of border fence. Stay w #NBC7 & @TLMD20 for complete coverage. Watch LIVE @ https://t.co/Zn9YGkme6g pic.twitter.com/E3IfuxiFWK Liberty Zabala (@LibertyNBC7SD) April 29, 2018 Another 50 migrants have been camping outside the facility a little farther away. The migrants, who traveled in five old school buses, ate lunch Sunday before making a roughly 15-minute walk to San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest. Many are fleeing violence in their home countries and will ask the U.S. for asylum. Supporters of the #MigrantCaravan are marching from Balboa Park to Chicano Park, then to the border on Sunday pic.twitter.com/9a4nu45QX1 Ramon Galindo (@RamonGalindoNBC) April 28, 2018 They reached the border last Tuesday and have been sleeping in tents and attending legal seminars given by volunteer attorneys. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen warned in a statement Sunday that anyone including people advising the migrants caught breaking U.S. immigration laws would be prosecuted. "Let me be clear: we will enforce the immigration laws as set forth by Congress. If you enter our country illegally, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution. If you make a false immigration claim, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution. If you assist or coach an individual in making a false immigration claim, you have broken the law and will be referred for prosecution." She also requested that Congress work with her "to quickly pass legislation to close the legal loopholes that prevent us from securing our borders and protecting Americans." [NATL-LA GALLERY] Scenes From the Border: Asylum Seekers Wait Their Turns in Tijuana The migrants' arrival marked the end of a monthlong journey by foot, freight train and bus. Many traveled with their families and on Sunday morning, four couples in the group were married in a ceremony at the border. Meanwhile, some supporters climbed the wall separating San Diego and Tijuana on Sunday to wave signs under the watchful eyes of U.S. Border Patrol agents. There were hundreds of people in Playas Tijuana to support #MigrantCaravan including some people who climbed the border fence. There were several @CBPSanDiego agents watching the crowd pic.twitter.com/sgy5Zs9L04 Ramon Galindo (@RamonGalindoNBC) April 29, 2018 President Donald Trump has called the caravan dangerous and tweeted last week that he has issued orders to "not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country." Trump and members of his Cabinet have been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. since it started March 25 in the Mexican city of Tapachula, near the Guatemala border. They have promised a stern, swift response. On the U.S. side of the border, dozens of people marched to Border Field State Park to greet the families. Claudia Treminio came to the United States when she was 12 to escape the violence in El Salvador. "I connect with them in that way, the way that I've gone through that journey that they embarked on," she said. "I'm happy to see that they are here. They're safe, I'm also saddened to see them on the other side and still see them fighting for their dreams. Several Border Patrol agents were at the park to keep an eye on the crowd. Caravans such as these are a common method to bring attention to asylum seekers. This one has garnered more attention because Trump used the caravan as a justification for the border wall. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the caravan "a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system" and said he may assign additional judges to handle cases involving the caravan. Many Central American asylum seekers say they face death threats by criminal gangs in their homelands. A group of demonstrators marched from Balboa Park to Chicano Park in San Diego on Saturday to show solidarity with the migrants, who are fleeing violence in Central America. "The President wants to send the Guard to the border, however, this is not an invasion," said Treminio, who now lives in the Los Angeles area. "I am here to welcome them with love." U.S. immigration lawyers are telling the asylum-seekers that they face possible separation from their children and detention for many months. They say they want to prepare them for the worst possible outcome. "We are the bearers of horrible news," Los Angeles-based lawyer Nora Phillips said during a break from legal workshops for the migrants at three Tijuana locations where about 20 lawyers gave free information and advice. "That's what good attorneys are for." Any asylum seekers making false claims to U.S. authorities could be prosecuted as could anyone who assists or coaches immigrants on making false claims, Nielsen said. Administration officials and their allies claim asylum fraud is growing and that many who seek it are coached on how to do so. Asylum-seekers are typically held up to three days at the border and then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If they pass an asylum officer's initial screening, they may be detained or released into the U.S. with ankle monitors. The San Ysidro crossing, which admits about 75,000 people a day into the country, may be unable to take asylum-seekers if it faces too many at once, forcing people to wait in Mexico until it has more room, according to Pete Flores, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's San Diego field office director. Flores said earlier this month that the port can hold about 300 people temporarily. The Border Patrol said, "several groups" of people in the caravan have entered the country illegally since Friday by climbing a dilapidated metal fence. It didn't say how many. Since Congress failed to agree on a broad immigration package in February, administration officials have made it a legislative priority to end what they call "legal loopholes" and "catch-and-release" policies that allow asylum-seekers to be released from custody while their claims wind through the courts in cases that can last for a year. The lawyers who went to Tijuana denied coaching any of the roughly 400 people in the caravan who recently arrived in Tijuana, camping out in shelters near some of the city's seedier bars and bordellos. Some migrants received one-on-one counseling to assess the merits of their cases and groups of the migrants with their children playing nearby were told how asylum works in the U.S. Two more sets of human remains have been uncovered behind a Southeast D.C. apartment building where construction workers recently found a human skull, a medical examiner's office official said. The human remains were uncovered at the apartment on Wayne Place Southeast on Saturday, one day after officials confirmed the remains found at the apartment on Wednesday are human. The medical examiner's office confirmed all three sets of remains were of women. A construction crew excavating an area near the Congress Heights apartment building called police on Wednesday and reported they had discovered apparent skeletal remains. Sources told News4 the construction workers found what appeared to be human remains. On Thursday, forensics investigators identified two other locations behind the building where there also appeared to be human remains. One of the areas is in the backyard, near a dumpster; the other is in a wooded area behind the building. The medical examiner confirmed on Friday that the first set of remains are human, police said. Police then opened a death investigation. More human remains were found on Saturday, the D.C. medical examiner's office told News4. Three sets of remains have been uncovered, police said, and all have been determined to belong to women. The medical examiner's office initially wasn't clear on the number of bodies found. Police went door to door speaking to neighbors and used a metal detector in their sweep of the scene. One neighbor said she saw a police dog sniffing around the apartment. It was not immediately clear how long the remains had been there, or how they got there. Recovery efforts will continue, police say. After the initial discovery, neightbors expressed concern. "It's insane. To find human remains -- it's not OK," neighbor Ikea Jones said. "We have children in the neighborhood. They play. They do a lot, and it's a quiet neighborhood, a beautiful neighborhood, and everyone here is cool." Govt not inhuman over Khaleda's treatment: Quader Awami League general secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday said the government is not inhuman over BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's treatment and she would get proper treatment as per the jail code. "The government will take all necessary steps for her (Khaleda) proper treatment according to the advice of the medical board," he said. The minister was addressing the council of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Dhaka University (DU) unit as the chief guest at Teachers-Student Center (TSC) on the campus. "The government had no role in imprisoning Khaleda Zial. It's totally a matter of the court. I'm not clearly informed about her illness. But if she needs any treatment, the government will take all the steps as per the jail code," said Quader. BCL president Saifur Rahman Sohag inaugurated the council while DU BCL unit president Abid Al Hasan presided over it. AL joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak and organising secretary Enamul Huq Shamim were presented as special guests. It was moderated by DU BCL unit general secretary Motahar Hossain Prince. Ahmedabad: Dalit families of Mota Samdhiya village in Una taluka of Gujarat will convert to Buddhism on Sunday to protest against discrimination against the Dalit community. They are likely to be joined by around 300 Dalits from across the region, who will also embrace Buddhism. Those who will convert include people who were flogged and paraded half-naked through Una town in July 2016 by cow vigilantes, allegedly for skinning dead cattle. About 300 forms, having the details of persons and their consent to convert to Buddhism, have already been collected and handed over to the district administration, but Dalits say that the numbers will go much higher as others will give their consent at a function that has been organised at Mota Samdhiya village on Sunday to mark Budh Purnima. Buddhist monks from Porbander have been invited to preside over the function and invitations have been given to local political leaders as well. Ramesh Sarvaiya, one of the victims of the Una Dalit flogging incident, told News 18, We got beaten and insulted in full public view almost two years ago. Several promises were made by the government, including Anandiben Patel, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat. None of those promises have been fulfilled by this government. What is the point of being a part of the religion that does not accept us as its own. After a lot of consideration, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had chosen Buddhism as the religion where there is no discrimination. I along with others will convert to Buddhism on Sunday. The flogging incident had sparked off nationwide outrage in 2016 even as Dalits took to the streets to demand justice. The Dalits were accused of killing cows, but investigations later revealed that they were skinning a dead bovine that was possibly killed by some wild animal on the outskirts of the Gir sanctuary. A couple of days ago, Ramesh and his cousin were returning to their village on a motorcycle, when one of the accused in the flogging case stopped him and allegedly attacked him with a spade. Our motorcycle was stopped and accused Kiranbha Darbar attempted to strike me with a spade. I caught hold of it and saved myself, Ramesh claimed. He told News18 that Kiranbha and others threatened them to withdraw the case that has been filed against them. They also abused me because we had announced plans to convert from Hinduism to Buddhism, Ramesh said. Vasram Sarvaiya, another youth who was flogged and paraded through Una, said that the incident sparked off anger and protests across Gujarat, but it also highlighted the plight of Dalits and the atrocities that they face almost every day. Our leader Dr Ambedkar has shown us the path to be freed from discrimination and we are embracing Buddhism to send out a message that this discrimination against Dalits should end, Vasram said. A pamphlet about the event that has been distributed in the region. (Image: News18) Jitu Sarvaiya, a Dalit leader and youth from Una, said that despite the outrage and tall claims made by the government, nothing has changed on the ground for the Dalit families. They continued to be discriminated against and many of the accused in the flogging incident are out on bail and continue to threaten the victims. All the culprits in the case are out on bail and continue to threaten us even today. It has been close to two years since the incident and there has not been any justice for us. And then, the permanent issues of untouchability and discrimination are rampant against Dalits. We have informed the administration that we will convert to Buddhism on Sunday, Jitu told News18. Over the past decade or so, there have been at least a dozen instances where Dalits have threatened to abandon Hinduism and convert to either Buddhism or Islam. In some of these instances, applications have also been given to the respective district administrations, but no follow up action has been taken by the applicants. It is necessary to get an approval from the district administration if a person wishes to convert from one religion to another. The process often takes months, with the administration required to verify and ascertain. When contacted, Gir Gadhada mamlatdar C M Dangi said that applications have been received from a few people, but the District Magistrate, in association with the police, do a verification, before taking a decision to grant permission or not to persons who want to convert to another religion. New Delhi: Prime Minister Modi on Sunday claimed that his government has electrified all villages in the country well ahead of the deadline. Twelve days left to the deadline, PM Modi made the announcement in a series of tweets on Sunday, saying that with Leisang village in Manipur, all villages in India are now electrified. Modi said on Sunday that April 28 will be remembered as a historic day when a remote village in the northeast became the last to be connected to the power grid. "Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever!" Modi wrote on Twitter, as various ministers took to social media to congratulate him. According to government data, all of India's 5,97,464 census villages have now been electrified. When Modi took office in 2014, there were some 18,452 villages without electricity. Modi had announced during his 2015 Independence Day address that the government would cover all of these 18,000 odd villages to supply them with electricity by 2018. A village is declared electrified once it has the basic electrical infrastructure and 10 percent of its households and public places including schools, local administrative offices and health centres have power. 28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2018 The World Bank said in a report last year that globally 1.06 billion people had no electricity, with India and Nigeria topping the list of most power-deficient countries. Soon after PM Modis claim, many took to Twitter to complain that their villages are yet to be electrified. Union minister Piyush Goyal on the other hand invited some ridicule when he tweeted out a NASA image of the Indian peninsula to laud the electrification achievement. Under the decisive leadership of PM @NarendraModi India has finally been able to electrify all its villages before the set target date. With the elimination of darkness from the lives of fellow Indian villagers, we commit ourselves to building a new and #PowerfulIndia pic.twitter.com/TJ8irmx4tk Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 29, 2018 Opposition Congress grabbed the opportunity to launch an attack on the BJP-led government and PM Modi with spokesperson Randeep Surjewala comparing figures from the UPA days to those of the NDA government. 2/2 Dear Modiji/Piyushji, On 26th May,2014; only 18,452 villages were without electrification. BJP Govt took 46 months to complete this at at an average of 4,813 villages per year. This is - celebrating inefficiencies & taking fake credit for Congress work. pic.twitter.com/U270EK2pee Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 29, 2018 He wrote: Dear Amit Shahji, India has 6,49,867 villages. Congress connected 97% with electricity. During UPA (2004-14), Congress electrified 1,07,600 villages. In 60 yrs, Congress average is electrifying 10,000 villages per year. Congress created #PowerfulIndia but didnt boast! In another tweet Surjewala wrote: Dear Modiji/Piyushji, On 26th May,2014; only 18,452 villages were without electrification. BJP Govt took 46 months to complete this at at an average of 4,813 villages per year. This is - celebrating inefficiencies & taking fake credit for Congress work. Originally published on August 5, 2017, News18 is republishing the story after a Delhi court lifted an ex-parte injunction restraining the sale and publication of journalist Priyanka Pathak-Narain's book, "Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev," published by Juggernaut Books. Journalist Priyanka Pathak-Narain has been covering Patanjali and Baba Ramdev for about a decade. As her book titled Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev clears past roadblocks, Narain shares some behind-the-scenes stories. Ramdevs successful transition from a Baba who taught Yoga on TV to the man behind worlds fastest growing FMCG company calls for a deeper analysis. At heart, like most showmen, Baba Ramdev likes to be liked," says Narain. Edited excerpts: Ramdev never received formal training to run an FMCG empire. Who takes business decisions in Patanjali? Former Patanjali CEO SK Patra told me that it is Baba Ramdev who is running the organisation. He has hired people with required degrees, but he is a fast learner and retains a lot of decision-making powers. He tends to make these decisions based on instinct, without much market research. He is personally involved in pricing. He doesnt seem to care about market prices and margins as his aim is to sell. You recently said Ramdev was able to recognise the consumer segment at the bottom of the pyramid. Many MNCs in FMCG sector have struggled to do this. How do you think he was able to reach them? He peddled natural products full of ancient wisdom and kept the prices low. He appealed to the Indian sense of patriotism to woo the buyers. It was a magic formula bound to succeed in these times. Do you think Ramdev could have been possible without the politics of his time? Also, there are allegations of tax evasion and land grab against Patanjali. Baba Ramdev has thrived in all kinds of political climates and has been close to all kinds of political leanings and parties, whether its the Congress or the BJP. From his early days, befriending the people in power was a part of his growth strategy. I would say his story is more reflective of how our country works the nexus between money, power, religion, and politics. Ramdevs story is not complete without the mention of his ally Karamveer, guru Shankar Dev, a mentor in politics Rajeev Dikshit and colleague Balkrishna. How do they contribute to the Brand Ramdev? Shankar Dev provided him with an ashram, a small one but an important one because it provided a base to begin the work. Karamveer taught him how to teach yoga to groups of people. Rajeev Dixit shaped his economic and political messaging, while Acharya Balkrishna has been his loyal deputy throughout the journey. Ramdev inspires satire and humour for almost every business move, whether it is noodles or jeans. What makes him one of the favourite targets of cartoonists? No one can accuse Baba Ramdev of not having a sense of humour. From the start, being on television every day, teaching yoga to millions of viewers, has forced him to be creative with his content and be willing to laugh at others and himself. A lot of the satire comes from the inherent contradiction of being a swami as well as a business tycoon. People find it hard to comprehend how these two roles can coexist. The startling pace of Patanjalis success combined with Ramdevs polarising personality make him a natural subject of such ridicule. Could you please take us through your journey of covering Ramdev as a journalist? Well, I first covered him as a reporter at Mint about 10 years ago. Its been quite a ride since then for him full of ups and downs. I think it would be impossible for anyone to say they truly know Ramdev. Every time I met him, I found him earthy and self-deprecating, generous with his time and also very good at steering conversations to what he wanted to say. But I never felt that I had really got to know him. Beyond his carefully cultivated public persona lies a masterfully guarded person of tremendous will. At heart, like most showmen, I think Baba Ramdev likes to be liked. What has been his contribution to strengthening the heritage of India Yoga and Ayurveda? He has definitely made a lasting contribution to Yoga and Ayurveda in this country. While interest in Yoga was already reviving at the turn of the century, there were not enough yoga teachers around. Baba Ramdev took the stage and made Yoga accessible to millions of people who could not find or afford yoga teachers. He reminded Indians that their heritage offered health solutions that were cheap and gave lasting benefits. What Baba Ramdev has done to remind Indians of their heritage in a country with appalling healthcare is quite phenomenal. Some of the deep, diaphragmatic breathing, for instance, is being hailed by researchers as the powerful new tool to manage and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and blood pressure. Brand Ramdev was established by religious channels like Aastha and Sanskar. How did this help him in navigating his way in the business world? I dont think what he did was as much religious posturing as it was harnessing his expertise in healthcare methods drawn from ancient India. Millions of families who could not afford to hire a personal yoga trainer and did not even possibly know where to find one woke up early to greet Baba Ramdev the swami who came to teach them at home on the television. He made ancient teachings accessible again. He steered clear of religious controversy or recommendations and focused instead on the power of a healthy body. Such healthcare positioning naturally plays well into the business of organic, natural, healthful food products. What is it about Patanjali that ticks with educated and brand conscious middle class? In a world where nationalism is on the rise, well-placed and well-priced products appeal not only to middle-class Indias wallets but also to their sense of patriotism. What lies ahead for his brand? He has all the ingredients to propel his brand into a lasting company. But with Baba Ramdev, you can never know anything for certain. Why have other godmen not been able to achieve that Ramdev has? Other godmen have now recognized the opportunity that only Baba Ramdev saw earlier. They are already moving in, following his lead. Whether they will succeed as spectacularly as he is something that remains to be seen. Dhar: Several candidates appearing for a medical test for the constables job in Madhya Pradeshs Dhar were allegedly marked with SC written on their chests in a bid to identify them according to their castes for identification. Photographs of the medical test procedure from Dhar district have gone viral. The pictures show the candidates standing with their caste status written on the chests. Union minister Ramdas Athawale said, "Writing the caste on the body of candidates is wrong and I will write to the CM. An inquiry should be done and action against should be also taken." Interestingly, several Madhya Pradesh districts, including Gwalior, Bhind and Morena, had witnessed massive protests by Dalit groups against alleged moves to dilute the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act during the Bharat Bandh on April 2. The medical tests were conducted at the local district hospital in Dhar, which is 60 km from Indore. According to sources, the officers resorted to bizarre method of measuring the height of candidates by mentioning the caste they belong to on their chests. Sources from Dhar claimed that the minimum height of the candidates from general and OBC categories should be 168 cm while for SC/ST categories it should be 165 cm. The hospital staff claimed that the caste was mentioned on the chests so that there is no goof up in height measurement of different categories. Dhar SP, Virendra Singh later said, It shouldnt have happened. We have initiated a probe into the incident. A report will soon be filed on the same. Some local media outlets quoted him as saying, There was no specific order from the police administration to mention the castes on the candidates chests. District hospital is also planning to launch a probe into the goof up. A total of 206 male and female candidates are to be selected in the process. New Delhi: A Bolivian national has died here due to cardiac arrest sometime after he underwent medical examination at the request of customs officials on suspicion of drug smuggling. The accused, identified as Salomon Edgar Vaca Arambel, 49, was intercepted by the customs officials at the Delhi International Airport after his arrival from Addis Ababa on Friday, official sources said. In his personal and baggage search, nothing suspicious was found. Later he was produced by custom officials before a designated magistrate to get permission to conduct medical examination to ascertain whether or not the drugs were allegedly being smuggled by hiding inside body cavity, they said. After getting the nod, his medical examination was conducted at the RML hospital, where the x-ray of chest and lower abdomen was done. There was nothing suspicious found in the medical examination, the sources said on Saturday. Then on the way back to the airport for handing over his belongings, the passenger felt sick and was admitted at Medanta hospital by customs official where he passed away due to cardiac arrest, they said. The customs officials have informed the local police about the death, adding that the autopsy was conducted on the deceased and its report is awaited.The incident comes two-days after a Delhi-based jeweller jumped to his death from the building of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), where he had gone in connection with alleged gold smuggling case. He jumped off from sixth floor of the DRI office at CGO complex here on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the probe agency New Delhi: Savarkar and Hedgewar envisioned India to be a place where minorities were required to adjust themselves to a symbolically Hindu country, but the theory of upper caste nationalism was not only undone by the depressed class, they also rejected to settle in the contesting ideas of nation. Even as Dalits are rallying on streets today to fight atrocities, they will never let the provisions of the Constitution fail, which granted them the rights. It wasnt so then, and it isnt so now, writes Vikas Pathak in his latest book, Contesting Nationalisms Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab 1880-1930. In times of hyper-nationalism or the enforced one, Pathaks recent offering can be a comforting guide to those who find themselves at the end of comprehending their ties with the nation. If standing at the time of national anthem, just few minutes before the film screening is nationalism or any less, if they dont? If nationalism is to stand in the line to withdraw money from the ATMs as a mark of respect for the government that premises the move of demonetization to crack on black money? Or is it anti-national to question the move that comes ahead of Uttar Pradeshs elections in 2017? In the past few months there have been attempts by authors like Sugata Bose to compare the nationalism of fear and force with the gentler one that is less expecting and more generous. The recent occurrences in the country brought people to making comparisons between Rabindranath Tagores idea of nationalism to that of Hindutva leaders like VD Savarkar and MS Golwakar. In his latest book, the author gives a glimpse of various sub-categories of nationalism that has emerged over the years. This, in-turn, gives people the freedom to choose the 'type of nationalism' they can relate to and would vouch for. The book delves into the historical legacy of struggle for identity and India's gradual fledging as a nation. In fact, the purpose of writing the book has been to comprehend the interaction of various ideological currents that operated within the pan-Indian space in colonial times, and consequently created their own visions of nationalism. The book delves deeper into finding out how those ideological currents helped various sections in the country in finding their politics and taking it forward in succeeding years post-independence. The four visions put forward by Pathak unravel the complexity of nationalism. Pathak starts with Composite Nationalism, and to believe in this form of nationalism entails there was no contradiction between emerging community interests and the vision of the composite nation. The proponents felt that two kinds of interests could be harmonized, balanced and properly represented through participation in the Congress-led movement on the one hand, and with negotiations between representatives of communities on the other. The phenomenon is marked by mutual contests on the question of how a truly composite nation was to be constructed. Here the references have been made to what should be the means to a composite nation. It mentions Mahatma Gandhis approach of conciliation with regards to minorities, Muslims, and Madan Mohan Malviyas, Lala Lajpat Rais discourse of community rights as a means to a composite nation. The nation also offers space to Secular, Citizenship-based Nationalism which rejects communitarian symbolism and distances itself from the communitarian politics finding it to be a negative force vis-a-vis nationalism, as it is based on modern values and Enlightenment. The staunch votaries and proponents of this kind of nationalism are Jawaharlal Nehru and Bhagat Singh. Pathak puts another idea of nationalism, which is an anti-thesis of the earlier two understandings of the nation it is called Religious Nationalism. The people who adopted this vision of the nation imagined a nation with the cultural stamp of their religious community. The author argues: They were religious nationalists for whom the nation became identical with the community not by way of being peopled exclusively by members of that community, but in the sense that the cultural core of the nation would be reflective of the community as imagined in national ways. Here, the minorities were required to adjust themselves to an India that was symbolically Hindu. It was envisioned by Bhai Parmanand, VD Savarkar, KB Hedgewar and MS Golwalkar. The book covers Nation as envisioned by Depressed Classes we see that section today rallying on streets to save the provisions granted to them by the Constitution in fighting against the atrocities. At the time of independence this vision was formed by rejecting the nationalism of upper caste dominated Congress, and it was born after seeing the deficiencies of the earlier forms of nationalisms. The secular, religious variants of nationalism assumed the depressed classes to be settled during the contesting ideas of nation. But it wasnt so then and it isnt so now. (The author Vikas Pathak is currently Deputy Political Editor, The Hindu, New Delhi) HJKP demands immediate operation of Hajj Office Chattogram Bureau : A meeting of the Chattogram based Hajj Jatri Kaylan Parishad duly presided by its President Ahmedul Islam Chowdhury demanded immediate operation of the existing Pahartali Haji camp in city for the welfare of the thousands of hajj pilgrims of greater Chattogram . The meeting of HJKP was held at a city posh hotel on April 25 evening . The chief guest on the occasion and secretary general o f HJKP Principal Dr.Abdul Karim delivered address of welcome in it. The speakers in the meeting said this existing Hajj camp may be used as sub-Hajj office for Chattogram zone . In the meantime , Prim e Minister Shekh Hasina in an official circular asked the concerned authorities to sustain the century old Haji camp of Chattogram after due renovations of the existing buildings. The speakers in the meeting urged the Prime Minister for interventioning the matter to help facilitate the immediate operation of Haji camp before the flights of pilgrims from this season . Dr.Saleh Ahmed Suleman conducted the meeting as moderator . Meanwhile open Hajj pilgrims training program for current season will be held at Rima Convention centre in city from 9 am on July7 next , HJKP sources said. New Delhi: When 12-year-old Kulsum wrote an essay on JK Rowling, she hardly imagined that it would actually be read by the Harry Potter author herself, along with many others. A first generation learner in Jammu and Kashmirs Doda village, Kulsum is an avid Harry Potter fan just like any other teenager her age, yet, her story is very different from her peers. Not only has Rowling read the schoolgirls essay that was shared in a tweet by her teacher at the Haji Public School in Doda, the British author even expressed the desire to send something to Kulsum. Rowling wrote: Please can you send me Kulsums full name in DM? Id love to send her something. While Kulsum is no witch like her favourite Hermione Granger, the moment when she was told about Rowlings tweet, was nothing but magical for the little fan. Sabbah maam told me that J K Rowling had seen my essay and that she had replied. I am so happy. If I get to meet J K Rowling, I will tell her she is wonderful, she told the Indian Express. Please can you send me Kulsum's full name by DM? I'd love to send her something. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 26, 2018 On April 26, Kulsums teacher Sabbah Haji tagged Rowling in the tweet sharing a photograph of her essay. The essay read: I am not inspired by J K Rowling only because she writes well but also because she has faced many difficulties but didnt give up. The few lines written by the girl was corrected by a teacher with red ink. It talks about how Rowling has inspired her and how she has been learning English since Class 2. Now, Rowling has left not just Kulsum, but everyone else at the school elated. Sabbah later said that the tweet that is now a talking point, will be framed and preserved at the school. United Nations: India imported about 2.4 million dollars worth of iron and steel, iron and steel products, copper and zinc from North Korea last year and exported precious metals and stones worth USD 578,994 to the country in violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning such trade with North Korea, according to a report by an UN panel of experts. According to a March report of the Panel of Experts established by the Secretary General regarding implementation of the sanctions and UNSC resolutions relating to North Korea, the country exported a total of USD 62,184,815 in iron and steel between January and September 2017 to Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India, Ireland, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines and Russia. "All exports after September 4, 2017 violated paragraph 8 of resolution 2371 (2017), while those before September 4 2017 violated paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016) unless an exemption was made under paragraph 26 (c) of the same resolution," the report said. Specifically, India imported USD 1.4 million worth of iron and steel from North Korea from January to September 2017, iron and steel products worth USD 234,759 and copper worth USD 242,997 in the January to September 2017 period. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea exported a total of USD 373,926 in copper to India and Mexico between January and September 2017 in violation of paragraph 28 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report said. Further, India imported zinc from North Korea from January to September 2017 worth 526,018 dollars. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea exported a total of $526,018 in zinc to India in January 2017 in violation of paragraph 28 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report added. It further said that according to UN Comtrade, from January to June 2017, India exported precious metals and stones worth USD 578,994 to North Korea. The largest commodity exported from January to June 2017 was diamonds worth USD 514,823. "The Panel reiterates that the jewellery items listed in paragraph 1 of annex IV to resolution 2094 (2013) correspond to HS codes beginning with 71 and calls upon Member States to exercise vigilance with regard to any exports of goods classified under that code," it said. The report also includes a letter dated July 14, 2017 from the Permanent Mission of India to the UN that states that "During the period of March 2 2016 (date of adoption of resolution 2270) to November 30 2016 (date of adoption of resolution 2321), there was no clarity regarding the scope of the measures related to iron and iron ore since there was on elaboration/explanation of the word iron' and iron ore'. Till date there is no implementation assistance notice issued by the UN that stipulates a practice for identifying an item as iron' or 'iron ore', " the Indian Mission said in the letter. The Mission further wrote that "pending clarity on this issue", national implementation of the measures contained in UNSC resolutions 2270 and 2321 relating to iron and iron ore was nevertheless carried out by the Government of India through a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on March 21, 2017. The Mission said that for these reasons, there was no restriction on the import of iron ore and iron into India from North Korea during the period March 2, 2016 to March 20, 2017. The report also said that North Korea exported a total of USD 305,713 of products of iron and steel to China, Egypt, France, India, Ireland and Mexico between October 2016 and May 2017. "These exports constitute a violation of paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016) unless an exemption is made by the importing Member State under paragraph 26 (c) of the resolution," it said. North Korea exported USD 215,782 worth of gold in October 2016 to India in violation of paragraph 30 of resolution 2270 (2016). India requested "clarity" on the scope of measures relating to iron and iron ore, saying in the letter that it "stands ready" to share its national experience on implementation of the measures related to iron and iron ore, sectoral bans and luxury goods ban covered in resolutions 2270, 2321 which have entered into force vide the aforesaid notification issued by the DGFT on March 21 2017. "India would request that this submission be included in the next mid-term review of the UNSC 1874 Panel of Experts," it said in the letter. In March this year, India had imposed fresh restrictions on trade with North Korea in line with the restrictions imposed by the United Nations. As per a notification of the DGFT in the commerce ministry, "supply, sale, transfer or export" of crude oil will be subjected to the restrictions imposed by the UN Security Council. Certain curbs have also been imposed on export of industrial machinery, iron, steel and other metals, the notification had said. In October last year, the DGFT had imposed restrictions on trade in condensates and natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products. The bilateral trade between India and North Korea declined to USD 133.43 million in 2016-17 from USD 198.78 million in the previous fiscal. The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board's (KSEEB) Department of PUE Pre University Board Examination declared the Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018 today (April 30) by 11 am. The Department of PUE Pre University Board Examination released the Karnataka PUC 2nd year Pre University Certification Examination results 2018 on its official website kseeb.kar.nic.in or karresults. The pass percentage for Karnataka PUC Class 12 Result 2018 is 59.56%. Dakshina Kannada district tops the Karnataka PUC Class 12 Result 2018 , Second is Udipi . The Supplementary Karnataka PUC 2nd year Pre University Certification Examination are from 8th of June to 28th of June. The timetable is uploaded on the website. To announce the results of Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018, the Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018 has created 53 evaluation this year. In order to check the Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018, you can also check the website results.nic.in, examresults.net A total of 6,90,150 students from 4,725 colleges had registered for the Karnataka Pre University 2nd year Certification Examination 2018. Steps to check the Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018, students need to follow the steps below: Step 1: Visit the official website kseeb.kar.nic.in Step 2: Look for the link which says Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018 or Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination Class 12 results 2018 Step 3: Click on the link and fill up the details required to get your Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018 Step 4: Enter your Roll number and the other details Step 5: Click on Submit Step 6: Download and take a print out of your KSEEB Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination II results 2018 Students can also get thei KSEEB Karnataka PUC Pre University Certification Examination Class 12 results 2018 on mobile via SMS by following the steps below: GET YOUR KARNATAKA BOARD PUC RESULTS 2018 - KSEEB Class 12 Results SMS - KAR12 ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 The Department of Pre-University Education (PUE) deals with the First Year and Second Year Pre-University Examinations (Class 11 and Class 12 Examinations). Pre-University Education (PUE) is a link between Secondary Education and Higher Education. About 7 Lakhs students appear for Karnataka PUC Examinations every year. This year the Karnataka PUC exams were held from 1-17 March, 2018. Lahore: Pakistan's Interior Ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said on Sunday, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008. "The Interior Ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI. Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said. "Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to representing the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said. Azhar developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said. "The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling PML-N government. When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case. "I am no more with this case," he said. The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter. "It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said. The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet. The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses. According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements. Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it. A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused... but still the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case. "The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years. "It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said. Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said. Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009. Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. LeT operation commander Lakhvi got his freedom about three years ago after securing bail. He has been living in an undisclosed location since then. There are reports that he had come to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa headquarters in Lahore last November to greet Saeed on his release from a 10-month detention under terrorism and public safety laws. Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. New Delhi: Claiming that the youths in Tripura run after political parties for government jobs, chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Sunday asked them to not waste their "crucial time" and instead milk cows or set up paan shop to earn a living. Why run after netas for government jobs? Graduates should get cows and milk it to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years. Instead of running after political parties, had the same youth set up a paan shop, he would have had a bank balance of Rs 5 lakh by now, the chief minister said. Youth is wasting time by running after politicians for government jobs, they should rather open a 'paan' shop and make money: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb. @maryashakil with more details. pic.twitter.com/igiCJaS27d News18 (@CNNnews18) April 29, 2018 According to news agency ANI, Deb suggested that educated young people should not run behind government jobs, and rather become self-employed by starting various projects under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. The statement comes after a series of bizzare remarks made by the chief minister. After his 'Internet in the Mahabharata era' remark, the chief minister had said a day earlier that civil engineers should join civil services as they have the prior experience to build the society. This was the third consecutive statement of Deb that failed to impress his critics. Three days ago, the Tripura chief minister grabbed the headlines for questioning Diana Haydens Miss World title won 20 years ago and compared her with Aishwarya Rai. Before the statement on Hayden, he had claimed that the Internet technology is nothing new to India as something on similar lines existed even in the Mahabharata era when Sanjaya would share updates about the Kurukshetra battle with Dhritarashtra. Ahmedabad: A Dalit family, whose four members were allegedly flogged by cow vigilantes in Una tehsil in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district in 2016, embraced Buddhism on Sunday at an event organised in Mota Samadhiyala village. The organiser of the programme claimed that a total of 450 Dalits embraced Buddhism on the occasion. More than a thousand Dalits participated in the event in Saurashtra region, where cow vigilantes had allegedly flogged seven Dalits for skinning the carcass of a cow in July 2016. Among the new converts were Balubhai Sarvaiya, his sons Ramesh and Vashram, who were victims of the flogging, and Balubhai's wife Kunwar Sarvaiya. Balubhai's nephew Ashok Sarvaiya, and another relative Bechar Sarvaiya, who also were the victims of flogging, shunned Hinduism on the eve of Buddha Purnima - the birthday of Lord Buddha. Another victim of flogging, Devjibhai Babariya, who hails from nearby Bediya village, could not attend the function due to poor health, Balubhai said. "A total of 450 Dalits converted to Buddhism today," said Balubhai, who had organised of the event. The Dalit men were allegedly beaten up by cow vigilantes near Mota Samadhiyala when they were skinning a dead cow on July 11, 2016. (File photo) The new converts were handed certificates by the Buddhist Society of India. Seven Dalits, including four members of the Sarvaiya family from Mota Samadhiyala, were paraded and flogged for allegedly skinning a dead cow in July, 2016. The incident had caused nationwide outrage after its video had gone viral. Ramesh Sarvaiya said they decided to convert to Buddhism because they were discriminated against by Hindus over their caste. "Hindu cow vigilantes called us Muslims. The kind of discrimination we faced by Hindus pains us and therefore we have decided to convert. Even the state government has discriminated against us by not fulfilling the promises made to us in the wake of the flogging incident," he said. Ramesh Sarvaiya said they were never considered Hindus despite the fact that their community followed the religion for "thousands of years". "We were prevented from entering temples. We are discriminated against by Hindus and had been asked to carry our utensils for food wherever we go to work. The fact that we have not yet got justice in the Una case has also been a reason behind our decision to convert," he said. Jitu Sarvaiya, who also embraced Buddhism at the venue, said they are following the path shown by Babasaheb Ambedkar - the 20th century social reformer who had embraced Buddhism along with lakhs of his followers in 1956. Ever been to Dublin, Ireland? No? It is a must-visit place if there is a pub crawler in you. Whichever way you turn you meet pubs, pubs and more pubs. No wonder, James Joyce, the countrys most celebrated writer, once mused aloud whether there was any way to cross Dublin without passing a pub. People! They took his joke seriously and pored over the city map. The fever reached such a high pitch that a radio station announced rich prizes for those who offered a solution to the Joycean puzzle. Can you find a walking route that would take you from one side of the town to the other without passing a pub? For months, the main roads of Dublin became a happening ground for puzzle solvers. Finally it needed a drunkard to solve the problem. When I come to a pub, I dont pass it, the solver said. I stop for a pint, and then carry on. Such joviality is infectious especially in a town where Guinness makes its home. Yeah, we are talking about the renowned black beer made from roasted malted barley the famous good for you Guinness beer, as the advertisement says, the pride of Ireland. Arthur Guinness, the father figure, began brewing the beer in the 18th century. Beer was considered a safe haven during the time when the rest of the country was reeling under the gin craze. Guinness strummed the nationalist sentiments into a perfect crescendo by adopting the Irish harp as its logo. (But in the 1980s when the IRA bombing spree came home to England, Guinness thought hard about scrapping the harp logo in fear of Englishmen connecting the musical instrument with Nero of Rome). So the next time you go to Ireland, dont forget to visit the Guinness Storehouse, Dublins most famous tourist attraction which is now a Guinness museum. Your Ireland experience will be complete only when you idle away your time inside a pub with a glass of Guinness on your table. Now hold that glass of beer with your hands. Guinness is black, so beautifully black. But the company says it turns ruby the moment you hold the glass against the light. Fine. Why this hullabulloo about Guinness! With just a few more than a dozen to choose from, most of us Indians are yet to appreciate the beauty of the black beer. Let us hear out the Guinness story. When Arthur Guinness purchased Dublins St. James Gate brewery in 1759, few people knew it was going to flag off a new culture. He struck a wonderful deal with the city council which wanted him to pay a meagre 45 pounds a year. A bonanza indeed, but the cherry on the top was that the lease was for 9,000 years. 10,759 AD to be exact. And people in my state, Kerala, are blaming our authorities for signing that 99-year-old lease on Mullapperiyar dam with Tamil Nadu! Arthur initially produced ale (a variety of beer), but seeing the success of English porter beer (a dark style of beer) imported to the country from England, he switched over to the dark drop on 1799. He reversed the beer trade for the first time with that one decision beer began flowing back from Ireland to England. Guinness is now brewed in 51 countries and distributed in additional 100 countries. Around 10 million glasses are savoured everyday around the world. Sadly most our glasses are spared, as our foreign liquor shops fall outside the sweet black shade of the liquid manna. (Diego India has been mulling over the introduction of the dark stout to India for the last six years). Guinness is often called a meal in a glass even though it has very low calories. Put it against your lips to feel its rich and creamy tang. Guinness reminds you of coffee and chocolate. The creamy smoothness comes from Nitrogen. Nitrogen? While ordinary beer comes with 100% carbon dioxide, a bottle of Guinness is stuffed with Nitrogen up to 75%. Pour it into a glass; Guinness is slower. A glass of the black potion remains unfilled until foamy head peeks over with beaded bubbles winking over the brim. Guinness is not only refreshing but also intelligent, going by its marketing strategies. Whenever Guinness feared its sale slackening, it hit back with an ad campaign which had the power to rewrite the future of not only the beer industry, but also the advertisement industry. Dont forget to watch a few of them on YouTube. In Ireland, you get a pint of Guinness after delivery and after you donate blood. Come to India you get biscuit and tea. If you are lucky you get Frooty. (Manu Remakant is a freelance writer who also runs a video blog - A Cup of Kavitha - introducing world poetry to Malayalees. Views expressed here are personal) In the last few weeks, we have all become witnesses and participants to two important debates, one deeply intellectual and the other more visceral in nature. Both go back and forth on the question of what it means to be a Muslim in India today. The first was triggered by Harsh Mander. In his piece for The Indian Express, he talked about the growing marginalisation of Muslims in Indian society. The very sight of skullcaps and burqas, argued Mander, was enough to polarise Hindu votes. Mander was trying to focus our attention towards the decline in the number of Muslim candidates fighting elections. Clearly, very few tickets are now being given to Muslims by parties, including those who boast of their secular credentials. Not only are Muslims asked to attend political rallies without their burqas and skullcaps, as Mander pointed out in his column, Muslims are also being instructed not to turn up to voting booths during early hours of voting to not scare away Hindu voters. But does this political xenophobia surprise us? It shouldnt, considering how years of communal folklore, public rumours and social prejudices, all serving a militant Hindutva agenda, have been fed to us over and over again. The dark green colour, Urdu, biryani, jewellery, monuments from items of daily use to icons of our society, there were certain items that were branded 'Muslim' or 'Islamic' by nature and therefore forbidden. This brings us to the second debate, which was provoked when someone boasted on Twitter about cancelling a cab because his would-be driver was a Muslim. His very name was enough to jeopardise the livelihood of the cab driver. To be sure, we havent abruptly come to this. Communal fires were ignited in our minds since our very childhoods and some of those fires have simmered on quietly since. Let me share with you a short parable that was fed to me at a very young, impressionable age. This was way back in 1971. I was not a voter then, so young that I didnt even know that burqas and skull caps were worn only by people of a particular faith. One day, with other students of my school, I was taken to nearby Railway Maidan to join a procession. We students were shouting slogans against then Pakistan president Yahya Khan. One of the slogans was Yahya Khan ki teen dawai, lattam juttam aur pitai (Yahya Khans three remedies kicks, punches and thrashing). We went on to burn the effigy of Yahya Khan, hailed the creation of Bangladesh, dividing Pakistan, and heard the heroic tales of Indian soldiers during IndoPak war. One of these stories was very interesting. Muslims are spiders and Hindus are chameleons, we were told. To prove this point, an anecdote from IndoPak war was narrated to us. The Hindustani army (our army wasnt referred to as the Indian army) was chasing the Pakistani army in Bangladesh. Pakistani soldiers while retreating suddenly vanished. Hindustani soldiers were taken aback by this sudden disappearance of their enemies. What had actually happened was that Pakistani soldiers had jumped into a ditch and a spider there weaved a web over them, thereby making them invisible to the Hindustani forces. When Hindustani soldiers reached the ditch, all they could spot below were some spider webs. But just then a chameleon, also sitting in the ditch, came to the aid of the Hindustani forces and pointed out their enemy to them by shaking its head towards the spider webs. Having understood their game, Hindustani forces unveiled Pakistani soldiers, dragged them out of the ditch and killed them. This parable of the spider and the chameleon sowed a divisive seed of hatred in our minds at a tender age. We started killing spiders at every possible opportunity. During our adolescence, we were asked to be extra cautious during Eid. A general complaint that was shared with us was that water and power supplies were extended to Muslim colonies during Eid. We were made to see the number of Pakistani colonies around us. Never venture around those Pakistani colonies, we were told. We are being forced to find those Pakistani colonies again and retreat to colonies of our co-religionists. Not for nothing was Congress president Rahul Gandhi forced to declare during the recent election campaign in Gujarat that he was a Janeyudhaari (sacred-thread wearing) Hindu. Language has also been put to such purposes. A recent election slogan called opposition parties Kasab, a Hindi abbreviation for Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Ajmal Kasab still remains in public memory as one of the Pakistani terrorists who, after having killed several people during 26/11 Mumbai attacks, spent the rest of his time till his execution munching biryani (that the person who floated this lie later confirmed it to be such didnt of course change the popular view). The simple fact of the growing communalisation of our shared culture iconography is this threats make minority community defensive and insecurity among majority community makes it aggressive. And this very aggression completes the phenomena of militarisation of majority community at the end. You cannot resist the temptation of killing that spider. (The author is a senior journalist. Views are personal.) Oregon Coast Travel: Weekend Conditions, Gas Prices, Great Low Tides Published 04/28/2018 at 5:56 AM PDT - Updated 04/28/2018 at 5:57 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Oregon Coast) A mix of good and bad news for travel to and from the Oregon coast this week, as the weather is a bit of a downer for the weekend but will improve shortly thereafter; gas prices are higher but some major low tides are coming as well. The weekend on the Oregon coast wont be exceptional weather, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), but a big clearing trend is coming later. On Saturday, the beaches are looking at mostly cloudy with a chance of showers, but light winds. Sunday brings showers but mostly before 11 a.m. Monday is primarily a repeat of those conditions as well. Tuesday, however, the forecast is for partly sunny and highs near 54. Wednesday and Thursday become mostly sunny with highs around 60 degrees, maybe higher. Friday should continue that, but the NWS is showing some chances of rain mixed with the sun. See more Oregon Coast Weather. If you love low tides, youre going to love late April and parts of May. For Clatsop County beaches, for example, some big minus tides are coming up, at around minus half an inch or a bit less from Sunday through Thursday in the early morning hours. On May 16 through 19, you get minus tides of minus one foot and slightly larger around 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., depending on the day. See Oregon Coast Weather for links to area tide tables. Gas prices in Oregon are jumping, according to the Oregon office of the AAA. Youve probably noticed this already, as most stations around Portland are well above the $3 mark. AAA said demand for gasoline in the U.S. is surging to record highs, causing prices to follow. This past week, the national average for regular jumps a nickel to $2.77 a gallon while the Oregon average adds three cents to $3.17. Consumer demand for gas in the U.S. is at nearly 9.9 million barrels per day, according to AAA, which is the highest level ever on record for April and exceeds typical summertime demand. Many consumers are shocked to see such high prices when they fill up their vehicles, said Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. Prices for gas on the Oregon coast are typically ten to 15 cents higher, so youll save some on day trips if you fill up before leaving the valley. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Reformation of English language education system in Bangladesh A.B.M. Razaul Karim Faquire, Ph.D. : Bangladesh has got an English language education (ELE) system comprising compulsory education of Literacy English with an emphasis on the communicative skills as well as the optional education of academic subjects in English medium at all phases of education. The ELE system has been established backed by the guidelines of the National Education Policy (NEP, 2010) given that Bangladesh does not have a language policy. The educators and advocates of ELE in Bangladesh give some arguments in favour of the compulsory provision for the ELE in Bangladesh. They are i) English is a colonial inheritance, ii) English is an international language, iii) English is a means for the access to global knowledge, and iv) English is a means for the access to the global job market. However, these arguments are not enough to make the ELE obligatory in Bangladesh. Because ELE as a system is required to be established and run based on a language planning in compliance with a language policy underpinned by an appropriate ideology. Therefore, Bangladesh needs a framework for establishing an ELE system of its own. However, there are certain frameworks in order to establish and run a system under the administration of a government. According to Shohamy (2005), the framework to be followed in establishing system like ELE system involves a five-step process: i) creation of an ideological basis, ii) formulation of a language policy underpinned with the linguistic ideologies, iii) interpretation of that policy into ELE planning, iv) establishment of an education administration and v) implementation of the planning through education administration as an ELE system. First of all, Bangladesh needs an appropriate underpinning ideology, which can provide a basis for an appropriate ELE system in Bangladesh. There are three different types of ideology in making provision for a language education system. These are: Educational Ideology, National ideology and Sociolinguistic ideology. Educational ideology provides a basis for the formulation of an education policy which backs a basic education inductive to the socialization comprising literacy and numeracy in Bangla not in Arabic or English. Similarly, none of the other two ideologies: National ideology and sociolinguistic ideology provides the basis for the compulsory ELE in Bangladesh. The national ideologies of the nation Bangladesh are Bangalee nationalism, Democracy, Socialism and Religious neutrality. Among them, Bangalee nationalism provides a basis for the formulation of a language policy conducive to the promotion of Bangla and Democracy provides a basis for the formulation of a language policy which will allow one to choose a foreign language for study out of several foreign languages. The sociolinguistic ideologies (source: Cobarrubias, 1983) accounts for the ideology of Assimilation, Linguistic Pluralism, Revitalization, and Internationalization. Among these sociolinguistic ideologies, the plurilingual countries like Kenya, Ivory Coast and India make use of English as a tool for the Assimilation in integrating the people of different speech communities into a larger society in building their postcolonial nations. Contrary to those countries, Bangladesh does not require English as a tool for assimilation, because its population is well assimilated along the national language of Bangla. Among the sociolinguistic ideologies, Internationalization only provides the basis for the formulation of a language policy covering education of languages other than the national language Bangla in Bangladesh. Therefore, the language policy, which the sociolinguistics ideology of internationalization supports, must cover the education of foreign languages. The term internationalization is now connoted to its broader term of globalization (meaning a process which involves the exchange of ideas, education, culture, commodities and capital etc., for the benefit of the countries and regions taking part in this process) which provides a basis for the education of global/area studies (studies of areas in foreign countries) and the languages spoken in those foreign countries. Hence, foreign language policy supports a foreign language education system, which will keep a provision for the education of foreign languages including Korean, Malay, Swedish and English but not a compulsory provision of ELE in Bangladesh. Though none of the above ideologies favours the compulsory ELE, it is run as a part of basic education and involves a cost of approximately one-fifth (source: BANBEIS annual report) of the total education expenses, which is financed mostly with the public money allocated in the national budget. The national budget is allocated for the ELE with the wish to develop human resources capable of contributing to the economy of Bangladesh. Since the ELE does not comprise the basic education, it owes an economic analysis (EA) with regard to the effect of ELE policy on the budget (cost-effectiveness analysis) and the extent of costs of ELE that outweigh the benefits (cost-benefit analysis). A study [conducted by the author of the article 'Reconsidering the Prevalent English Language Education System in Bangladesh'. Journal of the International Mother Language Institute. Vol. 1, No. 1 December 2017.] on the EA of expenses fueled in the ELE shows that the prevalent ELE practices have continued to incur both implicit and explicit opportunity costs in six different forms. These opportunity costs shed light on the extent and nature of wastages incurred from the ELE expenses causing to hinder the sustainable development of education sector in Bangladesh. Hence, Bangladesh requires a Foreign Language Education policy, which will address the issues of i) opportunity costs derived from the budget fueled as costs of ELE and ii) measures to be undertaken in discarding these opportunity costs, so that a maximum benefit of the ELE can be attained for the sustainable development of education sector in Bangladesh. Thus, the above discussion [based on the study of author cited previously] leads to take following steps in establishing a new ELE system in Bangladesh: i) undertaking the globalization as an underpinning ideology, ii) formulation of a foreign language policy underpinned by the ideology of globalization, iii) interpreting the ideology of globalization into a language planning, iv) implementation of that language planning, v) reformation of the prevalent ELE system complying with new foreign language policy, vi) abolition of the compulsory provision of ELE as a part of the reformation of prevalent ELE system and v) establishment of a new foreign language education system with the optional provision for education of foreign studies and the languages associated with those foreign studies. (A.B.M. Razaul Karim Faquire, PhD is a professor of Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka). The difference of vote share between the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the opposition YSR Congress is very thin. Though Naidu won the 2014 Assembly elections to form the government in residual Andhra Pradesh, post-Telangana, the margin was just 2.6 percent. And Naidu was in the company of Narendra Modi, then emerging star of Indian politics, and Pawan Kalyan, the popular movie star-turned-political leader. People in the state believe it was the Modi-Kalyan duo that made all the difference. The 2.6 percent vote swing resulted in 35 seats in the Assembly, enough for Naidu to become the Chief Minister. But things have gone awry in the recent past. Modi has become Naidus bitter enemy, and Pawan, who commands the largest fan army in Tollywood, is no longer with him. Deserted by allies and faced with corruption charges in Amaravati and Polavaram, Naidu, who often calls himself nippu (pure like fire), is forced to confront the 2019 election all alone. This political reality has unsettled Naidu. He says he couldnt start the construction of capital Amaravati and complete the Polavaram project, as promised to the people, because a friend, an apparent reference to PM Modi, betrayed him and this friend is now joining hands with his political rival. Naidu cries foul. He calls April 30, 2014, the day when BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi offered not only special category status to Andhra Pradesh, but also its extension to 10 years from five years, promised by the UPA government. Addressing a mammoth public meeting on that day four years ago from Tarakarama stadium of Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Modi also said he would help Andhra Pradesh build a capital larger than national capital New Delhi. Modi made this not-so-easily realisable promise to placate the Andhra people who were seething with anger on bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh against their will. Now, Naidu has chosen the same day (April 30, 2018), same venue (Tarakarama stadium) and the same time (5 pm) to tell people how Modi betrayed them. On the day, before a huge public gathering, our leader will perform the act of unmasking Modi by showing the video clips of his Tirupati electoral promise. Modi has forgotten promised special category status and assistance to develop new capital bigger than New Delhi. This is the beginning of the campaign against mitradrohi (betrayer of friendship), Kalva Srinivasulu, state Information and Public Relations minister, told News18. Naidu is expected to give a clarion call to the TDP cadre to teach a lesson to the betrayer of friendship in the 2019 elections. Give us 25 Lok Sabha seats, we will decide who should be the next Prime Minister, Naidu told media on Friday. Like the April 30, 2014 meeting, which turned the tide in favour of the TDP with Modi promising special category status, TDP leaders expect the April 30, 2018 meeting to create a tsunami against Modi in the state. Naidu is expected to unleash his campaign at the meeting. Party sources said Naidu is planning to embark on a padayatra on the same theme on the lines of the 208-day yatra he undertook in 2012. The party will organise a series of public meetings in every town in the state to tell the people how Prime Minister Modi backed out on his own promises. We will tell people how Modi is encouraging and inciting persons (YCP leaders) accused in corruption cases against the TDP, said senior party leader Varla Ramaiah. Chandrababu Naidus game plan appears to be transforming the whole 2019 election campaign to a Modi-centric one. His intention is to make Modi as unpopular as possible in the eyes of Andhra voters by projecting him as a betrayer. A conspiracy theory has also been floated by the TDP. Modi has allocated Rs 2500 crore to erect a statue in Gujarat. But, the PM has no money to build the capital Amravati. PM has no money to construct the Polavaram Project, the life line for Andhra Pradesh. PM has no will to implement the special package he announced for the state. Why? If AP, under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu, gets all these benefits, the state would surpass Gujarat in every respect. So, Modis apathy towards Andhra is deliberate, said minister Kalva Srinivasulu. This is the basic theme of the campaign, he added. TDP boss Naidu believes Modi ditched the party as he sees an ally in YS Jaganmohan Reddy, accused in a dozen disproportionate assets cases investigated by CBI. Naidu also told the TDP leaders that an unholy alliance is taking shape with Jagan, Pawan and Modi joining hands against him. The idea behind his anti-Modi rhetoric is to ensure that this alliance doesnt work in 2019 elections. This is a strategy to retain the 2.6 percent edge the TDP earned in 2014 elections in 2019 as well. Modis popularity has taken a beating in the country. By making Modi unpopular in Andhra, Naidu thinks he could arrest the migration of voters from TDP to Jagan-BJP-Pawan (Janasena) alliance. Naidu knows very well that Jagan could not dare defend PM Modi against the TDP assault with regard to special category status. This is Jagans Achilles Heel, said Makireddy Purushottam Reddy, a noted political analyst from Tirupati. If Naidu manages to convince the Andhra people that PM Modi has betrayed the state and is waging a battle to defeat him, Naidu stands the chance of retaining the power and ruling the state for second time in a row. (The author is a senior journalist. Views are personal) Hyderabad: The Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be organising a grand public meeting in Tirupati on Monday to protest against the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The party has said that the Tirupati rally would be a reminder for the Narendra Modi-led BJP government which has failed to keep up its promises made to the people of the state. Four years ago, on April 30, 2014, Narendra Modi, then the BJP prime ministerial candidate, made several promises to the five crore people of Andhra Pradesh, including the Special Category Status. TDP promises to hold the huge public meeting on the same date at the same venue calling for a "fight against betrayal and collusion politics" to remind the government of its promises. TDP President and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu will address the meeting and also play clips of PM Modi making those promises four years ago. "BJP has colluded with a tainted party, the YSR Congress, to do injustice to 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh. Our fight will continue against them until justice is delivered and there is no compromise on that," Naidu said. TDP has been staging protests against the Centre accusing it of injustice to Andhra Pradesh. Recently, on April 20 in Amaravati, Naidu sacrificed his birthday celebrations and observed a day-long hunger strike Dharma Porata Deeksha. The party has been organising cycle and bike rallies in constituencies across the state to create public awareness over the "injustice" that has been done to Andhra. Meanwhile, YSRCP is also intensifying its movement for the 'Special Category Status' and has called for 'Betrayal Day' on April 30. Party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other leaders will go on a 12-hour fast in Vizag and protest with black flags. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi government of trying to clampdown on dissent and advised the PM to learn from his party. Addressing the Jan Akrosh Rally in Delhis Ramlila Maidan, Gandhi said senior party leader Salman Khurshid had recently differed with the party but he would still save him. We tolerate differences too. Salman Khurshid had a different opinion a few days ago and I respect that and I will save him. But when we fight the BJP and RSS, we all have to be together, Gandhi said. Khurshid, who was present in the audience at the rally, had recently differed with the partys move on the impeachment notice against the Chief Justice of India, saying he was saddened at the developments. Later, however, he said that the notices rejection by the Vice-President must be challenged in court and that he was "not kept in loop for the entire process. Khurshid had also made a controversial remark at the Aligarh Muslim University, where he was asked why minorities should trust the Congress. "It is a political question. There is blood on our hands. I am also a part of the Congress so let me say it, we have blood on our hands. Is this why you are trying to tell us that if someone attacks you, we must not come forward to protect you?" In an apparent reference to these instances, Gandhi said the Congress had tolerance for dissent. "In BJP, there can be only one ideology and that's Modi and Amit Shah's thought. No one matters there. "In our party, whether you are 80 or 18, you will be given a place, respect, love and trust. And if someone deprived you of that, I will personally launch an inquiry into that. There is no dearth of leadership roles in our party," said Gandhi. At a time when the leadership and position of old guards is in question, the Congress president took to stage only after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and ex-PM Manmohan Singh addressed the supporters. Lucknow: With less than a month for the bypolls to the Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur assembly constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh, political parties in the state are making all out efforts to win the seats and carry the momentum to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant due to the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February, while the bye-poll to the Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident the same month. Both the bypolls are crucial for ruling BJP as well as opposition parties, as they may set the tone for the 2019 parliamentary elections. The BJP will make extra effort to retain both the seats to try and send a message to voters, party cadres -- as well as opposition parties -- that the drubbing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bye-elections were a closed chapter now, and that it was still strong in western UP. Opposition parties -- the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Congress -- are perceiving this as another opportunity to send a signal to the voters that the saffron fortress has been breached. Exuding confidence that his party will win both the bye-elections, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, "Both the leaders who had represented the seats (Kairana parliamentary constituency and Noorpur assembly constituency) were immensely popular among the masses, and worked for the cause of the public. And, hence the people of the region have an emotional bond with them." He added, "The massive improvement on the law and order front, especially in the western region of the state, where a number of encounters took place and criminals were arrested, has ushered in a positive environment. Apart from this, the timely payment to sugarcane farmers will also go in the party's favour." Taking a dig at opposition parties, the spokesperson said, "There are doubts over the unity among them." The Congress rebutted the claims, with state unit spokesperson Ashok Singh saying, "The bypolls will act as a perfect occasion to defeat the BJP ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and send a strong signal across the country." "Strategy in this regard is being worked out by the party's central leadership. And, I am confident that the BJP will be defeated and its fortress breached." When contacted, SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said his party has already done its poll preparations till the booth level. "We are ready to take on the BJP on both the seats. Whether it will be a SP candidate supported by other parties or any other party candidate supported by the SP will be decided by party president Akhilesh Yadav." Voting in the bypolls for Kairana and Noorpur seats will be held on May 28. The counting of votes for both the constituencies will take place on May 31. The notification will be issued on May 3 and the last date for filing of nomination is May 10. Scrutiny will be taken up the next day, while the last date of withdrawal is May 14. Kairana parliamentary constituency comprises five assembly segments -- Shamli, Thanabhawan, Kairana (all in Shamli district) and Gangoh and Nakur (Saharanpur district). The Election Commission will set up 883 polling centres in these five assembly constituencies. More than 15 lakh voters (of Kairana) are likely to exercise their franchise in the bye-elections. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Hukum Singh had bagged 5,65,909 votes as he defeated Nahid Hasan of the SP who got 3,29,081 votes. Apr 29, 2018 11:51 (IST) One of the issues Rahul Gandhi is expected to target the Modi government on is womens security. Party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad says, No guarantee that women will continue to live. Every sector is pained in the country. All the promises are still unfulfilled. Youth is dejected due to Modijis failed promises. He had promised not only education, but also security to women. But leave all this, there is no surety that they will be alive now. Our country was such that a community pain was felt across the country. But now there is no justice. Now, in the name of religion, the country has been split into pieces. Today, there is no justice. It's an extremely claustrophobic environment that we are living in. New Delhi: Hours before the major cabinet reshuffle in the Jammu and Kashmir government, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh announced that he has resigned from the post, paving way for Speaker Kavinder Gupta. Singh said, "I have resigned as the Deputy Chief Minsiter of the government. A fresh face from the BJP will be taking over." Speculation was rife that among the 12-13 new BJP legislators who will be inducted in the PDP-BJP coalition government, there will be several new faces. The two ministerial berths vacated by the BJP ministers who quit in the aftermath of the Kathua rape and murder case will also be taken up by new BJP ministers on Monday. Apart from Gupta's appointment as the new Deputy CM, MLAs Mohd Khalil Band, Sat Paul Sharma, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Rajiv Jasrotia, Devinder Kumar Manyal and Shakti Raj would also be inducted as Ministers of State in the reshuffle on Monday. All BJP ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government had resigned last week to pave way for a reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti-led government. J&K Governor NN Vohra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to those being inducted into the council of ministers at the convention centre at noon on Monday, an invitation for the ceremony read. Officials said the function is being held at the convention centre instead of Raj Bhavan as Jammu and Kashmir government has already shifted its base to summer capital Srinagar as part of the bi-annual 'darbar move', under which the government functions six months each in the twin capital cities. The Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government, and Raj Bhavan closed here on Friday and will reopen along with other move offices in Srinagar on May 7. 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.) Chennai: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is attempting to stitch a coalition of non-BJP parties ahead of the next year's Lok Sabha elections, on Sunday met DMK president M Karunanidhi at his residence and dined with MK Stalin while the two spoke to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over the phone. Rao, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo, stayed at Karunanidhi's residence for a brief period while before proceeding to the house of DMK Working President MK Stalin, where the latter hosted him for lunch. KCR said after the meeting, We have been sharing ideas with Mamata Banerjee. We will also meet Chandrababu Naidu. We are good friends. The parties who are going to join us and who will leave us is a decision that will be taken in the future. I was lucky to have Karunanidhi's blessings as he is one of the tallest leader of the country. Stalin added, KCR met Karunanidhi and myself. We had lunch and had a discussion on politics. KCR spoke on secularism and the federal front. There are certain parties in Tamil Nadu who have aligned with us and we will discuss KCR's ideology with them. After a discussion with the DMK's high level committee, I will give an answer to KCR. Asked on the 'Third Front', KCR said, "We have not proposed any third or fourth front. Who said there is a third front? It'll be an alignment of farmers and India's youth. The idea of third front has been created by the media." He said his ongoing effort was not aimed at some kind of a 'third front' and it was not a mere alignment of political parties but "that of the people" of the country, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi supremo told reporters in a joint press meet with Stalin. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with DMK leader M Karunanidhi. The TRS leader, who was welcomed by Stalin at the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi, later left for the house of the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, who also joined him in the same vehicle. Earlier, the Telangana chief minister had met West Bengal Chief Minister and Mamata Banerjee as part of efforts to build a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On Sunday Rao said, "We had a telephonic conversation with Mamata Banerjee. and we are firm on the fact that India should be secular while the Centre should give more power to the state in the health, education, transport, urban and rural development sectors." Stalin too said that his party "endorsed" the efforts of Mamata Banerjee to bring together various parties against the BJP. The DMK and Congress are allies in Tamil Nadu and the two had faced the 2016 Assembly elections as part of an alliance. Irregularities in medical sector Staff Reporter : Irregularities have plagued most of the public-private hospitals and clinics in the country, and doctors and middlemen enjoy the profits, sufferers alleged. They said, concern over the quality of healthcare services has led to loss of people's faith on the country's medical institutes. As a result, a good number of Bangladeshi patients are taking the services of countries like India, Singapore, the UK and the USA. To fend off such unethical practice and irregularities, assessment of the country's quality of healthcare services has become imperative, they said. According to them, the victims alleged that the middlemen send them to private clinics. These incidents happen to those who come to the city from the rural areas. They said, most of the hospitals and clinics have no adequate modern instruments, no sufficient infrastructure facilities and even no transparency of their accounts. Many private hospitals and clinic allegedly started their functioning without proper permission. On the other hand, many others managed permission on political grounds while some on underhand negotiations. The fees taken in the private hospitals and clinics are not regulated and also the account is not transparent, it was further alleged. Although many of the medical centres are run by Trustee Boards, the money goes to the individual accounts. Their initiatives are absolutely business targeted, said the sufferers. While in the developed countries, the medical services are highly regulated and standardized, a total contrast with the Bangladesh health sector. The recent activities of the country's medical sector have become a very worried and controversial issue. Say for an example, a private clinic in Rajshahi namely 'General Hospital' has been accused of having a maternal mortality due to medical negligence. Sultana Begum, 30, was admitted to the hospital on April 17 and the next day she gave birth to baby boy. But she died the same day after the delivery. Another incident occurred in the capital's 'Cresent Hospital' recently. A baby was admitted there for treatment. But the baby did not get proper treatment even after paying Tk 3.5 lakh. Then the guardians had to sought RAB's help. Finally. a mobile court headed by RAB executive magistrate Sarwar Alam raided the Crescent Hospital in the city's Mohammadpur area last month . Recently, after the announcement of death of an infant at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), his family members brought the body to Azimpur graveyard for burial. But during the final bathing, the infant moved his body. Then his family members again admitted the baby to the Shishu Hospital for better treatment. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Jan Akrosh Rally on Sunday, questioning the PMs silence on issues ranging from the Doklam standoff to the recent spate of rapes in the country. "Modi ji did not speak a single word on Doklam during his visit to China. What kind of prime minister is he? He had tea with Chinese President and held meeting without a single agenda. In Doklam, China is making helipad and extending airport and the Indian PM is there conducting discussions without agenda. Our PM hasn't spoken a single word on Doklam in China," said Gandhi, addressing his first rally in the national capital after becoming the Congress president. Gandhis comment comes close after Modi and Xi Jinping agreed to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to build trust and enhance "predictability and effectiveness" in managing border affairs. "The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in all areas of the India-China border region in the larger interest of the overall development of bilateral relations," the Indian statement on the Modi-Xi informal summit had said. Further targeting the prime minister, Gandhi sought to compare the performance of the governments led by his party with that of the Modi dispensation at the Centre. "Prime Minister Modi gave unemployment. Their 'Gabbar Singh Tax' has broken the spine of middle class and small entrepreneurs. Gandhi said farmers were under stress, but their loans were not written off by the government, which, he added, waived of debts of corporate houses. "I met him (Modi) on the agrarian issues and personally requested him to waive off farmer loans. He didnt even reply to me, Gandhi said, adding that the Congress government in Karnataka had done so in 10 days. Only the Congress can save the farmers. Modi says Congress hasnt done anything in 70 years. What have they done in these 60 months? The RSS and BJP spread violence, whereas the Congress believes in love. In 70 years, we have strived to provide security to Indians, including Dalits and Adivasis. This is our work and that's what Congress has given to India," Gandhi said. Gandhi claimed that the BJP would be unseated in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and suffer a drubbing in upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. "In Karnataka, Modi speaks about corruption even as BS Yeddyurappa, who has been to jail, stands just beside him. Modi will be forced to leave Karnataka. We will win Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and even 2019 general elections," Gandhi said to loud cheers. Gandhi also hailed Congress workers, saying they have laid their lives for "truth and the country" and described them as "sher ka bachha" (lion cubs). Referring to the incident in which an aircraft carrying him to Karnataka's Hubballi nose-dived before landing safely, Gandhi said he thought of God at that time and added he will undertake Kailash Mansarovar yatra after the Karnataka polls. Before Gandhi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and ex-PM Manmohan Singh also addressed the supporters and attacked the Modi government over unfulfilled promises. Hitting out at the PM, Sonia questioned what happened to his "Na khaoonga, na khane doonga" (will not engage in corruption myself, nor allow others) slogan. She said the government was muzzling dissenting voices, weakening institutions and dividing communities for poll gains. "Judiciary is passing through an unprecedented crisis. It is a sensitive phase we need to take seriously...we will fight this on behalf of the people," she said. Countering the Congress chiefs attack, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the allegations levelled by Rahul Gandhi were baseless. Modi ji went on Chinas invitation and talked about peace and prosperity. We asked Rahul Gandhi why he visited the Chinese envoy during the Doklam standoff. His reply is awaited. New Delhi: Launching Congresss campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, party president Rahul Gandhi is all set to address a rally in New Delhi on Sunday, making it his first public address in the national capital after taking over the top post. Over 30,000 Congress workers are expected to attend the national-level Jan Aakrosh Rally, which will be held at Ramlila Maidan. Gandhi is likely to use the platform to attack PM Modi and BJP government at the Centre over its "unfulfilled promises and divisive politics". A day before the rally, the Congress president took to social media to request women, youths, Dalits and farmers to assemble at the ground and express their anger over the unfulfilled promised of the government. Lashing out at Modi government, the party supremo said, "In these four years of Modi rule, youth have been denied employment, women have been denied security, farmers haven't got fair prices, and no rights for Dalits and minorities." Taking to Twitter, BJP chief Amit Shah mocked the rally as one by a "dynasty and its courtiers" A dynasty and their courtiers, who were sent out of state after state by 'Jan Aadesh' now pretend to represent 'Jan Akrosh. Todays Congress rally is nothing but a Parivar Akrosh Rally which highlights their increasing irrelevance. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 29, 2018 During todays Parivar Akrosh Rally you will see abject India-hatred on display. After all, the Congress cannot digest that 125 crore Indians have seen through their anti-development and highly divisive politics. Congress efforts to create divisions are fully exposed! Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 29, 2018 The rally, which also comes ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections on May 12, is expected to be attended by all the top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, too, addressed the media a day before the rally and said that this rally was held to "express the anger of nation." "There is such a situation in the country that it looks like first of a kind post-independence. There is an atmosphere of hatred, fear and violence in the country. Farmers are sad, youth has been cheated, women are sad, and rapes are ever increasing. The judiciary is too in tatters. The prices of petrol and diesel are skyrocketing. All Modi promises have been only on papers," said Gehlot. For the Congress workers, this rally is a "battle" which will have the "clarion call" by Rahul Gandhi. It is being touted as a fight that will lead to "a new Kranti for resolve peoples issues." Apart from Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, all State Presidents, CLP Leaders, Chief Ministers, former Chief Ministers, Leader of Opposition, Leader in Lok Sabha and all other leaders, including Members of Parliament, many Legislators, are expected to attend the rally. Congress's communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala said a clarion call would be given to root out the BJP from Karnataka. The rally would ensure a "decisive victory for the Congress in the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and many others. It will culminate in uprooting the misrule of Modi ji in 2019." Surejewala said that "India is outraged today on account of the corruption" and listed out the issues likely to be given voice at the rally. "Bank scams, the Rafale scams, the Cabinet Ministers scam, the rampant unemployment, the way trade and businesses are going down by the day on a nose dive, the way unemployed youth are looking for job every day and not succeeding. For instead of producing 8.25 crore jobs, PM has not been able to give even 8 lakh jobs," said Surjewala. According to Surejewala this rally would be an expression of outrage as there was "hatred and division under Modi rule." "There is outrage because there is rampant attack and the atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis and backwards, outrage because the businesses are failing instead of flourishing, outrage because the last vestige of common man looks up to, Indias judiciary is under a multi-pronged attack and I think all these need to be amplified," said the Congress's communication in-charge. Elaborate arrangements have been made to accommodate Congress workers from all across the country who have left their respective states a couple of days ago itself to be able make it to Ramlila Maidan for the Jan Aakrosh Rally. New Delhi: This is a competition Congress MP Shashi Tharoor doesnt mind losing. The Thiruvananthapuram lawmaker, who enjoys a massive following on Twitter thanks to his love for language, is no longer the most followed Congress leader on Twitter. That tag has been wrested by his party president Rahul Gandhi. As on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi enjoyed a following of 6.77 million on the micro-blogging site, while Tharoor had 6.7 million followers. Given the dynamic nature of social media following, the number may tilt back in favour of Tharoor in coming weeks, but the current standing is a welcome change for the Congress ahead of Karnataka elections 2018. A screenshot of Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account. A screenshot of Shashi Tharoor's Twitter account. The party, however, would be hoping that the number crunch remains in Rahuls favour as it is the party chief who is expected to be more popular than other leaders. A Times of India report quoted Tharoor as saying that he felt a sense of vindication. It is only fitting. And as one who has been urging him for years to be on Twitter and to be himself there, I feel a certain sense of vindication. The report also quoted the Congress social media head Divya Spandana as saying that Rahuls popularity was rising across social media platforms. Speaking to News18, Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee pointed out that Tharoor was among the first politicians in India to join Twitter. Shashi Tharoor ji was one of the first leaders to use Twitter and has a great social media following. It is indeed a matter of happiness that Rahul Gandhi ji has surpassed Mr. Tharoor on Twitter. We all want him to be the most followed leader everywhere. It is because of Rahul Gandhi's tweets and the stances he is taking on issues of public importance. He is one person who is speaking truth to power. There is disillusionment on the streets and he is the only person resonating with the public. People are warming up to him, she said. Rahul Gandhi had changed his Twitter handle from @OfficeofRahulGandhi to @RahulGandhi weeks after taking over as Congress president from mother Sonia Gandhi. New Delhi: Ruling himself out as a chief ministerial aspirant, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh has said that he would travel across poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to unite his party to defeat the BJP which is in power in the state for 15 years. The state goes to polls later this year and Singh, who was its chief minister between 1993 and 2003, said that he has conveyed his plan of a state-wide tour to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He, however, insisted that it should not be seen as an attempt to push his candidature for the chief ministerial post and asserted that there was "no question" of him being a contender for the job. "I will take up the challenge of putting all Congress workers together in each assembly segment and district. And for that, some senior party leaders, who are not aspirants of any ticket, assembly or parliamentary elections, would work with me," Singh told PTI journalists in an interaction. "We will go to every district and bring all workers together. We hope to start by May 15 and travel throughout the state. Who will become chief minister, ministers or MLAs, all these can be discussed later," the 71-year-old Congress general secretary added. Singh recently returned from a self-imposed sabbatical after concluding 'Narmada Parkirama' of over 3,300 km on foot in six months. The yatra, an arduous pilgrimage considered very holy by the faithful, has given him a political boost, many political watchers believe, as it has helped him connect with the masses and the Congress' rank and file across the big state, and put a string of controversies behind him. Asked about reports suggesting that he has supported Kamal Nath as the next chief minister if the Congress wins the polls, Singh said that he had only reiterated his stand of 2008. "During my Parikrama, journalists came to me and said that Digvijay ji you had talked about Kamal Nath becoming chief minister in 2008. I said, yes I had said so. So, the journalists asked me what my opinion is now. I said I don't change my decisions. Rest, Rahul Gandhi ji will decide what he has to. Then the journalists ran a story saying Digvijay Singh supports Kamal Nath," the veteran leader said. Rahul Gandhi recently restructured the Congress' Madhya Pradesh unit by appointing Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia as its president and campaign committee chairman respectively. He also named four working presidents for the state namely, Bala Bachchan, Ramnivas Rawat, Jitu Patwari and Surender Choudhary as part of the organisation changes. Singh also pitched for allowing party MLAs pick their legislature leader in Parliamentary democracy. He cited example of how he had become the state's chief minister after winning an election between him and another contender for the post, Shyama Charan Shukla in the 90s. Madhya Pradesh is expected to witness a straight fight between the incumbent BJP and the challenger Congress later this year. Kabul: A group of children set off an unexploded mortar round in a residential area in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, causing a blast that killed a woman and two children, according to provincial official. Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said another seven children were wounded in Sunday's explosion. He said the mortar round had been fired by insurgents the night before but failed to explode. Afghanistan is littered with land mines and unexploded munitions left over from decades of war, which kill and wound hundreds of people every year. In Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar, a rickshaw loaded with explosives blew up near a mosque and registration center, wounding a policeman and six civilians, Khogyani said. No one immediately claimed the blast. Both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate are active in Nangarhar. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bombing in Jalalabad on Saturday that wounded 12 people, including two traffic police. Washington: A riled-up Donald Trump let loose on everything from the Russia probe, to "crimes" by his opponents, to his legal tangles with a porn star Thursday, in a free-wheeling interview live on TV. Trump called in to the popular breakfast show "Fox and Friends," to mark the occasion of First Lady Melania Trump's birthday, he said. Despite a cozy welcome from the three hosts -- regular cheerleaders for the Republican president -- the interview almost immediately took an awkward turn when Trump was asked about his gift for his wife. "Maybe I didn't get her so much," said the multimillionaire, suggesting he got a card and some flowers. "You know I'm very busy to be running out looking for presents," he added. Over the animated half hour that followed, Trump rattled through grievances and boasts in a virtual monologue, delivered at machine gun speed. He attacked former FBI director James Comey as "guilty of crimes" and vowed retribution for those who helped scuttle his doctor's bid to be head of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Amid the scattershot remarks, he also bragged again about his 17-month-old electoral college win -- ever aggrieved at losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton and suggested he had three or four dates in mind to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Between favorable questions about why Trump's political opponents oppose him, hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade appeared shocked and uneasy at some of the president's responses. At one point, as Trump was mid diatribe about "fake news" CNN, Kilmeade interjected, "yeah, but don't worry about them." The TV host's efforts were largely in vain. 'EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S A FIX, OKAY?' Time and again the 45th president's thoughts trailed back to his own legal woes, including the Russia investigation that has imperiled his closest aides and threatens to hamstring his entire administration. "I would give myself an 'A+,'" the president. "Nobody has done what I have been able to do, and I did it despite the fact that I have a phony cloud over my head that doesn't exist." "Everyone knows it's a fix, okay? It's a witch hunt and they know that and I've been able to message it," Trump railed. Trump was at special pains to distance himself from his long-time lawyer, Michael Cohen, who is now under criminal investigation. "Michael is in business, he is really a businessman, at fairly big businesses, I understand," Trump said. "I don't know his business, but it doesn't have to do with me," he added, sweeping aside their decades old relationship. But Trump did make the notable admission that his lawyer-cum-fixer had represented him "with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal." Trump and the White House have long denied that the president knew anything about Cohen's $130,000 payment to the porn star. Daniels says the payment, which Cohen admits making, was made to cover up a fling with Trump. Trump denies having sex with Daniels while married and, more broadly, said he had made a decision to "try to stay away from" the workings of the Justice Department "but pretty soon I won't." US media described the appearance as a "rant" and "meandering" but it won over at least one supporter. "Listening to @realDonaldTrump having fun and swinging from the hips on @foxandfriends and wondering why he hasn't been doing this more. This works. He's the best promoter of his own record and people," said conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt. Michigan: President Donald Trump said during a rally in Michigan on Saturday that there would likely be a US-North Korea meeting in the near future, but "whatever happens, happens." "Look, I may go in. It may not work out. I leave," Trump said in Washington Township on the night of the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The President went on to say he thinks "we'll have a meeting over the next three or four weeks." Trump contrasted himself with former Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal that the US leader has long criticized. Trump spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-In earlier on Saturday, and in the speech he said the South Korean leader credited him for the apparent progress with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "He gives us tremendous credit," Trump said. "He gives us all the credit." Trump said the goal of the talks would be to "de-nuke" the Korean Peninsula and acknowledged the situation was difficult to predict. "I'm not going to give you what's going to actually happen because we don't really know," Trump said. Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Kim indicated he was "prepared" to work towards denuclearization during their meeting in Pyongyang four weeks ago. "I had a clear mission statement from President Trump. When I left Kim Jong Un understood the mission exactly as I described it today," Pompeo said in an interview that is scheduled to air on the "This Week" program Sunday in the United States. The US secretary of state said he and Kim had an "extensive conversation on the hardest issues that face our two countries." The Pompeo-Kim meeting was one in a series of high-level diplomatic talks over the Korean Peninsula, ahead of a potential meeting between Trump and Kim in late May. In a historic move on Friday, Kim crossed the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula and met with Moon, the first time the leaders of North and South Korea have met in person since 2007. Following a full day of talks and symbolic events, both Moon and Kim issued a statement calling for the end of the Korean War and heralding a "new era of peace." Speaking with Trump over the phone on Saturday night, Moon told the US President both he and Kim agreed Trump's "big decision" had greatly contributed to the unprecedented series of diplomatic talks, according to a readout from the South Korean President's office. Seoul, South Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told his South Korean counterpart at their historic summit that his country would be willing to give up its nuclear weapons if the US commits to a formal end to the Korean War and a pledge not to attack the North, Seoul officials said Sunday. Kim also vowed during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday to shut down the North's nuclear test site in May and disclose the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul's presidential office said. While there are lingering questions about whether North Korea will ever decide to fully relinquish its nukes as it heads into negotiations with the US, Kim's comments amount to the North's most specific acknowledgment yet that "denuclearization" would constitute surrendering its weapons. US national security adviser John Bolton reacted coolly to word that Kim would abandon his weapons if the United States pledged not to invade. Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" whether the US would make such a promise, Bolton said: "Well, we've heard this before. This is the North Korean propaganda playbook is an infinitely rich resource." "What we want to see from them is evidence that it's real and not just rhetoric," he added. Seoul officials, who have shuttled between Pyongyang and Washington to broker talks between Kim and President Donald Trump that are expected in May or June, said Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But there has been skepticism because North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition. The North has long vowed to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its 28,500 troops from South Korea and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. During their summit at a truce village on the border, Moon and Kim promised to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula but made no references to verification or timetables. Kim also expressed optimism about his meeting with Trump, Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. "Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States," Kim said, according to Yoon. Yoon also quoted Kim as saying: "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would we need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?" The Korean Peninsula technically remains in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War was halted with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The closing of the nuclear test site would be a dramatic but likely symbolic event to set up Kim's summit with Trump. North Korea already announced this month that it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Still, Adam Mount, a senior defense analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, said Kim's comments were significant because they are his most explicit acknowledgment yet that denuclearization means surrendering his nuclear weapons. "Questions remain about whether Kim will agree to discuss other nuclear technology, fissile material and missiles. However, they imply a phased process with reciprocal concessions," Mount said in an email. "It is not clear that the Trump administration will accept that kind of protracted program." Analysts reacted with skepticism to Kim's previously announced plan to close down the test site at Punggye-ri, saying the northernmost tunnel had already become too unstable to use for underground detonations anyway following the country's sixth and most powerful test blast in September. In his conversation with Moon, Kim denied that he would be merely clearing out damaged goods, saying the site also has two new tunnels that are larger than previous testing facilities, Yoon said. Some analysts see Moon's agreement with Kim at the summit as a disappointment, citing the lack of references to verification and timeframes and also the absence of a definition on what would constitute a "complete" denuclearization of the peninsula. But Patrick McEachern, a former State Department analyst now with the Washington-based Wilson Center, said it was still meaningful that Moon extracted a commitment from Kim to complete denuclearisation, which marked a significant change from Kim's previous public demand to expand his arsenal of nuclear weapons in number and quality. "The public conversation should now shift from speculation on whether North Korea would consider denuclearization to how South Korea and the United States can advance this denuclearization pledge in concrete steps in light of North Korea's reciprocal demands for concrete steps toward an eventual peace agreement," McEachern said in an email. North Korea has invited the outside world to witness the dismantling of its nuclear facilities before. In June 2008, international broadcasters were allowed to air the demolition of a cooling tower at the Nyongbyon reactor site, a year after the North reached an agreement with the US and four other nations to disable its nuclear facilities in return for an aid package worth about $400 million. But the deal eventually collapsed after North Korea refused to accept US-proposed verification methods, and the country went on to conduct its second nuclear test detonation in May 2009. Yoon said Kim also revealed plans to sync its time zone with South Korea's. The Koreas had used the same time zone for decades before the North created its own "Pyongyang Time" in 2015 by setting the clock 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. Yoon said the North's decision to return to Seoul's time zone was aimed at facilitating communication with South Korea and the US. Washington: Members of Donald Trump's administration walked out of the White House Correspondents' Dinner after comedian Michelle Wolf ripped into them, including Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in the absence of the US President who didn't attend. A year after the White House boycotted the annual dinner, the Director of Strategic Communications, Mercedes Schlapp, and her husband, conservative activist Matt Schlapp, were among those who marched out of the ballroom on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton long before Wolf's keynote routine was over, reports Politico news. Footage broadcast live on cable TV networks showed Sanders sitting at the head table on stage stone-faced, wincing and at times raising her eyebrows as Wolf compared her to a character on the dystopian Handsmaid's Tale and to an Uncle Tom for white women. "I actually really like Sarah. I think she's very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye," Wolf joked about Sanders. "Like maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies. It's probably lies." Among Wolf's less off-color one-liners: "Just a reminder to everyone, I'm here to make jokes, I have no agenda, I'm not trying to get anything accomplished, so everyone that's here from Congress you should feel right at home." "It is kinda crazy that the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia when the Hillary campaign wasn't even in contact with Michigan." "He wants to give teachers guns, and I support that because then they can sell them for things they need like supplies." Wolf laced into Trump and repeatedly brought up his comments from the "Access Hollywood" tape where he spoke of groping women. Wolf opened her act with the line: "Good evening, here we are at the White House Correspondents' Dinner; like a porn star says when she's about to have sex with Trump, let's get this over with." Wolf's other targets included Vice President Mike Pence, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway and the president's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, Politico reported. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer deemed the evening a "disgrace" in a tweet, to which Wolf replied: "Thanks!" Echoing Spicer, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus called Wolf's set "R/X rated" and said the performance left Trump as the clear winner. An R/X rated spectacle that started poorly and ended up in the bottom of the canyon. Another victory for @realDonaldTrump for not attending and proving his point once again. The room was uncomfortable. Trump lovers and even a large number of Trump haters were pretty miserable. Reince Priebus (@Reince) April 29, 2018 New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who was honoured during the dinner for her reporting, said Sanders' refusal to walk out amid the barbs was "impressive". Besides the administration, Wolf also hit out at the media but excluded the print media, because "it's illegal to attack an endangered species". For the second year in a row, Trump avoided one of the annual highlights for a profession he has routinely called "the enemy of the American people". On Saturday, he was at a campaign rally in Michigan where he said a possible meeting between him and North Korea's Kim Jong-un would take place in the next "three or four weeks". Begun in 1921, the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner has been attended by every President at least once during their term in office, beginning with President Calvin Coolidge in 1924. (With agency inputs) Riyadh: Washington's new chief diplomat was to meet Saudi and Israeli leaders on Sunday to rally coordinated opposition to Tehran and brief them on President Donald Trump's threat to end the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh shortly after Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles across the kingdom's border. US officials travelling with Pompeo told reporters the Huthi missiles had been supplied by Iran, and cited the attacks as evidence that regional powers should work together. Pompeo had dinner with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and was due to meet his father King Salman. Then he was due to fly on to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then on to Amman in Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 nuclear accord, which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile program. Pompeo set off on his first diplomatic trip within two hours of being sworn in on Thursday and on Friday after talks with the NATO allies in Brussels he appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the deal. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo told reporters in at NATO headquarters. Perhaps the last chance to fix these supposed shortcomings came from talks between Washington and its European allies Britain, France and Germany on a supplemental agreement to sanction Iran's missile program. But both President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel left Washington this week after talks with Trump having failed to secure any promise that he might keep the core deal alive. Rozina who lost leg in city accident dies Staff Reporter : Rozina Akter, who lost her right leg in a road accident in the Dhaka's Banani area on April 20, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Sunday morning. She breathed her last at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) around 7:00am, Dr Samanta Lal Sen, National Coordinator of the hospital's burn unit, told the media. Rozina, 18, was taken to the DMCH burn unit on April 25 from National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) as she had been suffering from respiratory problems. On April 20, an Uttara bound BRTC double-decker bus coming from Mohakhali hit Rozina, a domestic worker, when she was crossing the road near the Chairman Bari of Banani around 8:30pm. The rear wheels of the bus ran over her right leg after she fell on the ground. She was rushed to NITOR immediately after the accident. Hailing from Dhobaura Upazila of Mymensingh district, Rozina worked as domestic help for nine years. Rozina lost her leg three days after Rajib Hossain, a student who had lost his right hand after it got stuck between two buses in the city's Banglamotor area on April 3, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to shut down the country's nuclear test site in May and open the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul's presidential office said on Sunday. Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday at a border truce village, where he also expressed optimism about his anticipated meeting with Donald Trump, saying the U.S. president will learn he's "not a person" to fire missiles toward the United States, Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. Moon and Kim during the summit promised to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, but made no references to verification or timetables. Seoul had also shuttled between Pyongyang and Washington to set up a potential meeting between Kim and Trump, which is expected next month or early June. "Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States," Yoon quoted Kim as saying. "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would be need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?" Yoon quoted Kim as saying. North Korea this month announced it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Kim reacted to skepticism that the North would only be closing down the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. In his conversation with Moon, Kim denied that he would be merely clearing out damaged goods, saying that the site also has two new tunnels that are larger than previous testing facilities, Yoon said. Yoon said Kim also revealed plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the South's. The Koreas used the same time zone for decades before the North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting the clock 30 minutes behind South Korea and Japan. North Korean then explained the decision as an effort to remove a legacy of Japanese colonial rule. Local time in South Korea and Japan is the same nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It was set during Japan's rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Yoon said that the North's decision to return to the Seoul time zone was aimed at facilitating communication with South Korea and also the United States. Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom he had previously called a "fool", is now the "hero of everybody", after Kim pledged to work with Seoul for "complete denuclearisation" of the peninsula. Duterte said he would "congratulate" Kim, who just became his "idol", if he gets a chance to meet him. He said he would tell the North Korean leader "I admire you. You know how to time (your moves)". "For all of the time, he was pictured to be the bad boy of the community. With one masterstroke, he is now the hero of everybody," Duterte said when asked to comment on the historic meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a news conference after he returned from an ASEAN summit in Singapore. "He appear to be amiable, jolly good fellow, and very accommodating," Duterte said of Kim. Duterte has more than once criticised Kim over his nuclear ambitions. In April last year he questioned his sanity and urged the United States to show restraint and not be baited by a man who "wants to end the world". A few months later, Duterte called Kim a "fool" and held nothing back in rebuking Kim for "playing with dangerous toys". The leaders of North and South Korea agreed on a common goal of a "nuclear free" peninsula during a summit on Friday. Meeting at the Demilitarized Zone that has divided the Koreas for more than six decades, Kim and Moon announced they would work with the United States and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War, and establish a permanent peace agreement. "He (Kim) can treat me as his friend ...The impact is really, there is less stress now in the Korean Peninsula. And maybe, just maybe, we can avoid a war which nobody can win anyway," Duterte said. London: Russian Twitter bots attempted to influence the 2017 UK general election results by promoting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times. Conducted in conjunction with Swansea University, the research discovered that in the run up to the election, 6,500 Russian Twitter accounts, many of which are run by Internet robots known as "bots", supported the Labour Party. It has been claimed that most of these accounts, which tried to denigrate the Conservative rivals, were created just weeks before the polling day. The Labour Party denied any wrongdoing and said that its "people-powered election campaign" was the reason for its success. "The Labour Party's people-powered election campaign attracted huge levels of public support online. We were not aware of any from automated bots, categorically did not pay for any and are not aware of any of our supporters doing so," a Labour Party spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Telegraph. The election saw Corbyn's Labour Party increase its tally by 31 seats. Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a major setback and lost her parliamentary majority in the election. Urging Twitter to act to prevent such interference in the country's election in the future, UK's digital and culture secretary Matthew Hancock said the revelations are "extremely concerning". "It is absolutely unacceptable for any nation to attempt to interfere in the democratic elections of another country," he told The Sunday Times. "The social media companies need to act to safeguard our democratic discourse and reveal what they know," Hancock said. State police recently hosted the Department of Homeland Security regional explosives detection dog initiative. Thursday morning, state police K9 Whim, one of the agencys explosives detection dogs, was joined by 24 other K9 teams at Rentschler Field in Hartford. Participating agencies included Stamford police, New Haven police, various Massachusetts police departments and Vermont State Police. The training, facilitated by DHS Science and Technology Directorate, is an outreach effort to state and local law enforcement to improve explosive detection canine team training efficiency and effectiveness, state police officials said. The 25 K9 teams participated in classroom and experiential training. It challenged the K9 teams with a variety of real world scenarios including a simulated motorcade that state police provided pictures of. DANBURY If youre black or classified with a learning disability, youre more likely than your peers to be disciplined when you get into trouble at school, according to new federal data. The latest data from the Office for Civil Rights shows that while black students make up 15 percent of the 50 million kids enrolled in public schools, they are involved in 31 percent of school-related arrests and referrals to police. And although students classified as learning disabled make up 12 percent of the national enrollment, 28 percent of arrests and police referrals involve those special needs students. In contrast, whites, Latinos and Asians were disciplined either proportionately, or below their share of the overall enrollment. The glaring disparity for black and learning disabled students is a red flag for schools that are required to provide equal opportunity for all students, the U.S. Department of Education said. That goes for urban school districts close to home such as Danbury, where data shows that blacks and learning disabled students were suspended and referred to police disproportionately, and at suburban school districts such as Bethel and New Milford, where there are similar disparities for some minority students and those with special needs. In Danbury, for example, black students represent 7 percent of the 11,000 children in public schools, but they accounted for 20 percent of out-of-school suspensions and 24 percent of referrals to police. In the same way, learning disabled children represent 12 percent of enrollment but accounted for 29 percent of suspensions and 30 percent of police referrals. The citys top educator said that is unacceptable. We strive for equal treatment, and we cant ignore that certain kids are disciplined at higher rates theyre our students and I expect our folks to treat them fairly, said Sal Pascarella, superintendent of Danbury schools, among the most diverse student bodies in the state. This is disconcerting to me, because our rules should apply evenly all the time. While the Office for Civil Rights has the power to investigate and correct what it calls gaps in opportunity an education department spokesman said that was unlikely in this case, inasmuch as the raw data was only a starting point. [The] data alone doesnt answer the why question; for instance in terms of why black students, students with disabilities, and males are referred to law enforcement at a higher percentage than their enrollment figures, the spokesman said. Leaders in Greater Danburys African-American community said they can answer the why question. This country has a history of discrimination going all the way back to slavery, said Noel Hord, a retired Danbury philanthropist whose foundation has provided $4.5 million in college scholarships to African-American students. I grew up in the 60s, so it doesnt surprise me that students of color are disproportionately targeted; they have a more critical face looking at them. The president of the Greater Danbury NAACP also said that she was not surprised by the data, which covers the 2015-2016 school year. Its like this across the state, said Glenda Armstrong. Its systemic racism. One Danbury family agrees up to a point, saying that prejudice and discrimination are pervasive in American culture, just not in Danbury schools. I do a lot of work at Danbury High School, and I am African-American, and I have a daughter in the school who is involved with the Black Lives Matter chapter, said Melvette Hill. I know what the data says, but I just dont see on a day-to-day basis where that is the case. The data, reported every two years, comes from the nations 17,000 school districts. The most recent data, released last week, follows racial tensions over an arrest without cause of two black men in a Philadelphia Starbucks. In response, the corporation has pledged to provide store managers with training about unconscious bias. Pascarella and his counterparts in Bethel and New Milford said school districts already have in place programs that train staff about responding to student behavior, and that help staff adjust discipline policies to get the best performance out of students. We have processes that look at all these things and we are definitely working on them, said Bethel Superintendent Christine Carver. It is a national problem, and that is why we have set up strategies to address subgroup populations - especially minorities. Fixing disparities The federal data shows that students who are black and learning disabled are more likely to be suspended than students who are white, Latino or Asian. Black males, for example, account for 25 percent of all out-of-school suspensions, even though black males make up 8 percent of the nations overall enrollment. Learning disabled students who represent 12 percent of enrollment account for 26 percent of suspensions. There are similar disparities with minority students and learning disabled students in greater Danburys suburban districts. In Bethel, Hispanics represented 16 percent of the school districts 2,970 students in 2015-16, but accounted for 33 percent of suspensions. Students with learning disabilities made up 10.6 percent of enrollment but accounted for 56 percent of suspensions. In New Milford, black students were only 2.3 percent of enrollment but accounted for 14 percent of suspensions. Learning disabled students were 13 percent of the districts 4,200 students, but 68 percent of its suspensions. New Milfords top educator said there is already a system in place when a learning disabled student commits a suspendable offense to waive the punishment if its determined that the learning disability is the cause of the incident. New Milford Superintendent Joshua Smith also questions whether the data was recording multiple incidents for the same student. No matter how you slice it, it is still an issue, Smith said. Over the last two years we have taken students out of class less, and we have done a lot of work on our discipline code, because suspensions dont help students. In Danbury, Pascarella spoke of similar programs, noting that hard work goes into building a culture of diversity that doesnt show up in civil rights metrics. Those numbers dont show you all of our special needs kids who are integrating into regular education, and all of our different ethnicities that are getting along well together, he said. At the states largest high school, senior Mikayla Hill said she does not see the disparate treatment of black students and learning disabled students that the data shows. Our principal is very open to people of all colors and he wants to hear everyones voice, said Hill, 18, who runs track and is a member of Danbury High Schools Black Lives Matter chapter. It surprises me that black students and students with learning disabilities have a higher probability of getting in trouble. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 NEW HAVEN A 34-year-old New Haven man has been indicted along with 18 others for a drug trafficking ring that he ran out of the city. Duane Filyaw, 34, of New Haven, is facing federal narcotics offenses for allegedly running a heroin and cocaine operation throughout New Haven county, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Connecticut office. As alleged, this drug trafficking organization, which used multiple sources of supply, has been responsible for the distribution of significant quantities of heroin and cocaine in Connecticut, said John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Durham announced the arrests on Thursday after Filyaw and 18 others were formally indicted. The charges stem from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force, FBI and New Haven Police Department that included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine and seizures of bulk heroin and cocaine. According to the release, Filyaw conspired with the others to purchase narcotics from suppliers and then distribute the drugs to other suppliers of street-level dealers in and around New Haven. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 200 grams of heroin and more than one kilogram of cocaine through supervised purchases and interdictions of ongoing transactions. In association with Wednesdays arrests and the execution of multiple search warrants, officers seized an additional three firearms, approximately 360 grams of fentanyl, approximately 340 grams of suspected heroin, approximately 80 grams of cocaine and more than $90,000 in cash, vehicles, jewelry and precious metals. The six-count indictment handed down from a grand jury on Thursday named Filyaw along with Neftali Fernandez, Nef, 31, of Meriden; Leon Greene, Gotti, 43, of Cheshire; Rafael Serrano, 43, of West Haven; Salvatore Orsini, 27, of West Haven; Christopher Serrano, Mancho, 34, of Milford; Norman Edgardo Perez, Rico, of Oakland, Calif.; Lorenzo Morales-Arambula, Viejo, 56, of Mexico; Natividad Diaz, Nat, 34, of Meriden; Johnathan Brito, 24, of Waterbury; Harrison Elba, 27, of Simsbury; Gabriel Romero Escalera, 27, of San Juan, P.R.; Birl Jackson, 36, of New Haven; Steven McCoy,S Dot, 25, of New Haven; Stephen Jones, EVX and Stevie D, 33, of New Haven; Hakeem Basir, Neil Ford, 54, of Waterbury; Carlos Ovalle, Carlos Tirado, 46, of East Hartford; Nigel Jones, 36, of New Haven; and Samuel Cruz, 40, of New Haven. Each of the defendants has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. If convicted of this charge, Filyaw, Fernandez, Greene, Perez, Morales-Arambula, Diaz, Escalera and Ovalle face a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life based on the alleged type and quantity of narcotics. Rafael Serrano, Christopher Serrano, Orsini, Brito, Elba, Jackson, McCoy, Stephen Jones, Basir and Cruz face a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, while Nigel Jones faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The indictment also charges Rafael and Christopher Serrano, Fernandez, Filyaw, Orsini, Elba and Brito counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin or cocaine. DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large scale poly drug trafficking organizations like this one operating in the New Haven area, said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Angelucci. Let these arrests serve as an example to those who distribute heroin and cocaine in order to profit and destroy peoples lives, that DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and our strong partnership with the U. S. Attorneys Office. Morales-Arambula is being held in ICE custody in Michigan, while Jackson is still being held in state custody. The New Haven Police Department is proud of the hard work put in by our officers and our state and federal partners in bringing those involved in illegal drug trade to justice, said New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell. Those that poison our kids and endanger our citizens deserve to be behind bars. Were a safer city now that these arrests have been made. This investigation is being led by the DEA New Haven Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Haven Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Connecticut Department of Correction, Milford Police Department and East Haven Police Department are also assisting the investigation. The U.S. Attorneys Office is committed to working closely with the DEA, FBI, and our state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt drug networks - especially those that distribute heroin, fentanyl and other dangerous opioids - and prosecute those responsible, Durham said. DANBURY A Danbury tractor-trailer driver was charged with crashing into several cars, including a New York State Police cruiser, and driving on drugs. A New York State Trooper witnessed the incident while conducting a traffic stop around 10 a.m. Friday on I-684 northbound in Bedford, N.Y. No level-playing field yet in Gazipur, Khulna cities: BNP Staff Reporter : As the two city corporation elections are getting closer, BNP on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) is yet to create the level-playing field in Gazipur and Khulna cities where elections are scheduled for May 15. The party has also demanded immediate withdrawal of Gazipur Police Superintendent M Harun-or-Rashid to ensure a proper election atmosphere in the city. "The Election Commission (EC) has failed to create the level-playing field in Gazipur and Khulna city corporations elections. The present situation is under total control of the ruling party," BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said yesterday. He came up with the allegation at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office in the city. He said though the election campaign has begun, the ruling party men are roaming the locality in both cities with huge legal and illegal arms. He said BNP leaders have filed complaints with the EC about the violation of the election code of conduct by the ruling party candidates in both cities but the Commission is not paying heed to the complaints and taking corrective actions. Rizvi said violating the election code of conduct Awami League leader and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Jahangair Kabir Nanak, MP, Bahauddin Nasim, MP, Ahmed Hossain, MP, Gazipur Zila Parishad chairman Aktaruzzaman had held a meeting at Gazipur's Mouchak on Saturday. Thery urged people to elect ruling party mayoral candidate Jahangir Alam. 'It's a clear violation of the election code of conduct," he said. He said law enforcers are also arresting BNP leaders, workers and 20-party alliance people. They are arresting them and killing them in crossfire. Ruling party men are intimidating them in the two cities rendering them totally unsafe. He said around 45 leaders and activists of the 20-praty, including Gazipur district Jamaat Amir Prof SM Sanaullah were arrested over the last two days while carrying out electioneering campaign for BNP's Gazipur mayoral candidate Hasanuddin Sarkar. "Gazipur police is creating horror. We've been demanding the withdrawal of Gazipur SP but the Home Minister is not taking any action. We again demand his withdrawal," the Rizvi said. He also renewed the party's demand for deployment of army in the two cities one-week before the polls. Rizvi alleged a 'propaganda cell' set up at Prime Minister's Office is spreading 'false campaign' against Zia family on social media. "Various Such propaganda through Facebook ID of a staff must stop, he said. The Burstcube cubesat mission will carry compact sensor technology which will detect and localize gamma-ray bursts caused by the collapse of massive stars and mergers of orbiting neutron stars. It also will detect solar flares and other high-energy transients once its deployed into low-Earth orbit in the early 2020s. Above Principal Investigator Jeremy Perkins and his co-investigator, Georgia de Nolfo, recently won funding to build a new CubeSat mission, called BurstCube. Respectively, Perkins and de Nolfo hold a crystal, or scintillator, and silicon photomultiplier array technology that will be used to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts for gravitational-wave science. The photomultiplier array shown here specifically was developed for another CubeSat mission called TRYAD, which will investigate gamma-ray bursts in high-altitude lightning clouds. Credits: NASA/W. Hrybyk The cataclysmic deaths of massive stars and mergers of neutron stars are of special interest to scientists because they produce gravitational waves literally, ripples in the fabric of space-time that radiate out in all directions, much like what happens when a stone is thrown into a pond. Since the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, or LIGO, confirmed their existence a couple years ago, LIGO and the European Virgo detectors have detected other events, including the first-ever detection of gravitational waves from the merger of two neutron stars announced in October 2017. Less than two seconds after LIGO detected the waves washing over Earths space-time, NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected a weak burst of high-energy light the first burst to be unambiguously connected to a gravitational-wave source. BurstCube will detect long GRBs, attributed to the collapse of massive stars, short GRBs (sGRBs), resulting from binary neutron star mergers, as well as other gamma-ray transients in the energy range 10-1000 keV. sGRBs are of particular interest because they are predicted to be the counterparts of gravitational wave (GW) sources soon to be detectable by LIGO/Virgo. BurstCube contains 4 CsI scintillators coupled with arrays of compact low-power Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) on a 6U Dellingr bus, a flagship modular platform that is easily modifiable for a variety of 6U CubeSat architectures. BurstCube will complement existing facilities such as Swift and Fermi in the short term, and provide a means for GRB detection, localization, and characterization in the interim time before the next generation future gamma-ray mission flies, as well as space-qualify SiPMs and test technologies for future use on larger gamma-ray missions. The ultimate configuration of BurstCube is to have a set of 10 BurstCubes to provide all-sky coverage to GRBs for substantially lower cost than a full-scale mission. Arxiv BurstCube: A CubeSat for Gravitational Wave Counterparts BurstCube will detect about 24 sGRBs per year, in addition to and over 100 long GRBs and other transients. GRB rate estimates are made by scaling the GBM GRB detections to BurstCube based upon comparison between simulations of both the BurstCube and GBM NaI detector systems. BurstCube will increase sky exposure by 15% on average depending on orbit phasing. The need for this is clear; even with the large FoVs of BAT and GBM the error contour of GW150914 was not fully covered at trigger. Even if Swift and Fermi continue to be operational in 2020, exposure improves with BurstCube as it provides a cost effective and timely method to support and enhance LIGO/Virgo science as they reach design sensitivity. Accounting for the orbit phasing of BurstCube (assuming an ISS orbit), Fermi, and Swift, BurstCube increases the average sky coverage from 70% to 90%. Complementary Capability Perkins and de Nolfo, both scientists at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, see BurstCube as a companion to Fermi in this search for gravitational-wave sources. Though not as capable as the much larger Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, or GBM, on Fermi, BurstCube will increase coverage of the sky. Fermi-GBM observes the entire sky not blocked by the Earth. But what happens if an event occurs and Fermi is on the other side of Earth, which is blocking its view, Perkins said. Fermi wont see the burst. BurstCube, which is expected to launch around the time additional ground-based LIGO-type observatories begin operations, will assist in detecting these fleeting, hard-to-capture high-energy photons and help determine where they originated. In addition to quickly reporting their locations to the ground so that other telescopes can find the event in other wavelengths and home in on its host galaxy, BurstCubes other job is to study the sources themselves. BurstCube will complement other observatories by: providing higher energy -ray coverage than Swift-BAT (15-150 keV) that can be used in tandem to understand prompt emission spectra and estimate energetics; providing rapid (.5 minutes) localizations distributed via the Gamma-ray Coordinates Network (GCN) for afterglow searches by wide-FoV ground-based optical and space-based Xray telescopes like ZTF, MASTER and TAO-ISS (proposed); adding to the IPN producing time-of-arrival localizations over long baselines. BurstCube will also be sensitive to soft -ray phenomena including soft -ray repeaters, solar flares, and other transients. Miniaturized Technology BurstCube will use the same detector technology as Fermis GBM; however, with important differences. Under the concept de Nolfo has advanced through Goddards Internal Research and Development program funding, the team will position four blocks of cesium-iodide crystals, operating as scintillators, in different orientations within the spacecraft. When an incoming gamma ray strikes one of the crystals, it will absorb the energy and luminesce, converting that energy into optical light. Four arrays of silicon photomultipliers and their associated read-out devices each sit behind the four crystals. The photomultipliers convert the light into an electrical pulse and then amplify this signal by creating an avalanche of electrons. This multiplying effect makes the detector far more sensitive to this faint and fleeting gamma rays. Unlike the photomultipliers on Fermis GBM, which are bulky and resemble old-fashioned television tubes, de Nolfos devices are made of silicon, a semiconductor material. Compared with more conventional photomultiplier tubes, silicon photomultipliers significantly reduce mass, volume, power and cost, Perkins said. The combination of the crystals and new readout devices makes it possible to consider a compact, low-power instrument that is readily deployable on a CubeSat platform. In another success for Goddard technology, the BurstCube team also has baselined the Dellingr 6U CubeSat bus that a small team of center scientists and engineers developed to show that CubeSat platforms could be more reliable and capable of gathering highly robust scientific data. This is high-demand technology, de Nolfo said. There are applications everywhere. Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said Iran is even more vulnerable to sanctions and other pressure than North Korea because Iran doesnt yet have nuclear weapons. Irans people are less cowed by their leaders and wouldnt passively accept tighter economic sanctions. Macron and other European leaders have been promising add-ons to the accord that will address U.S. concerns about issues including Irans ballistic missile program and its regional interventions. Trump is threatening to pull out of the deal May 12 if those fixes cant be agreed. While many analysts including within Israels own security establishment say such a step will turn a spurned Iran into a dangerous foe, and send a message to North Korea that it cant count on the U.S. to keep its word, Katz sees things differently. He argued that Irans government is weak and its economy deeply troubled, giving it few options if the U.S. were to ratchet up pressure. Iranians arent willing to go hungry like North Koreans, he said. How large are the benefits of transportation infrastructure projects, and what explains these benefits? Before 1870, India barely had railroads. It didnt have many canals either, and only a small percentage of the population lived along the three main rivers. So when goods needed to be transported, people used steer, which could pull freight about 20 miles per day. But the British, Indias colonial rulers, started building rail lines, and then built some more. By 1930, there were more than 40,000 miles of railroads in India, and goods could be shipped about 400 miles a day. The result? As MIT economist David Donaldson shows in a newly published study on the economic impact of building infrastructure, railroads fostered commerce that raised real agricultural income by 16 percent. Archival data from colonial India was used to estimate the impact of Indias vast railroad network. It is found that railroads: 1. decreased trade costs and interregional price gaps; 2. increased interregional and international trade; 3. eliminated the responsiveness of local prices to local productivity shocks (but increased the transmission of these shocks between regions); 4. increased the level of real income (but harmed neighboring regions without railroad access); 5. decreased the volatility of real income; and 6. a sufficient statistic for the effect of railroads on welfare in the model accounts for virtually all of the observed reduced-form impact of railroads on real income. I find similar results from an instrumental variable specification, no spurious effects from over 40,000 km of lines that were approved but never built, and tight bounds on the estimated impact of railroads. These results suggest that transportation infrastructure projects can improve welfare significantly, and do so because they allow regions to exploit gains from trade. U.S. Department of Transportation said it would use the same process to consider approval of drone taxis that would carry passengers and cargo for hire as it does for approving traditional commercial air carriers. Under U.S. law, the agency must certify that any business carrying people or cargo for hire is economically fit, willing and able to perform. Certifying an airline under those regulations can take years, but the DOT can exempt operators that are using smaller or mid-sized aircraft. Boeing owns Aurora Flight Sciences Aurora Flight Sciences that focuses on developing the next generation of advanced, autonomous flight systems. Equally capable of supporting both commercial and government customers, the R&T sector specializes in the core technologies of autonomy, electric propulsion, advanced manufacturing, advanced aircraft design, and operations in the global airspace system. The R&T Sectors overarching mission is to: * Put autonomy to work by performing tasks for and with humans * Enable flight vehicles to operate with increasing levels of autonomy * Develop technologies for rapid production of low-cost, high-performance aircraft * Demonstrate and field affordable, high efficiency, and high reliability electric propulsion systems * Develop innovative aircraft that achieve revolutionary gains in performance and capabilities Chinas EHang passenger drone Ehang conducted over 1,000 test flights with human passengers, including a 984-foot (300-meter) vertical climb, a weight test carrying over 500 pounds (230 kilograms), a routed test flight covering 9.3 miles (15 kilometers), and a high-speed cruising test that reached 80.7 mph (130 km/h). Ehang says the 184, which is all electric, can carry a single passenger up to 10 miles or roughly 23 minutes of flight. The person in the cockpit doesnt do any piloting; they just input their destination and enjoy the ride. The company claims its aircraft is able to take off autonomously, fly a route, sense obstacles, and land. And if anything goes wrong, a human pilot is supposed to step in and take over the controls from a remote command station. EHANG and the government of Shaoguan, a city in northern Guangdong Province, jointly announced the establishment of strategic cooperation to apply EHANGs technical prowess in intelligent UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and its flight command and control systems to the integrated government management sectors and innovative tourism industry of Shaoguan, with the aim of making it an leading and model smart city of UAV system applications. Shaoguan government is to actively push forward the applications of smart UAVs in tasks of its varied functional departments including police, firefighting, disaster prevention & relief, forestry, environmental protection, land management, urban management, public health, tourism, etc., to boost the efficiency of governments routine supervision, emergency response, coordination management. Volocopter and EHang are rolling out air taxis in Dubai In 2017, Volocopter has been testing drone passenger taxis in Dubai Kitty Hawk, Google co-founder Larry Page company building autonomous planes, has aspirations a partnershipw with New Zealand will lead to a commercial network of taxis in the country in the next three years. Kitty Hawk is already reportedly working on an Uber-like app that will allow customers to hail one of its air taxis. Kitty Hawks self-piloted air taxi is called Cora, which has a wingspan of 36 feet and operates via a dozen battery-powered rotors. It takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane, is 100 percent electric, can fly as fast as 110 mph, has a flying distance of 62 miles, and can carry two passengers. When Gini Rothenberger of Hallsville, Texas gave birth to her second child in 2015, she never imaged it would lead to viral status, but after her photographer started promoting old images in 2018, she found herself on the receiving end of sudden internet fame. After a traumatic hospital experience with the birth of her first child, Rothenberger and her husband were apprehensive to have any more children. However, after watching a documentary called "The Business of Being Born" the couple decided that if they had any more kids, they would have a home birth. About a year later they were expecting again. TOO CUTE: Texas parents throw their son the most gangster 'YOLO' first birthday party "I went on a hunt for a midwife, " Rothenberger told Chron.com. "We thoroughly enjoyed every meeting we had. It was so relieving... to decide what was best alongside our midwife, instead of just being told what to do with no rhyme or reason." With her September 2015 due date quickly approaching, Rothenberger asked her midwife if she could put the birth pool outside expecting a firm no, but was pleasantly surprised when the midwife agreed. She was even a little shocked when the midwife suggested hiring a photographer. "All I could think was 'Why in the world would anyone want pictures of that,'" said Rothenberger. "My only visions of birth were what I had experienced with my first and didn't know how peaceful and beautiful birth was really intended to be. " However, she agreed to hire Callynth Photography per the midwife's suggestion, and when it came time for the baby to be born, everything was in place and Rothenberger could not have been more at peace. "I watched the sunset and the deer graze in the field...and I had a conversation with our Heavenly Father," Rothenberger said. "It was the most intimate, peaceful moment when I realized this birth was going to be different. Things got intense, but my birth team was right there and did exactly what I needed them to do." The process, though "intense" was so peaceful that Rothenberger's midwife was concerned the baby wasn't breathing at first but after gentle stimulation, everyone was able to fully relax. "[Our daughter] not only picked her head up but pushed herself up on her elbows to take a good look at me and her daddy," said Rothenberger. "It was love at first sight and the bonding was so emotional!" The moment resulted in photos that, according to Rothenberger, show what birth is supposed to be like. "The photos we have of these moments are priceless," Rothenberger said, "Since then we had another baby at home with some of the same birth team and close friends who helped with the older two. Birth is a normal and natural process, not a medical emergency that needs to be coerced into a downward spiral of fear-based interventions. Evidence-based care along with an understanding of the natural birth process can make a world of difference in the birth experience. A little outdoor exposure is a bonus." Despite how smoothly Rothenberger's birth went, home birth can be dangerous. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), home/water birth is a viable option for the first stages of labor for women with normal, uncomplicated pregnancies of 37 to 45 weeks, but there is insufficient data on both the risks and benefits going through the second stages of labor in water so women should give birth out of the water. "Concerns have been expressed that immersion in water during delivery may predispose the infant to potentially serious neonatal complications, such as infection, water aspiration (fresh-water drowning), and umbilical cord avulsion (or 'cord snapping')," the study read. "[However, ACOG] recognizes that despite the opinions expressed in this document, a woman may request immersion during the second stage of labor, including giving birth while submerged. This decision should represent an informed choice; a woman who requests to give birth while submerged in water should be informed that the maternal and perinatal benefits and risks of this choice have not been studied sufficiently to either support or discourage her request. She also should be informed of the rare but serious neonatal complications associated with this choice." Rothenberger's new-found viral status has helped her have a platform to advocate for home births. "Homebirth is controversial because people don't understand it," Rothenberger said. "I'm excited that my story is reaching women who may not know that they have choices in their prenatal, birth, and postnatal care! I hope my story helps encourage those who want more for themselves and their precious babies to seek out evidence-based care, whether in a hospital or at home." Take a look through the gallery above to see photos from Rothenberger's home birth. Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli. 3 1 of 3 / Michael P. Mayko Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed Photo / Shelton Police Show More Show Less 3 of 3 SHELTON Charges against a former Shelton teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student he was mentoring 13 years ago have been transferred to the higher court. David Munson, now 76 and retired since 1999, had his case transferred from Derby to Superior Court in Milford, where he is scheduled to appear on May 8. UNSC team shocked over Rohingya plight but sees no quick solution UNSC team members talking to refugee children at Kutupalong Camp to know the tales of brutalities by Myanmar Army on Rohingyas on Sunday (right) while many others displaying banners demanding justice and help for their safe return to home. Staff Reporter : Terming the Rohingya crisis a very complex issue the high-level delegation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Sunday said, there is no magic solution to the crisis. The UNSC team also expressed deep concern over the atrocities against minority Rohingya community in Rakhine State. Several delegation members said the Rohingya crisis was created in Myanmar and its solutions "are in Myanmar." They came up with the observation at a press conference after visiting the Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar on Sunday. "We are concerned," Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, UNSC's president for April and permanent representative of Peru, said at the press conference. Visiting diplomats of the UK, China, Russia, Kuwait, Poland, Kazakhstan, among others, spoke at the conference. "This is indeed a very complex issue. There won't be an easy solution to this. We work together in the Security Council (on the issue)," one of the delegation members told reporters. They acknowledged that there is a crisis and problem lies there in their (Rohingyas') expulsion, their treatment and the fact that they had to flee Rakhine to Bangladesh. The delegation members also told reporters that they witnessed the situation and will see the situation on other side of the border to come up with their final observation. They, however, laid emphasis on safe repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar. They said the delegation would go to Myanmar today (Monday) for visiting Rakhine State. They are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gonobhaban at 9:30am today (Monday). State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said it is easy to lead a fire but very difficult to extinguish it. "From the very beginning, we said its solution is difficult. The UNSC members now understand the depth of the problem," he said, adding that the delegation members highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government's efforts. He said the UNSC team is touched by the stories of Rohingyas and realised that the root cause of Rohingya crisis lies in Myanmar. Some of the Rohingyas are seen displaying placards that read: "We want justice", "Welcome to UNSC delegation" and "Not Bangali, Yes Rohingyas." Earlier, the UNSC team visited Kutupalong Rohingya camp and listened to tales of brutalities from Rohingyas who came here following army crackdown in Rakhine. They also witnessed the situation on the ground and interacted with Rohingyas living on zero line at Tambru border point of Naikkhangchhari in Bandarban. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam accompanied the UNSC delegation during the visit. Earlier, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed the UN Security Council on a crisis that has been with Bangladesh for decades and called for consensus of the Security Council. UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Mia Seppo in a tweet termed the visit of UNSC team to Bangladesh a historic one. During their interaction at different levels, the delegation members assured all of taking effective steps to help resolve the Rohingya crisis. The team, led by UNSC President for the month of April Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, arrived here on Saturday afternoon. Ahead of the visit, an international analyst said, Bangladesh needs to provide "strong and unassailable evidence" backed up by documents to make its case before the UN Security Council delegation. "Of course, the refugees are incontrovertible proof of persecution and ethnic cleansing, but thus far it hasn't been enough," said Ali Riaz, a Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Illinois State University, USA. He said the UN should understand it has a stake, too. "Thus far, it has failed [to deal with] Rohingya refugees. It' is unconscionable and it cannot be continued any longer." Prof Riaz said, "Hopefully, the cycle of inaction will be broken." Bangladesh is stressing the need for keeping up pressure on Myanmar from different levels for resolving the Rohingya crisis, an official said, adding that the government remained engaged globally. The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members with five permanent members (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 10 non-permanent members. About 10 lakh Rohingyas sought refuge in Bangladesh since Myanmar military began its crackdown on the minority community living in northern Maungdaw of Rakhine province in October last. Access to the area under the military offensive has been restricted ever since. Canalys's latest report provides valuable information on the state of the Chinese smartphone market at the end of Q1 2018. Going by the data, the market saw a whopping 21% YoY drop in shipments, with companies like OPPO, Vivo, and Samsung all seeing dwindling sales numbers. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker The Chinese smartphone market is going through something of a hard time right now. According to data by Canalys, the market saw a huge decline in Q1 2018, with total shipments dropping by 21% from the same period last year. China's smartphone market is the largest in the world, ahead of India and the US, in that order. That position may be relinquished soon, though, if this trend continues, as it would seem that the Chinese populace just isn't keen on buying smartphones as much as they used to. Total shipments in the region came out to 91 million, the lowest Q1 figure since 2013. Individual OEMs don't have it easy in the market, either. Local top-dogs Huawei saw a meager 2% YoY growth to ship 21 million units, while OPPO and Vivo both recorded declines in the region of 10%, shipping 15 and 18 million units respectively. As has become the trend of recent, Xiaomi manages to go against the grain. The company saw a massive 37% growth, shipping 12 million units and dumping Apple in fifth place. The top four brandsHuawei, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomiaccount for 73% of the market. Other OEMs like Meizu, Gionee, and Samsung continue to find life hard, however, with their market shares all dropping by over 50% Year-on-Year. April 27, 2018 INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: On Saturday, May 19, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, both formal and non-formal educators who work with students in grades K - 12 are invited to join in this exciting workshop focusing on birds and bird conservation. Two exciting opportunities will be rolled into one during this event, which will be held at the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education, in Miller, Indiana. The Cornell Lab of Ornithologys BirdSleuth program will share innovative K-12 resources that build science skills while inspiring young people to connect to local habitats, explore biodiversity, and engage in citizen-science projects. In addition, participants will explore a variety of activities for upper elementary and middle school students from the Flying Wild program. Discover creative new activities to teach about birds, their migration and actions people can take to help birds and their habitats, including participation in citizen science. All participants completing the full workshop will receive Flying Wild: An Educators Guide to Celebrating Birds , a set of Feathered Friends activities, and a free bird feeder. There is a $30 fee for the workshop, which covers educational materials and lunch. Indiana teachers can receive Professional Growth Points and Illinois Teachers can receive CPDUs for attending the workshop. Pre-registration is required byThursday, May 10, and registration is limited. To register or obtain additional information about the workshop, visit www.duneslearningcenter.org/pu blic or call Dunes Learning Center at 219-395-9555. The workshop is co-sponsored by Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Dunes Learning Center, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, the La Porte County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Great Lakes Research and Education Center. The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is located in the western portion of the national lakeshore at 100 North Lake Street, about one mile north of U.S. Highway 12 in the Miller neighborhood of Gary. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/indu and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesN L. www.nps.gov The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of 417 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Located in Northwest Indiana, the park includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 15,000 acres of biodiverse beaches, woods, prairies, and marshes. Up to 2 million visitors come to the Indiana Dunes each year. Local self-government for rural development Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque : The local government in the political system of Bangladesh operates at three levels: metropolitan, urban and rural-local. The potentials of local governance can be reflected when participation at the local level writs large in (a) 'planning and implementation of projects (b) supervision of educational institutions, hospitals and other government financed units (c) mobilization of support for new initiatives like campaign against dowry, child labour etc. (d) enforcement of laws regarding gender discrimination, violence against women, environmental protection (e) mobilization of resources in the form of taxes, fees, tolls etc. (f) holding LG institutions accountable to the community (g) sensitizing the community making it vigilant and active ensuring transparency and responsiveness of LG institutions .' 'Local government is a vital organization for managing local economy and development and consolidating the democracy at the sub-national and grassroots level of any country. It is an integral part of the central government of a country, recognized or created under law for the management of local affairs of a human settlement, promoting pro-people and participatory development at the field level. Capable local institution is deemed as one of the fundamental pre-requisites for sustainable development of the country, which can share and promote people's urge, aspiration and wisdom' (Sarker 2001). "In a general sense, local government is as the formulation and execution of collective action at the grassroots level designed by the central government. 'Local government refers to a political subdivision of national or state which is constituted by law and has substantial control of local affairs including the power of imposing taxes, exact labor for proscribed purposes. The governing body of such an entity is elected or locally selected. According to encyclopedia of Social Science, 'Local self-government is the government which has a territorial non-sovereign community, having or possessing the legal right to impose taxes and use of it and the necessary organization to regulate its own affairs." (Sarker 2001). Local government with rural institutions responsive to public demands are well linked to the institutions like nation building departments at the intermediary level and non-governmental organizations through the ties of development relationship. As a matter of fact the institutions that lie beyond village boundary have been created to administer rural development in collaboration with indigenous institutions, representative organizations and other operating structures. In a nutshell micro level institutional intervention is supportive of rural prosperity and modernization. Viewed in this perspective local governance is tantamount to proper direction of development administration at the micro level through organizational and promotional activities of three sets of institutions: a. Community organizations at the village level (micro political institutions) b. Rural local self government at the union and upazilla parishad level c. Several public promotional institutions and non-governmental organizations. There has been an endless guest for good governance at the local point. Given the nature of the state initiative for local governance reforms is same as flogging dead horse. State bureaucracy desires changes within its own prescription and the governing class that dominates the 'local state' would resist any reform that would jeopardize status-quo. In the recent past democratic government cared little about decentralization? As a result local-self government could not receive proper nourishment. The central power axis resorted to massive politicization that ruined the character of local government. The field bureaucracy continued to exercise leverage over local institutions as a crucial variable in development intervention. It served the interest of the local conglomerates that came to constitute a governing class benefiting much from the wave of politicization. The governing class used available institutions as strategic resources for concentration of wealth. It should not surprise if the rural development programs have a tilt in favor of the ruling class on whose support they are dependent for their proper implementation. The generic feature of the rural development experimentation is the fact that development activities are biased towards the ruling class whose cooperation is considered a sin-quo-non-for fulfilling the twin objectives of growth and societal integration. As a result the issue of rural poverty, inequality, and exploitation remain sidetracked in reality. In the study areas patronize resources in the rural institutions dominated by the ruling elites are responsible for lopsided participation in development, elite conflict and the lack of growth. Likewise they tend to generate wrath suspicion and discontent among the dispossessed. There has been overlapping of the elites in all decision-making institutions (village council, cooperative, union parishad, and various development committees). They decide upon diverse development issues and grievances maintaining liaison with the development officials who are giving extension and promotional services. In the process of manipulation the proportion of rural elites making use of extension services and obtaining access to other resources of patronize keeps on remaining high. As the distribution of resources meant for development projects is routed through the elites, the cases of corruption and misdistribution are obvious (Mashreque, 2002). Governance by implications involves input from service oriented promotional activities within the organizational context. It demands an orderly institutional arrangement with built in mechanism providing genesis for social mobilization. Within this research purview administration in rural communities is to be studied as institutional intervention intended to utilize development potentials for real prosperity and social advancement. It is not wrong to say that thinking development administration rationally conscientizing the downtrodden masses of the vast rural terrain will set the traditional villages, staggering with barrenness into motion. In the realm of development the roles of community organization like loosely structured internal administration, cooperative, union parishad and the upazilla parishad deserve mention. These on going structures operate at the micro level to mobilize potential rural resources both human and materials. Governance necessitates patterned participation among these structures, representative organizations and other operating structures. The performance of the parishad overtime is deplorable. The poor performance with a seemingly sterile political leadership indicates that UP local institution is not properly empowered to give way to a vibrant political leadership. Any attempt to undermine the status of Upazila lies in contradiction with the electoral pledge for creating a strong local government. There are reports that UNO control all parishad functions with the support of the central government. MPs -the advisors of the parishad-- have been 'controlling many local development activities engaging their party people to ensure their stronghold in the areas. "Upazila executive officers and MPs are controlling everything including administrative and development work. Even the government carries out all its correspondence with the Upazila executive officers." The UP chairman has nothing to do under the circumstances excepting aspiring for modern infrastructural facilities including Pajero jeep. The elected chairman and vice -chairman just go to their offices spending some time and then leave. They do not have anything specific to do even without file to dispose of. The situation, as such, is humiliating for the elected representatives whose role is necessary for making UP effective for public welfare. They cannot let it go unchallenged thinking to launch an agitation for 'an effective Upazila parishad'. Even election pledges in this respect have not been fulfilled by the democratic government. . Practically local government has not been sufficiently autonomous with poor financial resources and taxation base. A recent study conducted by BARD resource persons reveled that 'lack of autonomy is observed in the areas of staff appointment and transfer, project implementation, budget preparation, use of revenues collected from local sources and use of ADP block grant.' The Upazila parishad do not have enough funds to meet the recurring expenditure like salary and emoluments of the official staff including reimbursement of the bill in connection with site regular site visits and inspections. Upazila bureaucracy as field administration consisting of gazetted officers and staff is vertically connected with central government offices. Field level officers are accountable to their respective higher authorities that control their salary, promotion and transfer according to service rule. An insensitive local leadership only nourishing self and coterie interests and engaging in factional squabbling is not expected to invoke villagers' participation in development. It is not capable of contributing to the strengthening of upazila parishad. National political elites including MPs do not bother to articulate the need for the provision of democratic institutions at the local level through empowerment of upazila parishad. The terribly bad shaped democratic institutions plagued by internal strife, impotence and split enables the bureaucracy to gain stranglehold over local institutions. Relative autonomy is used only to resolve internal contradictions and manage manifold crises in intriguing issues of development to serve information needs about local situation. As a matter of fact the recent dynamics of rural development under bureaucratically shaped institutional arrangement hints much about misdirected local governance. As per electoral pledges local government needs to be empowered with a strong upazila parishad. Only then there will be the possibility of mobilizing resources not only for administration of development bur also for combating climate change. Thinking rural development governance in the original upazila way is the need of the hour. Devolution should underpin autonomous local governance. Distressingly upazila parishad is now in a state of emasculation. This runs counter to electoral pledge about strengthening local government with upazila parishad 'being a pivotal factor in' democratic local self-government. What is outrageous is a 'deliberate undermining of public representatives elected to the office by popular mandate.' There are allegations about supervision of upazila development activities' and reluctance of UNO to work under upazila chairman. There has been a suggestion that 'Deputy magistrate be given the power to dismiss upazila parishads' if it is dictated that upazila is not working to their satisfaction. Both urban and rural citizens faced score of problems urging the concerned bodies to address them properly. During periodic local level elections the contenders promise to steer clear of all nagging problems. Both the major contenders approached the voters with a list of electoral pledges. On the eve of 2010 city elections Nagarik Committee backing ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury presented an election manifesto with a long list of priorities and Chittagong Unnayan Andalan supporting Manjurul Alam placed 15-point development agenda. New component added to Nagarik Committee agenda was IT village and digital Chittagong and city government. Chittagong Unnayan Andalan emphasized among others: combating water logging, traffic jam and a host of welfare measure putting the poor first. (To be continued) Although many of the victims of the attacks this year have been Hema, experts say this new wave of violence does not follow the usual pattern of ethnic killings and reprisals. Its not an ethnic conflict in the sense that these are not people who have always hated each other and are just going to kill and maim and rape each other because one of them is Lendu and one of them is Hema, Ms. Autesserre said. In some cases, the attackers are men who survivors say were speaking languages from other regions. In other cases, the attackers are Lendu, but no one knows what their motives are and no one knows who is supporting them. Many of the attacks were coordinated and carried out with new weapons and expensive communications equipment, suggesting the fighters have powerful backers who may be looking to exploit the animosity between the two ethnic groups for their own purposes. Some Democratic lawmakers quickly questioned the merits of the deal. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said in a statement, I remain concerned that increased consolidation could undermine benefits to consumers. But Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat from T-Mobiles home state of Washington, tweeted that he welcomed the news of potential job creation. T-Mobile and Sprint contend that the market looks different than it did when they last tried to combine in 2014. The need to build out 5G requires tens of billions of dollars in investments that T-Mobile and Sprint, especially, would be hard-pressed to put up on their own. And there are fresh competitors in the sector. Comcast, for example, has quickly drawn hundreds of thousands of wireless service customers by bundling mobile phones with their cable plans, even if it loses the company money. A huge part of T-Mobile and Sprints push is emphasizing the future of 5G. Proponents say the superfast wireless standard would not only make downloading movies faster, but underpin huge advances in autonomous vehicles, internet-connected devices and more. The White House has declared 5G wireless a vital national priority. In March, the Trump administration blocked a hostile bid by Singapore-based Broadcom for San Diego-based Qualcomm, citing national security concerns. Some analysts questioned whether the predominantly foreign ownership of the combined company including SoftBank, which has business ties to Chinese companies like Huawei poses possible national security risks. Investing in new 5G networks as separate companies would be difficult for T-Mobile and Sprint, given their current financial situations. Sprint has about $32 billion in debt on its books, while T-Mobile generates a fraction of the cash that Verizon and AT&T do. But combining would yield some $6 billion in cost savings, especially because the companies would need to pay to run just one network instead of two, allowing them to spend more money on infrastructure. We can change the nature of the curve in the way the U.S. and others are investing in 5G, Mr. Legere said in the interview. He added that he shared worries that the U.S. is on the verge of losing the leadership it has attained in 5G. For consumer advocates, however, the chief worry is that a shrinking number of providers would bring an end to the innovations that T-Mobile introduced to the American wireless market since the Justice Department blocked its plan to sell itself to AT&T in 2011. Under Mr. Legere, T-Mobile cut prices, ended long-term contract requirements and promised to simplify customer bills by eliminating hidden fees and surprise taxes. WASHINGTON The panna cotta had been served and the First Amendment duly celebrated by the time the comedian Michelle Wolf took the stage on Saturday at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. What followed was a roast that took unflinching aim at some of the notables in the room and quickly opened a divide, largely but not entirely along partisan lines, over the limits of comedy and comity under a president who rarely hesitates to attack the press. Ms. Wolf described Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, as an Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women and took a shot at her smokey eye makeup, saying that it was made from the ashes of burnt facts. She called Ivanka Trump as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons. She labeled Kellyanne Conway, the presidents counselor, an inveterate liar, and asked: If a tree falls in the woods, how do we get Kellyanne under that tree? Im not suggesting she get hurt, just stuck, Ms. Wolf added, puckishly, as an icy silence and a few scattered chortles fell over the black-tie crowd here. Ms. Conway sat expressionlessly. Ms. Sanders, granted a seat of honor on the dais, limited her reaction to an arched eyebrow and pursed lips. In 2000, he put $20 million into Alibaba, the Chinese internet company. As a result of that investment, Mr. Son now owns 30 percent of the $440 billion shopping giant. Mr. Son and SoftBank became serial acquirers. The company built up positions in the Japanese mobile phone market, including by purchasing the British semiconductor designer ARM Holdings, which develops critical technologies for the mobile market. More recently, Mr. Son has focused on technology companies in the United States. The vehicle for those efforts will be Mr. Sons London-based Vision Fund. While the fund represents the vision of Mr. Son, it is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia, which has put up $45 billion nearly half the funds size. While some have hailed Mr. Son as the Warren Buffett of technology investing, that comparison misses the mark. Mr. Buffett is a forensic analyst of companies rather than trends, and he usually opts for what he perceives to be strong, undervalued brands rather than putting his money into fast-growing, innovative and risky firms. Mr. Son is more entrepreneur than investor in the classic style. As a university student, he invented a language translator that he sold to a computer company. As an investor, his forte has been identifying futuristic themes and investing based on them. He now is predicting that interconnected devices and artificial intelligence will be the next big trends to disrupt life and industry. Unlike Mr. Buffett, Mr. Son, 60, relies on an army of hundreds of investment bankers and analysts. They travel the world, identifying potential corporate targets and then structuring deals to acquire them. But such thematic investing can backfire. Many of Mr. Sons technology bets fell victim to the 2000 technology crash. And skeptics say the enormous Vision Fund could stumble into bad, overpriced deals as it tries to deploy tens of billions of dollars in a short period of time. One such eyebrow-raising deal was a $300 million investment in Wag, a dog-walking service built around a smartphone app. European unions look for new role AFP, Paris : European labour movements have been losing steam for decades, but can trade unions forge a new role for themselves leading the fight against wage inequality or protecting workers in the new "gig economy"? "It's wrong to think that unions belong to the old world," says Thiebault Weber of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), an umbrella group for European trade unions. Ahead of the annual Labour Day celebrations worldwide on May 1, he acknowledged that they face a "big challenge" in continuing to defend the strong social model found in Europe "without the strong membership base of the past." The decline began in the 1980s with a wave of privatisations of state companies, reductions in heavy industry and the rise of free-market economics made famous by US President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In France, Britain, Switzerland and the Netherlands, the level of union membership has fallen by over a third since the 1980s, according to the OECD. Economists have tied this disaffection to rising individualism, unemployment and growing job insecurity, noting that workers on project-based, part-time or casual contracts are less likely to join unions. They have also linked waning union clout to the decline in traditional political parties, particularly the big parties of the left including Communist movements which were the historic defenders of trade unions. Across Europe, the picture is highly contrasted, both in terms of union sway and membership. Nordic countries like Sweden and Finland boasting union membership rates of about 70 percent compared to around 10 percent in France and Poland and about 20 percent in Germany and Spain. But Germany's labour confederation DGB, France's public sector heavyweight CGT and Italy's CGIL still have the power to call mass protests and strikes. Christina Legendre Ramelli and Winston Tseng were married April 28 at India House, an event space in New York. Nick Gorzkowski, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the occasion, officiated. The bride, 38, is the director of development for Grace Institute, a work force training program for unemployed and underemployed low-income women. She graduated from American University and received an M.B.A. from Florida International University. She is a daughter of Candy L. Ramelli and Donnee S. Ramelli of Rehoboth Beach, Del. The brides father retired as the president of the human resources division at General Motors in Detroit. He also served in the Navy from 1968-88. He was last stationed at Naval Air Systems Command in Arlington, Va., retiring with the rank of commander. The brides mother was an English and family life education teacher at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. The groom, also 38, is a freelance graphic artist in New York. Three of his pieces, political in nature, are a part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Jillian Jihan Bell and Stephen Andrew Wood were married April 28 in an outdoor ceremony at Red Mountain Park in Birmingham, Ala. William Anthony Bell Jr., the brother of the bride and a district judge with the 10th Judicial Circuit in Jefferson County, Ala., officiated, with Kathryn Allison Wood, the sister of the groom, taking part in the ceremony. Ms. Bell, who is 36 and works in Greenwich, Conn., is the Schoolyard Habitat Program coordinator with the National Audubon Society, which is based in New York. She graduated from the University of Alabama and received a masters degree in environmental education from Antioch University in Keene, N.H. She is the daughter of Sharon Carson Bell and William A. Bell of Birmingham. The brides father served as the mayor of Birmingham from 2010 to 2017. Her mother, who is retired, was the director of student support services for Birmingham City Schools. Dr. Wood, 33, is a scientist for both the Nature Conservancy and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in New Haven. He graduated from George Washington University and received a masters degree in environmental science from Yale. He also received a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution and environmental biology from Columbia. From 2007-9 he worked as a sustainable agriculture volunteer for the Peace Corps in Senegal. Addiction has long afflicted rural east Tennessee, where the rolling hills and mountains are woven with small towns suffering from poverty and poor health. Prescribing rates for opioids are still strikingly high, and the overdose death rate in Roane County, where Ms. Whitefield lives, is three times the national average. Jobs go unfilled here because, employers say, applicants often cannot pass a drug test. Across Tennessee, some 163,000 poor adults remain uninsured after state lawmakers refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. For them, and even for many covered by Medicaid, as Ms. Whitefield is, evidence-based opioid addiction treatment remains meager. More common are cash-only clinics, or abstinence-based programs that bank on willpower instead of the addiction medications that have proved more effective. Treatment for endocarditis usually involves up to six weeks of intravenous antibiotics, often in the hospital because doctors are wary of sending addicted patients home with IV lines for fear they would use them to inject illicit drugs. Many, like Ms. Whitefield, also need intricate surgery to repair or replace damaged heart valves. The cost can easily top $150,000, Dr. Pollard said. Advice from specialty groups, like the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the American College of Cardiology, about when to operate remains vague. For now, its just a lot of anecdote surgeons talking to each other, trying to determine when we should and when we shouldnt, said Dr. Carlo Martinez, who is one of Dr. Pollards partners and who operated on Ms. Whitefield at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Their practice, owned by Covenant Health, will almost always operate on someone with a first-time case of endocarditis from injecting drugs, Dr. Pollard said. But repeat infections, when the damage can be more extensive and harder to fix, make it a tougher call. Dr. Mark Browne, Covenants senior vice president and chief medical officer, said, Each patient is evaluated individually and decisions regarding the appropriate course of care are determined by their attending physician. In the nearly two years since she got sick, Ms. Whitefield has felt physically diminished and been prone to illness. She also feels harshly judged by a medical system that saved her life but often treats her with suspicion and disdain. There is no question that Silver took a number of official acts most obviously passing legislation and approving state grants and tax-exempt financing as part of a quid pro quo in the charged schemes, the judge wrote. The trial of Mr. Silver, 74, is just one of a series of federal corruption cases being tried in Manhattan this year. In March, prosecutors won the conviction of Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Mr. Cuomo. In addition to Mr. Silver, two other corruption defendants are being retried: Mr. Skeloss case is scheduled for June, and in July, prosecutors will retry Norman Seabrook, the former head of the New York City correction officers union, whose case ended in a mistrial in November after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. More than two years after the first Silver and Skelos trials, Albanys power structure remains fundamentally unchanged. Most if not all major policy decisions, including the direction of a $168 billion budget, are still decided by a clutch of three men in a room: the governor; the leader of the Senate, John J. Flanagan, a Long Island Republican; and the Assembly speaker, Carl E. Heastie, a Bronx Democrat. Those negotiations continue to take place behind closed doors, with leaders typically offering brief, largely inconsequential updates to members of the media and announcing details only when final deals are settled upon. That arrangement has been roundly criticized by government watchdogs, who decry a lack of transparency and open debate, as has the Legislatures common practice of passing bills in wee hours of the night when few members of the public are watching or aware of the proceedings. Mr. Silvers and Mr. Skeloss retrials will be watched closely by watchdog groups, which have long criticized Albanys culture of secrecy and influence peddling. Ah, Chapter Two. It described, in considerable detail, the first time one of the eight had sex. Vassar is different from what it was in McCarthys day among other things, Vassar has admitted men since 1969. But Mr. Youd decided that The Group was just the thing to type on the Vassar campus, and not just for its references to campus landmarks. Or its potential as a history lesson for undergraduates of the laptop-and-cellphone age who have never touched a carriage-return lever or heard the bell ring close to the end of a line. Every novel has its flaws, he said. This one, the difficulty is whos who. That many characters is a lot to stage-manage. McCarthy, he said, does try, and usually succeeds. Unlike a writer turning out double-spaced page after double-spaced page, Mr. Youd was typing a single single-spaced sheet of paper. That one page will contain the entire novel. By the time he reaches Page 487 and the last two words of The Group New York the page will be an inky, illegible mess. Im coming at this from the perspective of the visual artist whos interested in how text and literature manifest themselves in a visual way, he said. He is a two-finger typist me and Raymond Chandler, he said with a chuckle but said he did not know how many words per minute he could bang out. Im more like a pages-per-hour guy, he said. I generally have to get 25 pages done in a day. Five pages an hour is a good pace, he said. Dr. Cone traced the turning point in his career, inspiring him to challenge white theologians more forcefully, to the Detroit riots of 1967 clashes between mostly black Detroit residents and the police that resulted in the deaths of 43 people. I heard the voices of black blood crying out to God and to humanity, he said last year. His 1969 book, Black Theology & Black Power, is considered the founding text of black liberation theology. In an introduction to an updated edition in 1997, Dr. Cone wrote that he had wanted to speak on behalf of the voiceless black masses in the name of Jesus, whose Gospel I believed had been greatly distorted by the preaching theology of white churches. As a professor, he encouraged his students to pursue their own ideas rather than imitating his, said the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, an author, priest and the dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. Image Dr. Cones 1969 book Black Theology & Black Power is considered the founding text of black liberation theology. He gave many of us the opportunity to study and find our own theological voice at a time when we would not have had an opportunity to do so, Dr. Douglas said. Black liberation theology made headlines in 2008 when it became known that one of its proponents, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., had been a minister for Barack Obama, then a presidential candidate. Mr. Obamas past association with Mr. Wright became a campaign liability when Mr. Wright was quoted as having suggested that the United States was attacked on Sept. 11 because it had engaged in terrorism of its own, and that the government could have used the virus that causes AIDS as a tool for genocide against minorities. Mr. Obama renounced Mr. Wright in April 2008. This is the new American human rights movement, fueled by activists who understand that enforcement of rights including economic, social and cultural rights is an inherently political fight. And they are stepping into the ring. ELISA MASSIMINO WASHINGTON The writer is president and chief executive of Human Rights First. To the Editor: While Samuel Moyn is correct in arguing that economic inequities should be included in the issues addressed by human rights advocates, it needs to be recognized that rectifying those disparities will not in themselves result in improving human rights standards. One need only recall the abuses of the former Soviet Union or those currently occurring in China or Cuba to realize that improving economic equality does not lead to reducing political repression of free speech or the right to protest or any of the other activities associated with human rights. Ensuring economic equality should go hand in hand with improving human rights, but does not do so when the provision of material and economic well-being is used to justify repressing political rights. In fact, it can be argued that there is such a fundamental difference between the nature of economic forces and human rights issues that linking them in any direct or absolute manner is problematic. That does not mean that we should not strive to improve economic inequalities. It just means that we should not consider them to be a method that will remedy human rights abuses without consideration for a broader spectrum of factors operating within the political fabric. Amazons search for a second headquarters has been a pageant of finalist cities doing everything they can to woo the company and the good jobs and huge construction projects it would bring. The most controversial part of the process has been the big tax incentives that some state and local governments have offered Amazon, seen by critics as ineffective corporate giveaways. Amazon wrapped up its visits in mid-April to all 20 finalist locations for its HQ2, as Amazon calls its second headquarters. The company is now following up with the cities, from Los Angeles to Indianapolis to Toronto, seeking further information as it narrows its search. The company has a long wish list, including plentiful flights at local airports, a stable, business-friendly government and nearby recreational opportunities for employees. But local officials did not anticipate Amazons interest in how to tackle some of the troubles that have turned it into a polarizing symbol of Seattles booming economy. The e-commerce giant is celebrated by many in Seattle for being the citys biggest employer and adding tremendous wealth to the area. But it is villainized by others for bringing too much change, too quickly. SAN FRANCISCO Last year, representatives of 25 countries met in Tokyo to work on setting international standards for the blockchain, the technology that was introduced by the virtual currency Bitcoin and has ignited intense interest in corporate and government circles. Some of the technologists at the meeting of the International Standards Organization were surprised when they learned that the head of the Russian delegation, Grigory Marshalko, worked for the F.S.B., the intelligence agency that is the successor to the K.G.B. They were even more surprised when they asked the F.S.B. agent why the Russians were devoting such resources to the blockchain standards. Look, the internet belongs to the Americans but blockchain will belong to us, he said, according to one delegate who was there. The Russian added that two other members of his countrys four-person delegation to the conference also worked for the F.S.B. Politically Relevant Then and Now In 2009, when I was 14, my dad took me to New York for Christmas to see Hair. I didnt know that theater could be like that ask questions and demand answers. As long as there is war, as long as there is violence, as long as there are people living on the outside of society, Hair will be relevant and necessary. RACHEL ANNE WALSH I saw it in Los Angeles in 68 or 69. It was considered shocking, with nudity, songs about drugs and antiwar. We the boomer generation were young with our lives in front of us. The musical gave us hope for something better in our future, that perhaps we didnt need to fight wars like our parents did. That the world might find a different way. PENNI DAVIS I think the musical still resonates today because of the rise of the young people against the current administration. It opened my eyes about standing up for something and not being afraid to protest the issue. JSUN A Life-Changing Role I played Sheila in a production of it in Baton Rouge last year. I was floored at how beautiful, powerful and still relevant it is today. By far it was the best thing Ive ever been a part of, and I miss it every day. REBECCA SMITH I played Ron in a production of Hair in 1998 and to be a part of the tribe is sunshine. To say that doing this show changed me is an understatement, for it caused me to consider what it means to live freely and authentically politically, personally, socially in every way. MARRA GAD Having just directed a collegiate production in the Midwest, I saw firsthand the transformative power of the shows message of peace, love and equality. In 50 years, everything and nothing has changed. AMY S. OSATINSKI Inspirational for All I was a sponsor of the revival in Central Park and again on Broadway. I was there opening night when it started to rain during the finale as they invited audience members on stage to join them needless to say an indelible memory. On really bad days when I feel hopeless about the state of the world and how we treat each other and our planet, I listen to Aquarius and am inspired by this hippie anthem dare we dream. TIM RUSH Its set in such a pivotal time and it resonates in such a way that can move young and old. It shows younger people they have their voice and can use it for good. I have let the sunshine in tattooed on my inner arm, and I wanted it ever since I saw it in Toronto in 2011. SARACHA 17 BNP men held for holding `secret meeting` Staff Reporter : The police on Sunday arrested 17 activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from Banglamotor in the capital. Police claimed that they arrested them when they were holding a "secret meeting" there. The police, however, did not explain what did they meant by "secret meeting". The arrested BNP men are Dhaka city's South unit acting general secretary Habibur Rashid, senior vice president Shamsul Huda, vice president Yunus Mridha, joint secretaries KM Jobayer, Alamgir Hossain, and ANM Saiful Islam, organising secretaries Saiful Islam and Rafiqul Islam. Police's Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sarder told media that the law enforces arrested them on charge of holding secret meeting. BNP insiders said they were holding the meeting to talk about possible programmes to press home their demand for the release of their Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia and to devise election campaign programmes for Gazipur and Khulna City Corporation elections. In a press statement protesting the arrest, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, the government is arresting opposition activists including BNP men as part of its repression on the opposition, ostensibly to tame down the ongoing street campaign demanding the release of Khaleda. The shows use of nudity, new for the Broadway production, would become one of its trademarks. The London premiere of the musical at the Shaftesbury Theater was delayed until Parliament abolished theater censorship in 1968 so that the production could include nudity and strong language. New York audiences were warned about what they would see. On April 28, Marilyn Bender wrote an article about the shows nudity in The Times. The first act of the rock musical ends with several healthy young men facing front and center in the altogether. Just how many stark naked males there are and whether the girl hippies are equally unclothed has been the subject of urgent dispute among those who have been attending previews of Hair during the last three weeks. Ms. Bender reported that the amount of nudity varied throughout the preview performances. Mr. Ragni told her, Anybody who feels like it can take his clothes off. Everybody wants to now, even the stagehands. We turned them on. The nudity in Hair continues to push boundaries. In 2014, a production of the show in Los Angeles marked the first time full-frontal nudity was seen onstage at the Hollywood Bowl. And in 2017, a London production at The Vaults included a clothing-optional performance. Hair and Its Cultural Relevance Today Today, gay characters are routinely portrayed onstage, marijuana enjoys legal protection in some states and antiwar sentiment is less prevalent in the United States. Nudity, if not ubiquitous, appears onstage with some frequency. And bad language? Its no big deal. Though much has changed between 1968 and 2018, Hair continues to be relevant. Many of the cultural divides that began to express themselves in 1968 seem to still exist today. Flag burning, for example, remains a contentious issue. Sometimes print media aided and abetted in these acts of terror by announcing when lynchings would take place, by celebrating the courage of the mob, the objectives of the mob, said Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, the nonprofit organization behind the new memorial, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. They were absolutely responsible for the way in which there was no acknowledgment for the tragedy of the loss of these lives. The Advertiser is not the only Southern newspaper that has confronted flaws in its coverage of race and civil rights. The Jackson Sun in Tennessee acknowledged in a story in 2000 that it had ignored the burgeoning civil rights movement in its coverage during the 1960s. And The Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky., published a front-page expose in 2004 admitting that the paper virtually ignored the civil rights movement. In the case of The Advertiser, the newspaper did not endorse lynchings, but expressed an understanding for why they happened. After three black men were lynched in the fall of 1919 two of them were accused of assaulting white women, one of killing a police officer The Advertiser wrote an editorial that blamed the men for the crimes without any evidence that they were guilty. VICI, Okla. The hay began arriving before the fires were out. It came stacked on pickup trucks and strapped onto semis. From a few counties away. From halfway across the country. For ranchers whose grazing land was destroyed by wildfires that tore across western Oklahoma this month, the cylindrical bales were an economic lifeline, a way to feed cattle marooned on grassless patches of charred red soil. The hay was also free, provided not by lawmakers in Washington or Oklahoma City, but mostly by strangers in other corners of rural America. If we waited on the government, we wouldnt have it, said Leo Hale, a local business owner who volunteered for 12-hour shifts distributing hay at the Vici rodeo grounds. Vici, population 700, was hit hard in the fires that scorched nearly 350,000 acres across the region, left two people dead, and blackened mile after mile of pasture. Donated bales of hay arrived from Kansas, Texas, Michigan and other parts of Oklahoma. When wildfires strike in cattle country, the list of needs is long and expensive: Hurt cows have to see the veterinarian. Fences must be replaced. Barns need to be rebuilt. BERLIN A few weeks ago, it felt as if a trade war pitting the United States against allies like Australia, Canada and the European Union was over before it even began. The Trump administration dispensed so many temporary exemptions to steel and aluminum tariffs that many countries figured the threats were just political theater. But with only days left before the exemptions expire and punitive tariffs take effect, its dawning on foreign leaders that decades of warm relations with the United States carry little weight with a president dismissive of diplomatic norms and hostile toward the ground rules of international trade. What began as a way to protect American steel and aluminum jobs has since become a cudgel that the Trump administration is using to extract concessions in other areas, including car exports to Europe or negotiations to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. As a May 1 deadline looms, the decision on whether to grant permanent exemptions to the steel and aluminum tariffs, and to whom, appears likely to come down to the whims of President Trump, who has seesawed between scrapping and rejoining global trade deals. I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me. And Ill build them very inexpensively. This was President Trumps campaign announcement in June of 2015. Since then, President Trumps efforts to build his long-touted wall have run into political realities. He doesnt have the funding, and he couldnt reach a compromise. Look, I made it so, so clear to the president that there is not going to be a wall. And his voter base is beginning to take notice. Right now, if I were a betting woman, I dont think were getting a wall. So Trump instead has tried to use a series of distractions to get around the fact that his border barrier is running behind. President Trump had eight wall prototypes built near the border. But thats where construction has stalled. These monoliths stand as a $20 million testament to his ambitions, but not much more. President Trump has repeatedly stated that construction is already under way for the wall. We need the wall. Weve started building the wall. Were going to have the wall. Weve already started building it. We started building our wall. Im so proud of it. But its almost entirely routine maintenance being done on existing sections of the wall, plus 33 miles of new fencing. When efforts to fund the wall failed, President Trump said he wanted the National Guard deployed, a move he said was significant. Until we can have a wall and proper security, were going to be guarding our border with the military. Thats a big step. We really havent done that before, or certainly not very much before. But this is not a dramatic move. Both President Obama and President Bush did the same during their terms. Trump suggested the military could pay for the wall with part of their budget, a proposal with few backers. We cant rob money and resources from the military that so desperately needs them at a time of growing international crisis. President Trump said he was willing to compromise for wall funding in the 2018 budget bill in exchange for protecting young undocumented immigrants known as DACA recipients. The Democrats would not do it. But in reality, Trump was the one who ended the DACA program in the first place. Trump has tried various ways of getting Mexico to pay, including a border tax on Mexican goods or through renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement, also known as Nafta. But Mexico has yet to pay a dime. Isnt it true at this point that Mexico is just not going to pay for that wall? Im not going to go beyond what the presidents already said. I think he still has plans to look at potential ways for that to happen. But this kind of hedging is a far cry from Trumps original promise. I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words. SEOUL, South Korea Keeping diplomatic developments coming at a head-snapping pace, the South Korean government said on Sunday that North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, had told President Moon Jae-in that he would abandon his nuclear weapons if the United States agreed to formally end the Korean War and promise not to invade his country. In a confidence-building gesture ahead of a proposed summit meeting with President Trump, a suddenly loquacious and conciliatory Mr. Kim also said he would invite experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States to watch the shutdown next month of his countrys only known underground nuclear test site. In Washington, Trump officials spoke cautiously about the chances of reaching a deal and laid out a plan for the dismantling of the Norths nuclear program, perhaps over a two-year period. That would be accompanied by a full, complete, total disclosure of everything related to their nuclear program with a full international verification, said John R. Bolton, Mr. Trumps new national security adviser. MARIA RESPONDO, Philippines Angel Cabaluna dusted makeup onto her thighs, styled her hair in loose curls and applied smoky eye shadow that glittered on her lids. As this hamlet of cornfields and concrete houses prepared for festivities honoring its patron saint, and as some people gathered in prayer, Ms. Cabaluna, 20, was primping to compete in an annual transgender beauty pageant. This is our passion, she later said. Dominated by conservative morals taught by the Roman Catholic Church, the Philippines is also one of Southeast Asias most tolerant countries toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. And lawmakers are taking steps to ensure national legal protections that would penalize discrimination against them. At the pageant, children sat cross-legged in the dirt, crowded close to the spindly stage where the contestants spun and danced in red feather headdresses, gold brocade and clouds of tulle. The crowd laughed and cheered as they delivered flowery speeches, weaving jokes with witty rhymes, beauty-queen platitudes and proclamations on gender equality. But environmentalists said the plan from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls government was nowhere near enough. The reefs health and prospects are increasingly grim. Huge sections stretching hundreds of miles across have died over the past two years, killed by overheated and more acidic seawater caused by climate change. This month, scientists declared that much of the damage was irreversible, and said the only solution was a global one: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels, and get climate change under control. Science is well aware of what is killing coral on the Great Barrier Reef its the excess heat that comes from burning fossil fuels, said Bill McKibben, an American environmentalist, author and founder of 350.org, which aims to rapidly end the use of fossil fuels. If the Turnbull government was serious about saving the reef, they would be willing to take on the industry responsible for the damage. Critics seized on Australias continued subsidized development of gas and coal, especially its openness to the Adani coal mine in northern Australia that would be among the worlds largest, pushing coal on boats running near the reef. The plan still awaits final approval. After Thursdays verdict, the Spanish government said it planned to review how sex assault is defined in Spains criminal code, which dates from 1995. Spain has changed in many ways since then, Mr. Catala said in an interview on Cadena Ser, a radio station. The justice minister suggested that judges should be trained to take account of social sensitivities, and he also urged Spains judicial watchdog to review the stance of one of the three judges who ruled in Pamplona, after he called for the five men to be absolved. But the head of that watchdog group, Carlos Lesmes, a justice on the Supreme Court, firmly rejected such criticism as an unjustified attempt to discredit the judiciary. While allowing that every legal decision is without a doubt subject to public criticism, Mr. Lesmes said that when the criticisms are dismissive and come from people who hold public responsibilities, that seriously undermines the trust that our judicial system deserves to receive from citizens. The judges also noted that Spains legal system allowed the victim, whose name has not been disclosed, to appeal the ruling before a regional court and, if she wishes, to Spains Supreme Court. The era of driverless cars is coming down the road. But not quickly enough for one British man, who ran afoul of the law when he was caught in the front passenger seat of a Tesla set to Autopilot, cruising at about 40 miles per hour with his hands behind his head. No one was in the drivers seat. Witnesses told the police that traffic was heavy last May when they saw the nondriver, Bhavesh Patel, 39, of Nottingham, England, in his white Tesla S60 on the M1 motorway near Hemel Hempstead. The police said in a statement that Mr. Patel, who had owned the car for about five months before the stunt, admitted that what he had done was silly but said that the car was capable of something amazing and that he was just the unlucky one who got caught. On April 20, Mr. Patel pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, and a court barred him from driving for 18 months. TEL AVIV, Israel Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came to Israel Sunday in the midst of the worst crisis in relations between Israelis and Palestinians in years, but he did not meet a single Palestinian representative and mentioned them publicly once. For decades, American diplomats saw themselves as brokers between the two sides, and secretaries of state typically met Palestinian representatives on regional tours like this one. When relations between the two sides deteriorated, the United States sought to bridge the divide. No more. No one at the State Department called Palestinian leaders to ask for a get-together with Mr. Pompeo, according to Palestinian officials. And that may be because the Americans knew the answer they would have gotten: No. Infuriated by President Trumps decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, paving the way for the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested holy city, Palestinian leaders have cut off political contacts with the Trump administration. They say the White House can no longer be considered an honest broker in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 48 red terrorists killed: How the forces unsparingly took them down one by one India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Gadchiroli encounter in which 40 naxalites were killed was a huge morale boost for the security forces. It was probably one of the most successful operations carried out by the forces against the red terrorists in recent times. The forces were on the trail of the naxals for over a week. There was concrete information that a batch of 15 to 20 naxalites led by their leader Sainath were approaching the Kasansur village in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. The naxalites set up a base between Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. While one team kept a close watch on the Maharashtra side, another sneaked in through the Chattisgarh side. When the forces got the go ahead on April 22, they began firing and hurling grenades from both sides at the Maoists. The naxalites were taken off guard and were unable to retaliate. The forces picked them out one by one and shot them dead. The only person who tried to retaliate was Sainath, but he soon ran out of bullets and was shot dead. The firing went on till 3 pm and the forces had killed all of them. Another encounter took place the next day and the death toll went up to 40. Not a single person from the force was killed. Taking down this Sainath led team of naxalites was crucial. They had become dangerous and were looking to stage a major strike on the forces. This hit on them would have demoralised them no end, said an officer. The key to the encounter was not to let anyone surrender. We never went there with a mindset of capturing anyone alive. Both men and women were targeted as they were equally dangerous. Some of the women naxalites who were bathing tried to surrender, but no option was given. Many jumped into the river trying to save themselves, but they died. Their bodies were found floating in the river the following day and it bore both bullet and burn marks. The success for the forces continued for the forces a few days later, but this time it was in Bijapur. 8 red terrorists part of the hit-squad were shot dead. During the combing operation, the forces found several rocket launchers which led to the suspicion that they were part of a major hit squad. The operation was carried out by the elite Greyhounds, Chattisgarh police and CRPF, Special Director General of Police, Durgesh Madhav Awasthi said. The battle broke out on a remote hillock nera IImidi along the Telangana border. The forces received a tip-off about the movement of the naxals following which they launched the operation. Awasthi said that while the CRPF and police blocked the escape routes, the Greyhounds went after the naxals. The naxalites opened indiscriminate fire, but this was countered and 8 of them killed. There were no casualties reported on the side of the security forces. Apart from the rocket launchers, the forces also recovered an SLR rifle, a 3030, single barrel muzzle loading gun, hand grenades, Maoist literature, and a 315 rifle. Out of the 8 naxals killed, six were women, the police said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 8:00 [IST] With killing of 2 more Lashkar operatives, number of terrorists gunned down in J&K this year is 78 A fading Lashkar looks to divide Jammu and Kashmir into four zones India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Lashkar-e-Tayiba which has faced heavy losses in Kashmir has decided to divide the state of Jammu and Kashmir into four divisions. Intelligence reports state that this is being done to gain control and also ensure thatt violence is staged from all four sides. The outfit is unable to put up a leader immediately to control the entire state and hence has come up with this strategy. It feels that it would put up junior commanders so that they are able to control smaller territory. In recent times, the forces have gunned down 5 top Lashkar-e-Tayiba commanders who were classified Grade A++. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba has however decided that these zones would be manned by Pakistani terrorists. It is also planning a major infiltration into the Valley in phases in which it proposes to send in at least 40 highly trained terrorists. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba would also look to team up with the Hizbul Mujahideen which has in recent times recruited 50 youth into its fold. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba needs the numbers and hence this fresh alliance would give it a boost, the outfit feels. The Intelligence Bureau has warned that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba would go into second gear this summer. It has further said that there would be several infiltration bids made in the coming days and hence a high alert needs to be maintained at all times. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 9:00 [IST] Constitutional institutions are being insulted under Modi regime: Manmohan Singh India oi-Vikas By Vikas In the Congress party's Jan Akrosh Rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan today, prominent Congress leaders left no stone unturned to lambaste the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said that the constitutional institutions were under threat under the current regime. Singh said the democracy of the country is in danger with the Modi government consistently undermining its Constitutional institutions. Launching an all-out attack on the government, he said it has failed to fulfil all its promises it made before coming to the power and it's the time it should give an account of its works to the people of the country. The former Prime Minister claimed the anger among all sections of the society has shot up in the last four years due to the rising threat to the safety and security of the people and the vanishing employment opportunities, which has left the youths worried. He accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of suppressing no-confidence motion, which the Opposition wanted to bring in the Parliament. Singh said, "The no-confidence motion which the Opposition wanted to bring about in Parliament was suppressed." "Democracy is a gift of the Constitution. We will have to work together to protect it," he added. Singh said the pessimism is on the rise across the country, the law and order situation is bad and the atrocities against the minorities, the Dalits and the women are rising, but the Modi government seems hardly perturbed. "The manner in which the Modi government is functioning, it can also pose a threat to democracy in the country. In the last few days, what happened in Indian Parliament is before the people of the country (to see)," he said, addressing the 'Jan Akrosh Rally' at Ramlila Maidan today. Accusing the Modi government of thwarting the Opposition's 'No Confidence Motion' in Parliament, Singh said it did everything possible and conspired to stop it from being taken up in Parliament. "It is clear from this that if the Parliament does not function, it can pose danger to the democracy in the country. Democracy is a gift of the India's Constitution and we should all strive to strengthen it. Today such an atmosphere is being created where the Constitutional institutions are being insulted. I talked about the manner in which Parliament was not allowed to function and how the Budget was passed. The way the 'no confidence motion' by the opposition was not allowed to be taken up..., all this is posing a danger to India's democracy," he said. [Jan Akrosh Rally: Cong will win every election, also emerge victorious in 2019, says Rahul] The former prime minister said what has happened in the banking sector with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi having taken thousands of crores of loans and run away from the country, is for everybody to see. "This is affecting the health of our banks," he said. He said the price of crude oil across the world was falling while in India the prices of petrol and diesel were constantly rising. He asked why this government was not working towards reducing the oil prices, which have put common man in great distress. "The time has come that we support Rahul Gandhi in making this country a better place," he said. OneIndia News with PTI inputs For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 17:38 [IST] Jan Akrosh Rally: Cong will win every election, also emerge victorious in 2019, says Rahul India oi-Madhuri Congress chief Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government at his party's Jan Akrosh Rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. Setting the stage for the big 2019 battle, Rahul Gandhi questioned the PM's silence on the Doklam issue during his recent informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He also said, "The Congress will win every election from now on and will also emerge victorious in 2019." Addressing his party's 'Jan Aakrosh' rally, Gandhi said the prime minister also did not speak on the case of judge BH Loya and agrarian distress. "Narendra Modi gives long speeches. But now the country has to find moments of truth when the prime minister speaks," says Congress president Rahul Gandhi at 'Jan Aakrosh' Rally in Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi. ''The BJP & RSS have spread falsehood about the Congress across the nation. But the truth is now making its way out and people can see through their lies,'' Rahul said. Speaking before him, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and ex-PM Manmohan Singh also accused Modi of not fulfilling the promises he made in 2014. It was his first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, at the Ramlila Maidan here today. Besides Gandhi, the rally is expected to be addressed by other top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and others. Giving hint of issues he may touch upon during the rally today, Rahul Gandhi had yesterday said on Twitter, "In the four years of the Modi government, youths haven't got jobs, women haven't got security, farmers failed to get a fair price for their crops, and Dalits and minorities their rights." He had also appealed to people to join the rally to express their "discontent and anger". The rally is being seen as "very important" from the Congress's point of view as it is taking place in the run up to the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and other states. "Rahul ji will guide party men. The rally will culminate in uprooting the misrule of BJP government at the Centre in 2019," the sources added. (with PTI inputs) Karnataka elections: Giving up the American dream India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Congress kept up its promise of not fielding a candidate from Melukote in Mandya. This has made it easier for the Swaraj India candidate, Darshan Puttanaiah who was in the news for giving up his software firm to contest the Karnataka assembly elections. The son of farmer leader K S Puttanaiah whose Karnataka Sarvodaya Party merged with Swaraj India, this entire process is new to him. There is a JD(S) wave in this constituency, but Darshan could well be helped from the fact that the Congress as promised did not field a candidate. Siddaramaiah was close friend of Puttanaiah and had even attended his funeral. Darshan's father was an MLA from the Melukote constituency in Mandya. He was representing the Karnataka Sarvodaya Party which had originated from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. Darshan says that he had no interest in joining politics. He was away from the state for 15 years. However it was the death of his father and the pressure from his followers which prompted him to change his decision. He says that his father never forced him to join politics and always told him to take an independent decision. Darshan also adds that he was attracted to the cause of the Raitha Sangha which played an active part for the welfare of the farmers. Darshan has had a small stint with politics in the past. In the late 1990s he campaigned for his father. However in 2002, he left for the US. Darshan who will contest from Melukote is in with a good chance. The voters of the constituency looked up to his father who passed away in February. Moreover with the Congress not fielding any candidate as yet from this constituency, it appears to be easy pickings for Darshan. 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 For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 11:00 [IST] Cops searches house of Karuna Sharma who claims to be second wife of Dhananjay Munde NCP chief Sharad Pawar praises Nitin Gadkari: He's a great example of how a people's rep can work Maharashtra: Two NCP workers shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Ahmednagar India oi-Madhuri Two members of Nationalist Congress Party were shot dead by miscreants in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. The NCP workers have been identified as Yogesh Ralebhat and Rakesh Ralebhat who were shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Ahmednagar. NCP workers Yogesh Ralebhat and Rakesh Ralebhat shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Ahmednagar.Police begin investigation #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/VG2rY1sncb ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2018 It is learnt that the assailants came on a bike and shot bullets from a countrymade small firearm while the deceased was sitting outside their shop at Jamner in the evening. A total of eight bullets were shot at them. Both of them were rushed to the hospital but succumbed to injuries while they were being treated, the police have said adding that the investigation is on. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 10:37 [IST] Plans to forge anti-BJP' front gaining momentum, regional parties huddle together India oi-Vikas By Vikas Sv Hectic parleys are underway to stitch an 'anti-BJP' front ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The idea is to form an alliance of regional parties that can take on the BJP juggernaut. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are travelling across the country, meeting leaders and discussing plans to make this a reality. It is not, however, clear if this so-called anti-BJP front wants to include Congress or not. No clear statements have made in this regard so far. In the latest development, K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday (April 29) met DMK president M Karunanidhi at his residence and dined with MK Stalin while the two spoke to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over the phone. KCR said, as per a News 18 report, after the meeting, "We have been sharing ideas with Mamata Banerjee. We will also meet Chandrababu Naidu. We are good friends. The parties who are going to join us and who will leave us is a decision that will be taken in the future. I was lucky to have Karunanidhi's blessings as he is one of the tallest leader of the country." Stalin too said that his party "endorsed" the efforts of Mamata Banerjee to bring together various parties against the BJP, News 18 reported. Mamata Banerjee had in march met Congress' Sonia Gandhi and both leaders held discussions on plans to stop the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee, who was in Delhi for a few days in march, said that the Congress should help the 'anti-BJP' front which the regional parties are trying to forge. Banerjee is leaving no stone unturned to galvanise the opposition parties for a united fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On March 27, the TMC supremo visited Parliament and met leaders of several opposition parties, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena parliamentarian Sanjay Raut. A week before that, TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao called on Banerjee in Kolkata and both stressed on the need for a front comprising of regional parties to stop the BJP. KCR had earlier called for a non-BJP and non-Congress front. [Anti-BJP front: Who all are likely to be part of it?] Shiv Sena's move also needs to be closely watched. Shiv Sena is still part of the NDA but the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has been one of the most severe critics of the Modi government. Shiv Sena, one of oldest allies of the BJP, has time and again come out in the open to criticise the BJP. Sanjay Raut had even hinted that they may contest 2019 polls on their own. [Mamata Banerjee meets Sonia Gandhi, says Congress should help regional parties] Is this new front in making keen to include the Congress or not is something that needs to be seen. They may have been reduced to less than 50 seats in the Lok Sabha, but Congress is still a national party and seen as principle opposition to the BJP. Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily had last month said that any attempt form an anti-BJP front without Congress is "not desirable". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 18:40 [IST] Air India cancels its only Kabul flight, diverts 2 US-Delhi flights to avoid 'uncontrolled' Afghan airspace Approval of bid by Tata Sons for Air India incorrect says government Govt has not taken any decision on Air India so far: Piyush Goyal Srinagar-bound AI flight makes emergency landing at Delhi airport after technical snag India oi-Madhuri An Air India Flight AI-825 Delhi to Srinagar returned to indira Gandhi International Airport, after developing a technical snag. The flight landed safely and had 180 passengers on board. Soon after takeoff, Air India-825 returned to the Delhi airport at 10:55 am. The incident comes just a few days after an Air India flight AI-476 made an emergency landing in Jaipur on April 7. The Airbus A321-200 plane from Jodhpur to Delhi had to be diverted after the crew got intimation about a landing gear issue. All one hundred and fifty-eight people onboard were unharmed in the accident. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 12:34 [IST] Chinese foreign ministry website mentions little about Wuhan talks; was Beijing serious? International oi-Shubham By Shubham The just concluded meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in central-eastern China's Hubei province generated a lot of interest in the political and media circles. It was a comprehensive meeting between the two heads of government in the wake of the Doklam military standoff in 2017 and hopes were rekindled that two neighbours brought their relations back on the track. However, since the Wuhan talks were called informal, did China literally take them with less seriousness? If one visits the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, one can not find any notable coverage of the Wuhan meetings. One can only find an opinion article written by Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in Hindustan Times titled 'India-China cooperation outweighs our differences'hanging at the end of the site's home page. Even the 'China and India' section under 'Countries in the region' sub-topic of the website wasn't updated beyond 2013 which means none of PM Modi's frequent meetings with Jinping were mentioned in the space dedicated to the two nations' bilateral relations. But when we see the website of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, it gives a broad coverage about the Modi-Jinping talks through slideshows, reports, transcripts, translations, media briefings and press releases. There was no doubt that New Delhi took the summit-like talk more seriously than Beijing. India and China agreed on a number of issues during the Wuhan meeting which had no fixed agenda and touched upon issues that the two leaders thought about freely. The issues they touched upon included border tension, counter terrorism, trade, people-to-people relations, cooperation in country like Afghanistan, etc. But with Beijing giving little space to the event on its official foreign policy website, does it mean that the net outcome of the meeting, deemed so important by the Indian side, would make little difference to the status quo? For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 10:28 [IST] With 24 Romeo helicopters by 2023, more power to be added to Indian Navy Indian Air Force, Navy to participate in an exercise with US CSG in Indian Ocean starting today Explained: The Indo-US high tempo exercise with an eye on China Indian Navy gets two MH-60R multi-role helicopters from US Indian Navy's Il-38 plane makes emergency landing in Russia International oi-Madhuri An Indian Navy plane, Il-38, was forced to make an emergency landing today at Zhukovsky Airfield outside Moscow, following a chassis failure, reported Russia Today. The dramatic incident occurred at the Zhukovsky Airfield just outside Moscow on Saturday. The plane managed to land safely despite the malfunction. All the people abroad - four pilots and three technical specialists - walked away unharmed. The plane did not catch fire during the landing, but it remained unclear what degree of damage it sustained. In a statement, the Indian Navy clarified,''On reports of Navy's IL 38 making a crash landing in Russia- the aircraft is in Russia for Overhaul and Mid Life Upgradation. No crew was onboard during sortie though they are present in Russia. Aircraft was on initial test flight with Russian crew. Damage being ascertained.'' The Il-38 is a Russian plane manufactured by aviation company, Ilyushin. The Soviet-era plane is essentially used for searching submarines and conducting maritime observation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 9:09 [IST] Believe we are even with the Indians, Headley told Rana after 26/11 attacks Pakistan: 26/11 Mumbai attack case chief prosecutor removed for 'not taking govt line' International pti-PTI Lahore, Apr 29: In a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, Pakistan's Interior Ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said on Sunday (April 29). Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008. "The Interior Ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI. Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said. "Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to representing the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said. Azhar developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said. "The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling PML-N government. When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case. "I am no more with this case," he said. The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter. "It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said. The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet. The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses. According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements. Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it. A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused... but still the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case. "The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years. It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said. Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said. Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009. Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. LeT operation commander Lakhvi got his freedom about three years ago after securing bail. He has been living in an undisclosed location since then. There are reports that he had come to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa headquarters in Lahore last November to greet Saeed on his release from a 10-month detention under terrorism and public safety laws. Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. PTI Pakistan uses fake Islam is in danger narrative as main theme of its terror indoctrination Concerns on terrorist safe havens in Pakistan an honest one: US Why US engaging with Pakistan on Afghanistan is a cause of worry for India How Pakistan used almonds to fund terror and back-stab Indias good-will on LoC trade Pakistan raises its defence allocation by nearly 20% International oi-Shubham By Shubham Pakistan has raised its defence allocation for the fiscal 2018-19 by around 19.6 per cent, the highest growth in the country's defence budget in over a decade and it came just ahead of its next general election in July. The move also came at a time when the security aid from Islamabad's trusted ally United States has dried down over the former's alleged failure in reining in terrorists from creating trouble in Afghanistan. The steep rise in defence allocation also comes at a time when the PML-N - the current ruling party - is having an uneasy relationship with the country's military. The PML-N government, only the second to complete a full five-year term in Pakistan, increased the defence allocation to 1.1 trillion Pakistani Rupees ($9.6 billion) for all the three forces, despite having period tensions with the army - traditionally a dominant player in Pakistani politics. It was also for the first time that Pakistan's defence expenditure crossed Rs 1 trillion. The 19.6 per cent increase, however, doesn't include Rs 100 billion allocated for the Armed Forces Development Programme and Rs 260 billion allocated for pensions of the military personnel, Pakistan's The Express Tribune reported. Out of the total defence budget, while the Pakistani Army gets 47 per cent, 20 per cent is allocated for its air force and 10 per cent goes to the navy, the Tribune reported citing the defence ministry officials. The Tribune also said about Pakistan's military officials defending the rise by asserting that its military expenditure is the lowest in the region despite the prevalence of security threat. Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Things going very well, Trump tweets on proposed talks with Kim International oi-Shubham By Shubham After the historic summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in concluded at the truce village of Punmunjeom on Friday, April 27, the focus shifted to the widely awaited talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Trump said after the Inter-Korean Summit that the details of his potential meeting with Kim were being chalked out and that he had words with leaders of South Korea and Japan about his preparations for what is being dubbed as the biggest moment of diplomacy in the 21st century. No American president has met a North Korean leader till today. On Saturday, April 28, Trump updated the status in a tweet saying time and venue of his talks with Kim were being finalised. He also informed about his "long and very good talk" with Moon early on Saturday and conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the "ongoing negotiations". He also said that things were going very well. A day earlier, Trump said the potential venue for the Kim summit was narrowed down to two or three locations and expressed hope over a successful summit. He also refused the buy the theory that Kim was not genuine in his pro-peace approach adopted of late. On Friday, North Korea and South Korea signed the Punmunjeom Declaration vowing to conclude the Korean War which is still technically one and also achieve a denuclearised Korean Peninsula. A week ago, Kim announced his decision to give up nuclear tests and shut the site where the tests were being conducted. Other reports said Pyongyang's nuclear testing site had collapsed by an explosion and that pushed the leader to curb his nuclear ambitions. Speaking to reporters at the White House ahead of his meeting with German Chancellor Angela merkel, Trump said on the North Korea issue that they would come up with a solution and if they didn't, they would still keep it going with "great respect". He also said later that he had a "very good working relationship" with the North Korean leader. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 6:06 [IST] New US Secy of State Mike Pompeo begins his hawkish stint by targeting Iran International oi-Shubham By Shubham Mike Pompeo, who took over as the US secretary of state on April 26 after a close voting, got into the act straightaway by visiting West Asia in his first foreign trip to reach an international consensus to punish Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Pompeo, known for his hawkish views, also asked America's old ally Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to sort out differences with Qatar as the US feels Tehran is taking opportunity of that to strengthen its regional clout and assert influence in disturbed countries like Syria and Yemen. The top American diplomat was set to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman who along with countries like Bahrain and the UAE has locked horns with Qatar in recent past. Pompeo reached Saudi capital Riyadh a day after Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, fired missiles at the Saudi city of Jizan, killing one person. The latest incidence has vindicated the USA's position about Iran growing into a major threat to the international community. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly bashed the multilateral nuclear deal on Iran which was reached during the time of Barack Obama in 2015 and also threatened to resume American sanctions on the West Asian country if the "flaws" of the deal were not fixed soon. May 12 is the deadline after which Trump will decide on re-imposing the sanctions, a move that USA's European allies believe would worsen the Iran crisis. French and German heads of state Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel visited the US last week and spoke with Trump about the Iran deal though none of them looked successful in convincing Trump in changing his mind over Iran. Tehran has also counter threatened saying it would come up with expected and unexpected reactions if the US quit the deal and also said it could come out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The US is also upset over the fact that Iran is supporting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime which the West attacked earlier this month with missile attacks after it allegedly conducted gas attack on its own people. Trump also said that he would not allow Iran to restart its nuclear programme and if they did it, they would face problems than those they have ever faced. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 10:47 [IST] Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump White House journalists body chief takes indirect dig at Trump for skipping event International oi-Shubham By Shubham While US President Donald Trump skipped the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday, April 28, for the second time in as many years, White House Correspondents' Association President Margaret Talev trashed efforts made by elected officials to belittle journalism, the Hill reported. One of Talev's aims was the president, undoubtedly. "We reject efforts by anyone, especially our elected leaders, to paint journalism as un-American, to undermine trust between reporter and reader, or to cast doubt on the relevance of fact and truth in the modern age," the Hill quoted Talev, also a White House correspondent for Bloomberg, as saying at the event. She said it was not about the business of protecting journalism as a business since the business has done well in the last few years. She said it was more about safeguarding a "pillar of American democracy", the report added. Trump refused to join the dinner, the second time since he took office in January 2017, and instead attended a rally in Michigan where he, among other things, blasted reporters as "very, very dishonest". At the correspondents' dinner, however, Trump's Republican Party did not exhibit any dissent against the journalists as House Speaker Paul Ryan in a pre-recorded message asked journalists to challenge elected officials and show greater transparency and accountability, the report added. However, though Trump skipped the dinner and blasted the media and his opponents in another Washington in Michigan, there were voices that defended his move. People who backed Trump's decision When the media asked former White House press secretary Sean Spicer about Trump's decision, he said he did the right thing as he thought the president had his way of celebrating the First Amendment and freedom of speech. He said coming to a party did not mean much, the Washington Post reported. Former White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohen also said that Trump made no mistake by avoiding the dinner as did current White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway, counsellor to Trump, the report added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, April 29, 2018, 10:07 [IST] Yes, the decision belongs on the local level No, no one should be able to dictate whether people wear masks Vote View Results Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. If there was ever any doubt that our news is censored, it is dispelled today with the universal suppression of an important event that took place yesterday at the Hague, in the Netherlands, on the premises of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Fifteen eyewitnesses to the events of April 7 in the emergency department of the hospital in Douma, Syria, were consistent in their testimony that the incident described in Western news media as a chemical weapons attack was a crudely orchestrated panic scene staged for video cameras to provoke an armed attack on Syria. In fact, as you may remember--though little has been said about it since--the air forces of France, the USA, and England dropped bombs on Syria in the predawn hours of the next morning. Doctors, nurses, and patients were in agreement that no trace of ehcmical weapons was detected on any patient, and none suffered any symptoms of chemical exposure. You can search US media high and low for an account of these witnesses' narratives, and you will find nothing, The Washington Post, in an abbreviated squib, refers to the participants as "alleged witnesses" and makes no reference whatsoever to the substance of their testimony, which was compelling and aired at length by news sources outside the USA, Common Dreams, Democracy Now, The Real News make no mention today of the testimony, even though it indicates clearly that the attack on Syria was based on a transparent pretext. On its face, the video is a fraud. It shows "rescue workers" dousing children with cold water from hoses in the emergency room. There are no chemical weapons that can be washed away with water. In fact, there are no non-lethal chemical weapons of any kind. By definition, chemical weapons kill efficiently and indiscriminately. Among people exposed, there are no survivors. Hosing people down is not a treatment for exposure to chemical weapons. Several of the witnesses told us that the children in the video were snatched from the hands of their parents to be doused. One of them, an eleven-year-old boy, was among those giving testimony, and he is shown in the video being manhandled by "rescuers." Western news-mongers signal tacit approval of this tactic in their refusal to view the video critically. We can only guess how a censorship project of this magnitude is managed. We can surmise that news outlets are threatened in some way, but it's not possible to say how this is accomplished or what the threats might consist of. We know from coverage of the events of September 11, 2001, that the threats are effective. Despite ample evidence of US government complicity in that episode of mass murder, no question is ever raised in the mass media about the government's account. As a result, many people still accept that three New York skyscrapers collapsed because two were struck by airplanes. We can guess that--in the absence of critical comment--the bombing of Syria on April 8 will enjoy similar public support. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Exercise Cobra Gold 2014 (Image by DVIDSHUB) Details DMCA Media news reports and commentary as well as political statements coming out of Washington on the surprising blossoming of peace talks between North and South Korea tend to focus on the question of whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is really"serious" about eliminating his recently developed nuclear weapons arsenal, or whether he will just try to keep what he has while decrying US military threats to his regime. Missing in all the verbiage has been any reporting on the long US history of nuclear weapons in South Korea, where the US still, 65 years after the end of fighting on the peninsula, maintains at least three military bases and 28,000 combat-ready troops. That history, which includes the US keeping as many as 950 nuclear bombs and a variety of delivery systems -- rockets, planes and even howitzers that fire nuclear shells -- within miles of the North Korean border. An excellent 2017 report by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists , based upon publicly available Defense Department documents, gives detailed history of the basing of nuclear weapons -- strategic and tactical -- in South Korea during at least 33 years of the 65 years that the US and North Korea have been officially in a state of war. That report makes it clear that North Korea continues to have a bull's eye on it for US Trident submarines patrolling the north Pacific, and for nuclear-capable aircraft based on Guam, Okinawa and possibly or potentially in Japan, where the US has a major naval base. The report states that US nuclear weaponswere finally fully removed from South Korea in 1991, on orders from then President George H. W. Bush, but discussions to return them took place on several occasions when tensions rose on the peninsula, including as recently as 2011 during the Obama administration. In US reporting on the peace negotiations between North and South Korea, and in speculation about whether Kim Jong-un is"serious" about "giving up" his country's nukes, there is typically a mention that while "denuclearization" for the US means Kim giving up his nukes, the term for Kim and North Korea might mean a demand that the US pull its troops from South Korea and shut its bases there. As the New York Times put it in an article on Sunday: Nor has it clarified how it defines a 'nuclear-free Korean Peninsula,' and especially whether that means a withdrawal or significant reconfiguration of American troops based in South Korea, as it has demanded before. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. (Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA Michelle Wolf was really tough at the White House Correspondents dinner. She spared no one. She was most harsh on the president. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Donald Trump's press secretary who was present at the event, go told to her face, something likely every journalist there wanted to tell her or say to the world but could not. "And of course we have Sarah Huckabee Sanders," Michelle Wolf said. "We are graced with Sarah's presence tonight. I have to say, I'm a little star-struck. Anytime Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited because I'm not really sure what we're gonna get, you know a press briefing, a bunch of lies, or divided into softball teams. It,s shirts and skins and this time don't be such a little b*tch Jim Acosta. I actually really like Sarah. I think she's very resourceful. Like she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye." It was refreshing to once again to have comedians, folks that recently have been better informers to Americans than a large percentage of journalists, freely roast the politicians and the media. This type of in your face truth-telling is necessary more so than ever. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Informed Comment Mike Pompeo ready to tackle Trump's agenda as new secretary of state (Image by YouTube, Channel: CBS News) Details DMCA Immediately on being narrowly confirmed as Secretary of State by the Senate, former CIA director Mike Pompeo flew off to Brussels. Pompeo appears to have had three main messages for NATO. The first is that Germany and other members have to pay a bigger share of its costs, a constant refrain of his boss, President Donald Trump. The second, however, departed from Trump's idiosyncratic presidential stance in reaffirming the importance of NATO, especially in the face of what Pompeo called Russian aggression (presumably in the Ukraine). Trump in contrast has questioned the continued utility of NATO, and said at a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that NATO is wonderful but better for Europe than for the US. Trump also distinctly does not see Russia as an aggressor or a threat, and is not interested in mobilizing other countries against Moscow. He says it would be wonderful if Russo-American relations improved, and he almost never has unkind words for Russian president Vladimir Putin. The same disconnect over Russia had been visible between Trump and his former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, though Tillerson's past oil deals with Russia made him less vociferous against Moscow than Pompeo is. The third message of Pompeo to Brussels is that Trump will very likely pull out of the Iran deal of 2015 next month unless major changes are made to it. Since major changes are not going to be made to it, Pompeo is actually saying that the US withdrawal from the seven-nation accord is virtually a done deal. When Trump fired Tillerson by Twitter, he gave a news conference in which he explained it was because Tillerson seemed to be "all right" with the Iran deal. Trump brought Pompeo over to State as an organized crime boss brings a capo into a new neighborhood, as an enforcer and breaker of legs. Pompeo's charge is to break the legs of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which vastly curtailed Iran's nuclear enrichment program and capabilities. Iran's program was civilian, for making fuel to run nuclear power plants to produce electricity. But uranium enrichment is inescapably potentially dual use, and the UN Security Council imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran to gain the sort of inspection regime and control over allowable Iranian activities that would forestall any move by Iran to make a bomb. Iran's clerical Leader, Ali Khamenei, has given formal religious ruling against nuclear weapons as a tool of the devil, but Europeans and Americans are skeptical of his sincerity. As proof that the Iran deal is Pompeo's primary target and first priority, his itinerary now takes him to Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. After the US far right, exemplified by Pompeo, manages to destroy the Iran deal, they likely will attempt unilaterally to use Treasury Department sanctions to prevent European trade with Iran, and then will attempt to maneuver Iran into a position where the US can find a way to destroy it militarily as their predecessors did with Iraq. ---- Bonus video: Straits Times: "Mike Pompeo says no Trump decision yet on Iran nuclear deal" Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From The National The hidden battle in Syria -- the one that rarely appears on our television screens -- has been raging for years between Israel and a coalition comprising the Syrian government, Iran and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Watching over the proceedings without directly intervening has been Russia, although that might be about to change. The prize is control over Syrian territory but the battlefield is Syria's skies. According to United Nations figures, the Israeli military violated Syrian airspace more than 750 times in the four-month period leading up to last October, with its warplanes and drones spending some 3,200 hours over the country. On average, more than six Israeli aircraft entered Syrian airspace each day in that period. Since war broke out in Syria just over seven years ago, Israeli fighter jets are believed to have carried out hundreds of offensive missions. Israel regards the stakes as high. It wants Syria to remain an enfeebled state, ensuring Bashar Al Assad's government cannot again become a regional foe. But Israel also needs to prevent other powerful, hostile actors from being drawn into the resulting vacuum. Israel achieved one major aim early on: Western powers insisted that the Syrian government be disarmed of its large arsenal of chemical weapons, Damascus's only deterrent against an Israeli nuclear threat. Since then, Israel's focus has shifted to Iran and blocking its ambitions on various fronts: to prop up Mr Al Assad, establish a military presence close to Israel's northern border and use Syria as a conduit for transferring arms to Hezbollah. Iran's aim is to recreate a balance of terror between the two sides and free itself from diplomatic isolation; Israel's is to maintain its military pre-eminence and dominance of the Middle East's skies. In addition, Israel seeks to exploit Syria's collapse to claim permanent title over the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in violation of international law. Mike Pompeo, the hawkish new US Secretary of State, is due in Jerusalem on Sunday to discuss the fate of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, due for renewal next month. Israel hopes the US will tear up the deal, allowing sanctions to be intensified and forcing Iran to concentrate on its diplomatic woes and mounting protests at home rather than project its influence into Syria. In the meantime, tensions are ratcheting up in Syria. Unusually, Israel admitted this month that it was behind a strike on an Iranian base in Syria that killed seven Iranian troops. According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel targeted an anti-aircraft battery under construction, one Tehran hoped would limit Israel's freedom to patrol Syria's skies. The attack followed Israel's interception of a drone over northern Israel, presumably dispatched to gain the same kind of intelligence about Israeli military bases that Israel has of Iranian bases in Syria. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. This piece is unusual in that it is either going to end up as a fiasco or a scoop. If the latter, then, as they say ... remember you read it here first. The possible venues floated by the White House include two European locations: Sweden and Switzerland. But we all know Mr. Kim Jong-un has a chronic phobia of flying, so places not easily accessible by his personal train are unlikely. Train travel to these two European nations would take both unduly long and include journeying through countries not particularly friendly to the PDRK. Singapore is a successful, dynamic city state steeped in the capitalist model. A democratically elected government notwithstanding, officials can be autocratic. It has also had diplomatic relations with North Korea since the 1970s. But there is one big problem. To travel by train from North Korea Mr. Kim would have to go through Malaysia ... the place where his agents killed the playboy brother. Well, Kazakhstan has a lot going for it. In the first place, it has extremely good relations with South Korea, while its government by contrast has its roots in the Soviet system. Effusive congratulatory messages from its Foreign Minister were in order recently just prior to the North-South Korean summit. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president, invited by Trump for a state visit in January 2018, volunteered his country's help as a role model for North Korea -- Kazakhstan, having disposed of its own nuclear weapons after leaving the Soviet Union, has become an advocate for a nuclear-free world. Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. White man presented as evolution's ultimate achievement (Image by Public domain) Details DMCA Throughout history, arguments for black intellectual inferiority have been code for the presumption of black sub-humanity. Such arguments free those with racist white identities to regard every black body with contempt and treat it accordingly. It frees the American past from the stench of its racist crimes by convincing believers that blacks deserved no better than enslavement, apartheid, and state-sanctioned contempt. There is plenty of convincing work crushing the notion that we can make any scientifically valid determination about what portion of intelligence is hereditary versus environmental, much less break that down by vague racial categories (is someone with 50% Sub-Saharan African DNA "black," what about 40%, or 30?). What's more interesting is the 'race scientists' reliance on the three ancient pillars of white identity politics. The first pillar is denial of the toxicity of America's racist past. The second is pseudo-science to justify that same toxicity. These work in service of the third, the steadfast belief in a history of white American purity. In a debate with Vox Editor Ezra Klein on the validity of science-based justifications for the racist insistence on black inferiority, Harris spends the debate negating the relevance of America's history of state-sanctioned and popularly supported racism--on both blacks and whites. During the conversation, Klein accuses Harris of having a "conversation [about race] without dealing with and separating it out and thinking through the context and weight of American history on it." In reply, Harris baldly states, "The weight of American history is completely irrelevant"" To Harris, a history of enslavement, segregation and state-sanctioned discrimination has not touched African Americans, and a history of institutional insistence on black inferiority has not touched whites. Similarly, Murray claimed that by the 1970s, a mere 10 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, all of the negatives of America's 188 years of state-sanctioned violence and discrimination against African Americans had been corrected for. That means that blacks in America endured 188 years of terrorism, substandard housing, education and healthcare, lack of financial opportunity, and generations of personal humiliation, but all vestiges of that 188 years had disappeared within the next ten. Later, Klein asks if Harris agrees with the following statement: [blockquote] I say that the belief that African-Americans are genetically less intelligent than whites, and then also inferior in other ways" is our oldest, most ancient justification for racial inequality and bigotry. Do you disagree with that? [/blockquote] Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Governments worldwide have fully deployed global climate engineering on a virtually incomprehensible scale. Without public awareness or consent, they co-opted the right to use Earth's atmosphere to serve their own agendas, namely weather and biological warfare. A major event in Northern California, August 2015, was assembled to expose and halt climate engineering programs which are destroying our planet and the web of life. Numerous experts spoke at this event, including attorneys, former government scientists, a once defense industry technician, retired military personnel, a neurologist, and a CEO for one of the largest environmental and engineering consulting firms in the world. Roughly 1000 people attended, This video is the main informational presentation, "Engineering Earth, Exposing The Global Climate Modification Assault," given by Dane Wigington, head researcher for geoengineeringwatch.org. Individuals came from locations as far away as Valdez Alaska and St. Louis Missouri. Dane Wigington (paraphrased and edited by Daniel Geery, with thanks to Ms. Nan, who brought it to my attention) Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Rob Kall has been the center of a vast, decentralized conversation for years, letting us hear in interviewees' own words the power of connection in every realm. His new book brings it all together, showing us that the old order is broken and fast being replaced from the bottom up. The old power elite may not know it yet, but millions of us -- organizers, artists, thinkers and doers -- have gotten the message. So should you, by reading Bottom-Up." Arlene Goldbard, author of The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists & The Future Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Robert Reich Blog Donald Trump (Image by pixabay.com) Details DMCA Why did working class voters choose a selfish, thin-skinned, petulant, lying, narcissistic, boastful, megalomaniac for president? With the 2018 midterms around the corner, and prospective Democratic candidates already eyeing the 2020 race, the answer is important because it will influence how Democrats campaign. One explanation focuses on economic hardship. The working class fell for Trump's economic populism. A competing explanation -- which got a boost this week from a study published by the National Academy of Sciences -- dismisses economic hardship, and blames it on whites' fear of losing status to blacks and immigrants. They were attracted to Trump's form of identity politics -- bigotry. If Democrats accept the bigotry explanation, they may be more inclined to foster their own identity politics of women, blacks, and Latinos. And they'll be less inclined to come up with credible solutions to widening inequality and growing economic insecurity. Yet the truth isn't found in one explanation or the other. It's in the interplay between the two. Certainly many white working class men and women were -- and still are -- receptive to Trump's bigotry. But what made them receptive? Racism and xenophobia aren't exactly new to American life. Fears of blacks and immigrants have been with us since the founding of the Republic. What changed was the economy. Since the 1980s the wages and economic prospects of the typical American worker have stagnated. Two-thirds now live paycheck to paycheck, and those paychecks have grown less secure. Good-paying jobs have disappeared from vast stretches of the land. Despite the official low unemployment rate, millions continue to work part-time who want steady jobs or they're too discouraged to look for work. When I was Secretary of Labor in the 1990s, I frequently visited the Rust Belt, Midwest, and South, where blue-collar workers told me they were working harder than ever but getting nowhere. Meanwhile, all the economy's gains have gone to the richest 10 percent, mostly the top 1 percent. Wealthy individuals and big corporations have, in turn, invested some of those gains into politics. As a result, big money now calls the shots in Washington -- obtaining subsidies, tax breaks, tax loopholes (even Trump promised to close the "carried interest" loophole yet it remains), and bailouts. The near meltdown of Wall Street in 2008 precipitated a recession that cost millions their jobs, homes, and savings. But the Street got bailed out and not a single Wall Street executive went to jail. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. The final curtain on the comedy/tragedy of Donald Trump' is long past due. The impeachment process for removing an unfit, dangerous megalomaniac from a nationally and internationally crucial office is totally out of date. Is there any way to salvage this presidency? YES - but unlikely. First, we must grant the Don some kind of unusual intelligence. In the present circumstances he must be feeling very defensive, as evidenced by his rancorous tweets and erratic acts. We may note that he has instigated acts such as the two bombings of Syria to distract attention from attacks on his personal foibles. It is remotely conceivable that he could reverse himself by committing momentous acts of political virtue and courage that would soften his image and alter his legacy at the last moment, allowing him to retire in peace with himself at the conclusion of his one term of office. The first situation that comes to mind is the potential reconciliation between North and South Korea. Trump has the option to facilitate this process or to throw a monkey wrench in it by implacable demands. He could demonstrate rational diplomacy by yielding to the appeals of President Macron of France to rejoin the Paris agreement on global warming and honoring the nuclear treaty with Iran. In doing so, he will be separating himself from the most reactionary factions of the Republican Party and aligning with the sentiments of the majority of the people. Trump could astonish everyone by representing himself as a man of peace rather than the commander of America's military might. As commander-in-chief, he could order the down-scaling or closure of controversial military bases. and avoid new crises that inflate our military budget. Perhaps the most significant change that Trump could make would be to acknowledge the reality and extent of global warming, and then promote large-scale projects that could have significant results, as advocated by the scientific community. It might be asking too much for Trump to renounce some of the unjust and reactionary measures of his administration contributing to greater disparity in wealth and opportunity, but they can be nullified by the next administration. Good Luck, Mr. President, on your decision to go out of office with some sense of satisfaction and self-respect, or in total humiliation. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. "Money comes based upon some hypothetical projection of how many special needs kids you might have in the school...if they give you more than you need, you don't have to give the money back." - LAUSD Board Member Dr. George McKenna As the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board continues to ignore the fact that Granada Hills Charter High School is actively discouraging the enrollment of children with special education needs, District staff has taken note of the effect of these actions on surrounding neighborhood schools. In the "Single Plan for Student Achievement" for Northridge Academy Senior High, the school notes that "a larger percentage of the students from the Granada Hills Charter High School area are students with special needs and have active IEP's as compared to the students coming from the other high schools." Even worse, Kennedy is not the most heavily impacted school as 19.9% of the students at Valley Academy of Arts and Science have special education needs. With a student population that is less than half of Granada's, John F. Kennedy High School has more students with special education needs than its larger neighbor. Among the supporters of SB-1362 is gubernatorial candidate Delaine Eastin. She states that the law that created charters 25 years ago "had little accountability and is in part responsible for the problems we have today." These problems include the fact that "some charters cherry pick high achievers and do not accept special needs students, while others find excuses to expel or turn away low achieving children." It is Eastin's opinion that "SB 1362 takes important steps to correct a number of egregious mistakes that the original legislation made" and as governor would sign the bill if it made it to her desk. This would represent an improvement over our current governor who has vetoed bills that would have brought improved accountability to the charter industry. Predictably, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) opposes SB-1362, complaining that, unlike in Los Angeles, Senator Beall failed to include charter families in the discussion so that they could tell him how to write his legislation "so that it actually meets its stated objectives." They also maintain that if passed, SB-1362 will create "a perverse incentive for over-identification of students with disabilities" as if identifying a student as needing special services somehow hurts that student. They also do not explain how identifying more students would unfairly benefit public school districts. Since there is a cost to providing these services, it certainly benefits charters to avoid identifying students who have an actual needs. As usual, the CCSA bases its arguments on "facts" that are not borne out by reality. While they would like to focus the public's attention on "high performing" charters, test results in 2015, demonstrated that "independent charter schools in the district scored almost even with traditional and affiliated charters". Meanwhile, the charters have the ability to skew these results with their ability to cherry-pick students. As an example, LAUSD Board Member Ref Rodriguez noted that Granada "is not a magnet, and is not a gifted magnet" but "in 2012 they had the same amount of GATE (Gifted and Talented) kids in terms of percentage as the Center for Enriched Studies in Sherman Oaks, which is a magnet school." In opposing this legislation, the CCSA also makes the unsubstantiated claim that charters are serving "increased numbers and a broader range of students with disabilities". However, Granada provides one example of how district schools are still shouldering the brunt of the responsibilities for providing these services. Additionally, in the LAUSD "District schools have a higher number of students with moderate to severe disabilities." Most tellingly, the CCSA argues against a bill that they describe as "premised on removing barriers to a high-quality public education for all students, with an emphasis on students with disabilities" (emphasis mine) by stating that "charter public school families shouldn't be expected to prop up a failing school system and jeopardize the education of their children." However, a truly public education system gives equal access to all students, including those with special education needs. Forcing charters to end the practice of cherry-picking the easiest (and, therefore, cheapest) to educate students does not prop up public school systems, it ensures that all schools are competing on an equal footing. That the CCSA continues to fight any effort to make their schools accountable shows that they are not public schools, as they claim, but private schools receiving public funding. ____________________________________________ Carl Petersen is a parent and special education advocate, elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own. Tissue Dissociation Market is Set to Experience Revolutionary Growth by 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20029 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20029 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Tissue dissociation is a cell isolation process that is used to separate the human and animal tissues. Tissue dissociation process is performed with the help of isolation enzymes. Cell aggregates or distinctive cell types can be separated with the help of tissue dissociation process. The goal of a tissue dissociation process is to maximize the outcome of functionally viable, dissociated cell. This process is also used to adherent cell the culture in which cells is being cultured.Tissue Dissociation Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global tissue dissociation market is expected to be driven by increasing focus on the research and development in pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. Increasing focus on development of monoclonal antibodies and customization of drug manufacturing process is also driving the market of tissue dissociation. Increasing prevalence of chronic disease is also expected to drive the growth of dissociation market as the process is used for the development of advanced treatments. Increasing funding from various government bodies and private players is also expected to drive the growth of the tissue dissociation market.Request for Table of Contents @Tissue Dissociation Market: SegmentationThe global tissue dissociation market is segmented on the basis of tissue type, dissociation enzyme, end user and region.On the basis of tissue type the global tissue dissociation market can be segmented into:Epithelial TissueConnective TissueOn the basis of dissociation enzyme the global tissue dissociation market can be segmented into:CollagenaseTrypsinElastaseHyaluronidasePapainChymotrypsinTrypsin InhibitorAnimal Origin Free (AOF) EnzymesOtherOn the basis of end user the global tissue dissociation market can be segmented into:Research InstitutesPharmaceutical CompaniesBiotechnology CompaniesDiagnostic LaboratoriesTissue Dissociation Market: OverviewThe global tissue dissociation market is expected to show a significant growth over the forecast period. Increasing focus of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on development of monoclonal antibodies and customization of treatment is expected to drive the growth of the tissue dissociation market. Advancement in the diagnostic procedure and increasing funding from the governments on the research related to the development of advanced methods of diagnostic process is also expected to drive the growth of tissue dissociation market. Connective tissue segment is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period as these tissues have better yield and help in development of high quality products. Tissue dissociation has high demand in biotechnology companies and research institute as these end users are focusing on the development of novel therapies and targeted treatment option of lifestyle diseases such as, diabetes, cancer and other autoimmune disorders.Tissue Dissociation Market: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the global tissue dissociation market can be segmented into regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America tissue dissociation market is dominating market and is expected to continue to dominate the global tissue dissociation market over the forecast period closely followed by the Europe. High focus of North America and Europe on biotechnology related research and presence of some of the best research institutes in North America and Europe is expected to drive the growth of the global tissue dissociation market. Increasing focus of government bodies on funding the research and presence of top pharmaceutical companies in the region is also expected to fuel the growth of tissue dissociation market. Asia Pacific region is expected to be fastest growing tissue dissociation market due to the increasing focus of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on research & development as well as growing healthcare infrastructure.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Tissue Dissociation Market: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global tissue dissociation marker include, Miltenyi Biotec, Worthington Biochemical Corporation, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Becton Dickinson Biosciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific, VitaCyte LLC., Merck KGaA, and StemCell Technologies, Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Veterinary Incubators Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth During 2017 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20038 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20038 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Veterinary Incubators are devices used to maintain optimum temperature and humidity for development and growth of the premature animals. The temperature of veterinary incubators is regulation so that animals temperature is maintained at an optimum level, Veterinary incubators have a hand-access port that allows the animals to be handled while preventing the entry of air. Humidity in veterinary incubators mostly controlled by water trays and adjusting vents. Generally, the housing of the veterinary incubators is made of either metal or acrylic to provide solid state heating console with a filtering system to allow disinfection. Recent advancement in technology made it possible to incorporate air sensor, five system alarm indicator, double wall system, isolated alarm systems and air-temp and skin-temp controlled by micro-process. Temperature is extremely important during incubation because a slight change in one degree might affect the development and growth in veterinary incubators. Optimum growth of most of the animals occurs at a humidity of 60% should be maintained in incubators.Veterinary Incubators Market: Drivers and RestraintsAt birth, animals skin and core temperatures tend to drop significantly because of loss of heat due to convection, radiation, conduction and water evaporation. Prolonged cold stress can cause hypoglycemia, rapid depletion of glycogen stores and oxygen deprivation. Because of these, the mortality rate was increasing exponential in animals during the birth time. To prevent the death of animals during birth, along with raising awareness regarding incubation fueled the growth of the veterinary incubators market. Others factors like rising demand for critical care to improve health standards of animals and increasing awareness regarding preservation of animals fuel the growth of the veterinary incubators markets. Along with, government initiatives and social group activities to preserve the animal boosted the burgeoning growth of the veterinary incubators market.Request Report for Table of Contents @Deaths and injuries due to malfunction of the incubators and inadequate control over oxygen supply limited the growth of the veterinary incubators marketVeterinary Incubators Market: SegmentationSegmentation based on ModalityPortableStandaloneSegmentation based on End UserVeterinary HospitalsVeterinary ClinicsResearch InstitutesOthersVeterinary Incubators Market: Market OverviewGlobal Veterinary Incubators market has witnessed a robust growth due to raising awareness. Veterinary Incubators market has a presence of many regional players which have a huge market share in emerging countries operating at regional or country level. Manufacturers are mostly focused on innovations to increase the applicability of Veterinary Incubators in other indications. There are huge opportunities for the untapped markets in emerging countries due to few approved players of the Veterinary Incubators Market. The key players in the Veterinary Incubators market are mainly focused on expansion by collaborations and partnerships with local vendors in increase the market reach of the products. The future of Veterinary Incubators market anticipated with double CAGR during forecasting period.Veterinary Incubators Market: Region-wise OverviewGlobal Veterinary Incubators Market segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa regions and Latin America by region wise. North America dominates the global Veterinary Incubators Market due to the high acceptance among populations, and in North America, USA is a major stakeholder due to the high awareness. Europe and Asia-pacific are the fastest growing market in Veterinary Incubators Market due to raising awareness. The economic conditions in Asia-pacific region rise the Veterinary Incubators market to new heights. Latin America is growing at stable pace due to increasing penetration of Veterinary Incubators. The Middle East and Africa regions are showing significantly less growth because of less awareness regarding Veterinary Incubators during the forecasted period. However, North America would maintain its position in the Veterinary Incubators market, though, we are anticipating emerging economies such India, China, Brazil, to have the highest growth rate in Veterinary Incubators market.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Veterinary Incubators Market: Key ParticipantsThe key participants in Veterinary Incubators Market are DRE Veterinary, (an Avante Health Solutions company), Braun & Company Ltd, Woodley Equipment Company Ltd, Lyon Technologies and others. The companies are mainly focusing on intense marketing to convey the benefits of Veterinary Incubators.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Endodontic Reparative Cement Market to Witness Robust Expansion throughout the Forecast 2017 - 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20839 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20839 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com The advent of bio-ceramic technology has lead in revolutionizing endodontic reparative cement material for dental treatment. Endodontic reparative cement is advantageous as they provide good biocompatibility with a high level of osteoconductivity that makes them ideal for endodontic care. Endodontic reparative cement is a bio-ceramic material and variety of them are available in the market such as calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement, endosequencer sealer, and root repair materials. Endodontic reparative cement has many additional characteristics such as they take lesser setting time with no staining in tooth, efficient handling, and blocks bacterial leakage.Endodontic reparative cement is widely adopted for dental implants and coating of implants, and timely evolution in them results in an alteration which results in enormous productive changes. Endodontic reparative cement are used in applications such as pulp capping procedure, apexification, apexogenesis, and furcation repair. Variety of bio-ceramics are available, including, alumina and zirconia, bioactive glass, calcium silicates, hydroxyapatite, and many others. Endodontic reparative cement is classified based on characteristics such as bioinert, bioactive, and biodegradable properties. The properties of endodontic reparative cement such as biocompatibility, hermetic seal, formation of strong chemical bonds in tooths vicinity, excellent radiopacity, osteoconductivity, tissue fluid insolubility, and ease in handling, makes them interesting in dentistry applications. In addition, glass ionomer cement is also used in endodontic applications and used as a temporary restoration material during endodontic therapies. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is also an endodontic reparative cement and are used in applications such as root-end filling, pulp therapy, perforation repair, and apical barrier formation for teeth.Request Report for Table of Contents @The market for endodontic reparative cement is primarily driven by increasing number of endodontic procedures or root canal therapy procedure. For instance, more than 15 million root canal therapy procedures are performed every, and approximately 41,000 root canal therapy is performed every day in the U.S. alone. Furthermore, endodontic reparative cement is also adopted in therapy procedures such as pulp capping, pulptomy, apexogenesis, apexification, and root perforation procedures and thereby, impels the growth of endodontic reparative cement market. However, high cost of dental procedures and high risk associated with the procedures are the major obstacles in driving the growth of endodontic reparative cement market.The global endodontic reparative cement market can be segmented on the basis of end-user, and region.On the basis of end user, global endodontic reparative cement market can be segmented as:HospitalsDental ClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersOn the basis of region, global endodontic reparative cement market can be segmented as:North AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East and AfricaEndodontic reparative cement is a bioactive material and are intended for the healing of periapical lesions, and stimulates the formation of bone, periodontal ligament, and cementum, and also permits the growth of cementum layer from its surface directly. External factors such as temperature and humidity and internal factors such as size and distribution of particles of endodontic reparative cement play an important role in determining its effectiveness and properties. The high level of pH in endodontic reparative cement result in damaging membrane and DNA of bacteria and denatures its protein content. Though there are various types of endodontic reparative cement available but they all share similarity in terms of physical, chemical and biological properties.Geographically, global endodontic reparative cement market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. The market in North America is anticipated to show the largest market share for endodontic reparative cement, followed by Europe, owing to the presence of sophisticated dental infrastructure. In addition, proper reimbursement of therapy procedure, and increasing number of endodontic therapy are also driving the market growth of endodontic reparative cement.The market in Asia-Pacific region is estimated to grow at fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the presence of large population base, occupying a large share of the geriatric population, and rising funding from government and private sectors for research and development activities. However, the market in Latin America and Middle East & Africa shows the steady growth during the forecast period.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Some of the market participants in the global endodontic reparative cement market are Angelus Industria de Produtos Odontologicos S/A, Septodont Inc., Dentsply Sirona, Innovative BioCeramix, Inc., Brasseler, CJM Engineering, Kerr Corporation, Dentsply Maillefer, Patterson Dental Supply, Inc., Avalon Biomed, Inc., Ivoclar Vivadent, Essential Dental Systems, Pulpdent Corporation, Coltene Group, Roydent Dental Products, Parkell, Inc., and GC America Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Next-Generation Drug-Eluting Stent Market Pegged for Robust Expansion During 2017 - 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20842 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20842 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Various types of drug-eluting stents (DES) are available in the market and has dramatically revolutionized the coronary artery disease (CAD) revascularization. This results in the decline in rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and target lesion revascularization (TLR) and become a trend of revascularization in patients with CAD. Therefore, adoption of first-generation DES such as Cyper (Johnson & Johnson Company), and Taxus (Boston Scientific) is reduced due to certain limitations such as late stent thrombosis. This lead to the introduction of next-generation drug-eluting stents offering lower restenotic rates as compared to bare metal stents (BMS) and permits more complicated lesions to be treated. Next-generation drug-eluting stent is advantageous as it offers improved deliverability by using materials like cobalt chromium, cobalt nickel, and cobalt alloy, this results in significant reduction in strut width, and enhance stent flexibility. In next-generation drug eluting stent, several drugs are coated in stents to address multiple restenosis pathways by altering drug release kinetics that mimics restenosis cascade. In addition, next-generation drug-eluting stent utilizes bioabsorbable polymers to reduce complications of late stent thrombosis, and bioresorbable drug-eluting scaffold plays a vital role in transforming coronary artery disease treatment.Next-generation drug-eluting stent market is primarily driven by elevating a number of geriatric population on the global level as they are at high risk of developing arterial disorders. In addition, increasing prevalence and incidence of atherosclerosis pertaining to unhealthy lifestyle and obesity are also driving the growth of the next-generation drug eluting stents market. For instance, according to the research conducted, more than 15.8 million individual is suffering from coronary artery disease, and approximately 8 million of them have has heart attack. However, factors such as reduction in the drug-eluting stents pricing, and availability of alternative therapy procedure are the major obstacle to the market growth of next-generation drug eluting stent. Increasing preference for drugs over the surgical procedure of stent implants and increased risk of developing late-stage thrombosis are limiting the growth of next-generation drug-eluting stent market.Request Report for Table of Contents @The global next generation drug eluting stent market can be segmented on the basis of polymer type, material type, end-user, and region.On the basis of polymer type, global next generation drug eluting stent market can be segmented as:Durable PolymerBioabsorbable PolymerOn the basis of material type, global next generation drug eluting stent market can be segmented as:Cobalt chromiumStainless SteelOthersOn the basis of end user, global next generation drug eluting stent market can be segmented as:HospitalsClinicsAmbulatory surgical CentersOn the basis of region, global next generation drug eluting stent market can be segmented as:North AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East and AfricaNext-generation drug-eluting stent is a modification of previous developed drug-eluting stent which offers enhanced drug delivery and stent flexibility. The key alteration includes utilization of bioabsorbable polymer and polymer-free drug delivery from stents offers enhancement in terms of safety, drug efficacy, and longer usability. Since the introduction of drug-eluting stents, various technological advancement has been witnessed to generate a product offering accurate delivery of drug and safety concerns.Geographically, global next-generation drug-eluting stent market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. The market in North America is anticipated to show the largest market share for the next-generation drug-eluting stent, followed by Europe, owing to the high prevalence and incidence of coronary artery disease. In addition, presence sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, and well-trained healthcare professionals are also impelling the growth of next-generation drug eluting stent market. The market in Asia-Pacific region is estimated to grow at fastest CAGR over the forecast period owing to increasing investment from both public and private bodies and improving healthcare facilities. However, market in the Middle East & Africa shows the steady growth during the forecast period.Request Report for Table of Contents @Some of the market participants in the global next generation drug eluting stent market are Abbott Laboratories, Biosensors International Group, Ltd., Medtronic plc, Sorin Group, SMT, and Terumo Corporation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Microneedling Devices Market to Make Great Impact in Near Future by 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/20848 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20848 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Micro-needling is a safe, minimally effective therapeutic procedure which is associated with chemical, laser or IPL treatments for treating the skin. The micro-needling process is also known as collagen induction therapy. The Microneeding treatment involves rolling a small device which is covered by hundreds of tiny needles over a skin. These tiny needles penetrate in the skin which triggered the body response, causing an increase in the production of collagen and elastin. Micro-needling devices are basically used to lift, tighten, and rejuvenate the skin of all ages. Micro-needling is a trendy cosmetic procedure which can use for a very wide range of indications. Micro-needling devices are used to improve the appearance of fine lines, surgical acne or trauma scars, stretch marks, pigmentation, wrinkles and many more problems related to skin. It is often performed in the plastic surgery centers. Micro-needling devices help to activate the bodys cellular regeneration.Request Report for Table of Contents @The global micro-needling devices market is anticipated to register a significant CAGR over a forecast period. The global market of micro-needling devices is driven by the increasing incidence of chronic hyperpigmentation, the skin infectious disease etc. The high cost of the other surgical procedure such as plastic surgery can upsurge the market growth of micro-needling devices propositionally. Changes in lifestyle will increase the incidence of skin related diseases which will ultimately enhance the growth of the global micro-needling devices market. The home treatment, lack of experience in using these advanced technology act as a restraint to the market. Besides that lack of awareness of people regarding the skin treatment and the side effects of the treatment such as swelling, redness or pinkness or mild to moderate sunburn will hamper the growth of this market.The micro-needling devices market is classified on the basis of product type, needle material and end user.Global Micro-needling Devices Market is segmented, by Product Type-Derma-stampDermapenDermarollersGlobal Microneedling Devices Market is segmented, by Needle Material-Silicon MicroneedleSilicon Hollow MicroneedleSolid MicroneedleMetal MicroneedleHollow Metal MicroneedleSolid Metal MicroneedleGlass Hollow MicroneedleGlobal Microneedling Devices Market is segmented, by End User-HospitalsDermatology ClinicsOthersThe increasing investment by the hospital facilities and government for better healthcare is expected to drive the market. The companies are engrossed in introducing the products with innovative technology. The microneedling devices market is classified by product type, by needle material and end user. In terms of product type the global microneedling devices market is segmented into derma-stamp, dermapen and dermarollers. There are a variety of microneedling devices are available in the market depending on needle size, dermaroller etc. By needle material, microneedling devices market is classified as Silicon Microneedle, metal microneedle and glass hollow microneedle. The silicon microneedles are further divided into silicon hollow microneedle and solid microneedle. The Metal microneedles are further divided into Hollow Metal Microneedle and Solid Metal Microneedle. By end user, microneedling devices market is classified as hospitals, dermatology clinics and others. Among all end user, hospitals are expected to gain maximum value share over the forecast period.On the basis of geography, microneedling devices market is segmented as North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the micro-needling devices market due to the advent of new technologies and favorable reimbursement scenario for laser treatment in this region. The Europe is also contributing the moderate shares to the market due to the advanced medical facilities and easy availability of the micro-needling devices in the market. APAC is the most lucrative market for the micro-needling devices due to increasing trend of being slim and toned and developing cosmetic industry in the region is expected to show a robust growth to the global micro-needling devices market. MEA is at a nascent stage to the global micro-needling devices market and anticipated to register a decent growth to the market over a forecast period. Overall, the global micro-needling devices market is expected to show significant growth over a forecast period.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Some of the key players of micro-needling devices market globally are Dermapen, Dermaroller GmbH, MDPen Fractional Microdermal Needling, DermaConcepts, ConceptSkincare, Ramboll Environ, Inc., Edge Systems LLC., Weyergans High Care, BOMTECH ELECTRONICS CO., Ltd. and others. The global micro-needling devices markeAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Tahini Market is Expected to Surpass 423,854 tonnes in 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/tahini-market.asp https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12883 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/tahini-market/toc http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Driven by growing popularity across the globe and steady adoption by the F&B industry, global tahini market volumes are estimated to surpass 314 thousand tonnes in 2016, up from nearly 305 thousand tonnes in 2015. According to the latest report published by Persistence Market Research titled Global Market Study on Tahini: Paste and Spreads Product Type Segment Projected to Remain the Largest Segment During the Forecast Period, global volumes are projected to reach 423,854 tonnes in 2025.Growing popularity of authentic Middle Eastern food flavors is expected to escalate the demand for tahini-based products, such as hummus and tahini spread. The surging significance of social media marketing will play a pivotal role in the promotion of tahini and derived products. Emerging tahini applications in hummus, butter and spreads, halva, salads, bakery products, toppings, and traditional Middle Eastern recipes such as Baba Ghanoush will also influence the market favorably.Read Report Overview @Paste and spreads segment will account for over 55% share in terms of revenues by 2025 ,Desserts and sweets segment, aggravated by growing popularity of halva, will maintain a market share of over 25% during the assessed period ,Sustained consumption of tahini dips and sauces will fuel the sauces and dips sub-segment, capturing over 18% market value shareConventional retail will lose its market share over 2015-2025; from over 37% market share in 2015, this sub-segment will settle at around 34% in 2025 ,Modern trade is expected to witness decent growth, accounting for a revenue share of over 29% by 2025 end ,Exports will, however, exhibit the fastest growth in terms of a distribution channel. With over 20% share of the revenues, this sub-segment is anticipated to reach US$ 465.9 Mn with a promising CAGR of 6.1%Request Sample Report@With over 56% value share in 2025, the 50-150 gm size sub-segment will reportedly reach a consumption of around 243,189 tonnes ,Above 150 gm size sub-segment is likely to witness an uptick over the forecast period, capturing a considerable 28% market value share in 2025 ,Below 50 gm product size will be the fastest growing sub-segment at 5.9% CAGRWith a slight setback from 76% share in 2015 to around 73% share estimated by 2025 end, industrial production process will witness moderate growth with a CAGR to the tune of 5.3% ,Conventional process will experience significant growth over the forecast periodWest Asia, identified as the most lucrative market for tahini, will predictably cross US$ 608 Mn by 2025 end, accounting for maximum revenues in the global market ,GCC countries will exhibit the fastest growth at 5.9% CAGR, primarily driven by Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. GCC tahini market revenues will reach around US$ 202 Mn by 2025 end ,North Africa, followed by the U.K., are projected to grow moderately at respective CAGRs of 5.7% and 5.4%Download and View Report TOC, Figures and Tables @Dipasa International S.A., Sunshine International Foods, Inc., Kevala International LLC, Joyva Corp, Premier Organics, Haitoglou Bros S.A., Halwani Bros. Co., Prince Tahina Ltd., El Rashidi El Mizan, Al-Wadi Al-Akhdar S.A.L, Carleys of Cornwell Ltd., Balsam Tahini, Ismail Termurcugil, and Alseedawi Sweets Factories Co. constitute some of the key players in the global market for tahini. While major export opportunities lie in Asia and North America, a majority of leading players are based in the Middle East and North America. Halwani Bros. Co. and Haitoglou Bros. are top Middle East companies, whereas Joyva Corp, Dipasa, and Kevala Int. are the key North American players. Alwadi Al Akhdars new factory in Lebanon is due in 2017 and Sabra Dipping Co. will soon double its tahini hummus production capacity.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Consumer Network Attached Storage Nas Market Value to Increase to US$ 4 Bn by 2024 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6460 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/consumer-network-attached-storage-nas-market/toc https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/multiple-chapter/6460 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com The ineffectiveness of traditional storage solutions has paved way for adoption of advanced storage options, particularly to record crucial consumer-centric data. Handling greater volumes of data transference has also necessitated the need for enclosing such data storage systems within a network. As opposed to single computer storage, individuals, as well as entrepreneurs, are growing more inclined towards setting network attached storage (NAS) servers.Remote access to such servers becomes more convenient for consumers, especially when improving operational efficiency and minimizing storage costs is a must. Persistence Market Researchs recent study explores the opportunities for adoption of such consumer-based NAS systems, predicting that by the end of 2024, the global market for consumer network attached storage will be valued at US$ 4,088.7 Mn.Apropos the report, titled Consumer Network Attached Storage (NAS) Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016-2024, the global consumer NAS market is presently valued a little over US$ 1,545 Mn, and will exhibit a healthy 11.6% CAGR during the forecast period.Factors such as rising demand for speedy transference of bulk data, growing need for efficient data backup plans, and increasing implementation of cost-effective storage options have been identified as the key drivers for the global consumer network attached storage market. Nevertheless, a steadfast adoption of consumer NAS systems across the globe is facing challenges such as competitive advantage of cloud-based storage services, and complex nature of expensive consumer network attached storage systems.Request to Sample of Report @Higher Demand for Consumer NAS in Middle East & AfricaEven though a majority of global consumer NAS revenues emanate from North America, the Middle East & Africa region is being perceived as highly lucrative. Adoption of consumer network attached storage systems is expected to be rapid in this region. The MEA consumer NAS market is also being projected to exhibit the highest value CAGR 14.2%. With North America at the forefront, the global consumer network attached storage market will also witness substantial growth across Europe and Latin America. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific consumer network attached storage market will expand at 10.6% CAGR through 2024.Download and View Report TOC, Figures and Tables @Rising Adoption of Standalone Consumer NAS Solutions among SMEsBased on the report findings, the global market for consumer network attached storage will be showcasing a greater contribution from small & medium enterprises (SMEs). In 2017 and beyond, SMEs will remain as the largest end-users of consumer network attached storage systems in the world. The demand for consumer NAS is also expected to remain substantial among residential end-uses, revenues from which are likely to reach US$ 1,315.2 Mn by 2024-end.Likewise, these end-users are actively adopting standalone consumer network attached storage system, as opposed to rackmount. The design of consumer NAS will continue to play a pivotal role in growth of the global market. By the end of 2024, more than US$ 2,700 Mn worth of standalone consumer NAS systems will be sold in the world. And, leading tech companies that will be catering to such surging global demands include, D-Link Corporation, NEC Corporation, Seagate Technology PLC, Netgear Inc., Western Digital Corporation, Synology Inc., EMC Corporation, ASUSTOR Inc., QNAP Systems, Inc., and Drobo Inc.Request Report Multiple Chapter @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Goose Creek, SC (29445) Today Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. 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. Habitat for Humanity's goal is to provide a hand up in addition to shelter I'm nervous about everything. This is my first time in Mexico. Martin Soderstrom I've been to Mexico a bunch but nothing like this, Baja was such a great place to photograph and adventure through. All though now I wish I had room for a surfboard, but that will have to wait for another trip. Paris Gore Its been nearly two years since I had stumbled upon an old decommissioned school bus that I knew would eventually take me on some dream road trips over the next couple of years. When getting the bus I had some big goals in mind with the first being a road trip from California to Alaska, and the second being an adventure down the entire Baja of Mexico.With the trip to Alaska under my belt and the summer of 2017 coming to an end I teamed up with Martin Soderstrom, Paris Gore and the guys at Definition films to embark on a crazy adventure down the Baja. With Martin flying in all the way from Sweden, we started our journey in Los Angeles, CA making our way down the entire Baja over a two week period with loads of good times!Going from a two man crew on the trip to Alaska to a five man crew down the Baja meant having an extra support vehicle along with a bit more preparation. Diesel stations can be few and far, so we loaded up in Baja Norte leaving us worry free for the rest of the journey.Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for part two from Baja California Sur coming soon! budget director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the Senate Budget Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington in February, on President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2019 budget proposal. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Mulvaney, Trump's appointee to oversee the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has given big pay raises to the deputies he hired to help him run the bureau. AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Mary Katherine, who also goes by MK, covers health care for The Post and Courier. She is also pursuing a master's degree in data science. She grew up in upstate New York and enjoys playing cards, kayaking and the Blue Ridge Mountains. BARNWELL The neighbors counted three booms in the middle of the night. Dish-rattling detonations, knocking pictures off their walls, jolting children out of bed in the next county. They came from the direction of the Savannah River Site, a government-operated nuclear technology compound. Folks got nervous. Residents would not learn until the next day that the explosions actually came from the Government Training Institute, a private company that offers SWAT and special operations training in the concrete hull of a former nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. Their compound lies just outside the Savannah River Site's gates in Barnwell County. Company CEO Von Bolin addressed the explosions in a March 29 statement to the local newspaper, The People-Sentinel. Without going into much detail, he confirmed that "a classified training operation was conducted" and "several moderate explosions were heard. Gibby Sanders Jr. heard the explosions felt them, more like from his house about a mile-and-a-half away on the night of March 28. He thought his windows were about to crack. On the one hand, Sanders said he's glad to see entrepreneurs running a business in that old gray block on the horizon. He's especially glad to know that law enforcement agencies from across the state and country are getting state-of-the-art training to protect their communities. But "moderate explosions?" Whatever happened that night, he said, was not moderate. "We've overlooked and even become used to the sounds of fully automatic weapons and flashbangs ... even the helicopters once in a while," Sanders said. "But the other night was unprecedented." Nuclear heyday A group of companies led by Allied-General Nuclear Services invested more than $300 million between 1971 and 1976 constructing a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Barnwell County. The plan was to reprocess uranium fuel used in nuclear reactors, separating the reusable fuel from radioactive waste. Their campus eventually encompassed a labyrinth of corridors and catwalks, miles of hoses and wires, windowless laboratories and a cooling reservoir several stories tall. But as the facility neared completion, President Jimmy Carter put the kibosh on commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing, reasoning that the fuel could fall into the hands of bad actors looking to manufacture atomic weapons. So the companies sued the federal government for damages. In the years between the Cold War and the War on Terror, the campus became a home for birds and not much else. In 2008, GTI moved in. Originally founded in Boise, Idaho, in 2003, the company set up its new headquarters in Bamberg County and began holding training sessions at the Barnwell site. To kick things off, they put on a public demonstration of police and paramilitary tactics. In the scenario they played out, terrorists had taken over an energy plant and were seizing hostages, according to a report in The Augusta Chronicle. GTI came of age as U.S. foreign policy and domestic law enforcement underwent seismic shifts after 9/11. Founded in 2003, the year after the formation of the Department of Homeland Security, the company worked with DHS to create courses such as "Advanced SWAT Operations for Terrorist Environments," "Improvised Explosive Devices" and "Rapid Law Enforcement Tactical Response to Violence and Terrorism in the School Setting." "There was a big wall between law enforcement and the military," said GTI Vice President Brian Naillon. "We helped crumble that wall." GTI made its mark in a growing niche market. Elsewhere in the state, Goose Creek-based Threat Management Group formed in 2004 and converted the old Bowman High School into a military training facility. Few if any contractors could boast a facility quite like GTI's though. A company brochure makes the pitch: "The Joint Operations Center (JOC) is a radiologically sterile former Nuclear Fuels Reprocessing Plant and the only training center of its kind in North America." 'Like a dream job' In a former control room redolent of a "Star Trek" set piece, an experienced trainer can set up devilishly complex scenarios. GTI tactical instructor Gene Norton has staged hostage rescue missions in this part of the main building. Teams entering the room must keep their heads on a pivot, as "opposition forces" often GTI employees might lie in wait behind the control panels. An emergency hatch in the floor of the next room can pop open at any time, erupting with a spray of gunfire. When the nation's elite police and military forces come to GTI, they bring their real weapons. For training purposes, they're loaded with Simunition, non-lethal rounds with a paint marker in the tip. Inside the old nuclear facility, Norton and the trainers have home court advantage. Trainees don't get a map of the sprawling main building, and they have to work as a team to cover the treacherous array of angles in stairways, catwalks and dark hallways. In some of the toughest training scenarios, Norton says he has ambushed teams from near-invisible vantage points and rigged a flashbang grenade to go off when trainees opened a door. "It's mentally challenging," Norton said. "I'm trying to rack my brain, trying to anticipate what they'll do." Norton trained soldiers in his previous career as an Army non-commissioned officer, but he also had to handle the paperwork that comes with military service. At GTI, he's focused on training. "It's really like a dream job," Norton said. In a battered particleboard structure outside the concrete behemoth, Norton led members of the North Augusta Police Department SWAT Team in a training mission on a recent Thursday morning. The modular building is meant to be reconfigured for building-clearing scenarios, which can include checking rooms for armed combatants and breaching locked doors. "Breaching" can mean a lot of different things. SWAT teams bring their own battering rams and firefighting axes. In some cases, teams will shoot their way in with shotguns or rig explosives to blast their way in. The explosions that neighbors hear from time to time? Those are often door breaches, according to Norton. Lt. Junior Johnson from North Augusta said this was his first time at the facility, and he appreciated how trainers could reconfigure the doors to keep things unpredictable. "Somebody's got to go through and search that building high and low," he said. "This is our opportunity to practice it." 'Juck Industrial Urban Zone' For all its government clientele and life-or-death training scenarios, GTI also has a fun side. On the same morning that North Augusta officers stormed the outbuilding, a gaggle of casually dressed 20-somethings toured the grounds scouting out a helicopter drone racing course. A lanky young man strapped on a virtual reality headset and piloted a whirring drone around the network of pipes and towers. GTI also rents out its facility to airsoft enthusiasts, who swarm the grounds with realistic-looking guns pelting each other with plastic pellets. Third Coast Airsoft, an Atlanta-based outfit, will host an all-out battle there from May 4-6. Dubbed "Operation Stone Breaker," the annual event is expected to draw more than 600 people. They'll bring military humvees, pyrotechnic equipment and a hobbyist's trove of tactical gear. Those who sign up early can get a chance to strafe their opponents from a real helicopter. "The War continues in the Juck Industrial Urban Zone," reads a scene-setting page in an informational packet. "The Armistices at Crossfire 3 and Dragon Rogue 5 are over. Both sides attack violently into the complex terrain." Justin Mager, a former Army sergeant, said he started Third Coast with some fellow ex-military members, but the group also attracts plenty of civilians. GTI's training center was a natural fit for their war games. "Its a game, but these guys implement real training procedures to implement real tactics," Mager said. Looky-loos not welcome For those not into war games, GTI remains a bit of a mystery. "I know they're there," said Pickens Williams Sr., the mayor pro tem of Barnwell City Council. "That's about it." That has been the modus operandi at GTI for about a decade now. Naillon, the vice president, gave a few more details about the March 28 explosions in a recent interview. He said special operations forces were training at GTI that night, and they set three explosive charges of some sort. "Everyone got upset about this one because that particular night, the explosions were a little bit a lot bit louder than usual," Naillon said. Naillon said his company always gives a heads-up to local law enforcement before conducting nighttime training exercises. But with teams sometimes swooping in under cover of night, the company can't afford to broadcast every plan's details to the general public. "It's not conducive for us to say, 'Hey, everyone, there's going to be a whole lot of helicopters and special operations guys flying around tonight. Come out here and be looky-loos and get in the way,' " Naillon said. Even in Barnwell, some residents had never heard of the company training the nation's elite fighting forces on the edge of town. Never heard of it, that is, until the night of March 28. Hannah Alani is a reporter at The Post and Courier covering race, immigration and rural life across the Palmetto State. Before graduating from Indiana University and moving to Charleston in 2017, her byline appeared in The New York Times. Andrew Knapp is editor of the Quick Response Team, which covers crime, courts and breaking news. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor at Florida Today, Newsday and Bangor (Maine) Daily News. He enjoys golf, weather and fatherhood. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. 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. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Political Reporter Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work. ADVERTISEMENT Bauchi town went agog Saturday as Capt. Nasir Saddique, son of Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and Hauwa Isa Yuguda, daughter of former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, were joined in holy matrimony. The marriage contract was sealed at the Bauchi Central Mosque, after the payment of N100, 000 as bride price by the groom. The groom was represented by Aminu Abubakar, his uncle, while Yayale Ahmed, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, represented the bride. The Chief Imam of Bauchi Central mosque, Bala Baban-Inna, who presided over the religious aspect of the ceremony, urged the couple to have the fear of God and live in peace. He warned them against betraying each other as they would account for their deeds in the hereafter. The ceremony was attended by prominent personalities, among them, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali and his Education counterpart, Adamu Adamu, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari. All roads leading to the Emir of Bauchis palace where the Central mosque is located were closed to traffic for security reasons, forcing some dignitaries to walk some distance to the venue. (NAN) The federal government and the striking Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), will reconvene on Monday in a bid to find a resolution to the strike. This was indicated in a statement by the Ministry of Health on Sunday in reaction to an advert sponsored by JOHESU in the Daily Trust Newspaper of Saturday April 28. The union in the advert accused the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, of denying the existence of an agreement between it and the Nigerian government in 2014. The ministry, in a statement signed by the Assistant Director of Information, Olajide Oshundun, said the information JOHESU gave in the advert was incorrect and misleading. JOHESU, a union comprising of all health workers in Nigeria apart from medical doctors and dentists, has been on an indefinite strike for 12 days crippling healthcare delivery across federal institutions. In the statement, the minister said there was no agreement between the government and JOHESU prior to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He described the advert as unwarranted and misinformation to the public. Mr Adewole said the federal government is doing everything in its power to resolve the matter. He explained that what JOHESU was brandishing as 2014 agreement were minutes of meetings they had with the organs of Federal Government. He added that in September 2017, JOHESU presented 15-point demand. He said the federal government has implemented 14 out of it while the last demand is still being attended to by the high level body set up by the government to look into its implementation. According to the statement, the September 2017 agreement stated that: The meeting noted that two different figures had been submitted to the National Salaries and Wages Commission on separate occasions. It was observed that the figures are no longer realistic due to lapse of time. The NSIWC should therefore do a fresh submission based on new data consistent with the present reality. The FMOH is expected to make available necessary and required data to NSIWC to enable fresh computation. The newly computed figures will be forwarded by National Salaries and Wages Commission to the Federal Ministry of Health for onward transmission for processing to the high level body (HLB), of the government and thereafter to Federal Ministry of Health within five weeks. This has been done, the statement added. Speaking on other efforts to settle the dispute, the minister said the federal government has put machinery in place to ensure that the strike is called off by meeting with JOHESU officials on several occasions, the last being on April 25, at the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment in Abuja. Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige Mr Adewole disclosed that the government has offered JOHESU members opportunity to adjust their salaries and wages, but what JOHESU is asking for is parity with medical doctors which is not practicable or acceptable to the Federal Government. He said a cursory look at the salary tables in the health sector before and after independence till date have always reflected relativity and the 2014 salary adjustment for medical doctors was to correct the anomaly of 2009 and restore relativity. He appealed to JOHESU to immediately call off the strike and allow the high level body to conclude its assignment as contained in the 2017 agreement. ADVERTISEMENT The union had vowed that state and local government health institutions will join the strike within two weeks if the government fails to accede to the demands. JOHESU also said it is no longer ready to go back to the negotiation table with the government. PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately get the unions reaction to some of the claims in the statement. ADVERTISEMENT There was mourning yet again in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday after armed bandits killed eight local miners in the area. The incident occurred at about 11 a.m., according to sources. The bandits were said to have stormed the forest where the local miners were carrying out their activities and opened fire on them. Details of the incident are still sketchy with some of the miners also sustaining injuries. A source in Birnin Gwari told PREMIUM TIMES that his in-law was among the dead. My in-Law, Magaji Danjuma, was among the miners killed. They were doing their mining business in the forest near old Birnin Gwari town when the bandits attacked them. My in-laws body was set ablaze by his killers while their remains was brought to Birnin Gwari town for burial, he said in a phone interview. PREMIUM TIMES also learnt that Mr Magajis father was a retired police inspector in the area. He has since been buried, according to Islamic rites. The State Commissioner of Police, Austin Iwar, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation. Nigeria Police on patrol He said the command is working to ascertain the actual figure of people killed. He described the killings as very unfortunate. Of course, there was an incident there and some people were killed. Its very unfortunate, he said. The commissioner said the police will investigate before releasing the statement on the actual number of people killed. Birnin Gwari has suffered several attacks by armed bandits leading to the death of scores of people including soldiers and police officers. ADVERTISEMENT The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Haddy Ametuo, says some ghosts initiated the recall process against Sen. Dino Melaye. Mr Ametuo, who stated this in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday on the botched recall process, expressed delight that the efforts had come to a premature end through the collective will of the people of Kogi West Senatorial District. Melaye, the only senator our party has in Kogi State, won with 94.66 per cent leaving the remaining 5.34 per cent to the petitioners. The messages are very clear; that Senator Melaye is the most popular senator ever produced by Kogi West, the statement said. According to the chairman, this is a sign of what to expect in the 2019 general elections. No amount of financial inducement and coercion will change the will of the people of Kogi State in future elections, he said. The APC Chairman commended the high level of neutrality and transparency displayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) and other stakeholders throughout the exercise. It gives us high optimism that future elections will be very free and fair. INEC therefore deserves commendations for the job well done, he said. Mr Ametuo called on the petitioners and Mr Melaye as well as his followers to embrace peace and heed the voice of God because the voice of the people is the voice of God. He insisted that the APC still remains the most viable alternative for good governance in the state. I call on all members of our party to conduct themselves in a manner that will boost the image of our great party and not things that will further cause disrepute in our party, he said. The recall exercise of Mr Melaye, held in his Kogi West senatorial district, failed on Saturday as less than six percent of registered voters verified their signature for the recall. That marks the end of the recall process which the embattled senator blamed on his state governor, Yahaya Bello. Both men are members of Nigerias ruling party, APC, but are political adversaries. Apart from facing the recall, Mr Melaye is also to be prosecuted by the police for alleged criminal conspiracy and allegedly arming criminals; charges he has denied. He is currently on admittance at the National Hospital, Abuja after he reportedly jumped off a police vehicle while being taken to Kogi for prosecution. Babatunde Kokumo, the commissioner of police in Edo State, told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that the confrontation that broke out during the arrival of Matthew Urhoghide at Benin Airport on Saturday would have been worse. If the police were not on ground to maintain law and order, the story would have been different completely, Mr Kokumo said by telephone Sunday night. Mr Urhoghide, a Peoples Democratic Party senator for Edo South Senatorial District, was harassed shortly after he arrived at the Benin Airport by suspected supporters of the All Progressives Congress. A footage of the encounter was published online by Independent Television (ITV) in Benin, and it showed those who attacked Mr Urhoghide chanting pro-APC and anti-PDP slogans. The encounter came two days after Mr Urhoghide called for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari for spending money to purchase new aircraft for the Nigerian military without the approval of the National Assembly. Mr Buhari acknowledged in letters to the National Assembly he transferred the money without authorisation, but proposed that the expenditure be retroactively appropriated to meet constitutional requirement. But many lawmakers demanded explanation and stringent disciplinary measures against the president for the possible breach of Constitution. At the resumed plenary Thursday, Mr Urhoghide raised the motion for the lawmakers to open articles of impeachment against the president. I want this Senate to resolve that what the president did is procedurally wrong and a violation of our Constitution, Mr Urhoghide urged his colleagues. It must be condemned and of course, the consequences of section 143 of our Constitution should be invoked. The matter was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further investigation and guidance. The committee was asked to submit its report by May 3. Mr Urhoghide arrived in Edo State to spend his weekend, but his trip became a subject of fierce display of partisanship for PDP and APC supporters. The supporters clashed repeatedly before and after Mr Urhoghide arrived. He was confined to the VIP lounge of the airport until Governor Godwin Obaseki arrived and the two walked side-by-side to enter waiting vehicle just outside the VIP lounge. But as the two emerged, some violent elements within the crowd swooped on Mr Urhoghide and prevented him from following the governor. The cameras concentrated on the governor, making it difficult to know what was happening to the senator whom he had left behind. The ITV reporter said Mr Urhoghides cap was removed by the APC supporters who further humiliated him before he was eventually rescued. A PDP youth leader in Edo State was also brutalised, the station reported. Senator Matthew Urhoghide, representing Edo South Senatorial District. [Photo credit: Official Facebook page of Matthew Urhoghide] Mr Obaseki waved to the crowd and entered his vehicle without looking for Mr Urhoghide. When the two first exchanged pleasantries at the VIP lounge, Mr Obaseki could be heard telling Mr Urhoghide: You want to remove my president. Some PDP supporters found the role Mr Obaseki played in the fracas highly suspicious, with many accusing the APC governor of luring the PDP senator out of the VIP lounge for the thugs to descend on him. Mr Urhoghide later explained his ordeal to ITV, describing those who attacked him as ignorant of basic civics. He insisted that his call for the activation of Section 143 of the Constitution against Mr Buhari was appropriate in the circumstance, saying he would never be intimidated. ADVERTISEMENT The senator also denied calling for the presidents impeachment, explaining he only called for the activation of Section 143. While he was not actually quoted as using the impeachment term, the Section 143 of the Constitution he called for is strictly about the process of removing a president from office. Crusoe Osagie, a spokesperson for Mr Obaseki, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES requests seeking comments about his principals involvement in the controversy Sunday night. The Vanguard reported that the APC youth accused Mr Urhoghide of embarking on a hypocritical mission to impeach the president rather than concentrate on initiatives that could improve the economic condition of his constituency. Edo South people did not send you to impeach Buhari. Why did you and your cohorts not impeach President Jonathan who looted the treasury as we have observed today? the paper quoted the protesters as saying. Mr Kokumo denied allegations that the police took sides with the APC supporters during the clash, saying he and other officers deserve accolades for promptly waking up to their duty. I was on the ground because of the personality involved in the matter. Ordinarily, you dont expect the commissioner of police to find himself in the midst of rampaging youth. But because of the personality involved, I had to abandon the comfort of my office, the commissioner said. We deserve commendation, but not condemnation. We were able to contain the situation. The situation was close to being riotous, he added. It was not immediately clear whether suspects were taken into custody in connection with the attack on the senator. When PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Kokumo whether or not his officers arrested suspects, he suddenly said he was driving and could not immediately give an answer. Christian groups on Sunday marched on the streets of Lagos, Akure, Osogbo and Ado-Ekiti to register their opposition to the recent killings in parts of the country. They also vowed to vote out the current government of President Muhammadu Buhari accusing him of failing to deal with the problem of insecurity in the country. The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Olasupo Ayokunle, on Wednesday implored all Christians to hold peaceful protests within their church premises on April 29 to protest Tuesdays killing of two priests and 17 worshippers at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State. Coming under the umbrella of CAN, the churches led by their clergies, said they were protesting to call the attention of the federal government to the fact that Christians would no longer tolerate the wanton killings of their fellow believers by suspected herdsmen. The Catholic Church, Baptist and some denominations had some days ago, marched in Ondo State clad in black robes to protest the murderous attack by suspected herdsmen on Christians in Benue State, which resulted in the gruesome murder of the catholic priests. In Lagos, members of the First Baptist Church, Kosofe, protested the killings Hundreds of worshippers with various inscriptions on placards demanded an end to the killings which are allegedly being carried out by herdsmen. They also demanded the prompt release of Leah Sharibu, the kidnapped Dapchi girl still in the custody of Boko Haram. The Senior Pastor of the church, Festus Olatunde,accused the federal government of not doing enough in arresting the ugly situation that has led to the loss of lives and properties in major places like Benue. He particularly frowned at the killing of worshippers in a Catholic Church last week. He said: The killings of worshippers inside the church is condemnable, and the only way the federal government can show their sincerity is to go after the preparators to arrest them and try and serve justice. Until the federal government does that, the Church of God will not keep quiet. In Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, CAN on Sunday led some denominations, who suspended their normal church activities, to protest the continued killings in the middle belt region as well as other parts of the country. The placard-carrying protesters, in their numbers, marched and declared that they were tired of incessant killings in Benue and the North-eastern part of the country. The protest was closely watched by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The protesters warned that the current trend had the potential of eliciting another civil war if not checked on time. CAN warned that allowing Christians to be freely killed without response from the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari, may cause total collapse of the country. Baptist Church worshippers protest killings across Nigeria The Chairman of CAN in Ekiti, Joshua Orikogbe, led other leaders of the churches in the state to the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, to register their displeasure. Mr Orikogbe called on Mr Buhari to act swiftly by stopping the menace and bring the culprits to book. We are for peace in Nigeria but it is like we are being pushed to the wall by these wanton killings of Christians and clerics, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Baptist Church worshippers protest killings across Nigeria To us in Ekiti CAN, the only way to sustain peace is for the government of the day at the federal level to abandon politics for sometime and focus on the needed attention on security and safety of lives. Mr Fayose, represented by his Special Adviser on Religious Matters, Seyi Olusola, commended them for carrying out the protest in a peaceful manner. The governor promised to transmit their grievances to the appropriate federal authorities for consideration and action. In Ondo State, the protest march was not much different. The protest was peaceful and closely watched by security operatives. There was, however, a traffic snarl in the busy expressway of the Akure metropolis, when the march hit the heart of the city. Baptist Church worshippers protest killings across Nigeria The leaders of CAN, however, were displeased when the states deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, came to address the protesters. They said they wanted the governor himself, Rotimi Akeredolu, to address them. The protesters chased away the deputy governor at the front of the government house. It is the governor or nobody. We voted for him and we expect him to take our issues serious. The deputy governor should go back, we dont want him, the angry members said. The Ondo State CAN Chairman, John Oladapo, said the protest across the country became necessary following the incessant killings of innocent Christians across the country. He condemned what he called the lopsidedness of appointment of security chiefs in the country, calling on President Buhari to address it. We are here today to register our displeasure over the ongoing killings across the country. We want to say Christians in the country are not second class citizens. We will not allow these killings, Mr Oladapo said. Why is it that all our security chiefs are from the same region. We condemn this appointment. Our government must listen to us. Let Buhari forget 2019 for now and face security issues in the country. This is not time for electioneering. We sent our letter to the Governor of our coming today and the letter was duly received by the office of the governor and since his inception he has been repeatedly ignoring us as Christian Association. The reason given by the deputy governor to us was that the governor was bereaved and presently in Ibadan, Oyo State, following the death of Oyo House Assembly Speaker. How will the Governor leave his state and go to Oyo for condolence when there is serious issue here. This is not acceptable. Finally, I want to tell our people to go out there and register and also get your PVC for you to do the needful come 2019.We are waiting for them. CAN protest Also speaking, the Presiding Bishop, Agape Christian Ministry, Felix Adejumo, while condemning the killings in the country, disclosed that there are evidences that those masterminding the killings were on a mission to silence churches. We have evidences that they want to silence the Church but we will not allow them. These killings are worrisome, enough is enough, he said. The church must not be marginalised. It is the blood of innocent Christians killed that is crying for help in the country. Also, the Anglican Bishop of Akure Diocese, Simeon Borokini, said Christians would not allow cattle rearing in the state. He called on the state governor to as a matter of urgency ensure security in Akoko area of the state, saying the Akoko region is now the new Sambisa forest in Nigeria. In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the churches in their protest, vowed to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari, urging Christians to arm themselves with voter cards. The Union Baptist Church, Osogbo, Osun State took the lead in mobilising its members to the streets armed with placards and marched peacefully and silently. The pastor of Union Baptist Church, Osogbo and Chairman of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, Osogbo, Olumide Kehinde, in his address expressed his dissatisfaction with the Buhari administration in failing to tackle the herdsmen killing headon. We want to tell President that enough is enough. We have been saying that the incessant killings by the Fulani herdsmen are too much. President Buhari should look into all these killing as a matter of urgency to make sure that the killing is stopped, he said. We are demanding from the president that the killing by the herdsmen must stop. Buhari should ensure that the Chibok girls should be released and Shaibu Leah that was retained when several others were released because she refuse to deny Christ, should be released. We prayed last week over the killings by herdsmen yet we still experienced another killing that same week where two Catholic priests and 17 others were killed by Fulani herdsmen. Why wont we think that it is targeted toward the Christian body? Is it a sin for Christians to be Nigerians? We thought the killings were going to stop after President Buhari was sworn in as the president but its even worse in his administration. We voted him in and if he is not taking any proactive steps in tackling the killing we will vote him out by 2019. We voted him because we want change but it appears that this is not the change we voted for, we were lured to vote for the Change mantra but come 2019 we are ready to change hands again. Also, the Gospel Faith Mission International in Agunbelewo, Osun State, also organised a protest over the killings by the Fulani herdsmen. The Presiding Priest, Adegbite Olatunji, in his address, said the attack by the Fulani herdsmen was a big threat to the Christian religion in the country. This country is our own and we must do the needful in ensuring that it is safe for us. We prayed last week over the killing but we are shocked again by another killing of Catholic priests and other worshippers, he said. Our government must tackle this because we contributed to the vote that made him to be in power and we can also decide in 2019. The presidency on Sunday said Nigeria did not receive required support from the former President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama, in the fight against terrorism. The assertion was made Sunday in Washington DC by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in an interview with journalists. Mr. Buhari, who arrived the U.S. Sunday afternoon is billed to meet with his host, President Donald Trump, on Monday at the White House. Mr Shehu said the discussion between the two leaders will centre on insecurity, especially the fight against terrorism. He said the relationship between Nigeria and the U.S. has improved since the coming into office of Mr Trump. Mr Shehu said Mr Buhari is the first leader from sub-Saharan Africa to hold talks with the U.S. President in the White House, describing the visit as a pointer to two important things. One is, no matter how Nigerians take our own country, this is hugely an important country and this recognition is being manifested in this visit. And for the President personally, it is equally important that of all the heads of state we have in the continent; that he among all of them has come forward to meet President Donald Trump. But it is important to know that beyond the symbolism of the visit, there are important matters affecting both countries that will be placed on the table when the two Presidents meet. We have the understanding that the two delegations have their agenda clearly spelt out and there will be interest and focus on the matter of security and safety, focus on trade and investment and focus on democratic development in our country. It is important (to note) that cooperation between the two countries has manifestly increased under the Trump presidency. If you recall sometime back, the president had reason to openly complain that we are not receiving as much as we thought we deserve in terms of support and cooperation especially in our fight against terrorism back then during the Obama period. And it will seem that quite dramatically and interestingly, a lot of the obstacles are being removed under the Trump presidency and doors are being opened and we are receiving far more support than most people had expected, Mr Shehu said. Nigeria is battling with the Boko Haram insurgency which has caused about 100,000 deaths since 2009, according to figures by the Borno State Government. Although the terror group has been largely decimated by the Buhari administration, it is still able to carry out attacks on civilian and military targets. Discussion on how to end the Boko Haram insurgency is one of the major issues to be discussed between Messrs Buhari and Trump. Also, a group of pro-Buhari supporters also on Sunday arrived Blair House where Mr Buhari is staying to show their solidarity with him. They carried placards in support of Mr Buharis fight against corruption and his re-election. On the solidarity rally by some Nigerians in the Diaspora, Mr Shehu said, It is a very pleasant development and this tells you that America is a totally different clime, there is a deep appreciation for the work the President is doing for our country. The leader of the group, Wale Adewoye, in an interview said, We are here to support the president. ADVERTISEMENT We realised that there is a lot of damage done to the county and when Buhari came into power, he tried at least to stop corruption in Nigeria. He is still working on it, it is not easy. So we just felt that we should support him in our little way, to encourage the government that we are behind him to support him. On our own way too, when we go back home, we make sure that we dont influence things negatively, we work on our ways of life to live right, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Ahmed Buhari, the initiator of Ahmed Buhari Youth Movement, says his interest in vying for the office of the president of Nigeria is informed by the need to have a generational change in the leadership of the country. Mr Buhari, who is a geologist by training, stated this while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Ilorin on the sidelines of his meeting with members of the Ahmed B. Youth Movement in Kwara. According to him, the youth have lost hope in the current system of governance which has created a wide gulf between the young and old generation, stressing that it was high time the young people participated in politics and governance of the country to avoid vacuum in government. Most importantly, our involvement is going to be an enlightenment to young people that it is true that we can do something. To let them know that the reason we are doing this is because we understand that if we do not allow responsibility to be transferred from one generation to next generation at the right time, a vacuum will be created. If this vacuum is created, a lot can go into that vacuum. It could be herdsmen; it could be Boko Haram; it could be kidnapping; it could be baby factory; it could be armed robbery, it could be a lot of things. It is because these young people do not feel any need for them to be looking up for something that hope is lost and so we are trying to revamp young people to understand that they have to participate in politics. While they participate in politics, they shouldnt make money politics a front burner for them. They should be more concerned about how they will even support aspirants so that when they get to the office, those aspirants will be answerable to them. This will kill totally the whole idea of cabalism and see how we can have aspirants who will emerge and become answerable to those people who elected them because if you do support an aspirant, he is going to come back to you and support you, not by giving you the money you gave him, but by giving you the best of democracy. What we mean is that we want to have a country that would be formed on a united ground. United ground in the sense that no matter where you come from, regardless of your ethnicity; regardless of your religion; regardless of your social status; regardless of your political party; ideological affiliations; regardless of gender; regardless of your age; you will want to be part of a new Nigeria. The new Nigeria that we are looking for is new Nigeria that every one of us would claim without mentioning where we are from. We want a new Nigeria where there wont be a discussion on state of origin, quota system and all of those things that always tend to divide us will be eradicated, he said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The members of the First Baptist Church, Kosofe, Lagos, on Sunday held a peaceful protest to voice their resentment against the killings across the country, especially in the Middle Belt region. Hundreds of worshippers with various inscriptions on placards demanded an end to the killings which are allegedly being carried out by herdsmen. They also demanded the prompt release of Leah Sharibu, the kidnapped Dapchi girl still in the custody of Boko Haram. The Senior Pastor of the church, Festus Olatunde, accused the federal government of not doing enough in arresting the ugly situation that has led to the loss of lives and properties in major places like Benue. He particularly frowned at the killing of worshippers in a Catholic Church last week. He said: The killings of worshippers inside the church is condemnable, and the only way the federal government can show their sincerity is to go after the preparators to arrest them and try and serve justice. Until the federal government does that, the Church of God will not keep quiet. We condemn the activities of the herdsmen that are killing people, herdsmen have no reason to carry gun and the evil they are perpetrating in the Middle Belt is enough. He added. Mr Olatunde also questioned why the federal government is yet to secure the release of Leah, months after her fellow Dapchi girls were released. Leah that was captured recently we want her release unconditionally with no further delays, the government should also make sure the yet to be released Chibok girls also get their freedom, he said The Christian Association of Nigeria embarked on a massive mobilisation of churches across the federation for peaceful protests on Sunday against incessant killings by suspected herdsmen in the country. Baptist Church worshippers protest killings across Nigeria Baptist Church worshippers protest killings across Nigeria Baptist Church worshippers protest killings across Nigeria ADVERTISEMENT The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of lying to Nigerians on financial contributions for the latters coming congress. The opposition party in a statement on Sunday accused the APC of diverting N6 billion meant for the development of states under its control to finance the ruling partys forthcoming national convention. PREMIM TIMES exclusively reported how 24 APC governors were asked to contribute N6 billion at N250 million each towards the convention. The APC, in a statement, however claimed in a statement that the governors were only asked to pay their dues which some of them had defaulted on. According to the APC, the governors were requested to pay up, especially in view of upcoming party activities. The PDP would, however, have none of that excuse. APC is corrupt. Our investigation reveals that many of the APC governors are being coerced under the orders of the presidency and the leadership of the party to move in huge sums of money in cash into the APC coffers, bulk of which have already been frittered away by corrupt leaders in the party and agents of the presidency, the opposition party said. More saddening is that the money is being pulled from funds derived from federal bailouts and other monies budgeted for critical development projects in various communities, many of which have now been stalled, leaving the people deprived and impoverished. It is appalling that this is the same party and administration that have been accusing others of corruption and publishing fabricated looters lists just to deceive Nigerians and divert public attention from their sleazes. PDP therefore challenges the APC to publish the names of the governors, ministers and other APC political office holders, who it claims have already brought in money as well as inform the nation on why they are moving the money in cash contrary to financial regulations, if the source is not proceeds of corrupt activities. Up till now, the APC and President Buhari, even in their self-acclaimed transparency and integrity, have refused to open up on the source of funds for their very expensive 2015 presidential campaign, which have been revealed to have been stolen from states under their control. This time, they are again coercing governors to steal money meant for development and payment of salaries to finance their 2019 campaign. The party also alleged that the APC plans to take N14 billion from government coffers. What many Nigerians are yet to know is that the APC actually plans to rake in a total of N14 billion from government coffers, out of which it has already planned to procure expensive cars for their national officers as well as share to their leaders close to President Buhari. Our inquest shows that the N671 million recently reported to have been stolen from APC account by some national officers who allegedly moved the sum to their private accounts is linked to diverted public funds. There is documentary evidence and the APC has failed to offer explanations to Nigeria on that. The APC reeks and is completely guilty as it reasonably ought to have known that the funds it has been receiving form part of illegal activities of government officials who have been diverting funds from states and government agencies, particularly the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to fund the wasteful lifestyle of their party leaders and the 2019 re-election bid. ADVERTISEMENT The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the attack on a senator, Matthew Urhoghide, describing it as completely inexcusable. The party in a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodinyan, accused the ruling APC of masterminding the attack. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South) was attacked at the Benin airport when he arrived Edo State on Saturday. The lawmaker had during the week called for the impeachment of Mr Buhari for withdrawing $496 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without the National Assemblys consent. It was for that reason he was attacked. We are miffed that the APC has degenerated to the level of misdirecting its youth and unleashing them to attack and mete out violence on law-abiding citizens including a senator of the Federal Republic, Mr Ologbodiyan said. We are equally irked that the attack happened in the full glare of high-ranking police officers in the state, who did nothing to protect the lawmaker but adopted an aloofness that emboldened the APC youths. The Edo police commissioner earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that the police intervention helped mitigate the violence. We note that such brazen attack is recipe for wide-scale violence. But for the restraint exhibited by the PDP youths and supporters of Senator Urhoghide, there would have been a breakdown of law and order at the airport and which might even extend to other parts of the state. The PDP restates our stand in commending Senator Urhoghide for his courage in standing for the Nigerian people to move the motion for the Senate to investigate President Muhammadu Buhari for alleged violations of our constitution. The attack on Senator Urhoghide therefore shows the intolerance and deployment of unpatriotic acts by agents of the APC, including the invasion of the Senate and forceful removal of the mace, to intimidate the parliament and destroy our democracy, the PDP said. ADVERTISEMENT The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has assured the international community that President Muhammadu Buhari is healthy and fit to seek re-election in 2019. Mr Mohammed, who has been on tour of major media houses and think-tank in the U.S., said there was nothing to fear about Mr Buharis health as he declared his intention to seek re-election. The minister was first in Washington, D.C. and later in New York, where he explained that Mr Buharis administration had done very well and recorded so many achievements in less than three years. He visited CNN, New York Times, Voice of America, Washington Post, Washington Times; Al Jazeera, Reuters, Wall Journal Street, and the Atlantic Council and the Foreign Relations Council. I think the exchange has been quite robust. Weve spoken on a wide range number of issues from security to the economy to the fight against corruption. In particular, the interview dwelt more on insecurity and also they were interested to know why the president wants to seek re-election and whether he is fit to run given the concerns about his health. Of course, I explained to them that it is those who have a morbid fear about president coming back in 2019 that are flying this kite about his health. But his health is very good, since he came back in August, hes feeling very well, hes never missed one single Federal Executive Council meeting or cancelled any schedule and his schedules have been very hectic. He has faced his presidential duties with vigour, urgency and purpose. Therefore, theres nothing to fear about his health, Mr Mohammed told the correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria. According to him, most people have raised the issue of the presidents health, adding many who have raised the issue are not being sincere. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed [Photo Credit: The Guardian Nigeria] Mr President, yes was ill, has recovered very well, the minister stressed adding, so on the grounds of his health, theres nothing to fear about his health. Mr Mohammed said the president would find his campaign much easier in 2019 because he would campaign on what he has been able to achieve in three years. Of course I told them that hes going to campaign largely about his achievements in the areas of economy, fighting corruption, investing in people and that we are very confident that the people of Nigeria, whose lives has touched, will respond positively. And by the time his campaign starts, I think he would have even more to speak about in all the areas he promised during 2015 campaign. He can beat his chest and say I have delivered on revamping the economy, I have delivered on fighting insecurity, I have delivered in fighting corruption. Hes only going to consolidate on these things in his second term, he said. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari would be hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday at the White House to discuss issues, including fighting terrorism and economic growth. Mr Buhari, during the one-day official working visit to the U.S. at the invitation of Mr Trump, would have bilateral meeting with the U.S. president and a working lunch. President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to enhance our strategic partnership and advance our shared priorities: promoting economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security, and building on Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region. The relationship of the United States with Nigeria is deep and strong, and Nigerias economic growth, security, and leadership in Africa will advance our mutual prosperity, the White House said. International affairs experts say Mr Buharis U.S. visit is strategic in many fronts, especially in view of the fact that the Nigeria-U.S. relationship was not too good prior to the inauguration of Buhari as president. They say Mr Buhari, being the first democratically-elected African President that would be hosted by Mr Trump since his inauguration and also being the first African leader Mr Trump spoke to on phone following his inauguration as the U.S. president, speak volume. They also note that former U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, visited Nigeria in March in a first five-country African tour embarked upon by any official of the Trump administration These historic events, the experts say, apart from reaffirming Nigerias strategic position in Africa, raised a lot of expectations and opportunities during the visit. The Special Adviser to Mr Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, highlighted some of the expectations and opportunities. The meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security. President Muhammadu Buhari The meeting will further deepen the U.S.-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigerias economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership. Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry, Adesina said. Ahead of the visit, meetings were scheduled between senior Nigerian government officials and executives of major U.S. companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation. The presidency said the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project. On agriculture, the Nigerian delegation will also meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment. In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession. A substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalised, to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated two billion dollars, to modernise the rail line from Lagos to Kano and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. In addition, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed during the visit. ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian officials will also meet with U.S.-EXIM Bank and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, said the Buhari-Trump meeting will be a very high level meeting; it will help the U.S. to also understand Nigerias projection. There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region, Mr Symington said. Nigerias Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, also described the visit as a sign of the growing cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria. Mr Mohammed said: There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed [Photo: Daily Trust] The meeting between President Trump and President Buhari will centre majorly on security and the economy and I think its not by co-incidence and I think its quite important. He (Buhari) is the President of the most populous country in Africa, the president of the country with the largest economy in Africa. And this is quite important because it is going to offer the opportunity for the two countries to reset their ties. And I think its probably the fact that the world is now understanding that Nigeria is very strategic not just to the sub-region but the entire Africa, Mr Mohammed said. Hakeem Balogun, Nigerias ambassador to Indonesia, sees a very positive outing, saying the Nigeria-U.S. relation has improved greatly since Buhari became president and described the relationship as very warm. The Nigeria-U.S. relationship is quite good. Its been very warm and lovely ever since the coming of this administration. Prior to President Buharis ascendancy, the relationship was sort of lukewarm following the Americans complaints over Nigerias handling of security issues, human rights allegations, issues of corruption, issues of governance. These are issues which the present government has come in to make the focal point of its administration. And no doubt, even since then, our relationship has been very robust. Our relationship has entered the fulcrum of the Bi-National Commission and based on that, it has formed the bedrock of our relationship; the bi-national commission is the foundation, the basis of the relationship between both countries. Well within the bedrock of that bi-national commission, are issues of good governance, corruption, security and others, which formed the basis of our relationship with the United States. On Corruption, Mr Balogun, who was Nigerias former Charge d Affaires in U.S., said the U.S. was quite impressed with how far Nigeria had gone in the fight against corruption under Buhari. They (U.S.) really have this belief that the person of Mr President was okay to handle the issue of corruption in Nigeria and that hes been doing well. So I can definitely tell you that the United States is pleased with what weve been doing at that level, ditto the efforts to revive the economy, Mr Balogun said. To corroborate Mr Baloguns assertion, Trump, during his phone conversation with Buhari in February 2017, discussed the strong cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities. Mr Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expressed interest in working with Buhari to expand the strong partnership. U.S. President, Donald Trump (Photo Credit: Financial Tribune) The leaders agreed to continue close coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and worldwide. The U.S. president, particularly expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the U.S. to support Nigerias fight against Boko Haram. Mr Trump thanked Mr Buhari for the leadership he has exercised in Africa and emphasised the importance of a strong, secure, and prosperous Nigeria that continues to lead in the region and in international forums. Mr Balogun also said Mr Buharis visit would be a win-win for both countries considering Nigerias ability to rally Africa on any issue at the international stage, a diplomatic advantage, which U.S. desperately needs. The U.S. recognises Nigeria as the leader on the continent. It shows that if they (U.S.) have to have a foothold in Africa or to do something in Africa, anything positive, they need the support of Nigeria. All our activities in the troubled spots in Africa the championed peace on the continent and even beyond the continent; weve always been there on peaceful missions around the world, Mr Balogun said. (NAN) A non-governmental organisation has demanded investigation into the alleged N10 billion scandal involving the National Assembly, Minister of Finance, and the Accountant General of the Federation. Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre made this demand in a petition signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, to the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu. PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported how the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, released the sum to the National Assembly outside its N125 billion budget, and how the lawmakers spent it on exotic cars and other items. Taking its cue from the report, HEDA stressed the need for the anti-graft commission to investigate the alleged fraud. According to the organisation in a statement on Sunday, if these allegations are found true, then it will be clear that the National Assembly has no sympathy for the suffering masses and it will be clear that corruption has become firmly rooted in the country. The statement reads: In line with the aforementioned subject, HEDA is really concerned that despite the cash crunch and public outcry, the recent release of whopping N10 billion, not appropriated or approved by the National Assembly, to leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, in a surreptitious manner smacks of corruption, conspiracy, abuse of office and misuse of public fund. This was the outcome of an investigative probe of an online newspaper. In a further investigation and commendable findings of the online Newspaper, Premium Times, the National Assembly (Senate President, Speaker and Management of National Assembly) allegedly paid a total of N6.6 billion for the purchase of exotic cars, contrary to the monetisation policy of the Federal Government. According to the report and documents published on April 23, 2018, by PREMIUM TIMES and UDEME, it was revealed that Nigerias Senate and House of Representatives likely used the claim to purchase of exotic cars as a decoy for money laundering, corruption, stealing, forgery and illegality. Official documents obtained by the 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. The Senate spent N3.2billion on these cars. 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 N430 million worth of cars using five different dealers. HEDA noted further that, The newspaper alleges the payments for the cars were made from the questionable extra- budgetary N10 billion discreetly and curiously released to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, under the guise of helping the law making arm to settle its outstanding liabilities. National Assembly As the public suspected, two reliable sources in the National Assembly have described 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. Multiple checks by PREMIUM TIMES however revealed that 44 of the companies were not qualified, in strong support of the suspicion of fund tripping, money laundering and fraud, companies to which the contracts were awarded and paid are not on the database of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) which makes them ineligible for federal jobs. Surprisingly, 17 of these 44 companies are not even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) meaning they are unknown to the system and laws of the country. To be eligible for contracts award from Nigerian government, prospective bidders are usually requested to provide evidence of registration on the database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers by submitting Interim Registration Report or valid certificate issued by the BPP. According to the newspaper, on December 11, 2014, the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, wrote to ministries, departments and agencies informing them of a presidential directive that any federal contractor, consultant or service provider that is not registered with the National Database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and service providers domiciled at the Bureau of Public Procurement will no longer be allowed to do business with the government. The circular, which was also sent to the clerk of the National Assembly, added, This is to facilitate the maintenance of a National Database of the particulars, classification and categorization of Federal Contractors, consultants and service providers as required by the provision section 5(h) and 6(1) (f) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. But multiple checks by the Newspaper between April 15 and 23, 2018, show that of the companies the National Assembly awarded contracts to, 44 of them are not on the database of BPP, in what is a clear violation of the procurement law. ADVERTISEMENT Companies reported not to be on the BPP database include: Mushin Motors, Assamad Procurement and Services Limited, Kaffe International Investment Limited, Quantita Services Nigeria Limited, Dua Creations Limited, Lachoso Engineering Systems Nigeria Limited, Navadee Integrated Nigeria Limited, Starcraft Integrated Limited, Wadatu Global Company Limited, Bimfirst Multiventures Limited, Pimpex Engineering and Construction Company Limited, Three Brothers Concept Nigeria Limited, Braimuh Nigeria Limited, Unified Marketing Limited, H and H Inter-Biz Services, Nsa-Nsa Communication and O.B. Global Intertech Limited. Others are, A.A. Marmaro Nigeria Limited, Nwezei Merchandised Limited, Jaaniyat Inter Concept Limited, Popona Star Nigeria Limited, Yujam Nigeria Limited, D.C. Okika Nigeria, Paki International Motors Limited, Afric Capital Nigeria Limited, Liberty Synergy and General enterprises, Pranav Contracting Nigeria Limited, Dee Ex Associate Limited, Shazamzam Construction Limited, Omatie Global, Bilmos Nigeria Limited, Clario View Nigeria Limited, Esyad Nigeria Limited, Omaiauto Limited and Profile Project Nigeria Limited. Chancellors Court Limited, M/S Atlantic Authos Limited, Bestline Nigeria Limited, Geoafriqcom Sourcing and Services Limited, DCN Nigeria Limited, Emerging Giant, GSES Nigeria Limited, Saramin International Ventures Limited. Apart from not being on the BPP database, 17 of these companies are not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Established in 1990, the CAC regulates the formation and management of companies administering the Company Allied Matters Act, including the regulation and supervision of the formation, incorporation, management and winding up of companies. Companies not on BPP database and not registered with the CAC are: Mushin Motors, Dua Creations, Starcraft Integrated Limited, Wadatu Global Company Limited, Pimpex Engineering and Construction Company Limited, H and H Inter-Biz Services, Nwezei Merchandised Limited, Jaaniyat Inter Concept Limited, and Bilmos Nigeria Limited, Clario View Nigeria Limited, Esyad Nigeria Limited, Omaiauto Limited, Chancellors Court Limited, M/S Atlantic Authos Limited, Geoafriqcom Sourcing and Services Limited and GSES Nigeria Limited. By allowing unqualified firms to get government jobs, the leadership of the National Assembly (the Senate President, Speaker of the House, Clerk of the National Assembly and other officials) appears to have violated sections of the Public Procurement Act 2004, especially for colluding with the unqualified firms to defraud government. According to the BPP Act, Collusion shall be presumed from a set of acts from which it can be assumed that there was an understanding, implicit, formal or informal, overt or covert under which each person involved reasonably expected that the other would adopt a particular course of action which would interfere with the faithful and proper application of the provisions of this Act, Section 9 of the Act said. If found guilty, the officials are liable to a cumulative punishment of: (a) a term of imprisonment of not less than five calendar years without any option of fine; and (b) summary dismissal from government services. The affected companies, on conviction, will also be liable to a cumulative penalty of: (a) debarment from all public procurements for a period not less than five calendar years; and (b) a fine equivalent to 25 per cent of the value of the procurement in issue. Every director of the companies as listed on their records at the Corporate Affairs Commission shall also be liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not less than three calendar years but not exceeding five calendar years without an option of fine, the law said. In the light of the above reported facts, it is clear that corruption has become firmly rooted in this Country called Nigeria and if these allegations are found true, then it will be clear that the National Assembly has no sympathy for the suffering masses not even for the youths of this country. On this account we are calling on your office to investigate the following: The allocation and appropriation of the alleged fund (N10 billion); The appropriateness of the funding; The utilization of N6.6 billion on exotic vehicles through unregistered companies; Procurement certification for this contracts; The role of the Finance Minister; Eligibility of the companies for contract based on BPP accreditation and CAC registration; and The payment of contractors and their delivery of the purported vehicles, the anti-graft crusaders said. President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday arrived Washington DC ahead of his four-day working visit to the United States. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the presidential aircraft carrying Mr Buhari and members of his entourage had left the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Saturday at about 11.35 p.m. A Presidency twitter handle tagged; @NGRPresident, confirmed the arrival of the President in Washington on Sunday at about 4.20p.m (Nigerian time) It said President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Washington DC ahead of his working visit to the United States. He will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Mr Buhari left Abuja on Saturday on an official working visit to the United States of America, on the invitation of President Donald Trump. The presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had on Friday in a statement in Abuja, said Mr Buhari while in America would hold bilateral meeting with President Trump and would later have a working lunch on April 30. According to Mr Adesina, the meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries. He said the meeting would also advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security. The meeting will further deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigerias economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership. Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry, he added. He said that ahead of the visit by the president, meetings had been scheduled on April 26 and 27, between senior Nigerian government officials and executives of major U.S. companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation. Buhari arrives U.S. for meeting with Trump. [Photo credit: Official Twitter handle of the Presidency] He said that in the area of aviation, the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project. The presidential aide said: On agriculture, they will meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment. Buhari arrives U.S. for meeting with Trump. [Photo credit: Official Twitter handle of the Presidency] In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession. In the interim phase, a substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalized to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated two billion dollars to modernize the rail line from Lagos to Kano (Western Line) and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri (Eastern Line). Buhari arrives U.S. for meeting with Trump. [Photo credit: Official Twitter handle of the Presidency] During the meeting, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed. He further disclosed that Nigerian officials would also meet with U.S.-EXIM Bank and the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements. ADVERTISEMENT It is noteworthy that in 2017, Nigerias Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the United States Department of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and encourage commercial and investment ties between Nigeria and the United States. This is with initial focus on infrastructure, agriculture, digital economy, investment and regulatory reforms. (NAN) The residents of the Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba, on Sunday expressed regret for taking up arms against one another. The residents, at a town hall meeting with a high powered assessment committee set up by Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba, said their actions had delayed the development of their area. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee was set up to quantify the damage caused by recurrent crises with a view to rebuilding the affected areas. The Caretaker Chairman of the council, Godwill Sol, noted that the people of the area had vowed never to allow any form of crisis to retard their development. Mr Sol explained that the people could not afford to toy with the peace needed for the take off of the 3,050 Mega Watts Mambilla Hydro Power Dam and other governments projects earmarked for the area. Jibo Mbamga, Chairman of Fulani Chiefs (Ardos) Forum in the council, noted that all his members had assessed the situation and decided to oppose conflicts for the good of their subjects. The recurrent crises have been causing harm than good to all the tribes on the Mambilla Plateau. Our people have resolved to say no to anything that will breed crises in this community, he said. In his contributions, Saleh Dulah, the Chairman of Village Chiefs (Jauros), explained that most of the crises that had occurred in the area could not be traced to any convincing reason. Mr Dulah pledged the chiefs commitment to ensure permanent peace on the plateau for rapid development. Shehu Baju, the Chief of Mambilla, had earlier told the committee at a courtesy call on him that the traditional council had gone round to take census of the damage caused by the crises. Mr Baju noted that many of his subjects, who were displaced by the June 2017 and March 2018 crises, had returned to their homes after getting assurances of restoration of peace by the government. Earlier, the committees chairman, Emmanuel Njiwah, told the people that the mission of the 19-member body was to ascertain the correct number of deaths and houses burnt. The committee, he said, would also ascertain the number of cows stolen or killed and other properties destroyed during the two crises. Mr Njiwah, a former Nigerian ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon, explained that the report of the committee would be followed immediately with support from Ishaku for the rehabilitation of victims. He promised that the sub-technical committee, made up of Quantity Surveyors, Architects and Site Engineers, would do a thorough job in all the affected villages for accurate compensation. Representatives of Mambilla, Fulani, Kambu, Kaka and Panso tribes, who spoke at the meeting, were unanimous on their resolve to keep permanent peace for rapid development. The committee later proceeded on an assessment tour of affected villages, beginning from Yerimaru, Kasala saa, Nyiwa and Gimba. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT A former Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has said the forthcoming ward congresses of the Al Progressive Congress (APC) in Adamawa must be fair and credible. Mr Lawal, who was sacked last year by President Muhammadu Buhari over corruption allegations and abuse of office, said all relevant stakeholders in the state would ensure the process of choosing new party leaders in the state is credible. Speaking in Yola during a sensitisation tour, he said APC party faithful would make sure nobody takes us for granted in politics in Adamawa state. If you emerge as candidate in an acrimonious manner, you have little chance of winning elections in the state. Had we not stood our ground, people would have kidnapped the party from us. Ward congresses must be conducted free and fair, devoid of rancour to produce credible delegates for the state and national congress, he said. Mr Lawal was removed by President Buhari in 2017 following allegations that he diverted aid funds intended for the humanitarian crisis in North-east Nigeria. Before his sack, he had been indicted by the Senate which investigated the allegations against him. Mr Buhari dithered for several months after the Senate indictment before eventually removing Mr Lawal who is yet to be prosecuted. Also speaking on Sunday in Yola, Yahaya Hammanjulde, National Chairman, Buhari/Osinbajo Support Group urged party supporters to be actively involved in the congress processes and elections. Your vote is your right, we must ensure we produce credible candidates from the wards, state and national level, he said. Mr Hammanjulde explained that Mr Buharis supporters have provided an enabling platform for the events recently announced by the ruling party. Governor Yahaya Bello said on Sunday that his political future would not be undermined by the victory of his arch political rival, Dino Melaye. The governor is not in any way connected to the exercise, Petra Onyegbule, a spokesperson for the governor, told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Sunday afternoon. That it is going to affect the governors political future is a very myopic thinking. A campaign to recall Mr Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, failed permanently on Saturday after electorate in the district failed to show up for the recall exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Only five per cent of voters turned out to verify their signatures when at least 51 per cent is required for the exercise to scale through to the next stage. Mr Melaye, 44, welcomed the news from his hospital bed in Abuja by thanking his constituents for the unwavering trust they reposed in him, saying evil will never triumph over good in an apparent swipe at his political opponents. The senators victory was immediately seen as a precursor to the 2019 general elections by his supporters and even members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Melaye is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but he had recently become a darling of some PDP commentators who are trying to seize on his ongoing political ordeal to encourage him back to the PDP. Mr Melaye was formerly of the PDP, under which he was elected into the House of Representatives in April 2007. He later abandoned the party and was elected as senator in 2015 under the APC. Although Mr Melaye supported Mr Bello, 42, for governor in 2015 and emceed his inauguration in January 2016, the two soon fell out with each other over the states staff verification exercise. The exercise was widely deemed unpopular because it left thousands of workers unpaid for several months, but the governor said the initiative was necessary to winnow out ghost workers and other employment racketeers who constitute a major drain on the states already insufficient resources. Mr Melaye recognised the essence of the policy, but strongly opposed the tactics deployed by the Bello administration. The matter soon became a serious point of political tension between the two, and Mr Melaye believes it is also the basis for his ongoing criminal investigations by the police. The senator has been accused by the police of arming criminal elements to terrorise Kogi residents, as well as being a person of interest in murder, armed robbery and other criminal matters. He was being driven to Lokoja when he reportedly escaped from a moving police vehicle and sustained injuries on Tuesday. Although Mr Bello did not publicly participate in the campaign to recall Mr Melaye, the senators ability to survive the recall exercise despite being bedridden in the lead up to Saturday has made some commentators see it as a loss for the governor. Come 2019 and going by the extrapolated figures Gov Bello will score less than 17% of the total votes in Kogi. He's in BIG trouble 2/2 Dadiyata Great Oracle (@AbdulMahmud01) April 29, 2018 Demola Olarewaju, a PDP commentator, said the outcome of the exercise was a reflection of the electorates capacity to enthrone and dethrone politicians, a statement that echoed an earlier one by Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose. The victory of Dino is not for Dino whom again one has no particular sympathy for but it is a victory of truth over falsehood, of true democracy over tyranny, of people power over cabal desire and of light over darkness. Yesterday, the people of Kogi West Sen. Dist. won. Demola Olarewaju (@DemolaRewaju) April 29, 2018 The news coming from Kogi State is to the effect that tyranny has been defeated. This should be a pointer as to what to expect in 2019. Those youths they referred to as lazy will speak in 2019 just as I heard they have spoken in Kogi against the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye. Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) April 28, 2018 But Ms Onyegbule dismissed the euphoria over Mr Melayes victory as indicative of a deep-seated ignorance of political commentators. ADVERTISEMENT Most people who make commentary on political issues do not know how the political systems work, Ms Onyegbule said. The politics in Nigeria is usually about ethnicity about religion. Ms Onyegbule suggested that Mr Melaye survived the recall because his supporters made the campaign about ethnicity rather than on substance. People are saying the governor want him out because he is an Okun person which is not true, she added. People should not make permutations, this is not in any way a reflection of 2019 While it was difficult to establish where Mr Bello stood on the recall, some of his aides frequently ran partisan online commentaries that gave tacit support for the pro-recall campaigners. ADVERTISEMENT A senator, Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC, Kaduna North) on Sunday escaped attack by thugs during a political gathering of stakeholders and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) he convened in Kaduna. Mr Hunkuyi had convened the meeting to sensitise party supporters to resist an alleged plan to impose candidates on them during the APC congresses scheduled from May 5. However, thugs stormed the venue of the meeting at ENDwell Hotel in the city center, brandishing all kind of weapons and throwing stones on the supporters chanting Kaduna Sai Uba Sani, Kaduna Sai El-Rufai in 2019. In the process, five persons sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at Barau Dikko and Garkuwa hospitals in the metropolis, while many vehicles were destroyed. Jame Obute, media aide to the senator told NAN that that: those who sustained various degrees of injuries were taken to Garkuwa Hospital and Barau Dikko specialists Hospital where they are receiving treatment. Some vehicles windscreens including those belonging to the Chairman ATAR Communication and leader of APC Restoration group, Tijjani Ramalan, were broken by the thugs. Meanwhile, Mr Hunkuyi, who had visited the injured person in the two hospitals, condemned the attack. He accused the state government of masterminding the attack. According to him, the thugs may have been sponsored by those who feel jittery of his political acceptance in the state. He said the gathering was not a political campaign but meant to sensitise stakeholders and party supporters to resist imposition of delegates through affirmation or selection during the party congresses in the state. Mr Hunkuyi said he had been in politics for the last 30 years but had never had such an encounter. He said he had made a formal report to the Commissioner of Police. Contacted, the Commissioner of Police, Austin Iwar, confirmed that Mr Hunkuyi had lodged a complaint with the police on the attack. He, however, declined further comments. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The South West Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said it would hold a rally on May 5 to show its strength in the zone. The Chairman, Publicity Committee of event, Moshood Salvador, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the rally, to be held in Osogbo, was also to mobilise members for the general elections. He said the rally promised to be one of the biggest by the PDP in recent times as many members, including prominent party stalwarts, within and out of the zone would be attending. Apart from testing and showing our strength as a popular party in the zone, we will use the rally to strategise ahead of the general elections, he said. Mr Salvador, Chairman of PDP in Lagos, said the popularity of the party was soaring by the day in the zone . He said the people were waiting eagerly to vote for PDP after what he called the failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which controls all the states in the zone except Ekiti. Mr Salvador said the PDP would win the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State again and again. He said the administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose has endeared himself and the party to the people through its populist programmes. Mr Salvador dismissed statements by some APC aspirants that they would win Ekiti, as empty boasts, saying the outcome of the election would put the state in the safe grip of PDP. He also expressed optimism that PDP would win the forthcoming governorship election in Osun as the party was popular in the state. . PDP is popular in Osun and I have no doubt that we will win the elections there. The party won the last senatorial election through Senator Adeleke, and we were not the party in government. That tells you that our party is well accepted in the state, he said. Mr Salvador said the determination of the party to capture Lagos in 2019 was unwavering, saying everything was being done to actualise that objective (NAN) 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. Pulse of the City News announces its most recent recipients of the Pulse Award for Customer Satisfaction, and three California companies are on the list again. Contact Jamie Rawcliffe ***@pulseofthecitynews.com Jamie Rawcliffe End -- For three California companies, customer service has long been a priority. With multiple Pulse Awards for Customer Satisfaction to their credit, their dedication to providing an excellent customer experience is evident in everything they do. Pulse of the City News is pleased to honor them again in 2018.J Designs Pool & Spa in Redlands, Calif. (www.jdesignspoolandspa.com), received its sixth consecutive Pulse Award in 2018. The family-owned, full-service swimming pool and spa company offers more than 25 years of experience, with the owner JC overseeing each and every project. In creating captivating outdoor living spaces for its customers, J Designs also strives for unparalleled customer service. Part of that commitment involves providing the tools and knowledge to help clients make an educated decision. J Designs then works with customers from consultation to completion and beyond with ongoing maintenance and education. Visit the company's Award Page at https://www.pulseofthecitynews.com/company-details/74t2x25443/j-designs-pool-and-spa/Redlands/CA.Monrovia Aire, Inc. in Monrovia, Calif. (www.monroviaaire.com), is another six-time Pulse Award winner. The company was established in 2005 with a vision to develop a heating and air-conditioning company that had its customers' best interests at heart; a vision to go back to a time when business was more personable and customer service and quality work were always the main focus. At Monrovia, that vision has become reality. The team at Monrovia brings 40-plus years of experience to the table and ensures 100% customer satisfaction every time by providing the highest-quality products and parts. Visit the company's Award Page at https://www.pulseofthecitynews.com/ company-details/ 7423v2... Canning Electric, Inc. of San Francisco (www.canningelectricinc.com)has been in business since 1995, offering electrical services to both commercial and residential clients. Canning Electric has a well-deserved reputation for quality, reliability and integrity, as evidenced by its five consecutive Pulse Awards. The highest priority is placed on customer satisfaction and safety, and the Canning Electric team works diligently to exceed expectations through personalized and courteous service. Visit the company's Award Page at https://www.pulseofthecitynews.com/ company-details/ 54y223... "We are especially happy to find these elite companies that repeatedly maintain top-flight customer satisfaction scores in our research and review systems," says Frank Andrews, Founder of The Stirling Center, which works with Pulse of the City in identifying building and construction companies that provide more than just great design and construction services, but also a great customer experience. "They are shining examples of the great contribution that leading small businesses make to the quality of our lives and communities, and we salute them!"What sets the Pulse Award apart is the research behind it. Pulse uses a database of performance information that has been compiled on an ongoing basis since 2009. Then, by determining an annual rating for companies, Pulse offers a level of stability that tells the whole story, not just what the company did last week. The Pulse Award is reserved for those earning the highest ratings of 4 or 5 stars.The leaders behind Pulse of the City News and The Stirling Center have a lifetime of experience in the real estate, building and construction fields in news and publishing. Pulse of the City News, rooted in the building and construction industry, has teamed with The Stirling Center to bring the benefits of the "customer experience" perspective to the industry. The two firms are dedicated to recognizing building and construction companies and individuals that successfully embrace the combination of quality product and exemplary customer service, and providing services to them and others aspiring to embrace both objectives.The Stirling Center provides "customer-first"learning resources, including articles, courses, and training tools and materials on customer-oriented performance.Pulse of the City News and The Stirling Center are located in Lapeer, Michigan. For more information, call 866-732-9500 or go online to www.pulseofthecitynews.com. WUHAN, China, April 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: DXF), a leading microfinance lending company in Hubei Province, China, today announced that it plans to release its 2017 Form 20F for the financial year ended December 31, 2017, before the open of U.S. markets on Monday, April 30, 2018. The Company's management will host and earnings conference call on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (8 p.m. Beijing time on the same day). The toll free dial-in details for the live conference call are as follows: USA : 1866-836-0101 : 1866-836-0101 China: 800-803-6015, 400-603-9015 Hong Kong : 800-968-966 : 800-968-966 International access: +886-2-2192-8018 Participant PIN Code: 588998# A telephone replay of the call will be available 2 hours after the end of the conference through May 30, 2018 at 8 a.m. EDT. Conference playback number: +886-2-2192-8015 Enter conference playback reference number: 204589# Enter participant pin code: 652712# Accessible Duration: 30 Days Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. 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", "target", "going forward", "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included 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 as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law. About Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited ("DXF") is one of the leading microfinance lenders in Hubei Province, China. We provide loans to individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises that are either secured by assets as collateral or guaranteed by a third party. Our loans usually carry payment terms that are due within twelve (12) months. We use our website http://www.hbctf.com to provide information about our company and our products. To date, we have processed over RMB2.1 billion ($0.3 billion) in micro loans in Hubei Province. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.hbctf.com. For additional information, please contact: Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited Ms Claire Chen Telephone: +86-27-88569912 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited Related Links http://www.hbctf.com WASHINGTON, April 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Small Business Week celebrations commence today in the nation's capital at the US Institute of Peace with more than 75 national award winners from across the country and U.S. territories convening to be awarded and recognized for their major accomplishments. The two-day award ceremony will conclude Monday afternoon with the announcement of the 2018 National Small Business Person of the Year and three runners-up. The annual event is hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is designed to recognize the nation's top small businesses, entrepreneurs, and business advocates. The week-long event will continue through May 5, with SBA Administrator Linda McMahon hosting additional planned national events in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. In his proclamation declaring April 29- May 5 as Small Business Week, President Donald Trump stated, "Small businesses are at the heart of our Nation. Our country's 30 million small businesses employ nearly 58 million Americans -- 48 percent of the labor force. Each year, small businesses create two-out-of-three net new, private-sector jobs in the United States." He added "This week, we celebrate all the entrepreneurs who have taken a risk to start and grow a small business. They are driven by a belief that they can do something better, smarter, and more efficient than what has been done before. They make our neighborhoods vibrant places to live and work. They invest in their neighbors and employ millions of Americans. When they succeed, we all succeed." The President's proclamation closes with "by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 29 through May 5, 2018, as Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners as they grow our Nation's economy." The Washington, D.C. award ceremonies and workshops on digital commerce and social media will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/sbagov. In addition, there will be a free Virtual Conference during National Small Business Week, May 13 between 12:306:30 p.m. EDT. The Virtual Conference offers all the best parts of an in-person conference, but without traveling. Virtual Conference viewers will be able to watch educational webinars, get free business advice and network with fellow business owners. For more information on National Small Business Week events, visit www.sba.gov/nsbw . About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. It delivers services to people through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2018 SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA/SCORE programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Contact: Terrence Sutherland, [email protected] Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram Release Number: 18-33 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov The Festival includes promotions, opening ceremony, forum, photo exhibition, trade fair, RV camp, Lingshui bike ride, cultural performances and Hainan tropical villages tourism month, showing the unique charm of Hainan's rural tourism to visitors inside and outside the island. As one of the main activities of the Festival, Hainan (Lingshui) Tourism Food and Product Trade Fair involved thousands of specialties such as beef jerky, tricolor rice and Shanlan wine, as well as tourist products including Li brocade, national costume and handicrafts. At the Lingshui Tourism Cultural Photo Exhibition, over 130 photos were put on display to present the scenery and people of coconut village tourist attractions and other well-known villages in Hainan, attracting a great number of local people and tourists. This year, RV camp, self-driving travel and Lingshui bike ride have been added into the Festival, enabling tourists to be in close contact with the beautiful nature. The Traditional Lingshui Cultural Exhibition and Performances consist of Lizu and Hmong model shows, bamboo dance, songs and displays of intangible cultural heritage, fully demonstrating Lingshui's abundant modern agricultural resources in leisure, sightseeing, ecology and tourism. During the one-month festival from April 28 to May 28, all cities and counties in Hainan will hold various rural tourism activities with different themes and design a number of routes for tropical rural tourism so that tourists can experience the natural and cultural beauty of Hainan. Zhou Ping, Deputy Director of Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission, said that the Commission has successfully sponsored the Hainan Rural Tourism Cultural Festival for five consecutive years, making it an important brand of Hainan tourism festival activities and medium for the development of Hainan's rural tourism. In 2017, Hainan received 9.51 million tourists in rural tourism with a year-on-year growth of 16.8%, achieving the rural tourism revenue of RMB 2.86 billion, a year-on-year increase of 26.2%. SOURCE Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission CROSSVILLE, Tenn., April 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tradequip International, a tri-monthly, buy-sell publication, is celebrating 40 years serving the oil and gas industry. Tradequip has been in print since 1978. Originally called International Tradequip, the paper barely contained more than ten pages. So, in 1983, it was purchased by The Cosby Harrison Company (formerly called TAP Publishing Company). "Tradequip was published in a format similar to our other papers," says former Tradequip publisher and Cosby Harrison Company board director, Mike Stone. "We knew with our expertise and equipment that we could print it more economically. And we are so glad that we could." Stone continues, "People thought we were crazy. A bunch from Tennessee thinking they could make it in oil and gas, but what started as a numbers decision has become a robust business thanks to this amazing industry and the hard work of the people at CHC." Tradequip International is read by buyers in the exploration, well servicing, drilling, production, pipeline construction, and petrochemical and refining industries. It also has an online marketplace, Tradequip.com, where advertisers can upload their entire inventories giving it the most comprehensive database of oilfield equipment anywhere. Recently the company has expanded into digital marketing with search engine marketing and optimization, social media executions, direct mail, and email and digital campaigns. "There is no other print or online platform in the oil industry that gives equipment buyers access to a more comprehensive selection of ready-to-buy oilfield equipment," says current publisher Jon Goodwin. The Cosby Harrison Company has been bringing together buyers and sellers in niche markets for over 80 years. It started in 1937 after Cosby Harrison had trouble finding parts for his crashed airplane. He and his wife, Margaret, compiled ads on their kitchen table for fellow aviators also looking for parts, and Trade-A-Plane was born. Eighty years later, its flagship publication is still a marketplace for general aviation buyers and sellers. Along with Tradequip, the company also has a marketplace for heavy construction and over-the-road trucking, an online weather service, digital marketing services, a digital signage product and a commercial sign company. Goodwin says, "We know business to business. We know niche marketing. We know the oil and gas industry. We've been in the business of connecting buyers and sellers for over 80 years and the oil and gas industry for 40," he continues. "We are especially excited to celebrate our 40th anniversary as the Offshore Technical Conference celebrates its 50th. OTC allows us to connect with industry professionals nationally and internationally, and we can't wait to tell attendees and exhibitors about our services," says Goodwin. The Offshore Technology Conference will be held in Houston, April 30-May 3. Tradequip International will be exhibiting at OTC in Booth #4633 in the NRG Center. The Cosby Harrison Company and Tradequip International are located in Crossville, Tenn. For more information, visit Tradequip.com/dominate SOURCE Tradequip International BOSTON and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Two Purdue University student startups will participate in the entry second round of 2018s MassChallenge Boston, a commercialization accelerator active from June to October, thanks to a partnership between Purdues Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship and MassChallenge. The partnership between Purdue and MassChallenge allowed the Burton D. Morgan Business Model Competitions Open Track and Social Entrepreneurship Track winners to bypass MassChallenges first round. Spiro Therapeutics, LLC and Incas Diagnostics, LLC have now entered MassChallenges second round and will present their business pitches in Boston during May. "Entrepreneurs are the value creators of society, creating new jobs, driving economic growth, and addressing some of the world's biggest issues across industries," said Kiki Mills Johnston, managing director of MassChallenge Boston. MassChallenge was created to support entrepreneurs and ensure they have everything they need to create widespread impact with no strings attached. With no required costs or equity, cohort members receive two corporate innovation teams, expert mentorship, free office space and an international network of resources and support. Top cohort startups will compete for a share from the $1.5 million cash prizes and up to $100,000 in scholarships. Spiro Therapeutics provides a first-in-kind therapeutic treatment that restores lung function in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. The startups co-founders include You-Yeon Won, a professor of chemical engineering; Kyle Kim, a recent Ph.D. graduate; and Davis Arick, a senior from Purdues Davidson School of Chemical Engineering. During MassChallenge we hope to connect with industry and healthcare stakeholders, Arick said. To catalyze success, we need key partnerships and resources in manufacturing, clinical trials and regulatory strategy. Spiro Therapeutics is developing a Nano-polymer surfactant aiming to improve the survival rate of ARDS patients and to restore their lung function. MassChallenge has both the geographic location and resources to connect us with experts in the drug development industry and to offer us to strengthen our core team, Arick said. At the end of MassChallenge in October, Arick said, he hopes Spiro Therapeutics will have completed feasibility testing studies. The feedback from this testing will allow the startup to assess its treatments potential in patients. Incas Diagnostics aims to provide routine and specialized medical service for public and private health environments. This startup is developing a point-of-care, diagnostic kit that detects multiple sexually transmitted diseases for women, particularly those in the sub-Saharan West Africa region. Laud Basing, a graduate research assistant in Purdues Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering is the founder of Incas. Incas Diagnostics kit provides a urine-based, low-cost solution that links to a mobile platform allowing greater convenience and privacy to users. This startup promotes better diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases in efforts to decrease general discomfort, preventable infertility and complications during pregnancy. MassChallenge connects entrepreneurs to powerful resources both in Boston and around the world, Mills Johnston of MassChallenge Boston said. This engaged and supportive community helps fuel startup growth during the four-month accelerator program and beyond. We're excited to work with Purdue University, a global innovation leader, to support promising student ventures across industries. About MassChallenge MassChallenge is the most startup-friendly accelerator on the planet. No equity and not-for-profit, we are obsessed with helping entrepreneurs across any industry. We also reward the highest-impact startups through a competition to win a portion of several million dollars in equity-free cash awards. Through our global network of accelerators in Boston, the UK, Israel, Switzerland, and Mexico, and unrivaled access to our corporate partners, we can have a massive impactdriving growth and creating value the world over. To date, 1,495 MassChallenge alumni have raised over $3 billion in funding, generated approximately $2 billion in revenue, and created over 80,000 jobs. About Spiro Therapeutics Spiro Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company that intends to provide the first therapeutic treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a high mortality condition affecting roughly 200,000 patients in the U.S. each year. Our therapeutic is a Nano-polymer surfactant that restores lung function in these patients to significantly improve their chance of survival. About Incas Diagnostics Incas Diagnostics is a social enterprise that seeks to save lives through the design and production of low-cost, easy-to-use, point-of-care diagnostic test kits designed specifically for Africa as well as provide high-quality routine and specialized medical and industrial laboratory services in both the public and private health environments. About Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at innovation@prf.org. Writer: Kelsey Henry, 765-588-3342, kehenry@prf.org Purdue Research Foundation Contact: Cynthia Sequin, 765-558-3340, casequin@prf.org Sources: Davis Arick, dqarick@purdue.edu Laud Basing, lbasing@purdue.edu Kiki Mills Johnston, MassChallenge Bostons managing director Arnold Chen, Burton D. Morgan Centers managing director WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN CONSIDERING IF WWE WAS RIGHT TO RUN IN SAUDI ARABIA You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com. The WWE's new relationship with Saudi Arabia is profoundly troubling on any number of levels---from the most obvious, like the continuing oppression of political dissenters, women, GLBTQ persons (so is Balor Club *really* for everyone?) in the context of the much-heralded "Vision 2030"; to the not so-obvious, like the horrific war the "reforming" prince and the US is conducting in Yemen, and the ruling family's ties to al Qaeda and other terror groups. Has Vince McMahon and Co. finally jumped the shark, in terms of questionable associations and business practices? And is there any awareness or introspection from WWE staff and wrestlers? First let me say this: I dont support many of the things that happen in Saudi Arabia. In fact, I find them appalling. I am a huge supporter of human rights for all people. I hate discrimination with every fiber of my being. With that said, I also understand that WWE is a corporation whose objective is to maximize the value of the company for their shareholders as long as they do that in a lawful manner. Their relationship with Saudi Arabia is both lawful and extremely profitable. They are not doing anything wrong from a legal standpoint there. Plus, they are only doing what the US itself already does. Saudi Arabia is a trading partner of the United States, as a country. They are a strategic ally of the US. We even sell them arms (and that started under the previous President). Our country has set the precedent of doing business in Saudi Arabia so WWE is not doing anything differently than what we are doing as a country. In the process, they are maximizing value of the company for stockholders, which again is their objective. So to answer your first question, no Shark has been jumped. To answer your second question, there is absolutely awareness and introspection in WWE. HHH addressed that concern in an interview last week and he was right. Some called it corporate speak but that doesnt mean it wasnt also true. It was. I spoke with some talents/behind the scenes folks that were not happy about going there to perform. Everyone I have talked to feels the same way that you and I do about the oppression that happens in the Saudi Kingdom. They are against it but also understand part of the job is going wherever the company puts on shows, and that was the case here. They know they have to go where the company sends them and once they are there, they need to follow the laws and mores of the country, whether they agree with them or not. And frankly, I think there are a lot of issues at play here than people on the far extreme of this issue arent considering. When we choose to go into another country to do business, we agree to accept their way of doing things, whether they align with ours or not. We cant force our way of doing things on them. For example, go back to taking Saddam out in Iraq. Our goal was to bring Democracy to the country. It didnt work out so well. Why? Because the culture of Iraq has been around for thousands of years. While Americans think that Democracy is the greatest form of society in the world, its hubris to think that we can go into a country that has been around far longer than we have and force our way of doing things on them. If they ask for it and are receptive, that is a different story. But if they arent, you just cant do that. If Saudi Arabia does not want to see the women wrestlers wrestle, we can think its wrong (and I do) but its their country so we have to respect their decision if we are going to do business there. Its a rule we know going in. Beyond that, the shoe is often on the other foot. For instance, Great Britain and Australia, two very close allies of the USA, find our gun laws to be, at best, archaic. Japan does as well. Almost all British police officers do not carry guns. They need to call in a special armed officer when the need arrives. Australia had a mass shooting and drastically changed their laws. They find the fact that we continue to allow mass shootings to occur to be heinous. I have heard intelligent people from those countries speak about our gun laws in a manner similar to the way that we speak about the Saudis. Yet, corporations from all three countries do lots of business with the US. They vehemently disagree with one of the tenets of our society, some even finding it to be reprehensible, but they still do business here for two reasons, because they respect our way of doing things and of course, money. That is what WWE has done in Saudi Arabia. Now, would I applaud WWE if they chose to not run a show in Saudi Arabia based on the things that the government does? Absolutely, I would. I appreciate any company that places what they believe to be right over profit. I also understand the way business works and that kind of altruism doesnt happen very often. Also, consider this. Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss did finally wrestle in front of the crowd in Abu Dhabi last December, the first time women have ever done so for WWE in the UAE. While I am not naive and know that the Saudi show was about dollars and cents, I can hold out hope that somehow WWE might actually be a part of change happening in Saudi Arabia. Would I bet my house on it? No. But I wouldnt have bet that Sasha and Alexa would have had that match in Abu Dhabi either. You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Telstra Broadcast Services has delivered what it says is the worlds first remote broadcast production across the Pacific with NEP Australia. The trial was conducted over four days between NEPs centralised, IP-based and multi-format production facility at the Sydney Andrews Hub and Telstras Los Angeles data centre more than 12,000 km apart using ultra-low-latency compression technology and Telstras Distributed Production Network (DPN).A full 30 HD camera feeds in LA were linked via diverse and hitless 10Gbps circuits on the Telstra DPN, which has recently been extended to Los Angeles, with the production taking place in Sydney, overcoming what until now was considered an insurmountable distance.Telstra assert that the tests confirmed that the Andrews Hub control rooms in Sydney could produce broadcast events held in Los Angeles and, arguably, beyond.This is a game-changer for broadcast television, proving anyone can work from anywhere while connected to our network, whether in Australia or on the other side of the planet, NEP Australia director of technology Marc Segar. Our crew at the Sydney Andrews Hub perceived no appreciable difference between covering the trial event in LA and the remote broadcast of a live A-League match from Perth last month.Trevor Boal, head of Telstra Broadcast Services, added: From the moment NEP approached us about building the Telstra DPN to support the Andrews Hubs, we shared their excitement about the enormous possibilities of broadcasting over IP. NEP had a clear vision of how distributed production could deliver an optimal commercial and practical outcome, and we wanted to be part of it. As our network capacity and reach continues to grow, its conceivable we could traverse global distances uncompressed in just a few years.The trial was for HD TV, but the infrastructure can also support 4K and HDR since the hub environment is agnostic to format or compression technologies.The 60 HD feeds (30 in both Sydney and Los Angeles) encompassed all the automation and control signals. Resources, including replay, were fully shared between the two sites, with the replay operator in Los Angeles controlling servers at the Sydney Hub, where production took place.Telstra provided the redundant 10 Gb +10 Gb trans-Pacific circuit as a natural extension of its Australia-wide DPN, and VC-2 was used as the compression technology; round-trip latency was only 136 milliseconds, less than two frames in each direction, according to the companies.NEP said it plans to trial other locations around the world, including Japan and the UK. BBC America plans to air the royal wedding as a live and direct simulcast of BBC Ones coverage in the UK. The nuptials of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle will be shown with limited commercial breaks as the centrepiece of a week of celebratory programming that includes a replay of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana and the US television premiere of Harry and Meghan: A Very Modern Romance.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will wed on Saturday 19 May at St George's chapel, Windsor. The service will be followed by a carriage procession from the chapel through the town, returning to Windsor castle via the Long Walk. BBC America will show the BBCs main royal wedding programme of the marriage and the carriage procession, with live coverage before and after. The live broadcast will begin Saturday morning, with an encore presentation of the wedding to air later in the day.The one-hour special, Harry & Meghan: A Very Modern Romance investigates the social background that characterises this adventurous marriage. It explores the remarkable lives of Markle, a womens rights campaigner, and Prince Harry, looking into their shared interests and love story. Eighty-two years after a romance with a divorced commoner from America led to the abdication of a king, this royal marriage sets and confirms a revolutionised set of British values.When American Meghan Markle marries HRH Prince Harry it will be a truly global cultural moment, with enormous fanfare around the world, said BBC America president Sarah Barnett. We are thrilled to be the true home of this royal wedding, a union that precisely mirrors our own heritage. The whole week leading up to the royal wedding will be a celebration you wont want to miss.Additional programming for the week includes Born To Be King: To mark the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges first child, Prince George, this documentary looks back at royal childhoods in previous generations with archive material of the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William. As George - the great grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II becomes third in line to the throne, he will have to balance the customs of the past with the huge changes that he will see within his lifetime. If this prince lives as long as his great grandmother the Queen, he could be on the throne as Britain enters the 22nd century.Britains Royal Weddings goes behind the pomp and circumstance of royal weddings, beginning with the Queen Mother in 1923 to the present day. It shows how changing social attitudes and national circumstances have influenced what the public has come to expect from them.Charles and Diana The First Decade tells the story of the worlds most famous royal couple through Charles as the doting suitor and Diana as the fairytale princess in her bridal gown. She became the mother of two children and the model for every fashionable young woman. But what role did Diana and the media play in creating that image and how did that relationship backfire when things started to go wrong?The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was made with the co-operation of Buckingham Palace and tells the behind the scenes story of the coronation of Elizabeth II drawing on never before seen archive footage. Following the death of her father King George VI in 1952, the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth immediately replaced him. But many months of planning were to follow before Elizabeth IIs formal coronation in 1953. Through the opening up of the diaries and papers of those at the heart of the event, it can be seen that senior figures, from Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Prince Philips uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten, jockeyed for pivotal roles.Diana, 7 Days: On 31 August 1997 the sudden and tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, catapulted the British public into one of the most extraordinary weeks in modern history. Among those interviewed some sharing their thoughts for the first time include Prince William and Prince Harry; her siblings, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer; former members of the Royal Household; former Prime Minister Tony Blair and two government officials intimately involved that week, Alistair Campbell and Anji Hunter.Diana Legacy of a Princess: In January 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, made a historic visit to Angola as part of the Red Cross campaign against anti-personnel landmines. She would later say that it had changed her life. One year later, the documentary returned to discover what happened to the children she met and the money she raised.Prince Harry: Frontline Afghanistan: Price Harry is the first member of the British Royal Family to see active combat since his uncle, the Duke of York, fought in the Falklands War. Captain Wales, as he is known in the military, arrived for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan in September 2012, returning four months later in January 2013. During the tour, the Ministry of Defence agreed access to Prince Harry as he went about his work as an attack helicopter co-pilot with footage of him at work at Camp Bastion. He also addresses his relationship with the media and the Las Vegas trip that caused tabloid headlines in 2012. European cinema TV channel Eurochannel has landed in Bolivia on Comteco, one of the countrys leading pay-TV operators. Eurochannel will offer Comteco subscribers what it calls a unique selection of more than 70 European films and TV series. Among others, the roster for May includes new Italian series: Presumed Guilty, and in June, the new season of the cult TV series The Avengers, the adventures of spies John Steed and Emma Peel.Commenting on the partnership, Eurochannels CEO Gustavo Vainstein, said: Latin America is the region where Eurochannel started its operations and we are delighted to continue expanding in the region, this time offering our premium content for the first time in Bolivia thanks to Comteco. Now, Bolivian viewers will be able to enjoy Eurochannel's exclusive films and TV series. This new partnership allows us to take an important first step to conquer the Bolivian market.Added Comteco TV product manager Sergio Cuevas: "Comteco, always innovating and improving its services, is thrilled to now offer Eurochannel and its great content. This addition is part of our updated and new digital grid of the pay-TV service, which we believe is very important for our subscribers. Athens, GA (30605) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 74F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Localized flooding is possible.. Tonight Rain. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Online giving campaign raises $1.38 M WATERBURY Hailing from local towns and such far-flung places as China and New York City, 4,465 donors from around the world contributed a total of $1.38 million during Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills, the sixth annual 36-hour online giving campaign hosted by Connecticut Community Foundation. All donations supported the work of 257 nonprofits serving communities in the region. Give Local rallied individuals, businesses, and media outlets to raise as much money and awareness as possible for local nonprofits. Connecticut Community Foundation and dozens of sponsors, including presenting sponsor Ion Bank Foundation, contributed more than $190,000 in bonus funds and $58,000 in competitive cash prizes that were awarded to nonprofits during the event. Once again, were in awe. It is an honor to be part of a community in which generosity runs so deep, and a joy to think of the good that will come from dollars raised through Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills, said. Julie Loughran, president and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation. We are grateful to everyone who gave during Give Local in support of the work that matters most to them, and to every nonprofit that works all year to improve lives throughout the region. Total dollars raised for each of the participating nonprofits can be viewed on the leaderboard of the Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills website at www.GiveLocalCCF.org. Leading organizations by the end of the campaign, which concluded at 7 p.m. on April 25, included Washington Montessori School, Wellspring, ASAP!, Lake Quassapaug Association and the Roxbury Land Trust. Top five nonprofit organizations by number of gifts received were Wellmore Behavioral Health, Animal Welfare Society, Washington Ambulance Association, Washington Montessori School and the Connecticut Choral Society. Learn more at www.conncf.org. Webster Bank to host home loan event When: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Where: Webster Bank, 1180 East Main Street, Torrington, will hold a home loan event at the branch on Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Visitors can learn more about home buying, refinancing, and home equity loans and lines of credit. Mortgage Banking Officers, local Realtors, Webster Financial Consultants and other professionals can help with mortgage prequalification, explore local real estate listings, teach how to use the equity in your home for financial flexibility, and provide advice on planning for your financial future Visitors will also receive special offers. For more information, visit: www.websteronline.com/openhouse Women & Girls Fund supports financial literacy, job skills The Women & Girls Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation has awarded $9,500 in grants in support of local organizations that are working to develop economic self-sufficiency for women by means of education, financial literacy and social services. Family Strides, Inc. was awarded $3,000 in support of a series of financial education workshops for at-risk, low-income mothers. McCall Center for Behavioral Health was awarded $2,400 in support of the Hanson House Resiliency Group. The Hanson House program has a focus on clinical support and holistic treatment. Residents are empowered to heal and continue their recovery in a home-like setting, said Sara Osborne, Director of Prevention. Over the course of the 4 to 6 months they gradually increase their independence, accountability, and at the later stages of the program, are encouraged to find work in the community and continue their treatment with the McCall Center or other recovery support systems in the community. Other recipients included CAFTA in Torrington, which received $2,500 to support to support Summer Art Camp scholarships for daughters of working mothers; and Kent Education Center & Nursery School, which received $1,600 to support scholarships to increase access to preschool. Established as a giving circle in 1999 by a small group of women who shared a concern for the real-life needs of local women and girls, the Women & Girls Fund has awarded more than $60,000 to organizations that work to help women and girls develop skills, attain economic security, and improve their quality of life. In recent years, the fund has awarded grants to support childcare scholarships for working mothers, assist unemployed women to enter the workforce, provide automobiles to working women who need transportation, enhance economic opportunities and promote self-sufficiency for women leaving abusive relationships, support art therapy for mothers and daughters, and fund leadership and assertiveness workshops for high school girls. For more information about The Women & Girls Fund or to learn how you can support its mission, visit www.northwestcf.org/womenandgirls LARC fundraiser a great success TORRINGTON More than $33,000 was raised by the nearly 400 people who attended and the many event sponsors, auction and raffle donors who supported The Arc of Litchfield County (LARC) annual Spring Wine Tasting, held April 6 at Chatterleys Banquet Hall in Torrington, according to a press release. The wine tasting, presented in partnership with The Cork Fine Wine & Spirits, featured a sampling of wines from international purveyors as well as some of the finest American wineries. The event also included food tastings from Chatterleys and local restaurants including Carbones, Applebees, Cakes Unlimited, and Cafe 38. Guests participated in a wine toss, bid on silent auction items including themed baskets and fantastic getaways, and learned more about LARCs services and programs. One of two fundraisers held by LARC each year, the wine tasting event raises funds to support services provided by LARC. Presenting sponsors were Alliance All Trades and Thomaston Savings Bank. The Arc of Litchfield County (LARC) is a 50-year old, nonprofit agency in Northwest Connecticut founded by families to support loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Guided by a vision of Community for All, LARC promotes individual empowerment, choice, respect, and dignity. On a daily basis, LARC serves 220 individuals with disabilities throughout Northwest Connecticut. Services include residential group homes, in-home supports, transportation, day and employment programs. LARCs Social Enrichment program provides critical respite and recreational opportunities for 120 such as group outings, social gatherings, and Special Olympics. LARCs Camp MOE program provides an integrated day camp setting for 294 children to develop friendships, leadership skills, responsibility for self, and respect for others. New details are coming to light about the man accused of being the notorious serial killer, the East Area Rapist. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of two counts of murder in the case of Brian and Katie Maggiore, who were killed in February 1978, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said. Finding a good doctor is only part of achieving good health. You also need to be vigilant about what you eat, focusing on foods and drinks that fuel a healthy lifestyle, not inhibit it. But, let's be honest, so-called "health food" doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to taste. You want nutritious foods that also please the palate. Here we offer dining locations around the state where the food is both good and good for you. Just remember: You are what you eat. A post shared by Three Girls Vegan Creamery (@threegirlsvegan) on Aug 27, 2017 at 4:55pm PDT So big was the buzz behind this maker of nut-derived vegan "cheese" that when it opened a shop in a small plaza in Guilford last summer, people waited for more than an hour to have at the vegan selection. Some of the cheese-but-not-cheese varieties include mozzarella "di Bufala" pearls and nacho cheese sauce, both made from cashews, as well as almond ricotta. Simply put, this is the place for people who love cheese, but can't or won't eat the real thing. Meat lovers, too, likely will find something to their liking, with products such as maple bacon made from coconuts, and smoked pastrami made from beets and mushrooms. Three Girls also offers an array of prepared options such as a meatball grinder, lasagna and biscuits and gravy. In addition to their Guilford space, Three Girls products can also be found at several Connecticut food stores and online. 203-896-0411 New Morning Market, Woodbury A post shared by New Morning Market (@newmorningmarket1971) on Mar 8, 2018 at 8:53am PST New Morning Market has been fighting the good-food fight since way back in 1971, long before local and organic was hip. Its current location is a 32,000-square-foot space that serves as an inviting hub of local and sustainable food and culture. The market is also home to The Provender, an award-winning, fresh-food counter, and a full coffee bar that also offers fresh organic juices and smoothies, as well as kombucha tea. A vitality center on the second floor offers yoga classes, hosts special events and provides guests the option of scheduling appointments with a nutritionist, massage therapist and other wellness professionals. 203-263-4868 Bloodroot, Bridgeport Ned Gerard Housed in a converted machine shop on the water in Bridgeport, this is a classic Connecticut restaurant with a healthy vibe all its own. Billed as a feminist vegetarian restaurant, Bloodroot has no waitstaff; everyone orders at the counter and clears their own tables. The ultra-political spot is also a bookstore, but its the wide variety of salads and nut-and-seed meat substitutes that make this a must-try for the health conscious. Eating vegetarian food isnt always healthier, but eating more vegetables generally is. 203-576-9168 A post shared by Nature's Temptations (@naturestempt) on Dec 14, 2017 at 7:01am PST On a wooden sign, just inside the door at Natures Temptation, the words local, sustainable and organic are written in large, bold letters. These words act as the mantra for the natural grocery store, deli and juice bar. In the shop youll find items such as 100-percent grass-fed beef, local milk and a variety of herbs, spices, oils and vinegar all unrefined and organic. These ingredients also power the full-service deli and the juice and smoothie bar. Theres even a naturopathic doctor on staff to help answer nutrition questions customers might have. 203-438-5443 Photo courtesy of Jeff Skerik Nestled in the crook of East Main and Chestnut streets, G-Zen is a vegan beacon for health-focused and environmentally friendly folks with a taste for award-winning fine dining. But the philosophy of husband-and-wife chefs and owners Mark Shadle and Ami Beach Shadle is that their job isnt over when the meal is finished. Sustainability is of the utmost importance. Their solar-powered family farm in Durham provides organic ingredients for the restaurant and their Gmonkey food truck, and the waste material becomes compost for the next crops. The menu changes daily, but the mission remains the same. 203-208-0443 Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe, Fairfield Ned Gerard Specializing in raw (rawking) foods, Catch a Healthy Habit offers fruit- and vegetable-forward dishes with an array of vegetarian and gluten-free options. Superfoods nutrient-rich foods that are particularly good for us power many of the smoothies and dishes. Regardless of whether health is your main concern when deciding where to eat, its hard not to have your stomach rumble when you see descriptions of foods such as chia and chocolate pudding, carrot ginger soup and the popular nut-and-seed veggie burger. 203-292-8190 Heirloom Food Company, Danielson A post shared by Heirloom Food Co (@heirloomfoodco) on Mar 8, 2018 at 8:19am PST One way to tell if an eatery serves up healthy fare: food with vibrant color. And no, were not talking about the unnatural orange of cheese snacks. One look at the Instagram page of this spot in Connecticuts rural East provides a kaleidoscope of colors. While many dishes at Heirloom are vegetarian or vegan, its this organic cafe and juice bars dedication to local sourcing that should appeal to all tastes. With a chalkboard menu and a website that list the ingredient-supplying local farms, Heirloom offers an array of mostly vegan and gluten-free items (aside from tuna and turkey options). Standouts include the Beta Burger, featuring a patty of lentils, beets, brown rice and almonds, and the Avocado Detox salad with mixed greens, chopped apples and sliced avocado topped with sesame seeds, walnuts, cranberries and lemon juice. 860-7793373 Claires Corner Copia, New Haven Catherine Avalone Another institution on this list, Claires has been serving up vegetarian and vegan food to Yale kids and other New Haven residents for 40 years. Claires offers vegetarian dishes with a sort of Tex-Mex twist, from burritos to quesadillas. Tofu abounds. Its also located on one of the nicest street corners in New Haven, diagonally across from the Green at the corner of Chapel and College streets. Big windows offer great people-watching opportunities. 203-562-3888 ION Restaurant, Middletown Catherine Avalone Its Only Natural has been on Middletowns Main Street for over a generation, serving up vegetarian and vegan cuisine long before it was cool or in vogue. Perhaps thanks to cohort after cohort of environmentally conscious and hip kids up the hill at Wesleyan, ION has grown and expanded over the years, and is now affiliated with a natural foods grocery store, also on Main Street. A lot of vegetarian and vegan places have fairly limited offerings some combination of rice, beans and lentils to supplement the veggies and make the dish something other than a salad. But IONs menu is full of adventurous concoctions. Theyve been doing it for some 30 years, so you can bet they have figured out how to keep people coming back. 860-346-9210 The Sweet Beet, Granby A post shared by @thesweetbeet on Apr 5, 2018 at 7:26am PDT While not every item on the menu here contains beets, everything at The Sweet Beet is vegan and gluten free. And those with food allergies will be happy to know that neither soy nor peanuts are used. Its all part of a clean eating philosophy that has gained a loyal following at this cafe and bakery near the Massachusetts line. Primarily a takeout spot with a cooler of prepared foods, The Sweet Beet offers a few sandwich options (No Egg Salad with chickpeas, onions, dill and seasonings), made-to-order salads (The Sweet Beet Salad with greens, carrot, shredded beet, cucumber, tomato, pea shoots and house-made shallot vinaigrette), soups such as bean chili, several creative juices (Beetlejuice with beet, cucumber, apple and ginger), and baked goods such as mini cupcakes. 860-653-2338 This article appeared in the April 2018 issue of Connecticut Magazine. TORRINGTON For the third consecutive year, Center Subaru has broken its own record donation to the Northwest CT YMCA. In 2016, Center Subaru, through its Share the Love event made a $63,000 donation, which it then bested in 2017 with a gift of over $70,000. On Thursday morning, the dealerships owner, Phil Porter, presented YMCA CEO Greg Brisco with a check for $70,420, which now stands as the largest non-capital gift made the Northwest CT YMCA. The donation, Brisco said, helps assure that the Y will continue to be there for those who need it most and that its programs and services will remain available to everyone regardless of their personal circumstances. Our goal and our mission at the Y is to help every person who comes to us. We want everyone to have the opportunity to reach their full potential and for our community as a whole to thrive, Brisco said. Thanks to Subarus overwhelming generosity, the Y will continue to make a positive impact and be an organization where children and families can receive the help they need to realize their dreams through participation in programs designed to build their bodies, challenge their minds and lift their spirits. We are so incredibly grateful to Phil Porter, his amazing staff, the great people at Subaru of America and also the new car owners who selected us as their charity of choice, Brisco added. Center Subaru continues to be a shining star, not only for the Y, but for all who live, work and play here in this community. Center Subarus donation, which was the result of its Share the Love 2017 campaign, marks the fifth year the YMCA was selected as the dealerships hometown charity, with a donation total now surpassing $236,000. The gift comes about through the hard work of the Center Subaru team, and the incredible generosity of Porter, who stands as the only dealer in the Subaru of New England network to100 percent match what is awarded by Subaru of America during the November to January Share the Love campaign. This donation speaks to our sincere commitment to the community where we live and work, Porter said. Were proud to match Subaru of Americas contribution, and are ecstatic to be able to help our community. In 2017, more than $181,900 in financial assistance was awarded by the YMCA to assure that children and families could participate and benefit in the Ys programs and services. In total, 855 received financial assistance over the course of the year. Torrington Mayor Elinor Carbone has said the entire City of Torrington is incredibly grateful to both Center Subaru and the NWCT YMCA for their commitment to making Torrington a stronger, healthier community. For five years, Center Subaru has been named the key sponsor of the Ys Grand Prix Race Series, which includes the WYLD Obstacle Run in June, the Canaan Railroad Days Run in July, Highland Lake 10K in October and the 5K Zombie Chase Challenge in November. For his continued support of the Y, Porter was awarded the Northwest CT YMCAs prestigious 2018 Legacy Award at its Annual Meeting and Recognition Reception on April 26, 2018. The Northwest CT YMCA is part of a 257-year-old worldwide organization that strengthens communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. With locations in Torrington, Canaan and Winsted, the Y has a long-standing relationship and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver lasting personal and social change. The Northwest CT YMCA has served Northwest Connecticut for more than 130 years, now serving more than 10,000 individuals annually through its programs and services, which include: health and wellness, swimming and sports, summer camps, child care, youth and government, the Winchester Youth Service Bureau, the Torrington Trails Network, Winsted Trails, Literacy Volunteers of NWCT, low-income housing and an emergency homeless shelter. Before the start of Barbara Bush's funeral, Paul Morse, former White House photographer under George W. Bush, snapped a photo of the H.W. Bush, George W. and Laura Bush, the Clintons, the Obamas, and First Lady Melania Trump standing together smiling. The image became instantly iconic not only for the importance of the photo, and all the people in it, but also for the mood and ease with one another the group portrayed. SO SWEET: The touching story behind George H.W. Bush's book socks, the man who started it all According to an interview with the Daily Mail, Morse said there was a lot more to the photo than meets the eye. Leading up to the photo, the group chatted comfortably with guests as they filed into the church prior to the service, and when it was time to take the picture, the group came together very quickly. "Rather than me kind of getting everyone together, they were pairing down who was in the room as people were going into the service," Morse told the publication. "The former presidents were the last ones there and [Bush's chief of staff Jean Becker] asked if she could do a group picture with President Bush. It all kind of naturally came together. All of the characters were there except President Clinton, who was talking to someone. He was the last one who joined the picture and he kind of scooted in there, which is why he's partially obscured by Mrs. Clinton." According to New York Magazine, everyone was genuinely comfortable and at ease with each other, which helped make the shot such an iconic moment, especially considering that many members of the group are considered political rivals. "I was immediately struck by how natural everyone's expressions were. The smiles were authentic. Everyone seemed very, very comfortable around each other," Morse told the publication. "They felt very comfortable being together like that, which I thought was very remarkable. [Even after] photographing President Bush 43 and Clinton for so many years, there was a twinkle in everyone's eye that caught my attention. It's something I haven't seen in a long time." Take a look through the gallery above to see the iconic image as well as other scenes from Barbara Bush's ceremony. Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli. FAIRFIELD Its been more than 32 years since a newborn baby boys body was found strangled and mutilated at Lake Mohegan, and police are still desperate for answers. The baby was found on March 14, 1986. Police later gave him the name Victor. Photos from the crime scene that day and the following autopsy show the babys broken jaw, leaving him trapped in what looks like a permanent scream. Detective Kerry Dalling and Lt. Michael Gagner of the Fairfield Police Department still hope someone can shed light on the brutal killing. In 2009, Gagner, who was in college when Victor was killed, had just taken over the Detective Bureau. He had Victors case file spread out on his desk when Dalling, who works on domestic and sexual violence crimes, walked in. I think I said to her, Have you heard about the baby case? Gagner said. From that point on, they decided, We have to be a voice for this baby because no one else will, he said. Just looking at that baby how can someone do that? The brutality done to this baby... Dalling said recently, her thoughts trailing off as she sat across from Gagner in the Fairfield police station, clutching the crime scene photos. The case went cold once all leads at the time were exhausted. Its a complicated case, Dalling said. Emotionally, its hard to deal with. More Information Anyone with information is asked to call the Fairfield Police Department's Detective Division at 203-254-4840. All calls will be kept confidential. Anonymous tips can also be sent via text to CRIMES (274637) or online at www.tipsoft.com. See More Collapse Finding Victor A public works employee emptying garbage cans in the picnic area near the cascades at Lake Mohegan found the body of a newborn baby on a chilly, foggy March morning on the leaf-strewn ground. Victor was found on a scrap of burlap, wrapped in womens pajamas, covered with a scrap of plastic and surrounded by pieces of food, fruit and coins. Police said the crime scene seemed to indicate a ritual killing. Even if it wasnt a legitimate ritual, whoever set it up would have knowledge of these rituals, of these beliefs, Dalling said. It was dehumanizing. The initial investigation led detectives to a gang operating out of Bridgeports West End. Police also checked with people who were studied in arcane rituals. We spoke to some experts who said it may have been staged to look like a ritual killing when it was not, Gagner said. An autopsy showed Victors death, ruled a homicide, was caused by suffocation. Among the injuries he suffered were a broken jaw, strangulation marks and face mutilations. The autopsy confirmed he was born about 24 hours before he was found, and that he was alive at birth. A fresh lead In 2009, Gagner and Dalling went back to evidence that provided them with a new look at the case. We (had) found this graffiti, Dalling said, pulling out a crime scene photo from 1986. The photograph showed the name of a couple and their child in a heart on a picnic table that, Dalling said, was 20 to 30 feet away from where Victor was found dead. Additional photos from the crime scene showed more graffiti on the picnic table, with names and phrases carved into the wood. They showed the photographs to members of the Bridgeport West End gang, and people affiliated with them. One woman said she recognized the graffiti. She told us they (the gang) would hang out there all the time, Gagner said of the picnic area. Dalling and Gagner said they see too many coincidences surrounding Victors murder and the Bridgeport gang. Costly cleanup In 1986, roughly 24 to 36 hours after the recovery of Victors body, police were contacted by a bank data processing center at the Kings Highway/Black Rock Turnpike traffic circle. They said they heard screaming from the womans bathroom on March 13, then they heard a baby crying, Gagner said. The bathroom was only accessible by employees, or someone who sneaked in, officers found. No one at the office checked the noises out, police were told. The employees didnt think twice about it, Dalling said. A cleaning crew stumbled upon a quantity of blood in the womens room and cleaned it up without asking office staff about it, police said. The cleanup left no traces to be processed by police. Employees and the cleaning crew were interviewed. A few leads at the time turned out to be dead ends. A huge amount of blood, was how the cleaning crew described the scene to police. Based on that, police determined that a woman maybe Victors mother had given birth or miscarried. The data center was less than 2 miles from where Victors body was found. Sure, its possible this was just a coincidence, Gagner said. But we dont really believe in coincidences. Possible parents White pajamas with red berries, reads the description on the evidence bag, all these years later. Since Victor was found wrapped in the pajamas, its possible whoever did that cared about him, the detectives said. Police think it was his mother. If she is still out there, Dalling said, she probably still cares. Police have a full DNA profile from the pajamas they believe belonged to her. It can still be tested. Police believe Victors mother was likely a runaway or foster teen, living in Bridgeports West End. Some tips indicated she was 15. Were open-minded to what really couldve happened, Gagner said. If Victors mother was a victim, he said, she wouldnt go to jail. Shortly after the babys death, police also received tips that the father of the baby was in (a) gang, from Bridgeport, Gagner said. Several members of the gang were tentatively ruled out through blood tests, Dalling said. There are various motives for the gang to have killed the baby. But without further information, police dont have a definitive reason. For now, all the information related to the case is kept nearby. The evidence is packaged up in the basement like a time capsule, Dalling said. An occasional series that looks at unsolved homicides, or cold cases, in Bridgeport, Fairfield and beyond. Armenian university students marched in the streets of the capital, Yerevan, on April 29 to show their support for a recent wave of antigovernment protests and to back opposition politician and protest leader Nikol Pashinian's candidacy to become the new prime minister. The students also condemned widespread corruption in Armenia and called for an end to the politicization of the country's universities, where the ruling Republican Party wields considerable influence over academic officials and student councils. (RFE/RL's Armenian Service) Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinian has been officially nominated by his Yelk alliance as the partys candidate for prime minister a day before a vote in parliament on a new head of government after street protests forced the resignation of Serzh Sarkisian. Pashinian, who had already secured the support of all opposition factions, was nominated unanimously by Yelk on April 30, lawmaker Ararat Mirzoyan told RFE/RL. The nomination of the 42-year-old comes a day after several thousand people rallied to demand that the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) transfer power to Pashinian by electing him to the prime minister's post on May 1. Pashinian addressed the April 29 gathering, telling protesters that he thinks it is "very likely that at least some members of the HHK faction" would vote for a "people's candidate" for prime minster. He called on supporters to pause their actions of civil disobedience and to stop calling and sending emails to HHK lawmakers. However, he urged them to return to the square in the evening of April 30. I want to look straight in the eyes of all of you, with all the confidence to declare that yes, I am ready to assume the office of the prime minister of the Republic of Armenia and to serve the people of Armenia, Pashinian told the rally. After meeting with HHK faction leader Vahram Baghdasarian on April 29, Pashinian told reporters that there was no mood among members of the Republican Party to "thwart" the parliamentary vote. "There is a mood that a prime minister should be elected on May 1," he said, without elaborating. Pashinian, the only candidate to step forward for the post, had instructed his supporters on April 29 to continue blocking traffic and staging "peaceful and nonviolent" acts of civil disobedience "even though the political situation has changed and there has been certain progress." 'Extremely Important Rally' He also told them to gather in Yerevans central Republic Square for "the most powerful [rally] yet." Baghdasarian told reporters that the HHK would not hinder the election of Pashinian if the other factions in parliament support his candidacy. Meanwhile, the former ruling coalition party that has seven seats in parliament, Dashnaktsutyun, announced that it was formally supporting Pashinian's candidacy in the May 1 parliamentary vote. Dashnaktsutyuns decision came after the HHK, which has 58 seats in the 105-seat parliament, decided on April 28 that it would not nominate its own candidate. The second largest parliamentary faction, the Tsarukian Alliance, has also pledged to support Pashinian. The Tsarukian Alliance controls 31 seats in parliament. Pashinian's Yelk alliance has nine seats. That means Pashinian needs support from at least six members of the HHK to be elected. No HHK Candidate A spokesman for the HKK said the party decided not to nominate its own candidate in order "to avoid confrontation and destabilization of the country." HHK spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov said Republican lawmakers plan to consider all other candidates, then vote as a bloc. Pashinian has led weeks of street demonstrations in Armenia that resulted in the resignation of Serzh Sarkisian from the prime ministers post. He hopes that a massive show of support on the streets during the next two days will convince HHK lawmakers to vote him to power. Pashinian said he met early on April 29 with President Armen Sarkisian for talks about Armenias "domestic political situation, the latest developments, and possible solutions." U.S. 'Closely' Monitoring Situation The U.S. State Department weighed in on Armenias political standoff late on April 28, saying it continues to "closely" monitor the situation. "As a friend of Armenia, we urge all parties to engage in good faith negotiations on the formation of a new government in accordance with the constitution, and to reach a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians," it said in a statement. HHK holds 58 seats in the 105-seat parliament, and without its support Pashinian is unlikely to be elected. However, the second biggest party in parliament, the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), hinted it might support him. "My team and I will vote for a people's candidate, whether it's Nikol Pashinian or anyone else nominated by the people," party leader Gagik Tsarukian told Kentron TV. 'No Geopolitical Reversals' The current crisis was triggered by Serzh Sarkisian's shift earlier this month to the newly powerful post of prime minister after a decade as president -- a move critics charged was a blatant bid to cling to power when he reached the limit of two straight presidential terms. Pashinian on April 27 promised no "geopolitical reversals" in front of thousands of supporters in Gyumri, the country's second-largest city and host to a large Russian military base. Russia -- Armenia's main ally and trading partner -- has said it will not intervene in the standoff. However, President Vladimir Putin on April 26 talked on the telephone with Karapetian, a former Gazprom manager, calling for a quick solution to the Armenian crisis -- one that would reflect the outcome of last years parliamentary elections won by Sarkisian's HHK, the Kremlin said. Pashinian, in his speeches to the local crowds on April 28 repeatedly called on local governments, municipalities, elected representatives in local assemblies, and mayors to publicly announce their joining what he called the "Popular Movement," in an apparent effort to consolidate his public support base. He also said he was ready to meet with all the ruling party's lawmakers "simultaneously." I want to confirm that we are ready for negotiations, and we are interested in resolving these problems as soon as possible," he said. On April 29, Pashinian vowed to enhance relations with Moscow, saying Armenia and Russia "will benefit from this process" if he becomes prime minister. But he added, "We will also step up our relations in all the directions, and will expand relations with the EU, the U.S., China, Iran, and Georgia. There is every prerequisite for this," he said. With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, Interfax, and TASS The director of Iran's reformist Shargh newspaper has been released on bail, one day after being arrested over a report about "prostitution" in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Mehdi Rahmanian was released on April 29 after posting bail of 500 million rials ($9,000), Iranian news agencies reported. On April 8, Shargh published a report on the killing of a 6-year-old Afghan girl in the Shahid Rajai district of Masshad, Iran's second-largest city. The article quoted an official as saying several brothels were located in the district and that drug abuse was a problem. The article provoked angry protests by locals, who demonstrated in front of the local mosque and called on authorities to "take action" against the newspaper. Shargh is one of Iran's most prominent reformist newspapers and has supported President Hasan Rohani. Based on reporting by AFP and Fars The Iranian government has confirmed the arrest of a British-Iranian professor on suspicion of violating security laws. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, a spokesman for Iran's judiciary, said on April 29 that Abbas Edalat had been arrested in Tehran on April 25. Edalat is a professor of computer science at London's Imperial College and holds both British and Iranian citizenship. "I confirm his arrest on security charges, but I am unable to give details," Ejehi told state broadcaster IRIB. Iran's Fars news agency reported on April 26 that Edalat is accused of being part of an "infiltration network affiliated with Britain." An unknown number of other accused members of the purported network were also reportedly detained. At least three other British citizens are currently being held in Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has arrested around 30 dual nationals over the last three years, most of them on spying charges. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters The Central Criminal Court in Baghdad has sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison after convicting them of joining the Islamic State terrorist group. The court on April 29 also convicted six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan, sentencing them to life in prison as well. The women were not identified in media reports. Most of the defendants told the court that they had been brought to Iraq against their will from Turkey by IS militants. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said between 50 and 70 "Russian-speaking women" were currently in custody in Baghdad, together with more than 100 of their children. Zakharova said the embassy had not been allowed access to the defendants and it would only be possible to establish their identities after their trials were completed. In February, Iraq turned over 27 women and their children to the Russian authorities after determining the women had been deceived into joining IS. Based on reporting by AFP, TASS, and RBC Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has told RFE/RL that he remains "convinced" a solution can be found to the dispute with Greece over his country's official name, but he said any constitutional change would have to be decided by a referendum. In an interview published on April 29, Zaev said such a referendum could be held at the same time as a vote by citizens on whether Macedonia should join the European Union, a move the prime minister supports. Greece, an EU member, has for years blocked Macedonia's efforts to join the bloc, arguing that its name implies a claim on the Greek province of Macedonia. The two countries appear closer than ever to an agreement, with Macedonia reportedly considering adding a modifier to its moniker, such as "Upper," "Northern," or the historical name "Vardar," to satisfy Greek demands. Constitutional Change? Greece has insisted that, as well as internationally, the name change be used in Macedonia itself for official matters -- a move that would likely require changes to the country's constitution. Zaev said that Greece is seeking "a change in our constitution with regards to the name change." "Most probably the final decision [on a name change] will be tied to the vote by Macedonia, by its citizens, on handing over some sovereignty to the European Union, on becoming an EU member -- something that we want to see," he told RFE/RL's Balkan Service. Zaev said he is "convinced that with creativity, a solution [to the name dispute] can be found." "But, it is a political question, because both sides must find a mutually acceptable solution that will need to be put into place by official bodies in both countries," he said. He added that, in the end, he -- along with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias -- "can make an agreement, but it is the institutions and people of the two countries who will have the final word, and they will make the final decisions." Matthew Nimetz, the United Nations envoy on the matter, has expressed optimism on the possibility of reaching an agreement between the two sides, especially after the most recent round of talks ended on April 25 in Vienna. Nimetz said after the meeting that Macedonia's Dimitrov and Greece's Kotzias remained determined to resolve the dispute. "It was an intense discussion, very cordial and...both sides are very dedicated to reaching a solution. The process will continue in the next weeks," Nimetz told reporters. Macedonian leaders are hoping to resolve their differences this year to accelerate the country's bid to join the EU. The dispute arose in 1991 when Macedonia declared independence following the breakup of communist Yugoslavia. Athens objected to its neighbor using the Macedonia name because it has a northern province by the same name and contended that Macedonia's move implied territorial claims on that province. 'Concrete Goal' Negotiations over the matter languished for years, but progress was made after Macedonia agreed in February to change the name of the capital's Alexander the Great airport to Skopje International Airport in a goodwill gesture to Greece. The motorway linking Macedonia with Greece was also renamed the Friendship Highway. "I believe that we have never had better circumstances to find a complete solution that will last for centuries and will remain forever," Zaev told the AFP news agency earlier this month. On April 27, Zaev said he expects to soon secure a date to begin EU and NATO membership talks. "We have a concrete goal ahead of us," he said. "We have never been closer to receiving a date to open membership talks with the EU." "We are working to successfully solve the name issue. Solving this issue will open the doors to begin membership talks with the EU and to enter NATO." With reporting by RFE/RL Macedonian Service's Zoran Kuka, Reuters, and AFP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he will close the country's nuclear test site next month, Moon's office says. "Kim said during the summit...that he would carry out the closing of the nuclear test site in May," a spokesman told reporters on April 29. Kim said he "would soon invite experts of South Korea and the U.S. to disclose the process to the international community with transparency," spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. South Korea's presidential office also said Kim vowed to invite U.S. experts and journalists to watch the closure of the nuclear test site. Amid growing concerns in Tokyo that Japan is being sidelined from the reconciliation effort between North and South Korea, Seoul's presidential official also said that the North Korean leader had expressed his readiness for dialogue with Japan "any time." In their historic summit on April 27, Kim and Moon pledged to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and vowed to seek a formal end to the Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, by year's end. U.S. President Donald Trump is also expected to meet with the North Korean leader, possibly in the next three to four weeks, the U.S. leader said at a rally on April 28. The South Korean spokesman also said North Korea plans to readjust its time zone to match that of the South's. The North in 2015 created "Pyongyang Time" by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. The moves are helping to ease tensions on the peninsula and bring at least a temporary end to Pyongyangs testing of nuclear weapons, which was conducted in defiance of United Nations resolutions. The tests also brought about crippling financial sanctions against the North by the global community. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Israel, the next leg of his first diplomatic trip to the Middle East during which he has been briefing U.S. allies about President Donald Trump's threat to quit the Iran nuclear deal. Pompeo met on April 29 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks that centered on Iran. "We have just had very productive, very focused conversations on our common interests and how to defend our common values," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference following the meeting. "I want to thank again President Trump for his historic decision on recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital." Pompeo said Trump had "a comprehensive Iran plan that is designed to counter the full array of threats emanating from Tehran." He added that the United States was "deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region." Earlier in the day, Pompeo met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman after arriving in Riyadh the previous evening and dining with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. After his talks in Israel, Pompeo will travel on to neighboring Jordan. After the meetings in Riyadh, Pompeo accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East with its support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and for Shi'ite rebels in Yemen. 'Vast Scope' Of Terrorism Speaking at a joint press conference with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Pompeo said Iran "supports proxy militias and terrorist groups." "It is an arms dealer to the Huthi rebels in Yemen and Iran conducts cyberhacking campaigns. And it supports the murderous Assad regime," Pompeo said. "Unlike the prior administration we will not neglect the vast scope of Iran's terrorism." Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran -- a move that could jeopardize the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers. Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China, which also signed the accord, have urged Washington to remain part of the deal, saying it is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But Trump says Tehran has violated the "spirit" of the agreement by continuing to test ballistic missiles and by fomenting insurgent violence in the Middle East, allegations Iran denies. The accord provides Iran with sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, told Fox News on April 29 that Trump "has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out." Meanwhile, the office of U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement the same day saying May, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed that the nuclear deal was the best way of curbing Iran's nuclear program, but added that it could need to be broadened to cover other issues, including ballistic missiles. "They committed to continue working closely together and with the U.S. on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses," the statement from May's office said. Diplomatic Push A senior U.S. official says Pompeo is pushing the international community during his Middle East trip to impose new sanctions on people or entities that aid Iran's missile program. "We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Brian Hook, a senior policy adviser traveling with Pompeo, said on April 28 in Saudi Arabia. "Iran's missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel," he said. Pompeo, who was sworn in last week as the top U.S. diplomat, arrived in Riyadh as part of a Middle East trip following his attendance at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. Pompeo said in a news conference from Brussels on April 27 that "no decision" had been made yet on continued U.S. participation in the accord. But he said unless substantial changes are made, it is "unlikely" Trump will remain in the deal. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is pushing the international community during his Middle East trip to impose new sanctions onpeople or entities that aid Irans missile program, a senior official has said. "We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Brian Hook, a senior policy adviser traveling with Pompeo, said on April 28 in Saudi Arabia. "Iran's missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel," he said. Pompeo, who was sworn in this week as the top U.S. diplomat, arrived in Riyadh as part of a Middle East trip following his attendance at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. He will also visit Jerusalem and Amman. His trip comes as President Donald Trumps May 12 deadline nears for signees to the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran to fix what he sees as major flaws or face a U.S. withdrawal from the deal. Britain, France, German, Russia, and China, which also have signed the accord, have urged Washington remain part of the deal, saying it is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But Trump says Tehran has violated the spirit of the deal by continuing to test ballistic missiles and by fomenting insurgent violence in the Middle East, allegations Iran denies. The accord provides Iran with sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Pompeo said in a news conference from Brussels on April 27 that no decision has been made yet on continued U.S. participation in the accord. But he said unless substantial changes are made, it is unlikely Trump will remain in the deal. Pompeo, who served as director of the CIA before becoming secretary of state two days ago, was one of the first Trump administration officials to visit Saudi Arabia early in his time as head of the spy agency. He was greeted at the airport by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and is expected to meet Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and King Salman during the visit. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa Patriarch Kirill is making his first trip as leader of the Russian Orthodox Church to Muslim-majority Albania. The patriarch was welcomed on April 28 by the primate of Albania's Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Archbishop Anastasios, upon his arrival at Tirana-Mother Teresa International Airport. The archbishop said the patriarchs historical peace visit" was "of remarkable importance." Kirill is also scheduled to meet with Albanian President Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama during the three-day visit. He is also set to visit a liturgy in the Resurrection Cathedral in Tirana and make a trip to Durres, where he will visit the theological academy there. Most of Albanias 3 million people are Muslim, but there are Orthodox Christian and Catholic communities. The 2011 census estimated that Orthodox Christians make up about 7 percent of the countrys population. Based on reporting by AP, Interfax, TASS, and Ortho Syrias army says it has captured a series of villages from U.S.-backed Kurdish forces to the east of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq. Syrian state television said on April 29 that the villages were in territory that the Kurdish YPG militia had taken over from Islamic State (IS) militants in Deir Zor Province as part of the campaign that drove the militants out of eastern Syria. The Syrian Army has rarely clashed with the Kurdish YPG, which is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance, during the campaign against Islamic State and had kept away from their areas east of the Euphrates. Instead Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces have focused on regaining territory from the militants to the west of the Euphrates River. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP A group of children have set off an unexploded mortar round in a residential area in eastern Afghanistan, causing an explosion that killed a woman and two children. Attahullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, says another seven children were wounded by the April 29 blast. Khogyani says the mortar round had been fired by militants the night before but failed to explode. Based on reporting by AP and AFP The attack was one of the deadliest rampages in the country in recent years. The suspect is in the police custody. He is a 28-year-old man surnamed Zhao. The knife-wielding man attacked the students near a secondary school in Mizhi County in Shaanxi province. Reports suggest the victims are middle school children, aged 12 to 15. Violent crime is rare in China compared with many other countries. However several fatal knife attacks occurred in recent years. The criminal is in custody Sociologists have blamed a lack of support for the mentally ill and a dysfunctional legal system in which people who feel theyve been treated unfairly or have suffered injustice have few avenues to seek redress. In this case, the Mizhi county government said Zhao had studied at the school, where he had been bullied. In January 2017, a man armed with a kitchen knife stabbed and wounded 11 children at a kindergarten in Chinas southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.The country executed three men in March 2015 after they were found guilty of a savage knife attack at Kunming station, where 29 people were hacked to death and more than 100 others wounded. Arjun with Sanjay in Panipat Mumbai: Arjun Kapoor, who will be sharing screen space with Sanjay Dutt for the first time in "Panipat", today said he is excited to be working with the actor in the Ashutosh Gowariker-directed film. "I am excited. I will be nervous only after I reach the sets. When such films are announced, you look forward and as an actor you have grown up wanting to do these things. Advertisement Arjun, Ashutosh and Sanjay "Sanjay sir is a benchmark when it comes to action genre and to do a film a proper action film with him is very exciting. I hope to enjoy more," Arjun told reporters here at the 19th edition of the IIFA awards "Voting Weekend". The poster of the film was released last month and it is expected to hit the theatres in December next year. The period drama, which also features Kriti Sanon, is based on the third battle of Panipat that took place in 1761. Recently, the teaser of Rajkumar Hirani's "Sanju" was unveiled and Arjun feels that there can be no better director than Hirani to make the film on Dutt's life. Advertisement Arjun Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt in Panipat "I am sure there is a lot of pressure. Looking at the teaser I can say that the film will make you laugh and cry. The film will tell everything that we have either read or heard about his life," Arjun said. "We are assured that everything will be shown in the film. Every chapter of the man's (Dutt) life," he added. Arjun also praised Ranbir Kapoor, who plays the role of Dutt in the biographical drama. "Ranbir is a very good actor and he has done an amazing job, I am sure there is a pressure in doing such roles. It looks promising and I hope it turns out to be even better than the teaser," he added. Phagwara clash Ludhiana: A youth, who was critically injured in a clash in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups on the issue of renaming an NH1 traffic intersection, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here, police said. Yashwant alias Bobby (19 ), a Dalit activist, who was critically injured in the clash, in which three others were also injured, succumbed to injuries here yesterday night at DMC Hospital. Advertisement Phagwara Clash His body was sent to Phagwara this morning after postmortem by doctors under tight police security. On April 13, clashes erupted in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups after Dalit members allegedly put up a board with a picture of B R Ambedkar at Gol Chowk. Advertisement They also tried to rename the intersection as Samvidhan Chowk. Four persons were injured in the clashes. Want to prevent kids from using drugs and make it stick into young adulthood? Get the community involved and intervene before they're teens, say researchers from the University of Washington. A new, longitudinal study from the UW Social Development Research Group shows that young adults who grew up in communities that used a coordinated, science-based approach to prevention were more likely to have abstained from substance use, violence and other antisocial behaviors through age 21. Researchers at the group, part of the UW School of Social Work, examined a decade's worth of participant data across seven states as they evaluated the effectiveness of the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention system. Their study was published online in April in the American Journal of Public Health. "This study is significant because we show that we have these long-term effects through age 21," said Sabrina Oesterle, lead author and assistant director of the Social Development Research Group. "The youth we have been following weren't exposed to prevention-oriented programs after middle school, so that suggests that whatever happened by middle school, they carried [those influences] with them, and it's made such a lasting impact on their lives." UW social work professors Richard Catalano and David Hawkins created Communities That Care, an approach that helps communities organize around prevention, choose programs that are appropriate for their populations, and collect information on young people's experiences with alcohol, drug and tobacco use, and delinquency. The idea, they say, is to give children, parents, teachers and community members the opportunities and tools to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors. Today, hundreds of cities and towns nationwide use the program. The study was conducted among 4,400 youth participants in 24 rural communities in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Towns were randomly assigned as "control" communities or as intervention communities. Control communities maintained whatever prevention programming was in place, while intervention communities used the CTC system to select evidence-based, prevention-oriented programs according to the risk factors that were found to be higher among their youth. Communities were asked to focus on grades five to nine. advertisement Many intervention communities opted for three to five programs over time, such as classroom-based lessons in life skills, after-school activities like Big Brothers Big Sisters or parent-support classes. Training began in 2003, and selected programs were launched in 2004, when the children were in sixth grade. Monitoring of the participants' behavior continued for a decade through surveys. For many of the measured behaviors, participants from intervention communities were more likely to have abstained through age 21 than those in the control group. Among those who had never used substances or engaged in antisocial behavior at the beginning of the study, incidence rates were still generally lower among participants from intervention communities compared to those from control communities. Results showed: The likelihood of abstaining from a "gateway drug" (alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana) through age 21 was 49 percent higher among participants from Communities That Care towns. CTC participants were 18 percent more likely to abstain through age 21 from criminal behavior, such as vandalism, theft and illegal use of weapons. advertisement Among males, participants from intervention communities were significantly more likely to abstain through age 21 from cigarette smoking, marijuana and inhalant use, as well as from antisocial behavior and violence. These differences were smaller among females. Although more participants from intervention communities never engaged in these behaviors, the proportion who used drugs or engaged in criminal and violent behavior in the past year did not differ between control and intervention communities. The gender differences need more study to be fully explained, Oesterle said. One theory is that the risk factors targeted by the prevention programs may be more relevant for boys than girls. Perhaps the kinds of behaviors or "protective factors" that would be more meaningful to girls weren't emphasized as much in the chosen programs. In 2004, when the study launched, states had not yet begun legalizing recreational marijuana. Plans for the next phase of the study, pending funding, call for a focus on whether that new access has affected marijuana use for young adults in the study, Oesterle said. For now, this study reveals broader implications for public health, she said. Communities often want to tackle a problem behavior or head one off, but they don't always know where to start. "It shows that if a community invests in a coordinated and data-driven prevention planning system, you have this long-term effect that gets sustained," Oesterle said. "If a community adopts CTC, they own the process, based on their local culture and values. With Communities That Care, you're not just focusing on the most high-risk kids; you're trying to prevent the beginning of problems for everyone." A study in today's issue of JAMA Oncology reports that New York City firefighters exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster site face an increased risk for developing myeloma precursor disease (MGUS), which can lead to the blood cancer multiple myeloma. The study was conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "With our 2011 study in The Lancet, we were the first to show that first responders were more likely to get many different types of cancer," said senior co-author David J. Prezant, M.D., a professor of medicine at Einstein, a pulmonary disease specialist at Montefiore and chief medical officer of the FDNY. "We carried out this new study to do more than just treat cancer. We wanted to find early, predictive signs of cancer that would allow us to screen people and monitor those found to be at risk. By detecting MGUS, which predicts the development of multiple myeloma, we are able to do that." In MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance), the blood's plasma cells produce an abnormal protein called monoclonal (M) protein that can be detected with blood tests. MGUS generally causes no problems but can progress to multiple myeloma, a blood cancer diagnosed in about 30,000 Americans each year. In multiple myeloma, rapidly proliferating plasma cells can crowd out the bone marrow's normal blood-forming cells, leading to problems including anemia (shortage of red cells) and leukopenia (shortage of white cells). Most multiple myeloma cases are diagnosed in people older than 65, and only 5 percent of cases occur among people under 50. Half of those diagnosed with multiple myeloma are still alive five years later. Previous studies suggest that MGUS and multiple myeloma all tend to develop after exposure to toxic chemicals. The aerosolized dust from the collapsed towers exposed FDNY and other first responders to unprecedented levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, asbestos and other potential carcinogens, as well as diesel smoke from heavy machinery used in the 10-month rescue and recovery effort. For statistical reasons, the study population was limited to 781 white, male WTC-exposed firefighters aged 50 to 79 whose blood samples were evaluated to assess the prevalence of MGUS in the group. When results were compared with MGUS prevalence in a non-exposed comparison group (men living in Olmsted County, MN), the prevalence of MGUS in the firefighters was nearly twice as high (7.63 cases of MGUS per 100 firefighters vs. 4.34 cases per 100 non-exposed persons). "We saw a significantly higher incidence of MGUS in these first responders, and they're developing it at a young age," said the study's senior co-author Amit Verma, M.B.B.S., a professor of medicine and of developmental & molecular biology at Einstein and director of hematologic malignancies at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care. Their early development of MGUS, he says, suggests that these firefighters potentially face an increased risk for early-onset of multiple myeloma as well. Indeed, in a separate analysis, the researchers examined the 16 cases of multiple myeloma diagnosed between September 12, 2001 and July 1, 2017 among all white, male WTC-exposed FDNY firefighters. Their average age of diagnosis was 57, or 12 years younger than the average age for multiple myeloma diagnosis nationally. Although not everyone with MGUS will develop multiple myeloma, the researchers recommend that physicians screen first responders exposed to the WTC site for both conditions. "Screening for multiple myeloma risk by testing for MGUS is something we can offer these first responders, which is why this study is important," said Dr. Prezant. Another study in this edition of JAMA Oncology predicts how many WTC-related cancer cases will be diagnosed among FDNY WTC exposed rescue/recovery workers between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2031.The study, by Einstein, Montefiore, and FDNY researchers, predicts that among a subset of white males 2,714 new cancer cases will be diagnosed over the 20-year period. Led by Rachel Zeig-Owens, Dr.P.H., a research assistant professor in epidemiology and population health at Einstein, these studies demonstrate that this is a significantly greater cancer burden than the 2,596 cancer cases that would be predicted in a demographically similar but non-exposed population. The study also calculated that the 20-year cost for the first year of cancer treatment for the FDNY WTC exposed rescue/recovery workers will total more than $235 million. The paper is titled "Estimation of Future Cancer Burden in World Trade Center-Exposed Fire Department of the City of New York Rescue/recovery Workers." The MGUS study is titled "Multiple myeloma and its precursor disease among firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center disaster." The blood samples for this study were collected and purified under the direction of Orsi Giricz, Ph.D., a co-first author of the study at Montefiore/Einstein, and then analyzed for MGUS by Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D., at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the corresponding author for the study. Dr. Zeig-Owen was also a co-first author in this study. The other Einstein and Montefiore authors are David Goldfarb, M.P.H., George Nwankwo, B.S., Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D., Kith Pradhan, Ph.D., Charles B. Hall, Ph.D., Hillel W. Cohen, Dr.P.H., Theresa Schwartz, M.S. and Mayris P. Webber, Dr.P.H. Additional authors include Malin Hultcrantz, M.D., Ph.D., Kaznouri Murata, Ph.D., Katie Thoren, Ph.D., Lakshmi Ramanathan, Ph.D., Ahmet Dogan, M.D., Ph.D., and Shani Irby, N.P., all of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Nadie Jaber, PA-C, of the FDNY; and Laura Crowley, M.D. and Michael Crane, M.D., of Mount Sinai School of Medicine. This work was supported by grants from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Byrne Fund, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Core Grant, the Albert Einstein Cancer Center, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The authors declare no competing financial interests. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three humans carries Staphylococcus aureus, or "staph," in our noses, and 2 percent of us carry the dreaded methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strain that thwarts common antibiotics. So how is it that most of us never get sick from staph infections? Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine have found a clue. In a study published April 26 in Cell Host & Microbe, the researchers show that an immune-system generated molecule called nitric oxide (NO) inhibits the ability of the S. aureus to transform from a relatively benign, quiescent colonizing state to its virulent form, producing toxins to invade and cause disease. This might explain why our nasal passages typically have very high concentrations of NO. The lead author of the paper is Rodolfo Urbano, a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University. He conducted the research as a doctoral student in the lab of Dr. Ferric Fang, UW professor of laboratory medicine, microbiology, medicine and pathobiology. He is the paper's senior author. "At a time when antibiotic resistance is on the rise, immune molecules that target virulence factors could be used to develop new therapeutics," Urbano said. The UW team collaborated with peers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Colorado. Urbano said our immune system uses NO as a weapon against many microbes including viruses, parasites, bacteria and fungi. As with most antibiotics, NO fights most bacteria by limiting their ability to grow. But S. aureus is able to grow despite the presence of NO. advertisement To find out how NO might be keeping S. aureus in check, the researchers set out to identify all the proteins in S. aureus that were modified by NO. Many proteins were altered, they found, but one protein in particular caught researchers' interest. That protein, called AgrA, plays a key role in the process that switches quiescent S. aureus bacteria into virulent invaders. This process is called quorum sensing; it's triggered when bacteria reach a certain density -- a "quorum" -- and initiates the process in which the bacteria begin to produce virulent factors such as toxins. By modifying AgrA, NO blocked this quorum-sensing system, Urbano and colleagues found. To confirm their hypothesis, the researchers showed that mice with staphylococcal pneumonia that lacked the gene needed to generate NO developed more severe disease. This demonstrted that NO can suppress the production of toxins during an infection, Urbano said. "The same effect may also apply when there is no ongoing infection," he said. Fang noted that bacteria often find a way to evolve so they can resist the effects of antibiotics, but curiously S aureus appears to have not evolved to resist the effect of NO. "One could speculate that the arrangement is actually advantageous to the bacterium," Fang said. "The bacterium doesn't want to make its host sick. It prefers to just colonize the host, grow, and spread to other people. If the staph colonizing me makes me sick and I die, that doesn't help the staph." Fang said his team hopes to better understand how NO protects the body, but also why it fails. "We know that one of the most dangerous things that can happen to you when you get the flu is that you can develop a staph infection. We would like to know whether the flu disrupts the normal balance between staph and the host and whether it has something to do with NO." Funding: This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants T32 AI55396, AI39557, and AI123124. Consumers consider online reviews important for choosing physicians, but they should be wary of using those ratings to choose plastic surgeons. The reviews tend to be polarized, and some are written by people whom consulted with the doctor but never had surgery, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The study examined online ratings of doctors who performed cosmetic breast augmentation in six major U.S. cities. In reviews by patients who had cosmetic breast augmentation, patients' treatment by the surgeon's staff was nearly as important to them as the outcome of the surgery. The online platforms for patient reviews in the study analysis were RealSelf, Yelp and Google. The study assessed 1,077 reviews across the platforms, comprising 935 positive and 142 negative reviews. "We found the people who write these review are either very happy or unhappy, so it's difficult for the consumer to get balanced information," said senior study author Dr. John Kim, a professor of plastic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine plastic surgeon. The study will be published April 26 in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal. advertisement The finding most surprising to Kim is the importance of interactions with the doctor's support staff. "The important thing used to be how the surgery turned out," Kim said. "Our study shows what's almost equally important are things we wouldn't have thought of like how quickly we answer the phone, how nice the staff is in their interactions, the wait time and bedside manner. Service is becoming paramount and almost as important as tangible results and outcomes." The cost of the elective cosmetic surgery procedures, which are generally not covered by insurance, is at the bottom of patient concerns, Kim said. The data was obtained in December of 2016 and January of 2017 from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Miami. The first five of these cities were included because they represent the five most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S., based on 2015 U.S. Census data. Miami was included because it has the most plastic surgeons per capita of any metropolitan area in the U.S. Other study findings: There were significantly more 1 star and 5 star reviews than 2, 3 or 4 star reviews. Patients with more extreme views (1 star: worst surgeon ever, or 5 star: best surgeon ever) are more likely to write a review online than those with more moderate views. advertisement "Unhappy patients take up more screen 'real estate' than happy patients, posting longer reviews, which creates a bias of dissatisfaction in online ratings," said first study author Rob Dorfman, a fourth-year student at Feinberg. Doctors are not allowed to respond to negative reviews online due to HIPPA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). "That is an important point for people to understand," Kim said. As a result of the findings, Kim has begun implementing changes, including office training for personnel to enhance the service aspect of patient care. Google reviews were more favorable than reviews on Yelp in each major city studied. The difference was most evident in Houston, where the average Google rating was 4.7 and the average Yelp rating was 3.8 despite 60 percent overlap in surgeons reviewed. There are many more reviews of plastic surgeons for consumers to evaluate. The number of online reviews on plastic surgeons on Yelp and Google have shot up at an average rate of 42.6 percent per year since 2011, driven predominantly by a 51.4 percent annual growth rate among Yelp reviews. Kim cautions that online exposure can become a surrogate for experience. "You could have been practicing quietly and humbly for 20 years, but patients think someone with 1,000 reviews, even though they have much less experience, must be better," Kim said. "So the ubiquity and quality of online reviews may increasingly substitute for experience and ability." Kim suggests consumers do the following when vetting a plastic surgeon: 1) determine if they are board certified, 2) ask your primary care doctor, trusted friends and family for a referral, 3) meet with the surgeon and determine your comfort and confidence in them. Nature is intimately connected with human well-being of current and future generations -- which is why an array of reports track the state of biodiversity and predict the impact of our way of life on its evolution. These reports are based on several indicators that only take indigenous -- i.e. "original" -- species into account for each region. Yet today modern environments are made up of indigenous and introduced species. The introductions are either deliberate -- as is the case, for example, with agricultural crops -- or accidental, as was the case with the Asian hornet or the box tree moth. Although these introduced species play important roles, they are ignored by specialists, a fact that partly distorts the international nature reports. The study by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), published in the journal PLOS Biology, recommends that the positive and negative contributions made by these species should be included so that the public has an accurate view over the surrounding nature and its evolution. Biodiversity protection at present is intimately linked to protecting the indigenous species and environments that are specific to each region worldwide, the aim being to safeguard the "authenticity" of landscapes and their ecosystems. The indicators used by biologists are based exclusively on species of origin; in other words, they overlook the presence of introduced species. These indicators inform international reports on biodiversity, introducing a bias at the source, argues Martin Schlaepfer, a researcher at UNIGE's Institute of Environmental Sciences (ISE). In short, a section of nature is deliberately ignored. Why? Fear of the invader Biologists generally favour the protection of native species. By contrast, introduced species are viewed as undesirable by the conservation community because a subset can generate undesirable effects. "But around 88% of species introduced to Europe are not problematic," explains Schlaepfer. "And among those that do create a problem, we generally only look at their flaws, without factoring in the positive features they can also generate." For example, the giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) is a species of plant introduced from North America. It is considered invasive in Switzerland because it can dominate environments bordering agricultural land. However, in addition to boasting medicinal properties, the giant goldenrod also facilitates favourable biological interactions with pollinators. In a similar manner, American crayfish -- which are invasive in European lakes -- provide the catering industry with an important source of food. Reports that are relevant for politicians and the public By deliberately omitting introduced species, biodiversity reports do not accurately reflect nature as it really is. "If you focus on trees in the Canton of Geneva, there are 88 indigenous species. But there are 597 introduced tree species in the canton!" points out Schlaepfer. A large part of the natural world surrounding the people of Switzerland is knowingly excluded from the indexes. "If we want to remain relevant for political institutions, we now need to consider nature in its entirety," insists the UNIGE biologist. But what would the impact be on the results of the reports? Planetary boundaries In 2012, the High-Level Group on Global Sustainability produced a UN-validated report that identified 12 indicators for measuring planetary boundaries, i.e. the limits that humankind must not exceed in order to enable life to continue on Earth. One of these indicators is biodiversity. Biologists observe the average abundance of species originally present in a region; if the average abundance drops by more than 10%, experts consider that nature has been altered too extensively and that the health of future generations is in danger. "But these reports do not include the potentially useful functions brought about by species that were not originally present, even though they are constantly interacting with the indigenous biodiversity," says Schlaepfer. "If they included these factors, then the percentage of the land area deemed to be in poor condition would decrease from 58% to 48%, reducing the severity of humankind's impact on nature." Looking at all of nature's species in order to follow their evolution In his study, Schlaepfer challenges the indicators used in international reports on biodiversity. "Understanding nature and its links to human well-being means assessing every species at its fair value, because they all interact with humans and form part of the reality of the evolution of biodiversity," points out Schlaepfer. Furthermore, introduced species may also be in the majority, mainly in urban areas. "Trees that are culturally important for the public are often introduced species, and they illustrate why we must include the positive aspects of these species that contribute to the well-being of humans, even if they contradict the values of some biologists." Biomedical engineers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new technique for measuring blood flow in the human brain, which could be used in patients with stroke or traumatic brain injury, for example. The new technique, based on conventional digital camera technology, could be significantly cheaper and more robust than prior methods. The work is described in a paper published April 26 in the journal Optica. "Our setup is very promising, and the cost should be lower," said Wenjun Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher working with Vivek Srinivasan, associate professor at the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering. If you shine a light into a cloudy solution, light particles, or photons, will be scattered in different directions. An experimental technique called diffuse correlation spectroscopy, or DCS, uses essentially this approach to look inside someone's skull. Laser light is shined on the head; as photons from the laser pass through the skull and brain, they are scattered by blood and tissue. A detector placed elsewhere on the head, where the photons make their way out again, picks up the light fluctuations due to blood motion. These fluctuations provide information about blood flow. The light signal is very weak, and the further it passes through the skull and brain tissue, the weaker it gets. So DCS requires a number of very sensitive, expensive single photon counting detectors. Boosting the light going in risks burning the patient's skin. Interference to boost signal Zhou and Srinivasan took a different approach, based on the fact that overlapping light waves will reinforce or cancel each other out, like overlapping ripples on a pond. They first split the light beam into "sample" and "reference" paths. The sample beam goes into the patient's head and another, stronger, reference beam is routed so that it reconnects with the sample beam before going to the detector. This boosts the signal, meaning that instead of needing about 20 photon-counting detectors that cost a few thousand dollars each, the researchers could use a single CMOS-based digital camera chip for a fraction of the price. "The strong reference light enhances the weaker signal from the sample," Zhou said. They call the method interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy, or iDWS. An added advantage is that they do not need to turn off the room lights while making measurements with iDWS, Zhou said. Eventually, they may even be able to monitor brain blood flow outdoors, under bright sunlight. So far, the team has tested their device by making brain recordings from volunteers in the laboratory. They are working with Dr. Bruce Lyeth and Dr. Lara Zimmermann in the UC Davis Department of Neurological Surgery to validate and adapt the technology for eventual use in neurocritical care. UC Davis has applied for a provisional patent on the technology. On 26 April 2018 the European Commission took steps to tackle the spread and impact of online disinformation in Europe and ensure the protection of European values and democracies. The Commission proposed an EU-wide Code of Practice on Disinformation, support to an independent network of fact-checkers, and concrete tools to stimulate quality journalism. The JRC study on the digital transformation of news media and the rise of disinformation contributed to defining the tools for tackling disinformation online. The report contains an overview of the relevant economic research literature on the digital transformation of news markets and related impact on the quality of news. Algorithm-driven platforms shape the news landscape The report points out that two-thirds of online news consumers prefer to access it through algorithm-driven platforms such as search engines and news aggregators, and social media websites. It also states that market power and revenue streams shifted from news publishers to platform operators who have the data to match readers, articles and ads. advertisement The quality concerns in news are a result of not so much the shift from offline to online distribution, but rather the shift from direct access to newspapers to indirect algorithm-driven distribution of news. This is characterised by the mix of genuine edited news articles, user generated content and deliberately produced disinformation. True news dwarf false news Despite the much wider availability and accessibility of online news, user trust in news media, especially in online sources of news, is low and differs considerably by age, education and country. Traditional print and broadcasted news remain the most trusted sources. True news audiences dwarf false news audiences, though fake news travels faster and further on social media sites, also across echo chambers and may capture consumer attention longer than true news. Research in this field, however, is only at the fledgling stage, with findings sensitive to the sample selection of false and real news sources. Most studies analysed in the JRC report find limited impact of false news on political choices. advertisement Are digital news market failing? There are concerns about distribution platforms such as search engines, news aggregators and social media sites, because their main objective is not the provision of quality news but rather to maximize traffic and advertising revenue. They may weaken consumer trust and news brand recognition and facilitate the introduction of disinformation and false news into the market. This may contribute to news market failure when it becomes difficult for consumers to distinguish between good quality news and disinformation or fake news. Disinformation detectives The JRC is also carrying out extensive research on the issue of fake news. From identifying sources of disinformation to tracking trendy narratives, this work seeks to detect early such stories and prevent them from spreading. The European Media Monitor (EMM) developed by JRC covers about 300,000 articles per day from traditional news sites. With such an overwhelming volume of information, specific software is necessary in order to classify the information by policy area, and to cluster it in order to find the top stories. However, the monitoring cannot rely on technology alone, human analysis is ultimately necessary. The JRC has been working with the European External Action Service East StratComm Task Force, set up by the EEAS in 2015 to address pro-Kremlin disinformation. This surveillance allows capturing trends and ongoing narratives, for instance, that NATO was behind the protests in Ukraine or that the West is trying to attack Russia or to legalise paedophilia. Social media and bot accounts The JRC is also developing monitoring to cover social media, including Twitter. Around 55 million tweets circulate daily through this platform. The JRC analyses a sample of 10% of them, in order to identify trends, to see how news can quickly "go viral," and to map communities based on the information users share and on how they interact with each other. Another area of current research is the tonality of known fake news. Usually, balanced journalistic reporting presents positive and negative aspects, therefore the overall tonality is neutral. Disinformation articles, on the contrary, often push emotions to the extreme. On this topic, the JRC is organising workshops with journalists, social media managers and policy officers, in order to help them understand the use of emotions by fake news sources. Cocaine and other drugs of abuse hijack the natural reward circuits in the brain. In part, that's why it's so hard to quit using these substances. Moreover, relapse rates hover between 40 and 60 percent, similar to rates for other chronic conditions like hypertension and Type 1 diabetes. University of Pennsylvania behavioral pharmacologist and neuroscientist Heath Schmidt studies how long-term exposure to drugs such as cocaine, nicotine, and prescription opioids affects the brain and how these changes promote relapse in someone who has kicked the habit. A recent paper, published in the Nature journal Neuropsychopharmacology, investigated a novel treatment for cocaine addiction, something that touches 900,000 people in the United States annually. "As a basic scientist I'm interested in how the brain functions during periods of abstinence from cocaine and other drugs and how neuro-adaptations in the brain promote relapse back to chronic drug taking," he explains. "From the clinicians' perspective, they're looking for medications to try to prevent relapse. Our goal as basic scientists is to use animal models of relapse to identify novel medications to treat cocaine addiction." Schmidt and colleagues from Penn Nursing and Penn Medicine had hypothesized that the neural mechanisms and neural circuits in the brain that play a role in food-seeking might overlap with those key to drug-taking. Through several experiments, they discovered that drugs that activate receptors for glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone that reduces food intake and blood glucose levels, could actually decrease the desire to seek out cocaine. What's more, there are several FDA-approved medications used to treat diabetes and obesity that already target GLP-1 receptors. "One of the first questions we had -- and we were really just kind of curious -- was, does cocaine at all affect circulating levels of metabolic factors like leptin, insulin, GLP-1 that have been shown to regulate food intake?" says Schmidt, whose primary appointment is in Penn's School of Nursing. The research team got its answer from a simple experiment with a rat animal model: Blood drawn after 21 days of cocaine intake revealed decreased levels of the GLP-1 hormone. Though the primary cells that synthesize and release this hormone are found in the small intestine, there's also a source in the brain called the nucleus tractus solitarius. advertisement "Knowing all of this got us interested in GLP-1," Schmidt says. "Does it actually play a role in modulating cocaine-mediated behaviors?" From there, the research team homed in on GLP-1 receptors and the drugs that activate them, what are known as receptor agonists. To test the efficacy of the medications in question, Schmidt and colleagues used an animal model of relapse with rats. For a three-week period, the rats could press a lever for intravenous infusions of cocaine as frequently as they desired. On average, the animals self-administered 28 infusions of cocaine each day. The scientists then swapped out the cocaine for saline, leading to a period of withdrawal. Lever-pressing rates dropped significantly. "At that point, we considered drug-taking to be extinguished," Schmidt says. "We then reinstated drug-seeking by re-exposing the rats to the drug itself or to cues paired with the drug during the self-administration phase, like a light that comes on when the lever gets pressed." Once again rats depressed the lever at high rates, an indication that they were seeking the drug -- akin to relapse in a human who is addicted. advertisement The researchers next pretreated the animals with one of the FDA-approved drugs intended for diabetes and obesity treatment, Exendin-4, to determine whether it might reduce or altogether block cocaine-seeking. Results showed a significant decrease in drug-craving and -seeking, both after an acute injection of cocaine and from re-exposure to environmental cues during withdrawal. "This tells us Exendin-4 can block the effects of cocaine itself but also condition stimuli previously paired with cocaine," Schmidt notes. "This was really exciting because it's the first demonstration that the GLP-1 system, and the drugs that target this system, could potentially play an important role in cocaine seeking and relapse. The other really interesting aspect of these studies are the doses." GLP-1 receptor agonists are known to cause nausea and vomiting at pretty high rates in diabetic and obese patients who use them, so Schmidt and colleagues wanted to ensure that the reason for a decrease in cocaine-seeking wasn't from animals being sick. They identified doses that both reduced cocaine-seeking and did not produce adverse effects. A follow-up experiment that infused the GLP-1 agonist directly into the brain replicated the findings. Taken together, these findings indicate that low doses of a GLP-1 receptor agonist can selectively reduce cocaine-seeking without causing nausea. As a final step, the researchers isolated the brain pathway able to boost GLP-1 signaling, by using a fluorescent dye to track where the drugs actually went in the body after they were administered. "We've shown for the first time that central GLP-1 signaling plays an important role in cocaine-seeking," Schmidt explains. "We've identified systematic and intra-cranial doses of GLP-1 receptor agonists that reduce cocaine-seeking and don't produce adverse effects, and we think that if you increase GLP-1 signaling in the brain in general, you can reduce cocaine-seeking in rats and, potentially, craving-induced relapse in humans." To begin testing this, Schmidt's team is collaborating with researchers at Yale University to screen the efficacy of these drugs in a population of humans addicted to cocaine. Beyond that, Schmidt says he's hopeful these results have potential for drugs of abuse beyond cocaine, too. However, he adds, much more research is needed before this can be stated conclusively. "There is a lot we don't know about the GLP-1 system in the brain," he says. "What is the exact circuitry in the brain? Is this signaling the same as what mediates food intake or is it slightly different? Does cocaine change it in any way? We're working on that." For more than 40 years, the Golden State Killer eluded authorities. As police scrambled to solve the cold case, Joseph James DeAngelo now suspected to be the serial burglar, rapist and murderer who terrorized the state in the 1970s and 80s lived a quiet life in a Sacramento suburb. Meanwhile, genetic samples taken from crime scenes sat in an evidence closet. There were no matches. They appeared useless until an investigator plugged the DNA into a little-known genealogical website. The capture last week of DeAngelo, 72, was a stunning breakthrough for law enforcement. Sacramento County officials charged him with two counts of murder, and other counties soon followed. But investigators use of an open-source online genealogical service bearing similarities to 23andMe and Ancestry companies that have sparked controversy for selling sensitive user information to third parties has far-reaching privacy implications. A lot of people werent aware that others could get into these sites, said Arthur Caplan, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York Universitys School of Medicine. Its a reminder that these companies not only have third parties and legal authorities coming in, but sometimes they resell their data. They are not just in business to tell you if youre Lithuanian or Portuguese. They get a lot of their money from reselling information. It was a smaller genealogical website in Florida called GEDmatch that led investigators to the man now accused of being the Golden State Killer and East Area Rapist, linked to 12 murders and around four dozen rapes. The free site lets people find and connect with family members. Its advantage is that it lets users compare DNA samples with those who also uploaded genetic information on platforms like 23andMe, expanding the data pool. But because of how little-known GEDmatch is outside the world of genealogy buffs, officials likely turned to it on a whim, said Andrew Lee, an employee at Family History Fanatics, a popular genealogy education website. Investigators would have had to create a fake account and upload the sample they had of the killer using a pseudonym, then hope a relative a cousin, a grandfather, a sibling had also uploaded information to the site. Such a connection was indeed made in the case of the Golden State Killer, officials said, producing a pool of people that was then painstakingly narrowed to a handful of possible suspects. DeAngelo made the cut, prompting Sacramento County sheriffs deputies to stake out his home in Citrus Heights and wait for him to discard something with his DNA on it. After finding a first sample too weak, they went back and tested a second sample, which investigators said was a definitive match. While the case opens up broad new avenues for future police investigations, it reveals major privacy concerns in the young genetic testing industry, Lee said. A person who uses a website could be exposing their close and distant relatives past, present and future to potential police investigation. There is going to be a portion of the population that is really sensitive to their private information being used in some way they didnt intend, or didnt want, Lee said. But, on the other hand, I think there is a portion of the population that says, Hey, we have this great tool here, lets use it. Curtis Rogers, a partner with GEDmatch, said in a statement that the website had not been alerted before detectives used the company to search for the Golden State Killer. Nor did company officials cooperate with police, he said. Representatives of 23andMe and Ancestry said they would not hand over personal data to police unless compelled to by valid legal process. But people who sign up to use companies are told in fine print when they register that user data can be used in ways they never intended when they send in their initial DNA sample. While the database was created for genealogical research, it is important that GEDmatch participants understand the possible uses of their DNA, including information of relatives that have committed crimes or were victims of crimes, Curtis said. The possible uses for that data can be far-reaching as genetic kits balloon in popularity and more information is collected and stored. Companies like 23andMe which sells $199 kits that decode users health and ancestral data has become one of the largest private DNA repositories in the world. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year, the company sold 1.5 million testing kits. Access to some of that data has already been sold to corporations like drug companies, 23andMe officials admitted in 2015. In 2017, the companys privacy policies were brought under a national spotlight when Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., asked the Federal Trade Commission to thoroughly look at them. There are no prohibitions, and many companies say that they can still sell your information to other companies, Schumer said at a news conference last fall. Now, this is sensitive information, and what those companies can do with all that data, our sensitive and deepest information, your genetics, is not clear and in some cases not fair and not right. Fallout from the DeAngelo case has already hit the genealogy community. Kitty Cooper, a volunteer with GEDmatch, said people have left comments on her genealogy blog asking whether they should delete their accounts, or mark them as just for research. Sure, Cooper says shes told them. But she also asks: If their DNA could help solve a heinous crime, wouldnt they want to help? People in the community have mixed feelings, Cooper said. Were excited this guy was caught, but we just think if the results are going to be used ... we just want to know up front, she said. Police were able to nab DeAngelo the way they did because of the sheer number of people who have used at-home DNA kits and sent them to genealogical websites, said Jennifer Lynch, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties nonprofit. So were at this point where law enforcement could reopen these cases, when they wouldnt otherwise be able to, she said. The company 23andMe, which was founded in 2006, says on its website that it has more than 5 million customers. GEDmatch, founded four years later, has collected about 950,000 DNA kits. Lynch said its concerning that law enforcement can use such websites in the same way that regular users can. Knowing police can access the data could dampen peoples eagerness to share personal information on these sites, and for good reason, she said. For every example we have of a serial killer being caught, we also have people who were wrongfully caught, Lynch said, noting a 2014 case in which an Idaho man was wrongfully linked to a 20-year-old murder through a site now owned by Ancestry. How frequently does law enforcement use this tactic? And what kind of legal process are they getting before they get this database? 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. Publicizing genetic data could also affect future health insurance something many users dont consider. Uploading genetic information onto sites like GEDmatch are not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, said Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum. When people upload information about genetic disorders they have, like Huntingtons disease or Alzheimers, that could publicly expose their relatives, making them subject to higher insurance rates, Dixon said. The information could also play a role in custody cases, or in situations involving whether someone is a rightful heir to property or an inheritance, she said. Its a Pandoras box, Dixon said. Once you open it, the consequences come. One unintended consequence is finding out a long-lost cousin is a serial killer. People dont consider that, said Lorna Wallace, a volunteer at the California Genealogical Society in Oakland. Wallace, who is retired and volunteers part-time, became interested in family trees when her first child was born in 1983. It was a nesting thing, she said. She knew very little about her fathers family and wanted to know more. So Wallace took his cheek swab and sent it to an online site called Family Tree Maker. The information should stay private, she said. No one else should be poking around her family tree. That stuff bothers me, Wallace said. I dont like people looking my information up. Thats why I dont throw myself into the online stuff the way a lot of people do. For those who worry about what other people might discover about them, she has advice. Well, she said, I guess if you have something to hide, you shouldnt put it online. Chronicle staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this story. Lizzie Johnson and Trisha Thadani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn, @TrishaThadani Margaret Wardlow remembers being woken up with a flashlight in her face and a man with leather gloves standing over her bed. He told her to turn over and began to tie her up. At first, she thought it was some kind of joke, but then she thought: This must be the East Area Rapist. It was Nov. 10, 1977. The East Area Rapist, later known as the Golden State Killer, had been a frightening specter for more than a year. Before his attack on her, he was believed to have raped 26 women in the Sacramento area. He would go on to rape many more women across California and kill at least 12 people, in crimes that detectives were later able to connect. Using DNA evidence, investigators linked the crimes to Joseph James DeAngelo, now 72, and arrested him in Sacramento on Tuesday. Wardlow was 13 when the East Area Rapist attacked her, but she said she knew all about him from reading newspaper accounts and watching TV. I felt like I had a bit of dossier about him, which was really lucky, she said. Not very many people have that before a rape. That night, she and her mother had gone over to a neighbors house to have dinner and listen to a new record. They hadnt locked their door because they had an 80-pound golden retriever at home, and they felt generally safe in their area, Wardlow said. It was a school night for her, so she went to bed early when they got home. It was about 2:30 a.m. when Wardlow woke up to find the man with leather gloves standing over her bed. He had gone into her mothers room and stacked plates on her back, threatening to kill her and her daughter if he heard the plates fall something he did in other attacks. I absolutely understood that he got off on control by fear, Wardlow said. I just wanted to make him not get what he wanted, which was to see me fearful. She stayed calm throughout the attack, she said. He tied her ankles and her hands so tightly that blood vessels popped out on her wrists, then blindfolded her, and asked her if she had had sex before. She told him no. He had a brief period of anal sex with me and then went in and out of the room, she said. I had this strong feeling of what are you doing here? We have nothing here for you, she said. Maybe it was a kids reaction to this stuff, but I just kept thinking, why are you here? Wardlow remembers that her mom started screaming at some point. Wardlow was able to get her ankles untied and ran up the stairs, where she locked herself in the bathroom. Her mom came upstairs too, and they called the police. The attacker had fled the scene. She said that she became discouraged relatively quickly when he wasnt caught and continued on his violent spree, but that she didnt want the attack to take over her life. Ive never shed a single tear over this whole thing, she said. It wasnt like I tried to forget it, but it didnt play into my life. She followed the case on and off, but wasnt keeping close track. 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. Wardlow now splits her time between Palm Springs and San Diego, and has a 19-year-old daughter. She was in San Diego on the night of DeAngelos arrest. When she got back from a movie and dinner with her husband, she noticed she missed two calls from a number with a Sacramento area code. It was a retired detective whom shed never met but who knew about her rape. He told her that the man believed to be the East Area Rapist was in custody. I was literally like kicking my husband, saying, Theyve got him, theyve got him, she said. I barely slept that night because I was so ecstatic. Wardlow says she plans to follow the trial and maybe travel to Sacramento for some of it. I think justice will take its course now, she said. Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney What does it mean to stop asking for police intervention? First Congregational Church of Oakland is seeking a definition, and heres why: The church, on the corner of 27th and Harrison streets, on the edge of the Adams Point neighborhood and near Lake Merritt, is in an area traversed by many of Oaklands growing homeless population. Sometimes people wander into the church for a dry, warm and quiet place to sit. Sometimes people run inside in the midst of a mental health crisis they cant quite escape. And some people have refused to leave when it was time to close the churchs doors for the night. Thats the typical reason we would end up calling the police, not knowing what else to do, said Marcia Lovelace, a member of the multiethnic congregation. And we have experienced more than once that a member of the congregation fit the description, and they would get hassled by police instead of the person we were calling to get help with. This got church members to consider the consequences of calling the police on black and brown people when they could, potentially, handle an incident without dialing 9-1-1. So on Good Friday, March 30, First Congregational, known as First Congo, declared it was divesting from policing. We commit to reimagining our policies, procedures and relationships to our neighbors to reduce our reliance on policing that is too often deadly for those already marginalized, to contribute to restorative/transformative approaches to addressing harm and to increase our capacity to ensure the safety of everyone in our community, the church wrote in its declaration. Some people live with the assumption that summoning the police is what ensures safety for all. But for communities of color, there is a fear that a call to police could lead to a potentially lethal confrontation. First Congo is preaching to the choir, but Im not sure how this will work. Neither does the church yet. How Not to Call the Cops Ever, a community workshop, will be held at the church on July 15. Lovelace told me more workshops are planned. She stressed this is just the beginning of the process to build a model for community members to learn de-escalation techniques and how to respond to mental health emergencies. And no, the church isnt asking staff or tenants to put their lives in danger. If there was somebody threatening with a weapon, were not saying we have this ideal policy and your life doesnt matter, Lovelace said. Were not going to ask someone to risk their life. The church rents space to several nonprofit groups that have been included in the divesting conversation, including Sogorea Te Land Trust, an organization led by indigenous women to reclaim ancestral lands. Ines Gardilcic of Sogorea Te told me the churchs declaration is brave and inspiring. I think that this community and the church is really trying to engage the gaps in community care, she said. Policing is one of the major ones that is impacting the community around the church and in Oakland. And, obviously, around the country in general. As I was writing this column on Friday afternoon, a post appeared on the social media app Nextdoor about an unstable man in Adams Point who was banging on a car and shouting that he wanted to play a game with people inside an apartment building. He was black. Please lock your doors and be safe, the post read. Police have been called. We should also care about the safety of the man, who, like many I see living on the sidewalks and walking the streets, may need medical attention, not the kind of attention provided by police officers who might be quick on the draw to arrest or worse. There can be a positive to resolving issues at that level where people in communities can work together to address issues, LeRonne Armstrong, Oaklands deputy chief of police, told me. But Armstrong believes tackling mental health challenges requires people who are professionally trained, like the departments crisis intervention officers. 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. If not, that could put the public at risk in some way, because they need specialized training, he said. They need, obviously, additional assistance that (is not what) the normal person can provide in most cases. Our officers are specially trained. Its precisely officer training that Ive been concerned about because studies show that people of color often are targeted unfairly by police. In June 2016, Stanford researchers released a study that found Oakland police officers were four times more likely to search black men than white men during a traffic or pedestrian stop. The police and law enforcement are trapped in the system of white supremacy, said Mary Lim-Lampe, executive director of Genesis, a coalition of faith and community institutions advocating for social justice. Theyre just as trapped as anyone, so for us this is a really interesting tactic to address a systemic problem. We want to transform the system, not reform the system. Reform assumes that it wasnt built on rot in the first place. It was built on racist thinking in the first place. Genesis is also a First Congo tenant and will partner with the church to define what it means to stop asking for police intervention. It will require much more effort than keeping phones in pockets and purses. It may require assistance from an unlikely source: the police. I didnt see the real detail behind what was OK for them, for this group, to handle and then what they would refer to police, said Armstrong of the Oakland Police. But I do think its enough information to know there should be dialogue between us so we can talk about those things. Please, start talking. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr If there is anything more heartbreaking than the death of a child, it is the preventable death of a child. Sambang Juwara knows how this feels from bitter personal experience. In 2011, at just one month and 10 days old, the daughter she describes as her star died of pneumonia. Pneumonia, an infection that causes fever, chest pain, fatigue and difficulty breathing, is the No. 1 killer of children under age 5 in the world today taking almost a million lives every year. Yet it is a disease that is preventable with a series of simple injections. I carried that child for nine months, then helplessly watched her die in my hands because she was not protected, said Sambang, who lives in a small village in The Gambia. We all should take a moment to recognize that its not just in the developing world where children suffer needlessly, and that science has proved time and again the effectiveness of life-saving vaccines. Here in the United States, there were almost 18,000 cases of whooping cough reported in 2016, a disease easily prevented with a vaccine. To make sure everyone benefits from vaccines, there are challenges to overcome. Challenge 1: While we have vaccines for measles, pneumonia, polio and whooping cough, we still dont have them for deadly and debilitating diseases, such as malaria and HIV. That is why the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is supporting entrepreneurs and startups such as CureVac and Moderna, which are exploring advances in genetics and molecular science that are likely to make it cheaper, easier and faster to develop vaccines. Last week, we also launched a $12 million partnership to develop a universal influenza vaccine to protect against all strains of the virus. Challenge 2: When vaccines are available, it is hard to get them to people in remote areas. Inadequate health-care systems, poor infrastructure, access to reliable data, lack of governance and competing demands for scarce resources are all factors. Creative public, private and philanthropic partnerships can help especially to drive down the cost of vaccines. For example, in 2016 UNICEF negotiated to halve the price of a vaccine that prevents diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and a strain of influenza to just 84 cents a dose. This means tens of millions more children protected, and savings of $366 million for donors and governments. Challenge 3: Despite overwhelming, strong and conclusive evidence of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, some people remain unconvinced of the benefits of immunization. As vaccine programs succeed and memories fade of the seriousness of disease, some people are becoming more susceptible to fears about the vaccines than they are about the diseases they prevent. For example, political and religious leaders in three states in northern Nigeria brought the polio immunization campaign to a halt in 2003 by falsely claiming the vaccine could be contaminated with anti-fertility agents, HIV and cancer. In the United States and Europe, much of the modern anti-vaccine movement can be traced to a fraudulent 1998 paper published in a scientific journal that suggested a link between vaccines and autism. The study was subsequently retracted but its devastating consequences remain. The scientific community must take some responsibility for this state of affairs. As scientists, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard of transparency when sharing new scientific information, and honesty about what we know for certain versus what we believe to be correct right now. Take the fact that cases of mumps have been on the rise in the United States among 18- to 22-year-olds, most of whom were vaccinated as children. Weve discovered that immunity wanes over time in some people, leading to recommendations for a booster shot for some. This doesnt mean that the vaccine is ineffective. But scientists and public health professionals need to understand how such developments lead some to question the overall value of vaccines. We need to respond quickly and do so by speaking like regular people speaking to regular people. In that spirit, as a physician, scientist and public health advocate, I say: There is no doubt approved vaccines save lives. But if you dont want to take my word for it, take Sambangs. After her daughters death, she made sure that all her other children were vaccinated. That makes me happy, she says. The regret is what pushes me. Sue Desmond-Hellmann is CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the former chancellor of UCSF. The developer called them visionaries. Theo Ellington was among them, the pioneering home buyers who took a chance on the new condominiums at the old Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, a weed-choked, 420-acre Superfund site that had been largely fenced off since the mid-1970s. Ellington, who grew up nearby at Third Street and Palou Avenue in the Bayview neighborhood, had bid on other properties but always lost out to other buyers. Jason Freed was another. A consultant for environmental groups, he managed to buy a unit just as his landlord in the Haight was selling his apartment. Both Freed and Ellington were able to buy one-bedroom condos for less than $500,000, unheard of in a city where condos now average nearly $1.2 million. They moved in 2 years ago. I literally rubbed my pennies together, said Ellington, who recently left his position as community relations director of the Golden State Warriors to run for District 10 supervisor. The timing was perfect, because this was the last affordable place to live in San Francisco. Freed said the Shipyard was the only thing in my price range. Michael Macor / The Chronicle 2015 In some ways, the high hopes these two men had for the San Francisco Shipyard development are taking shape. In the evening, Ellington and Freed with their dogs Leroy and Grant join other residents in the grassy pocket park overlooking the bay. They shoot the breeze while their dogs play and the last of the sun strikes the glass towers off in the downtown distance. The hilltop community is starting to feel like a neighborhood. Its all walks of life folks who grew up in San Francisco, folks who moved here for jobs, folks starting families, Ellington said. There is a calm and serene feeling you get up here. But over the past few months, residents say, that sense of calm has been broken by the alarming news that the cleanup of contaminated soil on the site might have been botched. That opens the possibility that poisons remain from the time the shipyard was home to the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory from 1946 to 1969, when tests were conducted to determine the effects of radiation on living organisms and ships contaminated by atomic bomb explosions were dry docked at Hunters Point. In January, the Navy released a report stating that half the soil testing performed by Tetra Tech, the engineering firm that was paid more than $350 million to clean up the shipyard, was flawed. Then this month, an environmental watchdog group released a letter written by John Chesnutt, manager of the EPAs local Superfund Division, that stated as much as 97 percent of Tetra Techs cleanup data from two parcels on the site was suspect and should be retested. Tetra Tech responded that both conclusions are inaccurate. The Pasadena environmental engineering firm, which has a market capitalization of $2.85 billion, said it would pay for retesting. We believe that any concerns can be directly addressed by actually retesting and analyzing the areas in question, Tetra Tech CEO Dan Batrack said. We want the Hunters Point community and the Navy to know that Tetra Tech stands by its work at Hunters Point. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle The Navy and the regulatory agencies overseeing the cleanup have always insisted that parcel A, where the condos Ellington and Freed live in were built, was never contaminated. The land was home to barracks and not used for the radiological testing or other industrial uses that spread contaminants across other parts of the facility, according the Navy. Also, Tetra Tech did not do the testing at parcel A. But some San Francisco Shipyard residents say given the uncertainty surrounding Tetra Techs work, any retesting should include parcel A. Developer FivePoint is building 1,600 homes on the 20-acre hilltop site. About 300 units have been completed, and another 150 are under construction. When completed, the San Francisco Shipyard will contain 10,500 units of housing. Someone needs to provide reassurance and certainty that parcel A is OK, Ellington said. I think you will see the residents come together to ask for parcel A to be retested. There is too much at risk not to provide the level of certainty that the community deserves. A lot of folks have lost confidence. Freed said that soil samples should be taken as soon as possible before the remaining land is filled with concrete foundations. If you have the people and the equipment coming out here to retest, you cant tell me it would cost that much or take that much longer to do parcel A, too, Freed said. Longtime neighborhood residents have a conflicted and complicated relationship with the development. Many like that one-third of the housing will be affordable. Others like the new artists studios, 300 acres of parks, planned grocery and other retail, the office and biotech research space, the coming schools and 120-room hotel, all of it providing local construction jobs The other view from the working-class neighborhood is that the luxury housing at the San Francisco Shipyard will eventually weaken the Bayviews African American culture, fuel gentrification, and widen the division between rich and poor. Townhomes sell for $1.4 million. And the allegations of shoddy testing also underscore the health concerns Bayview residents have raised for decades. Hunters Point neighbors have long blamed pollution from the shipyard for the neighborhoods cancer clusters, and high rates of asthma and heart disease. At a San Francisco Planning Commission hearing Thursday that focused on changes to the development plan, Bayview native Carolyn Scott, whose father worked in the naval shipyard, said generations of people in her family have suffered from suspiciously aggressive forms of cancer and asthma. She said that all the women in her family have had multiple miscarriages she herself had 10. But she said the vision for the San Francisco Shipyard the citys biggest development is still a vital one. I am concerned about (the health issues), but I am also looking at the hope and opportunity that project has for the community, she said. Out of a mountain of despair comes a stone of hope. Supervisor Malia Cohen, a Bayview native, said that while the new residents of the development are raising most of the questions, for older people in the Bayview its a moment of I told you so. Its a moment of vindication all their protests and shouting and fears were basically dismissed by previous administrations, said Cohen, who has called for public hearings on the cleanup scandal. My role is to say You were right, now lets correct the record and move forward. 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. Linda Pennington, an African American woman from New York who had previously been living in Monterey Heights, bought a home at the development largely because she wanted to live in a neighborhood with a vibrant black culture. She has not been disappointed. She frequents Radio Africa on Third Street on Tuesdays for community night. She eats at the Old Skool Cafe, a nonprofit soul food supper club on Mendell Street, and rarely misses the lectures or jazz performances at the Bayview Opera House. I felt good about coming to a historically African American neighborhood, and all the things that I was hoping for have exceeded expectations, she said. But while she has immersed herself in the Bayview that lies outside the development, she worries the new neighborhood has not yet been successful integrating into the area. Its not a place where a lot of residents in the Bayview, which includes some of the poorest precincts in the city, feel comfortable, she said. People who dont live or work in the San Francisco Shipyard rarely hang out at its pocket parks or shop at the the Storehouse, the one convenience store on the property. There have also been a couple of disturbing incidents. One afternoon, a development resident called the police to report suspicious high school-age boys walking through the neighborhood. It was Penningtons African American son and three friends from the San Francisco School of the Arts two were white and one was mixed race. We take these things in stride in my family, but the mom of my sons friend was really upset. She asked: Why would they assume that these kids dont belong over there? Pennington said. The reality is that it doesnt feel integrated. The vision I had in mind was not one where people are separated. I feel more needs to be done to break down economic and racial barriers. On a recent walk around the development, Ellington ran into Vermar Langley, an old pal from nearby Gloria Davis Middle School. Langley is a plumber with Local 38 and is working on some of the townhomes under construction. This was my dream when I was a little boy, I wanted to be working in my neighborhood and Im doing it, Langley said. I grew up 30 seconds away from here and watched this place growing up. We always heard Hey, they are going to be redoing the shipyards. Ever since we were in middle school its been talked about. Now its finally here, and Im working here. Its a dream come true. Langley said he hopes to be able to afford a unit at the development some day. Until then, Im living in Pittsburg, he said. Ellington said the promise of the San Francisco Shipyard is that someone like Langley could end up living in a new home on the hill. Those are the stories we need to be able to tell, people from the community who can not only work here but live here as well, he said. Unfortunately at the moment, the whole fake soil sample thing is kind of disrupting the dream. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen Michael Macor / The Chronicle One of two fishermen was missing after the pair fell off their boat Saturday in the delta near the Antioch Bridge, officials said. Contra Costa County sheriffs deputies patrolling the area got a distress call around 8:25 a.m. about two men struggling in the water. 2000-09-12 04:00:00 PDT OAKLAND -- An Oakland police car responding to a call for backup smashed into a car over the weekend, critically injuring a female passenger, police said yesterday as they tried to determine who was at fault. The collision happened about 10:30 p.m. Saturday when a police officer, driving north on Hegenberger Road in a Ford Crown Victoria, collided with a brown 1984 Toyota Tercel heading east on Hamilton Street. Police have not released the name of the officer or the occupants of the car. An Oakland woman suffered major injuries in the accident and remained in critical condition yesterday at Highland Hospital in Oakland. An Oakland man who was driving the Toyota was in stable condition at the hospital. The officer was treated at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley and released. The officer and the Toyota driver each said they had a green light, said Oakland traffic Officer Jamie Buna, who is investigating the crash. "That's our conflict," Buna said. The officer involved in the crash had been responding to a request for backup by other officers chasing a narcotics suspect on foot, Buna said. At the time of the crash, the officer was driving at least 40 mph without lights and siren, police said. Crashes involving Oakland police officers are investigated by a department accident review board. Any officer who is found to have been at fault in at least two accidents within a three-year period is required to undergo remedial driver's training. In fiscal year 1998-99, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 10 Oakland officers were found to be at fault in two or more accidents each, costing the city nearly $54,000, records show. Some of the money is paid out in the form of settlements, including one in July in which the the Oakland City Council agreed to pay $8,550 to settle claims by Lavetta Williams after an Oakland officer failed to yield the right of way while traveling through a red light and crashed into her 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe on Dec. 15, 1999. "They need to be more responsible for their actions," Williams, 36, said yesterday. "It's like they don't take human beings into regard when they're out there -- they figure they're above the law." The city is several months away from fully implementing a driver improvement training program for other city employees, said Deborah Cornwell, safety and benefits manager. "Obviously we're very concerned with regard to any accident within the city, regardless of the severity," Cornwell said. Four years ago, Jimmy Chen left a lucrative perch as a product manager at Facebook to found Propel, what he calls an anti-poverty software company. In 2016, the Brooklyn startup released a smartphone app that lets food stamp recipients easily look up how much money was left in their accounts, rather than call an 800 number or keep paper receipts. Today, 1 million food stamp participants use Propels app, and the startup has added features like links to food coupons, healthy recipes, budgeting tools and job opportunities. But in the last few months, the Propel app has been hobbled or become unavailable in many states, sometimes for weeks. Behind the slowdown is a big government contractor, Conduent, which runs the food stamp networks in 25 states, including California, New York and Pennsylvania. In those states, where 60 percent of Propels users live, Conduent maintains the database that Propels app uses to let people check their accounts. The Propel-Conduent conflict offers a textbook case of a digital newcomer running into resistance from the old order. The twist is that the newcomer said it did not want to destroy the incumbent but instead build atop it to do good for underserved populations, as well as build a business for itself. The animating idea behind Propel, Chen said, was to apply the Silicon Valley playbook to poverty in some way. He added that we have to build on top of the old world to be successful. Propel has had no problems with the other major government contractor that manages state food stamp networks, FIS, Chen said. Nor did Propel have trouble with the Conduent system until recently. Propel has complained to Conduent managers repeatedly, but, Chen said, Theyve never offered us a direct explanation as to why now. In written replies to questions, Conduent, which was spun out from Xerox in January 2017, portrayed Propel less as an innovator than as a freeloader. Propels smartphone app, Conduent said, was introduced without the knowledge, input or consent from Conduent. It accused Propel of overloading its networks with data requests, causing a capacity ambush. Conduent took actions to block the app, and described them as prudent steps to prevent unauthorized access to data from Propel or any other unauthorized user. The fight over the app is now affecting people like Brianna LaBelle, 25, of Augusta, Maine, who has two young sons. She has used Propels app to create shopping lists, track food purchases and budget. I love it, she said. Its very handy. But in February, when LaBelle tried to check her food stamps balance, she got a message that access to her information was currently unavailable to the residents of Maine. That interruption, she said, lasted for nearly a month, in which she also lost the time-saving and meal-planning convenience of the app. Propel, Chen insisted, has tried to explain its business to state governments and to food stamp contractors. The Propel app is a digital skin that works on top of the websites of food stamp contractors, like Conduent. A user taps the app, which is known as FreshEBT, to look up the amount left in the account. On average, users check their balances seven times a month. Conduent, in another twist, has begun competing with the startup. The business services outsourcer, which has $6 billion in yearly revenue, introduced its own smartphone app last year. Conduents entry, ConnectEBT, has significantly fewer reviews and lower ratings on the Google and Apple app stores than Propels FreshEBT. Conduents app is available in Utah, South Carolina and Oklahoma, and offers only basic information on account balances and purchases. But the company said it was beginning a broader rollout this year, and would provide more features and functions as it gets states approval as a regulated contractor, unlike Propel. Propels predicament is magnified because the food-stamp systems technology, like many government tech services, is outsourced to a relatively small number of companies. Its an oligopoly game, so theres often not much choice, competition or innovation, said Josh Miller, who oversaw the development of digital products in the Obama White House. He added that the volume of data requests from Propel is tiny in Internet terms. Propels early success suggests there is opportunity for innovation in the low-income market, no matter how the startups wrangling with Conduent turns out. Propel is a fledgling company, with only 11 employees, two of them former food-stamp recipients. Chen, 30, is not one of them. His family emigrated from China when he was 4, and he attended Stanford University on a full scholarship, based on need. Propel has raised $5.2 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, a Menlo Park venture capital firm, and Omidyar Network, which funds startups focused on social goals. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, helps about 40 million low-income Americans, including 1 in every 4 children in the country. Paper food stamps are long gone, replaced beginning nearly two decades ago by debit-style cards, called Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. The program is federally funded and administered by the states, which typically rely on private contractors to provide the service. The account look-up feature in FreshEBT has been its way into the low-income market, but was only a first step. Other features that were added over time, including food coupons, job opportunities and recipes for inexpensive meals, have also become popular. So far this year, FreshEBT users have downloaded coupons advertised on the app worth more than $2 million. In the past six months, they have applied for jobs more than 10,000 times from the app, the company said. Propel typically gets referral fees from its coupon, job-listing and other advertiser partners. It does not store or sell users personal information, the company said. Keyana Workman, 25, who has two young children and lives in Brooklyn, has been off and on food stamps for the last three years, as jobs and income fluctuate. She calls FreshEBTs balance look-up a real improvement from making 800-number calls. Lately, Workman has also tapped into the recipes and health and exercise tips. Ive been working out a lot, she said. Propel estimates that 80 percent of its users in the Conduent states have now had problems accessing their information from its app at some point in the past few months. What Propel is doing in the low-income market is broadly similar to what other companies like Mint and Yodlee have done by offering digital services that let people organize and manage their personal finances. The major banks initially opposed allowing those online services to pull account information, but the Dodd-Frank financial reform law in 2010 included a mandate to allow consumers and third-party apps on their behalf to access their data. A comparable principle of data control should apply to the food stamp program, said Stacy Dean, vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning research and advocacy group. It should be up to the participants in the program to decide how to organize and use their information, Dean said. Steve Lohr is a New York Times writer. WASHINGTON The Environmental Protection Agency is opening internal investigations into Scott Pruitts $50-a-night condo deal with a lobbyist and other recent allegations, adding to about a dozen federal probes involving the EPA chief. EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins Jr. confirmed the new investigations in a letter to lawmakers written last week and released Friday. Pruitts condo deal would be one of several recent allegations involving Pruitt that would be the topic of new or expanded investigations, Elkins wrote. The Office of Government Ethics, which is the governments top ethics watchdog agency, and lawmakers had asked for investigations of the condo lease and others of the latest allegations raised involving Pruitt. The agencys whistle-blower hotline also had received calls on the same allegations, Elkins wrote. EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox declined comment, saying the agency does not publicly address matters related to the inspector general. Pruitt for much of last year rented a Washington bedroom from a lobbyist whose husband had pending matters before the EPA. The unusual deal allowed the EPA chief to pay just $50 a night, and only on the nights he actually stayed there. Both Pruitt and the lobbyist, Steven Hart, denied Hart had conducted any recent business with EPA. But Hart was forced to admit last week he had met with Pruitt at EPA headquarters last summer after his then-firm, Williams & Jensen, revealed he had lobbied the agency on a required federal disclosure form Announcement of the new investigations comes after Pruitt weathered six hours of scathing questions and criticism from House Democrats on ethics allegations, in back-to-back hearings Thursday. The hearings were seen as make-or-break for Pruitt in the wake of months of news reports into alleged misconduct that eroded support of the former Oklahoma attorney general at the White House. Pruitt gave clipped, lawyerly answers to Democrats questions on the ethics allegations, repeatedly blaming subordinates for decisions he said he had no knowledge of. The day ended without any obvious, immediate mortal blow to Pruitt politically, and no Republican lawmakers in the hearings joined calls on Pruitt to resign. He obviously hopes that the bad headlines generated by his bad behavior will go away, and that he wont be held accountable for his actions, said Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat and one of the members of Congress asking for the expanded probes. The Inspector Generals letter announcing new reviews assures us that this will not happen, Beyer said in a statement. Pruitt is a onetime Oklahoma state lawmaker who built alliances to wealthy oilmen and influential Republican conservatives. As head of the environmental agency he has faced an unending series of revelations involving issues such as pricey trips in first-class seats and unusual security spending, including a $43,000 soundproof booth for making private phone calls. He also demanded 24-hour-a-day protection from armed officers, resulting in a 20-member security detail. Pruitt denied wrongdoing in his testimony to lawmakers on Thursday. Ellen Knickmeyer is an Associated Press writer. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. Republican Don Blankenship doesnt care if his party and his president dont think he can beat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this fall. The former coal mining executive an ex-convict released from prison less than a year ago is willing to risk his personal fortune and the GOPs golden opportunity in West Virginia for the chance to prove them all wrong. Ill get elected on my own merits, Blankenship says. There arent a lot of things that can sink Republicans hopes in the ruby red state that Donald Trump won by 42 percentage points in 2016, but Blankenship could well be one. His candidacy is sending shudders down the spines of Republicans who are furiously working to ensure he is not their choice to take on Manchin in November. While Blankenships primary bid is a long shot, hes testing whether a party led by an antiestablishment outsider can rein in its anti-establishment impulses. The establishment, no matter who you define it as, has not been creating jobs in West Virginia, Blankenship said at a primary debate last week. Even before Blankenship emerged as a legitimate Republican candidate, West Virginia was a worry for some Republicans. Manchin, a former governor, has held elected office in West Virginia for the better part of the past three decades, and hes worked hard to cozy up to Trump and nurture a bipartisan brand. The alignment with Trump was so effective that former White House adviser Steve Bannon worried privately to colleagues that Trump might actually endorse the Democrat. An outright endorsement now is unlikely, but a Blankenship primary victory on May 8 could push Trump to help Manchin, at least indirectly, by ignoring West Virginia this fall. The state has long been considered a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans, who hold a two-seat Senate majority that suddenly feels less secure given signs of Democratic momentum in Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee and elsewhere. Some of Trumps most prominent conservative supporters, particularly those in Bannons network, have rallied behind state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a former Capitol Hill aide who was raised in New Jersey but has served as West Virginias top lawyer since 2013. Also in the race is Rep. Evan Jenkins, who has highlighted his West Virginia roots and deep allegiance to Trump. Jenkins noted that Manchin missed a chance to align himself with Trump on key issues such as taxes and health care. The president gave Joe Manchin every opportunity in the early weeks and months of his administration to vote the right way, Jenkins said in an interview. He voted wrong. In interviews, neither Morrisey nor Jenkins attacked Blankenship for his role in the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion, the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades, in which 29 men died. Blankenship led the company that owned the mine and was sentenced to a year in prison for conspiring to break safety laws, a misdemeanor. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, who leads the Senate GOPs national campaign efforts, had this to say to reporters when asked about Blankenship last week: Do they let ankle bracelets get out of the house? Steve Peoples and John Raby are Associated Press writers. HONOLULU Residents and businesses are still cleaning up from flooding that deluged parts of Kauai, but community leaders are urging tourists to keep coming so residents dont suffer an economic calamity on top of record-breaking rains that swamped the landscape. Some travelers are canceling their reservations after getting the wrong impression the mid-April flooding damaged the entire Hawaiian island. Although landslides blocked roads and floods tore apart homes and uprooted trees, most of the island is unscathed. Nearly 50 inches of rain fell in one 24-hour period. Tourism is the biggest industry on the island and most restaurants and shops rely on spending by visitors to stay afloat, providing jobs for thousands of Kauai residents. Kauai County Council Chairman Mel Rapozo, who works as a hotel night auditor, said some visitors have been talked out of canceling their trips but that others cancel them online without speaking to anyone. My concern is the economic impact should those businesses start closing up even temporarily because they do employ a significant amount of our residents, Rapozo said. A lot of people will lose their jobs. And thats going to cause another situation here for Kauai. Tourists have been avoiding hard-hit Hanalei, a historic small town and the commercial center of the islands north shore even though many restaurants and shops on the towns pedestrian-friendly main street are operating or reopening. Rapozo said visitors should stick to the highway and avoid side roads, where tourists are likely to get in the way of repair crews. Mina Morita, the president of the Hanalei Community Center, said the damaged narrow road leading to her home is now busy with heavy equipment and residents trying to clean up. She hopes visitors will respect the local traffic only sign posted on her street but wants them in the center of town because people whose homes were damaged definitely need their jobs at this time. The flood reports didnt deter Christina Zhu of Seattle, who hopes to snorkel and hike when she and her boyfriend visit Kauai early next month. Rescheduling isnt an option because their tickets arent refundable. Plus, theyve already requested the time off work. One activity shes looking forward to: taking a shelter dog from the Kauai Humane Society on a field trip, perhaps on a dog-friendly hike. The society has allowed visitors to take a dog on such excursions since 2012. Flood or not, Im sure there will be plenty of things to do on the island, and hopefully as a tourist I will be able to help out somehow as well, she said. Jan Snarski of Vancouver, British Columbia said his family was a little worried when they saw how much water was on the ground when they arrived a day after the storm. But they found places to surf, hike and swim. Snarksi said Kauai was business as usual when he left Wednesday. The weather was perfect and we had a fabulous last day on the island, Snarksi said in an email while flying home. The National Weather Service said preliminary data indicates Kauai broke a national rainfall record after a gauge one mile west of Hanalei recorded 49.69 inches during the 24-hour period ending at 12:45 p.m. on April 15. If certified, that would break the current record of 43 inches recorded in Alvin, Texas, in 1979. 1 Trump tweets: President Trump escalated his feud with Democratic Sen. Jon Tester on Saturday, using a tweet to call for the Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member to resign. The Montana senator on Wednesday made public allegations from whistle-blowers against Ronny Jackson, Trumps military physician and nominee to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, that helped him decide to step aside. Jackson has denied the accusations, and Trump continued defending him Saturday. Allegations made by Senator Jon Tester against Admiral/Doctor Ron Jackson are proving false, Trump said. Tester should resign. Tester faces a tough re-election fight in Novembers midterm elections. 2 Deputy killed: A manhunt for the suspect in the fatal shooting of a sheriffs deputy in Maine has ended, authorities said Saturday. The state Department of Public Safety said John Williams, 29, was in custody. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting early Wednesday of Cpl. Eugene Cole in the town of Norridgewock. Police said he offered limited resistance when arrested and taken for questioning. Officials said Williams also stole Coles cruiser and robbed a convenience store. Cole, 62, was a 13-year veteran of the department. 1 Teacher strike: Arizona teachers walkout over pay and education funding appears headed into a second week as major school districts say schools will remain closed Monday. The unprecedented statewide job action began Thursday, resulting in closures of schools that educate the majority of the states 1.1 million public school students. Recent teacher protests in Arizona and Colorado have followed similar job actions in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Arizona districts whose websites displayed notices saying schools will be closed include several in Phoenix and others in cities across the state, including Tucson and Flagstaff. 2 Deadly shooting: Two men were killed and five others were injured Sunday in a shootout at a motorcycle club south of Seattle. The men, ages 24 and 36, died after a large fight broke out in the Family Motorcycle Club parking lot where bikers had gathered, said the King County Sheriffs office. Two other people also suffered gunshot wounds but are expected to survive. Three others were treated injuries, including one person who crashed his car while fleeing the scene. BOSTON Sneaking a cigarette in the school bathroom? How quaint. Todays teens have taken to vaping, an alternative to smoking thats so discreet they can do it without even leaving the classroom. Health and education officials across the country are raising alarms over wide underage use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. The devices heat liquid into an inhalable vapor thats sold in sugary flavors like mango and mint and often with the addictive drug nicotine. Theyre marketed to smokers as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, but officials say theyre making their way to teens with surprising ease. A new wave of smaller vapes has swept through schools in recent months, officials say, replacing bulkier e-cigarettes from the past. Weve seen significant increases across the student body, said Robert Keuther, principal at Marshfield High School in Massachusetts. This is not something specific to one group of kids. Its across all of my grades, nine to 12. Its all students. Vaping devices are notoriously difficult to detect for schools, often leaving behind only a quick puff of vapor and a light fruity scent. Students get away with it in bathrooms, halls and even classrooms, where some say they exhale the vapor into their shirts. More for you FDA Cracks Down on Sales of E-Cigarettes to Minors Although buying e-cigarettes is illegal under age 18 and some states have bumped the minimum age to 21 students say they can buy them online or from older friends. The rise of teen vaping has sparked concern among parents, politicians and federal health authorities, who announced a nationwide crackdown on underage sales of e-cigarettes Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to retail stores as part of its new operation against illegal sales. It also requested marketing and design documents from the San Francisco maker of the Juul, a popular vape product that is shaped like a flash drive. The agency says its looking into whether certain features are specifically appealing to young people. Some schools have been inundated by the Juul, which dispenses a flavored vapor containing higher concentrations of nicotine than tobacco cigarettes. The devices maker says its intended only for adults trying to quit smoking. Its website seeks to block underage customers, and the company says it supports legislation to raise the minimum age for vaping products to 21 nationwide. Collin Binkley is an Associated Press writer. After Jennifer Hart drunkenly drove an SUV straight off a 100-foot cliff on the Northern California coast late last month, taking her life and those of her wife and their adopted children, at least two searches began. One was for the bodies; another was for answers. How, those who knew the Harts wondered, could a family that looked so happy and normal in photos have hidden such a dark life from public view? Dozens of pages of reports released this week by child-welfare officials offer some clues. Taken together they paint a portrait of a pair of mothers one dictatorial and eccentric, the other constantly working and seldom home who doled out cruel punishments and withheld food from their six children. In the Hart household, any act of insubordination could be severely punished. The children knew this all too well. They are like trained robots, one worried caller told authorities, according to the newly released documents, which describe the familys dynamics. We called them like little soldiers, one former neighbor said of the children. In the weeks since the crash, searchers have fanned out along the Pacific coastline looking for the bodies. They have found those of the parents Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38 and four of their six children: Markis, 19; Jeremiah, 14; Abigail, 14; and Ciera, 12. But the bodies of Devonte Hart, 15, and Hannah Hart, 16, are still missing, and the children are feared dead. Capt. Greg Van Patten, a spokesman for the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office, said Friday that the office had no additional updates and was operating under the theory and the belief that the whole family was together at the time of the crash. The documents released this week show that child-welfare officials in Minnesota, Oregon and Washington state three states where the Harts lived during the past seven years knew of reported abuse, but, in one case, apparently stepped aside after completing their assessment; could not gather enough evidence to corroborate the claims of neglect in another; and, in a third case, learned of the allegations too late. We believe the release of these records may help avoid future tragedies, Caroline Burnell of the Oregon Department of Human Services said in a letter accompanying the documents. The department, she wrote, continues to strive to improve. Minnesota: A Spanking, and a Confrontation Over Food Human services officials in Oregon became aware of the Hart familys history in 2013. An anonymous person had reported that the children appeared malnourished, and so officials contacted child-welfare officials in Minnesota, where the family had lived for years, to get more information on their background. Minnesota Child Welfare said it had received six troubling reports of abuse or neglect two of which it deemed to be credible. In a 2010 case, one of the parents was found to have physically harmed Abigail, causing bruising all over her body. The dispute had been over a penny: The parents discovered one in Abigails pocket and accused her of lying about how she got it. A spanking ensued, which Sarah Hart said got out of control, according to the documents. The couple agreed to in-home therapy, counseling and other skill building activities as a remedy, the documents said. The New York Times previously reported that Sarah Hart was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault in Minnesota around the same time. A criminal complaint says that Hart admitted to spanking one of her children, identified as A.H. In a 2011 episode, Hannah told a school nurse that she had not eaten. Jennifer Hart then became angry and shoved a banana and nuts into the childs mouth. When confronted about the incident, Sarah Hart argued that Hannah was playing the food card and should just be given water. Eventually, a child-welfare worker reported that the childrens school stopped calling the Harts because officials feared that the children would be punished. The Harts eventually pulled the children out of school, began to home-school them and later moved. The problem, one Minnesota welfare worker noted, according to documents, was that Jennifer and Sarah Hart look normal. In a telephone interview Wednesday, a woman who lived across the street from the Harts in Alexandria, Minnesota, described the parents as real friendly girls. Still, the neighbor, Lorraine Fealy, 71, said she did not know their children well because the parents didnt let them out of the house very often. When they did, the children were very highly disciplined, Fealy said. Theyd all come down the steps single file and walk out in the yard single file, she said. The childrens behavior bothered her, she added, because it wasnt like normal kids. Oregon: Children Forced to Lie in Bed for Hours Over a Pizza Dispute Having been made aware of allegations against the Harts, child-welfare officials and police in Oregon began their own investigation in 2013. After interviewing each family member, they found that Jennifer the more domineering of the couple would travel with the children to music festivals several weeks a year, that Sarah was a retail manager at a Kohls and that the family received about $2,000 a month in adoption assistance. Investigators also interviewed at least two women who knew the family, and they painted a disturbing portrait of the Harts home life. They told investigators that the children had to raise their hands before speaking, got in trouble for laughing at the dinner table and in one instance were prohibited from saying happy birthday to one of the children, Markis, on his birthday. In another episode, one of the women told investigators, Jennifer stayed with the children at her home. They ordered pizza, but Jennifer would allow her children to have only a small piece. The next morning, though, the pizza was gone and Jennifer was irate, according to the documents. She told the woman that none of the children would be eating breakfast because nobody had admitted to having eaten the pizza. The woman said Jennifer then forced all the children to lie on their bed for about five hours as punishment. Still, officials with child protective services ultimately said that they were unable to determine if the women were guilty of neglect, according to the documents. They also said they could not identify a safety threat. Washington: An Attempt to Contact the Harts, Then a Crash Public records indicate that the Harts had moved to Washington state by 2017. But it was not until March 23 of this year that someone called the Department of Social and Health Services. The woman who called said that six months earlier, Hannah had jumped out of a second-story window at 1:30 a.m. and bolted inside the womans home, asking to be hidden. Hannah told the womans husband that she had been whipped with belts and that her mothers were racists, and begged the woman not to force her to return home. More recently, the woman said Devonte who was famously photographed hugging a police sergeant during a 2014 demonstration had been coming to their house two or three times each day, asking for food, and begging the woman not to tell his mother about the requests. Devonte told the caller that his parents punished him by taking meals away. He also claimed that he and his siblings were being hidden from view and that they were sometimes abused, according to the departments intake report. Case notes also document each time that investigators tried to reach the Harts face to face in the hours and days after filing the report. On March 23, the day the intake report was created, an investigator saw a large brown SUV turn into the Harts driveway, but no one answered the door when the investigator knocked. A deputy returned March 26 but no one appeared to be home. And when an investigator went back the next morning, there was still no answer. Later on March 27, the department got some news. It would not need to make any more visits. The family had been in a car crash in California, the case notes say, and all eight of its members were presumed dead. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. MOSCOW The Russian lawyer who met with Trump campaign officials in Trump Tower in June 2016 on the premise that she would deliver damaging information about Hillary Clinton has long insisted that she is a private lawyer, not a Kremlin operative trying to meddle in the presidential election. But newly released emails show that in at least one instance two years earlier, the lawyer, Natalia V. Veselnitskaya, worked hand in glove with Russias chief legal office to thwart a Justice Department civil fraud case against a well-connected Russian firm. Veselnitskaya also appears to have recanted her earlier denials of Russian government ties. During an interview to be broadcast Friday by NBC News, she acknowledged that she was not merely a private lawyer but a source of information for a top Kremlin official, Yuri Y. Chaika, the prosecutor general. I am a lawyer, and I am an informant, she said. Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general. The previously undisclosed details about Veselnitskaya rekindle questions about whom she was representing when she met with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and others at Trump Tower in Manhattan during the campaign. The meeting, one focus of the special counsel investigation into Russias election interference, was organized after an intermediary promised that Veselnitskaya would deliver documents that would incriminate Clinton. Veselnitskaya had long insisted that she met the presidents son, his son-in-law and his campaign chairman in a private capacity, not as a representative of the Russian government. I operate independently of any governmental bodies, she wrote in a November statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee. I have no relationship with Mr. Chaika, his representatives and his institutions other than those related to my professional functions as a lawyer. But that claim had already been undercut last fall by revelations that her talking points for the Trump Tower meeting detailing tax and financial fraud accusations against two Democratic Party donors tied to a Kremlin opponent matched those in a confidential memorandum circulated by Chaikas office. And a sheaf of Veselnitskayas email correspondence released Friday appeared to show that her relationship with Chaikas office is far closer than she has described. The emails were obtained by Dossier, an organization set up by Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, a former tycoon who was stripped of his oil holdings, imprisoned and then exiled from his native Russia. He has emerged as a leading opponent of President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Shown copies of the emails by Richard Engel of NBC News, Veselnitskaya acknowledged that many things included here are from my documents, my personal documents. She told the Russian news agency Interfax on Wednesday people determined to discredit her had gained access to her email accounts this year and that she would report the intrusion to Russian authorities. The Russian prosecutor generals office did not respond to requests for comment. In an email, Veselnitskaya said she would respond in two weeks. The exchanges document Chaikas response to a Justice Department request in 2014 for help with its civil fraud case against a real estate firm, Prevezon Holdings Ltd., and its owner, Denis P. Katsyv, a well-connected Russian businessman. Federal prosecutors say Veselnitskaya was the driving force on Katsyvs defense team, a description she has echoed in court filings. In a declaration to the court, she identified herself as a lawyer in private practice, representing Katsyv and his firm. The Justice Department prosecutors charged Katsyvs firm in 2013 with using real estate purchases in New York to launder a portion of the profits from a tax scheme in Russia. They were seeking Russian bank, tax and court records, the type of documents that typically form the crux of civil money-laundering cases. The Justice Department asked the Russian government to keep the matter confidential, except as is necessary to execute this request, according to court documents. Russia and the United States have a mutual legal assistance treaty governing law-enforcement requests. The emails indicate that a senior prosecutor on Chaikas staff, Sergei A. Bochkaryov, worked closely with Veselnitskaya to craft the Russian government response. She knew him well enough to address him in friendly terms. Dear Sergei Aleksandrovich! Veselnitskaya wrote on Aug. 2, 2014, in one of at least 11 emails they exchanged. I am sending you the edits in the draft response, as per instructions. I am ready to answer any questions that arise, at any time convenient for you. The language in their final email exchange matches that of the prosecutor generals official response to the Justice Department. The judge in the case later wrote that the Russian government had spurned the Justice Departments request for evidence, instead sending a lengthy treatise on why Veselnitskayas client was innocent. Veselnitskayas involvement in the official communications with the Russian government raises serious questions about obstruction of justice and false statements, said Jaimie Nawaday, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan who was a prosecutor on the case. She said Veselnitskayas actions should be referred to the U.S. attorneys office for investigation, including whether she misrepresented herself to the court. Its completely outrageous, Nawaday said. Asked about the Russian governments culpability, Andrew Keane Woods, a professor at the University of Kentucky law school who specializes in international law, said, If there was funny business, then they are not really complying with the terms of the treaty. But, he added, there is no clear sanction for failing to comply. Moscows refusal to provide records to the U.S. prosecutors dealt a severe blow to the case. In the end, the Justice Department agreed to settle it for about $6 million. Prevezon did not admit fault. Although Veselnitskaya appears to have influenced how the Russian prosecutor generals office justified its decision, its refusal to cooperate was not unexpected. The tax fraud was uncovered by Sergei L. Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who, after disclosing the theft, was imprisoned and died in custody. Russian officials contend that the Magnitsky case, which became a cause celebre in Washington, was a fraud concocted by the West to justify sanctions against Russian citizens. The release of Veselnitskayas emails by Khodorkovsky marks a second foray by Russian opposition figures into the controversy over Russias interference in the 2016 election. In a telephone interview, Khodorkovsky said someone had deposited the email records anonymously into an electronic drop box maintained by his organization. This year, Alexei Navalny, a key opposition leader in Russia, also publicized videos that he said hinted at a role for Oleg V. Deripaska, a well-known Russian oligarch, in the Russian governments efforts to meddle in the American political process. A spokesman for Deripaska said Navalnys accusations were utterly false. This article originally appeared in The New York Times PACIFICA (BCN) Four people were hospitalized with minor injuries late Saturday night after their boat drifted onto shore at a Pacifica beach, police said. The incident began around 11:05 p.m. when officers and fire personnel responded to a report of sailboat in distress near Linda Mar Beach. There, they found that a 33-foot sailboat had run aground on the beach. The boat's occupants were described as a 24-year-old Spokane, Washington woman, a 33-year-old Crescent City man, a 49-year-old Long Creek, Oregon woman and a 20-year-old woman also from Spokane, Washington. The four received medical assistance at the scene and were then taken to a hospital, police said. The boat's owners said they were experiencing engine problems before the boat drifted ashore, according to police. ### BRISBANE (BCN) Power lines were the cause of vegetation fire this afternoon behind some warehouses in Brisbane, North County Fire Authority officials said. Firefighters were sent at 2:06 p.m. to a vegetation fire at 180 West Hill Place where they found smoke and flames coming from two fires on a hill behind warehouses at 100 West Hill Drive and 180 West Hill Place. The fires burned about one acre in all. Fire officials said no one was injured and no structures were threatened. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire officials want to remind residents to cut and remove dry grass and flammable vegetation around their homes and businesses. ### EAST PALO ALTO (BCN) A shooting victim is in critical but stable condition after he was shot in his upper body Friday evening in East Palo Alto, police said today. Officers went at 6:41 p.m. to the 800 block of Schembri Lane after a Shotspotter gunshot detection system was activated there. Officers found a male shooting victim inside a vehicle. Police said the victim was taken to a hospital. Witnesses told officers that a silver 4-door sedan sped away from the area after the shooting. Anyone who saw or has information about the shooting is urged to get in touch with police anonymously by leaving a voicemail or sending a text to (650) 409-6792 or by sending an email to epa@tipnow.org. ### BERKELEY (BCN) Residents and visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area can celebrate the 49th anniversary of People's Park in Berkeley today. The celebration starts at noon and lasts until 6 p.m. at the park, which is about a half block east of Telegraph Avenue between Dwight Way and Haste Street. The celebration will include music, dancing, speakers, free vegetarian/vegan food and drinks. People's Park was founded in 1969 after what "was the most violent confrontation" in the University of California at Berkeley's history, according to information from the Oakland Museum of California. The park, which was a muddy, three-acre, garbage-ridden parking lot then, came only to be after students and residents confronted police, university officials and even national guard units in a struggle that left one man dead, another blind and more than 100 wounded. Museum historians said when people around the world say the word "green" to mean environmental ethic, it's wise to remember that the struggle to create People's Park-with trees, grass and swing sets-came at a cost. ### A homesteader cabin set in the vast desert landscape of the Wonder Valley, only a mile from Joshua Tree National Park, is listed for $87,000. This off-the-grid, solar-equipped gem is at 6567 Cactus Jack Ave. in Twenty Nine Palms, a town long known for its military base that's becoming increasingly popular among free spirits and LA hipsters. Cafes, boutiques and B&Bs have popped up in recent years among the sagebrush and cactus, and the Glass Outhouse Art Gallery is within sight of the cabin. The main commercial strip is only four miles away. The next town over is Joshua Tree, another happening spot that has long attracted intellectuals and artists to the Mojave Desert. "It's a nascent burgeoning area where artists who traditionally don't have money find dwellings," says Bryan Wynwood of Joshua Tree Modern. "Joshua Tree is always on those 'hippest towns in America' lists. Twenty Palms is the next town over. Joshua Tree's prices are starting to push up a little bit, and some of those people are looking at Twenty Nine Palms." The tiny 240-square-foot abode was updated by the owner in the last year with a new kitchenette, fresh paint, an outdoor shower and French doors opening up to a sea of endless desert that lights up at night with stars. All of the improvements were done with a simple, tasteful aesthetic, and the original charm remains. The original wood shiplap siding commonly used on homesteader cabins is in excellent condition and well-oiled. "He has modernized it while maintaining the original materials," Wynwood says. The word "homesteader" comes from the federal government's Homestead Acts, which granted small parcels of public farmland for a nominal fee to encourage settlement west of the Mississippi. One of the last of the acts was the Small Tract Act of 1938, which deeded five-acre parcels in the Southern California desert. The cabin, situated on one of those plots, was built in 1957. All you need is a pair of cowboy boots and $87,000 and this relic of the American West is yours. TIJUANA, Mexico A group of Central Americans who journeyed in a caravan to the U.S. border resolved to ask for asylum Sunday in a direct challenge to the Trump administration, but U.S. immigration officials announced that the San Diego crossing was already at capacity. Almost 200 refugeess, many traveling with children, had decided to apply for protection at the nations busiest border crossing after many fled violence in their home countries, organizers said. The caravan gained attention after President Trump and members of his Cabinet called it a threat to the United States. Shortly before the refygees were expected to arrive, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said San Diegos San Ysidro crossing would not immediately be able to handle more asylum seekers. It can hold about 300 people at a time, and officials had been warning that it might fill up. At this time, we have reached capacity at the San Ysidro port of entry for CBP officers to be able to bring additional persons traveling without appropriate entry documentation into the port of entry for processing, Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a statement. Those individuals may need to wait in Mexico. Nicole Ramos, an attorney working on behalf of caravan members, expressed disbelief that U.S. authorities cannot process more asylum seekers until its backlog eases. They have been well aware that a caravan is going to arrive at the border, she said at a news conference. We can build a base in Iraq in under a week. We cant process 200 refugees. I dont believe it. The refugees had made their way north over the past month, many saying they feared for their lives in their home countries. The Trump administration has been tracking the caravan since it started in Mexico on March 25 near the Guatemala border. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has called the caravan a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system. Administration officials have railed against what they call Americas catch and release policies that allow people requesting asylum to be released from custody into the U.S. while their claims make their way through the courts. Elliot Spagat is an Associated Press writer. TEL KEIF, Iraq The entire trial lasted just over half an hour. A gray-haired man was led into the defendants booth. He fidgeted as the judge read the charges against him: Swearing allegiance to the Islamic State group and working for the militants as an employee at a water station. Not guilty, the defendant, Abdullah al-Jabouri, told the judge in a session of one of Iraqs counterterrorism courts last week. He said he had worked for Nineveh provinces water department for more than 20 years and stayed at his post when the militants took over in 2014, but he denied ever swearing allegiance to the group. Soon after, the judge and his two associates went into deliberations. A few minutes later they returned with their verdict: Guilty, sentenced to 15 years in prison. Al-Jabouri, his head bowed, was quickly led out and the next accused Islamic State member was ushered in. Iraq is holding huge numbers of detainees on suspicion of ties to the Islamic State group about 11,000, according to Iraqi officials and they are being rushed through counterterrorism courts in trials that raise questions over whether justice is being done. At the same time, families are often left in the dark about where their loved ones are being detained or what their fates are. Throughout the system, the trials are usually short, and most end with guilty verdicts. Convictions are based on confessions that defendants and rights groups say intelligence agents extract by intimidation, torture and abuse. Also used as evidence are reports from anonymous informants, raising the possibility of false accusations made as revenge against rivals. The same defense lawyer works dozens of cases, with little knowledge of the defendants. Under Iraqs terror law, only three punishments are permitted 15 years in prison, life imprisonment or execution by hanging. All verdicts are reviewed by Iraqs Supreme Court. The system is built on an unjust foundation, said one defense lawyer, Mahfoudh Hamad Ismael. These suspects cases are done and finished the first day they enter a security detention center or an intelligence facility. Rights groups have long criticized Iraqi courts, saying they struggle to uphold due process. Now they must work through thousands captured in broad sweeps carried out as Iraqi forces retook the northern city of Mosul last year. Maya Alleruzzo and Salar Salim are Associated Press writers. AMP chairman Catherine Brenner is expected to resign on Monday as big investors call for the financial services giant to limit further scandals by also changing the way senior executives are paid. Over the past fortnight AMP has been thrown into crisis after the Hayne royal commission exposed shocking examples of "fees for no service" misconduct by some AMP advisers, revealed the company regularly misled the corporate regulator and found executives asked for a supposedly independent report into the fees for no service scandal be re-written by law firm Clayton Utz. On Friday the commission was told charges should by considered against AMP. With chief executive Craig Meller forced to bring forward his resignation to last week and general counsel Brian Salter stood aside while a review into AMP's governance and reporting processes takes place, Ms Brenner is expected to be the next high-profile scalp when the market opens on Monday. A protege of ANZ chairman David Gonski, Ms Brenner had hoped to weather the storm but AMP was forced to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday after counsel assisting the commission Rowena Orr, QC, alleged on Friday that the company had breached criminal provisions for misleading the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. A move by banks to demand far more detail about mortgage customers' living expenses would likely crunch the maximum amount many people can borrow, potentially slowing economy-wide credit growth, the experience of Bank of Queensland suggests. The royal commission is adding to pressure on banks to more thoroughly verify the expenses declared by customers on their home loans, after hearings last month questioned whether banks were complying with responsible lending laws. Banks are tipped to demand more detail about home loan customers' living expenses. Credit:Jim Rice Brokers say customers applying for loans are already being asked to hand over more documents to illustrate their expenses, ranging from rent to child support payments. With this pressure on banks tipped to build, as the regulator also pushes banks to conduct more thorough checks, BOQ provides an example of the potential impact on loan growth - and credit availability. The man with one of the toughest jobs in Australian business interim AMP executive chairman Mike Wilkins established a reputation for integrity during a long career in the financial services industry. Mr Wilkins was brought in as AMP's acting chief executive following the early departure of Craig Meller earlier this month. Mike Wilkins has been acting CEO at AMP With AMP chairman Catherine Brenner stepping down on Monday morning following the Hayne royal commission's explosive revelations about the company's "fees for no service" scandal, Wilkins has been lined up to run both the board and executive on an acting basis. Mr Wilkins is well-regarded by the investment community after successful stints at insurance groups IAG and Promina. He will need all of his expertise to restore AMP's tarnished reputation and deal with the operational and governance challenges facing the company. As Australia reels over revelations of rampant misconduct in its financial services sector, America is coming to grips with the scary dominance of its tech giants. After a troubling few months, particularly for Facebook, it seems a matter of if, not when, the iconic tech companies that increasingly dominate the US stockmarket, and modern life, will face a more onerous regulatory burden than they enjoy now. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent about 10 hours answering to US Senate and House politicians over the past two days Credit:Bloomberg "We are in uncharted territory today, with companies doing hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue and still growing at rates of 20-25 per cent," Goldman Sachs analysts said in lengthy tome on this very topic last week. "Regulators have never had to deal with something like this beforeand it's happening at a much faster rate than they are used to." There are many people who have identified hotel property magnate, Dr Jerry Schwartz, as a 'fish out of water' in a property sector better known for power suits and long lunches. His penchant for large aquariums in his hotel lobbies has possibly added to the reputation, with hotels such as the Fairmont Resort and Rydges Sydney Central boasting large fish tanks with electric blue and other vivid sea creatures doing a 'reverse Nemo', abandoning the bleached Great Barrier Reef for a life in the big city. Dr Jerry Schwartz. Illustration: John Shakespeare But his plans for the largest hotel aquarium in Australia at his shiny new Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour sprang a leak last year when the 14-metre long fish tank in front of reception was deemed too large and heavy to be put into operation. However, Dr Schwartz says that Nemo is about to find its rightful home back in the Sofitel. He has organised the tank to be upgraded structurally to allow it to be filled to the gills. He's not promising to don flippers and facemark for its unveiling, but he says Nemo and his friends will be revealed by the end of next month. Andre Aciman found himself thrust unexpectedly into the role of agony aunt after the film adaptation of his novel Call Me By Your Name was released last year. When the novel was published to critical acclaim in 2007, most of the readers who wrote to him were older, moved to reflection by the story of the love affair between 17-year-old Elio and the 24-year-old scholar, Oliver, who stays with his family in the Italian Riviera over summer. Armie Hammer and Timothe Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name. Aciman had published a memoir, an essay collection on exile and memory, and edited a book on Proust, but Call Me By Your Name was his first novel, written in a four-month burst after his family vacation plans fell through. Ten years later, Luca Guadagnino's masterful film adaptation, nominated for four Oscars and winner of the adapted screenplay category, has attracted a cult following and introduced a new generation to Aciman's now-bestselling novel. A solar-powered device that creates clean drinking water from the air is being trialled in Australia. The portable Source Hydropanels, created by Zero Mass Water, are designed to suck moisture from the air, dehumidifying it to drain the water out before it purifies and adds minerals to the water. It is powered solely by attached solar arrays. The solar-powered water makers are being trialled at homes and farms in remote communities. Depending on the climate, the hydropanels can create up to five litres of potable water a day. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is providing around $420,000 in funding to help deploy 150 of the solar-powered drinking water systems across Australia to trial its ability to act as a source of water for drought-stricken regions as well as reducing waste caused by plastic water bottles. Canberra rental homes have undergone a"shocking" long-term decline in affordability for low-income earners, Anglicare said on the release of its annual rental affordability report Monday. The charity's 2018 report showed there were no properties within the budget of low-income earners, except households earning a minium wage and on family benefits, and those on the aged pension. "People like me are just going through a hard time": Zane, 17. Credit:Jamila Toderas Anglicare has called on governments to act in response to the "disastrous" trend, pointing to a fairer tax system, rent assistance for people struggling, providing enough public and social housing, and better protections for renters as possible solutions. Zane, 17, is completing his year 12 studies through Anglicare's Youth Education Program. But the teenager has been couch surfing now for 16 months, unable to live at home because of family conflict. On a combat patrol, an important yet overlooked activity when first entering a hostile area is to take a knee. The entire patrol literally goes to one knee for five to 10 minutes to assess its surroundings and acclimatise to the environment. Then it moves out with direction and purpose. That is what Australia should do as it pertains to the USs decision to post Harry Harris to Seoul instead of Canberra. Pundits and journalists alike are lamenting that the US is sending a "terrible message to Australia and that Australia is not a priority for the US. Hundreds of millions of dollars of over-size housing developments across the former Canterbury council area were approved with little consideration of their merits, community amenity, and mandatory design standards, a previously secret audit by the Department of Planning and Environment shows. Town planning under the former Canterbury Council is under the scrutiny of the Independent Commission Against Corruption which, for the past two weeks, has held hearings into relationship between the councils former general manager, director of planning, and a caucus of councillors and local developers. But the problems in the area extend beyond those under the ICAC microscope. In his opening address, counsel assisting the commission, David Buchanan SC, cited seven properties of particular interest to the corruption watchdog. However an audit conducted by the Department of Planning, released only following a request from ICAC, shows the former councils planning failures were more widespread. The audit, which occurred after Canterbury was forcibly merged with Bankstown Council, identified 84 instances between July 2012 and August 2016 of the council approving variations from local development standards. That developments deviate from local standards is not unusual; planning laws allow variations to permit flexibility. But those laws also provide that councils are required to consider whether the variations are reasonable, necessary, and whether the public interest is served. More onerous processes are required if the development variation is greater than 10 per cent from what would otherwise be allowed. The ladies of Lane Cove are not to be trifled with, especially when bathing in the tranquil waters of Greenwich Baths. But tensions between some swimmers, Lane Cove Council and the company that operates the harbour pool on Sydney's north shore have resulted in tears, tantrums and allegations of mismanagement. Lisa Perry, Alice Beauchamp and Liz Gill pictured at the Greenwich Baths. Credit:Louise Kennerley Virginia Boyd was one of a number of people swimming at the harbour pool on Sydneys north shore last month, when she was ordered by an employee to get out of the water half an hour before the advertised closing time. With the temperature topping 38 degrees, several women with children as well as Ms Boyd refused to leave the water. When Mark Worsley was asked by his boss to operate a piece of machinery he had not been trained on, he did so because there was no time to discuss it and he feared the repercussions if he refused. Eight years on, the Hervey Bay resident has been fired, had a spinal fusion, battled depression, learnt to walk and talk again and fought for compensation after injuring himself that day at work. Hervey Bay resident Mark Worsley suffered a serious spinal injury at work in 2010. New national survey figures show, like Mr Worsley, one in ten workers are too afraid to report safety issues because they fear being fired. Other results from the survey, commissioned by Shine Lawyers, included one in five workers complained about a workplace safety issue that was never fixed, more than a third witnessed a colleague being injured due to lack of training in health and safety and more than a third witnessed a colleague not reporting their workplace injury for fear of losing their job. Disgraced former tax agent Richard Hogg. A Maserati-driving tax agent from Beaumaris has pleaded guilty to dozens of fraud and dishonesty offences after stealing more than $1.3 million from 15 clients and almost $2.8 million from the Australian Tax Office. Richard Hogg, 56, left a trail of financial destruction with his "efficient tax planning arrangements", but his victims face further hardship with the ATO continuing to pursue them for unpaid taxes. County Court judge Duncan Allen expressed concerns about the lack of compensation for Hogg's victims, who included the best man at his wedding and former students from his alma mater Mentone Grammar. "They thought they were paying tax. They, in fact, owe tax. It's a double-whammy for them ... the tax office is not known for the quality of mercy," Judge Allen said at the plea hearing on April 26. You announce your separation from your wife only months before photos of a heavily pregnant Campion make the front page of the nations papers. You then go on to question your paternity, thus slut shaming your partner. You humiliate your devastated wife and daughters. You are pilloried by the PM, who gave a blistering speech in February stating, Barnaby made a shocking error of judgment in having an affair with a young woman working in his office. In doing so he has set off a world of woe for those women and appalled all of us, leading Malcolm Turnbull to introduce a new clause to the ministerial code that makes sex between ministers and staff a sackable offence. And then you lost the support of your own party and stood down from your role as party leader and deputy PM. And now you dare to lecture about what constitutes a conflict of interest in the workplace, alleging there is none if one romantic partner works for another. Hmmm, I wonder how you judge key performance indicators in that situation Barnaby. What happens at bonus time? And what are other staff members supposed to think? Can they complain about their colleague to their boss, aware he or she sleeps with her? Have you forgotten you are paid to serve the public, not yourself? But what riled me the most about your comments this week is how you blame distance for the demise of your marriage, that spending time in Canberra was the problem. Well, let me tap you on the shoulder old mate and tell you what really killed your marriage - you put your penis inside a woman other than your wife, an employee no less - and impregnated her. End. Of. Story. And if you expect me or any other constituent to feel sorry for you that you have to travel to Canberra on a nice allowance to do your job, get a grip. Tell that to a long-haul truck driver or families juggling shifts to feed kids, meaning partners rarely see each other. Tell it to those in our armed services deployed for long periods who still manage to keep their vows and respect their spouses and offspring, who manage to maintain your notion of marital security. So, here is my advice to you Barnaby. If you think Vikki is so competent in the workplace, why dont you step back and raise your son with her and let her have the protection and security of a loving husband you deem so vital for women? Because while you may believe she is good at her job, I can let you know the public left gaping at the stupidity of your comments of late do not feel the same way about you. Bamako: Suspected jihadists killed 40 Tuaregs, mostly young men, in two attacks in northern Mali's Menaka region, which the local governor said seemed calculated to spark an ethnic conflict between Tuareg and Fulani herders. Menaka governor Daouda Maiga said the attacks happened in the remote desert villages of Awakassa on Friday and in Anderanboucane, a day earlier. At least 40 young Tuareg men were killed by suspected jihadis in northern Mali. Credit:AP Jihadist groups are seen as the greatest threat to security across Africa's Sahel region. They have proved adept at exploiting local tensions between ethnic groups to sow discord - such as those between mostly lighter-skinned Tuareg and black Fulani herdsmen over scarce watering points in the Sahara. This is a dangerous conclusion, partly because there is an obvious cynical explanation for the rapprochement on the Korean border: it could buy Kim Jong-un desperately needed relief from economic sanctions even while holding off any nuclear inspections regime, plus the right to demand the withdrawal of US support for South Korea. The White House, badly in need of some foreign policy credibility, can be played indefinitely by Trump's "little rocket man". The end of the Cold War was going to bring an unprecedented era of benign global progress. Remember that? The removal of the doomsday threat of mutual annihilation would produce something called the "peace dividend". No more arms race, proxy wars or manipulation of smaller states. Everybody could sensibly concentrate on improving the whole world's quality of life. Nobody talks that way anymore. Not even now when there is a possibility that the Korean conflict, one of the last unfinished chapters of that 20th-century East-West stand-off, could be reaching an end. So why doesn't this feel like peace? Perhaps because the Korean "summit agreement" is being described as the consequence of a reckless bout of belligerent hostility from the Trump insult factory. The lesson: hurling infantile abuse is what gets results. Kim comes from a long line of North Korean leaders who have parleyed US threats and survived. He has already made clever use of Trump's outbursts for domestic purposes. But meanwhile, the myth is being reinforced that outrageous, aberrant behaviour is the most forthright way to deal with difficult political problems - which is, frighteningly, becoming the established wisdom of a post-rational age. How did we get here? Instead of an atmosphere of global goodwill, we find ourselves living in a lunatic asylum. The collapse of the great ideological contest - which was, at least, comprehensible - has not made way for a common understanding. It seems instead to have produced a set of simultaneous nervous breakdowns. Russia, traumatised by losing, in a peculiarly ignominious fashion - no bang, just a whimper that reverberated around the globe- the most momentous battle of ideas in modern history, as well as the Soviet empire that went with it, has gone technically insane. The Kremlin now fills the terrifying void with a barrage of absurd fantasies and lies so preposterous that they would have been beneath the dignity of the old Communist regime. Loading More startling are the political developments in the United States, whose post-Cold War population appears to accept a presidency so bizarre that it would have been unthinkable in any previous generation. So, is the most important struggle of our time not a dispute between say, protectionism and free trade, or isolationism and engagement with allies, but between reason and unreason? There are people on both sides of all the major debates - for and against the nation state, for more or fewer trade tariffs, for open or closed borders - making arguments that are worthy of a hearing. But this isn't what it's about any more, because so much of political life is beyond argument. The ground where rational disagreement used to be has been invaded by know-nothing, moronic abuse which mirrors the wild, simplistic rhetoric being spewed out by populist governments and party leaders. Thuggery, of a verbal and physical kind, has become a regular feature of public life. Kuala Lumpur: Campaigning for Malaysia's general election on May 9 has begun, pitting Prime Minister Najib Razak against his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad in a contest marred by claims of sabotage and a skewed electoral system. Najib leads his undefeated ruling coalition into arguably its toughest election since independence from Britain in 1957. He is grappling with a multibillion-dollar scandal at a state fund, public anger over living costs and an unprecedented challenge by the 92-year-old Mahathir. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak waves to his supporters after his election nomination in Pekan, Pahang state, on Saturday. Credit:AP Mahathir, returning to politics after retiring 15 years ago, will stand in the holiday island of Langkawi. Prime minister for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, Mahathir returned to challenge Najib after a billion-dollar scandal at state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Cox's Bazar: A United Nations Security Council delegation has arrived in Bangladesh to get a firsthand look at the plight of some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar to escape military-led violence. The team will visit camps housing the refugees and discuss the crisis with local officials. The delegation will also visit Myanmar after concluding its three-day visit on Monday. Rohingya refugee women queue up outside a relief distribution center at Kutupalong near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Credit:AP Representatives from the five permanent Security Council members - China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States - and 10 non-permanent member states have joined the delegation, which arrived in the coastal town of Cox's Bazar, where the camps are located. The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on August 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by the United Nations and the United States as "ethnic cleansing", Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya villagers' homes. Roda Hotels & Resorts, a Dubai-based hospitality management company and a subsidiary of Dubai International Real Estate, will be adding a new hotel to the UAE emirate's growing hospitality portfolio next month. Opening its doors on May 1, Roda Links Al Nasr will enter Dubai's four-star market and will target business and leisure travellers who are looking for comfortable, affordable yet chic accommodation in Dubai. The new hotel will bring the total number of properties that the group owns and manages to seven. Roda Links Al Nasr Dubai features 114 comfortable rooms with hip bars and fine dining outlets. The rooms and suites feature elegant contemporary decor with quality furnishings and state-of-the-art amenities. All rooms are equipped with satellite radio and TV channels, mini-bar, safety deposit box, ironing board and high-speed wireless internet connectivity. Amro Nagah, general manager of Roda Links Al Nasr, said: We are pleased to announce the opening of Roda Links Al Nasr, our seventh property in Dubai, and is a fantastic addition to our impressive portfolio of existing hotels and resorts serving varied market segments. Roda Links is our contribution to the mid-market sector which is a fast-growing segment in the industry. The property is an ideal option for business travellers, families and couples who demand comfort and personalised service at affordable rates and we are happy to develop a range of accommodation options for these travelers. Our focus will remain on delighting our guests with personalized Arabian hospitality and intuitive services and we are confident that Roda Links will deliver this. Situated in close proximity to Dubai International Airport, Oud Metha Metro Station, Downtown Dubai and various other local attractions, dining outlets in the hotel include 1971 an all-day dining restaurant serving international cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Brugges restaurant offering guests a selection of delicacies such as sharing platters, burgers and nachos. Guests can sip their drinks in the sophisticated atmosphere and simultaneously enjoy a great view of the city from Anees Pool Bar located at the rooftop of the hotel. Additionally, Roda Links offers guests the opportunity to stay on top of their fitness regime during their travel at Flow Health Club & Wellness Center. The health club leverages latest innovative cardio and strength training equipment. Guests can also indulge in one of the healthiest sports, swimming at the hotel's outdoor swimming pool. Roda Hotels and Resorts currently owns and operates six properties across Dubai namely, Roda Al Murooj, Roda Al Bustan, Roda Amwaj Suites JBR, Roda Boutique Villas Jumeirah, Roda Metha Suites and Roda Beach Resort. - TradeArabia News Service "The defendants want us to believe that on that night they met an 18-year-old girl, living a normal life, who, after 20 minutes of conversation with people she didn't know, agreed to group sex involving every type of penetration, sometimes simultaneously, without using a condom," prosecutor Elena Sarasate said, according to the Guardian. The judge did not allow the jury to consider the WhatsApp chats among the men, who texted "us five are f---ing one girl" and "there is video" shortly after the attack. In other chats, the men joked about drugging women, then raping them. One even shared video of one of the men assaulting another woman, who appeared unconscious. On Thursday, the men were acquitted of sexual assault, a charge that includes rape. They were found guilty, instead, of the lesser charge of "sexual abuse" and sentenced to nine years in prison. (The woman's attorneys had sought 22 years.) Each man must also pay the woman about $US12,000 ($15,830). A plastic black bag painted with the word, ''Justice'' during a protest against sexual abuse in Pamplona, northern Spain. Credit:AP That is not nearly enough for many in Spain. In the wake of the verdict, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest. Holding signs declaring, "It's not sexual abuse, it's rape," activists rallied in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia Pamplona and Alicante. An online petition calling for the disqualification of the trial's judges has gathered more than 1.2 million signatures. State prosecutors say that they will appeal the ruling. Even Spain's national police force came out strongly for the woman, tweeting "No is no" a dozen times shortly after the verdict. More than 35,000 people joined the rally. On Saturday, an association of Spanish judges issued a statement calling for the resignation of Rafael Catala, the Spanish justice minister, for making "unacceptable declarations" that they said undermined the independence of the judiciary. Catala initially called for "respect toward legal sentences," but following the protests, he questioned the handling of the case. After Thursday's verdict, the Spanish government said it planned to review how sex assault is defined in Spain's criminal code, which dates from 1995. "Spain has changed in many ways since then," Catala told Cadena Ser, a radio station. The justice minister urged Spain's judicial watchdog to review the stance of one of the three judges who ruled in Pamplona, after he called for the five men to be absolved. But the head of that watchdog group, Carlos Lesmes, a justice on the Supreme Court, rejected such criticism as an unjustified attempt to discredit the judiciary. When the criticism comes from people "who hold public responsibilities," he said, "that seriously undermines the trust that our judicial system deserves to receive from citizens." Meanwhile, politicians have promised to rethink Spain's laws on sexual violence. Right now, a victim must prove that a perpetrator was violent or intimidating to gain a rape conviction. Many women's rights activists say that sets the bar too high. An editorial in the newspaper El Pais noted that violence or intimidation can be hard for survivors to prove. It "leads to the painful question of just how much a person needs to fight to avoid being raped without risking getting killed, and still get recognised as a victim of a serious attack against sexual freedom while ensuring that the perpetrators do not enjoy impunity," the newspaper said, according to a translation by Agence France-Presse. "The government has been, is and always will be with the victims," Inigo Mendez de Vigo, a spokesman for the government, told reporters. Sexual assaults have plagued the Running of the Bulls festival. Women routinely report being groped, or worse. At the 2015 festival, a British woman was allegedly assaulted by a group of men in a bathroom. Washington: Former FBI Director James Comey questioned Donald Trump's credibility as a potential witness and called a House Intelligence Committee report concluding that president's campaign didn't collude conspire with Russia "a political document." Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017 after less than four months in the White House, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that it might not be wise for Trump to agree to an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation. "I have serious doubts about his credibility," Comey said of the president. Trump accused Comey of leaking classified information, a charge the ex-FBI boss denies. Credit:AP "Sometimes people who have serious credibility problems can tell the truth when they realise that the consequences of not telling the truth in an interview or in the grand jury would be dire," Comey said. "But you'd have to go in with a healthy sense that he might lie to you." Trump has repeatedly called Comey a liar in Twitter postings, including on Friday, when he tweeted that Comey "lied all over the place" and "illegally leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION." He's also suggested "jail" for the former FBI chief. Beyond Sacramento, that year of 1977 unfolded apace: a new president named Jimmy Carter; a hot movie called Star Wars; the death of Elvis. But in and around the capital city of California, reports of yet another horrific attack by the East Area Rapist overshadowed everyday life, becoming the obsession of, among others, Daly. The first occurred in June 1976. Then another in July, in August, in September. After several more in October, law enforcement officials announced that they were looking for one perpetrator tied to attack after attack. "The fear in the community was like something I had never seen before," said Daly, who was part of a taskforce dedicated to the case. "People were afraid wherever they went." With good reason. The fear in the community was like something I had never seen before People were afraid wherever they went. Sacramento sheriff's detective Carol Daly The rapist typically wore a ski mask, and usually wielded a gun. He tied up his victims, and issued threatening instructions through clenched teeth. He took mementos: photographs, jewellery, identification. He sometimes paused to eat or drink, as if to suggest he was perfectly at home with mayhem. The attacks were devastating to women and their families. But Linda O'Dell, one of the victims, recalled Daly's deftness, at a time when victims of rape were often re-victimised by the law enforcement procedures that followed. "She was a trailblazer," O'Dell said of the detective. "She was very comforting to me." Investigators soon developed an outline of their suspect: an agile young man, just under six feet tall and with a size nine shoe, whose tactical precision suggested military or law enforcement experience. He was also particularly audacious: After a local newspaper noted that he raped his victims when no man was at home, Daly recalled, he began assaulting women while tying up their husbands. He was so in tune with what we were doing ... every time we would say, 'Well, he didn't do this,' it was: 'Ha-ha. I gotcha'. Sacramento sheriff's detective Carol Daly This calculated audacity fed into the suspicion that, at the very least, the perpetrator had had law enforcement training. "At the time," Daly said, "it was a strong enough suspicion that he could have been law enforcement that all of the men in our department who matched his description came forward and got themselves eliminated," through blood tests matched with a sample of the rapist's blood. Monica Miller, the head of the Sacramento FBI field office from 2013 to 2017, agreed that the predator's patterns suggested that he either knew what the police would look for at a crime scene or had inside information into the investigation. "He was extremely wily," Miller said. "Just the way he was able to elude the US. He was smarter than the average person when it came to tactics or techniques. The rapist flashed his boldness again after that community forum at which the audience member expressed his doubt that a woman could be attacked with a man in the house. And the subsequent assault on his wife, Daly recalled, was especially savage. An undated photo of ski maks associated with the East Area Rapist in Sacramento. Credit:FBI/AP "They were all savage," she said. "But he just seemed to have spent more time in that home, with repeated assaults. I think he was thumbing his nose at everybody." At this time, DeAngelo was a police officer in Auburn, a community tucked into the Northern California foothills, not far from where he had attended high school. He wore the light blue uniform, patrolled the quaint streets and responded to routine calls all while the residents of Auburn were being rattled by reports of the East Area Rapist. Nicholas Willick, an Auburn police officer who served with DeAngelo and who later became police chief, recalled the tenor of the time, with people installing alarm systems, packing handguns and buying guard dogs. "We were getting besieged with phone calls wanting an officer to come over to the house to make security checks and make suggestions on how they could make their houses more safe," Willick recalled. "Because people were afraid." A time of fear and panic In February 1978, a married couple, Brian and Katie Maggiore, were shot to death while walking their dog in the Sacramento County city of Rancho Cordova. This would turn out to be the first murder linked to the East Area Rapist. The next year, in early July, Willick fired DeAngelo from the police force after he was arrested for trying to steal a hammer and a can of dog repellent from a Pay 'n Save store by concealing them in his trousers. Three months later, the serial rapist tied up a couple in Goleta, a city in Santa Barbara County, nearly 650 kilometres south of Sacramento. He fled on a bike after the woman began screaming. The next month, in November, DeAngelo took the stand to deny that he was trying to steal the items. Found guilty, he was given a $US100 fine and six months' probation. Sacramento County Sheriffs deputies outside the home of Joseph James DeAngelo. Credit:AP The rapes and murders continued for years in California locations far beyond Sacramento County. All the while, Daly retained a large red binder packed with reports and photos and interviews a resource she often shared with investigators who came after her. "This is something that, once it's been with you, it does not leave you," she said. In 1986, the predator's 12-year rampage of break-ins, violence and death stopped at least, it seems, in California. Twelve dead, at least 50 women raped, and more than 120 homes burgled. The reasons remain unclear. Daly surmised that the killer had lost his agility to outrun police officers, or perhaps had come so close to getting caught that he decided to stop. "I felt that something happened that he just wasn't able to do those crimes anymore," she said. Breaking through Interest in the case waxed and waned over the decades. In 2001, advancements in DNA technology led to the establishment of a link between rapes in Northern California and murders in Southern California. In 2013, the crime writer Michelle McNamara shined a spotlight on the case with an article in Los Angeles magazine. And in 2016, the FBI and the Sacramento County district attorney's office announced a renewed effort to solve it. DeAngelo and his wife had three daughters, but at some point the couple separated. He worked for more than a quarter-century at a distribution centre for the Save Mart grocery story chain in Roseville, outside Sacramento. He retired in 2017 and was noticed, if at all, for his painstaking lawn care, and for occasional outbursts of obscenity. Then, on Tuesday, the police came for a fallen member of their fraternity. Daly, long-retired, was among those who got a heads-up call, and 40 years of emotions welled up. "It's been borderline tears from the time I got the phone call," she said. An undated photo of the result of a home invasion and ransacking by the East Area Rapist. Credit:FBI/AP Late last year, law enforcement officials had uploaded the suspect's DNA profile, culled from the scene of a 1980 double murder in Ventura County, to a website dedicated to genealogy. That approach was a Hail Mary from Paul Holes, an investigator with the Contra Costa County district attorney's office who had worked the case for 24 years and was about to retire. Four months of sleuthing on the genealogy website led to distant relatives of DeAngelo, and from there genealogists helped pinpoint DeAngelo himself whose DNA, taken from items he discarded outside his home, was a match with the killer's, according to the police. On Friday afternoon, DeAngelo was rolled into a Sacramento County courtroom, his wrists shackled to his government-issued wheelchair. He wore an orange jumpsuit with "Sacramento Co Prisoner" stencilled in large letters on the back. Judge Michael W. Sweet ascertained, after some difficulty, that the defendant's name was Joseph James DeAngelo. He then recited the charges, including the murder of Katie Maggiore "a human being" and of Brian Maggiore "a human being". The former police officer gazed at the judge, blinking slowly and with his mouth partly open, as if there were no words. Then he was wheeled away. US Department of Defense has approved the possible sale of combat helicopters and aircraft missiles to Bahrain at an estimated cost of $911.4 million, a Pentagon agency said in a statement. Bahrain has requested attack helicopters AH-1Z, replacement engines, AGM-114 and APKWS II missiles, as well as radars, communications systems and other equipment, it stated. General Electric and Textron unit Bell Helicopter are the principal contractors, it added. The Pentagon said it has delivered the required certification notice to the Congress. The Pentagon is obliged by the law to notify the Congress of plans to sell weapons or military equipment to other countries. The congressmen have 30 days to block the deal, but this happens extremely rarely. The US Defense Ministry believes that this deal will not alter the basic military balance in the region, said the Pentagon in its statement.-TradeArabia News Service This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Thinking that the earth might be flat appears to have grown in popularity in recent years. Indeed, flat earthers are gathering for their annual conference this year in Birmingham, just two miles from my own university. But the earth isn't flat. Unsurprisingly, this isn't hard to prove. But as scads of YouTube videos demonstrate, these proofs fail to convince everyone. A glance at the comments show there's still vitriolic disagreement in some quarters. Philosophy can explain why. Consider one, standard, flat earth line: "Can you prove the world is round?" Maybe you point to the (often artificially assembled) photos of Earth from space. Or possibly you rely on the testimony of astronauts. The flat earther knocks it all back. The standard of proof is higher, they say. You haven't been to space. You haven't seen the round earth. Perhaps you then start to appeal to science. But unless you're unusual, you probably don't know all of the details of the scientific proofs is it something to do with ships and horizons? Or eclipses? And even if you know the details, unless you've indulged existing flat earth literature you are unlikely right here, right now to be able to cogently, concisely and comprehensively respond to the lengthy rebuttals flat earthers will give to each and every scientific proof. You could double down. Getting knee deep in the vloggersphere, you might learn the details of the scientific proofs as well as painstakingly spelling out each error in every flat earther's rebuttal. I recommend against doing that. I recommend letting philosophy do the work. I recommend "epistemic contextualism." To understand what this is, we first must understand a familiar idea: context shift. Consider the sentence "I'm tall." Surrounded by five year olds at a rollercoaster park, the sentence is true after all, I can get on all the rides and they can't. But at the try-outs for the Harlem Globetrotters, my measly 5'11" won't cut it. So in that context, the sentence is false. Tallness is contextually sensitive. And it makes no sense to further ask whether I'm really tall or not. It only makes sense given a particular context. Epistemic contextualists say that knowledge is the same. Imagine you're transferring 10 to your daughter. You know her bank details. You tap them in. You send the money. But now imagine you're transferring 50,000. Doubt sets in. Do you really know her bank details? Are you sure? Sensibly, you phone her to double check. The contextualist says that in the first case, you know her bank details. In the second case, even though nothing about you has changed, the context has. And in that case, you don't know the details. Moving the goalposts That said, I claim the flat earther is doing a "Phoebe." In one episode from Friends, Phoebe and Ross argue about evolution. Ross piles on the evidence thick and fast. Finally, Phoebe loses her temper. Can he be so unbelievably arrogant, she asks, that he can't admit the slightest chance that he might be wrong? Sheepishly, Ross agrees that there might be a chance. Suddenly, Phoebe has him Ross's admission destroys his worldview. He's a palaeontologist and, having admitted he can't be sure about evolution, how can he "face the other science guys?" Phoebe has (humorously) shifted context. Ross's proof starts off relying on fossils in museums, books and articles on evolutionary biology, and so on. But Phoebe moves him to a "sceptical context" in which if there's a hint of doubt about something any possibility that you might be wrong then you don't know it at all. See more Philosophers are well acquainted with these sceptical contexts. For instance, you could be plugged into the Matrix and, if you were, then every belief you had would be false. By bringing your attention to that, I put us in a sceptical context within which we don't know much of anything. Most people, though, ignore this possibility most people assume themselves not to be in a sceptical context. It's now easy to see how Ross can face the other science guys. He does know evolution is true in most everyday contexts. It is only in Phoebe's weird context that Ross does not know evolution is true. Where flat earthers go wrong Flat earthers are pulling the same trick. They're right that you don't know the earth is round. But they're only right in a context where testimonies of hundreds are disregarded, where widely accepted facts among the scientific community don't count, where photographic evidence is inadmissible, and so on. See more The flat earther's argument is framed in a context where you can't set aside the possibility that there's a pervading global conspiracy albeit one which somehow intermittently leaves glaring errors which give them away. In that context, you don't know the earth is round. But in that context, nobody knows much at all and so this conclusion is simply unsurprising. In the more everyday contexts that we care about, we can rely on testimony. We can rely on the fact that every educated physicist, cartographer and geographer never pauses to think the earth might be flat. And we are correct to rely on these things. If it was incorrect, we'd never get treated at hospitals for in a context where we can't trust the established laws of physics, how could we trust the judgements of medical science? So do you know whether the earth is round? It turns out it depends on context. But in most regular contexts then, yes, you do. And that's even though I doubt most people could prove it, right here and now. Nikk Effingham, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Birmingham This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com. Blue Origin, the private space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, launched its passenger spaceship New Shepard on a test flight Sunday (April 29), carrying a dummy astronaut and experiments on their highest spaceflight yet. The New Shepard 2.0 rocket and capsule, both of which have flown in space before, lifted off from Blue Origin's West Texas launch site at 1:06 p.m. EDT (1706 GMT). Despite several hours of delays (thunderstorms thwarted a 9:45 a.m. EDT launch target) and countdown holds for last-minute checks, the flight appeared to go flawlessly. "Another spectacular test mission," Ariane Cornell of Blue Origin said during a launch webcast. "Everything looks nominal from here." [Flashback: Blue Origin's 1st New Shepard 2.0 Flight in Pictures] Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 rocket and capsule launch to space during a successful test flight from West Texas on April 29, 2018. (Image credit: Blue Origin) Blue Origin launched New Shepard to a target altitude of 351,000 feet (106,984 meters), Bezos said after the launch. That's almost 66 miles (107 km), slightly higher than the company's typical target of 62 miles (100 km), the altitude widely accepted as the boundary of space. "Apogee of 351,000 feet (66 miles, 107 kilometers), and that's the altitude we've been targeting for operations," Bezos said on Twitter after the launch. "One step closer." Sunday's launch marked the second flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 vehicle (after a successful December 2017 test launch) and eighth test flight overall for the company's New Shepard program. An earlier version of New Shepard launched a series of missions in 2015 and 2016 before it was retired. Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 booster lands on its pad after a successful test flight from West Texas on April 29, 2018. It was the second spaceflight for the reusable booster. (Image credit: Blue Origin) From liftoff to landing, Sunday's test flight lasted about 10 minutes and 19 seconds. After launching the New Shepard capsule, the booster separated and returned to its launch site, where it made a smooth vertical landing. The capsule fell back to Earth a few minutes later, descending on parachutes and cushioning its own landing with retrorockets. Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 space capsule is designed to fly six passengers on suborbital space tourism flights trips that reach space but don't orbit Earth and can also carry commercial payloads and experiments. It has six large windows to give paying passengers wide views of Earth from space. However, Blue Origin has not yet announced the price of a ticket to fly on New Shepard. For Sunday's mission, Blue Origin's dummy astronaut affectionately nicknamed "Mannequin Skywalker" rode in a passenger seat alongside a series of customer science and technology experiments. Those payloads included an experiment for NASA's Johnson Space Center,several others from European universities funded by the German Aerospace Center, and a "Schmitt Space Communicator" for the company Solstar, which named the experiment after Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt (a Solstar adviser). More New Shepard test flights are expected in the coming months. If all goes well, Blue Origin could potentially begin launching people on New Shepard this year, company representatives have said. The crew capsule of Blue Origin's New Shepard 2.0 suborbital spacecraft descends to Earth under parachutes after a successful test flight in West Texas on April 29, 2018. (Image credit: Blue Origin) Meanwhile, Blue Origin is busy developing a larger rocket called New Glenn that will launch missions all the way to orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the 2020s. Like New Shepard, the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket will be reusable and fly people into space. During Sunday's launch webcast, Cornell said Blue Origin's first New Shepard customers will get first dibs on those orbital New Glenn spaceflights but will have to wait until the 2020s for a chance to fly. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include more details on Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight altitude. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. ****SPOILER WARNING Please note the series review below may contain spoilers from the latest episode of Killing Eve. From the very beginning, Killing Eve has captured viewer's attention with its intricately woven cat and mouse game between Eve Polastri and the deadly assassin, Villanelle. Killing Eve continues to raise the bar and set new standards for gripping suspense. This week's episode is no exception, "Don't I Know You?" (1x3) continues that trend with an expertly crafted script and superb performances from Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. Each week seems to narrow the focus on these two women, bringing them closer and closer to confrontation. Killing Eve continues to raise the bar and set new standards for gripping suspense. It seems we're destined for a future episode featuring just these two outstanding performers for the entire episode. This week's raison d'etre is the investigation of the murder of a Chinese diplomat in a Berlin fetish palace. What draws Eve (Oh), and her colleague, Bill (David Haig) to Berlin is that this time the killer boldly identified herself by using the alias Eve Polastri. Bill accompanies Eve to Berlin, as he lived and work there for two years and is not only familiar with the city but oddly also with the city's fetish and sexual deviancy culture underground. This allows for some wonderful and revealing scenes between Sandra Oh and David Haig. They have a nice, comfortable ease in their banter together as perhaps they both learn more about their colleague than they wanted to know. Bill begins to wonder about Eve after listening to her describe the woman she met in the hospital that she is certain is the killer they are pursuing. He calls her on whether or not her interest in the woman is purely professional after listening to Eve describe her in detailed almost romantic terms. Eve learns that she'd made the wrong assumption about Bill being in the perfect marriage and doting father. It seems Bill explored all sides of his sexuality while in Berlin and shares an open marriage while admitting he and his wife only got married because he wanted a child. They make a good team, having each other's back, however, in this case, that leads to tragic results.Sandra Oh wonderfully continues to peel back the many layers of Eve Polastri. More and more we find that while professionally she is a master at putting the pieces of a case together, she's socially awkward. We also learn that she can become so absorbed in a case she forgets those around her, as we see that her obsession with this case may be causing cracks in her marriage. And while it has been her professional dream to be a spy, when push comes to shove she's just not very good at playing the Mata Hari, femme fatale role the job calls for in their investigation. Her dinner with the Chinese attache is Oh at her best, blunt and honest to a fault, socially awkward with just a touch of endearing goofiness, that makes her Eve such a rounded character.On the other side, watching Jodie Comer take Villanelle further and further down a dark, psychotic rabbit hole is a sheer delight to watch. She is so convincing as this cold, souless character that at times watching her brilliance in crafting this wicked woman is a little like watching a traffic accident, you know it's going to be bad yet you can't look away. After displaying the first sign of emotion from this twisted character last week when learning that the MI6 agent hunting her is the woman she encountered in the hospital, she turns that emotion into a deadly obsession this week. But that obsession may be what leads to her downfall. She has become so obsessed with Eve, she's not only grown bold but somewhat reckless. In this episode alone, she gives Eve's name as her alias when she killed the diplomat; then she waits and watches for Eve to arrive in Berlin to investigate. When Eve arrives, she steals her luggage, wears a scarf that belongs to Eve, and plays a deluded game later picking up a female tourist for a tryst and insists the woman call herself Eve. She brazenly follows Eve into a dress shop and watches her try on dresses knowing her stealing Eve's suitcase is the reason Eve is there. Her ego even allows her to hang a belt as a suggested accessory and she preens when Eve takes the suggestion.The subtle smirks and grins from Comer as she watches Eve from afar at times are disturbing and chilling. However, when following Eve to her dinner with the attache her focus on Eve is so intent, she makes her first mistake. While wearing a scarf from Eve's suitcase she does not see Bill notice and then follows her. It seems as though Bill recognizes the woman as more than the suspect from Eve's description. When he confronts her and stops her from following Eve, she seems at first startled, then takes it as a challenge. She leads Bill away and into a club where she later coldly, repeatedly stabs him to death.This is where she's made her mistake. Unknown to her, Bill had alerted Eve he was following their suspect. Eve had finally left her dinner, but not before the attache had given her a flash drive that may contain vital information, had left her dinner to join Bill at the club. Only, Eve arrives too late and sees someone attack Bill before she can get to him. This arrogance from Villanelle just changed all the stakes in the series. The gauntlet has been thrown, this is more than a game of cat and mouse now. No longer is catching this killer a challenge to Eve, it just became very personal.The intrigue grows with each episode of. What were your thoughts on this episode? Do you think Bill recognized Villanelle? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below. Algiers, April 28, 2018 (SPS) - Algeria notes with satisfaction the new resolution on the issue of Western Sahara that the United Nations Security Council adopted Friday and underlines that this resolution reaffirms that there is no other solution to the conflict but that which enables the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdelaziz Benali Cherif in a statement following the adoption of the UN resolution. The resolution adopted by the Security Council extends by six months, until 31 October 2018, the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Holding of a Referendum in Western Sahara. Algeria notes with satisfaction the new resolution on the issue of Western Sahara that the UN Security Council has adopted, underling that his resolution reaffirms clearly, once again, in its preamble as in its purview that there is no other solution to this conflict but this one which ensures the Sahrawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, said Benali Cherif. Algeria can only welcome the Security Councils total support to the Secretary General and his Special Envoy to relaunch, with new impetus and spirit, negotiations to reach a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable solution which provides the people of Western Sahrawi with the right to self-determination, he added. As it can only join the call of the Security Council to the two parties to the conflict, the Moroccan Kingdom and the Polisario Front, to resume negotiations, without preconditions and in good faith, to reach a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution which guarantees the right of the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, said Benali Cherif, adding that Algeria hopes, in this regard, that the extension of MINURSO mandate, for a period of six months, prompts the two parties to the conflict to take part, as soon as possible, in the fifth round of negotiations that the Secretary Generals Special Envoy has committed and is actively working to organize. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS In my opinion, the greatest comic of all time is George Carlin, and his best quotation is a two-parter. The first halfs just an opinion (although, based on current events, hard to dispute), while the second part is logically incontrovertible: The average person is a moron. And, by the definition of average, half the country is even stupider than he is. I once naively thought we wouldnt elect a game show host as president. Truth be told, I didnt think the Republicans would even nominate him. Once he became the candidate, I was surprised that nearly half the electorate voted for him. Since then, those in the know have been saying he wont be re-elected. Fool me three times, shame on me. The depressing prospect of a two-term Trump administration eight years that will seem like at least 10, hence, a deplorecade will require a lexicon that makes it easier to describe our state of affairs (wheres George Carlin when you need him?): Fifth-Avenue Republicans (FARs): In 2016, The Donald boasted, I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose voters. This has turned out to be true. The FAR right will defend literally anything he does. Their poster boy is spineless D.C. swamp dweller Paul Ryan, who called Trump a textbook racist right before endorsing him, and barely even pretends to stand up to the Dear Leader. Trumpencicans: The evangelical wing of FAR, which comprises much of the Trump base. They consider lies, racism, adultery, etc., acceptable, as long as the lying adulterer has an (R) after his name; hates Mexicans, the environment, reproductive choice and taxes on the wealthy; and thinks blessed are the poor was just Jesus way of showing off his quirky sense of humor. Their icon is the vice president, who makes a Trump impeachment superfluous. Fifties Fundies: The fundamentalist wing of FAR (i.e., the American Taliban), whose reverence for the past the 1950s for its social conservatism and the 1850s for its attitude toward human rights causes them to reject most scientific knowledge discovered during years with four digits. This includes evolutionary biology, the big bang, psychology, anthropology, paleontology and climate science. Gops: Based on the acronym for grab our p***ies, these Republican women once reviled Bill Clinton for defiling Monica Lewinsky. Nowadays, they believe its plausible that, without his client knowing about it, and out of the goodness of his lawyer heart, the presidents attorney reached into his own pocket to pay porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money. Decaf-Tea Partiers: Deficit hawks during the Obama administration who now believe our national debt doesnt matter. With a Trump budget in place and huge tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires that will result in a trillion-dollar deficit, theyll be happy to wait patiently (unless Democrats are in office) for the promised trickle down to start. Confederites: Conservatives who believe the wrong side won the Civil War (the extremists have similar qualms about World War II). Considered some good people by our president, their concerns about civil rights mainly involve the loss of white privilege and the fear that too many minorities may be voting. Fauxnewsmen: Viewers who watch state-run Fox News (aka GOP TV) exclusively, and see almost all other media as fake. This attitude extends to any history books that GOP hysterians consider fake i.e., reflect badly on conservatism. For example, they applaud the revisionism of Sen. Joe McCarthys rehab as a right-wing hero and patriot. Cluster-Schmucks: Sycophantic members of the cabinet and GOP congress who are unashamed to behave like obsequious toadies by praising President Trump for being a combination of Lincoln and Jefferson. They bring to mind the North Korean Politburo in Pyongyang sitting on the dais of a Comedy Central Roast of Kim Jong Un. Polluticrats: Republicans who believe anyone who likes clean air or water is a tree-hugging Marxist. Their patron saint is EPA head Scott Pruitt, who thinks the P in EPA stands for petroleum. Theyd vote to repeal all environmental regulations if that would move oil company stocks an eighth of a point higher or bring back coal mining. Ex-patriots: Erstwhile pro-American conservatives, who now think Vladimir Putin is a champion of democracy, and the FBI, CIA, NSA and DOJ are all part of the deep state an anti-U.S. cabal dedicated to electing liberals. Conspiricans: Ex-patriots who adhere to a long list of conspiracy theories, espoused by people such as Alex Jones, Sean Hannity, and the interchangeable blondes on Fox and Friends. They range from the Hillarites who believe Mrs. Clinton is the secret despot of the deep state, whose emails still represent an existential threat to the Obamaphobes, who somehow seem to think he still might be president. They also share a fear and loathing of less-public radicals, both dead and alive, from Friedrich Engels and Saul Alinsky to bogeyman-in-chief George Soros, whod be the lefts version of the Koch Brothers, if they werent heartless oligarchs. TINOs: Republicans, such as U.S. Sen. John McCain, who support Trump only 98 percent of the time. Occasional spasms of conscience among Trumpists in name only (TINOs) hinder progress toward MAWA (making America white again), which forms a major portion of MAGAs goal. IMHO, Mr. Carlins second-best quotation is, By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. In the upcoming deplorecade, this will be a trend worth watching. Greenwich native Mark Drought (markdrought4@gmail.com) is an editor at a Stamford IT firm and was an adjunct English professor at the University of Connecticut-Stamford. Imagine: You're wading through chest-high jungle in the Amazon Rainforest beside sweaty workers slashing through the brush to create the broad open fields that will grow soy for Brazil's greedily expanding cattle industry. Suddenly you're hovering over the kill chute of a slaughterhouse where a panicked cow paces back and forth, consigned to become society's next steak dinner. Related: 12 Amazing Uses of Virtual Reality Just as suddenly, you're on the bone-dry plains of Somalia where camels graze and where your guide sadly comments how, "We used to have four seasons," because what is now below your feet isn't a fertile field, but sand and endless drought. Your next stop is that which the drought has wrought: a fly-infested clinic where starving Somalian babies, cradled by desperate mothers, seem so close to you that you could almost reach out to comfort them. Finally: You're experiencing a cold snowy scene in Greenland beneath a piercing blue sky, gazing up warily as huge chunks of glacier plunge down, right in front of you, into a raging river of ice floes which could have sunk another Titantic, but now, in the modern day, are emblematic of what is sinking Planet Earth. These are some of the up-close-and-personal experiences you'll have viewing the four-part virtual reality (VR) "docu-series" This Is Climate Change, which had its premiere last week at the Tribeca Film Festival. The 11-minute segments are titled "Feast," "Famine," "Melting Ice" and "Fire." (The latter puts you aboard a plane beside brave firefighters battling last fall's disastrous California forest fires.) The series was produced by Jeff Skoll (of eBay fame) and his activist company Participant Media, And it serves to underscore once again the "you-are-there" power of VR -- as opposed to the two-dimensional flat-screen experience of a film like An Inconvenient Truth -- when it comes to getting out the message of urgency about climate change. Related: Can Corporates Save the World from Climate Change? VR intensifies that urgency exponentially because you, the viewer, are right there, in the middle of that melting ice, those starving babies, those enormous cattle feedlots, those California fires. If you've got something to sell, then, be it a product or an urgent social message, VR promises to be the wave of the future. That was the message from This Is Climate Change filmmakers Danfung Dennis (founder the VR company Condition One) and Eric Strauss during a video interview with Entrepreneur.com. If you want to experience -- yes, experience -- climate change, check out the series' trailer (password; WITHIN) or acquire the app at Within.com. Related: 'This Is Climate Change' Tells an Urgent Message Via Virtual Reality The Future of Augmented Reality (Infographic) Here's How Privacy is Threatened by AR/VR Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, is set to put smiles on the faces of its customers with the return of its most rewarding Smile campaign at City Centre Deira where every shopper will have the chance to be a winner until May 15. "Being happy and positive has a direct impact peoples physical health and mental wellbeing," said Majed Al Fahim, the senior mall manager at City Centre Deira. "Our Smile campaign has been developed to spread cheer among our customers and supports the UAE governments efforts to create one of the worlds happiest societies, while bringing a smile to their faces by creating great moments for everyone, everyday," he stated. "After a resounding success last years Smile campaign has returned bigger and better with many more winning opportunities and interactive games that can be enjoyed together with family and friends," he added. Al Fahim said guaranteed prizes await shoppers at City Centre Deira until May 15. "Customers who shop in the range of Dh500 and Dh1,500 will receive an Dh100 Mall GiftCard or prizes, while those who shop for Dh1,501 and above will receive an Dh300 Mall GiftCard or prizes," he noted. Also an interactive smiley booth has been set up in the Centre Court with a giant smile-o-metre which will fill up as the participants smile grows. They must hold that smile for a photo in the booth and redeem their prize, which will include Mall GiftCards to VOX Cinemas tickets, from the vending machine. Participants can double their happiness by sharing this on their social media channels and receive a delicious chocolate bar, he explained. Al Fahim said the shoppers can look forward to a month of big offers across brands at the mall, too. "From their homeware and new smartphone needs to trendy outfits and accessories, customers can save on the latest collections," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Y our beloved yoga studio may well be opening it's doors again soon, but we're not quite there yet, so you'll have to settle for a few more virtual workouts for the coming weeks at least. In celebration of International Yoga Day this Sunday, we've rounded up the best YouTube yoga classes to get your flow on for absolutely free. Whether you're perfecting your downward dog or mastering you your mermaid pose, these guys have got you covered. Cat Meffan Cat Meffan is all about building strength in her practice, expect plenty of power flows and feel good, body positive vibes. Her YouTube archive is full of sequences for different purposes, including the best yoga poses for running and building abs. People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Yoga with Adriene If you haven't yet heard of US-based Adriene Mishler and her hugely popular Yoga with Adriene YouTube series (which has over six million subscribers), can you even call yourself a yogi? The hashtag #yogawithadriene brings up over 230,000 posts, showing just how cult her yoga workouts have become. Annie Clarke London-based Annie Clarke, who runs online yoga studio The Practice shares yoga flows, meditation and breathwork practices and healthy recipes on her YouTube channel. Tune in for themed yoga practices, like stress-busting flows and sequences to aid digestion. Shona Vertue Australian personal trainer and yoga instructor Shona Vertue is credited with making David Beckham bendy. Expect straight talking on her YouTube channel which has amassed over 70,000 subscribers, and where she offers dynamic yoga flows alongside mobility sequences and full-body workouts. DoYouYoga Do You Yoga brings together certified yoga instructors from around the world and delivers fresh videos every week. SarahBethYoga Just starting out? You need to master the basics. Host and trainer Sarah Beth methodically runs-down a few entry-level hatha poses and longer holding yin-style releases to gently warm you into the practice of regularly stretching. Koya Webb California-based yoga teacher and holistic health coach, Koya Webb, counts P. Diddy among her former clients. From yoga for neck or back pain to a seven-day backbend challenge, her channel has an archive of content to get your flow on. YogaTX P olice investigating the death of a newborn baby found in Greater Manchester say they have not ruled out the possibility she "could have been the product of rape or incest". Officers were called to a field in Heywood early on Wednesday April 4 after a dog walker discovered the newborn's body. No arrests have been made in connection with the death, though investigators believe the baby may also have still been alive when she was abandoned. Officers have posthumously named her "Pearl" because they "felt it was important for her to have a identity after such a short, harsh life". Police at the scene in George Street in Heywood, Greater Manchester / PA Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Hughes said: "I can only hope she wasn't alive at the point she was left here. The alternative doesn't really bear thinking about. "We believe the mother may be somebody in distress. Whoever left Pearl here was someone with no emotional attachment for that baby. There was no scrap of clothing on her. Detective Constable Kelly Bragg of Greater Manchester Police appeals to the mother of a newborn baby girl / PA "She has been treated with no compassion. If it was the mother who dumped Pearl, she could be a rape victim, or a victim of abuse or incest. It may be a mother who has concealed the birth from others." Dozens of teddy bears, soft toys and flowers have been laid at the scene by locals. Millie Crosdale, 18, who laid flowers at the scene on Wednesday, said: "It is so close to home, you don't expect it to happen here. It is heartbreaking really, all you can do is come and pay your respects." S adiq Khan said the Windrush scandal is a consequence of the hostile environment created by the government and claimed institutional racism is rife throughout most organisations across Britain. The Mayor of London, who has called for the Home Secretary to resign over the issue, said that it could not be blamed purely on an administrative error that it isnt an an anomaly. He also claimed institutional racism is rife throughout most organisations across Britain and said the government had been too slow in tackling the problem. Speaking ITV's Peston on Sunday, Mr Khan said: The Windrush generation is not just a question of competence, it is also a question of conduct. But also I think there needs to be an acceptance that what happened to the Windrush generation isnt an anomaly, its not due to an administrative error its a consequence of the hostile environment created by this government. Perplexed: Amber Rudd (Photo by Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images) / NurPhoto via Getty Images He said that, 25 years on from the murder of Stephen Lawrence, there had been "huge progress" in tackling the issue racism but also said that the country should be, but added: "We should be impatient for change." "I think most institutions in our country have problems with institutional racism, he said. A timeline of Stephen Lawrence's murder and the ensuing events He continued: "I suspect there is still unwitting prejudice in the main political parties, dare I say it in ITV, dare I say it in the police service and other public authorities as well. "The key thing is the leadership at the top must make sure there is a zero tolerance towards this, we have policies in place and an action plan to address that. Speaking ITV's Peston on Sunday, Mr Khan said: The Windrush generation is not just a question of competence, it is also a question of conduct." / ITV "I think we've been too slow and we're going to accelerate the progress." On the subject of racism, he said that Ken Livingston should be expelled from the Labour party over anti-Semitic comments made, adding: There can be no place in our parties for anybody with racist views. Mr Khan also called on US President Donald Trump to apologise for retweeting the tweets of a far-right group which has been set up "intentionally to sow these seeds of division". Last year, Mr Trump was heavily criticised after he re-tweeted three videos posted by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen. Donald Trump will reportedly 'largely' avoid the capital during his UK visit / AFP/Getty Images Mr Trump is set to visit the UK in July and Mr Khan said he believed there would be protests, but urged: "They must be peaceful, they must be lawful." Sadiq Khan: UK should be honest with US as Trump visits T he Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated their seven-year anniversary days after welcoming their third child by sharing a throwback snap of them on their wedding day. Prince William and Kate married at Westminster Abbey on April 29 2011 in a service watched by more than 36 million television viewers. After the traditional service, which was followed by a carriage procession from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace, William drove his new wife from the palace to his then home Clarence House in an Aston Martin convertible. Kensington Palace Twitter feed shared a picture of the couple in the car which had been lent to William by his father Prince Charles to mark their wedding anniversary on Sunday. Prince William drives himself and his wife Kate as they leave Buckingham Palace for Clarence House after their wedding / PA Archive/PA Images The blue vintage car a DB6 Volante had been given to Prince Charles by the Queen as a 21st birthday present. For the wedding, it was decorated by Prince Harry Williams best man and friends who attached heart-shaped balloons to it and added a rear number plate saying "JU5T WED. Seven years ago today - thank you for all the lovely messages on The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding anniversary! the palace tweeted. Post-baby glow: the Duchess of Cambridge with her new baby Prince Louis on Monday / Jeremy Selwyn The Duke and Duchess marked the occasion days after welcoming their third child to the world. Prince Louis Arthur Charles, the new younger brother to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, was born on Monday just after 11am. Royal baby: How the day unfolded After showing their newborn off to the press on the steps of the Lindo Wing, Paddington, the couple took him home to Kensington Palace to settle in as a family of five. The Duchess is still on maternity leave and has refrained from attending official duties, but she is expected to attend the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19. Royal wedding rules and traditions - in pictures 1 /15 Royal wedding rules and traditions - in pictures Click through to see some rules and traditions we can expect to see at Meghan and Harry's wedding Getty Images The balcony kiss The balcony kiss was started by Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981 AFP/Getty Images The queen will host a reception lunch This is the dress the Duchess of Cambridge wore for her reception Getty Images The royal family will pose for a portrait Here at Princess Anne's wedding in 1973 Getty Images The wedding invites will be sent by the monarch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding invites (pictured) were sent out on March 22 PA Wire/PA Images The guests must adhere to a strict dress code Princess Eugenie and her father Prince Andrew at the wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall in 2011 Getty Images The bride will wear a tiara Princess Diana wears the Spencer Tiara to marry Prince Charles in 1981 PA The groom will wear a military uniform Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day in 1947 Getty Images The bride will wear white This tradition was started by Queen Victoria (dress pictured) in 1840 with her marriage to Prince Albert - before then white wedding dresses weren't common Getty Images The bride will carry myrtle Another tradition started by Queen Victoria Getty Images The royal family will sit on the right of the church Assuming it is the groom with royal blood, it is the opposite for when the bride has royal blood Getty Images The bride's wedding ring will contain Welsh gold Like the Duchess of Cambridges (pictured), this tradition was started by the Queen Mother Getty Images The bride will arrive in a horse-drawn carriage Princess Diana arrives at her wedding, but the Duchess of Cambridge eschewed this tradition 30 years later PA Archive/PA Images The bridal party is mainly made of children So we can expect to see George and Charlotte in Harry and Meghan's wedding party - pictured at Pippa Middleton's wedding last year PA There will be a fruit cake As is tradition - this eight-tiered fruit cake was made by Fiona Cairns for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding AFP/Getty Images T housands of Russian Twitter accounts were used to rally support for Labour in last year's general election, it has been claimed. The Sunday Times said an investigation it conducted in conjunction with Swansea University had identified 6,500 Russian accounts tweeting supportive messages for the Labour party and denigrating its Conservatives rivals. It said that many of the accounts, masquerading under female English names, were internet "bots" programmed to bombard voters with orchestrated political messages. Labour dismissed the report saying that it was not aware of receiving any support from automated bots during the campaign. Researchers claim the 'bots' tweeted denigrating messages for the Conservatives / Getty Images A spokesman said the party "categorically" did not pay for any automated bots and was not aware of any of its supporters doing so. The Sunday Times said it discovered overwhelming support for Labour and Jeremy Corbyn from the Russian social media accounts with nine out of 10 messages about the party supporting its campaign. Its research found that 80 per cent of the automated accounts had been created in the weeks leading up to polling day on June 8 and were particularly active at key points in the campaign. The team of researchers claim they found 16,000 Russian bots had been tweeting on British politics since April last year. Culture Secretary Matt Hancock: the findings are 'extremely concerning' / EPA They narrowed their study to a sample of 20,000 tweets from Russia collected by Swansea University and posted in the four weeks before the general election, so they could "assess each individual message's political slant", according to The Sunday Times. It said the bots retweeted publicity for Mr Corbyn's rallies around the country, amplified criticism of Theresa May over police cuts following the Manchester Arena bombing, and on polling day itself sent messages urging Labour supporters to turn out and vote. Culture Secretary Matt Hancock described the findings as "extremely concerning". "It is absolutely unacceptable for any nation to attempt to interfere in the democratic elections of another country," he told The Sunday Times. "The social media companies need to act to safeguard our democratic discourse and reveal what they know." The report comes at a time when Mr Corbyn has been attacked by critics over what they say is his unwillingness to criticise Russia over the Salisbury nerve agent attack and the use of chemical weapons in Syria. However a Labour Party spokesman said the Russians had actually appeared to favour the Conservatives - not Labour - in the election. "The Russian government made clear its support for the Conservative Party in the 2017 UK general election, with the Russian embassy in London promoting their ideological 'convergence' and Theresa May's 'strong and stable' slogan on Twitter," the spokesman said. "Labour's proposed crackdown on tax dodging, failed privatisation and corrupt oligarchs is opposed by both May and Putin's conservative philosophy and their super-rich supporters. A rally of Donald Trump fans demanded he be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the recent Korean reconciliation talks. The US President, addressing a crowd of supporters in Michigan on Saturday, was describing recent developments on the Korean Peninsula when fans spontaneously started chanting: "Nobel!" Mr Trump said: "A lot of good things are happening there, lots of good things...I'm not going to give you what's actually going to happen, because we don't really know. "But I'll tell you one thing: We're not playing games and...it was very rough three or four months ago..." North Korea's Kim Jon Un meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in 1 /18 North Korea's Kim Jon Un meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Peace House at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un takes hand of South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) to cross the military demarcation line Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in cross the border line at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Reuters Kim walks with Moon at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspect an honor guard after Kim crossed the border into South Korea for their historic face-to-face talks, in Panmunjom AP The two leaders meet at the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspect an honor guard after Kim crossed the border into South Korea for their historic face-to-face talks, in Panmunjom AP South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend the inter-Korean summit Reuters Kim Jong Un (2nd L) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (L) attend a farewell ceremony with Moon Jae-in (2R) and his wife Kim Jung-sook (R) AFP/Getty Images Ri Sol Ju (L), wife of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Jung-sook AFP/Getty Images The couple's toast at a farewell dinner at the end of the summit AFP/Getty Images The official dinner at the end of their historic summit AFP/Getty Images An image of flowers is beamed onto the Peace House where the summit had taken place during a closing ceremony AFP/Getty Images Kyu Cho, 27, reads a newspaper with a front page story about the inter-Korean summit REUTERS A woman reads a newspaper with a front page story about the inter-Korean summit REUTERS A man walks past a newspaper featuring a front page story about the summit AFP/Getty Images Audience members then began chanting the word "Nobel", to which the President responded: "That's very nice thank you...'Nobel'...I just want to get the job done." He continued: "So we are going to have hopefully a very successful negotiation over the next three or four weeks. North and South Korea agree to get rid of nuclear weapons "And...err...we'll be doing the world a big favour. We'll be doing the world a big favour. Let's see how it goes, I think we'll do fine." Moving onto the offensive, Mr Trump attacked "fake news" outlets who questioned his role in the talks, saying he had "everything" to do with the development. "They were saying: 'What do you think President Trump had to do with it?' I'll tell you what, like, how about everything?" Mr Trump also hit out at the "horrible and lousy" US Embassy in London ahead of his planned visit in July. He renewed his criticism of the embassy after it was relocated from Grosvenor Square in the centre of the capital to a new location Nine Elms. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un today pledged to work towards eradicating nuclear weapons at a historic peace summit. D onald Trump was seen grappling with his umbrella as he disembarked from Air Force One into adverse weather conditions. The US President had touched down in Washington DC after holding a rally in Michigan on Saturday. But when he left the plane, his umbrella was immediately blown inside-out. The President hopelessly attempted to contain it - grimacing as he battled to put it down. The President struggled to contain the umbrella / AFP/Getty Images But he was forced to eventually concede defeat and held the upside-down umbrella aloft as he walked down the plane's steps. A pair of solemn airman greeting the President saluted his arrival with a straight face - neither of them cracking a smile through the debarkle. He eventually conceded defeat and disembarked with it upside-down / AFP/Getty Images Mr Trump had made the 500-mile journey after attending a rally in Michigan in which he criticised the US embassy in London for being lousy and horrible. N orth Korea's nuclear test site will be shut down in May, Seoul's presidential office has said. A spokesman said the closure of the Punggye-ri site will be open to experts and journalists from South Korea and the US. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to close site during a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday. North Korea's Kim Jon Un meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in 1 /18 North Korea's Kim Jon Un meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Peace House at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un takes hand of South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) to cross the military demarcation line Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in cross the border line at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Reuters Kim walks with Moon at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspect an honor guard after Kim crossed the border into South Korea for their historic face-to-face talks, in Panmunjom AP The two leaders meet at the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspect an honor guard after Kim crossed the border into South Korea for their historic face-to-face talks, in Panmunjom AP South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend the inter-Korean summit Reuters Kim Jong Un (2nd L) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (L) attend a farewell ceremony with Moon Jae-in (2R) and his wife Kim Jung-sook (R) AFP/Getty Images Ri Sol Ju (L), wife of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Jung-sook AFP/Getty Images The couple's toast at a farewell dinner at the end of the summit AFP/Getty Images The official dinner at the end of their historic summit AFP/Getty Images An image of flowers is beamed onto the Peace House where the summit had taken place during a closing ceremony AFP/Getty Images Kyu Cho, 27, reads a newspaper with a front page story about the inter-Korean summit REUTERS A woman reads a newspaper with a front page story about the inter-Korean summit REUTERS A man walks past a newspaper featuring a front page story about the summit AFP/Getty Images Mr Kim also expressed optimism about his meeting with US President Donald Trump during the meeting, saying Mr Trump will learn he's "not a person" to fire missiles towards the United States, Mr Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. The event may serve as a dramatic set-up to Mr Kim's crucial nuclear negotiations with Mr Trump, which is expected next month or early June. The Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, in North Korea / AP "Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States," Mr Yoon quoted Mr Kim as saying. "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would be need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?" Mr Yoon quoted Mr Kim as saying. The office also announced North Korea plans to re-adjust its current time zone to match the South's. The North in 2015 created its own "Pyongyang Time" by setting the clock 30 minutes behind the South. It comes after North Korea announced earlier this month it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Mr Kim reacted to scepticism that the North would only be closing down the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. T he creator of The Simpsons has finally responded to the racism row surrounding fan favourite Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. Matt Groening, who came up with America's beloved cartoon family in the late 1980s, appeared to dodge criticisms in a recent interview with USA Today. The show's portrayal of a Indian convenience store clerk came under intense scrutiny after comedian Hari Kondabolu released the documentary 'The Problem with Apu' last year. Asked if he had any thoughts on the criticisms of Apu as a stereotype, Mr Groening said: "Not really. I'm proud of what we do on the show. The character has been criticised for perpetuating racial stereotypes "And I think it's a time in our culture where people love to pretend they're offended...We'll let the show speak for itself." The man behind the voice of Apu, Caucasian American Hank Azaria, recently said he would be willing to step down from the role. He said: I think the most important thing is to listen to Indian people and their experience with it. Actor who plays Apu in The Simpsons addresses controversy I really want to see Indian, South Asian writers in the writers roomincluding how [Apu] is voiced or not voiced. Im perfectly willing to step aside. It just feels like the right thing to do to me. He said that the controversy surrounding the character had come to his attention more and more over the years. The idea that anyone young or old, past or present, being bullied based on Apu really makes me sad, he continued. It certainly was not my intention. I wanted to bring joy and laughter to people. The Simpsons respond to Apu stereotype controversy during new episode The Simpsons writers released an episode entitled No Good Read Goes Unpunished as a response to the mounting controversy. In the episode Marge decided to read a book which was a childhood favourite of hers to Lisa. However during the story-telling, Marge realised the book was culturally offensive. Speaking to camera, Lisa addressed the audience and said: Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do? The episode received criticism by some who said the show was making light of the situation. W ith the countdown to Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding firmly on, ITV are getting us ready with a whole host of Royal wedding coverage taking us to Saturday 19 May. To kick things off, Invitation to the Royal Wedding airs on Sunday night giving us an insight into what it is like to plan one of the highlights of the royal calendar. The one-off programme features interviews with those tasked with making the plans and those who have been involved in Royal weddings in the past. Heres everything you need to know about the documentary Presenters: Sir Trevor McDonald and Julie Etchingham are hosting the documentary / ITV What is Invitation to the Royal Wedding? Sir Trevor McDonald and Julie Etchingham front the first documentary of ITVs Royal Week allowing the public to hear what it is like to plan one of the most prestigious days of any Royals life their wedding day. The documentary features Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed the dress Diana, Princess of Wales wore on her wedding day as well as royal florist David Longman and the baker behind Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridges cake, Paul Courtney. There will also be interviews with the people tasked with keeping everything running smoothly and under wraps in the run-up to the big day. McDonald will also explain the significance of wedding venue St Georges Chapel. When is Invitation to the Royal Wedding on? As part of its extensive renovation programme, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London will unveil a new contemporary spa, wellness and beauty facility in late May. The redesign of the next-generation of The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, London has been overseen by renowned international designer, Adam D. Tihany, and will introduce impressive new features and fresh, elegant interiors. The spa redesign takes inspiration from traditional Chinese fashion and symbolism, providing a contemporary environment that reflects the attention to detail and harmony of elements found in Chinese philosophy. Two original floral wall features symbolise both rebirth and the flow of energy, while the colour palette reflects those found in nature and natural materials, such as solid woods and precious metals. In keeping with the fresh, new look, guests will be able to benefit from several exclusive partnerships with some of the most sought-after health and wellness experts. Included as part of the spas 14 treatment rooms, is a new spacious Oriental Suite with two massage beds and a Rasul water temple that combines the health enhancing properties of heat, steam and mud for a totally relaxing and skin conditioning treatment. The extensive spa menu will represent a tailor-made combination of Mandarin Orientals own signature therapies, together with treatments and journeys for the face and body using Mandarin Orientals bespoke signature oils, Aromatherapy Associates, Sodashi and Linda Meredith products. Guests will also be able to discover the powerful and effective Nescens cosmeceutical and anti-ageing face and body treatments for both men and women. In addition to the spa treatment rooms, there will be a room for traditional Asante Chinese Medicine consultations and treatments; a Bastien Gonzalez Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio and two additional beauty rooms providing a series of results-driven express treatments, for those who are short of time, including a soothing hair therapy treatment by Philip Kingsley. Guests will be encouraged to arrive 45 minutes before their appointment time to take time to relax and enjoy the extensive spa facilities, which include the Amethyst Crystal Steam Room, Sanarium, Vitality Pool and the Zen Colour Therapy Relaxation Area. The comprehensive Fitness Centre will continue to provide guests and members with some of the best high-tech workout equipment by Technogym and a 17-metre stainless steel, heated pool. Additionally, award-winning trainer and founder of Londons successful PilatesPT studio, Hollie Grant, has set up residence at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, and is offering guests a menu of holistic and bespoke programmes at the hotels new PilatesPT studio. Hollie also provides nutritional and lifestyle management guidance. Guided by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Groups oriental heritage and influenced by local cultural diversity, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Londons newly renovated spa, wellness and beauty areas will provide a haven of tranquillity within the heart of Knightsbridge, promoting an aura of relaxation, mindfulness and life balance, whilst providing todays busy guests with specialist, comprehensive and results driven express treatments and fitness advice. - TradeArabia News Service Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe On a visit to Jordan on Sunday, Romania's Defence Minister Mihai Fifor was welcomed by King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein to confirm mutual interest in developing defence co-operation between Romania and Jordan. "On an official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, I had the honour of being welcomed by His Majesty, King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan, at the Royal Palace in Aqaba. Talks with His Majesty confirmed mutual interest in the development of defence cooperation between Romania and Jordan, including in the field of military education, joint training of our military and defence industry," Fifor wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. He mentioned that he was invited to participate in the Aqaba Meetings dialogue format, along with officials from the European and NATO member states, as well as South-East Asian partner states, and NATO, EU and UN representatives."The Aqaba Meetings is a unique platform that proposes major international security issues for debate. This year, Romania was invited at a ministerial level, given the importance Romania attaches to its active role and national commitments to contributing to the efforts of the world community against terrorism and cyber threats," said Fifor.Fifor started his visit on April 28, scheduled to end on May 2. AGERPRES US-Russia enmity is here to stay. Cold War II is a fact of life for the foreseeable future. The only questions are where, when, and how it might turn hot. That didnt happen in Syria this past Friday the Thirteenth, for reasons yet to be explained. But the danger is by no means gone. Rather, the threat of a major war will continue to intensify as President Donald Trump continues to stack his team with GOP retards who diametrically oppose his oft-repeated desire to improve ties with Moscow. Whether or not his desire is genuine is irrelevant. With each new appointment to the National Security Council and the State Department the Russophobic critical mass grows. Personnel is policy. The door to rapprochement is being nailed ever more firmly shut FISAgate and the Christopher Steele dirty dossier, on top of bogus claims of Russian election meddling, have done their job. It would be remiss not to mention the major role played by British special services. The dossier itself, authored by a retired MI6 agent. The British diplomat (or another spook?) who passed it on to a top GOP Trump critic, and thence to then-FBI Director James Comey. The likelihood that GCHQ spied on Trump and his team. The Salisbury chemical provocation. The Douma chemical provocation. Never forget that however culpable the likes of Comey, James Clapper, John Brennan, and others are, they had a lot of help from their Five Eyes pals abroad. There was foreign interference, alright, in what we still quaintly call our democracy. But it was British, not Russian. The fact that the House Intelligence Committee wrapped up its investigation having found no evidence of Russian collusion makes no difference. Neither does the fact that Robert Muellers probe wont turn up any evidence either, since it doesnt exist. If Mueller nails Trump and he well might it wont be because of anything to do with Russia, it will be a process crime like perjury or obstruction trumped up during the investigation (cf., Flynn, Papadopoulos) or related to something in Trumps business and personal life (a supposed election law violation for a payoff to Stormy Daniels, corners cut in a sharp-elbowed New York real estate deal). Again, the specifics hardly matter. If Trumps head rolls, the new President Mike Pence Vice President Nikki Haley Administration will be even more anti-Russian. To quote Americas schoolmarmish Metternich of Turtle Bay: Russia will never be our friend, well slap them when needed. Surely Russia would never be crazy enough to slap back! For Republicans, the factual vacuum at the heart of Russiagate only means that the narrative of Trumps canoodling with the Kremlin just flips on a partisan basis to a Democratic conspiracy. The DNC paid Steele for Russian dirt! Hillary gave Putin our stocks of fissile material under the Uranium One deal! The variable (Democrat vs. Republican) changes, the constant (Russia is bad) doesnt. GOP NeverTrumpers and Trump supporters alike smugly chortle that Mitt Romney was right when Barack Obama mocked him for suggesting in 2012 that Russia was Americas greatest geopolitical foe. (Note that putting Mitt Romney and was right in the same sentence violates basic grammar of the English language.) To say that Russia is an adversary for geopolitical reasons is obvious to many people whose views matter in Washington. Russia is the closest approximation of the Heartland of Halford Mackinders World Island: Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; Who rules the World Island commands the World. The United States is master of Mackiners Outlying Islands (Western Hemisphere and Australia) and Offshore Islands (British Isles and the Pacific First Island Chain). So there you have it! According the expert graduates of geopolitical Mackinder-garten, Washington must confront Moscow over every square inch of Eastern Europe and the Middle East! Otherwise the Russians will consolidate the Heartland and then its curtains for America! Never mind the Mexican border, our frontline self-defense really lies in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and on Russias Baltic and Black Sea littoral. (Ditto US naval dominance in the South China Sea and East China Sea.) Anything less than perpetual, full-spectrum, unipolar global domination by Washington would be a dereliction of duty! Of course we shouldnt overlook the fact that perpetual war (or at least perpetual projection of power to the far corners of the earth at the risk of war) is a breathtakingly profitable business doing well by doing good. If Russia (and China) didnt exist our mandarin class would have to invent them. At least, we are told, that unlike the first Cold War this second one is not about ideology, like the struggled between capitalism (use of the term itself was a bow to anarchosocialist vocabulary) and communism. As summarized by Susan B. Glasser of Politico: the new Cold War is not like the original Cold War because it lacks an ideological dimension. the current tension between the United States and Russia is a Seinfeldian fight about nothing: Putin has no ideological goal beyond the elevation of the Russian state, ruled by him and his clan; he is not seeking adherents in the West, and therefore has brought about no great contest between two systems. After all, Putin does not preach worldwide revolution, which was a key doctrinal element of Soviet communism. Ah, but the new Cold War is ideological but with two critical differences from the old one. First, in the original Cold War the ruling cliques in Washington and Moscow basically believed in the same ideology. While ordinary Americans thought about communism as a murderous, godless machine of oppression (think of the Knights of Columbus campaign to insert under God into the Pledge of Allegiance), many if not most of the irreligious intellectuals making policy firmly believed that material progress, in a mildly socialist form, was the duty of government it was only the communists methods they found objectionable. As described by Professor Daniel J. Mahoney of Assumption College: So many intellectuals were disarmed before the challenge of communism and could not see it for the radical evil that it was. For many, it was simply a more brutal means for achieving the desired ends of industrial modernity and social equalitythe New Deal in a hurry, in Harry Hopkinss notorious formulation. That explains in part the divide between ordinary Americans, who hated communism for its atheism as well as for its brutality, and elite opinion, which tended toward anti-anti-communism and refused to believe in the guilt of one of its own. Second, while Glasser is right that Putin does not preach worldwide revolution, western governments do. Just as members of the old Soviet nomenklatura depended on Marxism-Leninism both as a working methodology and as a justification for their prerogatives and privileges, denizens of the entrenched duopoly of Democrat liberal interventionists and Republican neoconservatives rely upon an ideological imperative of democracy promotion for global empire and endless wars. Perhaps the fullest expression of this was from a 1996 article by neoconservative ideologists William Kristol and Robert Kagan, misleadingly titled Toward a Neo-Reaganite Foreign Policy, in which they called for the US to establish and maintain indefinitely benevolent global hegemony American world domination. As scrutinized by this analyst the following year, Kristol and Kagan laid down virtually all of the elements that have guided US foreign policy and its media aspect during the ensuing years. It is no accident that these same GOP neoconservatives were enthusiastic supporters of Bill Clintons Balkan interventions of 1990s, under the guidance of people like then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who once opined regarding the sanctions-related deaths of a half million Iraqi children that the price is worth it. In the US establishment, there is little dissent on either side of the partisan aisle with Albrights sincere conviction that a militant United States has a special wisdom: If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future So if some country doesnt agree with the indispensable opinion of officials in Washington, they should prepare at least to get sanctioned, if not bombed, occupied, targeted by terrorists, or set up for a color revolution regime change, with the media cheering it on. Hence the succession of humanitarian, therapeutic wars of aggression in Serbia, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, plus regime change operations in many, many other places. After all, extremism is no vice in eliminating opposition to the inexorable forward march of liberal democracy against its benighted opponents: nationalists, neo-fascists, xenophobes, racists, anti-Semites, champions of neo-Marxism, protectionists, forces of illiberalism, conspiracy-mongers, fringe websites that spread fake news, and other insects of their ilk. [From the Renew Democracy Manifesto, paragraph 8. Somehow its a bit reminiscent of another famous Manifesto] Its easy to see why a revived, national, non-communist Russia is the main enemy for the ideologists of this faux America. The promise of putting America first, which is why the real America elected Donald Trump, terrified them. Unfortunately, the ersatz America has taken firm hold of the key levers of power. Worse, Trump handed those levers to them. Turkey has been under a lot of pressure recently to reconsider its decision to purchase Russias state-of-the-art S-400 Triumf air-defense systems rather than the weapons offered by NATO allies, notably the US Patriot PAC-3. American officials are threatening Turkey with sanctions. The S-400 deal with Russia has been finalized, and Ankara shows no sign that its having second thoughts. Anyway, a potential purchase of the US system would not preclude the deal with Russia, for the simple reason that the PAC-3 is not an alternative to the Triumf. Some countries, like Poland, buy it for political reasons, but that system is no match for the S-400 from the standpoint of its operational capabilities. According to the Quartz news website, the US and its allies the world over are paying billions for medium-range missile interception systems without a track record of success. Both systems are long-range, high-altitude, all-weather weapons theoretically capable of countering ballistic and cruise missiles, drones, and the most advanced aircraft. However, the Patriot has a very unimpressive record of failure every time it has been used under combat conditions. It recently missed its targets when attacking Saudi Arabia from Yemen. The Russian system supports four different intercept missiles with ranges from 40 km. up to 400 km., as compared to just one interceptor with a range of 96 km. that is supported by the PAC-3 (the PAC-2 older version had a range of 160 km.). The S-400 will detect, track, and fire at a target long before the Patriot can even begin to get the haziest of readings on it. The Triumf can deploy in five to ten minutes. The American Patriot takes about an hour to position itself and get ready to fire. Thats a huge difference under combat conditions. The Triumfs 9M96E2 (120 km.) missile is beyond compare, as it can fly at Mach 15 (around 18,500 kph), and engage targets five meters off the ground. The Patriot can only hit low-flying targets at an altitude of 60 m. Here the S-400s superiority is also evident. Whats more, the missile can maneuver at up to 20 Gs. The mind boggles. The S-400 has optional acquisition radars, which operate in multiple frequency bands. They can see US stealth aircraft, such as the F-22 and the F-35. The system is capable of targeting up to 36 airplanes at a range of 150 kilometers. Unlike the Patriot, the S-400 does not need to track its target, thanks to its fire-and-forget capability. The interceptors are equipped with homing devices to lock on a target and kill it. The PAC-3 can only fire at an incoming missile during the terminal phase of its flight, instead of earlier, before the warhead has separated, when it is possible to use electronic countermeasures. The system has a range of 35 km. against ballistic missiles but Yemens war experience shows that the intercepts are too last-minute, threatening high-value assets and the populated areas the Patriot is supposed to protect. For comparison, the S-400 can hit ballistic targets flying at speeds of up to 4.8 km/s at altitudes from a few meters to a few dozen kilometers, from a distance of 60 km. No other system in the world can measure up to it. Here is another comparison: the S-400 is priced at about $2.5 billion. The Patriot costs twice as much. For instance, Poland has to fork out $4.75 billion. As in other examples, this is a significant difference. Moscow does not have to strong-arm anyone to sell the S-400 abroad. Deliveries to China, a big-league consumer, have already started. Would-be buyers, including Americas closest allies, are lining up. This month Turkey requested that the procedure be expedited, thus waving a red flag in front of the American bull. Saudi Arabia has also signed a deal to purchase the S-400 from Russia, fueling US anger. And Qatar is among the potential buyers. India is seeking exemption from US sanctions so it can buy the Triumf. Iraq is looking to buy the S-400 despite Americas pressure and threats. Pakistan is pondering a deal too. No doubt therell be others. Everyone wants the best. Russia abides by the principles of fair trade that the US demands from others while refusing to honor itself. Washington does not shy away from pressure and arm-twisting to force other customers buy a commodity that is obviously inferior in quality. The S-400 is certainly not the only example of US duplicity. This American policy is facing broad resistance. The US could have offered a better defense system but it failed to develop and produce one. This do as I tell you or else policy is the only option left for those who dont know how to lose gracefully. Saudi Arabian Airlines aims to increase its fleet strength from 147 planes at present to to 200 jetliners over the next two years as part of its agressive expansion strategy, said its top official in an interview to CNN. We are building on the strength of the Saudi market, the Saudi economy is growing, theres a lot of growth internally, plus there is an ambitious plan to grow the religious tourism to Saudi Arabia and we are targeting 30 million pilgrims by 2030, remarked Saleh Al Jasser, the director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines. On its strategy to increase international visitors and also the new tourism visa plan, Al Jasser said there are three major initiatives that will be a game changer for the transportation industry in Saudi Arabia. "One is the infrastructure, and the most important for us it the opening of the new jet terminal. Second is the enhancement and simplification of the visa process. Third is the top five programme that we are launching within the airline to improve the service end-to-end," he explained. Saudi Arabian has been boosting its presence in newer markEts like Mauritius where it started flying out of capital Riyadh and Jeddah to the Republic of Mauritius from September 14. Mauritius, an island that offers a variety of attractions such as marine and eco-tourism ventures, diving, beaches and much more, is the third new route for the airline this year and 87th destination overall. On its new low-cost carrier Flyadeal, Al Jasser said: "We launched Flyadeal during our national day September 23 last year and it was a very strong start. Today Flyadeal operates 44 flights a day to seven cities within Saudi Arabia." "We will be launching flights to the city of Tabuk next month and will continue to expand gradually. The target is to expand the domestic traffic and regionally as well," he told CNN. He lauded the government's decision to revamp 20 of 27 regional Saudi airports; a key component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans focus on economic growth. In what is seen as a major boost to the kingdom's tourism sector, a whopping $7 billion is being spent on the refurbishment of Jeddah International Airport. "Absolutely, there is a huge investment ongoing. There is the vision aligning everybody to work to one objective creating a lot of momentum. In terms of the infrastructure, Jeddah Terminal is the most important for us but also there are 20 other airports being revamped, as you know, Saudi Airlines serves 27 domestic airports every day," he added. On its future outlook, Al Jasser said the Saudi national airline was very optimistic about emerging as one of the top 5-star carriers in the future. "We started two years ago to revamp the whole airline, we are changing the service, we are improving the product, we are enhancing all activities and we just launched a new and much more ambitious initiative to be ranked one of the five-star airlines in the world by the end of 2019," he added.-TradeArabia News Service In March 2018 Russia announced the suspension of the RS-26, one of the two ICBM projects that are designed to use the Avangard, a revival of a Cold War era hypersonic glide vehicle system. RS-26 was a solid fuel missile based on the Topol M, which was the first successful solid fuel ICBM missile Russia was been able to deploy. It is comparable to the 1960s era U.S. Minuteman ICBMs. Solid fuel is tricky to manufacture, and after many abortive attempts, the Russians stuck with liquid fuel until the 1980s. They finally perfected their solid fuel technology in the 1980s, with the successful test launch of the 45 ton Topol in 1985. The 52 ton Topol-M followed ten years later. Both missiles have a range of 10,500 kilometers. This is the second time Russia ran into problems adapting the Topol M for other uses. The first effort was to turn Topol M into Bulava, a SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) for the new Borei class SSBN ((ballistic missile nuclear subs). The Bulava problems were largely caused by a shortage of competent engineers and manufacturing specialists. Getting Bulava to work took a lot longer and cost a lot more than expected. Sensing the same pattern with the RS-26 Russia suspended work on this until 2027, or whatever future time when the personnel and manufacturing quality control problems can be solved. Meanwhile, the other new missile designed to carry Avangard, the RS-28, is having fewer problems but is still behind schedule and officially not expected to be ready until 2021. Realistically the mid-2020s is more likely. RS-28 development began as a replacement for Cold War era ICBMs that are rapidly becoming too old and unreliable to use. By 2016 the RS-28 had also evolved into the primary carrier for the new hypersonic glide vehicle project Russia announced in 2013 but was believed to have suspended because of budget cuts brought on by low oil prices and sanctions. The crises is still present and the defense budget has undergone cuts for several years in a row. Yet the Avangard project remained active. The RS-28 was originally scheduled for testing before the end of 2016. That did not happen and there followed the usual succession of delays because of technical or manufacturing problems. RS-28 has been in development since 2009 and was originally scheduled to enter service in 2018. Russia has had a growing number of quality control problems throughout the Russian space problem and military tech development in general. The cause was the return of a market economy to Russia in the 1990s. At that point, most of the more talented people in defense industries found better paying jobs in the commercial sector or overseas. No solution to this has been found, especially not with Russia suffering from an economic recession and pervasive corruption. Despite the fact that the government has devoted a lot more money and management talent (also in short supply) to nukes, ballistic missiles and nuclear subs, the problems and delays persist. The government believes the RS-28 is essential for state security because it can carry nine or more independently targeted warheads and will be the most important weapon in its ICBM arsenal. Moreover, the missile RS-28 is replacing (R-36M) is aging to the point where refurbishment is no longer able to keep these decades old missiles operational. The Russians saw this problem coming and in 2003 decided to refurbish its force of 1970s era R-36M (SS-18 or "Satan" in the West) ICBMs so they could remain in service another 10-15 years (2013-18). The R-36M was designed in 1969, first tested in 1972 and entered service in 1975. It's the largest ICBM the Russians ever built, with a liftoff weight of 210 tons and a warhead weighing eight tons. While it's a liquid fuel rocket, storable liquid fuel is used. This avoids lengthily fueling procedures common with earlier Russian ICBMs. Modifications and upgrades for the missile produced six separate models, the last one entering service in 1990. Russia wanted to refurbish a hundred of the most recently built (in the 1980s, for the most part) R-36Ms. Shortages of cash and resources reduced the number refurbished and as of 2016 only about fifty were operational. By 2018 only about 30 will be usable and by 2020 none will. The RS-28 is very similar to the R-36M, weighing 220 tons and a war head hauling up to ten tons of smaller warheads (up to 15) or 24 Avangard vehicles. The secretive Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle project was something that began during the Cold War but never got into service. Suspicions that Russia had changed its mind may have been a side-effect of China revealing in early 2016 that they had perfected the technology for a maneuverable ballistic missile warhead. This came a little after it was revealed that since 2014 China had conducted six tests of a maneuverable gliding warhead for ballistic missiles. Five of the six tests were successful and this hypersonic glide vehicle was officially known as the DF-ZF. In effect, this Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle is a warhead that can glide rather than simply plunging back to earth and is maneuverable enough to hit small moving targets in space or down on the surface. The DF-ZF was initially developed as China sought to perfect a version of the DF-21 ballistic missile that could hit moving warships at sea. DF-21 is a 15 ton, two stage, solid fuel missile. The DF-21D (the carrier killer version) missile using the DF-ZF warhead is also more difficult for anti-missile missiles to hit. This is what the Russian hypersonic glide vehicle is designed for. Russia and the United States had developed this technology much earlier but neither has deployed it in the form the Chinese appear to favor. The original work in this area was by the Germans during World War II. The U.S. and Russia both investigated the concept more during the Cold War but never felt it worth building. In the 1990s the United States proposed reviving work on hypersonic glide vehicle for its Prompt Global Strike system. This would put hypersonic glide vehicle warheads, using high-explosive and not nuclear explosives, on ICBMs. This meant a very expensive weapon that could hit a target anywhere on earth in less than an hour of the order being given. In any event, the United States successfully tested its version of the hypersonic glide vehicle in 2011 but with the defense budget shrinking the project was halted. This was encouraged when a 2014 hypersonic glide vehicle test failed. Now, this effort has been revived, sort of. The United States moved ahead with reviving its Cold War era hypersonic glide vehicle ballistic missile warheads. In late 2017 the U.S. revealed several active research projects like TBG (Tactical Boost Glide) and HAWC (Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon) which are similar in size and shape to the cruise missiles carried by bombers and launched from high altitudes into orbit or remain in the atmosphere but moving a hyper speeds (over 5,000 kilometers an hour). This is similar to the X-51A Waverider project that was halted in 2013 but not forgotten. The problem with X-51A was that it could not be made reliable enough. A 2010 flight test had the 8 meter (36 foot) long, cruise missile-like X-51 aircraft boosted to 3,300 kilometers an hour, using a solid fuel rocket, at which point the scramjet engine took over, and successfully operated for over two minutes, achieving speeds of nearly 6,000 kilometers an hour. This was the longest a scramjet had ever operated (the previous best was ten seconds). By 2013 the 4th test got the liquid fuel engine going for five minutes. What makes scramjets work is the compression of incoming air, without the use of a fan system (as in conventional jet engines). But while scramjets have been in development for half a century, the lack of adequate materials (that can handle the high heat and pressure), and adequate design tools, frustrated attempts to build workable, and reliable, scramjets. Scramjets have few moving parts but must cope with very extreme conditions and the design challenges have proved very frustrating. The recent X-51 tests, like all previous ones, ended with the aircraft crashing. The next step was to get longer hypersonic engine use, de-acceleration, and landing via parachute (and eventually an auxiliary engine.) Going beyond the 2013 test proved too expensive and time consuming to continue when there were cheaper alternatives available and these depended more on getting into orbit and letting gravity provide and maintain the high speed. It was definitely easier to achieve those high speeds with orbital technologies like TBG and HAWC. Or the new Chinese systems like DF-ZF. Russia stresses the need for Avangard to deal with American missile defense systems. This doesnt make sense to Westerners because the American anti-ICBM systems are limited and meant to deal with small numbers of ICBMs from North Korea or Iran. Russia interprets it differently because since 2010 Russian leaders have been blaming internal problems on the growing NATO threat. The reality is that the NATO threat is a myth but the growing economic problems are not. This is made clear via opinion polls and international economic surveys. The corruption rankings put Russia among the most corrupt nations and those are the ones that have the worst economic and military performance. The most recent corruption surveys show Russia as more corrupt than China and getting worse. Avangard is an expensive defense against an imaginary threat. Meanwhile, the growing corruption and shortage of competent people (who are leaving Russia or avoiding defense industries) makes it more and more difficult to complete high-tech weapons projects of any kind. Pakistani and Indian forces will conduct military drills together for the first-time ever in August this year. According to a report in an Indian newspaper, the two arch-rivals will participate in a multi-nation military exercise to be held in in Russias Ural Mountains. The exercise, Peace Mission 2018, is a part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and will focus on counter-terrorism operations. Eight countries, including Pakistan, India, China and Russia, will participate in the military exercise. Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an official announcement on Tuesday that India will participate in the multi-nation military exercise, the report said. In the past, Pakistani and Indian soldiers have operated together as peacekeepers in missions of the United Nations. However, this will be the first-ever military exercise in which both the countries will fight together in mock operations against terrorists. Peace Mission 2018 will be the fifth edition of the multilateral exercise, held once in two years. The SCO was formed in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. It now has eight full members, including Pakistan, India and Uzbekistan. Another four nations have been accorded observer status, while six others are dialogue partners. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, addressing his party's power show at the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday, lamented that today's Pakistan is neither the vision of Quaid-e-Azam nor Allama Iqbal. Addressing the rally, Imran, who earlier dubbed it a "Tsunami plus show", expressed his gratitude to the participants for turning out in large numbers to witness the "historic" gathering. "Whenever I gave a call to you, you never disappointed me," he told the crowd. Speaking about an 11-point agenda to make a "naya" (new) Pakistan, he said, "Ask yourself, why was this country made? Why, on this ground in 1940, did Quaid-e-Azam declare that we want Pakistan?" Pakistan, today, is contrary to Quaid and Allama Iqbal's vision, he rued. "The Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam wanted would afford equal rights to all citizens including the minorities, where the Hindu community, Sikhs, and Christians would be equal citizens. This country was to be formed on the model of Madina, where the basis of law was justice," Imran said. Quoting Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) example, the PTI chief said, "Prophet (PBUH) brought the entire Muslim nation towards truth and righteousness by way of his own example. The Muslim nation then ruled the entire world for 700 years but as soon as the royal system of kingdoms was established, the poor became poorer and the rich became richer." Referring to a visit by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to the United States earlier this year, Imran said it was embarrassing for Pakistan to see its PM treated [with lack of dignity] at US airports. "We are on crossroads today, on one end it's disrespect and on the other, it's dignity." Pointing to the foreign debt situation, he said the country is approaching a disaster. "We don't have money to pay back loans and we're taking loans to pay back loans." Pakistan has the highest number of out-of-school children after Nigeria, he noted. Lamenting the state of healthcare in the country, Imran recounted his late mother's battle with cancer and how it spurred him to build Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital. "When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I found out for the first time that Pakistan did not have treatment for cancer," he said, as he recalled how the tragedy changed his life forever. It was then that I learned, there were two [divisions] in our society: the rich, who could afford to travel abroad for expensive treatment, and the poor, who watched their loved ones die helpless, he narrated. "It was then that I decided to enter politics, to make a just and equal Pakistan." "Remember this, an indebted country can never really be free," he added. Recalling his party's struggle, Imran said people used to mock them. "In the first election, we got none, in the second election we got one seat. But today, we are the largest party in Pakistan. Time will prove that no one can defeat PTI." Imran Khan's 11-point agenda Laying out the 11-point agenda which, according to him, will help bring "one system of justice, reduce poverty and elevate the living standards of the poor", Imran started with education. 1. Education "No country can ever flourish without emphasizing on the education...all the Asian Tigers educated their children, the men, and the women," said the PTI chief. "3.5 crore children study in government schools. Half of Punjab's budget is being spent on Lahore [alone]. I ask Shehbaz Sharif who's ruling Punjab for 10 years, how many international-level universities did he establish?" "Countries don't flourish because of the roads and bridges, but when you spend on human development," Imran lashed out at the present government, adding that the PTI will "invest maximum on the development of the people, on one education system in Pakistan." 2. Health The second point is about reforming the health system, he said. "When I can make SKMCH without government, I will [build] hospitals in Pakistan where the poor wouldn't have to worry about money and the rich wouldn't need to go abroad for treatment." Imran vowed to introduce a health insurance system modeled on the 'Sehat Sahulat' card in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the poor across Pakistan. 3. Revenue generation Next up is how to generate revenue in order to rid the country of heavy debts, he said. "We don't have money to run the country, we are in heavy debt. I claim in front of you today that I will show you how to gather money from this nation," said Imran as he resolved to revolutionize tax collection system in the country. 4. Corruption Citing the example of his decision to expel 20 MPAs from his party for "selling votes" in the Senate elections earlier this year, Imran promised the people he will eliminate corruption from the country. "We will stop money laundering, we will strengthen the NAB and FBR." 5. Investment Imran termed the overseas Pakistanis as the biggest investing potentials for the country and resolved to bring investments into Pakistan. "We will reduce the tax on electricity and gas for our industries so that they could compete with Indian market," he said. 6. Employment Promising the youth much better employment opportunities, Imran said he would especially focus on boosting the tourism industry of Pakistan. 7. Agriculture Imran said he would improve agriculture and the lives of farmers on 'an emergency basis.' "They work for the whole year and get nothing in the end. They are being exploited by the sugar mill mafia." 8. Federation The PTI chief resolved to strengthen the federation. "We know how the injustice is being done to smaller provinces. I know more about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," he said. 9. Environment Imran said the environment was a priority on the party's manifesto. "For the first time ever, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government paid special attention to the environment," he said, adding that the party plans to plant 10 billion trees across Pakistan. "We can even clean the rivers," he said. 10. Police system He stressed the importance of justice and the police system. "Our Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police is totally depoliticized. There's no victimization via FIRs, there not a single extrajudicial killings in the province while in Sindh Rao Anwar killed 400 people." 11. Women Imran promised the women of Pakistan to educate them. "Whatever I am today, it's all because of my mother who made me a patriotic person and raised me to be a truthful person." Give chance to PTI for once: Shah Mahmood PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on the people to give a chance to the party for once, and see the difference. "This country saw dictatorship, all kinds of ups and downs.. People gave a chance to PPP four times, elected Nawaz Sharif three times, but is there any change?" "Did people's lives get any better after repeatedly giving a chance to PPP or PML-N? Now for once, give a chance to PTI and see the difference," he said. "Only Imran Khan can help change this country for the better," he added. Stand with Imran because I want change: Sheikh Rasheed Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed, addressing the congregation, said he has chosen to stand with Imran Khan and PTI because he was resolved to bring a change in the country. "I want a change for the poor. There is no water, no electricity, no gas, no jobs, no governance. This Motorway and this Green Line, they have been built out of your pockets," he lashed out at the ruling PML-N. "These fraudsters, they are only honest till the next elections. I see an end to Nawaz [family] politics. In Pakistan, one thief goes, another thief comes." "I see Imran Khan as the most suitable, honest candidate. People make mistakes. But his conscience is clean. He is the image of Quaid's vision for Pakistan," Rasheed continued. Saluting the Chief Justice of Pakistan, he said that Justice Saqib Nisar is waging jihad against the injustices and poverty. He added that he could have continued to build his party, but he instead chose to support the PTI and Imran Khan. Will make one Pakistan, not two: Fawad Chaudhry Addressing the gathering, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said his party, once in power, would make a unified "one Pakistan, not two Pakistans". "We will make a Pakistan where thousands others like Maryam [Nawaz] can access [quality] healthcare like she is able to ensure for her [ailing] mother," said Fawad. The public has spoken: Sarwar PTI leader Senator Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, during his address, congratulated the nation for ensuring a successful and historic congregation. "The public has spoken: Lahore, Punjab and Pakistan belongs to PTI," he said. "The public has spoken: Imran Khan is the next prime minister of Pakistan." "Today, we are laying the foundation of a new Pakistan. We want a Pakistan where everyone is equal before law," he continued. He added that in Imran Khan's Pakistan, all the power would lie with the municipal institutions, and called on the public to ensure PTI's success. Imran Khan will restore country's dignity: Mazari PTI leader Shireen Mazari vowed that Imran Khan will restore Pakistan's dignity and "avenge the harm Nawaz Sharif has inflicted on the country." "Indian occupying forces are killing innocent Kashmiris, and what did Nawaz Sharif do? [He threw parties] at Jati Umra, he let the blood of the innocent spill." Imran Khan will avenge it, she said. The Lahore you see is not the whole picture: Aleem Khan PTI leader Aleem Khan said when in power, the PTI will work to ensure an exemplary education and health system across the country. "The Lahore you see is masked Lahore. The image [Nawaz] shows of Lahore is not the whole picture," he criticised. "We'll bring a health system in Pakistan just like Shaukat Khanum's, where there's no difference between the rich and the poor. The schools will be on the pattern of NAMAL university where deserving students will be given scholarship," Aleem vowed. "Nawaz, you looted more than Zardari," he alleged, promising the people that "the day Imran Khan is PM, we'll drag both Zardari and Sharif on the streets of Gawalmandi and bring back all the looted money of Pakistan." Imran Khan will bring system of justice: Asad Umar PTI senior leader Asad Umar said Imran Khan will bring a system of justice to the country where "millions of children won't be out of school and youth won't need a reference to get a job." "The looters who made properties abroad have been asked to pay only 2% tax, while our middle class will pay more than 50% tax on basic utilities," he lamented. Shehbaz failed to take care of farmers: Tareen Speaking about agriculture, senior leader Jahangir Khan Tareen said Shehbaz Sharif's government in Punjab failed to take care of the farmers. "A poor farmer has a separate Pakistan, he is deprived of his basic rights," Tareen said, adding that the farmers will take revenge through their vote. "It is the government's responsibility that the poor farmers are provided with the loans, seeds and the reasonable rates which they deserve," he added. KP province topping surveys in human development: Khattak Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Pervez Khattak presented the example of his province in areas of human development. "We have tried our best to make a common man's life better [in KP], you can check all the surveys of education, health, human development, KP topped [them all]," he pointed out. The chief minister recalled that when his government took over, the province suffered from terrorism. "Thank God, today with the hard work of police and other institutions peace is back in KP." Prior to this, the PTI had held a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on October 30, 2011. Organisers claimed that today's rally would attract similar if not larger crowds. Imran Khan on Saturday spoke to local and foreign journalists about Pakistans foreign policy, saying it fell under the purview of civilian government. However, he said, it is necessary to discuss security matters with other institutions. About Pakistans dialogue with India, Imran said talks could not be held as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis did not have a mindset for negotiations. Nevertheless, he had asked India [in the past] not to close doors for dialogue, the PTI chief added. Regarding the tribal areas, Imran said the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was necessary but Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Achakzai were coming in its way. New party songs As a part of preparations for the rally, PTI has also released three party songs, one of which has been sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan titled Dam Mast Qalandar. The lyrics of the song have been penned by PTI leader Usman Dar. The songs deal with the theme of ending corruption and iqama. At least 35 Taliban militants were killed and 40 others wounded in US airstrikes in northern Balkh province, Afghanistan National Army (ANA) officials said on Saturday. The airstrikes were carried out in close cooperation with the Afghan commandos and lasted 40 minutes, TOLOnews reported, quoting an army official. The airstrikes targeted Arzankar village in Chahar Bolak district. Commandos then launched operations and cleared the village of Taliban, said Mohammad Hanif Rezaye, spokesman for 209 Shaheen Military Corps in Balkh. According to Rezaye, a Taliban stronghold and dozens of their weapons were destroyed in the airstrikes. A clearing operation was launched a week ago to maintain security of vulnerable areas in Chahar Bolak district. Balkh, one of Afghanistans more stable provinces with valuable trade crossings into Central Asia, is a long way from the Taliban heartlands in the south and is considered far more secure than neighbouring Kunduz province, where the Taliban dominate many areas. Iran, Russia and Turkey have reaffirmed their strong commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, vowing to strengthen trilateral coordination to find a sustainable solution to the ongoing crisis in the Arab country. At the end of their talks in Moscow on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu, respectively, whose countries act as guarantors of the Syria ceasefire, issued a joint statement. According to the statement, they expressed their determination to increase tripartite coordination on the basis of the joint statements issued by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian and Turkish counterparts Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, respectively, in November 2017 and April 2018. The ministers "agreed to increase joint efforts aimed at facilitating the achievement of a lasting political settlement in Syria envisaged by the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and through full use of multi-level mechanisms of the Astana format," the statement read. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey in April reaffirmed their commitment to work toward achieving a sustainable ceasefire between warring sides in Syria and bringing peace and stability to the war-torn Arab country. Rouhani, Putin and Erdogan, rsaffirmed their determination to continue their active cooperation on Syria for the achievement of lasting ceasefire between the conflicting parties and advancement of the political process envisaged by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, said a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting of the three leaders in Ankara. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that military approaches would fail to resolve the Syrian crisis, stressing that military intervention of certain countries has only prolonged the sufferings of people in the war-stricken state. Zarif was speaking at a joint news conference with his Russian and Turkish counterparts in Moscow, where the three top diplomats discussed the latest developments in Syria. The top Iranian, Russian and Turkish diplomats said the Astana peace process is the "only international initiative that had helped practically improve the situation in Syria through joint efforts to combat terrorism, reduce the level of violence and create favorable conditions for the political settlement including via facilitating broad intra-Syrian dialogue," the statement said. They agreed to hold the next International Meeting on Syria in Astana in May 2018, it added. It noted that Zarif, Lavrov and Cavusoglu said the Astana talks must "ensure real progress in achieving a political solution in Syria through an inclusive, free, fair and transparent Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process based on the free will of the Syrian people." They agreed to hold more regular joint consultations of high-level representatives of the three guarantors with the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, it added. According to the statement, the three foreign ministers reaffirmed their determination to continue their cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate Daesh terrorist group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with terrorists as designated by the UN Security Council in Syria. It added that they highlighted the importance of de-escalation efforts and reiterated their commitment to preserve the ceasefire in Syria that had become instrumental in helping to reduce violence on the ground and alleviate the humanitarian suffering in the war-stricken country. The ministers rejected all attempts "to create new realities on the ground" under the pretext of fighting terrorism and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as security of the neighboring countries, the statement said. The Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers strongly condemned any use of chemical weapons in Syria and called on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to "promptly and professionally" investigate into an alleged chemical attack in Syria. Western states blamed the Syrian government for the suspected chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburb town of Douma on April 7. One week after the incident, the US, Britain and France launched a coordinated missile attack against sites and research facilities near Damascus and Homs with the purported goal of paralyzing the Syrian governments capability to produce chemicals. Syria has rejected the accusations of possessing chemicals. It surrendered its chemical stockpile in 2013 to a mission led by the OPCW and the UN. The joint statement further said the three foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continue joint efforts aimed at protecting the civilians, improving the humanitarian situation via facilitating rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all those in need and creating conditions for the safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons. They "called upon the international community, first and foremost the UN and its humanitarian agencies, to increase their assistance to Syria in the interest of all Syrians, including by facilitating humanitarian mine action, restoring basic infrastructure together with social and economic facilities, and preserving historical heritage," it concluded. A UN Security Council delegation arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday to get a firsthand look at the plight of some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar to escape military-led violence. The team will visit camps housing the refugees and discuss the crisis with local officials. The delegation will also visit Myanmar after concluding its three-day visit on Monday. Representatives from the five permanent Security Council members China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent member states have joined the delegation, which arrived in the coastal town of Coxs Bazar, where the camps are located. The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on Aug 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by the United Nations and the United States as ethnic cleansing, Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya villagers homes. Bangladeshs acting foreign secretary, M. Khurshed Alam, said the delegations visit is very significant, with international pressure on Myanmar continuing to mount to ensure the safe and voluntary return of the refugees, who are seeking protection from the United Nations. This council can make a difference by putting pressure on Myanmar and creating a situation to start the repatriation in full swing. It has that influence, Alam said. Britains U.N. ambassador, Karen Pierce, said in New York that the most important thing is that the body charged with maintaining international peace and security can see for itself the situation on the ground in a very desperate case of alleged human rights violations and abuses and crimes against humanity. Lord Nazir Ahmed, the United Kingdoms minister of state for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, told reporters earlier in the week that Myanmars agreement to the council visit and a previous visit by the U.N. special envoy for sexual violence in conflict demonstrates the glimmer of hope in what has been a very dark chapter in human history in that part of the region. He stressed the importance of direct engagement, which sends a very strong signal to those in Myanmar, both the civilian but more importantly military authorities who have been responsible largely for what weve seen, which has been ethnic cleansing and nothing short of that. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in December to begin repatriating the refugees in January, but there were concerns among aid workers and Rohingya that they would be forced to return and face unsafe conditions in Myanmar. Thousands flee fresh clashes Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between Myanmars army and ethnic insurgents in the countrys remote north, a United Nations official said, as a long-simmering conflict intensifies. More than 4,000 people have been displaced in the countrys northernmost state of Kachin near the border with China in the last three weeks, Mark Cutts, head of the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP late Friday. The numbers do not include some 15,000 people who have fled since the beginning of the year, and upwards of 90,000 residing in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps in both Kachin and Shan states since a ceasefire between the government and the powerful Kachin Independence Army broke down in 2011. We have received reports from local organisations saying that there are still many civilians who remain trapped in conflict-affected areas, Cutts said of the recent clashes. Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities. We must ensure that these people are protected. OCHA has been unable to verify reports that civilians have been killed in the fighting. A Myanmar government spokesman could not be reached for comment. Voting papers and information packs for the forthcoming, binding poll on the introduction of Maori Wards in the Whakatane District were posted to all registered electors this week. Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske says about 24,500 registered voters are eligible to take part in the poll. This is an important decision for the Whakatane District, because it will determine how the community is represented for at least the next two elections, he says. All registered voters are therefore encouraged to have their say by completing and returning their voting papers during the voting period. If a majority of the people voting in the poll vote against Maori wards, the proposal will lapse. If a majority vote in favour of Maori wards, the Council will undertake a representation review, to define how the District wards system should work. The proposed representation arrangements would then go through a community consultation process before a final decision is made. Any objections to that decision would then be referred to the Local Government Commission for a ruling. Papers can be returned by post, using the prepaid envelope provided, or placed in the envelope and dropped into the voting boxes provided at the Whakatane District Council Civic Centre in Whakatane, or the Murupara Service Centre. Anyone returning their vote by post is advised to get it in the mail by Wednesday May 16, at the latest, to ensure that it is received by the Electoral Officer before the voting period ends. Votes delivered to the Murupara Service Centre will need to be placed in the voting box before 4.30pm on Friday, May 18. Votes can be lodged at the Civic Centre through until midday on Saturday May 19. Preliminary results should be available later that day and the Electoral Officer will provide an official declaration of the outcome on May 21. Click the image above to watch the video Rotorua is receiving a battering today, with surface flooding, slips, and trees blocking lanes. In response to the weather, an emergency shelter has been opened at the Energy Events Centre. Rotorua Lakes Councils Emergency Operations Centre has been activated and Civil Defence teams have been mobilised. With more than 100mm of rain in the past 24 hours, and more expected, a severe rain warning and a severe thunderstorm watch in place for Rotorua and Rotorua Lakes Council has opened up an emergency welfare centre at the Energy Events Centre. Crews from Infracore, Fulton Hogan, Higgins and Fire and Emergency New Zealand have attended more than 60 flooding issues and are prioritising where there is a danger to people and their properties. The amount of rain that has come down has overwhelmed the sewerage system and some pump stations and the wastewater treatment plant is unable to cope with the volume of water trying to enter. This has caused overflowing and diluted sewage to overflow the system, which means there is contaminated wastewater entering the stream and lake. As a precaution any surface water should be treated as contaminated, and Toi Te Ora Public Health and Bay of Plenty Regional Council have been notified. A caller to the 0800 SunLive news hotline says Rotokawa Rd is sevrely flooded. "Rotokawa Rd is flowing nicely into Rotorua Airport this morning when we went past. Just as it was, flowing into the Rotorua Airport grounds," says Alister Hooper. "The fire brigade was there pumping out water from the grounds. "There have been heavy downpours on the way home from Taupo, lots of surface flooding along main highways and in and around Rotorua. Some parts of Rotorua city have turned into lakes apparently." MetService is predicting a total rainfall for today of 125mm, but it looks as though that will be surpassed by the end of the day. Several roads have had to be closed due to flooding and crews are busy attending numerous callouts to flooding, slips and treefalls. Tarawera Road near Buried Village is closed where flooding has caused damage to the road surface. Fire service crew and contractors on site. Robinson Ave, Ford Rd and one end of York St closed due to severe flooding. Ash Pit and Republican roads, Rerewhakaaitu, are flooded and impassable. Paradise Valley Rd down to one lane due to slip near Relph Road with a second slip just reported, and part of the road has collapsed on Mountain Rd. A culvert has collapsed on Rerewhakaaitu Rd, and a slip and treefall have blocked both lanes on Dansey Rd. Rotorua Lakes Council is advising people to stay off the roads. Stormwater lids popping up in some places sostay away from any surface flooding. If you absolutely have to be out driving be very careful, drive slowly through any surface flooding, be aware of the potential for stormwater lids to pop up and be aware that there may be slips and/or trees down across roads. If you spot any issues, Rotorua Lakes Council would like you to report them straight away by calling 07 348 4199. Rotokawa Rd. Photos: Alister Hooper. Fairy Springs Rd. Photo: Cathryn Radley/Facebook. Photo: Mwl Lihou/Facebook. Flooding at properties on Sunset Rd. Photos: Deborah Cummins/Facebook. Flooding of Lake Rotorua. Photo: Trisha Diprose. Flooding at Lynmore Primary. Photo: Trisha Diprose. Samsung has long relied on its chip business to help the firm to record quarters, but its been claimed that the tech giant hasnt always played by the rules. A class action lawsuit alleges that the company, along with two other major manufacturers, was limiting supplies of DRAM chips to inflate the prices. The suit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California by law firm Hagens Berman on behalf of US consumers who purchased smartphones and computing products that use DRAM between July 1, 2016, and February 1, 2017. The suit cites an investigation conducted by Hagens Berman antitrust attorneys that claims to have discovered Samsung, Hynix, and Micron, who collectively make up 96 percent of the global DRAM market, colluded to limit supplies of the chips, resulting in "illegally inflated prices." It was only when the Chinese government announced an investigation into the situation in 2017 that the conduct changed abruptly, reads the filing. Demand for DRAM jumped 77 percent in 2017, following an eight percent decline in 2016. The price of the chips went up 47 percent during the stated time period, according to the law firm, the highest in almost 30 years. As a result, revenue from DRAM sales more than doubled at the three companies., What weve uncovered in the DRAM market is a classic antitrust, price-fixing scheme in which a small number of kingpin corporations hold the lions share of the market, said Hagens Berman managing partner, Steve Berman. Instead of playing by the rules, Samsung, Micron and Hynix chose to put consumers in a chokehold, wringing the market for more profit. Hagens Berman has been here before. The firm won a $300 million settlement against 18 DRAM manufacturers in a similar suit back in 2006. As noted by Gizmodo, the company has filed suits against Apple, Facebook, Tesla, six major hotel chains, BMW, and Harvey Weinstein, all of them since the start of the year. If you want to find out more and are thinking about joining the suit, head on over to Hagens Bermans website. Indigenous leaders asked Guillermo Lasso to revoke those economic policies that affect the purchasing power of citizens. | Read More Louvre Hotels Group (LHG), one of the largest hospitality groups worldwide, is focused on enhancing the midscale offering across the Mena region, servicing the growing needs of the global traveller. The group is on track to reach the 100 hotel milestone in the Mena region by 2020, with more than 15,000 keys under operation. The signing of the first Kyriad branded Hotel in Dubai with 263 rooms, a fresh modern designed midscale offering, signals the groups focus on rolling out such midscale three and four star hotel services. Among other key additions to its regional portfolio, Louvre Hotels enters Abu Dhabi with the conversion of a modern four-star hotel in the downtown district, bringing its repositioned Golden Tulip brand to the UAE capital by Q3. Rami Moukarzel from Louvre Hotels said: Travellers more than ever are looking for interesting, fresh and modern offerings in the region. While the past hotel development had been focused on luxury and upscale services, we are not seeing great design focused affordable hotels being rolled out. We believe our experience in this space for decades places Louvre Hotels at the forefront of the segment. By the close of 2018, the group shall have opened six new properties and over 1,150 rooms ranging from upscale four-star to midscale three-star hotels including the following: 1. Golden Tulip Down Town Abu Dhabi (156 rooms) 2. Re-opening of the Golden Tulip Media Dubai (opened with 288 rooms and suites) 3. Tulip Inn Modon Riyadh (opened with 107 rooms) 4. Tulip Inn Khan, Sharjah (232 rooms) 5. Tulip Inn Rawafed, Madinah (126 rooms) 6. Tulip Inn Aziziyah Makkah (256 rooms) The group is looking ahead to the opening of seven new hotels in Mena0 by the end of 2018, which will add close to 2,000 keys to its current room inventory. While future openings in the next two years include key hotels servicing the 2030 Saudi Arabia vision in Makkah, Madinah, Al Khobar, Ehsa and others, in addition to Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat, Salalah, Amman, Algiers, Tunis and Tbilisi leading up to 2020 and reaching the 100 hotel milestone. - TradeArabia News Service Legal experts and angry shareholders doubt criminal and civil penalties AMP could face will be high enough to have a deterrent effect on its future conduct. The banking royal commission has heard AMP breached criminal provisions for misleading the Australian Securities and Investments Commission over its charging of clients fees for no service. Potential penalties for a criminal breach are $210,000 per charge and $1 million for each civil breach. Fines reaching tens of millions of dollars would be a drop in the ocean compared to AMP's $800 million profit last year. The royal commission's lawyers Rowena Orr and Eloise Dais during the banking royal commission. Credit:Eddie Jim Allan Goldin from the Australian Shareholders' Association (ASA) said fines in Australia were very low in comparison to those imposed for similar corporate offences in the US and Europe. When Jac Taylor began the hunt for a school for her daughter Saskia Jones, who had just turned four, she was shocked to find vaccination rates well below the national average at many Sydney schools. "You're not allowed to go to daycare without being fully immunised but it amazed me when I found that rates across NSW are lower than 50 per cent in some areas," said Ms Taylor, who lives in Marrickville in Sydney's inner west. "The school we're planning to go to is above 90 per cent, and even though that's pretty good, I was expecting it to be 100 per cent." Jac Taylor said she was surprised to discover relatively low rates of immunisation in some parts of Sydney when she started looking for a school for her daughter Saskia Jones. Credit:Nick Moir Ms Taylor is among a growing number of parents who are looking at vaccination rates when choosing a school for their children. Just over 11 degrees in the city now ahead of a top of 19. Major delays on the Cranbourne line due to an alarm activation at Dandenong. Minor delays on Craigieburn, Frankston, Pakenham, Sunbury and Upfield lines. All lanes open again on the West Gate Freeway after an earlier collision at Grieve Parade. There's an accident on High Street in Kew. A pedestrian has been struck on James Melrose Drive in Brookfield. We'll be back from 6am tomorrow. Have a fabulous day. Be nice. It's so under-rated. Laura Menschik, a financial planner and director of WLM Financial, says for many people a major attraction of a move to the regions is to be able to get into the property market or to sell their capital-city home and reduce their mortgage by buying a cheaper home. But anyone thinking of making the move has to first draw up a realistic budget, to see if the move stacks up. While the costs of housing are likely to be much less, there are likely to be increases in some expenses, such as spending on petrol, and families may be paying school fees for the first time, Menschik says. Employment is usually the biggest issue for people considering the move. Can you work from home or get a job as a teacher at the local school where you will be paid the same but, hopefully, be spending less? Menschik says. Is there going to be work, including for those who want to work part-time and work for the children when they are older and want to establish a bit of financial independence. For Sam and Hanna, the answer was self-employment. The siblings ran a cafe together in Melbourne and were looking for a business to buy when they visited their cousins in Albury and fell in love with the area. The siblings bought the Electra cafe on the main street in November last year and recently rebranded it Thick as Thieves. The menu features Mediterranean flavours, inspired by the familys Lebanese heritage. Having family in Albury has made the move from Melbourne easier for Hanna Kadi. Hanna moved with her husband Ayman Hatoum, 35, and their daughter Elissa, 4. Hatoum is a hairdresser and while he did not line up work before the move, Hanna says there are plenty of salons looking for staff. Having family in town has made it easier to integrate. Hanna says she has regular customers and the fruit and vegetable sellers and garbage collectors know her by name. The most striking difference to the big city is the cost of real estate the cafe in Melbourne cost about twice as much in rent as the one in Albury. Affordable property For Sam, who is single, the move to Albury is a chance to become a home owner for the first time. Melbourne is just too expensive to buy a house, if you havent bought one already, its harder and harder for young people to even think about buying a house, he says. I havent checked out the prices in Albury yet ... but its definitely on the cards. Hanna says she and her partner worked hard to buy a house in Epping in Melbourne about four years ago, which they hope to keep. If business keeps going well, theyll also buy a home in Albury at the end of the year. Albury is a thriving regional centre, but other families make their escape to much smaller towns. Merryn Padgett and Marcus Andrews and their two children live in Paynesville - population 3000 - in the Gippsland Lakes region in eastern Victoria. The couple initially bought a beach house to get away from Melbourne every now and again, but moved permanently in 2008 and have a much smaller mortgage. Marcus Andrews with his kids Quinn, 11, and Asha, 6, enjoying the relaxed lifestyle in the Gippsland Lakes region. Padgett, 38, works full-time for the local shire in community engagement. Andrews, 53, takes care of Quinn, 11, and Asha, 6, and has started an online business: Earth and Sea, a campervan rental business powered by the Camplify.com.au booking platform - a kind of Airbnb for campervans. Andrews estimates he has made about $12,000 in the six months since starting the business - it is modest, but growing. A few years ago, he suffered a heart attack and couldnt return to full-time work. He is on medication and can no longer do strenuous work. Back in the city, he owned two restaurants and worked long hours, often seven days a week. "We were making good money; pretty much living the so-called dream," Andrews says. "I was supposedly successful but I was unhappy; I couldn't see a future for us in Melbourne." He says it took a few years to adjust. People here were a bit shy to start with, but we have now made good friends, he says. Andrews says he can't imagine returning to the city and struggles to even visit Sydney or Melbourne because of the traffic and crowds. Paynesville in Victoria, where Merryn Padgett and Marcus Andrews live. Credit:Simon Johanson Population growth Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released this week show Melbourne had the largest population growth of 125,400 during the year to June 30, 2017, followed by Sydney with 101,600 and Brisbane with 48,000. Together, the three cities accounted for more than 70 per cent of Australia's population growth. While Melbourne is growing faster, the bureau's figures show the trend of getting away from the hustle and bustle is strongest in Sydney. Overseas migration added 84,700 people to Sydney's population in 2017, but about 40,000 people left the city, with about 14,000 of those going to Melbourne. People from other parts of Australia come to Sydney, but the net figure from those shifting within Australia is a loss of about 18,000 people from Sydney. Location, location Doron Peleg, the chief executive of residential property researcher RiskWise Property Research, says one of the key drivers of low quality of life in Sydney and, to a lesser extent, in Melbourne, is most people have to have two full-time incomes to be able to afford a house. Yiwei Chu has now been missing for 20 days. Police have returned to a state park in Melbourne's west in the search for missing man Yiwei Chu. The large-scale search for the 28-year-old, who went missing 20 days ago, began on Saturday after the car he was believed to be driving was discovered in a Werribee Gorge car park the day before. The Mt Waverley man was expected to pick up his wife from work on April 11 but never showed up. He last seen buying lunch at a fast food restaurant in Notting Hill that day. The search was halted when darkness fell on Sunday evening. An SES spokeswoman said that emergency services would not be resuming the search on Monday. She said SES volunteers had combed the area 16 on Saturday and 31 on Sunday. A Victoria Police spokesman said no sign of the missing man had been found. Ms Wang said she was hoping the search party wouldn't find her husband near the gorge. She wants him to return home safe instead. I dont know how to describe [how Im feeling]," Ms Wang said. "Worried, tired, upset and a bit disappointed, She first noticed Mr Chu was missing nearly three weeks ago when he failed to pick her up from work. Originally I didnt think that he went missing, I thought that maybe his phone was out of power. After one hour, I thought maybe he was involved in a car accident or something like that. Ms Wang began calling every emergency room she could, and had her friend drive her to Monash Hospital to see if Mr Chu had been admitted. Ms Wang and Mr Chu married in September 2015. For the first few days of the investigation, there was a lot she could do to assist. I was busy. I could help contact the media, our consulate, the police. I was trying to search every carpark he may have gone to. I was contracting every big hospital. But now, so many days afterwards, I have nothing to do. I'm just waiting. When she gets too overwhelmed she takes out her laptop, trying to get some of her work as an accounts officer done to take her mind off things. But she cannot stop herself thinking about what might have happened to her husband. There are more and more crimes happening in Melbourne, so I dont know. But Ms Wang is still hopeful. I believe he will be found. A lot of things go through my head, but that does not mean that they will happen. Mr Chu is a Chinese national and has been living in Australia for eight years. He is a full-time student at the Melbourne Institute of Technology studying software technology. He was last seen at a fast food outlet in Notting Hill wearing a camouflage print jacket and black shirt with a snoopy graphic. The pair married in September of 2015, and Ms Wang said they were very happy. I think maybe our relationship is better than most other couples. He is a very good husband; he takes good care me. We love each other, she said. Most of the time he is quiet. Friendly to every stranger or friend. I have never seen him angry with anyone, so he is a very good man. I dont know. I dont know why this has happened to him. Yiwei Chus father, Jianqiang Chu, has flown out from China to help with the search. Ms Wang said that on Sunday he had joined the search party at the gorge. At a press conference on Thursday Mr Chu made a tearful plea to his son. Jianqiang Chu has flown in from China to look for his son. Credit:Eddie Jim "Your mother and I - you are our only child - without you, how can we live on?" he said. "Come back to us." Yiwei Chus mother has remained in China, trying to hide his disappearance from his grandmother. We dare not to tell as she is 80 years old." Ms Wang said. "My husband is her favourite grandson. They used to chat through video calls every second day, Mr Chu's wife describes him as a quiet, friendly man. Ms Wang has told his grandmother, over WeChat, that the pair are travelling, unable to call due to the poor internet connection. If you want to give yourself the best chance of graduating university, don't study part-time. That's the message from a Grattan Institute study of university dropouts, released today. The research found reducing study load, or studying part-time, was the major cause of students failing to complete their degrees - much more so than studying online or even failing units. About one in five students who start university are more likely to drop out than complete their degree, the research concluded. Of that high-risk group, half took only three or four subjects in their first year of study, while 30 per cent took two units or fewer. Just four per cent of the high-risk group took a full-time study load in their first year. Andrew Norton, the Grattan Institute's higher education director, said part-time studies often seemed like a gift but turned out to be a curse. "People believe that part-time is the solution because they are taking fewer subjects and theyve got time to work and time to look after their family," he said. Rising Liberal conservative forces are seizing control of the partys Victorian division, raising the prospect of inflamed tensions with some of their own MPs. Young powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan emerged among the big winners of internal elections at the Liberal state council meeting at the weekend. Liberal Party Victorian president Michael Kroger (right) with his protege Marcus Bastiaan. Credit:Facebook Party insiders say Mr Bastiaan together with his ally the re-elected Victorian Liberal president, Michael Kroger, will control the majority of votes on the partys influential administrative committee. The results will give them far greater influence over the running of preselections for parliamentary candidates. Two 16-year-old boys have been arrested after a police chase in Melbourne's outer suburbs. The teenagers had allegedly been involved in a number of incidents over a period of four days, including police pursuits, driving off without paying for petrol and erratic driving. Officers spotted the car at 1.30am on Sunday in Casey. A pursuit ensued through Hampton Park, Narre Warren, Doveton and Berwick before the vehicle was stopped and the teens arrested. The two teens are now being interviewed by police. The alleged chase is the latest in series of reported incidents involving alleged teenagers behind the wheel. Marginal electorates in Melbournes south-east and north will share in a $2.2 billion windfall under a state government bid to unclog congested roads in the outer suburbs. Funding to upgrade 13 arterial roads will be included in the state budget, to be unveiled on Tuesday. The population is booming in suburbs such as Cranbourne East The government has promised that its upgrade blitz would slash travel times in Melbournes outer suburbs where the population is booming. But the Opposition dismissed the upgrade package as a cash splash for votes. London: British forestry officials are warning parts of London about an invasion of caterpillars whose long white hairs can trigger allergic reactions in humans that include skin and eye irritation, difficulty breathing and even anaphylactic shock. Caterpillars of the oak processionary moth were spotted emerging from eggs in mid-April, according to the Forestry Commission, which oversees forests in England and Scotland. A nest of caterpillars of the oak processionary moth, in Hamburg, Germany, in 2014. Their bristles have a toxin that can cause skin irritations, allergies and asthma attacks in humans. Credit:AP The caterpillars' hairs, which can be released as a defence mechanism or carried by the wind, contain thaumetopoein, an irritating protein, the commission said. Those who are allergic can become sick. "At best, you can get contact dermatitis. At worst, you can die," said Jason Dombroskie, manager of the Cornell University Insect Collection and coordinator of the Insect Diagnostic Lab in Ithaca, New York. "You can go into anaphylactic shock and have your airways close up. The airborne hairs set up a whole different ballgame." Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest April 23-29, 2018; Ford Cars Buh Bye; FCA, GM In The Money; Really Clean Diesel?; Tesla's Bones; Free Harley; Automotive Hall Of Fame; NASCAR; Audi Recalls AUTO CENTRAL, CHICAGO - April 29, 2018; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, Senior Editor and Chicago Car Guy along with fellow senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, give you TACH's "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to "catch up" news nuggets. For More search the past 25 year's millions of (Indexed By Google) pages of automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news residing in The Auto Channel Automotive News Library. Hey Over the air TV viewers, you can now enjoy The Auto Channel TV Network "Free and Clear" on WHDT Channel 3 in Boston and on many local cable systems. All South Florida auto fans can continue to watch The Auto Channel TV Network on WHDT-TV Channel 9 in West Palm Beach as well as cable channel's 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami. WHDN launched its full schedule (including The Auto Channel)of broadcasting in the Naples-Fort Myers market on digital PSIP channel 9.1 channel, look for us On Roku, Hulu and on TUNAVISION. Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Nuggets April 23-29, 2018 * Say goodbye to cars from Ford. Ford announced plans this week to begin phasing out most of its lineup of cars in North America in favor of more popular SUVs, trucks and crossovers. They plan to keep only the Mustang and an all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year. By 2020 almost 90 percent of the Ford portfolio in North America will be trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles. Declining consumer demand and product profitability are the main reasons why. The company is also exploring new white space vehicle silhouettes that combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility. We wonder how much this revised product lineup is also related to an increase in ride sharing and the forecasted drop in vehicle ownership. * Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss, Sergio Marchionne, told a press audience this week that his company has posted record profits of 1 billion euros for the first quarter of 2018, primarily the result of strong sales in North and South America and the completion of the rollout of three new vehicles. That number even includes the paying off of 1.3 billion euros in debt. The results were threatened by a troubled rollout of the new Ram pickup resulting in an extended build of the old model. * Over at GM, CEO Mary Barra reported a first quarter that beat Wall Street expectations, posting $1.05 billion in net earnings, a 60% drop the same period a year ago. She attributed the drop to lower production in North America because of the transition to an updated line of pickups. She promised to deliver another strong year in 2018. First quarter earnings were affected by a $900 million loss, the result of restructuring Korean operations. * Auto China 2018, the biggest global auto show of the year, opened this week. Chinas ambition to become a leader in electric cars and to roll out models that appeal to price-conscious but demanding Chinese drivers is a focus of the show. Beijing recently decided to allow full foreign ownership of Chinese automakers in a move to make the industry more flexible as it promotes electrics. SEE ALSO Electric Vehicles, Solution Or Diversion Or Just A Modern Chinese Tulip Scam * As cities throughout Europe threaten to ban internal combustion engines, particularly diesels, Bosch announced this week the development of an exhaust system that will cut emissions well below the already-in-place 2020 standards. Bosch is the leading supplier of diesel technology to the worlds automakers and has been heavily scrutinized during recent scandals. The new technology has to do with thermal management and is said to reduce emissions to 1/10th of the legal limit. * VW's dieselgate is far from over. Prosecutors arrested the head of engine development at Porsche, a unit of Volkswagen, and are investigation two other individuals from Porsche. Additionally, VW's independent monitor, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, has criticized the automaker's internal response to its emissions scandal. The German carmaker acknowledged that a progress report found that it had failed to hold executives accountable for wrongdoing that led to the huge emissions fraud, and that it was not making a serious enough attempt to remake its culture. * Automotive News reports that "Federal and state officials, once eager advocates of self-driving cars, now are pumping the brakes and demanding greater accountability and information that autos and tech companies may not be willing to provide. After two high-profile fatalities related to self-driving cars, issues such as system malfunction, the limits of human attention span, and broader legal questions have come to the forefront of public conversation. And lawmakers suddenly are realizing how little they know about the technology. Legislation to create a national framework governing autonomous vehicles, the AV START Act in the U.S. Senate, has been stalled since late last year because of concerns from safety advocates." * Amazon is teaming up with General Motors and Volvo to start in-car package delivery for more than 7 million vehicle owners, potentially foiling so-called "porch pirates," those thieves who target home package deliveries. If you're an Amazon Prime member with an active GM OnStar or Volvo On Call account, the service currently available to 37 U.S. cities and surrounding areas is no extra charge. Amazon Key In-Car Delivery requires a 2015 model year or newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac or newer Volvo. Customers download an Amazon Key App and link their Amazon and connected car service accounts, according to a news release. * Target and Walmart will add hundreds of EV charging stations to their stores. Target, which started piloting charging stations in 2012, currently has them at 18 locations in 5 states (Minnesota, California, Hawaii, North Carolina and Texas), including at its headquarters in downtown Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park. It will add them to 100 locations, amounting to 600-plus parking spaces, in more than 20 states over the next two years. Walmart said that it plans to more than double the number of electric vehicle charging stations at its stores by adding several hundred charging stalls with an aim of having more than 1,000 of them in the coming years. Electrify America, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, is one of Walmarts partners. * New York City will ban cars from Central Park starting in June. Cars will no longer be allowed to drive on the streets in the park below 72nd St., where motorists are currently allowed to drive during certain hours of the day. Automobiles had already been banned from the park above 72nd St. The ban wont apply to the cross-town streets used by drivers to get across the city. Next up, congestion pricing for vehicles to enter lower Manhattan during certain times of the day. * GM is teaming up with a Detroit guitar company that makes its instruments with reclaimed wood from city buildings. Chevrolet and Wallace Detroit Guitars are working to release a limited-edition line of guitars made of long grain maple from GM's truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The tie-up marks the centennial of Chevy Trucks. Sing it now: "Like a Rock." * Detroit auto journalists (Including Martha Hindes and Steve Purdy) were treated to an under-the-skin look at the new Tesla Model 3 mainstream sedan this week by Munro and Associates near Detroit, a company that specializes in reverse engineering of automobiles, airplanes and a variety of other products. Sandy Munro, the companys lead engineer, said their analysis, still in early stages, appears to show mixed results with some of the most advanced electronics and electric power systems, but exhibiting dismal quality in fit, finish and body construction. * Harley-Davidson is offering free motorcycles for those who join its summer internship program. Eight college students or recent graduates will have the enviable task of being paid to ride a Harley and share their adventures on social media. And the best part? Theyll keep their bikes at the end of the 12-week internship. The Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker says it will teach the interns how to ride, compensate them for their work and travels, and let them keep their motorcycles. Harley-Davidson says its looking for those that have the ability to create content on the fly, are creative and have the talent to take great photos and fun videos. Applicants must be 18 years or older and looking to pursue a career in social media. * Audi is recalling about 1.2 million cars and SUVs worldwide (about 340,000 in the U.S.) because the electric coolant pumps can overheat and possibly cause a fire. The recall covers the 2013 to 2016 A4, the 2013 to 2017 A5, the 2012 to 2015 A6, and the Q5 SUV from 2013 to 2017. All have 2-Liter turbocharged engines. * The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan is a repository of some of the most in-depth automotive history anywhere. The AHF will induct five new members into its ranks at its 2018 Induction & Awards Gala Ceremony. They are: Michael (Mike) Jackson, Chairman, CEO and President of AutoNation; Ray and Tom (1937-2014) Magliozzi, co-hosts of the NPR weekly radio show Car Talk; Frank Stronach, founder of Magna International; and Kiichiro Toyoda, the Japanese entrepreneur whose decision to expand his fathers company, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, into automobile manufacturing and created what would become Toyota Motor Corporation. * Volkswagen motorsport unveiled its fully-electric supercarthe I.D. R Pikes Peakin Ales, France. The supercar will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill climb in Colorado Springs, CO, on June 24, seeking to beat the existing electric car record of 8:57.118 minutes in the annual Race to the Clouds. I.D. R Pikes Peak weighs less than 2,500 lbs and produces 680 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, giving it a 0-60 time of 2.25 secondsfaster than even Formula 1 and Formula E cars. The Race to the Clouds involves a 4,720 vertical-foot climb, 156 corners, and just one single attempt. It is not unheard of for finish-line temperatures at the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak to be below freezing at the end of June. * Matt Kenseth is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive Roush Fenway Racings No. 6 car in select races this season. Kenseth will share the No. 6 Ford for the remainder of the 2018 season with Trevor Bayne, who has driven the car on a full-time basis since 2015 but will now move to part-time status rounding out the races Kenseth does not compete in. Kenseth won the 2003 Cup Series and two Daytona 500s during his 12-year stint with Roush Fenway. Australia Announces $379 Million Funding for Great Barrier Reef SYDNEYAustralias Great Barrier Reef will receive A$500 million ($379.10 million) in new funding to restore water quality and protect the coral from starfish attacks, government ministers announced on Sunday. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said in a televised interview that some of the money would go directly to farmers to modify their practices to ensure that the reef doesnt get the large amounts of sediment, nitrogen and pesticide run-off which is so damaging to coral and which helps breed this crown-of-thorns starfish. The Great Barrier Reef, which can be seen from space, covers 348,000 square kilometers and was world-heritage listed in 1981 as the most spectacular coral reef on the planet, according to the website of the United Nations cultural body UNESCO. UNESCO considered putting it on the in danger list last year due to recent widespread destruction but voted against it, allowing Australias centre-right government to dodge political embarrassment and potential damage to the countrys tourism industry. A major outbreak of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish has been destroying areas of the world heritage-listed reef, prompting a major cull in January. The predator starfish feeds on corals by spreading its stomach over them and using digestive enzymes to liquefy tissue. Agricultural run-off from sugar cane farms and cattle stations has also harmed the section of reef that is closest to shore, according to Bradley Opdike, a marine scientist at the Australian National University. What happens with the sediment is it just smothers it, while higher nutrients cause algae to out-compete the corals, he told Reuters by telephone on Sunday. While the funding announcement was welcomed by scientists, some were skeptical on whether it would actually help. Jon Brodie, a professor at James Cook Universitys Coral Reef Studies Centre of Excellence said the funding was an extension of existing failed programs. Its not working, its not achieving major water quality improvements, he told Reuters by telephone on Sunday. However, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said that Australia was a world leader in managing and protecting its reef, as the governments Reef 2050 plan had been approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as being the standard for the rest of the world to follow. They look to Australia to provide the technical expertise the scientific research, and to give the best practice management of coral reefs and thats what we demonstrate, she told reporters on Sunday from Cairns on Australias east coast. By Alison Bevege Recommended Video: Aurora Australis Illuminates Southern Skies South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in the truce village of Panmunjom. (Korea Summit Press Pool/Pool via Reuters) In Rare Move, North Korean State Media Acknowledges Denuclearization Pledged At Inter-Korean Summit Trump says North Korean meeting could happen in three to four weeks SEOULNorth Koreas state news agency on Saturday called the inter-Korean summit a turning point for the Korean peninsula, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he would maintain sanctions pressure on Pyongyang ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim Jong Un. The Norths KCNA news agency separately released the joint statement North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in presented on Friday after the first summit in more than a decade between the two Koreas. Kim and Moon pledged to work for complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and agreed on a common goal of a nuclear-free peninsula. Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration focused on inter-Korean relations. A day after the meeting between Kim and Moon produced dramatic images and a sweeping declaration of goodwill, South Korean media were replaying striking scenes of the two leaders and North Koreas main state newspaper published a multi-page spread with more than 60 photos from the visit. On Saturday afternoon, North Korean state TV broadcast its first footage of the summit and made mentions of the denuclearization discussion a significant acknowledgement although it did not go into specifics, opting to continue to highlight the standard broad themes of peace, prosperity, and Korean unity. The declaration earned guarded but optimistic praise from world leaders, including Trump, who said on Friday that only time would tell, but that he did not think Kim was playing. Its never gone this far. This enthusiasm for them wanting to make a deal We are going to hopefully make a deal. Trump told reporters he would maintain pressure on North Korea and not repeat the mistakes of past administrations. On Saturday, Trump said on Twitter that he just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Later at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, he said, I think we will have a meeting over the next three or four weeks. Its going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Trump added that he had also spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to inform him of ongoing negotiations. The White House later said Trump and Moon during the call emphasized that a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization. The White House also said Trump had informed Abe that he would urge North Korea to promptly resolve its abductions of Japanese citizens. A senior U.S. official said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim summit. Speaking on Saturday at a televised news conference in Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull praised Trumps negotiations on North Korea and said he helped bring the two Korean leaders together. I have given him that credit because Donald Trump has taken a very, very strong, hard line on the denuclearization issue and he has been able to bring in the support of the global community and, in particular, China, Turnbull said. North Koreas economic relationship is overwhelmingly with China. And so Chinas preparedness to impose those sanctions has been the critical change that has put the economic pressure on North Korea. What weve now got to do is not relent on the economic pressure until that goal is achieved, he said. Australia will send a military aircraft to monitor North Korean vessels suspected of transferring illicit goods in defiance of U.N. sanctions, he said. By Josh Smith Recommended video: I Was a Communist Slave North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on April 20, 2018. (KCNA/via Reuters) North Koreas Kim to Invite US Experts for Nuclear Site Shutdown SEOULNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea when the country shuts its nuclear test site in May, Seoul officials said, as U.S. President Trump pressed for total denuclearization ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim. On Friday, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal. North Koreas state media had said before the summit that Pyongyang would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace. Kim told Moon that he would soon invite the experts and journalists to open to the international community the dismantling of the facilities, the Blue House said on Sunday. There is no reason for us to possess nuclear weapons while suffering difficulties if mutual trust with the United States is built through frequent meetings from now on, and an end to the war and non-aggression are promised, Moons press secretary Yoon Young-chan quoted Kim as saying. Kim said there were two additional, larger tunnels that remain in a very good condition at the Punggye-ri test site beyond the existing one, which experts have said has collapsed after repeated explosions, rendering much of the site useless. Kims promise shows his willingness to pre-emptively and actively respond to inspection efforts to be made as part of the denuclearization process, Yoon said. To facilitate future cross-border cooperation, Kim pledged to scrap the unique time zone Pyongyang created in 2015. He said the North would move its clocks forward 30 minutes to be in sync with the South, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kim also reaffirmed that he would not use military force against the South and raised the need for an institutional mechanism to prevent unintended escalations, Yoon said. Next Steps Late Saturday, President Donald Trump told Moon in a phone call that he was pleased the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearization during their summit, Seoul officials said on Sunday. During a Middle East trip on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would require North Korea in any deal to take irreversible steps to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization. He told ABC TV that there was a real opportunity for negotiations between Kim and Trump and that he had a clear mission from the White House to discuss American detainees and a verifiable mechanism for denuclearization with Kim. Trump is also preparing to pull the United States out of the international 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reached under his predecessor Barack Obama, barring an agreement in talks with European partners to tighten its terms. Pompeo was asked whether there was any contradiction between Washington trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with North Korea and also threatening to jettison the accord with Iran. I dont think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, Oh goodness, if they get out of that, I wont talk to the Americans any more,' Pompeo told reporters. There are higher priorities that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay in the (Iran deal). Moon and Trump agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and Kim, and explored two to three potential locations, one of which Moon suggested, the Blue House said. The candidates for the venue did not include North Korea, the United States or the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas, a Blue House official told reporters, declining to elaborate. A senior U.S. official has said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim summit. Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realizing a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearization, Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a separate briefing. Moon told Trump that Kim said he and Trump would get along with each other,and Trump said he was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result. Trump, who called the 75-minute chat a long and very good talk on Twitter, said his summit with Kim would take place sometime in the next three to four weeks. Its going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, he said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, on Saturday. Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 The White House said Trump and Moon during the call emphasized that a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization. Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration signed by Kim and Moon focussed on inter-Korean relations and did not clear up the question of whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Abes office said on Sunday that Trump and Abe highlighted the significance of Pyongyangs taking concrete steps towards denuclearization in their phone call. Trump had informed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he would urge North Korea to promptly resolve its abductions of Japanese citizens, the White House said. Moon also had a phone call with Abe on Sunday and said he had discussed the abduction issue with Kim during the summit in substantial detail, the Blue House spokesman said. Pyongyang admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies. Five of them returned to Japan, but Tokyo suspects that hundreds more may have been taken. Moon relayed Abes wish for a normalization of bilateral ties to Kim based on the clearing of historical legacy issues, and that Kim expressed his willingness to talk to Japan at any time, the official said. By Hyonhee Shin Recommended Video: Why is Falun Gong persecuted? An H7N9 bird flu patient walks in the corridor of a hospital in Bozhou City, in central China's Anhui Province on April 19, 2013. A recent Chinese Communist Party internal investigation has found rampant corruption within the province's medical system. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Recent Sacking of Hospital Officials in Chinese Province Reveals Rampant Corruption in Medical Field Eight hospital officials in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui were recently investigated for corruption, highlighting once again the entrenched culture of corruption within the medical system there. Chinese media reported on April 26 that Bozhou Peoples Hospital President Di Yuzeng, who used his position to aid businesses in selling drugs and equipment to the hospital, was fired and purged from the Chinese Communist Party. He received bribes from those businesses in exchange for helping them. Dangtu Peoples Hospital president Mei Baisong is also under investigation by the Chinese Communist Partys anti-corruption agency. Previously, in 2016, he was reprimanded for letting the hospital purchase medicines that had not yet been properly registered. Six other hospital presidents and deputy presidents in Anhui were recently put under investigation. Back in 2014, a corruption case occurred in Anhui that involved 123 party cadres. At some hospitals, officials from the very bottom to the very top were netted. Patients are also frequently expected to pay doctors and staff bribes in order to receive adequate treatment. In a survey of 60,000 netizens, the Chinese online medical forum Disease.39.net found that 64 percent of respondents gave red envelopesstuffed with cashto their doctors. Another survey conducted by the forum revealed that nearly 90 percent of patients had paid their doctors extra fees, either in hard cash or by treating them to meals. In May 2011, an academic thesis published in a Chinese medical journal conducted a study on the subject and determined that about 55 percent of Chinese patients had paid bribes. While hospital staff earn profits from bribes, medical costs remain exorbitantly high for ordinary citizens. A report in China Week, a magazine published by the state-run China News Service, noted that hospital fees have risen at a yearly rate of 20 percent. Many pharmaceuticals imported from foreign countries have high value-added tax rates and tariffs, compounding the financial burden of many citizens with illnesses. And in January, an expose published by the state-run Xinhua news agency revealed that the Anhui University of Chinese Medicine No. 3 Affiliated Hospital ran an insurance scam by giving false diagnoses to patients in order to get insurance payments. In this way, the hospital earned revenue for treatment and was able to attract more customers, profiting off patients. Leo Timm and Li Xinan contributed to this report. Recommended video: I Was a Communist Slave Babies Encouraged to Cry in Japanese Festival Sumo wrestlers paraded around the wrestling ring at a temple in Tokyo, holding up wailing babies on Saturday, April 28. The Nakizumo Festival or the Crying Sumo Festival is based on the traditional Japanese 400-year-old belief that naku ko wa sodatsu or crying babies grow fastest. It is said that when babies cry loudly, it indicates that the lungs are healthy. The Japanese believe that sumos have the ability to get the babies to cry as loud as possible to invigorate healthy growth and ward off evil. Around 160 of the 1-year-old babies participated in the ceremony at Sensoji Temple. Two by two, the babies were held facing each other, being jiggled, rocked back and forth, bounced up and down, and held aloft by sumo wrestlers so their cries could pierce the heavens, odigo reported. The baby that cries first is declared the victor. If both babies cry then the judges will decide which one cried the loudest. Displays of bravery or indifference by the child will invite judges with masks designed to evoke tears of terror. Mari Kinoshita, mother of a 10-month-old girl, is looking forward to this so that her daughter can grow up healthy. Parents took pictures swiftly, encouraged cries eagerly, and cheered from the sidelines with pride and joy. This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so I applied and hoped every day that we would be chosen. I am glad that (my baby) cried alot, said Kizuki Kanematsu, mother of a 9-month-old boy. The Japanese have seemingly weaved a thread of cruelty through this festival, but rest assured that it is meant to be taken in jest. The parents understand the irony of trying to make their 1-year old cry as hard as it can. For the babies, the joke seems to have fallen on deaf ears, or maybe theyre just crying too loudly. Similar events are held in temples across Japan. Participants have to be born in the previous year and are chosen through a lottery. Recommended Video: Boy Accidentally Razors Off Chunk of Hair During Tutorial NORWALK Charlie Taney and Jim Carter stand near the Norwalk River off Riverside Avenue and envision the newest section of the Norwalk River Valley Trail being under construction in spring 2019. Its really pretty along here, said NRVT Executive Director Charlie Taney, standing near the running river with spring flowers blooming along the shoreline. This is the first time we really get right along the river. When complete, the NRVT will entail 33 miles of trail connecting Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk to Rogers Park in Danbury, passing through Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding. The 10-foot-wide, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant path will provide walkers, hikers, cyclists, kids and pets with recreation opportunities and offer a healthy transportation alternative that connects rail stations, schools, offices, and businesses, according to the NRVT. Missing link critical Local officials have labeled the roughly mile-long stretch to be built between Union Park and New Canaan Avenue largely along the Norwalk River the missing link, given that completed trail sections are in place between New Canaan Avenue and Broad Street as well as between the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and Union Park. When this link is completed, we will have about four miles actually completed, but all 10 (miles) are in design and well be starting construction next year on additional trail, said Carter, Norwalk representative on the NRVT Steering Committee. Carter said construction costs typically run $1 million per mile, depending upon the nature of the terrain. The missing link stretch will cost significantly more approximately $3 million given its location along the river. This one is more complicated because we have to protect the river and we have rises and falls, so its vastly more complicated, Carter said. The work will be 80 percent federally funded with the remaining 20 percent coming from the city, said Michael Yeosock, assistant principal engineer in the Norwalk Department of Public Works. Due to seasonal flooding, the missing link will run along the slope, between the riverbank and Riverside Avenue in the area north of Casatelli Marble & Tile Imports. Carter said the trail will follow Riverside Avenue at the tile company. The area where the trail will be built is state land that was created as part of the Route 7 Connector project. The missing link portion will include construction of a 20-space public parking lot alongside the trail, north of the tile company. Build it and they will come The proximity to the river requires a wetland permit from the Norwalk Conservation Commission. On Tuesday, the commission rescinded its earlier decision to hold a public hearing after concluding the trail has received plenty of publicity and presented ample opportunity for input. With the federal funding that goes along with these projects, theres quite a bit of outreach, and the public certainly does have an opportunity to comment, Yeosock told the commission. Those comments go not only to the public works department but they also go to the state of Connecticut. Carter said many neighbors are aware of the trail project through the NRVTs cleanup efforts. During a cleanup in April 2017, volunteers removed 4,260 pounds of garbage, including 58 tires, shopping carts and an engine block. The commission is expected to vote on the permit request at its May meeting. Approval would bring the NRVT one step closer to putting the project out to bid for construction early next year. Asked about trail construction to the north, Carter said NRVT has a federal grant, provided it can raise matching funds, to build the section from Grist Mill Road to Wolfpit Road in Wilton. The NRVT anticipates the southernmost section of the trail being created with street-striping this spring. Beginning at Calf Pasture Beach, the trail will be on-road bike lanes or shared roadway markings north to the the Maritime Aquarium. From the aquarium, 1.5 miles of off-road trail are now complete. The section goes past Oyster Shell Park, under Interstate 95 to Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Lockwood Mathews Mansion and on to Union Park near the Main Library on Belden Avenue. Norwalk and Wilton are getting close to actually having enough contiguous trail so that its really worth a trip, Carter said. The three northern towns, thats more patchwork and that will come. But I really think with our momentum and example that its going to kind of be a build it and they will come. Strut Your Mutt fundraiser On May 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the NRVT will hold its first annual Strut Your Mutt event along the trail in Norwalk, Wilton and Ridgefield to raise money to build additional trail sections. In Norwalk, the walk will go from the Lockwood Mathews parking lot at the rear of Pine Island Historic Cemetery to the Maritime Aquarium and back at a casual pace of about 20 minutes each way. The event is open to all ages and will include bandanas and treats for the dogs, wristbands for hikers, goodie bags, selfies, trophies, medals and prizes, including Most Creative Dog Costume. Registration is $20 for families and per person through April 20 and $30 after that. For more information, visit http://nrvt-trail.com/. Last week, the NRVT announced that it had come closer to funding the Wilton stretch of the trail thanks to a $5,000 donation from Canine Company, an at-home pet services provider. In addition to supporting new trail development, the Wilton Company donated four doggy waste bag stations for the Wilton trailheads. The gifts were made as part of the companys 35th anniversary celebration. We wanted to mark this important anniversary with a gift for our hometown, which has been good to us for so many years, said Canine Company President Jennifer Hill. The NRVT is a great resource for Wilton families, and its wonderful that our dogs are welcome to walk the trails with us. We think this donation is a great way to help our neighbors keep their pets happy and healthy. 6 hours ago Two Downgrades For Dividend-Growth Investors To Cash In On When Business Is So Good ... Downgrades arent events we relish in the stocks we follow but they do often present opportunities that can be used to advantage. Take, for instance, downgrades driven not so much by a deterioration of business but by the size and scope of that business. Read Article As a German Nazi SS officer during the Second World War, Oskar Groening worked as an accountant at the Auschwitz concentration camp in occupied Poland. He documented and evaluated the worth of all the valuables of the prisoners as they arrived off the trains. But he didnt kill anyone nor sign orders to kill, according to his testimony at a high-profile 2015 trial, in which he was convicted as an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews. The new documentary The Accountant of Auschwitz explores Groenings case looking at the complicity of him and other lower-level SS guards, and the debates surrounding their prosecution in the 1990s. The reason why he was on trial is because they could prove that he was on the ramp where the selections took place: this person goes to the gas chamber, this person goes to work, said Matthew Shoychet, the docs Toronto-based director. He was right there when the genocide was taking place, so just him being there makes him complicit. Debuting Sunday at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, The Accountant of Auschwitz comes shortly after Groenings death last month at age 96. He had yet to start his four-year prison sentence, which he was appealing. As Shoychet explains, Groening grew up in a nationalist family. After the war, he worked as a bookkeeper while living in his hometown in Germany. He wasnt on the radar of prosecutors until 2005, when he did an interview with the BBC and candidly talked about his experiences at Auschwitz. That led to his trial, in which Holocaust survivors including Bill Glied of Toronto testified. Glied speaks in the doc, along with other survivors and a variety of academics, lawyers and journalists. Also in the doc is Benjamin Ferencz, a U.S. prosecutor at the post-war Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders. Ricki Gurwitz, one of the docs producers, said she came up with the idea for the film after doing a segment on Groenings trial while working as a TV news reporter. One of the reasons we wanted to make this film is because the German judicial system, after the war, really did not prosecute Nazis, said Gurwitz. Their record is terrible. Out of the 6,500 SS guards at Auschwitz, only 49 were ever prosecuted In 2009 the interpretation of the law changed, so that meant that anyone who was just there could be prosecuted. That led prosecutors to (Groening). The filmmakers said Groening wouldnt do an interview with them for the doc, which does feature footage of him at his trial. The film also looks at other Nazi war crimes trials, including that of John Demjanjuk. One of the questions, the central themes in our film, is Germany trying to make up for the mistakes of its past by prosecuting these lower-level SS guards who are 94, 95, today, said Gurwitz. How complicit are they? They didnt shoot anyone, they were just there. They helped the system run but they werent actually killing anyone. All their contemporaries have died, all their superiors who actually did the killing died. Theyre the last men who are able to stand trial. Should they be facing prosecution because theyre the last men left standing? Or are they actually complicit because they were a cog in the machine and the machine would not have run without them there? In the film, one of the survivors says she initially had sympathy for Groening when she saw how frail he was in court. But that vanished when she saw a look of disdain on his face. Yet another survivor forgave him and hugged him in court, said Gurwitz. It just goes to show that this case is not so cut and dry, its not so black and white. Theres a lot of moral ambiguity. Read more about: VANCOUVERBritish Columbias court case over the flow of heavy oil through the province could be damaged by the NDP governments previous positions against the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, says a legal expert. The provincial government filed a reference case Thursday in the B.C. Court of Appeal asking whether amendments it is proposing to the Environmental Management Act are valid and if they give the province the authority to control the shipment of heavy oils based on the impact spills could have on the environment, human health or communities. The province is also asking the court whether the amendments are over-riden by federal law. Nigel Bankes, chair of natural resources law at the University of Calgary, said he believes the province will lose on the validity question because it is targeting a federally approved project, even though the legislation covers broad environmental concerns. All rhetoric, all the public announcements, all the announcements from the premier and the relevant ministers make it clear that this legislation is actually directed at Trans Mountain, he said. Bankes said a precedent was set in 1984 when the courts ruled the government of Newfoundland and Labrador acted outside its authority by introducing legislation that disrupted Quebecs right to access hydroelectric power from Churchill Falls. But Bruce Ryder of York Universitys Osgoode Hall Law School said that case differs from B.C. because the legislation addresses all heavy oil, not just one particular project. Decisions made the B.C. Supreme Court in favour of lower levels of government having the authority to create environmental protections in relation to the Northern Gateway pipeline could also support the provinces case, Ryder said. Ryder said he thinks the court will approve the validity question. But he said there is greater uncertainty over permits that would be needed to ship heavy oils through the province because that could be seen to impair or block federal projects, which would clearly be unconstitutional. What we dont know are the details of how the permitting process will work, whether a permit will be granted when requested, what conditions would be attached to it, and absent of specific context with those actual details, it would be difficult for the court to give anything other than a somewhat speculative answer, he said. The court could either refuse to answer the question due to a lack of information or, more likely, provide guidelines on how permitting could work that operates within the constriction, he said. Read more: Trans Mountain pipeline extension will be built, Trudeau vows Kinder Morgan CEO says lingering feud confirms Trans Mountain pipeline may be untenable B.C. seeks court ruling on whether it controls Trans Mountain oil shipments Carissima Mathen, vice dean of the University of Ottawas law faculty, said there is a clear conflict between the B.C. legislation and federal law. I havent seen any argument as to why the federal government doesnt have authority to regulate this interprovincial pipeline the way they have authority over all kinds of other interprovincial undertakings, she said. Ryder said if the provinces legislation is found to only add conditions to the shipment of heavy oils, the court could determine it does not conflict with federal law. But if the federal government introduces new legislation to fortify its authority over Trans Mountain, it could crush B.C.s attempt to have some legal jurisdiction, he added. All the experts expect the case to be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Kathryn Harrison, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, said there are many areas where provincial and federal jurisdiction come into conflict, but given the fact the environment is not addressed in the constitution, legal battles over environmental authority are rare. It would be good for Canada and the global environment if we had more disputes over environmental jurisdiction, she said, adding negotiations and compromise often result in watering down policies. Read more about: In the chaotic aftermath of a mass murder in North America, two things are predictable. One is that there will be wild speculation over the killers background and motive, with people guessing about specific aspects of his identity. The other is that only one prediction will hold true in nearly every case. I knew that it was going to be a man, said Michael Kaufman, a member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. Virtually all of the school shootings the mass shootings, the terrorist attacks, whether its a white nationalist terrorist attack or a religiously inspired terrorist attack theyre almost always committed by men. And the incredible thing? We dont focus on that, he continued. We instantly go to step two: what was his motivation? What was his psychological problem? By jumping to that second step, were neither going to be able to address the underlying causes or understand these people or find solutions. On Monday, a rented van jumped a curb on Yonge St. south of Finch Ave. and began deliberately mowing down pedestrians, leading to the worst mass murder in Torontos history. Ten people died and another 16 were injured. Alek Minassian, 25, faces 10 charges of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder, with three more attempted murder charges pending. Details about Minassians life remain scant but, in the scramble for answers, some have pointed to his autism spectrum disorder even though experts stress there is no scientific link between the condition and a propensity for violence. A more relevant point may be the fact that Minassian is male. According to a study by Columbia University forensic psychiatrist Michael Stone, of 235 mass murders in the United States between 1913 and 2015 involving four or more deaths, 96 per cent were perpetrated by men. Mass murder is an almost exclusively male phenomenon, Stone writes in Mass Murder, Mental Illness and Men. Most mass murders are planned well in advance of the outburst, usually as acts of revenge or retribution for perceived slights and wrongs. Read more: 26 tales of courage and compassion amid the chaos of the Toronto van rampage When its here, its a lot scarier: North York vigil for van rampage victims starts Sunday evening The day Yonge St. became a war zone: How the van rampage unfolded moment by moment A Facebook post attributed to Minassian suggests retribution directed at women as a motive. The message referenced one of the internets most unabashedly misogynistic communities: young men who identify online as incels or involuntary celibates because they are frustrated by their inability to find romantic relationships or sex. Minassians online history will form an important aspect of the unfolding homicide probe: posts he wrote, searches he made, and online communities he may have frequented. Investigators seized his Facebook profile to archive its content, including a cryptic Facebook message posted just minutes before the van rampage, according to Toronto police Det. Sgt. Graham Gibson. The investigation will examine whether sexual frustration or anger towards women helped form the motive. While police say there is currently no evidence that women were targeted, eight of the 10 fatalities were female. Police will scour surveillance and witness video for indications the van was steered deliberately towards female pedestrians, an investigator said Friday. Toronto police Insp. Bryan Bott told reporters that all avenues will be explored when it comes probing Minassians online activity, including any possible link to the incel community. Where that investigation goes, its too early to tell, Bott said. Whats certain, however, is that the internet has provided fertile breeding ground for misogyny and sexism. Those who study online misogyny say incels are just a sliver of a broader online ecosystem dubbed the manosphere, where seething anti-feminist hatred has been intensifying over the last several years. The manosphere is a loose assemblage of blogs, forums and pages scattered across YouTube, Facebook and Reddit, as well as 4chan, the notorious messaging board widely associated with trolling culture, conspiracy theories and far-right extremism. Its roots can be traced back to the 1970s, when a mens liberation movement emerged in response to second-wave feminism, according to a 2017 study by Debbie Ging, an associate professor with Dublin City University. The movement was meant to critique conventional understandings of masculinity but quickly splintered into pro- and anti-feminist factions, due largely to disagreements over the claim that male privilege adversely affects women, Ging wrote. The anti-feminists believed men were in decline and this strain of thinking has now permeated the manosphere, where a widespread and particularly malicious anti-feminist mens movement has been incubating. Its a vast and growing network of misogynists theres no other word for them, said Nicolette Little, who is pursuing her doctorate in feminist media studies at the University of Calgary. The manosphere is very angry with women and feminism, and online groups provide space for that toxicity, for those ideas to be shared, proliferated, Little said. There is significant overlap between the racist alt-right movement and the manosphere, where major themes include misogyny, sexual strategies and mens rights. A popular trope is to be red pilled, a reference to the 1999 movie The Matrix, where the protagonist Neo is asked to choose between a blue pill which returns him to his normal life of ignorant bliss or the red pill, which will reveal the true order of the world. In the manosphere, being red-pilled means eschewing liberal ideology and recognizing that men, not women, are the oppressed class, according to a 2017 report by Alice Marwick and Rebecca Lewis with Data & Society, a think tank specializing in the cultural and social impact of the internet. The connecting tissue of the manosphere is that men are actually the ones suffering in modern society, and our laws and society is now balanced in favour of women, Lewis said. Theres intermingling within the manosphere: There are Pick-Up Artists (PUAs), a seduction community that trades in strategies for getting sex; Mens Rights Activists (MRAs), who feel boys and men are victimized, particularly by feminists; and Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), who vow to never date, marry or have children. And then there are incels. The phrase was coined in the 1990s by a Canadian woman who started a website for lonely singles. In 2001, researchers from Georgia State University surveyed 82 involuntary celibates in an online discussion group and found the majority were young, white and male. These people feel despair, depression, frustration and a loss of confidence because of their inability to have sexual relationships, the researchers concluded. They looked to the internet, not for sexual stimulation but for moral support. Fast-forward 17 years and some incel forums have flourished to 40,000 or more members. They have also developed their own culture, replete with insider-speak. Incels are betas, conventionally attractive men are Chads, and the women who date them and spurn incels are Stacys. Lewis said many incels self-identify as autistic. You get a lot of people kind of embracing that identity, whether or not theyve actually been diagnosed with autism, she said. Its become this broader meme for being socially awkward and thats yet another reason why they dont see themselves as advantaged or privileged in society. Some incels discuss their sadness or confusion on forums like Incels.me. One user, who identified himself as Jack Peterson, called it a support group. Incels.me is my main place as far as venting goes, just because it tends to be more brutally honest than the rest of these types of communities, said Peterson, who declined to give his real name, in a phone interview. Peterson insists that only a vocal minority of users are misogynists, but a quick glance at the website reveals a startling degree of anti-women hatred. There are several posts idolizing Elliot Rodger, the California man who killed six people because he was sexually frustrated, with some commenters encouraging others to follow in his footsteps and commit their own ER attack. The Facebook post attributed to Minassian concluded with the phrase All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger! After Mondays attack, many incels celebrated gleefully on Incels.me, while others blamed women for the attack. By having sex with the guy you couldve saved 10 lives, one commenter said. Its worthwhile to see how incels are reacting and many are thrilled about it, said Lewis. Its easy to see how this pent-up frustration is manifesting as violence. There are posts talking about, How else can we act on this? and people are promoting acid attacks, rapes, poking holes in condoms. Jamil Jivani, author of the book Why Young Men: Rage, Race and the Crisis of Identity, believes disaffected men are drawn to extremist views because they offer an identity of sorts telling them how to think and feel, and providing community and affirmation. What could help counteract this, he thinks, is a broader definition of masculinity. He cites Toronto police Const. Ken Lam, who arrested Minassian without using force. This guy, being restrained and calm, and not being reactive? Jivani said. That is how you diversify masculinity. Kaufman said society is failing boys and men by perpetuating ideas that they have to always be dominant and in control. Many men who commit acts of violence there are two things we know about them: Theyre much less likely to have gender-equitable attitudes, and much less likely to ask for help, he said. When you combine that power and that entitlement, with that personal insecurity about being a real man, it has the potential to be a lethal combination. It was a moment city officials, hospital workers and emergency responders prepared diligently for, but hoped would never arrive. For the rest of Torontos residents, the van rampage on Yonge St. came as a brutal shock, leaving many unanswered questions. At 7 p.m. on Sunday, city and interfaith groups are co-hosting a vigil at Mel Lastman Square (5100 Yonge St.), near where most of the victims were injured last Monday. Those in attendance are expected to include Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory, as well as Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, Ontarios Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, and Federal Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer. On Saturday, Rabbi Eva Goldfinger, who is scheduled to speak at the vigil, was searching for the right words. It touches us because its here and when its here, its a lot scarier, she said of the attack. Like many local residents, for Goldfinger, who lives near Finch Ave. and Don Mills Rd., the news felt very personal. The first thing that occurred to me is Oh my god, its in my part of the world. She said she expects faith leaders scheduled to speak on Sunday will comfort those seeking answers in religion. Read more: The day Yonge St. became a war zone: How the van rampage unfolded moment by moment Its changed forever: Yonge St. and the road to recovery Am I angry at him? Goldfinger says of 25-year-old Alek Minassian, who has been charged in 10 murders and 13 attempted killings. Im angry at what he did I want to feel compassion for him too. Im angry as hell at him. But Im angry at us. Im angry that were werent able to be there to help him. We do need to feel a sense of responsibility when something terrible happens. Shes not sure if Sundays vigil is the right place to say all that she feels. Mostly, she said, she wants to be there to support a city in mourning. We have to do it together. Those attending the vigil or travelling in the area are being strongly encouraged to take the TTC with the city expecting 25,000 people to attend and rolling road closures planned throughout the day. The southbound lanes on Yonge St. will be closed from Park Home Blvd. and Empress Ave. to North York Blvd. between 8 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., and Yonge will see intermittent closures between Finch and Sheppard Aves. to accommodate community marches and the vigil. The city is encouraging people looking to attend the vigil to use public transit to avoid the closures. Attendees can access the vigil via Sheppard, North York Centre, and Finch Stations. In an email to constituents Friday afternoon, Mayor John Tory encouraged everyone to attend the vigil after what he called an unfathomable loss of life. The horrific events of April 23 have shown the world how Toronto responds to tragedy, Torys message said, noting those who had already donated to the #TorontoStrong fund. As of Saturday, the donation tally was $1.7 million. Tory promised Sundays vigil would be an interfaith demonstration of Torontos diverse communities as well as a display of the citys resiliency. Religious leaders expected to attend include Imam Refaat Mohamed, Pandit Suraj Persad, Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Rabbi Yael Splansky. Willard Metzgar, and Dr. Bhante Saranapala are also listed as speakers. On Saturday evening, Splansky, who is the senior rabbi at Torontos Holy Blossom Temple, said she is planning to focus her remarks on a basic tenet from the Torah: Love your neighbour as yourself. At first, it might sound simple, but its actually profound and complicated and doesnt always come easily, she said. But I find this is a very extraordinary city where it does come easily and we know all about it. Several choirs, including a childrens choir, are expected to perform. There will also be a performance by the Red Spirit Drummers. All 10 of those killed were formally identified on Friday: Renuka Amarasingha, 45; Anne Marie DAmico, 30; Betty Forsyth, 94; Eddie Kang, 45; Munir Najjar, 85; Dorothy Sewell, 80; Andrea Bradden, 33; So He Chung, 22; Ji Hun Kim, 22; and Geraldine Brady, 83. Police are investigating a Facebook post linked to Minassian that referenced a culture of men, which has mostly manifested online, whose misogyny and violence towards women has now become a common conversation topic in Toronto. What the victims, overwhelmingly women, were doing in the moments just before they were killed has started to become clear they were out for a daily walk, likely picking up a son from school. Their stories, and what they left behind, are still just starting to be told. Follow Jennifer Pagliaro (@jpags) and Rachel Mendleson (@rachelmendleson) for ongoing coverage of the vigil Sunday. After Jennifer Hart drunkenly drove an SUV straight off a 100-foot cliff on the Northern California coast late last month, taking her life and those of her wife and their adopted children, at least two searches began. One was for the bodies; another was for answers. How, those who knew the Harts wondered, could a family that looked so happy and normal in photos have hidden such a dark life from public view? Dozens of pages of reports released this week by child-welfare officials offer some clues. Taken together they paint a portrait of a pair of mothers one dictatorial and eccentric, the other constantly working and seldom home who doled out cruel punishments and withheld food from their six children. Read more: Woman who drove SUV off cliff with wife and kids inside was drunk, police say Former friend of family killed in California cliff crash says she reported child abuse in 2013 Police looking at red flags before California cliff crash that killed family In the Hart household, any act of insubordination could be severely punished. The children knew this all too well. They are like trained robots, one worried caller told authorities, according to the newly released documents, which describe the familys dynamics. We called them like little soldiers, one former neighbour said of the children. In the weeks since the crash, searchers have fanned out along the Pacific coastline looking for the bodies. They have found those of the parents Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38 and four of their six children: Markis, 19; Jeremiah, 14; Abigail, 14 and Ciera, 12. But the bodies of Devonte Hart, 15, and Hannah Hart, 16, are still missing and the children are feared dead. Capt. Greg Van Patten, a spokesperson for the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office, said Friday that the office had no additional updates and was operating under the theory and the belief that the whole family was together at the time of the crash. The documents released this week show that child-welfare officials in Minnesota, Oregon and Washington state three states where the Harts lived during the past seven years knew of reported abuse but, in one case, apparently stepped aside after completing their assessment; could not gather enough evidence to corroborate the claims of neglect in another and, in a third case, learned of the allegations too late. We believe the release of these records may help avoid future tragedies, Caroline Burnell of the Oregon Department of Human Services said in a letter accompanying the documents. The department, she wrote, continues to strive to improve. Minnesota: A spanking and a confrontation over food Human services officials in Oregon became aware of the Hart familys history in 2013. An anonymous person had reported that the children appeared malnourished so officials contacted child-welfare officials in Minnesota, where the family had lived for years, to get more information on their background. Minnesota Child Welfare said it had received six troubling reports of abuse or neglect two of which it deemed to be credible. In a 2010 case, one of the parents was found to have physically harmed Abigail, causing bruising all over her body. The dispute had been over a penny: The parents discovered one in Abigails pocket and accused her of lying about how she got it. A spanking ensued, which Sarah Hart said got out of control, according to the documents. The couple agreed to in-home therapy, counselling and skill building activities as a remedy, the documents said. The New York Times previously reported that Sarah Hart was convicted of misdemeanour assault in Minnesota around the same time. A criminal complaint says that Hart admitted to spanking one of her children, identified as A.H. In a 2011 episode, Hannah told a school nurse that she had not eaten. Jennifer Hart then became angry and shoved a banana and nuts into the childs mouth. When confronted about the incident, Sarah Hart argued that Hannah was playing the food card and should just be given water. Eventually, a child-welfare worker reported that the childrens school stopped calling the Harts because officials feared that the children would be punished. The Harts eventually pulled the children out of school, began to home-school them and later moved. The problem, one Minnesota welfare worker noted, according to documents, was that Jennifer and Sarah Hart look normal. In a telephone interview Wednesday, a woman who lived across the street from the Harts in Alexandria, Minnesota, described the parents as real friendly girls. Still, the neighbour, Lorraine Fealy, 71, said she did not know their children well because the parents didnt let them out of the house very often. When they did, the children were very highly disciplined, Fealy said. Theyd all come down the steps single file and walk out in the yard single file, she said. The childrens behaviour bothered her, she added, because it wasnt like normal kids. Oregon: Children forced to lie in bed for hours over a pizza dispute Having been made aware of allegations against the Harts, child-welfare officials and police in Oregon began their own investigation in 2013. After interviewing each family member, they found that Jennifer the more domineering of the couple would travel with the children to music festivals several weeks a year, that Sarah was a retail manager at a Kohls and that the family received about $2,000 a month in adoption assistance. Investigators also interviewed at least two women who knew the family and they painted a disturbing portrait of the Harts home life. They told investigators that the children had to raise their hands before speaking, got in trouble for laughing at the dinner table and in one instance were prohibited from saying happy birthday to one of the children, Markis, on his birthday. In another episode, one of the women told investigators, Jennifer stayed with the children at her home. They ordered pizza, but Jennifer would allow her children to have only a small piece. The next morning, though, the pizza was gone and Jennifer was irate, according to the documents. She told the woman that none of the children would be eating breakfast because nobody had admitted to having eaten the pizza. The woman said Jennifer then forced all the children to lie on their bed for about five hours as punishment. Still, officials with child protective services ultimately said that they were unable to determine if the women were guilty of neglect, according to the documents. They also said they could not identify a safety threat. Washington: An attempt to contact the Harts, then a crash Public records indicate that the Harts had moved to Washington state by 2017. But it was not until March 23 of this year that someone called the Department of Social and Health Services. The woman who called said that six months earlier, Hannah had jumped out of a second-storey window at 1:30 a.m. and bolted inside the womans home, asking to be hidden. Hannah told the womans husband that she had been whipped with belts and that her mothers were racists and begged the woman not to force her to return home. More recently, the woman said Devonte who was famously photographed hugging a police sergeant during a 2014 demonstration had been coming to their house two or three times each day, asking for food and begging the woman not to tell his mother about the requests. Devonte told the caller that his parents punished him by taking meals away. He also claimed that he and his siblings were being hidden from view and that they were sometimes abused, according to the departments intake report. Case notes also document each time that investigators tried to reach the Harts face-to-face in the hours and days after filing the report. On March 23, the day the intake report was created, an investigator saw a large brown SUV turn into the Harts driveway, but no one answered the door when the investigator knocked. A deputy returned March 26 but no one appeared to be home. And when an investigator went back the next morning, there was still no answer. Later on March 27, the department got some news. It would not need to make any more visits. The family had been in a car crash in California, the case notes say, and all eight of its members were presumed dead. TEL AVIVIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday as a true friend of Israel, and both men affirmed that the U.S.-Israeli relationship has never been stronger. Pompeo noted that he has yet to visit his office at the State Department since being sworn in Thursday. Pompeo expressed pride in the administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv, a decision that prompted a lopsided vote of condemnation at the United Nations and spurred a handful of nations to move their own embassies to Jerusalem. Read more: CIA director Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea sets stage for Trump-Kim summit Trump warns Iran it will have bigger problems if it restarts nuclear program No apparent movement on Iran as Trump, Merkel meet By recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and seat of its government, we are recognizing reality, he said. Both Pompeo and Netanyahu used their meeting to tear into Iran, characterizing it as an international menace whose ambitions have been unleashed by the 2015 nuclear deal, a view shared as well at Pompeos previous stop, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. People thought Irans aggression would be moderated as a result of signing the deal, Netanyahu said. The opposite has happened. Iran is trying to gobble up one country after the other. Iran must be stopped. Pompeo said Iran aims to dominate the entire Middle East, adding, The United States is with Israel in this fight. Although Netanyahu praised the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as bold and historic, he met Pompeo in Tel Aviv, not in Jerusalem as originally planned. Pompeo had no plans to meet with any Palestinians, who have stopped talking to U.S. officials since the Jerusalem decision. Nor did he plan to visit the site in Jerusalem that the administration is upgrading into an embassy. Pompeo was accompanied by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and while posing for photos before the meeting, Netanyahu congratulated Pompeo on his new position. We are very proud of the fact that this is your first visit as secretary of state, Netanyahu said. Pompeo replied, Youre an incredibly important partner (and) occupy a special place in my heart, too. Apart from updating Netanyahu on the looming decision on whether to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and co-ordinating ways to contain Iran in Syria, the Pompeo visit serves to set him apart from his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. During his 14-month tenure, Tillerson never visited Israel solo, only accompanying Trump. Under Tillerson, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was largely removed from the oversight of the State Department and added to the portfolio of Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Pompeos early and quick trip to the region, particularly to Israel, is also a form of station identification that the new secretary of state intends to become a dominant force in Middle East policy-making, said Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official specializing in Middle East issues who is now at the Woodrow Wilson Center. In Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said he wanted to bring the swagger back to the State Department, and this trip is a step toward the goal. Under Tillerson, the voice most Americans heard on U.S. foreign policy was that of Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who is believed to harbour larger political ambitions for herself. The trip allows Pompeo to reclaim that role for the top U.S. diplomat, even as he has assiduously mentioned Trumps name in every public appearance he has made. Year two in Trumpland may be a very different place on the foreign policy side, Miller said, hastening to add, with one exception Trump will still sit at the centre of it all. The May 12 deadline for Trump to decide whether to stick with or leave the Iran nuclear deal was the backdrop to every discussion Pompeo had. Talking to reporters on the plane en route from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, Pompeo brushed aside concerns that a decision to withdraw from the agreement could derail nuclear negotiations with North Korea. I dont think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, Oh, goodness, if they get out of that deal, I wont talk to the Americans anymore, Pompeo said. There are higher priorities, things that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay (in the Iran deal). Pompeo is the highest-level U.S. official to have spoken with North Koreas leader. Pompeo has repeatedly warned that Trump will walk away from the Iran deal if it is not strengthened with fixes that address Irans ballistic missile testing and other issues. Potential talks with North Korea about Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons were expected to be an incentive for Trump to remain in the Iran deal, so as not to make Kim distrustful of U.S. intentions. Pompeos dismissal of that notion, however, suggests that Trump wont consider it much of an obstacle, either. I am confident that Kim Jong Un is looking for more than a piece of paper, Pompeo said. Rather, he added, Kim is going to look for aligning our interests, right? Setting up what we talk about as concrete, irreversible actions, assurances that ... if we are able to be successful achieving this, that it will be lasting. In Riyadh, Pompeo proclaimed the Iran deal which was negotiated by the Obama administration and included five other world powers a failure. The nuclear deal has failed to moderate the regimes conduct in many areas, Pompeo said, reading from written remarks and taking no questions from reporters. In fact, Iran has only behaved worse since the deal was approved. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said repeatedly that Iran has complied with the terms of the agreement. Citing Tehrans support for Houthi rebels in Yemen and Syrian President Bashar Assads government, Pompeo added at Riyadhs airport, Unlike the prior administration, we will not neglect the vast scope of Irans terrorism. Pompeo meets with Jordans King Abdullah II in Amman on Monday before returning to Washington. Read more about: LONDONBritains interior minister resigned Sunday amid a scandal over authorities mistreatment of long-term U.K. residents wrongly caught up in a government drive to reduce illegal immigration. Prime Minister Theresa Mays office said late Sunday that May had accepted the resignation of Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Rudd had been due to make a statement to Parliament on Monday over the Windrush scandal, which has dominated headlines in Britain for days and has sparked intense criticism of the Conservative governments tough immigration policies. Read more: The U.K. really is choosing to make itself poorer to block immigrants. Welcome to Brexit Britain plans to control immigration, step up deportations The furor has grown since the Guardian newspaper reported that some people who came to the U.K. from the Caribbean in the decades after the Second World War had recently been refused medical care in Britain or threatened with deportation because they could not produce paperwork proving their right to reside in the country. Those affected belong to the Windrush generation, named for the ship Empire Windrush, which in 1948 brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to Britain, which was seeking nurses, railway workers and others to help it rebuild after the devastation of the Second World War. They and subsequent Caribbean migrants came from British colonies or ex-colonies and had an automatic right to settle in the U.K. But some have been ensnared by tough new rules introduced since 2012 that were intended to make Britain a hostile environment for illegal immigrants. Legal migrants have been denied housing, jobs or medical treatment because of requirements that landlords, employers and doctors check peoples immigration status. Others have been told by the government that they are in Britain illegally and must leave. What has happened to the Windrush generation isnt an anomaly. Its not due to an administrative error. Its a consequence of the hostile environment created by this (Conservative) government, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party, said Sunday. The policy was introduced at a time when May, now the prime minister, was home secretary. The opposition Liberal Democrat partys home affairs spokesperson, Ed Davey, said Rudd had become the fall guy to protect the prime minister. In recent weeks Rudd and May have apologized repeatedly to the Windrush generation, saying all pre-1973 Commonwealth immigrants who dont already have British citizenship will get it, and those affected will get compensation. Rudds position worsened after she told lawmakers last week that the government did not have targets for deporting people only for a 2017 memo to emerge that mentioned specific targets for enforced removals. Rudd said she didnt see the memo, but the Guardian later published a leaked letter she wrote to the prime minister discussing an aim of increasing removals by 10 per cent. In a resignation letter to the prime minister, Rudd said she had inadvertently misled lawmakers. May said she accepted that Rudd had spoken in good faith and was sorry to see her resign. Immigration is a divisive issue in Britain, with cutting the inflow of migrants a major factor for many voters who backed leaving the European Union. The government has an oft-stated but long-unmet goal of reducing net immigration below 100,000 people a year, less than half the current level. Opponents say the government should drop that target in the wake of the Windrush debacle. The scandal is also causing anxiety for the 3 million European Union citizens living in Britain who are concerned about their immigration status after the country leaves the EU next March. The British government says they will be allowed to stay and has promised to set up a simple no-fuss registration process. But Labour lawmaker David Lammy, a strong critic of the governments immigration policies, said the scandal would cause EU citizens to think, My God, if this can happen to Windrush, of course it can happen to us. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREAAfter 65 years in a technical state of war that has periodically descended into real conflict, Koreans on both sides of the divide woke up Saturday to a mind-boggling prospect: Could they finally, finally, be on the brink of a cold peace? Newspapers in South Korea and astoundingly in North Korea were plastered with photos of the Souths Moon Jae-in and the Norths Kim Jong Un meeting on the tense border that cleaves this peninsula in two. No war on Korean Peninsula, complete denuclearization, formal end to Korean War this year, the Seoul Shinmun blared Saturday morning, summarizing the key points of the declaration that Moon and Kim signed after their historic meeting Friday. In Pyongyang, the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers Party and a paper not known for being fast with breaking news, devoted four pages to the summit, complete with full-colour photos. Historic summit opens new history of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity, the paper declared. The Norths Korean Central Television brought out its most authoritative anchor, Ri Chun Hee, to read the news of the agreement, complete with half an hour of footage from the summit. She even uttered the words complete denuclearization. Read more: North and South Korea leaders repeat promise to denuclearization of peninsula, but avoid specifics North-South Korea peace deal met with skepticism World needs to be careful about potential Korean peace deal: Freeland This sends a powerful message to the people of North Korea that this was a process Kim was personally invested in. It also sends a powerful message to skeptics in the outside world that this time may be, just may be, different. We have been here before. We were here in 1992, when North Korea signed a denuclearization agreement with South Korea. Again in 1994, when North Korea signed a denuclearization agreement with the United States. And in 2005, when North Korea signed a denuclearization agreement with its four neighbours and the United States. And then there was 2012, when North Korea signed another agreement with the U.S. North Korea has never stuck to any of its agreements. So perhaps the wisest course of action would be to bet that North Korea wont abide by this one, either. Indeed, why would Kim Jong Un, the 34-year-old scion of the worlds only communist dynasty, give up a program that is so closely intertwined with his claim on the leadership and with his security? But there are enough differences this time to give even a skeptic pause. For one, Kim Jong Un is a very different leader from his father. Hes an extrovert whos not afraid to make bold gestures, whether it be firing an intercontinental ballistic missile on July 4 or inviting a surprised South Korean president to step into North Korea with him, as Kim did to Moon on Friday. Kim called South Korea by its official name and North Korea by its South Korean name linguistic gestures that spoke volumes about his desire to generate goodwill. He even acknowledged that North Koreas roads and railways were far inferior to the Souths, that some North Koreans escaped, and that South Koreans had died in recent years because of North Korean attacks. These were significant admissions by North Korean standards. For another, Kims rule now coincides with that of a hugely popular South Korean president Moons ratings remain in the 70s, an unprecedented level, even after a year in office who was elected with a mandate to engage with North Korea. And then theres the Trump factor. A cautious president who practises strategic patience might not rush head first into a summit with the United States most belligerent enemy, but an impulsive one itching with strategic impatience might. This combination has put a significant dent in the standard Southern nonchalance. After the summit, people in the South lined up to eat cold buckwheat noodles a North Korean specialty, and Kims contribution to the summit dinner on Friday night and watched the scenes of Moon and Kim play on televisions and smartphones. Even some those who didnt watch the broadcasts from the summit found cause for hope. I havent completed my military service yet, so the declaration to end the war stood out to me, said Lee Lu-da, 24, a college student in Seoul. All South Korean men must complete at least 21 months of mandatory service before they turn 30, a reflection of the fact that South Korea remains at war with the North. After Fridays declaration, Im cautiously optimistic that the conscription period might be shortened, he said Saturday. Another millennial, just old enough to remember the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, found Fridays scenes moving, even though hes not a big fan of Moon. My dad told me I will live in unified Korea when I grow up, said Sun Seung-bum, 25, whos studying for the civil service exam. Of course, that hasnt happened, and I didnt have high hopes for this summit either, he said. But when I saw the handshake between Moon and Kim, I found it quite moving. And the words like peace and end of war resonated even with a skeptic like me. Of course, there were plenty of people in South Korea who criticized the agreement for being too vague. A few hundred conservatives waving South Korean and American flags took to the streets of central Seoul on Saturday to protest the agreement, and conservative politicians slammed it, too. The inter-Korean summit was a show of fake peace, Hong Joon-pyo, head of the Liberty Korea Party, wrote on Facebook, criticizing in particular the vagueness of the clause on denuclearization. Moon just took dictation from Kim Jong Un to get this declaration. But the idea of signing a peace treaty is something that could really happen not least because Trump has said repeatedly that he supports the idea. In their agreement, which included a reference to denuclearization, Moon and Kim said they would actively co-operate to establish a permanent and solid peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Bringing an end to the current unnatural state of armistice and establishing a robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula is a historical mission that must not be delayed any further, it said. Everything about the division of the peninsula is unnatural. It began one day in 1945, at the end of the Second World War, when it was clear that Koreas colonial master, Japan, having just felt the force of two American atomic bombs, was about to surrender. Two young U.S. army colonels one of them Dean Rusk, who would later go on to become the secretary of state found a National Geographic map of Asia and simply drew a line across the Korean Peninsula at the 38th parallel, despite the fact that Korea had been one country for more than a thousand years. The United States would administer the southern half and the Soviet Union the northern half a temporary solution until the dust settled. That temporary solution became permanent with the devastating war between 1950 and 1953, which solidified the division and made North and South enemies. The Korean War finally came to a close in July 1953 when the two sides North Korea and its Chinese backers on one side, and the United Nations Command, led by the U.S., on the other, signed an armistice. That agreement was to insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved. Sixty-five years on, there has been no peace. And a great deal has changed since then. North Korea has been ruled by the malevolent Kim family, which has turned the top half of the peninsula into the worlds most totalitarian and isolated state, complete with a personality cult and a gulag system. South Korea, after decades under strongmen who were less repressive but still iron-fisted, has emerged as a democracy so vibrant that citizens peacefully turfed a president from office last year. It has embraced capitalism and the internet and Christianity all technically banned in the North with fervour. Yet even after more than 70 years of arbitrary separation, Koreans still have so much in common. This reporter has been struck in her travels to North Korea by how culturally similar Koreans remain: they ask the same prying personal questions; they laugh at the same jokes; they want their children to lead better lives than they have. Kim appealed to this sense of being two parts of one whole at the end of his summit with Moon on Friday, highlighting their shared language, history and culture. This was a ploy by Kim to forge a nationalistic bond with Moon and create a divide between South Korea and the U.S. But it was also true. The tragedy of this division is something that is often forgotten amid the nuclear weapons and threats of annihilation. Moving toward a peace regime may allow more reunions between Korean family members separated by the divide, potentially giving brothers and sisters who havent seen each other in more than 65 years the opportunity to hold one anothers hands one last time. Maybe this time will be different. Maybe. Read more about: Preparation helped hospital cope, April 25 Theresa Boyles report on Sunnybrooks Code Orange superbly describes doctors and nurses overcoming obstacles during last weeks deadly attack. Our nation has witnessed first-hand how mental illness can destroy happiness, not only for the ones afflicted, but for the entire society at large. Mental illness is often overlooked and undervalued. Today, patients are waiting longer and travelling further for mental-health services. Due to governments systematic obsession with saving money, hospitals are regularly struggling with over-capacity. Instead of dealing with mental health, our governments choose to invest in more security putting up concrete barriers instead of bringing down the barriers to mental-health care. Kalvin Yu, Brampton The unimaginable horror in north Toronto last week provided a glimpse into how our health-care system kicks into gear when a tragedy unfolds. As the Stars coverage revealed, nurses, physicians and paramedics sprang into action and rose to the incredible challenge before them. With calm, quick precision and stellar expertise, they did what health professionals do: They worked collaboratively to save as many lives as possible. I want to express tremendous gratitude for the outstanding role that Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and its entire staff played. Their capacity to respond in the midst of a difficult situation is simply inspiring and serves to reassure people in our city. Angela Cooper Brathwaite, president, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, Toronto April 23, 2018 was an otherwise beautiful day. As Torontonians broke their routines and strode outside to bask in the sun and fresh air, one man carried out an act of terror on Yonge St., taking the lives of 10 people and injuring another 16. With a rental van as his choice of weapon, the attacker went on to unsuccessfully goad a police officer into shooting him. While online speculation of motive was widespread, Canadian media were commendably measured and careful in their coverage until details about the attacker were made public. Alek Minassian has since been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder, and 15 counts of attempted murder. Toronto caringly came together in mourning and support of the families and communities forever changed, united under the hashtag #TorontoStrong. In the days that followed, potential motivation came to light. Before closing his account, Facebook confirmed the legitimacy of a post made by the alleged attacker immediately before his act, citing allegiance to an Incel Rebellion and praising a mass killer who similarly drove his car into pedestrians after a stabbing and shooting rampage in 2014. Incel, short for involuntarily celibate, is a term popularized within male online subculture referring to men who arent sexually active and believe they are owed sex from women. By way of the attack, the Canadian public was made more widely aware of a sphere of intertwined misogynistic online communities some the size of large cities serving as international forums where ideologies are shared to rationalize, encourage, and equip young men to commit acts of violence, especially against women. Debates soon erupted over whether this attack fits neatly within evolving definitions of terrorism. It seems when an individual is radicalized to enact violence on citizens citing hatred for women, we have difficulty squaring it with preconceived notions of what terrorism should be. Violence against women, in all forms, is terror. Definitions aside, I reject the notion that there is nothing we can do. I believe we have the power to collectively shape the world around us, and we can start by supporting those on the front lines who are combating this toxic culture. Activists have been ringing the alarm for some time now. Women are being targeted. When we look at it on a national scale, it is clear that gender-based violence is disproportionately impacting Indigenous women and women of colour. Today we live in a time when we barely believe women. We live in a day when it takes multiple women with the exact same account before we will believe their truth. We wait for justice systems that are stacked and designed to make it difficult to bring justice for women. Because of this, we barely know the full extent of the problem many of the women who are experiencing gender-based violence tell no one, or decide not to report. Ive decided that my contributions will be focused on supporting efforts that touch front line workers and researchers combating these issues. This includes those conducting and publishing research on gender-based violence and the impacts of online radicalization, victim services organizations struggling to find sustainable funding sources to meet local community demands, and those working to provide free legal services to survivors and families. While Torontonians make their way outside this weekend and reclaim our streets from this violent act, it is also important to remember the women and men who remain in hospital and the families who are faced with multi-faceted challenges as they adjust to their new realities following this past weeks events. Among the victims is Amaresh Tesfamariam, a vibrant nurse who is the oldest of the survivors injured in the attack. She dedicated much of her life to caring for others, and today the life she worked so hard to create for herself hangs in the balance. This week Canada lost 10 beautiful souls and well never know the true number of lives taken across the country by this kind of targeted violence. This was a wake-up call too loud to ignore. One thing is for certain, whether or not your definition of terrorism includes the events of April 23: We need to address gender-based violence as the international crisis that it is. VANCOUVER The Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association (VCMA) has cancelled this years Night Market to protest what it calls the citys neglect of Chinatowns merchants. The group alleges that the city is pandering to anti-development social housing activists who dont have a real stake in the historic neighbourhood. In news conference held with the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society (VCBIA), the merchants group said it was concerned about Vancouvers development policy update for the area, calling the plan detrimental to the success of the neighbourhood. We feel that some of the policies that city staff have been making, theyre not very proactive as far as the merchants are concerned, said Albert Fok, president of the VCBIA, on Friday. In March, the city released an update to its ongoing redevelopment plans for Chinatown, which said it would prioritize the neighbourhoods heritage and ensure development was culturally-centred. But the merchants criticized a recent city update they said undermined the earlier consultations. Fok said that cancelling the Chinatown Night Market is meant to show that businesses in the neighbourhood take the redevelopment seriously. But he also questions whether the event is a profitable venture. Are there any clear benefits to the Night Market? At the end of the day, we have to be fiscally responsible, said Fok. The associations statement also targeted young community activists, saying they arent the real stakeholders, and it questioned whether Chinatown should move forward with its application as a UNESCO heritage site. But some Chinatown community activists are saying the statement is a direct attack on years of their work to support the neighbourhood. Vince Tao, an organizer with Chinatown Action Group, describes the VCBIAs statement as quite outrageous. Their statement is quite unbecoming, its shameless in its attack on Chinatowns young people and its seniors and its working class, Tao said. Tao said cancelling the Chinatown Night Market shows the VCMA was not truly invested in the success of the annual community event. But while the Night Market was a fun place for the community to gather, Tao said that cancelling this year wont have a huge impact on residents. Its important for people to be interested in Chinatown as a social place for people to have fun, but the Night Market is not particularly a place for the seniors on a fixed budget ... it wasnt that big of a deal to them. The VCMA could not be reached for comment by time of publication. Cherise Seucharan is a staff reporter at the StarMetro Vancouver. Read more about: Narendra Modi went to Ulaanbaatar in 2015, in the first flush of his prime ministership. He was reaching out to countries in the near neighbourhood, going where no Indian PM had ever gone before. The high-optic visit, however, was soon forgotten in the rough and tumble of domestic governance and the larger picture of geopoliticsdeteriorating ties with Pakistan, a near flare-up with China that has taken the entire diplomatic machinery much effort to defuse and changes in the US and Europe. The two-day visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Mongolia is an attempt at taking forward the promises Modi made. Modi had then committed to a $1 billion line of credit to Mongolia, which is being used to fund collaborative projects, chiefly a refinery. However, a year after Modi's trip, the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia. China saw red. It imposed fees on commodity exports from Mongolia. Mongolia, heavily dependant on China for its economy, felt the pinch. Later, the Mongolian foreign ministry stated they firmly supported the 'One China' policy and consistently held that Tibet was an inseparable part of China. That episode soured Mongolia's ties with India, says Alka Acharya, professor at the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Swaraj's visit is not just a follow-up to Modi's trip but also our way of saying that we want our ties back on an even keel.'' Mongolia, which sits on a lot of natural resources and raw materials, is valuable to India. Uranium is quite abundant there, even as India is always in need of uranium suppliers. India's ties with Mongolia are still at a nascent stage, and can be boosted in several ways, leveraging, of course, cultural and historical ties. Swaraj, at a joint press meet with Mongolia's foreign minister D. Tsogtbaatar after the sixth session of the India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation, noted that there were so many areas of cooperation, from infrastructure development and energy to IT. There are several low-hanging fruits also, like starting air services between the two countries, which the two foreign ministers explored. More than 300 dalits from Una in Gujarat, including the sons of Balubhai Sarvaiya who were victims of the infamous flogging incident in July 2016, embraced Buddhism near their village in Saurashtra region on Sunday. Buddhist monks were present on the occasion. Three sons of Sarvaiya, and their cousin, were flogged and paraded naked for over 15 kms by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow. The incident had caused nationwide outrage then. Political leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, had visited Mota Samadhiyala, their village, to meet the victims. Despite assurance by the state government that stern action would be taken against the perpetrators, the accused are now out on bail. The Sarvaiyas said their decision to embrace Buddhism was a mark of protest against a society that is indifferent to their plight, and the state government that failed them. They said the state government is yet to to give them the jobs and land which they were offered when former chief minister Anandiben Patel visited them after the incident. Balubhai's nephew, Jitu, told THE WEEK that there has been an increase in the number of attacks on dalits. There have been reports from Gujarat where dalits were asked not to keep a mustache or ride a horse. Recently, a a dali, who was in-charge of the mid-day meal scheme near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home town Vadnagar, had committed suicide, alleging harassment by teachers. Asked if the attitude of the society would change if they embraced Buddhism, Jitu said that they have just embraced Buddhism, and so would not know about it. The Sarvaiyas said they were following the footsteps of B.R. Ambedkar. As many as 3,292 NGOs and institutes, including some top academic centres like JNU, IGNOU, IIT Delhi and Madras, besides the Infosys Foundation in Bangalore have not disclosed their annual foreign donations and expenditure for the last fiscal or previous years, the Home Ministry has said. The ministry told the NGOs and institutes in a notice that after scrutiny of records for 2011-12 to 2016-17, it has been observed that the mandatory annual returns/accounts for some of the financial years in the said period have not been found uploaded on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act portal despite several opportunities were given to them to do so. Those whose names figure in the Home Ministry list include Infosys Foundation, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Panjab University, University of Rajasthan, Madras Christian College, Indian Council Of Agricultural Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Madras, besides others. The ministry said in the notice that those associations which have not filed the annual returns must file it immediately online. "The status of submission of mandatory annual return will be reviewed after 15 days of issue of this notice (electronically/physically) in respect of your association, being dispatched to your known addresses. If you fail to submit any of the missing return (s) within this period, appropriate action under Section 10 of the FCRA, 2010 would be initiated against your association for the said violation," it said. No organisation is allowed to receive funds from abroad unless it is registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). It is mandatory under the law for such organisations to submit income and expenditure statement to the government annually else their registration is cancelled. According to the FCRA, the renewal of registration for receiving foreign funds cannot be granted unless the annual returns are uploaded on the FCRA website by the organisation. Executive Vice President of the Infosys and a trustee of Infosys Foundation,Ramadas Kamath,said the Foundation recieves donations only from Infosys Ltd and does not come under the purview of the FCRA. He said the central government had bought in an amendment to the FCRA regulations to say that even though the FII holding in the share capital of a listed Indian company is more than 51 per cent, the donations given by such a listed Indian company to any Indian charitable trust will not be considered as a foreign contribution. Kamath said this amendment was bought in by the government of India with retrospective effect and pursuant to this amendment, Infosys Foundation has written to the Home Ministry to derecognise Infosys Foundation under the FCRA provisions as it does not recieve any foreign contributions as per the amended act. "The Home Ministry has to take appropriate administrative measures to derecognise Infosys Foundation from the purview of the FCRA in consequence to the retrospective amendments to the FCRA," he said. A senior IIT Delhi official said, "We have been pointing this out every year that there are procedural lapses in issuing notices on the FCRA licenses as far as IITs are concerned. We are exempted from registration under the FCRA as IITs are set up through an Act of Parliament and are audited by the CAG." Congress president Rahul Gandhi took the audience at the party's 'Jan Aakrosh' rally by surprise with his candid acknowledgment of the dissenting views of senior party leader Salman Khurshid. He said the party welcomes different points of view, and asserted that he would be the first one to protect Khurshid despite his difference of opinion. Khurshid, who was present at the rally, smiled and clapped as Rahul mentioned him and talked about being tolerant of different points of view in the party. At times, there are different points of view in the party. For example, some days back, Salman Khurshid expressed a different opinion. I am willing to say from this stage today that in our party, different views are welcome. I will protect Salman Khurshid, said the Congress president. However, he added, But when the party is fighting the RSS, we have to be united. He said this was the difference between the Congress and the BJP, as neither BJP president Amit Shah nor Prime Minister Narendra Modi could say something like this at a party forum. In their party, there is place for only view, that of Narendra Modi or Amit Shah. There is no respect for the views of Arun Jaitley or L.K. Advani, he said. Khurshid is learnt to be in disagreement with the Congress' decision to go ahead with its plans of initiating an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. He had also raised eyebrows with his comments at a function at the Aligarh Muslim University some days back, when he was reported as having said that the Congress had the blood of Muslims on its hands. Meanwhile, in another message that was intended for in-house audience, Rahul spoke about balancing the experience of seniors with the enthusiasm of youth. He said, In this party, whether you are a senior leader or a youngster, you will be respected. You will get a place. Whether you are 80 or 90 years old or an 18-year-old worker, you will all be respected. And if that does not happen, I will take action. As the Congress president is in the process of making changes in the organisation, there is unease amongst the senior leaders on what their role will be in the new scheme of things. And Rahul's comments appear to have been aimed at assuaging this feeling. Congress president Rahul Gandhi sounded the poll bugle for the coming round of elections, culminating in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, launching a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi government, targeting it on issues of unemployment, farmers' woes, corruption, and accusing it of practising divisive politics. Addressing a 'Jan Aakrosh' rally, held at the historic Ramlila Maidan in the national capital, Rahul laid down the blueprint for the party's attack on the Modi government and the BJP in the run-up to election season, planking it on the perceived anger and frustration among the people. The Congress leader claimed there was widespread anger and hurt amongst the people of the country. He said there was outrage over Modi promising two crore jobs, but failing to deliver. In the last four years, forget about generating employment. Modiji has destroyed the informal sector and broken the back of small shopkeepers with Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and demonetisation. The youth now looks at Modiji and says that there is no weight in his words, he said. Rahul accused the Modi government of being callous towards the problems faced by farmers. The prime minister took away the bonus due to the farmers. He does not increase the MSP. And then he talks of being pro-farmer, he said, also accusing Modi of not being responsive to the demands for a waiver of farm loans. The Congress president further said: Had the Congress party not stood up for the farmer, Modiji would have snatched the land of all farmers. He said that the people felt cheated by Modi. Ours is a religious country. When people go the temple or mosque or church, they fold their hands and bow their heads before truth... However, when the country listens to Modiji's speech, they have to look for truth, he said. Taking on Modi on the issue of corruption, Rahul said the prime minister stood exposed after having failed to live up to his pledge of the country's 'chowkidaar'. Modiji goes to Karnataka and talks about fighting corruption even as he is sharing the stage with Yeddyuraa, the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP, who has gone to jail, Rahul said. He went on to cite the instances of bank scam accused Nirav Modi and alleged corruption in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France. He also mentioned the allegations of corruption levelled against Union Minister Piyush Goyal and BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah. Rahul also accused the Modi government of weakening Constitutional institutions such as the judiciary and the Election Commission. For the first time in 70 years, Supreme Court judges came before the public with folded hands, seeking justice for them. Modiji did not utter a word on it. The Supreme Court judges took the name of Justice Loya. They said the court was under pressure. Modiji kept quiet, he said. He charged the ruling dispensation with packing all institutions, including the IITs, the IIMs and other educational bodies, with people belonging to the RSS. Reiterating the charge that the BJP practises divisive politics, Rahul said that atrocities against dalits, adivasis and the minorities were on the rise. In every state, dalits are being killed. But there is not a word from Modi. He took on Modi on the issue of women's safety, noting that while the prime minister gave the slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', he did not say a word on the alleged rape of a minor girl by a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh, as also the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu. For the first time, in a foreign country, the Prime Minister of India has been told on his face that he is not protecting the women of India, he said. Attacking Modi with regard to his visit to China, Rahul said that the prime minister was tasting tea with the Chinese president in a meeting without an agenda. He claimed that Modi has, during the trip to China, not said a word on the Doklam face-off even as the Chinese are building a helipad and positioning its troops in the region. Aiming to enthuse the Congress workers, Rahul said that the party will certainly win the assembly elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, as also the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. Referring to the Assembly elections in Gujarat, where the Congress' assessment is that it came close to winning, Rahul said, The strength of the Congress worker was for all to see in Gujarat. The entire might of the Gujarat government and the union government was deployed. The CBI and the ED were also used. However, when our workers stood up, Modiji was forced to sit in a sea plane. His face showed that he was rattled. All arrangements have been put in place for the much-awaited reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government, which would take place in on Monday with the BJP expected to bring in some new faces. J&K Governor N.N. Vohra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to those being inducted into the council of ministers at the convention centre at 12 noon, an invitation for the ceremony read. Officials said the function is being held at the convention centre instead of Raj Bhavan as Jammu and Kashmir government has already shifted its base to summer capital Srinagar as part of the bi-annual 'darbar move', under which the government functions six months each in the twin capital cities. The Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government, and Raj Bhavan closed on Friday and will reopen along with other move offices in Srinagar on May 7. Speculation was rife that PDP ally BJP, besides filling up two vacancies, is likely to induct some new faces in the council of ministers by dropping others. There is no clarity on the number of those who are being inducted into the cabinet or dropped from the cabinet. BJP national president Amit Shah and party general secretary Ram Madhav have the list which will be handed over to Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, the BJP leader said. The saffron party had, on April 17, asked all its nine ministers in the PDP-BJP government in the state to submit their resignations to enable bringing in new faces in the two-year-old Mehbooba Mufti cabinet. The party, however, had not forwarded the resignations to the governor. The BJP had been under pressure ever since two of its ministersLal Singh and Chander Prakash Gangatook part in a rally in support of those accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. The two ministers subsequently resigned. There is high possibility that one or two ministers of state (MoS) could be elevated to the cabinet rank, keeping in view their good performance, sources said. It was not immediately known whether the PDP will also fill up the vacancy caused by the sacking of Haseeb Drabu as finance minister last month. Currently, the BJP has six cabinet ministers, including associate member Sajad Lone, and three minister of state in the J&K government. The state can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP. Meanwhile, an official spokesman said state Chief Secretary B.B. Vyas chaired a meeting at convention centre to finalise the arrangements for the oath taking ceremony. Later, he also took a round of the premises to oversee the preparations being made for the successful conduct of the ceremony. Arrangements related to seating capacity, security, traffic regulation, public address system, sanitation, decoration, power supply and drinking water supply were discussed, the spokesman said. He said Vyas directed the security agencies to ensure fool proof security in and around the venue. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to close the country's nuclear test site in May in full view of the outside world, Seoul officials said on Sunday, as US President Trump pressed for total denuclearisation ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim. On Friday, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal. North Korea's state media had said before the summit that Pyongyang would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace. Kim told Moon that he would soon invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea to "transparently open to the international community" the dismantling of the facilities, the Blue House said. "Kim said if the United States holds dialogue with the North, they would realise that he's not the kind of person who would fire a nuclear missile toward the South, over the Pacific or targeting the United States," Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a news briefing. "If the United States meets often and builds trust with us and promises an end of war and non-aggression, why would we lead a difficult life?" Yoon reported Kim as saying. Kim said there were two additional, larger tunnels that remain "alive and well" at the Punggye-ri test site beyond the existing one, which experts have said had collapsed after repeated explosions, rendering much of the site useless. Kim's promise shows his willingness to "preemptively and actively" respond to inspection efforts to be made as part of the denuclearisation process, Yoon said. To facilitate future cross-border cooperation, Kim pledged to scrap the unique time zone Pyongyang created in 2015. He said the North would move its clocks forward 30 minutes to be in sync with the South, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kim also reaffirmed that he would not use military force against the South and raised the need for an institutional mechanism to prevent unintended escalations, Yoon said. Next steps Late Saturday, US President Donald Trump told Moon in a phone call that he was pleased the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearisation during their summit, Seoul officials said on Sunday. Moon and Trump agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and Kim, and explored two to three potential locations, the Blue House said. A senior US official has said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim summit. "Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realising a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearisation," South Korea's presidential Blue House said. "Trump was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result. "Trump, who called the 75-minute chat "a long and very good talk" on Twitter, said his summit with Kim would take place sometime in the next three to four weeks. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," he said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, on Saturday. The White House said Trump and Moon during the call "emphasized that a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation. "Trump had also informed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he would urge North Korea to promptly resolve its abductions of Japanese citizens, the White House said. Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration signed by Kim and Moon focused on inter-Korean relations and did not clear up the question of whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. North Korea's state media on Saturday released the joint statement as part of a multi-page spread with more than 60 photos from the visit, lauding Friday's summit as a turning point for the peninsula. It made rare mentions of the denuclearisation discussion, but did not go into detail, instead highlighting the broad themes of peace, prosperity, and Korean unity. Amicable atmosphere "At the talks both sides had a candid and open-hearted exchange of views on the matters of mutual concern including the issues of improving the North-South relations, ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearisation of the peninsula," KCNA said. It added that the night wrapped up with a dinner that had an "amicable atmosphere overflowing with feelings of blood relatives. "The declaration earned guarded but optimistic praise from world leaders, including Trump, who said on Friday that only time would tell, but that he did not think Kim was "playing." "It's never gone this far. This enthusiasm for them wanting to make a deal ... We are going to hopefully make a deal." Still, Trump said he would maintain pressure on North Korea and "not repeat the mistakes of past administrations." In Sydney on Saturday, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull praised Trump's negotiations on North Korea and said he helped bring the two Korean leaders together. "I have given him that credit because Donald Trump has taken a very, very strong, hard line on the denuclearisation issue and he has been able to bring in the support of the global community and, in particular, China," Turnbull told a televised news conference, referring to "overwhelming" economic ties between China and North Korea. "What we've now got to do is not relent on the economic pressure until that goal is achieved," he said.Australia will send a military aircraft to monitor North Korean vessels suspected of transferring illicit goods in defiance of UN sanctions, he said. Iran, facing a possible US exit from its nuclear deal with world powers, welcomed the inter-Korean summit, but said Washington was not a "qualified" partner in the negotiations. "Iran sees (the summit) as an important step in the right direction that can contribute to lasting regional and global peace and security," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state media. "The US government is not a credible actor, doesn't comply with its international obligations and doesn't qualify to take part in arrangements between countries," Qasemi added. An editorial in the official China Daily on Saturday said denuclearisation could end hostilities between the two sides and "usher in a new era of development" on the peninsula, but noted Friday's declaration lacked a plan for achieving the goal. "The denuclearisation of the peninsula, written into the Panmunjom Declaration, is only a prospect with no specific plan. That is because such specifics can be reached only between the US and North Korea, and South Korea has only limited authority to bargain," it said. Reuters Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh made emotional pleas to the UN Security Council on Sunday for help to return safely to their homes in neighboring Myanmar and for justice over the reason they fled - accusations of killings, rapes and arson. During a visit to an unclaimed strip of territory between the two states dubbed no-mans land, several tearful women and girls threw themselves at British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce as they recounted what had happened to them. It shows the scale of the challenge as we try as a Security Council to find some way through that enables these poor people to go home, Pierce said. The sad thing is theres nothing we can do right today that will make their distress any less. The Security Council envoys who will travel to Myanmar on Monday and meet with its de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi also visited a dry and dusty Kutupalong refugee camp that housed many of the nearly 700,000 Rohingya who fled Myanmars Rakhine state. Its quite overwhelming. Obviously the scale of this camp is unlike anything Ive ever seen, said deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelley Currie. It is going to be a disaster when the rains come. United Nations officials and aid groups have voiced concern that the coming monsoon season will worsen the humanitarian situation. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are living in temporary shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulins at Kutupalong, many on steep hills and in low-lying areas likely to be flooded. Myanmars Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye, who visited the camps in Bangladesh earlier this month, expressed concern about very poor conditions. JUSTICE DEMAND The refugee crisis exploded about eight months ago when the Myanmar military launched a crackdown over Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts. The United States, Britain, United Nations and others described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the minority mainly Muslim Rohingya, a charge Myanmar denies. Hundreds of refugees lined a road in Kutupalong camp on Sunday with signs that read we demand justice and protected return to protected homeland. We are standing here to demand justice as they (Myanmar military) have killed our men and tortured our women so much, so we are compelled to seek justice for those abuses, Rohingya refugee Sajida Begum told Reuters. Several female refugees who met with council envoys accused Myanmar troops of gang-raping them, attacking their young children and killing their husbands. Myanmar has said that its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents. This is very complicated issue, and its related with history, with ethnicity, with religions, Chinese deputy UN Ambassador Wu Haitao told reporters, in response to a question about whether China and Russia were preventing the council from considering a resolution on Myanmar. There is no easy answer but if we all work together I think we can find a way, he said. However, while the Security Council is united on traveling to the region, diplomats said they expect Myanmar ally China and Russia both veto-wielding powers on the council to resist any push for stronger council action, such as sanctions or a referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court. We dont have any magic solution in the Security Council, deputy Russian UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told reporters in response to a question about whether the council would consider itself responsible for failing to address the crisis. The issue is still for us to promote bilateral ways to resolve this issue. We will try to convince both governments ... to engage in constructive negotiations, discussion, he said. The council adopted a formal statement in November a move that requires consensus by the 15-member body that asked Myanmar to ensure no further excessive use of military force and to allow freedom of movement, equal access to basic services, and equal access to full citizenship for all. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to many basic services such as healthcare and education. They are considered illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh. Reuters Suspected jihadists killed 40 Tuaregs, mostly young men, in two attacks in northern Malis Menaka region, which the local governor said seemed calculated to spark an ethnic conflict between Tuareg and Fulani herders. Menaka governor Daouda Maiga told Reuters by telephone that the attacks happened in the remote desert villages of Awakassa on Friday and in Anderanboucane, a day earlier. Jihadist groups are seen as the greatest threat to security across Africas Sahel region. They have proved adept at exploiting local tensions between ethnic groups to sow discord such as those between mostly lighter-skinned Tuareg and black Fulani herdsmen over scarce watering points in the Sahara. Bajan Ag Hamatou, a local legislator, confirmed the attack, as did Menaka towns mayor, Nanout Kotia. Rising violence across Mali has cast doubt over the feasibility of elections scheduled for the end of July, in which President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita will seek a second term. Islamic States Saharan affiliate is active in the Menaka region bordering Niger. It is led by an Arabic-speaking north African called Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, but the majority of its fighters are Fulani. The dead were mostly youths, no women or children, mostly of the age where they can carry arms, Maiga said. The victims included many members of the Tuareg militia National Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA). The MSA is fighting the Islamist groups, which are composed mostly of Fulani, Maiga said. So these two attacks were reprisals against them. They want to transform the conflict into something inter-communal. Mali has been in chaos since Tuareg rebels and Islamists swept across its deserts in 2012, despite a French intervention to push them back the following year, and a large French military and UN peacekeeping presence. Reuters Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Read More Albany "Your dad's not coming home alive tonight." The anonymous call 11-year-old Andrew Joyce said he picked up one night while his father, Harold Joyce, was at an Albany mayoral debate left him catatonic on the couch for hours. The unknown caller probably meant to throw his father off his game amid a contentious Democratic primary for Albany mayor in 1993, one which Harold Joyce, then-Albany County Legislature chairman, eventually lost. The back-and-forth from both sides of that race underscores how some of the biggest battles can come from within the county's own very dominant Democratic party. It remains in the back of the now-36-year-old Andrew's mind as the Albany native rises to power as the youngest legislator to chair the Albany County Legislature. There's no argument the Joyce family has played an integral role in Albany politics for decades. Raymond Joyce Sr. Andrew's grandfather served on the county Board of Supervisors before it shifted to a county legislature form of government. His uncle, Raymond F. Joyce Jr., served as Albany city treasurer. When Harold Joyce died in 2003, Andrew's brother Raymond Joyce was appointed to their father's seat where he remains representing the 13th District today. But Andrew's ascension in Albany politics has been rapid, and left many stunned by the changes he's looking to make and questioning whether he has the experience to lead. Albany County maintains a strong legislature despite implementing a county executive who Harold Joyce, when legislative chair, bestowed additional powers to through charter revisions and Democrats have ruled county government for decades. They still hold a solid majority in the county Legislature with 29 of its 39 members in the Democratic Caucus today. Yet in recent years, Republicans have gained seats in the legislature and a vocal group of Democrats commonly referred to as the Reform Coalition, which Andrew is aligned with demanding change that old-time Democrats have been slow or unwilling to implement. While the progeny of a powerful political family deeply involved in the Democratic Party, Andrew ran for county legislator in 2015 without the party's endorsement, beating Leonard Ricchiuti Jr. Mixing it up Only two years into his first-term as legislator of the 9th District, representing Albany and parts of Bethlehem, Andrew landed the leadership role of legislative chairman, and four months in has made unprecedented and sometimes contentious adjustments. "He took our major leaderships in standing committees and gave it to Republicans," long-serving Albany Democrat Lucille McKnight said. "He made all these promises to the Republican party. No Democrat in Albany County would have done that." The appointing of minority legislators to chair certain committees was the first in county legislature history. Not even dad would have done that, Andrew admitted. "He never would have empowered Republicans to the extent that I did," he said. "But he always had support of the Caucus. My loyalty is to the people that I represent and they want functional government. They want us to work together." Harold Joyce was chair of the Albany County Democratic Party before stepping down to run for Albany mayor, and family and colleagues say he was loyal to the party. That was a different time, Harold's youngest son says. Both Andrew's father and grandfather devoted their lives to the party, but when Harold lost the mayoral primary in 1993, the party pushed him aside, Andrew said. "They couldn't minimize his influence in the community because he had done the work, he was out there and helped folks, which is what I'm trying to do in my own construct," he said. "In the past, there was more party loyalty regardless of who the person was, now I think it's about the person." Even with a front seat to the intraparty battles during his father's mayoral run, Andrew said he wasn't going to be intimidated. He wanted to continue the Joyce family legacy while remaining committed to helping others. "It began after my father passed. Almost every day people would come up and share a memory or talk about how he helped them. I would love that for my kids, to have that legacy they can be proud of," Andrew said. "Be the change you want to have." The changes he aims to make aren't just within the Majority's Office, but the entire legislature, which Andrew hopes will make members more responsive to their constituents' needs and the legislature more transparent. It's why he pursued chair of the legislature rather than majority leader, he said. "I always knew he was destined for big things. He has some great qualities and great drive behind him," Raymond said. "It doesn't surprise me in the least." Building blocks Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Andrew grew up in Albany, graduating from Bishop Maginn High School in 2000. A few years into general studies classes at Hudson Valley Community College and following enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2001, Andrew deployed to Iraq, driving fuel tankers along supply routes to Baghdad International Airport. Upon returning, he transferred to Marist College and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in political science. He'd later be deployed again, this time to Afghanistan, to train the Afghan National Police and the Afghan Army. Andrew said when he was young he'd wanted to be a soldier. He was inspired by his grandfather who served, and G.I. Joe. He currently is a major in the New York National Guard works at the state Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services. Andrew met his wife Jennifer when he was in high school, and knew then there was something about her. It would take a couple of years, more than one chance meet and one wrong phone number before he would take her out. "It's the single greatest success and campaign I'll ever have," he said. "I can't imagine my life without her." They married in 2011, and live in the Normans Kill neighborhood of Albany with their two children, 4-year-old Colton and 2-year-old Willow. Growing up, Andrew was always the most outgoing, said brother Matthew Joyce. Andrew is the youngest of five in the Joyce family. While Matthew Joyce didn't follow in the political steps of his father or other siblings, he said Andrew always wanted to get involved. "I think it's in his blood. It was in my dad's blood," he said. "He's motivated. He wants to be in a position to lead so he can serve others. If he has a stumble, he can recover from it quickly. I think it's that battlefield mentality." However, Andrew's tenacity and experience have mixed reviews with his colleagues. Fellow legislator and brother Raymond said Andrew's allegiance with Republicans has ruffled the feathers of many Democratic legislators, including himself, but his little brother has always been a bit stubborn. "Whether it's right or wrong, that's exactly what he does," Raymond said. "It's a good quality to have, but sometimes you need to listen to outside forces to see if you're on the right path. Once he gets something in his head, he sticks to it." McKnight, who has been on the legislature since 1992, expressed concern over Andrew's stubbornness and asserted he lacks legislative experience to lead. "You're going to lead this government, and you don't have any history yourself? You have to experience something," she said. "You can't get it from the army, not all of this stuff." Joyce initiatives While some may focus on Andrew empowering Republicans, the legislative chair has championed efforts that reflect the values of the Democratic Party. He co-sponsored legislation on pay equity, independent redistricting and banning the box asking about criminal history on county employment applications. He sponsored a law ensuring LGBT veterans in Albany County who are discharged under the federal government's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy started under President Bill Clinton will receive county-level veteran's benefits, which passed last year. His first year in office, he donated a large portion of his legislator's salary to local nonprofits. Before becoming a legislator, he participated in the 12th Ward Committee in Albany and eventually oversaw a group aiming to attract younger members to the county Democratic Party. Loudonville Democrat Joseph O'Brien, who approached Andrew to run for chair, sees things differently pointing to his role in legislative actions and military experience as giving the youngest Joyce leadership potential. "I think he has the instincts of how to do things properly," O'Brien said. "He's able to balance between some of the older members and some of the younger members." In Albany fashion, many are quick to speculate on whether Andrew is angling for higher political office, but the youngest Joyce said he's focused on the task at hand, recognizing it as a major opportunity. "I think we accomplished something very significant here and I'm focused on getting this right," he said. "How can I look past what we just did to something else?" In his first months as chair, Andrew has had to work with ever-changing leadership in the Majority Office that many say was fueled by disagreements between him and then-Majority Leader Gary Domalewicz. Domalewicz took over as majority leader following the resignation of Albany Democrat Frank Commisso Sr., who served in the role for 25 years. Less than three months into the role, Domalewicz resigned amid continued unrest in the Caucus. Andrew had said Domalewicz wasn't willing to follow through with plans; Domalewicz argued that he wasn't opposed to the plans, but expressed concern on the legality of those changes. Andrew acknowledged the criticisms that have come his way from being inflexible to those suggesting his leadership style is too militaristic. "I do know how to get things done," he said. "I said from day one I'm going to be different. I just have to individually prove those folks wrong by doing the right thing." afries@timesunion.com - 518-454-5353 - @mandy_fries WASHINGTON - Rep. John Faso is doubling down on his push to place stricter work requirements on SNAP recipients, suggesting to audiences that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - the programs formal name - is an easy target for fraudsters and drug dealers. Sheriffs in the 19th Congressional District that Faso represents tell me every drug dealer they arrest has a SNAP card in his pocket, Faso said last week at an Ulster County Republican brunch in Kingston. Drug dealers arent declaring any income, Faso said, evoking scattered snickers in the audience. Thats a lot of whats going on. But the video, captured by an opposition-research tracker for a Democratic Super PAC, American Bridge, is hardly a gotcha moment. Faso, a first-term Republican from Kinderhook facing mounting Democratic opposition, said much the same thing in an interview with the Times Union earlier this month. He referred to it in an explanation of why hes spearheading a Republican push on Capitol Hill to bolster work requirements for the millions of able-bodied recipients in a program that subsidizes food purchases for 42.2 million nationwide almost three million in New York state. In a follow-up interview, Faso insisted his emphasis on SNAP fraud and drug-dealer use was simply an illustration of how a well-intentioned program has to some degree gone off kilter, and how expanded work requirements would lessen dependence on government. Im not contending its a major part of the expenditure for SNAP, Faso said. But I do think its our responsibility as stewards of government to safeguard taxpayer dollars. Thats what my constituents would expect me to do. But SNAP experts, advocates and several of Fasos potential Democratic opponents say the 65-year-old former state Assembly minority leader is playing to his conservative Republican base in the purplish Hudson Valley-Catskills district at the expense of vulnerable low-income families and individuals. Exploiting small examples of bad actors is right out of the Donald Trump playbook, said Brian Flynn, 48, of Hunter, one of seven Democratic Faso opponents to declare their intentions of running so far. His response is to blame other people - theyre taking something from you - rather than doing something to help all people. Flynn added: Its not even a dog whistle. Its blatant racism. In Fasos district, 88 percent of SNAP recipients are white, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program. But statewide, about 60 percent of SNAP recipients live in New York City, where whites are a minority. Faso emphatically denied he is a racist. Thats not the tenor or tone in which I discussed this topic, he said. Accusing him of racism, he said, is a dog whistle for the left. Since his initial election in 2016, Faso has characterized himself as center-right. He has navigated a political course that sometimes puts him at odds with Republican congressional leaders and President Donald Trump. But as the sole New York Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, Faso finds himself in ideological lockstep with Republicans pushing forward on this years Farm Bill. In reauthorizing SNAP (among other things), the GOP bill stiffens work requirements for so-called Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents - ABAWDs or, sometimes, ABODs - who are neither elderly, disabled nor the sole parent of young children. Nevin Cohen, a City University of New York health policy professor who studies SNAP, said Faso and other Republicans are perpetuating myths about SNAP. Among the able-bodied who get SNAP, 75 percent work or are between jobs. The vast majority have children or elderly relatives at home, or they have one or two breadwinners who work in low-wage jobs, he said. They are poor. Cohen cited studies showing that every federally funded SNAP dollar generates $1.79 in economic benefits to a community for every dollar spent on groceries, and that every $1 billion spent on SNAP produces close to 10,000 jobs. A report last month by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service said fraud in the program is rare and that such cases represent a relatively small fraction of SNAP overall. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. About 1.5 percent of all SNAP benefits were trafficked, the report said. Trafficking in SNAP puts store owners in collusion with recipients to illegally give them cash and still recoup federal dollars for bogus food purchases. The report also found that unintentional error accounted for 45 percent of claims by states and localities against SNAP recipients. Three percent were due to outright fraud. In New York, the nations fourth largest user of SNAP funds ($4.9 billion), there were 2,428 SNAP disqualifications - either through prosecution or consent agreement - with a dollar value of $2.4 million. Fasos office pointed to a series of six recent benefit-fraud cases investigated by the Ulster County Sheriffs Office, only four of which actually involved SNAP. Among them are a Kerhonkson man and a Poughkeepsie woman who used SNAP benefit cards not belonging to them and a Kingston woman who hid her true household income in order to obtain a card. Fasos office cited four drug-arrest cases in which sheriffs deputies found SNAP cards. Among them was a 2016 Delaware County sheriffs arrest of seven for operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory. In Albany, Sheriff Craig Apple said he knew of no drug-related arrests in which dealers possessed SNAP cards. But he did say the Albany County Department of Social Services employs five retired law enforcement officers who investigate SNAP-fraud cases. According to sheriffs office data, deputies arrested 281 for benefits fraud over the past 10 years, with a dollar value of nearly $2.4 million. There is tons of fraud, said Apple, a Democrat. But in todays political climate, people are afraid to touch it. Whether broadsides involving SNAP represent good politics for Faso likely will be determined at the polls this November. SNAP is not the only issue on voters minds, but opponents are quick to exploit what they see as a potential vulnerability. We should be fighting to help folks that are struggling, not making it harder for them, said Pat Ryan of Gardiner in Ulster County, another of Fasos potential Democratic opponents. But Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, who heads the National Republican Congressional Committee - with overall responsibility for electing GOP House members - said that although 2018 is a challenging election year for Republicans, he is not worried about Faso. I feel very confident that John Faso will be back here, he said at a Capitol Hill meeting of regional reporters. Lake Placid There used to be a rule known to all cross-country skiers: If it doesn't snow, you can't ski. That rule no longer applies at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg ski center outside of Lake Placid, where an Italian-made snow machine can make tons of snow any day of the year, no matter what the temperature. Thanks to the half-million dollar machinery, the center just concluded a 157-day ski season on April 22, shattering its former record by some three weeks, said center Manager Kris Cheney- Seymour. Made by TechnoAlpin, the machinery that resembles a tractor trailer is Van Hoevenberg's answer to an increasingly spotty winter snow season. It can create two tons of snow in an hour, and enough snow in a day to cover a kilometer of trail. The machine allowed the center to guarantee snow so it could open Oct. 20 when temperatures hit 80 for an event for disabled skiers. And this winter, its artificial snow helped patch thin spots on trails after rain and warm temperatures. It is the only machine of its type at a North American ski center, said Cheney-Seymour. The center added the machine during the 2016-17 ski season, which extend that season to 137 days, compared to just 37 days the previous year when snow was sparse. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. There are now about 20 such machines in use worldwide, including ski centers in New Zealand, Scotland and Austria. A Scotland ski center recently set up an online crowdfunding campaign to encourage skiers to help acquire the machine. "At Van Hoevenberg, we think that we can cover about 7.5 kilometers of our trails with man-made snow pretty easily, if we have to, and that includes a mix of beginner and advanced terrain," said Cheney-Seymour. Crews tested out the gun on the Fourth of July just to see if could make snow then, and it worked just fine, he added. "Some of our visitors saw these piles of snow and started throwing snowballs around, and making snowmen," he said. While the machine can protect the center from snow droughts, it cannot completely replace Mother Nature, at least not yet. Van Hoevenberg has about 50 kilometers of trails, some of which are remote,and transporting snow to all of that would be logistically difficult, said Cheney-Seymour. Fats Domino was a New Orleans musical legend when he died last year so it's only fitting that his death and his music receive a special send-off this year during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Organizers Saturday marked the occasion with a jazz funeral as well as a special tribute performance in his honor. Al 'Lil Fats' Jackson played the classic Domino song "Blueberry Hill" as crowds gathered at the festival's ancestor area to remember Domino. The festival unveiled a painting of Domino sitting at his piano to join the other paintings of luminaries associated with the festival who have passed away. One of Domino's grandchildren, Angele Green, thanked the crowd for coming. "In the words of my grandfather, let's shake, rattle and roll," she said. Domino sold more than 110 million records, with hits including "Blueberry Hill," ''Ain't That a Shame" and other standards of rock 'n' roll. The rock 'n' roll pioneer helped change popular music with his steady, pounding piano and easy baritone. Despite his fame, he always stayed loyal to New Orleans. "There are two New Orleans musicians ... that changed the music of the whole world. That's Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino," said festival producer Quint Davis speaking before the festival, who said he had a "wonderful time" going back and listening to Domino's music to prepare for the festival. The tribute concert Saturday features various members of Domino's band as well as special musical guests like Bonnie Raitt and Jon Batiste. Domino is also featured on this year's festival poster. "He's with us everywhere," said Davis. Associated Press Brokaw feels 'perp walked, ambushed' Tom Brokaw denied sexual misconduct charges and told friends in a late-night email that he felt "ambushed and then perp walked" in the media as an avatar of male misogyny and stripped of his honor and achievement. The 78-year-old broadcast journalist penned an emotional response to accusations, writing that "it is 4:00 a.m. on the first day of my new life as an accused predator in the universe of American journalism." The Washington Post and Variety reported the charges by Linda Vester, a former NBC News and Fox News Channel correspondent. She said Brokaw went to her New York hotel room once in the mid-1990s, proposed an affair and tried to forcibly kiss her. She said he tried to kiss her one other time at her apartment in London and once grabbed her from behind and tickled her on her waist. Brokaw said he never sought an affair, and Vester had approached him for advice. He said he "may have leaned over for a perfunctory good night kiss" on the cheek in London. As for the hotel room visit, Brokaw said "I should not have gone but I emphatically did not verbally and physically attack her and suggest an affair." "I am facing a long list of grievances from a former colleague who left NBC News angry that she had failed in her pursuit of stardom," he wrote. "She has unleashed a torrent of unsubstantiated criticism and attacks on me more than 20 years after I opened the door for her and a new job at Fox News." Brokaw, who described the stories about him as a "drive-by shooting," said that he had called the late Fox News CEO Roger Ailes on her behalf and that Vester got a job there. "She couldn't pick up the phone and say, 'I'd like to talk. I have issues from those two meetings 20 years ago?' " Brokaw wrote. "Instead she became a character assassin." In response, Vester's lawyer, Ari Wilkenfeld, said she stands by her allegations, "which speak for themselves." NBC had no comment on Brokaw's letter. A group of 65 women in the industry including Maria Shriver, Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell and Kelly O'Donnell signed a letter supporting Brokaw, saying that "we know him to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity." Vester has said she came forward in part because of NBC's failure to hire outside investigators to look into workplace issues at the company. Following the firing of "Today" show host Matt Lauer for an inappropriate relationship, parent company NBC Universal directed its in-house counsel, Kimberley Harris, to investigate. In a letter to staff on Friday, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack said hundreds of people have been interviewed for Harris' assessment. He said that more than 1,600 NBC News employees have received mandatory workplace training, and there's still more to be done. NBC has said it will make the results of Harris' investigation public. - Associated Press Her son needed help. It never came. As overdose deaths climb, experts say time is now to offer better, quicker treatment Her son needed help. It never came. As overdose deaths climb, experts say time is now to offer better, quicker treatment SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2018 Poestenkill Julie Roy had just dropped her son off at his grandparents when, not an hour later, she got the call. "Julie, you need to come, it's really bad," the young man's grandmother said into the phone. "He's not breathing." Next thing Roy knew, she was in her car, speeding across town with her four-ways on, her heart racing as she negotiated the winding roads and rolling hills from Poestenkill to Sand Lake, her mind desperate to quiet the clamor from her subconscious, which was shouting a truth she could not yet face. When she arrived, William John Timber was dead on the floor of his grandparents' bathroom, a needle in his arm. He was 26. An hour earlier, on that September day in 2015, he had hugged his mother goodbye and told her "I love you" twice she'll proudly recall more than two years later. "I was lucky, in a way," she said. Lucky, because so many others around her had gotten far less. Her son's friends, a cousin, young adults she remembered tromping through her house as kids they were all dying from this stupid drug she once believed was just a city thing ("We don't have that here," she told her middle child, when he first told her Will was using heroin). If Will ever worried he would be next, that overdose would claim him just like it claimed his friends, he didn't say so out loud. "I still think he felt he was invincible because he always said, 'Don't worry, mom, I'm not gonna die. It's not gonna happen to me." As deaths soar, barriers to treatment remain Nearly 64,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2016, and roughly 40,000 of them overdosed on opioids prescription painkillers, heroin, fentanyl and synthetic drugs. It's an epidemic that's not slowing down, and experts and advocates in the field say it's time to stop putting up roadblocks whenever someone tries to seek help for their addiction. Just one in 10 Americans suffering from addiction receive treatment, according to a 2016 surgeon general's report. It's no wonder, addiction experts say. Drug users encounter serious stigma when they come out of the shadows, far more than individuals with more "acceptable" addictions like alcoholism. And yet, research indicates that four out of every five new heroin users began by abusing prescription painkillers, which in many cases were legally prescribed by doctors who did not warn of their addictive qualities. "There definitely remains a perception that folks who struggle with addiction that it's somehow a character flaw and moral failing, and more about willpower than what it actually is, which is a disease that should be responded to like any other medical condition," said Melissa Weimer, medical director of St. Peter's Health Partners Addiction Recovery Center. More providers are coming around to that perspective, she said, but addicts continue to encounter resistance when they seek help from emergency rooms, treatment providers, insurance companies and doctors. While work has been done in New York to increase treatment services, eliminate insurance barriers and expand access to withdrawal medication, much remains to be done if the state is serious about curbing its rising death toll, experts say. People in the field say their top priority is plugging staff shortages, which are the result of low pay, odd hours and, if you ask them, "chronic underfunding" by the state and federal government. These shortages have caused delays for people seeking detox and rehab services, which wouldn't be as big a crisis, they say, if people had immediate access to withdrawal medicine. Without it, and in the face of a long wait for help, many return to their drug of choice to prevent what feels like "the flu times 100" body aches, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, plus a rapid pulse and extreme agitation, Weimer said. "They'll feel like they're going to die but they won't actually die," she said. Once someone does receive detox and rehab services, their insurance often won't cover a stay that's long enough for the individual and their counselor to address the underlying issues that caused someone to use in the first place. "This is a chronic disease that you now have, that you need to manage as such, and it's not going to go away in a day," said Weimer. Slipping through the cracks in the system More than two years after her son's death, Roy can count all the ways the world failed him. There was the trooper who wouldn't call an ambulance after he attempted suicide and the doctors (about 20, by Roy's count) who said they couldn't prescribe medication for his withdrawal. There was the emergency room that turned him away for not being sick enough, the county employees who wouldn't make eye contact when he asked for housing to get off the streets, the prosecutors who agreed to lessen his charges if he gave up the names of other dealers, but who never once asked about his addiction. There was the insurance plan that paid for rehab just long enough to get him clean but not a minute more. And, just four days before he locked himself in a bathroom and stuck a needle in his arm, a decision that proved fatal after three weeks drug-free, there was the judge who ignored a probation officer's recommendation. Will needed help for his addiction intensive, inpatient, longterm help, the officer said not more probation. "I blame my son for making the choice he did to use drugs, but I don't blame him for being sick with addiction," Roy said. "Everybody told me, 'Tough love, do tough love, he'll hit rock bottom and get back up.' Not with opiate addiction. That's not how it works. He hit bottom but he had to crawl out. He needed help. But no one would give it." Physicians like Weimer, who are trained in the science behind addiction and evidence-based methods to treat it, say the best way to stem the tide of opioid-related deaths is to make addiction medication available widely, and without delay or red tape to anyone who wants it. Buprenorphine, commonly know by the brand name Suboxone, can alleviate an addict's suffering immediately and curb their cravings until they move up on a waiting list for more intensive treatment, such as detox and rehabilitation. But the diagnosing and treatment of addiction is something that physicians, especially primary care doctors, have historically avoided. Such work was best left, in their view, to psychiatrists and addiction specialists. Even if they wanted to prescribe addiction medication, federal law requires providers undergo training and obtain a special license to prescribe it. It also imposes limits on the type and number of providers who can prescribe it and on how many prescriptions they can write. Hoping to increase access in New York, the state Health Department began an effort last year to recruit more doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to become buprenorphine prescribers by offering regional trainings and expanding the number of locations where the drug is available. Yet, as drug use climbs to record highs in the U.S., more advocates are calling for the elimination of special licenses for prescribing rights and other restrictions that limit availability. Medicine to treat addiction, they say, should be handed out as freely as the painkillers that caused the dependence in the first place. This single change could capture people at the moment they're about to fall back into a habit, and save their lives as more and more drugs on the black market are being laced with deadly doses of fentanyl, said Keith Brown, director of health and harm reduction at the Katal Center for Health, Equity and Justice. "France, which had an overdose crisis in the '80s and '90s, basically just made buprenorphine available to everyone," he said. "You didn't have to jump through a thousand hoops, you didn't have to go get tested every day. They just made it available and their overdoses plummeted." Within four years of the change, overdose deaths in France declined by 79 percent, according to one study that analyzed outcomes of the loosened restrictions. A model to emulate After turning away some 1,000 opiate addicts with withdrawal symptoms in a year, St. Peter's Health Partners realized last year it had to do more to save people from falling through the cracks. By the end of September, it had opened a walk-in detox program at four locations in Albany and Rensselaer counties designed to get people dosed right away with buprenorphine until they could get more intensive help. More than 300 people have been served so far by the sites, which are on track to see more than 1,000 patients this year, Weimer said. In addition, the hospital began keeping patients under observation for up to 72 hours if they sought help in the emergency room but were not sick enough to qualify for immediate detox services. On the average day, the hospital now provides detox services to about 18 people compared to 12 this time last year. Local harm reduction advocates say it's a model other health systems should emulate. The program is not just catching people at the start of their treatment, but is keeping them engaged after they are discharged by hooking patients up with ongoing services medication assistance, outpatient counseling, even housing and social service supports once they are stable. It also connects them with Project Safe Point, a service of Catholic Charities that provides drug users with clean syringes and overdose-reversal drugs, just in case they do relapse and use drugs again, said Patrick Carrese, executive director of behavioral health at St. Peter's. William John Timber was 26 when he died of a drug overdose in 2015. (provided) William John Timber was 26 when he died of a drug overdose in 2015. (provided) Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Her son needed help. It never came. 1 / 12 Back to Gallery "Relapse is part and parcel of substance use disorder, and this is something society allows for people struggling with alcohol but not with other drugs," he said. "Our first rule needs to be, what do we have to do to keep you alive and keep you disease-free? After that, we can move on to the other stuff." bbump@timesunion.com 518-454-5387 @bethanybump Vatican City Five years ago, Pope Francis was elected to be an agent of change within a church shaken by scandals and the historic resignation of Benedict XVI. He quickly became a global force in geopolitics, setting the agenda on climate change and care for migrants. World leaders wanted to be near him. Even non-Catholics adored him. Today, Francis is increasingly embattled. The political climate has shifted abruptly around the world, empowering populists and nationalists who oppose much of what he stands for. Conservative forces arrayed against him within the Vatican have been emboldened, seeking to thwart him. Yet a close look at his record since becoming pope and the strong reactions he has engendered also show that Francis continues to get his way in reorienting the church. And his supporters say that the backlash against his views has only made his voice more vital in the debate inside and outside the church over the issues he has chosen to highlight, like migrants, economic inequality and the environment. But even they concede that Francis' message has fallen out of sync with the prevailing political times. "This is the duty, even if it's a losing effort," Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Culture, said of the pope's role as a global conscience. He said the pope still reached a large audience and exercised power, even if "the world is going in another direction." Within the church, Francis, a Jesuit, has been assailed by conservatives threatened by his efforts to undo three decades of their domination, as well as by liberals who had hoped for even more. Both sides complain that the pope is taking the church in the wrong direction and that he has been ruthless with his opponents. Lucetta Scaraffia, editor of the monthly magazine Women Church World, said expectations among some secular liberals that Francis would ordain women were "unrealistic," and that the pope had purposefully taken "little steps" to avoid engendering more resistance. Just this month, she pointed out, he appointed three women as consultants to the church's doctrinal watchdog. There has also been more widespread consensus on his failure to hold bishops accountable for clerical sex abuse. It is an issue in which critics say he has demonstrated a remarkable tone deafness. It is Francis' prioritizing of social justice over culture-war issues such as abortion that has caused the sharpest internal divisions. "Dictators usually are not nice," said H.J.A. Sire, author of "The Dictator Pope," one of several new books by conservative Catholics that criticize Francis' effect on the church. "He is able to present this very subdued image, but people know behind the scenes he works very effectively to hit at his enemies." Conservatives, accustomed to getting their way over the past three decades, speak of a culture. They point to examples like Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, once the top doctrinal watchdog in the Roman Catholic Church. Last year, the pope ordered Muller, an ideological conservative who is often at odds with Francis, to fire three priests in his congregation. He said the pope did not give him a reason. Then the pope fired Muller, and observers say he has since stripped the once-powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the protector of church orthodoxy, of its power, replacing it with his own council of loyal cardinals. But the main rallying point for conservatives has been the doctrinal opposition to the pope's exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, which contained a footnote that seemed to open the door for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive holy communion. A small group of cardinals demanded a formal clarification from Francis, who has ignored them for years. Two of the cardinals have since died, but the group's leader, American Cardinal Raymond Burke, has pushed on. Francis usually lets his supporters do the trench fighting for him, but he seemed to have his conservative critics in mind for a major document released this month, in which he bemoaned the harsh attacks in Catholic media. For a Christian, he wrote, helping migrants was no less holy than opposing abortion. "Christianity is meant above all to be put into practice," the pope wrote. Francis appears to be winning the battle with his conservative critics, said Joshua J. McElwee, a Vatican correspondent with the National Catholic Reporter and co-editor of "A Pope Francis Lexicon." "He is one of the last absolute monarchs in the world, and what's happening is he has a vision and he has time to put it in place," McElwee said. "The longer he continues, the more likely these changes will be irrevocable." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Outside the church is another story. Armed only with gestures and prayers, Francis has often found himself on the losing side. Donald Trump, who Francis once suggested was "not Christian" for his desire to build a wall on the Mexican border, is in the White House. In Europe, increasingly authoritarian leaders style themselves as defenders of Christian Europe while barring the gates to migrants and refugees. Francis has made it clear that, globally speaking, he does not like the way things are going. On the day Trump was sworn in as president, the Spanish newspaper El Pais asked Francis if he was worried about populism, xenophobia and hatred. The pontiff responded with a reference to Hitler. "Hitler didn't steal power," Francis said. "His people voted for him and then he destroyed his people. That is the risk." Some of Francis' supporters believe that he is uniquely prepared to face this rising populist tide because he understands it. "Francis' election prepared the church for precisely the challenges posed by the rise of populism and nationalism," said Austen Ivereigh, author of "The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope." He said that Francis' views were formed in Argentina by a Latin American strain of nationalism and populism focused more on standing up to multinational powers than a European nostalgia for a past of mythic purity. Nevertheless, his economic critique of transnational powers allowed him to appreciate the grievances of frustrated and unemployed workers. "He understands why people are angry at globalization," Ivereigh said. But whereas Francis sees migrants as the primary victims of globalization and unrest, nationalists on both sides of the Atlantic see them as a hostile, unsettling force. For anti-immigrant populists, the pope doesn't get it. Former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon, a Catholic, likes to call Francis a communist for his economic policy and the pontiff from Davos for his cultural elitism. But Francis seems comfortable with his new role as a lone voice in the populist wilderness. This month in the Casa Santa Marta, the residence he has chosen over the grand Apostolic Palace, Francis gave a homily about prophets. "Sometimes truth is not easy to listen to," Francis said, noting that "prophets have always had to deal with being persecuted for speaking the truth." "A prophet knows when to scold but knows also how to throw open the doors to hope," he added. "A true prophet puts himself on the line." ALBANY University at Albany President Havidan Rodriguez traveled with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and various elected and state officials to Puerto Rico Sunday as part of rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, was in attendance to learn more about plans for 500 SUNY and CUNY student volunteers during an upcoming summer volunteer program there. UAlbany's Alumni Association said 30 students will be traveling to the Caribbean island in June as part of a service/learning project developed by UAlbany's College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, and SUNY Maritime College. The students, who SUNY has said will receive college credit for the trip, will work with the group All Hands and Hearts Smart Response on rebuilding projects. The alumni association is attempting to raise $55,000 to cover the cost of sending the students. Any SUNY or CUNY student regardless of major can apply to participate, a SUNY spokeswoman previously told the USA Today Network. Cuomo's trip Sunday the third he has taken since the hurricane last September comes after an accident involving a contractor's heavy equipment caused an island-wide blackout on April 18. Most power on the island has been restored. After the blackout two weeks ago, Cuomo directed the New York Power Authority to send their experts to the island to give assistance on strengthening the power grid. The governor's office also sent a letter to FEMA urging the agency to extend the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program, which pays for Puerto Rican families to temporarily stay in New York hotels. A panel discussion was carried live on the internet Sunday after Cuomo touched down on the island. The panel featured Rodriguez and speakers who had traveled with the governor, such as UNICEF USA CEO Caryl Stern and New York City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera most of whom also added in plaudits for the governor. Assemblyman Democrat Marcos Crespo of the Bronx said of Cuomo, "I could only wish someone in Washington could follow in his footsteps. " New York state has responded to the crisis under Cuomo's direction because New York City is home to the largest Puerto Rican population in the continental U.S. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Spectrum News NY1 traveled with Cuomo Sunday and asked if the governor was using the trip as an opportunity to promote himself in an election year. He is being challenged by Republican Marc Molinaro, Democrat Cynthia Nixon, as well as others. "We were here in September right after the hurricane. It was not a political year, it was not an election year," Cuomo told NY1. "So sometimes you just are doing what you can to help people." Washington President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are rapidly filling U.S. federal courts with young conservatives who will shape American law for generations to come. The Republican-led Senate confirmed Trump's 15th appeals court nominee last week more than the last five presidents at this juncture with eight of the new judges in their 40s, and seven in their 50s. McConnell set the stage Thursday to confirm six more, one day after a committee voted to cut debate time, which if approved would further speed things up. The court realignment is the product of the Senate Republican leader playing a long game by holding up then-President Barack Obama's court nominees and then closely collaborating with Trump's White House Counsel Don McGahn. Both men have made it a priority to advance judges ensconced in originalist legal thinking favored by the Federalist Society, which seeks to limit the federal government's ability to assert powers that aren't explicitly enumerated in the Constitution. "The judicial enterprise that has been embarked on by the president and McConnell is the most successful effort we've seen in the GOP in the last year and a half," said Leonard Leo, an outside adviser to the White House on judicial selections who also serves as the Federalist Society's executive vice president. Trump's record so far also includes 17 Trump-nominated judges on district courts, and conservative favorite Neil Gorsuch is on the Supreme Court after McConnell made the extraordinary move of refusing to consider Obama nominee Merrick Garland in 2016. While liberals have torched the new judges as radical and out of touch, Trump has won praise for his success on nominees from conservatives, even those who opposed him during the 2016 election. "The high degree of competence and proficiency the administration has brought to this task is hard to reconcile with the haphazard and not always fully competent handling of lots of other issues by this administration," said Jonathan Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and a Federalist Society member who praised Trump's judicial picks as unexpectedly strong. In 2016, Adler signed a letter titled "Originalists Against Trump" with five dozen fellow conservatives who argued that Trump "admires dictators as above the law" and cannot be trusted to respect the Constitution. Today, he says he was "very wrong" about that when it comes to Trump's judicial selections, although he believes the heavy lifting is being done by McGahn and his staff. "I don't see much evidence that the president has fully formed views on legal questions," Adler said. Yet some conservative believe it'll be his biggest legacy. "His greatest achievement will be the judicial nominees, because it has a much longer-lasting legacy" than his other actions, said Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. "He gets an A plus for his nominations and the number that have been confirmed so far." Trump and McConnell are having their biggest effect on the 13 U.S. appeals courts, which are particularly influential. While the Supreme Court decides fewer than 70 cases a year, appellate courts ruled on or dismissed 59,040 cases for the year ending March 31, 2017, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington. "These appellate judges are often the last step because so many cases never make it to the Supreme Court," Leo said. McConnell's deputy chief of staff Don Stewart said the Kentucky Republican "met with President Trump and his team immediately after the election about the judicial vacancies and the need for well-qualified judicial nominees for the Senate to consider. He wasted no time." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Liberal legal analysts, who have accused McConnell of stealing a Supreme Court seat from Obama, say they are troubled by Trump's judicial selections and the confirmation speed. "He's had a very effective process for moving judicial nominees, which is unfortunate because the quality of his nominees is so lacking," said Caroline Fredrickson, president of the American Constitution Society. "They're unqualified in certain circumstances. They're extreme in nearly all circumstances." The judges he's chosen are likely to roll back women's rights, civil rights, voting rights, gay rights, and allow billionaires to "buy politicians," she said. "It's as if the civil rights movement and the women's rights movement have been erased as far as Donald Trump is concerned." On Thursday Trump announced another eight nominations for district and appellate courts. Conservatives are eager to confirm as many nominees as they can this year while Republicans have a 51 to 49 majority, fearing a possible Democratic takeover of the Senate in November. Trump's judges reverse the demographic diversity sought by Obama. A full 67 percent of his appellate court judges are white males, compared with 33 percent under Obama and 63 percent under President George W. Bush, according to data compiled by Russell Wheeler, a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution. Meanwhile, 76 percent of his district court jurists are white men, compared with 36 percent under Obama and 63 percent under Bush. They'll be reshaping areas of law like civil rights, public health and worker protections, said Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice in Washington. "This effort is a concerted plan to alter the federal bench, not just for two or four years, but for generations because judges serve lifetime terms,'" Aron said. McConnell's chief contribution to the effort, she said, was his insistence on delaying consideration of dozens of Obama's selections, in addition to holding the Supreme Court seat open. In Obama's final two years, McConnell allowed him to fill just two vacancies on the circuit courts and 18 on district courts. That left Trump with 108 judicial openings to fill when he took office. Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to McConnell, said the Republican leader seldom makes strong requests to his conference, so when he does, they listen. And he's made judicial confirmations a priority. "It's not the sexiest issue in the world, but 20 years from now it'll undoubtedly be the most important thing this Congress has done," he said. THE ISSUE: A court finds the president unlawfully ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. THE STAKES: Will he continue using immigrants as political pawns and bargaining chips? Repeating a lie often enough may make it true for some people, but President Donald Trump last week found that that strategy has its limits when it comes to judges who live within the world of facts and the rule of law. And so reality caught up with Mr. Trump when a court ruled that he had failed to prove his repeated claims that President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was illegal. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates wrote that the Department of Homeland Security's legal basis for rescinding DACA was "virtually unexplained" and that it was the Trump administration's action that was unlawful. No amount of repetition by Mr. Trump or Fox News, or right wing radio demagogues made his lie any more true. While other courts have said the roughly 700,000 Dreamers whom DACA protects can't be deported, Judge Bates went further, ordering the Trump administration to resume accepting new DACA applications. Judge Bates who was appointed by a Republican president, George W. Bush did stay his order for 90 days to allow the administration to try to come up with a legally sound argument, if it can. This decision puts the lie to much more than just Mr. Trump's assertion that DACA was illegal. It exposes his hypocrisy in casting himself as a reluctant champion of the rule of law a president who cares about the fate of the Dreamers whom DACA protects, but who had no choice but to stop an illegal program. It shows his condemnation of Democrats in Congress for not striking a deal on DACA for what it is a transparent attempt to use hundreds of thousands of immigrants as a bargaining chip in his quest to erect the ridiculous, wasteful border wall he promised in a campaign built on anti-immigrant rhetoric. Mr. Trump's actions don't square with his professed compassion for Dreamers, or with his assurance that his main interest is to go after illegal immigrants who are dangerous criminals "bad hombres," he calls them and that he would leave the law-abiding ones alone. In fact, as USA Today reports, immigration agents deported at least one Dreamer, Juan Manuel Montes, 23, who had lived in the U.S. since age 9. Back in February, Mr. Montes had left his wallet, which contained his ID and proof of his DACA status, in a friend's car, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents refused to let him retrieve it, delivering him across the border instead. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Farms have been raided in search of people just trying to eke out a living. Courts have been filled with stories of people who built lives here, raising families, starting businesses, creating jobs and contributing to their communities, only to find themselves on the receiving end of Mr. Trump's "compassion." If Mr. Trump honestly wants to improve border security, he has the same opportunity he has always had: negotiate a fair and compassionate immigration reform bill with Congress that also includes realistic security measures, not some costly, fantastical wall that would be little more than a monument to himself. He can claim all he wants is a stronger border, but repeating it without truly working to make it happen makes that claim nothing but another lie. Honda may be late to the electrification revolution, but its not wasting its time catching up to the party. The Japanese automaker is bringing its first mass-produced electric car to the Beijing Motor Show. Its called the Everus concept, and it serves as a sign of things to come for Honda as it starts aggressively pushing its own EV agenda for the future. Hondas Everus EV Concept actually looks like its ready to roll out of the assembly line For a first offering, Hondas Everus EV Concept actually looks like its ready to roll out of the assembly line. Details are still being kept under wraps until its official debut, but the size and proportion of the vehicle draw a few similarities with the Honda HR-V. It even has the weird rear door handles that are located on the C-pillar. The concept does have a lot of visual promise, especially if Honda doesnt deviate too far away from it once the development of the production model starts. Thats actually happening later this year, which is a little surprising considering the quick turnaround time from its debut in Beijing this week to the start of production in the latter stages of the year. Its entirely possible that Hondas rushing to develop the concept so it can jumpstart its new Everus EV brand with venture partner, Chinese automaker GAC Its entirely possible that Hondas rushing to develop the concept so it can jumpstart its new Everus EV brand with venture partner, Chinese automaker GAC. Given how crowded this market is expected to be in the coming years, Hondas not messing around anymore. The automaker has big plans for the concept beyond using it as a springboard for its future EV offerings. Thats because, in addition to selling it as is in the Chinese market, Honda also plans to roll out the model through a car-sharing service thats offered by Reachstar, a Chinese company that specializes in providing car share services. Whatever the intentions are, expectations are high for the Honda Everus Concept now that we know its making its debut at the Beijing Auto Show. If it ends up being as successful as Honda hopes itd be, it could usher in a new generation of Honda EVs that can help the automaker transition seamlessly into this brave new world of untapped potential and possibilities. References Read more Honda news. Read more 2018 Beijing Auto Show news. Beyond Cruises With its fleet of motor-sail vessels and yachts, this IST company offers immersive vacations with plenty of time in port. Cruise Line & Cruise Ship Harvey Chipkin AGENTatHOME Magazine A version of this article appears in print in the April 2018 issue of AGENTatHOME Magazine. Subscribe Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here Hi there, We are 25 years married next summer 2019 and so want to save Andrew plan a trip to New York for 6 days and to Cape Cod for 10 days. We are bringing our 23, 20 and 16 years olds with us. Can anyone offer us advice on a) a good place to stay probably an apt as hotels too expensive and b) then how to get to Cape Cod and where to stay there in a rental. Would love to visit Nantucket and MV. We plan to go at the beginning of July 2019 for 16 days. All I for graciously received. We are from Ireland and have so much to see and do with our kid she in both places! But for five this will be a family holiday that could be very expensive or completely doable if we plan and take your advice! Thank you all My 26 year old daughter and I (50's) are travelling on August 18 to Liberia from Houston. We will be there 7 nights and returning on Aug 25. Here are our current plans. We are trying to decide where to stay for the beach part of our trip and how to arrange activities in Arenal. August 18 - We land on Southwest at 10:15. We will be renting a car, probably from Vamos. We have driven in Belize, Mexico, and I grew up way out in rural Louisiana where there were dirt roads when I was young. I'm not too concerned with driving. We will go through customs, get our car (Rav4 or similar) and head out to Arenal. I am thinking we will just get some water and chips or something before we leave the airport and then stop for lunch in Bagaces. It looks to be about 30-45 min. Then we will travel on to Arenal. We are staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge. I am expecting that we will arrive in mid afternoon. We plan on checking in and chilling or maybe walking around the grounds a bit. Sunday Aug 19 and Monday Aug 20 - I'd like to know the best times to do some of these activities. Here's what we definitely want to do: Sky Trek Zip Lines (near Arenal Observatory Lodge) - 2.5 hours with all times available. Desafio Canyoning - 4 hours and starts at 7:30, 10, or 1. Includes either lunch or dinner. Other activities we'd like to fit in: 1. Volcano hike - which trails are best? Should we use a guide or just hike? 2. Visit a Hot Springs - either Tabacon or Eco Termales depending on location compared to AOL, price, and value. Leaning towards Tabacon because it's closer, I believe. 3. Bogarin brothers private trail to see wildlife and birds...either very early, 6am or evening just before dark. 4. Proyecto Asis - possibly if we can work it in. It's quite a distance from where we are staying 5. Possibly La Fortuna Waterfall. I've not seen the Bogarin brothers mentioned on this forum but a couple of times. It seems like a really good, pretty cheap, and in town way to see animals and birds. They reviews are really good. We don't have to see the waterfall, but it would be nice. We don't mind packing a lot of stuff into 2 days if it fits. Tuesday Aug 21- we can do something Tuesday morning, but we are thinking we might stay at the Lodge and relax. We might do the free morning guided hike with the Lodge and then just relax at the Lodge on a balcony or the pool and have a massage in the afternoon. Wednesday Aug 22 - We will check out and leave Arenal, probably pretty early in the morning. (7:30 or 8) We haven't yet decided which beach location to visit. We don't really intend on much in the way of activities at the beach. We will mostly just hang out and relax. We probably won't really swim at the beach. Mostly just wade a little. The idea of watching some surfers or taking a class is fun. Here are our choices. Please tell me what you would pick and why. 1. Cabinas Las Olas - Playa Avellanas - You can walk through the mangoves to the beach. Lola's looks fun. Not too far from Tamarindo, so we could go into town for a bit one day. Is it too quiet there? 2. Flamingo Beach Resort - Playa Flamingo - On the beach. Resort looks gorgeous. Seems like there are restaurants, etc close in town. Looks busier and more family oriented. 3. Bahia del Sol or Sugar Beach Resort - Playa Potrero - Looks like a pretty beach with quite a few activities. Seems to have restaurants nearby. If we decided to do a catamaran or sailing sunset excursion, could we find something near any of these? If we go with Playa Avellanas (I really like this one) would we be too bored and is it too hard to go to Tamarindo? Flamingo and Potrero are closer to the airport in Liberia. I'm having a hard time picking a beachy destination for Aug 22 - 25. They aren't that far from Liberia and our flight is at 2PM, so we should be fine to return to Liberia on the day of our flight, I think. I've also looked at Samara, but decided it might be farther from Liberia than I'd like. We don't care about night life at all. We do want a really pretty beach and not wall to wall people. We might drive to Tamarindo, but definitely don't want to stay there. Surfing might be a plus. We want to have chairs on the beach. I know there aren't rentals at Playa Avellanas, but there is Lola's. Help me decide. I've read and read about beach locations and just can't make up my mind. I'm usually a really excellent trip planner (my dream job!) and want to pick the best place for us. There are some ready made itineraries for 7-14 days . With 9 days, choose smth in between. In case you are arriving close to evening (the sun sets before 6pm), or leaving early in AM, you might need to spend the 1st and/or last night(s) closer to SJO, thus reducing the # of nights at the destinations. You might be able to visit 2 areas in a week. -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This post was determined to be inappropriate by the Tripadvisor community and has been removed. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html Our staff may also remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Thanks for being a part of the Tripadvisor travel community! Hi, I have a long lay over at Narita Int. Airport in Japan and my questions are, am I allowed to go outside narita airport just to kill hours for my lay over? Whats a shore pass? I am a Filipino netizen holding a Philippine passport but I am currently a resident here at Canada with a proof of Permanent Resident Card. This is gonna be my first trip alone and thinking what will be the best to do for my lay over. Thank you so much in Advance. Hi guys after our recent trip to japan in December we fell in love with the country and want to come back for more! Our recent itinerary was as follows: Day 1 - Tokyo Day 2 - Tokyo Day 3 - kawaguchiko Day 4 - Kyoto Day 5 - Kyoto Day 6 - Kyoto Day 7 - Kyoto Day 8 - Kyoto Day 9 - Kinosaki Day 10 - Koyosan Day 11 - miyajima Day 12 - miyajima (with day trip to Hiroshima) Day 13 - Tokyo Day 14 - Fly home We want to go to Sapporo and missed out on Osaka last time as wanted to spend more time in Kyoto... we wasnt too interested in going to Nara but were very interested in Nagano to see the snow monkeys but again didnt have time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, last time we were fine with trains and used hyperdia, oh and pencilling in September or October as available dates, Thanks You may like to scroll down in the link below and read 'Campground Amenities': Problem solved? Probably not, since you're still in the process of planning on/choosing the areas to hit and then the campsites to settle in, no? Depending on the likelihood of snow (accumulation) in April, a low flat terrain (as opposed to high-altitude mountainous topography) sounds better to pick. Looks unavailable due to snow, yet see for instance: Yes, campsites galore, (as many as 3000, it is said). Wish I could give you a pointer here, but all the campsites I know would be also sitting on snow in the Northern Japanese Alps... Back on your would-be problem, what else would you have to settle it with other than sell back the items to where you bought'em from, or ask campsite keepers/others to keep/use them, or in the worst-case scenario put a bulletin board that says 'Up-for-grabs?' So that's where big/popular campsites come in handy, where they rent out things, you know. Oh no, don't be deterred. Becoming detail-oriented is an abortive initation sometimes. At any event, yours'll be a greatest overseas trip, I believe. Oh yes, things will work out better than thought. Happy planning! Bali is cheap. The ciuntries are nothing alike. For the best white sand blue lagoon holiday, Fiji. In Fiji backpacker style accommodation is affordable. Rate Kini resort on Mana is Fijian owned and popular, Bounty Island and Beachcomber too have lovely beaches also Funky Fish. These resorts are in the Mamanuca Group of islands closest to Nadi. Prepared to spend more on transferring and you can go to the Yasawa Group of islands look at the Awesome Adventures Fiji website they have a variety of island stays and packages. Good value. Edited: 3 years ago I've posted in another forum about the Arenal portion of our trip. 4 nights from Aug 18 - 22, leaving for a beach destination on Aug 22. We will have a car. It's my 26 year old daughter and I going on the trip. We haven't yet decided which beach location to visit. We don't really intend on much in the way of activities at the beach. We will mostly just hang out and relax. We probably won't really swim at the beach. Mostly just wade a little. The idea of watching some surfers or taking a class is fun. Here are our choices. Please tell me what you would pick and why. 1. Cabinas Las Olas - Playa Avellanas - You can walk through the mangoves to the beach. Lola's looks fun. Not too far from Tamarindo, so we could go into town for a bit one day. Is it too quiet there? 2. Flamingo Beach Resort - Playa Flamingo - On the beach. Resort looks gorgeous. Seems like there are restaurants, etc close in town. Looks busier and more family oriented. 3. Bahia del Sol or Sugar Beach Resort - Playa Potrero - Looks like a pretty beach with quite a few activities. Seems to have restaurants nearby. If we decided to do a catamaran or sailing sunset excursion, could we find something near any of these? If we go with Playa Avellanas (I really like this one) would we be too bored and is it too hard to go to Tamarindo? Flamingo and Potrero are closer to the airport in Liberia. I'm having a hard time picking a beachy destination for Aug 22 - 25. They aren't that far from Liberia and our flight is at 2PM, so we should be fine to return to Liberia on the day of our flight, I think. I've also looked at Samara, but decided it might be farther from Liberia than I'd like. We don't care about night life at all. We do want a really pretty beach and not wall to wall people. We might drive to Tamarindo, but definitely don't want to stay there. Surfing might be a plus. We want to have chairs on the beach. I know there aren't rentals at Playa Avellanas, but there is Lola's. Help me decide. I've read and read about beach locations and just can't make up my mind. I'm usually a really excellent trip planner (my dream job!) and want to pick the best place for us. Hi everyone, We are visiting New York in June and are going to do a roundtrip to Niagara Falls for a few days. I know that most of you would recommend flying, but we have decided against that option. We are planning to do an overnight Greyhound bus trip from NY to Niagara Falls. We have the option of getting off at the Canadian side or U.S. side. Can you please advise on the better option? We have booked a hotel on Lundy's Lane in Ontario. If we do get off the bus on the U.S. side, how would we get to our hotel on the Canadian side - could we take a taxi and would it be difficult/expensive? On the return trip from Niagara Falls to New York, we are undecided between taking the Greyhound bus or Amtrak train. We also have the same question of whether to board on the U.S. or Canadian side, since our hotel is on the Canadian side. Thank you for any advice you can give. Prefect Answer from post number one in my view . Perfectly said. Couldnt agree more. (not discounting the other two responses) Your route 66 drive I am also curious as where you were going to start your drive. March is still winter here. The road trip forum could help you. -If you havent already visited that one. - The first Kenyan film to feature at the Cannes Film festival in France will not be shown in Kenya - The film was banned by KFCB for promoting lesbiansim - It features lesbian friends struggling to keep their friendship close despite political differences A Kenyan film featured at the Cannes festival in France will not showcase on the Kenyan market. Wanuri Kahiu's movie 'Rafiki' will not be launched following a ban by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB). Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Video inayoonyesha nyakati za mwisho mwisho za mwanawe SK Macharia kabla ya ajali yaibuka The board CEO Ezekiel Mutua explained the movie's homosexual theme promoted lesbiansim and should not be distributed or exhibited in any form or platform within Kenya. READ ALSO: Video of Kirinyaga county deputy governor in bed with married woman goes viral "The Kenya Film Classification Board has banned the film "Rafiki" due to its homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law and dominant values of the Kenyans," said Mutua in a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke. He claimed while the message in the film was to celebrate the resilience of youngsters involved in Lesbianism, it's ending scenes intended to normalise homosexuality in Kenya. READ ALSO: Son to Royal Media Services owner dies after tragic accident, girlfriend survives Reading through the movie's official synopsis on its website, Kena and Ziki are friends struggling to remain close despite the political rivalry between their families. "Rafiki Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety, reads the synopsis. Kena and Ziki are friends struggling to remain close despite political rivalry between their families. Photo: Rafiki READ ALSO: Mother-In-Law actor Mustafa unveils all grown daughter who looks exactly like him The Kenyan filmmaker said the film was a story about all that is good and difficult about being in love inspired by the 2007 Caine Prize winner, Monica Arac de Nyeko's film. Nyeko's winning story 'Jambula Tree,'' chronicled a story of two girls in love in Uganda. READ ALSO: Famed Kayamba Africa lead singer dies, performed during wedding of Uhuru's son The film is Kahius second feature film, after her 2009 drama 'From a Whisper'. This comes as a huge blow to Kahiu who has been a clear evidence that Kenyan women playwrights and screenwriters are coming out in full force . Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Willy Paul Interview for Tuko Buzz: Willy Paul Reveals it All | Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - Miguna claimed Raila had led to the deaths of 500 innocent Kenyans - The fiery lawyer said Raila should not be dining with the Jubilee regime - The NRM general accused Raila of disenfranchising millions of Kenyans during repeat election The National Resistance Movement (NRM) self-declared general Miguna Miguna has launched yet another scathing attack against former Premier Raila Odinga. The fiery lawyer accused the NASA leader of causing the deaths of over 500 innocent Kenyans while pursuing his dream of becoming the Kenyan president. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens In an unexpected rant on Twitter, Miguna called out Raila and asked him to fight for justice instead of making pacts with the Jubilee government. READ ALSO: Miguna should watch his back, Raila is not happy - Mutahi Ngunyi Miguna Miguna attacked Raila in an unexpected Twitter rant. Photo: NASA/Twitter Source: UGC READ ALSO: Railas meeting with Uhuru was just selfish - Miguna Miguna The controversial legal expert went ahead to claim Raila disenfranchised millions of voters in the October 26, poll. "I repeat: Raila Odinga sacrificed 500 innocent lives needlessly, had thousands...and disenfranchised millions of voters on October 26, 2017. He has nothing to laugh about. He should be mourning the dead or fighting for justice; not dining with despots," Miguna Tweeted. Miguna's latest jab directed at Raila came barely days after ODM leaders cautioned him against attacking the opposition leader. READ ALSO: Raila Odinga leads NASA big wigs in court but police fail to produce Miguna Miguna as ordered READ ALSO: Court orders police to produce Miguna Miguna in court or face punishment The leaders, who spoke in different occasions said while they sympathise with him over his tribulations, they would abandon him if he does not respect Raila. Miguna had earlier on pointed an accusing finger at the NASA chief principal, blaming him for failing to help him return to Kenya following his dramatic depoertation. The lawyer, in a statement from Dubai, also accused Raila of dining with his oppressors Jubilee. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Willy Paul Interview for Tuko Buzz: Willy Paul Reveals it All - on TUKO TV Source: Tuko - The leaders accused Raila of seeking to change the Constitution for selfish gain - They vowed to oppose any attempt to alter the current system of governance - Jubilee politicians including DP William Ruto had also opposed the proposed system Luhya leaders have now teamed up with their Jubilee counterparts in opposing ODM party leader Raila Odinga's proposed three-tier system of governance. Speaking in Sabatia, Vihiga County on Saturday, April 28, during a thanksgiving ceremony of the area MP Alfred Agoi, the leaders made it clear they will not support any attempt to amend the Constitution for the purpose of creating new positions in government. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi (top right), Ford Kenya boss Moses Wetang'ula (bottom right) joined Jubilee leaders in rejecting Raila Odinga's proposed three-tier governance structure.Photo: TUKO. READ ALSO: Kanu MP to table Bill proposing one 7 year presidential term, scrapping of DP position "The proposal that we should introduce another tier of government is something that we cannot accept. We have the Devolution and we have a responsibility to make sure it work. How can you start an experiment before the experiment you are going on with has not been perfected?" Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang'ula posed. Wetang'ula's sentiments were echoed by former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale who went further to accuse the former prime minister of being a selfish individual on a mission to satisfy his political ambition. "I want to tell you we are going to face you at the referendum and we are going to defeat you in the hyena's agenda," Khalwale said. READ ALSO: Ruto dismisses Raila's suggestion to amend the Constitution Amani National Congress (ANC) party boss Musalia Mudavadi, on his part appeared to accuse the executive arm of government of usurping powers of the legislature even as he joined his colleagues in rejecting the proposed three-tier system of governance. "The executive is not answering questions properly in Parliament. It has gotten to a point where when the Parliament summons government officials to answer questions, they go there to give lectures instead. It makes one wonder which of the two has power in Parliament; the government officials or the legislators?" Mudavadi posed in Swahili. READ ALSO: Ruto, Raila clash at devolution conference over proposal to change governance structure The ANC party leader was accompanied by several other leaders from western Kenya, besides Wetang'ula, his NASA coalition co-principal, and Khalwale, who harshly criticised and accused Raila of playing divisive politics. A few days earlier, Deputy President William Ruto and Majority Leader Aden Duale told off Raila over his proposed Constitutional amendment that sought to change the governance structure and create new positions in government. READ ALSO: Constitutional amendment will take place whether you like it or not - Raila's camp tells Ruto Addressing governors during the 5th Devolution Conference in Kakamega County on April 26, 2018, Ruto argued the current Constitution is still young and should be allowed to take root, especially in the counties. "The relationship between county governments and county assemblies is young. Let us engage Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) to build progressive laws and realise progress at the grassroots," Ruto said. Raila had proposed for a three-tier system of governance in which there would be 14 regional administrative blocs, the 47 Counties as currently constituted and the national government. READ ALSO: ODM calls for creation of Prime Minister's post to accommodate Raila Raila's ODM party has also been calling for constitutional referendum to not only change the structure of governance but also return the position of the Prime Minister. The push for the return of PM's office is, however, seen as a political move aimed at accommodating Raila in government. TUKO.co.ke understands Ruto and several Jubilee-allied leaders are strongly against any attempts to amend the Constitution, perhaps fearing such a move could interfere with the DP's 2022 presidential bid. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The rapper had a solid performance on Saturday, April 28 - This is despite the fact that brutal Kenyans trolled him for looking 'different' upon arrival - Rick Ross himself took to social media to appreciate the performance American rapper Rick Ross on Saturday, April 28 redeemed himself with an electrifying performance at the Carnivore grounds. Rick Ross, whose real names are William Leonard Roberts, arrived in Kenya on Friday, but typical neitizens descended on him for allegedly looking before par. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Kenyans give Rick Ross a new name and TUKO.co.ke has the details Kenyans online trolled the rapper minutes after his arrival in the country with some hilarious comments alleging they had been sent the fake version of the Sophisticated hit maker. READ ALSO: Kenyans are convinced a fake Rick Ross turned up after all the hype and here is why Fast forward to Saturday, however, and all the trolling came to an end as the rapper put out one of his best performance to the pleasure of fans. Rick Ross performing at the Carnivore grounds. Photo: NRG He performed some of his most renowned works including John and Aston Martin Music. The rapper connected with fans on another level. Photo: NRG READ ALSO: Photos accessed by TUKO.co.ke also revealed the high number of fans who turned out for the concert despite rumors of hefty ticket prices. He performed some of his most renowned works including John and Aston Martin Music. Photo: NRG There was a mild blooper before the official performance as the rapper had to take an extra hour before going on stage as he was reportedly having mild seizures moments before his act. All photos from Rick Ross concert which restored Kenyans' faith in him. Photo: NRG READ ALSO: American singer Rick Ross deletes all photos of Diamond Platinumz from his Instagram All photos from Rick Ross concert which restored Kenyans' faith in him. Photo: NRG READ ALSO: Rick Ross weight loss diet and secret Needless to say, it was a great performance from the veteran rapper and he took to Instagram to appreciate the Kenyan vibe Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Vegetarian sandwich recipe: Tuko Bites with Chef Rachel (Kenyan Food) | Tuko Lifestyle - Kenya: Source: Tuko News - The DP dismissed rumors of political alliances within the Jubilee party - Ruto said he and the Jubilee regime were fully focused on the development agenda - Only a day ago, the President had also issued a stern warning on the same during the late Matiba's funeral - A section of Kenyans had expressed anger over how Uhuru was allegedly treating Ruto - But Ruto played down the developments and backed the President's stance on the 2022 debate Deputy President William Ruto has strongly played down any talks of political alliances within the Jubilee party. Ruto was speaking during the opening of the Kiptagich Tea factory in Nakuru county where he reiterated the need to quit the 2022 political debate and instead focus on development. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens We have no political camps in our party, Ruto declares after Uhuru's lecture. Photo: Ruto/Facebook READ ALSO: My pact with Raila was never about 2022 - Uhuru We have no political camps in our party. We are united and our aim is to bring the country together to eliminate tribalism, division and hatred as well as implement our development agenda for the people of Kenya, said Mr Ruto. The DP further asked leaders to heed the call by President Uhuru Kenyatta to stop engaging in politics and instead focus their energies on development. Deputy President William Ruto has strongly played down any talks of political alliances within the Jubilee party. Photo: Ruto/Facebook READ ALSO: Uhuru slams leaders opposed to his handshake with Raila As leaders we need to unite and forge a common development agenda for our people. Lets put behind issues to do with politics because there is time for everything, he added. His remarks come at the back of a TUKO.co.ke report which highlighted dissatisfaction within some of the DPs supporters who took to social media to accuse President Uhuru Kenyatta of gradually sidelining Ruto. The supporters outcry seemed to have erupted from a stern speech given by Uhuru during the memorial service of the late Kenneth Matiba. Uhuru, during the service, pointed out that there were some leaders within the Jubilee party who were discontent with the pact made with ODM party leader Raila Odinga. Ruto, while speaking in Nakuru, backed Uhurus sentiments and instead urged supporters to shelve political talks for 2022. Photo: Ruto/Facebook READ ALSO: Raila Odinga meets retired president Daniel Moi days after famous handshake with Uhuru But Ruto, while speaking in Nakuru, backed Uhurus sentiments and instead urged supporters to shelve political talks for 2022. In a rare show of approval, former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto who was also present praised the efforts being made by the Government in addressing the challenges facing tea farmers. READ ALSO: Raila meets Uhuru, agree to end dissent It is impressive that the Government is putting more emphasis in the development of the tea sector which is among the countrys top exchange earners, he said. The Deputy President also addressed residents during the opening of classrooms in Karao Secondary School. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news Rejected for naming son Uhuru Kenyatta | Untold stories Tuko TV: Source: Tuko Breaking News The opposition UNC is urging the population to stand up and fight for their rights. During this morning's weekly press briefing, one opposition Senator and an opposition member of the house highlighted issues of mandatory vaccination and the PSC fiasco. The Russian-led forces used proscribed weapons, namely 122mm artillery systems and 120mm mortars. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) calls on the international community to put more pressure on Russia over recent escalation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "Russia needs destabilization of Ukraine. 61 attacks, mortars used. 7 UA WIA [wounded in action]. Urge partners exert more pressure on Ru," MFA press secretary Mariana Betsa wrote on Sunday, April 29. Russia needs destabilization of Ukraine. 61 attacks, mortars used.7 UA WIA. Urge partners exert more pressure on Ru pic.twitter.com/KYBqo5emAT Mariana Betsa (@Mariana_Betsa) April 29, 2018 As UNIAN reported earlier, seven Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past day: four of them were wounded in action and another three sustained combat-related injuries. The total number of attacks the Russian-led forces mounted on the Ukrainian army since 06:00 Kyiv time on April 28 was 61 incidents, the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Sunday morning. The enemy used proscribed weapons, namely 122mm artillery systems and 120mm mortars. The Ukrainian Navy was affected by the Russian occupation of the peninsula most. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman have greeted Ukrainian Navy personnel on the 100th anniversary since the foundation of Ukraine's Navy. "On April 29, 1918, the vast majority of ships of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol raised the blue and yellow flag. The proclamation of the Ukrainian Navy's creation was finally crowned by the victory of the Ukrainian movement in the Black Sea Fleet, and the Bolshevik regime in Crimea was defeated by the Ukrainian army," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook on April 29. Read alsoRussia boosts navy presence in Azov Sea, provocations possible Ukraine military In turn, Groysman recalled that the entire Black Sea Fleet on April 29, 1918, was transferred to the subordination of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The decision was taken at a meeting of delegates of ship teams and almost all ships solemnly raised the Ukrainian flag. "We celebrate this symbolic date as the day of the beginning of the National Naval Fleet of Ukraine," the government press service quotes the prime minister as saying. "Despite the fact that the Ukrainian national revolution and statehood were suppressed by the invasion of the Bolshevik troops, the historical significance of the fact that the Ukrainian state formed the Navy is unique and far-sighted. This means that Ukraine as a sovereign and independent state will always remain a seafaring nation with its own Navy and naval traditions, which in our history are rooted in the era of the Princes, Cossacks and Hetmans," Groysman said. According to him, unprecedented damage to the Ukrainian Navy was done by the shameful campaign of the Crimean peninsula's occupation by Russian troops without identification insignia. The religious communities without the "registration" will be deprived of rights to own their land and property. Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) Filaret has called on the international community to help prevent the UOC-KP from being expelled from the Russian-occupied areas in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Filaret wrote an open letter, addressing the countries participating in the Minsk peace process, the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is titled: "On a Growing Infringement of the Rights of Believers of the Kyiv Patriarchate and other religious organizations in certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the Ukrainian portal 112.ua reported, citing the letter posted on the UOC-KP website. Filaret informs that the self-proclaimed republics in Donbas ruled that religious communities working in the occupied areas should be registered under "local legislation." Read alsoUkraine may be getting its own Church, but not as fast as desired - media Thus, the priests of the UOC-KP in occupied Donbas were informed that they have one month to register their religious communities "under the law of the republics." The religious communities without the "registration" will be deprived of rights to own their land and property, including temples, while their activities will be "outlawed" and the priests will be "expelled from the republics' territory." "Making the religious organizations working in the occupied territory 'register according to the republican legislation' is unacceptable and this cannot be done as this would violate the legislation of Ukraine," Filaret wrote. He has appealed to the countries participating in the Minsk peace process and the international community to take urgent measures to prevent an "even greater violation of the principles of religious freedom in that region." "In particular, I'm asking the Russian Federation, which de facto controls those areas, as well as the Moscow Patriarchate, which has significant representation and influence in those areas, to stop the de facto authorities' provocations there," the letter said. The enemy continued using proscribed weapons. Seven Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past day: four of them were wounded in action and another three sustained combat-related injuries. The total number of attacks the Russian-led forces mounted on the Ukrainian army since 06:00 Kyiv time on April 28 was 61 incidents, the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Sunday morning. Read alsoOSCE reports 43 civilian deaths, 120 injuries from mine explosions in Donbas since last April The enemy used proscribed weapons, namely 122mm artillery systems and 120mm mortars. In particular, 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars were used to shell Ukrainian troops outside the village of Novotoshkivske in the Luhansk sector. The enemy resorted to 122mm systems and cannons of tanks to attack Ukrainian positions near the village of Krymske, while 120mm mortars were used outside the villages of Troitske and Luhanske. In addition, the Russian-led forces opened fire from 82mm mortars at Ukrainian positions near the villages of Prychepylivka and Novozvanivka, while grenade launchers of various types were used near the town of Popasna and the village of Luhanske. An infantry fighting vehicle attacked the village of Troitske, and small arms were used to open fire at areas close to the village of Novoselivka. In the Donetsk sector, the occupation forces shelled the Ukrainian defenders of the town of Avdiyivka, using proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars. Grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms were also used. Ukrainian positions outside the villages of Bohdanivka and Novotroyitske came under 120mm mortar fire, while attacks on Butivka coal mine, the villages of Novoselivka and Vodiane were mounted with the use of 82mm mortars. In addition, various types of infantry weapons, namely grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms, were used to attack Ukrainian positions near the villages of Talakivka, Hnutove, Vodiane, Shyrokyne, Kamianka, Pavlopil, Novotroitske, Lebedynske, Opytne, Verkhnoitoretske, the towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, and Butivka coal mine. Vodiane, Shyrokyne and Maryinka were also under sniper fire. The SMM was allowed to proceed only after showing the content of its tool boxes, trauma kit bags and sleeping bags. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine has reported about attempts by members of the armed formations in Russian-occupied areas in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, to take monitors' cars to another location for inspection. "At 14:00 on April 28, 2018, at a checkpoint north of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk) six armed members of the armed formations stopped an SMM patrol, comprising two armoured vehicles and five members travelling from government- to non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region. They demanded to inspect the trunks of the SMM vehicles; the patrol complied with the request," the OSCE SMM said in an update for April 28. Read alsoOSCE SMM's Chief Monitor: Protection of civilians in Donbas must be paramount After checking the trunks, they also demanded to open all the tool boxes of both vehicles "to make sure that the SMM was not transporting weapons." The SMM explained its freedom of movement according to its mandate and that the demand constituted a restriction of this freedom of movement. At this point, the members of the armed formations told the SMM that it could either comply with their demand or return to government-controlled areas. The patrol contacted its base and was advised to stand by for instructions, while the SMM contacted interlocutors of the armed formations. "At 15:17, two of the men approached the SMM saying that if it did not comply with the demand to show the content of the tool boxes or return back to government-controlled areas, they would call a 'special forces team' to take the SMM patrol to another location for inspection of the whole content of both vehicles," the update said. "At 15:36, the SMM was allowed to proceed only after showing the content of its tool boxes, trauma kit bags and sleeping bags. The SMM returned safely to its base in Donetsk city." Juncker has called on the EU to learn to talk to Russians on an equal footing. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says there is no security agenda for Europe without Russia, as the latter is a major player. "We need to re-establish contact with Russia," Juncker said in an interview with Dutch outlet Trouw on Saturday, April 28, POLITICO's Europe Edition said. "Russia is a major player. There is no security agenda for Europe without Russia. I don't like the current Cold War rhetoric." "We must learn to talk to Russians on an equal footing, at eye level," he added. Read alsoJuncker: None of Balkan states to join EU without border dispute settlement Juncker also warned that Europe's power on the world stage is shrinking as other major power players grow. "We Europeans sometimes think that we are the boss of the world. We forget that we are a small and weak part of the universe. We are losing economic power," he said. "We are slowly but surely falling from 25 percent of global gross national income to 18-16 percent." "We are on the losing side also demographically," he said, adding: "We exist culturally, but we are not dominant. So I always invite everyone here to a more pronounced modesty. We must indeed listen to the rest of the world." "My friend Vladimir Putin because we have been friends for years, even though nowadays you cannot say that Putin is your friend was at the time very unpleasantly affected by that one sentence of President Obama when he said [in 2014 in The Hague] that Russia is only a regional power," Juncker said. The world's largest grid-scale solar battery will be built in a small town in Australia's New South Wales and have a capacity of up to 1,200 megawatts, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Friday Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has asked the judge to remove reporters, staffers of the federal bailiffs service and the convoy from the courtroom, insisting that he needs to communicate with the defense team confidentially ahead of the hearing in the defamation case against him, a Sputnik correspondent reported The next session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, which unites the heads of government of the Eurasian Economic Union member states, will be held in Russia on April 23, the Eurasian Economic Commission announced A new wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring is unlikely, given that COVID-19 looks more like a winter virus, David Livermore, a member of the scientific advisory board on Sputnik V and a professor of Medical Microbiology at the UK University of East Anglia, said in an interview with Sputnik The report in the medical journal The Lancet on the safety and efficacy of the Russian vaccine against the novel coronavirus has put Sputnik V among the world's top vaccines, David Livermore, a member of the scientific advisory board on Sputnik V, said in an interview with Sputnik Palau is about to walk out of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) over its disagreements with Micronesian nations over the regional body's leadership, Palauan President Surangel Whipps told the Radio New Zealand broadcaster on Friday The trial on mixing the shots of the UK's AstraZeneca vaccine and Russia's Sputnik V is going on and may result in better efficacy of the inoculation, which, in turn, can change the global approach to vaccinations and their combinations, David Livermore, a member of the scientific advisory board on Sputnik V and a professor of Medical Microbiology at the UK University of East Anglia, said in an interview with Sputnik The leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP, a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia), Khalid Batarfi, was arrested back in October in the easternmost Yemeni province of Al Mahrah, the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team has said HE Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs held a videoconferencing meeting with a German delegation headed by H.E. Holger Mahnicke, German Consul General to Dubai to discuss means of enhancing mutual economic cooperation and trade between Dubai and Germany, the role of Dubai Customs in supporting supply chain and the customs facilities provided With some countries making better progress in immunizing their citizens against COVID-19 than others, the Bloomberg news agency has estimated that it would take around seven years to vaccinate 75 percent of the world population at the current pace Kremlin does not see any need in special procedures for organizing rallies during a pandemic, because the main goal at that time is to avoid danger to health and lives of people, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday Records 44426 To 44450 (Total 281320 Records) World News Due to the diverse and sudden change in global politics and international relations, everyone is interested to see world news about their friends and enemy states both. There are very less sites that are doing unbiased reporting about global scenario. Urdu Point gives world news today. The site provides world news live streaming for its users. BBC world news is one of the accurate news giving and it tries to do unbiased reporting but still not every news group is totally unbiased. Urdu Point gives latest world news. The site provides accurate breaking world news. Urdu Point gives unbiased, accurate and timely news world. It provides exclusive world news headlines for the users. CNN world newsis also a news group, covering whole world political and social events. PTV world news gives a little biased news towards government. Urdu Point provides world latest news for its users. All the important world breaking news are given by the site. CPEC is a project of global importance. Urdu Point gives accurate CPEC news. After a lot of proceedings in China Pakistan relationswhole world is looking forward to the results of these relations for both nations. Urdu Point gives accurate news about Pak China relations. Urdu Point gives all the latest news about America and Pakistan relations. Indo Pak relations are of great importance for both states. Urdu Point provides news about India Pakistan relations. It gives all the scenario of India Pakistan dispute. As we are getting close to China, politically and socially. People of both states want to know the news about neighboring country. Urdu Point all the China news. The site also gives accurate India news. The site also provides perspective of Indian news Pakistan. Urdu Point gives all the accurate Kashmir news for the global readers. There is no state who is not interesting in knowing USA news. Urdu Point gives American news. All the concerned countries wants to know white house news as soon as it is possible for them. Guardian is also covering news reports about global politics and society. Urdu Point gives accurate international news. The site have the privilege of breaking international news with great accuracy and timeliness. It also have the facility of breaking global news with accuracy. Urdu Point posts all the news from the world. People are concerned about knowing news from globe. (@rukhshanmir) RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2018 ) :On the Special directives of City Police Officer (CPO) Afzaal Ahmed Kausar, a comprehensive security plan has been devised to protect the devotees on the auspicious occasion of Shab-e-Barat. According to security plan, as many as 500 policemen would be deputed at mosques, Imambargahs and other worship places, informed police spokesman. He said that police would establish special pickets on all the entry and exit points to keep a vigil on suspicious elements and criminals whereas the squads of Dolphin force would patrol the areas to avoid any untoward incident. He said that the setting off fireworks, firing and one wheeling would strictly be prohibited on Shab-e-Barat. Action would be taken against the violators as per law, he added. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested two deportees including a woman at Lahore Airport on Saturday. FIA sources said that two including a woman deported from Qatar were detained soon they landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2018) : The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested two deportees including a woman at Lahore Airport on Saturday. FIA sources said that two including a woman deported from Qatar were detained soon they landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport. The detainee Anwar was deported for traveling on fake UK passport while the woman for illegal stay. The nabbed people were being interrogated at concerned FIA police station. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2018 ) :A four-day 11th International Exhibition and Conference for Garment and Textile Industry (IGATEX-2018), concluded here on Sunday. Miss Sakina, an official of the IGATEX told APP that the exhibition was the only event of its kind for the textile and garments industry in Pakistan. She said that IGATEX will help provide a platform for the establishment of strong trade relations within the textile industry. "The exhibition showcase stand-alone demonstrations of various cutting edge industry tools & technology and will display the latest machinery, chemicals and equipment used in the textile industry", she added. Around 500 exhibitors from 32 countries including China, Italy, Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Turkey, UAE, USA, UK participated in the event,she added. It may be mentioned here that the event was also featured a two day high-level conference on the 27th and 28th covering topics related to Technical Textile, Merchandising and Supply Chain which was discussed by 15 renowned speakers. The exhibition was started on April 26, organized by leading exhibition event organizer FAKT Exhibitions. APP/saa/bl/zhr COLOMBO, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2018 ) :In order to present the richest Buddhist historical legacy to the Sri Lankan people, Pakistan has sent the most sacred relics of the Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka on Sunday for exposition in connection with the Annual Buddha Rashmi National Vesak Festival. Sri Lankan Minister for Buddha Sasana, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera along with Parliamentarians, High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat as well as Senior Monks, high ranking government officials, religious scholars, received the relics amidst hordes of devotees. From Pakistan, Curator of Taxila Museum brought the Sacred Relics, said a press release received from Colombo. The exposition of the most sacred relics will commence at Gangaramaya Temple and the Temple Trees on 29th May 2018. Thereafter, it will be exhibited at famous temples across the country until May 16, 2018. The Relics will be in Colombo for a four-day exposition from 29th April to May 2. After that the Relics will be taken to Wellampitiya, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kurunegalla, Anuradhapura and Kandy. Afterwards the Relics will be brought back to Colombo on 16th May, 2018. The Sacred Relics includes two Relics of Lord Buddha. These relics are part of collection from Taxila (Takshila) excavation in Pakistan, which is kept at one of the most important archaeological sites in Asia, the Taxila Museum. These Relics were originally discovered near the Dharmarajika stupa, the earliest and largest Buddhist complex at Taxila, which was built in the 3rd century BCE to enshrine the redistributed relics of the Buddha by the famous Mauryan king Asoka who was also known as Dharmaraja for his services to Buddhism. Dharmarajika was excavated by Ghulam Qadir in 1912-16 under the directions of Sir John Marshall and A.D. Siddiqui in 1934-36. The advent and development of Buddhism owes a great deal to the ancient land of Pakistan. (@FahadShabbir) CHICAGO, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2018 ) :Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States (US) Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry has said Pakistan and the US should work together to achieve the shared objectives of peace and stability in the region, especially in Afghanistan. He delivered a speech at the University of Chicago about Pakistan-US ties. The event washosted by International House and the Committee of Southern Asian Studies at theUniversity of Chicago, said a press release issued on Sunday. While apprising the audience regarding history of Pakistan-US relations, he said both the countries enjoyed an exceptional relationship for the last seven decades. Talking aboutthe current state of relations between the two countries, the ambassador said relations with the US were very important for Pakistan and that realization wasprevalent across all segments of Pakistani polity. In regular interactions, Pakistanis had been impressing upon their American interlocutors that boththe countries needed to work together to resolve all issues. It required continuedengagement at all levels. The two sides could work together to achieve the sharedobjective of peace and stability in Afghanistan, he added. He said though there were some misconceptions on both sides but disengagement had never been a solution of issues in history. Historically, he said, Pakistan and US collaboration had yielded benefits and stressed theneed for more and more dialogue between the two countries with a view to remove misgivings. Established in 1890, the University of Chicago (also known as UChicago) is a private research university with 15,365 students. It is currently ranked 10th in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2018 ) :Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qayyum on Sunday hailed Finance Minister Miftah Ismail for presenting an all-friendly budget 2018-19 with the focus on agriculture, health and education. Talking to private news channel, he said that practical measures have been announced for the progress of agriculture sectors and prosperity of cultivators while no burden had been put on poor and low-income people in the budget for next financial year 2018-19. He said the record sixth budget has taken care of the needs of the people and great incentives have been introduced with 10 percent raise in salaries and 50 percent increase in the house rent allowance for the government servants. He also hailed the increase in the pensions. Abdul Qayyum also appreciated that by giving relief to the farmers in the national budget the government have won the hearts of Kissans. Regarding the upcoming general elections, he said that people have been tremendously served and we will contest the general elections and get success. PML-N is a representative party of the people in all the four provinces. The people will definitely reward the PML-N in next general elections. He added that transparency, speed and completion of high-quality development projects are characteristics of the PML-N government. The hard work done with honesty and zeal during the last four years is showing results and peaceful, prosperous and a secure Pakistan is our destination, he added. Senator highlighted that energy crisis and terrorism have been eliminated due to the sincere efforts of the PML-N government. Khartoum, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2018 ) :An insurgent group in Darfur claimed Saturday to have repelled government forces in fresh clashes in the war-torn region of western Sudan that the US says have displaced thousands of civilians. The new fighting, in the Jebel Marra mountains, comes despite a ceasefire unilaterally announced by Khartoum in early March, applying to Darfur and another conflict in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. "The regime's military tried to take our positions but we repulsed them," Noureddine Kouki, a spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid rebel group, told AFP. Washington confirmed on Friday fresh clashes have taken place in recent days, saying it was "deeply concerned" by the violence. "There are credible reports that villages were targeted for attack ... resulting in thousands of newly displaced civilians," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Friday. The fighting is between the SLA/AW group and Sudanese government forces in the Jebel Marra mountains and it has sent villagers fleeing into mountain hideouts and caves, the rebels say. An insurgency began in Darfur in 2003, as rebels rose up against Sudan's government, accusing it of marginalisation. Khartoum responded by using militias to crack down on rebels and since then, insurgent groups have fragmented, with fighting punctuated by periods of relative calm. "We call on all sides -- the government of Sudan forces, SLA/AW and armed tribal groups -- to immediately halt their provocative actions and violent responses," said Nauert. She also urged Khartoum to allow "immediate and unhindered" access to peacekeepers and aid agencies to enable them to deliver humanitarian aid to those displaced by violence. Khartoum restricts international media access to Darfur, an area about the size of France, so it is not possible to independently verify the details of fighting there. Sudanese authorities could not be reached for comment. The United Nations says that over the years the conflict has killed about 300,000 people and displaced more than 2.5 million, with many having set up home over the last decade and a half in sprawling semi-permanent camps. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide related to the conflict in Darfur. He denies the charges. Khartoum insists the conflict has ended in Darfur. A joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force is being downscaled, now standing at around 10,000 uniformed personnel, from a peak of about 27,000. A separate conflict erupted in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, both bordering South Sudan, in 2011. Tirana, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2018 ) :Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill celebrated mass in Tirana on Sunday, the highlight of his first visit to the mainly Muslim Albania. "We, Orthodox Christians living in various countries, share the same values, and we must follow them," Kirill told hundreds of faithful in Tirana's Orthodox cathedral. In a country of 2.9 million known for its religious tolerance, Orthodox Christians make up seven percent of the population, behind the 10 percent who are Catholic and the majority Muslims who account for 56 percent, according to the 2011 census. Kirill, 71, is the spiritual leader of more than half of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians. Kirill hailed the Albanian church's "resistance" during a half-century of communist rule, when more than 100 members of the clergy including seven bishops died in detention or were executed for their religious conviction. More than 1,800 churches were destroyed between 1945 and 1985. Kirill also praised the "renaissance of faith" the country has seen since the fall of communism in the early 1990s. "Our Church is marked by the spirit of peaceful coexistence among all religious communities, and the visit by Patriarch Kirill is an affirmation of these values," said Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, the head of the Albanian Orthodox Church. Kirill, who arrived in Tirana on Saturday, was to meet Albanian President Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday. File picture of a child waiting for Pope Francis on his visit to Africa in 2015 Zambias Bishop of Monze Diocese who is also the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Director for Communications, Bishop Moses Hamungole has opened a meeting of Africas Secretaries General with a call for them to read widely; be up-to-date with current issues and provide competent counsel to Bishops. By Mwenya Mukuka Zambia SECAM meeting in Livingstone, Zambia A meeting of Secretaries General under the auspices of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) is currently taking place in Zambias tourist town of Livingstone. Speaking during the inauguration of the gathering, Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Director for Communication who is also the Bishop of Monze Diocese, Moses Hamungole, called on Secretaries General to ensure that Catholic Secretariats employ competent, professional, well-motivated, and disciplined staff. Secretaries General must be good stewards Bishop Hamungole appealed to the Secretaries General to be good stewards of Episcopal Conferences by managing human, material and financial resources well. Be the vision and mission bearers of the Church Bishop Hamungole further said that Catholic Bishops expect their Secretaries General to be up to date with social, political, economic and religious developments adding that they must read widely and be in a position to offer competent counsel to their conferences. The ZCCB Bishop Director for Communications challenged Secretaries Generals to be the vision and mission bearers of the Church in the country or region. During the homily, in the Opening Mass, Bishop Hamungole further challenged the Secretaries General to plan for a vibrant Church. The SECAM meeting, which is being held in Livingstone from 18 to 23 April 2018, has attracted over 52 delegates. SECAM, comprising all national and regional episcopal conferences in Africa is a continental organisation of African Bishops that came out of the Second Vatican Council experience. African Bishops resolved, at the time, to create a continental structure whose mission would be to build the African Church as a Family of God. SECAM secretariat is in Accra, Ghana. Pope Francis addresses the pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for the Regina Coeli (AFP or licensors) Pope Francis hailed the positive outcome of the Inter-Korean Summit saying he is praying for a future of peace for Koreans and for the world. He also mentioned the violence against Catholic communities in Nigeria and prayed for the achievement of harmony and peace there. By Linda Bordoni Calling for continued collaboration between the leaders of North and South Korea, Pope Francis said he is praying that their courageous commitment may achieve a path of sincere dialogue for a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons. Collaboration between Koreas Speaking after the Regina Coeli prayer in St. Peters Square on Sunday, the Pope hailed the positive outcome of Fridays Inter-Korean Summit and said he is praying so that the hope for a future of peace and more fraternal friendship will not be disappointed, and that collaboration will continue to bear fruit for the beloved Korean people and for the whole world. Pope Francis has repeatedly prayed for dialogue and peace between the Koreas and for the historic Summit on Friday in which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in agreed to work to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Christians in Nigeria The Pope also turned his attention and offered his prayers to Christians in Nigeria that, yet again, have come under attack. Last week the Christian community of Nigeria was attacked again, and a group of faithful were killed, including two priests he said. I entrust these brothers of ours to the mercy of God, he continued, and pray so that those severely tested communities may find harmony and peace. Invitation to pray for peace in Syria Finally, the Pope looked ahead to the Marian month of May inviting all Christians to join him in praying in particular for peace in Syria. He said that on May 1st he will undertake a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love where he will pray the Rosary, praying in particular for peace in Syria and throughout the world. A view of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City where Fr. Reyes was based A Mexican Priest kidnapped earlier this month, has been found dead, even though the ransom was paid. James Blears reports this is the third killing of a Priest in Mexico, during little more than a week. By James Blears Father Jose Moises Fabila Reyes aged eighty three, had been based at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City since 2001. On April 3rd he was kidnapped during a trip, to the nearby City of Cuernavaca. A ransom of two million pesos, which is equivalent to 106,000 dollars was paid, but it didn't save his life. His body was found in Cuernavaca. Police say forensic tests show, Father Jose who suffered from a heart condition, was dead before the ransom was paid. They also say evidence is emerging that he was followed and shadowed, leading up to the carefully planned abduction. Father Jose was ordained in 1961. His Congregation, say he was a gentle, kind man who kept a low profile. Five Priests have been murdered in Mexico this year. Twenty four have been murdered in Mexico since 2012. Listen to James Blears' report Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada (RTSNV), the local affiliate of the national nonprofit Rebuilding Together, celebrated National Rebuilding Day on Saturday, April 28. Twenty-two teams comprised of more than 1,000 RTSNV volunteers revitalized 18 homes in Las Vegas, Clark County and Henderson at no cost to recipients, who often live with limited resources and must choose food and needed medicine over critical home repairs (Pictured: Volunteer from Mortenson-McCarthy). The homes selected by RTSNV received critical repairs as well as maintenance work. Critical repairs include installation of new plumbing and HVAC systems; roof repair; water heater INSERT ment; ADA modifications such of grab bars, safety rails and other accessibility adjustments; and other major home rehabilitation work. Maintenance work completed by volunteer teams on National Rebuilding Day includes exterior painting, xeriscaping, property clean up, debris removal and other minor repairs. Our work extends far beyond the four walls of the home to impact the health and vibrancy of peoples lives and entire neighborhoods, said Bob Cleveland, executive Director at RTSNV. The repairs we make on National Rebuilding Day and throughout the year transform the lives of our neighbors in need by reducing falls, health and safety hazards and improving safety and mobility. Those who made repairs to the 18 homes include volunteer teams from Bishop Gorman High School; Home Depot; Sears Heroes at Home program; Wells Fargo; Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP); Chase Bank; Las Vegas Metro Police Department; Las Vegas Fire Department; Mortenson-McCarthy; St. Rose Dominican Hospital; Southwest Gas; The PENTA Building Group; CBRE Las Vegas; The Raymond Group; National Title Co.; University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV); Keller Williams Realty; NV Energy; United States Air Force (USAF); Sherwin Williams; Aqua Plumbing LLC; Capital One; and Mission Support & Test Services. Too many of our neighbors throughout the country suffer from the health and economic consequences of living in substandard housing and unsafe communities, said Caroline Blakely, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together. National Rebuilding Month serves as a call to action to encourage everyone to support their neighbors, strengthen their community and ensure everyone is living in safe and healthy homes. April is National Rebuilding Month, Rebuilding Togethers month-long call to service, which concludes on National Rebuilding Day. Throughout the month, more than 33,000 volunteers came together to complete more than 1,300 rebuild projects across the country. Pakistani police said a U.S. embassy vehicle driven by a diplomat Sunday night hit and injured two motorcyclists in Islamabad, the second such accident in three weeks involving an American official. The capital citys police identified the diplomat as second secretary Chad Rex Ausburn, saying he was instantly detained along with his vehicle and that an investigation into the incident was underway. But police officials expected Ausburn to be released after recording his statement. He was still detained awaiting confirmation of diplomatic immunity. When asked by VOA for information on the incident, a U.S. embassy spokesperson promised to get back. The motorcyclist and another person on the bike received multiple injuries, but doctors at a city hospital said their condition was stable. Police would not say whether Ausburn was to be blamed for the accident. First incident On April 7, the defense attache at the U.S. embassy, Col. Joseph Emanuel Hall, ran a red light on a main Islamabad road, killing a motorcyclist and seriously injuring another person on the bike. U.S. officials expressed their "deep sympathy to the family of the deceased and those injured," and pledged to fully cooperate with local authorities in the investigation. Halls name has since been placed on Pakistans black list, preventing him from leaving the country pending a court case against him. Raja Khalid, deputy attorney general, informed the high court in Islamabad last Tuesday that the U.S. defense attache could neither be tried nor arrested because the Vienna Convention guarantees immunity to designated diplomats from criminal jurisdiction. Khalid emphasized the diplomat could only be tried if the U.S. waived his immunity. The court will reconvene later this week for a fresh hearing. Diplomatic tensions The two accidents come amid Islamabads increased diplomatic tensions with Washington over allegations Pakistan harbors terrorist sanctuaries. Pakistani officials reject these allegations, saying they are baseless. Last week, a senior Department of State official, Alice Wells, visited Islamabad and took up, among other subjects, Halls case in meetings with top foreign ministry officials. During the talks, Pakistani officials demanded a waiver of diplomatic immunity so that Hall could be prosecuted. But Wells reportedly refused the demand. The U.S. government also has recently notified Islamabad that Pakistani diplomats will be placed under new travel restrictions starting May 1, underscoring a consistent deterioration in bilateral ties. Arizona teachers' walkout over pay and education funding appears headed into a second week as major school districts say schools will remain closed Monday. The unprecedented statewide job action began Thursday and continued Friday, resulting in closures of schools that educate the vast majority of the state's 1.1 million public school students. Recent teacher protests in Arizona and Colorado have followed similar job actions in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Arizona districts whose websites on Saturday displayed notices saying schools will be closed included several in Phoenix and its suburbs and others in cities across the state, including Tucson, Flagstaff and Sierra Vista. Republican Governor Doug Ducey and GOP legislative leaders said Friday that they had reached a budget agreement to boost teacher pay by 20 percent by 2020. "This plan benefits our children's education across the state, and we are working through the weekend to introduce a budget early next week and pass it shortly thereafter,'' Ducey said in the statement with Senate President Steve Yarbrough and Speaker J.D. Mesnard. Concerns remain Leaders of teacher groups said Saturday that the announced agreement at this point was only a press release and that their other concerns remained unaddressed. "We have no bill. We have no deal. The devil is in the details,'' Joe Thomas, Arizona Education Association president, and Noah Karvelis, Arizona Educators United organizer, said in a joint statement. Custodian Jaime Cordona vacuums an empty second-grade classroom at San Marcos Elementary School, April 26, 2018, in Chandler, Ariz. Teachers in Arizona and Colorado walked out over low salaries, keeping hundreds of thousands of students out of school. Walkout organizers from the start haven't said how long the protest would last, and some parents knew of the possibility of demonstrations continuing. Physician's assistant Brooke Morrow, 37, was able to take time off from work Thursday and took her 9-year-old daughter to an indoor trampoline park in Phoenix. But things will get trickier if schools remain closed Monday, she said. My husband will have to find some flexibility. We'll use Grandma. We'll use neighbors,'' Morrow said. The Sierra Vista Unified School District in southeastern Arizona said its schools "will reopen when administration can verify we have sufficient supervision in our schools for safe operations, or when the state walkout has been concluded.'' "We realize our closures are causing inconveniences for our parents and community. We thank you for your patience as we work through this time,'' the district's notice added. Scottsdale Unified in suburban Phoenix said its schools would remain closed Monday but reopen Tuesday. Teachers not planning to return Tuesday will need to use leave time. "This is an historic moment in Arizona and we will continue to support educators who have united to demand better for our children. We are hearing from teachers and other staff who wish to return to work and from families who are anxious to know when students can return to school,'' acting Superintendent Amy Fuller said in a statement. Members of a Central American migrant caravan that drew the wrath of President Donald Trump during its month-long journey through Mexico to the U.S. border faced hard choices on Sunday, as they decided whether to cross illegally into the United States, ask for asylum at the border or try to remain in Mexico. U.S. border authorities said Saturday that some people associated with the caravan had already been caught trying to slip through the fence and encouraged the rest to hand themselves in to authorities. We are a very welcoming country but just like your own house, we expect everyone to enter through our front door, and answer questions honestly, San Diego Chief Patrol Agent Rodney S. Scott said in a statement. The group of about 400 migrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador arrived in border city Tijuana on buses over the past couple of days, and most of them said Saturday they intended to legally seek asylum in San Diego on Sunday. I feel a little cold, I feel anxious, said Jaime Alexander from El Salvador in the morning, shaking slightly. Later he and some other migrants will go to the border and attempt to request U.S. asylum. U.S. authorities have advised that there may be delays in their ability to process the migrants and that some may need to wait in Mexico as [border officials] work to process those already within our facilities. A security guard back home, Alexander said he fled after a death threat. His feet are still swollen from days of walking as the group made its way to the border. Legal advice Lawyers advising the group warned the migrants on Saturday that not everyone will be successful. Asylum seekers must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution at home and the overwhelming majority of those from Central America are denied refuge in the United States. Those denied asylum are generally deported to their home countries. After the grueling journey, a somber mood took hold in Tijuana over the weekend as migrants faced an uncertain future in which they are likely to be detained and separated from friends and family. To anyone that is associated with this caravan, Think Before You Act, Scotts statement said, vowing to prosecute migrants entering the country illegally. If anyone has encouraged you to illegally enter the United States, or make any false statements to U.S. government officials, they are giving you bad advice and they are placing you and your family at risk. At venues around Tijuana, volunteer U.S. immigration lawyers on Saturday listened to harrowing tales of life in the immigrants home countries. Death threats from local gangs, the murder of family members, retaliatory rape, and political persecution back home prompted them to flee, the migrants told the lawyers. Many of the migrants who spoke at length with Reuters at various points during their trip through Mexico recounted detailed stories of facing death threats. 'Credible fear' test The lawyers advised which cases had a better chance of passing the credible fear test required to enter the long and often difficult U.S. asylum process, said immigrant rights organization Al Otro Lado, Spanish for On the Other Side. Migrants without strong asylum cases were advised to remain in Mexico, although the Mexican government has not said whether it will allow them to stay. Well wait and see, said Bryan Garcia, from Honduras, seated beside the four-year-old daughter of his new girlfriend as they waited for her mother to come out of a meeting with a lawyer. Nicole and her mother are from El Salvador. They befriended Garcia along the caravans journey. Garcia said he would not ask for asylum but would stay in Tijuana, having already been deported once from the U.S. Well just have to try to stay connected, he said as Nicole paused from eating her biscuit and blinked up at him. Trump pressured Mexico to stop the migrants before they reached the border, linking the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to Mexican efforts to stem the flow of Central Americans. The friction has coincided with high intensity efforts by U.S., Canadian and Mexican teams to renegotiate NAFTA at Trumps bidding. Negotiators trying to hammer out a NAFTA deal said on Friday they will take a break until May 7. Mexico deports tens of thousands of Central Americans every year back across its southern border with Guatemala. Former Malawi President Joyce Banda has returned to her country after more than three years, where she faces possible graft charges. Banda arrived in Lilongwe, the capital, on Saturday after spending three years outside the country, serving as a fellow at two think tanks in Washington, D.C. A crowd of supporters was waiting for her at the airport when she arrived. Her spokesman said she would be going straight to her home. She is expected to make public remarks at a rally on Sunday. In the past, Banda said she would be willing to stand for re-election in 2019, but has not said recently whether she plans to run. She served as Malawi's president from 2012 to 2014 but was implicated in a corruption scandal known as "Cashgate" that erupted in 2013. After she lost the election, Banda was subject to an arrest warrant and left the country shortly thereafter. Earlier this year, Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau said it had no solid evidence against the former president. Police have not said whether they will pursue the matter now that she has returned to the country. Banda was the country's first female leader and the second female leader on the African continent. She founded the People's Party in 2011 and remains its leader. The Cashgate scheme in 2013 involved $30 million that government officials were alleged to have taken from government coffers. The scandal resulted in many of Malawi's foreign donors withdrawing funds, which hampered development in the aid-dependent country. Iran's judiciary has confirmed the arrest of a British-Iranian university professor on security charges. Abbas Edalat, a computer scientist and mathematician at Imperial College London, was reportedly arrested earlier this month by the Revolutionary Guard, which has detained several dual-nationals in recent years. Iran's official IRNA news agency on Sunday quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi as saying Edalat had been detained on "security charges," without elaborating. It was the first official confirmation of his arrest. On Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency said Edalat was one of several people arrested by the Guard over accusations of being part of a "network affiliated with Britain." Edalat had actively campaigned against Western military action targeting Iran. A court in Iraq has sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining the Islamic State terrorist group. The Central Criminal Court in Baghdad, which deals with terrorism cases, also sentenced six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan to life in prison on Sunday on the same charge. Most of the defendants told the court they had been brought to Iraq against their will from Turkey by IS fighters. Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry said between 50 and 70 "Russian-speaking women" were being held in Iraq, along with more than 100 of their children. IS took over nearly one third of Iraq in a blistering 2014 offensive, seizing control of the country's second largest city, Mosul, among others. Baghdad declared military victory over the jihadists in December, after expelling them from all urban centers. Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership. There is no official figure. Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS. From the shores of Lake Chad, Islamic States West African ally is on a mission: winning over the local people. Digging wells, giving out seeds and fertilizer and providing safe pasture for herders are among the inducements offered by Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA), which split from Nigerias Boko Haram in 2016. If you are a herder, driver or trader, they wont touch you just follow their rules and regulations governing the territory, said a herder, who moves cattle in and out of ISWA territory and whose identity Reuters is withholding for his safety. They dont touch civilians, just security personnel. The campaign, which has created an economy for ISWA to tax, is part of the armed insurgent groups push to control territory in northeastern Nigeria and in Niger. Territory stretches 100 miles ISWA stretches farther and is more entrenched than officials have acknowledged, according to witnesses, people familiar with the insurgency, researchers and Western diplomats who have for the first time provided details of the groups growing efforts to establish a form of administration in the Lake Chad area. A map produced by the U.S. development agency in February and seen by Reuters shows ISWA territory extending more than 100 miles into the northeastern Nigerian states of Borno and Yobe, where government has in many areas all but vanished after a decade of conflict. The Islamists have not been defeated, as Nigeria says, and researchers say ISWA, less extreme than Boko Haram, has evolved into the dominant group. The U.S. map paints a similar picture, with ISWA operating in much of Borno. Islamic State has a terrible reputation for being so brutal around the world, and people cant imagine an Islamic State faction could be more moderate (than Boko Haram), said Jacob Zenn, of The Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C. Greater threat than Boko Haram The Lake Chad countries Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon have long neglected the region, allowing ISWA to create a stronghold from which to launch attacks. Its gains contrast with setbacks for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. It makes sense for ISWA to organize the local economy and raise taxes, said Vincent Foucher, who studies Boko Haram at the French National Centre for Science Research. It opens the longer game of trying to create a connection to people, he said, adding that if ISWA succeeds it may become a greater threat than Boko Haram. In 2015, Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari pledged to finish off Boko Haram. Officials maintain this has been achieved, although the conflict continues into its 10th year. A presidency spokesman declined to comment for this story. They are not a government Analysts estimate that ISWA has 3,000-5,000 fighters, about double Boko Harams strength. But ISWAs territory is not completely secure. The Nigerian air force often bombs, and troops from Lake Chad countries attack the insurgents domain around its shores and islands. Nigerias armed forces just see them as Boko Haram, said Brigadier General John Agim, spokesman for the Nigerian military, at a briefing. We are not interested in the faction, what has that got to do with it? They are not a government, they kidnap girls from schools, Agim told Reuters in a separate interview. The military has announced an operation to totally destroy Boko Haram locations in the Lake Chad Basin ISWAs domain and end the insurgency within four months. But ISWA has so far proved intractable in its Lake Chad bases, where troops have been unable to make effective inroads, according to a Western diplomat who follows the group. The Nigerian military had completely lost the initiative against the insurgency, they said. The diplomat said ISWA was ready to cede less important areas because the military cannot hold them. However, they maintain absolute control over the islands and immediate areas near them where they train, live, etc. The U.S., British and French militaries are helping regional governments with intelligence and training. Western officials declined, or did not respond to, requests for comment. Protection from Boko Haram ISWA protects locals from Boko Haram, something Nigerias army cannot always do. That, according to one of the people with knowledge of the insurgency, has won the group local backing and eroded support for the military. ISWA is led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the son of Boko Harams founder, Muhammed Yusuf, whose killing by police in 2009 sparked an Islamist insurgency in Nigeria that, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, has so far cost more than 34,000 lives. ISWAs leaders keep a low profile, not appearing in videos or claiming responsibility for attacks, possibly to avoid the international media, and the ire of regional governments. Reuters was unable to contact the group for comment. This contrasts with the wholesale violence of Boko Haram under the publicity-hungry Abubakar Shekau, who has executed even close lieutenants. His group has strapped suicide bombs to women and children to attack civilians in mosques, markets and refugee camps. Spies everywhere Boko Haram and ISWA are bloody rivals, but some travelers in ISWA territory feel safer than elsewhere in Nigerias northeast. They have checkpoints for stop and search, and if you are a regular visitor they know you, said a second herder, adding that ISWA has spies everywhere, including informers who alert them to military attacks. He described seeing Islamic States black flags and said preachers were used to win people over. Under ISWA, men must wear long beards, nighttime movements are restricted, and prayers are compulsory, the herder said. Offenders can get 40 lashes. The herders said ISWA provides safe grazing for about 2,500 naira ($8) a cow and 1,500 naira ($5) for smaller animals. ISWA also runs slaughterhouses for the cattle, taking a cut for each animal, as well as from other activities like gathering firewood. Supply and demand Maiduguri is the biggest city in Nigerias northeast, the center of the militarys fight against Boko Haram. But rural areas largely remain no-go zones for the authorities. It is there that ISWA is making its mark, offering people protection, particularly from Boko Haram. Al-Barnawi is sending people into IDP (displaced persons) camps to encourage people to return and farm, and the people are, said a person with knowledge of ISWAs activities. The person said Nigerias military plays into the insurgents hands by shutting down markets to deny supplies to the group, while ISWA encourages business. They are friendly and nice to those who come to the area, while they indoctrinate other people and sometimes they bring motorcycles for those who want to join them, a charcoal maker said. Distant relations Despite its name, experts believe ISWAs ties to Islamic State in the Middle East are limited. Whats clear from ISWA primary source documents is that ISWA has asked IS for theological guidance on who it is lawful to attack, said Zenn. Daily activities, including military operations, are left to its leaders, he said. Others say the insurgency lacks the broader appeal of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. ISWA is the largest IS affiliate, but its very much a Nigerian organization. It doesnt have foreign fighters coming, its hard to get to this place, said the Western diplomat. What fighters it does have can carry out targeted attacks, including the February kidnapping of 100 schoolgirls from the town of Dapchi, most later released without explanation, and a deadly raid on a Nigerian military base in March. But ISWA faces a dilemma: while wooing the population, it has harshly punished those who resist it, for example massacring dozens of fishermen last August, and this could hurt its standing with local people. Its important not to paint too rosy a picture, said Foucher, the researcher. Law enforcement authorities in the United States, European Union and Canada this week began a joint cybercampaign against Islamic State online communication channels that will "severely disrupt" the group's propaganda machine, the EU's law enforcement agency Europol said. The multinational action, led by Belgian federal prosecutors, was launched Wednesday and Thursday and targeted IS media outlets, including Amaq news, al-Bayan radio, Halumu and Nashir news. IS's Amaq news agency is believed to be a major propaganda outlet for the terror group. The group relies on the outlet to spread propaganda in several languages, including English and French. Amaq has broadcast claims of responsibility for deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Barcelona. "With this groundbreaking operation we have punched a big hole in the capability of IS to spread propaganda online and radicalize young people in Europe," Rob Wainwright, the head of Europol, said in a statement released Friday. "I applaud the determined and innovative work by Europol and its partners to target a major part of the international terrorist threat prevalent in Europe today," he added. Earlier efforts This is not the first time Western countries joined forces to crack down on IS propaganda capabilities. A coordinated effort in August 2016 hit Amaq's mobile application and web infrastructure. Another multinational operation led by Spanish Guardia Civil in June 2017 against the outlet helped authorities identify radicalized individuals in over 100 countries around the world. Europol claimed the two-day effort this week led to the seizure of digital evidence by law enforcement authorities and compromised IS broadcast capabilities and materials. Europol authorities said the data retrieved as a result of the crackdown would be used to identify the administrators behind IS media outlets. In a separate statement, Belgian police said the operation also aimed to seize and shut down computer servers used to spread terror propaganda in Europe. Over the years, IS has weaponized the internet to radicalize, recuit and inspire acts of terrorism in the West and around the world. The group's ability to produce and distribute new propaganda has been significantly diminished since it lost nearly 98 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria, and social media giants Facebook, Google and Twitter increased their efforts to remove radical content from the internet. VOA Turkish service's Arzu Cakir contributed to this report from Paris. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she and the leaders of France and Britain are ready to push back if the Trump administration does not permanently exempt the European Union from new import taxes on aluminum and steel imports. Merkel said in a statement that she spoke with President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday and Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday after returning from Friday talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. Merkel says the three leaders "agreed that the U.S. ought not to take any trade measures against the European Union," which is "resolved to defend its interests within the multilateral trade framework." The chancellor's statement did not outline specific steps the 28-nation EU might take. The EU's temporary exemption from the tariffs expires Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as Americas top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. Hes also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo was meeting Sunday with Saudi King Salman, whose country along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates is embroiled in a row with Qatar that has hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. The ex-CIA chief arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabias southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Irans missiles Senior U.S. officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administrations push to counter Iranian-supported aggression in the region. Iran has backed the Houthi rebellion in Yemen and is helping Syrian President Bashar Assads government fight rebels there. The officials, who were not authorized to preview Pompeos discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Irans long- and medium-range missile programs had to be countered as part of efforts to strengthen the Iran nuclear deal, from which President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw by mid-May. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian people, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said hed also stress the U.S. commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. Qatar dispute As part of the anti-Iran push, the officials said Pompeo would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. The crisis erupted last summer, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE blocked the country, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the U.S., including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proved unsuccessful. The split gives Iran room to play and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combating violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. Pompeos meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that have potential to further roil the volatile region. Key dates in the region Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. That will mark a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the nabka, or catastrophe, when they fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent violent protests along border between Israel and Gaza. Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trumps policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces from the country and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. "Whenever I was with her, I was open. I could talk ... my sexuality does not define who I am." These words are from a new book, "She Called Me Woman: Nigerias Queer Women Speak." The new book, released this week, is a collection of interviews with two dozen women. It offers an unprecedented window into what it means to be a queer woman in Nigeria, where homosexuality is illegal. Intimate interviews The book recounts a series of intimate interviews with 25 lesbian Nigerian women of various religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. "I'm really nervous and Im also nervous about the reception of Nigerians to the book," Woman A, as she asked to be referred to, told VOA. Woman A, one of the women featured in the book, said most queer Nigerian women are like her, living in the closet. In 2014, Nigeria banned same-sex marriage. The law is far-reaching. It also bans any cohabitation or public displays of affection, like kissing or hand holding, between same-sex partners. Anyone who breaks the law could face up to 14 years in prison. There is also a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs or organizations. Human Rights Watch said with the law, Nigeria effectively criminalized being LGBTQ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. Thats what makes this book so groundbreaking. One woman reveals she lives in Abuja with her partner, which is illegal. She says it's nice to wake up in the morning and have a cup of tea ready for her. Another woman speaks with anguish about the religious dilemma she faces being queer and Christian in Nigeria. Azeenarh Mohammed, one of the books editors, helped capture the one-on-one interviews. She said discussions of homosexuality in Africa focus on men. Lesbians have been excluded. "There was an erasure of them. We said they really need to be heard and the reason why they hadnt been heard is because the mic had not been passed to them. So we tried to do that with the book to let them be heard in their own voice with their own words," Mohammed told VOA. Bracing for a backlash The book has garnered buzz on social media. Many people say theyre worried that homosexual lifestyles may become normalized in Nigerian society. Others say they have already pre-ordered the book in anticipation. The book was published and released in the U.K., but the books editors say it will soon be available in Nigeria. They are bracing for backlash. In the past, the Nigerian government has banned controversial art, including books. "Personally, Im curious, and Im definitely going to read this book. To hear that theres women talking about the fact that theyre queer and what they want to do is get with other women I think, to even be talking about it, Im excited that were talking about it. I think this book is needed, said Rosemary Ajuka, a feminist and media professional based in the Nigerias business hub of Lagos. The books release comes as authorities in Kenya ban the new film by celebrated Kenyan director Waniru Kahiu. Called "Rafiki," it's a coming-of-age story about two girls falling in love. It will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the first feature-length Kenyan film ever to do so. "Inxeba," another controversial film, won six South African Film and Television Awards in March, despite campaigns to ban it by community groups and political leaders. The film portrays two boys developing a sexual attraction for each other while participating in a cultural rite of passage ceremony for young men from the Xhosa ethnic group. The film was removed from some cinemas in South Africa. Optimistic but cautious An oft-repeated sentiment is that homosexuality is un-African. "Which is ridiculous, before just look at Nigeria, for instance," Mohammed said. "Homosexuality and queer identity is portrayed in the cultures of many ethnic groups. And even across Africa, there is evidence that predates colonialism that people were involved in same-sex romantic relationships." She said shes hopeful that attitudes will change. Asked what impact their book may have in Nigeria, Woman A is cautious. "I wish someday I will be able to live openly, but until then" Until then, she said, she will keep living "in the closet." U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to reset his relationship with Africa on Monday, as he hosted Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari is the first sub-Saharan African leader to have a White House summit with Trump, who has been criticized for reportedly making derogatory comments about Africa. During his public remarks with Buhari, Trump focused mostly on common goals and shared interests, such as fighting terrorism and expanding trade. "We love helicopters he loves them more than I do," joked Trump, referring to his administration's decision to approve a $600 million military sales deal to Nigeria. Buhari thanked Trump for approving the deal, which the administration of former President Barack Obama had suspended over allegations of human rights abuses. "I worked it out so that now you can buy the helicopters that you want," Trump said, adding, "We make the best military equipment in the world, and our friends can now buy it." Human rights groups have accused the Nigerian military of torture, rape and extrajudicial killing in its almost decade-long campaign against the Boko Haram extremist group. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the insurgency, and hundreds of schoolgirls kidnapped, as the group gained notoriety and spread to neighboring countries, posing one of the most severe threats to West Africa's Sahel region in recent years. Relationship challenges Although Nigeria has been a major partner in the U.S. fight against Islamist extremists in Africa, relations have faced challenges over the past year. In January, Nigeria joined a list of outraged African countries demanding an explanation from the U.S. ambassador after Trump's reported vulgar comments referring to African countries. Asked whether those comments came up during his private meeting with Trump, Buhari declined to comment. "I'm very careful with what the press says about other than myself. I'm not sure about, you know, the validity or whether that allegation was true or not. So, the best thing for me is to keep quiet," Buhari said. Trump then chimed in: "We didn't discuss it because the president knows me and where I'm coming from." He added, "And you do have some countries that are in very bad shape and very tough places." WATCH: Buhari US visit Expanded trade? Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with at least 186 million people, and has a quickly growing economy. Buhari's trip is meant, in part, to secure more U.S. investment. Trump said the U.S. "hopes to be the economic partner of choice for nations across the continent." That comment was presumably aimed at China, which is currently the top investor in Nigeria. But the U.S. leader stressed he wants the U.S.-Nigeria relationship to be based "on the principle of fairness and reciprocity." "We give Nigeria well over $1 billion in aid every year, and we have already started talking to the president about taking down the very substantial trade barriers," Trump said. "We think we are owed that," he added. Pakistani prison authorities have moved the jailed doctor believed to have helped the CIA hunt down Osama bin Laden, his attorney said Saturday, speculating it could be a prelude to his release. The continued imprisonment of Dr. Shakil Afridi has long been a source of tension between Pakistan and the United States, which cut military aid over accusations Pakistan continues to shelter Taliban militants fighting U.S. and Afghan soldiers across the border in Afghanistan. A jail official in the northwestern city of Peshawar told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Afridi had been transferred to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, but said the reasons were unclear and could simply be security-related. Afridis lawyer, Qamar Nadeem, confirmed the transfer of his client but said he was not sure where he was now. Judicial officials could not be reached Saturday, nor could embassy officials for the United States, which has for years called on Pakistan to release Afridi. Accused of treason Afridi was accused of treason after word spread he had helped the CIA collect genetic samples of the bin Laden family, paving the way for a U.S. Navy SEAL raid in 2011 in the town of Abbottabad that killed the al-Qaida leader accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people. He was arrested days after the U.S. operation, which Pakistan called a violation of its sovereignty, and charged with aiding terrorists. Afridi was sentenced to 23 years in jail for financing terrorism. That conviction was overturned in 2013, but he is still serving time for other terrorism-related convictions, his lawyer said. He also faced a murder trial related to the death of a patient more than a decade ago. However, the lawyer said Afridis latest sentence was reduced to seven years in a clemency action, and he had served about that amount of time already. So I think he can be released very soon, Nadeem told Reuters. There were no other immediate indications of any release in the works, however. US calls for Afridis safety A U.S. State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, called on the Pakistani government to ensure Afridis safety. We are aware of reports that Dr. Afridi has been transferred to another prison, and call on the Government of Pakistan to take all necessary measures to ensure Dr. Afridis safety, the official said. We dont have anything else at this time and would refer you to the government of Pakistan as to the reasons for his transfer, the official added. In January 2017, Pakistans then-law minister said the country would not release Afridi under any U.S. pressure. Afridi worked against the law and our national interest, and the Pakistan government has repeatedly been telling the United States that under our law he committed a crime and was facing the law, Zahid Hamid was quoted as saying at the time. Pollution of the ocean is a global issue and many countries are taking measures to prevent it. But in the case of Pakistan, no strategy has been developed to deal with pollution. Shayan Saleem from VOA's Urdu service, visited the port city of Karachi, for a look at the situation. Aman Azhar narrates his report. Tens of thousands of people have marched in northern Spain for a third consecutive day to protest the acquittal of five men on gang rape charges. Local police in Pamplona estimated the size of the crowd at Saturdays march at 35,000. An 18-year-old woman was attacked during the citys famed San Fermin bull-running festival in 2016. The five men, whose members named their WhatsApp group The Pack, were convicted Thursday on a lesser felony of sexual abuse and sentenced to nine years each in prison. Lawyers say the victim is appealing. The courts decision has also prompted thousands of women to share their experiences of abuse on Twitter under the hashtag #cuentalo, Spanish for #tell it. The Spanish government has announced plans to convene discussions on possible legal reforms. Fighting in northern Myanmar between government forces and the rebel Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, has forced more than 4,000 people to flee their homes. Col Naw Bu, a KIA spokesman, said the fighting will become "more intense" because the army is sending more troops to the area. Aid organizations have requested access to the clash-stricken, remote northeastern area near the country's border with China. Charities fear thousands of vulnerable people remain trapped since the fighting escalated in April. "Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians, including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities," Mark Cutts, the head of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told the French news agency. "We must ensure these people are protected." Elsewhere in Myanmar, envoys from the U.N. Security Council are expected Monday after visiting Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar where Rohingya Muslims fled after military-led violence erupted around their homes in Myanmar. The delegation arrived in Bangladesh Saturday for a first-hand look at the situation of the Rohingya. The U.N. envoys will meet with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before leaving for Myanmar where they will visit Rakhine State and meet with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Nearly 700,000 Rohingyas left Myanmar's Rakhine State after the violence started in late August 2017. Myanmar denies accusations of ethnic cleansing. Rohingyas in Myanmar have been denied citizenship even though many of their families have lived in Myanmar for generations. The Syrian army briefly captured a string of villages east of the Euphrates river Sunday before the territory was regained by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian state television said Sunday. SDF forces, largely led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said Sunday that they launched a counterattack against Syrian troops, driving them far away from the four previously captured villages. "Our forces regained the initiative," they said in a statement. Earlier Sunday, state media outlet SANA said that the Russia-backed Syrian army captured four villages previously held by the SDF near the provincial capital Deir el-Zour, without providing a motive for the move. The province, also called Deir el-Zour near the border with Iraq, had previously been held by Islamic State forces. Over the past year, the Syrian army has largely recaptured areas west of the Euphrates River, while the SDF have held areas east of the river. Clashes between the two forces have been rare, with the Syrian army focused on regaining territory from IS militants west of the river. Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that six SDF troops were killed and 22 injured in Sunday's fighting, adding that there were also casualties on the government side. Islamic State has lost most of its territory in Syria and was declared defeated in Iraq last December. But its remnants are taking refuge across the vast border region between Iraq and Syria and carrying out periodic terror attacks. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans joined a march for "Peace and Justice" called by the Catholic Church on Saturday, the second massive demonstration in less than a week following a wave of deadly protests against social security reforms. The two marches in Managua came after protests and looting last week that Nicaragua's Permanent Commission on Human Rights said left at least 63 people dead, 15 missing and more than 160 wounded by gunfire. The government of President Daniel Ortega has not confirmed or denied the casualty figures. Ortega, who began his third five-year term in office last year, withdrew the social security overhaul that sparked the social convulsion last Sunday and agreed to meet with different sectors of society. The rescinded changes would have imposed higher contributions by workers and employers and required retirees with pensions to give up 5 percent of their checks for medical care. But the protests, which have been largely led by university students, had expanded beyond the original opposition to the social security changes to include broader anti-government grievances. Protesters at times were met with violent police repression and attacks from Sandinista youth and motorcycle-riding thugs. Business sector behind march On Monday, Nicaragua's private business sector organized a march calling for social peace and an end to repression. It drew tens of thousands of participants, making it the largest demonstration seen against Ortega's Sandinista government. Saturday's march called by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua also drew tens of thousands of participants, including students, representatives of the private sector and opponents of the construction of an interoceanic canal. "We are going to march for peace so that there is justice. We Nicaraguans need a better country and we will achieve it," Silvio Baez, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Managua, told local media. Francisca Ramirez, a leader of the anti-canal movement, said that "it is time for Daniel Ortega to understand that he cannot continue doing whatever he wants with this country." "It has been enough. We want peace but with justice for the murders," Ramirez added. On Friday, National Assembly President Gustavo Porras announced the creation of a truth commission to look into the deaths and what happened in the protests and clashes, which were seen by Nicaraguan analysts and historians as the most violent and bloody since the Somoza dictatorship. Similar demonstrations were held Saturday in other cities such as Matagalpa and Leon. "I came because the young people who died deserve a tribute, that we march for the peace in the country, for justice and for the return of the democracy that has been kidnapped by this government," said Marlene Alvarez, 26, who works in a laboratory in the capital. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the government later this year if Congress does not approve enough funding for border security, including money to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Last month, Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill that keeps the government open until the end of September. Speaking at a campaign rally Saturday in Washington Township, Michigan, the president said the Congressional spending bill vote will come up again on September 28, but if it does not include money for the wall he will not sign the bill. "We need the wall. We're going to have it all," he told the crowd." And again, that wall has started. We got 1.6 billion. We come up again on September 28th and if we don't get border security, we'll have no choice. We'll close down the country because we need border security." Promising to build the border wall was a major component of Trump's presidential campaign platform. However, his fellow Republicans would probably not support Trump is he tries to shut down the government before the mid-term elections in November. But Trump warned the Michigan crowd that "A vote for a Democrat in November is a vote for open borders and crime." He said, "The open border policies of the Democratic Party are not just wrong, they're dangerous and they're in fact deadly." A U.N. Security Council team visiting Bangladesh promised Sunday to work hard to resolve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to the country to escape military-led violence in Myanmar. The diplomats, who visited the sprawling camps and border points where about 700,000 Rohingya have taken shelter, said their visit was an opportunity to see the situation firsthand. Russias ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, said he and his fellow team members would not look away from the crisis after their visit, though he warned that there were no simple solutions. Its very necessary to come and see everything at place here in Bangladesh and Myanmar. But there is no magic solution, there is no magic stick to solve all these issues, he said at a news conference at the Kutupalong refugee camp in the coastal town of Coxs Bazar. The team members will conclude their three-day visit to Bangladesh on Monday, when they leave for Myanmar. Latest violence The recent spasm of violence in Myanmar began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks Aug. 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. In a subsequent crackdown described by U.N. and U.S. officials as ethnic cleansing, Myanmar security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed. The diplomats, comprising representatives from the five permanent Security Council members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent member states, talked to some 120 refugees, including some rape victims. Perus ambassador to the U.N., Gustavo Adolfo Meza Cuadra Velasqez, said he and his fellow team members were ready to work hard and were very concerned about the crisis. Safe return home The refugees are seeking U.N. protection to return home. The U.N. refugee agency and Bangladesh recently finalized a memorandum of understanding that said the repatriation process must be safe, voluntary and dignified ... in line with international standards. Karen Pierce, the UKs ambassador to the United Nations, said the Security Council would continue to work on enabling the refugees to return to Myanmar. Rohingya are denied citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where theyve faced persecution for decades. Theyre derided as Bengalis, and many in Myanmar believe they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Muslims in an overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, most Rohingya live in poverty in Myanmars Rakhine state, next to Bangladesh. Thousands of refugees gathered at the Kutupalong camp to welcome the visiting delegation. They carried placards, some of which read, We want justice. We are not Bengali, we are Rohingya. They have killed my family members, they tortured us, they will kill us again, said one of the refugees, 29-year-old Mohammed Tayab, standing in front of a tent where he was waiting to meet the U.N. team. Tayab, who was using crutches, said he was shot by Myanmar troops in his right leg. He said he lost a brother, an uncle and a nephew after Myanmar soldiers shot them dead. I am here to talk to them, we want justice from them, he said of the diplomats. I will tell them my stories. They should listen to us. Kachin crisis While the U.N. is looking into the Rohingya crisis, a civil war is raging in northern Myanmar between government forces and another of the countrys minorities the Kachins. Its one of the longest-running wars on Earth, and it has intensified dramatically in recent months, with at least 10,000 people displaced since January alone, according to the United Nations. The crisis, though, is overshadowed even in Myanmar by violence against Rohingya in the west, nearly 700,000 of whom have been driven into exile by the military. While the conflicts differ, they share a tragic theme, said Zau Raw, who heads a rebel committee overseeing humanitarian aid in the mountainous sliver of territory the militants control along the Chinese frontier. Just like the Rohingya, the Kachin, who are mostly Christians, have begun to realize that the army wants to wipe us out, he said. This is a war to cleanse us. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear Sunday that President Donald Trump plans to abrogate the Iran nuclear deal next month unless it is "fixed" to the U.S. liking. Pompeo, in the Middle East on his first overseas trip as the top U.S. diplomat, said, "President Trumps been pretty clear, this deal is very flawed. Hes directed the administration to try and fix it and if we cant fix it hes going to withdraw from the deal. It's pretty straightforward." Speaking in Israel, he said that "unlike the past administration, President Trump has a comprehensive Iran strategy that is designed to counter the full array of threats emanating from Tehran." En route from Saudi Arabia to Israel, Pompeo told reporters that he had briefed Riyadh's leaders on U.S. talks with European officials on efforts to end Iranian missile tests and combat Tehran's military involvement in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the Mideast. He said the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have a "common challenge in Iran," but that "there's still some work to do" in crafting any changes to the 2015 nuclear deal or in creating a new pact. For its part, Iran has said it has no intention of altering the deal it agreed to with Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and the U.S. in any way or agreeing to a new nuclear pact. Trump faces a May 12 deadline whether to reimpose economic sanctions against Iran, pulling the U.S. out of the deal agreed to by former U.S. President Barack Obama. Trump stands alone among the six signatories to the accord in threatening to abrogate it. In Tel Aviv, Pompeo, after meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the U.S. remains "deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats towards Israel and the region." Earlier, in Riyadh, the new secretary of state said, "Iran destabilizes this entire region. It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It supports the murderous Assad regime [in Syria] as well." Pompeo stressed the need for unity among Persian Gulf allies of the U.S. to show support for new sanctions against Iran unless new restrictions are imposed on Iran's nuclear program. WATCH: Pompeo Middle East visit In Saudi Arabia, a senior policy adviser to Pompeo who is accompanying the secretary of state, called on European allies and other countries to impose sanctions on Iran to weaken its missile program. "We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," the adviser told reporters in Riyadh. The three-day trip also includes a stop in Jordan. In Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said he had discussed the nuclear deal with his NATO counterparts. Pompeo is said to be more "hawkish" on the Iranian government than his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, who wanted the U.S. to stay in the Iran nuclear agreement. Tillerson was abruptly fired by Trump last month, just hours after returning from a trip to Africa. Trump said he and Pompeo are much more "on the same wavelength" on Iran and other issues. A mystery is brewing at the White House about what happened to the oak tree President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron planted there last week. The sapling was a gift from Macron on the occasion of his state visit. News photographers snapped away Monday as Trump and Macron shoveled dirt onto the tree during a ceremonial planting on the South Lawn. By the end of the week, the tree was gone from the lawn. A pale patch of grass was left in its place. The White House hasn't offered an explanation. The oak sprouted at a World War I battle site that became part of U.S. Marine Corps legend. About 2,000 U.S. troops died in the June 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood, fighting a German offensive. HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean teachers will go on strike to demand an increase in salaries and allowances when schools reopen next month for the new term, the biggest teachers union said on Friday, as public sector labour unrest spreads to the education sector. Doctors and nurses have also staged strikes in the past month, increasing pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa ahead of elections set for July, the first since 94-year-old Robert Mugabe was forced to resign in a de facto army coup in November. In an effort to keep a lid on labour unrest, the government fired striking nurses after accusing them of a politically motivated move. Other workers have now returned to work. Wrapping up its annual general meeting in the resort town of Victoria Falls on Friday, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) agreed that its members would not attend classes when schools reopen for the second term on May 8. ZIMTA, which has 44,000 members, said salaries and allowances had not been increased since 2013, while the government still barred teachers from taking long leave, known as vacation leave, as had happened in the past. For the avoidance of doubt, our members will be on strike and will withdraw their labour effective the 8th of May, until the issues raised have been resolved, ZIMTA said in a statement signed by its president and secretary general. The other three unions would not immediately say whether they would join ZIMTA in the strike. The government employs more than 100,000 teachers. An entry level teacher earns a basic monthly pay of $286 before allowances, according to ZIMTA. Mnangagwa has said his priority is to revive the economy by opening up the country to foreign investment and repairing relations with the West, but he faces pressure to deliver quickly from an expectant public sector ahead of the elections. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe Editing by Gareth Jones) Stratovolcano 3,763 m / 12,346 ftGuatemala, 14.47N / -90.88W(4 out of 5)1581, 1585, 1586, 1587, 1614, 1617, 1620, 1623, 1629, 1679(?), 1685, 1686, 1689(?), 1699, 1702, 1705, 1706, 1709(?), 1710,1717,1730, 1732, 1737, 1751(?), 1765(?), 1773(?), 1799, 1826, 1829, 1850(?), 1852(?), 1855, 1856, 1857, 1860, 1861(?), 1867(?), 1880, 1896, 1932, 1944, 1949, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1999, 2002 - ongoingDominantly explosive, construction of lava domes and extrusion of viscous lava flows. In near constant activity, at least during the past centuries.(15-day study trip and expedition to Guatemala's volcanoes)(8-day volcano tour to Pacaya and Fuego, Guatemala) If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online: We offer a broad variety of tours to volcanic areas: volcano expeditions and specials, discovery tours with hiking, photography, nature and culture, pilot tours and private custom tours. The Kuril islands form one of the most active volcanic chains in the world, but are very difficult to access. From time to time, we organize expeditions to some of these remote and still unspoiled islands. Adventure guaranteed! Impressions from our Tour to Kamchakta during Sep 2018: northern group of volcanoes, Karymsky, and the southern plateau with Mutnovsky and Gorely. Do you know which is the biggest volcano in the world? Support us - Help us upgrade our services! 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The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Ken Leishman was the unlikeliest of folk heroes. Despite numerous trips to, and escapes from, prison in the 1950s and 60s, the Flying Bandit wasnt considered a public enemy. Instead, he became a media celebrity and a respected community leader. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/4/2018 (1255 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ken Leishman was the unlikeliest of folk heroes. Despite numerous trips to, and escapes from, prison in the 1950s and 60s, the "Flying Bandit" wasnt considered a public enemy. Instead, he became a media celebrity and a respected community leader. William Kenneth Leishman was born on a farm near Holland, Man., July 20, 1931, the middle child of Norman and Irene Leishman. The March 1966 gold heist from the Winnipeg International Airport made headlines around the world. Throughout the Depression years, the family jumped from community to community in search of work. In 1938, Kens parents separated, leaving Irene to raise their three children. She found work in a rural community as a live-in domestic for a widowed farmer who did not take kindly to young Ken. She told the Free Presss Gordon Sinclair in 1966, "He used to beat Kenny with a stick of stove wood. He pounced on him for everything." Mrs. Leishman was given an ultimatum by her employer: leave her job (and home) or get rid of Ken. As a single mother in the midst of Depression-ravaged rural Manitoba, she felt she had no option and the seven-year-old spent the next few years bouncing from relative to relative, then foster home to foster home, never staying more than a few months at any one place. A feature of Leishmans teenage years was bad luck that surfaced whenever he seemed to be getting his life on track. From the age of 14 to 16, he lived on his grandparents farm, a relatively tranquil period in his upbringing that was marred by accidents, including being kicked in the head by a horse, (something his mother blamed for some of his later behaviour.) Leishman then moved to Winnipeg to reunite with his father. After a few months, he was off to Kenora, Ont., to work at a summer resort, an opportunity that was thwarted by a broken ankle soon after his arrival. Later that year, a chance to work on a ship in the Great Lakes also ended abruptly when his appendix burst. In 1950, at the age of 18, Leishman married 17-year-old Elva Shields and the two settled in Winnipeg. The marriage got off to a rocky start when he was soon arrested for stealing some of the items used to furnish their first home and spent four months in jail. University of Manitoba Archives / Winnipeg Tribune Collection Ken Leishmans mugshot taken after he was charged in connection with the March 1966 gold heist. Throughout the remainder of the decade, the couple, who would have seven children, lived at a different address every year or two as Leishman bounced from job to job as a salesman or repairman. He had a pilots licence and owned his own plane, so some of those jobs required flying into rural communities. It turns out one of those fly-in jobs was one he kept hidden from his family, that of a bank robber. Leishmans first known bank robbery took place Dec. 17, 1957. He flew into Toronto on a commercial flight, rented a car and put himself up in a posh hotel. The next day, Leishman went to a TD Bank branch on Yonge Street and asked to meet with the bank manager, claiming to be a businessman from Buffalo, N.Y., looking to open an account. Once inside the managers office, Leishman calmly produced a gun from his briefcase and told the manager to write a cashiers cheque for $10,000. The two men waited their turn in the tellers queue and Leishman made small talk about the managers family to pass the time. Once the money was handed over by the unsuspecting teller, Leishman calmly walked out of the bank and disappeared onto Yonge Street. That night, he returned to Winnipeg and a family that assumed he had been away on one of his legitimate work trips. A Canadian Press story called the Toronto holdup "one of the most daring robberies on record." The bandit was described in the media as well-spoken, nattily dressed and gentlemanly. Leishman returned to Toronto on March 17, 1959, looking to score $25,000 from a Bank of Commerce at Bloor and Yonge streets. This time, Leishman got an unexpected reaction when he produced his gun. The manager became angry and exclaimed "You wont get away with this!" As he made for his office door to tell his staff to sound the alarm, Leishman rushed past him and out of the building. Pursued by two bank employees as he sprinted down Yonge Street, Leishman tripped over someone and fell to the sidewalk. The employees held him until a nearby police officer arrested him. Leishman pleaded guilty to the two robberies and, in April 1958, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. At his sentencing hearing he told the judge, "I had no reason for doing it and many reasons for not doing it. I regret the shame it has brought on my family and which it will continue to bring them." He told Toronto police he stole the money to finance a fishing camp that he and his father wanted to build in northern Manitoba, but he likely had more pressing debt issues. UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA ARCHIVES / WINNIPEG TRIBUNE COLLECTION Leishman, top, being escorted back from Gary, Indiana where he was captured after his escape from Headingly Jail in September 1966. Though he made a decent living, Leishman liked the finer things in life. He drove a Cadillac and dressed in designer clothing. In his private plane he went off to watch Grey Cup games and the year before his arrest, flew the family to Texas for vacation. It was all too much while juggling mortgage payments and providing for his then five children. Leishman was allowed to serve his sentence at Stony Mountain Institution and was released in less than four years. The warden noted he was courteous, well behaved, had upgraded his high school courses and learned a trade. He was a model prisoner. After his release, Leishman appeared to be get his life together. By 1963, the family owned a home on Mark Pearce Avenue in North Kildonan and he began a long-term job as a fly-in salesman for World Wide Distributors, sellers of stainless-steel cookware and kitchen appliances. What people didnt know was during his time in prison Leishman began planning a heist that would make his Toronto jobs pale in comparison. As a pilot, Leishman knew that regular flights delivered gold bullion produced at Red Lake, Ont., to the Winnipeg International Airport. From there, it was transferred to an Air Canada plane destined for Ottawa, where the Royal Canadian Mint was located at the time. Leishman assembled a group of four accomplices. The supplies they needed consisted of white coveralls on which they stencilled the Air Canada logo, a blank waybill form doctored to look like a legitimate cargo transfer, and an Air Canada van, which they stole. On March 1, 1966, two of the men drove the van through a back gate of the airport grounds and onto the tarmac to meet the Red Lake plane. The cargo was transferred to the van, the paperwork was signed and they drove away with 12 bars of gold valued at $363,000. It remains Canadas largest gold heist. Though the theft itself went without a hitch, as usual, luck was not on Leishmans side. The following day, a snowstorm began that would turn into one of the worst blizzards in Winnipegs history. It ground traffic to a halt and covered the city in a deep blanket of snow, which made properly disposing of the stolen van and burying the stolen gold impossible. Phase two of Leishmans scheme involved selling the gold on the black market in Hong Kong. The man chosen to go there with one of the bars to make the deal, a local lawyer, had his passport application rejected due to insufficient paperwork. It was then decided Leishman would go in his place. Leishman didnt know police were already on the trail by the time he boarded the plane in Winnipeg. While waiting for his connecting flight in Vancouver, he was arrested by RCMP officers. (The gold bar he was travelling with was never discovered.) UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA ARCHIVES / WINNIPEG TRIBUNE COLLECTION The blizzard of 1966 began the day after Leishman's gold heist preventing the gang from properly disposing of the stolen van and burying the loot. Leishman was returned to Winnipeg and charged with parole violation for leaving the province. This gave police time to build their case against him for the robbery. Thanks to his reputation as a bank robber, Leishman was considered a prime suspect by Winnipeg police as soon as the gold theft was reported. They also discovered his name when they traced airline tickets purchased from Winnipeg to Hong Kong, knowing it would be one of the few places in the world one could go to offload that much gold. The nail in the coffin, though, was that one of the accomplices was tracked down after police found his fingerprint in the stolen van. He confessed. One by one, the other accomplices were questioned and charged. On Sept., 1, 1966, while awaiting trial for parole violation, robbery and conspiracy at Headingley Jail, Leishman masterminded a jail break involving 10 prisoners. The group overpowered a guard, grabbed his keys, broke into the office to steal weapons and fled the institution. Leishman and three other prisoners, a murderer, a rapist and someone awaiting transfer to Selkirk Mental Hospital, stole a car and made for the border. Listening to the news as they drove, it was clear they would not make it to their destination by car. In what was described in one newspaper story as "the largest manhunt in Manitobas history," every RCMP officer in the province was called in to set up roadblocks at the entrances to major communities. Airports and border crossings were also put on notice. The escapees stopped in Steinbach where Leishman stole a plane and flew them to the U.S. They were discovered the following day in Gary, Ind., after a bartender recognized their faces from local news coverage. After a brief standoff with police, they were arrested and returned to Winnipeg. By this time, Leishman was an instantly recognizable celebrity and justice officials thought it was best to keep him segregated from other inmates while he awaited trial. He was held at the Vaughan Street Jail in a small, empty wing. Because there were no other prisoners, Leishman at times had access to the corridor outside his cell to allow him to exercise. On the evening of Oct. 31, 1966, he decided to use that to his advantage and attempted another jail break. At around 7 p.m., he picked the lock at the end of the corridor and overpowered three guards, tying one up with a bedsheet and threatening two others with a steel pipe. He made it out of the building and set off another huge manhunt. This time, though, there was a less thrilling ending to the escape. Leishman was arrested without incident nearly four hours later by West Kildonan police at a phone booth at Main Street and Jefferson Avenue. The picking of the industry standard prison lock from the inside baffled officials and the director of the jail invited Leishman to come back and re-enact how he did it. He complied, showing them all he used was a long strip of cloth from a bedsheet and a piece of wire. With them, he was able to remove a horseshoe-shaped pin from the locking mechanism and the lock was free. Leishman pleaded guilty to a list of nine charges and on Nov. 1, 1966 was sentenced to seven years. This was on top of the eight years he that he now had to resume serving for his Toronto robberies because of the parole violation. Denied parole in 1974, Leishman requested an official review of the length of his sentence, which was a complicated web of timelines, some running concurrently and some consecutively. The parole board agreed, and during the review a number of mathematical errors were found. When calculated as laid out in official documents, it turned out Ken Leishman had already served his time and the board had no option but to release him. (The discovery prompted a review of hundreds of other cases in Manitobas justice system.) After prison, Leishman was finally able to bask in his celebrity status with numerous media interviews, including a national TV appearance on Peter Gzowksis 90 Minutes Live during which he charmed the host and the studio audience. Hollywood also came calling in the form of actor Darren McGavin, who bought the rights to Leishmans life story. The two men spent time together in California and McGavin came to Canada to scout out filming locations. For reasons unknown, the film project never proceeded. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In 1977, the Leishman family relocated to Red Lake, Ont., where Elva and Ken opened a clothing and gift shop. The couple were so popular that Ken was elected head of the towns chamber of commerce the following year. While he may have given up his life of crime, Leishman did not give up his love of flying. On Dec., 14, 1979, he was piloting a medi-vac flight from Red Lake to Thunder Bay with a patient and medical escort aboard. The plane never arrived. Despite an extensive search and rescue operation the planes wreckage was not discovered until the following spring. The bodies of the two passengers were identified but all that could be found of Leishman were scraps of clothing and a chewed-up wallet. On Dec. 16, 1980, Ken Leishman was declared legally dead at the age of 48. He left behind his wife of 30 years, seven children, and quite a legend as Canadas Flying Bandit. Christian Cassidy writes about local history on his blog, West End Dumplings. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/4/2018 (1255 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Early birds Take a sunrise hike and learn about natures other early risers. Birdwatching guides lead scenic walks at FortWhyte Alive (1961 McCreary Rd.) during the spring migration. The hike ends with a hot breakfast at Buffalo Stone Cafe. The event starts at 7 a.m. Wednesday and Friday. Tickets $17. Spectacle at the symphony Acrobats will soar as the symphony plays today. Cirque de la Symphonie features aerial flyers, dancers and contortionists performing to songs from popular movies at the Centennial Concert Hall. Show starts at 2 p.m., tickets $50 for adults, $30 for kids. New music night Manitoba Music presents its monthly showcase of budding local talent at New Music Night. Head to The Good Will Social Club (625 Portage Ave.) Wednesday at 8 p.m. for a mix of rock, pop, folk and roots. Three bands for $3it doesnt get much better than that. Wine festival Bring your taste buds on a Tuscan tour Italy is this years theme country at The Winnipeg Wine Festival. Sample more than 400 wines for $73 Friday and Saturday at RBC Convention Centre. The same venue hosts a gala dinner and auction Thursday. Tickets $250. See online for details about weeklong events across the city. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Spring shopping Shopping local is just part of the draw to Third + Bird. Along with 140 vendors, this market offers food and drinks at a pop-up cafe, a DJ spinning tunes and installations by local artists. Head to the Hudsons Bay (450 Portage Ave.) on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission $5 cash. African film fest The best of African cinema is showcased at Cinematheque (100 Arthur St.) Friday and Saturday. The annual African Movie Festival in Manitoba shows full features, short documentaries and interview sessions. Films from Nigeria, South Africa, Mali and others countries were selected to spur dialogue about Afro-Canadian issues. Modern(ist) women Women artists from Canadas modernist period are celebrated in Defying Convention. These artists are praised for pushing the boundaries of art and social constraints. The exhibit is drawn entirely from the permanent collection at Winnipeg Art Gallery. The exhibit runs from Saturday until Sept. 3. Admission $12. Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. Read More Travel + Leisure Co. is a membership and leisure travel company, with a portfolio of nearly 20 resort, travel club, and lifestyle travel brands. The company provides outstanding vacation experiences and travel inspiration to millions of owners, members, and subscribers every year through its products and services: Wyndham Destinations, the vacation ownership company with 230 vacation club resort locations across the globe; Panorama, the membership travel business that includes the vacation exchange company, industry travel technology, and subscription travel brands; and Travel + Leisure Group, featuring online and print travel content, online booking platforms and travel clubs, and branded consumer products. Travel + Leisure Co. is a membership and leisure travel company, with a portfolio of nearly 20 resort, travel club, and lifestyle travel brands. Travel + Leisure was founded on July 31, 2006 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Read More Vivint Solar, Inc. provides distributed solar energy primarily to residential customers in the United States. It owns and installs solar energy systems through long-term customer contracts. The company also sells photovoltaic installation products, as well as solar renewable energy certificates. As of December 31, 2019, it had an aggregate capacity of 1,294.0 megawatts covering approximately 188,300 homes. The company was formerly known as V Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vivint Solar, Inc. in April 2014. Vivint Solar, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Read More Intu owns and manages some of the best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations, in the UK and Spain. Our UK portfolio is made up of 17 centres, including eight of the top-20, and in Spain we own three of the country's top-10 centres, with advanced plans to build a fourth. We are passionate about creating compelling experiences, in centre and online, that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish. We attract around 400 million customer visits and 26 million website visits a year offering a multichannel approach that truly supports retail strategies. Our strategic focus on prime, high-footfall flagship destinations, combined with the strength and popularity of our brand, means that intu offers enhanced footfall, dwell time and loyalty. This helps our tenants flourish, driving occupancy and income growth. We are committed to our local communities, with our centres supporting nearly 130,000 jobs (representing about 3 per cent of the total UK retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility. We have already met or exceeded a significant number of our 2020 environmental targets. Read More Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda. Read More 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.. The following companies are subsidiares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft: 87 Leonard Development LLC, ABFS I Incorporated, ABS MB Ltd., Acacia (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Accounting Solutions Holding Company Inc, Alex. Brown Financial Services Incorporated, Alex. Brown Investments Incorporated, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft mbH, Amber Investments S.a r.l., Ambidexter GmbH, Ambidexter GmbH i.L., Argent Incorporated, BHW - Gesellschaft fur Wohnungswirtschaft mbH, BHW Bausparkasse Aktiengesellschaft, BHW Holding GmbH, BHW Kreditservice GmbH, BNA Nominees Pty Limited, BT Globenet Nominees Limited, BTAS Cayman GP, BTD Nominees Pty Limited, Baincor Nominees Pty Limited, Bainpro Nominees Pty Ltd, Baldur Mortgages Limited, Bankers Trust Investments Limited, Barkly Investments Ltd., Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc, Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc., Berkshire Mortgage Finance, Betriebs-Center fur Banken AG, Biomass Holdings S.a r.l., Birch (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Blue Cork Inc, Blue Cork Inc., Borfield Sociedad Anonima, Breaking Wave DB Limited, Cape Acquisition Corp., CapeSuccess Inc., CapeSuccess LLC, Cardales UK Limited, Cardea Real Estate S.r.l., Career Blazers LLC, Career Blazers Management Company Inc, Career Blazers Management Company Inc., Career Blazers Personnel Services Inc, Career Blazers Personnel Services Inc., Career Blazers Personnel Services of Washington D.C. Inc. Washington D.C., Caribbean Resort Holdings Inc, Caribbean Resort Holdings Inc., Carpathian Investments Designated Activity Company, Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Asset Management Company Limited, Cathay Capital Company (No 2) Limited, Cedar (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Centennial River 2 Inc., Centennial River Corporation, Chapel Funding, Charlton (Delaware) Inc, China Recovery Fund LLC, China Recovery Fund LLC, Cinda - DB NPL Securitization Trust 2003-1, City Leasing (Thameside) Limited, City Leasing Limited, Consumo S.p.A., Consumo Srl in Liquidazione, Cyrus J. Lawrence Capital Holdings Inc., Cyrus J. Lawrence Capital Holdings Inc., D B Investments (GB) Limited, D&M Turnaround Partners Godo Kaisha, D.B. International Delaware Inc., D.B. International Delaware Inc., DAHOC (UK) Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DAHOC Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DB (Barbados) SRL, DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Asing) Sdn. Bhd., DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad, DB (Pacific) Limited, DB (Pacific) Limited New York, DB (Pacific) Limited New York, DB Abalone LLC, DB Alex. Brown Holdings Incorporated, DB Alps Corporation, DB Aotearoa Investments Limited, DB Asia Pacific Holdings Limited (in voluntary liquidation), DB Asset Finance I S.a r.l., DB Asset Finance II S.a r.l., DB Aster II LLC, DB Aster III LLC, DB Aster Inc., DB Aster LLC, DB Beteiligungs-Holding GmbH, DB Boracay LLC, DB Capital Investments Sarl, DB Capital Markets (Deutschland) GmbH, DB Capital Partners Inc., DB Capital Partners Inc., DB Cartera de Inmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Cartera de Inmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Chestnut Holdings Limited, DB Commodity Services LLC, DB Consorzio S. Cons. a r. l., DB Corporate Advisory (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., DB Covered Bond S.r.l., DB Credit Investments S.a r.l., DB Delaware Holdings (Europe) Limited, DB Direkt GmbH, DB Elara LLC, DB Energy Commodities Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DB Energy Trading LLC, DB Enfield Infrastructure Holdings Limited, DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equity Limited, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Finance International GmbH, DB Ganymede 2006 L.P., DB Global Markets Multi-Strategy Fund I Ltd., DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology SRL, DB Group Services (UK) Limited, DB HR Solutions GmbH, DB Holding Fundo de Investimento Multimercado Investimento no Exterior Credito Privado, DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB Holdings (South America) Limited, DB IROC Leasing Corp., DB Immobilienfonds 1 Wieland KG, DB Immobilienfonds 2 KG i.L., DB Immobilienfonds 4 KG i.L., DB Immobilienfonds 5 Wieland KG, DB Impact Investment (GP) Limited, DB Impact Investment Fund I L.P., DB Impact Investment Fund I L.P., DB Industrial Holdings Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DB Industrial Holdings GmbH, DB Intermezzo LLC, DB International (Asia) Limited, DB International Investments Limited, DB International Trust (Singapore) Limited, DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Resources (US) Corporation, DB Investment Resources Holdings Corp., DB Investment Services GmbH, DB Io LP, DB Litigation Fee LLC, DB London (Investor Services) Nominees Limited, DB Management Support GmbH, DB Managers LLC, DB Municipal Holdings LLC, DB Nexus American Investments (UK) Limited (in members'voluntary liquidation), DB Nexus Investments (UK) Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DB Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB Nominees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, DB Omega BTV S.C.S., DB Omega Holdings LLC, DB Omega Ltd., DB Omega S.C.S., DB Operaciones y Servicios Interactivos Agrupacion de Interes Economico, DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Holdings Limited, DB PWM, DB Portfolio Southwest Inc., DB Print GmbH, DB Privat- und Firmenkundenbank AG, DB Private Clients Corp., DB Private Wealth Mortgage Ltd., DB RC Holdings LLC, DB Re S.A., DB Service Centre Limited, DB Service Uruguay S.A., DB Services Americas Inc., DB Services Americas Inc., DB Servizi Amministrativi S.r.l., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Finance 1 Designated Activity Company, DB Structured Finance 2 Designated Activity Company, DB Structured Holdings Luxembourg S.a r.l., DB Structured Products Inc., DB Structured Products Inc., DB Trustee Services Limited, DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corporation, DB UK Bank Limited, DB UK Holdings Limited, DB UK PCAM Holdings Limited, DB USA Core Corporation, DB USA Corporation, DB Valoren S.a r.l., DB Value S.a r.l., DB VersicherungsManager GmbH, DB Vita S.A., DBAB Wall Street LLC, DBAH Capital LLC, DBAH Capital LLC, DBCIBZ1, DBCIBZ2, DBFIC Inc., DBFIC Inc., DBNZ Overseas Investments (No.1) Limited, DBOI Global Services (UK) Limited, DBOI Global Services Private Limited, DBR Investments Co. Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management IA Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management IB Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management IB Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management US IB L.L.C., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUKH No. 2 Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a r.l., DBUSBZ2 S.a r.l., DBX Advisors LLC, DBX ETF Trust, DBX Strategic Advisors LLC, DBO Vermogensverwertung GmbH, DEBEKO Immobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUFRAN Beteiligungs GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK A.S., DG China Clean Tech Partners, DI Deutsche Immobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DIB-Consult Deutsche Immobilien- und BeteiligungsBeratungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DNU Nominees Pty Limited, DSL Portfolio GmbH & Co. KG, DSL Portfolio Verwaltungs GmbH, DTS Nominees Pty Limited, DWS Alternatives France, DWS Alternatives Global Limited, DWS Alternatives GmbH, DWS Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, DWS Beteiligungs GmbH, DWS CH AG, DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Far Eastern Investments Limited, DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, De Heng Asset Management Company Limited, De Meng Innovative (Beijing) Consulting Company Limited, DeAM Infrastructure Limited, Deloraine Spain S.L., Delowrezham de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (Mauritius) Limited Port, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alt-A Securities Inc., Deutsche Alt-A Securities Inc., Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (France) SAS, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, Deutsche Asset Management S.A., Deutsche Asset Management S.G.I.I.C. S.A., Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (Chile), Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anonima Institucion Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Bauspar-Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Capital Finance LLC I, Deutsche Bank Capital Finance Trust I, Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency of Delaware, Deutsche Bank International Limited, Deutsche Bank Investments (Guernsey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. - Fiduciary Deposits, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. - Fiduciary Note Programme, Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple, Deutsche Bank Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Los, Deutsche Bank Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Nominees (Jersey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Polska Spolka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao, Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao Sao, Deutsche Bank SPEARs/LIFERs Series DBE-8011 Trust, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Services (Jersey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anonima Espanola, Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anonima Espanola, Deutsche Bank Societa per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Management Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Colombia S.A.S., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 1 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 2 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 3 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 4 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilien-Leasing mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilien-Leasing mit beschrankterHaftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Deutsche Holdings (Malta) Ltd., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche Immobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Inversiones Dos S.A., Deutsche Inversiones Limitada, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mandatos S.A., Deutsche Master Funding Corporation, Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a r.l., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Public Limited Company, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Mortgage Securities Inc., Deutsche Mortgage Securities Inc., Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC I, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC II, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC III, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities Menkul Degerler A.S., Deutsche Securities S.A., Deutsche Securities S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Securities SpA, Deutsche Securities Venezuela S.A., Deutsche Securitisation Australia Pty Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trust Company Limited Japan, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. S.A., Deutsches Institut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.I., Elba Finance GmbH, Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, Emerald Asset Repackaging Designated Activity Company, Erste Frankfurter Hoist GmbH, European Value Added I (Alternate G.P.) LLP, Exinor SA, FARAMIR Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs GmbH, FRANKFURT CONSULT GmbH, Fiduciaria Sant' Andrea S.r.L., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Franz Urbig- und Oscar Schlitter-Stiftung Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-037, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-039, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-040, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-041, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-043, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-044, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-047, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., G.O. IB-US Management L.L.C., G918 Corp., GAC-HEL Inc., GWC-GAC Corp., Galene S.a r.l., Gemini Technology Services Inc., German American Capital, German American Capital Corporation, Gladyr Spain S.L., Global Markets Fundo de Investimento Multimercado, Global Markets III Fundo de Investimento Multimercado - Credito, Greenwood Properties Corp., Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer Landstrae GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Kerpen-Sindorf Vogelrutherfeld GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Leipzig Petersstrae GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Wiesbaden Luisenstrae/Kirchgasse GbR, HTB Spezial GmbH & Co. KG, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, IOS Finance EFC S.A., ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF I Manager S.a r.l., IVAF I Manager S.a r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, Immobilienfonds Mietwohnhauser Quadrath-Ichendorf GbR, Immobilienfonds Wohn- und Geschaftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul Inkasso GmbH, Kradavimd UK Lease Holdings Limited, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Latitude Australia Secured Personal Loans Trust, Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo III Initial GP Limited, Lindsell Finance Limited, London Industrial Leasing Limited, MEF I Manager S. a r.l., MEF I Manager S. a r.l., MHL Reinsurance Ltd., MIT Holdings Inc., MIT Holdings Inc., MPP Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgageIT Inc., MortgageIT Inc., MortgageIT Securities Corp., Motion Picture Productions One GmbH & Co. KG, NCW Holding Inc., Navegator - SGFTC S.A., Navegator - SGFTC S.A., New 87 Leonard LLC, Nordwestdeutscher Wohnungsbautrager Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentre", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Beteiligungs-GmbH, OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Holding GmbH, OPB-Nona GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPB-Quinta GmbH, OPB-Septima GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM Flottenfonds V GmbH & Co. KG, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, OPS Nominees Pty Limited, OVT Trust 1 GmbH, OVV Beteiligungs GmbH, Opal Funds (Ireland) Public Limited Company, PADUS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, PARTS Funding LLC., PB Factoring GmbH, PB Firmenkunden AG, PB International S.A., PB Spezial-Investmentaktiengesellschaft mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PBC Banking Services GmbH, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, PT. Deutsche Verdhana Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Peruda Leasing Limited, Plantation Bay Inc., Plantation Bay Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Immobilien GmbH, Postbank Immobilien und Baumanagement GmbH, Postbank Immobilien und Baumanagement GmbH & Co. Objekt Leipzig KG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank Service GmbH, Postbank Systems AG, QR Tower 2 LLC, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, REO Properties Corporation, RREEF, RREEF America L.L.C., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisors Private Limited, RREEF Management L.L.C., RTS Nominees Pty Limited, Reference Capital Investments Limited, RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables LLC, Route 28 Receivables LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SCUDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SEDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SENA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Kamenz KG, SIFA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SOLIDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SP Mortgage Trust, SPINO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SPV I Sociedad Anonima Cerrada, SPV II Sociedad Anonima Cerrada, STATOR Heizkraftwerk Frankfurt (Oder) Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim Alternative Investments GmbH, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. AG & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Komplementar AG, Sechste Salomon Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Sechste Salomon Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Service Company Four Limited, Sharps SP I LLC, Singer Island Tower Suite LLC, Somkid Immobiliare S.r.l., Stelvio Immobiliare S.r.l., Structured Finance Americas LLC, Structured Finance Americas LLC, Swabia 1. Vermogensbesitz-GmbH, Suddeutsche Vermogensverwaltung Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, TAKIR Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TELO Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, TEMATIS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., TERRUS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., TESATUR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Halle I KG i.L., TESATUR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Nordhausen I KG i.L., TOSSA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TRIPLA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TRS Aria LLC, TRS Leda LLC, TRS Maple II LTD, TRS Oak II LTD, TRS SVCO LLC, TRS Scorpio LLC, TRS Tupelo II LTD, TRS Venor LLC, TRS Walnut II LTD, Tagus - Sociedade de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Tasfiye Halinde Deutsche Securities Menkul Degerler A.S., Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Tianjin Deutsche AM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Limited, UKE Beteiligungs-GmbH, UKE Grundstucksgesellschaft mbH, UKE s.r.o., Ullmann - Esch Grundstucksgesellschaft Kirchnerstrae GbR, Ullmann - Esch Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Disternich GbR, Ullmann Ullmann Krockow Krockow Esch GbR, VCJ Lease S.a r.l., Vesta Real Estate S.r.l., VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, WEPLABeteiligungsgesellschaftmbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., Whale Holdings S.a r.l., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., World Trading(Delaware)Inc., Zumirez Drive LLC, db PBC, and norisbank GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of General Dynamics: 42SIX LLC, ARMA Global Corporation, Advanced Technical Products, Aeromil (Australia) Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aircraft Engineering Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil IT Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil Marine Pty Ltd, Aeromil Pacific Pty Ltd, American Overseas Marine Company LLC, Anteon International Corporation, Applied Physical Sciences, Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Ascend Intelligence, Australian Avionics Pty Ltd, Autonomic Resources LLC, Avion Logistics Limited, Avjet Corporation, AxleTech International, Axsys, BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION, BP-HP Pte Limited, Bath Iron Works, Bath Iron Works Australia Corporation, Bath Iron Works Canada LLC, Bluefin Robotics Corporation, Blueprint Technologies Inc., Braintree I Maritime Corp., Braintree II Maritime Corp., Braintree III Maritime Corp., Braintree IV Maritime Corp., Braintree V Maritime Corp., Buccaneer Computer Systems & Service Inc., CSC Computer Sciences Venezuela S.A., CSRA, CSRA (Costa Rica) S.A., CSRA (Guyana) Inc., CSRA (Middle East) LLC, CSRA Argentina S.R.L., CSRA BH d.o.o., CSRA Bahamas Limited, CSRA Bahrain S.P.C., CSRA Belgium SPRL, CSRA Bolivia S.R.L., CSRA Brazil Servicos de Tecnologia Ltda., CSRA Canada Inc., CSRA Caribbean Inc., CSRA Chile SpA, CSRA Colombia SAS, CSRA Commerce 2010 LLC, CSRA Consular Services Holding Company LLC, CSRA Consular Services Inc., CSRA France SARL, CSRA Guatemala Solutions Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Honduras Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Inc., CSRA Information Systems LLC, CSRA Information Technology Spain SL, CSRA Ireland Limited, CSRA Italy S.R.L, CSRA Kosovo L.L.C., CSRA LATAM LLC, CSRA LLC, CSRA Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., CSRA Netherlands B.V., CSRA Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Panama Inc., CSRA Peru S.R.L., CSRA Senegal SARL, CSRA South Africa (Pty) Ltd, CSRA State and Local Solutions LLC, CSRA Systems & Solutions LLC, CSRA Trinidad & Tobago Limited, CSRA Turkey Bilisim Teknolojileri Limited Sirketi, CSRA Uruguay S.R.L, CSRA Visa Services Israel Ltd., CSRAIT - Information Services Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Centauri Solutions LLC, Command System, Computing Devices International, Concord I Maritime Corporation, Concord II Maritime Corporation, Concord III Maritime Corporation, Concord IV Maritime Corporation, Concord V Maritime Corporation, Convair Aircraft Corporation, Convair Corporation, Creative Technology, Customer Services Ecuador CSRA S.A., Devcor, Diamond Fortress Technologies, DynPort Vaccine Company LLC, EB Groton Engineering Inc., EBV Explosives Environmental, ELCS-CZ s.r.o., Eagle Enterprise Inc., Earl Industries - Ship Repair and Coatings Division, Ebv Explosives Environmental Company, Electric Boat - Australia LLC, Electric Boat - UK LLC, Electric Boat Canada LLC, Electric Boat Corporation, Electric Boat France LLC, Electrocom Inc., Engineering Technology, Expro Finance Inc., FBD Fahrzeug und Bremsendienst GmbH, FC Business Systems, Fidelis Cybersecurity, Force Protection, Force Protection Europe Limited, Force Protection Inc., ForeSight Technology Services LLC, Freeman United Coal Mining Company LLC, GD Brazil Holdings LLC, GD European Land Systems - Steyr GmbH, GD European Land Systems Holding GmbH, GDOTS Services Corporation, GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C., GPS Source Inc., GTE Government Systems, GWA-Datatrac FAST LLC, Galaxy Aerospace Company, Gayston Corporation - Defense Operations, General Dynamics - OTS (Global) Inc., General Dynamics AIS Australia Pty Ltd, General Dynamics Canadian Finance Inc., General Dynamics Canadian Holdings Inc., General Dynamics Commercial Cyber Services LLC, General Dynamics European Finance Limited, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Austria GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Bridge Systems GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Czech s.r.o., General Dynamics European Land Systems - Denmark ApS, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Deutschland GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - FWW GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems Romania S.R.L., General Dynamics European Land Systems S.L., General Dynamics Global Force LLC, General Dynamics Global Holdings Limited, General Dynamics Global Imaging Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Government Satellite Services LLC, General Dynamics Government Systems Corporation, General Dynamics Government Systems Overseas Corporation, General Dynamics Information Technology Canada Limited, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., General Dynamics Information Technology Limited, General Dynamics Installation Services LLC, General Dynamics International Corporation, General Dynamics Itronix LLC, General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia Pty. Ltd., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Corporation, General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Services Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canadian Services Limited, General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems Customer Service & Support Company, General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., General Dynamics Limited, General Dynamics Marine Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems International Limited, General Dynamics Mission Systems Overseas Company LLC, General Dynamics Motion Control LLC, General Dynamics OTS (Aerospace) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (California) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (DRI) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Niceville) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Pennsylvania) Inc., General Dynamics One Source LLC, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Valleyfield Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Simunition Operations Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., General Dynamics Overseas Systems and Services Corporation, General Dynamics Properties Inc., General Dynamics Robotic Systems Inc., General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Satcom Technologies Asia Private Limited, General Dynamics Satellite Communication Services LLC, General Dynamics Saudi Holdings S.L., General Dynamics Shared Resources LLC, General Dynamics Support Services Company, General Dynamics Swiss Financial Management Limited, General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, General Dynamics Worldwide Holdings Inc., General Dynamics-OTS Inc., General Motors Defense, Gulfstream 100 Holdings LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (CA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (DE), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (GA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (OK), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of Texas, Gulfstream Aerospace Hong Kong Limited, Gulfstream Aerospace LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace LP, Gulfstream Aerospace Ltd., Gulfstream Aerospace Services Corporation, Gulfstream Aerospace Sociedad de Responssabilidad Limitada de CapitalVariable (S. de R.L. de C.V.), Gulfstream Do Brasil Servicos De Suporte E Manutencao A Aeronaves Ltda., Gulfstream International Corporation, Gulfstream Leasing LLC, Gulfstream Product Support Corporation, Gulfstream Services Corporation, Gulfstream Tennessee Corporation, Gulfstream-California Inc., Hawker Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Hawker Pacific Aircraft Management Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited, Hawker Pacific Airservices Pvt Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Holdings Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Australia Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific NZ Limited, Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd, IPWireless, IPWireless PTE. Limited, Information Services Consulting Limited, Interiores Aereos S.A. de C.V., International Manufacturing Technologies Inc., Itronix, Janteq Australia PTY Limited, Janteq Corp., Jet Aviation, Jet Aviation (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Jet Aviation (Bermuda) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Hong Kong) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Malaysia) SDN BHD, Jet Aviation 125 Services LLC, Jet Aviation AG, Jet Aviation Brazil Holdings Inc., Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Limited, Jet Aviation Business Jets AG, Jet Aviation Business Jets FZCO, Jet Aviation California LLC, Jet Aviation Dulles LLC, Jet Aviation Flight Services Inc., Jet Aviation France SAS, Jet Aviation Holding GmbH, Jet Aviation Holdings USA Inc., Jet Aviation Houston Inc., Jet Aviation International Inc., Jet Aviation Malaga SA, Jet Aviation Management AG, Jet Aviation Netherlands B.V., Jet Aviation Savannah Holding LLC, Jet Aviation Services GmbH, Jet Aviation St. Louis Inc., Jet Aviation Teterboro LP, Jet Aviation Texas Inc., Jet Aviation of America Inc., Jet Aviation/Palm Beach Inc., Jet Professionals LLC, Kylmar, Longreach Energy LLC, MAYA Viz, Maricom Systems Incorporated, Material Service Resources Company LLC, Matthews Land Company, Mediaware International, Mediaware International Pty Ltd, Metro Machine, Metro Machine co, Midwest Properties Sales LLC, NASSCO, NASSCO Holdings Incorporated, NES Associates LLC, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Network Connectivity Solutions Corp., Newberry Holdings LLC, OOO Jet Aviation Vnukovo, Open Kernel Labs, Page Europa Srl, Patriot I Shipping Corp., Patriot II Shipping Corp., Patriot IV Shipping Corp., Plane 79 LLC, Praxis Engineering Technologies LLC, PrimeX Technologies, Prodelin India Private Limited, Proyectos Prohumane Mexico S.A. de C.V., Quincy Maritime Corporation III, Raven Acquisitions LLC, SENTECH INC., SRA International Inc., Saco Defense, Santa Barbara Sistemas S.A., Savannah Air Center LLC, Signal Solutions LLC, Southern Illinois Recovery Inc., Spectrum Astro, St. Marks Powder Inc., Stabilo Pty Ltd, Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug AG & Co KG, Sydney Jet Charter Pty Ltd, Tadpole Computer, Tecnologias Internacionales de Manufactura S.A. de C.V., Tenacity Solutions Incorporated, The Depth of Ideas for General Trading LLC, TriPoint Global Communications, Vangent, Vangent Servicios de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Veridian, Vertex Antennentechnik GmbH, ViPS, Vulnerability Research Labs LLC, and Weco LLC. National Australia Bank Limited provides financial services to individuals and businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It operates through Business and Private Banking, Personal Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking, and New Zealand Banking segments. It operates through Business and Private Banking; Personal Banking; Corporate and Institutional Banking; New Zealand Banking; Corporate Functions and Other; and MLC Wealth segments. The company accepts transaction accounts, savings accounts, deposit accounts, and term deposits; and specialized accounts, such as foreign currency, business interest, statutory trust, community free saver, farm management, and project bank accounts, as well as farm management deposits. National Australia Bank Limited also provides home loans; personal loans; business loans; vehicle and equipment finance; and trade and invoice finance, as well as business overdrafts and bank guarantees. In addition, the company offers insurance products consisting of car, home and content, landlord, travel, caravan and trailer, life, and business insurance products; and pension, superannuation, self-managed super funds, cash management, and financial planning and advisory services. Further, it provides investment products; credit, debit, and business cards; payments and merchant services; travel services; online and internet banking services; small business services; international and foreign exchange solutions; and industry specific banking services. National Australia Bank Limited was founded in 1834 and is based in Docklands, Australia. Read More National Fuel Gas Co. is a holding company, which engages in the production, gathering, transportation, distribution, and marketing of natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment handles the exploration for and the development of natural gas and oil reserves in California and in the Appalachian region of the United States. The Pipeline and Storage segment transports and stores natural gas for utilities, natural gas marketers, exploration and production companies, and pipeline companies in the northeastern United States markets. The Gathering segment builds, owns, and operates natural gas processing and pipeline gathering facilities in the Appalachian region. The Utility segment sells natural gas to retail customers and provides natural gas transportation services in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Williamsville, NY. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Abbott Electronics Ltd., Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp, CEF Industries LLC, Champion Aerospace, Cobham, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, DDL195 Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, HARCO LLC, Harco, Hartwell Corporation, ILC Holdings Inc., Irvin Aerospace Limited, IrvinGQ France SAA, IrvinGQ Limited, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Militair Aviation Ltd., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas Corp., Pascall Electronics Limited, Pemberton 123 Ltd., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Rancho TransTechnology Corporation, Retainers Inc., SSP Industries, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., TTERUSA Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Technical Airborne Components Industries SPRL, Telair International, Telair International AB, Telair International GmbH, Telair International LLC, Telair International Services PTE Ltd (JV 70.5%), Telair US LLC, Texas Rotronics Inc., TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, and Young & Franklin Inc.. Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America; Canada; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia Pacific; and Corporate and Other. The U.S. and Latin America segment markets individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The Canada segment offers individual life reinsurance, and to a lesser extent creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment serves individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Asia Pacific segment comprises individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability, and superannuation thr Read More Arizona teachers have pledged to end a strike and return to work if the legislature approves a proposed budget deal between the governor and state lawmakers to raise their pay, despite saying the spending measure does not go far enough. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey could sign the agreement as early as Wednesday and end a walkout that kept most of Arizonas 1.1 million public school students out of class since last Thursday. The war is not over but weve won an important battle, to move the legislature this far, Noah Karvelis, a union organizer and music teacher, said at a news conference. The walkout in Arizona, where teacher salaries rank among the lowest in the country, followed similar actions by teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma, which were the first statewide U.S. teacher work stoppages since the 1990s. All four states have Republican governors and Republican-dominated legislatures. Teachers have demanded that states reverse salary and funding constraints imposed when tax revenues ran short during the 18-month U.S. recession that ended in June 2009. Teachers in Colorado also walked out of classrooms on April 27 for a second day over the same issues, but little progress was made there on Friday. (Reuters) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. The Waffle House where the incident occurred is donating proceeds from the next month to the families of the four who were killed and the two who are still in the hospital By Lola Jacobs An Antioch man, James Shaw Jr, was credited with saving the remaining attendees at a Nashville Waffle House shooting on Sunday (Apr. 22). At his own expense, Shaw Jr. disarmed suspect Travis Reinking amid a shooting rampage. While hes being called a hero, Shaw Jr. has since declared that he was not acting as a savior, just as someone who wanted to live, per the New York Times. Shortly after the incident, nearly unscathed but acknowledging the casualties, the 29-year-old started a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise $15,000 for the families of the four victims whose lives were claimed by the incident. But in just four days, hes raised that money by more than tenfold. Shaw Jr. created the GoFundMe page on Monday (Apr. 23) and has raised almost $175,000 from nearly 5,000 people. Shaw Jr. has been recognized locally and countrywide for having wrestled Reinking down to the ground, then removing his gun, but he is asking that people refrain from calling him a hero. I feel like everybody can do pretty much what I did, he told the New York Times. He visited the trauma unit of Vanderbilt Hospital, floating in and out of rooms for check-ins. He wanted to know about the status of those who were wounded. Shaw himself said that Reinking grazed [his] arm. He decided then that Reinking would have to work to kill him. The 29-year-old electrician has a 4-year-old daughter and is just glad that his attempt at self-defense was effective. I didnt even think about her. In the midst of it, I was just trying to save myself, he said. HuffPost and New York Magazine freelancer Yashar Ali started a GoFundMe page for Shaw Jr. and his family, with hopes that it will go toward his daughters education or even a family vacation. He really represents the best of America and I think we should help him too, Ali tweeted. In just three days, $182,000 was raised. Shaw is just happy that he got to see 30. The Waffle House where the incident occurred is donating proceeds from the next month to the families of the four who were killed and the two who are still in the hospital, CBS News reports. This post James Shaw Jr., Waffle House Hero, Raises Over $100,000 For Victims Families first appeared on Vibe. In the aftermath of Joseph James DeAngelos April 24th arrest, more details about the suspected Golden State Killer are coming to light. In a recent feature by the LA Times, DeAngelo is painted as a typical next-door neighbor type an older man who enjoys woodworking, cooking, and tinkering under the hood of his truck. DeAngelo, who is suspected of murdering 12 people, raping over 40 women, and robbing 120 homes in the San Francisco area during the late 70s and early 80s, also apparently started a family during his crime spree. In fact, the Golden State Killer had a wife and three daughters. DeAngelo reportedly met his wife, Sharon M. Huddle, an attorney, while studying at Cal State Sacramento, where he received his bachelors degree in criminal justice. He and Sharon were married in 1973 just three years before DeAngelo committed his first confirmed rape and robbery. After DeAngelos first daughter Misha Louise DeAngelo was born in 1981, the killings, rapes, and robberies ceased for five years. His last known victim, 18-year-old Janelle Cruz, was raped and killed in 1986. NPR reports that DeAngelo and his wife eventually divorced, and that DeAngelo was living with Misha and his grandaughter Zasia when he was arrested on Tuesday, April 24th. The suspected Golden State Killer is set to appear in court Friday. Authorities believe he was behind 12 murders and more than 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. https://t.co/mixB9WAeIx pic.twitter.com/lNA4jFIf7M CNN (@CNN) April 27, 2018 Although DeAngelo looked like an average elderly neighbor, those who lived in his Citrus Heights, CA neighborhood knew he had a temper. One neighbor told the LA Times that DeAngelo was cantankerous, and others called him a freak. He would reportedly shout expletives any time frustration arose. Story continues A relatives DNA sample from a genealogy website matched samples taken from the crime scenes. This link led authorities to DeAngelo. New information shows how police used genealogy websites to identify the man charged with being the notorious Golden State Killer. Police arrested Joseph Hames DeAngelo after crime scene DNA partially matched one of his relatives, discovered online https://t.co/5PdNyyn7FN pic.twitter.com/ofOhSXQyWM CBS News (@CBSNews) April 27, 2018 DeAngelos sister, Becky Thompson, told the Times shes in shock and hopes police arrested the wrong man. She stated that her brother was the kindest, gentlest man with his children. More details are expected to be revealed in the days and weeks to come. Brigitte Macron told French newspaper Le Monde that First Lady Melania Trump is "much more constrained" than she is, and discussed how her personality is perceived. The life of a First Lady, presumably, isn't always an easy one: Your life is forever in the public eye and subject to a certain level of scrutiny, whether you'd like it to be or notand it's through no direct choice of your own. Even former First Lady Michelle Obama recently said that the eight years spent in the White House weren't really her choice: "I've never had the passion for politics," Obama said in April. "I just happened to be married to somebody who has the passion for politics, and he drug me kicking and screaming into this arena." The current First Lady, Melania Trump, is married to the most divisive President in recent historyand forget scrutiny: Rampant speculation surrounds her in an effort to understand her reclusive life (especially so compared to her bombastic spouse). There are "Free Melania" memes and thinkpieces weighing in on her marriage with every viral video of her swatting away Donald Trump's hand (and there are quite a few of those). But after the state visit of France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron earlier this week, Brigitte has weighed in on what Melania's really like in person. In an article published Friday in Le Monde, Brigitte said that the American First Lady is "much more constrained" than she is. She cant even open a window at the White House," Brigitte said, according to the Guardian's translation of Le Monde's French-language report. "She cant go outside. Shes much more constrained than I am. I go out every day in Paris. Brigitte, by comparison, said that she felt she was still living "a normal life": "I havent changed in my head. Im still the wife of Emmanuel Macron, not of the president. I dont feel like a first lady. She also described Melania as "kind, charming, intelligent, and very open" and said that the somewhat inscrutable persona Melania projects isn't true to who she actually is. Story continues "[Melania] is actually really fun. We have the same sense of humour. We laugh a lot together," she said.Everything is interpreted, over-interpreted. Shes someone who has a strong personality but works hard to hide it. She laughs very easily, at everything, but shows it less than I do. And the whole "can't even open a window" thing isn't a metaphor: Michelle also said she couldn't open a window in the White House. "I cant open my windows," she once told Stephen Colbert. "One day as a treat, my lead agent let me have the windows open on the way to Camp David. It was like five minutes out, and he was like, 'The window's open. Enjoy it!' I was like, Thanks, Alan.'" Related Stories: -Melania Trump Isn't Too Thrilled About Being First Lady, According to a New Report -Husband of the Year Gets Wife a 'Beautiful Card' for Her Birthday -First Lady Melania Trump Wears Chanel Haute Couture Gown to First State Dinner A Twitter-famous shark turned up in a new location on Friday near the Florida panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico. The shark, named Hilton by scientists, is a 12.5-foot, 1,326-pound great white that has been tracked by shark research organization Ocearch since he was tagged in March 2017, according to the Pensacola News Journal. Though his size may sound impressive, hes not that big, relative to other great whites, which can weigh several tons, according to conservation group Oceana. However, Hilton does have about 29,000 Twitter followers more than most sharks. Hiltons tracker transmits a signal, or ping, to researchers when Hiltons dorsal fin comes above the water surface. Hilton, named because he was caught and tagged near Hilton Head, South Carolina, recently pinged in from the Gulf of Mexico, Ocearch wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The group hadnt tracked him to the Gulf previously. After spending nearly a year ranging up and down the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida, Hilton, a mature male white shark, popped up in the Gulf of Mexico west of the Florida Keys 10 days ago, Ocearch chief science adviser Robert Heuter said in the Facebook post. Since then hes made his way toward the Florida panhandle, a famous fishing ground for sport fishermen. Heuter said Hilton is likely doing a little fishing of his own and chowing down on the many fish of the canyon and shelf region there. The group also posted a photo of a map showing Hiltons known locations connected by lines. However, because the locations are linked by straight lines not necessarily the exact routes that Hilton actually took one of the lines shows a route that crosses from the west side of Florida to the east side over land. Hello Florida! Anyone know where I can find some fish? pic.twitter.com/XFZN6N7QaS HiltonTheShark (@HiltonTheShark) April 27, 2018 The implication that Hilton traveled over land did not go unnoticed by people on social media, who joked about the land shark. Story continues Guess he had a ride pic.twitter.com/kLdYmvoq4X Patricia Lloyd (@Patrici83776684) April 28, 2018 He stopped at McDonald's for a filet-o-fish. elaine potwardoski (@potwardoski) April 27, 2018 What the hell did it do, hitchhike across Florida?? Robert Algar Jr (@AlgarRobert) April 28, 2018 Ocearch quoted Bryan Franks, a shark biology specialist at Jacksonville University, in a Friday Facebook post on why Hilton may be taking to the Gulf. According to Franks, Hilton is likely drawn by the nice buffet of food and range of water temperatures the area provides. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Happy travels, Hilton! And please, try and give everyone a heads up if you decide to take a land route. Also on HuffPost Silky sharks in Jardines de la Reina archipelago in Cuba. |SHK0002.JPG|SHK|Sharks, Whales, etc.|animals|danger|fear|fierce|fish|Great White|horizontal|nature|ocean|power|predators|scary|sharks|strong|undersea|underwater|vicious| under the waves circle two... Close encounter Tiger Shark at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas attack great white shark Majestic National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland Turtle & Shark Ocean turtle and shark in Vienna "Haus des Meeres" Shark effect |SHK0025.JPG|SHK|Sharks, Whales, etc.|angry|animals|annoyed|danger|divers|diving|ferocious|fierce|land|marine|ocean|people|power|predators|sand|savage|sea|sharks|strong|undersea|underwater|vertical|vicious|wet| Beware of Sharks Shark Action - Beware Taken in Nassau Bahamas with Olympus C7070 digital camera with inon strobes Check more photos www.colorsofoceans.org Sharks Sharks in the clear water off the coast of Ambergris Caye, Belize.Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize located northeast of the country in the Caribbean Sea. (Image Credit: Bernt Rostad) Inquire is an award-winning magazine of inquisitive journalism & intelligent photography. Download a free copy of our award-winning edition for iPad & iPad Mini here: http://tinyurl.com/98rxnh5 Shark Shark of Rangiroa Frenche Polynesia. Great White Shark Emerging From the Water Great white shark caribbean reef shark Majestic silvertip shark Great white attacks bait. Blue shark in the waters of the Azores islands. Tiger Shark This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians on Sunday after two separate infiltration bids on the Gaza border, the army said. "2 suspects attempted to infiltrate Israel from the southern Gaza Strip and damage the (border) security fence," the army tweeted. "IDF (army) troops fired towards them. One of the suspects was killed, and the other was injured and transferred to security forces." It later said two other infiltrators were killed after they hurled explosives at soldiers, without giving details on the locations of the two incidents. Forty-five Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of what organisers have dubbed the Great March of Return on March 30, with more than 1,500 wounded. No Israelis have been reported hurt. The army has accused Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, of seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out attacks. Marchers are demanding the right to return to their homes seized by Israel in 1948. Israel says that would mean the end of the Jewish state. Israel has rejected calls for an independent inquiry into the deaths along Gaza's border, with the army saying its troops only use live ammunition as a last resort. The army has pledged to stop damage to the border fence, infiltrations and attacks, and alleges there have been attempts at all three. Getty German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump in the latest attempt by European leaders to try and steer the American away from some of his political instincts that they worry could do grave damage to the world political balance and the institutions and agreements that have shaped todays international landscape. Ms Merkel arrived Friday for what German officials and aides have stressed is a working meeting between the two world leaders, and not intended to be the kind of jovial meetings seen earlier in the week when French President Emmanuel Macron touched down in the American capital. Sitting in the Oval Office Friday, Ms Merkel and Mr Trump appeared much warmer than in previous meetings, when the two have seemed tense with one another. Mr Trump, after congratulating her on her recent electoral victory, said that they have a lot of issues they plan on considering. Well be having discussions on Iran. Well be having discussions on trade, Mr Trump said. Well be having various discussions. Mr Trump, during a press conference later in the day, declined to discuss the potential for military intervention in Iran if a new deal is not decided even as Ms Merkel agreed that the deal was inadequate and described it as a first step towards a better international agreement. "They will not be doing nuclear weapons. That I can tell you. They're not going to be doing nuclear weapons, you can bank on it," Mr Trump said. The visit comes ahead of a looming May 12 deadline to preserve the Iran nuclear agreement, which Mr Trump has called frequently criticised in the past. He is publicly undecided on whether he will choose to reimpose sanctions on the country, and has called for changes to the deal to make it stronger. That was underscored Friday when Mr Trump's newly appointed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in Brussels that there had been no decision made in Washington regarding the Iranian deal. Story continues It also comes after the president has threatened to imposed trade tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which have not impacted the European Union yet because the trade bloc was able to get a temporary exemption to the policy. Macron has a good personal relationship with Trump and Merkel has a bad relationship with him, but it's not necessarily a problem. In fact, I don't actually think she cares that much about it, Charles Lichfield, an analyst at the consultant company Eurasia Group, told CNBC ahead of the visit. This trip is about damage limitation. We are almost in crisis mode with tariffs being threatened, so her focus has to be on that, he continued. The German chancellors trip to Washington included none of the pomp and circumstance afforded to Mr Macron earlier this week, who was the honored guest for the first state dinner of the Trump presidency. The two did embrace when Ms Merkel arrived Mr Macron, who has a notably warmer relationship with Mr Trump than Ms Merkel, similarly arrived to try and persuade the American president on a range of issues that are priorities for Europe. But, while the two presidents acted amicably in front of reporters during the visit they kissed upon meeting, and Mr Trump made a show of brushing something off of Mr Macrons lapel as they met in the Oval Office it is uncertain how much ground the French president was able to gain. Mr Trump, shortly after Mr Macron left the United States, bragged on Fox & Friends that he thinks he had been able to sway his French counterparts opinion on the Iran deal. Mr Macron offered during his trip that he was open to a new Iran nuclear deal that built upon the deal spearheaded by Mr Trumps predecessor. He is viewing, I believe, Iran a lot differently than he did before he walked into the Oval Office, and I think thats important, Mr Trump said during a phone interview on the show. The president then continued to say that he still thinks the Iran deal is a horrible deal. Before that, Mr Macron had delivered a sweeping speech to a joint session of Congress in which he largely repudiated Mr Trumps political world view, while at the same time linking his country and the United States in past, present, and future. In that speech, Mr Macron urged the United States to resist the isolationist and nationalist temptations that he said runs counter to the free world values that the US had itself established. This requires more than ever the United States involvement, as your role was decisive for creating and guarding todays free world. The United States is the one who invented this multilateralism. You are the one now who has to help preserve and reinvent it, Mr Macron said. Mr Macron also touched upon trade urging, as Ms Merkel did, for open trade between the United States and Europe framed the Iran deal as one of national security that France will not step away from, and said that he hopes the US will one day reenter the Paris climate change agreement. We signed it at the initiative of the United States, Mr Macron said of the climate accord. We signed it, but the United States and France that is why we cannot say that we should get rid of it like that. I am sure one day, the US will come back and join the Paris Agreement, Mr Macron said. Let us face it: There is no planet B. A mutli-floor blaze has broken out in the unfinished Trump International Hotel and Tower in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, the Independent has reported. Just weeks after a man died in a fire at the Trump Tower in New York, Azerbaijani emergency services rushed to the 33-storey hotel to battle flames consuming the buildings middle floors. The local Azadliq newspaper said up to 25 firefighters and 100 other personnel were dispatched to the scene, extinguishing the fire after three hours. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the extent of the damage is not yet clear. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Trending: What Is the Pink Moon? How and When to Watch Aprils Full Moon This Sunday The building has been under construction for 10 years, but is yet to open. When the project began in 2008, the original designers envisioned a luxury private apartments complex. Now-U.S. President Donald Trumps company took over the project in 2012 and introduced plans for a hotel to be housed on the first 13 floors, and luxury apartments to be built on the remaining 20. The fire came just one day before the Baku Grand Prix racing event is set to begin. Thousands of fans are expected to arrive in the city to watch racing drivers navigate the citys track. Don't miss: Images Change Our Views on Race | Opinion The April 7 New York tower fire killed 67-year-old prominent collector and art dealer Todd Brassner and injured several firefighters. Brassner had been trying to sell his propertywhich he valued at $2.5 millionbut could not find a buyer. The Baku tower has been a source of controversy for Trump and his family. The company that previously owned the projectBaku XXI Centuryis affiliated with Ziya Mammadov, the former Azerbaijani transportation minister that the New Yorker called one of the countrys wealthiest and most powerful oligarchs. Trump tower Baku Michael Steele/Getty Images for BEGOC Story continues Most popular: FBI Questions Russian MMA Fighter Emelianenko Who Once Competed in Trump's Fight League Construction on the $35 million building was delayed in 2015. The Trump Organization blamed the local developers for the hold-up, and said, the project is currently held in abeyance and not being actively marketed. The Mammadov family has been alleged as having connections to the Iranian Darvishi family, who themselves are reportedly linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to a 2017 New Yorker investigation, Alan Garten, chief legal officer for Trumps company admitted the company knew that certain principals associated with the developer may have had some association with some problematic entities, but did not cut ties. Garten said the due diligence on the project's partners had been conducted by a third party, and nothing troubling was found. The Trump Organization eventually ended its involvement with the project in 2016. Ivanka Trump, reportedly the leading Trump Organization figure driving the project, was also caught up in allegations of corruption, having posted photos of herself touring the site of the doomed enterprise to Instagram. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, who authorities said was identified by DNA evidence as the serial predator dubbed the Golden State Killer, appears at his arraignment in California Superior court in Sacramento - REUTERS A former policeman accused of being the Golden State killer has made his first court appearance, 30 years after the decade-long series of attacks. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, appeared before a judge in an orange prison jumpsuit, handcuffed to a wheelchair. He was formally arraigned on two murder charges dating back to 1978, and prosecutors said they expect more charges. DeAngelo is a suspect in 11 other murders and 51 rapes committed across California between 1976 and 1986. The father of three adult daughters was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Citrus Heights, a Sacramento suburb, after a 40-year manhunt. Joseph James DeAngelo, in court on Friday DeAngelo spoke only briefly in court to confirm he had a lawyer. He did not enter a plea, and was denied bail. Scott Jones, Sacramento county sheriff, said DeAngelo is on suicide watch in the psychiatric ward of the county jail. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. It emerged on Friday that police last year believed they had found the killer in an Oregon nursing home, after they used information from a genealogy website. An Oregon police officer working at the request of California investigators persuaded a judge to order a 73-year-old man in an Oregon City nursing home to provide a DNA sample. It is not clear if officers collected the sample and ran further tests, but it was not the man arrested this week outside Sacramento in one of the state's most notorious string of serial rapes and killings. The case of mistaken identity was discovered as authorities hailed the novel use of DNA technology. Crime scene DNA from DeAngelo was matched with genetic material stored in an online database, GEDmatch, by a distant relative. Police waited for him to discard items and then swabbed the objects for DNA, which proved a conclusive match to the evidence that had been preserved more than 30 years. An FBI photo showing a home ransacked in the 1970s or 80s by the wanted man Curtis Rogers, who co-founded GEDmatch, said law enforcement's use of the site raised privacy concerns. Police did not require a warrant, and Mr Rogers was unaware that his site had been used. Story continues "This was done without our knowledge, and it's been overwhelming," he said. DNA was just coming into use as a criminal investigative tool in 1986 when the predator also known as the East Area Rapist apparently ended his decade-long wave of attacks. As a former police officer, DeAngelo probably would have known about the new method, experts said. Police at the time suspected they were chasing a fellow policeman or armed services member because he was so methodical and meticulous, said Wendell Phillips, a former Sacramento deputy involved in the hunt. All those involved in the search were asked to take DNA tests. "Obviously, you didn't want the East Area Rapist on the team," said Mr Phillips. "That turned out to be a pretty good concern." Yerevan (AFP) - Supporters of Armenia's opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan rallied in the capital on Sunday, hoping that a massive show of force two days ahead of a parliamentary vote will help propel him to power. Waving national flags and chanting Pashinyan's name, tens of thousands of people gathered in a square in the centre of Yerevan in the evening, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. "The victory of the velvet revolution is irreversible," Pashinyan told the ecstatic crowd chanting "Nikol Prime Minister". "Looking into your eyes, I can say that yes, I am ready -- with a great sense of responsibility -- to assume the prime ministerial duties," he said. Pashinyan, who needs a handful of votes from lawmakers to become the country's next premier, saw his chances boosted Sunday when a senior lawmaker said the ruling Republican Party would not stand in the way of his candidacy. In the streets of Yerevan, flag-draped demonstrators blocked intersections, sang songs, played music and chanted slogans accusing the ruling party of clinging to power against the people's will. Serzh Sarkisian, who became prime minister on April 17 after serving a decade as president in what was seen by opponents as a power grab, resigned on Monday after 10 days of mass protests. "A spring of liberation has come to Armenia," 56-year-old protester Sona Paremuzyan told AFP. "We got rid of a governmnent of thieves and will soon start rebuilding the country. For the first time in many years, I hope that my grandchildren will live in a better country." Another protester, 48-year old architect Robert Gukasyan, said: "In a couple of days we will finish dismantling Serzh (Sarkisian)'s regime. A window of opportunity has opened for Armenians to build a functioning state." Pashinyan, who heads the small Civil Contract party, is the only candidate in the running for the premiership so far and insists that only he can rid Armenia of corruption, poverty and nepotism. Story continues On Friday and Saturday, Pashinyan received a hero's welcome in a number of towns and villages outside the capital as he drove around the landlocked ex-Soviet state with his supporters in a convoy. - Six more votes - He needs the backing of at least six lawmakers from the ruling Republican Party, which has 58 seats in parliament, to clinch victory on Tuesday. The party has said it would announce its position on Monday, but Pashinyan said he had already received assurances from the head of its parliamentary group, Vahram Baghdasaryan, that it would not sabotage his bid. "Lawmakers of the ruling party are inclined not to stand in the way of my candidacy," Pashinyan said. On Saturday, after days of frantic negotiations, two major parties said they would back Pashinyan, but he was still six votes short of the 53 he needs from the 105-seat legislature. The Prosperous Armenia Party, which holds 31 seats, threw its weight behind Pashinyan on Saturday. A smaller party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, quit the ruling coalition and said it would also back the protest leader. Pashinyan had urged his supporters to turn out in force on Sunday evening. "Our fantastic rallies and meetings across the country have affected the situation in a powerful way," he said in a video address. "Everything will be OK. We'll continue until we reach victory." - 'Rats from a sinking ship' - Some analysts said they expected a number of Republicans to defect and give their votes to Pashinyan, sealing his victory. "I am sure that at least six people from the Republican Party -- like rats from a sinking ship -- would vote for Pashinyan," said analyst Ervand Bozoyan. Observers have expressed fears that the turmoil could destabilise the Moscow-allied nation which has been locked in a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan for decades. Pashinyan met Sunday with Russian lawmakers, telling them his premiership would not threaten the South Caucasus country's close ties with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week spoke by phone with the interim head of government. One of the Kremlin's closest allies, Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is dependent on investments and aid from Moscow. Russian border guards patrol Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran. The United States on Saturday urged "good faith" in negotiations, with a State Department statement calling for "a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians." YEREVAN, April 28 (Reuters) - Armenia's ruling party will not put forward any candidate to become the country's next prime minister to avoid stoking tensions, its spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, told reporters on Saturday. Armenia, a close ally of Russia, has been rocked by two weeks of anti-government protests which led on Monday to the resignation of Serzh Sarksyan as prime minister. Sarksyan had previously been president for a decade. The South Caucasus nation's parliament is due to pick a new prime minister on May 1. So far, only Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, who has led the street protests, has been nominated to the post. (Reporting by Hasmik Mkrtchyan; writing by Polina Devitt; editing by Andrew Osborn) Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers: Infinity War ends on rather a bleak note with a number of Marvel heroes disintegrating into nothing. But a post-credits scene offers a glimmer of hope: A quick glimpse of the Captain Marvel logo hints that the superhero will be the one to swoop in and save the day in Avengers 4. But first, fans will get a solo Captain Marvel movie. Lets start with some background: Samuel L. Jacksons Nick Fury has been missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. The former head of S.H.I.E.L.D. used to show up in every Avengers film to band our heroes together and direct the fight against whatever alien invasion or crazed robot they faced. Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) was often by his side. But the two were conspicuously missing from Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War until the post-credits scene. MORE: An Old Marvel Villain Makes a Surprising Cameo in Avengers: Infinity War At the end of Infinity War, Thanos fulfills his genocidal if environmentally friendly plan to destroy half of all life in the universe and resolve his over-population concerns. Half of the superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe disintegrate along with billions of others. In the Avengers: Infinity War post-credits scene, Fury and Hill are driving in New York City when they receive an alert of alien activity in Wakanda. (Apparently Iron Man didnt bother to call Fury when he heard that Thanos was on his way to Earth.) A car crashes in front of them on the street, and they get out to check on the driver only to find that there is nobody in the drivers seat. Hill disintegrates, and Fury reaches for what looks to be a pager or old school smartphone. As he presses the buttons, he begins to disintegrate himself. He groans, Motherfer as he floats away, and the device drops to the ground. The camera zooms in to the device which reads sending before a yellow star symbol on a red and blue background pops up Captain Marvels logo. Story continues As comic book fans already know, the hero wears a uniform with a yellow star on a red and blue background. Fury was trying to alert her about the alien invasion before he died, and it looks like the message did indeed get through. We can expect Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson) to fly down to Earth and offer the Avengers renewed hope. But before Avengers 4 premieres next summer, Captain Marvel will get her own solo film, due out in March 2019. Marvel has said Captain Marvel will be set in the 1990s and will also star you guessed it Nick Fury. Likely, Captain Marvel will introduce the Captain Marvel character and establish a connection between her and Fury. Captain Marvel, a fighter pilot with half-alien DNA, can fly and shoot beams from her hands. Shes ridiculously powerful and can kick Thor or Hulks butt. And shes probably familiar with Thanos and his antics: She does a lot of her universe saving in space. Sounds like the perfect person to take on Thanos. I don't mean to ignore all of u requesting the higher res of #CaptainMarvel I painted. Sorry but I can't ??When I get green light I def will pic.twitter.com/eAS3ccSEGm Andy Park (@andyparkart) August 12, 2017 Could it be that she was on the other side of the universe when Thanos came to Earth? Did she instruct Fury to only call her when the apocalypse was under way? The teaser certainly builds up the importance of Captain Marvel, the first female superhero to get her own movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bill Cosby hears the verdict is in on April 26. Comedian Bill Cosbys criminal trial concluded with a guilty verdict on April 26, but his trials arent over. Theres still a long and arduous legal process ahead. A Pennsylvania jury found Cosby guilty (paywall) of three counts of felony sexual assault of Andrea Constand, arising from their encounters in 2004. The entertainer is subject to up to 10 years in prison for each count, and the judge can order the sentences be served concurrently, meaning together, or consecutively, meaning one after another. Given that Cosby is 80 years old and claims to be ailing, its likely hell finish his days doing time either way. For now, however, hes out on bail. And his attorneys have already vowed to appeal. The fight is not over, attorney Tom Mesereau told reporters outside the Norristown courthouse after the verdict was delivered. Technically, Cosby cant appeal before hes sentenced and a sentencing hearing hasnt been scheduled yet. It must be set within 60 days of conviction, based on Pennsylvania criminal procedure. Also notable is that appellate court judges dont retry cases, so unless grave legal errors occurred, the verdict will stand. Instead, what appeals courts do is review written records for legal errors, considering only technical problems that trial attorneys objected to and preserved that are then are raised in appellate briefs. A Pennsylvania state appellate court is an error-reviewing court, not a fact-finding court, explains Lloyd Long, a former state prosecutor who now represents criminal defendants. Its not going to repeat the work of the jury. Long told Quartz that after Cosby is sentenced, his attorneys could try to challenge the outcome and do so within 10 days of sentencing, but theyre unlikely to succeed. They can file post-sentencing motions claiming there was insufficient proof for a conviction or that the evidence wasnt credible, says Long. However, those claims are pretty much dead on arrival. Such efforts usually fail, he notes, because credibility is for fact findersthe jury, in this caseto decide, and they clearly believed the prosecutors case. Story continues If Cosbys attorneys do file a post-sentencing motion, the court will have 120 days to rule on it. After that ruling, the defendant has 30 days to file a notice of appeal. If Cosbys attorneys decide not to file post-sentencing motions, theyll need to initiate a direct appeal within 30 days of sentencing. Every criminal conviction has the constitutional right to a direct appeal in Pennsylvania, Long says. That, however, also means state appellate courts are swamped and that the appeals process can take a long timeanywhere from six to 30 months. The overwhelming majority of defendants serve their sentences while an appeal is pending. As such, Cosby, too, is most likely to do time while his counsel continues fighting. Still, Long cant say whether a probation sentence that keeps Cosby out of custody is possible. And he believes that any good defense attorney with an elderly and infirm client, like Cosby, would argue against incarceration, or at least request special placement based on frailty. According to the former prosecutor, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections considers age and health when making inmate placement determinations, and many elderly felons serve their sentences in the state correctional institute at Laurel Highlands. Obviously, thats not where Cosbyor anyone elsethought the once-beloved entertainer would retire. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: Brussels (AFP) - The EU will this week unveil its first formal plans for a larger, one-trillion-euro-plus long-term budget after Britain's departure, which threaten to further deepen divisions in the bloc. From slashed farm funds that will anger French farmers, to development cash tied to respect for democracy, and demands for greater national contributions, the 2021-2027 budget promises to be an explosive mixture. EU Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, who will present the plans in Brussels on Wednesday, says that tough steps are needed to fill a 12 to 14 billion euro hole left by Brexit. A race against time will follow, especially as the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, wants the budget agreed before the next European Parliament elections in May 2019, two months after Britain leaves. EU states say it is "impossible" given the rifts between east, west, north and south, with countries anxious not to put their hands in their pockets at a time when populism on the march. "They have to take responsibility for the ambitions that they have expressed" for the EU after Brexit, an official in Jean-Claude Juncker's commission said on condition of anonymity. - 'There will have to be cuts' - The loss of Britain deprives the EU of one of its biggest net contributor nations at a time when the bloc is trying to finance new areas such as defence and tackling migration. Countries including Austria and the Netherlands are already gearing up to fight any demand for increased national contributions, although France and Germany have said they are ready to pay more. The sums at stake in the budget debate are huge, even if on the face of it they only represent a tiny fraction of the overall wealth of the European Union -- the current 2014-2020 budget represented just 1 percent of the bloc's GDP. Oettinger has called for countries to increase their contributions to "between 1.1 percent and 1.2 percent" of their national budgets for the next "multi-annual financial framework". Story continues But along with the new resources "there will have to be cuts," the German commissioner has warned. Sources said they would be "modest" amounting to less than 10 percent. Most will target the two areas that together account for nearly three quarters of all EU spending. The EU's infamous Common Agricultural Policy is first in the crosshairs, accounting for 37 percent of the bloc's spending. That will be difficult to swallow for France, whose farmers are the biggest beneficiaries of CAP funds. Paris has said it is ready to defend "substantial reform" but the "indispensable security of aid for farmers cannot be affected", a diplomatic source said. - 'Political pressure' - Also targeted will be so-called cohesion funds that are used to fund development in poorer European countries. They represent a further 35 percent of the EU's budget. Most of that money currently goes to eastern former Soviet bloc countries which are still catching up economically. But southern nations such as Spain and Italy have started demanding that some is redirected to tackle mass youth unemployment in their countries. The eastern countries are also alarmed by the commission's plans to link the funds to respect for the rule of law. Poland and Hungary, both criticised by Brussels over democratic issues, have battened down the hatches and say they are being criticised for failing to take in refugees. "We will not accept arbitrary mechanisms which will make the funds an instrument of political pressure, Poland's deputy European affairs minister Konrad Szymanski said. Some of the money saved will be directed to guarding the EU's frontiers in the wake of the migration crisis, with the Commission planning to more than quintuple the size of the Frontex border agency to nearly 6,000, a European source said. At least 98 people in 22 states report infections linked to outbreak This is a serious E coli. Everybody should be avoiding romaine Romaine lettuce displayed on a shelf at a supermarket on 23 April in San Rafael, California. The current E coli outbreak is focused on produce grown in Yuma, Arizona. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A multi-state outbreak of E coli food poisoning linked to romaine lettuce has made at least 98 people sick, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said. Officials said more than half of reported cases had required hospitalization. People in 22 states had reported infections linked to the outbreak from a contamination officials said was centred in Yuma, Arizona. At least two dozen farms were being checked. The lettuce-growing season is over in Yuma but the FDA and CDC said they could not guarantee when the outbreak would end since consumers may still have contaminated romaine in their refrigerators. People should not be eating any type of romaine lettuce unless they know for sure that it is not coming from the Yuma region, said the CDC deputy branch chief for outbreak response, Matt Wise. This is a serious E coli. I think everybody should be concerned and I think everybody should be avoiding romaine. In an official advisory, the CDC said: If you do not know whether lettuce is romaine, do not eat it. This includes lettuce in a salad mix. Package labels often do not identify growing regions. CDC is advising consumers not to eat or buy romaine lettuce if they do not know where it was grown. This advice includes whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, baby romaine, organic romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce. Signs of an E coli outbreak were identified two weeks ago, when the New Jersey state health department discovered a cluster of infected people. After eight men in a prison in Alaska were sickened by intact romaine lettuce heads, investigators traced the outbreak to Harrison Farms in Yuma. After people from Washington state, Louisiana, Connecticut and other states were sickened by bags of chopped lettuce, the CDC updated its advisory. Story continues The strain of E coli involved, Escherichia coli O157:H7, produces a powerful toxin called Shiga. Dr Robert Tauxe of the CDC told reporters it binds to the cells that line blood vessels in certain organs and destroys the lining of the blood vessel. Thats why some people get kidney failure, he said. Of 46 people hospitalised, the CDC said, 10 developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uraemic syndrome. The toxin can also cause bloody diarrhoea. If it gets into the brain, it can cause a stroke. The CDC said most people recover within a week, but some illnesses can last longer and be more severe. People who think they may have been sickened by E coli should see a doctor, the CDC said. New York (AFP) - The conviction of cultural icon turned national pariah Bill Cosby on sexual assault charges was a bittersweet victory for advocates of women making similar charges against powerful men in Hollywood, the media and elsewhere. And those advocates say they hope it will lead to more such convictions amid the groundswell of allegations that have come forward since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke late last year, unleashing the #MeToo movement. "I think now there is tremendous awareness of how these crimes have been covered up and papered over for years," US District Attorney Kevin Steele said after the jury convicted the comedian on Thursday. "And all women that are out there standing up and telling their truth, I, we, support them and encourage them to keep it up," said Steele. "And I hope now everybody recognizes that here you are going to be treated with dignity and respect through the process," he added. Cosby's first trial ended last June with a hung jury, hopelessly deadlocked after 52 hours of deliberations. The 80-year-old's conviction in the first celebrity courtroom battle of the #MeToo era "is a notice to sexual predators everywhere," said the National Organization for Women. Actress Rose McGowan -- who was among the first to go public with accusations against Weinstein, a movie mogul whose career is now in tatters -- tweeted: "His victims can now exhale." "Thank you, judge and jury. Thank you society for waking up," she added. - Charges rare - The flood of reactions reflects the exceptional nature of Cosby's conviction. In recent years, many powerful men in America have been accused of sexual assault. But few have actually been charged, even if the number of probes has soared with the #MeToo watershed. Weinstein's alleged transgressions are perhaps the most flagrant. He has been accused of abuses ranging from harassment to rape by more than 100 women since October, prompting probes in Los Angeles, New York and London. But he has not yet been charged. Story continues Weinstein's lawyer, Ben Brafman, has said his client never engaged in non-consensual sex. But pressure on prosecutors in New York is growing, and they have beefed up their team of investigators. Other high-profile men have been accused of sexual misconduct, including the actor Kevin Spacey, Metropolitan Opera director James Levine, and, in France, prominent Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan. Most have been forced to resign or humiliated out of public life. But apart from Ramadan, none of these men have been charged so far. Cases are hard to carry forward. This is because of a lack of physical evidence of sexual assault, as in Cosby's case, and court proceedings that depend largely on contradictory testimony from defendant and accuser. Also, in many of the US cases, the statutes of limitation have expired, meaning the alleged crimes occurred too long ago to prosecute. On Friday, many commentators highlighted that allowing five other Cosby accusers to testify in the case brought by Andrea Constand, inevitably tipped the scales. "While the #MeToo movement might have opened the floodgates of sordid stories and reveals how ubiquitous the experience of such abuses of power are, the outcome of Cosby's trial underscores the sad truth that the voice of a single woman too often isnt enough," The Philadelphia Inquirer said in an editorial. - 'Hesitation' to tell story still unavoidable - Although some abuse victims might be encouraged by the Cosby verdict and the #MeToo reckoning, "there is still going to be hesitation for the victim to come forward because there is a feeling sometimes of shame," said Julie Rendelman, a New York lawyer who has worked on several of these cases. "Going forward with these types of cases is not a piece of cake for the prosecution. Once an accusation is made, law enforcement has an obligation to investigate those accusations to determine if in fact a crime has been committed." Indeed, tough prison sentences in these types of cases is still rare. The 80-year-old Cosby could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. His lawyer has pledged to appeal, so the judge could leave him free on bail in the meantime. The Bill Cosby verdict is a victory for all victims of sexual assault a group thats not used to getting justice from the legal system. It was incredibly emotional to watch his accusers collapse in tears after the trial and to hear one of them tell reporters in a choked-up voice, I feel like Im dreaming. Can you pinch me? The more than 60 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct expressed relief to the media, and many people touted the verdict as a milestone on Twitter. We did it. We won. We beat Goliath, Heidi Thomas, who accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her in 1984, said on CNN. There are many, many reasons to celebrate this verdict. Most sexual assault victims have terrible experiences with the legal system. Police and prosecutors often judge or dismiss them, and in the few cases that make it to trial, the defense often retraumatizes, shames and attacks the victims on the witness stand. Conviction rates for these crimes are notoriously low, and its more than likely that at the end of a long, painful process, the jury will side with the defendant. The Cosby verdict, along with the conviction of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for sexually assaulting over 260 women and girls, sends a very important and high-profile message: that judges and jurors may start believing victims. While that message is extremely important in encouraging more survivors to come forward, this victory should be put in perspective. The legal system is still stacked against victims, and a high-profile guilty verdict is not enough to shift a legal culture that treats complainants as if they were the ones on trial. Cosbys sexual assault case was unique. A first trial ended in a mistrial 10 months ago, which means jurors in the retrial already knew about the lawsuit and were likely aware of the wave of sexual predators the Me Too movement has exposed. The judge allowed testimony from five other women who accused the comedian of sexual assault an anomaly for most cases which buttressed complainant Andrea Constands allegations and establish that the criminal behavior was part of a pattern. Story continues The prosecutors were able to present the jury with Cosbys testimony from a 2005 civil case, in which he admitted that his sexual encounter with Constand existed in a gray area somewhere between permission and rejection. Andrea Constand at the courthouse in June 2017. Cosby's legal team portrayed her as being out for his money. (Photo: Mark Makela/Pool/ Reuters) Most sexual violence crimes lack evidence and public attention. Most lawyers call them the most difficult cases to prosecute because they so often lack physical proof victims often dont have injuries or DNA evidence from rape kits and there are rarely any witnesses. These trials are often dubbed he said, she said, since they boil down to one persons account of events against anothers. Most judges and jurors are predisposed to believe the defendant. Many victims instead choose to settle their cases in civil court or dont report their assaults at all. Despite the national dialogue on sexual violence that the Me Too movement has sparked, the public holds deeply entrenched stereotypes about sexual assault victims that are very difficult to reverse. Many people think survivors should be blamed for their assaults, based on what they wore, how much they had to drink or how they acted. The cultural expectation is that credible victims should follow a script: Fight, flee and immediately report the abuse. However, experts on violence against women say that isnt typical behavior. These myths which are constantly reinforced in movies, television shows and music arent just something the general public believes; police, lawyers, judges and jurors have internalized them, and those are the very people responsible for deciding if a case makes it to court and whether the accused goes to prison. The criminal justice system holds such backward views when it come to sexual assault that marital rape is still partly legal in eight states. Police regularly throw out rape reports without investigating them, and prosecutors often mishandle sex assault cases because they think that victims who delay reporting their assault or who speak with a flat affect about their abuse must be lying. These biases regularly come out in courtrooms. A Canadian judge recently asked an alleged rape victim, Why couldnt you just keep your knees together? The judge who sentenced Brock Turner to only six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious 23-year-old woman behind a dumpster in 2016 said he worried about how a prison sentence might affect Turner, who was a successful athlete. Prosecutors need a jury pool trained in the reality of what sexual violence is, and then at the end of the day, they also need judges who receive this training, said Gretchen Hunt, the head of the office of victims advocacy for the Kentucky attorney generals office. Theres very little work specifically being done on training judges on sexual assault as a group. Jurors often make their decisions based on myths they believe about victims, which are reinforced by the defense. (One of Cosbys lawyers called Constand a con artist who was after his money. Another said of fellow accuser Janice Dickinson, It sounds as though she slept with every single man on the planet.) Kaarin Long, an an assistant attorney in Ramsey County, Minnesota, said that having the right jurors in a trial is crucial to a cases success but that the jury selection process doesnt give her much control over who makes the cut. Sometimes I get a group of 12 people who are open to hearing the evidence and the states point of view, she said. [But] I had a trial a couple of months ago where I felt like we almost had no one at all. Cosbys guilty verdict cant overhaul a legal process thats always been set up to fail survivors. The problems are so deeply embedded in the legal system that any solutions will have to be longer term such as educating kids about consent and training legal experts who handle these cases. In the meantime, while its important to celebrate a landmark trial, its crucial to keep fighting for systemic changes that will have a much greater impact on the majority of victims than any high-profile sexual assault case. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Curt Mills Politics, North America U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis waits to welcome Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak at the Pentagon in Arlington Knifefighting with the National Security Council and public dissention on the Iran deal have many questioning Secretary James Mattis future. Could Mattis Be Out by Year's End? Is James Mattis, secretary of defense, the deputy president of the Trump administration? Other operators have occupied this ex-officio role in this still-young administration: Steve Bannon in the early days, John Kelly at the height of his power. The former was ousted and the latter is, of course, now much diminished. Its a contradictory role: maximum influence, the most curtailed half-life. Mattis role as defense secretary adds a different flavorand a further layer of powerto the arrangement. After what some defense officials describe as Barack Obamas imperial White Housecivilian micromanagement of military decisionsPresident Donald Trump has devolved substantial powers back to the Pentagon. Add to that Mattis sprawling alliance structure on the Hillhes the one of the last adults in the room, the narrative for many goesand on war and peace he is peerless. But as with Bannon and Kelly, as well as the tenures of Rex Tillerson and H. R. McMaster and Reince Priebus, among others, it just might not last. Mattis has widely been viewed as an immovable force: kept on in a new administration if the president were somehow forced from power. Now he might be out by years end, three sources familiar with the matter say. A former senior White House official predicts just that. If Michael Wolff is to believed, the only person on the planet the president sees as above him is Rupert Murdoch. But entertained as peers are generation-leading generals like Mattis and Kelly. But a Defense Department source says that Mattis, once essentially bulletproof with 45, is imperiled as never before. The new National Security Advisor, John Bolton, smells blood in the water. Its no secret the secretary doesnt think much of Ambassador Bolton, says a White House official. Story continues Indeed, as I reported in March, Mattis attempted to block Bolton from his current post. While both are too smart to allow this to descend into an outright, public scrum, Bolton is poised to twist the knife where he can. The National Interest reported exclusively last week that Bolton was seeking to hire Mira Ricardel, a Commerce aide whom Mattis holds in low esteem and blocked at the DOD in 2017. Last Friday, the White House signed off on the installation of Ricardel as his deputy. Now, Mattis is breaking more publically with Trumps more hawkish aidesthe new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Bolton and Ricardelespecially on Iran. The JCPOA (the Iran deal) could be dead and buried before Memorial Day. Mattis said yesterday, about a deal Trump calls the worst in history, that the inspection regime the Iranians are subject to is pretty robust. For a White House that doubles daily as Shakespearean drama, one of the more buried ironies is that Mattis has emerged as perhaps the administrations leading Iran dove. Mattis was forced from uniform by Obama because he was perceived as an Iran obsessive out for revenge against Tehranas a military commander in the Iraq War, he sent American men and women to die at the hands of murderous Shia militias backed by Tehran. Iran, Iran, Iran is what Mattis, as a retired general, once famously said was wrong with the Middle East. Mattis is no restrainerhes the frontman behind the largest defense spending increase since the Bush administration, as well as the mascot for a robust, new Authorization for Military Force (AUMF) quietly being pushed by Sen. Bob Corkers office. Mattis could be quietly trying to solidify legacy items in case hes on his way outthe AUMF, generous financing of the Pentagon and preserving something like that looks the Iran deal. A senior aide to a prominent Democratic senator told me it was Mattis who killed a surprisingly robust challenge last month to Americas support for the Saudi war on Yemen. He traveled from the Pentagon to attend both the Democratic and Republican Senate luncheons on the day of the vote; given Mattis popularity on the Hill, the die was cast. In addition, officials on their way out often warn of coming crises. Obama warned Trump that his first term could be defined by North Korea. On Thursday, Mattis talked openly of a new conflagration in the Middle East. Direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran is now likely, Mattis said in Washington. Curt Mills is a foreign-affairs reporter at the National Interest. Follow him on Twitter: @CurtMills. Image: Reuters Read full article Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - "Phantom" voters, electoral roll tampering, mysterious power blackouts during recounts -- Malaysian activists are gearing up to battle widespread cheating at what they fear will be the dirtiest election in the country's history. Prime Minister Najib Razak is facing a tough test at the May 9 poll due to a corruption scandal surrounding state fund 1MDB, discontent over rising living costs, and a challenge from veteran ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad. While vote-rigging has plagued previous Malaysian elections, observers fear the high stakes mean that cheating by the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will be more rampant than ever before. In response, opposition and civil society groups are training poll monitors to prevent fraud, while leading electoral reform group Bersih has set up an online platform to report instances of alleged rigging. "This election is not just dirty, it is filthy," Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert from John Cabot University, told AFP. "Najib's insecurity is delegitimising the electoral process." Even before a single ballot has been cast, Bersih lamented the poll had descended into an "open auction with votes for sale" due to local leaders -- mainly from BN but also the opposition -- giving out cash and gifts such as TVs and food hampers. Concerns have been raised about the electoral roll, with Bersih saying that it had so far received over 80 complaints from the public. These include reports of so-called "phantom" voters, such as people who have died but still appear on the list, or people whose names have appeared without them registering. At the last election in 2013, when BN lost the popular vote for the first time since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957, there were numerous allegations of cheating. There were reports of "dubious" voters including foreigners being flown into key constituencies in Malaysia to vote for BN. Story continues Supposedly indelible ink, used in a Malaysian general election for the first time and touted by the government as a guarantee against multiple voting, was found to wash easily off people's fingers. Sudden electricity blackouts at polling centres were also experienced during vote recounts, fuelling suspicions of ballot tampering -- something the ruling coalition denied. - No contest, but a beating - In the hope of stemming what they expect to be a tsunami of cheating, Bersih and other groups are training volunteers to monitor voting on polling day. At a recent session in a Kuala Lumpur hall, about 100 volunteers were being given pointers by Invoke, a think-tank linked to opposition group the People's Justice Party. They gathered around trainers who were pretending to be polling agents and teaching them how to check for suspicious activity. "We're doing this to ensure nothing funny happens on polling day," Invoke official Matthew Lai told AFP. "There are too many avenues to cheat." Despite their efforts, Bersih -- which led massive protests against Najib at the height of the 1MDB scandal -- is not confident that reports of alleged violations will be taken seriously, and says complaints made at the last election were not. There are some instances of alleged poll rigging that it is already too late to fight. In March the government pushed a redrawing of electoral boundaries through parliament, in a move that critics say unfairly favours the ruling coalition by creating constituencies dominated by their Muslim Malay supporters. - 'Even the opposition can win' - BN however insists that Malaysian elections are conducted fairly. "There's no such thing as cheating here... In our system, even the opposition can win," Information Minister Salleh Said Keruak told AFP. Najib is tipped to retain power at the election. Critics say this will be partly due to vote rigging but admit other factors such as a robust domestic economy will help him. Still the presence of 92-year-old Mahathir, who is heading the opposition, has made life more difficult for him. Mahathir came out of retirement to take on Najib, his former protege, in response to the 1MDB scandal, which allegedly saw billions looted from the state fund in a campaign of fraud and money-laundering. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. While Mahathir has predicted enormous cheating, critics say this is rich coming from a man who faced numerous accusations of fraud at polls during his own time in office. However, Welsh from John Cabot University said that vote-rigging has become more serious under Najib: "Elections are supposed to be a contest -- Najib wants it to be a beating." The U.S. and Russia are the world's two leading military powers and they've developed substantial air power. While the collapse of the Soviet Union interrupted Russia's aerial superpower status, President Vladimir Putin has embarked on a massive campaign to challenge U.S. dominance in the sky. The task has become especially urgent as relations deteriorate between Moscow and U.S.-led Western military alliance NATO. The U.S. commands by far the largest air fleet in the world, with up to 12,000 aircraft between the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps. The Navy also commands about 20 aircraft carriers capable of delivering state-of-the-art air power around the world. The size and power of Russia's air fleet was greatly reduced with the Soviet Union's collapse, when Moscow's ambitious military machine came to a virtual halt for nearly a decade. Russia did not begin to focus on resurrecting its armed forces until about 2000, the same year Putin first became president. Today, the Russian Air Force and Navy combined command just over 4,000 aircraft and one only one aircraft carrier, but the country is making an effort to keep up. Trending: Bill Gates: Pandemic Disease Threat Could Kill 30 Million People in Just 6 Months "The U.S. is lightyears ahead," Dave Majumdar, senior defense editor at The National Interest, told Newsweek. "We are the gold standard of air forces, everyone sort of wants to be like usbut the Russians are catching up," he added. RTX2KDN7 Peter Nicholls/Reuters Russia has steadily begun to deploy its first fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Sukhoi Su-57, also known as the PAK-FA or T-50. The aircraft would be the first in Russian military history to use stealth technology, something the U.S. has already excelled in for quite some time. Majumdar pointed out that the current Su-57s were using updated AL-31 military turbofan engines seen in other Sukhoi variants, and the updated AL-41F1 military turbofan engines may not be due until 2025. Story continues Not much is known about the Su-57, but if it's as powerful as it's said to be, then its main competitor would likely be the U.S.'s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptorconsidered by many to be the world's greatest fighter aircraft. Defense expert Kyle Mizokami imagined a battle between the two in an article he penned for The National Interest earlier this month. RussiaSu57s Russian Ministry of Defense Both aircraft have advanced long-range technology, but the author wrote: "the F-22 has more of a likelihood of gaining the initiative early on and winning the battle before the two jets can come within visual range of one another." In a close-quarters dogfight, however, Mizokami added: "The Russian jets infrared search and track systemsomething the American stealth fighter doesnt havewill be a major bonus in combat." Don't miss: Who Was James Cone? Founder of Black Liberation Theology Dies Earlier Sukhoi jets also retain major warfighting prowess, especially the fourth-generation Su-35 Flanker-E. Describing the Su-35 as "an unsurpassed dogfighter," security expert Sebastien Roblin wrote in The National Interest that the aircraft's intense maneuverability gave it an edge over even next-generation fighters such as the F-22 and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The stealth capabilities of these two U.S. fighters again put Russia at a technological disadvantage. RussiaSu35S Russian Ministry of Defense Onlookers get a glimpse of Russia's air force capabilities at shows or regular training exercises, but one place Moscow had its firepower on full display was in Syria. Both the U.S. and Russia are actively battling the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and other jihadis in the war-torn country, but the latter's expansive and largely successful bombing campaign against other insurgents opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has earned it both Western criticism and an opportunity to test its latest weapons as it gained a new foothold in the war-torn region. GettyImages-672785824 RAIGO PAJULA/AFP/Getty Images As Business Insider reported in February, the extent of Russia's air deployment in Syria includes both the Su-57 and Su-35, as well as the Sukhoi Su-24, Su-25, Su-27MS3, Su-30SM, Su-34; and the Mikoyan MiG-29SMT, the Beriev A-50, the Ilyushin IL-20 and the Antonov An-24. Russia has also sent out bombers such as the Tupolev Tu-22M3 to deliver air strikes against targets in Syria. The Tu-22M3 was set to be updated to the Tu-22M3M with "modern long-range precision weapons" and a new engine also to be fitted to the upcoming Tu-160M2 nuclear-capable heavy bomber. The Tu-160 has used overwhelming force in Syria, blasting ISIS with Kh-101 cruise missiles Related: U.S. Versus Russia: These Are Their Weapons in Syria and What May Happen Next Most popular: Joy Reid Apologizes for Homophobic Blog Posts, Says She Doesn't Remember Writing Them "They're doing pretty well, it's great practice," Majumdar told Newsweek. "It's also signaling, it's a message to us. Do they really need Kh-101s [nuclear capable air-launched cruise missiles] to hit some guys with AK-47s in a building? No." RussiaMig31refuel Russian Ministry of Defense The Pentagon nearly came to blows with Russian forces earlier this month when the U.S., France and the U.K. launched cruise missiles at Syrian government facilities suspected to be involved in the production of chemical weapons. Russia threatened to strike back if any of its personnel were put at risk, but it later said the trilateral attack fell outside its zone of responsibility and followed instructions provided to the U.S. 4301043 U.S. Air National Guard/Senior Master Sargeant Kendra M. Owenby/Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Despite the mounting geopolitical tensions between Washington and Moscow, neither power is eager to get into a world war where both have a lot to lose. Technology wasn't the only field in which Russia was behind when compared to the U.S. Prior to defending Assad from jihadis and an uprising backed by the West, Turkey and Gulf Arab states, Russian pilots were not involved in a major conflict since Afghanistan in the late 1970s and 1980s, another arena where they faced U.S.-backed rebels, against whom they had less success. Cognizant of the gap between its land, sea and air capabilities and those of the U.S., Russia has also invested in its nuclear triad. Besides the aerial bombers such as the Tu-160, it also includes new land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Putin's efforts to accelerate the Russian military meant it would likely remain a powerful near-peer competitor for some time. Unless the U.S. hits a major obstacle as Moscow did in the 1990s, it's unlikely that Russia will ever quite catch up, especially as the U.S. spends nearly 10 times more on its military budget. However, President Donald Trump and his generals still consider Russia and China as major threats, and the commander-in-chief further boosted defense spending for 2019 despite the sizeable lead the Pentagon already enjoys against its Russian rival. "They're not anywhere close to us. They're already capable force and they are catching up, but we're also moving forward," Majumdar told Newsweek. "We're in a league of our own." This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Washington Township, Michigan - AP Donald Trump said on Saturday a meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un could happen over the next three to four weeks as he took credit for "everything" to do with the peace talks in the region. The President made the comments in a campaign style rally in Michigan, during which he stepped up his trade attacks on the European Union and renewed criticism of the new American embassy's "horrible location" in London. Discussing the recent Korean summit and the fast-moving diplomacy taking place in the region, Mr Trump compared the optimistic mood to the rhetoric a few months ago. "Do you remember what they were saying? 'He's going to get us into nuclear war'," Mr Trump recalled, referring to a fiery war-of-words between himself and Kim that preceded a diplomatic breakthrough. He added: "No, strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not going to get us in!" The US president added he was cautiously optimistic over the outcome. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Washington Township, Michigan Credit: AP "I think we will have a meeting over the next three or four weeks that will be a very important meeting... but we'll see how it goes. "And again, whatever happens, happens. Look, I may go in. It may not work out. I leave," he continued, adding he would avoid the mistakes of the Obama administration which arrived at a denuclearisation deal with Iran. "We're going to have hopefully a very successful negotiation over the next three or four weeks. And we'll be doing the world a big favour. We'll be doing the world a big favour." The US president also took credit for the inter-Korean meeting on Friday, at which Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed on a commitment to sign a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War by the end of the year and to achieve the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula. Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump cheer him at a Make America Great Again Rally in Washington, Michigan Credit: Reuters I had one of the fake news groups this morning. They were saying, what do you think President Trump had to do with it? Mr Trump said. Ill tell you what. Like, how about everything? Story continues During a meandering speech in which he took aim at familiar political targets, Mr Trump attacked the European Union, China other nations over trade, threatening to "take on" the bloc and superpower. He said the EU "sounds so nice" but it was "formed to take advantage of the United States". The European Union was temporarily spared from a round of tariffs on metal imports imposed by Mr Trump's administration in March, although the exemption is due to expire in the coming days. How soybeans sow discontent in trade war Pledging to support US farmers, Mr Trump accused Brussels of putting up barriers and called for markets to be opened up. "When we take on China or the European Union, which has tremendous blocks, it's very hard for us to sell stuff into the European Union. It was put there to take advantage of the United States, OK." Responding to a member of the crowd shouting "not anymore", he replied: "You're right. Not anymore. We told them that yesterday actually, we said the same words 'not anymore'. Those days are over. "But we've got to open up these markets. It's not fair." The President also renewed his criticism of the new US embassy in London, saying it is in a "lousy" and "horrible" location and cost too much. The US president, who is visiting the UK on July 13, lashed out again at the move from Grosvenor Square in the centre of the capital to Nine Elms south of the Thames. At a rally in Michigan, he said: "In the UK, in London, we had the best site in all of London. The best site. Well, some genius said, we're gonna sell the site and then we're going to take the money and build a new embassy... "They go out and they buy a horrible location. And they build a new embassy. That's the good news. The bad news is it cost over a billion dollars." US embassy new location Mr Trump blamed his predecessors for the project, calling it a "Bush-Obama special", adding later: "Hopefully we'll have many years of success with that embassy." It is not the first time Mr Trump has attacked the decision to relocate the embassy. In January, he said he would not travel to the UK the following month to open the new embassy, blaming the "bad deal" to move it to an "off location". However US and UK sources have suggested concerns over protests in London and continued hostility to a visit from the Labour leadership was a bigger reason for the cancellation. The trip in July will not be the full state visit offered to Mr Trump just days after his inauguration, for which a date has yet to be set. When he pays a flying 24-hour visit in the summer, the President will meet the Queen and go to Chequers but largely avoid London amid fears of mass protests. Rodrigo Duterte says that a ban on Filipino workers from heading to Kuwait that's been in effect since February will now be permanent - RTVM Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the temporary ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait is now permanent, intensifying a diplomatic standoff over the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf nation. Mr Duterte in February imposed a prohibition on workers heading to Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in the Gulf state. The crisis deepened after Kuwaiti authorities last week ordered Manila's envoy to leave the country over videos of Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employers. The two nations had been negotiating a labour deal that Philippine officials said could result in the lifting of the ban but the recent escalation in tensions has put an agreement in doubt. "The ban stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for especially domestic helpers. No more," Mr Duterte told reporters in the southern city of Davao. There was no immediate response from Kuwait, where around 262,000 Filipinos are employed - nearly 60 percent of them as domestic workers, according to the Philippines' foreign department. Last week the Philippines apologised over the rescue videos but Kuwaiti officials announced they were expelling Manila's ambassador and recalling their own envoy from the Southeast Asian nation. In quotes | Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines Kuwait also detained four Filipinos hired by the Philippine embassy and issued arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel, Manila said. Mr Duterte on Sunday described the treatment of workers in Kuwait as a "calamity". He said he would bring home Filipina maids who suffered abuse as he appealed to workers who wanted to stay in the oil-rich state. "I would like to address to their patriotism: come home. No matter how poor we are, we will survive. The economy is doing good and we are short of our workers," he said. About 10 million Filipinos work abroad, seeking high-paying jobs they are unable to find at home, and their remittances are a major pillar of the Philippine economy. Story continues The Philippine government has for decades hailed overseas workers as modern heroes but advocacy groups have highlighted the social cost of migration, tearing families apart and making Filipinos vulnerable to abuse. Mr Duterte lashed out at Kuwait in February, alleging Arab employers routinely rape Filipina workers, force them to work 21 hours a day and feed them scraps. However after the latest row, Mr Duterte used a conciliatory tone as he addressed the "diplomatic ruckus" on Saturday. "Apparently it seems as if they have anger against Filipinos ... I do not want to send (workers) because apparently you do not like Filipinos," he said in a speech before Filipinos in Singapore. "Just do not hurt them. I plead that they'd be given a treatment deserving of a human being," he said in the same event. Scott Pruitt testified Thursday before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment at the Rayburn House Office Building. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Environmental Protection Agencys inspector general has opened new reviews into Administrator Scott Pruitts alleged ethical lapses, including his $50 per night condo rental, according to letters sent Friday to two top Democrats. This is the first time the agencys watchdog is officially investigating Pruitts housing arrangement, the scandal that triggered the avalanche of corruption accusations and prompted calls for Pruitts resignation. In letters to Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins said his office received requests from multiple members of Congress and would both broaden existing investigations and open new reviews. Some of these matters will be reviewed as part of previously announced and still ongoing OIG [Office of Inspector General] reviews, Elkins wrote. Some will be the impetus for new reviews. The EPA declined to comment. The notice came in response to an April 3 letter Beyer and Lieu sent the watchdog, requesting that his office consider possible waste or fraud associated with the decision to lay this cost at the taxpayers feet, rather than charge Administrator Pruitt personally. Its unclear how many total investigations the EPA chief is facing. But the number of open federal investigations into Pruitts activities winnowed down to nine last week after the Government Accountability Office concluded that the agencys decision to spend $43,000 on a soundproof phone booth broke two laws. The inspector general in January began auditing the administrators costly flights to his home state of Oklahoma. The watchdog twice expanded the probe to cover a wider time window to include Pruitts trip to Morocco in December. The office is also looking into Pruitts team of round-the-clock bodyguards, whom the agency paid to join the administrator on family trips to Disneyland and the Rose Bowl. The inspector generals separate investigation into five-figure raises granted to two long-time aides from Oklahoma who joined Pruitt at the EPA became a flashpoint Thursday in the administrators nearly six hours of testimony before two House committees. Pruitt admitted he knew about the salary hikes contradicting statements made in a high-profile Fox News interview earlier this month and noted that the watchdogs preliminary report found Ryan Jackson, Pruitts chief of staff, authorized the increases. Story continues Both the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are investigating Pruitts spending. The new inspector general reports come days after Bloomberg reported the White House had begun urging GOP lawmakers to temper their defenses of Pruitt, signaling that President Donald Trumps support may be waning. At least five Republican members of Congress and 170 Democrats have called for Pruitts resignation. Even Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Pruitts long-time friend and political patron, initially distanced himself from the administrator this week, stating he would support a hearing before the powerful Senate Environment and Public Works Committee into the EPA chiefs ethics accusations. However, the senator walked back the statement Friday, issuing a new statement in support of Pruitt and blasting Democrats for mudslinging. Chris DAngelo contributed reporting. Response Letter Dated 4-25-2018 to Congressman Beyer by Alexander Kaufman on Scribd Related... EPA Spending On Scott Pruitt's Soundproof Phone Booth Broke Federal Law, Government Watchdog Finds Scott Pruitt Admits He Knew About Controversial EPA Staff Raises Scott Pruitt Faces New Accusations Of Ethical Lapses Over EPAs Climate Rule Repeal Also on HuffPost Baoding, China -- 126 A woman fixes a protective mask on a baby during an extremely polluted day in Baoding, China. Xingtai, China -- 128 Residents ride bicycles along a street amid dense smog in Xingtai, China. Bamenda, Cameroon -- 132 Bamenda, Nord-Ouest, Cameroon, Africa. Raipur, India -- 144 People stand on top of a house during a movie shoot in Raipur, India. Patna, India -- 149 A boy flies a kite near a brick factory on the outskirts of the eastern Indian city of Patna. Jubail, Saudi Arabia -- 152 A petrochemical factory in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- 156 A thick haze hangs over the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Allahabad, India -- 170 A man covers his face as he walks through a dust storm on the banks of the Ganga river in Allahabad, India. Gwalior, India -- 176 Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Sofia (AFP) - A top EU official on Friday urged member states to paper over differences and commit to eurozone reforms that have been stalled amid deep splits between France and Germany. Under the impetus of French President Emmanuel Macron, EU leaders have pledged to table a set of reforms at a summit in June that the 40-year-old leader says are necessary to reboot Europe after setbacks of Brexit. Germany however has proved strongly reluctant to follow through on Macron's ideas, even though Chancellor Angela Merkel has committed to submitting a joint proposal with France ahead of the June 28 summit in Brussels. "The truth is, we are starting to run out of time," European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told a news conference in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. "We need to move beyond established positions now and find compromises, so it is time to decide," the former Latvian prime minister said after talks with EU finance ministers. Eurozone ministers have for months discussed the proposals, but discussions have gone nowhere with richer member states resistant to move forward. Macron's grand ambitions for the single currency bloc have already been significantly watered down, with ideas for the creation of a eurozone finance minister or joint borrowing by member states dropped. Instead officials are mainly focused on deepening the bloc's banking union, with hopes to formally launch a European-wide deposit-insurance scheme that would be implemented over the long-term. But even this has faced resistance in Germany, as well as other northern countries, amid fears of their state coffers being raided to save banks from neighbours like Italy or Greece. Ahead of the summit, negotiators are also trying to draw up a plan for an EU rainy day fund as well as aid to help countries adopt economic reforms. London (AFP) - European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Britain Sunday that "the time has now come to resolve the contradictions" over the Northern Irish border, ahead of a visit to the island. Barnier, who will spend Monday and Tuesday on either side of the Irish divide, reiterated that the EU will not conclude an agreement with Britain until it details how there will be no post-Brexit return to a hard border. "In case there is any doubt whatsoever about our commitment to this, let me be crystal clear: we will not conclude the withdrawal agreement with the UK unless we have such a solution included in the text," he wrote in an article for Ireland's Sunday Independent. "We will not sign any agreement with the UK unless we -- together with the Irish government -- are satisfied with the solution found for Ireland." EU leaders will assess the thorny question of how to avoid border checks between British-ruled Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state, at a summit in June. Britain is set to leave the bloc at the end of March 2019. All sides have vowed to avoid the return of customs checks to the former flashpoint divide, but London has yet to offer solutions accepted by the Europeans. It has not even signed up to the June deadline, with Brexit Secretary David Davis last week claiming it was an "artificial deadline" in ongoing negotiations. Barnier called on Britain to give details now. "It wants full regulatory autonomy and an independent trade policy, but at the same time it does not want a border on the island of Ireland," he added. "The time has now come to resolve the contradictions. "Brexit created a specific problem in Ireland, so it is the UK's responsibility to also come forward with workable solutions." The EU and Britain have agreed a "backstop" that Northern Ireland would remain part of the EU's customs union in the absence of a final deal governing future trade. But that is vehemently opposed by pro-Brexit politicians in Prime Minister Theresa May's own Conservative Party and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party which props up her minority government. Rome (AFP) - The former head of the Italian government Matteo Renzi and strongman of the Democratic Party (PD) on Sunday attacked the leader of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) as the two parties try to reach an agreement to form a new government. The Democratic Party on Thursday delayed a decision on forming a government with M5S, prolonging political uncertainty almost two months after inconclusive elections Asked about the Five Star Movement's leader Luigi Di Maio being prime minister on a programme broadcast on the RAI public television channel, Renzi responded with sarcasm: "Di Maio is the only one to think so. "Maybe someone will give him 19 percent but asking for votes from those you accused of all the ills of Italy is absurd," he said referring to the percentage of extra votes the party -- which polled 33 percent of votes in the March 4 legislative elections -- would need. Italy has been gripped by a political stalemate since the election failed to produce a clear winner. A first round of consultations between M5S's Di Maio and the far-right League's Matteo Salvini collapsed earlier this month after both refused to budge over Salvini's coalition partner, former premier Silvio Berlusconi. Di Maio had demanded that Salvini dump the 81-year-old media magnate, who the M5S regards as the symbol of political corruption, but Salvini insisted he would not break up a coalition that came first in the elections with a combined 37 percent. Its 33 percent of votes makes the M5S Italy's largest single party. The political impasse led Di Maio to slam the door on any future accord with the League and turn towards the PD in a fresh round of negotiations. The PD, in power since 2013, only got 23 percent of the vote as part of a left-wing coalition. Renzi resigned as PD head after the devastating result at the polls. The PD had until now, insisted it would remain in opposition, refusing to be a "crutch" for a M5S administration. Story continues Renzi had become the country's youngest prime minister in 2014 at the age of 39. He managed to deliver his flagship labour market reforms and modest growth, while overseeing the granting of legal recognition to gay relationships for the first time. But the recovery was not strong enough to generate any real political dividends, and Renzi's domestic fall from grace came in December 2016, when Italians rejected his proposal for constitutional reform in a referendum. Fox News reporter Ed Henry said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders deserves an apology after comedian Michelle Wolf roasted her at the White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday night. Appearing on Fox and Friends Sunday morning, Henry called Wolf mean, hateful and vile, especially compared to President Donald Trump at the rally he held in Michigan to vie for attention with the dinner. It was disgusting, despicable, Henry, the associations former president, said of Wolfs performance. Sarah Sanders should get an apology from the White House Correspondents Association... What a contrast to what the president was doing [at the rally], talking about issues that people actually care about. Rather than attend the dinner a tradition among former presidents Trump hosted a campaign-style rally for his supporters in which he threatened to close down the federal government if his proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border did not get funded. Trump also took aim at Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who led the fight against the presidents failed effort to install White House physician Ronny Jackson as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Trump said he knew things about Tester that I could say... and if I said them, hed never be elected again. Trump didnt offer any details, and Henry didnt mention these parts of Trumps remarks in his Sunday comments. Instead, he said of Huckabee Sanders that the association invited her to be the presidents representative. We invited her to dinner, to our event, and we treated her like dirt. It was disgusting; Im actually getting more angry just thinking about it. Wolf took aim at Sanders during her routine, joking about the press secretary spewing lies and burning facts to create the perfect smokey eye. Maybe shes born with it, Wolf said. Maybe its lies. Its probably lies. Henry was not the only high-profile member of the media to call on Wolf to apologize to Sanders. MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell tweeted that the press secretary was grossly insulted by Wolf and is owed an apology. Story continues Apology is owed to @PressSec and others grossly insulted ny Michelle Wolf at White House Correspondents Assoc dinner which started with uplifting heartfelt speech by @margarettalev - comedian was worst since Imus insulted Clintons Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) April 29, 2018 This story has been updated with Andrea Mitchells reaction. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Paris (AFP) - The European Union's three largest economies agree on the need to be "ready to react" to trade tariffs imposed by the United States, France's presidency said Sunday. "The EU must be ready to react, if necessary, with efficiency and speed," it said in a statement after telephone talks between French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on the potential impact of new US tariffs. Crippling US tariffs on steel and aluminium are set to take effect on Tuesday, and key trading partners including the EU have urged the White House to exempt them from the additional cost. US President Donald Trump met last week with Macron and Merkel but gave no indication of whether or not he planned to exempt the EU, which last year exported over $7.7-billion of steel and aluminium to the US market. Eurozone powerhouse Germany last week said it expected Washington to impose the tariffs from May 1, although a key economic advisor to Trump hinted Thursday that concessions might be made to the EU. "It's very important that so many of our friends make some concessions with respect to trading practices, tariffs and taxes," National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told CNBC. He pointed to concerns about "equal treatment of automobiles" in the EU as an example. Macron, Merkel and May discussed the tariffs and said they "hope the United States doesn't take measures contrary to transatlantic interests," the Elysee statement said. Trump imposed the tariffs last month on national security grounds, saying cheap imports were undermining US producers crucial to military preparedness, but gave a temporary reprieve to the countries that are the main suppliers to the US market. The measures were targeted primarily at overproduction by China, which has been the key focus of Trump's combative trade policies. The EU has threatened to impose their own punitive tariffs on key US goods if they are not shielded from the steel and aluminium duties. Story continues In a state visit to Washington last week, Macron called for cooperation among allies on trade. "You don't make trade war with your allies," Macron warned addressed the US Congress. The three EU leaders also discussed the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump has threatened to scrap, the French presidency said. Cairo (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on a visit Sunday to discuss regional issues, including developments in Libya, and to strengthen ties. "The two sides agreed that relative progress has been made in Libya, which requires elections be held before the end of the year," Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement following their talks. In a joint news conference held with his counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Le Drian said "the electoral process, which is indispensable, must be completed by the end of the year." Libya has been gripped by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations and multiple militias vying for control of the oil-rich country. Le Drian, who arrived in Cairo on Saturday night, said his meetings also included discussions over Syria and Palestinian issues, as well as human rights in Egypt. The top French diplomat also met Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit. On Egypt, Le Drian linked human rights with terrorism in his meeting with Sisi, whose government has been regularly accused by international and domestic rights groups of committing serious violations to silence dissent. "The vitality of civil society and guaranteeing civil liberties is the best defence against terrorism," Le Drian said, adding Sisi himself initiated talks on the issue during their meeting. Militants with the Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians, mainly in North Sinai, where the group is based, but also elsewhere in Egypt. Commenting on the on France's joint air strikes with the United States and Britain last month against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Le Drian said that "we did not declare war on anyone, we declared war on chemical proliferation." Paris (AFP) - French industrialist Vincent Bollore went on the offensive Sunday over the corruption charges brought against him over his business dealings in Africa, claiming the case was rooted in prejudice about the continent. In an opinion article in French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche the head of the Bollore Group, who was charged in connection with the awarding of two lucrative port concessions in West Africa, said the continent was wrongfully portrayed in France as a "land of misrule, even corruption". "People imagine heads of state deciding by themselves to award huge contracts to unscrupulous investors." Investigating magistrates on Thursday charged the 66-year-old over allegations that his group's communications arm undercharged the presidents of Guinea and Togo for work on their election campaigns as sweeteners for contracts to operate Conakry port and Lome port. Defending himself against the claims, Bollore wrote: "Who could imagine that a few hundred thousand euros in spending on communications, which were accounted for in a transparent manner... determined hundreds of millions of euros in investment in port operations that require significant technical know-how, obtained through international tenders?" Bollore, one of France's most powerful businessmen, sits at the head of a sprawling business empire with revenues of 18.3 billion euros ($22.4 billion) in 2017 and interests in everything from construction and logistics to media, advertising and agriculture. Africa accounts for about 20 percent of its turnover, excluding the Vivendi media group which is controlled by the family-run Bollore Group. - France 'will need Africa' - In the letter titled "Should we get out of Africa?", Vincent Bollore said the French investigation had made him question whether he should pursue his activities on the continent, where he had invested 4 billion euros ($4.8 billion). "I have realised over the past few days that what we have been doing in good faith for a long time, seen through the prism of those who consider the continent to be run by lawless people, is fertile ground for legitimate suspicion," he wrote. Story continues Slamming the "inaccurate and condescending treatment of Africans" he warned that "soon, France will need Africa more than the other way round." The nearly 200-year-old Bollore Group operates a dozen container ports in Africa and has stakes in several others, along with three railway concessions and interests in palm oil production. Its communications arm Havas worked on Guinean President Alpha Conde's winning 2010 election campaign. Months after taking office, Conde terminated the contract of Conakry's existing port operator and gave it to rival Bollore. Havas also worked on the communications strategy of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe. After Gnassingbe's re-election to a second term in 2010, the Bollore Group won the 35-year Lome port contract. Both decisions were challenged by other bidders. Romaine lettuce: its just kind of there. Though hardly anyones favorite food, the salad starter is benign and perfectly inoffensive. At least that was the case, until romaine became the cause of the nations biggest multi-state E. coli outbreak in over a decade. According to information shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week, there have now been 84 documented cases of E. coli spread across 19 states since the middle of March. Not since tainted spinach infected 238 and killed five back in 2006 have so many cases from more than one localized area been reported. Current numbers could rise, given the time required for E. colis symptoms (which can include severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting) to manifest and for test results to be verified. Thankfully, there have been no deaths linked to lettuce yet. So what happened? The New York Times says 64 out of the 67 who spoke with the CDC after infection said theyd eaten romaine in the week prior to the onset of symptoms. Its possible the lettuce was sourced from chopped, bagged romaine popular in restaurants or sold as part of a pre-packaged salad kit in supermarkets. These convenience greens can present a higher risk of food-borne illness, given that theyre handled by more people during production. And the fact that we dont cook romaine prevents the opportunity to kill off any lingering bacteria before consumption. The CDC has traced this tainted lettuce back to Yuma, Arizona, but they havent yet made a more specific determination about where in the area it was grown. Given that Yuma takes over most of the countrys romaine production from Californias Salinas Valley during the cooler months, the e.coli strain has travelled from the southwest all the way to the northeast: the emerging outbreak was first spotted by officials in New Jersey, and Pennsylvania has seen the worst of it with 18 confirmed cases so far. So how can you keep yourself safe? The CDC has advised taking extra caution to ensure that any lettuce you eat isnt from the Yuma area. But with food labels often obfuscating or withholding information about where produce is grown, the organization admits that it might be safest to avoid whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce entirely for the time being. While the idea of E. coli in produce is certainly scary, the frequency and intensity of these incidents has actually trended downward over time. There really had been sort of a positive downturn in the number of outbreaks linked to leafy greens, said William Marler, a food safety lawyer who spoke with the New York Times. Certainly the sizes of them seemed to decrease. So just chill out on the pre-mixed salads for a while, and youll probably be fine. In the meantime, enjoy the temporary reprieve from feeling shamed into eating saladtreating yourself to something less leafyl is really just the safest, healthiest thing you can do right now. As the dust begins to settle following Fridays remarkable summit between the leaders of North and South Korea, Chairman Kim Jong-un and President Moon Jae-in, attention will now inevitably turn to the next big event: the first ever face-to-face meeting between a sitting U.S. President and a leader of North Korea. Loosely planned for late May or early June, the stage has now been set by the leaders of the two Koreas and their agreement, the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula. Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 Whereas expectations were broadly for more style than substance, the Declaration is in fact rather heavy on content. Along with numerous ways in which the Korean peoples are to be brought together joint participation in sporting events, reunions of families split by the new border after the armistice, and a broad array of exchanges the Declaration lays out a plan to pursue several welcome military risk reduction mechanisms, along with an agreement to completely cease all hostile acts against each other. But the devil is in the details. On the last point, for example, the agreement specifically mentions an end to the broadcast of propaganda through loudspeakers at the border, and to the distribution by balloon of leaflets and other media into the North by Southern non-governmental organizations. Will Moons government act to restrict the freedom of expression of its citizens in deference to the Norths sensibilities? If it does, then that sets a worrying precedent for North Korean influence over South Korean society. And if it instead chooses to request rather than compel its citizens to comply, and those requests are not heeded, what then from the North Korean side? Story continues Perhaps these issues were laid out in private. But a lot does seem to have been left unsaid between Moon and Kim. Human rights issues were firmly off the agenda, for instance. So the catalogue of North Korean abuses which a U.N. Commission of Inquiry found in 2013 amounted to crimes against humanity remains unaddressed. It was only last year too that Kims brother, Kim Jong-nam, was murdered in a Malaysian airport by agents of North Korea using the nerve agent VX. But of chemical and biological weapons, no mention. This shows just how far we are from serious progress on the difficult issues, foremost of which is the North Korean nuclear weapons program. Here the Declaration merely reaffirmed a long-standing but vague joint commitment to a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. Given how that commitment has been made and broken in the past, this cannot be taken as movement from Pyongyang. The tone of Fridays summit meeting means that the prospect of U.S. military action has receded. It will also now be increasingly difficult for the U.S. and its like-minded allies to rally support for maximum pressure on North Korea. Why should we continue to punish the North, many countries will respond, when they are making such diplomatic progress with the South? The task left for President Trump, hard as it already was, therefore now looks almost impossible. Kim has not budged, and it will be harder to coerce him to move. If Trump plays too much hardball, then he risks the U.S. looking like the bad guy, unwilling to make peace with the freshly-whitewashed North Korea; if he plays it too soft then Kim Jong-un will be able to have his cake and eat it: an unrestrained nuclear program and reduced economic pressure. But Trump still has some cards still to play. South Korea cant replace the Korean Armistice Agreement with a peace treaty without U.S. agreement, and it cant unilaterally offer substantial economic concessions to the North because U.N. sanctions behind which the U.S. has been the prime mover remain in place. The dynamics of this kind of summit meeting might also work for President Trump. Yes, it seems that he is vulnerable to flattery and the trappings of a head of state meeting, as others have found. But this is an opportunity to make a deal that, unlike the Iran nuclear deal or the Paris climate agreement, he would personally own. A triumph here would be his triumph. So, acknowledging the need to make serious and rapid progress on the nuclear file, balanced against the cold fact that North Korea simply will not give up its nuclear weapons while relations with the U.S. are at their current ebb, this is an opportunity to do a deal that is not signed in ink but sealed with a handshake. Modeled on the U.S.-Soviet Presidential Nuclear Initiatives of the early 1990s, which led to huge reductions in tactical nuclear weapon arsenals, President Trump could agree with Chairman Kim to set in motion the Korean Nuclear Initiatives: a series of reciprocal, unilateral commitments to address the concerns of the other on a range of nuclear and broader security issues. The Trump-Kim summit could agree on the outlines within which those commitments will be pursued; the U.S. could further agree to support some of the military risk reduction measures outlined in the Panmunjom Declaration, while maintaining economic pressure; and North Korea could expand its nuclear and missile test moratorium to include other activities, like ground-based engine tests for its missiles. Cabinet-level officials on both sides would then meet regularly to exchange briefings on issues of concern, setting the stage for announcements from their leadership on new measures under the Korean Nuclear Initiatives, and for future summits. This would mark some concrete progress, while the Korean Nuclear Initiatives which, critically, would be offered unilaterally rather than negotiated as a quid pro quo would allow a track record of delivery to develop between the two parties, and the two leaders. It would allow ambitions to remain high, while the risk to each side of being cheated on a more conventional deal are eliminated. Nobody should be under any illusion as to the likelihood of long-term success for this summit process. But everything must start somewhere, no process is perfect, and it is better than the war many feared was coming in late 2017. The inter-Korean summit has completed the tonal shift from conflict to concord on the peninsula. Now its up to President Trump to do the deal of his life. Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee found no evidence of collusion between Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, but Rep. Devin Nunes warned of concerning links between Hillary Clinton, Russia and Fusion GPS, the commercial research company behind the infamous Trump dossier. The California Republican, who heads the intelligence committee, pointed to a meeting between Fusion GPS and Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Trump campaign officials in Trump Tower on the premise of delivering damaging information about Clinton. New reports show Veselnitskaya has ties to the Kremlin. Youd have to be a fool to believe that here you have a Russian lawyer paying Fusion GPS that they didnt talk about the meeting at Trump Tower, Nunes told FOX Business Neil Cavuto during an interview on Saturday. Fusion GPS denied the accusation, Nunes said, admitting it was unlikely theyd ever be able to prove the connection unless they had access to Veselnitskaya, which I guess well never be able to do. The House panel released its findings -- heavily redacted -- on Friday despite protests from Democrats. According to the report, the committee found poor judgment and ill-considered actions by the Trump and Clinton campaigns but stated it found no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded, coordinated or conspired with the Russian government. The Trump campaign was approached by people or approached by Russia, Nunes said. Is it possible the Russians were trying to make connections inside of the Trump campaign? Absolutely. But at least they werent paying them like the Democrats and the Clinton campaign were doing. The Washington Post reported in October that Marc E. Elias, an attorney representing the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, retained Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research -- resulting in the dossier. Prior to that, an unknown Republican client had been funding the research during the GOP primary, according to the Post. Related Articles Alfie Evans, a British toddler with a degenerative brain condition whose parents lost a legal battle to keep him on life support at a Vatican hospital, was mourned with balloons set free in the sky and prayers from the Pope after he died on Saturday weeks shy of his second birthday. Kate James and Tom Evans said their sons death overnight in Liverpool, England had left them heartbroken. Alfies condition left him with almost no brain function, and multiple courts ruled that keeping him alive was not in his best interests before doctors removed his ventilator five days ago. My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30, Mr Evans, 21, wrote in a Facebook post decorated with a broken heart and crying emojis. People release balloons outside Alder Hey Childrens Hospital following the death of 23-month-old Alfie Evans, who was being treated at the hospital in Liverpool, England, on April 28, 2018. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP) As news spread in the community, dozens of people laid flowers and mementoes in a park near Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool, where Alfie was treated. About 1000 people gathered 12 hours after the boy died to release blue and purple balloons in solidarity with the grieving mother and father who had struggled to come to terms with their childs terminal illness. Ms James, 20, posted a message on social media thanking everyone who supported the family through Alfies illness and court fight. Pope Francis, who met with the Evans and publicly supported the parents campaign to bring Alfie to Bambino Gesu Hospital, wrote condolences that were posted on Saturday on Twitter. I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie, Francis said. Today I pray especially for his parents, as God the Father receives him in his tender embrace. Alfies case sparked a medical ethics debate that resonated far beyond Britain. Doctors overseeing his care said further treatment was futile and he should be allowed to die. Alfie cuddles his mother, Kate James, at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, England. (Alfies Army Official via AP) But his parents fought for months to try to convince judges to allow them to take him to the Vaticans childrens hospital, where life support would have been maintained. Story continues Under British law, courts are asked to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the right course of treatment for a child. In such cases, the rights of the child take primacy over the parents right to decide what is best for their daughters and sons. Italy granted Alfie citizenship and put a military plane on standby to transport him to Rome, if the courts allowed it. Goodbye, little Alfie. We loved you, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted on Saturday. Tensions between the toddlers parents and the hospital had eased in recent days. Mr Evans, who earlier said doctors were wrong about Alfies prognosis and threatened to resume the court battle over his care, pledged to work with hospital staff to give his son dignity and comfort in his final days. Our lives have been turned upside down by the intense focus on Alfie and his situation, Mr Evans said on Thursday outside the Liverpool hospital. He thanked the hospital staff for their dignity and professionalism during what must be an incredibly difficult time for them too. Alder Hey issued a statement to express heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfies family. All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them, the hospital said. This has been a devastating journey for them, and we would ask that their privacy and the privacy of staff at Alder Hey is respected. Alfies case received widespread attention outside Britain, especially in predominantly Catholic countries. Francis recently appealed for the wishes of the boys parents to be heeded, saying only God can decide who dies. Officials in Poland and Italy criticised Britains courts and state-run National Health Service. A leading right-wing politician in Italy, Veneto Governor Luca Zaia, said that in Alfie, the so-called civilised world has supplied the latest proof of enormous incivility. Supporters of the parents staged angry protests regularly outside the hospital and tried to storm the entrance at times. Alder Hey asked for tributes to Alfie to be left in a park next door so the hospitals work was not disrupted. Tehran (AFP) - The head of Iran's reformist newspaper Shargh was freed Sunday, a day after being arrested over a report on "prostitution" in a northeastern city that angered residents, Iranian media said. Mehdi Rahmanian, the director of the newspaper, was released in the afternoon after paying bail of 500 million rials ($9,000 dollars), the ILNA news agency reported. The courts had summoned him "after a complaint by a group of residents of the Shahid Rajai neighbourhood of Mashhad," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, quoting the city's deputy prosecutor Hassan Heydari. "The newspaper had described some of the district's women as prostitutes." Mashhad's Khorassan newspaper said Rahmanian had been detained after initially failing to pay the bail. Shargh on April 8 published a report on the murder of a six-year-old Afghan girl in the impoverished Shahid Rajai district of Mashhad, the second-largest city in Iran. The article quoted an official from an association for children and poor people who said the district was home to several brothels and that drugs were sold there. Khorassan said the article had provoked an angry protest by residents in front of the local mosque three days later. Heydari said the prosecution had asked Rahmanian to "take action" against the journalist who wrote the article and "repair" the damage caused but measures were not taken. Like other reformist newspapers, Shargh returned to the newsstands in late 2012 after being banned for several years. It is one of the main reformist newspapers and a key supporter of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative elected to a second term in 2017. Since taking office, Rouhani has been the target of intense criticism by ultra-conservatives, who dominate the judiciary and the security services. Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq on Sunday sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison for joining the Islamic State group, the latest in a series of heavy verdicts against foreign women linked to the jihadists. The head of Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, said the women were found guilty of "joining and supporting IS", according to an AFP journalist at the hearing. Six women from Azerbaijan and four from Tajikistan were also condemned to life in prison Sunday on the same charge. The women, who have the right to appeal against the sentences, entered the court one-by-one dressed in black headscarves and pink blouses, most of them accompanied by their children. They addressed the court through a translator, a Russian-language professor at Baghdad University hired by their embassy for the trial. "We will contact the parents to inform them of the verdict," a Russian diplomat at the hearing told AFP. IS took over nearly one third of Iraq in a blistering 2014 offensive, seizing control of the country's second largest city, Mosul, among others. Baghdad declared military victory over the jihadists in December, after expelling them from all urban centres. It has detained at least 560 women and 600 children identified as jihadists or relatives of suspected IS fighters, and is wasting no time in putting them on trial. Most of the women on trial Sunday claimed they were tricked into going to Iraq. "I did not know we were in Iraq," said one of the accused. "I went with my husband and my children to Turkey to live there, and then I suddenly discovered that I was actually in Iraq." Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership. There is no official figure. Iraqi courts have sentenced to death a total of more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to IS, judicial sources said earlier this month. Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks. By Daniel Bases NEW YORK (Reuters) - Friday's historic pledge by the leaders of the two Koreas to work to denuclearize the Korean peninsula should give U.S. President Donald Trump a stronger hand to renegotiate the treaty curtailing Iran's nuclear program, Israel's intelligence minister said. Israel Katz, who runs both the Intelligence and Transportation ministries, spoke in a Reuters interview after North Korea's Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to work for a "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula at a summit meeting in Seoul. Such a development, should it come to fruition, could have a larger impact of minimizing the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Katz said. The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unraveling should U.S. President Donald Trump decide by May 12 to restore U.S. economic sanctions against Iran. Trump has called the accord the worst deal ever negotiated and threatened to reimpose the U.S. penalties unless Britain, France and Germany can fix its "flaws." The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in return for curbing its nuclear program. "He (Trump) will have more power against Iran now and maybe to convince the European Union not to be the weak link in the coalition," Katz said. "I think it will be very good if the North Koreans will finish and go out of the nuclear business and capabilities. It will also be good to our region, because there is a connection," he said. Katz said the connection between Iran and North Korea pertains to missile technology. "Yes, I think there is cooperation as it belongs to developing the ballistic missiles. And we have the evidence," he said. "We have a lot of evidence," Katz added, shrugging his shoulders without elaborating. Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. During his state visit earlier this week with Trump in Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the U.S. not to abandon the deal and said a new package of terms was being prepared with Britain and Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a one-day working visit with Trump on Friday, where she was careful to praise Trump's progress on North Korea. "I think that now we have to be very tough with Iran," said Katz, who wants to succeed Netanyahu as Israel's next prime minister. REGIONAL CONFLICTS While Iran's nuclear capabilities are curtailed for the time being, Katz reiterated that Israel would remain vigilant in seeking to curb Tehran's increased activities in Syria. On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at a Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria. The Israelis have said their strikes aim to prevent Irans garrison in Syria from entrenching itself deeper in support of President Bashar al-Assad and linking with Hezbollah in Lebanon to form a broad front against them. "Iranians don't have to be in Syria. It is not to say we are going to attack every Iranian soldier in Syria, but bases, military bases, and munitions bases, and sophisticated missiles and other things like that? Yes," he said. Russia, a key ally of Assad, has said it would provide advanced weapons to Syria. Israel is concerned that might include the S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which military analysts say would improve Russia's ability to control air space in Syria. "They are talking about to supply advanced missiles, but they didn't say the words S-300," Katz said. "Personally, it is hard for me to believe that Putin will give them the S-300," he said. "Because this is his main card that he is holding now in the discussions with Israel ... If he will give them the S-300, about what can he talk about with us afterward?" (Reporting by Daniel Bases; Editing by Tom Brown) By Thomas Wilson TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the inter-Korean summit as good for denuclearisation and a "historical step" towards peace and stability in northeast Asia, Abe's office said on Sunday. The leaders of North and South Korea pledged at a historic summit on Friday to work for "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula. However, Trump said he would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Abe and Trump spoke on a 30-minute phone call on Saturday, in which they agreed on how crucial it was that Pyongyang take concrete steps towards denuclearisation, the Japanese premier's office said in a statement. "The important thing is whether North Korea will take specific actions in the future," Abe told reporters late on Saturday, according to remarks released by his office. Trump and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump has said would take place in the next three to four weeks. Separately, Abe told reporters after a call on Sunday with Moon that the South Korean president had raised at the summit with Kim the issue of past abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea. It has been one of the thorniest issues in relations between the two countries. North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies. Five of them returned to Japan, but Tokyo suspects that hundreds more may have been taken. Abe has made the abductions a keystone of his political career, and has pledged to work until all 13 of the people North Korea admitted to abducting have returned to Japan. (Reporting by Thomas Wilson; Editing by Gerry Doyle) On Friday, President Donald Trump complained about Democrat Jon Tester, a senator from the state of Montana, suggesting, I dont think that state is going to put up with it, after Trump withdrew his nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, Ronny Jackson, in part due to allegations made by Tester and his colleagues in the Senate. On Saturday, Trump amped up the attack, calling on Tester to resign his seat in the Senate. Tester, who has been a senator since 2006, announced almost 18 months ago that he would be running for re-election in November 2018. If he wins, he will begin his third six-year term. Tester is being opposed by a collection of Republican candidates led by Matt Rosendale, who is currently the Montana state Auditor. The Republican primary is scheduled for June 5; three third-party candidates are also running. During the 2016 presidential election, the state supported Trump by about 20 points. Trending: What Are Toxic Caterpillars? Health Warning Issued In England For Bug That Causes Vomiting, Asthma Attacks Tester was one of a group of Senate Democrats who published a list of concerns about Jackson's appointment to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. The most eye-catching of those allegations was that Jackson had drunkenly totaled a car after leaving a Secret Service party. 04_28_jon_tester_montana Mark Wilson/Getty Images As the ranking Democrat on the Senate's Veterans Affairs committee, Tester helped vet Jackson's candidacy in preparation for a committee vote that would have sent the nomination to the Senate as a whole. He was also concerned by allegations that Jackson was often drunk on duty, over-prescribed sleep aids, and created "a toxic work environment" through verbally abusive behavior. Don't miss: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Owed Apology After WHCA Dinner, Scaramucci and Others Demand Story continues The White House has stated it investigated the concerns raised in the document but found no evidence for the more serious allegations it contained, according to the Washington Post. But Jackson had already pulled himself out of consideration for the Veterans Affairs posting. In addition to opposing Jackson's nomination, Tester also opposed another recent Trump nominee, Mike Pompeo, to fill the Secretary of State vacancy left by the departure of Rex Tillerson. Pompeo's nomination was confirmed by the Senate and he has been sworn into office. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek MSNBC anchor Joy Ann Reid, pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on 20 April: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images TV anchor Joy Reid has denied writing a series of homophobic blog posts describing gay sex as "gross", days after claiming her website had been hacked. The MSNBC host, who is a vocal opponent of Donald Trump, responded to the controversy over her now-defunct website The Reid Report by offering an apology to the viewers of her Saturday morning show. But while she appeared to backtrack on the claim that her blog had been hacked, she did not accept she made the comments dating back to 2006. The posts - unearthed last week - appeared to show Ms Reid making gay jokes about celebrities and politicians and confessing she could not watch the film Broke Back Mountain because of the gay sex scene. "Here's what I know. I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things," Ms Reid said on AM Joy. "But I can definitely understand based on things I have tweeted and I have written in the past why some people don't believe me. "I am not exempt from being cruel or hurtful to the very people I want to advocate for. I own that. I get it. And for that I am truly, truly sorry." The controversy first erupted in December last year when Joy Reid was accused of writing blog posts attacking former Florida governor Charlie Crist in 2007. Ms Reid, then a reporter for the Miami Herald, claimed Mr Crist was covering up his homosexuality by marrying his second wife and nicknamed him "Miss Charlie". She later apologised for her comments, describing them as "insensitive, tone deaf and dumb". Then on 18 April further blog posts emerged when Twitter user Jamie_Maz said they were "far worse than first reported". Thread - 1/x Joy Reid's homophobic blog posts were far worse than 1st reported. They also had nothing to do with Republican hypocrisy on gay marriage. Joy also opposed gay marriage at the time. She gleefully accused people of being gay and posted a number of questionable things. pic.twitter.com/ZloivXczTS Not a bot (@Jamie_Maz) April 18, 2018 In a post referring to Broke Back Mountain, the blog read: "Does that make me homophobic? Probably. But part of the intrinsic nature of "straighness" is that the idea of homosexual sex is... well.. gross..." Story continues Other posts attacked gay marriage and listed the top five "totally not gay celebrities of the year". Ms Reid responded by claiming that the posts had been altered by "an unknown external party... to include offensive and hateful references that are fabricated and run counter to my personal beliefs and ideology". Her lawyer claimed that the FBI had opened an investigation into "potential criminal activities surrounding several online accounts". The Wayback Machine - a digital archive of the internet - said it "found nothing to indicate tampering or hacking of the Wayback Machine versions" and refused a request to remove the archived blog. Ms Reid now appears to have withdrawn the claim, telling viewers on Saturday: "The reality is they have not been able to prove it." Ms Reid added: "I can only say that the person I am now is not the person I was then. I like to think Ive gotten better as a person over time, that Im still growing. That Im not the same person I was 10, or five, or even one year ago. "Now, the reality is I have to own the things that I have written and tweeted and said." North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un announces a joint statement after a signing ceremony with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in on Friday - AFP North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un has said that he will dismantle his countrys main nuclear testing site in May and invited South Korean and US experts, and journalists to view the process. The dictators pledge was made to Moon Jae-in, South Koreas prime minister, during their historic talks on Friday, according to Mr Moons spokesman. As well as promising to close the Punggye-ri bomb testing site Kim said he would change North Koreas time zone by half an hour, reverting it to match South Koreas. Reports of the pledge came as senior White House figures spoke optimistically about hopes for full North Korean denuclearisation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who held secret talks with Kim in Easter when he was still head of the CIA, said the US has an "obligation" to pursue a diplomatic solution with North Korea. In an interview with ABC news, he said the US must "engage in diplomatic discourse to try and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by Kim Jong Un and his nuclear arsenal". Rocket man: How Kim Jong-un emerged from his father's shadow to silence the doubters Kim and Mr Moon, meeting in a truce village between their countries borders on Friday, pledged to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsular. The meeting, which some analysts have criticised for not producing a timetable or firm plans for denuclearisation, came ahead of Kims scheduled talk with US President Donald Trump, expected within the next few weeks. According to a team of Chinese geologists the Punggye-ri site may not be usable anyway, having suffered a land collapse following North Koreas sixth nuclear bomb test in September 2017. However, Yoon Young-chan, Mr Moon's spokesman said that Kim claimed that the site still had new tunnels in a very good condition. On Sunday Mr Yoon quoted Kim as saying: Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States if we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would be need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons? Story continues Analysts have cast doubt over the meaningfulness of Kims pledges. Before Fridays talks Jeffrey Lewis, director East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said that Kim did not need the Punggye-ri site, and could shift big tests to neighbouring mountains. Korean detente How did we get here? Professor Tong Zhu, fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at Beijings CarnegieTsinghua Center for Global Policy, told The Telegraph: There is no way that North Korea is going to give up its nuclear deterrent capability. North Korea worked so hard to obtain that capability in the first place. Its primary objective is to keep its nuclear capabilities, then the next priority is to address the negative consequences resulting from its nuclear development. Then to develop a normal relationship with the rest of the international community. On Sunday John Bolton, the US National Security Adviser, was asked by Fox News if the US making concessions to North Korea, such as easing sanctions, would require Kim to fully give up his nuclear weapons. "We have very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004, he replied. Mr Bolton was referring to Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi allowing US and UK weapons inspectors to view and help dismantle the Libyas nuclear and chemical weapons programmes around that time. Gaddafis move followed years of sanctions against Libya, but many US government officials claimed that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq was the biggest influence for him denuclearising. Analysts have argued that Kim sees the fate of Gadaffi, who was toppled from power then killed in the Libyan civil war in 2011 after US forces attacked troops loyal to him, as a cautionary tale. Others have said that Mr Trump's recent threats to scrap the Iran nuclear deal, will make North Korea nervous about US promises. Addressing the concerns, Mr Pompeo said last night/SUN: "I don't think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, 'Oh goodness, if they get out of that, I won't talk to the Americans any more,. There are higher priorities that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay in the [Iran deal]." With the clock ticking towards the historic Trump-Kim meeting, on Sunday Mr Yoon also suggested that Kims decision to alter North Koreas time zone to match South Koreas was made when he saw two wall clocks in a summit room showing different times for the two countries. Mr Yoon said that Kim found it heartbreaking seeing the un-matched clock hands. In August 2015 North Korea announced a new Pyongyang time zone for the country, which was half an hour before Japan and South Koreas time zone. The move was made to symbolically distance North Korea from Japan, which occupied the country from 1910 until 1945. Pope Francis last night/SUN lauded Kim and Mr Moon for their "brave commitment... to follow a sincere path to peace towards a Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons." A knife-wielding man with a grudge killed nine middle school children and injured at least 10 others as they returned home in northern China on Friday, authorities said, in one of the deadliest such rampages in the country in recent years. The 28-year-old suspect was detained and the injured children were receiving hospital treatment, the Mizhi County public security bureau in Shaanxi province said on its official social media account. Seven girls and two boys were killed, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local police. The ages of the children were not given, but middle schoolers are usually between 12 and 15 years old in China. The incident took place at around 6:10 pm local time, the department said. A man surnamed Zhao from Zhaojiashan village in Mizhi County was arrested, the public security bureau said. The suspect confessed that he had been "bullied" when he attended the same Number Three Middle School when he was a child, "hated" his classmates and decided to use a "dagger" to kill people on Friday, the bureau said. A video posted by The Paper, a daily, on video-sharing website Miaopai.com shows two or three bodies lying on the ground in a narrow lane. A person is heard shouting "hurry, call the police!" Police are seen running and later frogmarching a man down the street. AFP could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video. Knife attacks are not uncommon in the country. In February, a knife-wielding man with a personal grudge killed a woman and injured 12 others in a busy Beijing shopping mall -- a rare act of violence in the heavily policed capital. In the southern city of Shenzhen, a man armed with a kitchen knife killed two people and wounded nine others in a supermarket last July. - History of attacks - Attacks have also targeted schoolchildren in the past, forcing authorities to increase security around schools. In January 2017, a man armed with a kitchen knife stabbed and wounded 11 children at a kindergarten in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Story continues The previous February a knife-wielding assailant wounded 10 children in Haikou, in the southern island province of Hainan, before committing suicide. The man had entered the school in the afternoon, claiming that he was there to pick up his son. The attacks have led to calls for more research into the root causes of such acts. Violent crime has been on the rise in China in recent decades as the nation's economy has boomed and the gap between rich and poor has widened rapidly. Studies have also described a rise in the prevalence of mental disorders, some of them linked to stress as the pace of life becomes faster and support systems wither. In June last year, a bomb blast that killed eight people and injured dozens outside a kindergarten in Fengxian, eastern China, was blamed on a 22-year-old introvert with health problems who had written the words "death" and "destroy" on the walls of his apartment. Material to make a homemade explosive device was found in the home. Natalia Veselnitskaya has denied connections to the Russian government - AP An organisation established by an exiled Russian tycoon says it has obtained emails that suggest a collaboration between Russian government officials and a lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr in 2016. The emails the Dossier organisation said it was sent suggest Natalia Veselnitskaya worked closely with a top official in Russia's prosecutor-general's office to fend off a US fraud case against one of her clients. Ms Veselnitskaya has denied connections to the Russian government since her meeting with then-candidate Donald Trump's son, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and campaign chairman Paul Manafort, surfaced during the investigation of Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 is being looked into by special counsel Robert Mueller as he probes whether there was any collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russia. It took place after Donald Trump Jr was told the Russian lawyer had potentially incriminating information about his father's election opponent, Hillary Clinton. Ms Veselnitskaya is well-connected as a lawyer in Moscow, but the extent and nature of her government ties has been unclear. She could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations on Friday. Dossier is an arm of exiled tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the onetime oil billionaire who spent a decade in prison on fraud and tax-evasion convictions that were widely seen as retaliation for his political ambitions and opposition to Vladimir Putin. BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's army said on Sunday that it had briefly held a Lebanese woman who crossed the border and then repatriated her, a detention Beirut denounced as an abduction. The Lebanese army said that the woman, Nohad Dali, was taken on Saturday evening from Shebaa, a small disputed area that Israel regards as part of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967, but which Beirut says is Lebanese territory. "An Israeli enemy patrol carried out the abduction of Nohad Dali," a Lebanese army statement said. The Israeli military said two shepherds had crossed the U.N.-demarcated border with Lebanon and that one of them was taken into custody by its troops. "She was returned today," a military spokesman said. There was no immediate Lebanese confirmation of Dali's repatriation. A U.N. peacekeeping force is based on the Lebanon-Israel border. The last outright conflict there was a short war in 2006 between Israel and Lebanon's heavily armed, Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have heightened over the group's role in the Syrian civil war, where it has gained more experience and an increased arsenal fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad as part of an Iran-backed alliance. Lebanon raised Dali's case with the U.N. peacekeepers, the Lebanese army statement said. (Reporting By Angus McDowall, additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) LONDON (Reuters) - Alfie Evans, the 23-month-old British toddler whose grave illness drew international attention, died early on Saturday, his family said. Alfie had a rare, degenerative disease and had been in a semi-vegetative state for more than a year. After a series of court cases, doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool removed his life support on Monday, against his parents wishes. He confounded expectations by continuing to breathe unaided for days, but died in the early hours of Saturday, his parents said. "My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30 absolutely heartbroken," the boy's father Tom Evans wrote on Facebook. "Our baby boy grew his wings tonight ... Thank you everyone for all your support," his mother Kate James wrote. Medical experts in Britain had agreed that more treatment for Alfie would be futile, but his parents wanted to take him to Rome, where the Vatican's Bambino Gesu hospital had offered to care for him. A British court rejected an appeal by the parents on Wednesday to take their son to Italy. The case stirred strong feelings over whether judges, doctors or parents have the right to decide on a child's life. Alfie's parents were supported by Pope Francis and Poland's President Andrzej Duda. "I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie. Today I pray especially for his parents, as God the Father receives him in his tender embrace," the pope tweeted on Saturday. (Reporting by James Davey, with additional reporting by Gavin Jones in Rome; Editing by Andrew Heavens/Mark Heinrich) Paris (AFP) - A spectacular probe into French tycoon Vincent Bollore over suspected graft in Africa marks a rare exception among corporate titans doing business south of the Sahara. Bollore -- charged on Wednesday over contracts to operate ports in Guinea and Togo -- is by far the most prominent business leader to be investigated in France for suspicious activities in Africa. Campaigners have hailed the development as a break from decades of judicial indifference or nods and winks from the government over dubious deals in the former French colonies. The investigation stems largely from laws that are less than 18 months old. The so-called Sapin II Law, passed in December 2016, compels French firms to take preventive steps against graft. It also beefs up measures dating back to 2000 that enable punishment of corrupt practices used to win public contracts abroad. Under Sapin II, "corruption is punishable in all circumstances and in any place, even it is a crime committed abroad", said Thierry Dal Farra, director of the public business law department in UGGC Avocats, a large Paris-based firm of attorneys. The tougher legislation came after years of criticism by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and specialised NGOs which accused France of turning a blind eye to corporate corruption abroad. The Bollore probe breaks new ground in France -- but the United States already goes much further. Its prosecutors are empowered to pursue non-American companies for economic crimes committed outside US soil -- such cases often culminate in hefty fines. - Competition without ethics - If France is a European example of tighter regulation, ferocious competition from China -- the main trading partner of the African continent -- is deemed a hurdle to abolishing bad practices. "Emerging nations that will take decades to incorporate ethical concerns into their search for market share" are a major obstacle, said William Bourbon, head of an anti-corruption association called Sherpa. Story continues "The most stereotypical are the Chinese, who intimidate the entire world and who, when it comes to corruption in Africa, act with complete impunity," he told AFP. Already losing ground, French companies in Africa face seeing their share of contracts threatened by potentially unfair competition. "We would really like everybody to play by the same ground rules. We need competitors who are subject to the same requirements, shared regulations and reciprocity," said a spokesman for MEDEF, France's principal employers' organisation. - Whistleblowers wanted - Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the adoption of new guidelines providing for more systematic assessment of corruption in its 189 members, stressing that bad practice undermines growth, investment and tax revenue. Many African countries are only too well adapted to underhand deals. Most of them languish among the bottom ranks of the annual Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International. "What matters most is for African governments to adopt a practice of zero tolerance concerning corruption. If this is done, wherever investors come from, they will have to abide by the laws," said Samuel Kaninda, African regional advisor for Transparency International. "The problem is not a lack of legal instruments (in Africa)," he added. "It is that the institutions that fight against corruption suffer from a lack of independence at the political level." Setting a rare example, South Africa recently reopened legal proceedings against a subsidiary of French arms manufacturer Thales in an old case of alleged corruption. Former president Jacob Zuma has been charged with 16 counts of graft. Beyond legislative measures, activists argue that whistleblowers remain key to efforts to clamp down on corruption. "Whistleblowers are the worst enemies of a particular kind of financial elite," said Bourdon. "They are the ones who smash the locks, giving access to secrets." Last year, Bourdon became part of an international team that established a Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa, based in Senegal's capital Dakar. With lawyers listed in almost a score of African countries, the association offers legal and technical assistance to whistleblowers at risk and an online archive of cases in French and English. The Daily Beast Clodagh Kilcoyne via ReutersROMEMarie was placed in a French Catholic boarding school for young girls from good families when she was in the fifth grade. She remembers a nun who would come to her class every day to choose a student to help her with Mass. But the nun wasnt looking for someone to help her. She was looking for a victim.I was 11 and looked 9. She would choose me once every two or three times, she recalls. She would take me to her office, lock the door, and then draw the cur Antananarivo (AFP) - Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on Sunday refused to yield to opposition demands that he resign from office, following eight days of anti-government protests in the capital. "I am president by the will of the Malagasy people. There are millions of people who voted for me, it would really betray the people to resign," the president said at a press conference. Just seven months from general elections, he is confronted with an unprecedented revolt since coming to power in late 2013. The opposition accuses the government of trying to elbow them out of the race through new electoral laws they claim benefit the incumbent. They claim that the new laws could bar some candidates from standing in the presidential election, and they have asked the country's constitutional court to rule on the measures. The protests erupted last week and on the first day two people were killed and at least 16 people wounded, with the police accused of firing real bullets at the crowd. "No one gave the order to the security forces to fire real bullets," Rajaonarimampianina said Sunday. "They want to blame the State but it is not responsible." The large Indian Ocean island, which has been beset by decades of political instability, is due to hold polls in late November or December. Rajaonarimampianina has not yet announced whether he will stand for re-election, but on Sunday he was defending his record. "We are still poor but there are building projects underway everywhere in Madagascar, the aim of which is to improve the living conditions of the population," he said. Two former heads of state have already said they would be candidates: Marc Ravalomanana, who was president from 2002 to 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, who removed Ravalomanana during a coup. Both were barred from running in 2013 and their parties have been involved in the demonstrations. Representatives of both the president's party and of the opposition had met on Wednesday to try to find a solution to the crisis, but to no avail. (NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine) The search for a man accused of killing a sheriffs deputy came to an end Saturday, the fourth day of an intense manhunt in the woods of central Maine. The Maine Department of Public Safety reported that 29-year-old John Williams was in custody but declined to release details of his arrest. Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting early Wednesday of Cpl. Eugene Cole in the town of Norridgewock. Police declined to say whether Williams had been apprehended, or had turned himself in. On Saturday, the slain deputys wife made a personal appeal to his killer to turn himself in, or at least talk to police. Sheryl Cole assured the gunman in a statement that this is all that were asking of you. Please, please talk to us. She promised Williams that hed be treated with dignity and respect. About 200 law enforcement officials had been taking part in the manhunt each day since Wednesday. On Saturday, searchers were using foot patrols and aircraft in a certain part of the woods where they thought he might be hiding. Cole was 62 and a 13-year veteran of the department. Sheriff Dale Lancaster calls him an outstanding employee, one of the finest deputies. As many as 16 mobile phones were seized by the FBI when agents raided Michael Cohens home, office and hotel, a prosecutor has revealed. Thomas McKay, who is leading the criminal investigation of Donald Trumps personal lawyer, told a judge the law enforcement agency was on track to hand over copies of all seized materials to Mr Cohens lawyers by 11 May. He said the FBI had already turned over the contents of four phones and an iPad, and that the agency had about a dozen left, according to the New York Post. Two BlackBerrys were among the devices seized, suggesting Mr Cohen was hoarding old devices. A lawyer for Stormy Daniels described the revelation as bigly bad for Mr Trumps legal fixer. Ms Daniels, who is suing Mr Cohen for defamation after he called her a liar, was paid $130,000 in hush money by Mr Cohen over allegations she had an affair with Mr Trump in 2006. Most interesting fact from todays hearing IMO [in my opinion] - FBI imaged 16 (by my count) cell phones and blackberries seized in MC [Michael Cohen] raids, Michael Avenatti wrote on Twitter. Most interesting fact from todays hearing IMO - FBI imaged 16 (by my count) cell phones and blackberries seized in MC raids. Usually not a good sign when the target appears to have saved old phones and there are that many phones recovered. BIGLY bad...for many. #basta Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 26, 2018 Usually not a good sign when the target appears to have saved old phones and there are that many phones recovered. BIGLY bad... for many. On Thursday, Mr Trump claimed Mr Cohen handles very little of his legal work, but did represent him in the "crazy Stormy Daniels deal," a rare presidential public reference to the alleged affair. Prosecutors in New York quickly claimed Mr Trump's early-morning comments buttress their arguments that not much of the material the FBI seized from Mr Cohen should be protected by attorney-client privilege. Within two hours of Mr Trump's interview, the prosecutors submitted papers in court citing his comments. Story continues Mr Trump's remarks prompted fresh questions about his relationship with Mr Cohen in the tangle of legal dealings involving the president, his legal fixer and the porn star. And they served as just the latest demonstration of the potential legal risks for the president when he makes off-the-cuff statements about the case in interviews and on Twitter. In a call-in interview with Fox & Friends, Mr Trump spoke about his relationship with Mr Cohen, saying the lawyer handles "a tiny, tiny little fraction" of his legal work, adding: "Like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal he represented me. And, you know, from what I see he did absolutely nothing wrong. There were no campaign funds going into this which would have been a problem." Mr Cohen is facing a series of legal actions, including an effort from Ms Daniels to invalidate the $130,000 nondisclosure deal. There is also a criminal investigation of Mr Cohen in New York, which prompted the recent FBI raid. Mr Trump has previously denied any knowledge of the payment. The White House has consistently denied the affair. While Mr Trump may have increased the chances that his communications with Mr Cohen on the subject of Ms Daniels are subject to attorney-client privilege by acknowledging that he was being represented by Mr Cohen on the matter, he may also have undermined arguments that large quantities of other seized materials are subject to the privilege by claiming Mr Cohen handled little of his legal work. Either way, said trial attorney Joseph Cammarata, he would be better off speaking less. "The more you say, the more you have an opportunity to be cross-examined on it," said Mr Cammarata, who represented Paula Jones in her sexual harassment suit against President Bill Clinton. "You can't get hurt by words you don't speak." Judge Kimba Wood said on Thursday she was appointing a former Manhattan federal judge to help determine what materials seized in the FBI raids are subject to attorney-client privilege. The judge noted that the government and Mr Cohen's lawyers agreed that a "special master" was the best way to determine which materials should or should not be off-limits to federal investigators. Mr Avenatti asked the court for permission to be part of the case to determine if there are any materials showing that Ms Daniels' previous lawyer, who negotiated her confidentiality agreement, violated attorney-client privilege in communications with Mr Cohen. The judge gave prosecutors time to review the motion after Mr McKay told her that so far there was "really no evidence" that Mr Cohen received privileged information about Ms Daniels. Mr Trump's comment that Mr Cohen represented him in the Ms Daniels matter seemed potentially at odds with his past denial of knowledge about the payment. Mr Avenatti tweeted that Mr Trump and Mr Cohen "previously represented to the American people that Mr Cohen acted on his own and Mr Trump knew nothing about the agreement with my client, the $130k payment, etc. As I predicted, that has now been shown to be completely false. Mr Trump's anger over the case has increased in recent weeks as the legal pressure on Mr Cohen mounts. While the president is said to be increasingly worried about the materials seized in the raid and whether Mr Cohen would consider cooperating with prosecutors, he insisted Thursday that the probe was related to Mr Cohen's business and said "I've been told I'm not involved." Mr Avenatti said on Thursday: "This is going to add considerable momentum to our effort to depose the president and place him under oath in an effort to discover which version of the facts is accurate." Additional reporting by AP Comedian Michelle Wolf took the bold route during the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday night. She roasted those in and out of the room, focusing on President Donald Trumps questionable wealth, slamming Democrats for not doing anything, and going after Trump administration officials who attended. Kellyanne Conway, a target of Wolfs jabs, was expressionless as the comedian suggested journalists stop bringing Conway on their news shows. If you dont give her a platform, she has nowhere to lie, Wolf said. Its like that old saying: If a tree falls in the woods how do we get Kellyanne under that tree? Im not suggesting she gets hurt, Wolf clarified. Just stuck. Check out Wolfs boldest moments during the 30-minute roast below. Michelle Wolf: "It's like that old saying, 'If a tree falls in the woods, how do we get Kellyanne under that tree?' I'm not suggesting she gets hurt, just stuck." Kellyanne: #WHCD pic.twitter.com/N576VpXW4l Jo Yurcaba (@JoYurcaba) April 29, 2018 1. When she wanted her appearance to be over, like a porn star when shes about to have sex with a Trump. The comedian started the roast by getting straight to the point. Michelle Wolf: Like a porn star says when she's about to have sex with a Trump, 'Let's get this over with.' (via CNN) pic.twitter.com/m08sI3rR6o Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 29, 2018 2. When she was starstruck over Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her perfect smoky eye. Maybe shes born with it. Maybe its lies. Its probably lies. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Story continues Michelle Wolf destroys Sarah Huckabee Sanders at #WHCD pic.twitter.com/pKGSSOCu8d Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 29, 2018 3. When she said Trumps personal lawyer is the only person who can shut her up. Its 2018 and I am a woman. So you cannot shut me up unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000. Michelle Wolf: "It's 2018 and I am a woman, so you cannot shut me up, unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000" #WHCD https://t.co/S1lN9shfwC Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) April 29, 2018 4. When she hit Trump where it hurts the most. Mr. President, I dont think youre very rich. Like, you might be rich in Idaho, but in New York, youre doing fine, Wolf said, before leading the audience in a back-and-forth on how broke Trump really is. "Mr. President, I don't think you're very rich. Like, you might be rich in Idaho, but in New York, you're doing fine." - Michelle Wolf, #WHCD host https://t.co/MQgzj8CUpg pic.twitter.com/cX9Q0DuAGI CNN (@CNN) April 29, 2018 5. When she called out the news media for being obsessed with Trump. I think what no one in this room wants to admit is that Trump has helped all of you. [Trump] has helped you sell your papers & your books & your TV. You helped create this monster & now youre profiting off of him. And if youre gonna profit off of Trump, you should at least give him some money because he doesnt have any. #WHCD pic.twitter.com/KFl01FRM6e Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) April 29, 2018 6. When she knew she wasnt Roy Moores type. Im 32 years old, which is an odd age. Ten years too young to host this event and 20 years too old for Roy Moore. Michelle Wolf at #WHCD: I'm 32 years old, which is an odd age. Ten years too young to host this event and 20 years too old for Roy Moore. pic.twitter.com/yYXkYLzXj3 Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 29, 2018 7. When she supported Trumps plan to arm teachers with guns. They need to get those school supplies somehow. "Trump is an idea guy - he wants to give teachers guns. And I support that because then they can sell them & things they need like supplies" #WHCD @michelleisawolf #WhiteHouseCorrespondentsDinner pic.twitter.com/4CGPdKPzHK Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) April 29, 2018 8. When she said it was too easy to make fun of Republicans. Democrats are harder to make fun of because you guys dont do anything. Michelle Wolf: Democrats are harder to make fun of because you guys don't do anything. People think you might flip the House and Senate this November, but you guys always find a way to mess it up. #WHCD pic.twitter.com/axKkQjM7sX Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 29, 2018 9. When she explained why Trump was off-limits. I would drag him here myself, but it turns out the president of the United States is the one pussy youre not allowed to grab. He said it first. Yeah, he did. Michelle Wolf at #WHCD: I would drag [Trump] here myself, but it turns out the president of the United States is the one pussy you're not allowed to grab. pic.twitter.com/BjDy1K4c0f Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 29, 2018 10. When she admitted that she doesnt want Trump to be impeached. Because just when you think Trump is awful, you remember Mike Pence. Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isnt gay" "Mike Pence @VP is the kind of guy that brushes his teeth & then drinks orange juice and thinks mhmm! @michelleisawolf #WHCD #WHCA #WhiteHouseCorrespondentsDinner https://t.co/eicRGuSQiT pic.twitter.com/q7CUVP2sLb Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) April 29, 2018 11. When she went for Hillary Clinton. Well, Michigan is pretty close to Washington, D.C. Michelle Wolf: "It is kind of crazy the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia when the Hillary campaign wasn't even in contact with Michigan." (via CNN) pic.twitter.com/zPInTbsrBB Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 29, 2018 12. When she reminded everyone whats going on in Flint, Michigan. Its been four years. Michelle Wolf with that real at the end of her routine. "Flint still doesn't have clean water." #WHCDpic.twitter.com/5tMOpLvtEk Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) April 29, 2018 Also on HuffPost The Blue Room The State Dining Room (during a May 13, 2016, dinner) North facade of the White House South Lawn of the White House. The East Room The China Room The Diplomatic Reception Room The Green Room Room with portraits of first ladies Presidential portraits inside the White House The Red Room Library This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Mr Macron suggested that the deal could be widened in what appears to be an attempt to prevent Mr Trump scrapping the agreement - AP Emmanuel Macron and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Sunday night agreed to work together to preserver the Iran nuclear deal, in a marked signal to the US. Less than a week after the French president implored the White House to stick with the agreement during a state visit to the Washington, Mr Macron suggested that the deal could be widened. In what appears to be the latest attempt to prevent Donald Trump scrapping the agreement, the Elysee Palace said Mr Macron proposed in an hour-long phone call with Tehran that discussions should close loop holes in the deal, which have angered the US president. The Elysee said that Mr Macron raised "three additional, indispensable subjects" not covered by the current deal with Mr Rouhani, citing Tehran's ballistic missile programmes, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 and Iran's destabilising influence in the Middle East. It comes after the UK, France and Germany jointly reaffirmed their commitment on Sunday to sticking with the deal, but said that there were "important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address". Mr Pompeo warned over the Iran deal during a visit to Saudi Arabia on a tour of the Middle East Credit: Amr Nabil/AP Mr Macron's intervention came after Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, called Iran "the greatest sponsor of terrorism in the world," on Sunday in a further signal that America intends to pull out of the nuclear deal. Speaking at a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during his first visit to the Middle East since being sworn in last week, Mr Pompeo struck a hawkish tone as Donald Trumps deadline for a decision on the deal looms on May 12th. However, he offered hope of some compromise to the UK, France and Germany. We will continue to work with our European allies to fix that deal. But if a deal cannot be reached, the president has said that he will leave that deal," Mr Pompeo said. But he added: "Unlike the prior administration, we will not neglect the vast scope of Irans terrorism. It is indeed the greatest sponsor of terrorism in the world. In fact, Iran has only behaved worse since the deal was approved. Iran detabilises this entire region." Story continues Downing Street on Sunday announced Theresa May has had separate discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the weekend in which they solidified their stance in support of the deal. FAQ | Iran nuclear talks In a nod to Mr Trump and in the wake of visits to the US last week from Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel, the three leaders acknowledged there were key issues that needed to be addressed inlcuding the question of Iran's ballistic missile programme and what happens when the deal expires. A Downing Street spokesman said: "They discussed the importance of the Iran nuclear deal as the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, agreeing that our priority as an international community remained preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. "They agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address. "Acknowledging the importance of retaining the deal, they committed to continue working closely together and with the US on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses. Number 10 said the three European leaders had also spoken about the vital importance of their steel and aluminum industries and their concern about the impact of US tariffs. Iran nuclear talks They pledged to work together to obtain a permanent exemption from the tariffs. There is less than two weeks to go before the May 12 deadline for Mr Trump to decide on the Iran deal. Iran has threatened to restart nuclear activity should Mr Trump scupper the agreement, with President Hassan Rouhani calling Mr Trump a "tradesman" who lacks the qualifications to deal with a complex international pact. On Sunday Mr Rouhani told Mr Macron in a telephone conversation that the Iran nuclear deal was "not negotiable". Speaking on Fox News on Sunday John Bolton, the US administration's new national security adviser, said Mr Trump had yet to make a decision Mr Bolton said: "He has made no decision on the nuclear deal whether to stay in or get out.There is no decision on that yet." A wider question remains regarding North Korea's response to reimposing sanctions on Iran just as negotiations are underway for an historic meeting between Kim Jong-un and the US leader. But Mr Pompeo said yesterday: I don't think Kim Jong-un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I won't talk to the Americans anymore," There are higher priorities, things that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay in the [agreement]. Only 40 per cent of those who voted Trump said they hoped to see a woman take charge of the US: Rick Wilking/Reuters Around 60 per cent of Donald Trump voters said they did not hope to see a female US president in their lifetime, according to a new poll. While 63 per cent of those who voted Republican in 2016 said they thought it was likely they would live to see a woman lead the country, only 40 per cent of them said they actually wanted this to happen. The YouGov survey of 1,500 US adults looked into attitudes regarding female leaders, among a range of other political, social and issues. It asked respondents whether they thought they would see a woman elected as President of the United States in their lifetime. A total of 63 per cent thought they would either definitely or probably see a woman take office, 19 per cent thought they would definitely or probably not, while the rest were unsure. Seventy-seven per cent of those who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 compared to 63 per cent of Donald Trump voters felt it was likely they would see this happen. But when the question was changed to look at their personal wishes, the results also changed. A total of 66 per cent of people responded yes to the question: Do you personally hope that the United States elects a woman President of the United States in your lifetime, or not? While 95 per cent of Clinton voters said yes to the question, only 40 per cent of Trump voters responded affirmatively. Sixty per cent of Republicans said they did not hope to see a female president. Ms Clinton was the closest woman to date to get near to the US presidency, having been nominated by a major party. But in what some saw as a blow to female empowerment, she lost out to Donald Trump, who has been accused of inappropriate behaviour by multiple women - though he has denied allegations. When survey responses were broken down by gender, it found that slightly more men than women thought they would live to see a female president, with 65 per cent of males voting favourably to the question, compared to 60 per cent of women. Seventy one per cent of women said they personally hoped to see this happen, compared to 60 per cent of males. North Korea will move its clocks 30 minutes forward to unify with the South's time zone starting this Saturday as a conciliatory gesture after last week's inter-Korean summit, the North's official news agency said. The two countries on the divided peninsula have had different time zones since 2015 when the North suddenly changed its standard time to 30 minutes behind the South. Pyongyang cited a nationalistic rationale, saying it would return the North to the time zone used before Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the peninsula to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation from Tokyo. But North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to change the time zone back during the historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, KCNA reported Monday. The pair held the summit -- the third such meeting between the two Koreas -- at the border truce village of Panmunjom, during which Kim set the foot on the south side of the border for the first time and the two leaders pledged to pursue denuclearisation and a permanent peace. Kim said he found it a "painful wrench" to see two wall clocks hanging at the summit venue showing different times for the two neighbours, KCNA reported. Kim expressed "his resolution to unify the two times ... as the first practical step for national reconciliation and unity," it said. North Korea's parliament on Monday adopted a decree to return to the same time zone as South Korea from May 5, the state news agency said. Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan earlier hailed the gesture as a "symbolic move" for better ties between Seoul and Pyongyang. The creation of "Pyongyang time" drew criticism from Moon's conservative predecessor Park Geun-hye for further deepening the disparity between the two Koreas, whose division was sealed by the 1950-53 Korean War. The two countries have remained technically at war after the conflict ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty. Moon and Kim on Friday vowed to seek a formal end to the war. Story continues North Korea is not the only country to have used a time zone to assert its national identity. China and India have both imposed single time zones to promote unity across their vast territories, with people in China's westernmost provinces keeping to Beijing time despite the sun rising two hours later than in the capital. Most time zones around the world are set on the hour, but some differ from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by 30 or even 45 minutes -- Myanmar's is half an hour behind its neighbour Thailand's, for example. Nepal, whose clocks run five hours and 45 minutes ahead of UTC, chose its unusual time zone after India's meridian was deemed too far west for the small Himalayan nation to anchor itself to, and the next one along too far east. So in 1956, Nepal decided to peg its standard time at Mount Gaurishankar, a peak east of the capital Kathmandu, putting it 15 minutes ahead of India -- a way to assert itself as a nation independent from its giant neighbour. And despite lying far to the west of Europe, mainland Spain has been in the same time zone as central Europe since 1942, when Francisco Franco's fascist government adopted it to be in line with Nazi Germany. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to invite experts and journalists from the United States and South Korea when the country shuts its nuclear test site in May, Seoul officials said, as U.S. President Trump pressed for total denuclearization ahead of his own unprecedented meeting with Kim. On Friday, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal. North Korea's state media had said before the summit that Pyongyang would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace. Kim told Moon that he would soon invite the experts and journalists to "open to the international community" the dismantling of the facilities, the Blue House said on Sunday. "The United States, though inherently hostile to North Korea, will get to know once our talk begins that I am not the kind of person who will use nuclear weapons against the South or the United States across the Pacific," Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan quoted Kim as saying. "There is no reason for us to possess nuclear weapons while suffering difficulties if mutual trust with the United States is built through frequent meetings from now on, and an end to the war and non-aggression are promised." Kim said there were two additional, larger tunnels that remain "in a very good condition" at the Punggye-ri test site beyond the existing one, which experts have said has collapsed after repeated explosions, rendering much of the site useless. Kim's promise shows his willingness to "pre-emptively and actively" respond to inspection efforts to be made as part of the denuclearization process, Yoon said. To facilitate future cross-border cooperation, Kim pledged to scrap the unique time zone Pyongyang created in 2015. He said the North would move its clocks forward 30 minutes to be in sync with the South, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kim also reaffirmed that he would not use military force against the South and raised the need for an institutional mechanism to prevent unintended escalations, Yoon said. NEXT STEPS Late Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump told Moon in a phone call that he was pleased the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearization during their summit, Seoul officials said on Sunday. During a Middle East trip on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would require North Korea in any deal to "take irreversible" steps to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization. He told ABC TV that there was a real opportunity for negotiations between Kim and Trump and that he had a clear mission from the White House to discuss American detainees and a verifiable mechanism for denuclearization with Kim. Trump is also preparing to pull the United States out of the international 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reached under his predecessor Barack Obama, barring an agreement in talks with European partners to tighten its terms. Pompeo was asked whether there was any contradiction between Washington trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with North Korea and also threatening to jettison the accord with Iran. "I don't think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, 'Oh goodness, if they get out of that, I won't talk to the Americans any more,'" Pompeo told reporters. "There are higher priorities that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay in the (Iran deal)." Moon and Trump agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and Kim, and explored two to three potential locations, one of which Moon suggested, the Blue House said. The candidates for the venue did not include North Korea, the United States or the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas, a Blue House official told reporters, declining to elaborate. A senior U.S. official has said Singapore is being considered as a possible venue for the Trump-Kim summit. "Trump said it was good news for not only the two Koreas but the whole world that they affirmed the goal of realizing a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through a complete denuclearization," Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a separate briefing. "Moon told Trump that Kim said he and Trump would get along with each other,...and Trump said he was looking forward to talks with Kim and there would be a very good result." Trump, who called the 75-minute chat "a long and very good talk" on Twitter, said his summit with Kim would take place sometime in the next three to four weeks. "It's going be a very important meeting, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," he said at a campaign rally in Washington, Michigan, on Saturday. The White House said Trump and Moon during the call "emphasized that a peaceful and prosperous future for North Korea is contingent upon its complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration signed by Kim and Moon focused on inter-Korean relations and did not clear up the question of whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Abe's office said on Sunday that Trump and Abe highlighted the significance of Pyongyang's taking concrete steps toward denuclearization in their phone call. Trump had informed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he would urge North Korea to promptly resolve its abductions of Japanese citizens, the White House said. Moon also had a phone call with Abe on Sunday and said he had discussed the abduction issue with Kim during the summit "in substantial detail," the Blue House spokesman said. Pyongyang admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies. Five of them returned to Japan, but Tokyo suspects that hundreds more may have been taken. "Moon relayed Abe's wish for a normalization of bilateral ties to Kim based on the clearing of historical legacy issues, and that Kim expressed his willingness to talk to Japan at any time," the official said. Later on Sunday, Moon informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of the summit's outcome in a separate call, and proposed a joint study on trilateral cooperation over rail, gas and power infrastructure involving North Korea, the Blue House said. Putin stressed the need for the summit to lead to trilateral projects, and invited Moon to Russia for a summit and the World Cup in June, Moon's office said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Christine Kim, Haejin Choi and Soyoung Kim in SEOUL, Thomas Wilson in TOKYO, Lesley Wroughton in TEL AVIV and Amanda Becker in WASHINGTON, Michigan; editing by Gerry Doyle and Mark Heinrich) Guns will be barred during Vice President Mike Pences appearance at an upcoming National Rifle Association convention to protect his safety prompting survivors of the Parkland school shooting in Florida to wonder why the gun group wont agree to gun restrictions elsewhere to protect children. Those attending the NRA Leadership Conference in Dallas are on notice that no firearms or weapons of any kind, or ammunition, will be allowed in the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center prior to and during Pences appearance on May 4. The NRA posted the restrictions a requirement of the Secret Service on a website announcing the conference. There will be no storage for firearms, the NRA says in the announcement. Knife Rights, a knife advocacy group, will provide complimentary storage for knives, the NRA adds. Online NRA announcement for upcoming convention in Dallas. (Photo: NRA screenshot) Teens who survived the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 people were killed, are wondering why the NRA fiercely resists extending the same safety considerations to other areas to safeguard children. The NRA wants guns everywhere when it comes to kids, tweeted Matt Deitsch, a Parkland student who helped organize the March for Our Lives rally for stricter gun laws in Washington. The NRA urges more guns in schools and suggests teachers be armed. President Donald Trump, who agrees with the gun group, boasted that an armed teacher could have shot the hell out of the Parkland gunman. An armed deputy assigned to the school failed to respond to the shooter and stayed outside the building. Wait wait wait wait wait wait youre telling me to make the VP safe there arent any weapons around but when it comes to children they want guns everywhere? Can someone explain this to me? Because it sounds like the NRA wants to protect people who help them sell guns, not kids. Matt Deitsch (@MattxRed) April 28, 2018 Cameron Kasky, another Parkland student who has become a gun control activist, lashed the NRA as a ridiculous parody of itself. Story continues The NRA has evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself. pic.twitter.com/6Pw6NTQAe6 Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) April 28, 2018 Fred Guttenberg, father of 14-year-old Parkland victim Jaime Guttenberg, also mocked the NRA convention gun ban: I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety, he wrote on Twitter. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. On so many levels, this is enlightening. According to the NRA, we should want everyone to have weapons when we are in public. But when they put on a convention, the weapons are a concern? I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety. Am I missing something? https://t.co/f4wgNhJ7RI Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) April 28, 2018 No, you're not missing anything. The hypocrisy is insulting, and personal. JoEllen (@sunfish51) April 28, 2018 Is that like admitting, you can't trust people, particularly when they're armed Kevin Hannah (@kevinghannah) April 28, 2018 With a convention full of so many good guys with guns wouldnt this be the safest place on earth? Peaches #trumpophobe (@fingerbobs) April 28, 2018 The Secret Service is in control of security. The NRA is yeilding to them. That said, the NRA should uninvite Pence. My point being, too bad the NRA isn't as concerned about the safety of students as they are about the Veep's. Longtime former NRA member. Ken (@kemios) April 28, 2018 After all the shootings and kids dying, the vice president is attending an NRA leadership forum??? Rob A (@robanderson1971) April 28, 2018 Gun backers can't be packing with Mike Pence around. (Photo: NRA screenshot) Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost. The leaders of North and South Korea declared at a summit Friday they had a "common goal of realising, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula". Exactly what that means remains unclear ahead of a much-anticipated summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. The White House has urged "the denuclearisation of North Korea", but the distinction is crucial -- that is an explicit reference to only one country, while the broader term is open to interpretation on both sides. The North -- which invaded its neighbour in 1950 -- is the only one of the two Koreas to possess nuclear weapons, but the South has a security alliance with the most powerful nation on the planet. What weapons does North Korea have? Estimates of Pyongyang's arsenal vary. 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. Seoul's 2016 defence white paper -- the most recent available -- estimated the North had 50 kilograms of plutonium -- reportedly enough for about 10 bombs - and a "considerable" but unquantified ability to produce uranium weapons. Last year, the Washington Post reported a US intelligence assessment that the North had up to 60 nuclear devices. Where the North keeps its missiles is not publicly known, but it has extensive experience in tunnelling and it is believed they are stored at underground facilities scattered around the country. They are also mobile -- it has put transporters on show at military parades. What does the US have? US President Donald Trump says his nuclear button is bigger than Kim's -- and it works. According to the State Department, as of September 1, the US has a total of 1,393 deployed nuclear warheads, deliverable by land- and submarine-based missiles and heavy bombers. Story continues It has thousands more in stockpiles and awaiting dismantlement, campaign groups say, with the Arms Control Association putting the total at 6,550 last year. The US withdrew tactical nuclear weapons from the South in the 1990s and Seoul does not have any itself. But the US has an unparallelled ability to project power around the world and can reach targets anywhere with conventional or nuclear munitions. It has long-range bombers, mid-air refuelling capabilities, and a fleet of nuclear submarines constantly at sea, each armed with phenomenal destructive power. What has Pyongyang promised? According to Trump "they have agreed to denuclearisation". Asked what he meant by the term, he told reporters earlier this month: "It means they get rid of their nukes -- very simple." But North Korea itself has made no explicit pledge to do so during the current rapprochement. According to Seoul, it has offered to consider giving them up in exchange for unspecified security guarantees. When Kim visited key backer China last month in only his first foreign trip as leader, China's state media cited him saying that the issue could be resolved if Seoul and Washington take "progressive and synchronous measures for the realisation of peace" -- implying some form of quid pro quo. What does that imply? Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the United States, and interprets threats against it widely -- it has regularly condemned US-South Korean joint military exercises as preparations for invasion. Under the 1953 Mutual Defence Treaty between South Korea and the US, Washington is duty-bound to come to its ally's aid if attacked. In the past Pyongyang has demanded the end of the alliance and the withdrawal of US troops from the South. The US has 28,500 troops stationed in the country to defend it from its neighbour, and Washington's nuclear arsenal is a key part of its defence capabilities -- it does not have a "no first use" policy. What has the North promised before? Friday's declaration was the first time the word "denuclearisation" has appeared in an inter-Korean summit communique. There was no reference to the subject in the declaration after their first summit in Pyongyang in 2000, and seven years later they said they would work together to implement two existing agreements on "the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula". But one of those documents, the Joint Statement of the Fourth Round of the Six-Party Talks issued in Beijing in September 2005, is unequivocal. "The DPRK committed to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes," it said, using the North's official name. But it carried out its first nuclear test the very next year. Another agreement followed before Pyongyang walked out of the six-party process -- which brought together the two Koreas, China, the US, Russia and Japan -- in 2009, detonating its second atomic blast months later. Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organisation convenes for the first time in decades Monday, as ageing President Mahmud Abbas seeks to strengthen his hand ahead of the US embassy move to Jerusalem. Analysts said the three-day meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in the West Bank city of Ramallah is unlikely to produce major policy shifts, but it will elect the 18 members of the PLO's executive committee that effectively forms Abbas's cabinet. More than 100 of the 740-member body will be absent, including dozens allied to Islamists Hamas -- the largest Palestinian party behind Abbas's Fatah -- who have signed a letter opposing the meeting. On Saturday Hamas called on Abbas to postpone the assembly until unity was reached between rival factions. The meeting comes as relations between Abbas and US President Donald Trump's administration have broken down ahead of the controversial relocation of the US embassy, which is set to open in the divided holy city of Jerusalem on May 14. In Hamas-run Gaza, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30. The PNC has not held a regular session since 1996, and last held an special session in 2009. - 'Consolidation of power' - The session is expected to begin Monday night with a lengthy speech from Abbas in which the 82-year-old is likely to address the embassy move, among other topics. His rhetoric has become more agitated as relations with the US have worsened since Trump's December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. That move broke with a decades-old international consensus that the holy city's status should only be determined in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestinians see annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. In March, Abbas called US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, a Trump appointee and long-time supporter of Israeli settlements, a "son of a dog". Story continues His position is weakened by the ongoing split with Hamas, which rules Gaza, after a reconciliation deal collapsed. Analysts say Abbas, elected to a four-year term in 2005, is seeking to further centralise power within the institutions he controls. Hugh Lovatt, a regional expert at the European Council for Foreign Relations, said he expected the meeting to "mark a further milestone in Abbas's consolidation of power and marginalisation of political rivals". The names selected for the executive committee will be seen as a key indicator of who is in favour in moderate Palestinian politics, Lovatt added, and even "provide an indicator of frontrunners in the race to succeed Abbas". Abbas will be one of three representatives of Fatah, along with long-time chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Azzam al-Ahmed, negotiator of the failed reconciliation agreement with Hamas. Seven smaller parties, excluding Hamas, will each nominate a candidate, while eight independents will also be selected. At least 10 of the current 18 committee members are expected to be replaced. "The mere fact that he is looking to an institution that has not met for 20 years just shows how illegitimate he is," said Diana Buttu, a former Abbas employee and now fierce critic. The split with Hamas has made elections impossible, so he has remained in power without a mandate. She said she was not expecting any serious challenges to his rule, though candidates are seemingly jostling behind the scenes for the post Abbas era. "They know in this environment not to indicate in any way they want to run against Abbas or seek to position themselves as successor as that is enough to provoke his wrath," she said. Friday night, Kanye West released a T.I. collaboration entitled Ye vs. The People. The track, which premiered on Los Angeles radio station Power 106, features a political back and forth between T.I. and West, where he explains his controversial support of President Donald Trump and the rationale behind it. Make America great again had a negative perception/I took it wore it rocked it and gave it a new direction/I added caring empathy love and affection/And yall simply questioning my methods, West rhymed. Hours after the song hit the airwaves, fans were quick to weigh in with their thoughts. As with anything Kanye-related, reactions ranged from outright praise to utter disdain for the new offering. See a few below. More from Complex By Francesco Guarascio SOFIA (Reuters) - A European Commission plan to tax the digital turnover of large companies drew scepticism on Saturday from the global rule-setting body on tax matters and some EU states, which called instead for an international solution. The criticism came at the first meeting of EU ministers to discuss the plan, which was presented by the Commission last month and entails a 3 percent levy on the digital revenues of large multinational corporations such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. Big Web companies are accused by the Commission and some EU states of paying too little tax in Europe, exploiting an outdated system that has allowed them to shift profits to low-tax countries. Ministers from smaller nations, including Luxembourg and Malta, opposed the plan at a ministerial meeting in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, arguing that an overhaul of digital taxation should be done globally and involve a long-term solution. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who took office last month, avoided taking a clear line on the issue, in what could be seen as a partial shift from Berlin's initial open support for a turnover tax. He told a news conference making digital companies pay more taxes was a "moral question" that needed to be addressed. But he refrained from clarifying how to tackle the issue and did not take the floor during the ministerial debate on the matter. European officials said Berlin fears several German companies could be hit by the tax, and that international partners may respond with retaliatory tax measures that could damage German exporters. Some 200 companies would fall within the scope of the new tax, European officials said, estimating additional annual revenues of about 5 billion euros ($6 billion) at EU level. "ILLUSION" The commission said a long-term, global solution based on a new method to calculate tax rights was the preferred option, but it would take a long time to be approved. Story continues It pushed in the meantime for a temporary, shorter-term option that would quickly recoup part of the tax revenues lost by EU states to digital giants. It has proposed a temporary levy on corporate turnover, which would be a major shift from existing rules, whereby companies are charged on their profits and pay no tax if they report losses. The move was necessary because it would be an "illusion" to think a deal could be reached soon at global level, EU Tax Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said at the end of the meeting. The EU initiative also seeks to prevent diverging measures in member states that could weaken the single market. But in the absence of a deal, some states are moving alone. Spain, which backs the commission's plans along with larger EU members such as Italy and France, said on Saturday it would introduce its own levy on digital companies. "The idea is to introduce it as soon as possible and for it to take effect from 2019 onwards," Economy Minister Ramon Escolano told a news conference in Sofia. "From the perspective of fairness and social justice, it doesn't make sense that taxes should be levelled solely on the old economy," he said. Asked whether a turnover tax was inconsistent with global practices, Angel Gurria, head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the body that coordinates tax policies among rich countries worldwide, said the issue should not be addressed hastily. Gurria, who attended the EU meeting, said work for a global reform, which would include the United States, Japan and China, was already under way. He said the OECD was ready to speed up its work, possibly advancing to next year the adoption of a blueprint that is currently due in 2020. ($1 = 0.8245 euros) (Additional reporting by Peter Maushagen in Sofia and Inmaculada Sanz in Barcelona; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Helen Popper) Washington (AFP) - The US has an "obligation" to pursue a diplomatic solution with North Korea, and there is a "real opportunity" for progress, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview broadcast Sunday. "We have an obligation to engage in diplomatic discourse to try and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by Kim Jong Un and his nuclear arsenal," Pompeo told ABC, saying that there is a "real opportunity" for progress. America's top diplomat also said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held in-depth talks about a denuclearization "mechanism" when they met over Easter weekend. "We talked a great deal about what it might look like, what this complete, verifiable, irreversible mechanism might look like," Pompeo said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Kim in a historic summit, agreeing on Friday to pursue a permanent peace and the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. An armistice brought the fighting on the Korean peninsula to an end in 1953, but 65 years later, a final peace agreement has still not been reached. The Moon-Kim meeting has raised expectations for US President Donald Trump's own planned summit with the North Korean leader, the date and location of which have not yet been finalized. Overt anti-Semites have been slowly creeping into Republican politics in the aftermath of President Trumps successful, populist candidacy, and now one of them has a fighting chance of representing the Republican Party in a Senate race. The man in question is Patrick Little, an extremist with hardline anti-Semitic views who is backed by David Duke and other far-right extremists. Little will be squaring off in a top-two primary with 10 other Republicans as well as Democrats and independents on June 5 for the chance to oppose veteran Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. According to a recent poll, released last week, he very much has a chance of winning the right to face off with the incumbent. A poll conducted by local ABC News affiliates along with the polling company Survey USA, suggested that Little is polling at 18 percent of the vote on the Republican ticket, a full 10 points ahead of his next strongest opponent. The 84-year-old Feinstein, who first entered office way back in 1992, at the start of Bill Clintons first term, remains a solid favorite to win the statepolling at 39 percent. Trending: Is 'SNL' Live Tonight? Will Ferrell Appears As Host, Season 43 To Resume With Donald Glover GettyImages-951555780 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Its unclear how predictive the poll will prove to be, or whether many Californians are intimately familiar with Littles views, but the notion that he has any viability at all in the state is likely to raise alarm. Little has said he believes Jews should have no say over white non-Jews and wants to see them removed from the country altogether. On Gab, a social media site with large swaths of extremist users, he argues that the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer, whose proprietors praise Adolf Hitler and have appeared to call for acts of violence against Jewish people, is too Jewish. Story continues Related: The alt-rights first real political candidate went too far righteven for many white nationalists I propose a government that makes counter-semitism central to all aims of the state, he wrote on that website, referring to a white nationalist euphemism for a hatred of Jews. He argued for forbidding all immigration except of biological kin, where no person of Jewish origin may live, vacation or traverse. Don't miss: Tesla Driver Banned After Turning On Autopilot, Then Moving To Passenger Seat He also wrote that he wanted to keep Americans "free from Jews." Matt Barreto, a Professor of Political Sciences at UCLA, told Newsweek that while the poll is concerning due to Littles views, it isnt a strong indicator that he will ever become Senator. Theres been no campaign to speak of. All the discussion has been between Feinstein and [Democratic challenger] Kevin de Leon, Barreto said. I dont believe that this candidate has much outreach. He noted that many people may have no idea who Little is, and are simply responding to the fact that his name was grouped with the Republicans. He said that if his views became more widely known, it would likely sink his candidacy. Most popular: Who is Jon Tester? Trump Calls On Montana Senator To Resign After Ronny Jackson Allegations little GAB This is the whole reason Trump won the election, he said. Republicans voted for a Republican even if they didnt think they would vote for Trump. Barreto noted that Democrats dominate California politics and that the state party is focused on issues of taxation. He described them as being more open-minded than the national party on issues like immigration, gay marriage and marijuana legalization, even if there are pockets of overtly white supremacist voters in places like Orange County. Little did not respond to a request for comment on this story. His overtly anti-Semitic posts in the runup to an election follow the candidacy of Wisconsin-based Republican congressional candidate Paul Nehlen, who has veered so far to the right that he has been disavowed by some prominent white nationalists. White Supremacist Richard Spencer wrote on Twitter this month that Nehlen needs to just go away, suggesting that he had embarrassed their cause of building a state for only whites by being too openly prejudiced. Most recently, Nehlen appeared on an extremist podcast inspired by racist mass murderer Dylann Roof. Its unclear whether or not Little, whose political ambitions have so far received less scrutiny than Nehlens, will be similarly disavowed. Little is a vocal fan of Christopher Cantwell, an anti-Semitic podcast host and one of the white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August of 2017. Cantwell is an outspoken supporter of Adolf Hitler has made a hatred of Jews the crux of his political argument when he speaks to his audience. He told Newsweek Friday that Little has a slim chance of winning, even if they share the same prejudices. I cannot claim to have familiarized myself with the mechanics of that race well enough to say, Cantwell said. However, I have my doubts that Holocaust revisionism polls well amongst Californians of any party. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Following nearly three days of rampant speculation, Prince William and Kate Middleton have finally revealed the name of the third royal baby: Prince Louis Arthur Charles. The highly-anticipated announcement of the new royal baby name was made via Kensington Palaces official Twitter account on Thursday, prompting an outpouring of emotion from royals fans around the world. As the odds on Louis had previously been 33/1, many expressed surprised at the choice. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son Louis Arthur Charles. The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge. pic.twitter.com/4DUwsLv5JQ Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 27, 2018 Some were quick to comment on the historical significance behind the name, while others opted to share strong opinions. After arriving at St. Marys Hospital in London on Monday, Kate Middleton gave birth to her third child with Prince William at 6 a.m. EST. The couple then introduced Prince Louis to the world outside the hospitals private Lindo Wing just as they did with their first two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. See some more reactions to the newly-named Prince Louis below. So, if Prince George and Princess Charlotte abdicate we get King Louis? pic.twitter.com/N5y80nWuC2 Guy Pewsey (@guypewsey) April 27, 2018 The #RoyalBaby is officially Prince Louis Arthur Charles, so we might one day be treated to a real King Louis! pic.twitter.com/NmbCOzvi0X Sarah O'Connell (@SarahO_Connell) April 27, 2018 Louis Arthur Charles ???? I love it! x #princelouis jojo (@JoJophillipsx) April 27, 2018 not a fan of the royal baby's name.. Prince Louis doesnt sound right to me???? Jen Ross | YouTuber (@_jenross_) April 27, 2018 By Polina Devitt and Dmitry Zhdannikov MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) - Russian metals giant Rusal <0486.HK> will overhaul its board and management in hopes of persuading the United States to lift sanctions but it may be forced to halt aluminium exports for good if the plan fails, sources close to the company said. Washington this month imposed sanctions on billionaire Oleg Deripaska and several companies in which he is a large shareholder, including Rusal, in response to what the United States called Russia's "malign activities." Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday that Rusal would soon appoint a fully independent board that in turn would install a new management team in the hope that the United States would remove the firm from its sanctions list. "Rusal is in touch with U.S. authorities and hopes the measure will be enough for them to be removed from the sanctions list," one of the sources said. Rusal declined to comment. In another response to the U.S. sanctions, Deripaska's En+ Group , which manages his hydropower assets and holds his 48 percent stake in Rusal, said late on Friday that Deripaska had agreed in principle to reduce his stake in En+ to less than 50 percent from the current 65 percent. In Washington, a U.S. Treasury spokesperson said changes in ownership at Rusal do not guarantee the end of sanctions. "A reduction in the percentage of ownership by a sanctioned individual is not necessarily in and of itself a basis for de-listing," the spokesperson added. Deripaska also agreed to resign from En+'s board, which will have a majority of new independent directors. The United States said on Monday it would consider lifting sanctions on Rusal if Deripaska ceded control of the company. It was not immediately clear if the steps announced by En+ on Friday and those the sources said were planned by Rusal would be enough for the U.S. sanctions to be lifted. Story continues En+ also said that it had asked the United States to extend the May 7 deadline it has given banks to divest or transfer debt, equity, or other holdings in the company. Without the extension, En+'s ability to maintain its listing on the London Stock Exchange will be affected, it said. By adding Deripaska's businesses to its Specially Designated Nationals blacklist the first time Washington had done so with a publicly listed Russian firm - the United States effectively choked off their access to the international financial system. Rusal, the largest part of Deripaska's empire and the world's biggest aluminium producer outside China, has seen customers stop buying its aluminium and creditors scramble to offload debt. Hong Kong-listed Rusal lost almost 60 percent of its share value after the imposition of sanctions, while aluminium and alumina prices soared, hitting businesses around the world, including in the United States. Earlier this week, the United States moved to ease some of the measures against Rusal, saying it did not want to hit "the hardworking people who depend on Rusal". EXPORT THREAT The changes in the board of directors and management team are being discussed with other shareholders, another source familiar with the situation said. Rusal's other shareholder, Viktor Vekselberg, was also put on the sanctions list. However, if this option does not work out, Rusal will be forced to focus exclusively on the domestic market and sell part of its production to a state stockpile, the source said. "Up to 2 million tonnes will be processed internally and meet the needs of the military-industrial complex," the source said. "In this case, Rusal would leave the global market, and of course no one wants this to happen," the source added. Rusal declined to comment. In a sign of escalating supply crisis, sources told Reuters multiple shipments of alumina were being exported from China in a rare move prompted by sanctions on Rusal. China is the biggest global producer and consumer of alumina, a compound extracted from bauxite ore that is smelted into aluminium metal. The sanctions against Rusal have up-ended the supply chain as companies cut contracts to use Rusal metal, leaving producers of cans or auto parts scrambling for supplies in a development that will likely feed into higher costs for buyers of goods ranging from tractors to beer. According to the first source close to Rusal, the company is not shipping aluminium to customers around the world who are now awaiting guidance from U.S. authorities. "Rusal needs clarity from OFAC before it can resume those shipments," the source said, referring to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury, which enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. Aluminium prices in London fell on the news of the potential board reshuffle but then recovered on fears exports could remain disrupted. (Reporting by Polina Devitt and Dmitry Zhdannikov; Additional reporting by Chris Sanders in Washington; Editing by Dale Hudson, Jason Neely, Adrian Croft and David Gregorio) By Polina Devitt and Dmitry Zhdannikov MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) - Russia's Rusal will overhaul its board and management in the hope the United States will remove the aluminium firm from a sanctions list so it can restart shipments to its customers around the world, two sources told Reuters. The sources, familiar with the developments but who asked not to be identified because they are not allowed to speak publicly, said Rusal would soon appoint a fully independent board that in turn would install a new management team. "Rusal is in touch with U.S. authorities and hopes the measure will be enough for them to be removed from the sanctions list," one of the sources said. Rusal declined to comment. The United States this month imposed sanctions against billionaire Oleg Deripaska and the eight companies in which he is a large shareholder, including Rusal, in response to what the United States called "malign activities" by Russia. By adding Deripaska's businesses to its Specially Designated Nationals blacklist the first time Washington had done so with a publicly listed Russian firm - the United States effectively choked off their access to the international financial system. Rusal, the largest part of Deripaska's empire and the world's second-biggest aluminium producer, has seen customers stop buying its aluminium and creditors scramble to offload debt. Hong Kong-listed Rusal lost almost 60 percent of its share value after the introduction of sanctions, while aluminium and alumina prices soared, hitting businesses around the world, including in the United States. Earlier this week, the United States moved to ease some of the measures against Rusal, saying it did not want to hit companies around the globe and that it could remove Rusal from the list if Deripaska ceded control. The two sources added that Rusal hoped Deripaska could keep his stake in the firm at the current 48 percent under any arrangement with U.S. authorities. Story continues "Forty-eight percent is not a controlling stake of 50 percent, which under the U.S. rules triggers the sanctions," one of the sources said. The source added that Rusal was still not shipping to customers around the world as it awaited guidance from U.S. authorities. "Rusal needs clarity from OFAC before it can resume those shipments," the source said, referring to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury, which enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. Aluminium prices in London fell nearly 2 percent on the news to a low of $2,237 per tonne. (Reporting by Polina Devitt and Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson and Jason Neely) By Polina Nikolskaya and Darya Korsunskaya MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is close to drawing up a draft law to raise the pension age, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday, but wants to do so carefully and in a way that avoids disrupting the existing pension system or causing social tensions. Policymakers see raising the pension age -- currently 55 for women and 60 for men -- as a way of spurring faster growth at a time when Western sanctions are a drag on the economy. "A pretty serious study of all these questions has already been done," Medvedev told state TV channel Rossiya 1. "... We are on the brink of starting to discuss this at a legislative level. ... it (a decision) will be taken based on different factors, it will be done carefully, and in such a way that will not unbalance the pension system or, on the other hand, create negative feelings among people." Former finance minister Alexei Kudrin, now an unofficial adviser to President Vladimir Putin, has said Russia faces a big increase in the number of pensioners in coming years which will coincide with a shrinking workforce. Any increase in the pension age would allow the government to cut contributions from the state budget, which could help fund pre-election promises of higher social and infrastructure spending by Putin, who starts a new term in office on May 7. Two government sources and one source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Putin had already agreed the pension age needed to go up. "In February, there was a meeting of government officials with the president and everyone agreed to increase the pension age. The president said not to do it before the elections," one of the sources said. The government is now discussing how to do it and two proposals have emerged as the most realistic, two sources said. The first, from the finance ministry, would see the pension age increased every year by one year until it reaches 65 years for both men and women. The second, from economic adviser Kudrin, envisages increasing the retirement age for women by six months every year until it reaches 63 years, and by four months each year for men until it reaches 65 years. A final decision is expected to be made by a new government that Putin will name after his inauguration. (Editing by Andrew Osborn and Catherine Evans) (MOSCOW) An organization established by an exiled Russian tycoon says it has obtained emails showing collaboration between Russian government officials and the lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr. in 2016 and has denied having connections to the Kremlin. The emails the Dossier organization said it was sent suggest Natalia Veselnitskaya worked closely with a top official in Russias prosecutor-generals office to fend off a U.S. fraud case against one of her clients. Veselnitskaya has denied connections to the Russian government since her meeting with then-candidate Donald Trumps son, son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign chairman Paul Manafort surfaced during the investigation of Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The encounter at Trump Tower in New York took place after Donald Trump Jr. was told the Russian lawyer had potentially incriminating information about Trumps election opponent, Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskaya is well-connected as a lawyer in Moscow, but the extent and nature of her government ties has been unclear. She could not immediately be reached for comment on the emails Friday. Dossier, which provides information about officials and business leaders it considers part of the Kremlin political group, said Friday it had been sent a series of emails from 2014 that show Veselnitskaya set out strategies for responding to a United States request for assistance in a money-laundering case involving her client. Veselnitskaya was helping to defend the Prevezon Holdings company and its owner, Denis Katsyv. U.S. prosecutors accused Katsyv of laundering proceeds from a $230 million Russian tax fraud scheme by buying real estate in the U.S. Dossier published screen shots of what it said were emails about the case between Veselnitskaya and Sergei Bochkarev, head of the criminal investigation division of the prosecutor-generals office. The organization did not reveal if it knew who shared the emails, if they were sent anonymously or if any efforts were made to verify their authenticity. Story continues The Kremlin did not comment on the prosecutors cooperation with Veselnitskaya. Last year, the Justice Department settled its case, with Prevezon paying $6 million in fines while not admitting guilt. The alleged tax fraud scheme was exposed by Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died while jailed in 2009. U.S. lawmakers enacted a law named for him that imposed travel and financial sanctions against Russians believed to be involved in his death. Donald Trump Jr. has said the June 2016 meeting with Veselnitskaya included discussion of the Magnitsky Act sanctions. Dossier is an arm of exiled tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a onetime oil billionaire who spent a decade in prison on fraud and tax-evasion convictions that were widely seen as retaliation for his political ambitions and opposition to Putin. Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer who met with top members of the Trump campaign team in June of 2016, has admitted to funneling information to the Kremlin starting in 2013. She had denied any such connection since the discovery of the meeting in July of last year. The admission came after emails surfaced showing Veselnitskaya working closely with Russian legal authorities. In an interview with NBC News that aired Friday, Veselnitskaya said I am a lawyer and I am an informant, and that she has been communicating with Russias prosecutor general, Yuri Y. Chaika, since 2013. According to the New York Times, Veselnitskayas initial claims to have acted independently were previously undermined when her talking points for the Trump campaign meeting appeared to originate with Chaika. Get CEO Daily, Fortunes newsletter for leaders. When arranging the 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort, Veselnitskaya promised damaging information on the Hillary Clinton Campaign. Messages to Donald Trump Jr. explicitly claimed that the information originated with a high-level Russian official. Veselnitskaya previously admitted that her goal in the meeting was to push for the overturn of the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law that has been used to seize the funds and restrict the movement of Russian oligarchs implicated in serious crimes. In an interview last November, Veselnitskaya alleged that Donald Trump Jr. offered to push for changes to the law in exchange for damaging material on Clinton. If it were made, that offer would look very much like the kind of cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russia that is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Veselnitskaya, of course, might have made the claim as part of a further Kremlin attempt to sow chaos in the U.S. political system. But Paul Manafort, who attended the meeting, is facing a slew of fraud, money-laundering, and tax-evasion charges, and may ultimately choose to cut a plea deal with Mueller in exchange for insight into the Veselnitskaya meeting and other subjects. Tirana (AFP) - Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill celebrated mass in Tirana on Sunday, the highlight of his first visit to the mainly Muslim Albania. "We, Orthodox Christians living in various countries, share the same values, and we must follow them," Kirill told hundreds of faithful in Tirana's Orthodox cathedral. In a country of 2.9 million known for its religious tolerance, Orthodox Christians make up seven percent of the population, behind the 10 percent who are Catholic and the majority Muslims who account for 56 percent, according to the 2011 census. Kirill, 71, is the spiritual leader of more than half of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians. Kirill hailed the Albanian church's "resistance" during a half-century of communist rule, when more than 100 members of the clergy including seven bishops died in detention or were executed for their religious conviction. More than 1,800 churches were destroyed between 1945 and 1985. Kirill also praised the "renaissance of faith" the country has seen since the fall of communism in the early 1990s. "Our Church is marked by the spirit of peaceful coexistence among all religious communities, and the visit by Patriarch Kirill is an affirmation of these values," said Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, the head of the Albanian Orthodox Church. Kirill, who arrived in Tirana on Saturday, was to meet Albanian President Ilir Meta and Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday. BEIJING (Reuters) - An assailant killed seven Chinese middle school students who were on their way home from classes on Friday, and the suspected attacker has been caught, state news agency Xinhua reported. The attack happened in Mizhi county in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, Xinhua said in a brief report. Twelve students were injured, it added. The suspect has been taken into custody, Xinhua said, without providing any other details. The Shaanxi City Express newspaper showed pictures on its microblog of children on the ground covered in blood, and the suspect being lead away by police. Violent crime is rare in China compared with many other countries, especially in major cities where security is tight, but there has been a series of knife and axe attacks in recent years, many targeting children. In February, a woman was killed and 12 people injured when a man carried out a knife attack in a mall in a busy shopping district in the capital, Beijing. Such attacks are often blamed on people with mental illness or who have personal grievances. Knives are most commonly used because gun controls are extremely strict in China. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel) Madrid (AFP) - Thousands of people staged a second day of protests in Spain on Friday after a court acquitted five men of gang raping an 18-year-old woman at Pamplona's bull-running festival and sentenced them to a lesser offence. The five who called themselves "the pack" were sentenced on Thursday to nine years in jail for sexual abuse, which sparked protests in Barcelona, Madrid and other cities including Seville, the men's hometown. On Friday, demonstrators again gathered outside the Pamplona court which handed down the verdict, shouting "it's not sexual abuse, it's rape" and holding banners reading "palace of injustice". Further demonstrations are planned in the city on Saturday, the Pamplona Woman's Movement said. The men, aged 27 to 29, had been accused of raping the woman, then aged 18, at the entrance to an apartment building in Pamplona on July 7, 2016, at the start of the week-long San Fermin festival, which draws tens of thousands of visitors. The gang left her half-naked after stealing her mobile phone. The five filmed the incident with their smartphones and then bragged about it on a WhatsApp messaging group where they referred to themselves as "La Manada," or "The Pack" in English,. Judges acquitted them of sexual assault, which includes rape, because they ruled there was no "violence or intimidation" in the case. The judges also ruled that the victim had neither consented nor expressed any opposition. The angry backlash against the verdict follows the wave of feminist protest movements around the world sparked by the #Metoo campaign against sexual harassment and assault. - Possible law reform - The Spanish government on Friday announced it would consider the possibility of reforming the law. Several left-wing politicians questioned the verdict while the regional government of Navarre province said it would launch an appeal because it "shares the discontent of the citizens". Story continues The prosecutor's office said it will also challenge the judgement. Prosecutors had argued during the trial last autumn that there was "serious intimidation and it prevented resistance or flight". They had asked for each of the accused to be jailed for 22 years and 10 months. One of the accused is a Guardia Civil policeman -- currently suspended -- and another is a former soldier. Several are "ultras" who support FC Sevilla. The five men who have been in pre-trial custody since they were arrested were also ordered to pay the victim 50,000 euros ($61,000) in compensation. Defence lawyers had argued the victim agreed to the sexual encounter and would only acknowledge the gang had stolen the mobile of the girl, who was left half naked in the building entrance. Lawyers for the woman and attorneys for four of the men said they would appeal. By Sonya Dowsett MADRID (Reuters) - State prosecutors said on Friday they would appeal a ruling that cleared five men of the gang rape of a teenager at a bull-running festival two years ago, a verdict that has prompted anguished soul-searching and angry protests across Spain. The men, who had recorded video of the attack on their mobile phones and laughed about the incident afterwards on a Whatsapp group, were convicted with the lesser crime of sexual abuse and sentenced to nine years in jail. Shaken by the scale of protests against the court ruling, the Spanish government said on Friday it would consider revamping the criminal code to ensure that sex crimes were punished more harshly. Protests continued on Friday outside the court in Pamplona where the trial took place. Hundreds of people chanted "We want justice" and waved signs that read "No means No" and "Justice!" Tens of thousands took to the streets across Spain on Thursday. The state prosecutor for the Spanish regional government of Navarra said it would appeal the court ruling in coming days on the grounds of infringement of the law, arguing that the attack carried out by the five men on an 18-year-old woman in the lobby of a residential building was rape and not sexual abuse. Under Spanish law, to be charged with the more serious crime of sexual aggression or rape, there must be specific violence attached to the crime such as threatening with a knife or dealing physical blows to the victim. Justice Minister Rafael Catala will consult with the legal advisory board to consider whether the classification of sexual crimes, dating from 1995, should be updated, government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said. "SCOURGE" OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE "I want to emphasize the engagement of this government with the victims, always with the victims. Gender-related violence is a scourge that we must end," he told a weekly news conference. Even before the court verdict, the so-called "Wolf Pack" case had already sparked widespread anger around Spain amid increased reports of sex attacks at the annual San Fermin bull-running festival and over the mistreatment of women in general. It has also drawn international attention, coming at a time of heightened global concern over the sexual abuse of women in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The scale of the protests over the verdict shows how much Spanish society has changed in recent decades, said Chelo Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the 8M feminist group. 8M is named after the date of a massive nationwide march that took place across Spain in support of women's rights on March 8 this year. "There is a change in awareness in Spanish society," she said. "The problem lies with the institutions, which continue to be patriarchal and sexist." The Running of the Bulls in San Fermin every July is one of Spain's most popular summer fiestas, drawing thousands of tourists from around the world to the northern city of Pamplona. Hundreds of people run down narrow streets in front of fighting bulls every morning of the nine-day event but the festival is just as famous for the revelry on the sidelines with huge wine-fueled street parties, firework displays and processions. (Editing by Gareth Jones) Damascus (AFP) - A deal has been reached for the evacuation of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk where Islamic State group fighters have been holed up in southern Damascus, state media reported Sunday. The transfer of "terrorist groups" to rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria would begin on Monday, said the official SANA news agency, which did not name IS jihadists. It came hours after the Syrian government and rebels agreed to evacuate opposition fighters from the areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, also in southern Damascus, according to SANA. The announcements followed a more than one week-old regime assault to oust IS fighters from the capital's southern suburbs. Earlier on Sunday, SANA said opposition fighters and members of their families would be evacuated from the three rebel-held areas of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem, east of Yarmuk. The deal gave fighters the choice between leaving the area with their families or handing over their weapons and staying, SANA said. The reported deal is the latest in a string of such agreements that have seen the regime retake areas near the capital after rebel withdrawals. Over the past two days, regime forces have retaken large parts of the district of Qadam on Yarmuk's western flank, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Earlier, behind the frontlines, an AFP correspondent on an army tour of the area west of Yarmuk heard sniper fire, as well as heavy regime air strikes and shelling. At the devastated Qadam train station, soldiers took a break inside one of the train's carriages, one peering out from a broken window. - 'Narrow alleys'- Another lit some firewood to boil some water for tea, as a thick column of black smoke billowed up into the sky not far off. On Sunday, regime warplanes pounded Yarmuk and the neighbouring district of Hajar al-Aswad, the Observatory said. SANA said regime forces continued advancing in Hajar al-Aswad. Yarmuk and its surroundings have been the jihadist group's largest urban redoubt in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, after IS lost most of the swathes of territory it once held in both countries. Story continues The jihadists have held parts of Yarmuk and Hajar al-Aswad since 2015, and overran Qadam in a surprise assault last month. On Saturday, IS seized a hospital and surrounding buildings on the eastern edges of Yarmuk as it tried to push towards Yalda, the Observatory said. The announcement of a deal for Yalda and nearby areas comes after the regime reconquered what was once a key rebel bastion east of Damascus this month. Eastern Ghouta fell after a brutal military operation and a series of similar evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Russia that saw tens of thousands of residents bussed to northern Syria. A military source told AFP the battle against IS in southern Damascus was very different to the operation to retake the former rebel enclave. In southern Damascus, "the buildings are close together and alleys narrow" so tanks and heavy weaponry can not operate, he said. At least 85 regime fighters and 74 IS jihadists have been killed in 10 days of fighting in southern Damascus, the Observatory says. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011 with a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Beirut (AFP) - Rare clashes broke out Sunday between Syrian regime forces and a US-backed alliance in the east of the country, killing six alliance fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. State news agency SANA said the army seized control of four villages from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Deir Ezzor province, where the Kurdish-led alliance has been fighting the Islamic State jihadist group. The SDF and Russian-backed Syrian government forces are conducting parallel but separate offensives against IS in the oil-rich province. But both sides have largely avoided running into each other and a deconfliction line exists to avoid such incidents. The Kurdish-led alliance is present on the eastern side of the Euphrates River that cuts across Deir Ezzor province, while regime forces hold territory on the river's western bank, including the provincial capital of the same name. "The regime's aim is to protect Deir Ezzor city by pushing back SDF fighters from the eastern bank" of the Euphrates, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Incidents between both sides have occurred in the past. In February, the US-led coalition backing the SDF carried out air strikes in Deir Ezzor that killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters. Washington said the strikes were in retaliation for an attack on its own personnel and SDF forces. In September last year, the SDF accused Russia of killing one of its fighters in strikes on a gas facility newly retaken from IS. Tesla founder Elon Musk - REUTERS A man who switched on his car's autopilot before moving to the passenger seat while travelling along a motorway has been banned from driving for 18 months. Bhavesh Patel, aged 39, of Alfreton Road, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, April 20. The court heard that at 7.40pm on May 21, 2017, Patel was driving his white Tesla S 60 along the northbound carriageway of the M1, between junctions 8 and 9 near Hemel Hempstead. While the 70,000 car was in motion, he chose to switch on the supercar's autopilot function before moving across to the passenger seat and leaving the steering wheel and foot controls completely unmanned. A witness noticed Patel, who had owned the car for a maximum of five months at the time of the incident, sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Tesla founder Elon Musk Credit: Joe Skipper/Reuters No one could be seen in the driver's seat and Patel appeared to have his hands behind his head. The witness, who was a passenger in another car, filmed Patel as the car drove past. Witness accounts stated that traffic was heavy due to congestion and it has been estimated that the vehicle was travelling at approximately 40mph at the time. Footage of the incident was first posted on social media before it was reported to police and a Notice of Intended Prosecution was then sent to Patel in the post. He was later interviewed by officers at Stevenage Police Station, where he admitted that he knew what he had done was 'silly', but that the car was capable of something 'amazing' and that he was just the 'unlucky one who got caught'. As part of the investigation, officers obtained a statement from a Tesla engineer who described autopilot as a 'suite of driver assistance features'. Tesla Model 3 puff They stated that these are hands-on features intended to provide assistance to a 'fully-attentive driver'. Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) assists with acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle whilst Autosteer provides assistance with steering of the vehicle. Story continues Further literature provided by Tesla states that drivers should 'never depend on TACC to adequately slow down model S, always watch the road in front of you and be prepared to take corrective action at all times. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death'. Investigating officer PC Kirk Caldicutt, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: "What Patel did was grossly irresponsible and could have easily ended in tragedy. He not only endangered his own life but the lives of other innocent people using the motorway on that day. History of Tesla "This case should serve as an example to all drivers who have access to autopilot controls and have thought about attempting something similar. I want to stress that they are in no way a substitute for a competent motorist in the driving seat who can react appropriately to the road ahead. "I hope Patel uses his disqualification period to reflect on why he chose to make such a reckless decision on that day." In addition to his 18-month disqualification, Patel was given 100 hours unpaid work, ordered to carry out 10 days rehabilitation and pay 1,800 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Over a thousand people gathered in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai on Sunday, police said, to protest against the building of a government luxury housing project on forested land, in one of the largest demonstrations under military rule. The gathering was one of the largest since Thailand's junta took power following a 2014 coup. The junta imposed a ban on public gatherings of over five people and has largely curbed freedom of expression through various orders and used military and police force to block public gatherings. Ariel images of the housing project for judges, circulated on social media over the past few months, showed construction has carved into the forested foothills of Chiang Mai's Doi Suthep mountain, inciting public anger. The police estimated over a thousand people took part in the protest on Sunday which it said proceeded in an orderly fashion. "Around 1,250 people took part in the protest," Police Colonel Paisan, deputy commander of Chiang Mai Police told Reuters. "The protesters were focused on environmental issues and not politics, and they cleaned the street afterwards," Paisan said. He said the organizers made a proper request for the gathering beforehand and so the protest was allowed to proceed. Protesters, many wearing green ribbons, demanded the government demolish the new buildings that encroach into Doi Suthep mountain, saying the government must comply in seven days or face more protests. Public officials have defended the project, pointing out construction was legal and on state-owned land which does not encroach into the national park that covers the mountain. Officials also said protesters could face legal action if the housing is demolished and that the homes should be used for 10 years before the public can reassess any environmental impact. Construction started in 2015 and has faced opposition from local environmental groups who regard the mountain as sacred for Chiang Mai and as a "natural lung" for the north's largest city. The military government, which has promised to hold an election next year, has faced a growing number of public protests in recent months, including a pro-democracy demonstration in Bangkok last month demanding the military withdraw support for the ruling junta. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-umEditing by Christopher Cushing) Managua (AFP) - Thousands of Nicaraguans marched peacefully through the capital Managua on Saturday in a mass demonstration to demand justice following the violent suppression of a wave of protests that left 43 people dead. During the rally, which was called by the Catholic church, Managua's bishop issued a deadline of one month to see if there was a serious intention to achieve change through a national dialogue aimed at resolving issues that triggered the country's worst unrest in 11 years. The rally took place just hours after university students at the forefront of anti-government unrest issued conditions for talks with the government of embattled President Daniel Ortega. There was a sea of blue and white flags as the crowds massed outside the city's cathedral, among them young people, the elderly and farmers protesting against plans to construct a canal linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. "We have come on a pilgrimage as one people, brothers in the faith of the Lord Jesus, brothers in suffering for so many lives lost.. desiring justice, peace and reconciliation," Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes told the crowds. Brenes, the city's archbishop, said he would act as a witness and mediator in the dialogue called for by Ortega, adding he would impose a deadline of one month to see "if a real commitment exists" to carry out the agreements reached. "If we see that they are not taking these steps, we will call a halt and we will tell the people of God that we cannot carry on," he said to widespread applause and chants of "Make them go!" in reference to Ortega and his wife, vice-president Rosario Murillo. "We are no longer afraid, we want a free Nicaragua," a demonstrator called Rosa Herrera, 65, told AFP. "Nicaragua wants peace so that there is no more bloodshed," said Maria Flores, a 40-year-old lawyer, while insisting: "There has to be justice for the dead and the disappeared." Story continues The demonstration took place in a calm atmosphere with prayers for peace -- but also demands for justice for the victims of the repression -- in what was the second mass march since the protests, following a demonstration on Monday by the country's business community. - 'Independent and credible' - Although Ortega has agreed to hold talks, the framework has yet to be defined, with the students on Saturday laying down their conditions for the dialogue to take place. Their demands included the dismissal of police involved in the repression, the establishment of an independent UN-backed body to investigate the violence, that the talks be held in public and that the relatives of those killed be involved. Any commission investigating the violence must be "independent and credible" and have international backing to carry out its work, which would involve "investigating, condemning and sanctioning all those responsible for both approving and committing" the violence, they said. The call came a day after Human Rights Watch called for pressure to be put on Ortega's government to allow a visit by Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, the main rights body in the Americas, to investigate the allegations of abuse. The students also demanded that a "Truth Commission" created by the government be disbanded, on grounds that "we don't accept that the murderers investigate themselves." The country's powerful private business lobby, which distanced itself from Ortega over the violence, has also signaled it is ready to join the talks. - Ortega's grip shaken - The protests that erupted on April 18 were the worst faced by Ortega in his last 11 years in power, badly shaking his tight grip on power over the country, one of the poorest in Latin America. The spark was reforms to the deficit-stricken social security system, but the unrest quickly swelled on the back of widespread resentment of Ortega's perceived authoritarianism. The president, a former Sandinista rebel who has ruled Nicaragua for 22 of the past 39 years, made a series of concessions after sharp domestic and international criticism over the use of security forces to put down the protests, and curbs on independent media to report them. The concessions included abandoning the social security reforms, freeing dozens of arrested protesters, lifting broadcast bans on private TV channels, and offering dialogue. Many Nicaraguans, though -- especially emboldened university students -- want Ortega to step down. Europe is losing ground on global stage and should "listen to the rest of the world", European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview published Saturday. As Politico writes in an article "Juncker: No European security agenda without Russia", he also said that Europe and Russia need to re-establish contact and move past Cold War rhetoric. My friend Vladimir Putin because we have been friends for years, even though nowadays you cannot say that Putin is your friend was at the time very unpleasantly affected by that one sentence of President Obama when he said [in 2014 in The Hague] that Russia is only a regional power, Juncker told Dutch outlet Trouw. If theres something Russia is not, then that is it. We must learn to talk to Russians on an equal footing, at eye level. We need to re-establish contact with Russia, the Commission president added. Russia is a major player. There is no security agenda for Europe without Russia. I dont like the current Cold War rhetoric. Junckers comments come at a time of heightened tension between the EU and Russia over the countrys presence in Syria, its alleged involvement in the Salisbury nerve agent attack in the U.K. and accusations of Russian meddling in national elections. Juncker also warned that Europes power on the world stage is shrinking as other major power players grow. We Europeans sometimes think that we are the boss of the world, he said. We forget that we are a small and weak part of the universe. We are losing economic power. We are slowly but surely falling from 25 percent of global gross national income to 18-16 percent. We are on the losing side also demographically, he said, adding: We exist culturally, but we are not dominant. So I always invite everyone here to a more pronounced modesty. We must indeed listen to the rest of the world. The tree was a gift presented by the French president as part of his state visit to Washington A yellow spot is seen where the tree planted by Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump stood, on the South Lawn of the White House. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters Pictures taken by a Reuters photographer appeared to show that a tree planted at the White House this week by Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron has vanished. The tree, an oak sapling from the site of a pivotal first world war battle involving the US marines, was a gift presented by the French president as part of his state visit to Washington. The tree came from Belleau Wood, north-east of Paris, where 1,811 Americans died in a ferocious battle in June 1918. In a tweet, Macron said: 100 years ago, American soldiers fought in France, in Belleau to defend our freedom. This oak tree (my gift to [Donald Trump]) will be a reminder at the White House of these ties that bind us. Macron and Trump planted it on Monday, using golden shovels and with wives Brigitte Macron and Melania Trump looking on. The planting ceremony prompted jokes and speculation on social media, particularly about whether the French president had been trolling Trump over his environmental policies and withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. Donald and Melania Trump participate in the tree-planting ceremony with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Photographs taken by Yuri Gripas of Reuters on Saturday showed only a yellow patch of grass in the spot on the White House South Lawn where the tree was planted. French media were quick to take notice. The French edition of Huffpost quoted a French government official as saying the oak was doing well but was under quarantine. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump "absolutely" deserves credit for bringing about historic talks between the leaders of North and South Korea, according to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday held a historic meeting in the demilitarized zone between the countries in an attempt to forge peace on the peninsula. 11_23_Malcolm_Turnbull_Donald_Trump Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Trending: Dad Appalled by Daughters Sexually Explicit Homework Question "I've given him that credit because Donald Trump has taken a very, very strong, hard line on the denuclearization issue and he has been able to bring in the support of the global community and, in particular, China," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Saturday, as cited by Australian media. Turnbull said that the willingness of North Koreas chief ally China to enforce sanctions has been key to bringing Kim to the negotiating table. "You have to give great credit to President Xi (Jinping) and China for enforcing these sanctions." "That coupled with the strong stand that President Trump has taken - and other nations (including) Japan and Australia - but overwhelmingly the pressure has come from China and the United States." Don't miss: Ocean Dead Zones: Arabian Sea Region the Size of Florida Doesn't Have Enough Oxygen Kim and Moon had pledged to work for complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and agreed on a common goal of a nuclear-free peninsula. Most of the specific commitments outlined in the official declaration focused on inter-Korean relations and did not clear up the question of whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Turnbull said international pressure had brought Kim Jong-un to the point where he appeared to be prepared to move towards denuclearization. Story continues "That's what we need - that peninsula must be denuclearized," he said. Most popular: Is 'SNL' Live Tonight? Will Ferrell Appears As Host, Season 43 To Resume With Donald Glover "The leaders of North and South Korea have said that's their goal, it is the goal of the global community, what we've now got to do is not relent on the economic pressure until that goal is achieved." Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also praised Trump, saying his aggressive stance had helped to shift the "status quo" with North Korea. "Australia has played a significant role in the international campaign to exert maximum pressure - diplomatic, political and economic - on North Korea, to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table," she told the Liberal state conference in Melbourne. "We'll continue playing our part in imposing maximum pressure on North Korea to ensure that it does abide by the numerous United Nations' Security Council resolutions that make illegal its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs." The declaration earned guarded but optimistic praise from other world leaders, including Trump, who said that only time would tell, but that he did not think Kim was playing. Its never gone this far. This enthusiasm for them wanting to make a deal... We are going to hopefully make a deal. Still, Trump told reporters, he would maintain pressure on North Korea and not repeat the mistakes of past administrations. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek President Trump continued to denigrate the White House Correspondents Dinner on Sunday morning calling the gathering a very big, boring bust. Trump fired off a few tweets celebrating the campaign-style rally he held for supporters Saturday night in Michigan, which was organized to coincide with the annual dinner organized by the White House Correspondents Association. This was the second consecutive year that the president broke from tradition by skipping the black-tie affair. Great evening last night in Washington, Michigan. The enthusiasm, knowledge and love in that room was unreal. To the many thousands of people who couldnt get in, I cherish you.and will be back! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2018 Comedian Michelle Wolfs pointed performance elicited fierce reactions from fans and critics. It was variously described as magnificently funny and unnecessarily cruel. Trump agreed with the latter, calling Wolf a so-called comedian and suggesting that Fox News host Greg Gutfeld host next years dinner. While Washington, Michigan, was a big success, Washington, D.C., just didnt work. Everyone is talking about the fact that the White House Correspondents Dinner was a very big, boring bustthe so-called comedian really bombed. @greggutfeld should host next year! @PeteHegseth Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2018 Most of the criticism directed toward Wolf dealt with her jokes at the expense of conservative women. Many prominent figures, both liberal and conservative, were offended what the Daily Show contributor said about White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Trump, who was famously lampooned at the 2011 dinner by Seth Meyers, sent Sanders to represent the administration in his place. She was seated on the dais throughout Wolfs performance. Story continues Margaret Talev, president of the White House Correspondents Association, told Politico that some of Wolfs material made her feel uncomfortable. The association by tradition does not preview or censor the entertainers remarks, Talev said. Some of them made me uncomfortable and did not embody the spirit of the night. And that is protected by the First Amendment. I appreciated Sarah Sanders for joining us at the head table and her grace through the program. Sanderss father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, condemned the dinner, claiming it celebrated bullying, vulgarity, and hate rather than the First Amendment, as intended. The WHCD was supposed to celebrate the 1st Amendment. Instead they celebrated bullying, vulgarity, and hate. They got all dressed up so they would look nicer when they had a hired gun savagely attack their guests. Do they really wonder why America has no respect for them? Sad! Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 29, 2018 Those who think that the tasteless classless bullying at the WHCD was an example of the 1st Amendment should never condemn bullying,bigoted comments, racist bile or hate speech. People should be free to speak but held accountable for it. Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 29, 2018 Huckabee thanked New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for praising his daughters ability to withstand jokes about her looks on national television without walking off stage. He also said he is praying that Sanderss children never see video of Wolfs performance and that the White House Correspondents Association never bully another person like that. The WHCD was supposed to celebrate the 1st Amendment. Instead they celebrated bullying, vulgarity, and hate. They got all dressed up so they would look nicer when they had a hired gun savagely attack their guests. Do they really wonder why America has no respect for them? Sad! Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 29, 2018 Wolf, however, pushed back against the accusation that she was shaming Sanderss looks. She said the joke about Sanders burning facts and using the ash to create perfect smoky eye makeup was about her despicable behavior, not her appearance. Back in Washington Township, Mich., about 40 miles north of Detroit, Trump railed against his usual targets, including Democrats and the news media. He assured the audience that he would much rather spend Saturday night with his favorite deplorables than the press or other politicians. Read more from Yahoo News: (Cover Photo credit: Paul Sancya/AP) Jacob Heilbrunn Politics, North America U.S. President Donald Trump and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint news conference at the White House in Washington For an embattled president seeking foreign policy success, Korea looks increasingly enticing. Trump Goes on the Offensive German chancellor Angela Merkel was no sour Kraut when she visited Donald Trump on Friday afternoon. It was all smiles on both sides. Trump gave her a kiss on the cheek as she emerged from her limousine and referred to their great relationship. Trump veered off in a variety of directions at their press conference. At one point he expanded upon the greatness of his decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He bragged that he got the cost down to a couple hundred thousand dollars and indicated that he might visit Jerusalem next month. If so, hell have a very busy summer. Trump is also slated to visit Great Britain this summer. Maybe hell also make a return visit to Paris, where he could enjoy another military parade on July 14 with his buddy Emmanuel Macron. What Macron and Merkel actually accomplished with their visits to Washington is an open question. Macron got the royal treatment, as it were, from Trumpinitially a dinner at Mount Vernon, then the first state dinner of the Trump administration, which was arranged by Melania. For all his efforts to cozy up to the president, however, Macron acknowledged by the end of his visit that he suspects Trump will abrogate the Iran nuclear deal for domestic reasons. Merkel, for her part, indicated that she does not think that the deal does enough to check Iranian ambitions. In her words, we also think from a German perspective that this is not sufficient in order to see to it that Irans ambitions are curbed and contained. The United States and Europe, she said, should work in lockstep on this front. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in Brussels that there has been no decision made on retaining or exiting the nuclear deal. He noted, The president has been clear. Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May. Story continues If Trumps week has been focused on foreign relations, he has also been buffeted on the home front. First, there was the flap over Dr. Ronny Jackson, who Trump had named to head the Veterans Affairs agency. After Sen. Jon Tester aired accusations that Jackson had been the candy man at the White House, dispensing copious amounts of prescription drugs and allegedly drinking excessively himself, he ended up withdrawing his name from consideration. Trump was livid. On Friday, he called the accusations an absolute disgrace and Jackson an American hero. This was a mistake. Trump should move on rather than lingering over his erstwhile proteges demise. Trump is exposing himself to unnecessary ridicule and embarrassment. The White House never vetted Jackson. Instead, Trump, as is his wont, went with his gut and picked a favorite to run a massive federal agency. The result was that Jackson nomination flatlined. Trump also caused himself inadvertent difficulties when he appeared on Thursday on Fox and Friends. There he discoursed on a variety of subjects, including his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, whom he suddenly depicted as a marginal figure who had only performed a tiny, tiny fraction of work for him. So indignant did Trump become about the Russia investigation that his hosts had to cut him off by declaring that he undoubtedly had a billion other matters that required his attention. The report by the New York Times today that the Russian lawyer Natalia V. Veselnitskaya had closer relations with the Kremlin than she had previously acknowledged has revived the controversy about the famous Trump Tower meeting between her and members of the Trump campaign in June 2016. What it all adds up to, however, is another matter. For now, it is the future of Korea that could have the biggest impact on Trumps immediate political fortunes. He declared on Friday, I want to express my hope that all of the people of Korea North Korea and South can someday live in harmony, prosperity and peace, and it looks like it could happen. If Trump could secure a peace treaty and genuine deal that led to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he would go down in history as the president who solved a problem that had vexed presidents for decades. For an embattled president seeking a foreign policy success, Korea looks increasingly enticing. Jacob Heilbrunn is editor of the National Interest. Image: Reuters Read full article Donald Trump has urged Republicans to fight to keep control of the House of Representatives to save him being impeached by the Democrats. Republicans currently hold a 235-193 advantage in the lower chamber of the US Congress. But some Democrats believe that with Mr Trumps low approval rating and strong enthusiasm among its grassroots supporters, they can flip the 24 Republicans they would need to retake control in the November midterm elections. Speaking to his supporters in Michigan at a rally he held in preference to attending the White House correspondents dinner in Washington, Mr Trump said it was vital to retain control of the House. Great evening last night in Washington, Michigan. The enthusiasm, knowledge and love in that room was unreal. To the many thousands of people who couldnt get in, I cherish you....and will be back! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2018 We have to keep the House because if we listen to Maxine Waters, shes going around saying, We will impeach him, we will impeach him, he said. But then people say, Hes done nothing wrong. But she says, Oh that doesnt matter. We will impeach the president. Congresswoman Waters of California is among those Democrats who frequently call on Mr Trump to resign or face impeachment. The Hillpointed out that, at the recent Time 100 gala in New York, she urged Mr Trump: Please resign. So that I wont have to keep up this fight of your having to be impeached, because I dont think you deserve to be there, she said. Just get out. However, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi has warned against Democratic efforts to impeach Mr Trump, saying it would end up harming the party before the midterms. Story continues On the political side I think its a gift to the Republicans, she said on Thursday. We want to talk about what theyre doing to undermine working families in our country, and what we are doing to increase their payrolls and lower their costs. A Quinnipiac poll released last Thursday showed that if Democrats win control of the House, more than 70 per cent of their supporters want them to begin impeachment proceedings. Yet for all the talk of a Democratic wave in November, it is far from clear they will get the votes to seize the House. Many observers believe there is a better chance to take control of the Senate. Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report recently wrote: If a so-called blue wave is about to hit in 2018, why isnt the generic ballot showing a bigger margin for Democrats? The latest Real Clear Politics average shows Democrats with a 6.5 per cent lead. The FiveThirtyEight.com average has Democrats with a 6.9 per cent lead. If Democrats are cruising to victory in the fall, why does the generic not look more like it did over the summer when it showed Democrats with a double-digit lead? Ms Walter believes that while some Republicans may feel disgruntled with Mr Trump, many are coming home to the party and will vote Republican in November. Even in a terrible year for the GOP, they are not going to perform much worse in the national vote than 43-44 per cent, she wrote, saying a deciding factor could be independent voters. In Michigan, Mr Trump cited several Democrats who he believes will lose their seats in November among them was Democratic senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. After saying Ms Stabenow was standing in the way of protecting US borders and had voted against tax cuts, Mr Trump said: And you people just keep putting her back again and again and again. Its your fault. Earlier on Saturday, Mr Trump had tweeted criticism of Democratic senator Jon Tester of Montana over his role in the failed nomination of White House doctor Ronny Jackson to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, calling for Mr Tester to resign or at least not be re-elected in November. It was reported that Mr Trump railed against the allegations Mr Tester aired against Mr Jackson, and suggested that he could take a similar tack against the senator. He added: I know things about Tester that I could say too. And if I said em, hed never be elected again. Related Video: Rep. Maxine Waters Talks About Impeaching Trump Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View. The Commander-in-Tweet was at it again Saturday morning, serving up a volley of Twitter remarks in whats fast becoming a weekend tradition. Todays online menu from President Donald Trump was highlighted by a reference to the giant rally planned for Washington, Michigan tonight. The event, which is free to the public but ticketed, is intended as a slap against tonights White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, DC, which Trump is again missing thanks to his acrimonious relationships with the media. Instead, he will likely bask in the enthusiasm of a suburban Michigan crowd, a conservative leaning section of the country that helped propel him to the presidency. Before departing for Michigan, the president also found time to tweet out good news on South Korea (Things are going well), attacked former national intelligence director James Clapper (Hes a lying machine) and took Sen. Jon Tester to task for his vetting committees attacks on former Administration nominee Dr. Ron Jackson (Tester should resign.) Look forward to being in the Great State of Michigan tonight. Major business expansion and jobs pouring into your State. Auto companies expanding at record pace. Big crowd tonight, will be live on T.V. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set. Also spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan to inform him of the ongoing negotiations. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 Clapper lied about (fraudulent) Dossier leaks to CNN @foxandfriends FoxNews He is a lying machine who now works for Fake News CNN. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 .great people of Montana will not stand for this kind of slander when talking of a great human being. Admiral Jackson is the kind of man that those in Montana would most respect and admire, and now, for no reason whatsoever, his reputation has been shattered. Not fair, Tester! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 Allegations made by Senator Jon Tester against Admiral/Doctor Ron Jackson are proving false. The Secret Service is unable to confirm (in fact they deny) any of the phony Democrat charges which have absolutely devastated the wonderful Jackson family. Tester should resign. The.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018 Related stories Story continues Ana Navarro: Give Nobel Peace Prize To Michelle Wolf For WHCD Gig Donald Trump Tweets White House Correspondents Dinner "Is DEAD" 'Face The Nation' Panel Says Washington Press Has "Lost Track Of Itself" President Donald Trump and his crew cant seem to dodge Stormy Daniels telegenic attorney Michael Avenatti. He didnt have anything to say to CNN Saturday at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington about romantic entanglements involving his client, who has said she had a brief affair with Trump several years ago. But Avenatti did engineer a slick photobomb of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway. It happened while Conway was talking to CNNs Kaitlan Collins about Trumps future messaging. I predict confidently that next year hell have more great economic and security news to tell, she says on the video as White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stands with her and tries to keep her cool during the smirking Avenattis photobomb. Check it out above. Avenatti was a guest of The Associated Press. He said Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, turned down several invitations and skipped the gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He tweeted that he met Conway at a party the night before, and they had a spirited discussion. Met Kellyanne Conway last night. We both went to GW law (not Cooley) and we both had @JonathanTurley as a professor. Thus, we are prone to very spirited discussion... Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 28, 2018 Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Monastir (Tunisia) (AFP) - Decked out in a striking blue suit and white shirt, matching his political allegiance, Simon Slama rubs shoulders with fellow candidates ahead of Tunisia's municipal elections. Nothing unusual about that -- except he is the only Jewish candidate, standing for the Islamist Ennahdha party. A public relations stunt for some; a sign of genuine liberalisation for others. But even if Slama fares dismally come the May 6 poll, his candidacy has become a major story in the nation. This will be the first municipal vote since former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fell from power in 2011. And while Slama looks at ease, joyously clapping hands on the campaign trail in the coastal town of Monastir, the 54-year old sewing machine repairman's decision to run drew fierce initial opposition from loved ones. "All my family were against my choice. My brother was angry and my wife went days without speaking to me," the candidate tells AFP, with a timid smile and a nervous fidget of the hands. "But I managed to convince them." Slama and his relatives are among the small number of Jews still living in Tunisia. The community in the North African nation has shrunk from several hundred thousand before independence in 1956, to just 1,200 today. While Jews in the country, which is overwhelmingly Muslim, once served as lawmakers and even ministers, they have long since slipped to the margins of politics. Slama believes his candidacy is helping to change all that and has already "removed fears for Jewish Tunisian citizens". - 'Ancient family' - Comrades in the Ennahdha party insist Slama is the right man to stand for office in Monastir -- a symbolic town for Tunisians as it is the birthplace of Habib Bourguiba, the father of the country's independence. "He comes from an ancient family. He has his roots in Monastir... and he knows the town's problems," says Chokri ben Janet, who heads the party's candidate list in the town. Story continues Slama says that despite its history as an Islamist party he opted for Ennahdha out of political conviction, describing it as "the most active and the most serious on the political scene". "Ennahdha has changed its strategy -- it is no longer a religious party, it is a civil party," he says. The party is a junior partner in a coalition led by President Beji Caid Essebsi and his Nidaa Tounes party. Taking stock from its experience in power after the 2011 revolution, it has worked hard to modernise its image. It opposed a project to criminalise any attempt to normalise relations with Israel; a vote on the proposal was dropped this winter. Now some of its leading candidates are women who don't wear the Islamic veil. All of these changes -- including Slama's candidacy -- have drawn derision from some political opponents who accuse the group of simple opportunism to bolster its vote. Top Nidaa Tounes official Borhane Bassais called it a "political striptease". - Torah and Koran - Others say that interest in Slama's candidacy highlights that while Jews can practice their religion freely they remain an anomaly in Tunisia -- and shows the country still has a long way to go on minority rights. The media frenzy is testament to "this obsession we have of judging (people) on the basis of something so personal as their religious conviction," says Yamina Thabet, an official for Tunisia's Association for the Support of Minorities. Some noteworthy figures have, nonetheless, thrown their weight behind Slama's bid for a seat. "This candidacy brings pride for the Jewish community," says Rene Trabelsi, who organises the Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia's famous Ghriba synagogue, on the island of Djerba. "It has created a positive image of an open Tunisia that we can all share," says the businessman, who was once a contender to become tourism minister. And as for the candidate himself -- he appears comfortable with his identity and the attention his foray into politics has garnered. If he wins, Slama says, he is ready to take the oath of office on "both the books" -- the Jewish Torah and the Muslim Koran. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Members of the U.S. Congress find little to agree on these days, not even who should lead them in prayer. Democrats protested loudly on Friday after the House of Representatives chaplain, Reverend Patrick Conroy, said he had been asked to resign by Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. Both men are Roman Catholics; Conroy is a Jesuit priest who has been House chaplain since 2011, when he was nominated to the job by former Republican Speaker John Boehner. Ryan explained to Republicans Friday that the decision to let Conroy go was based on complaints about insufficient spiritual guidance from the priest, several Republican lawmakers told reporters after the closed-door meeting. "He (Ryan) had heard from a number of different members they wanted more in the way of pastoral care," said Representative Mark Sanford, a South Carolina Republican. But Democrats charged the real reason for Conroy's departure was a prayer the chaplain gave on the House floor during last autumn's debate on Republican tax cut legislation, in which he prayed for lawmakers to "guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans." The tax overhaul sailed through Congress without Democratic support; Democrats have complained it favors businesses and the wealthy, and that working-class taxpayers will see little benefit. Conroy told the New York Times on Thursday that he did not know why he was ousted, but said last fall a staff member of the speaker's office complained to him that the tax law prayer was too political. Earlier this month, Conroy was told the speaker would like his resignation, the priest told the Times. "This is awful. This is absolutely awful," said Representative Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat and Methodist minister, adding that Conroy should at least have been allowed to stay until the new Congress is sworn in next January. "I'm very hurt and disturbed, and Father Conroy is as well." Democrats demanded a special committee be formed to investigate the ouster, but their proposal was voted down on a largely party-line vote in the Republican-majority chamber. Meanwhile, Conroy's last day as chaplain is not until May 24, so he is still leading the House in a daily opening prayer. On Thursday, he prayed for forgiveness "when unintentional errors in judgment are forthcoming." (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; editing by Jonathan Oatis) The South Korean TV channel YTN cited a diplomatic source as saying that a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un may take place in Vladivostok or Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East, Sputnik reported. The source said that while Singapore remains the most preferable option for the United States, Pyongyang would like to pick a not-so-remote location that could be reached by railway rather than plane. North Korea's location of choice could be the Russian city of Vladivostok, the source said, claiming that it was in Vladivostok that the Russian S-400 missile systems were deployed to potentially repel US attacks. This is why the summit may instead take place in Khabarovsk, another Russian Far Eastern city, according to YTN. By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Friday proposed relaxing a rule on offshore oil wells that was finalized after the 2010 BP Plc disaster and crude spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as part of its effort to slash regulations it considers burdensome on industry. The exact revisions to the 2016 well control rule proposed by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), an office of the Department of Interior, will be known next week when they are published in the Federal Register. But the proposed changes will include removing "prescriptive requirements" for real-time monitoring of offshore drilling facilities and allow the oil producers to use company-specific approaches, a BSEE fact sheet said. The proposed revisions will also seek to minimize what BSEE says are duplicative notifications of rig movements that operators are required to send to the agency. In addition, independent third-party groups would be allowed to do some certifications and verifications on parts of blow-out preventers, which seek to stop the uncontrolled releases of crude, according to the fact sheet. The 2010 Macondo disaster killed 11 oil rig workers, was the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history, and has cost BP about $65 billion. While drilling interests had pushed the agency to revise the rule, Scott Angelle, the director of BSEE, said in a blog that the agency would never put offshore workers or the environment at greater risk. "At the same time, we are equally dedicated to addressing overly burdensome regulations and, even more so, to amending or eliminating regulations that may decrease safety or increase the chances of environmental harm," he said. Randall Luthi, the president of National Ocean Industries Association, said changes to the rule would increase efficiency and "do not, in any way, constitute a rollback in offshore safety." U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, was concerned the revisions would weaken the offshore regulations. "These rules were put in place to prevent another massive oil spill off our coasts," he said. "We can't allow this new administration to take us backwards in time." The proposal will be published next week and open to a 60-day public comment period. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Sydney (AFP) - Voting in Lebanon's first parliamentary polls in almost a decade kicked off in Australia Sunday with thousands of people casting their ballots in the historic election. Some 12,000 members of Australia's Lebanese community are registered to vote, Lebanon's embassy in Canberra said, a week before the May 6 election that will carve out the country's political and economic trajectory. "It's a special day today, it's democracy day. As you can see everyone is happy here," Nazih Keir, a 44-year-old member of the Lebanese Muslim community in Sydney, told AFP at a polling station next to the huge Lakemba Mosque. "We've been now from 2009 with no election -- nine years and a bit more -- and it is the first time in Australia, that is why we are so happy to get involved in the election in Lebanon and we hope that everyone gets what he wants." The Middle Eastern country has not held a parliamentary poll since 2009 and a new law now allows Lebanese living abroad to vote for the first time since independence in 1943. With an estimated community of 230,000 -- which includes Lebanon-born migrants and their families -- Australia is among the largest diaspora groups outside of the Americas. "It is a good feeling for us to feel like we are involved in making a decision in Lebanon and we feel that we can make changes," said Danny Gea Gea, 48, a Christian member of the Lebanese community. But he also complained about the voting process. "Lots of people coming here, they can't find their name (on the register) and they are upset and angry," he said. People were casting their vote for one list of candidates running in their Lebanese district of origin, under a proportional list-based system. They were also choosing one candidate on a list of parliamentary hopefuls representing each religious community in that district under a strict quota system. Half of the seats in Lebanon's parliament are reserved for Christians and the other half for Muslims. After successive waves of emigration from the 19th century to the 1975-1990 civil war, some estimates say Lebanon's extended diaspora has bloated to a whopping 12 million, but most no longer have citizenship. Some 116 polling stations in Lebanese embassies and consulates in 39 countries are set up to vote, but only an estimated 82,900 people have registered to take part. Photo credit: Getty Images From Delish Last weekend, a 29-year-old man opened fire at a Waffle House in Tennessee, killing four people and injuring four others. The restaurant reopened Wednesday, and officials from the breakfast chain promised to donate 100 percent of sales made at the Antioch location in the next month to the victims and their families. Nashville's NewsChannel 5 was outside the restaurant as it reopened, and spoke to Chuck Cordero, who was standing outside the Waffle House late Sunday night as Travis Reinking - who was arrested Monday on four counts of criminal homicide - opened fire. "These were the kind of people you wanted in this world moving forward, all smart, all going places," Cordero said of the victims, which included his friend, Taurean Sanderlin. "Its a tragedy, it really is." Sanderlin, 29, was the only Waffle House employee killed that night. The three other victims were customers: Akilah Dasilva, 23, DeEbony Groves, 21, and Joe Perez, 20, AP reports. Photo credit: Getty Images According to the AP, Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner confirmed that sales made in the next 30 days will be given to the families of the four who were killed and to the two who remain hospitalized. Store managers told NewsChannel 5 that they plan on visiting the families of the victims, and are accepting donations in the Antioch store to add to the fund. Follow Delish on Instagram. You Might Also Like Warren Buffett, known as the god of stocks in China, speaks highly of the countrys economic growth and is optimistic about its future. What theyve done in the last 50 or 60 years is a total economic miracle. I never wouldve thought it couldve happened, Buffett told Yahoo Finances Andy Serwer in Omaha earlier this year. What I do know is they have found a secret sauce for themselves, just like we found the secret sauce a couple centuries ago. Buffett says countries will do it differently, referring to the fundamental differences between China and the U.S. politically and economically. Chinas state capitalism emphasizes economic growth and social stability, with tight control over domestic politics and information. Since the economic reform in 1978, China has grown at a staggering pace of 9.5% per year and has become the worlds second largest economy. In the past five years, Chinas GDP growth has slowed down but still achieved an increase of 6.9% last year, dwarfing Americas 2.3% increase. And Buffett believes Chinas growth story is far from over. They can have growth in the economy from a lower base that will exceed ours percentage wise for a long time, he said. Theyre destined for a fine economic future, just like we are. China will likely overtake the U.S. as the worlds No. 1 economy by 2032, according to the London-based Center for Economics and Business Research. Though, Buffett thinks it will take much longer for China to catch up. Its a long way off. said Buffett. But he acknowledges the potential since Chinas population is almost four times greater than the U.S. The main thing you have to do is unleash the potential of your people. Investment interest in China Charles Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., speaks at the grand opening of the North American headquarters of Chinese carmaker BYD. (Gerry Images) Buffett has pocketed some money from Chinas economic leap. The only Chinese company Buffett has invested in, via his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, is BYD, a Shenzhen-based battery and electric car maker. The $232 million bet, made in 2008, is now worth about $2.1 billion. Story continues Buffett credits his right-hand man Charlie Munger with that call. Munger is the vice chairman of Berkshire who stands behind the investment and sticks with the company through high and lows. Buffetts conglomerate hasnt invested directly in Chinese companies ever since. When you got over $100 billion, youre looking at any big market. We cant go into tiny markets and really deploy enough capital, he said. We want to invest money intelligently. And obviously, big economies and growing economies have the potential. While trade tensions running high between Beijing and Washington, Chinas rise as a superpower is not necessarily a bad thing for the U.S., according to Buffett. If you postulate two kinds of worlds 50 years from now, and one is where the United States is still doing far better than a good many of the worlds people, or you postulate something where everybody is making a lot of progress, I think youve gotta choose the second world, said Buffett. We should welcome a more prosperous world, including China. Watch Warren Buffett LIVE at the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting exclusively on the Yahoo Finance app and desktop. Coverage begins May 5 at 9:45 am ET. Set a reminder now! A woman was reportedly denied entry to a Waffle House in Pinson, Alabama, because of the color of her skin. Jacinda Mitchell took a video last week that showed the doors to the establishment were locked, but that there were white people inside. It led Mitchell to conclude she was refused service because she was a person of color. They have the door locked and they have customers in here, and theyre saying that theyre closed. The customers are eating and they happen to be white customers only, and I am an African-American, Mitchell said in the clip. They have people that theyre serving, but theyre telling me that theyre closed. Pat Warner, director of public relations and external affairs for Waffle House, said the company is investigating Mitchells allegations. Trending: Will the Social Media Loopholes Be Closed Before the Midterm Elections? | Opinion We have launched an investigation to gather all of the facts. Waffle House is a welcoming place for everyone, and we are fortunate to enjoy a very diverse and loyal customer base who we do our best to serve every day, Warner said in a statement to AL.com Thursday. The employee involved should not have locked the front door at all and should have certainly opened the door for the customer when she arrived. We will get the facts and take appropriate action quickly. Waffle House Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images Mitchell apparently being locked out of the restaurant was the third time this month Waffle House came under fire. Chikesia Clemons was arrested on Sunday after she allegedly refused to pay for plastic utensils at a Waffle House in Saraland, Alabama. Video footage showed three white male police detaining her. At one point, her top went down and her breasts were exposed. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference Wednesday that law enforcement choked and brutalized 25-year-old Clemons during the arrest. She charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Story continues On the same day, four people were killed and several otheres were injured when suspected shooter Travis Reinking opened fire at a Waffle House in Nashville. Reinking reportedly suffers from mental health issues, Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said Monday. A motive for the attack was unknown. He was charged with four counts of criminal homicide, four counts of attempted homicide and one count of having a firearm while committing a dangerous felony. He is scheduled to appear in court May 7. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek It might just be the most controversial comedy routines ever given at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Michelle Wolfs after-dinner performance at Saturdays black tie event for Washington media included attacks on the president, his staff and his daughter, as well as tackling hot button topics such as abortion and gun control. But was it actually funny? Below is a selection of Wolfs most brutal lines for you to judge :: "Just a reminder to everyone, I'm here to make jokes, I have no agenda, I'm not trying to get anything accomplished, so everyone that's here from Congress you should feel right at home," :: "I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one pussy youre not allowed to grab" :: "It is kinda crazy that the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia when the Hillary campaign wasn't even in contact with Michigan." :: Im 32, which is a weird age 10 years too young to host this event, and 20 years too old for Roy Moore. :: I actually really like Sarah [Hucakabee Sanders]. I think shes very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe shes born with it, maybe its lies. Its probably lies. :: "He wants to give teachers guns, and I support that because then they can sell them for things they need like supplies." :: She [Ivanka Trump] was supposed to be an advocate for women, but it turns out shes about as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons. Shes done nothing to satisfy women. So I guess, like father like daughter. :: Its 2018 and I am a woman so you cannot shut me up. Unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000. Related Video: Trump Targets Media at Michigan Rally For more news videos visit Yahoo View. A woman, who claims that she has PTSD after watching a woman get partially sucked out of the aircraft, is suing Southwest Airlines. The woman was onboard Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 last week when the planes engine failed. A window broke open during the ordeal, causing the death of a passenger. Now, Lilia Chavezs attorney has filed a federal lawsuit against the Dallas-based carrier and the engines manufacturer, CFM International, for the horror she experienced. The suit alleges negligence on the part of both companies Chavez says she was sitting three rows behind the shattered window and saw other passengers struggle to pull a woman back into the cabin the window busted. Chavez is asking for compensatory and punitive damages for the carriers reckless misconduct and disregard for her safety and well-being, according to the complaint, which was filed Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia. Chavezs attorney argues Southwest failed to properly inspect and maintain the failed CFM56-7B engine in light of a similar fan blade failure that took place aboard a Southwest flight in 2016, Dallas News reported. It is the first reported lawsuit after the accident. The airline announced last week that it is providing $5,000 checks and $1,000 travel vouchers to passengers who were on board the April 17 flight to Dallas. RELATED STORIES Hundreds Mourn Jennifer Riordan, Killed When Southwest Airlines Engine Exploded Southwest Pilot Tammie Jo Shults Recounts Harrowing Landing: 'We Were Simply Doing Our Jobs' Hero Southwest Pilot Was Among U.S. Navy's First-Ever Female Fighter Pilots Related Articles: The United States is urging its European allies and others to impose sanctions on Iran to curb its missile program, calling it an international threat to peace and security, Reuters reported. We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Irans missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans, Brian Hook, senior policy advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, told reporters in Riyadh. Hook, who is negotiating changes to the Iran nuclear deal with European allies, said Irans missile program would be a major topic in talks on Sunday between Pompeo and leaders from Saudi Arabia and Israel. When Lance Burke graduated from high school nearly two decades ago, he thought he would end Who are the baby boomers? Organizations that compile demographic research, such as the Pew Research Center, generally define baby boomers as those born between 1946 and 1964. Baby boomers are now somewhere between 54 and 72 years old. According to data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 24,458 employed Yakima County residents who were at least 55 years old in 2017. Thats about a quarter of all the 97,349 workers 14 years and up. Depending on the year of birth, baby boomers qualify for full retirement benefits through Social Security between ages 66 and 67, according to the Social Security Administration. Nearly 8,000 Yakima County residents currently working were older than 65 in 2017 and now qualify for retirement benefits or will reach that point within the next two years. The youngest of the generation will reach that point by 2031. Construction and manufacturing workers, by age Figures compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau show that Yakima County workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors have aged greatly over the last 25 years. The number of Yakima County construction workers 55 and up has nearly tripled from just 212 in 1992 to 634 last year. Meanwhile the number of construction workers between ages 19 and 34 has dropped by more than 21 percent from 1,252 to 984 workers over the same time period. In manufacturing, there were about 2,036 workers 55 and older in 2017, nearly double the number from 25 years ago. The number of workers ages 19 to 34 declined by 43 percent from 4,578 to 2,625 during the same period. Below is a detailed breakout of Yakima County construction and manufacturing workers by age. Yakima County residents in construction, 2017 (decrease or growth of workers since 1992) 14 to 18: 22 (-64.5 percent) 19 to 21: 116 (-20 percent) 22 to 24: 139 (-31.5 percent) 25 to 34: 729 (-19.4 percent) 35 to 44: 772 (8.1 percent) 45 to 54: 631 (77.2 percent) 55 to 64: 439 (145.3 percent) 65 and up: 195 (490.9 percent) Yakima County residents in manufacturing, 2017 (decrease or growth of workers since 1992) 14 to 18: 31 (-81.8 percent) 19 to 21: 304 (-47.2 percent) 22 to 24:461 (-40.1 percent) 25 to 34:1,860 (-42.5 percent) 35 to 44: 1,995 (-27.9 percent) 45 to 54: 2,044 (20.8 percent) 55 to 64: 1,622 (92.2 percent) 65 and up: 414 (122.6 precent) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Projected openings in trade occupations The state Employment Security Department calculates occupational openings projections for the states workforce development areas. Yakima County is part of the South Central Workforce Development Area, which also includes the counties of Kittitas, Klickitat and Skamania. The departments projections include evaluating openings generated by a number of factors including retirement, career changes or simply leaving a job for another position within the same occupation. Openings are examined by occupations organized under the federal standard occupational classification, or SOC, system. A small portion of those openings also are from anticipated job growth in those occupations. Below are the agencys projected job openings, on an annual average basis, for 2015 to 2020 and 2020 to 2025, as well as the estimated employment for 2018 (as of the second quarter of this year), 2020 and 2025. Construction occupations (including plumbing, carpenters and steel workers) Employment: 2018: 7,379 2020: 7,668 2025: 8,366 Projected openings: 2015-2020: 3,047 2020-2025: 3,322 Production occupations (including machinists and welders) Projected Employment: 2018: 10,128 2020: 10,250 2025: 10,582 Projected openings 2015-2020: 2,926 2020-2025: 3,023 Installation, maintenance and repair occupations (includes heating and air conditioning and agricultural equipment technicians) Employment: 2018: 6,676 2020: 6,761 2025: 7,000 Projected openings: 2015-2015: 2,067 2020-2025: 2,122 Blue Zones Project goals Generate significant medical cost savings and productivity improvement. Lower the obesity rate. Lower smoking rates. Increase vegetable consumption. Increase daily physical activity levels. Drive significant media attention to your community. Hire and train community coalitions to lead and sustain this work. Leverage this inclusive and systematic approach to secure grants, gifts and funding for the community. Source: Blue Zones Project Site More information: Visit FAQ on the Yakima Health and Wellbeing Coalition Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Yakimahealthandwellbeing. I read the forecasts on the Jewish peoples future across the universe in several generations from now very carefully, and with all due respect to the demography experts, I disagree with their forecasts. In my opinion, they are simply too optimistic and incompatible with the reality of the past few years. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter After visiting many countries around the world over the years, and being a rationalist, I am convinced there will be a dramatic decrease in the Jewish population in most countries worldwide in six or seven generations from now, and in some countries it will most likely disappear altogether. For example, if there are about 7,000 Jews living in Denmark, which has less than six million residents, how can they survive? Clearly, most of them wont find a partner within the community, and everyone knows that mixed marriages usually leadafter several generationsto a loss of the Jewish identity. And that makes complete sense. The American Jewish community will also disappear eventually, apart from the ultra-Orthodox (Photo: AFP) What about countries with a relatively large Jewish population? In the United States, for example, the number of Jews in the general population of 327 million residents is about 5.5 million. Clearly, the Jewish community there will last longer than the Jewish community in Denmark, Belgium or Spain. Its pretty clear, however, that the American Jewish community will also disappear eventually, apart from the ultra-Orthodox. But the latter make up only a very small percentage of the US Jewry, and the rate of mixed marriages there keeps growing and has already reached 60 percent, according to data. Even though some of those who live in mixed families claim to lead a Jewish life and maintain a Jewish identity, as the Reform Jews have been trying to convince us, they will assimilate completely within several generations. The undeniable fact is that the Jewish people in the Diaspora are losing tens of thousands of members every year. If the non-Jewish wife in a mixed family is against performing a circumcision on the couples baby boy, what will her Jewish husband do? Divorce her? Of course not. After all, they married out of love and a desire to start a family together. Moreover, the baby isnt considered Jewish according to the Halacha. And then the husband convinces himself that he can be Jewish even without circumcising his children, that a Christmas tree at home isnt a religious act but a traditional custom, that studying in Jewish educational institutions isnt necessary for maintaining a Jewish identity, etc. Although Diaspora Jews enjoy freedom of religion and faith and arent facing an existential threat, many of them are drifting away from their Jewishness (Photo: AFP) The situation is similar in the opposite case, when the wife is Jewish and the husband isnt, even if the child is definitely considered Jewish. For how long? Until he marries a non-Jewish woman. Most members of the Jewish people, who were scattered across the world, managed to survive and avoid assimilation for 2,000 years. Despite decrees and riots and annihilation, they insisted on sticking to their faith and succeeded. And now, when Jews enjoy freedom of religion and faithat least in Western countriesand arent facing an existential threat, many of them are drifting away from their Jewishness. The only country in the world where the number of Jews keeps growing on an annual basis is Israel, of course. Nearly 6.5 million Jews live in the country today, the birthrate is increasing and the number of immigrants is greater than the number of people who leave the country for different reasons. Seventy years after the Jewish states establishment, it is clear to everyone that in light of the growing assimilation rates, the future of the Jewish people can only be found in Israel. SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to shut down the country's nuclear test site in May and open the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul's presidential office said Sunday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The event may serve as a dramatic setup to Kim's crucial nuclear negotiations with US President Donald Trump that may take place in the next few weeks amid widespread skepticism on whether the North will ever fully surrender its nuclear weapons. Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday at a border truce village, where he also expressed optimism about his meeting with Trump, saying the US president will learn he's "not a person" to fire missiles toward the United States, Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan said. "Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States," Yoon quoted Kim as saying. "If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would be need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?" Yoon quoted Kim as saying. North Korea this month announced it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles and plans to close its nuclear testing ground. Kim reacted to skepticism that the North would only be closing down the northernmost test tunnel at the site in Punggye-ri, which some analysts say became too unstable to conduct further underground detonations following the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September . In his conversation with Moon, Kim denied that he would be merely clearing out damaged goods, saying that the site also has two new tunnels that are larger than previous testing facilities, Yoon said. The Friday summit between Moon and Kim kicked off a global diplomatic drive to deal with the North's nuclear and missile threats, which after a flurry of weapons tests last year involve purported thermonuclear weapons, developmental ICBMs and quick-fire solid-fuel missiles. While the meeting ended with no new concrete measures on the nuclear standoff, the more substantial discussions on the North's denuclearizationincluding what, when and how it would occurwere always going to be reserved for a Kim-Trump summit. : X The new round of nuclear negotiations with North Korea comes after a decades-long cycle of crises, stalemates and broken promises that allowed the country the room to build a legitimate arsenal. Seoul has said Kim 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 Korean Peninsula and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. There is widespread doubt whether Kim will ever agree to entirely abandon his nuclear weapons when he clearly sees them as providing his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies. Some analysts see Moon's agreement with Kim at Friday's summit as a disappointment, citing the lack of references to verification and time frames and also the absence of a definition on what would constitute as a "complete" denuclearization of the peninsula. But Patrick McEachern, a former State Department analyst currently with the Washington-based Wilson Center, said it was still meaningful that Moon extracted a commitment from Kim to complete denuclearization, which marked a significant change from Kim's previous public demand to expand his nuclear arsenal quantitatively and qualitatively. "The two leaders established a framework for plausible resolution of the most pressing issues on the peninsula, credibly agreed to further leader-level discussions, and frankly recognized the devil will be in the details of implementation," he said. "This is a great start and should be cause for cautious optimism," McEachern said. "The public conversation should now shift from speculation on whether North Korea would consider denuclearization to how South Korea and the United States can advance this denuclearization pledge in concrete steps in light of North Korea's reciprocal demands for concrete steps toward an eventual peace agreement." North Korea has invited the outside world to witness the dismantling of its nuclear facilities before. In June 2008, international journalists live broadcast the demolishing of a cooling tower at the Nyongbyon reactor site, a year after the North reached an agreement with the US and four other nations to disable its nuclear facilities in return for an aid package worth about $400 million. But the six-nation deal eventually collapsed after North Korea refused to accept US-proposed verification methods and the country went on to conduct its second nuclear test detonation in May 2009. Following a shooting incident overnight Saturday in Umm al-Fahm, the elemantry school of Arak Al Shabab will go on strike on Sunday. The strike has been initiated to "keep the students safe." Germany must do more to tackle anti-Semitism and should set up a national database to record anti-Semitic incidents that are not included in crime statistics, the countrys first anti-Semitism commissioner Felix Klein said on Friday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The former diplomat, who will take up the newly created position next month, also said anti-Semitism was still rooted largely in extreme right-wing ideology and was not only being driven by Germanys growing Muslim population. Anti-Semitism is a highly sensitive issue in Germany, whose Nazi-era government murdered more than 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. Kippah march in Berlin (Photo: EPA) There are many things going on to combat anti-Semitism but all the efforts have to be coordinated and sharpened, Klein told Reuters. I hear from Jewish communities that they feel that anti-Semitic attacks and incidents have risen but that there is not yet a serious database that underlines and supports that perception. He said a national database should include everything that is not considered criminal, such as vulgar behavior and stupid comments. By drawing a more detailed picture, that would help authorities devise measures to combat anti-Semitism. Last week, an Israeli Arab who wore the Jewish cap, or kippa, in Berlin as an experiment was subjected to verbal abuse by three people and was lashed with a belt by a Syrian Palestinian. A video was posted on the internet. : X That followed reports of bullying of Jewish children in schools. Thousands of Germans wearing kippahs took part in nationwide rallies on Wednesday to show solidarity with the Jewish community. Official figures for the first eight months of 2017 showed nearly 93 percent of reported anti-Semitic crimes were linked to far-right extremism, despite predictions that a big jump in the Muslim population since Europes 2015 migrant crisis could fuel attacks or discrimination against Jews. Klein stressed that anti-Semitism had been a problem in Germany long before the refugee influx and added that Jewish institutions here and in other countries had needed police protection before migrants started coming in large numbers. Anti-Semitism is not only Muslim-driven in Germany, he said. Of course we have a new challenge and new forms of anti-Semitism which we have to address and combat, but the great problem also rests with right-wing anti-Semitism and we have to develop good strategies to combat that, as we did before. A foreign national from Denmark was arrested over the weekend on the suspicion he tried to kidnap a four-year-old girl in south Tel Aviv on Friday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter While the girl was playing at a playground, the 25-year-old suspect allegedly walked up to her, picked her up and started fleeing the scene with her. The girl's mother, who was nearby, realized what had happened and started chasing after him and screaming for help. File photo (Photo: Israel Police) While the suspect initially continued running, he eventually dropped the girl and escaped on foot. Large police forces that arrive at the scene were able to apprehend him some 24 hours later. He will be brought to a remand extension hearing on Sunday. He is suspected of attempted kidnapping, assault and battery. Some 4,000 students of pre-miliary academies, teenagers and youth held a memorial event at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday night for the ten teenagers who were killed in the flash flood disaster at the Zafit Stream. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Students from the Bnei Zion pre-military academy, where the victims of the disaster were due to start studying in the fall, sat in a circle of remembrance, cried together, sang songs and offered support to one another. Graduates and instructors from the academy spoke with the students and offered support as well. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Several public representatives also participated in the event, including Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay and MKs Tzipi Livni and Yael Cohen Paran (Zionist Union) and Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg. MK Tzipi Livni lights a remembrance candle (Photo: Motti Kimchi) MK Tzipi Livni (Photo: Motti Kimchi) A memorial wall was put up at Rabin Square with the names of the victims, where participants could write words in their memory. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The Tel Aviv municipality building, which is adjacent to the square, was lit up blue-and-white, the Israeli flag's colors, in solidarity. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) (Photo: Motti Kimchi) "I didn't know any of them personally, but they all were, or were going to be, part of the world of pre-military academy, which I became a part of this year," wrote event organizer Ori Dvir from the Rabin pre-military academy in Haifa. "It felt like the right thing to do to come together, support each other and remember together," Dvir told Ynet. "There are a lot of students from pre-military academies here, some who are going to be students there next year, those who took a gap-year before the army, high school students and a lot of youth who feel the need to experience this pain together and share." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) (Photo: Motti Kimchi) "Along with the entire people of Israel, we all share in the great pain over the death of the ten young men and women, some of our best sons and daughters, who were killed in this horrible disaster. These are unbearably difficult days, and we embrace the families who lost their loved ones," Zamir said. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) (Photo: Motti Kimchi) "There's no doubt this is a difficult disaster and we must learn from what happened. We ask to let the authorities conduct all of the necessary investigations to ensure such a tragedy never happens again," Zamir went on to say. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Itay Maron, a student at the Paran pre-military academy in the Arabah valley, said he came to show his support to the families of the victims, his fellow students and the pedagogical staff at the pre-military academies. "I keep hearing about the argument over who is responsible, the Defense Ministry or the Education Ministry, and I think no one was responsible," he said. "What's for sure is that now, lessons from these mistakes will be learned and an emphasis will be put on school trips." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Shir Chen-Tov, who attends the Nachshon pre-military academy in Sderot, also came to offer her support. "I came here to say that despite the big disaster, it must not hurt the pre-military academies, because we're all going through an important and significant process. I will soon find out which IDF unit I'm enlisting into next year, and I have no doubt the academy prepared me in the best way for a significant service," she said. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) A similar event took place at Zion Square in Jerusalem, where some 500 teenagers and passersby came together to remember the ten teens. They were joined by Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria. Tomer Mazor, 19, from Jerusalem, said he came to show solidarity despite not knowing any of the victims. "We just left the house with the guitar, and because of the deep pain we gathered at Zion Square to give expression to the grief that has struck our country," said Mazor, who studies at the Hevruta Gap-Year Learning and Leadership program at the Shalom Hartman Institute. "It's part of our Israeli culture. We were glad to find other people who felt like us and spontaneously joined this initiative." Memorial event at Zion Square in Jerusalem (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum) In Mazkeret Batya, hundreds of students gathered at the Amphipark for a memorial event for Tzur Alfi, one of the students killed in the flash flood disaster. "Tzur was a very good friend of mine. We came here to commemorate, feel the pain of his loss and grieve him," said Linoy, who went to school with Tzur. "His friends wrote about their shared experiences with Tzur and about missing him." Mika, who was in the same class as Tzur, said he was "an amazing kid. You didn't have to be close to him to feel like he was your best friend. Anyone who knew him, knew he was the best person. There's no one here not thankful for the opportunity to know Tzur." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Ofek, who also studied in the same class, said Tzur dreamed of serving in the Air Force's search and rescue unit 669. "In the end, Tzur died while he was resucing and saving people," he said. The ten teens killed in the flash flood were Ela Or from Maale Adumim, Romi Cohen from Moshav Maor, Yael Sadan from Jerusalem, Maayan Barhum from Jerusalem, Agam Levy from Moshav Herut, Gali Balelli from Givatayim, Shani Shamir from Shoham, Adi Raanan from Moshav Mikhmoret, Tzur Alfi from Mazkeret Batya, also in central Israel and Ilan Bar Shalom from Rishon LeZion. Seven of them were laid to rest on Friday, while the three remaining will be buried on Sunday. Itay Blumenthal, Kobi Nachshoni and Gilad Morag contributed to this story. Raji Jubran,36, from Jisr az-Zarqa, was convicted by Haifa's District Court on Sunday for the murder of a 22-year-old man from the village and for wounding a bystander. Three years ago, Jubran shot dead a 22-year-old man with whom he had a dispute. Jubran was convicted of premeditated murder and causing injury under aggravated circumstances. During the court's ruling, judges noted that despite lack of direct evidence against Jubran, the sequence of circumstantial evidence had led to his conviction. The IDF said on Sunday that it had briefly held a Lebanese woman who crossed the border and then repatriated her, a detention Beirut denounced as an abduction. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Lebanese army said that the woman, Nohad Dali, was taken on Saturday evening from Shebaa, a small disputed area that Israel regards as part of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967, but which Beirut says is Lebanese territory. "An Israeli enemy patrol carried out the abduction of Nohad Dali," a Lebanese army statement said. Wall being built on Israel-Lebanon border (Photo: AP) The IDF said two shepherds had crossed the UN-demarcated border with Lebanon and that one of them was taken into custody by its troops. "She was returned today," a military spokesman said. There was no immediate Lebanese confirmation of Dali's repatriation. A UN peacekeeping force is based on the Lebanon-Israel border. The last outright conflict there was a short war in 2006 between Israel and Lebanon's heavily armed, Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have heightened over the group's role in the Syrian civil war, where it has gained more experience and an increased arsenal fighting alongside President Bashar Assad as part of an Iran-backed alliance. Lebanon raised Dali's case with the UN peacekeepers, the Lebanese army statement said. Police investigators raided the Bnei Zion pre-military academy on Sunday in the wake of the flash flood disaster, which claimed the lives of ten teens due to start studying there in the fall who were on an orientation trip. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The investigators from the Tel Aviv District Police's anti-fraud unit confiscated computers and documents as part of their investigation into the deaths at the Zafit Stream Thursday. Police confiscating computers from the academy (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The academy's principal Yuval Kahan, who is suspected of negligent homicide, was arrested on Friday. The arrest was criticized by many, who wondered if it was necessary. "This question also bothered me, and I turned to the police and asked them," Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Ynet on Sunday. "It was explained to me that there is a prosecutor who accompanies the investigation, and that there were apparently contradictions in the different versions and concern of obstruction of the investigation, which created the need for the arrest." Some of the documents seized He stressed that the decision to extend the remand of suspects and leave them in police custody is done by a judge, not the police. An instructor at the school who was also arrested in the wake of the disaster was put on house arrest on Saturday night. The instructor, 25, herself a former student of the school, claimed during questioning that she warned authorities and asked for the trip to be canceled due to possible floods. She added she shared her concern with her father, deputy commander of the search and rescue unit that was rushed to scene after the disaster, and that he had also attempted to get the trip canceledbut his warnings went unheeded as well. The instructor was released to house arrest when investigators were satisfied her culpability for the scandal was lesser than those of another instructor, Aviv Bardichev, 27, and the school's principal Kahan. The nine girls and one boy killed in the disaster were identified as Ela Or from Ma'ale Adumim, Romi Cohen from Moshav Maor, Yael Sadan from Jerusalem, Maayan Barhum from Jerusalem, Agam Levy from Moshav Herut, Gali Balelli from Givatayim, Shani Shamir from Shoham, Adi Ra'anan from Moshav Mikhmoret, Tzur Alfi from Mazkeret Batya, also in central Israel, and Ilan Bar Shalom from Rishon LeZion. Thousands accompanied Ela Or, Maayan Barhum, Agam Levy, Shani Shamir, Illan Bar Shalom, Tzur Alfi and Yael Sadan to their final resting places Friday. Romi Cohen, Adi Ra'anan and Gali Balelli will be interred Sunday. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored the need for unity in the Gulf on Sunday during a brief visit to the Saudi capital. "Gulf unity is necessary and we need to achieve it," Pompeo said at a news conference. Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and arch rival Iran. After more than a year in office, President Donald Trump for the first time is hosting an African president at the White House. The meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday comes after an uncomfortable start to the Trump administration's approach to the world's second most populous continent. Security and economic issues top the agenda for the bilateral meeting and working lunch. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with almost 200 million people, is the largest economy on the continent and the leading crude oil exporter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut for two hours on Sunday morning to discuss the legislation he seeks to pass that would give the Knesset override power over the High Court of Justice. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Deputy Chief Justice Hanan Melcer also joined the meeting. According to the Prime Minister's Office "the different positions were heard, and there was an in-depth and serious discussion." Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters, High Court's website) The bill, also known as a notwithstanding clause, is intended to bypass the High Court of Justice's rulings with the approval of a simple majority of 61 members of Knesset (out of 120). Despite the meeting with Hayut, Shaked, who is promoting the controversial bill together with Minister Naftali Bennett, still intends to bring the bill proposal to a vote at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation next Sunday. While the High Court may be amenable to the law that overrides its rulings on the proviso that such a move garners a majority of at least 80 MKs, Hayut may be willing to compromise and consent to a required majority of 75 MKs. The Likud and Kulanu parties agree on a majority of 65 MKs. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, meanwhile, proposed a version of the bill that requires a 70 MKs majority. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan expressed reservations to Mandelblit's proposal. "The members of Knesset are the ones who are elected to pass laws in the State of Israel," Erdan told Ynet in an interview on Sunday. "I think a 70 MKs majority would create a situation in which we would never be able to pass a law after the High Court intervened in the Knesset's legislation. I think (a majority of) between 61 and 65 MKs definitely expresses a significant majority in the Knesset, which represents the majority of the public." Minister Gilad Erdan (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) The override power initiative became a top priority for nationalist lawmakers following the uncertainty over the fate of illegal African migrants in the aftermath of a series of failed deals for their deportation. "If the majority of the Knesset, which represents the majority of the public, determines that the rights of south Tel Aviv residents come before the rights of the infiltrators, this needs to be represented," Erdan asserted. He went on to suggest going to elections over this matter would be justified. "If there is a topic we should go and ask the people in an election, this is exactly one such topic: our ability to fulfill our mission," Erdan said. The public security minister also slammed "the scare campaign in the media, which claims the override power will hurt human rights." "There is no basis to that," he insisted. "What it comes down to is determining between one type of rights and another. When the court favors the infiltrators' rights, it hurts the rights of the south Tel Aviv residents. It is the Knesset that passes time and again laws that defend the weak and human rights." Alexandra Lukash and Nir Cohen contributed to this story. A man about 30 years old was seriously wounded Sunday in a stabbing near the entrance to the Hadar mall in Jerusalem's Talpiot neighborhood, in what police said was a criminal assassination attempt. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Magen David Adom paramedics treated the wounded man on the scene and then took him to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in the capital. A police officer pursued the stabber, who is around 35 years old, and neutralized him. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter He's also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met Sunday with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. Pompeo meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir (Photo: Reuters) Senior US officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Pompeo reassured Saudi Arabia that the United States would abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reached under President Donald Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, unless there is an agreement with European partners to improve it to ensure the Islamic Republic never possesses a nuclear weapson. "Iran destabilizes this entire region," Pompeo said in a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. "It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It supports the murderous Assad regime (in Syria) as well." Pompeo arrives in Saudi Arabia (Photo: Reuters) While not mentioning Qatar by name, Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was "essential." Al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Senior US officials said he would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran "room to play" and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combatting violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. Pompeo meets with Saudi King Salman (Photo: Reuters) The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian individuals, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said he'd also stress the US commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. Two days later, the US plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. That will mark a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the "nakba," or catastrophe, when they fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that attended Israel's creation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent violent protests along border between Israel and Gaza. Pompeo arrives in Saudi Arabia (Photo: Reuters) During Pompeo's Israel visit, he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discuss Iran. "I will discuss with him developments in the region, Iran's growing aggression andof coursethe nuclear agreement with Iran, about which there will be a decision soon," Netanyahu said Sunday. On Friday at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, the first stop on his trip, Pompeo repeated Trump's pledge to withdraw from the Iran deal unless it is significantly strengthened. He said the US was "unlikely" to stay in if that was not done. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo said. Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trump's policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. The Education Ministry's situation room approved a school trip for sophomore students to the same area where ten teenagers were killed in a flash flood on Thursday despite weather warnings, Ynet learned on Sunday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter While the Bnei Zion pre-military academy, where the ten teens were set to start attending in the fall, does not fall under the purview of the Education Ministry, high schools do. Parents of 10th graders from the Gan Nahum Gymnasium in Rishon LeZion said the ministry's situation room allowed a school trip to continue a day earlier despite heavy flooding in the Small Crater area, mere minutes away from the Zafit Stream, where the disaster struck. Flooding on a stream bank near Small Crater The sophomore students' trip began on Tuesday and included a hike in Zafit Stream, where the ten teenagers were killed only two days later. While the weather was fair on the trip's first day, weather services issued warnings of flooding in the southern region's streams as a result of heavy rain and hail. On Wednesday morning, the trip organizers sought the approval of the Education Ministry's situation room to divert the trip to the Small Crater. Worried parents were not assured and demanded that the trip be canceled and the children be sent home, particularly after they started getting photos, videos and reports from their children that they were in danger. One video showed the students stuck inside the bus on the bank of a flooded stream not far from the Small Crater. "When we received the videos, we felt helpless," said Osnat Lazarovich, whose daughter went on the trip. "I couldn't do anything. Some of the parents wanted to go there and bring the kids home. How could they send our children there?" Video sent by the 10th graders to their parents X The parents further said the school principal traveled to the area himself to find out what was going on. "All of the parents were very confused and angry," Lazarovich said. "The writing was on the wall, because the entire southern region was under one giant danger. We have to draw conclusions. Whoever approved this trip needs to answer for it. A huge disaster was prevented, and it's a miracle our children came back." "The situation room's decision-making was terrible throughout," said Avi Zaraf, the head of the parents' association in Rishon LeZion. "We actually had a good experience with the Education Ministry's situation room in previous trips, but it's unclear what happened this time, and why it approved going on this trip at all. On the national level, we will work to have the chairman of a school's PTA receive all security arrangements for a trip in advance." "Thanks to luck and the right decisions being made on the ground, the children were saved," said attorney Liel Even-Zohar, a member of the Rishon city council. "We need an investigation of the events, and conclusions must be drawn in the Education Ministry, at schools and at the municipality, so tragedies like the one in Zafit will not happen again." The Education Ministry said that "the hikes in dangerous paths were canceled or diverted to alternative places." Concerning the 10th graders' trip, the ministry said it "definitely understands and is aware of the parents' concerns, but the trip in question was diverted to areas that weren't dangerous. The situation room was in constant contact with the tour guides." Figures of keffiyeh-clad Arabs were used for target practice with paint guns at a Menashe Regional Council school, it was reported last week, when students were asked to shoot the targets as part of a simulated practice. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The incident, which was organized as part of an Israel Police activity with the children, raised a public outcry, with Joint List MK Jamal Zahalka submitting an urgent query to Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, who demanded to know "who decided on a program in which children are taught to shoot at figures of Arabs, and what is the educational goal of drilling children on shooting at figures of Arabs." The keffiyeh-clad figures were to be used as target practice Zahalka further said he demanded to know who in the Education Ministry and police was responsible for the "racist program that educates violence" and demanded it be summarily stopped. "This act," he claimed, "points to graver things. It cannot be accepted idly." A social activist echoed the MK's statements, saying police should accept responsibility for their actions. "The images hurt the feelings of Arab citizens. The police's goal was clear: instructing how to shoot at Arabs," the activist said. "They should apologize for this grave act and promise it will not happen again." The police provided its own statement on the matter, saying, "Border Policemen participate in community activities on a daily basis, as part of which children learn about good citizenship and police's role in society. As part of the displays in current use and in order to engender interest among participants, a paint gun station was erected. The paint gun station was meant to 'arouse interest' in participants, police said "Now and again, targets bearing human images were placed at the station in a manner both irregular and localized. Before the activity began, the activity's commanders and the school staff noticed the matter and hid the images, and no children saw them during the activity itself." Despite the claim, police said, "instructions on the matter were made clearer to prevent such an incident from recurring." The Education Ministry offered a defense of its own, saying it considered the display to be a serious mishap, and that it was removed following "overtures from the educators present there." The paint gun station. The Education Ministry said the appropriate steps were taken to prevent a similar incident from happening again "The Education Ministry brings up children with values of respect and tolerance towards all people, while expressing all facets of Israeli society. The incident was examined with the Israel Police and the appropriate lessons have been learned to prevent such a display from being posted in an educational institution again," the ministry's statement concluded. The Menashe Regional Council pointed a finger at the police, saying the activity was organized and carried out by law enforcement. "The council had no bearing or relation to organizing or carrying out activities," the statement added. "The council is home to Jews, Arabs, religious and secular people, all of whom live in coexistence and harmony. We will work to ensure that the next time a police activity day is held, no images will be used that are offensive to any nationality." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Israel in anticipation of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pompeo, sworn-in as America's top diplomat only a week ago, is visiting Israel as part of his first overseas tour in the role, a tour that also included a visit to Saudi Arabia. The parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organization will convene for the first time in decades on Monday, as ageing President Mahmoud Abbas seeks to strengthen his hand ahead of the US Embassy move to Jerusalem. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Analysts said the three-day meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in the West Bank city of Ramallah is unlikely to produce major policy shifts, but it will elect the 18 members of the PLO's executive committee that effectively forms Abbas's cabinet. Abbas at a Fatah conference (Photo: AP) More than 100 of the 740-member body will be absent, including dozens allied to the Islamist terror group Hamasthe largest Palestinian party behind Abbas's Fatahwhich have signed a letter opposing the meeting. On Saturday Hamas called on Abbas to postpone the assembly until unity was reached between rival factions. Abbas has billed Monday's convening of the PNC, an assembly within the umbrella Palestinian Liberation Organization, as a chance to forge a united front against Israel and the United States. But the event in Ramallah, the Palestinian hub in the West Bank, has revived old feuds between Abbas's Fatah party and rivals from Islamist and other factions, many of whose members cannot attend due to Israeli restrictions. Last week, 109 PNC members urged Abbas to postpone the meeting to allow greater participation. The call went unheeded, and on Sunday, censure of the president became more pointed. "The PNC meeting that will be held in Ramallah is not legitimate, is factional, and does not represent all of the Palestinians," Mushir Al-Masri, a lawmaker in Hamas, told reporters at a meeting of PNC critics in Gaza. Fatah-Hamas reconciliation attempt (Photo: AFP) The Gaza Strip, under de facto Hamas control since 2007, has been a focus of Palestinian infighting. Though Hamas formally resubmitted to Abbas's authority last year, their reconciliation has been held up by disputes over power-sharing. "We stress the need to regain Palestinian unity and end the policy of exclusion and unilateralism by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and its hijacking of Palestinian institutions," said Masri. Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad, a Hamas political ally, accused Abbas of "holding the PNC meeting to stress his exclusion of all those who oppose him". "The president is keen for the conference to bring about only decisions that suit his own project," Habib said. Analysts say Abbas, elected to a four-year term in 2005, is seeking to further centralize power within the institutions he controls. Hugh Lovatt, a regional expert at the European Council for Foreign Relations, said he expected the meeting to "mark a further milestone in Abbas's consolidation of power and marginalization of political rivals". Saeb Erekat (: AP) The names selected for the executive committee will be seen as a key indicator of who is in favor in moderate Palestinian politics, Lovatt added, and even "provide an indicator of frontrunners in the race to succeed Abbas". Abbas will be one of three representatives of Fatah, along with long-time chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Azzam al-Ahmed, negotiator of the failed reconciliation agreement with Hamas. Seven smaller parties, excluding Hamas, will each nominate a candidate, while eight independents will also be selected. At least 10 of the current 18 committee members are expected to be replaced. Jibril Rajoub (Photo: AFP) "The mere fact that he is looking to an institution that has not met for 20 years just shows how illegitimate he is," said Diana Buttu, a former Abbas employee and now fierce critic. The split with Hamas has made elections impossible, so he has remained in power without a mandate. Hamas and Islamic Jihad oppose Abbas' strategy of peace talks with Israel. However, diplomacy has been on hold since 2014 and many Palestinians' views have hardened over US President Donald Trump's recognition late last year of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The PNC last met in extraordinary session in 2009 to replace several members of the PLOs Executive Committee. It last held a regular session in 1996. Political analysts in Gaza said a PNC meeting without wide factional representation would weaken the legitimacy of any decisions it may take. Earlier on Sunday dozens of masked youths gathered on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip's main crossing with Israel, threatening to block any PNC official from leaving for the West Bank to attend Monday's session. Decked out in a striking blue suit and white shirt, matching his political allegiance, Simon Slama rubs shoulders with fellow candidates ahead of Tunisia's municipal elections. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Nothing unusual about thatexcept he is the only Jewish candidate standing for the Islamist Ennahdha party. Slama at his shop X A public relations stunt for some; a sign of genuine liberalization for others. But even if Slama fares dismally come the May 6 poll, his candidacy has become a major story in the nation. This will be the first municipal vote since former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fell from power in 2011. Ben Ali ruled Tunisia with an iron fists for 23 years, and was deposed in the so-called "Jasmine Revolution." The Ennahdha party, as part of which Slama is running, was founded after the dictator's ouster and was based on an Islamist movement founded in the North African country in 1981, inspired by the Islamic revolution in Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt. Simon Slama is running on the Tunisia Islamist party's ticket in the May elections (Photo: AFP) And while Slama looks at ease, joyously clapping hands on the campaign trail in the coastal town of Monastir, the 54-year old sewing machine repairman's decision to run drew fierce initial opposition from loved ones. "All my family were against my choice. My brother was angry and my wife went days without speaking to me," the candidate tells AFP, with a timid smile and a nervous fidget of the hands. "But I managed to convince them." A candidate list in Monastir (Photo: AFP) Slama and his relatives are among the small number of Jews still living in Tunisia. The community in the North African nation has shrunk from several hundred thousand before independence in 1956, to just 1,200 today. While Jews in the country, which is overwhelmingly Muslim, once served as lawmakers and even ministers, they have long since slipped to the margins of politics. Slama believes his candidacy is helping to change all that and has already "removed fears for Jewish Tunisian citizens". 'An ancient family' Comrades in the Ennahdha party insist Slama is the right man to stand for office in Monastira symbolic town for Tunisians as it is the birthplace of Habib Bourguiba, the father of the country's independence. Slama at his sewing machine repair shop (Photo: AP) "He comes from an ancient family. He has his roots in Monastir... and he knows the town's problems," says Chokri ben Janet, who heads the party's candidate list in the town. Slama says that despite its history as an Islamist party he opted for Ennahdha out of political conviction, describing it as "the most active and the most serious on the political scene". "Ennahdha has changed its strategyit is no longer a religious party, it is a civil party," he says. The party is a junior partner in a coalition led by President Beji Caid Essebsi and his Nidaa Tounes party. Tunisia has worked hard to modernize its image since ousting dictator Ben Ali in 2011 (Photo: Reuters) Taking stock from its experience in power after the 2011 revolution, it has worked hard to modernize its image. It opposed a project to criminalize any attempt to normalize relations with Israel; a vote on the proposal was dropped this winter. Now some of its leading candidates are women who don't wear the Islamic veil. All of these changesincluding Slama's candidacyhave drawn derision from some political opponents who accuse the group of simple opportunism to bolster its vote. Top Nidaa Tounes official Borhane Bassais called it a "political striptease". Torah and Koran Others say that interest in Slama's candidacy highlights that while Jews can practice their religion freely they remain an anomaly in Tunisiaand shows the country still has a long way to go on minority rights. The media frenzy is testament to "this obsession we have of judging (people) on the basis of something as personal as their religious conviction," says Yamina Thabet, an official for Tunisia's Association for the Support of Minorities. Some noteworthy figures have, nonetheless, thrown their weight behind Slama's bid for a seat. "This candidacy brings pride for the Jewish community," says Rene Trabelsi, who organizes the Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia's famous Ghriba synagogue, on the island of Djerba. The famed synagogue in Djerba (Photo: Mosa'ab Elshamy , AP) "It has created a positive image of an open Tunisia that we can all share," says the businessman, who was once a contender to become tourism minister. And as for the candidate himself, he appears comfortable with his identity and the attention his foray into politics has garnered. If he wins, Slama says, he is ready to take the oath of office on "both the books"the Jewish Torah and the Muslim Koran. SINGAPORE Organic dairy products from Viet Nams TH Group have received great attention from foreign customers at the Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) 2018 exhibition held in Singapore from April 24-27. The fair the largest of its kind in the food and hospitality industry in Asia attracted the participation of more than 4,000 exhibitors from 70 countries and territories throughout the world. It showcased the latest trends in food consumption, in which healthy foods were considered the highlight of many booths, and the pavilion of TH Group was no exception. On display at its booth, TH Group introduced many premium products to both Singaporean and international customers, including TH true MILK Organic, TH True NUT, which comprise macadamia nut milk and walnut milk, and TH True Herbal, manufactured entirely from organic herbs from its own green farms. As the only Vietnamese dairy firm participating in the fair, TH Group demonstrated a new milestone in the process of delivering Vietnamese fresh and organic milk to the world, organisers said. Impression for distributors Of note, Belinda Yeo, representative of Seven Eleven, said the retail chain will promote the import of TH Groups milk products, following a thorough study of their quality. "TH Groups products will make a great impression on Singaporean consumers, thanks to its excellent taste and quality, she said. Meanwhile, Lim Hock Chee, CEO of Sheng Siong supermarket chain the third largest in Singapore visited the TH Group booth and asked for prices of its products and information about transportation, in the hope of creating a diversified supply of dairy products to Singaporean customers. Currently, Vietnamese rice has developed its presence in this supermarket chain. Many other distributors, such as LVBEI Global Import, High Flyer International limited, Chop Nam Huat SDN BHD and DIMA, also expressed their desire to purchase TH milk products. Surprises for young customers Not only distributors, but many young customers said they were surprised by the strange, but delicious, taste of TH milk products. I have never drank a milk product like this before. It has a distinguished taste and is easy to drink, said 19 year-old Yan Pink. Yan said she hoped TH products will soon be found in Singapore. According to the Rabobank Global Food and Agricultural Research Organisation, Singapore had a relatively high per capita milk consumption in the region in 2017, with 62 litres per capita per year. This figure is expected to continue to grow due to increasing awareness about the benefits of milk, especially fresh and organic milk. For box TH Group is the only Vietnamese dairy firm participating in FHA 2018. From an agricultural perspective, the group has brought new insights to the regions enterprises, where it owns Asias largest dairy farm and uses state-of-the-art processing technologies. Visiting the groups booth, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that TH Group is a typical example of local firms boosting investment in the Vietnamese agricultural sector, and that the group is among the many domestic firms supporting the country in promoting Vietnamese products in foreign markets. He also praised the creativity of the group in researching and manufacturing healthy milk products. VNS The new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday afternoon that US President Donald Trump "will withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement" if it cannot be fixed. "It's pretty straightforward." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Pompeo was speaking on a whirlwind visit to the region, where he had earlier met with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh and stressed the need for unity among Gulf allies as Washington aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran for its missile program. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and PM Netanyahu during joint press conference (: ) X Pompeo hailed the "fantastic conversations" with Netanyahu during a joint press conference, telling him that the US remains "deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats towards Israel and the region." Strong cooperation with strong allies like you is critical to countering Irans destabilizing and malign activities," the former CIA director said, before assuring the Israeli premier that The United states is with Israel in this fight and we strongly support Israels right to defend itself. PM Netanyahu with Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem (Photo: Stern Matty/US Embassy Tel Aviv) The secretary of state also praised President Trump for his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy citya mission he boasted would be completed ahead of schedule. Adding that Trumps decision was a recognition of reality, Pompeo stressed that the final boundaries of Jerusalem remained subject to peace negotiations. Speaking before Pompeo, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that his visit to Israel was symbolic of our friendship, which is deep and getting even deeper and stronger. (Photo: Stern Matty/US Embassy Tel Aviv) You're a true friend of Israel, a true friend of the Jewish people and I look forward to working with you in your new role, Netanyahu said in his opening remarks. Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his bold decision on Jerusalem, which he said had prompted other countries to move their embassies. "I think the greatest threat to the world and to our two countries, and to all countries, is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons, and specifically the attempt of Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. We have had a very productive talk today on this subject," the prime minister continued. People who believed that the Iran nuclear deal would moderate Tehran's behavior were mistaken, Netanyahu asserted, adding that "Iran is trying to gobble up one state after another." Concluding his remarks, the prime minister said, "I can say that today America and Israel are closer than ever before." Prior to the press conference, Netanyahu congratulated Pompeo upon taking office. "We are very proud of the fact that this is your first visit as Secretary of State," Netanyahu said, with Pompeo reciprocating the warm words. (Photo: Stern Matty/US Embassy Tel Aviv) "Youre an incredibly important partner, and occupy a special place in my heart too," Pompeo replied. Ahead of Pompeo's arrival, Netanyahu said the talks would focus on "Iran's growing aggression" in the region and the upcoming US decision on the international nuclear agreement with the Islamic republic. He called Pompeo, who advocates a hard line against Iran, a "true friend" of Israel. The new US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first official trip abroad to punish Iran for its missile programs. Ahead of Pompeo's arrival, Netanyahu said the talks would focus on "Iran's growing aggression" in the region and the upcoming US decision on the international nuclear agreement with Iran. He called Pompeo, who advocates a hard line against Iran, a "true friend" of Israel. State Comptroller Yosef Shapira instructed his staff Sunday to prepare for a thorough inquiry in the wake of the Aravah flash flood that claimed the lives of ten teens , and that sparked harsh criticism of the conduct of the education and defense ministries. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The review will be carried out by a joint staff comprising the Defense Establishment Inquiry Division, which is usually tasked with overseeing the Defense Ministry, the Education and Welfare Inquiry Division, which is tasked with the education system, and the Division for Review of Government Ministries and Institutions, charged with supervising the Public Security Ministry and all agencies subordinate to the ministry. An official in the State Comptroller's Office added that employees from any of the comptroller's other divisions will be brought into the fray as and when necessary. State Comptroller Shapira's office will hold a thorough inquiry into the flood incident (Photo: Gil Yohanan) The investigation into the disaster has been accompanied by a slew of buck-passing attempts between the education and defense ministries regarding responsibility for similar trips. The Education Ministry thus announced Saturday it will form a joint committee with the Defense Ministry and the Joint Council of Pre-Military Academies with the aim of regulating the academies' outdoor activities. Heading the committee will be Education Ministry Director-General Shmuel Abuav, and it will also be staffed by Defense Ministry and council representatives. "This difficult incident shows that a thorough, fundamental review of the academies' outdoor activities is required for their continued operation," an Education Ministry statement said. Earlier Sunday, police investigators from the Tel Aviv District Police's anti-fraud unit confiscated computers and documents from the Bnei Zion pre-military academywhich led the deadly tripas part of their investigation into the deaths at the Zafit Stream Thursday. Police confiscated computers and files from the Bnei Zion academy as part of their investigation (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The academy's principal Yuval Kahan, who is suspected of negligent homicide, was arrested on Friday , along with one of the guides on the trip, in a move that was criticized by some, who questioned whether it was necessary. "This question also bothered me, and I turned to the police and asked them," Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Ynet on Sunday. "It was explained to me that there is a prosecutor who accompanies the investigation, and that there were apparently contradictions in the different versions and concern of obstruction of the investigation, which created the need for the arrest," he explained. Erdan also stressed that the decision to extend the remand of suspects and leave them in police custody is taken by a judge, not the police. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told French President Emmanuel Macron that the nuclear deal signed with the Islamic republic or "any matter under its purview were non-negotiable in any way." "Iran will not accept any limitations beyond what it committed to under the agreement," the Iranian president added. SAO PAULO Lebanese expatriates began voting Sunday in the first parliamentary elections held by the tiny Arab country in nine years. The current legislature has extended its term several times, citing security threats linked to the war in neighboring Syria. Lebanon's political system distributes power among the country's different religious communities, and the main parties are led by political dynasties that fought one another during the 1975-1990 civil war. Sunday's vote in 33 countries comes two days after thousands of Lebanese voted in six Arab countries. IDF soldiers shot to death two Palestinian terrorists on Sunday evening who infiltrated into Israeli territory from the central Gaza Strip, while a third was shot dead in an earlier incident while attempting to breach the southern end of border with another Palestinian, who was taken in for questioning. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Approximately forty minutes later at around 10:40pm, two Palestinians armed with knives and wire cutters were arrested and taken in for questioning after they managed to cross the border from central Gaza into Israel. Drone footage showing Hamas methods (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) In the second incident involving the death of two Palestinians at the same time, the pair reportedly and threw explosive devices at an IDF force. "Two terrorists who infiltrated into Israel hurled explosive devices" at soldiers Sunday night, an IDF statement said. At the end of last month, an IDF force arrested three Palestinians armed with knives and grenades after they had infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip. The terrorists were caught in the Tze'elim area, about 20 kilometers from the Gaza border near Tze'elim kibbutz. The captured terrorists at the end of March (Photo: Barel Efraim) A police sapper was dispatched to the area to neutralize the grenades with the help of a police robot. CCTV footage showed the three terrorists wandering around undisturbed for several minute while the gate to the kibbutz was left wide open. A few days earlier, four Palestinians entered Israel from the Gaza Strip near Kibbutz Kissufim and attempted to torch heavy engineering equipment used for the construction of the underground anti-tunnel barrier. An IDF force approached them and the four fled back to the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinians armed with knives were arrested Sunday evening after crossing the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The suspects, who were also carrying wire cutters, were taken in for questioning. News Washington, DC - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on April 27, on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss our cooperation confronting regional security challenges including Russian malign influence, Irans destabilizing activities in the Middle East, Allied burden-sharing, and threats along NATOs southern flank. The two reiterated their mutual dedication and support to the NATO Alliance. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Alfano agreed to continue to work together to identify opportunities to work in unity with our other Allies to strengthen Europes security. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - On Friday, May 11th, the Main Library will host From Idea to Profit: Introduction to Startups and Small Businesses at 2:00 p.m. Learn about different kinds of businesses, business plans and why you need one, budgeting basics, and more. There is no charge to attend; however, space is limited. The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - The Foothills Library Book Club will meet Saturday, May 12th, to discuss Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption by Bryan Stevenson at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend. Future book club titles include: Saturday, June 9th @ 10:00 a.m. Heresy by S. J. Parris Saturday, July 14th @ 10:00 a.m. Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson The Foothills Library is located at 13226 E. South Frontage Road. For more information, call (928) 342-1640. QUANG NINH It is often said the best way to someones heart is through their stomach. And for three days in Ha Long City, hearts will be jam packed with love thanks to the food filling bellies. Adding to the variety of what the region has to offer, a three day festival for foodies opened Friday. The Mon Asian Food Festival 2018 is being held in Ha Long City showcasing not only the delights on offer in Viet Nam but neighbouring Asian countries. This is a series of events to celebrate the Visit Viet Nam Year 2018 hosted by Quang Ninh Province. The festival features cooking, food talk along with music and dance from art troupes from Viet Nam and other Asian countries like Japan, Korea and Myanmar. More than 100 booths featuring fine cuisine of different countries in the world are also displayed in the festival. Festival goers will have chance to see chef Steven Long, Duong Hai Anh and Nguyen Manh Hung cook dishes like duck sauted, Ha Long oyster. The festival ends on Sunday. VNS Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Today, at approximately 9:09 a.m. Yuma Police Department responded to the area in the 1000 block 11th Street regarding shots fired. When officers arrived they found a male subject lying on the ground who was struck by gunfire. The victim was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. The incident is still under investigation. The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous. Remember if your information leads to an arrest you may receive up to a $1,000 cash reward. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a gang member belonging to the Mara Salvatrucha-13 gang, along with 60 other subjects, after they illegally crossed into the United States last Monday. At approximately 12:05 p.m. Monday, April 16, Yuma Station agents arrested a male 18-year-old El Salvadoran national and 60 other subjects all whom voluntarily surrendered to agents after the group illegally entered the United States east of the San Luis, Arizona Port of Entry. All 61 subjects were transported to the Yuma Station for processing. Agents identified the El Salvadorian man as Herberth Geovani Argueta-Chavez. During initial interviews, he falsely claimed to be an unaccompanied juvenile in hopes of being released. Agents continued questioning Argueta-Chavez and confirmed that he was in fact an adult. He also admitted to being a member of MS-13, although he claimed he was trying to separate from the gang. Arguenta-Chavez stated that his intentions in crossing were to get to Los Angeles, California. Arguenta-Chavez and the 60 other migrants, comprised of one Mexican national and 59 Guatemalan nationals, are being processed for immigration violations. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Yuma Sector Border Patrol welcomed Arizona National Guard Soldiers and Airmen last week to the Yuma Sector headquarters. Leadership greeted 25 National Guard members and provided initial instructions on support requirements. National Guard members arrive at Yuma Sector Headquarters Yuma Sector is highly appreciative of the support we will receive from the men and women of the Arizona National Guard, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Carl Landrum said. The success of Yuma Sector begins with hard working employees, synergistic partnerships with local, state, federal and tribal agencies and the continued support of local citizens and communities." The initial wave of Soldiers and Airmen are assigned to jobs such as vegetation clearing, camera operators, criminal analysts, administration clerks and training assistance. Yuma is expected to receive more than 60 National Guard members over the next few months. The length of tours vary and are subject to changes in mission requirements. Examinations are crucial steps in every student's life especially when it is meant to mark moving from one phase to another. This is why student, teachers and parents will go a long way to ensure that these exams are prepared for. Apart from revising for the scheduled papers, there is a lot more that goes into preparing a student. These includes ensuring that they have all the basics items they need for the exam sessions as well as verifying that all the mandatory requirements for one to sit an exam have been met. One such requirement is having an index number. The WAEC Ghana index number is an important component especially if you are going to sit for the national exams at the end of the year. For this reason therefore, learning how to get it right is a necessity for every candidate. This article simplifies the process of checking index numbers, verifying the numbers and centers that one should visit. Source:233livenews.com Preparing for an exam is not an easy thing. Think of the anxieties that come with doing such a paper. Human nature is such that no one likes to be tested even if they have mastered their art perfectly. Unfortunately most education systems in the world operate o the basis of testing students as an assessment mechanism hence the exams. To better enhance the chances of excelling at such sessions, proper preparation is encouraged. This explains why resources have been poured into preparing students towards national and international exams in a bit to enhance their chances of excelling. This is no different for WAEC exams in Ghana. Preparations begin way early with registration of the exam. Part of these preparations also covers the indexing process which is where students have to be keen or risk not doing their exams at the end of the year. Apart from getting their index numbers, students have to verify these numbers as well as confirm their exam centers in good time. This allows for room to rectify any mistakes that could have been made in the preparation process. In the end it is the student's interests that is protected. This article focuses on some of the aspects of preparation namely getting the index number, verifying the index number and confirming the exam centers. read on to find information that is useful especially if you will be sitting your exam in the Nov/Dec period. READ ALSO:WAEC Ghana BECE grading system WAEC Ghana index number This refers to a ten digit number that one needs in order to gain permission to sit for national exam at the end of the year. It is impossible to sit for an exam without providing the index number. This number is used to uniquely identify students that come into the examination room. Consider the following process when checking for the index number. Fortunately it is a very simple process and a relief for anyone that has been asking of how to check my WASSCE index number. You have to log into the WAEC website which is as follows: http://registration.ghanawaec.org/wassce/AddmissionNotice.aspx. Once you are in the site the next thing you have to do is to enter your invoice number in the section provided. The invoice number would be something like F0216049355. Once this is done you then click continue. You need to not that some browsers especially chrome and Firefox will display a warning message which is considered as an error. When this happens you need to know how to proceed because checking your WAEC index number is crucial. Click on details then visit this site to continue in case this error message continues. The site will open and you can proceed to key in the invoice number which will then generate the index number you are looking for. source:steve-fynn.blogspot.co.ke This procedure is straight to the point and saves you the trouble of having to look for a special non-existent WAEC index number checker 2018. Your Nov-Dec index number can only be available if you log into the official WAEC website. In addition to this, remember that the index number is not only useful when writing your exams. You will also need the number when you are doing your result check when they are out. This means that you need to keep the number memorized for when the time comes. While the procedure is quite simple to follow, it is important to note that it can only work when the release date is given. The WAEC Ghana online index number sheet will be released online between July and August. This is the appropriate time to print out the admission notices as they will be a requirement when sitting the exams that commence on 1st August. The WAEC index number sheet will be made available before the commencement of the exams. It is all a part of the preparation procedure. WAEC Ghana index number confirmation As the exams approach students get anxious and the jitters increase as the date nears. As such most of the students worry about verifying and confirming everything. Top on the list of items to be verified is the index number and exam center. While it is a good idea to confirm prior to the exam there is no need to be worked about about the entire process. After all, it is easy to verify if your number is correct. Check out the following WAEC index number verification process. First you need to log into the WAEC website just as you did when checking for the index number Click on the entry marked verification of candidates statements Click on the drop down list Choose the appropriate examination type between BECE and WASSCE. Enter your ten digit index number given in the first process Click on check entry Finally click on get entries to verify that the index number is correct. How to check your Nov-Dec centers in Ghana- How to check my index number and centers Once you have checked your WAEC Ghana Nov Dec index number as described above, the next sensible thing to do would be to check for the examination center so that you can know where you will be writing each paper in advance. Inasmuch as reading and revising for your exams is important, mental preparation and settled state is crucial as you ready yourself for the exam. For you to be sure of the centers therefore here is how to go about it. Source:exposeGHANA.com Log into WAEC Registration Portal using link below. Click the "click here for admission notice" link. Ignore warning on bottom right by clicking "ignore warning". Fill in your index number or invoice number. Click continue to view and print your Nov/Dec centers. A big part of any students success lies in how well prepared they are for the paper ahead of them. This is why there is a lot of emphasis on the confirmation of the index number and other mandatory requirements that will be needed when sitting for the exams. It is not only disappointing to show up for a paper and fail to do it because of not having confirmed simple details before hand, but it can be devastating to a student considering the amount of investment they have put towards their end of year exam. The taxing revisions and sacrifices for the year to focus on your education will all go down the drain. To avoid such happenings therefore it is recommended that students take some time to check if their index numbers in good time. In addition to these, they ought to verify the index numbers as well as the examination centers for which they have been assigned to sit their papers. This is the only way to guarantee that they are on the right track as far as exam preparation is concerned. Source: Yen Ghana The NSS assessment form is basically a duty report document where your supervisor notes down your punctuality and attitude towards your work and gives remarks on whether you are fit and certified for the task assigned. It also contains identification details for you and your supervisor such as name, phone number, email address, NSS number, institution attended as well as the immediate supervisors rank and the name of the organization he represents. Source:facebook.com The NSS documents are usually in three main categories; monthly assessment, after-the-end-of-service and the rules and regulation guide. The NSS monthly assessment form should be renewed and signed after every four weeks in a specified time frame, while the end of service form is only applicable once you are done with your assigned task. The National Service Scheme is a program that was established way back in 1973 by the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Education with its National Secretariat in the capital city Accra and offices distributed in various designated regions and districts all over the country. Its main aim was to sharpen the skills of freshly graduated post students from the tertiary institutions through practical national work which was to be used for the development and improvement of both the public and private economic sectors of Ghana. Even though it was initially intended for every citizen above eighteen years of age to participate in the program, it, later on, narrowed to the tertiary institution graduates who are not less than eighteen years of age and became mandatory for every postgraduate student to take part in it. READ ALSO: Nss Pin Code 2017/2018 Advantages of the program Through the program, the government is guaranteed that there is adequate, reliable and competent manpower needed to drive the primary sectors of the national economy to greater heights. Additionally, apart from the human resource surety, this initiative has also played a crucial role in answering some of the worrying questions that the citizens have been contemplating about for centuries, such as the effectiveness of the education system in solving the contemporary issues that the country is facing. There were also people who had doubts on how the national service personnel can be used in uplifting and developing the rural places through the simple economic activities such as farming. Furthermore, through the speedy advancement of science and technology, there was a need for some services such as internet connection and computer education to be taught and accessed by the ordinary people of the country. Fortunately, this government-sponsored initiative has proven to be very helpful in translating the classroom lessons and into practical work that can be acknowledged and appreciated by the Ghanaians. Currently, the number of human resourced deployed into the private and public institutions is enough to sustain the economy without the need to import from abroad. The National Service Scheme usually works hand in hand to ensure with other agencies to make sure the rural development and public education programs are running efficiently throughout the country. This experience is also helpful not only for the government or the ordinary people but the young passionate personnel as well, since they handed over the opportunity to improve on their skills and apply whatever thing they were taught in the classroom on a practice field. They are always presented with the unique layout of reality every time they are on the field and hence getting the opportunity to use their skills such as planning, creativity, individual initiative, teamwork, strategic thinking, innovation as well as community mobilization. All of which are crucial for prospective future leaders. Source:facebook.com Objectives of the Initiative Well, the primary objective of the program is to ensure there is their adequate personnel in all the major sectors of the economy who are not only strong and educated but intelligent as well. That is why there is NSS annual assessment form meant to test the competency of the recruited members before deploying them into various economic sectors. Generally, the growth and development of any nation depends highly on the quality of skills of its personnel and hence the need for such a program. Additionally, there have been various contemporary issues that the country has been facing such as illiteracy, hunger, disease, and unemployment which can be relatively resolved through the use of such an initiative to empower the citizens with knowledge and practical skills in combating the shortcomings. The program has also shown tremendous improvement in fostering unity and strengthening bonds among the citizens of Ghana which was also a goal for the program. Through interaction and mutual understanding among the personnel themselves as well as the ordinary people, it has generated a sense of empathy and acknowledgment of peoples of background and hence the existence of harmonious living. The government is also well appreciated by the citizens for its contribution to this program. There is no better way of encouraging togetherness and spirit of national service than recruiting and empowering the local citizens with opportunities to sharpen their skills and take part in the building of the nation in active participation. Letting the citizens be aware of their national rights and obligations in the building of their own nation is what every responsible government does for its country. READ ALSO: NSS registration 2017/2018 The initiative, though still works relentlessly, aims to provide essential amenities not only for people in urban town but also all rural places across every region in the country. The amenities which include proper medical facilities and staff, as well as enough number of teachers in all the regions, not to mention electricity and water supplies, can only be achieved through the National Service Scheme of the Ghanaian government. The manpower that the programs seek and trains is enough to deal with such flaws. Source:facebook.com Steps for an NSS assessment form download The procedure of getting the kind of form you need, whether it is the NSS end of service assessment form or the monthly duty report, is not that challenging, now that internet access is swift across many parts of the country. There are simple procedures, fortunately, that you are required to adhere to, before getting the kind of form you need; You are required to visit the National Service Scheme through this link; https://nss.gov.gh/home/rules-and-regulations Once on the Home page, browse through the navigation options which are on top of the screen to the Download option and click on it. Once on the download page, there are four different optional documents that you can be able to download; The steps to your mandatory service document, the NSS monthly assessment form, the enrollment form and the NSS end of year assessment form. Click on your preferable form and the download process would start immediately provided there is network coverage. Alternatively, when seeking the NSS assessment form 2018 you can as well go directly go through this link; https://nss.gov.gh/nssassessmentform.pdf and the form will pop up on your screen ready for download. Nonetheless, just like the monthly report document, the NSS annual assessment form 2018 should also be completed and submitted at the District office of the Ghana National Service Scheme, within a specified duration or there would be consequences. Additionally, all the form should also be stamped and signed by the supervisor or else it would be rendered invalid. Exemption from the National Service Well, in as much as its mandatory for all the individuals above the age eighteen to join who have completed their tertiary levels to join, those who are forty years old and more are however exempted from this exercise. The training is usually rigorous and requires a lot of mental focus and energy which people above the age of forty may not be that swift and attentive as their juniors. Other than the age limit, people who have also undergone the training and received the certifications at an earlier date, are also exempted and asked to pave way for their incoming freshly graduated counterparts. Nonetheless, they still need to show their documentary evidence before being excused. After completion of the exercise, the service person shall be merited with a Certificate of National Service once the assessment form, which has been signed and commented by him/her, has been completed by his/her employer, and submitted to the Regional Coordinator; by the end of May of every year. The service person ought to have successfully completed their compulsory one-year national service before considering themselves certified. Offenses of the National Service Scheme Act The NSS is a government mandated program which has rules that are well stipulated and made part of the government's constitution. Its usually governed by the Act 426 under which there are certain behaviors that are considered offensive, which include; Evasion. Evading the training is not an option, not unless you are forty years and above or have already completed the program at an earlier date. There is only a three-month window and leniency for people who have not reported their postings on the stipulated date, after which appropriate actions under the Act 426 become applicable. Desertion Desertion is also another capital offense under the initiative. Personnel who have deserted their training without finishing their full period are also given three months lenience after which they regarded as evaders and proper sanctions thereafter become applicable. In case, they return back to their postings, they are required to start afresh, while the period they served earlier on is rendered null and void. Self-posting Self-posting is strongly prohibited and service personnel who post themselves to the institutions of their liking other than those assigned by the National Service Scheme, either with or without the knowledge of their supervisors or the heads of those institutions are usually rendered self-posters and hence their services will consequently not be acknowledged or recognized by the board. Sources:facebook.com Terms of the Service Well, the service is supposed to run for one year immediately after completion of the tertiary education. Regardless of the region where you undertook your studies, whether abroad or within, you are still required to join the program. All the post students are required to adhere to the rules and regulations of the NSS and in a situation where the rules of the establishment where service personnel are posted contradict to the NSS laws, the latter is used as a reference for disciplinary measures. As for the payment, the service personnel is paid monthly allowances which are usually determined by the Ministry of Finance. The approved payment normally remains fixed and not altered in between the course of your service. The payment process only commences once the service persons report to their assigned institutions and runs until the completion of the service. Nonetheless, personnel who have been posted in corporations, statutory boards, church or quasi-churches institutions are required to be paid by those organizations and not the NSS. There is usually one months break or formally referred to as months annual terminal leave in their course of service delivery. This break is usually in the month of August to all the persons regardless of the areas they have been posted in. There is a maternity leave for the expectant female personnel that runs up to three months. However, the three-month period should be well compensated once the service person resumes back to work. When the leave permit is issued, the supervisors or heads of the agencies are required to inform both the executive director and the Regional Directors of the NSS to ensure the change is noted and acknowledged by the relevant authority, the same applies when the personnel resume back to work. Nonetheless, there would be no payment or allowances issued during the three-month maternity break until she resumes work to the posted area. This terms are well stipulated in the Act and made aware of all the service personnel before they begin their tasks. You can learn more about NSS in their website through the frequently asked questions, FAQ. Source: Yen Established 25 years ago, The University of Education Winneba is one of the leading prestigious institutions of higher education in Ghana. The University of Education Winneba registration process is seamless since its upgrade in 2004. As a result, it incorporated seven diploma-awarding colleges under one umbrella institution reaching out to more students in Ghana.Read on to know more about this reputable institution. Source: Modern Ghana The colleges that were absorbed include: St. Andrews Agricultural Training College, Mampong- Ashanti The Advanced Technical Training College, Kumasi The College of Special Education, Akwapim-Mampong The School of Ghana Languages, Ajumako The Specialist Training College and National Academy of Music, all at Winneba The Advanced Teachers Training College When interested in online registration for University of Education Winneba, there are standard procedures put in place. The applicant is expected to buy UEW online application voucher using a debit card of the banks given by the university. Upon completion, you need to keep your voucher and pin safe as they are necessary when checking for your application status. University of Education Winneba course registration For direct one needs GHc 2OO for undergraduate and diploma. It is precisely for SSS/WASSCE applicants. Diploma in Education GHc 200.00 Post Diploma GHc 200.00 and it applies to applicants with a higher national diploma within the brochure. Mature GHc 300.00 and it is for applicants are 25 years of age. International is for applicants who are not Ghanaians.and goes for $100.00 After completing the above, the following should be put into consideration: Your application form depends on the voucher you purchase and it goes as far as determining assessment of your application. Use a passport photo size picture in jpg format and not exceeding 128 kilobytes. It a must for it to have a white background. If the photo does not meet the following specifications, the picture will be rejected. Source: University of Education, Winneba The University of education winneba registration online is a seamless process as long as one follows the process to the latter. To complete the process without a hassle, ensure you have the following attached and scanned documents. SSNIT card National Identification Card Birth Certificate Academic certificate Transcript of academic records WAEC result slip All these documents will help in your application. The forms could be in pdf, jpg, or png form. Proceed to the provided website and log in using the pin and serial number given by the bank. Lastly, do not forget to submit your application and most importantly print a copy for yourself. University of Education Winneba graduation registration The University of Education Winneba conducts its graduation ceremonies annually and this year's 22nd graduation will not be any different. For Winneba campus, the closing date for registration will be on the 16th of April 2018. For Mampong and Kumasi, their last day of registration is on the 23rd of April. Students are expected to carry out their certification before these dates, and only those who have done an online registration will be present for the graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, the congressional are expected in formal attire while the gentleman should have a tie with a shirt preferably with a jacket. The men must take off their mortarboards, while the women should leave their mortar boards on. Source: Education Ghana During the ceremony, the UEW anthem will be performed. The dates of graduation for the different campuses are as follows. Winneba campus will have their celebration on the 20th, and the 21st of April 2018. The occasion will start at 8.30 am on both days. For Asante Mampong campus, they will have the ceremony on the 27th of April 2018. Lastly, Kumasi Campus will hold its graduation on the 27th and 28th of April 2018. UEW has continuously proven to be the best among its peers in the higher education sector. For instance, the University of Education Winneba Kumasi Campus creation was to reach out to more Ghanaians who wanted to pursue their higher education. It houses the College of Technology Education and is strategically located 280 kilometers north of Accra, and 320 kilometers from Winneba. The campus offers the following faculties: Faculty of education and communication science Faculty of technical education Faculty of vocational Faculty of business education Presently the stakeholders in the school are pursuing all avenues possible to ensure students start getting their results via the internet without necessarily coming into the campus premises. They hope that the country will install a robust ICT infrastructure, which will aid in facilitating this process. Currently, the university has a population of 6,500 students out of which 60% are females. Their portal osis.uew.edu.gh has traffic of around 2900 visitors with around 13,050-page view, which earns them about $23.20 daily. The uew osis, which is their website is ranked 116,025 in the world and on global internet users it covers for 0.00058%. Source: UEW gh University of Education Winneba course registration To ensure students dont rules and regulations put in place, the management at UEW has come up with a process to ensure everything at their campuses run smoothly during the course registration exercise. They include: There will be no more printout of registration forms after the deadline Students who are reporting back from deferral must come with copies of their deferral approval letters to the Students Records Office (SRO) at the academic division. It helps in updating their records. After confirmation, students need to print out a copy of their registration slip and present it to their specific department for endorsement. Manuals, instructional videos and brochures are online to assist students in the process of registration. There are also links provided to make each step easy. Courses need to be confirmed to make for them to register students and lecturers portals. This is what makes the University of Education Winneba programmes the best. Students need to pay attention to the credit hours, course code, and course title. The Liberal/African courses have a quota and they are registered on a first come first serve basis. Source: cghcsda.org Students should visit the registration page before starting to register for courses For optional and elective courses, one needs to choose courses as applicable. Course list for various programmes are uploaded on the university website for students to familiarize themselves. To complete the registration for the semester, one needs to have the student portal. Before gaining access to the registration process, one ought to have completed their school fees. The uew admission list is strictly for students who follow the rules. For any problems, the student support service office is available in the finance office for assistance. The second semester registration for 2017/2018 is a self-registration exercise. Late registration attracts a fee of GH 20.00 a day. Students are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations to the latter. Students should take note of the registration deadlines as defaulting students will be fined. The University of Education Winneba has a turnkey of approaches to ensure that students who come out from the institution are well placed in the society. It is made possible by them following a charismatic and fundamental principle that guides them daily in their daily services. Source: UEW gh Some of the aims of the facility include: Fostering links between the community and schools to ensure that the training of teachers is holistic. Training the best tutors who provide tertiary institutions and colleges an education that is second to none. Offering the teaching fraternity with confidence when providing lessons to non formal education institutions and senior secondary schools. Foster a systematic advancement to the science teachers while providing them with higher education. READ ALSO: University of Education Winneba Courses and Cut Off Points The most outstanding feature within the institution is the Department of Information and Communication Technology that was put up ten years ago.It was established as a department that dealt with education matters, but so many good things have come from it. Presently, it operates under the division of technical and academic units. It has five professional support staff, two instructional facilitators, one system analyst, and ten faculty members. Before September 2008, it operated as an independent unit in charge of evaluating and implementing ICT projects and programmes that included troubleshooting, installation of equipment and software, managing the University Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks. Since its inclusion as one of the academic departments, it now has some added responsibilities offering technical support for administrative and academic support staff, setting up the BSc (ICT education) program, and the provision of technology professional development workshops and training. Source: UEW gh University of Education Winneba distance learning admissions The long distance learning programs application forms at UEW are on sale until end of April 2018. It will be for both the post diploma and mature applicants. The degree programs available include: 4 year B.Sc in Mathematics education 4 year B.A in English 4 year B.Ed in Early Childhood Education 4 year B.Ed in basic education The diploma and post diploma take beteeb two and three years in the whole institution including the Winneba south campus. Their respected programs are Bachelor, Post Diploma, and Diploma in: Science in Mathematics Education Business Administration in Human Resource Management Business Administration in Accounting Studies Early Childhood Education Basic Education People who also want to pursue long distance programs in undergraduate and Masters have not been left behind. All you need is to meet the maximum criteria for the courses applied for. The application into the distance-learning program is via hard copy or online mode. Source: UEW gh Those using the online platform can access the application forms from Ecobank Ghana Ltd, G.C.B bank, Agricultural Development Bank, HFC bank, Visa/Debit card, Unibank, Fidelity Bank, and Zenith Bank. As for their counterparts using the hard-copy, the Bankers Draft can be purchased in favor of the University of Education Winneba postgraduate programs. For any queries, candidates should visit the UEW website for more information and guidance. Upon the completion of filling the forms, the following terms and conditions apply. Applicants with GCE advanced level certificates should not be more than five years old from the time of applying. Names must be written in full. Initials will not be accepted, and if necessary, the candidates with abbreviated names need to swear an affidavit and attach it to the forms. Students who have changed their names on marital grounds, only the gazetted names are acceptable? Therefore, applicants should attach the relevant gazetted documents on their forms. All certificates other than those from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) the Universities within Ghana and Institutions certified by the National Accreditation Board should be cleared with the board and an evaluation report attached to the application form. University of Education Winneba campus Just like all the years applicants for the sandwich programs are invited to hand in their applications for the different courses they want to pursue. In the sandwich session some of the programs provided include English, French translation, teaching English as a second language. French, postgraduate diploma in Braille, special education, home science, aong so many others. In spite of the various programs perfectly tailored for students with different abilities, University of Education Winneba and cut off points are necessary. Source: UEW gh Their different campuses provide MSC information technology education and executive masters in human rights, conflict, and peace studies. These particular lectures are conducted over the weekend. To apply for the programs, students can get the forms ADB bank, Zenith Bank, Prudential bank, Universal Merchant Bank, HFC bank, Ecobank, GCB ,and Unibank. For more information you can visit their website. All completed online application forms should be accompanied with the following: Three referee report A recent passport size photograph Copies of transcripts of academic record Copies of certificates Above all, applicants should consider the following: Any change to the address should be communicated promptly to the Dean, School of Graduate Students. No application will be processed unless all requirements are fully met. Certificates from universities within Ghana and those accredited by the WAEC should be attached to the completed forms. Changing a course after submitting an application form is not allowed. The University of Education Winneba is an accredited institution tat provides students with programs well suiting to their needs. READ ALSO: GIJ registration online 2018-2019 Source: Yen.com.gh - Shatta Wale on Thursday paid a courtesy call on British High Commissioner, Iain Walker - Shatta presented a t-shirt and a CD to Iain Walker - Iain Walker later posted on Twitter that he was thinking of swapping jobs with Shatta Wale Dancehall stalwart Shatta Wale has paid a courtesy call on the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Iain Walker, at his office in Accra. Accompanying Shatta Wale on the special visit on Thursday, 26th April 2018, were members of his management team. The meeting between Shatta Wale and Iain Walker, YEN.com.gh understands, was used to discuss matters concerning partnership for the development of the country together with stakeholders within the Creative Arts Industry. READ ALSO: PHOTOS: Meet the girl Shatta Wale is reportedly dating after Shatta Michy break up Also, at the meeting, Shatta Wale presented a branded Shatta Movement T-Shirt, and copies of a compilation of Shatta Wales songs on a compact disc to Iain Walker. Shatta Wale presents a Shatta Movement t-shirt and a CD to Iain Walker Following their meeting, the High Commissioner posted photos on Twitter with the caption, "thinking about a job swap. @shattawalegh." Shatta Wale responded saying "we should quickly do a job swap quickly....". Its safe to say that the law graduate from the University of Dundee, who is also UK Ambassador to Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso, is the latest Shatta Movement recruit. READ ALSO: Kumawood actor reveals the real reason why Kwaku Manu was arrested Shatta Wale seems to easily befriend British High Commissioners. Iain Walker's predecessor, Jon Benjamin openly declared his love and support for Shatta Wale. Even after leaving Ghana, Jon Benjamin, whom Shatta Wale refers to as Shatta Jon, is still very much in contact with the Dancehall act. The two recently hanged out together when Shatta Wale visited London last year. Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on or Instagram now. Source: Yen Newspaper Baby mama of self-proclaimed king of dancehall in Ghana, Shatta Michy, has sent a very strong warning to her fans and fans of her ex-lover, Shatta Wale. The warning is simple. She shas asked them not to relate all her posts to the current state of her relationship with Shatta Wale Shatta Wale and Shatta Mitchy are going through hard times as the two have been reported to have gone their separate ways. Shatta Michy READ ALSO: Flashback: What Jewel Ackah told NDC before his death Earlier this month, the two became the talk of social media when Shatta Michy posted things on her FacebSook wall that suggested that she had been abused by Shatta Wale. She even asked him to come out clean and tell social media how he got his two mansions in East Legon. Shatta Wale has refused to comment on the issue and has indicated that the issues are complicated. But in a post on Facebook, Shatta Mitchy asked her followers not to relate whatever she posts on her timeline with her current relationship issues. She said Hi fam, can you all pls not relate every post of mine to my SITUATION-ship ?? I cant give thanks to God in peace again?? Relax ,people. READ ALSO: Ghanaians angry over photo of alleged pastor misconduct Watch the trending news on YEN.com.gh this week: READ ALSO: Jackie Appiah runs for cover as camera captures her without wig Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook now. Source: Yen Ghana - The presidency has shot down allegations that government wants to legalize homosexuality - A statement from the presidency says Nana Addo will never legalize same-sex marriage - Same-sex marriage is frowned against in Ghana despite no existing laws against the act President of the republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, has officially stated his position on the legalization of gay rights in Ghana. In a presidential press release, Nana Addo stated emphatically that gay marriage will never be legalized while he is president of Ghana. READ ALSO: From rape and torture to fame and freedom: Meet Ghanaian female runner making it big in America This brings to rest months of speculation and suspicion that the presidency is conspiring to legalize homosexuality. The president remains focused on delivering on his mandate and improving the quality of Ghanaian people. It will not be under his presidency that gay marriage will be legalized - Excerpts of the statement indicates. Earlier on, the general secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah alleged that Nana Addo had chosen to 'let men marry men and women marry women' but the presidency described these allegations as false and vile. Before this statement, the Statesman newspaper claimed on its online portal that the head of communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhim, was about issuing a press statement in this stead. "This website has gotten a press release signed by the Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Mr. Eugene Arhin stating that the President hasn't been a human rights advocate all his life is determined to once again make another emphatic human rights push for the legalization of same-sex through a series of processes and finally being passed by the Parliament of Ghana," excerpts of the online newspaper revealed. YEN.com.gh cannot confirm the truth of this report but it also raises questions about ongoing developments in the presidency regarding whether or not the government will be legalizing homosexuality. So far, the minister of information, Mustapha Hamid has stated that government has no interest in even raising the issue of homosexuality for discussion. Watch the trending news on YEN.com.gh this week: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now. Source: Yen News Self-styled Ghanaian Bishop of God, Daniel Obinim has commanded two wedding rings from the realms of the spirit for two single female members of his church. The two female members who had called on Bishop Obinim recently during church service at his Tema branch, narrated how they were getting worried in finding husbands. Daniel Obinim READ ALSO: Patapaa, Pappy Kojo, Mr Eazi's 'Akwaaba' song trends in Japan (Video) The controversial preacher after listening to the church members, in his wisdom resorted to instant solution in order to find husbands for the two young women who appeared desperate in their marriage request. In a video believed to have been recorded at the Tema branch of the International Gods Way Church, Bishop Obinim pulled out a surprise as he was seen commanding two wedding rings out of the spiritual realms to give out to the two female members. The two female members aged 31 and 29 who looked ready to do anything they could to get married this year were seen excited and jumping around the church auditorium after the so called wedding rings were placed on their fingers. READ ALSO: Video of Kenyan-based pastor 'exposing' secrets behind Obinims 'fake' miracles pops up However, the church video upon its release appears to have angered a section of the Ghanaian public on various social media platforms, as they express anger at the conduct of Bishop Obinim. Daniel Obinim has over the years caught the attention of many Ghanaians including religious leaders for his numerous miracles and other spiritual exercises performed during church services. The Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana Pentecostal Council have over the years condemn him for his fake miracles and spiritual exercises. But the religious leader seems focused and even performing more questionable miracles and getting more church members by day. Recently, Bishop Obinim allegedly conjured a passport from his shoe and also launched a miracle sticker purported to be doing all impossible thing in life. READ ALSO: 12 photos of fake pastors and prophets doing bad things Top 4 Scandal Quotes from Moesha Boduong CNN Interview: 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 Ghana Back in Viet Nam: Mathilde Tuyet Tran travelled to the northernmost point of Lung Cu flagpole in the north Viet Nam News Mathilde Tuyet Tran* looks back to the events of April 30, 1975 and what that date means for her. She writes exclusively for Viet Nam News. It was a Wednesday. April 30, 1975. A day Ill never forget. For those of us living in Europe at that time we could be found either working or in college. As we were all in a different time zone, we learned about events in Sai Gon that day hours after it had actually happened. I was at college in what was still West Germany at the time. The Aachen University. We watched the television reports and listened to the radio open mouthed. Jaws dropped as we took in the news. Sai Gon was lost or Sai Gon was liberated. Was the glass of water half full or half empty? My mood back then was hard to put into words. As the crow flies, the distance between my location and my home country is a little short of 10,000 kilometres. Thats a fair trek but sat where we were listening intently as the news unfolded, I felt a long way from home. The reports we heard left me feeling a sense of deep frustration. Private equities were nationalised, people undergoing re-education. Businessmen dispatched to new economic zones. And boat people left the country. Some friends immediately applied for political asylum before applying for citizenship in their adopted countries. Others took a different route, wanting new passports issued by the government back home in Viet Nam. In the heat of the moment events in my own life took a new twist. I was part of a Solidarity Society, a group of young intellectuals coming from the South of Viet Nam to study in Western Europe. It was a patriotic well-structured group, who united against the US involvement in Viet Nam. I was branded unethical by revolutionary standards by some local and central committee and was expelled from the group by my college peers. One of the punishments banned me contacting my college friends, who until then were still sharing our ideals and endeavours. I was too young to fight back. The peer pressure was too much. And as much as I disagree with what was ethical and what was not, I held my head high and walked my own path. Mathilde Tuyet Tran (front row, third left) during her college years in Aachen, West Germany Photo courtesy of Professor Dr. Erich Frese Later, the Solidarity Society dissolved, but I did not care as I was not a part of it any more. I became as free as a bird, proud but at the same time lonely. I finished college and got a job. I worked in the former West Germany looking after my own family and concentrating on work. But there was a piece of my heart broken that could never be healed. I tried to reconnect with old friends but all ties were lost. It has been nearly 50 years since 1975, but during all those years, I still keep in touch with my family in Viet Nam. I visited my parents and relatives during the hard time of the economic embargo. I saw that the family was still getting by. The only thing I noticed was that everyone was thinner than before. May be my mother had worked really hard to keep the family running and not letting me know of her hard times. Today, Im back in my former Sai Gon, which of course is now known as Ho Chi Minh City. Its 14 million residents help sustain a bustling economy. Personally, I believe I have remained faithful to my ideals. But what about the people I once called friends? Those who dismissed me in the name of revolution? Some of them have changed. When we meet and chat in detail, the topics are wide ranging. Democracy, multi-partisanship, social development, education, arts and culture. But during these conversations I always ask the same thing. If all the western standards they hang on to, were they really the standards? Do they see the other side of those values? Is reality true to what you hear? Ill never forget Wednesday April 30, 1975. Someone once said on that very day millions of people rejoiced while many others shed a tear. One things for sure, if anyone tries to tell me everybody was happy, I know they would be wrong. Fifty years is a long time to a persons life, but its still short in the current of history. I see the common benefit rising above the personal discomfort. Many people have lost their lives, their belongings, and their futures for peace to arrive in this land. Their sacrifices allow others to live better lives. The brutal images about the war in Viet Nam have not faded in the minds of many people. The painful aftermath of the war still lingers. Memories are still retold so that in the future, we will not make the same mistakes. Everyone, every family shared their losses so history could be changed. One positive thing is today people live in peace. Vietnamese society has made positive development, has opened up to the rest of the world yet there are still shortcomings, bad practices that need to change. But no country is perfect. Contrary to the propaganda, the so-called Iron curtain no longer segregates people. Today Vietnamese travellers can freely roam the world. They join the travellers from all over the world. The tourists from Viet Nam have evolved from just shopping, to sight-seeing and to become more cultured. World travellers come to Viet Nam year in, year out. The country took them by surprise at how free they can get around, how active the transportation and the economy is, and a bustling food industry thats grasped everyone, young and old alike. Today there are thousands and thousands of Vietnamese students studying overseas, a number that has long surpassed those when I was at college. Students from Viet Nam can be credited for their hard work and academic excellence. The upper-middle class in Viet Nam has increased. The wealth levels can be seen easily through the designer clothes on sale in stores countrywide. Viet Nam has established diplomatic relationship with 180 countries and has been recognised by 69 countries as a market economy, except for the United States and some big players in the European Union due to some technical requirements. The history of Viet Nam shall be challenged even more. In the new era, there will be new challenges, because the country is located at a strategic position of the East Sea. The most important focus for the future now rests in education. The general mindset of the people still needs to improve as popular knowledge, professional expertise and command of a foreign language remains limited. We cannot rely on the internet to cover the shortcomings in education. Education enables culture and refines character. National unity and security shall be top priority, considering the new challenges of the world and regional political situation. Other fields such as gender equality, traffic accidents and arts development shall follow suit. For such reasons, April 30 is no longer simply a happy or sad day. It has become the Day of Solidarity and of National Reunification to maintain peace on this land. We all need to remind ourselves that only with a common cause, can we survive and only when the people become wealthy, can the country become strong VNS *Mathilde Tuyet Tran, 66, graduated from Aachen University in Germany with a MBA in 1986. She worked in Germany until 2000 and retired in France. Fluent in German, French and English, she is author of five books published in France and Viet Nam. We live in country where women do not feel free to express their feelings to men that they like. A Ghanaian lady Our society deems women who express love to men as cheap and unworthy, so Ghanaian women have learnt to bottle up their feelings for men they like. Sometimes, they are lucky that the guy also likes them and expresses that to them. On some occasions, however, many women lose out on love because they can not express their feelings to men they like. Despite this challenge, Ghanaian women have come up with ingenious ways of letting guys they like know without saying so explicitly. Trust Ghanaian women to always find their way around problems. Here are seven things a guy will hear if a Ghanaian lady likes him: 1. " I don't want your girls to break my head." They want to know if you have a girlfriend. 2. "Abi you dawg me" They want to hear from you more. READ ALSO: 10 men you will surely meet at every Ghanaian wedding ceremony 3. "You just forgot about me" They miss you. 4. "Have you eaten?" They care about you. 5. "When are you taking me out?" They like you a lot. 6. "You are so annoying" They want you to continue what you are doing. 7. When am I seeing you? They want to be with you. READ ALSO: Eight lies Ghanaian men tell if they like a lady How else do ladies communicate that they like a guy? Share your views with us in the comments section below. Do you have hot news or a scandal? Send it to us on Facebook now! READ ALSO: 12 photos that explain why most pastors will go to hell Source: Yen.com.gh Beijing General Director of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Nguyen Duc Loi met head of the Communist Party of China Central Committees Propaganda Department Huang Kunming in Beijing, China on April 26 morning, as part of his working trip from April 24-28. Huang said traditional friendship between the two Parties and States has been growing in diverse areas, including press and media cooperation. He expressed his belief that the visit will further deepen collaboration between Xinhua News Agency and the VNA, thereby promoting China Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The VNA General Director expressed his delight at visiting China at the invitation of Xinhua News Agency on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of cooperation agreement between the two news agencies. He informed the host about the outcomes of his talks with leader of Xinhua News Agency and wished that press agencies of both countries would increase exchanges to share experience in new media development. During talks with President of Xinhua News Agency Cai Mingzhao earlier on April 25, Nguyen Duc Loi briefed the host on the VNAs achievements over the past years, adding that as mouthpieces of the governments, both sides play an active role in stepping up the bilateral friendship. He asked both sides to enhance the exchange of young reporters and editors and continue with training courses for VNA staff. Cai, for his part, introduced Xinhua News Agencys achievements since both sides signed the professional cooperation agreement for 2017-2020 in Hanoi in May 2017. He added that Xinhua is focusing on multimedia development. The host proposed facilitating visits by high-ranking leaders of the two agencies, extending collaboration and sharing television news and press photos. In the morning the same day, the VNA delegation paid a working trip to the headquarters of the Peoples Daily. President of the Peoples Daily Li Baoshan and VNA General Director Loi affirmed that high-ranking visits by the two countries leaders in 2017 consolidated the friendship between the two Parties and States, thereby boosting ties between their mainstream press agencies, and between Peoples Daily and the VNA and Nhan Dan (People) newspaper in particular. They highlighted orientations for the future press development as well as comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries Parties, States and people. Visiting Binhai new area of Chinas Tianjin city on April 27, the VNA delegation learned about its economic development model. In the afternoon the same day, Politburo member and Secretary of the Tianjin municipal Party Committee Li Hongzhong hosted a reception for the Vietnamese guests. Li said Tianjin and Vietnamese localities have conducted regular exchanges, and Tianjin firms will arrive in Vietnam to share experience and seek investment opportunities. Nguyen Duc Loi, in reply, said with economic, scientific and financial potential, Tianjin city will thrive in the near future and further cooperate with Vietnamese localities. Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi also joined the delegations activities.-VNA A tank rolls into Saigon on April 30, 1975, while curious people chat with the newly arrived soldiers. Courtesy photos of Claudia Krich Viet Nam News By Claudia Krich* Thursday (April 30, 2015) was the 40th anniversary of the full American pullout from Viet Nam. We hear a lot about those who fled and the suffering they endured. The assumption has been that after the Americans left, there was a terrible bloodbath in [South] Viet Nam, but history should get both sides of this story correct, now, 40 years later. There was no bloodbath. I was one of a handful of Americans who stayed in Saigon while the rest were fleeing and helping panicked Vietnamese friends and staff do the same at the end of April 1975. The propaganda had been extensive and effective in Saigon that the conquering North Vietnamese and National Liberation Front soldiers would maim, murder, mutilate and destroy. But they didnt. I had been in Viet Nam two years already, and stayed in Saigon until July 1975, thus witnessing first-hand the change of power and the first few months after the American-supported South Vietnamese yielded full power to the National Liberation Front and the North Vietnamese, (also called simply the Vietnamese). We lived in Quang Ngai, a poor town near My Lai in central Viet Nam, where we directed a civilian rehabilitation programme and hosted visiting journalists and officials. During the time we lived there, the area was controlled by the South Vietnamese during the day, and by the Liberation Front (locals against the Americans and South Vietnamese) during the night. As the South Vietnamese Government began to crumble, we fled to Saigon. But we learned later that the transition had been peaceful. In fact, the Liberation Front had entered the town 24 hours after the South Vietnamese officials had already left.We decided not to leave, and to see the change in Saigon for ourselves. So when the Americans were putting people on helicopters at the embassy, we stayed. Of course, there was danger. It was a war. There were bombs, rockets, artillery and random rifle fire by scared soldiers in the last days. America also was testing other less conventional weapons until the very end. A few weeks before the end of the war, the South Vietnamese dropped an American CBU 55 bomb on civilian Vietnamese, killing everyone and every creature in range that breathed oxygen. The United States also tested agent orange and white phosphorus on the Vietnamese population. We dropped carpet bombs and cluster bombs and, of course, planted hundreds of thousands of land mines. And there was the C5A aircraft that was packed with children, but unbalanced, that crashed in mid-April 1975, killing 138 people. Saigons population had been mostly shielded from the war until the end, while those who lived outside the city suffered for years and years. In April 1975, the danger and the war reached Saigon and the residents panicked. We spent the night of April 30 in a little house on a little alley. A truck carrying North Vietnamese soldiers, foreground left, is stuck in a huge traffic jam on May 1, 1975, as everyone was out on the streets following the American pullout. South Vietnamese soldiers arrive on May 1, 1975, at Van Hanh University in Saigon, where they discarded their uniforms and guns, then left as ordinary civilians. Claudia Krich, kneeling at left, is one of three American women and 12 Americans altogether who stayed in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Here, they pose with three North Vietnamese soldiers who were eager to have their photo taken with American women. "They couldnt imagine they were meeting American women," Krich remembers. "They had cameras and took lots of pictures. This picture was taken in our little alley where we lived." The next morning, the streets of Saigon were jammed with relieved people, out sightseeing and curious to meet the arriving soldiers. Many of the arriving busloads and tanks carrying the soldiers were stuck in traffic. We saw people throw flowers and cigarettes to the arriving soldiers. Everyone was taking pictures. South Vietnamese soldiers in Saigon discarded their uniforms, turned in their weapons at improvised collection centres, and joined the crowds. North Vietnamese soldiers camped in the city parks, washing laundry and hanging it on clotheslines strung between trees. They all spoke the same language, of course. In fact, many families that had been split between the north and the south met again in those first few days, after decades apart. The soldiers met each other, took pictures, and shared stories. We spent the next few months being taken for Russians as we lived normal lives in Saigon. We observed the new government organising to recover from war; improve general health care, housing and education; increase access to water and electricity; and re-educate the South Vietnamese high-level government officials who were still there. But there were no firing squads; there was no murder, no torture. The new Government was committed to reconciliation as the only way to unite the country and make progress.Of course, many Vietnamese fled then and in later years. The money-poor new Government immediately had to deal with a large number of refugees streaming in from Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge had taken over. They had to deal with antagonism and fighting with China, and they had to be careful in their relationship with Russia not to alienate others. The United States embargo caused tremendous suffering. Viet Nam, once a major rice producer, had needed to import rice during the war due to the destruction of rice fields. It took a lot of time and a lot of land-mine removal before they could return to growing their own rice. It is true that rich Saigonese lost most of their wealth. Much of that wealth had been acquired during the American war and through contacts with Americans. The post-war effort tried to reconstruct the country and to redistribute wealth. But the new government tried to avoid retribution and there was no killing of enemies. They even wanted to be friends with America, despite the long, deadly war. And now, America is enriched with many new Vietnamese-American citizens, and Viet Nam is enriched with a peaceful relationship with America. The Davis Enterprise/VNS *Claudia Krich, a longtime Davis resident and retired teacher, attended a KVIE screening in Sacramento last week of the documentary Last Days in Vietnam and was moved to write this essay, first published in 2015 by The Davis Enterprise. The documentary rekindled memories of the unique experience she and her husband Keith Brinton shared there 40 years ago. From 1973 until July of 1975, Brinton and Krich co-directed a civilian rehabilitation programme and hosted visiting journalists and officials in Quang Ngai, near My Lai, in central Viet Nam. Brinton also worked there from 1966 to 1970. In April 1975, they did not leave Saigon with all the other Americans. They stayed and saw what happened. An overpass with three branches, which has been partially built, will help ease congestion on streets around Tan Son Nhat international airport. Photo courtesy of the citys Department of Transport Viet Nam News Every year, thousands of people move to HCM City looking for work thus placing a strain on transport, educational and healthcare systems. A new master plan envisions improvements in infrastructure and services in the region that would help relieve overcrowding in the city and provide a higher quality of life to both provincial and city residents by 2030. Bo Xuan Hiep reports. HCM CITY Five years ago, Hoang Thi Thuy Van left her hometown in Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta to move to HCM City to find a job with a decent income. Its a nightmare to go to work every morning and come back in the afternoon because of the traffic. But I have to stay here to earn a living, she said. Van, who lives in Go Vap District, works at a clothing factory at an export processing zone in District 7. To be upfront, I really dont like to live in a packed city like this, but I have no choice. If there were enough jobs in my hometown, I wouldnt live here. Van is among the thousands of people who move to HCM City and other big cities each year, adding to the ever-expanding population to those areas. A former director of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industrys Can Tho City Branch, Vo Hung Dung, said that migration from provinces had increased dramatically over the last decade. The president of the HCM City Real Estate Association, Le Hoang Chau, noted that about 3 million of the estimated 13 million people in the city and its outskirts had moved from other areas in the country. In recent years, the citys average population growth rate has been around 3.5 per cent per year, while the growth rate of new incoming residents has been 2.3 per cent per year, according to Chau. Besides new residents, students from other provinces flood the city each year to attend universities, colleges or other schools. Around 400,000 of the citys 500,000 university students are from provinces. Vo Van Kiet Street in HCM Citys District 1. Under a new master plan, the city hopes to improve transport infrastructure to cope with the rapid development of suburban areas. VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai Of the more than 274,600 workers at the citys 17 export processing zones and industrial zones, nearly 200,000 are from provinces. In the last decade, HCM City has been struggling to build roads, bridges and water supply and drainage systems to keep pace with rapid growth. Traffic congestion has become a major issue, while schools, hospitals and other public facilities continue to be overloaded. I think our policy on urbanisation should be revised. We should create favourable conditions for each urban area to develop, said Nguyen Hong Thuc, director general of the Settlement Research Institute at Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations. Improved public transport and other infrastructures would also encourage people to move to the citys outlying districts, she added. Regional planning Early this year, the Government approved an adjusted master plan to 2030 for the HCM City region, which covers an area of 30,400 square metres and includes the city and the seven surrounding provinces of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, ong Nai, and Tien Giang. The plan calls for better connectivity, with the aim of making HCM City a Southeast Asian hub for commerce, culture, education and training, and science and technology. Traffic jams occur regularly on Truong Son Street near Tan Son Nhat international airport in HCM City. VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai Nguyen Duy Trinh Road linking HCM Citys District 2 and District 9 is being extended by 30km this year. Under a master plan for the city and region, roads linking districts and neighbouring provinces would be expanded and extended by 2030. Photo vir.com.vn The proposed Ring Road No. 3 would traverse HCM City and the surrounding provinces of Binh Duong and Long An. By 2030, the citys Belt Road No. 3 would be completed, and construction of Belt Road No. 4 would begin. Photo vir.com.vn Under the plan, HCM City, the nuclear urban centre, would connect to surrounding areas, and become an international economic hub with links to economic zones in the South, the Mekong Delta, the Central Highlands, and the south-central coastal region. The master plan also focuses on completion of new expressways and belt road systems. By 2030, four new expressways would be built, including Bien Hoa-Vung Tau, HCM City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh, HCM City-Moc Bai, and Dau Giay-a Lat. By 2030, the citys Belt Road 3 would be completed, and construction of Belt Road 4 would begin. New railway routes would also be built, including the Trang Bom-Sai Gon Railway Station, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau, HCM City-My Tho-Can Tho, and HCM City-Tay Ninh. By 2030, HCM City and the seven surrounding provinces are expected to have a total population of 24-25 million, with 18-19 million in urban areas and 6-7 million in rural areas, with a regional urbanisation rate of 70-75 per cent, according to the city authorities. The city currently has one of the fastest rates of urbanisation in Asia, according to the World Bank. Senior economist Kai Kaiser at the World Bank in Viet Nam, said: HCM Citys built-up land has rapidly expanded in the past 20 years. Administratively, the city covers just over 2,100sq.km, about six times the size of Washington, DC. In parallel to rapid population growth that occurred between 2000 and 2015, the citys built-up land cover has expanded dramatically, with some of its two dozen districts showing more than 70 per cent increase in built-up land cover, he said. Compared to a master plan approved in 2008, the new plan calls for balanced development that would change the structure of the economy, increase residents income, centralise local industry, and balance supply of infrastructure and social services in the region, according to the Southern Institute for Spatial Planning. Local communities would be better connected through roads and improved information management systems, and have access to a greater variety of services. Late last year, the city launched a website and smartphone application that allows the public to view the cadastral map (legal map showing land parcel boundaries and ownership) and designated planning and zoning for some city districts. The complete version is expected to be launched by the end of the year, according to Kaiser. The citys leadership noted that the objective of this transparency was to improve urban planning governance, and that the platform would set the groundwork for the city to build more data layers for such things as construction permits and land information, and other applications to manage construction, underground space, and buildings, he said. Improved railway and road connections also play a major role in the master plan. HCM City has been working with authorities in the provinces of Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Can Tho on the construction of the HCM City-Can Tho railway. After completion of the railway, working people in the Mekong Delta would commute from home to HCM City, relieving pressure on the city. The ministry has also been asked to speed up construction of Ring Road 2 and Ring Road 3 as well as expressways that would connect the city and provinces. An extension of the citys first metro route was also recently approved that will link Ben Thanh Market with Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9 to the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and ong Nai. The metro line will extend to ong Nais Bien Hoa City and Binh Duongs Di An Town, as proposed by the metro projects Japanese consultancy joint-venture Nippon Koei-Tokyu. Fujita Yasuo, former chief representative of the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA), said that JICA would continue to co-operate with the Vietnamese Government at the highest level to implement Japanese ODA-funded projects in the future. Under the master plan, HCM Citys International Tan Son Nhat Airport would also be upgraded and expanded to increase its capacity to 40-50 million passengers and 1-2 million tonnes of cargo a year by 2030. Meanwhile, the proposed Long Thanh International Airport, to be located in ong Nai, would be built according to approved investment phases. Nguyen Trong Hoa, former head of the HCM City Institute of Research and Development, said the city should encourage people to move to Binh Duong and ong Nai provinces instead of outlying districts Binh Chanh and Nha Be, which flood and have weak soil. He said the city should build bridges to connect to Nhon Trach District in ong Nai. Luong Tri Thin, CEO of at Xanh Group, noted that available land in HCM City was now limited. In the future, its likely that people can live in ong Nai, Binh Duong or Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces and work in HCM City. However, it would depend very much on how much we invest in infrastructure linkages, he said. Governance policies Speaking at a recent meeting in HCM City, Chau from the HCM City Real Estate Association, said the city would consider transferring one-third of its agricultural land to urban land under National Assembly Resolution 54. The transfer would create favourable conditions for the economy and the real estate market, he said. HCM City has 118,052ha of agricultural land, accounting for 0.89 per cent of GRDP, while the citys industrial and service land covers far less, around 14,260ha, accounting for 99.1 per cent of GRDP. Last month, the citys Peoples Council approved a local resolution to implement NA Resolution 54 on piloting a special policy that would foster the citys development. The special policy devolves power to the city to make decisions on issues now made by the Prime Minister, including decisions related to land administration, investment, finance/budget, delegation of power to lower levels of administration, and salaries of officials, public employees and civil servants. The special policies will improve the citys financial resources so it can better develop infrastructure, improve residents quality of living, and contribute to the countrys development, Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, chairwoman of the city Peoples Council, said. VNS Trigg Co. Man Charged with two counts of murder from July shooting The Asatru religion can offer new perspectives on climate change ethics via examination of the modern practice of historically grounded ritual known as blot a rite that foregrounds reciprocity with the earth, inherent value in the natural world, transtemporal human relationships, global connectedness, and the consequences of human action. In addition to discussing Asatru textual sources and examples of ritual, this column offers a new ethical model for responding to issues of climate change. Asatru is a religion with a life that already relates to reality in a way that addresses major issues raised by climate change ethicists. Practitioners are both certain and competent in a life-practice that directly engages relationships within the transtemporal human community and with the wider world. Through study of lore and celebration of ritual, the practice of Asatru reinforces understanding of reciprocal relationships with the natural world, inherent value of living things, connections to past and future peoples, interrelatedness of all human actors, and consequences of human actions. Specifically, the ritual of blot serves as a model for addressing multiple problems of climate change ethics. The Ritual of Blot In the mythical poetry written down in thirteenth-century Iceland, the deities themselves hold blot, sometimes to each other. The goddess Freyja sacrifices to Thor so that he will grant her request to be friendly to a certain giantess, despite his sworn enmity to the giants. Emphasizing an ethic of hof (moderation) and reciprocity, the god Odin warns his followers that it is [b]etter not to pray than to sacrifice too much: one gift always calls for another. The root of the ritual is a reifying of reciprocal relationships between the performer(s) of the ritual and the receiver(s); a gifting cycle is established and maintained in which, according to Odin, mutual givers and receivers are friends for longest, if the friendship keeps going well. The word blot (sacrificial worship) and the paired verb blota (to sacrifice) likely have an original meaning of to strengthen (the god). By making an offering to strengthen the deity, the follower hopes to receive a favor (general or particular) in return. The medieval Icelandic sagas were composed after the conversion to Christianity but offer detailed accounts of pre-conversion blots that may have been passed down via oral tradition. As in the Vedic sacrifice of India, there seems to have been a hierarchical sense what was to be sacrificed, from the massive national sacrifice at Uppsala every nine years offering of every living thing that is male nine heads including men, horses, and dogs to the Swabians heathen offering of beer to their God Wodan. Today, the great violence of the Uppsala rite is a distant relic of history, and modern blots tend toward the second example. The most common offerings are of alcoholic beverages usually beer or mead, often home brewed. Throughout the year, blots are held as part of a cycle of annual rituals, to celebrate life events, and at a communitys need. Earth Goddess and Land Spirits Even when the ritual is focused on a particular deity or celebratory occasion, the performative act of modern blot centers on an understanding of human life as directly engaged with the earth and environment. Although there is a great variety of ritual praxis throughout the Heathen world, it is common to open blots with the Valkyries prayer from the Old Icelandic poem Sigrdrifumal (Sayings of the Victory-Inciter). The Icelandic Asatruarfelagi uses the two verses as a standard ritual element, and the U.S.-based international Heathen organization known as the Troth includes them as part of its wedding ceremonies. In the United States, the 1923 translation by Henry Adams Bellows remains popular: Hail, day! Hail, sons of day! And night and her daughter now! Look on us here with loving eyes, That waiting we victory win. Hail to the gods! Ye goddesses, hail, And all the generous earth! Give to us wisdom and goodly speech, And healing hands, life-long. The earth appears twice in the poem, once in each verse. The second line of the first verse is usually read in light of Snorri Sturlusons Edda of c. 1220, in which the Icelander states that the earth goddess Jor (Earth) is the daughter of Nott (Night). Although Bellows translates in fjolnyta fold as the generous earth, the word fold (cognate with English field) refers to earth as soil and ground rather than as concrete deity. So, whatever the specific occasional context, recitation of the Valkyries prayer focuses the attention of the ritual participants on the earth both as anthropomorphic goddess and as physical provider of sustenance. This double consciousness of the earth as both deity and material is paralleled by the honoring of the landvttir (land wights, land spirits) in blot. Patricia M. Lafayllve, former Troth Steerswoman (roughly equivalent to chair of board of directors), states in A Practical Heathens Guide to Asatru that the landvttir are spirits of the land, rocks, trees, bodies of water, and so on. The Capitulatio de partibus Saxoni, an ordinance issued by the Christian Charlemagne for governance of the pagan Saxons in c. 785, levies monetary fines for making a vow at springs or trees or groves or partak[ing] of a repast in honor of the demons. Reading through the condemnatory language, this seems to refer to Saxon analogues of the pre-conversion Icelandic veneration of land wights and human consumption of the meat offered in blot after the conclusion of the ritual. Written sources of medieval Iceland portray land wights as living in trees and boulders, as anthropomorphic rock-dwellers who bring fruitfulness to their friends [and] also give wise rede. A strong sense of reciprocal relationship with the land wights continues in Iceland today, where the concept of the landvttir sometimes overlaps with that of the alfar (elves), an originally distinct type of beings who may have once represented the spirits of departed ancestors. Government road construction projects are still rerouted around boulders believed to be elf homes. In 2012, a member of parliament personally paid to move an enormous stone from the mainland to his residence in the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) after according to elf specialist Ragnhildur Jonsdottir the elf family that inhabited it saved his life during his car accident in its vicinity. Underlying the various conceptions is the idea of independent life in the natural world, of conscious creatures that embody or inhabit both animate and inanimate things. Offering and Inherent Value Lafayllve suggests a variety of items that modern Heathens can offer to land wights in their local vicinity, including milk, butter, beer, mead, cider, honey, oats, barley, fruits, herbs, and vegetables particularly during their respective harvesting seasons. The offerings are either natural objects or traditional products made directly from them. Kirk S. Thomas, former Archdruid of Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship but a pagan theologian much respected by American Heathens, emphasizes in Sacred Gifts: Reciprocity and the Gods that offerings to nature deities should not be plucked from natural settings, but must be something that the giver has a right to give. Lafayllves list of offerings underscores this idea; the optimal gift is something that the giver spent time cultivating or crafting from natural ingredients. A secondary option is to purchase these items using ones own earned income. In either case, the nature of the object offered foregrounds a reciprocal relationship with the natural world that acknowledges the cycle of cultivation, craft, consumption, and gratitude. An Asatru worldview as reflected in the ritual of blot sees the earth, elements of the environment, and non-human species as entities with individual agency. There is no sense of ex nihilo creation in Heathen lore; the material universe predates the birth of the gods, who themselves are craftsmen and organizers demiurges, in the original sense rather than all-powerful creators. Instead, the earth and elements of the natural world are addressed as enchanted and active anthropomorphic beings who have value in and of themselves and with whom we must build relationships of reciprocity. Rather than relating to the natural world as a vessel for the transmission of a creator gods divinity, the practice of blot reinforces a sense that the earth is an active agent with value intrinsic to its own distinct being. The land wights, while lesser Powers than the earth goddess, are also given veneration in a way that focuses the communitys attention on its multiple levels of relationship with the environment. The anthropomorphic conceptualization of trees, rivers, and other aspects of the environment necessarily fosters a sense of relationship with active partners that deserve respect. In the blots I lead as goi (priest) of Thors Oak Kindred , a Chicago-based religious organization officially affiliated with the Troth, we regularly honor and offer to Jor and the land wights. Our standard ritual form includes addressing an individual Power (from Old Norse regin, [higher] powers), citing meaningful bynames, thanking her for her gifts, asking her to continue giving, offering a group Hail (a wish for heill, Old Norse [good] luck, [good] health), and making an offering of sanctified beer from the ritual drinking horn. One in a string of these addresses is performed like this by the group as it stands around the oak tree dedicated to the god Thor: Goi: Jor, earth goddess, giver of plenty, we thank you for the gifts of sustenance you give us, despite our mistreatment of you. We ask that you continue to share your bounty with us as we work to protect you from our own misdeeds. Hail Jor! Kindred members: Hail! Goi drinks from the horn, then pours a draft for Jor into the soil at the base of the tree. A standard Thors Oak Kindred blot includes such individual addresses to the divine trio Odin, Thor, and Freyja; to the cosmic trio Jor, Sol (Sun), and Mani (Moon); and to the land wights. Given the fact that the Valkyries prayer is recited to begin the blot, the earth is specifically addressed three times two times more than any other Power. The land wights of the areas inhabited and traveled through by the kindred are also honored at blot. In this ritual performance, the community reminds itself of its relationship to the earth and the environment through engagement with the anthropomorphic Jor and landvttir. Well over two centuries ago, Immanuel Kant wrote that the repeated ritual act of communion contains within itself something great, expanding the narrow, selfish, and unsociable cast of mind among men, especially in matters of religion, toward the idea of a cosmopolitan moral community; and it is a good means of enlivening a community to the moral disposition of brotherly love which it represents. By regularly standing together at blot and reaffirming commitment to a reciprocal relationship with Jor and landvttir, Heathens move beyond solo rituals of devotion which can tend towards a focus on the desires of the individual and engage in a group rite promoting the growth of a Kantian moral community that engages with the planet and non-human species in a deeply emotional way. The act of participating in blot promotes a mindset of mindfulness specifically oriented towards respect for the environment. In Iceland, the Asatruarfelagis annual calendar of five major blots includes Landvttablot, a ritual specifically dedicated to the land wights. Goi Haukur Bragason states that the ceremony functions to keep the land strong and remind the people that we are guests here. Stagengill Allsherjargoa (Deputy High Priestess) Johanna G. Harardottir underscores the reciprocity of the relationship celebrated at Landvttablot: We made a contract when the settlers came to Iceland; they [the landvttir] would let us pass and live here, and we would take care of the land and treat it well. The story is told in Landnamabok [Book of Settlement, literally land-taking]. The landvttir have kept their part of the bargain. Its a question if we are doing the same. This blot is for them, remembering our deal, thanking them. The blot is for reminding us to do our best, too. Johannas statement reflects the dual function of blot discussed above: recognition of a reciprocal relationship with the land and a Kantian direction of community attention to moral issues of engagement with the environment. The Troth has an annual ritual calendar that includes several rites based on the traditional agrarian year of northern Europe, including Charming of the Plow (ploughing of the first furrows), Loaf-Feast (start of the grain harvest), and Winternights (end of the harvest). Few if any members of the organization are full-time farmers, yet the rites are celebrated even by urban practitioners in order to maintain a connection to the earth as a source of sustenance the generous earth of the Valkyries prayer and to reaffirm respect for those who work with the earth to provide for the needs of others. The Troths massive compendium of lore, theology, ritual, and practical advice called Our Troth suggests that Heathens today might want to find out when the fields of the major crops in their areas are ploughed and sown, and hold a Charming of the Plough observance at that time, thus ritually endorsing the emphasis on locally sourced food that has been embraced by environmental activists. The second part of this column will address transtemporal care and the web of wyrd. Sources for the first part of this column include A Book of Blots (Members of the Troth), Dictionary of Northern Mythology (Rudolf Simek), Edda (Snorri Sturluson, trans. Anthony Faulkes), History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen (Adam of Bremen, trans. Francis J. Tschan), Life of St. Columban (Jonas of Bobbio), Our Troth (ed. Kveldulf Hagan Gundarsson), The Poetic Edda (trans. Carolyne Larrington), Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone (Immanuel Kant, trans. Theodore M. Greene and Hoyt H. Hudson), and Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History (ed. 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of Mobile's Spring Spectacular will feature 20 traveling ensembles, including the viral sensation Voices of Mobile, whose performance of "Do You Want to Be Happy?" has gained more than 10 million views online. Other popular ensembles featured for the event are Sofree, Welsh Revival, Sounds of Mobile and RamCorps, all performing their most popular songs from the 2017-2018 travel season. Spring Spectacular, April 29 at 7 p.m., University of Mobile's Alabama School of the Arts, 1251 Industrial Pkwy., Saraland, $10. For tickets, visit itickets.com. Don't Edit Photo courtesy Animal Years City and country unite At the end of last year, Rolling Stone magazine called the band Animal Years one of the 10 country artists to know, comparing their sound to "campfire sing-alongs polished up for the big city and the big stage." The Baltimore band has tunes that have been used in major advertising campaigns, but its members are dedicated to approachable music with mass appeal. South Alabama favorites Paw Paw's Medicine Cabinet is the opening act. Animal Years, May 2 at 8 p.m., Soul Kitchen, 219 Dauphin St., $11. Tickets at soulkitchenmobile.com. Don't Edit David J. Phillip/Associated Press Derby Day in support of developmental disabilities "A Night at the Races" promises a Kentucky Derby-style party complete with fun, food and music to benefit the children served by The Learning Tree in Mobile. The event will be highlighted by heavy hors d'oeuvres, complimentary beverages, music and a large silent auction in support of educational, residential and support services that include The Learning Tree Residential School, Little Tree Preschool and Woody's Song School. "A Night at the Races," May 3 at 6:30 p.m., The Pillars, 1757 Government St., Mobile, $60, to reserve tickets, please call 251-331-2633. Don't Edit Courtesy Mobile Bay Film Scramble Scramble for film Aspiring filmmakers have the opportunity to ply their trade in a winner-take-all, wild and usually sleep-deprived throwdown where teams write, film, edit and submit a film, all in a short period of time. It is a unique challenge to all area filmmakers, from beginners to professionals. The duration and specific details, like inspirational requirements, of each scramble are kept secret until the kickoff. Mobile Bay Film Scramble, May 3 from 7-9 p.m., The Attic at the Blind Mule, 57 N. Claiborne St., $10 to enter with cash prizes for the winner. Don't Edit Photo by Elise Poche Taco Saturday Downtown Mobile will celebrate Cinco de Mayo all day long at Roosters on Dauphin Street, complete with its signature Latin food and a special menu that includes an array of dips, tacos, burritos and enchiladas. There will also be a wide selection of delicious drinks with specials on tequila, margaritas & beer. Live music will be provided by all-vinyl disc jockey, DJ Rhettro. Cinco de Mayo Party, May 5 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Roosters, 211 Dauphin St., free. Don't Edit "Should have done more research before you got me to do this," comedian Michelle Wolf told the audience, right after telling a joke about whether the famous "p---- hat" from the Women's March was anatomically accurate. Wolf's speech at the White House correspondents' dinner didn't seem to win over the room of some of Washington's best-known journalists, politicians and a slightly less celebrity-filled roster of guests. Online, the reaction was - surprise - divided. Some said that losing the love of a room of D.C. elites was proof that Wolf was hitting on something true. Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels's attorney, said he thought Wolf was "really funny." And Rob Reiner, a guest of McClatchy, said he sensed in the room that it wasn't going over well but that he believed "she spoke the truth." Meanwhile, conservatives reacted with outrage to Wolf's humor before her routine had wrapped up, particularly her jokes about Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway. One critique about those jokes came from a journalist who won an award earlier in the dinner, and Wolf responded: "That @PressSecsat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive," tweeted Maggie Haberman of the New York Times. Wolf tweeted back: "Hey mags! All these jokes were about her despicable behavior. Sounds like you have some thoughts about her looks though?" On Sunday, President Donald Trump chimed in, calling Wolf a "so-called comedian" who "bombed." Below are some of Wolf's harshest jokes from the evening: - On Sarah Huckabee Sanders: "I have to say I'm a little star-struck. I love you as Aunt Lydia in 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Mike Pence, if you haven't seen it, you would love it. "Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited, because I'm not really sure what we're going to get. You know, a press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams. 'It's shirts and skins, and this time don't be such a little b----, Jim Acosta!'" "I actually really like Sarah. I think she's very resourceful. She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies. It's probably lies." "And I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you know? Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? What's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know. Aunt Coulter." - On Kellyanne Conway: "She has the perfect last name for what she does, Conway ... You guys have got to stop putting Kellyanne on your shows. All she does is lie. If you don't give her a platform, she has nowhere to lie. It's like that old saying, if a tree falls in the woods, how do we get Kellyanne under that tree? I'm not suggesting she gets hurt. Just stuck. Stuck under a tree." - On Ivanka Trump: "There's also, of course, Ivanka. She was supposed to be an advocate for women, but it turns out she's about as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons. She's done nothing to satisfy women. So, I guess like father, like daughter." - On the White House correspondents' dinner: "This is long. This has been long." - On being 32 years old: "10 years too young to host this event and 20 years too old for Roy Moore." - On being a woman: "It's 2018 and I'm a woman so you cannot shut me up. Unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000." - On the media: "I know there's a lot of people that want me to talk about Russia and Putin and collusion, but I'm not gonna do that, because there's also a lot of liberal media here and I've never really wanted to know what any of you look like when you orgasm." - On Trump missing the dinner: "Of course, Trump isn't here, if you haven't noticed. He's not here. And I know, I know, I would drag him here myself, but it turns out the president of the United States is the one p---- you're not allowed to grab." - On Trump's wealth: "People call Trump names all the time. And look, I could call Trump a racist or a misogynist or xenophobic or unstable or incompetent or impotent. But he's heard all of those and he doesn't care. So tonight, I'm going to try to make fun of the president in a new way, in a way that I think will really get him. Mr. President: I don't think you're very rich. Like I think you might be rich in Idaho, but in New York you're doing fine." - On euphemisms: "(Trump) loves white nationalists, which is a weird term for a Nazi. Calling a Nazi a white nationalist is like calling a pedophile a 'kid friend.' Or Harvey Weinstein a 'ladies man.' Which isn't really fair. He also likes plants." - On the vice president: "Mike Pence is what happens when Anderson Cooper isn't gay." - On Democrats: "Democrats are harder to make fun of because you guys don't do anything. People think you might flip the House and Senate this November, but you guys always find a way to mess it up. You're somehow going to lose by 12 points to a guy named Jeff Pedophile Nazi Doctor." - On the Trump administration: "I did have a lot of jokes about cabinet members. But I had to scrap all of those because everyone has been fired. You guys are going through Cabinet members quicker than Starbucks throws out black people." - On Mitch McConnell: "Mitch McConnell isn't here tonight. He had a prior engagement. He's finally getting his neck circumcised. Mazel." - On CNN: "The most useful information on CNN is when Anthony Bourdain tells me where to eat noodles." - On Fox News: "Fox News is here. So you know what that means, ladies. Cover your drinks. Seriously. People want me to make fun of Sean Hannity tonight, but I cannot do that. This dinner is for journalists." - On MSNBC: "I watch 'Morning Joe' every morning. We now know Mika and Joe are engaged. Congratulations, you guys. It's like when a #MeToo works out." - On Megyn Kelly: "What would I do without Megyn Kelly? Probably be more proud of women. Megyn Kelly got paid $23 million by NBC. Then NBC didn't let Megyn go to the Winter Olympics. Why not? She's so white, cold and expensive, she might as well be the Winter Olympics. And by the way, Megyn, Santa is black. The weird old guy going through your chimney was Bill O'Reilly." - On newspapers: "I'm not going to go after print media tonight because it's illegal to attack an endangered species." - On the media: "You guys are obsessed with Trump. Did you use to date him? Because you pretend like you hate him, but I think you love him. I think what no one in this room wants to admit is that Trump has helped all of you. He couldn't sell steaks or vodka or water or college or ties or Eric. But he has helped you. He's helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster and now you're profiting off of him. And if you're going to profit off of Trump, you should at least give him some money because he doesn't have any." - On the world outside of the White House correspondents' dinner: "Flint still doesn't have clean water!" Eric Mackey is a cheerleader for public schools, working in them from 1993 until 2010 as a high school physics teacher, an assistant principal, a principal and eventually superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools. Mackey's children attended Montgomery public schools, including two who have already graduated from the nationally-recognized LAMP high school. He then led the School Superintendents of Alabama, which lobbies for and educates superintendents statewide, a job that put him at the table for state-level policy discussions as recent reform efforts stretched and changed Alabama's public education system. Now Mackey, 48, will take the reins of the state's K-12 education system on May 14 as Alabama's newest state superintendent of education, appointed on April 20 on a 5-4 vote of the Alabama Board of Education. There's no word yet on what he'll be paid -- the job's posted salary range was $192,000 to $250,000 and Mackey earned $232,000 annually in his last job. No word either, on the length of his initial contract; state law allows at most a four-year deal. The Alabama State Department of Education and board members have been embroiled in controversy since mid-2016, when the board, in another 5-4 vote, hired former Massachusetts Education Commissioner Michael Sentance, who immediately set into motion a number of reviews of the status quo, upsetting many in the education community before the board forced him to resign after a year and a day on the job. State lawmakers took note and have been critical of the board, but interim state Superintendent Ed Richardson, an education stalwart in Alabama, brought stability to the department and bowed to legislators' demands for more accountability about how taxpayer dollars are being spent. Eric Mackey with his wife, Robin, after being named Alabama's newest state superintendent on April 20, 2018, in Montgomery, Ala. During his interview with board members on April 20, Mackey said he heard in December the state board was looking for a superintendent to stay in place for the long-term. That's when, he said, he told his wife, Robin, "This may be the job for me." After he was appointed, he agreed to answer a few questions for AL.com. Q: How do you see your new role as state superintendent differing from that of your current role? Mackey: The obvious similarity is that in both roles, my ultimate goal is to work with local and state leaders to increase student opportunities and promote achievement. As the leader of a professional association, my main objective was professional learning, growth, and support for our local superintendents. The state superintendent's job is much broader, reaching every aspect of education in our state. In this role, I plan to focus more time and energy on policy and budget development. Q: What have you learned from your years working with superintendents across Alabama that will be particularly helpful as you take on this new job? Mackey: My position has given me key insights into every school system -- large and small, rural and urban -- across the state. In the vast majority of situations, we have excellent, caring, dedicated educators in our classrooms and leading our schools, and we have to encourage and support their work. There are certainly challenges in every community, and they vary from place to place and day to day, but the commitment to do the best for children permeates our state. Q: Lawmakers have been very active in efforts to expand school choice and strengthen accountability measures. What is your take on school choice and accountability? Mackey: We will work with state and local leaders to expand options and choices within our public schools. New technologies are expanding capabilities, like offering advanced academic courses in rural communities. Maintaining high standards and accountability will certainly be a paramount priority. Q: Alabama has a lot of challenges where education is concerned, often ending up at or near the bottom in educational rankings. Should we try and raise our rankings or are we just getting distracted with those comparisons? Mackey: In order to do right by our students, who will be competing for career opportunities, we have to be on the constant path to improve academic outcomes. Our staff will be focused on supporting our local schools and school systems because only our teachers and principals directly impact instruction on a daily basis. Q: What would you say is the biggest misconception Alabamians have about our public schools? We have so many schools doing amazing work with students each and every day, but the public conversation does not always support our public community schools. Unfortunately, one bad story trumps 10 good ones. We have to tell our own story, and we need for communities to step up and support their local schools. Mackey named three areas of focus during his board interview, that will "have to immediately jump to the priority list" -- testing and accountability, teacher quality and quantity, and supporting local schools and districts. Testing, Mackey said, is a "first-day priority," though he'll enter the job as the state grapples with plans for a new test to gague student achievement. Board members are planning to create a new test, specifically for Alabama students, but it won't be ready for use until the 2019-2020 school year at the earliest. Mackey said if parents and teachers believe the next test fairly measures student learning and achievement, "accountability will fall in line." Mackey is a strong supporter of an accountability initiative known as "Redefining Ready," which lays out a number of measures, beyond test scores, that communities can use to judge the effectiveness of their schools. Mackey's second priority, he said, is working on teacher quality and quantity. "We've got serious [teacher] shortages," he said, using the example of a rural district in Alabama where 60 percent of the teachers hold an emergency certificate to teach. Those districts have no power to affect the pipeline of teachers, he said, so the state department needs to take the lead. His third priority is for the department of education to do a better job supporting local schools and districts. "We do have a problem with morale and consistency," he said. During the interview, board members asked Mackey how he planned to improve student achievement. Mackey emphasized the need to improve reading and math instruction in the early grades. He also pointed to the need to keep middle-schoolers engaged and interested in school. Mackey said he is a fan of Gov. Ivey's "Strong Start, Strong Finish" initiative, telling board members, "Those four simple words encompass a very complex idea." Mackey had this to say about what it takes to educate students. "We want students to be prepared early. We want them to have a strong K-12 education. And we want them to finish strong. So that every child that finishes from our system, whether they're in a rural county, or they're in downtown Birmingham, or they're in a suburban school system, that every child has the opportunity to do what they want to in life. And that's our responsibility as educators: that we give them the opportunity to make their own choices." He had this to say about the importance of teaching subjects beyond reading and math. "We've got to teach young people about our democratic institutions: that they live in the greatest country in the world and that our representative republican form of government is the greatest form of government that has ever been created and instituted. And it is not perfect. And that is their responsibility to be involved in that democratic process so that they can make it more perfect for the next generation and the next generation and so on and beyond." Prior to her employment with AL.com, education reporter Trisha Powell Crain served on an Accountability Task Force with Mackey to create the framework for what became the state's A through F Report Card. "I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands." The slogan popularized by National Rifle Association (NRA) bumper stickers has been a rallying cry for gun owners over the last several decades. It reflects the sentiment that too many politicians don't respect the individual right to gun ownership ensconced in the Constitution. The challenge for most of gun owners is that amending gun policies isn't usually a give-and-take issue. It's often a take-and-take scenario facing even those of us willing to discuss policy reforms in good faith. Most gun owners aren't really Second Amendment absolutists. We don't want violent felons carrying firearms. We're comfortable restricting gun ownership for people who have adjudicated mental incapacities. We also support reasonable age restrictions for purchase. Even as some politicians suggest we allow teachers to arm themselves in the classroom, I haven't heard anyone call for minor students to carry guns in school. But even those reasonable restraints are concessions of individual gun rights. As best I can tell, gun control advocates aren't credibly offering to liberalize any gun laws in exchange for reforms in other areas. Otherwise, we could have already addressed glaring problems with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) through the FIX NICS Act that passed the House in December of 2017. Democrats balked at the idea of requiring reciprocity for concealed-carry permits across state lines. As such, it's truly amazing that ideas like raising the age for certain firearm purchases, Texas's mental crisis gun seizure law, and playing hardball with states who shirk NICS reporting are viable. Even in an environment with no additional policy consideration put on the table for gun owners, modest reforms aren't definitively out of reach. If all this back and forth were really about improving gun laws, we'd have Republicans and Democrats seizing that common ground on politically achievable ideas and making progress. I haven't been shy about my personal willingness to engage, but my phone hasn't been ringing with calls from Democratic policy makers. Modest achievable compromises won't be praised by the NRA or sufficient for anti-gun activists in the headlines. More specifically, reasonable policy consensus isn't the way to raise political dollars. Take the recently formed NoRA Initiative for example. According to reporting by Time, Parkland shooting survivor and political activist David Hogg, Alyssa Milano, Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin and others have joined forces to "expose public servants who have been stymying gun control legislation after taking money from the NRA." I'm not sure how they plan to "expose" information that is extremely well documented, public and campaigned upon. In most heavily Republican districts, NRA support is a critical advantage for candidates. They're not hiding from it; they prize it. In toss-up districts, candidates are generally smart enough to know whether the NRA affiliation is an advantage or disadvantage, and they act accordingly. Progressives will love and applaud NoRA's "coalition" of liberals and liberals. Conservatives will largely ignore it. The NRA will point to the entity as an attack on gun rights by the leftist elite, raise more money, and increase membership. NoRA literally stands for "NoRifle Association." Gun owners like me don't see that as simply an anti-NRA stance; it's an attack on people who share similar views about the government's further encroachment on Second Amendment rights. It isn't a call for reasoned discussion. On a similar note, the NRA's bellicose recent ads "coming for" the New York Times and warlike rhetoric toward political opponents are equally unhelpful. A "clenched fist of truth" sounds downright authoritarian. As much as I'm a fan of the Second Amendment, the first one is equally important. In fact, protecting the First Amendment is a primary reason I support the Second. I don't want another civil war, but I am adamant about defending the Constitution that's served our nation well. At times, I'm going to agree with the ACLU on issues like free speech. On other occasions, it's the NRA on gun rights. Sometimes it's even stranger. I recently discovered that I agree with Kanye West on the importance of individual political expression. We're spending too much time conflating gun policy reforms with political objectives. If NoRA wants to be the anti-NRA and a political fundraising machine for progressives, so be it. We're free to do that in America. But such efforts aren't about making policy headway any more than the NRA's fight ads. Either we trade equal opposing political blows or genuinely seek common ground. It's incredibly difficult to do both. The latter is far less emotionally gratifying, but it's also more prudent. Gun owners give some ground, and the gun control crowd doesn't get everything it wants. Votes aren't there for a federal ban on AR-15 style guns. Aggressive federal licensure requirements are probably dead on arrival as well. Such compromise might make everyone a little unhappy, but good public policies usually do that. I won't be joining the likes of Hogg and Milano at the NoRA Initiative, but I'm happy to discuss achievable policy reforms. While many gun owners are similarly open to improving gun policies, we're not interested in political surrender. The take and take tenor needs to find a little more give to law-abiding gun owners. That's understandably a tall order for gun control advocates, but it's much easier than trying to pry the guns out of our cold dead hands. Cameron Smith is a regular columnist for AL.com and vice president for the R Street Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. The Company NIMR Automotive, manufacturer of light to medium-wheeled military vehicles headquartered in United Arab Emirates has demonstrated its NIMR Ajban 440A light armoured tactical vehicle in Lithuania fitted with the Kongsberg Protector 12.7mm RWS (Remotely Weapon Station) and Metravib Pilar V Acoustic Shot Detection System. NIMR Ajban 440A fitted with Konsberg Protector RWS turret in Lithuania (Picture source NIMR Linkedin) The Ajban 440A is a highly mobile 4x4 protected vehicle fully developed and designed by the Company NIMR Automotive incorporating latest technologies of ballistic and mine blast protection. Designed for the harshest environments, the vehicle offers exceptional off-road capability as well as unparalleled reliability and performance. Due to the modular nature of the vehicle, it can be configured to suit a variety of operational roles and catering for various mission systems. This allows users to have a single fleet for a multitude of requirements whilst ensuring common logistic support and thereby lower the lifecycle cost. NIMR vehicles are designed to meet military standards, with their lifespan far exceeding that of militarised commercial vehicles, up-armoured vehicles or those based on commercial drivelines. The evolving global threats mean operational users are required to seek industry leading platforms and technologies, and the AJBAN 440A has proven itself in the most arduous environmental and combat theatres. Kongsberg is a Finnish Company who has developed a full range of Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) especially design to provide flexible system solutions that meet military and security customers specific requirements. The Konsberg PROTECTOR RWS is a proven product based on millions of hours of operational experience in combat zones combined with a close cooperation with Defense Forces world wide. This weapon station is built for operation in extreme environmental conditions with capabilities that allow soldiers to operate from a protected position using stabilized precision optics and laser to observe, detect and engage targets with increased accuracy and reduced collateral damage. The fully stabilized system of the Protecor RWS provides unmatched observation and engagement capabilities where the gunner is enabled to keep his sights on target, independent of the ballistic solution for the weapon in use. The Pilar V is an acoustic gunshot detector designed and developed by the French Defense Company Metravib that can be mounted on any armored or reconnaissance vehicle. The PILAR system is a state-of-the-art acoustic device dedicated to detection, localization and classification of light caliber gunshots. It is composed of one or two acoustic arrays, a compact signal processing unit, and a laptop unit for the display of results. An optional observation turret is also provided and may be may be connected to PILAR system to provide a picture of the origin of the shot in real time. The processing unit first performs the detection / recognition of acoustic events (MB or SW) and estimates the associated wave vector using the 4 microphones of the tetrahedral antenna. JNU leader attacks leadership for remaining fixated on ties with Congress. Kollam: The CPI has become the Confused Party of India, according to Kanhaiya Kumar, AISF national council member and former president of the JNU students union. Addressing the 23rd party congress here on Saturday, he attacked the leadership for remaining fixated on ties with the Congress rather than building up the organisation. Instead of focusing on backing the Congress party, the CPI should strengthen itself for a situation where the Congress would seek the support of the CPI, he said. His opinion is apparently a deviation from his earlier stance to support the Congress to curb the advance of BJP. He had also expressed his willingness to contest the elections in Bihar if he was jointly nominated by the Left, Congress and the RJD parties. At the delegates meeting, Mr Kanhaiya Kumar also praised the secular atmosphere prevalent in Kerala. The Kerala model defence against communalism should be spread across the country to defeat the Sangh Parivar, said Mr Kumar, who was a special invitee of the CPI central leadership at the party congress. As the discussions on the draft reports continued for the second day at the party congress, serious criticisms were raised against the central leadership. The delegates alleged the central leadership was not prompt in taking decisions on various issues, including the anti-people policies of the ruling party. It had also failed to conduct follow-up on such decisions. Some 300 amendments and suggestions popped up during the discussions. Three commissions were constituted for further discussions on the drafts and party general secretary Sudhakar Reddy responded to the suggestions. The drafts will be finalised on Sunday following which the announcement of new office-bearers will be made. C.N. Chandran, K. Rajan and C.A. Kurien are likely to quit the national council while K.P. Rajendran, P. Prasad and Mullakkara Ratnakaran are the probables. Binoy Viswam will be considered for the national secretariat as either Panniyan Raveendran or K.E. Ismail will be dropped. The council will have 12 regular members, apart from one woman and one youth leader, from Kerala. Days after sparking a controversy with his critique of model-actor Diana Hayden, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb is at it again. Deb was addressing a seminar organised by Tripura Veterinary Council on 'The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety', on the eve of World Veterinary Day. (Photo: Twitter | @BjpBiplab) Agartala: Days after sparking a controversy with his critique of model-actor Diana Hayden, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb is at it again. Chief Minister Deb on Sunday advised the youths of Tripura to not to waste their crucial time and, instead, milk cows for livelihood. He also suggested the youth of the state, especially the educated section, not to run behind politicians for government jobs, rather become self-employed. "There should be a cow in every house. Why run after netas for government jobs? Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre. Graduates should get cows and milk it to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years. Instead of running after political parties," the Chief Minister said. Deb was addressing a seminar organised by Tripura Veterinary Council on 'The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety', on the eve of World Veterinary Day, at Pragna Bhavan in Agartala. "The youth here runs after political parties for several years to get a govt job and wastes the vital time of their life, had the same youth instead of running after parties set up a paan shop he would have by now had a bank balance of Rs 5 lakh," said Deb. According to him, any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs 75,000 borrowed from the bank and with a little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in Tripura during the last 25 years. He said that there are narrow-minded concepts like a graduate cannot opt for farming, start poultry, or piggery because if he does so, his class will go down. The GDA has alleged that the channels had aired stories, levelling charges of Rs 2 cr bribery against its vice chairperson. GDA Vice-Chairperson Ritu Maheswari said that news aired by the channels shows their "blackmailing mentality" and is a "criminal act". (Photo: Representational) Ghaziabad: A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against two television news channels for allegedly broadcasting "false stories" following a complaint by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA). The GDA has alleged that the Hindi news channels had aired stories, levelling charges of Rs two crore bribery against its vice chairperson, based on one-sided version. However, the channels -- Samachar Plus and News 1 India -- have refuted the allegations, saying they had tried to reach out to the GDA chairperson Ritu Maheshwari but she was not available immediately for comments. One Trilok Agarwal had made a complaint to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Office, alleging that he had paid Rs 50 lakh to the GDA Secretary and the same amount to enforcement department as bribe to stop the sealing action launched by the authority against illegal construction at the site of a builder, Anil Jain. This news story was then broadcast by news channels Samachar Plus and News 1 India, Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said. Executive Engineer R P Singh has made the complaint to the police on behalf of the GDA, alleging that the channels had broadcast "false news" to blackmail the authorities, malign the image of the state government and administrative officials. The FIR -- naming the chief editors and the local correspondents of the news channels -- has been lodged at Sihani gate police station under various IPC sections, the SSP said. GDA Vice-Chairperson Ritu Maheswari said that news aired by the channels shows their "blackmailing mentality" and is a "criminal act". The Executive Editor of Samachar Plus, Praveen Sahni, said the story is based on the compliant of the victim and the channel had sought the version of GDA vice chairperson but she did not attend their call. "The complaint (as mentioned in the story) was sent to the Prime Minister's Officer and the UP Chief Minister's Office also," he added. The Editor-in-Chief on News 1 India, Anurag Chaddha, said the story his channel aired was based on the victim's complaint. "It was not false or gossip. Our local correspondent had tried to contact Maheshwari but she was not available," he said. Meanwhile, builder Anil Jain has made a complaint to the district magistrate against Trilok Agarwal and his wife Shalini Agarwal, alleged extortion attempt. An FIR on Jain's compplaint has been lodged at Kavi Nagar police station. Jain also contradicted the allegations levelled in the complaint of Agarwal and said that he has not paid any amount to any official to get undue favour from the GDA. Investigations in both cases have been initiated, SSP Krishna said. The aircraft which was in Russia for Overhaul and Mid Life Upgradation, is being assessed for the extent of damage. According to Russian media, the plane with seven people onboard. (Photo: ANI/Representational) New Delhi: An Indian Navy plane, IL-38, which was on a test flight in Russia made an emergency landing on Saturday. According to Russian media, the plane with seven people onboard -- four pilots and three technical specialists crash-landed at Zhukovsky Airfield outside Moscow after a chassis failure. The Indian Navy said that no crew was onboard during sortie. However, the Navy said the aircraft was on initial test flight with Russian crew. The aircraft which was in Russia for Overhaul and Mid Life Upgradation, is being assessed for the extent of damage. Russia has been one of Indias key suppliers of arms and ammunition. In a Whatsup message in the evening, Ms Bedi said the poor and needy would be provided what they are entitled to. Puducherry: Courting controversy yet again, Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday ordered that distribution of free rice to all those in the Union Territory whose villagers are not certified as free of garbage and open defecation by end of May. She withdrew the order late evening following all-round criticism slamming her decision as dictatorial and humiliating the poor. In a Whatsup message in the evening, Ms Bedi said the poor and needy would be provided what they are entitled to. But she justified her morning order as an expression of my serious intent and concern on addressing the root causes of disease and illness in rural areas and compel performance of community and administrative leadership. To avoid misreading of this intention and in view of the forthcoming commitment made by the UT government that villages in Puducherry will achieve ODF by June end, I am happy to give them some more time. Therefore I am withholding my earlier communications, she said. After visiting Mannadipet village, which she said was her 155th weekend trip to rural Puducherry, the Lt Governor said, I am very anguished at the slow pace of rural sanitation. The last two years I have not seen local representatives and concerned public officials determined to make rural Puducherry clean within a time frame. I am sorry this cannot go on. She lashed out at the local representatives, community leaders and public officials for showing no interest in making rural Puducherry clean. She later wrote to CM V. Narayanasami informing him of her decision. CM Narayanasamy, needless to say, was not pleased. Piramal Estates Private Limited refuted the charges made by the Congress. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal Group which has interests in the renewable energy sector. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday again demanded the removal of Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a company owned by him were a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest", charges dismissed as "baseless and malicious" by the BJP. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal Group which has interests in the renewable energy sector. He cited company filings of Piramal Estates Private Limited to make the claims. Piramal Estates Private Limited refuted the charges made by the Congress. Khera alleged that Goyal did not disclose this in his assets made public on the PMO website soon after becoming a minister and this was a "clear case of conflict of interest". Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. "It's no secret that CA Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has pried open the doors of every major corporate house for PM Modi. How then will the PM act against this Minister, caught red handed, misusing his power for 48 Cr. of personal gain?" he tweeted with the hashtag "GoyalMustResign". Piramal Estates Private Limited said that it had purchased Flashnet Info Solutions Private Limited ('Flashnet') in July 2014. "The purchase consideration paid was the fair value of the underlying investments (movable and immovable assets) and the same was paid in July, 2014 itself. This was based on an independent chartered accountant valuation. Piramal Group has a long track record of acquiring businesses that complement, scale up or grow our existing business offerings and also constantly evaluates any new opportunities to grow in new space," the company said in a statement. "The allegation that this transaction was done for undue benefit to the Piramal Group, is totally baseless and devoid of any merit," it said. Khera during a press briefing said this was a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest involving one of the senior most Cabinet ministers of the Modi government. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives sermons of 'na khaunga, na khane doonga'. Will the Prime Minister answer as to why are former BJP's treasurer and his favourite Cabinet minister as also Karnataka in-charge Piyush Goyal and his wife intertwined in a murky web of financial dealings? Will he answer that to the people of India?" he asked. Reacting to the allegations, the BJP in a statement said, "In the last month, the Congress party made Piyush Goyal a target by hurling malicious allegations against his bona fide business dealings to insinuate wrongdoings and irregularity. The modus operandi of the attack has been to gain cheap political mileage by indulging in a baseless campaign against him with no sound facts to back them but with the only intention of creating false controversies." It also pointed out that the facts exposed the Congress for blatant misrepresentations using falsehoods and malicious propaganda against the minister who was carrying out his professional work through his companies, which were also holding his investments, prior to his becoming minister in May 2014. "He stopped all professional/ business activities the day he became a minister, resigned from all directorships and started the process of selling all his investments," it said. The Congress leader alleged that though the net worth of 'Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited' (even 6 months after the sale, according to statutory filings pertaining to the financial year ending March 2015) is only Rs.10.9 crore, the company filings of 'Piramal Estates Private Limited' reflect that a whopping Rs. 48 crore was provided to Goyal Family owned shares in 'Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, which translates into a astronomical price of Rs.9,586 per share. The BJP, however, said that the "sale of Flashnet shares took place in July 2014 before the declaration of assets and liabilities was submitted on July 25, 2014 and not on September 29, 2014 as falsely alleged by the Congress". The BJP said that Goyal was being targetted to divert attention from the series of scandals of its leaders for which they have no answers. "Congress has nothing to attack the Narendra Modi government and its leaders and is resorting to manufacturing controversies using malicious falsehoods which are completely baseless," it said. Cong has questioned why a ASI-maintained national heritage site is being given to a private entity when there is no dearth of funds. New Delhi: A day after a corporate house signed an agreement for developing tourist-friendly amenities at the iconic Red Fort with the tourism ministry under its Adopt a Heritage project, Opposition parties, led by the Congress, on Saturday called it privatisation of heritage and questioned how a private entity was given the mandate to maintain a monument under ASIs protection. The Opposition accused the government of trying to commercialise everything and asked why the government could not upgrade facilities at the monument itself. The government on its part dismissed allegations that it was trying to privatise heritage, saying that the contract signed with Dalmia Bharat group to co-adopt the 17th century monument does not entail any profit-making activity. The Dalmia Bharat group, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), will maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it. The company has committed a sum of `25 crore for the purpose over five years. Qutub Minar in Mehrauli Delhi may also be handed over to a private monument mitra (friend of heritage site). Both Red Fort and Qutub Minar annually attract over 25 lakh tourists each. At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, They are handing over the iconic monument to a private business. What is your commitment to the idea of India, to the history of India? Do you have dearth of funds? Why funds for the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) lapse..? See the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reports. If they have paucity of funds, then why do they lapse? he asked. In the same vein, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said, Why cant the government even take care of our historic Lal Qila? Red Fort is a symbol of our nation. It is where Indias flag is hoisted on Independence Day. Why should it be leased out? Sad and dark day in our history. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, in a tweet, said, Stop Privatising Indias Heritage: The Parliamentary Committee that went into the issue of handing over heritage sites to private corporates had decided against this unanimously. Govt should reverse its decision of privatising the Red Fort. Reacting to the criticism, minister of state for tourism K.J. Alphons said that under a scheme started last year, the ministry is looking at public participation to develop heritage monuments. The companies involved in these projects will only spend and not make money. They will create amenities such as toilets and provide drinking water for the tourists so that their footfalls increase. They might put up signs outside to say that they have developed the amenities. If they are spending money, there is nothing wrong in taking credit for it, he said. I want to ask the Congress what they did for the past 70 years? All the monuments and facilities around them are in terrible shape. In some places, there are no facilities at all, he said. As of March this year, 31 prospective monument mitras have been shortlisted by an oversight and vision committee for developing tourist-friendly amenities at 95 monuments, heritage and other tourist sites including the Red Fort, Qutub Minar (in Delhi), Hampi (Karnataka), Sun Temple (Odisha), Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra), Char Minar (Telangana) and Kaziranga National Park (Assam). At the Red Fort, the Dalmia Bharat group has agreed to provide drinking water kiosks, street furniture-like benches and signages to guide visitors, according to the ministry. The corporate entity has also agreed to put up within a year tactile maps, upgrade toilets, light up the pathways and bollards, carry out restoration work and landscaping and build a 1,000-square-foot visitor facility centre. It will also provide a 3-D projection mapping of the forts interior and exterior, battery-operated vehicles and charging stations for such vehicles and a thematic cafeteria. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the red sand stone fort, Qila-i-Mubarak, on the banks of Yamuna when he transferred the capital from Agra to Delhi. Architects Ustad Ahmad and Ustad Hamid oversaw the construction that began in 1638 and ended in 1648. Spread over 256 acres, the fort is octagonal in shape and has two entrances Lahori gate and Delhi gate. It stretches for 2 km by the Yamuna river. In 2007, the fort was declared a Unesco world heritage site. The British destroyed most of the forts precious marble structures following the revolt of 1857 and started using it as a garrison. Since Independence till 2003, the Indian Army occupied a part of the fort. The Army was withdrawn after a terror attack in 2000. The Dalmia Bharat Group, under a memorandum of understanding, would maintain the Red Fort and build basic infrastructure. Opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI(M) and the TMC, slammed the government for virtually handing over the symbol of India's Independence to a corporate. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: With opposition parties denouncing the government for "handing over the Red Fort to a private entity", the Ministry of Tourism clarified on Saturday that the agreement signed with the Dalmia Bharat Limited was "only for development, operations and maintenance of tourism amenities" in and around the 17th century monument and envisaged limited "access" to non-core areas. The Dalmia Bharat Group, under a memorandum of understanding, would maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it and has committed a sum of Rs 25 crore for the purpose over a period spanning five years. Opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI(M) and the TMC, slammed the government for virtually handing over the symbol of India's Independence to a corporate. "The MoU is only' for the development, operations and maintenance of tourism amenities in and around the Red Fort. It envisages limited access' of non-core areas and no handing over of monument' is involved," the ministry said. Also Read: Red Fort adopted in Rs 25 crore deal, Oppn fumes It is clarified that The Adopt a Heritage' is essentially a non-revenue generating project. It is part of responsible tourism where the Monument Mitra' essentially spends its CSR funds for upkeep and maintenance and gets limited visibility. "The agency was selected on the basis of unique concept of vision bid and no financial bid is involved," a ministry statement read. An MoU has been signed between the Ministry of Tourism, the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) and the Jammu and Kashmir government for Mt Stok Kangri, Ladakh. An agreement was inked by "the Ministry of Tourism, the ATOAI, and the Uttarakhand government for trail to Gaumukh. MoUs were also signed between the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Dalmia Bharat Limited for Red Fort in Delhi, and the Gandikota Fort in Andhra Pradesh, it said. "Under the project, 31 agencies referred as 'Monument Mitras' have been approved so far to adopt 95 monuments/ tourist sites located across India. The project aims to involve public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through development, operation and maintenance of world-class tourist infrastructure and amenities at ASI/state heritage sites and other important tourist sites in India," the statement read. The project primarily focusses on providing basic amenities including cleanliness, public conveniences, drinking water, ease of access for differently abled and senior citizens, standardised signage, illumination and advanced amenities such as surveillance system, night viewing facilities, tourism facilitation center and an enhanced tourism experience. Accusing the BJP, the Congress asked how the government could lease out a heritage place to a private entity. "After handing over the Red Fort to the Dalmia group, which is the next distinguished location that the BJP government will lease out to a private entity? #IndiaSpeaks," the party's Twitter handle posted. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday came down heavily on the Center for leasing out the the historic Red Fort in New Delhi and the Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh to a corporate house. Describing the Red Fort as the "symbol of the nation" and the day as the "sad and dark day in our history", Banerjee questioned why the central government was unable to take care of the historical fort. "Why can't the Government even take care of our historic Lal Qila? Red Fort is a symbol of our nation. It is where India"s flag is hoisted on Independence Day. Why should it be leased out?," Banerjee tweeted on Saturday evening. According to the woman's husband, a senior doctor said that they did not have an ultrasound machine and there was time for her delivery. The incident occurred on Saturday night, said Pradeep Sharma, the Principal Medical Officer at the civil hospital. (Photo: Represemtational) Gurgaon: A woman gave birth to a boy in an ambulance after doctors at the civil hospital in Gurgaon referred her to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital citing unavailability of an ultrasound machine, prompting the health department to suspend three doctors on charges of negligence. The incident occurred on Saturday night, said Pradeep Sharma, the Principal Medical Officer at the civil hospital. According to the woman's husband, senior doctor Alka Sharma told her there was time for delivery and that they did not have an ultrasound machine at the civil hospital. "The doctors said they can't perform a caesarean surgery on an anaemic patient. They referred my wife to the Safdarjung Hospital even though she was in labour," the woman's husband, Nurruddin, said. "My wife gave birth to a boy in an ambulance near the Sirhaul toll plaza on the Delhi-Gurgaon national highway," he said. "Three doctors have been suspended on charges of negligence," Sharma said. The health department had taken suo moto cognisance of the incident, he said. CM Yogi is head priest of Gorakhnath temple body. Lucknow: Baba Gorakhnath, the reigning deity of the Goraksh Peeth in Gorakhpur, will now be a part of the syllabus for children studying in government primary schools in classes 6 to 8. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest of the Goraksh Peeth and it was on his directives that leaders related to Hindu culture and folklore have been included in the new syllabus. Children studying in Classes 6 to 8 will be studying the life and times of Baba Gorakhnath, Jan Sangh leaders including Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Shaheed Babu Bandhu Singh of Gorakhpur will also be included in the syllabus. The idea is to make the young generations aware of the contribution of those who have not bene highlighted in history, said a senior official of the education department. The stories of legendary fighters Aalha and Udal of Bundelkhand will also be taught to children. Aalha and Udal were brothers who owed their loyalty to the Chandel kingdom and stories of their valor can be found in the songs of Bundelkhand. The local people strongly believe that Aalha and Udal are immortal and visit the Maihar temple regularly. The state government has included 16 new chapters related to great men in the books for children in these classes. Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will also be included in the new syllabus. The former Prime Ministers son Sunil Shastri is in the BJP while his grandson Siddhartha Nath Singh is a minister in the Yogi government. Students of Class 7 in government schools will find stories of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Tantya Tope while students in class 8 will study about freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain and Swami Vivekanand. It may be recalled that soon after assuming office last year, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that children would be taught about their own culture and history. He had alleged that the previous regime had deliberately excluded local folklore and tales of great men from the syllabus. Meanwhile, the Congress and the SP have termed these changes in syllabus as an attempt to saffronise education. The Yogi government is deliberately including only those leaders who were ideologically opposed to the Congress. They are openly trying to saffronise education which will ste a dangerous trend, said UPCC spokesman Dujendra Tripathi. SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said that this was only expected of a government that paints everything saffron. Why have leaders like Dr Ram Manohar Lohia been excluded from the list? This shows that in the name of changing syllabus, the Yogi government is pushing its own party agenda, he pointed out. Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands. The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500 km from Kathmandu, was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district. (Photo: PTI) Kathmandu: A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal, an official said, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III hydroelectric power pla-nts office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500 km from here, was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, chief district officer of the Sankhuwasa-bha district. An unidentified group was behind the explosion targeting Arun III office situated at Tumlingtar, according to chief district officer Shivaraj Joshi. Mr Joshi informed that the explosion caused minor damaged to the office. However, no one was injured in the incident. Mr Joshi has informed that further investigation into the incident is underway and extensive search is on for the perpetrators. Following the incident, security has been stepped up in the area. The blast comes at a time when preparations were going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Mr Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11. The project is slated to come into operation by 2020. A project development agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with Indias state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014, in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Prime Minister Mr Modi. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy here has discussed the matter with the Nepal foreign affairs ministry here, an official at the embassy said. The foreign minister of Nepal said they had asked the ministry of home affairs to investigate the matter. This is the second blast in a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands. Mr Gandhi said he had thought of God then and added that he would undertake the Kailash Mansarovar yatra after the Karnataka polls. New Delhi: Sounding the bugle for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday tore into the BJP-led Central government at the partys Jan Aakrosh Rally here. Launching a blistering, personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress president oozed confidence at the Ramlila Maidan rally and said one has to search for the truth in the speeches that are given by Mr Modi. Predicting that his party was in a comeback mode all over the country, he claimed that the Congress would not only retain power in Karnataka but also wrest it from the BJP in the coming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and of course in the Lok Sabha. Mr Gandhi added: The name of this rally is Jan Aakrosh (public anger). Wherever I go these days, I ask a simple question to the people: Are you happy? and I get the same answer: No. Hitting back at the Congress, BJP president Amit Shah accused it of practising dynastic politics, and termed the partys Jan Aakrosh Rally as a Parivar Aakrosh Rally. In a series of tweets, Mr Shah attacked the Grand Old Party, saying the Congress were ousted from successive states in Assembly elections over the past three years owing to Jan Aadesh (public order). Mr Shah later tweeted: A dynasty and their courtiers, who were sent out of state after state by Jan Aadesh ... now pretend to represent Jan Aakrosh. Todays Congress rally is nothing but a Parivar Aakrosh Rally which highlights their increasing irrelevance. Addressing his first rally in Delhi as Congress president, Mr Gandhi said that Mr Modi had been too nervous to raise the issue of the Chinese occupation of Doklam during his Wuhan visit and charged the Prime Minister with sipping tea without a single agenda which he said was unthinkable by any previous Prime Minister. Indian PM is having tea with Chinese President without a single agenda. In Doklam, China is making helipads and extending the airport. The Indian PM is there in China without an agenda, conducting discussions. Our PM hasnt spoken a single word on Doklam in China. This is unprecedented in 70 years. Indiraji, Jawaharlalji, Vajpayeeji, Deve Gowdaji, Inder Gujralji and many others have never done something like this, Mr Gandhi said. Mr Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of staying silent on several issues, and questioned why the countrys chowkidar was silent on issues of graft and weakening of institutions. He also mentioned the allegations against railway minister Piyush Goyal and the increase in wealth of a company owned by Mr Amit Shahs son Jay Shah. He went on to challenge the government and asked it to divulge the price of a jet in the Rafale deal. Mr Gandhi said: The Modi government is buying the aircraft at almost double the rate at which the UPA government was buying it... and giving the contract not to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd but to the private company of his industrial friend. He also questioned the PMs silence on the fugitives Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Talking about farmers, Mr Gandhi said: Without the Congress Party, the farmers of India cannot live. If the Congress wasnt there, all lands of Indians would have been snatched by Modiji. He also said demonetisation and the hasty implementation of GST (Gabbar Singh Tax) had broken the back of small businesses and traders. Adding that India had the highest unemployment rate in the past eight years. Mr Gandhi said the Congress had united all sections of society and spread love in 70 years, unlike the BJP, which he said attacked dalits and minorities. Raising the issue of the weakening of institutions under the Central government, Mr Gandhi spoke about the unprecedented press conference by four senior Supreme Court judges, and said: Usually, people go to the courts for getting justice, but now its the Supreme Court judges who are going to the peoples court for justice. He also raised the issue of the death of Judge Loya, and accused the government of trying to fill people from the RSS into institutions. Referring to the incident where an aircraft carrying him to Karnatakas Hubbali had nosedived before landing safely, Mr Gandhi said he had thought of God then and added that he would undertake the Kailash Mansarovar yatra after the Karnataka polls. In the past, Mr Gandhi has faced criticism for his spate of visits to temples. The incident comes barely three weeks after two local Shiv Sena leaders were killed in a similar manner in the district. The NCP workers were standing on the main road of Jamkhed town, nearly 70 km from here, when the three assailants came on a motorcycle and fired about eight rounds on them. (Photo: Representational) Ahmednagar: Two workers of the NCP were shot dead by three unidentified men in the district last evening, the police said on Sunday. The incident comes barely three weeks after two local Shiv Sena leaders were killed in a similar manner in the district. The NCP workers were standing on the main road of Jamkhed town, nearly 70 km from here, when the three assailants came on a motorcycle and fired about eight rounds on them at 6.20 pm, district Superintendent of Police Ranjankumar Sharma said. Both the deceased were residents of Jamkhed, he said. They were identified as Yogesh Ambadas Ralebhat (30), the district vice president of the NCP's youth wing, and Rakesh Arjun Ralebhat (23), an executive committee member and office-bearer of the party's Jamkhed unit in Ahmednagar, he said. No arrest has been made so far in connection with the killings, Sharma said, adding that a case under relevant sections was registered. The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the assailants and the motive behind the killings. District Guardian Minister Ram Shinde visited the government hospital on Saturday night when the bodies were brought there. Angry supporters of the two deceased NCP workers shouted slogans against the minister outside the hospital premises. On April 7, two motorcycle-borne assailants had shot dead two local Shiv Sena leaders hours at Shahunagar in Kedgaon here after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced, the police earlier said. Sounding the poll bugle, Gandhi said only the Congress can support the farmers of India and protect their interests. As he spoke at the event, Rahul Gandhi attacked the centre over the Rafale deal and PM Modi's promises to end corruption in the country. (Photo: Twitter/INC) New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public rally, his first in the national capital since assuming the top party post, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the PM has made "hollow" promises to the nation. He said as he travelled across the country, he witnessed that the people were not happy with the government at the Centre. Hitting out at PM Modi on the Punjab National Bank scam, he said that money of the people of the country has gone into the pocket of Nirav Modi. As he spoke at the "Jan Akrosh Rally", Rahul Gandhi attacked the Centre over the Rafale deal and PM Modi's promises to end corruption in the country. He said the prime minister bought the Rafale deal at double the price than the earlier estimate. "PM Modi snatched away the Rafale deal from an experienced PSU like HAL and gave it away to an inexperienced private entity owned by his friend," Gandhi said. Claiming that unemployment has reached its peak level, Rahul Gandhi repeated that demonetisation and "Gabbar Singh Tax" hurt the national economy. Gandhi accused Union Minister Piyush Goyal of making dubious business deals benefitting companies linked to him through his position. However, PM Modi doesn't utter a single word on this, he said at the rally. The Congress had earlier on Saturday demanded the removal of Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a company owned by him were a "murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest", charges dismissed as "baseless and malicious" by the BJP. Invoking the January 12 incident, wherein, four senior judges revolted against Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, Rahul said under Modi's reign, even the Supreme Court judges have had to reach out to people for justice. Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Rahul said RSS was slowly taking over the democratic institutions and destroying them from within while PM Modi watches silently. Mocking Modi's "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao", Gandhi alleged that the members of his own party were assaulting women. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising the country's defence and strategic interests, Gandhi said, "The Chinese are aggressively pursuing militarisation in Doklam. Despite this, all that PM Modi does is hold a 'no-agenda' meeting with the Chinese President". Sounding the poll bugle, Gandhi said only the Congress Party can support the farmers of India and protect their interests. Congress united all sections of society, spread love in 70 years unlike the BJP, he said. Rahul Gandhi also said the Congress would emerge victorious in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh assembly polls and 2019 general elections. "The Congress will win every election from now on and will also emerge victorious in 2019," he said. The rally was earlier addressed by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Addressing the rally, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the Centre stating that Narendra Modi-led BJP government has destroyed the Indian economy. She attacked PM Modi saying roots of corruption became stronger in his regime. Gandhi said the BJP government was muzzling dissenting voices, weakening institutions, and dividing communities eyeing poll gains. Asserting that the country was passing through a sensitive phase, Gandhi promised that the Congress will combat on behalf of people. He became hooked on Diana after seeing her wedding to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles. MIAMI: John Hoatsons home is a shrine to Princess Diana, with everything from a wedding day portrait to a plush doll and miniature replicas of her wedding shoes. Hoatsons passion for all things Diana began when he was 8 and shows no signs of fading at the age of 45, with Dianas son Prince Harry scheduled to wed retired American actress Meghan Markle on May 18 at Windsor Castle. The wedding will give Hoatson the opportunity to add to a collection that numbers 13,000 items. A museum valued it at about $500,000 in 2011, he said. As a child, Hoatson was an American history buff, collecting antiques related to the first U.S. president, George Washington. He became hooked on the royal family and Diana after seeing her wedding to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles on July 29, 1981. My mother woke me up the morning of the royal wedding of Charles and Diana and told me I needed to watch it for historical reasons, he told Reuters during an interview in his home surrounded by objects from his collection. I was fascinated how they still used all the carriages and still had all that pomp and pageantry even after so many centuries, said Hoatson, who is single. One wall in his small Pompano Beach, Florida, home is covered by a black-and-white photo of Diana gazing into the camera. A wall-covering portrait of Diana and Charles from the wedding day hangs nearby and a National Geographic documentary about her life plays on a loop on his television. Other items include signed cards, handwritten notes to her staff, porcelain trinkets bearing the Windsor family crest, the tiny replica shoes, the plush doll in a powder blue satin dress and sparkling tiara, and coffee mugs, plates, and bowls bearing Dianas image. He even has a bar of soap Diana used on a Caribbean vacation. Hoatson considers his prized possession a sliver of fruitcake in its original box from the wedding day, which he acquired in 2004 from an auction house for $300. That was when Diana became a member of the royal family, he said. Now, Hoatson is organizing an office watch party for Prince Harrys nuptials and plans to begin adding mementos from the day as soon as they become available. She goes on to say, I completely believe that embracing flaws is the only way we can be vulnerable as well as strong. As soon as people realise the most unique thing about themselves is their imperfections, it will make them realise that it makes them perfect Elena Fernandes, actor Side selfie a new fad is taking over internet and its all about embracing the so-called-flaws. People are posting pictures of their side profile to fight body-shaming. Radhika Sanghani, who started it, posted on Twitter: Breaking the big nose taboo with my new campaign on the #sideprofileselfie!! Lets stop hating our noses for not being tiny, little snubs and learn to love them. While most of those participating in this viral trend are women, few men have also joined in and been welcomed by Twitterati. Beauticians and actors tell us more about breaking the stereotypical standards of beauty and what it means for people struggling with body shaming. Feeling happy with the way one looks is very important, believes beauty expert Shahnaz Husain. It improves self-esteem, which is so essential for interacting with others confidently. I believe a beautiful woman is not necessarily one who is endowed with perfect features, but one who is aware of her flaws, accepts them and makes the most of them. This essentially is the basis of the side selfie trend. A selfie itself has become such a commonplace thing that most of us dont think twice about it. But, the fact remains that it is the result of an extreme awareness of ones appearance and the desire to project how one looks, she says, adding, Journalist Radhika Sanghani started this movement to urge others to accept and actually embrace flaws in their facial features or body. The idea is that instead of a loss of self-esteem due to a facial flaw, like a broad nose, you adopt a positive approach and post a profile photo of yourself, or a side selfie showing your broad nose. The idea is not to be led by the accepted beauty standards and ideals. It will give you strength of mind and self-confidence if you banish negative thoughts about yourself. Instead of feeling ashamed and insecure about a flaw, learn to project yourself in more flattering angles through your profile photos. So, go ahead, take a side selfie and feel good about yourself. Cosmetologist Anita Arya agrees. She says. I believe God has made everyone beautiful. Every feature on your face tells you something about yourself and who youre intended to be. Every person is attractive in their own way. Most people have a mindset that having a prefect nose equals beautiful. These days many women and men are sharing their side profile selfies to show that noses of all sizes are beautiful. This is a very good movement and shows that if you love yourself the way you are, then nothing can take away your confidence. However, it can be very difficult for many people to embrace their flaws, feels actor Elena Fernandes, adding, As soon as people realise the most unique thing about themselves is their imperfections, it will make them realise that it makes them perfect. Actor Shama Sikender also believes that true freedom only comes when you accept your vulnerable side. She says, Everybody has some flaws and favourable positions to take photos from. I dont see anything wrong in that. If I want to take photos from a certin angle, its my life. Whoever thinks that people can be flawless is an idiot. Even the most beautiful people have some angles and sides that dont look good. So why make a big deal of it and troll people on that? Its sick to troll. She goes on to say, I completely believe that embracing flaws is the only way we can be vulnerable as well as strong. Accept vulnerability wholeheartedly, just as you accept strength. That is what makes you complete. While embracing of the side selfie trend is an indication of changing times, actor Sahil Salathia opines that as a collective community we can make some wonderful changes. Its a great effort to be happy with who you are because that is how you are supposed to be. Who sets these beauty standards? We all do. Who can create awareness that different shapes and sizes are all beautiful? We all can. I am super happy and proud of this movement. You are perfect just the way you are, he concludes. The Kimber .380 caliber handgun in Witts vagina had a gun in the chamber and she now faces 10 years in prison. People have time and again tried to find new ways to slip sneak contraband or other objects without authorities noticing. There have also been shocking accounts of people ending up with bizarre objects in their bodies with mind boggling explanations. Now police in Missouri have arrested a 27-year-old for possession of drugs she had stashed in her bra. But what shocked them was the fact that she had a loaded gun hidden inside her vagina. The Kimber .380 caliber handgun in Witts vagina had a gun in the chamber and she now faces 10 years in prison for possession of a weapon and 15 on drugs charges. The court held that due to injury there was a delay in registering the FIR. After reading FIR it appears that the complaint is not false. Mumbai: The Bombay high court has rejected anticipatory bail application of social activist Trupti Desai. The court observed that prima facie it appears that complainant is not lying and the truth of the allegations will be proved during the trial. A division bench comprising of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice Prakash Naik was hearing ABA filed by Desai. According to the prosecution, the complainant, Vijay Makasare was heading towards Mumbai from his residence in Ahmadnagar, when Desai, along with Prashant Desai, Satish Desai and Kantilal Gaware came in their Maruti Ertiga and stopped his car. They then proceeded to snatch his Samsung mobile phone, gold chain and money worth Rs 27,000, after which he was assaulted with sticks and iron rod by all the accused. Since the complainant was from the Mahar community, Desai even used abusive language against him. The police had registered a complaint under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. But Desai argued that the complaint was made 10 days after the incident and was false. She further argued that she has documents to show that the complainant had converted and become a Christian. The court held that due to injury there was a delay in registering the FIR. After reading FIR it appears that the complaint is not false. Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia accused the prosecution of lapses, saying, Prosecution lawyers drafted the affidavits of some of the accused. The prosecutor has been under a cloud for a long time; of late that cloud over his office has darkened. On April 20, Maya Kodnani, a minister in Narendra Modis Gujarat government, was acquitted in the Naroda Patiya case in the 2002 pogrom of Muslims. Kodnani became a minister after the riots. In 2012, she was convicted by a trial court as the kingpin of the riots and given a 28-year prison term. The high court acquitted her on appeal. Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia accused the prosecution of lapses, saying, Prosecution lawyers drafted the affidavits of some of the accused. Her acquittal has been received with disbelief. She was seen by some at the scene, exhorting the mobs to kill Muslims, distributing swords and assuring the mob that there would be no inquiries by the police. Opinion on the role of the prosecution must be reserved. It is most unfortunate that its role in Gujarat has come under criticism. Crime eradication depends on the efficiency and integrity of three institutions. The police investigate and collect the evidence. The prosecutor presents it to the court and asks that the guilty be punished. The judge renders justice. All three are creatures of the law. All three have seen better days. On April 17, the Maharashtra government abruptly cancelled the appointment of the special public prosecutor (SPP) Dhiraj Mirajkar, who was appointed in November 2015, in the Khwaja Yunus custodial death case. That he was the third to be sacked in this very case reflects the state governments disposition. Yunus, a 27-year-old software engineer, was arrested in Mumbai in December 2002 for a bombing in Ghatkopar that killed two. Barely 10 days later, he was said to have disappeared while under police escort to Aurangabad. A CID probe showed that the police had tortured him to death. Four police officials were finally put on trial, though 14 were named. Two months later, SPP Mirajkar asked that four police officials be made additional accused in this 15-year-old case. He was sacked. Reflecting on the dismissal, Mirajkar said, (I)t is a direct fallout of the application I made to include four officers as accused... the government is going to make every effort to dodge the charge. On Jan 17, Dr Abdul Mateen, a prime eyewitness, told the court that he had seen those four other inspectors assault Yunus, who was vomiting blood. The prosecutor was sacked even before the court could decide on his application to include them as accused. How can one expect a prosecutor to discharge his duties honestly if the states sword of Damocles hangs over his head, ensuring that the favourite of the politicians in favour escapes punishment? In the 1970s, Congress MP Amrit Nahata produced the film Kissa Kursi Ka, a satire on Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay. In February 1979, Sanjay Gandhi and former information minister V.C. Shukla were convicted of a conspiracy to destroy the film during the Emergency and sentenced to two years in jail. The Supreme Court of India began hearing their appeals that November. By January 1980, Indira Gandhi had returned to power. The prosecutor, Ram Jethmalani, who had appeared for months in the trial court, was dropped. His successor, one Joginder Singh Wasu, argued for 15 minutes on a record of 6,500 pages. In April 1980, a three-member bench of the apex court acquitted the accused in a scrappy judgement. The Indian Criminal Procedure Code vests in the governments, Central and State, the power to appoint public prosecutors and a special public prosecutor for a special case (Section 24). He is removable at its whim. Judicial pronouncements on his independence are futile. The same is true of his power to withdraw a case with the consent of the court (Section 321). Judges have ruled that he cannot be dictated to by the state. They cannot protect him from dismissal. Only a director of prosecution created by the constitution can. In the US, the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 empowers the court to appoint an independent prosecutor. Robert S. Mueller III is special prosecutor in the current investigations into charges of Russian meddling in the US presidential election. Even though the independence of the prosecutor existed in Britain prior to 1986, it nonetheless established the Crown Prosecution Service that year under the Prosecution of Offences Act of 1985. In 1924, Sir Patrick Hastings had to resign as attorney-general because he had withdrawn the prosecution of J.C. Campbell, editor of a communist weekly, for political reasons. Finley Peter Dunne, in his classic Mr Dooleys Opinions, wrote: No matter whether th Constitution follows th flag or not, the Supreme Coort (Court) follows the iliction (election) returns. The Supreme Courts conduct in the Kissa Kursi Ka case proved the wisdom. By arrangement with Dawn The first and foremost difference is where do both India and China see themselves in 2040. Beyond the paroxysms of ecstasy in the Indian television media over the summit in Wuhan there are fundamental contradictions between India and China that shouldnt be glossed over. Before coming to the substantive aspects of the deep divergences that bedevil the relationship, a word about the atmospherics. While the Indian side was quick to issue an 11-paragraph statement delineating their version of the discussions between the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese President, prefaced by a detailed briefing by the Indian foreign secretary there was no official word from the Chinese side on the Wuhan process. In fact, in the regular briefing by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on the of April 27, there was not even a word about the event in Wuhan even as it was unfolding. The first and foremost difference is where do both India and China see themselves in 2040. Are the Middle Kingdoms aspirations of becoming a global power compatible with Indias aspiration of being an important player in the evolving multi-polarity of the global order? The answer is no. For Indias fundamental foreign policy construct stands at odds with Chinese designs in the Indian Ocean Region to begin with. Nothing manifests itself more than the Chinese desire for bases all across this geography. If Chinese sources are accurate, then the PLAN (Peoples liberation Army Navy) has been advised to construct as many as 18 overseas Naval military bases not limited to the greater Indo-Pacific region that includes Chongjin (North Korea), Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Koh-Lanta (Thailand), Sittwe (Myanmar), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Gwadar (Pakistan), Hamabantota port (Sri Lanka), Maldives, Seychelles, Djibouti (Djibouti), Lagos(Nigeria), Mombasa (Kenya), Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), Luanda(Angola) and Walvis Bay in (Namibia). The quintessential String of Pearls. Out of these, three in Indias immediate neighborhood are most worrying, namely Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantatotta in Sri Lanka and the proposed surveillance station that will come at Makunudhoo island of the Maldives not far from Kerala and the Sri Lankan coast. The latter can be quickly upgraded to a submarine base that would give the Chinese Navy the ability to interdict crucial international shipping routes. This is a direct challenge to Indias maritime supremacy, sits as it does on the head of the Indian Ocean. The related dilemma is with regard to the Quadrilateral between the United States, Japan, Australia and India. The idea of the Quad, as it is called, was first mooted in 2007 but never got much traction except for some joint Naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal. The first Quad miscarried as Australia summarily walked out and India followed suit. This coincided with the 2007-2008 economic crises that saw Chinese economic power go up several levels and the initiation of a phase of military assertion by the Chinese across the board from the Senkaku islands, and on the Sino-Indian border. The idea was revived again during the last Asean summit in Manila. Howsoever India may want to spin it, but China sees the Quad as a measure of containment and is decidedly uncomfortable with this alliance of democracies. How will India square up its commitment to the Quad with a smoother relationship with China is logic defying. Ultimately India would have to bite the bullet and choose between bending to the Chinese wind or its strategic autonomy underpinned by the Quad? It should be no surprise, which way India should tilt! Then there is the South Asian question. For 70 years, India has considered South Asia as its near abroad. The region is equivalent of its Monroe Doctrine. The world at large has respected Indias right to its eminent domain. However, that is not the case any longer. China has been actively patronising all the anti-India elements in the region beginning with Pakistan with whom it has a robust military and even nuclear and missile technology cooperation if not supply relationship stretching back decades. In the past four years this strategic embrace has expanded beyond Pakistan. China is actively patronising all the anti-India elements and political forces in the region, be it in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Abdulla Yameen government in the Maldives or hostile organisations in Bangladesh. It also seeks to punish those who still stand in solidarity with India. Doklam was nothing but a warning shot across the bows to Bhutan for standing by India in its boycott of the Belt and Road Conference in Bejing last year. The litmus test for India is whether after the Wuhan summit China will continue to back those political forces in the Bangladesh general elections, scheduled to be held at the end of 2018, who wear their hostility to India on their sleeve? Then there is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) President Xi Jingpings signature initative. While the Indian side has put it out that the Chinese would not insist on India joining the BRI, the fact remains that the project, especially its CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) dimension, is a direct assault on Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Can India afford to look the other way? The tragic irony is while the BJP government has been carping about CPEC for over four years now, it has failed to unveil an alternative vision to challenge it, forget about breaking the vision down into implementable projects. Finally, on the border question also while the Indian side has waxed eloquent about Chinas commitment to the Special Representative (SR) Process to resolve the vexed border question between the two neighbors, the fact remains that the Chinese have walked away from the agreement arrived between the two sides on April 11, 2005, on the political parameters and guiding principles for the settlement of the India-China boundary question, especially the issue of not disturbing settled populations in both the nations. The Sino-India relationship does not require a bhai-bhai chant. It requires India to create ballast on its side. It is time to bite the bullet. The Indian statement, after some introductory moralising on the need for strategic convergence, addresses the border issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modis informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping over Friday and Saturday in central Chinas Wuhan elicited much comment on the reasons impelling both countries as indeed its usefulness. The informality was a convenient ploy to lower expectations and allow a discussion at the strategic level, unhindered by any agenda. The reason for caution is understandable as since the Doklam standoff a year ago, at a tri-junction of territory held or claimed by Bhutan, China and India, Sino-Indian relations have been far from normal. A turnaround may have begun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit soon after Doklam, but it gathered momentum only after foreign secretary Vijay Gokhales visit to Beijing in February. On his return, he had issued directions to ensure a muted Indian participation in the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Dalai Lamas arrival in India. This was India signalling a concession on a subject that often riles China. The rest followed from this opening public move. Why did the two Asian neighbours agree to the Wuhan summit? This needs to be explored first. Clearly, no such meeting was possible without mutual benefit. China is worried over US President Donald Trumps assault on free trade under the World Trade Organisation rules. The imposition of tariffs on 1,300 Chinese products worth $50 billion has shown Mr Trump acting on his bluster about Chinese predatory trading, currency manipulation and intellectual property theft. His Cabinet colleague terms it as economic aggression. With a trade surplus of $288 billion with the United States in 2017, China can ill-afford to lose a lucrative market and its resulting industrial disruption, possibly with cascading affect. India is a natural market to covet under any circumstances, but in a possible trade war scenario and an erratic US President, it may seem manna from heaven. Additionally, the geopolitical plates are shifting in East Asia in a manner that is detrimental to the Chinese strategic calculus. The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) holding a summit as the Modi-Xi parleys began was either a coincidence or a Chinese attempt, not very successful, to distract attention from possible historic strategic evolution on the Korean peninsula. China could be seeing the loss of an important buffer it has used ruthlessly to tie down the US, South Korea and Japan. Prime Minister Modi too is not without concerns. The defiance of India by Sri Lanka, now the Maldives and the victory of the Communists in Nepal makes the managing of Indias periphery difficult, and with one Chinese client state like Pakistan more complex, if not impossible. China is vital to handling the Pakistan Army, with the Americans clout flagging, as besides being its major military equipment supplier, it is now an economic patron via the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Further, as the New York Times surmised, Mr Modi does not want another summer surprise like Doklam, particularly where the Chinese have the strategic advantage on the Line of Actual Control, in a pre-election year. The Modi governments conundrum is with the Congress Party having already forcefully asked whether vital national issues are being forthrightly projected by Mr Modi, how to spin a strategic recalibration, the results of which would only emerge gradually, if at all? In a politically surcharged atmosphere prior to the elections in Karnataka, the last major Congress citadel, the New Delhi statement attempts to answer those questions. Interestingly, both nations have issued separate statements implying some divergence of tone and content. Both also had domestic audiences as well as international partners in mind. The Indian statement, after some introductory moralising on the need for strategic convergence, addresses the border issue. The two leaders will issue strategic guidance to their militaries to strengthen communication and obtain predictability and effectiveness. The Chinese statement talks more of implementing the existing guidelines and mechanisms. Whether this would be supplemented by China resuming implementation of the 2005 agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India China Boundary Question remains to be seen. Post-2008, the special representatives met to hold sterile discussions as China reneged on the 2005 understanding. Unless the resolution of the boundary issue is undertaken, overlapping patrolling in disputed sections by both sides will invariably lead to fresh standoffs. The New Delhi statement thereafter is largely replete with statements of intent on meshing visions, furthering global prosperity, combating climate change and disease, helping digital empowerment, etc. There is a hortatory condemnation of terrorism, noted in the passing by China, thus indicating that China may only modify its defence of Pakistans state-sponsored terror gradually, if ever. A senior Chinese official said they would not press India on the Belt and Road Initiative. China obviously realises that issue will have to resolved in the India-Pakistan context. Wuhan was an exploratory exercise to assess if both nations are ready to begin recalibrating their known stances. For instance, will China be willing to accept Indias rise without counter-moves to tie it down in South Asia, or India prepared to not openly question the Chinese assertion of domination in the Pacific? The truth is neither will happen overnight or fully as India is a swing power that will play both sides. But for that the Narendra Modi doctrine of chest-thumping alternating with bear-hugging must be replaced by temperate diplomacy sans theatre. On April 28, a meeting began to consider the China-pushed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), seen by them as a counter to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), kicked off without the United States. The RCEP is to consist of 10 Asean members and China, Japan and South Korea, besides Australia, India and New Zealand. President Xi would have sought Indian support. China wants the Indian market to open fully, while India wants China to lower its non-tariff barriers on Indias competitive products to enable trade balancing. That Wuhan was an important meeting is undeniable. The next few months will show if the strategic recalibration between the two Asian giants has actually begun. Todays murder is second of a priest in recent months. An unidentified man fired twice at the victim after Sunday Mass. Mgr Sergio Lasam Utleg, archbishop of Tuguegarao, went to the crime scene where he led prayers with the faithful present. The Bishops Conference want the authorities to act swiftly in going after the perpetrators of this crime and to bring them to justice. Manila (AsiaNews/CBCP) A young priest was shot dead in Cagayan province this morning. Fr Mark Ventura (pictured), 37, was murdered around 8.15 am, immediately after celebrating Mass in a gymnasium in Pena Weste, a village on the outskirts of Gattaran, a town on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines far north. The priest was blessing children and talking with choir members when a still unidentified man wearing a motorcycle helmet emerged from the back of the gym and shot the victim twice. Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde is quoted as saying that the suspect ran towards the highway and rode off on a single motorcycle driven by another unidentified companion towards Baggao, Cagayan. Mgr Sergio Lasam Utleg, archbishop of Tuguegarao, went to the scene of the assassination, where he led the prayers of the faithful present. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) deplored the priests murder, offering their prayers for Ventura, his bereaved family, and the Catholic community of Tuguegarao. We condemn this evil act! said CBCP President Archbishop Romulo Valles. We are totally shocked and in utter disbelief to hear about the brutal killing of Fr Mark Ventura. The CBCP called on the authorities to act swiftly in going after the perpetrators of this crime and to bring them to justice. Until his death, Fr Ventura was the director of San Isidro Labrador Mission Station, a post he only assumed early this month, in Mabuno village, also in Gattaran. A priest for almost seven years, he was also known for his anti-mining advocacy and for helping indigenous peoples in the province, which is famous for its copper and gold mines. Prior to his assignment in Gattaran, Ventura served as rector of the Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary based in Aparri, Cagayan. Fr Venturas murder is the second of a priest in recent months. In December 2017, Fr Marcelito Paez, 72, was killed by still unidentified gunmen after he facilitated the release of a political prisoner in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. In 2011, Fr Fausto Tentorio, a missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), was killed in similar circumstances and for the same motives. By Guy Nolch Researchers are boycotting a major university that is opening an autonomous weapons lab in collaboration with an arms company. Most Australians have lived through an unprecedented era of prosperity and stability. Its now more than 70 years since the end of the Second World War and almost 90 years since the start of the Great Depression. Since then medical advances have extended our life expectancy well into our eighties, and some futurists even proclaim that we are the last mortal generation before the singularity combines biological and artificial intelligence (AI). While most of us have only witnessed some short-term stockmarket crashes, pandemic threats such as SARS and avian flu, and military interventions and counterterrorism measures rather than full-scale wars, there are signs that this golden age may soon be disrupted. Antibiotic resistance is rapidly multiplying, automation is reducing the job market to a casualised gig economy, and military superpowers are again flexing their muscles. Military tensions between the US, North Korea, Russia and China, along with trade sanctions and Cold War-era diplomatic expulsions, seem more ominous than in recent decades, not least with bombing of Syria in April, China expanding its military presence into South-East Asia, and North Korea edging closer to achieving a nuclear capability. But it is South Korea that has captured the ire of the international scientific community. Its top university, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has been boycotted by artificial intelligence experts who are concerned about the AI weapons lab it is opening in collaboration with Hanwha Systems, a major arms company that builds cluster munitions in defiance of United Nations bans. AI and robotics researchers from 30 countries declared they will boycott all contact with KAIST once the AI weapons lab is opened. We will, for example, not visit KAIST, host visitors from KAIST, or contribute to any research project involving KAIST, they wrote in an open letter on 9 April. They warned: If developed, autonomous weapons will be the third revolution in warfare. They will permit war to be fought faster and at a scale greater than ever before... This Pandoras box will be hard to close if it is opened. Boycott organiser Prof Toby Walsh of the University of NSW called for a UN ban on autonomous weapons. We can see prototypes of autonomous weapons under development today by many nations including the US, China, Russia and the UK, he said. We are locked into an arms race that no one wants to happen. KAISTs actions will only accelerate this arms race. One can only imagine that these AI researchers grew up watching the Terminator movies and now fear they are witnessing the establishment of a real-life Cyberdyne Systems. The impending development of weapons that rely entirely on machine intelligence to decide what to kill is this generation of robotics researchers Manhattan Project moment. Their actions are to be applauded. As the saying goes: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. But will the speed of military research outpace the steady development of a binding treaty banning autonomous weapons? The open letter was issued ahead of a UN meeting on the issue, but dont hold your breath on a binding treaty being put to the vote: progress was limited to defining exactly what constitutes an autonomous weapon. Furthermore, none of the nations with advanced autonomous weapons programs have committed to any form of binding mechanism restricting their use. By Ian Haines Much of the focus on new voluntary assisted dying laws is centred on patient autonomy, but it is only one of the four pillars. Does the legislation also satisfy the other three tenets of beneficence, non-maleficence and justice? Will voluntary assisted dying (VAD) legislation provide compassionate physician-assisted dying, as hoped, or are we providing state-sanctioned euthanasia and assisted suicide? It certainly raises some important ethical questions. Many of the submissions in Victoria were about tragic cases of desperate and suffering people with incurable illness who had taken or attempted to take their lives in sometimes very horrific circumstances. There was also a focus on high-profile celebrities and politicians who had watched on feeling helpless as a loved one suffered and died. Many of us would want to put these people out of their misery as soon as possible, wouldnt we? But is it what the patients themselves would choose if they had access to high-quality palliative care and psychosocial intervention, which are their right under the other tents of ethical care? There is every indication from the written submissions that this was often not offered or provided. Also, none of the high-profile celebrities and politicians indicated that their loved ones had strongly requested VAD when they were still capable of providing informed signed consent, or that their loved ones had received optimal palliative and psychosocial care. When my own father died of advanced cancer he was like most of us and most of the thousands of patients with cancer that I have cared for until the end. He wanted to be spared a death with suffering. However, he was also desperately keen to stay alive for the first Brisbane Lions AFL premiership in 2001. He shared this, fully alert and in the moment of euphoria and joy from his inpatient palliative care bed, surrounded by 29 of his family. He was then ready to go, and the combination of modern palliative care, terminal sedation and the law of double effect which protects doctors if a medication given to relieve suffering or distress also contributes to a quicker patient death allowed him to die very peacefully 7 days later. My mother, a powerful advocate for euthanasia, developed severe dementia years later and would have been unable to consent to the new laws. However, when she developed pneumonia, we instituted modern comfort care only and she also died quickly and peacefully surrounded by family. Patient autonomy is vitally important, but what about the autonomy of the physicians and nurses who just want to provide optimal, modern comfort care for suffering patients? We can achieve this for most patients, and for the remainder we have terminal sedation and the protection of the law of double effect. What about the justice and non-maleficence principle of protecting patients from the pressure and coercion that comes from relatives who want their inheritance? I have observed this pressure in more than a dozen cases in my 35 years of full-time oncology and palliative care, and it is chilling to observe and challenging to deal with. What about the strict auditing of the use of the suicide pills and the recovery of the unused ones so that they dont get into the hands of relatives and friends who want to harm themselves or others? None of these requirements are properly provided for in new and proposed legislation. What about the patients who have not received optimal care but request VAD? A 1998 study in the Lancet of the four patients who received euthanasia in the Northern Territory when it was legal from 199697 revealed that one was depressed, another was socially isolated, only one had seen a specialist palliative care physician, and none had uncontrolled pain . What about the difficulty of predicting if a patient has less than 6 months to live? Doctors are consistently very poor at this and I am certainly not much better at it now than when I started 35 years ago. Surely improved funding and provision of optimal palliative care rather than state-sanctioned euthanasia should be the focus of any ethical, modern, wealthy, liberal, secular and pluralist society? An unusually large amount of storm activity in southern New Zealand over the past 12 months has provided new insights into how extreme weather events can impact marine biology. A study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface (https://goo.gl/hj7QjJ) used DNA and geological evidence to establish the origins of kelp rafts driven onshore by cyclonic winds in April and July 2017. The researchers, led by Prof Jon Waters of the University of Otago, found that numerous kelp rafts driven onto Dunedin beaches by a storm on 21 July 2017 had travelled at least 1200 km from Macquarie Island. The unusually strong southerly winds drove these rafts north across the Subtropical Front, a major ocean barrier, allowing them to reach mainland New Zealand. While we have long suspected that kelp rafts can drift for long distances, these findings represent some of the longest natural rafting events ever documented anywhere, Waters says. Some of the key evidence for long-distance rafting comes from exotic rocks found attached to some of the kelp rafts. These rocks clearly show that many of the rafts have come a long way, from very distant geological sources, says co-author Prof Dave Craw. The study also found that rocky-shore animal species such as limpets and chitons were able to raft with the kelp to reach Dunedin. Weve often wondered how some coastal species come to be distributed so widely across the Southern Hemisphere. Its now becoming clear that storms might play a really big part in this, Waters says. Scientists have found an exciting new way to manipulate and design new materials at the atomic level, and change the way they behave at a larger scale, opening the way to new applications such as early cancer biomarkers. They say that the creation of nano sieves can help separate molecules down to an unprecedented size 10,000 times finer than a human hair. We discovered that a beam of energetic helium ions generated in a helium ion microscope rearranged a nanoporous anodised alumina material on the atomic scale and shrank its pores to various, unprecedented tiny sizes, said Prof Kostya Ostrikov of Queensland University of Technology. These tiny pores mean scientists could potentially sift molecules into different sizes to study them individually. It could open the way to early detection of cancer, for example, through a blood test that could detect DNA produced by a cancer before the tumour developed. This new ion-assisted manipulation of matter on the tiniest of length scales completely changed the behaviour of the aluminium oxide. When we applied moderate exposure to helium ions, its pores shrank. When we increased exposure to the ions, this normally brittle and porous ceramic turned into a superplastic and gained the ability to stretch more than twice without breaking. Dr Annalena Wolff said the discovery would allow scientists to play with materials and see their properties change in real time. We can now play with atomic bonds and see how we can use them to influence the manipulation of matter on the nanometric scale, she said. Dr Morteza Aramesh, the lead author of the study published in Nature Communications (https://goo.gl/EKAXxS), said: This new way of redesigning materials will help researchers and engineers to create novel smart materials with different functions, for example new pharmaceuticals, disease diagnostics and quantum computing. We can use helium ion microscopes to image almost any material and to build structures that are as small as a DNA strand so small that you could fit 64 billion of them in a single raindrop. Now we can see and manipulate matter on the nanometre scale we are limited only by our imagination in material design, Aramesh said. CSIRO scientists have confirmed the hybridisation of two of the world's major pest species, into a new and improved mega-pest. One of the pests, the cotton bollworm, is widespread in Africa, Asia and Europe and causes damage to over 100 crops, including corn, cotton, tomato and soybean. The damage and controlling the pest costs billions of dollars a year. It is extremely mobile and has developed resistance to all pesticides used against it. The other pest, the corn earworm, is a native of the Americas and has comparatively limited resistance and host range. However, the combination of the two, in a novel hybrid with unlimited geographical boundaries is cause for major concern. The CSIRO researchers in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA provides clear evidence of the hybridisation of the two moths in Brazil. "A hybrid such as this could go completely undetected should it invade another country," Research Director leading CSIRO's Biosecurity Risk Evaluation and Preparedness Program Dr Paul De Barro said. "It is critical that we look beyond our own backyard to help fortify Australia's defense and response to biosecurity threats. "As Australia's national science agency, we are constantly looking for new ways to protect the nation and technology like genome sequencing, is helping to tip the scales in our favour." While a combination of insecticides currently controls these pests well in Australia, it is important to study the pests themselves for sustainable long-term management world-wide. The scientists confirmed that among the group of caterpillars studied, every individual was a hybrid. "No two hybrids were the same suggesting a 'hybrid swarm' where multiple versions of different hybrids can be present within one population," fellow CSIRO Scientist Dr Tom Walsh said. The bollworm, commonly found in Australia, attacks more crops and develops much more resistance to pesticides than the earworm. A concerning finding among the Brazilian hybrids was that one was 51 per cent earworm but included a known resistance gene from the bollworm. Lead author of the paper Dr Craig Anderson, a former CSIRO scientist now based at The University of Edinburgh, believes the hybrid study has wide-ranging implications for the agricultural community across the Americas. "On top of the impact already felt in South America, recent estimates that 65 per cent of the USA's agricultural output is at risk of being affected by the bollworm demonstrates that this work has the potential to instigate changes to research priorities that will have direct ramifications for the people of America, through the food on their tables and the clothes on their backs," Dr Anderson said. By Ian Lowe Politicians lobbying for more coal-fired power stations are defying the preference for renewables by both consumers and investors. Last year the Australian government announced it had support for its proposed policy for the national electricity system. The package was clearly driven by political and economic issues. It did not respond adequately to climate change, but it was at least a coherent approach. The water was then muddied by a fringe group of government backbenchers, who were attacked by descendants of the late John Monash for misusing his name. The self-styled Monash Forum wants the government to fund new coal-fired power stations. Their timing was dictated by the internal politics of the Coalition parties, but their statement coincided with the United Nations release of 2017 data. Last year the world saw 100 GW of new solar power installed and 50 GW of wind. Total new capacity powered by all fossil fuels coal, oil, gas and lignite was about 70 GW, so its clear which way the world is moving. In the USA, the solar energy industry now employs more people than all fossil fuels combined. It is also clear to independent financial analysts that coal has a very limited future. In March, Rio Tinto sold its last holdings in coal mining. That announcement marks an extraordinarily rapid transition in investors thinking. Only a year ago, the Australian National University was accused of putting green ideology ahead of fiscal responsibility when it decided to get rid of its investments in the coal industry. When Rio Tinto did the same, the silence from the financial media was deafening. The move away from coal is partly driven by the Paris agreement, to which Australia is a signatory. Achieving the Paris target certainly means we should not build any new coal-fired power stations. It probably means that we should be phasing out some existing facilities before the end of their projected life. The move also reflects the new economic reality. Building a new coal-fired power station would be a very risky investment. Independent assessment suggests that the cost of its electricity would be much higher than the clean alternatives, making it very unlikely the operation would be profitable. The backbenchers proposal makes no sense economically, politically or environmentally. Incredibly, some of these politicians are still denying the science of climate change decades after it was established to the satisfaction of reputable scientific organisations and informed decision-makers. They also want to ignore the Paris agreement. Given the speed at which Australian households are embracing solar energy, the proponents are also out of touch with the communities they should be representing. A recent forum on future employment opportunities in Queensland forced me to review the shape of that states 2018 economy. Although there is still a widespread perception that Queensland is heavily reliant on mining and agriculture, those sectors now employ comparatively few people. The Australian Bureau of Statistics groups together agriculture, forestry and fishing, the traditional primary industries. They now only employ about 57,000 people, less than 2.4% of the states workforce. Total employment in the mining industry is about the same, with less than half that number in the coal sector and the vast majority of that small group are producing coking coal for export. The domestic steaming coal industry employs fewer than 3000 people in a total state workforce of 2.42 million (~0.1%). Altogether, mining, agriculture, forestry and fishing employ 4.7% of those working. Manufacturing accounts for 7% of jobs and education 8%, with a similar figure for accommodation and food services. The largest sectors are construction and retail, each about 10%, and health care, now accounting for 14% of jobs. Like the country as a whole, Queensland now has a services economy. That breakdown suggests some obvious priorities for governments trying to ensure work opportunities for our exponentially growing population. The health care sector is by far the biggest employer. We are clearly not training enough young people in that broad field, since increasing numbers of doctors, nurses and aged care workers are being recruited from overseas. We also need more teachers, especially in the fields of maths and science. Even the arts and recreation now employ nearly as many people as the mining industry. By Dave Reneke A massive stars dying blast has been caught by pure chance, and how early moons collided to form todays Moon. On 25 June 2016, an international team of 31 astronomers caught a massive star as it died in a titanic explosion deep in space. The blast released in about 40 seconds as much energy as the Sun releases over its entire lifetime, all focused into a tight beam of gamma rays and fortuitously aimed directly toward Earth. The teams findings provide strong evidence for one of two competing models for how gamma-ray bursters produce their energy. The gamma-ray blast was detected by two NASA satellites that monitor the sky for such events: the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission. These detected the burst of gamma rays, identified from where in the sky it came, and sent its celestial position within seconds to automated telescopes on the ground. The MASTER-IRC telescope at the Teide Observatory in the Canary Islands observed it first, within a minute of the satellite notification. It made optical light observations while the initial phase was still active, gathering data on the amount of polarised optical light relative to the total light produced. Gamma-ray bursts are detected approximately once per day, and are brief but intense flashes of gamma radiation. They come from all different directions in the sky, and they last from tens of milliseconds to about a minute, making it hard to observe them in detail. While gamma-ray bursters have been known for about 50 years, astronomers are still mostly in the dark about how they erupt, said A/Prof Nathaniel Butler of Arizona State University. Astronomers, though, believe that most of these explosions are associated with supernovae. Continued instrument observations over weeks following the outburst showed that the gamma rays were shot out in a beam about 2 wide, or roughly four times the apparent size of the Moon. It was sheer chance that Earth happened to lie within the beam. We think the gamma-ray emission is due to highly energetic electrons propelled outward like a fireball, Butler said. This is the first strong evidence that the early shocks generated by these bursts are magnetically driven. How Early Moons Collided To Form Todays Moon The Moon, and how it was formed, has long been a source of fascination and wonder. Now a team of Israeli researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science suggests that the Moon we see every night is not Earths first moon, but rather the last in a series of moons that orbited the Earth in the past. The newly proposed theory runs counter to the commonly held giant impact paradigm that the Moon is a single object that was formed following a single giant collision between a small Mars-like planet and the ancient Earth. Our model suggests that the ancient Earth once hosted a series of moons, each one formed from a different collision with the proto-Earth, said co-author Prof Hagai Perets. Its likely that such moonlets were later ejected or collided with the Earth or with each other to form bigger moons. To check the conditions for the formation of such mini-moons or moonlets, the researchers ran 800 simulations of impacts with the Earth. The new model is consistent with sciences current understanding of the formation of the Earth. In its last growth stages, the Earth experienced many giant impacts with other bodies. Each of these impacts contributed more material to the proto-Earth until it reached its current size. We believe the Earth had many previous moons, said Perets, who added that a previously formed moon could therefore already exist when another moon-forming giant impact occurs. The tidal forces from the Earth could cause moons to migrate slowly outwards (the current Moon is slowly doing that at a pace of about 1 cm /year). A pre-existing moon would slowly move out by the time another moon forms. However, their mutual gravitational attraction would eventually cause the moons to affect each other and change their orbits. Its likely that small moons formed through the process could cross orbits, collide and merge, Perets said. A long series of such moonmoon collisions could gradually build up a bigger moon the Moon we see today. Its a colourful theory, backed up by sound research, and will no doubt command much scientific discussion. By Mat Hardy, Sarah Bekessy, James Fitzsimons & Ascelin Gordon Buying, protecting and reselling private land can be an effective way to conserve nature, but relies upon selecting the right properties. The acquisition of private land with significant conservation value can be a powerful way to protect important species and ecosystems. But acquisition can be expensive, particularly in areas where land values are high. An alternative to buying land and creating a conservation reserve is to enter into permanent agreements with private landholders (e.g. conservation covenants) that restrict both current and future landowners from conducting activities that would harm their lands ecological value. In recent years, some conservation organisations have developed an innovative approach that integrates targeted land acquisition with permanent conservation agreements, drawing on the use of a revolving fund. A revolving fund is a pool of money that conservation organisations can use to acquire land with high conservation value as it becomes available for purchase. The organisation then resells the land to conservation-minded owners under the condition that they enter into a permanent conservation covenant. The proceeds from the sale are then used to purchase, protect and resell additional properties, incrementally increasing the amount of protected private land. Its a great way to buy and conserve land, where the organisation can recover costs and then go out and do it all again. The beauty of the revolving fund approach is its potential to be self-sustaining. However, not all properties are going to be suitable, and the effectiveness of this approach requires managers to select the right properties. In a general sense, a good property should possess high conservation value, be able to recover its costs, and be desirable enough to new buyers, even with the requirement of entering into a conservation covenant. If these conditions arent met, the revolving fund might start shrinking or be less effective in delivering worthwhile conservation outcomes. But how do these general requirements translate into day-to-day decision-making for revolving fund managers? Which characteristics are most influential on a propertys suitability for acquisition? Managers must know what theyre doing, as almost 146,000 hectares in Australia have already been protected. But exploring these questions can allow us to identify whats important and investigate ways to increase the effectiveness of revolving fund purchases. In conjunction with Australian revolving fund managers, we built a Bayesian Belief Network model of the property selection decision. Bayesian Belief Networks operate on probabilistic reasoning, and provide a useful way to step through decisions such as these where there is lots of uncertainty. We then interrogated the model and used some exploratory test properties to see how it performed. We found several key factors influencing the suitability of purchasing a property for a revolving fund. Most pertinent to managers were the threats to the propertys ecological values, the overall cost of revolving the property, and the options available to protect it through other means (e.g. transfer to public ownership). Also prominent was the potential for resale, which was closely linked to its amenity values (e.g. the propertys aesthetic appeal). Together the results suggest that managers are taking a low-risk approach to property selection. Their focus appears to be on properties with high ecological value, that are unlikely to be protected through other means, and have a high likelihood that theyll resell quickly and recover costs. This makes sense if youre trying to keep your fund sustainable while turning over properties and protecting as much land of high-conservation value as possible. However, exploring our results we also found that in some cases it might be worth managers extending revolving funds to higher-risk acquisitions. For example, it may be worthwhile revolving a property with exceptional conservation value even if its unlikely that all costs will be recovered, or where it might take a long time to find a willing purchaser. This could be particularly true in areas where acquisition without resale is too expensive (e.g. peri-urban areas), or where landholders are reluctant to enter into conservation agreements. Managers clearly have a wealth of first-hand experience making the revolving fund approach work, and in this study we drew on that experience to develop guidance on property selection for those running revolving fund programs. While the exact characteristics might change from place to place, focusing on the most suitable properties will allow more effective implementation of revolving funds, and facilitate more efficient conservation of nature on private land. Thank you so much for your quick response. I see a hope with your answer when you say....a legal document that shows the child can migrate (like a sole custody order that states the custodial parent can choose where the child lives). I can work to get such document. however, can you suggest what is the acceptable format of document by AUS immigration body. may be you can suggest where to find such document template. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Plentiful sunshine. Expect widespread areas of smoke and haze, reducing visibility at times. High 88F. NE winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 62F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. ABOUT THE CANDIDATES SCOTT SPIELMAN Age: 53 Occupation: Assistant district attorney Family: Wife, Stephanie Spielman, 3 teenage children Time in Bakersfield: I have lived in Bakersfield for the last 24 years Political office sought: District Attorney in an election to be held on June 5, 2018 Board memberships/community activities: President of A Life Interrupted (a nonprofit program designed to prevent impaired, reckless and distracted driving) 20 year high school football official CSUB Pre-Law Committee Instructor for BPD & KCSO Academies Kern County Law Enforcement Foundation Board Member Kern County Bar Association Member of Committee to Evaluate Judicial Candidates 2010-present Kern County Bar Association Member of Committee to Evaluate new Kern County Law School 2017 Victims of Crime Resource Center, McGeorge School of Law Committee Member to establish Veterans Justice Program (helps veterans with PTSD) Committee Member to establish STAR Court (Mental Health Court) Community Action Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse member Mental Health Collaborative of Kern County member American Legion Member, Post 26, Bakersfield Past Instructor and Committee Member for the Alliance Against Family Violence Past Bakersfield Kiwanis Member Liberty High School Mock Trial Coach Southwest Baseball Coach Received Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award of Excellence Recognition of Service to Victims by Victim Witness Auxiliary Board Received Rookie of the Year award from Kern County Officials Association Received Official of the Year from Kern County Officials Association Education: Moorpark Junior College, Fresno State, McGeorge School of Law Criminal convictions: None Civil court judgements against you or any associated businesses: None What characteristics make you the person best qualified for District Attorney? I have the most extensive experience to keep our community safe. I have law enforcement experience as a former Military Police Officer. I have the most trial experience with over 100 felony jury trials, a majority involving violent felonies and sexual offenses. I have the highest level of leadership experience, serving 7 years as the Second-In-Command in the DA's office. When Lisa Green is out of the office, I am the acting DA. What goals do you plan on pursuing and/or changes you plan on implementing for the office if you win? We brought in advanced DNA technology to solve violent crimes. Now we need to better examine computers and cell phones to provide courtroom evidence in violent felony, child pornography, and major fraud cases. Additionally, our justice system needs to hold thieves more accountable. We have changed our policies to charge mail theft as felonies when possible. Local solutions are needed to find, prosecute, and punish chronic thieves to the fullest extent of the law. How has this race affected the internal morale of the District Attorney's Office and how do you plan to address that if you win? There are approximately 250 employees in the DA's Office. Both candidates have strong supporters. Most people don't want to get involved in politics and I don't blame them. During this campaign our dedicated staff have continued to get the job done because they recognize that the cases we work and the victims we help are more important than politics or pride. That is what I will continue to emphasize after the election. CYNTHIA J. ZIMMER Age: 58 Occupation: Supervising deputy district attorney Family: I have been married to Richard Zimmer for 30 years. Mr. Zimmer was a prosecutor at the Kern County District Attorney's Office for 5 years and has been employed at the law firm of Clifford and Brown for 30 years where is he currently managing partner. I have two children who are twins. My son is a local attorney and my daughter is a mechanical engineer in the agricultural industry. Time in Bakersfield: 1979-1981; 1984-present (35 years) Board memberships/community activities: Currently: Taft College Adjunct Professor in Political Science and Criminal Justice; Board Member, Bakersfield Safe Streets Partnership (Diverse group of community members who intervene in the lives of those at risk of gang violence to help them find alternatives); Westchester Kiwanis; Valley Baptist Church; Valley Baptist Church Orchestra; Bakersfield Republican Women Previously: Liberty High School Mock Trial Coach; Bible Study Fellowship; Volunteer for youth sports and dance teams; Room mother. Education: West Hills Community College, Coalinga, A.A., 1979; California State College, Bakersfield, B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration, 1981; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, 1984. Criminal convictions (other than speeding tickets): None Civil court judgements against you or any associated businesses: None What characteristics make you the person best qualified for district attorney? I have more experience, superior skills, a better work ethic, greater courage, and a superior management philosophy. I have been a prosecutor for 33 years, a supervisor for 20 years, and head of the Gang Unit for 10 years. I personally prosecuted Kern County's most notorious criminals in high profile cases, including the East Side Rapist. I earned the endorsement of every participating law enforcement association in Kern County and of respected local leaders. What goals do you plan on pursuing and/or changes implementing for the office if you win? With homicides at an all time high, my immediate priority will be the reduction of violent crime. I will adequately staff homicide units, employ cutting edge technology, and work closely with law enforcement to stop the killings. I will focus on the protection of victims in rural areas and involve the community in keeping children from drugs and gangs. I will fight Sacramento's further attempts to destroy law enforcement's ability to incarcerate dangerous criminals. How has this race affected the internal morale of the District Attorney's Office and how do you plan to address that if you win? The District Attorney's Office is a group of professionals that have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of justice. I will continue to treat our valuable human resources, our attorneys, clerical, victim advocates, investigators, investigative aides, and crime lab staff, with dignity and respect regardless of whom they support in this campaign. With strong leadership, emphasizing fairness and understanding, we will come together and continue to pursue the mission of keeping our citizens safe. Tatiana Matta Age: 34 Occupation: Governing board member, Muroc Joint Unified School District Family: Husband Eugenio, Captain in the U.S. Air Force; Son Kevin, eighth-grade student. Time in Bakersfield: Tatiana comes from a military family that has served at different military installations throughout the U.S. The Matta family selected the 23rd Congressional District as their permanent home and currently resides at Edwards Air Force base. Political offices held/sought: Representative, 23rd Congressional District, U.S. House of Representatives. Board memberships/community activities: Tatiana was formerly vice president of development for the Military Spouse Advocacy Network, and she currently serves as a board member. She is a certified member of the Los Angeles Community Emergency Response Team. Tatiana has served in several community positions for organizations such as the Fisher House, the Parent Teacher Association and Operation Homefront's Meals for Troops and Backpack Brigade. She is the recipient of the Volunteer Excellence Award by General Mark Welsh III, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, and has worked to promote awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence on military bases. Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, masters in strategic public relations, The George Washington University, May 2018. Criminal convictions (other than speeding tickets): None Civil court judgments against you or any business you have had a financial interest in: None Candidate vision: I am running for Congress to make our voices heard in Washington. I come from a military family, I am the daughter of a public school teacher, and I serve as a school board member. I believe in healthcare for all, a diverse economy, a healthy environment and investing in our youth. I support immigration reform that reflects compassionate values and meets our economic and security needs. It is our duty to care for our veterans; I will fight for them. I am running for Congress to serve you. I ask for your vote to make this vision a reality. TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) The Latest on a caravan of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States (all times local): 7 p.m. One of the organizers for a group of Central American migrants who traveled in a caravan to try to seek asylum in the U.S. says about 50 of them attempted to present themselves to U.S. border inspectors at a crossing near San Diego. The attempt came despite an announcement earlier Sunday by U.S. officials that the San Ysidro port of entry had reached capacity. The group is part of a wave of 200 that announced their intentions to seek asylum. They appeared to be prepared to wait overnight for word on when the facility would be able to accommodate them. Irineo Mujica, one of the organizers for Pueblos Sin Fronteras which is assisting the asylum seekers, accompanied them to the inspectors. It was not clear how long it might take for the initial group to be seen by U.S. border officials. Another 50 others camped outside a gate on the Mexican side of the border crossing. They had backpacks and blankets and were hoping to get their turn Monday to approach the U.S. facility. 4:15 p.m. About 200 Central American migrants who traveled in a caravan and planned to try to seek asylum in the U.S. has arrived at San Diego's border crossing. But U.S. officials announced before they arrived Sunday that the San Ysidro port of entry had reached capacity. Rodulfo Figueroa, the top Mexican immigration official in Baja California state, told caravan organizers to send in an initial group of 20 migrants to see if U.S. border inspectors would entertain their request for asylum. Figueroa said he doesn't know if they'll be allowed in and hasn't received word from U.S. immigration officials. The caravan has criticized as a threat by the Trump administration. The migrants marched a short distance through downtown Tijuana and across a bridge to the nation's busiest border crossing, many carrying Honduran flags and chanting. ___ 3:25 p.m. An attorney working for a caravan of Central Americans has expressed disbelief that U.S. authorities say they cannot process more asylum seekers at the San Diego border crossing until its backlog eases. Lawyer Nicole Ramos said at a news conference that U.S. Customs and Border Protection knew the migrants were going to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday and failed to prepare with sufficient agents and resources. Despite the news, about 200 people who planned to turn themselves in and seek asylum still started walking toward San Diego's San Ysidro crossing. U.S. officials have said the nation's busiest border crossing can hold about 300 people at a time. The caravan got attention after President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet called it a threat to the United States. ___ 2:50 p.m. U.S. officials say San Diego's border crossing has reached capacity even before a caravan of Central American migrants criticized by the Trump administration began turning themselves in to seek asylum. A statement Sunday from U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the nation's busiest border crossing can take in additional people as space and resources become available. Nearly 200 Central Americans who have spent a month traveling in a caravan through Mexico planned to seek asylum Sunday. The caravan got attention after President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet called it a threat to the U.S. Officials had warned that San Diego's San Ysidro crossing may not be able to take asylum seekers if it faces too many at once. The agency has said the port can hold about 300 people temporarily. ___ 1:40 p.m. Organizers say nearly 200 Central American migrants who traveled in a caravan of asylum seekers to the U.S.-Mexico border have decided to turn themselves in to U.S. authorities. Bliss Requa-Trautz of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network says they're getting a final briefing Sunday before heading to the San Diego border crossing to seek asylum. If border inspectors say they don't have staff and space to accommodate that many people at once, organizers say they'll put women with children and children traveling alone at the front of the line. The rest will stay in Mexico and try another day. Heather Crone of advocacy group Show Up for Racial Justice says she's found 80 people across the U.S. who agreed to sponsor caravan members if they're released while their petitions are pending. Asylum seekers are often released to family in the U.S. but some don't have any and seek sponsors. ___ 1:30 p.m. Central Americans in a caravan of asylum seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego are receiving final information before they turn themselves in to U.S. authorities. Caravan organizers gave the migrants a final briefing Sunday that was closed to the media before they head to the nation's busiest border crossing to seek asylum. President Donald Trump has been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. Wendi Yaneri Garcia says she's confident she'll be released while her asylum case is pending because she's traveling alone with a 2-year-old son who's been sick. The 36-year-old said police in her hometown of Atlantida, Honduras, jailed her for protesting construction of a hydroelectric plant. She says she received death threats after being released. She says she just wants to work and raise her son and was excited to try her luck in the U.S. ___ 12:05 p.m. Central Americans in a caravan of asylum seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego have left a cross-border rally as they prepare to turn themselves in to U.S. authorities. Hundreds of migrants in five old school buses planned to eat lunch Sunday before making a roughly 15-minute walk to San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest. Many are fleeing violence in their home countries and will ask the U.S. for asylum. The caravan got attention after President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet called it a threat to the United States. Supporters rallied on both sides of the border with a fence between them. Some climbed the wall to sit or wave signs under the watchful eyes of U.S. Border Patrol agents. ___ 11:15 a.m. With people rallying on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to support a caravan of Central American asylum seekers, one of those planning to turn herself in to U.S. authorities says she feels hopeful. Maria de Los Angeles said Sunday that she felt confident after speaking with an attorney that she'd be released while her case winds through the courts because she was traveling alone with her 1-year-old son. The 17-year-old hoped to move in with a sister in San Francisco and said she believed "everything will work out." She said she fled her home in Honduras because the father of her son threatened to kill her and their child. President Donald Trump has been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. Some supporters have climbed the wall separating San Diego and Tijuana to sit or wave signs under the watchful eyes of U.S. Border Patrol agents. ___ 10:45 a.m. Central Americans in a caravan of asylum seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego and their supporters are rallying on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Before buses arrived at the rally Sunday at a fence that reaches to the ocean, about 100 supporters on the Mexican side of the border marched along the beach, shouting "Alerta" (attention) to the sound of a drumbeat. More than a dozen climbed a roughly 18-foot-high border wall under the watchful eyes of Border Patrol agents. About 50 supporters watched on the U.S. side, where they were held about 20 yards away. President Donald Trump has been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. The Central Americans will test the administration's tough rhetoric when they begin seeking asylum at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing. ___ 10:05 a.m. Central Americans in a caravan of asylum seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego have filled five old school buses as they prepare to turn themselves in to U.S. authorities. People left a downtown Tijuana migrant shelter Sunday where they have been staying. Asked how he felt as he boarded the bus, Nefi Hernandez replied, "Nervous." Police with flashing lights escorted the buses through the streets of Tijuana to a cross-border rally on the beach, with supporters gathering on the U.S. side of the fence. President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet have been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. The Central Americans will test the administration's tough rhetoric when they begin seeking asylum at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest. ___ 10:30 p.m. U.S. immigration lawyers are telling Central Americans in a caravan of asylum-seekers that traveled through Mexico to the border with San Diego that they face possible separation from their children and detention for many months. They say they want to prepare them for the worst. The Central Americans will test the Trump administration's tough rhetoric criticizing the caravan when they begin seeking asylum Sunday at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, the nation's busiest. President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet have been tracking the caravan, calling it a threat to the U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the San Ysidro crossing may be unable to take asylum-seekers if it faces too many at once, forcing people to wait in Mexico until it has more room. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Mysterious World War II Bunker Atop Oregon Coast's Tillamook Head Published 04/29/2018 at 4:56 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Seaside, Oregon) The grand, sweeping even looming landmark of Tillamook Head on the north Oregon coast is quite immersed in history. It goes back 15 million years when it was layers upon layers of lava. It saw its first visit of white Europeans in the form of Lewis and Clark, which gave the area its first rave tourist review. Tillamook Head also watched a major lighthouse come into existence then fade away, and it even saw a helicopter crash in the 1980s. (Photo of the bunker courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium). One striking, awe-inspiring tidbit of its history is still a murky mystery, albeit one seen periodically by the few adventurous hikers that dare to trek over its six miles of rugged forest and jagged, plunging cliffs. The old World War II bunker there, about 1.5 miles from the Cannon Beach end of the trailhead, is a weird and slightly spooky addition to the hike. Now, all you find are a few errant chunks of moss-laden concrete and metal, and that mysterious bunker thats about the length of a school bus. Once upon a wartime, however, this spot buzzed with the secret activities and daily grind of military men set with the task of guarding these shores against a possible air invasion from Japan during World War II. Youre looking at ruins and remnants these days, but youll see no plaques or educational signage. Even in this modern age of frenetic internet information overload, theres absolutely nothing written about this ancient vestige from the early 40s. Nothing. Photo OPRD: the type of antenna used by the SCR-588 radar system. Except, it turns out, the military historians at Fort Stevens State Park about 10 miles to the north have some information. But not a lot. What they do have is a fascinating, if not bare bones, glimpse into wartime on the Oregon coast. John Koch is a historian at Fort Stevens and a park ranger with the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation (OPRD), which technically oversees this north Oregon coast headland. Hes not giving out much information mostly because there isnt much left. But OPRD is also concerned about people doing stupid stuff there, like trying to get in (you wont like the bats, weve been warned). So he isnt imparting everything. I can tell you that the site was utilized by the U.S. Army Air Corps for about one to one and a half years during WW II, Koch said. Exactly what years he either wouldnt say or couldnt. More mystery. The bunker was part of a radar station that kept a lookout for enemy aircraft. In fact, this reinforced structure held up the gigantic antennae, which were about 30 feet tall, judging by the historical photograph provided by OPRD. It was manned by a crew of eight men, who worked in shifts around the clock. Their job was to operate a large radar antennae with the intention of spotting any incoming Japanese aircraft, Koch said. There were several of these stations along the Oregon coastline with the Tillamook Head location being the largest. Each of these stations were connected to a network of communication centers that included air bases near Portland and Seattle. If an enemy squadron was detected word would be transmitted to these centers so that our defense systems could be initiated. That meant, according to Koch, that aircraft and ships could be dispatched to meet the enemy. Luckily, Oregon never experienced that full invasion. Although there was a run-in with a Japanese sub at Fort Stevens in 1942 and an incident with an explosive on the southern Oregon coast. The radar station at the top of Tillamook Head had the call sign Juliet-two, three, or J-23. Those serving there were a part of the 4th Air Force, Western Defense Command, Pacific Coastal Frontier. They included the AWS (Air Warning Service) observers and GCI (Ground Controller Interceptor) units, Koch said. Even more amazing, the bunker and antenna were only one part of the whole operation. There was a full camp here once. It had a pump house and a barracks / house with a mess hall and store rooms. A total of 50 to 100 men worked and lived at J-23. In fact, this whole camp was a set of temporary buildings known as a SCR-588 that were sort of mass-produced, a group of constructs that were almost a mobile unit. They were designed to be built up quickly and taken down quickly. One document provided by OPRD indicated: Set is packaged for shipment in 55 units, weighing a total of 54,000 lbs. Largest unit measures 15.3' x 3.8' x 1.8'. Total shipping space is 3500 cu. ft. Another part of the military document indicates its mobility: Buildings and tower can be built by Engineers in about 3 weeks. Radar can be installed by 5 men in 2 weeks. Courtesy OPRD: typical layout of an SCR-588 station in World War II, though not necessarily that of the J-23. The radar was so sensitive that all the nearby buildings had to be constructed of anything other than metal, Koch said. Even the barbed wire used to protect the perimeter of the camp had to be placed at a certain distance away. There was a reinforced concrete bunker that housed the apparatus and generators to run the massive radar antennae mounted just outside it. The cliff top location had a commanding view of the Pacific Ocean from hundreds of feet above the sea level, directly above the Tillamook Light House. Koch said a fairly large area in front of the bunker had to be cleared of trees. In fact the military document describes these requirements: When operating as GCI, set must be sited so that a flat unobstructed surface extends at least 1/4th mile in the height-finding sector. Good GCI sites are extremely rare. For early warning, sets should be sited between 100 and 1,000 feet above an unobstructed surface. Its interesting to note how many trees have grown back now. The area is under a dense canopy. Koch described a bit of what went on there. The GCI unit consisted of 8-10 specialized crewmen made up of officers and enlisted men who worked in the bunker operating the equipment around the clock, he said. They directed friendly aircraft to the location of the enemy using their state-of-the-art electronic monitoring and computing devices. The radar allowed them to carry out this task day or night, in the fog or rain. It was capable of detecting an aircraft at a height of 5,500 ft. out to approximately 50 miles. By todays standards this is not significant. But during WW II this was a game changer. Courtesy OPRD: Inside the bunker during World War II. The bunker housed generators to provide power, a restroom, several work rooms, the bulky contraptions used by the radar system, and a room with a heating system and air purification system in case they were attacked with chemical weapons. J-23 had a lot going on for a place that never had to send out a warning. Other personnel worked and lived in the facilities nearby, cooking food, fixing equipment, manning the phones, etc., Koch said. If they needed medical attention, or to replace supplies, they traveled up Highway 101 to Fort Stevens. Changes are coming to the site, Koch said. Its on a fast track to become a national historic site, which means some heavy fencing is coming to keep people away from it. Its also known as a hibernaculum a nest for several species of bats, some of them endangered. Both situations may mean federal laws will become involved with those who damage it or try to break through the measures to keep people out of it. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Posted Sunday, April 29, 2018 4:00 am Citizens Memorial Hospital will host a free Lunch and Learn seminar from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 18, in the CMH Community Rooms, 1500 N. Oakland Ave. in Bolivar. Bryan E. Flueckiger, M.D., in practice with CMH Parkview Geriatric Wellness, will present Losing Ourselves in the Age of Technology. Flueckiger attended medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, and completed his residency at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and serves as medical director of CMH Parkview Wellness. A light lunch will be served, and reservations are requested. For more information or to register, visit conta.cc/2q6jlCA or call the CMH Information Center at 328-6010 or 888-328-6010. Could not establish database connection. DB: bostonimc and SQL: --> The administrator has been notified and will resolve the problem ASAP. Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has said during the inter-Korean summit that Pyongyang was ready to hold dialogue with Japan at any time, the Blue House of South Korea said Sunday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seen at Peace House of the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Friday, April 27, 2018. [Photo: AP] Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said that Moon had a telephone conversation for 45 minutes from 10:00 a.m. local time with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to explain and share the result of the April 27 summit with the DPRK leader. At the summit, Moon relayed Abes willingness to talk with Pyongyang and normalize Japan-DPRK relations to the DPRK leader. In response, Kim told Moon that his country was ready to talk with Japan at any time. 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 How has India market for workplace technology and design evolved since Steelcases entry in 2008? The furniture market in India has changed and progressed substantially. Weve witnessed customers who want to choose brands and have a better understanding of the designs, materials, and technologies incorporated in the products. There was a time when you came to your office, went to your desk and sat there till the end of your day. Those days are over. Workers in India and all over the world expect choice and control over place and posture. The India market for workplace ... A cobweb of shell companies, presence in multiple tax havens around the world, private jets, and powerful friends to help - C Sivasankaran has it all on his resume to be called an oligarch. What he didn't have was a penchant to do business and sustain it. From picking up millions of hectares of land parcel across the world to investment in his latest ventures- a cab hailing company and a wind power firm bears the same modus operandi- money routed from tax havens but never used for intended purpose. The CBI in its FIR said that Siva took loans from IDBI bank only not to use ... Pakistan's Interior Ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said on Sunday, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008. "The Interior Ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI. Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said. "Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to represent the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said. Azhar developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said. "The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling PML-N government. When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case. "I am no more with this case," he said. "The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter. It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said. The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet. The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses. According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements. Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it. A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused... but still, the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case. "The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in the country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case, the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years. "It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said. Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said. Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009. Except for Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. LeT operation commander Lakhvi got his freedom about three years ago after securing bail. He has been living in an undisclosed location since then. There are reports that he had come to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa headquarters in Lahore last November to greet Saeed on his release from a 10-month detention under terrorism and public safety laws. Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after being handed down death sentence. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. The government promulgated an ordinance last week that provides the death penalty to anyone who rapes a child under 12. But about 90 per cent of child rape cases were pending trial in India in 2016, no more than 28 per cent of such cases ended in conviction, and there is a 20-year backlog in bringing cases to trial, the latest national crime data show. These data indicate the move to prioritise a change to legislation that allows courts to grant the death penalty to rapists of children will not bring quicker or better justice because there is no plan to address conviction failures ... Recently, a well-known editor, TV personality and man-about-town, Shekhar Gupta, tweeted Just got thrown out of Bangalore Club for being dressed in kurta-pajama. He added that he had been better dressed then some of the men in polyster bush-shirts. In response a friend of mine who is a member of the Club tweeted that it is, after all, a club, implying that it can ask its members to dress in the ways it prescribes. Another friend asked how the liberals of Bangalore, not to mention the eminent author Amitava Ghosh who had supported such dress codes in clubs, would ... Interim relief for tea garden workers The Supreme Court has asked four state governments to pay interim relief to tea estate workers, some of whom denied wages for over 20 years, and recover the amount from their employers. The court named estate owners in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who have allegedly not paid wages, leading to suicide by some workers. The court summoned 22 defaulting managers from Assam, 25 from West Bengal, 14 from Kerala and four from Tamil Nadu. The order was passed in the case, International Union of Food vs Union of India. Describing the pitiable condition of the workers, the court noted the workers had initiated proceedings under various labour laws but the wages have been locked up in litigation for years. It asked the governments to pay the interim relief within two months. Auction buyer gets back property The auction purchaser of a defaulting debtors property has 15 days to pay the full amount from the date of receiving confirmation of the sale from the secured creditors. The date is counted from the receipt of information, and not from the date of the auction, the Supreme Court clarified in its judgment in the case Rakesh Birani vs Prem Narain. The debt recovery tribunal, its appellate tribunal and the Allahabad High Court had asserted that the 15-day period should be counted from the date of the auction. The Supreme Court ruled that all of them were wrong on this point. In this case, the purchaser deposited 25 per cent of the price when he was declared the winner in the auction. After receiving the communication from the secured creditor, he paid the rest. The owner who was the principal borrower challenged the sale on the ground that the 75 per cent was paid after the 15-day deadline stipulated in the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules 2002. When all the courts below went against the purchaser, he moved the Supreme Court and succeeded in getting the sale upheld. Award not to hit third-party rights The Supreme Court has reiterated that an arbitration tribunal has no jurisdiction to affect the rights of third-party secured creditors while determining disputes pending before it. The court stated so in its judgment, State Bank of India vs Ericsson India Ltd. In this case, a dispute was being arbitrated between unsecured creditors and debtors. The arbitrators passed an order restraining the claimants from alienating any of the assets without its consent. That order was confirmed by the High Court. SBI, a secured creditor, appealed to the Supreme Court arguing that it was not a party in the arbitration and its statutory rights against assets could not be deprived of by the arbitration tribunal. The appeal was allowed. Govt cannot remove arbitrator The Supreme Court has struck down a provision in the Bihar Public Works Contracts Arbitration Tribunal Act, 2008, as unconstitutional. According to the Act, the chairman and members of the arbitration tribunal shall hold their office at the pleasure of the state government. In the judgment, State of Bihar vs Brahmaputra Infrastructure Ltd, the court declared that the provision was inconsistent with the constitutional scheme, especially Article 14 which prohibited arbitrariness. The tribunal exercised quasi-judicial functions. Any termination of service of such member by a party to the dispute would interfere with the impartiality and independence expected from such member, the judgment said, adding that it is manifestly arbitrary and contrary to rule of law. SC remedy to speed up arbitration Despite several efforts to speed up the arbitration process, it still drags for long. This led a company to move the Supreme Court seeking a timeline to conclude the proceedings. Essel Infra Projects Ltd submitted that it took more than five years to get an award under the Madhya Pradesh arbitration law. The apex court did not pass a mandatory order but made a few suggestions like more benches to deal with the issue and approaching the high court chief justice if necessary. Having regard to the object of the legislation, which is to provide a speedy resolution mechanism, the state must monitor timelines so that arbitration proceedings do not take unduly long time. One or two years may be taken as reasonable time, it said. Caution on re-opening tax assessment Re-assessment of income on the basis that the assessing officer has a "reason to believe" that the income chargeable has escaped assessment must be interpreted strictly, not liberally, the Supreme Court stated last week in the judgment, ITO vs TechSpan India. Otherwise, it would confer arbitrary powers on the assessing officer. There must be tangible material to re-open an assessment which had already examined the facts and law earlier; not a mere change of opinion. In this case, the company was developing software for export and also was engaged in human development resources. The show cause notice was based on the allegation that the company had not maintained separate books of accounts on its two activities. Though the earlier assessment considered these factors and settled it, a new show cause notice was issued to it under Section 148 for re-opening the assessment. The company moved the Delhi High Court which quashed the notice as the issue was considered in the first assessment. On appeal, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court view. Hotel chains spar over trade name In a dispute over the trademark, the Delhi High Court last week imposed costs on a hotel firm for abuse of legal process and frivolous and mala fide nature of its application seeking an injunction against the opposite party. The court ordered payment of Rs 200,000 as fine, half of which will go to bharatkeveer.gov.in. It is the official website for contributing to the welfare of families of the bravehearts who laid down their lives for the country. In this case, Country Inn Ltd vs Country Inns & Suites, the former company in the business of running hotels and restaurants sued the opposite party for infringement of its trademark. The latter countered with similar allegations. It also moved an application to cancel the registration of the name Country Inn and stay of the trial before the Intellectual Property Appellate Board. The High Court rejected the application stating that its claim was made after a delay of seven years, showing that it had abandoned its claim for the trademark and it was intended to stall the trial. In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! Ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister tonight tendered his resignation to pave the way for state Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta to take over the post in the PDP-BJP government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. BJP's state unit chief Sat Sharma, MLAs from Kathua and adjoining Sambha Rajiv Jasrotia and Devinder Kumar Manyal are among the BJP faces who will be inducted into the state government as Cabinet ministers, officials said. "I have resigned from the post to pave the way for a new deputy chief minister in the state," Singh told PTI. The PDP will have Mohd Khalil Band, MLA from Pulwama, and Mohd Ashraf Mir, MLA from Sonwar, as Cabinet ministers, while the BJP will upgrade Sunil Sharma, at present Minister of State for Transport, to the rank of a Cabinet minister, the officials said. BJP MLA from Doda Shakti Raj will also be sworn in as Minister of State tomorrow at the oath-taking ceremony, which will be attended by senior BJP leaders, including general secretary Ram Madhav and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh, they said. Governor N N Vohra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at the Convention Centre at 12 noon. The officials said the function is being held at the Convention Centre instead of the Raj Bhavan as the Jammu and Kashmir government has already shifted its base to summer capital Srinagar as part of the bi-annual darbar move. The saffron party had on April 17 asked all its nine ministers in the PDP-BJP government in the state to submit their resignations to enable bringing in new faces in the two-year-old Mehbooba Mufti government. The party, however, had not forwarded the resignations to the Governor. Two BJP ministers -- Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga -- who took part in a rally in support of those accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, had to resign from the government earlier this month. The state can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP. In a first, arch rivals India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries. The military exercise will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-dominated security grouping which is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO, officials said. They said the military drill will be held in the Ural mountains of Russia and almost all SCO member countries will be part of it. They said the main aim of the exercise, Peace Mission, will be to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries. The officials said India's participation at the exercise was confirmed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting of SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Beijing last week. It will be for the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan will both be part of a military exercise, though the armies of the two nations have worked together in UN peace keeping missions, they said. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc last year. India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China. With expansion of the grouping, SCO now represents over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 per cent of the global GDP. India feels that as an SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. It is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India has been holding military exercise with China. The two countries are likely to resume their bilateral military exercise in September. Last year the drill was suspended following a tense standoff between their troops in Doklam. In the midst of the poll battle for Karnataka, H D DEVE GOWDA, the states former chief minister and then the countrys prime minister, talks to Archis Mohan on the prospects for Janata Dal (S). Edited excerpts: Your party is accused by the Congress of being the B team of the Bhaaratiya Janata Party (BJP). They are saying it out of frustration. The Congress is trying to create this impression to scare the Muslims and other minorities from voting for the JD (S). They have spread the propaganda in some places that voting for the JD(S) is (akin to) ... Many people, when they hear the word blockchain, think of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Yet there is another feature of the blockchain afoot, one which promises to bring a new and radical decentralisation to technology, including social media. Or as it was reported on Twitter: Silicon Valley used to be a counterculture. Its not anymore. It is the establishment. The crypto community is the new counterculture. The basic idea of a blockchain, in its purest form, is to set up a record-keeper and adjudicator that does not rely on any specific ... In late 2015, an unexpected name popped up in the liquor industry press: Bob Dylan. A trademark application for the term bootleg whiskey had been filed under Dylans name. Among those who noticed the news was Marc Bushala, 52, a lifelong fan and a liquor entrepreneur whose bourbon brand, Angels Envy, had just been sold for $150 million. Bushala said he immediately spent weeks obsessing over this concept of what a Dylan whiskey could be. So he reached out, and after being vetted by Dylans representatives, Bushala who speaks ... Praying for the poor is now apparently a firing offense in the corridors of power. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) did not give a reason when his chief of staff this month told the Rev. Patrick Conroy, a Jesuit priest and House chaplain, to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) did not give a reason when his chief of staff this month told the Rev. Patrick Conroy, a Jesuit priest and House chaplain, to resign or face dismissal. But we know this much: Ryans office complained to Conroy about a prayer he offered on the House floor during the tax overhaul debate that those who continue to struggle in the United States would not be made losers under new tax laws. Ryan admonished the priest after the Nov. 6 prayer, saying, Padre, you just got to stay out of politics, Conroy told the New York Times. He was warned. He was given an explanation. Nevertheless, he persisted. Over the five months since Ryans warning, Conroy dared to continue to preach the teachings of Jesus on the House floor: 0:51 House chaplain Patrick J. Conroy offers prayer He prayed to God that lawmakers would help the least among us. He prayed for them to follow the example of St. Nicholas, who fed the hungry, brought hope to the imprisoned, gave comfort to the lost. After an immigration deal collapsed , he urged those who possess power here in Washington be mindful of those whom they represent who possess little or no power. But such political sentiments are apparently no longer compatible with service as House chaplain. As you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation, Conroy, named chaplain seven years ago by then-Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), wrote to Ryan on April 16. The ouster became public Thursday. Only in this perverted time could a priest lose his job after committing the sin of crying out for justice for the poor. But then, look around: Everywhere are the signs of a rising kleptocracy. The $1.5 trillion tax cut did make winners of corporations and the wealthy. And actions since then show that the Trump administration is making losers of the poor. this week, Trump budget director Mick Mulvaney spoke of the In a speech to bankersweek, Trump budget director Mick Mulvaney spoke of the hierarchy he followed when he was in Congress: If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didnt talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you. this week, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was on Capitol Hill, defiant as lawmakers grilled him about his lavish expense account (at a time when Trump wants to Alsoweek, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was on Capitol Hill, defiant as lawmakers grilled him about his lavish expense account (at a time when Trump wants to cut the EPA budget by 25 percent) and coziness with corporate lobbyists most notably renting a condo at a sweetheart rate from the wife of an energy lobbyist. I simply have not failed to take responsibility, Pruitt said after blaming bureaucrats and others. Ive simply recited the facts. this week Meanwhile, Ben Carson, secretary of housing and urban development,week proposed to triple the rent charged to the poorest families living in subsidized housing. Its clear from a budget perspective and a human point of view that the current system is unsustainable, Carson explained. Its hard to sustain help for the poor when youre proposing to cut HUD spending by 14 percent next year and when youve borrowed $1.5 trillion to give tax breaks mostly for the wealthy. Conroy, of course, didnt preach about such truly political things; he prayed, generically, for compassion. In the prayer that earned him Ryans reprimand, he merely reminded lawmakers that the institutions and structures of our great nation guarantee the opportunities that have allowed some to achieve great success, while others continue to struggle. He prayed that lawmakers guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans. Such heresies continued. He prayed for peace and reconciliation where those virtues are so sorely needed. He prayed for them to rise above self-interest and immediate political wins. He prayed for them to promote justice, equity and truth. He admonished them to show respect for those with whom they disagree. On Friday morning, in the well for one of his last remaining prayers, Conroy prayed for all people who have special needs and those who are sick and for those who serve in this House to be their best selves. Best selves? Respect? Reconciliation? No can do. Later Friday, Rep. Joseph Crowley (N.Y.), a Democratic leader, rose to request an investigation into Ryans dismissal of Conroy. Republicans moved to quash the proposal and, to nobodys surprise, they prevailed. If you preach about the poor in todays Washington, you dont have a prayer. 35 Taliban militants were killed and 40 others were wounded in United States-led airstrikes at Chahar Bolak district in Balkh province, Afghanistan National Army (ANA) officials said on Saturday. The airstrikes were carried out on Saturday in close cooperation with the Afghan commandos. The strikes lasted for 40 minutes, the TOLO news quoted Mohammad Hanif Rezaye, spokesman for 209 Shaheen Military Corps in Balkh, as saying. The commandos then launched operations and cleared the village of Taliban, Rezaye added. Further, dozens of weapons being used by Taliban attackers were destroyed in the airstrikes. A week ago an operation was launched to get rid of the Taliban establishments in the area to maintain the security of vulnerable areas in Chahar Bolak district, TOLO further reports. Balkh Governor Mohammad Ishaq Rahgozar and former governor Atta Mohammad Noor also participated in the operation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six persons were killed, as a suicide bomber blew an explosive-laden car next to a military base in Afghanistan's Helmand province on Saturday. Two Afghan soldiers were amongst the killed and a woman was among the civilians killed, reported CNN. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. This comes in the backdrop of the Taliban militants attempting to carry out coordinated attacks across country as part of their spring offensive announced on Wednesday. Saturday's bombing near the Afghan military base comes about a week after when a suicide blast claimed 60 lives, and wounded over 100 others at a voter registration center in the capital, Kabul. Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for that bombing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fazlul Haseeb, who ranked 36th in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services 2017 examination, on Sunday urged the youths of Kashmir to channelise their time and energy well to clear the coveted exam. "I am really happy to get this result. I just want to tell the youths of Kashmir that you can also do it if your concepts are clear," he told ANI. Haseeb, an engineer by profession, topped the list of first fifty qualifiers in the examination in the all India merit list. He also thanked his father, calling him a huge inspiration in his life. "My father, Farooq Ahmad Peer, presently Director Academics at the J&K Board of School education proved to be a source of inspiration for me when I saw him working overtime to ensure a fast track recruitment process as a member of service selection board. I thought I can do better if I qualify Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and work for giving people a judicious and transparent system of governance," he said. On a related note, 9, 57,590 candidates applied for the preliminary examination, out of which 4, 56, 625 candidates appeared. 13,366 candidates qualified for the Written (Main) Examination held in October - November 2017. Of them, 2568 candidates qualified for the Personality Test conducted in February - April 2018. The UPSC then recommended a total of 990 candidates, including 750 men and 240 women for appointment to various services, including IAS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remembered Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and said that his life was greatly influenced by Lord Buddha. During his 43rd edition of the monthly programme 'Mann Ki Baat,' the Prime Minister said that Baba Saheb worked to strengthen the oppressed, exploited, deprived standing on the brink of marginalisation via the Constitution of India. "Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar stressed that Lord Buddha has been a great inspiration in his social philosophy. There cannot be a bigger example of compassion than this. This form of compassion was one of the greatest qualities of Lord Buddha for the alleviation of suffering of the people," the Prime Minister said. Wishing the people across the world on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, the Prime Minister expressed joy that India was a partner in the restoration of many Buddhist temples. "I seek benediction from Lord Buddha for the entire world so that we can fulfill our responsibility in building a peaceful and compassionate world based on his teachings," he said. "Buddha Purnima reminds us of all of our obligation to emulate Lord Buddha's teaching as well as, pledge ourselves to follow his footsteps. Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood. These are human values, which are most desired in the world today," he added. Prime Minister Modi also remembered the historic Pokhran Tests of May 1998 and praised the efforts of Indian scientists for its successful test. (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 on Sunday held a roadshow in Karnataka's Tumkur as a part of his campaigning for the upcoming state legislative assembly elections. Earlier in the day, he hosted a packed roadshow in Davanagere. He also visited the Duggamma Temple in Davanagere to seek blessings the ahead of the elections. As the elections in the state are inching closer, the political parties are leaving no stones unturned to woo the voters. A few days back, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also visited the poll-bound state and held rallies. Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect representatives to the 225-member state assembly. The results will be out on May 15.. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday mocked the Congress leaders for alleging that their phone calls were being tapped ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections. Talking to ANI, BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "Karnataka minister saying their phone calls are being tapped by BJP is hilarious, this is nothing but a lame excuse for their impending defeat." Two days back, Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy had accused BJP president Amit Shah of tapping the phone calls of the Congress leaders to know the plans for the upcoming polls. On a related note, Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect representatives to the 225-member state assembly. The results will be out on May 15. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Condolences poured in for the terminally ill 23-month-old British toddler Alfie Evans, who died nearly a week after his life support was withdrawn. US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted her support for the Evans family. "Our hearts and prayers are with brave #Alfie Evans, his family and friends," Nauert tweeted. "Very sad to hear about the death of little Alfie Evans. I hope his family are able to find some sort of peace after such a painful & public few weeks," English journalist Dan Walker tweeted. Evans had a degenerative brain condition that was incurable according to the doctors, reported CNN. "My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30. absolutely heartbroken. I LOVE YOU MY GUY," his father, Thomas Evans, wrote on the "Save Alfie Evans" Facebook page. "Our baby boy grew his wings tonight at 2:30 am. We are heart broken. Thankyou everyone for all your support," his mother, Kate James, posted on the "Alfies Army Official" Facebook page, according to the reports. "Waking up to the news that 23-month-old old Alfie Evans has passed away is desperately sad. I can't begin to imagine what his family are going through. Thoughts are with them right now," a user tweeted. Pope Francis took to Twitter and wrote,"I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie. Today I pray especially for his parents, as God the Father receives him in his tender embrace." Pope Francis has been following Alfie with particular attention. He met with Thomas Evans, Alfie's father, on the 18th of April, and made several appeals on his behalf. The toddler was at the centre of the heart of a high-profile legal battle over if his life support system should be continued. Alfie's parents lost all legal challenges to a court ruling permitting the hospital to withdraw ventilation. On Monday, the boy's life support was withdrawn after being in a semi-vegetative state for over a year against his parent's wishes. The parent's fight to get medical care for their child attracted world-wide attention. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised Indian artists for their popularity across the globe and said that it felt great to hear the famous Bollywood rendition 'Tu tu hai wahi dil ne jise apna kaha' in China for his welcome. "Feels great to hear Indian music on foreign soil, especially when the host nation plays it! Our artistes are popular across the world. @ashabhosle" the Prime Minister tweeted. Prime Minister Modi's response came as Asha Bhosle sought to know how he felt when he heard her 1982 song in Wuhan. Bhosle told ANI that she is surprised that her song was liked by people who don't understand the language. On day 1 of the 'heart to heart summit,' a group of Chinese musicians surprised Prime Minister Modi by playing the famous Bollywood number, which garnered praises from all over. Rishi Kapoor, who had featured in the song, also took to his Twitter handle to express happiness over the same. "Tu Tu Hai Wahi (Original Version) Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle | Yeh Vaada... https://youtu.be/hjfzFVw2Zjo via @YouTube. The Chinese played our song to welcome PM Modi along PM Xi in Wuhan. Honored. Thank you Pancham! ??," he Tweeted. Prime Minister Modi on Saturday evening returned from China after the two-day informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Pakistan should iron out their differences and should press for peace and stability in the region, just like how Korean leaders Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un agreed to make peace in the just concluded historic inter-Korean summit. According to an editorial by Pakistan's Daily Times, it praised the two Korean leaders for holding the summit after 11 years, adding that both countries agreed for "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula and other issues to be sorted out, in an effort to improve inter-Korean relations. The editorial questioned that when will the leadership of both India and Pakistan would take a stand to achieve long-lasting peace. "When will the Indo-Pak leadership demonstrate the required maturity to break this impasse that has endured for 70 bleak years? It is in their respective national and regional interests to do so. Certainly, the peoples of both sides would benefit enormously. For truly normalising ties is no less pressing than the Korea question," the editorial by the Pakistani Daily said. It also said that while the responsibility of ensuring peace rests with Islamabad and New Delhi, the international community should come forward to support the two arch-rivals. The editorial further noted that the leaderships of the two countries should keep their differences aside and talk on peace in people's interests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) President Rodrigo Duterte announced the country will no longer be sending Filipino workers to Kuwait. "This ban (on the deployment of Filipino workers) stays permanently. There will be no more recruitment for, especially domestic helpers," Duterte said early morning Sunday in Davao City, upon arriving from the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore. He imposed the permanent ban, following the diplomatic spat with Kuwait over Philippine embassy officers rescuing distressed Filipinos in the Gulf State. Duterte first issued the ban in February, after authorities found the body of Filipina maid Joanna Demafelis stuffed inside a freezer. Thousands of Filipino workers in Kuwait have been repatriated since. 'Come home' Reiterating what he said before the Filipino community in Singapore Saturday evening, the President, appealed specifically to household service workers in Kuwait to come home. "If your Kuwaiti employers want you to leave, then please come home. Your government will do its best to help you return and resettle. I appeal to your sense of patriotism and to your love of country and family," Duterte said. He appealed to the workers to take the better option, even if their employers would want them to stay. "All I ask is that the employers treat the Filipinos with the humanity they deserve. Please do not abuse Filipino workers," he added. The President said he will focus on allocating funds to help Filipino workers leave Kuwait and resettle in the country. He is eyeing to use the financial aid from China as well as the government's emergency fund to solve this "calamity." 'No bitterness' toward Kuwait Duterte also thanked Kuwait for accommodating thousands of overseas Filipino workers over the years. "There's no bitterness in our hearts," the President said. "For after all, at one time, we were also there to help you." He said Kuwait has lifted thousands of Filipinos' lives from poverty. Kuwait is a top destination for overseas Filipino workers, with some 260,000 Filipinos working there as of 2018. As of February 2018, remittances from Kuwait amounted to P5.5 billion, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. In 2017, a total of P42 billion were remitted from the Gulf State. After US Senator Lindsey Graham, the crowd at a campaign-style rally in Washington Township, Michigan chanted 'Nobel' suggesting that US President Donald Trump be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as he talked about North Korea. Expressing gratitude, Trump replied to the crowd chants of "Nobel, Nobel, Nobel," saying, "That's very nice, thank you. That's very nice." "I just want to get the job done," he added. According to CNN, the US President told a rally in Michigan "we are not playing games" when it comes to North Korea and "Peace is going to keep us out of nuclear war." On a related note, on Friday US Senator Lindsey Graham pitched for awarding a Nobel Peace Prize to United States President Donald Trump, if he successfully negotiated the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "Donald Trump convinced North Korea and China he was serious about bringing about change. We're not there yet, but if this happens, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize," Graham tweeted. This is contrary to what the Senator have been saying in the past. Graham has previously called President Trump "a kook", "unfit for office" and a "political car wreck, according to the reports. This comes in the backdrop of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in ending their historic summit on Friday with a glimmer of hope and positivity in Panmunjom. Trump also said that the went from having a potential disaster, but the Olympics and North Korea's participation helped to turn things around, according to the reports. To begin with, Kim became the first-ever North Korean leader to step on the South Korean soil, when he took a step at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the world's most heavily guarded border, separating the two countries. He then shook hands with Moon, which was the first-ever meeting between them after the Korean War ended in 1953. The inter-Korean summit was also unique as it was the first time in over a decade that it was being held. The previous two summits were held in 2000 and 2007 in Pyongyang. It was also the first time that the summit was being held in South Korea. The Korean War between the two countries took place between 1950-53, which ended with a ceasefire and signing of an armistice agreement. Technically, both the countries are still at war since no peace treaty has been signed between them. In a joint declaration after the talks, the two leaders officially inaugurated a document formally called the 'Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula'. The declaration read, "The two leaders solemnly declare that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and a new era of peace has begun," CNN reported. The two Koreas agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. Moon also reiterated that it marked the rise of "a new era of peace". The South Korean President is also slated to visit Pyongyang later this year, according to a statement released by his presidential office. Many countries such as China, Russia and Japan and the United Nations (UN) have praised the outcome and positivity of the successful summit. They hoped for ending of hostilities and pressing for peace, denuclearisation and reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A minor explosion took place at a hydropower project in Nepal's Sankhuwasabha district on Saturday. "An unidentified group detonated the IED targeting Tumlingtar-based office of Arun-3 Hydropower Project at around Saturday midnight," Chief District Officer Shiwaraj Joshi told The Himalayan Times. Joshi further said that there were no casualties in the explosion, adding it caused minor damage to the office. An investigation has been launched to probe the attack. Till now, no one has claimed responsibility for the explosion. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in 2014. The hydroelectric project is also reportedly going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi ahead of his visit to the Himalayan visit next month. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2020. Earlier on April 17, a minor explosion took place near a camp office of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu's Biratnagar area. No injuries were reported and the office wall on the western side of the office was slightly damaged in the explosion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said that he discussed North Korea's denuclearisation process with its leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to Pyongyang. During an interview with ABC news, Pompeo said that Kim was "prepared to ... layout a map that would help us achieve" denuclearisation. This came after the conclusion of the historic inter-Korean summit, where Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-In held bilateral talks. Pompeo further said that they had an extensive conversation on "the hardest issues that face our two countries." He continued, "I had a clear mission statement from President Trump. When I left, Kim Jong Un understood the mission exactly as I described it today." The US, along with Japan, China, North and South Korea, has supported the denuclearisation of the entire Korean peninsula. Mike Pompeo was sworn-in as the new US Secretary of State on Friday after the dismissal of Rex Tillerson by the Trump administration as the two disagreed on issues such as dealing with North Korea and Iran Nuclear deal. On Friday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders released a group of photographs on her official Twitter account, depicting the meeting of Kim and Pompeo during the "Easter weekend trip". During a 'Fox & Friends' episode, Trump had revealed that Pompeo was not supposed to meet Kim Jong Un though he eventually did. On April 21, North Korea had announced to suspend its nuclear and missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of the International Yoga Day on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday urged the nation to make this 4th edition a memorable one, while underlining its importance. Addressing the 43rd edition of 'Mann Ki Baat,' the Prime Minister said, "For International Yoga Day on June 21, you must start preparing from now itself. Yoga's importance for complete physical health and mental development is known globally." Prime Minister Modi also expressed his happiness at the enthusiastic response to his 'Fit India' movement. "Yoga is a wonderful way to remain fit. I would additionally like to mention, that the movement of 'Fit India', without any expense, is called 'yog'," he said "Last month during 'Mann Ki Baat', I had urged our countrymen, especially the youth to espouse 'Fit India'. I had invited everyone to join 'Fit India', lead 'Fit India'. I was overjoyed to see people getting connected to it with a lot of enthusiasm. Expressing support for this, many people have written to me, sent me letters, shared 'fitness mantra- Fit India' stories on social media," he added. Prime Minister Modi also praised actor Akshay Kumar for his contribution to the 'Fit India' movement in interesting ways. "Celebrities like Akshay Kumar have promoted 'Fit India' in interesting ways," he said. A few days ago, Kumar had tweeted out a video of him exercising with wooden beads and playing volleyball to encourage the youths. The Prime Minister also spoke about the benefits of exercising and about his animated yoga video. "You must have viewed an animated video depicting me that has been widely circulated. I congratulate those from the field of animation for highlighting nuances, just the way a teacher does. You too will benefit from it," he added. A 3D animation of Prime Minister Modi, depicting 'Trikonasana' (the triangle posture) yoga was released on May 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence over various issues including Justice BH Loya death case. Addressing a 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' at Ramleela Maidan in Delhi, Gandhi said, "For the first time in 70 years, four Supreme Court judges came in front of the people and asked for justice. Modiji was silent. People in the Supreme Court took the name of Justice Loya and said that the court was under pressure." Further, Gandhi raised concerns about corruption ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections. "Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka has gone to jail. And on the other hand, Narendra Modiji keeps saying that he is fighting against corruption. Piyush Goyal could not declare his own company. For the first time, the power minister sold his company to another power company. Nirav Modi took your money and ran away. This government put you in lines just so you could access your own money, all in the name of black money," he said. Describing the party workers as "sher ka bachha" (lion cubs), the Gandhi scion showed confidence in winning the 2019 general elections. "Every Congress worker is a lion's cub. We will win in 2019. Go to Assam and Punjab and ask how many Congress workers have given their lives for the country. The Congress workers have given their lives for the truth. We will show them in 2019. Narendra Modi is worried now. He is hiding behind power," he said. Reacting to Prime Minister Modi's recent informal visit to China, Gandhi said, "In Doka La, China is making helipads. And the Indian Prime Minister is having discussions in China without any agenda. What kind of a prime minister is this? This is why the people of India are angry with the government today." He said, "The Chinese are aggressively pursuing militarisation in Doklam. Despite this, all that PM Modi does is hold a "no-agenda" meeting with the Chinese President." Gandhi further spoke about senior party leader Salman Khurshid, who had recently said that there were Muslims' blood stains on hands of the Congress party. He said, "In our party, we welcome different opinions. A few days back, Salman Khurshid expressed a different opinion. I want to say: I will be the first one to protect Salman Khurshid. But when we are fighting RSS, we have to be united." "However, in Prime Minister Modi's party, there is only one viewpoint that is allowed: that of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. This is the difference between them and us," the Congress President said. "I respect differences of opinion and will protect any dissenters. However, the BJP neither appreciates different opinions nor does it respect its own elders," he said. Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi's seaplane ride during the Gujarat Assembly elections this year, the Congress President said, "You stood up to this government in Gujarat. The press was saying that Congress could not get more than 50 seats in Gujarat. All Congress workers stood up in Gujarat and Narendra Modi had to run away in a seaplane. Now, you should see what we do in Karnataka." Gandhi also hit out at the Prime Minister Modi-led government over Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao rape cases and said, "For the first time and Indian PM has been asked to protect woman of the country on foreign soil. People have urged Modi Ji to safeguard women in India." Launching a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, Gandhi said the RSS people are being posted in all institutions in India. In 2014, the BJP and RSS machine did nothing but spread lies. BJP and RSS people try to spread hatred wherever they go. But this country is a place of love and peace." The rally comes ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, which will take place on May 12. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, incumbent party President Rahul Gandhi, prominent leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and others were also present at the rally. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday offered to broker a dialogue between North Korea and Japan, adding that both countries wanted to improve their bilateral relations. Earlier in the day, President Moon called Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the outcome of the recently-concluded inter-Korean summit, as well as a proposal to hold talks between Pyongyang and Tokyo, Yonhap News Agency reported. In the telephonic conversation, the Japanese Prime Minister praised the South Korean President for raising the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea in the summit. Moon's presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, in a statement, said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was willing to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister, in an effort to mend their frayed ties. "President Moon offered to lay a bridge between North Korea and Japan. Both sides agreed that the inter-Korean summit laid the firm ground for a successful summit between United States President Donald Trump and Kim," Eui-kyeom added. Japan, the US and South Korea jointly agreed to have North Korea take concrete actions to achieve complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, according to the presidential spokesman. On a related note, South Korean National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon was in Tokyo to brief Abe on the outcome of the summit on Sunday. On Friday, Kim and Moon held the historic summit, which was the first time it was held in South Korea, and the first in over a decade. The two Koreas agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. It also agreed to achieve "complete denuclearisation" on the Korean Peninsula, as well as to deepen further cooperation in inter-Korean projects. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) suggested that a meeting between the US and North Korea is likely possible in "three or four weeks". "We'll have a meeting over the next three or four weeks," CNN quoted Trump as saying during a rally in Michigan, which he is holding on the night of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, as he skips the annual bash for second consecutive year. According to the report, earlier on Saturday, Trump spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-In earlier and mentioned in his speech that the South Korean leader credited him for the apparent progress with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "He gives us tremendous credit. He gives us all the credit," Trump said. This comes in the backdrop of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in ending their historic summit on Friday with a glimmer of hope and positivity in Panmunjom. Trump also said that the went from having a potential disaster, but the Olympics and North Korea's participation helped to turn things around, according to the reports. To begin with, Kim became the first-ever North Korean leader to step on the South Korean soil, when he took a step at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the world's most heavily guarded border, separating the two countries. He then shook hands with Moon, which was the first-ever meeting between them after the Korean War ended in 1953. The inter-Korean summit was also unique as it was the first time in over a decade that it was being held. The previous two summits were held in 2000 and 2007 in Pyongyang. It was also the first time that the summit was being held in South Korea. The Korean War between the two countries took place between 1950-53, which ended with a ceasefire and signing of an armistice agreement. Technically, both the countries are still at war since no peace treaty has been signed between them. In a joint declaration after the talks, the two leaders officially inaugurated a document formally called the 'Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula.' The declaration read, "The two leaders solemnly declare that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and a new era of peace has begun," CNN reported. The two Koreas agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. Moon also reiterated that it marked the rise of "a new era of peace". The South Korean President is also slated to visit Pyongyang later this year, according to a statement released by his presidential office. Many countries such as China, Russia and Japan and the United Nations (UN) have praised the outcome and positivity of the successful summit. They hoped for ending of hostilities and pressing for peace, denuclearisation and reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh ruling party- Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will hold a public meeting on April 30 against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over its failure to grant Special Category Status to the state. The party has called the "Nammaka Droham-Kutra Rajakeeyalapai Dharma Porata Bahiranga Sabha" (Fight against Betrayal and Collusion -Public Meeting) in order to remind how Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to keep the promises he made four years ago on the same day standing at the Lord Balaji temple in Tirupati. Prime Minister Modi during 2014 general elections went to offer prayers in Lord Balaji temple, in Tirupati and had promised the people of Andhra Pradesh, to soon grant the state a Special Category Status. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will also address the gathering by showing visuals of Prime Minister Modi making promises to Andhra four years ago from the temple premises. "BJP has colluded with a tainted party, YSR Congress to do injustice to 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh. Our fight will continue against them until justice gets delivered and there is no compromise on that," Naidu said. The TDP has been fighting against the Centre for the rights of people of Andhra, demanding it to fulfil assurances made in Rajya Sabha including SCS and provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Last month, the party quit the BJP-led NDA alliance over the same. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The two front runners for the post of Chief minister of Karnataka state, Siddaramaiah of the Congress Party and B.S. Yeddyurappa of the BJP are repeatedly assuring their voters that they will head the government if their respective party is elected to power, but the fact is that both are unsure of the support of their own party colleagues in the matter. Siddaramaiah's doesn't just need to fight the BJP; he has people within the party who have been openly dissenting with his nomination as the CM candidate. Though he is the sitting chief minister of the only large Congress ruling state in the country, his party colleagues who are far senior to him, feel that he should have made way to someone else this time, like say Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge or the very popular and influential D.K. Shivakumar. But Siddaramaiah had Rahul Gandhi's ear, and convinced him that he would deliver victory. Therefore the sharp and shrewd Kuruba caste leader had a complete free run in selection of candidates. Winnability and caste affiliations were the deciding factors in allotting tickets. The result is that others in the party were piqued, which is evident in their body language when sharing the stage with Siddaramaiah. When the CM speaks they chatter amongst each other or look disinterestedly at the audience, even glowering when slogans are raised praising Siddaramaiah. Actually, this isn't in the tradition of the Congress party. When a Gandhi is on stage, slogans are only for RG. But its different in Karnataka where regionalism off late has become important for its people. The crowd whistles and laughs out loud at all the playing to the gallery that Siddaramaiah does. RG is not getting the same response. People are polite, they smile at him, get selfies taken with him but voluble support is only for Siddaramaiah. But crowds and promises need not always translate into votes. He has a tough two weeks ahead of him. In both the constituencies that he is contesting from, Chamundeshwari and Badami, his rivals are strong and have vowed to defeat him at any cost. There are many in the Congress who whisper that some big guns in the Congress would relish the prospect of a Congress win minus Siddaramaiah. If Siddaramaiah loses in both his constituencies then he can hardly make a claim to be CM. In the event of a hung assembly, the Congress could approach the Janata Dal (S) for support to form an anti-BJP coalition. The JDS could consider it only if it is a minus Siddaramaiah formula. The JDS's allergy to the current CM is quite evident. He was expelled from the JDS and went on to join the Congress party. At almost every rally Siddaramaiah ridicules the secular credentials of the JDS, calling it the BJP's B team. But the A team of the BJP is not exactly sure of the alleged B team. Deve Gowda is a factor that can swing either way. In the A team, it is Mr. A who has parked himself in the state and decided on ticket distribution. Amit Shah in his typical style has made it a do-or-die battle for his team. Chief Minister candidate Yeddyurappa has been relegated to playing second fiddle. He has been on a massive sulk for weeks on end, as his list of candidates found no space during ticket distribution and the straw that broke the camel's back was when his son was denied the ticket from Varuna constituency. Yeddyurappa's son B.Y. Raghavendra may find a place in the hopefuls for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, at least that is what it seems is the carrot held to him. There were very strong rumours that Yeddyurappa was grooming his son to take over from him, half way through his tenure of Chief Ministership citing ill health. But that wasn't to be. Not just that, now it appears that Yeddyurappa may not be sharing stage with PM Modi in all the rallies that is on the itinerary. The CM candidate is barely interacting with his party colleagues. He doesn't take calls of spokespersons or party leaders; his staff is almost as miffed as their boss. The Lingayat leader will carry the vote of the largest voting bloc in the state it seems but may not carry the confidence of his own party. Articles have started appearing in the regional press that there is talk in the BJP that they might ditch Yeddyurappa if he fails to enthuse voters. In all likelihood Modi will galvanize the public more than the party's CM candidate, who seems listless and confused at most rallies. He is no match for Siddaramaiah when it comes to punch filled speeches, but he has the benefit of belonging to the largest caste grouping in the state and the blessings of a number of Lingayat seers. With no wave visible till two weeks before polling day, it seems like the chief minister candidates will have to cajole dissenters or crush internal dissonances in the party to appear strong and capable of leading their party. Karnataka goes to polls on 12th May 2018 in all 224 constituencies simultaneously. Results will be declared on 15th May.By Smita Prakash . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two civil services aspirants from Phulambri town of Aurangabad district cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination after 70 years of the Indian independence. The aspirants Mohammed Nooh Siddiqi and Sheikh Salman Patel ranked 326 and 339 respectively in the recently concluded civil services examinations. Patel, who is a son of a farmer, broke down to tears after he came to know about the result. "We meet our expenses by doing farming on two acres of land that we have. I still cannot believe that I have cleared the Civil Services Exam. I will serve people to the best of my abilities," Patel said. Patel's mother also expressed happiness on his son's result and praised him for his hard work despite all the odds. On a related note, 9, 57,590 candidates applied for the preliminary examination, out of which 4,56,625 candidates appeared. 13,366 candidates qualified for the Written (Main) Examination held in October - November 2017. Of them, 2568 candidates qualified for the Personality Test conducted in February - April 2018. The UPSC then recommended a total of 990 candidates, including 750 men and 240 women for appointment to various services, including IAS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said there is no permanent deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait, following the announcement of President Rodrigo Duterte for such. "The President never mentioned that the deployment ban has become permanent. That is not true. He never said that. What the President said is that the Philippines and Kuwait are good friends and are allies and he does not want the presence of our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) there to cause an irritant in that relationship," Bello said in an interview with CNN Philippines Sunday. Duterte announced early Sunday the moratorium on sending Filipinos to Kuwait has become permanent, following the diplomatic spat with Kuwait over Philippine embassy officers rescuing distressed Filipinos in the Gulf State. He first issued the ban in February, after authorities found the body of Filipina maid Joanna Demafelis stuffed inside a freezer. Bello also clarified the President only wants to help Filipino workers in Kuwait to return home. "So ang sabi niya, 'yung mga gustong umuwi [for those who want to come home], he is willing to help them. There was never a mention that the deployment ban is being permanent," he said. Negotiations to continue The Labor Secretary said the lifting of the deployment ban hinges on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Philippines and Kuwait, and on the outcome of the Demafelis case. "The deployment ban will stay as long as wala 'yung MOU at saka wala 'yung justice kay Demafelis. So, pagka nagkaroon na ng signing ng MOU, baka sakaling, there might be anything, even just a partial lifting of the deployment ban," Bello said. The Labor official added he will be meeting with Kuwaiti officials on May 7 to discuss the MOU. He will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs officials and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. The proposed labor deal will protect Filipino workers from abuse by their employers. The provisions include no confiscation of passport - depositing instead with the Philippine embassy, seven hours of sleep, a day off, permission to cook food, and no physical abuse. Jobs for returning OFWs In a separate speech, Duterte appealed to Filipino workers in Kuwait to come home, as there are already enough jobs for them in the Philippines. Bello, however, said employing repatriated Filipino workers in the country is a long-term goal tied to Duterte's P9-trillion infrastructure program. "He has embarked on this major Build, Build, Build infrastructure program niya, so hopefully this will create around 8-10 million jobs, and hopefully this will already be an answer to desire of many of our countrymen who want to go abroad to look for jobs," he said. The Labor Secretary said for now, they are looking into alternative markets for Filipino workers, like China, Israel, Czechoslovakia, and Japan. Kuwait is a top destination for overseas Filipino workers, with some 260,000 Filipinos working there as of 2018. As of February 2018, remittances from Kuwait amounted to P5.5 billion, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. In 2017, a total of P42 billion were remitted from the Gulf State. South Korea and the United States have agreed to closely consult each other regarding the upcoming US-North Korea summit and discuss the denuclearisation of North Korea, as told by South Korean Foreign Ministry on Sunday. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa had his first conversation with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, in which they reaffirmed their commitment towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The two sides called for a close diplomatic consultation to ensure a successful US-North Korea summit scheduled for May. They also agreed on scheduling the summit as early as posssible. Further commenting upon the recently-concluded inter-Korean summit Pompeo said he would closely work with the South to make real progress in solving the North Korean nuclear issues, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency. North-South Korea conducted a bilateral summit on Friday. They formally signed a bilateral peace treaty ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi-led military coalition has killed dozens of Houthi rebels including two commanders, in an airstrike conducted on Yemen's capital Sana'a. According to Al Jazeera, Saudi state-owned news channel Al Ekhbariya said on Saturday that two high-ranking rebels were among over 50 Huthi militiamen killed in Sanaa on Friday. The Houthis, who refused to divulge the details, confirmed an air raid on Sanaa had taken place. The Iran-backed rebels have been locked in a war with the Saudi-led military coalition. The Houthis took control of Sanaa in September 2014. The war in Yemen has entered its fourth year. The Saudi-led military coalition, since 2015 has fought to restore the Yemeni government to power. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance joined the Yemen conflict. The Saudi-led coalition imposed a total blockade on Yemen's ports in November in retaliation for cross-border Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to the reports. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least nine Afghan policemen were killed and 10 others injured in a gunfight with the Taliban in Badakhshan province, an official said on Sunday. "Militants stormed security checkpoints in Tashkan district on Saturday night, triggering a gunfight. Sporadic clashes were ongoing Sunday in the district as security forces are fighting back the assailants," the official told Xinhua news agency. Several militants were also killed and wounded but the exact number could not be immediately verified, the official added. --IANS and/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A diesel ferry cuts through the Poshur river -- the lifeline of Sundarbans -- with travellers watching its heavily industrialised bank, which is rapidly increasing at the cost of worlds largest contiguous mangrove forest. Activists are looking with a wary eye at the upcoming 1,320 MW coal-based power project being set up by India's NTPC, a mere 14 km north of the Sundarban Reserve Forests and four kilometres from the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), which they say would pose a threat to the wildlife and dependent communities. The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project at Rampal in Khulna division is being constructed in an area of over 1,832 acres on the eastern bank of Poshur. In August 2010, a pact was signed between India and Bangladesh to set up the project. While journalists and protestors are not allowed near the project, a small group of visiting journalists from India could see for themselves the massive erosion, waterless canals, huge waterway traffic, oil spills and major infrastructure coming up along the river. Some 10 km before the busy Mongla Port is a broad 5.5 km-long road west of the Mongla-Khulna highway that goes to the project site. Around this road there were some 5,000 families which were displaced, we are told. Sushanto Das, one of the land owners in Bagerhat district, lost over 33 acres of land. "My house was burned down by the local goon with support of the local Member of Parliament. I approached the court. Now they don't even allow us to protest at the site," he told IANS from his residence in Ranjitpur, a town between Khulna and Sunderbans. At places, the river, along this special economic zone, has become much broader because of excessive erosion of its banks. Ferrymen say that because of this, the Poshur is becoming more aggressive. The western bank, where forest communities dwell and ECA begins, is also being industrialised. A 2016 joint report by the governments of India and Bangladesh -- and supported by the world bank -- on the status of tigers in the Sundarbans, a copy of which is with IANS, criticised this coal-fired project, saying it would further "exacerbate the problem" of climate change, pollution and tiger conservation. As per official count, Sundarbans had 180 tigers in 2015. Now, those in the area are under threat. The report, which labels vessels plying on the Poshur as "mobile bombs", reminds everyone of the December 2014 incident when 358,000 litres of oil spilled into the Sela. Spread across 10,000 sq km -- of which 62 per cent is in Bangladesh -- the Sundarbans, lying in the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal, were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. For Bangladesh, it accounts for 44 per cent of its forest area, generating 50 percent of the forest revenue from tourism, fishery and the sale of honey. A wetland of global importance, the ecosystem saves the inlands from cyclones, stabilises sediments and makes the region a nursery of major fisheries, playing a key role in food security. "All this stands threatened. The power plant is located to make best use of the river but existing power industries are already discharging effluents into the river and ash in the atmosphere," Dr Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, Professor Science at Khulna University, told IANS, warning of a micro-climate change altering different patches of the Sundarbans. With warming of water, Chowdhury observed that soil quality had dropped and salinity in the area had increased over time, threatening its flora and fauna. "The government doesn't check how natural resources are being overexploited. The DoE (Department of Environment) gives licence to industries under pressure," Chowdhury said. UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global organisation, have already raised an alarm over the Rampal project. "There is only one Sundarbans in the world, once destroyed, no amount of money could replicate it," he said. The $1.6 billion power project is controlled by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL), a 2012 private venture comprising India's NTPC and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). India's Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is constructing the plant which is scheduled to start operations in 2019. Queries sent to NTPC and BIFPCL went unanswered. Ironically, India plans to phase out coal-power and not sanction any new project after 2022. While the Bangladesh government has judged the project location to be at a "safe" distance from the mangrove forest, facts suggest otherwise. According to a Bangladesh's Department of (DoE) document, available with IANS, several "red-category" industries -- oil refinery, ship building, cement, gas cylinder, brick kilns, LPG, saw mills and others -- operate deep within the ECA across Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhir districts. Also, a railway line is being set up there to import coal from West Bengal to Jessore. The Bangladesh government in 1999 declared a 10 km radius from the reserve forest as ECA. However, DoE permitted setting up of over 190 industries, located 1.5 to 9 km from the forest reserve, of which 24 units are listed as "Red" or "extremely harmful", 63 are "Orange (A)" or "harmful" and 103 are "Orange (B)" or "less-harmful". Not a single industry within ECA is "Green" or "safe". According to experts, heavy industrialisation in the region had blocked canals, eroded the banks and sunk several villages. "Over 50,000 people suffered, mostly from the minority Hindu community, and many have migrated to India," environmentalist Sharif Jamil from Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA) told IANS. Local activists said that with the assurance of cheap power from the project, over 300 industrial units, 190 within ECA, had made a beeline to the area. "Had you visited the region a few years back, you would've found a different Poshur," Jamil said. Sundarbans has thousands of interconnected canals which balances the pressure on the main river. "Industries level those canals, putting extra pressure on the river, causing erosion," Jamil said, adding that Banishanta, Laudob, Shelabuniya, Amtali, Sindurtala, Kalabari and Joymoni areas suffered the maximum erosion. "Crocodile nestings have vanished from Joymoni near Mongla, tiger too," Professor Chowdhury said, adding that a "proper study" was difficult since the government doesn't allow it. According to academicians in Dhaka, an anti-India feeling is slowly taking shape. Some locals who were affected told IANS that they had got death and rape threats and were attacked by musclemen while protesting. Several refused to talk. Many cases have landed in the courts. "We approached the Left parties in India too for help. But D. Raja (National Secretary of the Communist Party of India) told us that they cannot help as Bangladesh itself had asked for it (the power plant)," Anu Muhammad, Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, told IANS. He was later denied a visa to attend a conference in New Delhi. Even a tourist visa to India was declined. (Kushagra Dixit visited Bangladesh on an invitation from the Global Strategic Communication Council and Climate Action Network, Australia, in partnership with the Centre for Financial Accountability, New Delhi. He can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in ) --IANS kd-som/hs/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An explosion took place on Sunday at the office of a hydroelectricity project in Nepal developed by the Indian government. The office of the Arun III project was targeted by unidentified assailants earlier on Sunday, Shiva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha said. The blast damaged a wall of the building. He said the police have already launched a probe into the incident. The 900 mw run-of-the-river project is slated to come into operation by 2020. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to inaugurate it during his visit to Nepal on May 11. This was second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. --IANS giri/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Climate negotiators from 197 countries, including India, will gather in Bonn in Germany from Monday for a two-week meeting to discuss the implementation of the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement and how to step up action. At the crucial inter-sessional talks, experts said, progress needs to be made on a number of technical issues ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Poland in December. These issues include the 'rulebook' for the Paris Agreement, and to prepare the ground for governments to commit to raise the ambition of their climate pledges by 2020. Promising developments, seen across the world in the past few weeks, built the momentum for the Talanoa Dialogue and gave reason to hope that 2018 can be a trampoline before the world in 2019 jumps and scales up ambition to close the emissions gap, a climate expert told IANS. The Talanoa Dialogue is an important international conversation in which countries will check progress and seek to increase global ambition to meet Paris Agreement goals. The dialogue was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn in November 2017 and will run throughout 2018. The Paris Agreement's central aim is keep the global average temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "To achieve success at COP24, it is essential that the nations begin to work towards draft negotiating texts at the May meeting. This will provide a solid foundation for work in the second half of 2018 and help them deliver strong results," an official statement quoting UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said. At the COP23 in November last under the leadership of Fiji, the participating nations agreed to accelerate and complete their work to put in place the guidelines -- officially termed the Paris Agreement Work Programme -- at COP24 in Katowice in Poland. COP24 is the deadline for nations to agree on a common set of implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement, the so-called rulebook, which will establish the rules and processes needed to reach the global goal. What to expect from this Bonn climate summit? With the Talanoa Dialogue, Bonn will offer a platform for countries and non-party stakeholders to showcase their progress towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors and inspire each other while at the same time demonstrating the risks of inaction. This summit, which will continue till May 10, will kick-start a process throughout the year and be followed by other international moments that showcase climate action around the world like the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Germany and the Ministerial on Climate Action in Brussels in June. The 2018 Talanoa Dialogue will conclude at COP24 with a final report by the Presidency when ministers are expected to signal that they will enhance national climate pledges by 2020. Just a week before Bonn, the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London concluded with a commitment from all 53 member-states to limit global warming to well below two degrees and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees, recognising that the impacts of climate change are a significant reality. Bonn should be the place to help resolve the finance question, British charity Christian Aid's International Climate Lead Mohamed Adow told IANS. "Rich countries need to honour their promise of delivering $100 billion a year to poor countries to help them reduce their emissions and cope with a changing climate," he said. With 197 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has near- universal membership and is the parent treaty of the Paris Agreement. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) --IANS vg/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP government in Tripura has handed over all the 74 chit fund cases from the SIT to the CBI to probe the unlawful collection of money from the people by the illegal chit fund organisations during the tenure of the previous Left Front government, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb announced here on Sunday. "We have recently proposed to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to ask CBI to probe all the 74 cases pending against various chit fund and NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Organisations). The DoPT accordingly agreed to the state government's proposal," the Chief Minister told the media. "The previous Left Front government in various ways backed the unauthorised chit fund organisations and NBFCs to loot huge amount of money from thousands and lakhs of people. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led government was averse to give all the cases related to chit fund organisations and NBFCs to CBI," he said. Deb said his government's vision was to make Tripura a corruption and drugs free state as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had envisioned for the country. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week questioned former Left Front Finance, PWD and Health Minister Badal Chowdhury and former Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Bijita Nath in connection with a Kolkata-based Rose Valley chit fund scam case. The CBI in June last year questioned Nath and CPI-M central committee member Gautam Das in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. The central agency on Thursday also separately interrogated two former private secretaries of Badal Chowdhury -- Sekhar Datta and Manik Lal Dey -- at the CBI office here over the same chit fund scam. CPI-M central committee member and party's state secretary Bijan Dhar said it was widely known that the CBI had been used by the ruling parties at the Centre. "No CPI-M leader and former Left Front ministers were involved with any chit fund organisations," Dhar told the media adding that "if CBI wants any information from the party leaders they would share, there is no problem in it". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) charged the previous Left Front government with promoting illegal chit fund organisations and unauthorised NBFCs in Tripura. The erstwhile Left Front government in Tripura had enacted a law in 2000 to deal with the illegal NBFCs and chit fund organisations and since 2016 began confiscating all movable and immovable properties of the Rose Valley chit fund organisation in the state. The Rose Valley is now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, and its sole proprietor and Chairman Gautam Kundu was arrested in Kolkata in 2015. The Tripura High Court had in 2015 asked the state government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the activities of unlawful NBFCs and chit fund organisations. In May 2013, the earlier Left government had referred 37 cases related to chit fund companies and NBFCs to the CBI. The central probe agency, however, took up only five cases. --IANS sc/qd/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday described the Congress as power hungry. "A dynasty and their courtiers, who were voted out of state after state by 'Jan Aadesh' (people's mandate), now pretend to represent 'Jan Akrosh' (people's anger). Today's Congress rally is nothing but a 'Parivar Akrosh Rally' which highlights their increasing irrelevance," Shah tweeted ahead of the Congress rally here. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader demanded an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his party's "efforts to trample every institution" of the country just because of their "power hungry nature". "If the Congress wants to see 'Jan Akrosh' they should see the results of election after election where their party has been comprehensively defeated across the length and breadth of India. "People are not tolerating Congress lies, empty promises, corruption and communalism." --IANS aks/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch got the fright of his life during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" when someone dressed as Iron Man popped up out of a table next to him. The actor was promoting his new movie "Avengers: Infinity War" on the show and chatting about his dream of starring in a horror film, reports aceshowbiz.com. He said: "I scare easy." Then the masked man appeared beside him. Losing his cool, the "Doctor Strange" star screamed: "F**k off... Oh f**k!". He then asked the show's host Ellen DeGeneres: "Am I still alive? This isn't heaven?" I should know this happens on this show...," he added. Cumberbatch added: "Now you've got me on real high alert..." --IANS dc/nn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. The death toll in protests against the Nicaraguan government of Daniel Ortega rose to 42, officials said. "We have confirmed 42 dead and have not yet determined the status of three others," Nicaraguan Centre of Human Rights (CENIDH) member Meyling Sierra told Efe news on Saturday. Though other defenders of human rights have reported up to 63 deaths, based on official and non-official lists, CENIDH figures are more conservative since they include none whose bodies have not been identified by their families or otherwise verified. CENIDH warns, however that even its own number of 48 has been made more uncertain due to the "forced relocation," considered a grave violation of human rights, since those who feel they are in danger must leave the city or even the country. "There is a forced relocation, above all of young people who took part in the demonstration -- they're afraid of reprisals and won't risk filing a complaint," Sierra said. The CENIDH member said that even the families of those young people have been forced into hiding far from their homes. The crisis Nicaragua is going through has lasted 11 days, during which time Ortega has witnessed a massive reaction against his government, particularly after the ruling party's shock troopers, directed by the Sandinista Youth and the National Police, used violence to repress the protesters. Nicaraguans demand Ortega's resignation and that of his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, considering them repressive and corrupt violators of human rights, civil rights and the freedom of the people. Though the possibility exists of a dialogue between the government and the private sector to overcome the crisis, with the mediation of the Catholic Church, the people do not feel identified with the process. The Nicaraguan clergy this Saturday called for a "pilgrimage for the love of Nicaragua," at which thousands of people would ask for Ortega's resignation from the presidency. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "democracy is in danger" under his regime. "Our democratic institutions are under attack. Parliament is not being allowed to function and legislation is being bulldozed," Singh told thousands of Congress activists at a 'Jan Akrosh' rally here. He added: "Our democracy is in danger and we must all work together to protect it." Singh said Modi had not been able to fulfil a single promise made to the people four years ago before coming to power. "Four years ago, a lot of promises were made to the people of the nation. But it is clear that they have not been able to meet even a single promise. "They promised generating two crore jobs a year. But the reality is that unemployment is on the rise and youths are distressed. Students taking loans for education are wondering how they will repay these loans if they do not get jobs." Slamming the BJP-led NDA government over the agrarian crisis, Singh said: "The Modi government's anti-farmer policies have resulted in an unprecedented agrarian distress. Our farmers are demanding justice from the government. The former Prime Minister said: "This government is anti-farmer. Farmers are feeling suppressed under farm loans and there are demands from every corner for farm loan waiver." "Prices of fuel are rising in India despite low international crude oil prices. This price rise has greatly distressed the people." --IANS sid-aks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite the Finance Ministrys objections, Indian Railways is pushing ahead with a proposal to involve the private sector in redeveloping 600 stations on an extended 99-year lease - as opposed to the 45-year lease proposed earlier for 400 stations. The Railways will seek Cabinet approval for its amended proposal at a time key initiatives of the national transporter, such as 100 per cent electrification, installation of European train control systems and free Wi-Fi at all stations, among others, have not found favour with the Prime Minister's Office. The initial proposal for redevelopment of 400 stations on a 45-year lease was made when Suresh Prabhu was Railway Minister. However, the proposal did not receive a good response in terms of bidders. After Prabhu relinquished charge to Piyush Goyal last year, the Railways, this January, circulated a draft cabinet note to various ministries seeking comments on making significant changes - such as extending the lease period from 45 years to 99 years - in the station redevelopment project that now involves an expenditure of over Rs 1 lakh crore. While the comments from the Niti Aayog and the Urban Development and Law Ministries were in favour of the Railways proposal, Finance Ministry objected to the 99-year lease period and observed that the "lease period should be limited to 60 years". "We have suitably explained to justify the 99-year lease period and are hopeful that the proposal will get approval from the Cabinet next month," said a senior Railway Ministry official. Responding to the Finance Ministry's observation, the Railways has explained in a note that the changes it sought were "essential to attract the major real estate players into such transit-oriented development (TOD) programmes in the urban sector". TOD is a type of urban development programme which maximises the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. The Railways' note has details about the TOD which aims to increase public transport ridership, reduce automobile travel, and promote sustainable urban growth. The basic purpose is to leverage the commercial potential of railway land while at the same time upgrading basic amenities at stations, the official, said adding: "The government aims to use the redeveloped stations as catalysts of economic activity in the surrounding areas." The redevelopment of 600 stations envisages opening of shopping plazas, office complexes, hotels, multiplexes and parking lots, among other commercial activities, on rail land, and making provisions for improved passenger amenities at stations. While the Railways aims to earn about Rs 50,000 crore over the next 10 years from commercialisation of rail land near stations, the ambitious project is expected to involve expenditure of over Rs 1 lakh crore -- Rs 80,000 crore in commercial exploitation and Rs 35,000 crore in station redevelopment. The Cabinet had, in 2015, approved the proposal to redevelop 400 railway stations using a contract method called the "Swiss Challenge" - with a 45-year lease period. However, the proposal did not get a good response, prompting the currently proposed changes. Besides, earlier only General Managers (GM) of zonal railways were authorised to undertake the exercise. Now it has sought the involvement of states, the public sector, public-private partnership (PPP), and the engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) models as well. Besides, the India Railway Stations Development corporation Ltd (IRSDC) and NBCC have been roped in to carry out the station redevelopment exercise. (Arun Kumar Das is a senior Delhi-based freelance journalist. He can be contacted at akdas2005@gmail.com) --IANS arundas/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A doctor received four gunshot injuries early on Sunday when four unidentified assailants fired at him near his farmhouse in south Delhi, police said. Police said the victim Hans Nagar suspected his two brothers were behind the murderous attack. Hans Nagar had reached near the entrance to his farmhouse in Fatehpuri Beri from his clinic in south Delhi's Siri Fort area around 1.50 a.m. when four unidentified attackers riding two motorcycles stopped nearby and fired more than a dozen rounds at him. Nagar claimed he also fired from his licensed pistol and injured one-two attackers, Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said. Nagar's security staff called police and the orthopaedic doctor was taken to a private hospital in Gurugram. He is undergoing treatment. "Nagar told police he suspected his brothers John and Ron and four others were behind the attack due to longstanding dispute over Gurugram property," the officer said. As many as 22 spent cartridges and two rounds of 9 mm and .32 bore pistols were seized from the spot. He said some suspects have been detained and CCTV footage from the area scanned to identify the suspects, who were suspected to be hired criminals. --IANS sp/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has vowed to accomplish the goals of the ongoing Sinai anti-terror operation as soon as possible and to fulfil Sinai comprehensive development project with over $15 billion by 2022. In an event organised by the armed forces on Saturday, Sisi expressed gratitude to Sinai residents for enduring the hard times of the anti-terror security campaign in the peninsula, Xinhua news agency reported. "We are totally aware that terrorism also exists outside Sinai," the president told a seminar organised by the military on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day. The Egyptian army in cooperation with the police started on February 9 a massive anti-terror security campaign named "Sinai 2018," which left so far some 240 terrorists and about 33 soldiers dead. Sisi said that the residents of Sinai are not to bear the responsibility for the acts of "the people of evil," referring to terrorists and their supporters. The Egyptian President said in late February that Sinai comprehensive development operation has already started since 2014 and will continue until 2022. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Launching a bitter attack on the Modi government, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said India had been turned into a land of falsehood, hatred, anger and violence since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. "The Congress leadership that fought for freedom envisioned a new India founded on values of truth, love and non-violence. But what has happened in the last four years? Today falsehood, hatred, anger and violence are the order of the day. Those who raise their voice against this face the wrath of the Modi government," Sonia Gandhi told a huge rally here. "The government takes parliamentary majority as a license to do whatever it likes. They think it is their right to crush any dissent. The democratic institutions were nurtured over 60 to 65 years. But ever since this government has come to power, it has left no stone unturned in weakening them," she added. Sonia Gandhi said that all this was being done at the behest of "an organisation that has a particular ideology". "Those who want to impose their whims instead of the rule of law, those who want to destroy the pluralistic culture of this country, we will have to fight against them together," she said. Terming the Modi government as "directionless and anti-people", Gandhi said it had betrayed the people by making false promises. "All the promises made by Modiji have turned out to be hollow and false. Modiji had said 'Na khaunga na khane dunga' (Neither will I take bribes, nor let others do). But corruption has increased," she said. The UPA leader said atrocities on women had increased so much that even little girls were not safe now and that housewives were having tough times managing household budget thanks to unchecked price rise. "The judiciary is undergoing an unprecedented crisis. It's difficult times for all of us and we will have to take it seriously and fight against it," she said. "Youths who were promised two crore jobs are still unemployed and they know they have been betrayed by Modiji." --IANS mak/aks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that India is reviving its Buddhist heritage through its ties with Mongolia and that the two countries are more spiritual partners than strategic. "Buddhism has been a great connector of civilisations since millennia," Sushma Swaraj said while addressing the birth centenary celebrations of Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a highly revered Buddhist leader and monk from Ladakh and a former Ambassador of India to Mongolia. Bakula Rinpoche, as the longest serving Indian Ambassador to Mongolia, made seminal contribution to promotion of India-Mongolia ties. "Even though Buddhism originated in India, it spread across the mighty Himalayas to East Asia and across the seas in southeast Asia," Sushma Swaraj said. "Eventually, it also made its way to the vast steppes of Mongolia where it has found a permanent abode for over two millennia." Stating that her country is once again reviving the Buddhist connections to bring together all those who have adopted faith in Buddha's philosophy and teachings, the Indian External Affairs Minister said that one of the efforts in this direction has been to link the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India for fellow pilgrims from the neighbourhood and beyond, including from Mongolia. She said that to revitalise this intellectual connection underpinned by shared Buddhist traditions, India has revived the age-old Nalanda University "In our engagement with Mongolia, we are also revitalising Buddhism as a strong symbol of our civilisational connection transcending into modern times," she said. "In our own small way, we are trying to work with our Mongolian friends to protect and preserve our Buddhist heritage." Stating that India has also offered to provide a statue of Lord Buddha to the Gandan Monastery in Mongolia as a token of the deep friendship between the two countries, Sushma Swaraj said India is also keen to invite Buddhist scholars and students "to visit India to discover our precious heritage". She said that Mongolian scholars and students can not only visit the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India but also undertake higher studies in some of the prominent institutions engaged in study of Buddhist philosophy. She also said that this will help in forging strong people-to-people contacts and allow better understanding about each other's country, culture and customs. Stating that India and Mongolia share a unique partnership, Sushma Swaraj said: "We are strategic partners, but more than that we are spiritual partners. This spiritual connection through Buddhism provides strength to our relationship. It is not a partnership of convenience but a relationship of trust and spiritual strength. Such partnerships, built on the strong foundation of friendship and mutual trust, are everlasting." She said that in these times of rising violence and extremism spread in the name of faith, there is increasing need to follow the Buddhist path of peace and tolerance. "Many regions of the world today, including our own region, is witnessing a trend of radicalism," she said. "Such radicalism provides a fertile ground for terrorism to flourish. It then spreads to the neighbouring areas and engulfs the entire region," she stated. "In such difficult times, there is a need for a philosophy that teaches peace and tolerance. Countries like India and Mongolia with our strong Buddhist traditions have a crucial role to counter this trend of radicalism." Earlier in the day, Sushma Swaraj and her Mongolian counterpart Damdin Tsogtbaatar co-chaired the sixth round of the India-Mongolia Joint Consultative Committee (IMJCC), focusing on a range of issues including economic, energy, political, strategic, educational and cultural ties. Following the meeting, the visiting Indian minister called on Mongolian Prime Minister U. Khurelsukh here and discussed cooperation in developmental cooperation, mining, capacity building, IT, films and other areas of bilateral cooperation. She also held meetings with Gombojav Zandanshata, Mongolian Minister and Chief of Cabinet Secretariat, and M. Enkhbold, Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament, the State Great Khural. Sushma Swaraj arrived here from China on Tuesday in what is the first visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to this landlocked Asian country in 42 years. --IANS ab/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India violated the UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea last year, sometimes even going against its own government orders, by importing metals worth $2.2 million and exporting jewellery valued at more than $578,000, according the UN panel monitoring the sanctions. Some of the imports and exports continued even after the Indian government issued a notification banning them in March last year. The panel of experts established by the Council said in a recent report that it found that between January and September last year India had imported iron and steel valued at $1.4 million, iron and steel products worth $234,000, copper worth $233,000 and $526,000 of zinc, ignoring the sanctions. India also exported jewellery worth $578,994, which included diamonds valued at $514,823, between January and June. "All exports (from North Korea) after 4 September 2017 violated paragraph 8 of resolution 2371 (2017), while those before 4 September 2017 violated paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report said. Those resolutions demand that countries prohibit the import of iron and iron ore from North Korea. A 2013 resolution expressly banned export of precious and semi-precious stones to North Korea. In contrast to its dealings with North Korea, India has in other cases strongly supported strict implementation of Council sanctions and in some cases called for more stringent actions, especially relating to terrorism, and criticised countries opposing those restrictions. The iron imports continued even after March last year when India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade imposed restrictions on importing iron and iron ore from North Korea, even as it said the sanctions lacked clarity, according to a note from India's UN Mission to the sanctions panel last July. "Pending clarity on this issue, national implementation of the measures contained in UNSC resolutions 2270 (2016) and 2321 (2016) relating to iron and iron-ore was nevertheless carried out by Government of India through a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on 21 March 2017," it said. The identities of those who imported from North Korea or exported to it were not included in the report and it is not known if the Indian government took action against those who made the imports in violation of its orders in March or if an investigation is under way. A UN source familiar with its sanctions monitoring told IANS that India had not provided details about the importers and exporters and the report relied on trade data compiled by the UN and proprietary information from organisations that gather commercial information on trade. New Delhi reiterated its commitment to implement the sanctions in a report India's UN Mission sent last month to Karel Van Oosterom, the Netherlands Permanent Representative who chairs the Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee. Indian authorities "will ensure that the relevant provisions" of the Council sanctions will be "implemented in letter and spirit," the report declared. It said that an order issued on March 5 by the External Affairs Ministry would implement the sanctions relating to North Korea and a notification was issued on March 7 by the DGFT to regulate trade with North Korea to conform to the sanctions. Big spurts in imports were noticed in August and September just as efforts were under way in the Security Council to tighten sanctions after Pyongyang carried out missile tests, a UN source familiar with the sanctions process told IANS. Suddenly the iron and steel imports rose from $69,577 in July to $281,000 in August and $487,000 in September, and iron and steel products import went up to $21,000 in September, the source pointed out. In case of copper, there was again a spurt, from $13,990 in June to $47,000 in August and $152,000 in September. The sanctions panel's report to the Council referred to an earlier explanation sent in July by India about the violations that it blamed on a lack of clarity about the sanctions. That communication from India's UN Mission asserted that "there was no clarity regarding the scope of the measures related to iron and iron ore since there was no elaboration/explanation of the word 'iron' and 'iron ore'." It also asked for "clarity" regarding the items banned, including luxury goods. A UN official told IANS that sanctions monitors had given India details on how various countries had dealt with the definitions of materials in the sanctions as well as the World Customs Organisation's codes identifying the products. India could have more credibly invoked a clause that permits some imports "exclusively for livelihood purposes" that was used, for example, by Russia, the official said. The July communication said that in March last year, India had tightened the ban on trade with North Korea. The notification of the ban from the DGFT (Notification No. 41/2015-2020; 21 March 2017) mentioned the Council resolutions and specifically mentioned import of iron ore and export of luxury items (which included jewelry and diamonds). As regards the assertion in the report about the bans requiring "due legal process for incorporating them in domestic law," an official pointed out that the UN Charter takes precedence and requires compliance. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in ) --IANS al/tb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A good opening stand followed by skipper Virat Kohli's unbeaten half-century helped Royal Challengers Bangalore to post 175/4 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie here on Sunday. Kohli's unbeaten 68-run knock came off 44 balls, containing five boundaries and three sixes at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. Put into bat, Bangalore started on a cautious note as openers Quinton de Kock (29 off 27) and Brendon McCullum (38 off 28) shared a 67-run partnership for the first wicket. KKR spinner Kuldeep Yadav came up with the first breakthrough as he packed de Kock in the ninth over. With the addition of just seven runs in Bangalore's overall score of 67, Andre Russel jolted the hosts after dismissing McCullum and Manan Vohra (0) in the next over. However, Kohli kept one end tight and added 65 runs for the fourth wicket with Mandeep Singh (19). Mandeep however, didn't show a fight and was dismissed on a Russel delivery in the 18th over with Bangalore's score reading 140/4. Kohli continued his good work and slammed yet another half-century and some fireworks by him in the final moments helped the hosts reach a respectable total of 175/4. For Kolkata, Russel was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/31 while Kuldeep scalped a wicket for 20 runs. Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore: 175/4 (Virat Kohli 68, Brendon McCullum 38; Andre Russell 3/31) vs KKR. --IANS kk/pur/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A task force of corporates on innovation set up by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) has held its first meeting here chaired by Japanese multinational SoftBank Corp Chairman Masayoshi Son, a SoftBank statement said on Sunday. The task force, set up last month, is supposed to give recommendations to promote innovation in areas like solar finance, solar technologies, solar applications, innovations, research and development (R&D) and capacity building. "The first meeting of the Global Leadership Task Force of Corporates on Innovation constituted by the ISA was convened yesterday (Saturday) evening in New Delhi," the statement said. "The task force will further aid in developing a proper innovation strategy to address challenges faced by the member countries and partner countries of ISA. "This is a private sector-led task force under ISA chaired by SoftBank. Its members include GE from the US, TOTAL from France, LG Chem from South Korea, GCL from China, SMA from Germany and State Bank of India from India," it said. A key focus area of the task force is to establish Solar Technology Application and Resource-Centre (STAR-C) centres of excellence in ISA member countries for creating local capacity for solar innovation, solar R&D, standards, testing, certification, quality control and skills building, it added. Indian industry chamber Ficci organised the meeting as the convenor and secretariat of the task force, which will continue meeting every quarter. Among the action points identified at the meeting were developing an innovation strategy for ISA member countries, identifying 6 STAR centres of global excellence, and initiating a Financial Innovation Mission focusing on microfinance, credit enhancement mechanisms, green bonds, among others, to work alongside each Technology Mission, the release said. "To fulfil its objectives, the task force decided to initiate 4 solar technology missions in the areas of solar modules, storage systems, electrical systems (inverters, transformers) and grids in order to help implementation of ISA programmes in member countries," it said. Following the meeting, Masayoshi Son said in a statement: "This task force will be the key driver in initiating large-scale solar transformation in all the member countries. Our aim is to expand the footprint of ISA to include many more corporates, and to facilitate this transformative action globally." --IANS bc/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) A priest was killed while celebrating mass Sunday morning in Gattaran town in Cagayan. Police identified the priest as Father Mark Ventura, who sustained two gunshot wounds one in the head and one in the chest. Gattaran police chief inspector Rodel Tabulog said the gunman, wearing a helmet and jacket, shot Ventura inside the gymnasium at past 8 a.m. in Brgy. Pina Weste. The gunman then fled with his accomplice on a motorcycle. Philippine National Police Region 2 director Mario Espino has ordered the creation of a special investigation task group to look into the case. Tabulog said they are investigating the motive of the killing and who may be behind the attack. Cagayan Police provincial director Senior Superintendent Warren Tolito said Ventura was and advocate of clean and honest elections, overseas Filipino workers's rights, and children's welfare. Gattaran is about 95 kilometers north of Tuguegarao, the capital city of Cagayan. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemned the act against their fellow clergy. "We make our appeal to the authorities to act swiftly in going after the perpetrators of this crime and to bring them to justice," the CBCP said in a statement. The opposition Liberal Party likewise condemned the killing of the priest. "We call on the authorities to capture and prosecute Fr. Ventura's killers as soon as possible and not treat Fr. Ventura's death as just another death under investigation," Liberal Party President and Senator Kiko Pangilinan said in a statement. "We hope that Fr. Ventura's death is not a reflection of our nation's character in light of the recent actions of the government against Sister Patricia Fox -- an aid worker for the past 27 years who has been ordered kicked out of the country on baseless claims that she is out to besmirch the government," Pangilinan added. CNN's correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he will discuss "Iran's aggression" with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem. Netanyahu referred to Pompeo as a "true friend of Israel", Xinhua news agency reported. He said he will discuss with Pompeo the regional developments including "Iran's growing aggression and the nuclear deal with Iran". Netanyahu has been one of the most vocal opponents of the nuclear deal. US President Donald Trump is due to announce on May 12 whether he decides to extend the waiver on nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. Re-imposing the sanctions might jeopardize the landmark accord signed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers. --IANS and/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Intensifying its probe into the sensational rotten carcass meat racket, the city police was trying to prepare a detailed list of departmental stories and eateries where the meat was supplied, informed sources said on Sunday. "We are now trying to prepare a roadmap of how the rotten meat used to be taken from the various dump yards to specific stories and eateries. We have got information from those already arrested about the stores and hotels and restaurants where the meat was supplied. We are preparing a detailed list," said a source. Police were also looking into an international angle, amidst suspicion that the rotten meat was supplied to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal. Earlier this week, police busted a racket involved in selling carcass meat and seized nearly 20 tons of carcass meat from a cold storage in central Kolkata.A Six persons were arrested in that case. The racket used to collect carcass meat from different dump yards in and around the city and store it in the cold storage. From here it was later supplied to various cirt restaurants and departmental stores, police sources had said. Two days back, police had arrested eight persons for allegedly involved in selling rotten chicken. --IANS ssp/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said water conservation "must be a collective responsibility" and that it was not difficult to do for Indians as "our forefathers have lived this as a way of life for centuries". In his monthly radio address "Mann Ki Baat", Modi also dwelt upon the teachings of Prophet Mohammad and Lord Buddha who taught love and compassion. "We often hear that in times to come, the world will face a war because of water. Everyone talks about this but do we not have any responsibility towards conservation of water? Do we not feel that water conservation must be a social responsibility? This must be a collective responsibility," Modi said. Modi said several baodis (stepwells) across the country were popular tourist spots but one should not forget that these were also the "living symbols of the water conservation campaigns which our forefathers had accomplished". He said in the last three years, an average of Rs 32,000 crore has been spent besides the MNREGA budget each year on water conservation and water management by the government. Greeting the listeners ahead of the holy month of Ramazan, Modi said the essence of fasting was that when a person experiences hunger and thirst himself, he becomes sensitive towards the hunger and thirst of others. "This is an opportunity to remember the teachings of Prophet Mohammad... It is our responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from his life. Once a person asked the Prophet as to which was the best thing in Islam and the Prophet replied 'feeding a poor and needy and meeting everyone cordially, whether you know him or not'," Modi said. Modi said one should be proud that India is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, pointing out that Buddhism forges a link between India and many Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar where Buddhist traditions are followed. "Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood. These are human values, which are most desired in the world today," Modi said. The Prime Minister said it was on the day of Buddha Purnima on May 11, 1998 that India conducted its successful nuclear tests in Pokhran, Rajasthan, which established the country's nuclear prowess as well as scientific superiority. He said India acquired nuclear capabilities in consonance with Buddha's teaching who said that the power of inner strength was necessary to live in peace. "Now that we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pokhran-II test, I ask the younger generations of our nation to imbibe the mantra of 'Jai-Vigyan' (hail science) for enhancing the might and the power of India, to build a modern, powerful and self-reliant India." The Prime Minister congratulated the Indian athletes for their "excellent performances" at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where India bagged 66 medals -- 26 gold, 20 silver, 20 bronze -- and observed that a large number of medal winners were women. He urged the people to stay fit and adopt Yoga as part of their fitness regime. Modi asked students across the country to join the government's Swachh Bharat Summer Internship programme, saying the interns who accomplish their tasks well would be awarded two credit points each by the University Grants Commission. --IANS mak/him/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Expressing surprise over the Fortis Healthcare Board's decision to allow a re-bid to acquire a stake in the company, two earlier joint bidders said on Sunday that equal opportunity should be given to all bidders in the auction. Sunil Kant Munjal-led Hero Enterprise Investment and the Burmans of Dabur Group had earlier made the joint bid for a stake in Fortis Healthcare. Fortis on Saturday said that its board will meet on May 10 to consider recommendations by its expert advisory committee (EAC) set up to evaluate all binding proposals for fund infusion. "With regard to Fortis, we had assumed that the final bids have been submitted and only review to choose the best offer was pending. We were a bit surprised to learn that everyone has one more chance to bid/re-bid," said a statement issued by the Munjals and Burmans after the board meeting on the Fortis bid. "We still welcome the board move. However, we strongly believe that there should be equal opportunity to all bidders without unfair advantage to any one party," it said. In a stock exchange filing on Saturday, Fortis had said: "The EAC will only consider evaluating all binding bids (whether current or improvised or modified or new) received by the company till noon (IST) on May 1." "In line with the obligations towards Manipal and TPG consortium, if any new or modified binding bids are received anytime till noon on May 1; Manipal and TPG consortium have the ability to revise their offer till May 6." Earlier this month, Fortis announced that it had received an improved binding offer from Hero Enterprise Investment Office and Burman Family Office to invest Rs 1,500 crore directly in the company. "Our offer is already with the company; it's the best one which is in the larger interest of Fortis Healthcare, and all those connected with the company's ecosystem," the Munjals and Burmans said. Besides, Fortis also received offers for infusion of funds from other suitors such as Fosun Health Holdings, IHH Healthcare Berhad, Manipal Hospital Enterprises and Radiant Life Care. --IANS bc/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Sunday urged the Indian government to grant new air entry points for his country. His appeal comes a day after Nepal and India agreed to review a bilateral transit treaty to incorporate issues like providing Nepal access to the sea through Indian waterways, Xinhua news agency reported. Addressing provincial assembly members in Butwal, the Prime Minister said: "India has granted only one cross-border air entry point to Nepal. "So the only option we have now for international flights is Simara air entry point. But we need additional cross-border air entry points in the days to come, and for which, India should cooperate with us." Oli said he had taken up the issue during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited India earlier this month. Oli said his government wants to sign a deal with India to allow international flights to and from the Gautam Buddha International Airport being built in Bhairahawa near the Nepal-India border. Meanwhile, during the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee, a commerce-secretary level forum between India and Nepal which concluded on Saturday, both sides agreed to review the transit treaty in the next three months, Rabi Shankar Sainju, joint secretary at the Nepali Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply told Xinhua. India agreed to provide Nepal access to the sea through the waterways during Oli's India visit. "This facility will be included in the treaty during the review process," said Sainju. --IANS him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost a year after the Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA) was enacted, its implementation is still patchy, with a permanent regulator missing in most states. The result is that buyers still have not got a clear roadmap and builders continue to sell distant dreams. Among 29 states in the country, only Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have set up permanent real estate regulatory authorities so far. Jammu and Kashmir is out of the purview of the Act as the state has to enact its own law. "Given that it is a state subject, the implementation has been quite varied," said Pallav Pandey, Co-Founder and CEO, FastFox, an online platform for rental housing, adding that "much confusion persists on what is permissible in practice". According to a report by the consultancy firm Knight Frank, eight states have not even installed a regulating authority and the remaining 17 have installed "interim" regulators. "Sadly, most states have been playing the waiting game about getting a permanent regulator after handing over the reins to such 'interim' authorities. What was strictly supposed to be a stop-gap arrangement has turned into a standard," says the report. Additionally, only 14 states and seven Union Territories have a functional portal in place and 20 states and the Union Territories have notified the rules. The report says that Maharashtra had been among the best executioners of the Act. Over 25,000 projects have been registered under across India, out of which 62 per cent are in Maharashtra alone. "Maharashtra is the only exception where the regulator's proactive functioning has set new precedents every second day," the report says. Although setting up of a permanent regulator has sorely lagged behind, stakeholders say the had already caused some perceptible changes in the market. "The Act has helped in eliminating the pre-launch projects completely from the market which had led to a price hype," says Gautam Thapar, CEO of Delhi-NCR based Thapar Builders. "In the past one year, the Act has become a custodian of the much-required transparency and redefined rights for both of the sides. It has also helped the industry to clean up the unorganised and fly-by-night players from the market," he added. According to Anshuman Magazine, Chairman of India and South East Asia, CBRE: "The reform has brought about regulation and transparency into the sector, further augmenting the growth of the property market in India." Talking of limitations, Amit Wadhwani, Director of Sai Estate Consultants, said that RERA had not been able to curb black money in real estate yet. "Provisions regarding controlling the black money should be brought into effect, he emphasised. He also said that builders were putting dates much ahead of their approximate completion time thus giving themselves much greater leeway in handing over projects. The regulator should take that into account and give projects a stipulated time to complete. A major feature of the Act is that even brokers and consulting agents have to register themselves. However, this was not really happening. "For brokers or agents, the year has been somewhat overwhelming. A number of them have refrained from registering to take advantage of the RERA opportunity," said Shubika Bilkha, Director of Real Estate Management Institute (REMI). She said that women who served as agents have in particular been more wary to involve themselves in this evolving framework. "It is incumbent on the industry and the regulators to ensure that these agents find their way into the structured regime," Bilkha added. Market players say a major obstacle in the way of boosting demand was the higher rate of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on under construction and near completion projects. Thapar said there had not been enough impact on buying decisions for near-completion projects due to the higher GST rate of 12 per cent on them in comparison to 4.5 per cent service tax earlier. Pandey from FastFox says the government should think of bringing the rental housing also under the purview of the Act. "RERA only covers new home sales. That is not the complete real estate," he said, adding that 40 per cent of urban India lived on rent. Despite the initial hiccups, most stakeholders believe that, eventually, the law would help in leading to a stable, streamlined and transparent property market. "In the long run it will bring about a better aligned structure to the realty sector," Magazine of CBRE said. Rituraj Baruah can be contacted at rituraj.b@ians.in Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat on Sunday said the Palestinians will not take part in any peace deal presented by US President Donald Trump. Trump isolated himself from the peace process by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and by attempting to drop the issue of Palestinian refugees off the table, Xinhua news agency quoted Erekat as saying. He made his statement hours ahead of the expected arrival of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Israel. Erekat added that "the US cannot be a partner or a mediator in the peace process unless it changes its position of recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel because it is meaningless to have a Palestinian state without East Jerusalem as its capital". On reports that Trump might present his Middle East peace deal, which may include financial compensation for Palestinians, Erekat said "this is morally unacceptable and Palestine is neither sold nor bought with money". The deal might be presented after the inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem in May. The tension between the Palestinians and the US has been rising since October 2017 and intensified in December when Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the relocation of the US embassy to the city. --IANS and/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities in Punjab's industrial town of Phagwara and nearby areas were on high alert on Sunday after a youth, who was injured in a clash between Hindus and Dalits, succumbed to his injuries. The youth, Yashwant Kumar Bobby, 19, was declared dead by doctors at the ADMC Hospital in Ludhiana earlier on Sunday, the police said. Bobby was hit by a bullet on the head in a violent clash between Dalits and Hindu groups in Phagwara, around 130 km from Chandigarh, on April 13. The clash took place when the Hindu groups objected to posters of Dalit leader Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar being put up by the Dalits at the Goal Chowk in Phagwara. The Dalits wanted the Chowk to be re-named as Ambedkar Chowk which was objected to by the right-wing groups. The clash led to firing and heavy stone pelting. --IANS js/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that a ban on Filipinos working in Kuwait will be made permanent and he urged those still working in that country to return home, state media reported on Sunday. Duterte made the comments during a speech on Saturday in Singapore on the sidelines of the 32nd ASEAN Summit, Efe news reported. "Those who are there in Kuwait... I now appeal for your sense of patriotism. Come home," Duterte said. Duterte in February issued a temporary ban on sending additional workers to Kuwait pending an investigation into the murder of a 29-year-old Filipino house worker, whose body was found in the freezer of her employers. They have been sentenced to death for the murder. The case sparked outrage in the Philippines and has triggered a diplomatic crisis as thousands of domestic workers left the Gulf nation. The Philippine Ambassador in Kuwait, Renato Villa, has also been recalled. The two nations are due to sign a MoU on the protection of overseas Filipino workers in June. --IANS and/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis on Sunday lauded the agreement reached at the recent inter-Korean summit regarding denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and urged the two countries to continue to collaborate for the sake of their people and the entire world. During an address at St Peter's Square after the Regina Coeli prayer, the Pope praised the positive result of the summit between North Korea and South Korea held on Friday, Efe news agency reported. "I add my prayers to the positive result of Friday's inter-Korean summit and the brave commitment by the leaders of the two parties to push for a process of sincere dialogue for a Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons," he said, eliciting applause from the faithful gathered there. "I pray to the Lord so that the hope of a future of peace and fraternal friendship does not disappoint, and that the collaboration may go on to bear fruit for the beloved Korean people and the entire world," he added. On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in concluded their historic summit with an agreement for the total denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. --IANS him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he will lift quota restrictions on rice importation, saying these breed corruption. "Lahat ng traders. Lahat ng gustong mag-import. Ikaw, sige, import [All of the traders. All who want to import. You, you can import]. 'Yung quota-quota, [The quota], that's the source of corruption. Anybody now, businessman, whether it's a Filipino-Chinese or Filipino-Visayan whatever. They can import rice," Duterte said during his arrival speech in Davao City, following his trip to Singapore for the opening of the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. The President's announcement came amid reports of rice shortage in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses. The NFA buys rice from local farmers, and caters to 10 percent of the total rice consumption of the country. During his speech, Duterte expressed his dismay over the "half-full, half-empty" quantity of rice found in the NFA inventory. As a solution, Duterte said he instructed NFA administrator Jason Aquino to import as much rice as needed. "Punuin mo para makita ng tao magdaan siya diyan sa NFA....'Yang bigas nandoon sa.Sabihin mo kung siya mag-oversupply na ano, 'di pagbili natin ng mura, wala namang problema," the President said. [Translation:Fill it up so the people can see when they pass by the NFA. The rice there, even if they reach an oversupply, we can sell them at a cheap price. No problem there.] Under the law, the government has the legal authority to import rice, allowing it to have a monopoly on rice importation. While it has allowed some degree of importation by the private sector, it has imposed limits or quotas each year. Some experts have blamed this quota system as the reason for high rice prices, especially when there is low domestic supply. The Department of Finance has said, if import quotas will be eliminated, the private sector will be able to increase importations and help stabilize prices. To remove the quota or quantitative restrictions on rice importation, Republic Act No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, which imposed rice import quotas, should be amended. Help from Vietnam Meanwhile, the government currently has agreements with Vietnam and Thailand on government-to-government rice importation (G-to-G). G-to-G refers to a bidding process among countries with existing Rice Trade Agreements with the Philippines. During the NFA's discussions for the preparation of buffer stocks to arrive in the country, Aquino said in a statement on March 28 that G-to-G was the fastest procedure to obtain the rice supply. However, he said some are against it. "There are sectors saying that the G-to-G scheme is prone to corruption. This is unfair to those countries with Rice Trade Agreement with the Philippines because it is tantamount to accusing them with participation or connivance in an illegal act," Aquino said. "G-to-G is transparent since it is an 'open tender' involving governments. There is competition in G-to-G. There is no such thing as negotiated contract as claimed by some individuals." RELATED: NFA: Low supply of affordable rice, but no rice shortage in PH The NFA received offers on Friday from Thailand and Vietnam for the 250,000 metric tons (MT) of food security buffer stocks, but the offers were too high. On the same day, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assured Duterte during their bilateral talks in Singapore that it will help boost the country's rice supply. The NFA said it will reopen offers from the two countries on May 4. A 'band-aid solution' Rice watchdog Bantay Bigas, meanwhile, rejected the President's pronouncement to lift the quota, saying it will destabilize the country's capacity to produce its own rice. "Instead of thinking band-aid, the government should adequately provide support to agricultural production, starting from free irrigation services, inputs, machineries and post-harvest services," the group's spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said in a statement. Estavillo added removing quantitative restrictions for rice importation strips farmers of their source of livelihood, which will eventually lead to their "bankruptcy, indebtedness and eventual displacement from their lands." Bantay Bigas accused Duterte of surrendering to the influence of foreign countries by undermining the country's pursuit for self-sufficiency. US President Donald Trump has said that there would likely be a US-North Korea meeting in the "next three or four weeks", but "whatever happens, happens", the media reported. Trump made the remarks while addressing a boisterous crowd at a rally on Saturday outside Detroit, reports Efe news. "We are doing things that are good. I think we'll have a meeting over the next three or four weeks, it's going to be a very important meeting", Trump said. "The denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, of North Korea. The de-nuke! De-nuke! But we'll see how it goes. And again, whatever happens, happens. "Look, I may go in. It may not work out. I leave... I'm not going to give you what's going to actually happen because we don't really know", the President added, to loud cheers. Trump spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-In earlier on Saturday, and in the speech he said the Seoul leader credited him for the apparent progress with Kim, reports CNN. "He gives us tremendous credit... He gives us all the credit," Trump said of Moon later at the rally. The White House has previously said that Trump would meet with Kim at the end of May or beginning of June. The proposed meeting between would be the first ever between the leaders of North Korea and the US. The location for the summit is yet to be determined. Trump's Saturday remarks comes after Kim on Friday crossed the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula and met Moon, the first time the leaders of North and South Korea met in person since 2007. Following a full day of talks and symbolic events, both Moon and Kim issued a statement calling for the end of the Korean War and heralding a "new era of peace". --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "hollow" and speaking "lies" and said the "chowkidar" was silent on issues concerning judiciary, women's safety, Dalits, youth, farmers besides corruption. In a hard-hitting attack at Modi at the Jan Akrosh rally here, Gandhi tore into him on a range of issues including unemployment, Rafale deal, and "agenda-less" visit to China. He said Congress will win all the assembly elections this year as well as the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "Four years of Modi government have given unemployment, BJP MLAs committed atrocities on women, the informal sector was destroyed, Modiji could not stand up to China," Gandhi said. Packing a lot of punch in his nearly 30-minute address, Gandhi said Modi keeps making promises in his speeches but people have a hard time finding the truth. Gandhi defended senior party leader Salman Khurshid over his "blood on party's hands" remarks, saying he would allow "divergent views to flourish in the party", but asked partymen to fight together in the ideological battle against the RSS. Referring to death of Judge B.H. Loya, he said people in Supreme Court had stated that pressure was being exerted on the court, but Modi was "silent" as he was on the unprecedented press conference of four judges of the Supreme Court in January. Gandhi, who went through a mid-flight scare during his visit to poll-bound Karnataka earlier this month, announced he will visit Kailash Mansarovar after the assembly polls next month. He accused the Prime Minister of being silent over Union Minister Piyush Goyal's alleged sale of shares held in a privately-held company at nearly 1,000 times the face value. "Piyush Goyal becomes a minister and does not declare his company. Later he sells it for Rs 48 crore to a power company. It is first time a Power Minister has sold his company to a power company and Narendra Modi does not speak a word," Gandhi said. The well-attended rally at Ramlila Maidan came almost a year before the next Lok Sabha polls and signalled Gandhi's intention to build up electoral momentum with sharp attacks on Modi. Party leaders including UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were among those present. Gandhi said fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi had taken away Rs 30,000 crore of people's money and fled to London but "did the chowkidar say a word about Nirav Modi". Citing Modi's visit to China for an informal summit, he said: "China's army is entrenched in Doklam, they are making helipads, extending airways and India's Prime Minister held discussions without an agenda. What does this mean?" None of the Prime Ministers had done such a thing but "Narendra Modi can do this", he said. He said Modi had talked of providing two crore jobs every year and the youth believed him, but now "unemployment is highest in the past eight years", while demonetisation and faulty implementation of GST had "broken the back of the informal sector". "China creates 50,000 jobs in 24 hours while India generates 450. The youth looks towards Narendra Modi and say that he is hollow. His words are empty. He only speaks lies," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said that the Modi government was willing to waive Rs 2.5 lakh crore loans of a few industrialists but was not ready to do the same for farmers, who were being forced to commit suicide. "If Congress had not stood up, all the land of farmers would have been snatched by Narendra Modi," Gandhi said. Noting Dalits and minorities were facing attack and Modi "does not speak a word", he, referring to incidents of rapes in different parts of the country, said it was the first time in the country's history that a Prime Minister was told to his face in a foreign land that his government was not doing enough to protect women. Citing the Congress's spirited performance in Gujarat, Gandhi said "you see what will happen in Karnataka" and also that the party will win the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh assembly polls and then the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Referring to the Rafale deal with France, Gandhi said the fighter jets were being purchased at double the rate negotiated by the Congress-led UPA government and Modi had taken away the contract away from HAL and given it to an "industralist friend." Gandhi said turnover of a company belonging to BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah had risen from Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in a short span of time but the "chowkidar who talks against corruption does not utter a word". --IANS ps-sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday made a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of being "hollow" and speaking "lies" while being silent on pressing issues concerning the judiciary, women, Dalits, youth, farmers besides corruption. Addressing a well-attended Jan Akrosh rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, Gandhi tore into the Modi government's record in office so far and said the Congress will not only win the forthcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka but all Assembly polls this year and the Lok Sabha polls next year. "Four years of Modi government have given unemployment, BJP MLAs committed atrocities on women, informal sector was destroyed, Modiji could not stand up to China," Gandhi said. The enthusiastic gathering at the rally, which came almost a year before the Lok Sabha polls and signalled Gandhi's intention to build up electoral momentum with sharp attacks on Modi, loudly cheered the Congress chief, who packed a lot of punch in his 30-minute speech, repeatedly citing Modi's description of himself as "chowkidar" (guard). UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her speech, said India had been turned into a land of falsehood, hatred, anger and violence since Modi became the Prime Minister. "The government takes parliamentary majority as a license to do whatever it likes. They think it is their right to crush any dissent," she said and termed it "directionless and anti-people". Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Modi government has not been able to fulfil any of its promises. "The style of work of the Modi government can increase threat to democracy. Constitutional institutions are being insulted," he said. Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh urged party workers to strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi in defeating the BJP. Gandhi defended senior party leader Salman Khurshid over his "blood on party's hands" remarks, saying he would allow "divergent views to flourish in the party", but asked party members to fight together in the ideological battle against the RSS. He said unlike the Congress, only the views of Modi and party President Amit Shah prevail in the BJP. Referring to death of Judge B.H. Loya, Gandhi said people in the Supreme Court had stated that pressure was being exerted on the court, but Modi was "silent" as he was on the unprecedented press conference of four judges of the apex court in January. He accused the Prime Minister of being silent over Union Minister Piyush Goyal's alleged sale of shares held in a privately-held company at nearly 1,000 times the face value. "Piyush Goyal becomes a minister and does not declare his company. Later he sells it for Rs 48 crore to a power company. It is the first time a Power Minister has sold his company to a power company and Narendra Modi does not speak a word," Gandhi said. Fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi has taken away Rs 30,000 crore of people's money and fled to London but "did the chowkidar say a word about Nirav Modi", he asked. Citing Modi's visit to China for an informal summit, he said: "China's Army is entrenched in Doklam, they are making helipads, extending airways and India's Prime Minister held discussions without an agenda. What does this mean?" None of the Prime Ministers had done such a thing, he said. He said Modi had talked of providing two crore jobs every year but now "unemployment is highest in the past eight years", while demonetisation and faulty implementation of the GST had "broken the back of the informal sector". "China creates 50,000 jobs in 24 hours while India generates 450. The youth look towards Narendra Modi and say that he is hollow. His words are empty. He only speaks lies," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said the Modi government was willing to waive Rs 2.5 lakh crore worth of loans of a few industrialists but was not ready to do the same for farmers, who were being forced to commit suicide. "If the Congress had not stood up, all the land of farmers would have been snatched by Narendra Modi," Gandhi said. Noting Dalits and minorities were facing attack and Modi "does not speak a word", he, referring to incidents of rapes in different parts of the country, said it was the first time in the country's history that a Prime Minister was told to his face in a foreign land that his government was not doing enough to protect women. --IANS ps-sid/vd/him/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "hollow" and speaking "lies", and said that the BJP will be defeated in Karanataka assembly polls and the 2019 general election. In a hard-hitting attack at Modi at the Jan Akrosh rally here, Gandhi tore into him on a range of issues including corruption, problem of farmers, unemployment, atrocities against women, Rafale deal, and "agenda-less" visit to China. He also accused the Prime Minister of being silent over Union Minister Piyush Goyal's alleged sale of shares held in a privately-held company at nearly 1,000 times the face value. "Piyush Goyal becomes a minister and does not declare his company. Later he sells it for Rs 48 crore to a power company. It is first time a Power Minister has sold his company to a power company and Narendra Modi does not speak a word," Gandhi said. The BJP has already termed the accusations as "baseless and malicious". The well-attended rally at Ram Lila Maidan came almost a year before the next Lok Sabha polls and signalled Gandhi's intention to build up electoral momentum with sharp attacks on Modi and his government. Party leaders including UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were among those present. Accusing Modi keeps making promises in his speeches, he said that people have a hard time finding the truth. He said on the death of Judge B.H. Loya where people in Supreme Court say that pressure is being exerted on the court, but Modi is "silent" as he was on the unprecedented press conference of four judges of the Supreme Court in January. He said in Karnataka which will go to the polls on May 12, he said that Modi, who asserts he is fighting against corruption, but sits with the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yedyurappa who has gone to the jail. Referring to the Rafale deal with France, Gandhi said the fighter jets were being purchased at double the rate negotiated by the Congress-led UPA government and Modi had taken away the contract away from HAL and given it to an "industralist friend." Gandhi said turnover of a company belonging to BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah had risen from Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in a short span of time and the "chowkidar who talks against corruption does not utter a word". He said Modi had talked of providing two crore jobs every year and the youth believed him, but now "unemployment is highest in the past eight years", while demonetisation and faulty implementation of GST had "broken the back of the informal sector". "China creates 50,000 jobs in 24 hours while India generates 450. The youth looks towards Narendra Modi and say that he is hollow. His words are empty. He only speaks lies," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said that the Modi government was willing to waive Rs 2.5 lakh crore loans of a few industrialists but was not ready to do the same for farmers, who were being forced to commit suicide. "The farmer cannot survive without Congress. If Congress had not stood up, all the land of farmers would have been snatched by Narendra Modi," Gandhi said. He said Dalits and minorities were facing attack and Modi "does not speak a word". Referring to incidents of rapes in different parts of the country, he said it was the first time in the country's history that a Prime Minister was told to his face in a foreign land that his government was not doing enough to protect women. Citing Modi's visit to China for an informal summit, he said: "China's army is entrenched in Doklam, they are making helipads, extending airways and India's Prime Minister held discussions without an agenda. What does this mean?" None of the Prime Ministers had done such a thing but "Narendra Modi can do this", he said. Referring to the Congress's spirited performance in Gujarat, Gandhi said "you see what will happen in Karnataka" and also that the party will win this year's assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh and then the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. --IANS ps-sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Steven Spielberg credits late actor Robin Williams for helping him get through the "trauma" of filming "Schindler's List". The "Lincoln" filmmaker and Williams became close after they worked together on 1991's "Hook" and when Spielberg took on the emotional task of directing "Schindler's List" which was about German businessman Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust, Williams was there to comfort his friend by performing stand-up over the phone, reports aceshowbiz.com. "Robin called me," Spielberg said at the Tribeca Film Festival's 25th-anniversary screening of the film on Thursday. "Robin knew what I was going through. Once a week he called me on schedule. He knew exactly what time it was in Poland, what time it was in San Francisco... and he would do 15 minutes of stand-up on the phone, and I would laugh hysterically because I had to release so much," said Spielberg. "The way Robin is on the telephone, he would always hang up on the loudest, best laugh you'd give him. He'd never say goodbye, just hang up on the biggest laugh," he added. The emotionally-draining process of directing the movie paid off for Spielberg when he brought home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, but he didn't feel like he could celebrate. "That night wasn't really a celebration at all. I don't feel this movie is a celebration. The subject matter and the impact the film had on all of us... took sort of the celebration out of that," he said. "It was wonderful to win, but at the same time I just remember how moved I was when Branko Lustig, our co-producer, showed the world that he was in Auschwitz, too, and had numbers on his arms," he added. --IANS ks/sug (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rohingya influx from Myanmar to Bangladesh is a serious common security challenge for the entire region, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla said here. "Rohingya influx from Rakhine state of Myanmar to Bangladesh is a serious and common security challenge not only for Bangladesh but for the entire region," Shringla told IANS during an interview. "Bangladesh has engaged itself to address the issue. They have taken up the issue with the UN. The Bangladesh government is also working through multilateral agencies besides bilateral negotiations with Myanmar. "Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement to repatriate the Rohingya Muslims. This is a humanitarian crisis even though the issue posed a common security challenge not only for Bangladesh but for all the countries of the region." Over 1.15 million registered Rohingya have been residing in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh, known as the Cox's Bazar region, after they fled Rakhine to escape a military crackdown on their villages last August. To a question about extremist activities in Bangladesh, the visiting Indian envoy said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pursued a zero tolerance policy on terrorism. "After the terror attack in Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in July 2016, law and order agencies have been active against terror activities. No major incident has taken place since. The issue cannot be resolved overnight. This is a continuous process," Shringla said. The High Commissioner came here on Thursday and held a series of meetings with Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Governor Tathagata Roy and other senior officials. The visiting diplomat during his meeting with Deb discussed various issues like connectivity, people to people contact, hassle free movement of Indians to Bangladesh, trade and economic activities. The Indian envoy said that Bangladesh has been promoting peace and security not only within its territory but ensuring regional and international peace and security. About China's rising cooperation with Bangladesh and investment in Dhaka, the diplomat said that India's relations with Bangladesh were enduring and sustainable. "India's relationship and partnership with Bangladesh was based on cooperation, mutuality of benefit and respect for each other. People to people contact is very important," Shringla said. The High Commissioner said that 111 agreements have been signed between India and Bangladesh in the last ten years in different sectors. India has given $8 billion in three Lines of Credit to Bangladesh. According to the envoy, total trade between the two countries in 2016-17 was $7.5 billion while $3.3 billion worth Indian investment proposals are registered with the Bangladesh government. He said that India is currently supplying 660 MW of power to Bangladesh from West Bengal and Tripura. India has spent Rs 19.14 crore to create the infrastructure for the third International Internet Gateway in Agartala to get the 10 gigabit bandwidth from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited. For this, an optical fibre cable link has been established between Akhaura (along Agartala) and Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Regarding the 2019 Bangladesh parliamentary elections next year, the Indian envoy said it was the country's internal matter. "Bangladesh has a vibrant democracy like ours. The country is holding periodic elections. We look forward to a very free and fair process of election in Bangladesh." He said that India-Bangladesh relations were based on common history, language, culture besides a common border of over 4000 km. "Today we are enjoying the best ever relations. During the past 10 years, relations have improved enormously. Cooperation, friendship and partnership are beneficial for both the countries. "The countries have invested significantly to develop infrastructure along the borders to promote trade among the two neighbours. The border infrastructure is being further developed to enhance trade and economic activities between the two nations. "Currently 36 land customs stations (LCS) are operational along the India-Bangladesh border. Further upgradations were being done along the Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura besides West Bengal borders," he added. Shringla said that to further improve the ongoing bus services between Dhaka, Kolkata, Agartala, Shillong and Guwahati, more steps would be taken to make the bus services more effective as it is inexpensive for people of both the countries. Five Indian states - West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share the 4,096-km border with Bangladesh. --IANS sc/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran have issued a joint warning that they would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their plans to de-escalate and eventually bring about an end to the civil war in Syria. Sergei Lavrov, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Mohammad Javad Zarif are the top diplomats for the three guarantors of the Astana peace efforts, a negotiation process distinct from that being held by the United Nations in Geneva. Lavrov told the press during Saturday's meeting that Russia, Turkey and Iran signed off on some concrete steps towards a solution in Syria but warned: "At the same time, we have made it very clear that we will confront any attempts to undermine our cooperation," Efe news reported. Russia and Iran both back the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey lends its military support to the Syrian armed opposition, who nowadays are largely confined to northern provinces of the country near the Turkish border. Recent US-led airstrikes against alleged chemical weapons factories following a suspected chemical gas attack near Damascus prompted ire from Damascus, Moscow and Tehran. --IANS pgh/ (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.) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena granted amnesty to 432 prisoners on Sunday in view of Vesak festival celebrated by the Buddhists in the country, a spokesman here said on Sunday. Department of Prisons Spokesman Thusara Upuldeniya told Xinhua news agency the President granted amnesty for the prisoners convicted of minor offences. The spokesman said they were held in 29 prisons in the country. "The President did it in keeping with the power vested in him under the Sri Lankan Constitution. Most of these people were in jail because of their inability to pay fines imposed on them by courts. The fines were waived off enabling them to get free," Upuldeniya said. The Sri Lankan President grants such relief to prisoners every year as a tradition on special occasions such as Vesak, the Independence Day and the National New Year. --IANS him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) S. Sudhakara Reddy was unanimously re-elected the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday for a third time in a row while former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar found a place in the National Council. Ahead of Reddy's unanimous election at the 23rd party Congress here, a 125-member National Council was also elected. It included Kanhaiya Kumar, a former president of the JNU Students Union who was at one time jailed after being charged with sedition. Reddy, a two-time former Lok Sabha member, first became the General Secretary in 2012. While the 76-year-old Reddy's re-election took place without any issues, the selection of the 15 members from Kerala to the CPI's highest decision making body saw some hurdles after veteran party leader C. Divakaran was not featured in the list. The CPI is divided between state party Secretary Kanam Rajendran and veteran K.E. Ismail. Sunday's revamp saw six new members to the National Council, all of whom owe their allegiance to Rajendran. --IANS sg/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday met DMK leader M.K. Stalin here and discussed state autonomy, finance and the current political situation, the two leaders said. Stalin told the media that KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, came to his home after calling on DMK President M. Karunanidhi at his residence and enquiring about his health. Since the election to the Lok Sabha is a year away, Stalin said an electoral alliance would be announced soon. KCR, who is trying to forge a Federal Front against the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, said there will soon be a Front but there was no urgency in forming it. According to the two leaders, the discussion involved issues like saving India's secularism, securing more rights and funds for the states, the autocratic nature of the Central government, and bringing education to the state list of the Constitution from the concurrent list. Stalin said KCR was in talks with other political parties and he would himself talk about these issues with other like-minded parties in Tamil Nadu and also at different levels within the DMK. A decision would also be taken on holding a meeting on autonomy for the states, said Stalin, adding that the two leaders decided to have more such discussions. KCR, the founder of Telangana's ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, told reporters that after seven decades of dictatorial rule, India needs truthful federalism and it should continue to remain a secular country and their journey would be towards that. --IANS vj/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb will be in Delhi for four days in the first week of May to attend various meetings including an event on "Gram Swaraj" at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "The Chief Minister will reach Delhi on May 1 in the night and will attend a programme on Gram Swaraj at Rashtrapati Bhavan. All the CMs have been invited for the event," a top official at Tripura Chief Minister's Officer told IANS adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend. On May 3, the Chief Minister will meet various Union Ministers regarding issues of development of the state, he said, adding that the next day, Deb will be attending a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj where all his Chief Ministers from the other northeastern states will also be present. Deb's meetings in Delhi with Central Ministers comes at a time when some of the comments courted controversy and have triggered widespread criticism. Earlier, a BJP leader in Assam had claimed Deb had been summoned to Delhi by Modi and party chief Amit Shah over these. Deb had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He also questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997. The Chief Minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should. He has also asked the educated youth to set up paan shops instead of running after political parties to get government jobs. He also asked youth to explore a career in the dairy field and keep cows. Recently, during an interaction with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs and MLAs through the Narendra Modi mobile app, the Prime Minister had advised BJP leaders not to give "masala" to the media by getting into every issue as soon as they saw camerapersons, saying such "mistakes" affect the country, party and the individual's image. He had also suggested to the party leaders not to blame the media for reporting their statements as due to their own mistakes, the real issue gets diverted. Meanwhile, the CMO official also said that the reports that the Chief Minister has been summoned by the Prime Minister Modi and the BJP chief are "baseless". "The schedule of the CM was fixed 20 days back," he said. --IANS bns/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has called on a Democratic Senator to resign over his opposition to White House physician Ronny Jackson's nomination for Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary, the media reported. Montana's Jon Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, had raised concerns about allegations against Jackson, including that he loosely handled prescription pain medications, was intoxicated during an overseas trip and created a toxic work environment, reports CNN. Jackson withdrew his nomination last week. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump said: "Allegations made by Senator Jon Tester against Admiral/Doctor Ron Jackson are proving false. "The Secret Service is unable to confirm (in fact they deny) any of the phony Democrat charges which have absolutely devastated the wonderful Jackson family. Tester should resign. "The great people of Montana will not stand for this kind of slander when talking of a great human being. Admiral Jackson is the kind of man that those in Montana would most respect and admire, and now, for no reason whatsoever, his reputation has been shattered. Not fair, Tester!" Jackson initially did not respond to the full slate of allegations, but on April 26 when he pulled out as VA secretary nominee, he said: "The allegations against me are completely false and fabricated. If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years." In response to Trump's tweets, Tester said: "It's my duty to make sure Montana veterans get what they need and have earned, and I'll never stop fighting for them as their senator." --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Parts of the Spanish region of Catalonia were on alert on Sunday for heavy rain as the spring weather enjoyed by much of the Iberian Peninsula over the last week gave way to a drop in temperatures. In a tweet, the Civil Protection in the northeastern region of Spain advised residents to exercise extreme caution, especially in areas susceptible to flooding, Efe news agency reported. Around a third of the region was on alert for the adverse weather and footage from the Rambla, one of Barcelona's main thoroughfares, showed the paving slabs glazed over with rainwater run-off as pedestrians took cover under their umbrellas. In mountainous regions, snow is expected to fall in areas above 1,000 meters, according to the Spanish state weather agency Aemet. The Spanish capital Madrid also experienced unseasonable rain and overcast conditions with temperatures expected to drop to as low as 6 degrees Celsius to 13 degrees Celsius. --IANS him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US' newly-appointed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is here on an official visit, on Sunday signalled that Washington would likely withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, media reports said. The agreement had failed to "moderate" Tehran and the US would pull out of the nuclear deal if it was unable to "readjust" it on more favourable terms, Efe news reported quoting Pompeo. The US Secretary of State spoke briefly to the press alongside Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, and also accused Iran of supporting terrorism and the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen. Pompeo is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, the first leg of his Middle East tour. He was received on Saturday evening by Adel al-Jubeir at the King Khalid International Airport, Xinhua news quoted the Saudi Press Agency as saying. Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the US, was also present at the airport. He will also travel to Israel where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In Jordan, he will meet King Abdullah. Pompeo's tour which also includes Jerusalem and Amman comes just two days after he was sworn-in as the 70th US Secretary of State. The Iran nuclear deal was signed between China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US, as well as the EU, and saw Iran commit to halting its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. --IANS and/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) His sartorial preference is the safari suit, dark, if possible. But Kamal Nath will have to swap that for the kurta-pyjama. Earlier this week he was appointed state unit chief of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. This means extensive interaction with the masses. On the other hand, Nath has already been there, done that. He is the longest-serving MP in the Lok Sabha and has been elected from his constituency, Chhindwara, nine times. Nath is something of an aberration. He is in a party the top leaders of which still consider themselves socialist. At least three Congress cabinet ... At least 16 people, including eight members of a family, were today killed in two separate road accidents in Jabalpur and Mandsaur districts of Madhya Pradesh, police said. In Jabalpur, nine people waiting for a bus were crushed to death when a cement bags-laden truck overturned and fell on them near Mankhedi village this afternoon, a police official said, adding that eight of them belonged to the same family. In Mandsaur, seven people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus hit two motorcycles and fell in a dry culvert near Dhamania village, about 27 km from Mandsaur district headquarters, in the morning hours, officials said. Among the seven deceased, four were passengers of the bus while three others were riding the two motorcycles, District Collector OP Shrivastava said. Jabalpur Superintendent of Police Kumar Saurabh said the truck driver lost control over the vehicle at Mankhedi intersection, following which it overturned and crushed the people waiting by the road. The deceased are identified as: Tulsi Chadhar (38), his wife Sunita Chadhar (35), Durgesh Chadhar (16), Anjali Chadhar (15), Sunita Chadhar (30), Nisha Chadhar (12), Nitesh Chadhar (10), and Durga (7). One unidentified woman also died in the accident, police said. In the second accident, the bus hit two motorcycles and fell in a dry culvert near Dhamania village. Collector Shrivastava said the bus was headed towards Bhanpura when the accident occurred. He said the driver of the bus could have lost control of the vehicle in a bid to save two motorcycles coming from the opposite direction. However, the bus hit the motorcycles before landing in the dry culvert, he said. Shrivastava said the injured were admitted in two hospitals at Shamgarh and Mandsaur. The kin of each of the deceased were immediately provided a financial assistance of Rs 15,000, the collector said. District Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh said it was possible that two motorcycles suddenly came in front of the bus and the driver, while trying to save them, lost control of the vehicle. While three out of the four persons riding on the two motorcycles died, another person sustained injuries, he said. Six of the seven deceased are identified as Sushil Jain (50), Vishu Khatik (4), Rahul Joshi (24), Bindu Joshi (22), Ishwar Singh (20), and Nandkishor (48). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 21-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol over a family dispute, a police official said today. The incident took place in Hasanpur Luhari village which comes under the jurisdiction of Thana Bhawan police station, said Circle officer A K Rathore. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. In another incident, a class X student allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his room at Patel Nagar, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four workers of a unit manufacturing banned tobacco products, such as paan masala and gutka, here were arrested and remanded to judicial custody today, police said. A search is on for the unit's owner Amit Jain, who hails from New Delhi, they said. Based on a tip-off, the police had raided the godown of the factory yesterday and seized a large quantity of finished tobacco products and raw materials estimated to be worth crores of rupees. Preliminary inquiry revealed that 500 kgs of tobacco products were being manufactured daily and sent to various states, police said. The unit reportedly has a licence to make scented betel nut, but illegally manufactured the banned tobacco products, they said. A special police team has left for Delhi to nab Jain, police added. A case has been registered against five people including Jain, under two sections of the Cigarettes and Tobacco Act 2003. The four were produced before Sulur Magistrate Vediyappan, who remanded them to judicial custody till May 13. All have been lodged in the Central jail here. The manufacture, storage and sale of chewable forms of tobacco, including gutka and paan masala, were banned by the state government in 2013. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A five-year-old girl, who was abducted and killed here last week, had also been raped by the 26-year-old accused, police said today. The forensic report has confirmed that the child was raped, a police official said. The accused, who was arrested on April 24, was today produced before a court, which remanded him in judicial custody, Faridabad Police spokesperson Sube Singh said. The girl was abducted on the intervening night of April 21 and 22 from Sarai Khwaja area by the accused, who worked as a labourer. The police had filed an FIR under IPC section 363 (kidnapping) on a compalint by the girl's family on April 22 and launched her search. The accused, a labourer who worked with the girl's uncle, was arrested from the railway station in Ghaziabad. According to the police, he had abducted and raped the child before strangulting her to death. The police have also recovered from the accused the clothes worn by the child at the time of abduction and her grandfather's mobile phone that was stolen by him, Singh said. The accused is a native of Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh and was working with the child's uncle, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six women were injured after the ceiling of an Indian restaurant collapsed in north-west England. The incident occurred in the basement of the three-floor Sizzling Palate restaurant in Bolton, Greater Manchester, which then went on to trade as normal, Manchester Evening reported. The women had sustained minor cuts and bruises when a section of the ceiling gave way and one of them was taken to hospital as a precaution over a neck injury, restaurant manager Amir said. "A small fraction of the suspended ceiling collapsed but everything is okay. It's not a major disaster, a few people got minor injuries and minor concussion. Police have given us the okay. Business is usual," Amir added. The restaurant in Bradshawgate area of Bolton is described on its Facebook page as having an array of Asian influence to satisfy any appetite. "Our unique and exciting cuisine together with efficient service and charming surroundings, makes Sizzling Palate a dining and takeaway experience to remember," it notes. Firefighters attended the scene with two fire engines and spent around an hour tackling the incident. "We were eating when all of a sudden it just fell. There was a table directly underneath and a table on the side, which were hit," a customer was quoted as saying. "People panicked, were shocked, had no idea what was happening so the men just got up and tried to lift the ceiling off people. There were a good 15-20 people that had to actually try and hold the ceiling up but once people got out from underneath, they put it back on the table," he added. The incident triggered panic on social media as people speculated over the cause of the police and fire engine activity on the busy street. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha today said that as many as 650 branches of the India Post payments bank are likely to be operational across the country by next month. He said that the work of system integration of the payments bank had been completed and processes mandated by the Reserve Bank of India would be completed within one week. "It is likely that 650 branches of the India Post payments bank would start functioning from May," he said at a press conference here. The minister said that the launch of the postal department's payments bank would enable more than 1.5 lakh post offices to become access points for people to avail banking services, adding that it would help the government's plans of financial inclusion and direct transfer of benefits in remote areas. India Post had received permission from the RBI to start a payments bank in January last year, following which it set up two branches, on a pilot basis, at Raipur and Ranchi. He said that a new regional office of the postal department would be opened in Jabalpur in the state. He said that India Post had been adopting new technology in a bid to provide services at a faster pace and, as part of it, postmen were being provided with smart phones and hand held devices. "So far, 15,000 such devices have been distributed to postmen in the country. Soon 40,000 postal workers will have such devices. This would enable faster delivery of all kinds of services," he said. Admitting that India Post's parcel services were lagging behind due to the presence of private players, he said that a Parcel Directorate had been formed in the postal department to give a boost to this segment. He expressed hope that the postal department would soon be self-reliant as far as revenue was concerned. Speaking about milestones achieved by his department in the past one year, Sinha said, "A total of 62,000 out of 1.29 lakh post offices were networked under the Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for a New India (DARPAN) project. New technology enabled services are being offered in rural areas through hand held devices," he said. He said that over seven lakh passport applications had been processed through 187 passport seva kendras (PSK) operating out of post offices. The minister, who holds independent charge of the ministry of communications, was in the city to address a India Post conference being attended by senior officials including Postal Services Board members, the Director General (Posts) and Secretary (Posts). The conference is to review the department's performance in the past year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trai has asserted that its recommendation of allocating the 'backhaul' spectrum bands without auction will help enhance mobile phone signal carrying capacity between two towers, reduce call drops and improve voice and data quality. The telecom Commission (TC), the highest-decision making body of the Telecom Department, is likely to meet on May 1 to decide on allocation of spectrum in V-band and E-bands. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), on whose recommendation allocation of the highly valuable spectrum is done, said spectrum in V-band and E-band even in the most advanced economies is done without auction as these airwaves are used as backhaul and not for carrying access signals to consumers. Reached for comments, Trai Chairman R S Sharma said the regulator had given its recommendation on allocation of spectrum in V and E bands way back in August 2014 after consulting with all stakeholders. While all airwaves used for transmitting signals to mobile phones, called access spectrum, is and will be auctioned, the backhaul spectrum for augmenting signals between mobile towers is not, he said. "The usage of backhaul is different from the access. Access is like a cloud it is area-wise, while backhaul is from point to point," Sharma said, adding that backhaul spectrum of between 11 and 20 GHz is, even today, given on administered price only as it cannot be auctioned. On the use of the controversial 'first-come, first-serve' (FCFS) method, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in allocation of 2G spectrum under the UPA-II regime, Sharma said there is a clear difference between access spectrum like 2G and the backhaul spectrum. Backhaul spectrum "is a prerequisite for even offering access and its auction is "not possible. You can't auction the access (spectrum) unless you give them promise to offer backhaul, and backhaul cannot be auctioned," Sharma said. "You cannot have auction of backhaul spectrum, by its very nature. The nature is very high attenuation in access while backhaul involves point-to-point pencil beamsthese are the reasons for not giving it through auction," he added. He further argued that backhaul radiowaves cannot be used by any operator as access spectrum as this spectrum has very low propagation property. "That low propagation can be used for wifi, so we have also recommended that V band should be used in a geographical mode for providing indoor and outdoor wifi. That is basically freeWe are talking of millions of wifi hotspots that are being currently supported on two key bands -- 2.4 and 5.8 GHz this will be an additional resource available to anybody in the country which can actually use this spectrum for providing wifi services, Sharma noted. Mobile towers typically should be connected to fibre optic but considering the right of the way and other administrative issues only 25 per cent of the towers are connected through fibre today. Therefore, to enhance connectivity to backhaul, especially in the light of exponential growth in mobile data traffic, backhaul spectrum is needed, he said. "The current available channels for backhaul are not adequate, so we need to give more spectrum which can carry higher bandwidth and they are called fibre-in-the-air, which means they can provide high throughput pencil beams," Sharma said. Trai had recommended that there should be light touch regulation, like many other counties in the world have done. E band should be charged at Rs 10,000 per annum per link of 250Mhz and it has also prescribed a charge of Rs 1,000 per annum per link of 50Mhz each for V band carriers. "Even developed markets have not done an auction of this spectrum in E and V band because it is not feasible. And we said since the availability is too high, it should be given on administrative (cost route)," Sharma said, adding Trai has therefore set per annum per link cost for E and V band spectrum. Asked about the government stand post 2G scam that all spectrum would be only auctioned henceforth, he said: "That is for government to answer the question. But as far as we are concerned, our view is that in this band, auction is just not feasible in this case it is not feasible because of the nature of usage which is point of point, this is not area specific". Citing an example, the Trai chief equated power distribution lines with access spectrum that reaches end -consumers, and transmission lines to the backhaul (tower to tower) spectrum. "The backhaul is like transmission linesonce you have increased the capacity of distribution lines you need to also increase the capacity of transmission lines," Sharma explained. On the need for allocating such spectrum, he said given that India's wireless data consumption per month is at 1.5 exabytes and only 25 per cent of the towers are connected to fibre, there is a need to provide much larger transmission lines to augment the data explosion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An American national, who was reported missing about a week ago, was found dead today in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, police said. The 51-year-old Ronald Shayne, a resident of Georgia state in southeastern United States, had been missing since April 21 and his wife Parshila Harnez had filed a police complaint on April 23, Kangra district Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Patial said. Shayne's body was found near Piyungal Nala area of Upper Sakoh in Dharamshala. Patial said Shayne, who was staying at a hotel in Dharamshala with his wife and sister-in-law, appears to have gone to the area without informing anyone. The SSP said the body has been sent to Tanda medical college for a post-mortem examination. The US embassy in Delhi and the central government have been informed about his death. According to Shayne's passport, his Indian visa was valid till October 8 this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) today expressed dismay over the living condition of migrant employees working in the Valley and said it would submit a detailed report to the government seeking immediate redressal of the issues faced by them. APMCC chairman Vinod Pandit visited the employees' colonies in Kashmir and a detailed report would be submitted to the government to highlight their demands and grievances, committee spokesperson King C Bharati said in a statement here. Hundreds of pandits are putting up in various colonies in different districts of the valley after they were provided government jobs under a special package. Claiming that the employees posted in the valley are facing "worsening condition of living standards", Bharati said the party chairman visited Vessu (Kulgam), Mattan (Anantnag) and Hall (Pulwama) in south and Veervan (Baramulla) and Nutnusa (Kupwara) in north Kashmir on Thursday and took stock of the infrastructure available there. He said Pandit met employees living in the colonies to get first hand information about their problems. Bharati said Pandit expressed shock over the failure of the authorities to repair the residential quarters which were burnt during the July 2016 unrest triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Sharing accommodation is another big issue faced by the employees, he said, and demanded a time frame within which new quarters would be constructed and allotted. Other issues which were highlighted by the employees include lack of health checkup facilities, food and supply stores and absence of a primary school for the Veervan colony dwellers, he said. Bharti said Pandit assured the employees that the APMCC would submit a detailed report to the higher authorities and see to it that their problems are resolved. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At a time when the Union government is planning to set up seven advanced landing grounds in Arunachal Pradesh, besides upgrading the existing ones, people in this border state are still grappling with cellular connectivity issues. In the mountain villages of Arunachal, people are greeted with a message from a Chinese mobile network, every time they turn their phones on. The villagers, along the entire 1,126 km-long border in Arunachal, get signals from a leading telecom player in China, a source in the Army said here. "The signals are strong enough to stretch up to 10 km on the Indian side," he said. The situation is similar for border towns on the west too, where Pakistani networks work better than their counterparts here, the Army source stated. The country's mobile services are unable to operate in the border areas due to a central government policy, he said. "The government allows only a limited number of towers of a certain frequency in the border areas. As a result, people here receive signals from Chinese telecom companies. They cannot access the network though for lack of a SIM card," the source said. People often get frustrated with the erratic network signals, said Joney Yaying, a resident of Zido village in upper Siang district of the state. "Leave alone Internet banking, we cannot access Internet or WhatsApp like others in the country," he added. Pema Nyisur, another villager from Gelling village in the district, said mobile service providers have erected limited number of towers in the border areas. "If the telecom players do not install more towers, uninterrupted service will remain a distant dream for us," Nyisur added. Until a few years ago, Chamlang village in Anjaw district did not have landline connectivity, said Mailu Tega, a social worker. The district, which has an ITBP post, recorded instances of Chinese incursion in the recent years. In January, a top service provider had set up towers in some of the remote districts of the state. Another telecom company is expected to expand its services in upper Siang district later this year. These services, however, will not be extended to the border villages, Tega rued. Chief Minister Pema Khandu earlier this week said the Centre has sanctioned 1,800 towers at a cost of around Rs 1,800 crore in the border areas of the state to improve connectivity. Admitting that people, as well as the Army men, are cut off from the rest of the world due to lack of mobile networks, Rural Development Minister Alo Libang, who represents Tuting-Yinkiong seat in upper Siang district, said the Centre should initiate measures to deal with the problem. Responding to a question from PTI, Union minister of State for Communication (Independent Charge) Manoj Sinha said his ministry is aware of a connectivity problem in the border towns. "We are also planning to provide satellite phones to the Army and other security agencies to cope with eventualities," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 25-year-old ASHA worker was attacked by two youths who attempted to rape her and then beat her up after she fought back in a village here, police said today. The incident took place yesterday under the New Mandi police station area, they said. The accused had dragged the woman into an empty house to rape her, following which she resisted and raised an alarm, causing a group of people to come to her rescue, officials said. The accused fled from the scene and a hunt was on to nab them, police said. Meanwhile, officials claimed to have arrested an accused, Pervaiz, in connection with a rape case of 2016 from Shamli district last evening. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project in Nepal developed with Indian assistance, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a media report said. The compound wall of 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Khandbari-9, Tumlingtar, nearly 500 km from here, suffered minor damage after the explosion, My Republica reported. The project is slated to come into operation by 2020. The power plant is scheduled to be inaugurated by Modi on his upcoming visit to Nepal on May 11, the report said. A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi, the report said. The wall on the south side is slightly damaged due to the bomb explosion, Police Inspector Bed Prasad Gautam said. The investigation is going on about the incident. However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added. This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal. On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the BJP tries to placate Dalit voters through outreach programmes like 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan' in run-up to the Lok Sabha polls next year, the BSP has asked its office-bearers and workers to fan out and initiate preemptive steps to ensure the ruling party does not make a dent in a vote bank that has traditionally backed it. Party office-bearers, including coordinators and peoples' representatives, have been alerted against the "designs" of the BJP behind its leaders undertaking visits to villages for night stays and having dinners at Dalit homes, a BSP leader said, requesting anonymity. Under the 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan', which was launched earlier this month, the BJP has asked its MPs, including Union ministers, to spend at least a night in villages where SCs/STs constitute over 50 per cent of the population. They have been asked to ensure everyone in such villages is covered under government schemes that aim to provide LPG connections, vaccination to children, 'Jan Dhan' accounts and electricity for households. The campaign is being seen as a part of the BJP's massive outreach to the rural poor, especially the Dalits, as it gears up for a string of assembly elections leading to the Lok Sabha polls due next year. The BJP's campaign comes against the backdrop of opposition parties targeting the Narendra Modi government over its alleged anti-Dalit policies. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already spent a night each in Pratapgarh and Amroha and held "chaupal" to take feedback on government schemes. He had dinner in a Dalit house. The BSP leader said the BJP has realised it has earned the ire of Dalits, backwards and minorities because of its policies and the night stay is just an effort to keep them in good humour. "But such programme is not going to serve any purpose." "How can the BJP wish away the anger and bad name it has earned by going all out to crush their voice during the 'Bharat Bandh' on April 2 and over its stand on dilution of the SC/ST Act...these programmes are merely an effort to somehow divert attention and a drama to show they are very concerned about Dalit issues," he said. Since BSP president Mayawati is in Delhi busy chalking out her party's strategy, she will be meeting her leaders only on her return in May and issuing directives in this regard, the party leader said. Meanwhile, the BSP is maintaining a close watch on BJP's "sahbhoj" (community feast), night halts by its leaders in Dalit-dominated areas, their visits to Dalit memorials, yatras and schemes being launched by the saffron party to woo the community, he said. Mayawati has also questioned the purpose of having dinner with Dalit families when the government has been adopting "anti-Dalit policies". "First Congress leaders dined at the homes of Dalits and announced it to the world. Now, the BJP is walking in its footsteps. While people think that they are eating food cooked by Dalits, the reality is that it is prepared by upper castes in their own homes," she has said after Adityanath's Pratapgarh visit. She has accused the BJP of "totally ignoring" the welfare of Dalits, adivasis, OBCs and upper caste poor and said that organising dinners was putting them in further trouble. "They do not care about the Dalit and backward classes but when elections come, they go for photo-ops and drama. The Congress and the BJP have proved to be two sides of the same coin. People won't be befooled, they know the truth," the BSP supremo had stated. The Dalits constitute around 18 to 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh's voting population. In the last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had managed to wean away the Dalit voters mainly because of the Modi wave. The BSP is seeking to regain its lost ground. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A cache of arms has been recovered from Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district, police said today. The recoveries were made in the last few days in different locations such as Rongbokgre and Dorengkigre in the district, the police said. "We recovered one 7.62 machine gun, one 7.62 SLR assault rifle, one double-barrel gun, eight wireless sets, thirteen batteries, five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in plastic containers, six batteries for IEDs and five circuits for IEDs," said superintendent of police, Ringrang TG Momin. The 7.62 machine gun used by Sohan D Shira, the commander in chief of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), who was killed in an encounter recently, was also recovered, he said. Regular search operations by the East Garo Hills (EGH) police to locate the Garo National Liberation Army's (GNLA) hidden stash in many parts of the district led to the recovery, a police officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lawyers at the Calcutta High Court are set to resume work from tomorrow after a gap of 70 days, as their demand for appointment of judges has been met partially. The lawyers were on a ceasework strike over the demand. This was the longest ceasework by lawyers in the history of the high court, surpassing the previous ceasework, which lasted for two months in 2002 in protest against the hike in stamp duty by the West Bengal government. The Bar Association, which commands the affiliation of most of the lawyers practising at the high court, called off the ceasework yesterday, saying the Union Law Ministry has issued the notification of the appointment of four additional judges. The ministry has also notified the appointment of Justice Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya, who was the acting chief justice, as the chief justice of the high court, Bar Association president Uttam Majumdar said. "Our demand for appointment of judges to the full sanctioned strength for the high court has been partially met and we want that more appointments are made soon so that pending cases can be disposed faster," Majumdar said here today. The high court was headed by acting chief justices for more than three years now with the exception of only three months, he said. The Bar Association, Bar Library Club and Incorporated Law Society had gone on a ceasework from February 19 demanding appointment of judges and a chief justice to the country's oldest high court, which has been facing a severe shortage in the judiciary for long. "The Bar Library Club will meet tomorrow in the morning to formally withdraw the agitation and members will join court immediately after," its president Jayanta Mitra said. A large number of cases are likely to be filed before the high court from tomorrow, where very few petitions have been registered during the ceasework. Bail applications, appeals against trial court orders, apart from several other petitions are likely to be filed this week following resumption of professional work by the advocates. A total of 2,23,921 cases were pending before the high court at the end of March this year, according to the official data. The high court has a sanctioned strength of 72 judges. It had only 30 judges when the agitation commenced and three new judges took oath on March 12, raising the strength of sitting judges to 33. But the associations demanded that at least 50 per cent of the sanctioned strength be filled up before they reconsider the agitation. The Bar Association, which had on April 26 extended the ceasework till May 11 with the rider that the agitation would stand withdrawn automatically if new appointments to the judiciary are made in the meantime, called off the agitation following the notification. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A city doctor involved in property dispute with his two brothers was shot at and wounded allegedly by three or four men at Gadaipur in South Delhi, the police said today. The victim, Dr Hans Nagar is under treatment and is reported to be conscious and stable, the police said. The incident happened on the intervening night of April 28 and 29, the police said, adding the victim told police that he suspected that he was attacked at the behest of his two brothers, who have a long-pending dispute with him over a property in Gurgaon. He also named four others behind planning the attack at him, the police said. The victim also stated that he too had retaliated by firing around 12-13 rounds from his licensed pistol, in which, he believes that one or two of the assailants got injured, the police said. Approximately, 22 empty cartridges and two live rounds of 9mm and .0.32 bore have been found at the spot, they added. Police have registered a case and are questioning some suspects. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBSE has refuted a girl student's claim to the Kerala High Court of having been given a wrong question paper in the recent Mathematics board exam, saying she had 'fabricated a story' as she was 'weak' in the subject. In its counter-affidavit, submitted to the court last week in response to student Ameeya Saleem's plea, the CBSE said that instead of using the 2018 question paper, she had used her brother's question paper of 2016 for her Class X board exams, held recently. The board further submitted that the student was weak in Mathematics, and was attempting to mislead the authorities by fabricating a story and submitting false complaints to the Board. The student had moved the court suppressing the material facts and hence was not entitled for any discretionary relief, the CBSE said in its counter. The Court had on April 9 admitted the girl's petition, which claimed that she was given a 2016 question paper during the Maths exam and urged that her answer sheet be assessed based on the same. She had further submitted to the court that the question paper she had received for the mathematics examination was from 2016. The CBSE subsequently had conducted an inquiry which revealed that the petitioner was carrying a re-written question paper and she had copied the same on the answer script. The principal of Mount Carmel Vidyanikethan Senior Secondary School in Kanjikkuzhy, Kottayam, had complained to the CBSE regarding the mismatch of the mathematics question paper given to the girl student on Mrch 28. The high court had observed that the pendency of the case would not be a bar for the CBSE to conduct a re-test for the petitioner alone. In her complaint to the CBSE Thiruvananthapuram's regional officer, the principal had stated that their student was given the Summative Assessment (SA) 2 paper of the year 2016 for the mathematics examination. The principal had appealed to the authorities concerned "to do something," so that the student might not be affected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Virtually sounding the poll bugle for the next general elections, Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said his party will win all polls starting with Karnataka and come to power at the Centre in 2019. At his party's well-attended 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' at Ramlila Maidan here, an aggressive Gandhi accused the BJP and the RSS of sowing seeds of hatred and polarising the country. He also charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with spreading "lies" against the Congress and its leaders. While former prime minister Manmohan Singh said democracy "is in danger" in the country with the Modi government consistently undermining constitutional institutions, Sonia Gandhi alleged that corruption has taken "deeper roots" since it came to power. Rahul Gandhi said, "Elections are around the corner. In 2014, the BJP and the RSS machine spread lies against our government.... "I can tell you here that the Congress party will win Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. At his first rally here after taking over as the party chief, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress was like the water required to build the country's edifice and described party workers as "sher ke bachche" (lions cubs), who sacrificed their lives for truth and not for "satta" (power). He was making a reference to "killings" of Congress workers in Punjab, Assam and other states. Gandhi's remarks about the party's future performance come at a time when regional leaders such as TRS's Chandrasekhar Rao were making attempts at forging a non-Congress, non-BJP front for the next general elections. Launching an all-out attack on the government, Manmohan Singh said it was time the government gave an account of its works to the people. "The manner in which the Modi government is functioning, it can also pose a threat to democracy in the country. If Parliament does not function, it can pose danger to democracy," he said. "Today an atmosphere is being created where constitutional institutions are being insulted....The way the notice for a no-confidence motion by the opposition was not allowed to be taken up...are examples which suggest that democracy was under threat," Singh said. Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi also launched a scathing attack on the government alleging it has left no stone unturned in undermining institutions and targeting political rivals by misusing central agencies. Both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi made a reference to the "serious crisis" that had gripped the top judiciary, saying it had never happened before. Rahul Gandhi said while the country believed in a religion that was based on truth in everything, one did "not find truth" in Modi's speeches. In his over half-an-hour address, he targeted the prime minister on the law and order front, besides alleging "double standards" on corruption, "messing up" of the economy and "failure" to provide safety to women. The Congress chief also charged Modi with "silence" on farmers' distress and took a swipe at him over "rising unemployment" in the country. The prime minister had promised to give two crore jobs per year and the people trusted him, but after four years of his government, there is widespread unemployment, he said. Modi has given demonetisation and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST) to the people which have broken the back of the informal sector, he said. Hitting out at Modi for "takeover" of institutions by the RSS, Gandhi alleged that the Sangh was slowly "destroying" them from within, while "Modi ji watches silently". The Congress chief also criticised the prime minister for his "silence" on crimes against women and alleged that while Modi gave the slogan 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', members of his own party allegedly assaulted women. He said Modi went to China "without an agenda" and alleged that while the neighbouring country deployed its military in Dokalam, he held a "no-agenda" meeting with President Xi Jinping. "Modi ji did not publicly speak a single word on Dokalam during his visit to China. What kind of prime minister is he," Gandhi asked. Gandhi also sought to compare the performance of the state governments led by his party with that of the Modi dispensation. He alleged that farmers were under stress, but their loans were not written off by the government, which "waived" the debts of corporate houses. Congress workers raised slogans at the rally, saying that a change was in the offing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje today dubbed the Congress manifesto for the Karnataka assembly poll as an insult to Kannadigas, saying it was full of 'absurdities' and replete with language errors. The BJP MP also demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tender an unconditional apology to the people of Karnataka for not rectifying the mistakes in the manifesto. "The Congress manifesto is full of absurdities and language errors. The party has insulted Kannadigas and their language," she told reporters here. Alleging that the manifesto had been outsourced to a PR agency, she said it only showed how bankrupt the Congress was of ideas. "Had Chief Minister Siddaramaiah read the manifesto, he would not have allowed it to be released. He should sincerely admit he had not read it and tender an unconditional apology to the people of Karnataka," she said. The BJP leader said the manifesto also does not speak of the five-year Congress rule. Instead, its leaders have been launching personal attacks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah, she said. "The Congress has never been serious in running the government and hence there has been failures on many fronts. It continued to show a casual attitude in such an important step of preparing a manifesto," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that constitutional posts must be respected and their propriety should not be questioned, amid a raging debate over a demand by a few opposition parties to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. "Our government gives full respect to constitutional posts and their jurisdictions. We must respect their decisions," he said in response to a question by a reporter. His reaction came in the backdrop of a notice submitted to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on April 20 by seven opposition parties led by the Congress to impeach CJI Misra. The unprecedented petition against a sitting chief justice had listed five allegations of "misbehaviour". On April 23, Naidu rejected the notice, saying the petition lacked "substantial merit". He had held consultations with legal and constitutional experts before taking the decision. The home minister, who was in Mirzapur to attend a wedding, also said that India's relations with China "is moving in the right direction" and Beijing has assured full cooperation. "Hence, the preparations going on in areas bordering China will continue," Singh said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from China yesterday after holding their first-ever informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting has raised hopes of bilateral relation improving following tensions on a host of issues, including the Doklam military standoff last year. On the Kashmir issue, Singh said the "military action in Kashmir is moving in the right direction and we will continue with this action". "We do not believe in expansionist policy and there is no change in our Kashmir policy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deciding on a place and date for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong un should be fairly easy if the latter has taken a strategic decision to give up his entire nuclear weapons program, a top presidential advisor said Sunday. In his first television interview in this capacity, which US National Security Advisor, John Bolton, assumed less than a month ago, he said the president sees the is a potential here for a historic agreement: a breakthrough that nobody could have imagined even a few months ago. "We need to agree on a place and that remains an issue, but if, in fact, Kim has made a strategic decision to give up his entire nuclear weapons program, then I think deciding on the place and the date should be fairly easy," Bolton was quoted as saying by Fox "That potential is there. But as he says repeatedly, the potential for no deal at all is also there. And we're not going to know until we actually have the meeting and see what Kim Jong-un is prepared to do. It certainly the case that the mere words aren't going to sway anybody," he said. Trump, he said, is focused on doing everything he can to make this meeting a success. "It's somewhat different than what he said before but I think he's saying, look, if you are going to come with a real strategic determination to give up nuclear weapons, we're going to have a very serious conversation, he said. Responding to a question on recent announcements by Kim, Bolton said it's a matter first finding out just how much there is to dismantle. "I mean, it's not possible to go to this meeting with a set of screwdrivers and think we are going to take it apart beginning the day after the meeting. Therefore, the full, complete, total disclosure of everything related to their nuclear weapons program with full international verification, and I think following Libya, verification by American and other inspectors could be very important here," he added. Bolton said that the maximum pressure campaign that the Trump administration has put on North Korea has, along with the political military pressure, has brought them to this point. "Relieving that pressure isn't going to make negotiation easier, it could make it harder," he said. The Trump administration, he says, wants to test North Korea in this first meeting for evidence that they have made that strategic decision, and have history to give us some assistance on it. "At 1992, the joint North-South denuclearization agreement had North Korea pledging to give up any aspect of nuclear weapons and to give up uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing. Now, we got other things to talk about as well -- ballistic missiles, chemical and biological weapons, the American hostages, the Japanese abductees," he said. But starting on the nuclear side with what North Korea agreed to more than a quarter of a century ago was a pretty good place to start, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some of the new citizens pose for a group photo with their certificates The Delhi Minorities Commission has sent a query to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs seeking clarification over a provision that allows the Muslim employees of the government attend the Friday Namaz during work hours. The move came after a delegation of Muslim teachers in Delhi met the Commission Chairman Zafarul Islam Khan and sought his help in this issue. The delegation of teachers from schools run by the Delhi government and civic bodies said on Fridays, they faced difficulty in attending the Namaz as they needed to reach their respective schools 15 minutes before 1 am which clashes with their prayer time, Khan said. "The teachers cited an MHA order of 1954 that said Muslim government employees have the right to offer Friday prayer but a deduction from their salary could be made for the working time used in it. "Last week a query was sent to the Union home secretary seeking to know if the 1954 order still exists and the current status on the issue. A reply is awaited," Khan said. The Commission also sought clarification over the issue from the Delhi government's Directorate of (DoE) and the municipal corporation. "The Directorate of said that no such relaxation is possible as it will hurt the interests of the students. The commission is yet to receive a reply to its notice from MCD," he said. The commission will formally approach the Delhi government and seek intervention of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is incharge of the department, if needed, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In orderto better equip the CRPF for operations in LWE affected areas and in the Kashmir Valley, the government for the first-timehas allowed the force to directly utilise Centrally-sponsored SRE funds for building infrastructure facilities for its troops, officials said. Faced with tardy pace of creation of camps, barracks and other living facilities in its main operations theatres, the Union Home Ministry has allowed the paramilitary force to directly draw from the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) funds after seeking approval from respective states to whom this money is made available by the Centre. The SRE scheme is granted by the Union government to Left Wing Extremism (LWE) hit and insurgency affected states of the country for the purpose of reimbursement of security-related expenditure like transportation, communication, hiring of vehicles, stipend to surrendered Maoists, construction of infrastructure for forces among others. Creating good living facilities and providing modern weapons and gadgets to forces is the most important measure when it comes to keeping high the morale of these men deployed in some of the toughest areas of operations, a senior official said. There was a considerable delay in getting work infrastrucutre done by way of getting the funds from states for accomplishing these tasks and hence it was devised that the SRE amount could be directly utilised by forces like the CRPF to get their job done, he said. The official added that the CRPF, designated as the lead anti-Naxal operations force of the country, recently got constructed camps in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh from these funds while work is on to create these facilities in Sukma and Dantewada districts located in the worst-hit Bastar region of the state. Similarly, a good number of CRPF camps are being refurbished and fortified in Kashmir valley by directly utilising SRE funds, he said. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has deployed about a lakh of its personnel for LWE operations and given the remote and interior locations of their camps, the jawans have to render their duties by availing less number of facilities as compared to any other location. A good number of camps of the force in the Kashmir valley require upgradation and enhancement of security features like creating tall perimeter walls and multi-layered physical obstacles to keep them secure and prepared against terrorist raids. The force has deployed about 60 battalions (about 60,000 personnel) in the valley for counter-terrorist and law and order tasks. While getting good and adequate number of weapons, vehicles and gadgets has not been a problem for the force, the official said, acute shortage of good living conditions has been a big challenge for the paramilitary to ensure. "A number of infrastructure creation works are expected to be accomplished by the end of this financial year in March next year with the help of this first-time measure," the official said. The CRPF is the country's largest internal security force with over 3 lakh personnel in its ranks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven people -- five of them firefighters -- died in a fire that broke out late Saturday in an electronics factory in northern Taiwan, the local fire department said. The inferno raged through the eight-floor building of a circuit board maker, located in an industrial district in Taoyuan City. Seven firefighters were trapped by large fallen objects as they tried to search for people inside the factory. They were rescued early Sunday but only two survived. The two others killed were factory workers from Thailand. Seven other firefighters were injured, five of them suffering burns from an unidentified liquid, according to the fire department. Traces of diesel and toxic chemicals were also found at the scene, it said. The disaster follows a string of recent accidents in Taiwanese factories, raising questions about safety standards. A huge fire broke out at a refinery of the state-run CPC Corporation in January, also in Taoyuan. There were no injuries in that incident. In December, six Vietnamese workers were killed in another Taoyuan factory blaze that erupted in the middle of the night. The workers were found to have been staying in an illegal dormitory at the factory, highlighting the often sub-standard living conditions for migrant workers on the island. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold"bars worth Rs 85 lakhs were seized from a passenger who arrived at the international airport in Kozhikode today from a gulf nation, a top customs official said. Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said based on a tip-off that gold was being smuggled through the airport, officials kept a vigil. " Following suspicion, a passenger who came from Saudi Arabia by a Jet Airways flight was detained, he told PTI. During a search, six cuboidal-shaped yellow metal bars were found concealed in each leg of the three kitchen tongs kept in Ali's baggage. The bars were 24-carat gold, he said. The man was arrested and later released on bail, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Electric bus manufacturer Goldstone Infratech today said it plans to create up to 10,000 jobs in India in the next five years and will soon set up a joint venture firm to cater to R&D and after sales service facilities. The company manufactures electric buses through a technical collaboration with China's BYD. In an interview to PTI at BYD's global headquarters here, Goldstone Infratech's President-Strategy Naga Satyam said it plans to make India a major hub for exports to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the near future. He said GIL is also eyeing green funding in India as it seeks to expand operations in the country, where it sees huge potential. Hyderabad-based Goldstone Infratech recently bagged orders to supply 100 electric busses to Telangana, 150 to Bengaluru and 40 to Mumbai. GIL has an assembly plants near Hyderabad with an annual capacity of 600 units and another upcoming plant at Bidur in Karnataka with a capacity of 1,500 units annually in the first phase, giving it a total capacity of 2,100 units per year. "We definitely see creation of 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs in India in the next five years through our operations, Satyam told PTI. "We want to export electric buses from these plants to the neighbouring SAARC countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. We will be the first company to export electric buses from India very soon," Satyam added. He also said that GIL plans to invest Rs 600 crore in the Karnataka plant, which is expected to be functional by October this year. "We are going to set up a joint venture company very soon, probably in the next 2-3 months, that will take care of after sales service, quality, R & D and training. Since both Goldstone Infratech and BYD are listed entities, we need to have approvals from our Boards and externally as well, and those are under process now," Satyam said. Currently, Goldstone-BYD offers two range of buses -- eBuzz K7 (9 metre) and eBuzz K9 (12 metre) in India. These models cover up to 250 km at a speed of 70 kmph on a single complete charge that takes about 4 hours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greenpeace India has termed the recent move by the ministry declaring all protected areas in the country 'plastic-free zones' as a "symbolic initiative" and said production of plastics should be controlled to achieve real reduction in such wastes. Ahead of World Day on June 5, the ministry had recently banned plastics in all protected areas across the country, thus declaring them "plastic free zones". It has directed states and Union territories to organise awareness campaigns to sensitise people about the issue. Greenpeace India said although banning plastic in protected areas is a "good move", the solution is to "turn off the plastic tap" and decisively end non-essential, single-use applications of the material. "It's a symbolic initiative, as 'protected areas' cover only 5 per cent of land area. Plastic consumption needs to be reduced at the source and production should be controlled to achieve real reduction in plastic waste," Climate and Energy Campaigner of Greenpeace India Nandikesh Sivalingam said. He said there are already protected areas in some states where plastic items or bottles are checked while entering and it is ensured that they are checked again to see whether the items taken in are there with the persons or not. Sivalingam said it is important to expand the move to reserved forests as well. "The solution is to turn off the plastics tap and decisively end the non-essential, single-use applications of the material. "Increasing public revulsion over single-use plastics should be seen by policy makers and regulators as a sign that citizens want from their leaders better protection against the continuing onslaughts of an industry committed to pursuing bigger profit margins at the expense of a planet already drowning in plastic," he said. Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan had on Friday tweeted,"@moefcc bans plastic in any form in all protected areas and declare them Plastic Free Zones ahead of #WorldEnvironmentDay2018." "Directs states & UTs to organise awareness campaigns to sensitise people. Protected areas in Bengal and Odisha are already plastic free zones," he had said. India will host the World Environment Day this year. United Nations environment chief Erik Solheim was in the country recently and he signed a letter of intent on India hosting the World Environment Day. Elaborating about the move, environment secretary C K Mishra had said all protected areas and forest reserves will be plastic-free zones and it will be mandatorily enforced. "Non-recyclable plastics have been banned. Various steps will be taken so that plastic is not allowed inside the protected areas," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kerala government plans to include entrepreneurship in the school curriculum with the help of state run Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE), a top official said today. Besides this, efforts would be made to identify people with entrepreneurial skills and provide every help to set up their business venture, Tom Jose, Additional Chief Secretary, Labour and Skills Department, said. He was speaking after visiting stalls at the India Skills Kerala 2018, the biggest skill and excellence fair in Kerala, which got underway here yesterday. The three day event has been jointly organised by the Industrial Training Department and KASE. Besides stalls from skilling partners and other organizations, there are also demonstrations of state-of-the-art technology products. Industrial Training Department and KASE have been organising the 'India Skills Kerala 2018' competitions for the last one month across the state. Jose also said that the government planned to adopt innovative designs displayed in the ISK competitions in its various departments. "The government will definitely think about it, provided the designs are in harmony with the official rules prescribed in this regard," he said. He stressed the need for creating awareness on the significance of entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, ESPOIR, an initiative of KASE, tasked with skilling the young workforce of the state for employment in India and abroad, said it has so far sent more than 380 people to several countries in the Gulf and Africa, where there's a huge demand for people in technical fields. Claiming to be among the best 15 India International Skill Centres (IISCs) in the country,ESPOIR said it equips and sends around 15-20 people abroad every month with jobs, especially in the field of oil and gas industry, it said. "But the number could have been more as preference for Keralites and opportunities are huge in these countries," said Austin E A, DGM, Operations, ESPOIR. He said people were yet to value the significance of skills "If we say a welder can earn Rs five to 10 lakh per month in other countries, nobody would believe it. But that"s the truth," he said. ESPOIR has been developed and operated by Eram group and largely concentrates on equipping the youth with skills required in the oil and gas industry. It provides training for polytechnic staff through the State Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research and ITI staff through Skill Updating Institute for Industrial Training (SUIT). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To ensure unhindered access of 'stem cell therapy' for treatment by physicians, the Union Health Ministry has proposed to statutory distinguish it from 'stem cell drugs,' making the latter alone liable to the usual screening and trial runs stipulated for new drugs. Apprising an international conference on stem cells of the government's move, Drug Controller General of India S Eswara Reddy today said the Union Health Ministry has proposed amendments in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 to regulate the Stem Cell-based drugs. The proposed amendments would demarcate 'stem cell- based drugs' from the 'stem cell therapy' and ensure that the physicians using the latest medical technique in treatment is not legally inconvenienced. Reddy was speaking at the 4th international conference SCSICON 2018 organised by the Stem Cell Society of India. The proposed amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rule, 1945, demarcating 'stem cell drugs' from the 'stem cell therapy' have been incorporated in the Gazette of India published on April 4. Explaining the proposed demarcation between the two key terms, Stem Cell Society of India president Dr Alok Sharma said the cells or tissues taken from the patients body and merely subjected to cleaning and separation for administering immediately without its manipulation outside the body is termed as 'minimally manipulated stem cells.' He said such 'minimally manipulated stem cells' would not be considered a drug' and, so, it would not fall under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rule, making it liable to statutory screening and trial runs, which the new drugs have to undergo. Such 'minimally manipulated stem cells' would form part of the 'stem cell therapy' and fall under the purview of surgeons or clinicians as opposed to 'stem cell drugs' which would be a product or a drug, he said. On the other hand, 'more than minimally manipulated and substantially manipulated stem cells' would be considered as drug' under the amended Drugs and Cosmetics Rule, 1945, he said. Elaborating further, Dr Sharma said the cells or tissues taken out from the body and multiplied or subjected to genetic manipulation in the laboratory and subsequently stored for administering it to the same or another patient are termed 'more than minimally manipulated stem cells.' Such cells would be termed as drugs as per the amended Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1945 and, accordingly, will have to undergo the requisite screening and trials, stipulated for a new drug. The focus of the discussion in the conference was about the regulations for stem cell therapy in India. The scientists and doctors are hopeful about the future of stem cell therapy and welcome the new Indian Gazette," said Dr Sharma. These changes are very progressive following the recent developments in countries like Japan, Korea and USA. This amendment will facilitate growth of cell therapies in India and will also make these therapies available to lakhs of patients who are currently suffering with incurable diseases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After fetching USD 1.6 billion to its kitty, the government is eying more than USD 2 billion by placing two more bundles of road projects under hammer next month, a top official has said. "We will be bringing the next two tranches of highway projects for monetisation under TOT (toll, operate and transfer) in May," NHAI Chairman Deepak Kumar told PTI. Kumar said about 18 to 20 highway projects will be auctioned under TOT next month in two tranches that are expected to fetch over USD 2 billion. "For the entire year, we have fixed a target of about four tranches," he added. The first bundle for monetisation, released by NHAI in October 2017 covered 9 stretches -- five highways running across Andhra Pradesh and four in Gujarat. An official had earlier said detailed project reports (DPRs) are being formulated for about 25 more highway projects. To make the projects more lucrative, the government is assessing the asset condition through drone videos and network survey vehicles and will provide detailed database to the investors. On a cumulative basis about about 1,000 km will be bid out in the second and third tranches in May, while the govenrment has plans to put the remaining about 640 km in the fourth tranche likely in June or July. The projects to be auctioned, the officials said, are scattered in nine states. Highway stretches in Odisha and West Bengal are being prepared to be placed under auction in the second tranche, followed by stretches in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Telangana in third phase. The fourth tranche projects will be from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said earlier that government will monetise 105 highway projects in phases that could fetch about Rs 1.5 trillion. The Cabinet in 2016 had authorised NHAI to monetise public funded National Highway projects. 75 operational NH projects completed under public funding had been identified for potential monetisation, using the TOT Model. TOT model in India has been developed to encourage private participation in the highways sector. The TOT model has the concessionaire paying a one-time concession fee upfront (lump sum), which then enables the concessionaire to operate and toll the project stretch for the pre-determined 30 year concession period. This model is applicable to EPC and BOT (Annuity) highway projects, which have completed at least 2 years since date of completion. The model, as per officials, addresses the risks associated with such a long concession contract and there are multiple provisions in the model concession agreement, which are designed to take care of eventualities like roadway expansion, high toll traffic variation etc to ensure that concessionaires are not exposed to undue risks. As per the Economic Survey, India will need about USD 4.5 trillion in the next 25 years for infrastructure development, of which it will be able to garner only about USD 3.9 trillion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has sought from the civil aviation regulator, DGCA, the latest position regarding air safety, probe into aircraft accidents and recruitment of flight operations inspectors. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked for the information after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) claimed that it has been following all precautions to ensure flight safety in the country. With the direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on August 2. The court was hearing a PIL alleging that private airlines are violating and circumventing mandatory provisions for air safety and air worthiness issued by the DGCA. The plea has also claimed that the regulator has no mechanism to effectively check the non-compliance and blatant violation of the provisions. Refuting the allegations made in the public interest litigation, the DGCA said that it has safety oversight and surveillance programmes for airworthiness management and aircraft maintenance. It told the court that all of the civil aviation planes in operation in the country are following the aircraft maintenance programme. The regulator also claimed that there are no shortage of flight operation inspectors. However, the petitioner, Alok Kumar, has claimed that there are 72 vacant posts of flight operation inspectors in the DGCA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The Delhi High Court has denied bail to suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) member Fasih Mahmood, who was deported from Saudi Arabia in 2012, in connection with a case of setting up of an alleged illegal arms factory here. The court said there was no valid reason to grant bail to Mahmood, an aide of IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, considering the gravity of offence and serious allegation against him. Justice S P Garg noted that the accused has already been denied bail earlier by the high court and the Supreme Court in 2016. Since the bail has already been declined on merits and there is no substantial change in circumstances, this court finds no valid reasons to grant bail to the petitioner (Mahmood) considering the gravity of the offence and serious allegations against him allegedly being member of an unlawful organisation i.e. Indian Mujahideen in India charged for commission of offences punishable under Section 20 of the UAPA. The bail application is dismissed, the court said in its order. Section 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) relates to punishment for being a member of a terrorist gang or organisation and it entails a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Mahmood's counsel sought bail, saying that merely because the e-mail IDs of the cousin brother of the accused were found on his laptop, it cannot be taken as an incriminating circumstance against him. He said no evidence has surfaced to infer if the accused ever attempted to exhort any individual to carry out the activities of IM in India. However, the bail plea was opposed by public prosecutor Amit Chadha who contended that the allegations against the accused were serious in nature. The revision petition filed by Mahmood against charges framed by the trial court is pending before the high court and is listed for hearing on May 22. The trial court is also recording statements of prosecution witnesses in the case. Pursuant to directions of the apex court, the lower court had expedited the trial in the case and has recorded statements of over 50 prosecution witnesses. Mahmood, along with Bhatkal and several other members of the banned terror outfit, was an accused in the case in which a supplementary charge sheet was recently filed against Bhatkal and one of his close aide Asadullah Akhtar. The special cell of Delhi Police had alleged that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from the illegal arms factory located in Meer Vihar area here. Police had claimed that Bhatkal, Akhtar and others, including Mahmood, were part of the conspiracy to carry out terror strikes in the country. Mahmood, a mechanical engineer by profession, is allegedly one of the key members of the IM's dreaded Darbhanga module which had carried out various terror strikes in the country since 2008. He was alleged to be the "motivator" for driving the youth to join the IM. Mahmood was charge sheeted for offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Mahmood was deported from Saudi Arabia and was arrested at the IGI Airport here on October 22, 2012. He was detained in Saudi Arabia in May 2012. He is accused of being involved in the 2010 blast in Bangalore's Chinaswamy stadium and Jama Masjid shootout case, along with several other suspected operatives of IM. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following are the top at 2230 hours: NATION: DEL35 LDALL-CONGRESSCong to win all polls from K'tka to next general elections: RahulNew Delhi: Virtually sounding the poll bugle for the next general elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today said his party will win all polls starting with Karnataka and come to power at the Centre in 2019. DEL28 POL-SONIA-CONG-LD RALLY Modi govt betrayed people, corruption has taken deeper roots under it: Sonia New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on the Modi government, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi today accused it of "betraying" the people by not keeping its promises and alleged that corruption had taken "deeper roots" since it came to power. DEL3 SHAH-RALLY-CONG Cong rally to mourn one family's loss of power: Shah New Delhi: Hitting out at the Congress over its 'Jan Akrosh' rally, BJP president Amit Shah today said it was in fact a 'Parivar Akrosh' rally that highlights increasing irrelevance of a "dynasty and their courtiers", who have been sent out of power from one state after another in elections. DEL21 DEF-INDOPAK-DRILL India, Pak to carry out military drills as part of multi-nation exercise New Delhi: In a first, arch rivals India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries. DEL24 DEF-NAVY-AIRCRAFT Indian Navy's IL-38 aircraft makes emergency landing near Moscow New Delhi: An Indian Navy aircraft, which is in Russia for a mid-life upgradation, made an emergency landing at the Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow after its chassis malfunctioned, Russian media reported today. DEL18 INTERNSHIP-PM PM Modi asks students to take up his govt's summer internship for clean India New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked youngsters to join the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship 2018' launched by his government and announced incentives, including credit point by the UGC, for participants, saying it is an opportunity for those who want to make a change in the society. DEL26 MANMOHAN SINGH Democracy is in danger: Ex-PM Manmohan Singh New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today sought support for the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi, saying the democracy of the country is in danger with the Modi government consistently undermining its Constitutional institutions. DEL30 JK LD RAPE 3 CRPF men suspended after woman alleges illegal confinement; rape by one of them Jammu: Three CRPF personnel were suspended and an FIR registered after a 24-year-old woman alleged she was wrongfully confined and then raped by one of them inside a camp here, officials said today. CAL7 BH-BOAT Boat capsizes in Bihar's Kosi river, 8 feared drowned Bhagalpur (Bihar): Eight persons, including seven children aged between six and 12 years, were feared drowned in the Kosi river today after the boat they were travelling in, capsized, police said. MDS9 KA-YEDDYURAPPA Janardhana Reddy campaigning for Sriramulu not for BJP: Yeddy Kalaburagi (Kar): Amid criticism over mining baron G Janardhana Reddy taking part in electioneering in poll-bound Karnataka, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa today said the former minister was campaigning for his friend B Sriramulu and not for the party. BOM4 MP-LD ACCIDENTS 16 dead in two separate road accidents in MP Bhopal: At least 16 people, including eight members of a family, were today killed in two separate road accidents in Jabalpur and Mandsaur districts of Madhya Pradesh, police said. BOM3 GJ-DALIT-BUDDHISM Una flogging victims among 450 Dalits who embrace Buddhism Ahmedabad: A Dalit family, whose four members were allegedly flogged by cow vigilantes in Una tehsil in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district in 2016, embraced Buddhism today at an event organised in Mota Samadhiyala village. MDS7 TN-RAO-LD STALIN Telangana CM meets Karuna, holds talks with Stalin Chennai: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on a mission to form a non-BJP non-Congress alternative, today met DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and its working president M K Stalin here. FOREIGN: FGN15 NEPAL-BLAST-3RDLD PROJECT Blast at India-developed hydroelectricity project in Nepal Kathmandu: A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal, an official said, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By Shirish B Pradhan. FGN14 CHINA-INDIA-POLICY COORDINATION Modi-Xi summit: India, China to step up policy coordination Wuhan: India and China will enhance policy coordination in their cooperation with neighbouring countries following the just-concluded informal summit here between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a top Chinese official has said. By K J M Varma FGN13 PAK-MUMBAI-PROSECUTOR PTI Exclusive: Pak removes chief prosecutor of Mumbai terror attack case for 'not taking govt line' Lahore: Pakistan's Interior Ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said today, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. By M Zulqernain. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hyderabad City Police is all set to become paperless by adopting 'E-Office' software from next month. With a force of 12,000, the city police will be the first in the country to have this system, a press release said. All officers from all police stations and the Commissioner's office have undergone training for the purpose. There would be efficient and better professionalism with usage of application of E-Office, it said. The release said it was also a very environmental friendly initiative as use of computers and not papers for transferring files would enable the force save more"than one lakh trees a year. Not only that, there would be faster movement of files, the process would be transparent and pendency of files could be checked, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elisabeth Moss says she is not the one to take sexual harassment lying down - she never has and she never would. The 35-year-old actor, who both leads and produces the dystopian drama "The Handmaid's Tale", said she feels a sense of "responsibility" to ensure a safe workplace environment for the cast and crew. "I don't tolerate that kind of behaviour regardless, whether it be as an actor or a producer and I never have. "But I do think there's a certain amount of responsibility as a producer to make sure we have a safe working environment. And I do feel maybe a little extra responsibility being that I am a female producer," Moss told OK! magazine. The actor said she is proud how the Hulu series has found a connect with audiences around the world. "The thing that means the most to me that people say is that it gave them some sort of strength or some sort of bravery. Maybe they're going through something in their own country, whether they're a woman or whether they're gay or whatever it is. "They watch the show and it gave them some sort of strength to be who they are and to not give up on who they are," she said. The series, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, is currently in its second season. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JD(S) state President H D Kumaraswamy today said he would not be a "kingmaker" and instead people of the state would bless him as "king" in the May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls, which he conceded was a "battle for survival" for his party. Expressing confidence about the JD(S) coming to power on its own, the former chief minister said, he is asking people to give the party a "chance", having seen the performance of both the BJP and the Congress. "I'm completely confident about bringing in a government with majority, I don't have an iota of doubt," Kumaraswamy told PTI. Pre-poll surveys on the elections to the 225-member Karnataka House, that includes one nominated member, have projected a hung assembly with the JD(S) emerging as kingmaker. Kumaraswamy said his target was 113 seats. "I'm targeting 113, I have made preparations strategically, required to reach 113. So in my opinion ultimately I will succeed in reaching my goal. People will make me succeed, I have this confidence," he said. To a query, Kumaraswamy said, as per his current calculations, the JD(S) would comfortably reach the 97-105 mark and it is now working towards making up the remaining seats. "I'm confident that we will not fall short... according to my calculation 97-105 comfortably I'm going to reach this time, another 7-8 seats I may fall short. For that I'm working out and I'm sure we will make it up," he said. Asked if he would not need support of other parties to make up for the numbers, he replied in the negative. Ruling out any prospect of a hung assembly, he said, "It (situation) is not going to arise, I'm confident." Dismissing pre-poll surveys which predicted a hung assembly and projected the JD(S) as "kingmaker", he said only after polls can such surveys have some clarity and "not at this stage." "Not kingmaker, people will bless me as a king, that full confidence is there," he said, as he claimed that there is an "undercurrent" in favour of the JD(S) across the state and people have "lost faith" in the BJP and Congress. Kumaraswamy said he is asking people for a "chance" for good governance, to address their problems or issues. "You have given chance to both Congress and BJP, you have seen their work, and you have experienced it. Give me one chance; I'm going with this message," he added. Conceding that the coming assembly elections were a "battle for survival" for the JD(S), Kumaraswamy said, it is because for the last 10 years "we have been out of power." He said, "all our workers are working very hard even without power. This time they want us to somehow reach the goal, for that they are sincerely working. Even I'm also working very hard to come back to power." "We want to come to power not for our selfishness. There are several problems created by BJP and Congress in last ten years, I want to clean it. For that Karnataka very badly needs good governance...," he added. Responding to Congress President Rahul Gandhi's allegation that JD(S) is the "B team" of the BJP, Kumaraswamy said in his opinion Siddaramaiah is BJP's 'B' team. He said, "Congress is saying we are the 'B' team of BJP, as they don't have anything to point fingers at me, they don't have issues to comment against my party." "They have one issue that I had once joined hands with the BJP to form the government, keeping that issue alive they are saying to people that if you vote for Kumaraswamy it is like voting BJP, so don't vote for Kumaraswamy," he added. The 2004 assembly polls had thrown up a fractured verdict with the BJP emerging as the single largest party. Congress, which lost power, and JD(S) had formed a coalition government led by Dharam Singh. The Congress-JD(S) coalition, however, crumbled when Kumaraswamy led a revolt, withdrew support and joined hands with the BJP. He was the state chief minister heading a JD(S)-BJP coalition from February 2006 to October 2007 with B S Yeddyurappa as deputy chief minister. The coalition with BJP also collapsed after JD(S) refused to hand over the mantle to Yeddyurappa after 20 months under a power-sharing arrangement, that led to elections with BJP installing its first-ever government in the south in 2008. He pointed out that when BJP was in power it was he and not the Congress, who brought out several cases of corruption against them. The former chief minister further said in his opinion Siddaramaiah is BJP's 'B' team, as he had repeatedly entered into an understanding with the BJP to safeguard his seat. He said, "Earlier in 2013 in Varuna constituency, the BJP candidate absconded for five days ahead of the election, people say Siddaramaiah had booked him and reached an understanding with the BJP. This time before the filing of nominations, BJP changed its candidate." "Who is behind it? Siddaramaiah even today is in contact with the BJP, there is unofficial contact even now, but they point fingers at JD(S)," he charged. Siddaramaiah, who has been representing Varuna constituency since 2008, has this time opted for neighboring Chamundeshwari constituency. His son Dr Yatindra is the party's candidate from Varuna in this election. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India imported about 2.4 million dollars worth of iron and steel, iron and steel products, copper and zinc from North Korea last year and exported precious metals and stones worth USD 578,994 to the country in violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning such trade with North Korea, according to a report by an UN panel of experts. According to a March report of the Panel of Experts established by the Secretary General regarding implementation of the sanctions and UNSC resolutions relating to North Korea, the country exported a total of USD 62,184,815 in iron and steel between January and September 2017 to Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India, Ireland, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines and Russia. "All exports after September 4, 2017 violated paragraph 8 of resolution 2371 (2017), while those before September 4 2017 violated paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016) unless an exemption was made under paragraph 26 (c) of the same resolution," the report said. Specifically, India imported USD 1.4 million worth of iron and steel from North Korea from January to September 2017, iron and steel products worth USD 234,759 and copper worth USD 242,997 in the January to September 2017 period. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea exported a total of USD 373,926 in copper to India and Mexico between January and September 2017 in violation of paragraph 28 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report said. Further, India imported zinc from North Korea from January to September 2017 worth 526,018 dollars. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea exported a total of $526,018 in zinc to India in January 2017 in violation of paragraph 28 of resolution 2321 (2016)," the report added. It further said that according to UN Comtrade, from January to June 2017, India exported precious metals and stones worth USD 578,994 to North Korea. The largest commodity exported from January to June 2017 was diamonds worth USD 514,823. "The Panel reiterates that the jewellery items listed in paragraph 1 of annex IV to resolution 2094 (2013) correspond to HS codes beginning with 71 and calls upon Member States to exercise vigilance with regard to any exports of goods classified under that code," it said. The report also includes a letter dated July 14, 2017 from the Permanent Mission of India to the UN that states that "During the period of March 2 2016 (date of adoption of resolution 2270) to November 30 2016 (date of adoption of resolution 2321), there was no clarity regarding the scope of the measures related to iron and iron ore since there was on elaboration/explanation of the word iron' and iron ore'. Till date there is no implementation assistance notice issued by the UN that stipulates a practice for identifying an item as iron' or 'iron ore', " the Indian Mission said in the letter. The Mission further wrote that "pending clarity on this issue", national implementation of the measures contained in UNSC resolutions 2270 and 2321 relating to iron and iron ore was nevertheless carried out by the Government of India through a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on March 21, 2017. The Mission said that for these reasons, there was no restriction on the import of iron ore and iron into India from North Korea during the period March 2, 2016 to March 20, 2017. The report also said that North Korea exported a total of USD 305,713 of products of iron and steel to China, Egypt, France, India, Ireland and Mexico between October 2016 and May 2017. "These exports constitute a violation of paragraph 26 of resolution 2321 (2016) unless an exemption is made by the importing Member State under paragraph 26 (c) of the resolution," it said. North Korea exported USD 215,782 worth of gold in October 2016 to India in violation of paragraph 30 of resolution 2270 (2016). India requested "clarity" on the scope of measures relating to iron and iron ore, saying in the letter that it "stands ready" to share its national experience on implementation of the measures related to iron and iron ore, sectoral bans and luxury goods ban covered in resolutions 2270, 2321 which have entered into force vide the aforesaid notification issued by the DGFT on March 21 2017. "India would request that this submission be included in the next mid-term review of the UNSC 1874 Panel of Experts," it said in the letter. In March this year, India had imposed fresh restrictions on trade with North Korea in line with the restrictions imposed by the United Nations. As per a notification of the DGFT in the commerce ministry, "supply, sale, transfer or export" of crude oil will be subjected to the restrictions imposed by the UN Security Council. Certain curbs have also been imposed on export of industrial machinery, iron, steel and other metals, the notification had said. In October last year, the DGFT had imposed restrictions on trade in condensates and natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products. The bilateral trade between India and North Korea declined to USD 133.43 million in 2016-17 from USD 198.78 million in the previous fiscal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Nepal have agreed to take steps such as comprehensive review of the existing bilateral trade treaty to further boost two way commerce and investments between the countries, the commerce ministry today said. This was agreed during the meeting of the India-Nepal Inter Government Committee (IGC) on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade in Kathmandu. This committee provides a platform for discussing and reviewing bilateral trade and transit related issues. "Both countries agreed to initiate, by July, a comprehensive review of the bilateral Treaty of Trade which governs the bilateral trade and was last revised in 2009, considering all factors," the ministry said in a statement. The meeting also discussed amendments to the bilateral Treaty of Transit, signed in 1999, to further facilitate transit movement of Nepal's trade with third countries by expanding transit points, simplification of procedures, electronic cargo tracking and also enabling movement of Indian cargo through Nepali territory. Besides, both the sides aim to consolidate all earlier amendments to the Treaty of Transit, within a month, it added. Since most bilateral trade takes place through land customs stations across the border between India and Nepal, the two countries also agreed on synchronised development of border trade infrastructure so as to ensure timely utilisation of the investment in border infrastructure. In order to enhance the volume of trade, the two countries emphasised on the need for bilateral harmonisation of standards. The two sides further agreed to work towards mutual recognition of each other's testing and certifications. In order to ensure regular inputs from business and investors, both the sides had earlier agreed to constitute India-Nepal Joint Business Forum consisting of industry representatives from the two countries that will function as an institutional B2B mechanism for providing policy level inputs on trade and investment. Both the countries are aiming at holding the first meeting of the forum shortly, it added. The two-day meeting concluded on April 27. Indian side was led by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has topped the list of Dubai's source markets for inbound tourism, with more than six lakh tourists from the country arriving in the emirate in the first three months this year, registering an impressive seven per cent year-on-year increase. Welcoming 4.7 million international overnight tourists from January-March 2018, Dubai posted a stable two per cent increase in traffic versus the same period last year, as reported by Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism). Recording an impressive seven per cent year-on-year increase to deliver 617,000 visitors, India helped level out the relatively stable second-placed Saudi Arabia (minus one per cent) and the steeper decline in visitation from third-placed the UK (minus eight per cent). Leading source markets continued to highlight their affinity for Dubai as the top three retained their positions versus 2017. Russia ended the quarter in fourth place, continuing its upward trajectory by topping the growth charts with a stellar 106 per cent increase over quarter one 2017, delivering 259,000 tourists, benefiting from availability of visa-on-arrival facilities for Russian citizens from early last year. Similarly, fifth-placed China also continued to leverage its visa-on-arrival status, delivering 258,000 Chinese visitors, up a strong 12 per cent. Posting double-digit increases in most countries, Europe made particularly strong contributions in the first three months of the year, with Germany in seventh place, up 13 per cent with 194,000 visitors, France up 17 per cent with 103,000 in 12th place, and 14th-placed Italy up 20 per cent with 80,000. In a record first appearance, Sweden featured among Dubai's top 20 source markets, delivering 42,000 visitors, up nine per cent. Travellers from eighth-placed US increased by a moderate two per cent, while declines were witnessed by both ninth-placed Iran and 10th-placed Pakistan at 19 and 22 per cent respectively. From a regional perspective, Western Europe retained pole position, contributing an unprecedented 23 per cent of overnight visitor volumes, ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council and South Asia, both with 17 per cent shares. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian Navy aircraft, which is in Russia for a mid-life upgradation, made an emergency landing at the Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow after its chassis malfunctioned, Russian media reported today. An Indian Navy official said the IL-38 aircraft was on initial test flight and that the extent of damage to the plane in the incident is being ascertained. The Russian-built IL-38 is an anti-submarine warfare aircraft. "The aircraft is in Russia for Overhaul (OH) and Mid-Life Upgradation (MLU). No Indian Navy crew was onboard during the sortie though they are present in Russia. The aircraft was on initial test flight with all Russian crew," the official said. The incident had taken place yesterday. According to Russia Today, the plane, which was bracing for the emergency landing, emitted quite dense smoke and was seemingly dumping fuel in order to reduce the chances of catching fire. It said all the people four pilots and three technical specialists on board the aircraft walked away unharmed. Earlier this month, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was in Moscow during which she held extensive talks with her Russian counterpart General Sergei Shoigu. The two sides had agreed to significantly step up defence cooperation. Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition. However, it has been a long-standing grievance of the armed forces that supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from that country. Officials said Russia has agreed to speed-up implementation of various projects including mid-life upgradation of various platforms supplied by it to Indian armed forces. Majority of India's weapon systems are of Russian origin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) James Packete offering the opening prayer with Albert Mala (walker) and Jack Maki (seated) in the background. The primary market emerged as a money spinner for investors in 2017-18, with 65 per cent of the newly listed companies trading well above their issue prices, giving returns of up to three times. Out of 41 companies that made their debut in the past fiscal, 27 are trading above their issue prices fixed after their IPOs. The remaining 14 firms, however, have failed to attract investors and are quoting below their issue price, an analysis of the new entrants on the NSE showed. These 27 firms have rewarded investors with returns in the range of 1-325 per cent, with six of them reaching over 100 per cent till the last trading date (April 27). Shankara Building Products, which made its market debut in April last year, has seen the steepest surge in its share price and is trading 325 per cent higher than the issue price. The initial share-sale offer of Apex Frozen Foods has given a return to the tune of 270 per cent while Salasar Techno Engineering has rewarded investors with a return of 258 per cent. Besides, Astron Paper and Board Mills and PSP Projects have jumped about 174 per cent each over their respective issue prices. Further, AU Small Finance Bank has rallied over 103 per cent from its issue price. Others that have given impressive returns are CDSL, Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd, Bandhan Bank, Cochin Shipyard, Godrej Agrovet, Prataap Snacks as well as Security and Intelligence Services (India) Ltd. "It's not that all companies' prices have flared up unmindful of realities. There has been exuberance for some issues because they are truly high potential. Either they are from virgin sectors like insurance or from genuinely high growth consumer facing businesses. "Some buoyancy or appetite surely comes in from the demand side but that depends on discretion of fund managers to judiciously pick right stocks in their portfolios," Aashish Somaiyaa, CEO, Motilal Oswal AMC told PTI. In contrast, as many as 14 companies have failed to stay afloat as they are trading much below their respective issue prices. S Chand has seen its shares plunge by 41 percent, while shares of General Insurance Corporation of India have fallen by 22 per cent and The New India Assurance Company has shed about 17 per cent. Interestingly, public sector insurers -- General Insurance Corporation of India and The New India Assurance Company -- have been trading well below their respective issue prices, while the same has not been the case with private sector players. Shares of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company have been trading 79 per cent above the issue price and those of ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company and SBI Life Insurance Company have risen by over 13 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. "One of the key determinants for long term investors like us is quality and continuity of management. Insurance especially is a long haul industry with choice of business and underwriting playing a key role," Somaiyaa said. "While many PSUs have excellent management the short tenures of key personnel and discontinuity of strategies can make it difficult to formulate an investment hypothesis. Further in certain products and segments of distribution there has been steady value migration from PSU to private players," he added. Meanwhile, the BSE's benchmark Sensex has climbed by over 10 per cent in the last financial year and is currently hovering at close to 35,000 points. In the fiscal gone by, a total of 45 companies came out with their initial public offers (IPOs) raising a record over Rs 82,000 crore. The previous high was in 2007-08, when companies mobilized more than Rs 41,000 crore through initial share-sales. Further, a host of companies are rushing in to file their draft prospectus with market regulator Sebi for launching their IPOs. Somaiya believes the performance of future public issues will clearly depend on individual merit and demerit. "The key positive is that in the last couple of years many excellent businesses have got listed either for growth capital or for PE (private equity) exits. These have been great opportunities for investors as they were hitherto in private domain," he added. According to Somaiyaa, if there are companies belonging to a sector with a long and sustainable trajectory of growth and these firms are able to differentiate themselves then undoubtedly there is "merit" in considering them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With less than a month for the bypolls to the Kairana parliamentary and Noorpur assembly constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh, political parties in the state are making all out efforts to win the seats and carry the momentum to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant due to the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February, while the bye-poll to the Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident the same month. Both the bypolls are crucial for ruling BJP as well as opposition parties, as they may set the tone for the 2019 parliamentary elections. The BJP will make extra effort to retain both the seats to try and send a message to voters, party cadres -- as well as opposition parties -- that the drubbing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bye-elections were a closed chapter now, and that it was still strong in western UP. Opposition parties -- the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Congress -- are perceiving this as another opportunity to send a signal to the voters that the saffron fortress has been breached. Exuding confidence that his party will win both the bye-elections, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, "Both the leaders who had represented the seats (Kairana parliamentary constituency and Noorpur assembly constituency) were immensely popular among the masses, and worked for the cause of the public. And, hence the people of the region have an emotional bond with them." He added, "The massive improvement on the law and order front, especially in the western region of the state, where a number of encounters took place and criminals were arrested, has ushered in a positive environment. Apart from this, the timely payment to sugarcane farmers will also go in the party's favour." Taking a dig at opposition parties, the spokesperson said, "There are doubts over the unity among them."The Congress rebutted the claims, with state unit spokesperson Ashok Singh saying, "The bypolls will act as a perfect occasion to defeat the BJP ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and send a strong signal across the country.""Strategy in this regard is being worked out by the party's central leadership. And, I am confident that the BJP will be defeated and its fortress breached."When contacted, SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said his party has already done its poll preparations till the booth level. "We are ready to take on the BJP on both the seats. Whether it will be a SP candidate supported by other parties or any other party candidate supported by the SP will be decided by party president Akhilesh Yadav." Voting in the bypolls for Kairana and Noorpur seats will be held on May 28. The counting of votes for both the constituencies will take place on May 31. The notification will be issued on May 3 and the last date for filing of nomination is May 10. Scrutiny will be taken up the next day, while the last date of withdrawal is May 14. Kairana parliamentary constituency comprises five assembly segments -- Shamli, Thanabhawan, Kairana (all in Shamli district) and Gangoh and Nakur (Saharanpur district). The Election Commission will set up 883 polling centres in these five assembly constituencies. More than 15 lakh voters (of Kairana) are likely to exercise their franchise in the bye-elections. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Hukum Singh had bagged 5,65,909 votes as he defeated Nahid Hasan of the SP who got 3,29,081 votes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to take up the issue of nearly 17 per cent of operation theatres not functioning in Delhi's hospitals and shortage of equipment with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal soon. Sources said that the chief minister has expressed "displeasure" after he and health minster were informed by the health department that of the 183 OTs in the city, 152 are functional and "21 OTs are non functional ie 16.93% are not functional." The reasons listed are "shortage of equipment" and "shortage of manpower". "The chief minister is likely to take up the issue with L-G soon," the sources said. Regarding equipment, the response by the health department said that "some delays" had occurred "in the purchase of equipment because earlier the procurement process was initiated at the level of MS. But subsequently it was decided to be done at CPA level. Regarding manpower, the note flags the need for specialised personnel for anaesthesia, orthopaedic and surgery departments that "are needed, which are in short supply thus vacant" while adding that recruitment will be done by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tourists visiting Madhya Pradesh will soon have bike taxis to easily ply through the narrow lanes or sneak past the traffic snarls. After the successful experiment during the Simhastha Mela, one of the biggest religious congregations in the world, at Ujjain during 2016, the transport authorities in the state has now going to come up with a policy for the bike taxis. "We are coming up with a policy next month for the motorbike taxis. The operation of these taxis would be App based," Madhya Pradesh's Transport Commissioner Shailedra Shrivastava told PTI. This kind of service was allowed to run during Simhastha Mela to avoid the traffic problems created by the big vehicles and now a policy is being formulated to regulate two-wheeler taxis. "During Simhastha-2016, temporary permits for three months were issued for bike taxis. Afterwards, the Transport Department had issued draft policy and invited the objections and claims. Now, this process has been completed. The policy is being finalised at the state government level and likely to be released by the state government in May," he said. At present, the state government has allowed operation of such taxis by only one company in Indore. After the policy release, it would be easier for others to get a license for bike taxi. Shrivastava said that besides all the safety arrangements, it is proposed that the bike riders will have to keep a spare helmet for the person, who will hire their bike taxis. "Permits would be granted only after thorough verification and security features. At least 25 bike taxis should be available with the company or the operator for running such services," he added. According to proposed draft policy, the photo and the details of the bike driver would be available on the app when someone hires the services. The rates of these taxis would be fixed by Regional Transport Authority (RTA). Besides, it is also proposed that there should be a system to track the movement of these taxis through GPS. Another transport department officer told PTI that these bike taxis would be charged Rs 1,000 per year as license fee besides ensuring the security verification of the drivers/riders. Last year, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadikari has express confidence that bike taxis will offer solutions not only for wading through severe traffic congestions in metropolises but can provide affordable transportation to people in far-flung rural areas. "We are planning to facilitate launch of bikes as taxis. We are going to introduce a cab aggregator platform where commuters could choose any mode of transportation that also includes a bike taxi," Gadkari had announced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" actor Mason Guccione has been roped in to star in "Fonzo", the Al Capone biopic. The 22-year-old actor will star in a key role in the film, which features Tom Hardy in the lead, Variety reported. The film is written and directed by Josh Trank. Capone was a ruthless mobster who ruled Chicago with an iron fist during the 1920s. He was prosecuted for income tax evasion in 1931 and imprisoned. He died at the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, of dementia. Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan and Kathrine Narducci are also a part of the cast. Cardellini will play Capone's long-suffering wife Mae, Dillon will depict his closest friend Johnny, MacLachlan will portray his doctor Karlock, and Narducci will be Rosie, one of his sisters. The principal photography of the movie is currently on in New Orleans. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Narendra Modi government has expressed its commitment during the last four years for increasing the income of farmers through its various schemes, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma said today. The Centre has also increased the minimum support price for crops from this year, the state power minister said while inaugurating the 'Gram Shakti Diwas' here. Sharma said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wants the 'Tahsil Diwas' to take form of a 'Sampurna Samadhan Diwas' to resolve the problems of the people including those related to ration cards, Aadhaar, pension schemes and various certificates. He said the Centre's schemes such as the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme to counter natural calamity and the Soil Health Card scheme for better use of fertilisers show the government's commitment towards farmers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and China will enhance policy coordination in their cooperation with neighbouring countries following the just-concluded informal summit here between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a top Chinese official has said. Modi and Xi concluded their first ever two-day India-China informal summit yesterday raising hopes of improving relations in light of last year's tensions on a host of issues including the Dokalam military standoff. The two sides will enhance policy coordination in their neighbourhood to discuss cooperation in the form of China India plus one or China India plus X, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said briefing newsmen here yesterday about the summit outcome. Kong did not elaborate but his comments come in the backdrop of India's concerns over increasing presence of Chinese investments in India's neighbourhood specially infrastructure projects like ports. China has been stepping up its investments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives besides Pakistan where it is investing heavily in the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India did not endorse the Belt and Road Initiative at the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Beijing on April 24 which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also attended. "The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan reiterated their support for the BRI proposed by China," said a statement issued by the SCO foreign ministers at the end of their one-day meeting. India's name was conspicuously absent from the list of countries that endorsed BRI of which CPEC is a part. Significantly, Kong has played down India-China differences on the BRI stating that Beijing will not be too hard on it (BRI) as we feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and India on the issue of supporting interconnectivity," he said. He referred to India's participation in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which is also part of the BRI. When it comes to connectivity our impression is that China and India do not have principle disagreement. Actually the two countries are working on the BCIM which is an important part of BRI and for the BCIM corridor, India does not oppose it. Actually, it is an important partner in this cooperation. At the same time BCIM is progressing very smoothly," he said. Kong also referred to India's participation in the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in which India is the second largest shareholder after China. Kong said the two countries indeed are expanding their cooperation on connectivity. After the summit, the two countries have agreed to develop a project jointly in war-torn Afghanistan, officials sources said after the summit. This could send a strong signal of their cooperation in the neighbourhood. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All arrangements have been put in place for the much-awaited reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti led Jammu and Kashmir government which would take place here tomorrow with the BJP expected to bring in some new faces. J&K Governor N N Vohra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to those being inducted into the council of ministers at the convention centre at 12 noon, an invitation for the ceremony read. Officials said the function is being held at the convention centre instead of Raj Bhavan as Jammu and Kashmir government has already shifted its base to summer capital Srinagar as part of the bi-annual 'darbar move', under which the government functions six months each in the twin capital cities. The Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government, and Raj Bhavan closed here on Friday and will reopen along with other move offices in Srinagar on May 7. Speculation was rife that PDP ally BJP, besides filling up two vacancies, is likely to induct some new faces in the council of ministers by dropping others. A senior BJP leader said was with BJP president Amit Shah who would hand it over to Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh who was in Delhi. We have no specific number of those who are being inducted into the cabinet or dropped from the cabinet. BJP national president Amit Shah and party general secretary Ram Madhav have the list which will be handed over to Singh either tonight or tomorrow morning, the BJP leader said. The saffron party had on April 17 asked all its nine ministers in the PDP-BJP government in the state to submit their resignations to enable bringing in new faces in the two-year-old Mehbooba Mufti cabinet. The party, however, had not forwarded the resignations to the Governor. The BJP had been under pressure ever since two of its ministers -- Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga -- took part in a rally in support of those accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. The two ministers subsequently resigned. There is high possibility that one or two ministers of state (MoS) could be elevated to the Cabinet rank, keeping in view their good performance, sources said. It was not immediately known whether the PDP will also fill up the vacancy caused by the sacking of Haseeb Drabu as Finance Minister last month. Currently, the BJP has six cabinet ministers, including associate member Sajad Lone, and three minister of state in the J&K government. The state can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP. Meanwhile, an official spokesman said state Chief Secretary B B Vyas today chaired a meeting at convention centre to finalize the arrangements for the oath taking ceremony. Later, he also took a round of the premises to oversee the preparations being made for the successful conduct of the ceremony. Arrangements related to seating capacity, security, traffic regulation, public address system, sanitation, decoration, power supply and drinking water supply were discussed, the spokesman said. He said Vyas directed the security agencies to ensure fool proof security in and around the venue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had a "good conversation" with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his visit to Pyongyang, adding Kim was "prepared to... lay out a map that would help us achieve" denuclearisation. Pompeo made the remarks in an exclusive interview with ABC News, extracts of which were released ahead of its broadcast today. Pompeo, who is currently in the Middle East on his first trip as Washington's chief diplomat, described Kim as "very well prepared" during their secret meeting, which took place over Easter weekend to set the groundwork for a historic summit meeting with US President Donald Trump. "We had an extensive conversation on the hardest issues that face our two countries," he said. "I had a clear mission statement from President Trump. When I left Kim Jong Un understood the mission exactly as I described it today." Trump, meanwhile, addressed the topic of the planned summit at a campaign-style rally in the town of Washington, Michigan. "If we would have said where we are today from three or four months -- months ago, do you remember what they were saying? 'He's going to get us into nuclear war, they said,'" referring to a fiery war-of-words between himself and Kim that preceded a diplomatic breakthrough. He added: "No, strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war, not going to get us in!" The US president added he was cautiously optimistic over the outcome. "I think we will have a meeting over the next three or four weeks that will be a very important meeting... but we'll see how it goes. "And again, whatever happens, happens. Look, I may go in. It may not work out. I leave," he continued, adding he would avoid the mistakes of the Obama administration which arrived at a denuclearization deal with Iran. "We're going to have hopefully a very successful negotiation over the next three or four weeks. And we'll be doing the world a big favor. We'll be doing the world a big favor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated 'Odisha Skills 2018', the state-level chapter of India Skill competition organised by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) here. Coinciding with the birth anniversary of the architect of modern Odisha Madhusudan Das, The two-day competition, which began yesterday, has about 7000 participants from across the state competing in six sectors and 25 skills. Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said the competition would give a platform to the students of Odisha to hone their talents and showcase their skills in the national and international fora. Union Petroleum and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also inaugurated a skill-cum-common facility centre for filigree craftsman of the city. Pradhan also launched a Pipe-Fitter-City Gas Distribution course that will commence at the Skill Development Institute at Bhubaneswar from May 9. From the same platform here, the Union minister also launched the Urja Ganga Gas Pipeline skilling project that came up in Sukinda in neighbouring Jajpur district about 30 kms from here. The project aims at giving training to semi-skilled and unskilled workers engaged in the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra natural gas project on the spot. The minister announced that within six months Cuttack would host an International Filigree Exhibition-cum-Workshop. "The emphasis of the Cuttack facility will be mainly on skill development of filigree artisans, develop hand-made designs of jewelry and create national and international markets for the products", Pradhan said adding that all stakeholders including reputed designers, entrepreneurs and market experts have promised to work for the Cuttack facility. On the occasion a tripartite MoU was signed between NSDC and Gems and Jewellery Skill Council of India and Edujobs Academy to work for the Cuttack facility. The Union minister also gave away pre-learning certificates issued by the Skill Development Institute to five goldsmiths of the city and announced that within two years all goldsmiths and filigree artisans of the city will be given training and certificates. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The strong stand of the NDA government, unlike its predecessor, has forced neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan to take a back step, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said here today. Ahir was in the city to felicitate Lieutenant General Rajendra Nimbhorkar, the Indian Army's Master General of the Ordnance, for his distinguish service. Lt Gen Nimbhorkar had played an important role in the surgical strike carried out by the Indian army on terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016. "By carrying out the surgical strike India sent a strong message not only to Pakistan but to the entire world. If the NDA government had not come to power in 2014, the situation at the border would have been very difficult for India," Ahir told the audience in an auditorium on the occasion. "Our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a strong response to the aggression shown by Pakistan and China. "India gave strong response to Pakistan by carrying out the surgical strike while China had to take back step in Doklam standoff," the minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the 'Bharat Ratna', the highest civilian award in the country, on socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. In a three-page letter addressed to the PM, Kumar drew Modi's attention towards Lohia's role in the struggle for Independence, his efforts in bringing together non-Congress parties during the time of Nehru, his model of socialism rooted in Indian realities and his emphasis on issues of public sanitation and womens' upliftment decades ago. The chief minister also highlighted Lohia's active participation in the movement for Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule and suggested that the international airport in the coastal state be named after him. "Lohia had gone to the extent of saying that he would give up opposing Nehru if the latter got toilets constructed for rural women. His foresight can also be gauged from his emphasis on equipping kitchens with chimneys so that smoke did not spoil womens' health, " the Kumar said in the letter. "In the light of these facts, it would be appropriate that the Government of India confer Bharat Ratna on Lohia, in the honour of his contributions, on his death anniversary on October 12 and also rename the Goa International Airport as Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Airport," he said. In a sprawling military garrison known as 'Samba brigade' in Jammu and Kashmir, a group of women are engaged in making mouth-watering cookies a unique venture started by the Army in an effort to empower widows of its martyrs. Named 'olive green cookies', the Army has established the social entrepreneurship project in collaboration with a Pune-based NGO, Aseem Foundation, about one-and-a-half months back and was formally inaugurated by Zonal president, Army Wives Welfare Association, Rising Star Corps, Geetha Mohan a few days back. A group of widows were trained by the foundation which also provided necessary equipment for production of cookies presently, 10 kg of cookies are manufactured by these women daily, an Army officer supervising the initiative told PTI. The officer, who did not wish to be named, said the Army is transporting cookies twice a month to Pune where the NGO is doing its packaging and subsequently the product, which is made of the highest quality of apples and walnuts, hits the market. He said initially the product is being sold to corporate customers in metros. Displaying the ready-to-sell packet which costs Rs 55 a piece, he said the venture was still in its infancy and efforts are on to engage more women, especially widows of martyrs, to ensure their self-employment and making them financially independent. The packet is inscribed with 'Koshur Krunch' (Kashmiri delicious) at the top and carries the message that every cookie is infused with the flavor of valour and sacrifice. Made by the hands of women of courage of Samba district (J&K), olive green cookie tells a story of fighting the odds after losing a near and dear one in the line of duty. These war widows have the grit and determination to embrace fate with a stern will and pride themselves in being called 'Veer Nari'. With the purchase of every pack of 'Koshur Krunch's Olive Green Cookies', you are saluting not only the brave martyr but also supporting the indomitable spirit of war widows or 'veer naari', the message on the packet reads. Semi Devi (26), working on a large oven donated by the NGO, lauded the Army for the initiative and said she lost all hope when her husband died in a road accident in Arunachal Pradesh in 2013 while moving with his unit. It was the first year of our marriage and I had just delivered a baby when the tragedy struck, shattering all my dreams, she said adding the Army is doing everything possible to ensure that families of the martyrs live a respectable life and the latest initiative is part of it. For Biaso Devi (70), the initiative means restoration of self-esteem. My husband, a former soldier, died some years back. I approached the Army for assistance and was very thankful for them to provide me a job at this age which made be independent once again, says Devi. Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand termed the venture as noble and said the profit earned would be shared by widows which would help empower them to lead a better life. It is in keeping with the Army's tradition of looking after the families of its soldiers even after their sacrifice, he said. The officer said the biggest strength of a soldier on duty is his belief that if he sacrifices his life in the service of the nation, his family will be looked after by the Army and the initiative is an attempt to fulfil this obligation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organisation convenes for the first time in decades today, as ageing President Mahmud Abbas seeks to strengthen his hand ahead of the US embassy move to Jerusalem. Analysts said the three-day meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in the West Bank city of Ramallah is unlikely to produce major policy shifts, but it will elect the 18 members of the PLO's executive committee that effectively forms Abbas's cabinet. More than 100 of the 740-member body will be absent, including dozens allied to Islamists Hamas -- the largest Palestinian party behind Abbas's Fatah -- who have signed a letter opposing the meeting. On Saturday Hamas called on Abbas to postpone the assembly until unity was reached between rival factions. The meeting comes as relations between Abbas and US President Donald Trump's administration have broken down ahead of the controversial relocation of the US embassy, which is set to open in the divided holy city of Jerusalem on May 14. In Hamas-run Gaza, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30. The PNC has not held a regular session since 1996, and last held an special session in 2009. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A youth, who was critically injured in a recent clash in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups on the issue of renaming an NH1 traffic intersection, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Ludhiana, police said. Yashwant alias Bobby (19), a Dalit activist, who was critically injured in the clash, in which three others were also injured, succumbed to injuries yesterday night at DMC Hospital in Ludhiana. His body reached Phagwara in the morning after postmortem by doctors under tight police security. Though tension had gripped the town, the cremation passed off peacefully, officials said. Tanish, Bobby's younger brother, lit the funeral pyre. Punjab Police, besides personnel of the Rapid Action Force, Anti-Riots squads and women police and BSF, have been deployed in all sensitive areas in the town. On April 13, clashes erupted in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups after Dalit members allegedly put up a board with a picture of B R Ambedkar at Gol Chowk. They also tried to rename the intersection as Samvidhan Chowk. Four persons were injured in the clashes.Yashwant had sustained head injury in the clash. After his body was brought here, it was kept at Bhagwan Valmik chowk, which had been the venue for prayers and dharna for his well-being since April 14. It was then taken to Valmiki dharamsala and to his house located in narrow bylanes of the Valmiki mohalla. When the body was being brought out of the mohalla, a group of enraged youths started raising slogans and refused to move further if the demand of Samvidhan chowk along with inscription of 'Shaheed Bobby's' name on it, was not accepted today itself. After they were persuaded by authorities to proceed, they again stood ground near Valmiki mandir on Phagwara-Banga road. They refused to budge and at one stage even turned back with the intention of proceeding towards Gol chowk with the bier on their shoulders but heavy police force stood in their way. They were pacified by Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Organised Crime and Control, who had come with the body from Ludhiana. Then the body reached cremation ground on Banga road where the last rites were performed. Chabbewal MLA Raj Kumar placed a wreath on the body on behalf of Punjab government. Several political leaders from the opposition parties also placed wreaths. Heavy police force virtually fortified the town by blocking all entry and exit points during the cremation. Main bazaars here remained closed. Meanwhile, Punjab BSP President Rashpal Singh Raju today reiterated his party's demand for constituting a Special Investigation Team(SIT) to probe the clash. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A youth, who was critically injured in a clash in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups on the issue of renaming an NH1 traffic intersection, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here, police said. Yashwant alias Bobby (19 ), a Dalit activist, who was critically injured in the clash, in which three others were also injured, succumbed to injuries here yesterday night at DMC Hospital. His body was sent to Phagwara this morning after postmortem by doctors under tight police security. On April 13, clashes erupted in Phagwara between members of Dalit outfits and Hindu right-wing groups after Dalit members allegedly put up a board with a picture of B R Ambedkar at Gol Chowk. They also tried to rename the intersection as Samvidhan Chowk. Four persons were injured in the clashes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today announced that he would undertake the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage post-Karnataka Assembly polls, saying the thought struck him when he was travelling to the state in a chartered aircraft that suddenly came down by 8,000 feet four days ago. After he ended his half-an-hour speech at the 'Jan Aakrosh' rally here, Gandhi, who has often talked about being a devotee of Lord Shiva, took to the mike again to seek the "permission" of Congress workers, saying he will need 10-15 days to carry out the yatra. The arduous pilgrimage to Mt Kailash, considered the abode of Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology, is organised every year between June and September. "A few days ago, we were on our way to Karnataka in an aircraft. And the aircraft suddenly came down by 8,000 feet. I thought 'gaadi gayi' (that it was all over), he said in his first public comment on the incident. "The moment I thought that it was all over, it struck my mind that I have to go to Kailash Mansarovar. So, I would require your leave of 10-15 days after the Karnataka Assembly polls, he told the gathering at Ramlila Maidan. On April 26, the plane carrying Gandhi and some others from here to Hubballi airport in Karnataka developed a technical snag when it tilted heavily on the left side and the altitude dipped steeply with violent shuddering of the aircraft body at 10.45 AM, his close aide Kaushal Vidyarthee wrote in a letter to state Director General of Police Neelmani N Raju. Vidyarthee was also travelling with Gandhi. The plane landed at the Hubballi airport at 11.25 am in the third attempt on that day. The Congress demanded a probe by the state police and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation into the "suspicious and faulty performance" of the aircraft before landing. The next day, the DGCA set up a two-member panel to probe the technical snag in the plane even as Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said appropriate action would be taken if anyone was found wanting after the opposition party alleged foul play. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked youngsters to join the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship launched by his government and announced incentives, including credit point by the UGC, for participants, saying it is an opportunity for those who want to make a change in the society. In his monthly Mann ki Baat' broadcast, Modi also pitched for water conservation, saying it should be everyone's responsibility and asserted that his government has spent Rs 320 billion (Rs 32,000 crore) annually outside the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) budget and 150 lakh acre land have benefitted from it in the last three years. In his over 30-minute address, Modi touched on a number of topics, including Indian athletes', especially women's, achievement in the Commonwealth Games, people's response to his call for fitness and also paid tributes to Prophet Mohammad and Lord Buddha ahead of the month of Ramzan and Buddha Purnima' respectively. Noting that India had carried out nuclear tests on Buddha Purnima on May 11 in 1998, when BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister, Modi said youths need to imbibe Vajpayee's mantra of Jai Vigyan' (hail science) to make India modern and strong. ALSO READ: Modi, Xi will issue strategic guidance to militaries to ease border tension Giving a call to students to join the Swachh Bharat campaign during their summer vacation, he said three ministries of his government have launched an internship programme and it is an opportunity for those who want to work for the society, contribute positively and bring about a change. The best of the interns who have strived in schools and colleges with excellent work will be rewarded with recognition at the level. Not just that, those interns who accomplish their tasks well will be awarded two credit points each by the UGC, Modi said. It will also boost the cleanliness campaign, a signature project of his government, those who participate in it will feel a sense of fulfilment when the country celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, he said. Turning to water conservation, he said India has traditionally done it and cited examples of many temples and other historic places that have done so and noted that some rivers in states like Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have been revived recently. (We are) Leaving no stone unturned for water conservation, he said. ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi, China's Xi Jinping boost ties at Mao's favourite retreat Modi also hailed the performance the Indian squad in the Commonwealth Games, saying they made every Indian proud and especially lauded woman athletes for their show. Many of them have come from small towns and overcome to several hurdles to reach where they are today, he said. The programme also shared recorded messages of some of the athletes. He also asked people to think about ways to make the Yoga Day on June 21 memorable. The prime minister drew from the teachings of Prophet Mohammad and said he believed in knowledge and compassion. His life taught people to walk the path of equality and brotherhood, Modi said. "Lord Buddha believed in peace, harmony and brotherhood and these values are needed the most in the world today," Modi said. India is developing infrastructure to boost Buddhism tourism, he said, and working to connect easily with the Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was also inspired by Buddha in his work for empowering the marginalised sections of society, he said. Modi also paid tributes to Rabindranath Tagore, whose birth anniversary falls on May 7, and said he would regularly listen to Rabindra Sangeet' when he was a child. A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court alleging human rights violation and forced evictions in connection with a multi-purpose irrigation project at Polavaram, in west Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The petition, filed by a person affected by the project, has sought implementation of government orders on rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced people. The matter was listed before Justice Rajiv Shakdher, who posted it for further hearing on August 24. The petitioner, Pentapati Pullarao, has also challenged the decision of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which he had approached first, to close the proceedings in the matter based on a report that similar matters were pending in the Supreme Court. Pullarao, in his plea, said he had initially challenged the NHRC order of June last year in the apex court, which on February 9 asked him to move the high court against the commission's decision. The petition has alleged that the project authorities acquired the land between 2006-09 and took possession of it without giving adequate compensation to the people being displaced. According to the petitioner, the commission, during the proceedings before it, had asked the state of Andhra Pradesh to follow the government orders on rehabilitation and resettlement. It had also asked the state to prepare and circulate the procedure to be followed before, during and after the eviction, the plea said. However, the interim directions of the NHRC have not been complied with, the petition added. PTI HMP SKV http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you"Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you. http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you" Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington's new chief diplomat was to meet Saudi and Israeli leaders today to rally coordinated opposition to Tehran and brief them on President Donald Trump's threat to end the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh shortly after Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles across the kingdom's border. US officials travelling with Pompeo told reporters the Huthi missiles had been supplied by Iran, and cited the attacks as evidence that regional powers should work together. Pompeo had dinner with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and was due to meet his father King Salman. Then he was due to fly on to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then on to Amman in Jordan, wrapping up a weekend of talks with some of Iran's most fervent foes in the region. Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the landmark 2015 nuclear accord, which most world powers see as key to preventing Tehran from getting the bomb. But Trump and America's Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile program. Pompeo set off on his first diplomatic trip within two hours of being sworn in on Thursday and on Friday -- after talks with the NATO allies in Brussels -- he appeared to suggest that Trump plans to nix the deal. "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo told reporters in at NATO headquarters. Perhaps the last chance to fix these supposed shortcomings came from talks between Washington and its European allies Britain, France and Germany on a supplemental agreement to sanction Iran's missile program. But both President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel left Washington this week after talks with Trump having failed to secure any promise that he might keep the core deal alive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) imaginethat said: 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; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. I'm puzzled as to why the Founders gave this power to the president. I think it's a bad idea. You? The power to pardon anyone for anything, except impeachment, was given to the president by Article 2, Section 2:I'm puzzled as to why the Founders gave this power to the president. I think it's a bad idea.You? Click to expand... On the surface, it does seem shady. However, it's in place because each branch of government has checks and balances to prevent any of them from being tyrannical. (no, it isn't a perfect system, but it is the best)I believe it was intended to be used for pardoning people who were imprisoned for their political beliefs and weren't a threat to society. However, if you look at the list of Presidential pardons- it has clearly not been used for that reason alone. But then, people aren't supposed to be thrown in prison for their political beliefs anyway.Presidential pardons can be used on themselves too. Legally, the only way to get rid of a sitting President is to impeach them- even then, it doesn't mean they're going anywhere, unless the Senate votes to remove them from office. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs. He's also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria. Pompeo met today with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran. Senior US officials traveling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad. "Iran destabilizes this entire region," Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was "essential." Al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran." Senior US officials, who were not authorized to preview Pompeo's discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end. Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran "room to play" and hampers cooperation on a wide array of other issues, including combatting violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said. The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian individuals, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said he'd also stress the US commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said. Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis is hailing what he called the "courageous commitment" undertaken by the leaders of North and South Korea. Francis told faithful in St. Peter's Square today that he is accompanying "with prayer the positive result" of Friday's summit and praised the leaders' aim to "achieve a path of sincere dialogue for a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear arms." He prayed that hopes for a peaceful future "won't be disappointed" and that the collaboration can continue for the benefit "of the beloved Korean people and for the entire world." Today, South Korea's presidential office said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to shut down the country's nuclear test site in May. But there has been widespread skepticism about whether the North will fully surrender its nuclear weapons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind today emphasised the need to have social security for workers in the unorganised sector. The president was addressing 'Asangathit Shramik Sammelan', a convention of labourers from the unorganised sector here. "No society can progress without being mindful to the welfare of the working classes, the deprived and underprivileged sections. In the labour sector in India, the share of workers in the unorganised sector is over 80 per cent," he said. Kovind said most of the workers of the unorganised sector are engaged in agriculture and construction. "There is a great need for social security for these workers," the president said, adding that he was happy over the Centre's move to create a 'Social Security Code' for such workers. Later in the day, the president addressed a function related to the 'Mini Smart City Mission' of the Madhya Pradesh government in the city. Kovind said the Union government has launched the Smart Cities programme, as cities and urban centres make a huge contribution to the economy of the country. "Of the 100 cities selected, seven are in Madhya Pradesh," he said, adding that the Madhya Pradesh government has taken a visionary decision to supplement the national initiative with a 'Mini Smart City' scheme at the state level. The president said the scheme would open new pathways for ensuring prosperity for the people of Guna. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other ministers attended the event. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Virtually sounding the poll bugle for the next Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today claimed his party would win the polls in Karnataka and other states and will return to power at the Centre in 2019. At his first public rally in the national capital after taking over as the party chief, he said the Congress was like the water required to build the country's edifice and described party workers as "sher ke bachche" (lions cubs), who sacrificed their lives for truth and not for "satta" (power). In his over half -an-hour address, Gandhi launched an all-out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues of law and order, 'double standards" on corruption, "messing up" of the economy, "undermining" democratic institutions and "failing" to provide safety to women. He said while the country believed in a religion that was based on truth in everything, one did "not find truth" in Modi's speeches. "Elections are round the corner. In 2014, the BJP and the RSS spread lies against our government. Modi ji spread lies and spoke against our government, the Congress party and its leaders. "The truth is now coming out and the people are seeing the truth about Narendra Modi and the strength of the Congress and its workers is being revealed," he said the 'Jan Aakrosh' rally at Ramlila Maidan. The Congress chief said, "The strength of the Congress workers was evident in Gujarat ...I can tell you here that the Congress party will win Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and it will win the 2019 elections, an aggressive Gandhi said. "The Congress workers, who are fighting like 'sher ka bachche', are 'satya ka sipahi' (soldiers of truth). You beat or kill them, they will not leave the truth.... "In every state, the Congress workers gave away their lives for truth and not power," he said, referring to the killing of Congress workers in Punjab, Assam and other states. He said India is a country that believes in a religion whose faith is truth, he accused the BJP of being soaked in "falsehoods". Accusing Modi of "lying" for "not fulfilling" his promises, Gandhi wondered what kind of a prime minister he was and alleged that the people have to find truth in his speeches. "This country is like a building and no building can come up without water. The Congress party is the water of India's edifice, it is the love and if you want to uplift this country and take it forward, then what is required is love and not hatred, that is spread by the BJP and the RSS. "The Congress workers across the country spread love and brotherhood...and this is what the Congress has done in the last 70 years. We have united the country, given protection to women, minorities, Dalits and tribals," he said. Attacking Modi on corruption, Gandhi said in Karnataka, the prime minister sits on stage with BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa who was jailed for corruption and added that the money of Indians has gone into Nirav Modi's pockets, who has since fled the country and evaded justice. Gandhi also took on Modi for his "silence" on farmers' distress and the crisis in the higher judiciary that has never happened in the past 70 years. The Congress chief said the prime minister had promises giving two lakh jobs and the people trusted him, but after four years of the NDA rule, there was widespread unemployment. Modi has given demonetisation and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST) to the people which have broken the back of the informal sector, he said. Hitting out at Modi for "takeover" of institutions by the RSS, Gandhi alleged that the RSS is slowly destroying them from within, while "Modi ji watches silently". The Congress chief also criticised the prime minister for his "silence" on crimes against women and alleged that while Modi gave the slogan 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', members of his own party assaulted women. He said Modi went to China "without an agenda" and alleged that while China deployed its military in Dokalam, he held a "no-agenda" meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "Modi ji did not publicly speak a single word on Dokalam during his visit to China. What kind of prime minister is he," Gandhi asked. Gandhi also sought to compare the performance of the state governments led by his party with that of the Modi dispensation. He alleged that farmers were under stress, but their loans were not written off by the government, which "waived" of debts of corporate houses. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US has an "obligation" to pursue a diplomatic solution with North Korea, and there is a "real opportunity" for progress, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview broadcast today. "We have an obligation to engage in diplomatic discourse to try and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by Kim Jong Un and his nuclear arsenal," Pompeo told ABC, saying that there is a "real opportunity" for progress. America's top diplomat also said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held in-depth talks about a denuclearization "mechanism" when they met over Easter weekend. "We talked a great deal about what it might look like, what this complete, verifiable, irreversible mechanism might look like," Pompeo said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Kim in a historic summit, agreeing on Friday to pursue a permanent peace and the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. An armistice brought the fighting on the Korean peninsula to an end in 1953, but 65 years later, a final peace agreement has still not been reached. The Moon-Kim meeting has raised expectations for US President Donald Trump's own planned summit with the North Korean leader, the date and location of which have not yet been finalized. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government's decision to unlock more land for the housing sector in its Development Plan (DP) 2034 for Mumbai has evoked mixed reaction among citizen groups and environmentalists. Some of the groups criticised the decision to release vast tracts of land now falling under 'No Development Zones' for affordable housing and increase the floor space index (FSI), saying these measures will only help realtors. Environmentalists warned the DP will have "disastrous" impact on the city's already crumbling infrastructure. However, some NGOs have come out in support of the much-awaited DP for Mumbai unveiled on April 25. Mitesh Prajapati of the Citizen Civic Solutions Foundation, that had suggested changes in the draft DP, said the FSI alloted for commercial properties in the name of affordable housing and employment generation will, in reality, only benefit builders. "We strongly oppose the decision to grant an FSI of 5 for commercial properties and will approach the court once we receive the final copy of the DP. Only builders will benefit from this move. "This has happened in the past where many builders took advantage of higher FSI in the name of constructing IT centres. Many buildings were built but IT centres have not come up till date," Prajapati, the foundation's spokesperson, said. FSI is the ratio of the total built-up area to the total area of a plot. It is basically a tool that defines the extent of construction permissible on a plot. Prajapati, whose NGO was invited by Minister of State for Urban Development Ranjit Patil for consultation, said they had advised against giving additional FSI to commercial properties in residential areas but the government did not pay heed to their suggestion. "We have not yet received a final copy of DP plan. We shall wait for this and then approach the court," he said. Debi Goenka, Executive Trustee, the Conservation Action Trust, an NGO formed to protect the environment, said Mumbai's infrastructure is already at a breaking point, and it cannot support any increase in FSI or expansion in residential and commercial areas. "There is inadequate water supply, air is not fit to breathe, and there is no place to treat our sewage and dump our garbage. The roads are congested and 10-15 train commuters die every day (due to overcrowding). The sanctioned DP is a disaster in the making," he said. Goenka said an additional area of 14.96 square km, proposed to be added to open spaces, is actually stretches of mangrove created because of siltation of the Thane creek. "At the same time, there is a move to destroy hundreds of acres of mangroves in Malad for a sewage treatment plant, and also divert hundreds of acres of salt pans to builders under the guise of affordable housing," he said. "The DP has been sanctioned without putting in place the Coastal Zone Management Plan. The 'koliwadas' (fishing colonies) have also not been marked on the DP sheets. The DP also does not look at the adverse impact of climate change and sea level rise on Mumbai," Goenka said. Sitaram Shelar, a member of the Hamara Shehar Mumbai Abhiyan, a city-wide people's campaign to demand an inclusive and participatory DP, said he welcomed the provisions of multi purpose housing for women and shelters for the homeless. "We also appreciate the provision of an annual budget allocation for DP implementation," he said. However, Shelar said the provision for constructing one million houses was nothing but a "political gimmick" and would not see the light of the day. "The government is not ready to define affordability so it is clear that in the name of the common man, they will give these lands to developers for building elite townships," he said. "With the higher FSI, there will be further traffic chaos, pollution and adverse health effects on citizens. The was last on their agenda it seems," Shelar said. Architect and Congress MLC Anant Gadgil said instead of putting additional load on the metropolis, the government should have laid thrust on building sub-growth centres between Mumbai and cities like Pune and Nashik. "Europe promotes the concept of working where you live for professionals. A similar idea, based on existing situation, could have been adopting here instead of promoting commercial spaces. "The city has already reached its saturation point," said Gadgil, who has raised issues relating to town planning several times in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Gadgil said trees are already being cut for metro lines and salt pans have now been added to the DP so no space is left for open lands and greenery. "The government, from a town planning point of view, has used the wrong approach. Buildings will now be so near that a person from one building would be able to shake hands with another in the adjacent building. There will be no space for wind flow and evacuation will be a difficulty in case of an emergency," Gadgil said. Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India, however, welcomed the DP's thrust on housing. "This is a very welcome move as everyone deserves to have a decent place to live. With meticulous planning and proper execution, the DP can positively change the growth story of Mumbai and its citizens," said Samuel, whose not-for- profit outfit works towards addressing the housing needs of low-income families. "There is very little land left in the city for development. It (the DP) will help realise the dreams of the middle-class and the poor sections to have a home of their own. "Mumbai is definitely thriving with more and more people relocating to the city. In such a scenario the DP, with its emphasis on affordable housing, will ensure existing and new residents live in quality conditions," Samuel said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran's President Hassan Rouhani today told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the nuclear deal his country reached with international powers was "not negotiable". "The nuclear deal or any other subject under its pretext is not negotiable in any way," Rouhani told Macron in a telephone call, quoted by the website of the Iranian presidency. "Iran will not accept any restrictions beyond its commitments," he said, after new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned of Iran's "ambition to dominate the Middle East" during a visit to Israel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court collegium has questioned the government's move to hold "detailed scrutiny" of professional record of advocates and judicial officers recommended for judgeship by high courts, but the Law Ministry continues to send a summary of the candidates' professional track record to the body of top five judges. In July 2017, the Law Ministry had informed the Cabinet Secretary that, "now the process of detailed scrutiny of proposals received for appointment of judges from high courts has been initiated." "In the case of advocates, their reported judgements (in cases they represented), and in case of judicial officers their case disposal time and number of adjournments are being evaluated by an in-house team having legal background. But the government's move was recently questioned by the apex court collegium. "As regards the comments regarding her professional competence, it is for the judiciary to assess her performance. Professional competence cannot be adjudged on the basis of unconfirmed/unsubstantiated inputs," the collegium noted while approving the elevation of a woman judicial officer to the Madras High Court as an additional judge. A senior government functionary said the SC collegium has said "nothing explicitly to the government about the scrutiny. But the noting on the collegium recommendation makes it clear that they have not taken the move kindly." The functionary said the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry continues to send a summary of all judicial officers and lawyers being considered for appointment as judges of high courts to the SC collegium. In case of lawyers, their list of the reported judgements of cases which they have argued in the high court are made part of the summary. The judicial officers are evaluated on various attributes and are given numerical grading. As per procedure, once the three-member high court collegium recommends a name to the SC collegium, the HC panel also sends the performance record of the candidate. The recommendation is initially sent to the law ministry, which attaches an IB report about the candidate's overall record and forwards it to the SC collegium for a final call. Citing the case of former Calcutta High Court judge justice C S Karnan -- who was sentenced to six months in jail by the Supreme Court for contempt of court -- the government had in July last year once again asked the Supreme Court collegium to review the process of appointment of judges, according to the senior government functionary. The Secretary (Justice) in the Law Ministry has written to the Supreme Court Registrar General pointing to the July 5 judgement of the apex court in which two judges had called for the need to revisit the process of selection and appointment of judges. Judicial appointments as of now are being carried out based on the old memorandum of procedure (MoP). After a bench headed by then Chief Justice J S Khehar, ruled in December, 2015 in favour of a fresh MoP - a document which guides appointments and elevation of Supreme Court and high court judges -- a new draft was sent to the collegium by the law ministry. After several rounds of talks, the collegium had once again sent back the draft to the law ministry reiterating its objections on various clauses. One of the clauses rejected by the collegium is on national security on which the government wanted a right to reject recommendation for appointment as a judge. The judiciary had also objected to a clause that calls for setting up of a secretariat for vetting and clearing names for judges before the collegium takes them up. Parliament had passed the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act (NJAC). But the law, which sought to scrap the two-decade-old collegium system was struck down by the apex court in October, 2015. In a separate order in December, 2015, the bench asked the government to come up with a fresh MoP in consultation with the CJI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea challenging an order of the Allahadbad High Court by which it quashed criminal proceedings against Noida-based real estate builders. A bench of justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit issued notice on a plea filed by a buyer, named Ashish Gupta, who claimed that the High Court erred in quashing the proceedings in a criminal case against the builders, and that it was an utter violation of natural justice. Advocate J P Singh, appearing for Gupta, said that it is "serious abuse of authority" and the High Court cannot quash the proceedings in a criminal matter on the ground of existence of arbitration clause. "Criminal prosecution cannot be quashed under the garb of arbitration Clause. The criminal proceedings are independent proceedings and they cannot be wiped out on the false pretext of arbitration clause," Singh said. He alleged that local police were hand-in-gloves with the power real estate builders and had refused to lodge a FIR following which the petitioner had to approach to court for lodging the case of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Singh said that the accused builder Satinder Singh Bhasin and others moved the Allahabad High Court, which ordered stay on arrest of the builders, without giving an opportunity to the petitioner (property buyer). Gupta in his plea said that on December 13, 2017, the high court had quashed the charge-sheet, cognizance order and the entire criminal proceedings under various sections of IPC on the false pretext of arbitration clause. Gupta in his plea said that in 2012, managing director Satinder Singh Bhasin and Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia of M/s Mist Avenue Pvt Ltd published false, fake and misleading multiple advertisements in print and electronic media to induce the homebuyers of the project at Noida. He deposited money for a retail shop booked on November 21, 2012, to earn livelihood and the delivery of possession was promised to be given of the same within two years. "Even after lapse of more than six years the construction of the project is at initial stage. Now the construction has completely been stopped and project is lying in a dilapidated condition," the plea said. He claimed that till now he has paid Rs 32,43,840 through cheques to the Mist Avenue builders but possession of the property has not been given. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security forces have launched a search operation in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district to trace a government sub-engineer and a private construction company employee, who were allegedly abducted by Naxals, police said today. A group of Naxals set ablaze five vehicles and machines engaged in road construction in the Samri area of the district yesterday and allegedly abducted three persons, including Petrus Dungdung, a sub-engineer attached to the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), the police said. The other two were employees of a private construction company. One of them, Raju Gupta, returned to Samri last night, while the other, Shankar Bihari, was yet to be traced, they added. "Joint teams of the district police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have launched a search operation in the interior forests of Samri, adjoining Jharkhand, but they are yet to find any clue about the two men," Balrampur Superintendent of Police (SP) T R Koshima told PTI over the phone. "Of the three men who went missing from the construction site, one (Gupta) returned safely last night. We are yet to question him as he is not in a position to speak right now," the SP said. He said they were yet to receive any message from the Maoists regarding the incident, adding that it was still not clear if the rebels had abducted the two men. Meanwhile, the wife of the-sub engineer appealed to the ultras to release her husband on humanitarian grounds. "He is a government employee and was just doing his duty honestly. I just want him to return safely and I appeal to them to free him," Dungdung's wife, who did not want to be named, said, adding that she was confident that the administration would ensure her husband's safe return. Naxals had set ablaze a JCB machine, a road roller and three heavy trucks engaged in the construction of a road under PMGSY between Bandarchua and Pundag villages in the district, around 450km from state capital Raipur. After the incident, Dungdung, Gupta and Bihari, who were working at the site, went missing and it is suspected that they were abducted by the ultras. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ...and there were no mass ovens That is true - it's a phrase that has been used to mean the huge gas chambers which murdered millions of Jews. They weren't truly 'baked to death' in ovens. The Jews have made WWII about them, and it should not be about them, it was WWII and many people died, what 65-80 million or more. No, they havene't. They have made the genocide which we call The Holocaust about them. I have never heard one Jew (and, having grown up in a Jewish family in which most of my ancestors were gassed in Germany and Poland, I heard alot about The Holocaust) deny that Romanian Gypsies, Roman Catholics, homosexuals, the mentally deficient were also selectively targeted for extermination. Their numbers, however, came nowhere near the numbers of the Jewish victims. Once again, World War Ii is World War II - the incidents and issues which created WWII are varied and numerous depending on the nation that entered. The Holocaust is a specific incident that took place within WWII. Just as the My Lai Massacre was one event in the Viet Nam Conflict. IT is certainly one of the most horrific and publicized and well known of the events in the conflict, but it is not the same thing as the total Viet Nam Conflict. So it is with The Holocaust and World War II. I hope I was able to clear that up for you. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has told the National Green Tribunal that a meeting with Shahdara MLA Ram Niwas Goel would be held for identifying a suitable site for shifting an existing 'dhalao' (garbage dump) near a school in the locality. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra Rathore directed the municipal corporation to place on record the details of the minutes of the meeting. "The counsel for EDMC submits that another meeting of all the stakeholders as well as the MLA will be held regarding the alternative site etc before the next date of hearing. "EDMC shall place on record the details of proceedings/ minutes of the meeting and the conclusion to which they have arrived at the said meeting," the bench said. The matter will be heard next on May 22. The tribunal had earlier asked the AAP leader to participate in the process and make serious efforts to find out a solution to the problem. The order came on a letter written by Goel to the NGT against the increasing number of auto workshops in Jhilmil Colony in East Delhi resulting in enormous traffic congestion and air pollution in the area. The AAP MLA had also sought shifting of the 'dhalao' located near Babu Ram school in Shahdara as heaps of garbage had accumulated at the dumping site posing a threat to the health of residents in the area. "Heard the counsel for the parties. In respect of the question for dumping of garbage and a place for 'dhalao', counsel for EDMC along with officer present in court have informed us that an exercise with regard to change of place of 'dhalao' would be done so that the grievance that garbage being dumped near the school does not remain. "However, in this exercise, we expect the public representative (local MLA) to also participate and make serious efforts to find out the solution to the aforesaid problem. The counsel for EDMC shall intimate the public representative, as and when a meeting in this regard is called for," the bench had said. The order came after advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for the east civic body, said shifting of the existing dhalao was a complicated process and the corporation faces massive resistance from locals at the time of building dumps. The lawyer had suggested to the bench that being the local MLA, Goel's participation will help arrive at a consensus solution. During the hearing, advocate Kush Sharma, appearing for the Delhi Development Authority, had told the NGT that in entire EDMC jurisdiction, they have no piece of land for shifting the entire auto workshop which is operation at the site for last several decades. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today attacked the Modi-led government for "not fulfilling" its several poll promises and said the state Assembly elections among other things will also be about "broken promises" of the BJP. The Assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled on May 12 while the counting of votes is to be taken up on May 15. "This election is also about broken promises of the @narendramodi Govt. 1 Black money didn't become white. 2 People didn't get Rs 15 lakh in their accounts. 3 People's money lost value due to demonetisation. They were made to stand in line to get their own money," he said in a series of tweets. "Modi also failed to provide employment and asked job aspirants to sell pakodas and check increase in fuel prices despite international crude oil prices plummeting," Siddaramaiah said. "4 Unemployed are asked to sell Pakodas 5 International crude oil prices have fallen drastically but petrol/diesel prices keep increasing. 6 Corruption free Govt was promised, but Banks are being looted," he further tweeted. The mission in this election is also to defeat anti-development and communal BJP, besides opportunist JD(S), who are working together and also to protect the Indian Constitution from BJP who have plans to change it, the chief minister said. "This #KarnatakaElection2018 the mission is to defeat anti-Development & communal BJP & opportunist JDS, who are working together. This election is also about protecting our Constitution from BJP whose declared intention it is to change the Constitution," he tweeted. Siddaramaiah said his government is fighting the election for 'your mandate' to continue its good work in the last five years and wants to make the state number one in all major sectors. "We are also fighting this Election for your mandate to continue our good work in the last 5 years. We have made Karnataka No1 in many sectors. We will now make Karnataka No1 in all major sectors. We will specially focus on sustainable Jobs & infrastructure," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) indeed makes strange bedfellows as two non-BJP parties - the SP and the BSP - that halted the saffron party's juggernaut in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, are no more 'friends' in Karnataka and going separately there. The two parties had recently joined hands in Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls to ensure defeat of BJP candidates at chief minister Yogi Adityanath's home turf Gorakhpur, and Phulpur represented by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. But when it came to contesting Karnataka Assembly polls, the two parties decided to go solo. The SP and the BSP had also contested the recent Gujarat Assembly polls separately. In the UP civic polls too these two parties had contested separately. Similarly, during the 2017 Assembly elections, the SP and the Congress had formed an electoral alliance. But, the tie up appeared to have withered away during other elections that followed the Assembly polls, especially civic body polls, followed by by-elections to the two Lok Sabha seats and Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council biennial elections. "Our tie-up was only for the UP Lok Sabha by polls for Gorakhpur and Phulpur. Nothing has been finalised yet for an understanding in other states. We Samajwadis, however, want all secular forces to unite..", SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said. BSP supremo Mayawati, whose party has entered into a pact with former prime miniser HD Deve Gowda's JD(S), has already started working in the state and had held rallies in Mysuru and Chitradurga and will be holding rallies in Belagavi and Bidar on May 5-6 respectively. The BSP is contesting on 20 seats in Karnataka and is hoping to open an account there with the JD(S) support. While Akhilesh Yadav, who was scheduled to address rallies in favour of party candidates in Karnataka is still in dilemma. "Nothing has yet been finalised. He (Akhilesh) might not campaign in Karnataka," Chowdhury said. SP Karnataka State President Robin Mathews told PTI that party is contesting on 27 seats in the state claiming that "party would get success in polls". When asked about the party's campaigning strategy for polls, Mathews said all party leaders will be campaigning here. "All top leaders will be campaigning here in support of party candidates" he said exuding confidence that 'party President Akhilesh Yadav will be surely coming for their support. UP Chief Minister Adityanath will be seen in action addressing as many as 35 rallies and road shows the saffron party has organised for him as the Nath sect, to which he belongs, wields considerable clout in coastal Karnataka, BJP sources said. Polling will be held in a single phase on May 12 for all the 224-Assembly seats in Congress-ruled state, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 15 for Scheduled Tribes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran leftist leader G Sudhakar Reddy was unanimously re-elected as the CPI general secretary for the third consecutive term, at the party's 23rd congress that concluded here today. A 126-member National Council, 11-member Secretariat and 11-member Control Commission and 13 Candidate members were also elected at the congress that began on April 25. Among the prominent faces in the National Council is former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaya Kumar. The 76-year old Reddy, a two-time member of Lok Sabha, was first elected as party general secretary in 2012. The party congress called for a broader unity of secular, democratic and Left forces to face the challenge posed by the RSS-BJP, Reddy told reporters after his re-election. The CPI wanted to include Congress in its fight against the RSS-BJP at the national level, Reddy said. However, he said as far as Kerala was concerned, the Congress-led UDF would continue to be the political rival of the CPI(M)-led LDF, in which CPI is the second largest partner. Senior party leader and former Kerala Minister C Divakaran, who was not re-nominated to the National Council expressed displeasure over the decision. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rare clashes broke out Sunday between Syrian regime forces and a US-backed alliance in the east of the country, killing six alliance fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. State agency SANA said the army seized control of four villages from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Deir Ezzor province, where the Kurdish-led alliance has been fighting the Islamic State jihadist group. The SDF and Russian-backed Syrian government forces are conducting parallel but separate offensives against IS in the oil-rich province. But both sides have largely avoided running into each other and a deconfliction line exists to avoid such incidents. The Kurdish-led alliance is present on the eastern side of the Euphrates River that cuts across Deir Ezzor province, while regime forces hold territory on the river's western bank, including the provincial capital of the same name. Incidents between both sides have occurred in the past, but Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said it was the first time the regime had launched an operation to seize territory from the SDF. "The regime's aim is to protect Deir Ezzor city by pushing back SDF fighters from the eastern bank" of the Euphrates, Abdel Rahman said. SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali reported "exchange of gunfire" between both sides. "The Syrian regime army along with its militias started to attack our forces in Deir Ezzor countryside along the Euphrates River," the alliance said in a statement. In February, the US-led coalition backing the SDF carried out air strikes in Deir Ezzor province that killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters. Washington said the strikes were in retaliation for an attack on its own personnel and SDF forces. In September last year, the SDF accused Russia of killing one of its fighters in strikes on a gas facility newly retaken from IS. IS jihadists have lost most of the self-proclaimed "caliphate" they once controlled in large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq since 2014. Today, the jihadists hold less than four percent of Syria, the Observatory says. This includes desert pockets in Deir Ezzor province and parts of southern Damascus where they are under attack by regime forces. More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria's war since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. It has since spiralled into a complex conflict involving world powers and jihadists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on a mission to form a non-BJP non-Congress alternative, today met DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and its working president M K Stalin here. Rao, who held discussions with Stalin on a wide range of issues, including more autonomy to states, described the meeting as "very delightful". He said his ongoing effort was not aimed at some kind of a 'third front'.It was not a mere alignment of political parties but "that of the people" of the country, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi supremo told reporters in a joint press meet with Stalin. Rao parried a question on whether he was projecting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, whom he had recently met, as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2019 elections. The efforts were aimed at the country's betterment, better economy and better opportunities for the youth, he said. "We have not proposed any third, fourth or fifth front, this so called front is created by media. We have never announced a third front...it is not a mere alignment of political parties but an alignment of people of India, the masses and unemployed youth of India," he said. Earlier, Rao met Karunanidhi at the latter's Gopalapuram residence where he was received by Stalin. Praising 93-year old Karunanidhi as "one of the tallest leaders" of the country, he recalled their association in UPA I. He expressed joy that Karunanidhi, since confined indoors due to health reasons, responded to his 'Vanakkam,' the traditional Tamil salutation. The Telangana chief minister has recently met Banerjee and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda as part of his move to form an alternative. A resolution at the TRS Plenary on April 27 had authorised Rao to take appropriate decisions on forming the alternative to BJP and Congress. Stalin, son of Karunanidhi and Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, hosted a lunch for Rao at his residence where the two had a lengthy discussion on issues, including federalism and devolution of funds to states. Rao said the meeting was "very delightful...We discussed so many things. Things which have been happening for the last seven decades in the country." Both Rao and Stalin said they discussed issues such as the centre-state relations, powers to be given to the states, more devolution of funds and more autonomy to states. They also said more rounds of discussions would be held. Rao said this was neither the beginning nor the end and no decision had been taken. "...Across the nation there is a debate that there is a need for a qualitative change in governance of India, of India," he added. "So we have been discussing with so many leaders across the nation.. Both of us (himself and Stalin) had a telephonic talk with Mamata Banerjee also and we will be talking to so many leaders across the country," he said. This effort will take about two to three months for a consensus to be achieved, Rao said adding he and Stalin shared the view that India should be a secular country. "The centralisation...dictatorial trends" of successive governments seen in the last seven decades should go, he said. When asked if the Centre 'ignored' southern states, Rao shot back saying, "where is the doubt about it" and vowed to ensure justice for people. The TRS chief said he invited Stalin to be chief guest for the launch of a Telangana government scheme next month. On whether he would reach out to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he said "why not", adding he considered him as "best friend". Stalin said the discussions centred around the prevailing political situation, but added any annuncement on a possible alliance would come only during elections. "Issues like more powers for states, strengthening federalism, bringing education to state list, more devolution of funds to states and the authoritarian attitude of Central government were discussed. A healthy discussion happened today," he said. Rao was accompanied by his senior party colleagues including K Keshava Rao, MP, while former DMK ministers T R Baalu and A Raja were present during the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is attempting to stitch a coalition of non-BJP parties ahead of the next year's Lok Sabha elections, today met DMK president M Karunanidhi at his residence here. Rao, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo, stayed at Karunanidhi's residence for a brief period while before proceeding to the house of DMK Working President M K Stalin, where the latter is scheduled to host him for lunch. The TRS leader, who was welcomed by Stalin at the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi, later left for the house of the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, who also joined him in the same vehicle. Deliberations between Stalin and Rao are likely to be held at the former's residence in Alwarpet. Earlier, the Telangana chief minister had met West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as part of efforts to build a non-Congress, non-BJP third front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Stalin had said his party "endorsed" the efforts of Mamata Banerjee to bring together various parties against the BJP. The DMK and Congress are allies in Tamil Nadu and the two had faced the 2016 Assembly elections as part of an alliance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hansal Mehta's "Omerta" tracks the story of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and the director says through this film he wants to provoke a thought among people about state sponsored terrorism. Sheikh, a British terrorist of Pakistan descent, was involved in the 9/11 terror attacks and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl. He is currently in prison in Pakistan serving the life sentence. "There are some standard emotions that a film leaves you with like happiness, sadness, this (film) would leave you angry. We live in a world where a villain like this exists and yet we are silent about it," Mehta told PTI. "There is deadly silence about the truth surrounding state sponsored terrorism. It exists yet we do not talk about it. Governments don't talk about it because the business of war keeps the government solvent," he says. Today everyone is busy in their own lives and do not care about things happening in the world until something affects them directly, Mehta points out. "...Only when something happens we react. I am hoping the film will tell people to think we need to react. It is in government's interest to maintain status quo they are in the business of war, fighting because governments and politicians make their money from oil and defence," he adds. The film features Mehta's frequent collaborator Rajkummar Rao playing the part of the terrorist, but before he came on board, there were a few actors who were approached for the role. "...That is much before I met Rajkummar. With 'Omerta' I was not able to find the producer initially for the film. I even pitched the story of 'Omerta' to the producers of 'Shahid' but they wanted to make 'Shahid' first as it seemed more manageable. I think everything happens at the right time. Rajkummar and me met and that changed things for us," he says. Given the fair bit of violence and tone of the film, Mehta did envisage the problem in getting a smooth clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). When the director first went to the examining committee seeking an 'A' certificate, the board ordered several cuts which Mehta felt were "unjustified" and he approached the revising committee, hoping they would understand the context of the film. "The examining committee had asked for cuts which were completely unjustified. I had gone for the screening asking A certificate. I requested them give us an A certificate, I was surprised why the cuts. I had to take the film to revising committee that's why the delay in release date. "The revising committee suggested two cuts and I could have taken to tribunal but it is unfair to producers who have invested money in the film as the tribunal would take time. There were two cuts and we did it," he says. The two cuts ordered by the revising committee were - a sequence where Omar is urinating during the national anthem and the other was sexual in nature, Mehta says. "...It is an offensive scene and it is suppose to make you angry. There is one scene where he is having a violent sex before he carries out an operation," he adds. The director believes every film faces some difficulties but the challenge that "Omerta" posed was how to make a film on an antagonist, without glorifying anything. "...For us it was about doing this film without making him look like hero. It is about a film on an antagonist and let him be an antagonist. Let somebody loathe or hate him," he says. The film is set to release on May 4. Meanwhile, asked about the recent casting couch controversy, Mehta, who has always been vocal about expressing his views on topical issues, believes people react to the event and do not focus on the remedy. "...We say death penalty for rapists but that is not enough. How do we prevent rapes from happening? How do we provide safety to women? We don't look at these things. It is all superficial. "The entire system is based on superficiality and it is based on populist statements and on reaction to things that are mentioned in social media," he says. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of Sikhs in the US have participated in the annual 'Sikh Day Parade' in the heart of Manhattan here, spreading awareness about the faith amid incidents of hate crimes against the minority community. Men, women and children, dressed in their traditional finery, turned out in large numbers for the 31st 'Sikh Day Parade' yesterday, inundating Manhattan with a sea of turbans. The parade included live music, dance, performances by children, marching bands, display of Sikh martial arts, decorated floats as well as culinary offerings as participants marched down several blocks along Manhattan's Madison Avenue. New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill and Hoboken Mayor Ravinder S Bhalla attended the parade. O'Neill said it was an honour for him to take part in the parade. "As our great city grows more diverse, we're committed to making sure the #NYPD does, too. The best way to serve all neighbourhoods is to ensure every community is represented within our department. Public safety will always be a shared responsibility," O'Neill tweeted. Sikhs of NY co-founder Chanpreet Singh said members of his team did "sewa" at the "langar" of the parade, referring to the Sikh practice of community kitchens and offering free food to people. "The parade is a celebration for our culture. It helps us portray what we believe in. Such events help in creating awareness about the Sikh culture and how it is accepting of other faiths and traditions," Singh told PTI. He said the Sikh community has faced hate crimes since the 9/11 attacks and through events such as the Sikh parade, the community hopes to convey to the "everyday Americans or western persons that we are just like you and Sikh values are like American values". A Sikh organisation in the US had recently created a world record by tying thousands of turbans within a few hours as members of the community commemorated the annual Turban Day at the iconic Times Square in New York. According to Sikh rights group Sikh Coalition, following the 9/11 attacks, Sikhs remain hundreds of times more likely to be targeted in cases of profiling, bigotry and backlash than others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The sprawling complex at Kamra, west of Islamabad, reverberates at the thundering take-off of a Mirage Rose-1, the latest ageing fighter jet to have been gutted and reassembled by the Pakistani Air Force. Fifty years after Pakistan bought its first Mirages, many planes in the venerable fleet are still being patched up, overhauled and upgraded for use in combat, years after conventional wisdom dictates they should be grounded. That includes one of the first two planes originally purchased from France's Dassault in 1967, which was in a hangar at Kamra after its record fifth overhaul when AFP visited recently. The techniques they have developed are reminiscent of -- but far more high-tech and lethal than -- the improvised methods used to keep classic American cars running on the streets of Havana. "We have achieved such a capability that our experts can integrate any latest system with the ageing Mirages," says Air Commodore Salman M. Farooqi, deputy managing director of the Mirage Rebuild Factory (MRF) at the Kamra complex. Pakistan bought its first Mirages to diversify its fleet, which in the late 1960s largely consisted of US-built planes: F-104 Starfighters, T-37 Tweety Birds and F-86 Sabres. The Mirage became a popular choice, with the Air Force buying 17 different variants in later years, eventually owning the second-highest number of the fighter jets after France. They performed bombing missions during Pakistan's failed war with India in 1971 -- one of the shortest conflicts in history, lasting just 13 days and leading to the creation of Bangladesh. But Mirages flew on, also carrying out reconnaissance missions in India, and intercepting and shooting down Soviet and Afghan planes that violated Pakistani airspace during the Soviet war. Usually the jet has two or three life cycles, each spanning around 12 years. But overhauling them abroad was expensive for Pakistan, a developing country whose budget is already disproportionately tilted towards its military and which has historically received billions in military assistance from countries such as the US. So, with the help of experts from Dassault, the air force decided if you want something done for the right price, you've got to do it yourself. The Mirage Rebuild Factory was established at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in 1978, and in the years since has saved "billions" of dollars for Pakistan, according to Group Captain Muhammad Farooq, in charge of one of the maintenance hangars -- though he said the exact figure was difficult to pin down. The planes take some seven weeks to be overhauled and repainted, he said, adding that usually the MRF has the capacity for more than a dozen planes a year. Its calendar for the next decade or so is already booked up. At least eight different Mirage variants, including the Mirage 5-EF, Mirage III-DP and Mirage-III Rose-I, were in one of the maintenance hangers when AFP visited. Engineers and technicians were dismantling cockpit instrument panels and landing gear while undertaking a "non-destructive inspection", essentially an X-ray to detect faults in the wings and airframe. Dozens of engines awaiting overhaul were piled in one hangar. Even planes that had suffered accidents such as fires breaking out have been patched back together at the facility. Pakistan has also been buying up discarded Mirages from other countries to bring through the facility, said retired Air Marshal Shahid Lateef. The most important technological improvement, developed with the help of South Africa, is the ability to integrate air-to-air refuelling, Farooqi said. The "identification of friend and foe" (IFF) system, which detects when a Mirage has been locked on to by the system of another plane, was also a key development, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tripura government has taken several steps to boost pineapple production in the state by planning to make infrastructure and laying emphasis on export. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has recently said "we have to make more infrastructure like creation of food park, laboratory for testing food products, cold storage chains and training programmes for staggered pineapple cultivation to make it available round the year." "The famous 'Queen' variety which has a GI tag is the best quality of pineapple in the world. The fruit will be exported for the first time to Dubai next month," Deb said. The 'Queen' pineapple got the GI tag in 2015. Officials from APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), an apex organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, exporters, importers, logistics providers, scientists from Assam Agriculture University, Railways, Customs, and other government bodies met at Agartala recently to decide on ensuring production of the fruits round the year and export them to foreign countries. Official sources said the government had also decided to buy pineapple from growers with good support price to encourage them for growing the fruit round the year. Tripura is one of the largest pineapple growing states in the country and there are more than 100 commercial scale pineapple plantations in the state, they said. APEDA had earlier helped export the 'Kew' variety of pineapples from Tripura to West Asia. A delegation, comprising exporters, importers, APEDA officials and those of the state government, also visited pineapple farms and discussed with the farmers about their problems and prospects recently. The official said the state government would soon make a logo of the 'Queen' variety of pineapple and if the importers like the product, there would be regular business. Amit Debbarma, a pineapple turned rubber cultivator, at Jumerdhepa in Sipahijala district, says that now he plans to grow pineapple in bulk quantity as it would earn more money. Many of his fellow farmers echoed the same. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In keeping with its poll promise, the BJP-IPFT government in Tripura has referred 74 cases on chit fund scams, running into hundreds of crores, to the CBI, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb today said. The 74 cases, till now being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), have been referred to the Central probe agency, the chief minister told reporters here. "The investigative agency has already agreed to investigate 11 cases. We hope they will take up all of them," Deb said. The chief minister said, "It was our poll pledge that proper investigation of chit fund related cases would be done through the CBI.... Our Cabinet has decided to refer the cases to them." Nearly Rs 147 crore was lost in the chit fund scam in these 11 cases and the quantum of public deposit would be clear after investigation begins in all the cases, Deb said. In the run up to the Assembly polls, the BJP- -Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance had announced to hand over the investigation into the Rose Valley scam to CBI immediately after coming to power in the state in March this year. The 11 cases which were earlier taken up by the CBI include cases against Rose Valley, Response Group, Basil International, I Core and Waris Group of Companies. The chief minister said the erstwhile Left Front government had paved the way for exploitation of people through chit funds. "They granted licenses to chit funds, No Objection Certificates (NOC) and also inaugurated events," Deb said in an oblique reference to former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who attended an event of the Rose Valley group in an amusement park here in 2008. Sarkar had later claimed that his government was unaware of the real intentions of the chit fund companies. The CBI on April 25 had questioned former Tripura minister Bijita Nath in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. Nath was the social welfare minister in the previous Manik Sarkar government in the state. Tripura Speaker Rebati Mohan Das had said on April 24 that the CBI had informed him that it would quiz Nath and another CPI(M) MLA Badal Choudhury, in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the new US embassy here, describing the south London location as "lousy" and "horrible", three months after the mission was thrown open to public. In January, Trump cancelled a "working visit" to the UK planned to officially launch the new US embassy in Vauxhall, blaming a "bad deal" struck by the previous Obama-administration to relocate the base from central London to an "off location". He had criticised the decision to move the embassy from Grosvenor Square in the posh Mayfair area of the city to Nine Elms, south of the Thames, in a USD 1.2 billion project. The President described the south London location as "lousy" and "horrible", BBC said in a report. Trump is scheduled to visit the UK in July. Speaking at a rally in Michigan, the president said: "In the UK, in London, we had the best site in all of London. The best site. "Well, some genius said: 'We're gonna sell the site and then we're going to take the money and build a new embassy'". "That sounds good right, but you've got to have money left over if you do that, right? By the way, they wanted me to cut the ribbon on the embassy (in January) and I said: 'I'm not going. I don't wanna do it'", BBC quoted Trump as saying. The building on the Mayfair site was never owned outright by the United States. It owned a 999-year leasehold, but the freehold is owned by Grosvenor Estates, the report said. The new embassy in Vauxhall was opened on January 16. It cost USD 1 billion (730 million pound) and holds 800 members of staff. Trump said he thought - but would have to check - that officials sold the previous site for USD 250 million (181 million pounds), the report added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has made no decision on the Iran nuclear deal, his top national security advisor John Bolton said today. "He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," Bolton was quoted as saying by Fox Trump, he said, is certainly considering the framework, the four pillars that the French President Emanuel Macron laid out in their meeting last week: the Iran nuclear situation now, the situation in the future, Iran's ballistic missiles and regional peace and security. "That is something that's of interest to the president and worth pursuing. But in terms specifically of a nuclear deal, there's no decision on that yet," he said in response to a question on the Iranian nuclear deal. Trump has threatened to leave the deal, which was negotiated by the previous Obama Administration. Trump, he noted, said very negative things about the deal, which implied that these other steps wouldn't really address that concern. But it's possible in the discussions with European allies that the administration will be able to see some possibility there. "He'll make the decision when it's appropriate to make a decision, and that will be up until May 12," he said. In 2015 the US and other nations struck a deal with Iran to end a 12-year standoff over that country's nuclear program. Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions, but Trump has criticised the deal as not going far enough. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Dalit family, whose four members were allegedly flogged by cow vigilantes in Una tehsil in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district in 2016, embraced Buddhism today at an event organised in Mota Samadhiyala village. The organiser of the programme claimed that a total of 450 Dalits embraced Buddhism on the occasion. More than a thousand Dalits participated in the event in Saurashtra region, where cow vigilantes had allegedly flogged seven Dalits for skinning the carcass of a cow in July 2016. Among the new converts were Balubhai Sarvaiya, his sons Ramesh and Vashram, who were victims of the flogging, and Balubhai's wife Kunwar Sarvaiya. Balubhai's nephew Ashok Sarvaiya, and another relative Bechar Sarvaiya, who also were the victims of flogging, shunned Hinduism on the eve of Buddha Purnima - the birthday of Lord Buddha. Another victim of flogging, Devjibhai Babariya, who hails from nearby Bediya village, could not attend the function due to poor health, Balubhai said. "A total of 450 Dalits converted to Buddhism today," said Balubhai, who had organised of the event. The new converts were handed certificates by the Buddhist Society of India. Seven Dalits, including four members of the Sarvaiya family from Mota Samadhiyala, were paraded and flogged for allegedly skinning a dead cow in July, 2016. The incident had caused nationwide outrage after its video had gone viral. Ramesh Sarvaiya said they decided to convert to Buddhism because they were discriminated against by Hindus over their caste. "Hindu cow vigilantes called us Muslims. The kind of discrimination we faced by Hindus pains us and therefore we have decided to convert. Even the state government has discriminated against us by not fulfilling the promises made to us in the wake of the flogging incident," he said. Ramesh Sarvaiya said they were never considered Hindus despite the fact that their community followed the religion for "thousands of years". "We were prevented from entering temples. We are discriminated against by Hindus and had been asked to carry our utensils for food wherever we go to work. The fact that we have not yet got justice in the Una case has also been a reason behind our decision to convert," he said. Jitu Sarvaiya, who also embraced Buddhism at the venue, said they are following the path shown by Babasaheb Ambedkar - the 20th century social reformer who had embraced Buddhism along with lakhs of his followers in 1956. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US has an "obligation" to pursue a diplomatic solution with North Korea and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by its leader Kim Jong-un and his nuclear arsenal, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today. The Secretary of State who till last week was the CIA Director had quietly travelled to North Korea early this month and had a meeting with Kim. "I was there (in North Korea) on a mission. I was aiming to achieve the goals that the president set forward to me, it became clear that I was going to get the chance to meet with Kim Jong-un to discuss some of the details, but most importantly to take a read on whether there was an opportunity here for our two countries to achieve this," Pompeo was quoted as saying by ABC "We have a mission set, we have an obligation to engage in diplomatic discourse to try and find a peaceful solution so that Americans aren't held at risk by Kim Jong-un and his nuclear arsenal. That's the mission. That's the goal. Only time will tell if we're going to be able to achieve it," said Pompeo. Responding to a question, Pompeo said that anytime one get a chance to meet face-to-face with someone, one gets a better read about what they're thinking, whether they're really prepared to do something that is historic and different. "We have got a long history of negotiating with North Korea. Repeatedly, they have taken actions only to find that those promises proved false or unworthy or they were incapable of achieving them. My goal was to try and identify if there was a real opportunity there. I believe there is. Who knows how the ultimate discussions will go, he said Pompeo hoped that the proposed meeting between Trump and Kim Jong un could be achieved. "I talked about getting the release of the American detainees. Then we talked a great deal about what it might look like, what this complete, verifiable, irreversible mechanism might look like," he said. "When the two leaders, the only people that can make those decisions, will be in a room together, they can set the course, they can chart the outcome. They can then direct the teams to go deliver that outcome. And the best outcome would be that, that the two agree that they're going to get there and charter their teams to go make that happen," he said. Noting that the Trump administration has its eyes wide open with regard to North Korea, he said he is aware about the history. "We know the risks. We're going to be very different. We're going to negotiate in a different way than has been done before. We're going to require those steps - we use the word irreversible with great intention. We're going to require those steps that demonstrate that denuclearization is going to be achieved," he said. Pompeo said that US is not going to allow Kim Jong-un to continue to threaten America. "We're not going to let him develop a program such that Americans are held at risk," he said. "I believe that one of the reasons that Kim Jong-un is engaged in this conversation is that the pressure campaign that has been applied by President Trump, and indeed by the world, has put them in an even more tenuous, more difficult position. And so I'm optimistic. We will work hard to see if we can find a solution so that the North Korea people can in fact live a better life," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal has registered a rise in the number of trafficking cases in recent years as more people are coming forward to report such incidences, a state minister has said. Over the years, the state government, with the help of various welfare organisations, has been able to convince people to fight the menace, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Shashi Panja said. "People often indulge in blame game, pointing fingers at the state government for the increase in the number of trafficking incidents. That isn't the case. In the past few years, we have seen more people mustering courage to talk about their plight," she asserted. Panja was speaking at the seventh edition of 'Anti-Trafficking in Persons Conclave', hosted recently by the US consulate in Kolkata, in association with Delhi-based NGO Shakti Vahini. The two-day meet saw students, activists, journalists, government officials and security personnel coming together to find a solution to the issue that had been plaguing India and its neighbours. Lauding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the internationally acclaimed Kanyashree scheme, the minister said over 47 lakh girls have benefited from the move. Kanyashree aims to ensure that girls stay in school and delay their marriages till at least age 18. As per the scheme, Rs 750 is paid annually to girls studying in class 8 and above, and a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 is paid after she turns 18 provided she is engaged in an academic or occupational pursuit and unmarried. "The scheme is a safety net for many girls, who wish to study and do something with their life," Panja added. Echoing similar sentiments, US Consul General Craig Hall, who addressed the inaugural session of the meet, said human trafficking was a global problem. The US and India, as enduring partners of the 21st century, are committed to providing leadership on issues of shared interests, including the strengthening of human rights, he said. "In the last seven years, we have seen great examples of collaboration between civil society organisations and the government to combat trafficking," Hall added. Sharing his experiences, Shrikumar Bandopadhyay, the IG of Sashastra Seema Bal, Siliguri frontier, said the porous international borders often make it easy for traffickers to escape law. "We visit schools in remote areas to generate awareness among the youths about the safe use of social media and the risks of giving in to temptations," he said. "In the past two years, we have rescued at least 150 victims from the clutches of traffickers," he stated. Ravi Kant, the founder of NGO Shakti Vahini, said the conclave gave all stakeholders a chance to brainstorm ways to tackle the global menace. "The two-day meet is a great occasion to strengthen our fight against forced labour and human trafficking. It is time that all stakeholders unite to end the menace once and for all," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said he would allow different voices to flourish within the organisation but stressed all must present a united face when it comes to fighting forces like the RSS, in his first public comments on recent dissenting opinions expressed by senior party leader Salman Khurshid. Addressing the party's 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' at the Ramlila Maidan here, with the senior leader in audience, Gandhi said, the party will respect its experienced and young leaders and workers alike. Action will be taken against anybody who shows disrespect to own party colleagues, he said. "I want to give an example. Salman Khurshidji is sitting here. A few days back, he voiced opinions which were against the party line. I am ready to accept from this platform that there will be different opinions in our party and that I will allow different opinions to flourish in the party, he told the gathering. Gandhi said he will protect people like Khurshid, a former Union minister, who has opinions different from the party's. But, I do want to say something that when the party is fighting against the RSS, then we will have to do so with unity and love. As Gandhi spoke these lines from the stage, Khurshid was seen clapping in the audience. He later said only truth prevails in the Congress party. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, Gandhi said they would never say something like this. This is mainly because only two people are respected in the ruling party, PM Modi and Shah, he alleged. Neither (Union finance minister) Arun Jaitley ji nor (BJP veteran LK) Advani ji nor their chief ministers will be respected in their party. In their party, only Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will be respected, he alleged. Gandhi stressed that Congress ideology alone can spread love and brotherhood across the country. Last week the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra given by seven opposition parties led by Congress did not have the backing of Khurshid, a former law minister. He had said he was not kept in the loop on the impeachment notice. Also, a controversy had erupted last week over Khurshid's remarks that the party's hands were 'stained with blood', prompting the Congress to quickly distance itself from the comment. The party said it disagreed completely with Khurshid and requested its leaders to refrain from making such "unfounded" statements that "help the cause" of the party in power. "It is a political question. There is blood on our hands. I am also a part of the Congress so let me say it, we have blood on our hands, Khurshid had said in response to a student accusing the Congress of having Muslim blood on its hands and asking how the party proposed to wash it off, at an event in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh on April 22. After a controversy erupted over the issue, Khurshid hit out at the media, saying it saddened him as it questioned right to speak the truth. Media saddens. They question right to speak truth. They distort reply to isolated hostile question by imputing confession instead of reporting despite allegations would you deny our duty to protect you from harm?' Sensationalism for profit? he had posted on Twitter. Gandhi though did not directly mention any of the two instances in his speech. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fresh from the success of "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety", Kartik Aaryan says he will announce his next project soon. There were rumours that the 29-year-old actor was teaming up with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Karan Johar for different films. It was also reported that Kartik has been signed on by Yash Raj Films for a project. When asked about the reports, the actor said, "I think whatever films I do next, a proper announcement will be made soon. I will be sharing it soon. It will be announced at the right time." Kartik was speaking at the 19th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards voting weekend here. "There is lot of excitement to attend IIFA. As an actor, you always want a stage like IIFA to host and perform in front of a lot of people," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Twinkle Khanna today responded to a message by an Indian Navy officer, who warned her against auctioning a costume piece worn by her husband Akshay Kumar in the film, "Rustom", saying she "will not retaliate with violent threats but by taking legal action". The author-producer had recently supported Akshay's announcement to sell off the "actual naval uniform" he donned in the 2016 film, which was loosely based on the 1959 Nanavati murder case. Khanna received a lot of flak on social media for backing the sale, the proceeds from which would go to "the cause of animal rescue and welfare". The original message, by Lt Col Sandeep Ahlawat, was shared by senior journalist Sandeep Unnithan on Twitter, who claimed the author was "one of the finest men in uniform" known to him. In a Facebook post, Lt Col Ahlawat called Khanna's idea of auctioning the costume "as sick as your funnybones jokes/book/blog". He wrote what Akshay wore in the film, as Commander Rustom Pavri for which he won his maiden National Film Award for best actor, was "a costume and not uniform". "Indian Armed Forces wives (Army, Navy, Airforce) do not auction their husbands uniforms. Uniform is not a piece of cloth that a producer hands over to cinestars for enacting roles and make some quick bucks. "The permission to wear the uniform comes from the office of the President of India. Uniform is earned with your blood, toil and sweat which is placed on the mortal remains of a soldier along with the tricolour," he added. Lt Col Ahlawat warned Khanna that he will "drag you to the court" if she even made "a feeble attempt to auction this piece of costume in the garb of 'UNIFORM'." "You touch our honour and we will give you a bloody nose," he added. Khanna replied to Unnithan's tweet, questioning whether it was plausible to "to threaten a woman with bodily harm for trying to raise funds for a charity". "As a society do we really think it's all right to threaten a woman with bodily harm for trying to raise funds for a charity by auctioning a uniform used in a movie, a piece of film memorabilia? I will not retaliate with violent threats but by taking legal action! #JaiHind," she wrote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Colonial Beach, Virginia-- on Virginia's Northern Neck-- is closer to DC than it is to Richmond and people can commute to DC to work. It's part of the solidly red first congressional district, which went for McCain and Romney and in 2016 gave Trump a 53.6% to 41.2%% win over Hillary. The district PVI is a daunting R+8. Colonial Beach was founded-- as Monrovia in 1650-- by the great, great grandfather of James Monroe and George Washington was born just outside the town. It's a small town, with a median income of $31,711, and just over 3,500 inhabitants. Westmoreland News, which decided to report on how KKK recruitment flyers and DVDs had started appearing in Colonial Beach. And now It's part of Westmoreland County, which has its own newspaper, the, which decided to report on how KKK recruitment flyers and DVDs had started appearing in Colonial Beach. And now the paper is in trouble -- well not in real trouble, but in small town trouble. Some of the readers are upset because the paper ran a Klan recruitment flyer-- racist language and all-- on the front page. It was an illustration for the story but... you know what a trigger warning? There wasn't one... and not everyone understands the difference between running a Klan flyer as advocacy and running a Klan flyer as exposure. Some residents considered it giving the KKK and its heinous ideas free ad space. "It even had the number on flyer to contact the head of the KKK," complained one reader. But the Westmoreland News ran a disclaimer saying it "in no way condones or supports the content or message of this flyer, nor does it condone or support any branch of the Loyal White Knights, or the KKK." That wasn't enough for some, who are on Facebook calling for a boycott. When I look into a newspaper from my community, I expect to be informed about the happenings of my local atmosphere. I don't expect to feel threatened, belittled, and unwanted, Facebook user J Lemar Smith wrote. There is no problem with making the locals aware of the events surrounding these advertisements, but submitting a free advertisement on the front page is unacceptable. Jeremy Edouard Whitfield added: This story could have been told without promoting these lunatics. Them and any other racially biased hate group have no business on the front page of any paper. Or any page for that matter. It is utterly ridiculous that you would print something like this without thinking of the repercussions. Colonial Beach Police Chief Danny Plott was also unhappy with the paper after admitting he was the one who handed them the flyer to help cover the story, not expecting to see it on the front page. Plott told WTVR he called the papers editor, Brittlynn Powell, demanding an explanation. She explained that she wanted to put it in to show people that those of us in Colonial Beach who may think theres not racismI think she didnt expect for this to blow up the way it did, Plott said. The congressman from the area, since 2007, is Rob Wittman, who's never had a serious opponent. Although there are 3 Democrats vying for the nomination to go up against him, none are raising enough money to mount a competitive campaign. The likeliest to win the primary is John Suddarth who's running on a progressive platform: Ruling himself out as a chief ministerial aspirant, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh has said that he would travel across poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to unite his party to defeat the BJP which is in power in the state for 15 years. The state goes to polls later this year and Singh, who was its chief minister between 1993 and 2003, said that he has conveyed his plan of a state-wide tour to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He, however, insisted that it should not be seen as an attempt to push his candidature for the chief ministerial post and asserted that there was "no question" of him being a contender for the job. "I will take up the challenge of putting all Congress workers together in each assembly segment and district. And for that, some senior party leaders, who are not aspirants of any ticket, assembly or parliamentary elections, would work with me," Singh told PTI journalists in an interaction. "We will go to every district and bring all workers together. We hope to start by May 15 and travel throughout the state. Who will become chief minister, ministers or MLAs, all these can be discussed later," the 71-year-old Congress general secretary added. Singh recently returned from a self-imposed sabbatical after concluding 'Narmada Parkirama' of over 3,300 km on foot in six months. The yatra, an arduous pilgrimage considered very holy by the faithful, has given him a political boost, many political watchers believe, as it has helped him connect with the masses and the Congress' rank and file across the big state, and put a string of controversies behind him. Asked about reports suggesting that he has supported Kamal Nath as the next chief minister if the Congress wins the polls, Singh said that he had only reiterated his stand of 2008. "During my Parikrama, journalists came to me and said that Digvijay ji you had talked about Kamal Nath becoming chief minister in 2008. I said, yes I had said so. So, the journalists asked me what my opinion is now. I said I don't change my decisions. Rest, Rahul Gandhi ji will decide what he has to. Then the journalists ran a story saying Digvijay Singh supports Kamal Nath," the veteran leader said. Rahul Gandhi recently restructured the Congress' Madhya Pradesh unit by appointing Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia as its president and campaign committee chairman respectively. He also named four working presidents for the state namely, Bala Bachchan, Ramnivas Rawat, Jitu Patwari and Surender Choudhary as part of the organisation changes. Singh also pitched for allowing party MLAs pick their legislature leader in Parliamentary democracy. He cited example of how he had become the state's chief minister after winning an election between him and another contender for the post, Shyama Charan Shukla in the 90s. Madhya Pradesh is expected to witness a straight fight between the incumbent BJP and the challenger Congress later this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff laughed off Bernie Ecclestone's suggestion that Lewis Hamilton is "a bit tired" of Formula One as nothing more than a publicity "hand grenade". While Hamilton declined to react to the former commercial supremo's comments, Wolff said he took them with a smile. "All of us very much respect Bernie, but we have also learned to take the comments with a smile," said Wolff. "Lewis is remarkably easy with these kinds of things - I think that he sees it pretty relaxed. "Bernie comes in and throws a hand grenade and it's in the papers - it's great. It's Bernie's way - he got all of you here (into F1) and me, and he made the sport big. "It's the off-track and on-track narrative and another thing to write about and talk about." Hamilton is still motivated, said Wolff, who added that there had been an overreaction to Mercedes failure to win any of the three season-opening races. "How the is running these days, we are oscillating between exuberance and depression, and back again," he said. "When things are not going in the right direction it's doom, and when you win two races in a row it's the utter Mercedes dominance destroying the sport. "Maybe it's somewhere in the middle. We haven't collectively performed on the level we would want to in the last races. "There were three races we could have won and we didn't, that's a fact. But I still see the fire and the desire to win very much burning in Lewis." Wolff was speaking ahead of sunday's Azerbaijan Grand prix, where Hamilton shared the front row with pole sitter Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zoom Air is looking to fly to nearby international destinations like Yangon and Chittagong, from Kolkata, a top official of the airline has said. Last week, Zoom Air launched daily flights between Kolkata and Tezpur in Assam, under the Centre"s regional connectivity scheme (RCS). "We are planning to operate flights to international destinations such as Yangon and Chittagong from Kolkata. These destinations are likely to be connected with one or two destinations in the North East," CEO cum MD of Zoom Air, Koustav M Dhar told PTI. "We will be able to introduce international flights from Kolkata, because from now on, we will park two aircraft in the city at night," Dhar said. At present, only one aircraft is parked at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) in Kolkata at night, and very soon the airline is going to park its new, the fifth aircraft, in Kolkata as well, he said. "The routes on the international sectors are yet to be finalised. The options are Kolkata to Yangon via Guwahati and Kolkata to Chittagong via Guwahati. We are looking at these routes since there is a demand," Dhar said. Dhar also said that the airline is planning to start flights between Mumbai and Delhi with a stopover in Durgapur. "We are planning to start flight operations to Durgapur and the route will be Delhi to Mumbai via Durgapur. The Delhi-Durgapur-Mumbai flights are expected to start from August this year," Dhar said. Zoom Air had started flights to Durgapur in February 2017 but withdrew from it in August 2017 citing bird hit in one of its aircraft. At that time, the flight was being operated between Delhi and Kolkata via Durgapur, Dhar explained. He also said that a late night flight between Delhi and Kolkata is also on the cards. "The Delhi"Kolkata"Delhi flight will not be under the RCS scheme. It will leave Delhi at midnight and reach Kolkata after two hours approximately," Dhar said. Zoom Air is a full service carrier. The airline at present has five 50-seater Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ200) long range (LR) aircraft. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An audit of Saudi Aramco's oil reserves - an essential part of the preparatory work for its planned initial public offering - has found the state oil giant to have higher reserves than it previously reported, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Saudi Arabia's reserves of easily recoverable oil have long been the world's largest. Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the independent external audit has found the proven oil reserves to be at least 270 billion barrels, which is slightly higher than the 260.8 billion barrels the company reported ... BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq has signed a contract with two Chinese companies, PowerChina and Norinco International, to build an oil refinery at the port of Fao on the Gulf, an Iraqi oil official said on Sunday.The refinery in Fao will have the capacity to produce 300,000 barrels per day and will include a petrochemical plant, he told Reuters, saying the agreement was signed on Saturday in Iraq.The Fao refinery south of Basra is one of several Iraq plans as it seeks by Iraq to become self-sufficient in oil products.Iraq is OPEC's second-largest oil producer, after Saudi Arabia. Its refining ... SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Noble Group will set a date for a special meeting to seek shareholder approval for a $3.4 billion debt restructuring after a Singapore court blocked its scheduled annual meeting following legal action by a dissident shareholder.In a statement on Sunday, the Singapore-listed commodity trader said Friday's court order does not restrict it from holding any special general meeting.Noble will go ahead with seeking shareholders' approval on Monday for the disposal of a ship but the annual general meeting (AGM) for the same day has been cancelled. [L3N1S42KA]Goldilocks, the ... By James Davey and Ben MartinLONDON (Reuters) - Sainsbury's and Walmart's Asda are in talks to create Britain's biggest supermarket group, a combination which would surpass Tesco's grocery market share and be worth up to 15 billion pounds ($20.7 billion).Sainsbury's confirmed on Saturday that it and Walmart, the world's largest retailer, were in advanced discussions regarding a combination of the Sainsbury's and Asda businesses, the UK's No. 2 and 3 UK grocers. It said they will make a further announcement at 0600 GMT on Monday.Britain's big grocers, including No. 4 player Morrisons, have ... The country France bagged the first position followed by the country Nepal at the second place. The winners were awarded with the gifts & the certificate of Merit. The judgment criteria was based on Lyrics, Synchronization, Rhythm & over all presentation. The judges were ecstatic to be the part of the event & blessed the young musicians with the quotes of being energetic & passionate about the international culture. The Principal of the School gave away the vote of thanks by congratulating the winners and applauding the efforts of each & every participants. She appreciated the efforts of all the participating teams .This ISA Project -3 Rhythmic Beats & Twirls taught the young minds that Music binds the Nations & Music heals the Soul. N.K. Bagrodia Public School Dwarka organized ISA Project -3 Rhythmic Beats & Twirls - EUPHORIAan Inter School International Group song Competition on April 19th , 2018. The competition was graced & observed by the Special Invitees Mr Lal Singh, Subedar Major Retired Ex Army Band Master along with Mr Jawinder Kanwar, Ex Band Master CRPF Inspector. The competition witnessed schools enthusiastically participating in Euphoria. This ISA Project highlighted the different musical aspects of the covered countries Spain, France, USA & Nepal. The participants came in the costumes of their chosen country . They also carried the native musical instruments of the selected country to get that feel into the competition. The participants presented the song of the chosen country with full zeal, proper pronunciation & rhythm. The audience was thrilled to witness the musical event as they got to know the covered countries culture with the extravagant display of the international costumes, lyrics & instruments .The participants presented their song along with the Flag & the Prop of the given country. Note: Surferdude808 compiles an unofficial list of Problem Banks compiled only from public sources. Here is the unofficial problem bank list for April 2018. Here are the monthly changes and a few comments from surferdude808: Update on the Unofficial Problem Bank List for April 2018. The list had a decline of four insured institutions to 94 banks. Aggregate assets declined during the month by $956 million to $18.9 billion. A year ago, the list held 148 institutions with assets of $36.1 billion. Actions were terminated against American Bank of the North, Nashwauk, MN ($550 million); Affinity Bank, Atlanta, GA ($260 million); Allied First Bank, SB, Oswego, IL ($94 million); and South Carolina Community Bank, Columbia, SC ($53 million). CR Note: When the unofficial weekly was list was first published on August 7, 2009 it had 389 institutions. The list peaked at just over 1,000 institutions in 2011. Now there are only 94 banks on the unofficial list (the FDIC reported 95 banks on the official problem bank list at the end of 2017).The FDIC's official problem bank list is comprised of banks with a CAMELS rating of 4 or 5, and the list is not made public (just the number of banks and assets every quarter). Note: Bank CAMELS ratings are also not made public.CAMELS is the FDIC rating system, and stands forapital adequacy,sset quality,anagement,arnings,iquidity andensitivity to market risk. The scale is from 1 to 5, with 1 being the strongest.As a substitute for the CAMELS ratings, surferdude808 is using publicly announced formal enforcement actions, and also media reports and company announcements that suggest to us an enforcement action is likely, to compile a list of possible problem banks in the public interest. L-R, President and VP of SYNES UB W. Musa University of Buea Chapter of Higher Education Teachers Trade Union, SYNES UB, has said the ruling of the University of Buea Senate on the fake certificates ok the Mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema Esunge remains valid and cannot be overruled by a court, not even the High Court in Buea. This was during a meeting which held recently grouping members of the Union, chaired by its chapter President, Professor Arrey Abangma. In an extraordinary meeting held purposely for the case, SYNES members concluded that certificates are awarded in an academic institution and not on a judicial bench, hence the court should stay away from academic matters. The Trade Unionists have threatened to wear their robes and march to any court for the purpose. SYNES also urged the University of Buea to implement the decisions taken during the 73rd Senate meeting, by revoking the said credentials to the hearing of the entire public. The Senate before declaring as fake the credentials of the Mayor met in March during the 73rd Senate and unanimously decided that Bachelor and Master degree of Ekema Patrick will be withdrawn due to his illegal entry in UB. It was revealed that Ekema Patrick did not make it through the GCE Advance Level, he forged his way into UB by faking an Advance level C grade in French whereas he had only E grade in History. An impeccable source said on several occasions the Mayor had been invited to explain how he got the C grade in French but he never showed up. The Senate after making its investigations at the GCE Board concluded that he was never qualified to be admitted into UB. The Senate decision has been forwarded to the Ministry of Higher Education. The judiciary only came in when Ekema Patrick through Barrister Nkea Emmanuel attacked the decision at the Buea High Court. The court gave an injunction to UB and other parties to stop all procedures since the matter has taken a judicial dimension. | BY Kim Shaw | Qantas has unveiled a new advertising campaign via Clemenger BBDO, Sydney that taps into Australians love of travel and which highlights the airlines extensive international and domestic network. Running across broadcast, digital, outdoor and social media from the 29 April 2018, the series shows Australian travellers enjoying the experiences on offer in countries that Qantas operates to, including surfing in Waikiki, hiking in Yosemite, strolling through the historic streets of Kyoto and going on safari in South Africa. Experiences in Australia are also featured such as watching the sunset at Uluru. Twelve destinations are included in the campaign, inspiring Australian travellers to explore the world in different ways. The tagline, no one travels like Australians and no one takes us to the world like Qantas, accompanies the campaign, with a reinvented version of Geoff Macks 1959 Ive Been Everywhere, recorded by Australian musician Lisa Mitchell underscoring the broadcast films. Qantas together with its airline partners flies to over 1,000 destinations including 150 destinations across North America, 40 European cities, 50 Asia destinations and over 60 Australian destinations. Creative Agency: Clemenger BBDO Sydney Chief Creative Officer: Ben Coulson Managing Director: Emily Perrett Head of Planning: Rob Dougan Creative Director: Ben Clare Art Director: Elaine Li Head of Production: Denise McKeon Senior Account Director: Melanie Spence Account Manager: Katie Scrutton Production Director: Chris Searl DoP: Tim Tregoning Producer: Maree Mitchell Editor: Alex Guterres Grade: Christina Trodd Senior Online Editor: Jess Morgan Sound: Robbie Balatincz Sound: Daniel Denholm Artist: Lisa Mitchell Media Agency: OMD Business Director: Dorothee Gomez Account Director: Amy Cummings Trading Director: Anastasia Nicholas Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 7:52PM Essential is taking its products and accessories beyond US soil and is expanding to five other countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK. If youre interested in buying the Essential Phone or the 360 Camera, you can order directly from Essential.com. As expected there are special terms and conditions, which you can read at the companys Terms of Sale page. Standard prices seem to apply, so you get the equivalent prices to how the products are priced in the US. Shipping charges will be calculated during checkout and the product is expected to arrive in around five business days. Essential wants to remind its international customers that any taxes, fees, and duties incurred will not be shouldered by the company. They are also not responsible for risk of loss or failure to delivery due to customs or related issues. But if youve been wanting to get your hands on Essential products, it has gotten much easier to do so now. Source: Android Police UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan Google Ad UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN Joint statement Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT COVID19:77 new cases Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say news, latest-news They used to be a regular sight on railway tracks between Sydney and Melbourne more than 50 years ago. After spending many years as an exhibition at the former Canberra Railway Museum, a team of railway enthusiasts has helped to restore carriages of the Southern Aurora to their former glory, as the train gets ready to ride the rails once more. Seven carriages of the former sleeper train were purchased at an auction last year of former exhibits of the railway museum, following its liquidation. Work has been under way since November to painstakingly restore all the carriages to replicate their original 1960s grandeur. Once completed, the restored carriages will be used for multi-day trips from Sydney from later this year, journeying to locations such as the Blue Mountains and Wollongong. Canberra resident Rodney Clancy has been one of the people behind the project and is the director of G'Day Rail, the company operating the future train trips. He said the restoration work, carried out in Lithgow, had been a significant challenge. "The vintage nature of the carriages were appropriate for a railway museum, but for a commercial operation, many of the components of the carriage had to be upgraded," he said. "It's taken us a considerable amount of time to get it as accurate as possible." Mr Clancy estimates $2 million has been spent on the restoration, which has involved sourcing original materials like floors and wallpapers from the 1960s for the interior, as well as a complete mechanical overhaul. However, there is one modification that will bring the trains into the 21st century. "All of the carriages have ashtrays in the compartments, and you can't smoke on trains any more, so we had to remove them and we installed a USB charging port in its place," Mr Clancy said. "We've been able to salvage a lot of the original materials used." Lithgow Railway Workshop administration manager John Healey has been working on the restoration and said the Southern Aurora carriages were more challenging than a standard restoration. "It all involves lifting the carriage up and getting all of the bogeys out, before putting it all back together again, and making sure everything technically is tip top," he said. "There's been plenty of work to do." Mr Healey said restorations of older train carriages for passenger use had become more common, as more people were looking into long-distance train journeys. "There seems to be a growing interest in these kind of projects worldwide," he said. While the G'Day Rail trips are scheduled to go to and from Sydney when it begins operating, Mr Clancy said he hopes to bring some of the routes through the nation's capital. "At the moment, we're working on getting some regular trips to and from Canberra," he said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/424d79cf-a34d-46f3-ada0-3157cb3e06e0/r0_351_3747_2468_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, act-politics Festival goers have endorsed an Australian-first pill-testing trial at Canberra's Groovin the Moo. Thousands of people descended on the University of Canberra for the ACT leg of the travelling music festival on Sunday. The STA-Safe consortium received a last-minute green light to offer free pill-testing in a mobile laboratory in one of the festival's health tents, with the endorsement of the ACT government and ACT Policing. The pilot program allowed medical professionals to analyse illicit drugs with an infrared spectrophotometer and inform participants of their contents, in an effort to reduce drug-related harm. It's understood more than 70 festival goers had already used the service by 7pm, with some dumping their drugs in an amnesty bin filled with bleach after the results were not what they expected. All attendees interviewed except one backed the trial, with one woman describing it as a "nice compromise". "It stops people overdosing and keeps them safe," she said. "No matter how many laws you put in, people are still going to do what they want," one man said. "Most people would rather be safe." One woman said it was "stupid" to let people test their drugs, as it gave the impression taking pills was OK. "It's bad that they're encouraging it," she said. Half a dozen people said they were not sure where the testing was happening, and there was no information about the trial at the festival. Fairfax Media asked twice for directions to where the pill testing was taking place before being pointed to the correct tent. Despite assurances from police that people presenting for pill testing would not be targeted, several people said they were concerned about being caught by police or security. In the lead-up to the trial, it was unclear how the testing area and wider festival would be policed, or whether there would be drug-testing checkpoints outside the university campus. While there were no police or sniffer dogs at the entry to the festival, security appeared to be searching festival goers' bags thoroughly before allowing them to enter. One remarked it was the "most intense" bag check she'd ever experienced. Several security guards and the festival promoter stood at the entry of the health tent where the mobile laboratory was testing drugs, and were seen speaking with three police officers. After Fairfax Media took a photo of the police outside the tent, the festival promoter demanded the photos be deleted. Harm minimisation advocates have long pushed for pill-testing at festivals, arguing it had been effective in protecting young people when implemented overseas. A letter co-signed by a suite of health experts and advocates sent to the promoter this month said allowing the trial would "potentially save lives". Away from the health tent, at least two festival goers were seen having an adverse reaction to alcohol or drugs. One woman was seen sitting cross legged near the stage, vomiting pink foam. She was being comforted by a friend, while another went to get water. Canberra was the only leg of the festival where the pill-testing trial was approved to take place. About 40 people were charged with drug offences at the Maitland leg on Saturday. A 20-year-old woman was rushed to hospital after a suspected overdose at Groovin the Moo's Adelaide leg on Friday. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/d6ed3309-9f30-4c78-9d73-fce1f36c8f8e/r0_229_4500_2771_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Up to six Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornet aircraft will likely be seen in the skies above Canberra on Monday. The air force said the F/A-18F jet fighters would be conducting diversion training into Canberra Airport between 11am and noon, and between 3pm and 4pm, subject to the weather and other operational issues. They could be seen above the airport and surrounding suburbs. The Super Hornets are based at Amberley, in Queensland. Australia has 24 of the jets, which were introduced in December 2012 to help maintain the nation's air capability before the introduction of the F-35A Lightning II and while the F/A-18 Hornets began to be retired. Australia has a 24 Super Hornets, which can fly up to 1960km/h (Mach 1.6). /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/61a5663e-2bab-4438-a9c7-f2d6bc930d23/r0_52_1024_631_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Parents of Australia! Brace yourselves for my probing test of your beliefs and values. Here comes a searching, uncompromising hypothetical. My hypothetical partakes of a throbbing topic much discussed in the news in recent days, the Victorian Liberal Party's principled flirtation with making gay conversion therapy that party's policy. Imagine that one of your post-pubescent children comes to you and announces: "Esteemed mummy, I discover I am attracted to members of my own sex. Henceforth I intend to live an openly gay life". Minutes later (for this is an eventful day in your action-packed home in 21st century Australia) another of your post-pubescent children comes to you and chirrups: "Beloved daddy, I can no longer deny my political orientation. l yearn to join the Young Liberals". "Yes," the dear child continues, "I want to devote my political life to working for the Liberal Party, that wondrous body that has spawned such statesmen as John Howard, Philip Ruddock and Zed Seselja." Now, your columnist's probing hypothetical question is, which of these two announcements by your two loved ones causes you the greatest heartache? If you are the kind of melodramatic Home and Away soap opera parent likely to respond in a Home and Away way, to which of these youngsters will you shrill, "pack your things and get out, now, you disgusting pervert". "How could you be so ungrateful? After all we've done for you. This news will break your father's/mother's heart. It will kill grandma. Begone! Out, damned spot!" This kind of dilemma is on thinking minds because of the news (for example, see online the story 'Dark recesses of the 19th century': Liberals slam party push for gay conversion therapy) that forces within the Victorian Liberal Party want it to be party policy to rescue gays from their perverse gaiety. These Liberals (led, apparently, by Young Liberals) want to be able to prescribe therapies that will convert homosexualists to heterosexuality, the one true sexuality. My initial response to this Liberal brainwave was to think (hence the hypothetical I've just posed for you) that perhaps it is far worse, far more shameful, to be a Liberal than to be a homosexual. Certainly voting Liberal is a perversion I've never engaged in. Perhaps there is a better moral argument for converting Liberals and Liberal voters (converting them to almost anything else) than there is for converting anyone away from their sexuality. Young Liberals in particular surely need the concerned, loving interventions of governments and society. For, awful as it is to ever be a Liberal it is tragic to be one, to be a wizened, ultra-conservative, flint-hearted, stop-the-boats, Ruddockesque thing when one is young. Healthy young peoples' hearts and minds should throb with revolutionary idealism, with a pulsating love of mankind, with a dream of making the world a better place. To be a Young Liberal is to be tragically, prematurely old. A caring society should use every therapy there is, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy, lectures from inspirational socialists, crystal healing, powerful electric shocks, therapy, rebirthing, moxibustion, pilates, everything, to urgently rescue these erring young people from themselves. But surely, even if this particular Liberal idea is too flawed to succeed just yet (give it time, for the Liberal Party's 19th-century genes are on the march) there are other areas of life where conversion therapy should be used to work its magic. Conversion therapy might rescue Australian monarchists from their unAustralian perversion, converting them from their fawning worship of the undeserving English upper classes to a proud respect for their own land, their own people. Habitual Christians might, with therapy, be liberated from the shackles of their silly superstitions. Then, when I and my group come to power at the next Assembly elections we will make conversion therapy mandatory for Canberra's unhappy grumbletonians. This will rescue them from their tragic inability to enjoy the 21st century and the ways it is transforming our city for the better. Canberra grumbletonianism (the best in the world!) reached new heights (depths?) in recent days with inner north residents complaining that the work of the installation of the light rail facilities is temporarily making some noise. Horror! The kindly Canberra Times indulged these FWWs (First World Whingers) by reporting their complaints in great detail (see the story, Inner north residents set to suffer through noisy nights from light rail work) and with a photograph of a representative aggrieved Braddon grumbletonian. But of course the building of anything worthwhile must disturb some peace. What clattering and clanging there was as the Sydney Harbour Bridge took shape! How the stonemasons' tools clinked and banged as the Great Pyramid arose on its sandy plain! All of us can look forward to a billion years, to an eternity of peace and quiet and uninterrupted sleep once we are dead. But meanwhile if city-building involves some occasional commotions then that seems a small price to pay for all of the excitement and stimulus that city life gives. To paraphrase Dr Johnson, anyone who is tired of today's pulsating, future-embracing Canberra (light rail is coming!), must be tired of life. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/ef092982-c543-41e6-8d1a-e772498a5687/r0_111_2000_1241_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news One of St Bernard Primary's most beloved staff members offers his students emotional support and a patient ear to help them practice their reading. His name? Pickles, a caramel-coloured Cavoodle owned by classroom support assistant Deb O'Brien. The popular pooch visits the school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, joining Ms O'Brien in working with students who need his support. And at recess and lunch he spends time with school staff in communal areas. Learning support teacher Sharon Beashel said Pickles helped calm upset students and provided a non-judgemental ear for those practicing reading aloud. Students sit with Pickles, read him their stories and explain the pictures, with the school aiming to help them relax and enjoy literacy. "It's probably exceeded our expectations in how beneficial it is to have a dog in the school," principal Jacqui Heffernan said. "I think it's increased morale." Pickles is a veteran of the pet therapy industry having trained at a Batemans Bay retirement village before coming into the school. He joins four chickens at St Bernard's, which also hopes to introduce dorper sheep. "I think schools have got to think outside the square on how best to support students," Ms Beashel said. A similar initiative happens across the border through the national Story Dogs program. Robyn Bromley and her whippet Dashi joined with Libraries ACT mid-last year to help students gain confidence in reading. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/6bfca0b7-c133-4c07-8059-be7797984b24/r0_1297_3024_3006_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg